Polysaccharide structure evaluation of Ganoderma lucidum from different regions in China based on an innovative extraction strategy.

The polysaccharides and triterpenes are important functional components of Ganoderma lucidum, but traditional preparation process of G. lucidum functional components can only realize the preparation of single functional component, which has poor targeting and low efficiency. In this study, the existence state of the functional components of G. lucidum was revealed. Then, the single step extraction process for functional components was established, and the precise structure evaluation of polysaccharide and triterpenes was conducted based on the process. The results showed that preparation time required for this strategy is only one-sixth of the traditional one, and 50 % of raw materials can be saved. Structural analysis of the functional components revealed that triterpenes were mainly Ganoderic acid and Lucidenic acid, and the polysaccharide structure was mainly 1,3-glucan and 1,3,6-glucan. The establishment of single step extraction strategy and the evaluation of the fine structure of functional components improved the efficiency of preparation and result determination, and provided an important basis for the development and utilization of green and low-carbon G. lucidum and even edible fungi resources and human nutritional dietary improvement strategies.

[Effects of Water Level Fluctuations and Vegetation Restoration on Soil Prokaryotic Microbial Community Structure in the Riparian Zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir].

Riparian zones are typical fragile and sensitive ecological areas. Fluctuations in water level are the main factor affecting the soil environment in these zones, and vegetation restoration is considered an important means of soil conservation there. However, the interactive effects of water level fluctuations and vegetation restoration on the soil microbial community structure in the reservoir riparian zone remain unclear. Therefore, we selected abandoned grassland and artificial forestland at different water level elevations as research objects in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. We used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to explore the composition and diversity of soil prokaryotic microbial communities and investigated the main environmental factors driving the soil microbial community structure. The results showed that the α diversity of soil prokaryotes was the highest at the low water level of the riparian zone. The Pielou_e index, Shannon index, and Simpson index at the 163 m elevation were significantly higher than those at the 168 m elevation, and the Chao1 index and Shannon index were significantly higher than those at the 173 m elevation. However, no significant difference was found in the soil microbial community α diversity between abandoned grassland and artificial forestland. At the same time, water level fluctuations and vegetation restoration had significant effects on the community composition of soil prokaryotic microorganisms, and there were significant differences in biomarker categories in different study sites. Notably, the effects of vegetation restoration types on the soil prokaryotic microbial community structure were stronger than that of water level fluctuations. In addition, the results of hierarchical segmentation showed that soil pH was the main driving factor for the change in soil prokaryotic microbial community structure in the Three Gorges Reservoir. These results deepen our understanding of the variations in microbial community structure in the reservoir riparian zone and provide scientific reference for the restoration and reconstruction of the riparian zone ecosystem.

A graphene-like hollow sphere anode for lithium-ion batteries.

We report a flash Joule heating method for the rapid preparation of graphene-like materials. The L-GHS exhibited a uniform diameter of 200 nm and an ideal specific surface area of 670 m2 g-1. Meanwhile, the specific capacity of L-GHS remained at 942 mA h g-1 after 600 cycles (1 A g-1), which shows excellent electrochemical performance.

The classical D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390 is a functional sigma-1 receptor allosteric modulator.

SCH23390 is a widely used D1 dopamine receptor (D1R) antagonist that also elicits some D1R-independent effects. We previously found that the benzazepine, SKF83959, an analog of SCH23390, produces positive allosteric modulation of the Sigma-1 receptor (Sig1R). SCH23390 does not bind to the orthodoxic site of Sig1R but enhances the binding of 3H (+)-pentazocine to Sig1R. In this study, we investigated whether SCH23390 functions as an allosteric modulator of Sig1R. We detected increased Sig1R dissociation from binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) and translocation of Sig1R to the plasma membrane in response to SCH23390 in transfected HEK293T and SH-SY5Y cells, respectively. Activation of Sig1R by SCH23390 was further confirmed by inhibition of GSK3ß activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner; this effect was blocked by pretreatment with the Sig1R antagonist, BD1047, and by knockdown of Sig1R. SCH23390 also inhibited GSK3ß in wild-type mice but not in Sig1R knockout mice. Finally, we showed that SCH23390 allosterically modulated the effect of the Sig1R agonist SKF10047 on inhibition of GSK3ß. This positive allosteric effect of SCH23390 was further confirmed via promotion of neuronal protection afforded by SKF10047 in primary cortical neurons challenged with MPP+. These results provide the first evidence that SCH23390 elicits functional allosteric modulation of Sig1R. Our findings not only reveal novel pharmacological effects of SCH23390 but also indicate a potential mechanism for SCH23390-mediated D1R-independent effects. Therefore, attention should be paid to these Sig1R-mediated effects when explaining pharmacological responses to SCH23390.

Extensive Analysis of Mulberry (Morus rubra L.) Polysaccharides with Different Maturities by Using Two-Step Extraction and LC/QqQ-MS.

A primary challenge of polysaccharide analysis is the need for comprehensive extraction and characterization methods. In this study, mulberry polysaccharides at different maturities were fully extracted through a two-step process involving ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and their structures were determined by a combination analysis of monosaccharides and glycosidic linkages based on liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/QqQ-MS). The results indicate mulberry polysaccharides mainly contain highly branched pectic polysaccharides, (1,3,6)-linked glucan, xylan, and xyloglucan, but the content of different portions varies at different maturity stages. HG decreases from 19.12 and 19.14% (green mulberry) to 9.80 and 6.08% (red mulberry) but increases to 17.83 and 11.83% as mulberry transitioned from red to black. In contrast, the contents of glucan showed opposite trends. When mulberry turns red to black, the RG-I arabinan chains decrease from 47.75 and 28.86% to 13.16 and 12.72%, while the galactan side chains increase from 1.18 and 1.91 to 8.3 and 6.49%, xylan and xyloglucan show an increase in content. Overall, the two-step extraction combined with LC/QqQ-MS provides a new strategy for extensive analysis of complex plant polysaccharides.

Efficient Multi-stimulus-Responsive Luminescent Eu(III)-Modified HOFs Materials: Detecting Thiram and Caffeic Acid and Constructing a Flexible Substrate Anti-counterfeiting Platform.

The powerful capability of multi-stimulus-responsive luminescent hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) to respond to external chemical or physical stimuli in various manners makes them appealing in the luminescence anti-counterfeiting field. Herein, a novel Eu3+-functionalized HOF (Eu@GC-2) that combines the emission of HOFs with the characteristic emission of Eu3+ ions has been successfully synthesized, which can generate various fluorescence at different excitation wavelengths. Eu@GC-2 has enormous potential as a raw material for a paper-based sensor that is designed for detecting the pesticides thiram and caffeic acid in crops with favorable selectivity, anti-interference, and high efficiency. Based on the above excellent properties, Ln3+-functionalized HOFs (Ln@GC-2) were then employed to produce four luminescent anti-counterfeiting inks. With the incorporation of back-propagation neural network and Gray code conversion functions, a multi-stimulus-responsive luminescent anti-counterfeiting platform, coregulated by the excitation light and the chemical reagent, has been constructed. This approach can not only achieve multiple encryptions and fast information identification but also enhance the code-breaking complexity, making it an efficient strategy for information encryption and decryption.

Safety and efficacy of anlotinib combined with taxane and lobaplatin in neoadjuvant treatment of clinical stage II/III triple-negative breast cancer in China (the neoALTAL trial): a single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Background: Anlotinib is a new type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1/2/3, platelet-derived growth factor receptors α/ß, and fibroblast growth factor receptors 1-4 and c-Kit, with a broad spectrum of inhibitory effects on tumor angiogenesis and growth. It has been proven effective in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, but its efficacy in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unknown. This phase 2 study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding anlotinib to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with TNBC. Methods: Patients with clinical stage II/III TNBC were treated with 5 cycles of anlotinib (12 mg, d1-14, q3w) plus 6 cycles of taxanes (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 ,d1, q3w or nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2, d1 and d8, q3w) and lobaplatin (30 mg/m2, d1, q3w), followed by surgery. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR; ypT0/is ypN0) and the secondary endpoints include breast pCR (bpCR), axillary pCR (apCR), residual cancer burden (RCB), objective response rate (ORR), survival, and safety. Exploratory endpoints were efficacy biomarkers based on Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center Immunohistochemical (FUSCC IHC) classification for TNBC and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA from tumor tissue and blood samples of patients with 425-gene panel. This trial is registered with www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2100043027). Findings: From Jan 2021 to Aug 2022, 48 patients were assessed and 45 were enrolled. All patients received at least one dose of study treatment and underwent surgery. The median age was 48.5 years (SD: 8.7), 71% were nodal involved, and 20% had stage III. In the intention-to-treat population, 26 out of 45 patients achieved pCR (57.8%; 90% CI, 44.5%-70.3%), and 39 achieved residual cancer burden class 0-I (86.7%; 95% CI, 73.2%-94.9%). The bpCR and apCR rate were 64.4% (29/45) and 71.9% (23/32), respectively. No recurrence or metastasis occurred during the short-term follow-up. Based on the FUSCC IHC-based subtypes, the pCR rates were 68.8% (11/16) for immunomodulatory subtype, 58.3% (7/12) for basal-like immune-suppressed subtype and 33.3% (4/12) for luminal androgen receptor subtype, respectively. NGS revealed that the pCR were 77% (10/13) and 50% (14/28) in MYC-amplified and wild-type patients, respectively, and 78% (7/9) and 53% (17/32) in gBRCA1/2-mutated and wild-type patients, respectively. The median follow-up time of the study was 14.9 months (95% CI: 13.5-16.3 months). There was no disease progression or death during neoadjuvant therapy. No deaths occurred during postoperative follow-up. In the safety population (N = 45), Grade 3 or 4 treatment emergent adverse events occurred in 29 patients (64%), and the most common events were neutropenia (38%), leukopenia (27%), thrombocytopenia (25%), anemia (13%), and hypertension (13%), respectively. Interpretation: The addition of anlotinib to neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed manageable toxicity and encouraging antitumor activity for patients with clinical stage II/III TNBC. Funding: Chongqing Talents Project, Chongqing Key Project of Technology Innovation and Application Development and Chongqing Outstanding Youth Natural Science Foundation.

High expression of AlkB homolog 5 suppresses the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by facilitating ferroptosis through m6A demethylation of SLC7A11.

OBJECTIVE: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a prevailing LC characterized by poor outcomes. AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) functions as a tumor suppressor in several cancers. This study delved into the role of ALKBH5 in NSCLC development. METHODS: TCGA database predicted ALKBH5 expression in NSCLC patients. ALKBH5 levels in NSCLC and human bronchial epithelial cells were determined. pcDNA3.1-ALKBH5/NC, pcDNA3.1-SLC7A11/NC, and ferrostatin-1 were used to explore the interactions among ALKBH5, SLC7A11, and ferroptosis. SLC7A11 mRNA and its protein levels were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and Transwell. Total N6-methyladenosine (m6A) quantification and its enrichment on SLC7A11 mRNA were determined, followed by the observation of Ki67, ALKBH5 and SLC7A11-positive cell numbers. Glutathione (GSH), lipid reactive oxygen species (lipid-ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and iron ion contents were determined. Animal experiments further analyzed the role of ALKBH5 in tumor development and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis revealed the lowly-expressed ALKBH5 in LC patients. ALKBH5 was downregulated in NSCLC cells and its upregulation repressed proliferation activity, invasion, and migration, and facilitated apoptosis. ALKBH5 upregulation decreased GSH, increased lipid-ROS, MDA, and iron ion contents, and downregulated SLC7A11 by reducing m6A modification. SLC7A11 upregulation partly annulled the effect of ALKBH5 overexpression on cell ferroptosis and malignant behaviors. In vivo assays elucidated the suppression of ALKBH5 upregulation on tumor development and GPX4 levels. CONCLUSION: ALKBH5 upregulation downregulates SLC7A11 transcription by decreasing m6A modification, thus promoting NSCLC cell ferroptosis and ultimately repressing NSCLC progression.

Mind the Gap: Paramedian approach for coccygectomy.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Coccydynia is pain in the coccyx that typically occurs idiopathically or from trauma. Most forms are self-limiting. However, if symptoms persist, non-surgical treatment options can include offloading, NSAIDs, physical therapy, and steroid injections. If all treatment options fail, a growing body of evidence supports a coccygectomy for symptomatic relief. The standard approach for a coccygectomy involves a midline incision cephalad to the anus along the gluteal cleft. Historically, this method has had high rates of infection. PURPOSE: To improve healing and decrease infection rate, we propose the paramedian approach to a coccygectomy. This approach has the benefit of distancing the surgical site from the anus, diminishing the crevice effect of the incision, and increasing the dermal and subdermal thickness for improved surgical closure. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: We present a case series study of 41 patients who underwent the paramedian approach coccygectomy using a 4-6 cm incision, approximately 0.5-1.5 cm lateral to the midline, for coccyx removal. These patients were evaluated post-operatively to determine infection rate and various outcome measures. PATIENT SAMPLE: 41 patients suffering from refractory coccydynia had a coccygectomy via the paramedian approach between 2011 and 2022 by the senior author. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included self-reported measures (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scale and satisfaction with procedure), physiologic measures (presence of infection and treatment provided) and functional measures (return to vocation/avocation) METHODS: Data was compiled and transferred to Microsoft Excel and analyzed. Two-tailed T-tests were used to compare the patient improvement in VAS and ODI as appropriate for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The patients' average age was 45.8 years. Patients' average body mass index was 27.9, with 71% of patients overweight or obese. 68% of patients were female. Trauma was the most common precipitating factor (75.6%). Five patients presented with post-operative complications (12.1%), one requiring an incision and drainage, and four others were treated with antibiotics for wound erythema. Post-operative evaluations showed continual improvement, with the most significant improvement reported greater than one-year post-operatively. The Visual Analogue Scale for pain dropped from 7.5 to 2.3 (P<0.001), and the Oswestry Disability Index improved from 30.1 to 9.6 (P<0.001). 86.7% percent of patients reported either a good or excellent result. CONCLUSION: Coccygectomies via the midline approach have a variable infection rate, likely due to proximity of the incision to the anus and due to the crevice effect of the gluteal cleft in terms of aeration. These contributing factors are overcome in the paramedian approach, making it an effective option for treating refractory coccydynia that is non-responsive to conservative management.

Iron-doping and facet engineering of NiSe octahedron for synergistically enhanced triiodide reduction activity in photovoltaics.

Reasonable design of cost-effective counter electrode (CE) catalysts for triiodide (I3-) reduction reaction (IRR) by simultaneously combining heteroatom doping and facet engineering is highly desired in iodine-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but really challenging. Herein, the density function theory (DFT) calculations were first conducted to demonstrate that the Fe-doped NiSe (111) showed an appropriate adsorption energy for I3-, increased number of metal active sites, reinforced charge-transfer ability, and strong interaction between 3d states of metal sites and 5p state of I1 atoms in I3-, compared to NiSe (111). Based on this finding, the well-defined Fe-NiSe octahedron with exposed (111) plane (marked as Fe-NiSe (111)) and NiSe octahedron with the same exposed plane (named as NiSe (111)) are controllably synthesized. When the as-prepared Fe-NiSe (111) and NiSe (111) worked as CE catalysts, Fe-NiSe (111) exhibits improved electrochemical performance with higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) than NiSe (111), providing new opportunity to replace precious Pt for DSSCs.

Advances in antitumor activity and mechanism of natural steroidal saponins: A review of advances, challenges, and future prospects.

BACKGROUND: Cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide following cardiovascular diseases, presents a formidable challenge in clinical settings due to the extensive toxic side effects associated with primary chemotherapy drugs employed for cancer treatment. Furthermore, the emergence of drug resistance against specific chemotherapeutic agents has further complicated the situation. Consequently, there exists an urgent imperative to investigate novel anticancer drugs. Steroidal saponins, a class of natural compounds, have demonstrated notable antitumor efficacy. Nonetheless, their translation into clinical applications has remained unrealized thus far. In light of this, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review elucidating the antitumor activity, underlying mechanisms, and inherent limitations of steroidal saponins. Additionally, we propose a series of strategic approaches and recommendations to augment the antitumor potential of steroidal saponin compounds, thereby offering prospective insights for their eventual clinical implementation. PURPOSE: This review summarizes steroidal saponins' antitumor activity, mechanisms, and limitations. METHODS: The data included in this review are sourced from authoritative databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and others. RESULTS: A comprehensive summary of over 40 steroidal saponin compounds with proven antitumor activity, including their applicable tumor types and structural characteristics, has been compiled. These steroidal saponins can be primarily classified into five categories: spirostanol, isospirostanol, furostanol, steroidal alkaloids, and cholestanol. The isospirostanol and cholestanol saponins are found to have more potent antitumor activity. The primary antitumor mechanisms of these saponins include tumor cell apoptosis, autophagy induction, inhibition of tumor migration, overcoming drug resistance, and cell cycle arrest. However, steroidal saponins have limitations, such as higher cytotoxicity and lower bioavailability. Furthermore, strategies to address these drawbacks have been proposed. CONCLUSION: In summary, isospirostanol and cholestanol steroidal saponins demonstrate notable antitumor activity and different structural categories of steroidal saponins exhibit variations in their antitumor signaling pathways. However, the clinical application of steroidal saponins in cancer treatment still faces limitations, and further research and development are necessary to advance their potential in tumor therapy.

MiR-29a-3p mediates phosphatase and tensin homolog and inhibits osteoarthritis progression.

Despite substantial progress in clinical trials of osteoarthritis (OA) gene therapy, the prevalence of OA is still on the rise. MiRNAs have a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for OA. OA cartilage and chondrosarcoma cells were studied to determine the role of miR-29a-3p and PTEN. OA cartilage and human chondrosarcoma cells (SW1353) were obtained. miR-29a-3p and PTEN signature expression was determined by RT-qPCR. The binding relationship between miR-29a-3p and PTEN was investigated by dual-luciferase reporter gene and western blot assay. TUNEL, immunohistochemistry, CCK-8, and flow cytometry were utilized to determine the proliferation and apoptosis of SW1353 cells. This study indicated downregulation of miR-29a-3p expression and upregulation of PTEN expression in human OA primary chondrocytes or OA tissue samples, compared with the normal cartilage cells or tissues. PTEN expression was negatively correlated with miR-29a-3p expression, and miR-29a-3p targeted PTEN mechanistically. miR-29a-3p reduced SW1353 cell activity and proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. However, the aforementioned effects could be reversed by downregulating PTEN. miR-29a-3p can stimulate chondrocyte proliferation and inhibit apoptosis by inhibiting PTEN expression.

Associations of Regional Body Fat with Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to prospectively examine the association between regional body fat and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), who often exhibit changes in relative fat distribution and have increased CVD risk. METHODS: The main analysis included 21,472 participants with T2D from the UK Biobank. Regional body fat was measured by bioelectric impedance assessment. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Over a median of 7.7 years of follow-up, 3,976 CVD events occurred. After multivariable adjustment, upper and lower body fat were independently and oppositely associated with CVD risk among patients with T2D. Higher arm fat percentage was linearly associated with increased CVD risk (P nonlinear >0.05), while higher trunk fat percentage was nonlinearly associated with increased CVD risk (P nonlinear <0.05). In contrast, higher leg fat percentage was nonlinearly associated with lower CVD risk (P nonlinear <0.05). When comparing extreme quartiles, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) of CVD was 0.72 (0.58, 0.90) for leg fat percentage, 1.63 (1.29, 2.05) for arm fat percentage, and 1.27 (1.06, 1.52) for trunk fat percentage. Similar patterns of associations were observed for all-cause and CVD mortality. In addition, leg fat percentage, but not other regional fat percentage, was associated with CVD risk independently of traditional measures of obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Among people with T2D, arm fat and trunk fat were positively, whereas leg fat was inversely, associated with the risk of CVD and mortality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both the amount and the location of body fat when assessing CVD and mortality risk among individuals with T2D.

Association between weight-adjusted-waist index and depression in US adults: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence implicates a significant association between depression and obesity and related metabolic dysfunction. The weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) was recently identified as an ideal index that integrates total body fat, muscle mass, and bone mass. This study investigated the relationship between WWI and depressive symptoms in adults. METHODS: Participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2018) were enrolled. Depressive symptom severity was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and generalized additive models were used to determine the relationship between WWI and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 34,575 participants were included, with a mean WWI of 11.01; 2,979 participants were suspected of having depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10). A significant positive association was identified between WWI and depressive symptoms (odds ratio = 1.416, 95 % confidence interval: 1.303-1.539, P < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses suggested that the association between WWI and depressive symptoms was stronger in individuals who were female, overweight, divorced, middle-aged or older (over 40 years old), and had diabetes. Furthermore, the non-linear multivariable regression revealed an inflection point for the WWI at 11.438, and the association was only significant when the WWI was higher than this point. LIMITATIONS: This study was retrospective and only included participants from the United States; therefore, further validation is needed from studies in other countries, especially middle-to-low-income countries, using longitudinal cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a significant positive association between WWI and depressive symptoms.

Regulating nitrogen/sulfur terminals on 3D porous Ti3C2 MXene with enhanced reaction kinetics toward high-performance alkali metal ion storage.

In this paper, we have developed a simple and efficient sulfur-amine chemistry strategy to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) porous Ti3C2Tx composite with large amounts of N and S terminal groups. The well-designed 3D macroporous architecture presents enlarged interlayer spacing, large specific surface area, and unique porous structure, which successfully solves the re-stacking issue of MXene during storage and electrode fabrication. It is the amount of concentrated hydrochloric acid added to the S-EDA (ethylenediamine)/MXene colloidal suspension that is critical to the formation of 3D morphology. In addition, N and S terminals on MXene could improve the adsorption ability of K+. Owing to the synergistic effect of the structure design and terminal modification, the N, S codoped three-dimensional porous Ti3C2Tx (3D-NSPM) material shows a high surface capacitive contribution and rapid diffusion kinetics for K+ and Na+. As a result, the as-prepared 3D-NSPM delivers high reversible capacity (237 and 273 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 for PIBs and SIBs, respectively), superb cycling stability (84.9% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at 1 A g-1 in PIBs and 74.0% capacity retention after 2200 cycles at 1 A g-1 in SIBs), and excellent rate capability (111 and 196 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 for PIBs and SIBs, respectively), which are superior to other MXene-based anodes for PIBs and SIBs. Moreover, the described strategy provides a new insight for constructing the 3D porous structure from 2D building blocks beyond MXene.

LC-MS based untargeted metabolomics studies of the metabolic response of Ginkgo biloba extract on arsenism patients.

Arsenic is an environmentally ubiquitous toxic metalloid. Chronic exposure to arsenic may lead to arsenicosis, while no specific therapeutic strategies are available for the arsenism patients. And Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) exhibited protective effect in our previous study. However, the mechanisms by which GBE protects the arsenism patients remain poorly understood. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics analysis was used to study metabolic response in arsenism patients upon GBE intervention. In total, 39 coal-burning type of arsenism patients and 50 healthy residents were enrolled from Guizhou province of China. The intervention group (n = 39) were arsenism patients orally administered with GBE (three times per day) for continuous 90 days. Plasma samples from 50 healthy controls (HC) and 39 arsenism patients before and after GBE intervention were collected and analyzed by established LC-MS method. Statistical analysis was performed by MetaboAnalyst 5.0 to identify differential metabolites. Multivariate analysis revealed a separation in arsenism patients between before (BG) and after GBE intervention (AG) group. It was observed that 35 differential metabolites were identified between BG and AG group, and 30 of them were completely or partially reversed by GBE intervention, with 14 differential metabolites significantly up-regulated and 16 differential metabolites considerably down-regulated. These metabolites were involved in promoting immune response and anti-inflammatory functions, and alleviating oxidative stress. Taken together, these findings indicate that the GBE intervention could probably exert its protective effects by reversing disordered metabolites modulating these functions in arsenism patients, and provide insights into further exploration of mechanistic studies.

Highly Accurate Profiling of Exosome Phenotypes Using Super-resolution Tricolor Fluorescence Co-localization.

Exosomes contain a wealth of proteomic information, presenting promising biomarkers for the noninvasive early diagnosis of diseases, especially cancer. However, it remains a great challenge to accurately and reliably distinguish exosomes secreted from different types of cell lines. Fluorescence immunoassay is frequently used for exosome detection. Nonspecific adsorption in immunoassays is unavoidable and affects the reliability of assay results. Despite the fact that various methods have been proposed to reduce nonspecific adsorption, a more effective method that can eliminate the influence of nonspecific adsorption is still lacking. Here, we report a more convenient way (named SR-TFC) to remove the artifacts caused by nonspecific adsorption, which combines tricolor fluorescence labeling of target exosomes, tricolor super-resolution imaging, and pixel counting. The pixel counting method (named CFPP) is realized by MATLAB and can eliminate nonspecific binding sites at the single-pixel level, which has never been achieved before and could improve the reliability of detection to the maximum extent. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept, profiling of exosomal membrane proteins and identification of breast cancer subpopulations are demonstrated. To enable multiplex breast cancer phenotypic analysis, three kinds of specific proteins are labeled to obtain the 3D phenotypic information on various exosomes. Breast cancer subtypes can be accurately identified according to the super-resolution images of some clinically relevant exosomal proteins. Worth mentioning is that, by selecting other biomarkers, classification of other cancers could also be realized using SR-TFC. Hence, the present work holds great potential in clinical cancer diagnosis and precision medicine.

Nanoconfinement of ultra-small Bi2Te3 nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide: a pathway to high-performance sodium-ion battery anodes.

Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention owing to their intriguing physicochemical properties and wide-ranging potential applications arising from their distinctive layered structure and nanoscale size effects. However, synthesizing sub-100 nm ultra-small Bi2Te3 nanocrystals remains a formidable challenge. To date, there has been little investigation on the performance of these ultra-small Bi2Te3 nanocrystals in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This study presents a general strategy for synthesizing ultra-small Bi2Te3 nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide (Bi2Te3/rGO) through a nanoconfinement approach. First-principles calculations and electrochemical kinetic studies confirm that the ultra-small Bi2Te3/rGO composite material can effectively mitigate volumetric expansion, preserve electrode integrity, and enhance electron transfer, Na-ion adsorption, and diffusion capacity. As a result, the Bi2Te3/rGO electrode demonstrates a remarkable initial specific capacity of 521 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, showcasing outstanding rate behaviour and long-lasting cycle life exceeding 800 cycles at 1 A g-1 while preserving exceptional rate properties. The function of the battery is indicated by ex situ TEM and XPS findings, which propose a conventional dual mechanism involving conversion and alloying. This work paves the way for rapid advancements in Bi2Te3-based SIB anodes while contributing to our understanding of sodium ion storage mechanisms.

A novel visible-light-driven Z-scheme C3N5/BiVO4 heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance.

As a visible-light response semiconductor materials, bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is extensively applied in photodegradation organic dye field. In this study, we synthesized C3N5 nanosheets and coupled with decahedral BiVO4 to construct a Z-scheme C3N5/BiVO4 heterostructure with close interface contact. By introducing C3N5 into BiVO4, the built Z-scheme transfer pathway provides silky channel for charge carrier migration between different moieties and enables photoexcited electrons and holes accumulated on the surface of BiVO4 and C3N5. The accelerated separation of charge carriers ensures C3N5/BiVO4 heterostructures with a powerful oxidation capacity compared with pure BiVO4. Due to the synergistic effect in Z-scheme heterostructure, the C3N5/BiVO4 demonstrated an improved photodegradation ability of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) that of bare BiVO4.

Food and environmental safety monitoring platform based on Tb(III) functionalized HOF hybrids for ultrafast detection of thiabendazole and 2-chlorophenol.

Development of efficient and intelligent method for detecting harmful agrochemicals in resource-limited settings remains an urgent need to ensure food and environmental safety. Herein, a novel dual-emitting Tb3+-modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework (Tb@TBTC, TBTC is the ligand of HOF-TBTC.) with visible green fluorescence has been prepared through coordination post-synthetic modification. Tb@TBTC can be designed as a fluorescence sensor for the identification of two harmful carcinogenic pesticides, thiabendazole (TBZ) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) with high sensitivity, high efficiency and excellent selectivity. Tb@TBTC can also adsorb 2-CP with high adsorption rate. In realistic fruit juice and river water samples, the detection limits of Tb@TBTC toward TBZ and 2-CP are as low as 2.73 µM and 2.18 µM, respectively, demonstrating the feasibility in practical application. Furthermore, an intelligent real-time and on-site monitoring platform for 2-CP detection is constructed based on Tb@TBTC-agarose hydrogel films with the assistance of back propagation neural network, which can efficiently and accurately determine the concentration of 2-CP from fluorescence images through human-machine interaction. This work presents a facile pathway to prepare Tb@HOF fluorescent sensor for food and ecological environment safety, which is highly promising for preventing human disease and improving global public health.