Strengthening Sn-MOF with SiO2/GeO2 Nanoparticles for Synergistically Enhanced High Capacity and Cycle Stability.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on tin (Sn) have shown great potential as materials for lithium storage, thanks to their ability to alleviate volume expansion due to the homogeneous distribution of Sn in a porous matrix framework. However, the weak mechanical strength of the porous Sn-MOF structure has been a major challenge, leading to pulverization during the discharging/charging process. To overcome this issue, we have developed a feasible strategy to strengthen the Sn-MOF mechanical properties by incorporating SiO2/GeO2 nanoparticles during the synthesis process. The resulting composites of Sn-Si and Sn-Ge exhibited high energy density and long-term cycle stability, thanks to their synergistic effect in alloying and conversion reactions. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations have revealed that the rigid SiO2/GeO2 nanoparticles enhance the Sn-MOF mechanical properties, including Young's and shear moduli, which contribute to the long-term cycle stability of these composites.

Conserved Role of mTORC1 Signaling in B Cell Immunity in Teleost Fish.

Mammalian studies have demonstrated that B cell immune responses are regulated by mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. Teleost fish represent the oldest living bony vertebrates that contain bona fide B cells. So far, whether the regulatory mechanism of mTORC1 signaling in B cells occurred in teleost fish is still unknown. In this study, we developed a fish model by using rapamycin (RAPA) treatment to inhibit mTORC1 signaling and demonstrated the role of mTORC1 signaling in teleost B cells. In support, we found inhibition of mTORC1 signaling by RAPA decreased the phagocytic capacity, proliferation, and Ig production of B cells. Critically, Flavobacterium columnare induced specific IgM binding in serum, and these titers were significantly inhibited by RAPA treatment, thus decreasing Ab-mediated agglutination of F. columnare and significantly increasing the susceptibility of fish upon F. columnare reinfection. Collectively, our findings elucidated that the mTORC1 pathway is evolutionarily conserved in regulating B cell responses, thus providing a new point for understanding the B cells functions in teleost fish.

Chloroprocaine antagonizes progression of breast cancer by regulating LINC00494/miR-3619-5p/MED19 axis.

Breast cancer, as the most prevalent female malignancy, leads the cancer-related death in women worldwide. Local anesthetic chloroprocaine exhibits antitumor potential, but its specific functions and underlying molecular mechanisms in breast cancer remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated chloroprocaine significantly inhibited proliferation, invasion and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells in vitro. Tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis were also suppressed in BABL/c nude mice model with chloroprocaine treatment. LINC00494 was identified as one of the most downregulated long noncoding RNAs in chloroprocaine-treated breast cancer cells by high-throughput sequencing. Futhermore, high level of LINC00494 was positively associated with poor outcome of breast cancer patients. LINC00494 acted as a "miRNAs sponge" to compete with MED19 for the biding of miR-3619-5p, led to the upregulation of MED19. LINC00494/miR-3619-5p/MED19 axis participated in chloroprocaine-mediated inhibition of proliferation, invasion and promotion of apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Consequently, our finding suggested local anesthetic chloroprocaine attenuated breast cancer aggressiveness through LINC00494-mediated signaling pathway, which detailly revealed the clinical value of chloroprocaine during breast cancer treatment.

Jatrophane Diterpenoids with Kv1.3 Ion Channel Inhibitory Effects from Euphorbia helioscopia.

Chemical investigation of bioactive components from the whole plant of Euphorbia helioscopia resulted in the isolation and identification of 17 new jatrophane diterpenoids, namely, heliojatrone D (1) and helioscopids A-P (2-17), along with 11 known analogues (18-28). The structural elucidation of the new diterpenoids was achieved by the comprehensive analysis of HRESIMS, NMR, and X-ray crystallographic data, as well as using electronic circular dichroism. Structurally, heliojatone D (1) is the fourth natural diterpenoid with a rare bicyclo[8.3.0]tridecane skeleton. The inhibitory effect of the isolated diterpenoids against Kv1.3 ion channels was evaluated in a human embryonic kidney 293 cell model transfected with plasmid encoding Kv1.3, resulting in the identification of a series of potent Kv1.3 ion channel inhibitors, with the most active ones (2 and 15) showing IC50 values of 0.9 µM.

Dexmedetomidine alleviates hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion injury via the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2-NLRP3 pathway.

Hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury constitutes a tough difficulty in liver surgery. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) plays a protective role in I/R injury. This study investigated protective mechanism of Dex in hepatic I/R injury. The human hepatocyte line L02 received hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment to stimulate cell model of hepatic I/R. The levels of pyroptosis proteins and inflammatory factors were detected. Functional rescue experiments were performed to confirm the effects of miR-494 and JUND on hepatic I/R injury. The levels of JUND, PI3K/p-PI3K, AKT/p-AKT, Nrf2, and NLRP3 activation were detected. The rat model of hepatic I/R injury was established to confirm the effect of Dex in vivo. Dex reduced pyroptosis and inflammation in H/R cells. Dex increased miR-494 expression, and miR-494 targeted JUND. miR-494 inhibition or JUND upregulation reversed the protective effect of Dex. Dex repressed NLRP3 inflammasome by activating the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 pathway. In vivo experiments confirmed the protective effect of Dex on hepatic I/R injury. Overall, Dex repressed NLRP3 inflammasome and alleviated hepatic I/R injury via the miR-494/JUND/PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 axis.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of CD79a and CD79b in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after bacterial, parasitic, and viral infection.

CD79a and CD79b heterodimers are important components that consist of B cell receptor compound, which play a crucial role in transduction activation signal of the antigen binding BCR, and B cell development and antibody production. In order to investigate the characters and potential functions of CD79a and CD79b in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), we firstly cloned and analyzed the expression of CD79a and CD79b and found that the cDNA sequences of CD79a and CD79b both contained open reading frame of 711 and 645 bp in length for encoding the protein of 237 and 215 amino acid residues, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequences from trout were highly conserved with those of other teleost fishes in structure. Phylogenetic tree was constructed to analyze the evolutionary relationship between the trout and other known species, the result indicated that CD79a and CD79b of trout clustered at high bootstrap values with Salmo salar. Moreover, three trout infection models with F. columnare G4, I. multifiliis and infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) were constructed, which resulted in morphological changes and serious lesions in skin and gills. Importantly, the high expression of CD79a and CD79b occurred in skin, gills, and followed by head kidney in response to bacterial, parasitic, and viral infection, as its expression was closely related to that of Igs. Our findings indicated that CD79a and CD79b play vital roles in both systemic and mucosal immune responses of rainbow trout during bacterial, parasitic, and viral infection, which will contribute to explore the roles of CD79 subunits in B cell signaling during ontogeny and disease.

Improvement of R-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy) propionic acid biosynthesis of Beauveria bassiana by combined mutagenesis.

R-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)propionicacid (HPOPA) is a valuable intermediate for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure aryloxyphenoxypropionic acid herbicides. In this work, to improve the HPOPA biosynthesis by Beauveria bassiana ZJB16002 from the substrate R-2-phenoxypropionic acid (POPA), the original HPOPA producer B. bassiana ZJB16002 was subjected to physical mutagenesis with 137 Cs-γ irradiation and chemical mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrasoguanidine (NTG) induced mutagenesis. The effects of different treatment doses of the mutagens on the lethal rate and positive mutation rate were investigated, and the results showed that the optimal 137 Cs-γirradiation dose and NTG concentration was 850 Gy and 500 µg/mL, respectively. Under these conditions, a mutant strain CCN-7 with the highest HPOPA production capacity was obtained through two rounds of 137 Cs-γ irradiation treatment followed by one round of NTG mutagenesis. At the substrate (POPA) concentration of 50 g/L, HPOPA titer of CCN-7 reached 36.88 g/L, which was 9.73-fold higher than the parental strain. The morphology of the wild-type and mutant strain was compared and the results might provide helpful information in exploration of the correlation of morphology and biochemical features of B. bassiana.

A new bile acid from the traditional chinese medicine shedan.

A new bile acid tauro-16ß-hydroxy-12α-sulfate-5ß-cholenoic acid (1), along with six known ones (2-7), was isolated from the snake bile. Its planar structure and relative configuration were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses. Moreover, compound 2 showed inhibitory effect on NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages at non-cytotoxic concentration (20 µM) with inhibitory rate of 69.7%. [Formula: see text].

A Mouse Model of Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Demonstrates Potentially Reversible Effects on Hippocampal Neurons and Postoperative Cognitive Function.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate cognitive function, hippocampal neuronal changes, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in a mouse model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty mice were divided into the sham group, which underwent surgery without vascular occlusion; the I/R1 group, with occlusion of the left hepatic artery and portal vein for 20 min, and reperfusion for 30 min; and the I/R2 group, with occlusion of the left hepatic artery and portal vein for 40 min, and reperfusion for 30 min. At postoperative day 4 and 11, ten mice from each group underwent the Morris water maze (MWM) task. Hippocampal tissues were stained for Nissl bodies. Expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were quantified by immunohistochemistry. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS Groups I/R1 and I/R2 showed a significantly increased latency in the MWM test between days 5-9, compared with the sham group (P<0.05), with no difference by day 11; the I/R2 group had an initial lower crossing frequency (P<0.05), with no difference by day 18. The I/R2 group showed reduced numbers of Nissl bodies in hippocampal neurons. The I/R1 and I/R2 groups had increased expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß and decreased ChAT. No differences between the groups were found in levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß, or ChAT by day 18. CONCLUSIONS A mouse model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury showed transient and reversible cognitive dysfunction, changes in hippocampal neurons, and expression of inflammatory cytokines.

High-resolution terahertz coded-aperture imaging for near-field three-dimensional target.

In this paper, we propose a high-resolution terahertz coded-aperture imaging method with fast beam scanning for near-field three-dimensional targets. This method utilizes a coded aperture to modulate incident terahertz waves randomly and drive the terahertz beam to scan the entire imaging space step by step. Theoretical analyses based on physical optics are performed, and simulation experiments are implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.

Diamond Needles Actuating Triple-Walled Carbon Nanotube to Rotate via Thermal Vibration-Induced Collision.

A rotary nanomotor is an essential component of a nanomachine. In the present study, a rotary nanomotor from wedged diamonds and triple-walled nanotubes was proposed with the consideration of boundary effect. The outer tubes and mid-tubes were used as nanobearing to constrain the inner tube. Several wedges of the diamond were placed near the inner tube for driving the inner tube to rotate. At a temperature lower than 300 K, the inner tube as the rotor had a stable rotational frequency (SRF). It is shown that both the rotational direction and the value of SRF of the rotor depended on the temperature and thickness of the diamond wedges. The dependence was investigated via theoretical analysis of the molecular dynamics simulation results. For example, when each diamond wedge had one pair of tip atoms (unsaturated), the rotational direction of the rotor at 100 K was opposite to that at 300 K. At 500 K, the rotating rotor may stop suddenly due to breakage of the diamond needles. Some conclusions are drawn for potential application of such a nanomotor in a nanomachine.

Effects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii on immune response, disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila, antioxidant capability and growth performance of Cyprinus carpio Huanghe var.

The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of dietary Lactobacillus delbrueckii (L. delbrueckii) on immune response, disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila), antioxidant capability and growth performance of Cyprinus carpio Huanghe var. 450 fish (mean weight of 1.05 ± 0.03 g) were randomly distributed into five groups that fed diets containing different levels of L. delbrueckii (0, 1 × 105, 1 × 106, 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 CFU g-1) for 8 weeks. The results showed that intestinal immune parameters such as lysozyme, acid phosphatase, and myeloperoxidase activities, immunoglobulin M content, and the survival rate were improved in fish fed with 1 × 106 and 1 × 107 CFU g-1L. delbrueckii. In addition, 1 × 107 CFU g-1L. delbrueckii supplementation down-regulated mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-8, IL-1ß and NF-κBp65, and up-regulated IL-10 and TGF-ß mRNA levels in the intestine. The survival rate was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (68.33%) in fish fed 1 × 106 CFU g-1L. delbrueckii than the control diet-fed group (40%) after challenge by A. hydrophila. Fish fed with diet containing 1 × 106 CFU g-1L. delbrueckii showed higher antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and lower MDA concentrations than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The relative gene expression (SOD, CAT, GPX) showed the same trend with their activities. In addition, the growth performance was significantly improved in fish fed with the diet containing 1 × 106 and 1 × 107 CFU g-1L. delbrueckii (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that dietary optimal levels of L. delbrueckii enhanced immunity, disease resistance against A. hydrophila antioxidant capability and growth performance in Cyprinus carpio Huanghe var.

Low-cost superior solid-state symmetric supercapacitors based on hematite nanocrystals.

We present a facile method for the fabrication of hematite nanocrystal-carbon cloth (Fe2O3-CC) composite. Hierarchical manganite is chosen as the sacrificial precursor, that does not contribute to the component of final iron oxide but can be in situ dissolved by the acid produced from the Fe3+ hydrolysis. This method effectively enhances the specific surface area and conductivity of hematite (Fe2O3) by attaching Fe2O3 nanocrystals (around 5 nm) firmly on the surface of carbon fibers. The obtained Fe2O3-CC can be directly used as a binder-free electrode for a supercapacitor. Interestingly, the composite electrode exhibits synergistic electrochemical capacitance (electrochemical double-layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance). It manifests a very high areal capacitance of 1.66 F cm-2 (1660 F g-1) at 2 mA cm-2 and excellent cycling performance at large current densities (88.6% retention at 30 mA cm-2 after 5000 cycles) in a three-electrode testing system, which is among the best performances reported in the literature. Importantly, when fabricated as a solid-state flexible symmetric supercapacitor it still shows a maximum energy density of 8.74 mW h cm-3 and power density of 253.9 mW cm-3. Additionally, its good flexibility makes it suitable for portable devices.

Dual-view integral imaging 3D display using polarizer parallax barriers.

We propose a dual-view integral imaging (DVII) 3D display using polarizer parallax barriers (PPBs). The DVII 3D display consists of a display panel, a microlens array, and two PPBs. The elemental images (EIs) displayed on the left and right half of the display panel are captured from two different 3D scenes, respectively. The lights emitted from two kinds of EIs are modulated by the left and right half of the microlens array to present two different 3D images, respectively. A prototype of the DVII 3D display is developed, and the experimental results agree well with the theory.

[Analysis of Plasma Metabolic Profile in Children with Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the plasma metabolomic characteristics of children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT), and reveal the changes of metabolic pattern in children with TDT. METHODS: 23 children with TDT who received regular blood transfusion in Ganzhou Women and Children's Health Care Hospital in 2021 were selected, and 11 healthy children who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group. The routine indexes between children with TDT and the control group were compared, and then the metabolic composition of plasma samples from children with TDT and the control group was detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. An OPLS-DA model was established to perform differential analysis on the detected metabolites, and the differential metabolic pathways between the two groups were analyzed based on the differential metabolites. RESULTS: The results of routine testing showed that the indexes of ferritin, bilirubin, total bile acid, glucose and triglycerides in children with TDT were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, while hemoglobin and total cholesterol were significantly lower (all P <0.05). However there was no significant difference in lactate dehydrogenase between the two groups (P >0.05). Compared with the control group, 190 differential metabolites (VIP>1) were identified in TDT children. Among them, 168 compounds such as arginine, proline and glycocholic acid were significantly increased, while the other 22 compounds such as myristic acid, eleostearic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid were significantly decreased. The metabolic pathway analysis showed that the metabolic impact of TDT on children mainly focused on the upregulation of amino acid metabolism and downregulation of lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: The amino acid and lipid metabolism in children with TDT were significantly changed compared with the healthy control group. This finding is helpful to optimize the treatment choice for children with TDT, and provides a new idea for clinical treatment.

Analysis of the depth of field of integral imaging displays based on wave optics.

In this paper, we analyze the depth of field (DOF) of integral imaging displays based on wave optics. With considering the diffraction effect, we analyze the intensity distribution of light with multiple micro-lenses and derive a DOF calculation formula for integral imaging display system. We study the variations of DOF values with different system parameters. Experimental results are provided to verify the accuracy of the theoretical analysis. The analyses and experimental results presented in this paper could be beneficial for better understanding and designing of integral imaging displays.

Tilted elemental image array generation method for moiré-reduced computer generated integral imaging display.

In this paper, we propose a tilted elemental image array generation method for computer generated integral imaging display with reduced moiré patterns. The pixels of the tilted elemental image array are divided into border pixels and effective pixels. According to the optimal tilted angle, the effective pixels are arranged with uniform arrangement. Also, a pixel mapping method is proposed. Appropriate experiments are carried out and the experimental results show that not only the color moiré patterns are reduced remarkably, but also the resolution of the reconstructed 3D images are improved through the proposed method.

Dual-view integral imaging three-dimensional display.

In this paper, we propose a dual-view integral imaging (DVII) three-dimensional (3D) display that presents different 3D images in the left and right viewing directions simultaneously. The DVII 3D display consists of a display panel and a microlens array, and its elemental image array (EIA) is composed of two sub-EIAs. The sub-EIAs captured for two different 3D scenes are responsible for two different 3D images in the left-view and right-view integral imaging 3D displays, respectively. A prototype of the DVII 3D display using a pinhole array is developed, and good results are obtained.

Broussonin E against acute respiratory distress syndrome: the potential roles of anti-inflammatory.

We applied network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses to study the efficacy of Broussonin E (BRE) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treatment and to determine the core components, potential targets, and mechanism of action of BRE. The SwissTargetprediction and SEA databases were used to predict BRE targets, and the GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to predict ARDS-related genes. The drug targets and disease targets were mapped to obtain an intersecting drug target gene network, which was then uploaded into the String database for protein-protein interaction network analysis. The intersecting gene was also uploaded into the DAVID database for gene ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis. Molecular docking analysis was performed to verify the interaction of BRE with the key targets. Finally, to validate the experiment in vivo, we established an oleic acid-induced ARDS rat model and evaluated the protective effect of BRE on ARDS by histological evaluation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 79 targets of BRE and 3974 targets of ARDS were predicted, and 79 targets were obtained after intersection. Key genes such as HSP90AA1, JUN, ESR1, MTOR, and PIK3CA play important roles in the nucleus and cytoplasm by regulating the tumor necrosis factor, nuclear factor-κB, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that small molecules of BRE could freely bind to the active site of the target proteins. In vivo experiments showed that BRE could reduce ARDS-related histopathological changes, release of inflammatory factors, and infiltration of macrophages and oxidative stress reaction. BRE exerts its therapeutic effect on ARDS through target and multiple pathways. This study also predicted the potential mechanism of BRE on ARDS, which provides the theoretical basis for in-depth and comprehensive studies of BRE treatment on ARDS.

Suppressing gas swelling in self-assembled Li4Ti5O12 (400) for high-performance rechargeable batteries.

Lithium titanate is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high-rate capability and long-cycle duration. However, gas swelling during electrochemical reactions has hindered its industrial application. Here, we synthesize self-assembled (400)-orientation lithium titanate (SA-LTONF) with ultrafine nanoparticles using a feasible thermal method. The SA-LTONF with an organic carbon coating exhibited superior electrochemical performance. To understand such high-rate capability, we perform density functional theory (DFT) calculations which elucidate the orientation-dependent electrochemical mechanism of hydrogen evolution and the atomically dynamic mechanism of lithium-ion migration in Li4Ti5O12 and Li7Ti5O12. Our findings provide a unique insight into the gas generation and ultrafast lithium-ion transportation in lithium titanate and offer guidance for nanoarchitecture construction and materials design of lithium titanate for commercial applications.