In Situ Electrochemical Rapid Induction of Highly Active γ-NiOOH Species for Industrial Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

Limited by the strong oxidation environment and sluggish reconstruction process in oxygen evolution reaction (OER), designing rapid self-reconstruction with high activity and stability electrocatalysts is crucial to promoting anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzer. Herein, trace Fe/S-modified Ni oxyhydroxide (Fe/S-NiOOH/NF) nanowires are constructed via a simple in situ electrochemical oxidation strategy based on precipitation-dissolution equilibrium. In situ characterization techniques reveal that the successful introduction of Fe and S leads to lattice disorder and boosts favorable hydroxyl capture, accelerating the formation of highly active γ-NiOOH. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations have also verified that the incorporation of Fe and S optimizes the electrons redistribution and the d-band center, decreasing the energy barrier of the rate-determining step (*O→*OOH). Benefited from the unique electronic structure and intermediate adsorption, the Fe/S-NiOOH/NF catalyst only requires the overpotential of 345 mV to reach the industrial current density of 1000 mA cm-2 for 120 h. Meanwhile, assembled AEM water electrolyzer (Fe/S-NiOOH//Pt/C-60 °C) can deliver 1000 mA cm-2 at a cell voltage of 2.24 V, operating at the average energy efficiency of 71% for 100 h. In summary, this work presents a rapid self-reconstruction strategy for high-performance AEM electrocatalysts for future hydrogen economy.

Emerging evidence for poxvirus-mediated unfolded protein response: Lumpy skin disease virus maintains self-replication by activating PERK and IRE1 signaling.

The monkeypox epidemic has attracted global attention to poxviruses. The cytoplasmic replication of poxviruses requires extensive protein synthesis, challenging the capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the role of the ER in the life cycle of poxviruses is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that infection with the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a member of the poxvirus family, causes ER stress in vivo and in vitro, further facilitating the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Although UPR activation aids in the restoration of the cellular environment, its significance in the LSDV life cycle remains unclear. Furthermore, the significance of ER imbalance for viral replication is also unknown. We show that LSDV replication is hampered by an unbalanced ER environment. In addition, we verify that the LSDV replication depends on the activation of PERK-eIF2α and IRE1-XBP1 signaling cascades rather than ATF6, implying that global translation and reduced XBP1 cleavage are deleterious to LSDV replication. Taken together, these findings indicate that LSDV is involved in the repression of global translational signaling, ER chaperone transcription, and ATF6 cleavage from the Golgi into the nucleus, thereby maintaining cell homeostasis; moreover, PERK and IRE1 activation contribute to LSDV replication. Our findings suggest that targeting UPR elements may be applied in response to infection from LSDV or even other poxviruses, such as monkeypox.

A Strainer-Based Platform for the Collection and Immunolabeling of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus-Infected Porcine Intestinal Organoid.

The development of organoid research has raised new requirements for this methodology. In a previous study, we demonstrated that an emerging protocol achieved the collection, loading, and programmed immunolabeling of mouse intestinal organoids based on a strainer platform. To uncover the applied potential of this novel methodology on organoids from other species, the strainer platform was utilized to characterize the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-infected porcine intestinal organoid model. Based on a previous study, some steps were changed to improve the efficiency of the assay by simplifying the reagent addition procedure. In addition, we redefined the range of strainer sizes on porcine intestinal organoids, showing that strainers with pore sizes of 40 and 70 µm matched the above protocol well. Notably, the strainer platform was successfully used to label viral proteins, laying the foundation for its application in the visualization of viral infection models. In summary, the potential of the strainer platform for organoid technology was explored further. More extensive exploration of this platform will contribute to the development of organoid technology.

A Strainer-Based Platform for the Collection and Immunolabeling of Mouse Intestinal Organoids.

Intestinal organoids have emerged as powerful model systems for studying the complex structure and function of the intestine. However, there is a lack of widely applicable methods for the collection, labeling, and imaging of intestinal organoids. In this study, we developed a novel method for loading and labeling intestinal organoids, a method that efficiently collects the organoids and facilitates imaging of their three-dimensional (3D) structure. Based on this strainer platform, mouse intestinal organoids were adequately collected and immobilized, facilitating the immunolabeling workflow to target proteins of the organoids. After evaluation, the strainer size of 40 µm was considered to be more conducive to the collection and labeling of mouse intestinal organoids. More extensive research on organoids of multiple types and species origins will contribute to broadening the applicability of the methodology. Overall, our study proposes an innovative workflow for loading and analyzing intestinal organoids. The combination of a strainer-based collection method, fluorescent labeling, and 3D reconstruction provides valuable insights into the organization and complexity of these tissue models, thereby offering new avenues for investigating intestinal development, disease modeling, and drug discovery.

Optimization of extraction tower structure and extraction conditions for lincomycin separation.

Lincomycin is a widely used aminoglycoside antibiotic. For its separation from fermentation broth in production, solvent extraction is usually applied because of its low cost and high capacity compared to other bioseparation methods. The multistage mixer-settler is a common extraction equipment in commercial production, but it occupies a large area and causes pollution. In this study, a fully enclosed turbine tower was designed and applied in order to replace the mixer-settler. Its structure parameters (turbine diameter, tray porosity) were optimized on the basis of the extraction effect of lincomycin. The results showed that with 35% tray porosity and 28/26 mm turbine diameter of the tower, the extraction rate was kept above 99.0% steadily under 375 rpm/min rotating speed and 60 °C temperature. The extraction effect is much better than mixer-settler and such turbine tower is expected to be applied in the commercial production of lincomycin.

BAF-L Modulates Histone-to-Protamine Transition during Spermiogenesis.

Maturing male germ cells undergo a unique developmental process in spermiogenesis that replaces nucleosomal histones with protamines, the process of which is critical for testicular development and male fertility. The progress of this exchange is regulated by complex mechanisms that are not well understood. Now, with mouse genetic models, we show that barrier-to-autointegration factor-like protein (BAF-L) plays an important role in spermiogenesis and spermatozoal function. BAF-L is a male germ cell marker, whose expression is highly associated with the maturation of male germ cells. The genetic deletion of BAF-L in mice impairs the progress of spermiogenesis and thus male fertility. This effect on male fertility is a consequence of the disturbed homeostasis of histones and protamines in maturing male germ cells, in which the interactions between BAF-L and histones/protamines are implicated. Finally, we show that reduced testicular expression of BAF-L represents a risk factor of human male infertility.

Discovery of 2',6-Bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-acetylcyclohexanone, a Novel FtsZ Inhibitor.

Multi-drug resistance is increasing in the pathogenic bacterium S. pneumoniae, which is mainly responsible for meningitis and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), highlighting the need for new anti-pneumococcal agents. We have identified a potential anti-pneumococcal agent, enol 3, which acts by hindering the cell division process by perturbing Z-ring dynamics inside the cell. Enol 3 was also shown to inhibit FtsZ polymerization and induce its aggregation in vitro but does not affect the activity of tubulin and alkaline phosphatase. Docking studies show that 3 binds near the T7 loop, which is the catalytic site of FtsZ. Similar effects on Z-ring and FtsZ assembly were observed in B. subtilis, indicating that 3 could be a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial agent useful in targeting Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, compound 3 shows strong anti-pneumococcal activity, prompting further pre-clinical studies to explore its potential.

HOXA4-regulated miR-138 suppresses proliferation and gefitinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Many non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients initially benefiting from gefitinib are confronted with acquired resistance. MiR-138 was previously stated as a growth inhibitor of several cancer cell lines including NSCLC cells and its expression level was significantly lower in gefitinib-resistant cells. The role of miR-138 in NSCLC cell lines PC9 and A549 was verified using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and colony formation assay. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was employed to assess the level of miR-138 in gefitinib-sensitive PC9 cells and gefitinib-resistant PC9GR cells. Bioinformatic algorithms (TargetScan) and rVISTA 2.0 were used to predict binding sites on miR-138 and its target genes. MiR-138 inhibited cell proliferation of PC9 and A549 cells. In PC9GR cells, miR-138 expression was inhibited. Gefitinib treatment negatively regulated miR-138 in PC9 cells. Transfection of PC9GR cells with miR-138 mimics significantly reduced cell viability. MiR-138 was directly regulated by Homeobox A4 (HOXA4) via an HOXA4-binding site on the promoter region. TargetScan predicted numerous miR-138 target genes and EGFR was found to be the functional downstream effector of miR-138. We demonstrated that miR-138 is regulated by HOXA4 and exerts its functions via inhibiting EGFR expression in NSCLC cells.

Soy Isoflavones Ameliorate Fatty Acid Metabolism of Visceral Adipose Tissue by Increasing the AMPK Activity in Male Rats with Diet-Induced Obesity (DIO).

Soy isoflavones are natural active ingredients of soy plants that are beneficial to many metabolic diseases, especially obesity. Many studies have reported that obesity is closely related to visceral fatty acid metabolism, but the effect has not been well defined. In this study, we show that soy isoflavones improve visceral fatty acid metabolism in diet-induced obese male rats, which was indicated by reduced body weight and visceral fat cell area, as well as suppressed visceral fat synthesis and accelerated fat hydrolysis. We also found that common components of soy isoflavones, daidzein and genistein, were able to inhibit the lipid accumulation process in 3T3-L1 cells. Moreover, we showed that soy isoflavones can promote on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity both in vivo and in vitro, which may be implicated in lipid metabolism regulation of soy isoflavones. Our study demonstrates the potential of soy isoflavones as a mechanism for regulating lipid homeostasis in visceral adipose tissue, proven to be beneficial for obesity treatment.

Experimental and theoretical charge density distribution in Pigment Yellow 101.

The charge density distribution in 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-naphthalazine (Pigment Yellow 101; P.Y.101) has been determined using high-resolution X-ray diffraction and multipole refinement, along with density functional theory calculations. Topological analysis of the resulting densities highlights the localisation of single/double bonds in the central C=N-N=C moiety of the molecule in its ground state. The density in the N-N is examined in detail, where we show that very small differences between experiment and theory are amplified by use of the Laplacian of the density. Quantification of hydrogen bonds highlights the importance of the intramolecular N-H···O interaction, known to be vital for retention of fluorescence in the solid state, relative to the many but weak intermolecular contacts located. However, a popular method for deriving H-bond strengths from density data appears to struggle with the intramolecular N-H···O interaction. We also show that theoretical estimation of anisotropic displacements for hydrogen atoms brings little benefit overall, and degrades agreement with experiment for one intra-molecular contact.

Correction: Experimental and theoretical charge density distribution in Pigment Yellow 101.

Correction for 'Experimental and theoretical charge density distribution in Pigment Yellow 101' by Jonathan J. Du et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c4cp04302b.

Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Infection Activates Autophagy and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Related Cell Apoptosis in Primary Bovine Embryonic Fibroblast Cells.

Poxviruses have been associated with humans for centuries. From smallpox to mpox to lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), members of the poxvirus family have continued to threaten the lives of humans and domestic animals. A complete understanding of poxvirus-mediated cellular processes will aid in the response to challenges from the viruses. In this study, we demonstrate that LSDV infection results in an abnormal ultrastructure of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen in primary bovine embryonic fibroblast (BEF) cells, and we further show that an ER imbalance occurs in LSDV-infected BEF cells. Additionally, we believe that ER stress-related apoptosis plays a role in the late apoptosis of BEF cells infected with LSDV, primarily through the activation of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP)-Caspase-12 signal. In addition to cell apoptosis, a further investigation showed that LSDV could also activate autophagy in BEF cells, providing additional insight into the exact causes of LSDV-induced BEF cell death. Our findings suggest that LSDV-induced BEF cell apoptosis and autophagy may provide new avenues for laboratory diagnosis of lumpy skin disease progression and exploration of BEF cell processes.

The Multiplicity of Infection of Recombinant Vaccinia Virus Expressing the T7 RNA Polymerase Determines the Rescue Efficiency of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has a wide range of cell tropism, making it a prototype of studying the negative-strand RNA virus (NSRV), including virus-host interactions and vaccine development. Although VSV rescue systems have been progressively optimized throughout time, the T7-based expression system is the most commonly utilized to rescue VSV. However, it remains a significant barrier for many labs. In our study, we found that rescue VSV's efficiency is associated with the various multiplicities of infection (MOIs) of recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the T7 RNA polymerase (vTF-7.3). It works at maximum efficiency while the MOI of vTF-7.3 is 5, which is analyzed by quantitative PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry, compared to the lowest rescue level with MOI of 1. Meanwhile, our data also suggest that purification of vTF-7.3 prior to transfection is a prerequisite for VSV rescue. Overall, our study reveals for the first time a precise correlation between vTF-7.3 and rescue efficiency, which may aid in resolving the uncertainties in the quest to build the VSV reverse genetic system.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Bubble Attachment at the Coal Surface with Varying Coalification Degrees.

Establishing the dynamics of wetting film thinning and rupture during the bubbles attached on the coal surface is extremely important for flotation. However, studying the dynamics of bubble attachment from the molecular level using molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) has rarely been reported. In this work, the dynamics of bubble attachment at three different coal [low-rank coal (LRC), bituminous coal (BC), and anthracite coal (AC)] surfaces with varying degrees of coalification were studied using MDS. In the bubble attachment process, the wetting film between the bubble and coal surface gradually become thinner until it ruptures. By comparing the bubble attachment dynamics on three different coal surfaces, the results indicate that the bubble attachment rate on the surface with strong hydrophobicity is faster than that on the surface with weak hydrophobicity. Besides, the number of hydrogen bonds between the molecules of the wetting film is decreased with the attachment of bubbles; however, it is sharply decreased on the BC surface and slowly reduces on the LRC surface before the film rupture. At the same time, the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of hydrogen bonds in the wetting film at the moment of bubble attachment on the coal surface are analyzed, indicating that the peak intensity of the RDF decreases at the time of bubble attachment. The findings in this study may help to better comprehend the dynamics of bubble attachment, which is valuable for future design in practical applications.

Synergistic Adsorption Mechanism of Anionic and Cationic Surfactant Mixtures on Low-Rank Coal Flotation.

Mixed surfactants have a prominent synergistic effect and show advantages in many aspects. In this work, the effects of a mixture of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the flotation of low-rank coal were studied from the wetting rate, contact angle, surface tension, and zeta potential. Furthermore, the adsorption configuration of the mixed surfactant on the surface of oxygen-containing graphite was simulated at the molecular level by molecular dynamics simulation. The experimental results show that the combustible matter recovery of low-rank coal flotation is improved using the mixed surfactant, and the contact angle test and wetting rate test confirmed the synergistic effect of the mixed surfactant. In the mixed surfactant system, the addition of SDS with an opposite charge to DTAB can reduce the mutual repulsion between DTAB molecules and enhance the degree of DTAB alignment in solution, which was analyzed by surface tension and zeta potential tests. Meanwhile, the simulation results reveal the adsorption behavior of anionic and cationic surfactants on the surface of oxygen-containing graphite from the molecular level and also verify the experimental results. This investigation provides a good understanding of the interaction mechanism of mixed surfactants in low-rank coal flotation.

Recovering unburned carbon from gasification fly ash using saline water.

Gasification fly ash is one of the wastes generated by coal gasifiers, and the unburned carbon therein seriously restricts the resource utilization of gasification fly ash. Flotation is one of the best ways to recover unburned carbon from it; however, surface pores of gasification fly ash are developed and contain several hollow hydrophilic glass beads, which makes it difficult for conventional flotation to recover unburned carbon effectively and the dosage of the flotation reagent is too high. In this study, different concentrations of saline water (NaCl, MgCl2, and AlCl3) are configured to the flotation solution, and their effect on the recovery of unburned carbon of gasification fly ash is investigated. Furthermore, the gasification fly ash treated with saline water is chosen to study the basic properties by the measurement of Zeta potential, surface tension, and flotation foam behavior. The experimental results show that with an increase in the valence state of the inorganic salt cation, the unburned carbon recovery efficiency of the gasification fly ash is significantly improved. When the concentration of Al3+ reaches 0.4 mol/L and the dosage of frother is 7.5 kg/t, the unburned carbon removal rate of the tailings reaches 95% or more. Saline water reduces the surface tension of the flotation system and weakening bubble decay; in the solution of Al3+, the flotation foam size is the smallest, followed by the solution of Mg2+, Na+. Furthermore, the saline water effectively reduces the Zeta potential of the particle surface and improves the floatability of the solid particles.

New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-1: structure, inhibitors and detection of producers.

Since its discovery in 2008, New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-1 (NDM-1)-producing Enterobacteriaceae have disseminated globally, facilitated predominantly by gut colonization and the spread of plasmids carrying the bla NDM-1 gene. With few effective antibiotics against NDM-1 producers, and resistance developing to those which remain, there is an urgent need to develop new treatments. To date, most drug design in this area has been focused on developing an NDM-1 inhibitor and has been aided by the wealth of structural and mechanistic information available from high resolution x-ray crystallography and molecular modeling. This review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the detection of NDM-1 producers, the mechanism of action of NDM-1 and to highlight recent attempts toward the development of clinically useful inhibitors.

Structural characterization of hydrogen peroxide-oxidized anthracites by X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectra.

The structural characteristics of raw coal and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-oxidized coals were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results indicate that the derivative coals oxidized by H(2)O(2) are improved noticeably in aromaticity and show an increase first and then a decrease up to the highest aromaticity at 24 h. The stacking layer number of crystalline carbon decreases and the aspect ratio (width versus stacking height) increases with an increase in oxidation time. The content of crystalline carbon shows the same change tendency as the aromaticity measured by XRD. The hydroxyl bands of oxidized coals become much stronger due to an increase in soluble fatty acids and alcohols as a result of the oxidation of the aromatic and aliphatic C-H bonds. In addition, the derivative coals display a decrease first and then an increase in the intensity of aliphatic C-H bond and present a diametrically opposite tendency in the aromatic C-H bonds with an increase in oxidation time. There is good agreement with the changes of aromaticity and crystalline carbon content as measured by XRD and Raman spectra. The particle size of oxidized coals (<200 nm in width) shows a significant decrease compared with that of raw coal (1 µm). This study reveals that the optimal oxidation time is ∼24 h for improving the aromaticity and crystalline carbon content of H(2)O(2)-oxidized coals. This process can help us obtain superfine crystalline carbon materials similar to graphite in structure.

Structure evolution characterization of Anyang anthracites via H2O2 oxidization and HF acidification.

The structural characteristics of the raw coal (AY), the H2O2 oxidized coals (AY-H2O2) and the HF acidized AY-H2O2 (AY-H2O2-HF) were investigated by SEM, X-ray diffraction, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The results indicate that the derivative coals show an obvious increase in the aromaticity, crystalline carbon content and hydroxyl content, especially the AY-H2O2-HF. The stacking layer number of crystalline carbon decreases and the aspect ratio (La/Lc) remarkably increases for AY-H2O2 and AY-H2O2-HF. The crystalline layers become much thinner. The particle size of AY-H2O2-HF in width significantly decreases from 1 µm to less than 100 nm. The combination of H2O2 oxidization and HF acidification is effective to reduce the size of the aromatic layers and to increase the reactivity of derivative coals. The process can help us obtain the superfine crystalline carbon materials like graphite structure.