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This paper provides a detailed evaluation of the photo-piezo-catalytic properties of lead-free Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Zr 0.1 (Ti 1-x Co x) 0.9 (BCZT- x Co, x = 0–0.025) ferroelectric ceramics prepared by a solid-state process. By control of the Co doping level, the band gap was reduced to 2.40 eV at the composition x = 0.02, which improved the generation of photo-generated charges and enhanced the photocatalytic activity. When a solution containing BCZT-0.02Co particles was subjected to both ultrasound and illumination, the degree of degradation of Rhodamine B reached 99% within 60 min, which was grater than when subjected to illumination or ultrasound alone. Examination of the dielectric properties, photoelectrochemical measurements and band energy structure of the materials provided new insights into the catalytic mechanism, where a strong coupling between piezoelectricity and photoexcitation was clearly observed. This work therefore highlights the attractive photo-piezo-catalytic properties of BCZT- x Co doped ceramics and is the first demonstration that Co substitution in these lead-free ferroelectric ceramics provides significant potential for photo-piezo-catalysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few observational studies have investigated the association of dietary antioxidant intake with post-stroke depression (PSD) risk. We used the cross-sectional and longitudinal design to investigate the independent and joint associations between dietary antioxidant intake and PSD risk and all-cause mortality.Methods: Participants from the 2005-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) aged 20 years and older with stroke were included. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the associations of dietary antioxidant intake, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and carotenoids, and composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) with PSD risk and all-cause mortality.Results: The highest quartile of dietary vitamin A (OR: 0.54, 95%CI: 0.32, 0.92), total carotenoids (OR: 0.56, 95%CI: 0.34, 0.94), and selenium intake (OR: 0.53, 95%CI: 0.31, 0.90) were associated with decreased PSD risk compared with those in the lowest quartile. The results showed a negative association between CDAI and PSD risk, with the lowest OR in the third quartiles (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.30, 0.83). Furthermore, the highest quartile of dietary vitamin A (HR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.45, 0.89), vitamin E (HR: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.99), zinc (HR: 0.57, 95%CI: 0.40, 0.81), selenium (HR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.46, 0.90), and total carotenoids (HR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.47, 0.92) intake and CDAI (HR: 0.56, 95%CI: 0.39, 0.81) were associated with decreased all-cause mortality compared with those in the lowest quartile.Conclusion: Increased intake of dietary antioxidant may protect from depressive symptoms and improve the prognosis of stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy, and its incidence has increased rapidly in recent years. The BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib is effective against BRAFV600E-positive PTC; however, acquired resistance to single agent therapy frequently leads to tumor recurrence and metastasis, underscoring the need to develop tailored treatment strategies. We previously showed that the oncogenic kinase PIM1 was associated with the malignant phenotype and prognosis of PTC. In this study, we showed that sustained expression of the PIM1 protein in PTC was affected by the BRAFV600E mutation. Based on this regulatory mechanism, we tested the synergistic effects of inhibitors of BRAF (BRAFi) and PIM1 in BRAFV600E-positive PTC cell lines and xenograft tumors. LC-MS metabolomics analyses suggested that BRAFi/PIMi therapy acted by restricting the amounts of critical amino acids and nucleotides required by cancer cells as well as modulating DNA methylation. This study elucidates the role of BRAFV600E in the regulation of PIM1 in PTC and demonstrates the synergistic effect of a novel combination, BRAFi/PIMi, for the treatment of PTC. This discovery, along with the pathways that may be involved in the powerful efficacy of BRAFi/PIMi strategy from the perspective of cell metabolism, provides insight into the molecular basis of PTC progression and offers new perspectives for BRAF-resistant PTC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperatins A–D (1 – 4), four previously undescribed polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols, were isolated from Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort). Compound 1 possessed a unique octahydroindeno[1,7a- b ]oxirene ring system with a rare 2,7-dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane fragment. Compounds 2 – 4 had an uncommon decahydrospiro[furan-3,7′-indeno[7,1- bc ]furan] ring system. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analyses and X-ray crystallography. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1 – 4 were also proposed. Compounds 1 and 2 exerted promising hypoglycemic activity by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 expression in liver cells. Four previously undescribed polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) with highly oxidized skeletons were isolated from Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort). Hyperatins A and B exerted promising hypoglycemic activity by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) expression in liver cells. [Display omitted] • Four undescribed prenylated acylphloroglucinols were isolated from H. perforatum. • Compound 1 features a unique octahydroindeno[1,7a- b ]oxirene ring system. • 2 – 4 have an uncommon decahydrospiro[furan-3,7′-indeno[7,1- bc ]furan] ring system. • 1 and 2 exert promising hypoglycemic activity by inhibiting GSK-3 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a complex disorder characterized by the excessive secretion of cortisol, with Cushing's disease (CD), particularly associated with pituitary tumors, exhibiting heightened morbidity and mortality. Although transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TSS) stands as the primary treatment for CD, there is a crucial need to optimize patient prognosis. Current medical therapy serves as an adjunctive measure due to its unsatisfactory efficacy and unpredictable side effects. In this comprehensive review, we delve into recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of CS and explore therapeutic options by conducting a critical analysis of potential drug targets and candidates. Additionally, we provide an overview of the design strategy employed in previously reported candidates, along with a summary of structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses and their biological efficacy. This review aims to contribute valuable insights to the evolving landscape of CS research, shedding light on potential avenues for therapeutic development. [Display omitted] • The present review deliberates the recent advance in drugs and potential targets for Cushing's syndrome. • The development and mechanism of drugs for Cushing's disease have also been discussed. • A succinct analysis and prospect are conducted to provide valuable insights about the drugs for Cushing's syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully supervised learning (FSL) and weakly supervised learning based on multiple instance learning (WSLMIL) have become two mainstream paradigms for performing computer-aided pathological diagnosis (CAPD). It is well known that the high-intensity annotation burden of FSL and the performance degradation due to poor training constraints of WSLMIL are stumbling blocks for clinical translation. Even more unfortunate is the lack of comprehensive experimental analysis to help researchers make content-specific trade-offs between FSL and WSLMIL. In this work, we systematically compare the performances of FSL and WSLMIL on lymph node metastasis in breast cancer using a publicly available dataset. By analyzing the results of 16 backbone networks in the FSL paradigm, we find that emerging networks based on transformer (PVTv2-B2) and multi-layer perceptron (CycleMLP-B3) are more advantageous for performing patch-level classification task than convolution-based structure (ResNet50); combining their output with morphological feature extraction can be better used to universally perform slide-level classification task. However, the slight improvement brought by the evolution of the backbone network may be overshadowed by the aggregation operation in 6 WSLMIL algorithms, whereas relying on the in-domain backbone network can achieve a stable and excellent prediction performance in both quantitative analysis and interpretability comparisons. All the experimental results ultimately illustrate that the combination of in-domain backbone network and emergent aggregation operation becomes an economical and efficient technical tool for CAPD, which can be regarded as a compromise between FSL and WSLMIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lacks effective treatment, and the patients rapidly develop the acquired resistance to sorafenib with less defined mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that transcriptional factor myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D) overexpression is detected in sorafenib-resistant HCC specimens and HCC cell lines and predicts poor prognosis of sorafenib-treated HCC patients. Mechanistically, MEF2D in complex with histone deacetylase HDAC4 directly binds to the SPRY4 promoter regions and suppresses the transcriptional expression of SPRY4, which is a negative regulator of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Inhibition of HDAC4 with its clinically used inhibitor induces SPRY4 expression and inhibition of ERK activity, resulting in sensitization of HCC cells to sorafenib-induced apoptosis and greatly improved inhibition of liver tumor growth in mice with sorafenib treatment. These findings highlight the critical role of coupling HDAC4 with MEF2D in activation of ERK by suppressing SPRY4 and underscore the great potential to improve HCC treatment by combined administration of sorafenib with HDAC4 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a novel neutral polysaccharide SMP-0b was extracted and purified from the pulp of Solanum muricatum. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that SMP-0b was mainly composed of l -arabinose, d -mannose, d -glucose and d -galactose with the molar ratio of 5.31:2.92:42.23:25.38. The weight-average molecular weight and number-average molecular weight of SMP-0b was calculated to be 13.51 kDa and 9.91 kDa respectively through high performance gel permeation chromatography. The structure of SMP-0b was characterized by methylation and NMR analysis. It showed that the backbone chain of SMP-0b was consisted of →4)-β- d -Gal p -(1→, →3,6)-β- d -Man p -(1→ and →6)-α- d -Glc p -(1→, and the side chain was composed of α- l -Ara f -(1→ and →4)-α- d -Glc p -(1→. In immunomodulation assays in vitro, SMP-0b exhibited good immunomodulatory activity and could significantly stimulate proliferation and NO production of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The results suggested that the neutral polysaccharide from Solanum muricatum might have potential as an immunomodulator or supplement in functional food to enhance immunity. • A novel neutral polysaccharide SMP-0b was purified from Solanum muricatum. • The structural features and bioactivities of SMP-0b were studied. • The main glycosidic bond of SMP-0b was α-1,6-Glc p , α-1,4-Glc p and β-1,4-Gal p. • SMP-0b possessed potential immunomodulatory activity in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZmbZIP22 gene encodes a bZIP transcription factor, can interact with the promoters of key starch enzyme genes. • ZmbZIP22 can inhibit the expression of GBSSIa and enhance the expression of most starch synthesis genes, resulting in a loss of amylose content in mature seeds. • Overexpressing ZmbZIP22 showed reductions in the size and alterations in the chemical structure of starch granules, and reduced amylose content. • We provide candidate regulators and show that ZmbZIP22 has a similar adjustment mechanism of starch biosynthesis in maize and rice. • The function of ZmbZIP22 can act as a negative regulator in the starch synthesis. Starch content and composition are major determinants of yield and quality in maize. In recent years, the major genes for starch metabolism have been cloned in this species. However, the role of transcription factors in regulating the starch metabolism pathway remains unclear. The ZmbZIP22 gene encodes a bZIP transcription factor. In our study, plants overexpressing ZmbZIP22 showed reductions in the size of starch granules, the size and weight of seeds, reduced amylose content, and alterations in the chemical structure of starch granules. Also, overexpression of ZmbZIP22 resulted in increases in the contents of soluble sugars and reducing sugars in transgenic rice and maize. ZmbZIP22 promotes the transcription of starch metabolism genes by binding to their promoters. Screening by yeast one-hybrid assays indicated a possible interaction between ZmbZIP22 and the promoters of eight key starch enzyme genes. Collectively, our results indicated that ZmbZIP22 functions as a negative regulator of starch synthesis, and suggest that this occurs through the regulation of key sugar and starch metabolism genes in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Stable 2D/2D reduced graphene oxide-bismuth tungstate (rGO-BWO) compounds were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process. The synthesized rGO-BWO compounds show high photocatalytic activity on aqueous tetracycline degradation, better than that of pure 2D BWO and rGO. rGO not only acts as the acceptor, transporter, and mediator to promote the photogenerated electrons transfer, also plays an important role in the blue shift of Fermi level, leading to the more negative conduction band potential, and benefitting the generation of O 2 −. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Stable 2D/2D nano-structured rGO-BWO compounds were successfully synthesized. • rGO act as the acceptor, transporter, and mediator to promote the carriers transfer. • O 2 – and holes play the main roles in the photocatalytic degradation over rGO-BWO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapies are commonly used to target remaining tumor niches after surgery of solid tumors but are restricted due to therapeutic resistance. Several pathways of radioresistance have been reported in various cancers. This study investigates the pivotal role of Nuclear factor-erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2) in the activation of DNA damage repair in lung cancer cells after x-rays exposure. To explore the NRF2 activation after ionizing irradiations, this study uses a knockdown of NRF2, which shows potential DNA damage after x-rays irradiation in lung cancers. This work further shows that NRF2 knockdown disrupts damaged DNA repair by inhibiting DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit. At the same time, NRF2 knockdown by shRNA considerably disparate homologous recombination by interfering with Rad51 expression. Further investigation of the associated pathway reveals that NRF2 activation mediates DNA damage response via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as the knockout of NRF2 directly enhances intracellular MAPK phosphorylation. Similarly, both N-acetylcysteineand constitutive knockout of NRF2 disrupt DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, while NRF2 knockout failed to upregulate Rad51 expression after irradiation in-vivo. Taken together, these findings advocate NRF2 plays a critical role in the development of radioresistance by upregulating DNA damage response via the MAPK pathway, which can be of great significance. • This study investigates the role of X-rays exposure derived NRF2 activation and radioresistance cancer. • To investigate hypothesis, knockdown of NRF2 is developed and ionizing radiation induced DNA damage is explored. • NRF2 transcription regulate DNA damage repair pathway via Rad51 in radioresistant carcinoma. • NRF2 Knockdown by ShRNA decreases Rad51 and hinders homologous recombination. • NRF2 activation mediates DNA damage repair through the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat gluten protein (WG) is a kind of plant protein with high quality, low price and rich nutrition. But its low solubility limits its application in food products. Therefore, this work modified WG by pH cycling combined with heat treatment, to enhance its solubility and processing properties. Under the condition of pH cycling combined with heat treatment at 80 °C, the solubility of WG increased from 6.7% to 71.1%; the free sulfhydryl group and surface hydrophobicity were significantly improved (from 2.45 μmol/g and 340.86 to 15.27 μmol/g and 2080.73 respectively). The results of SDS-PAGE and the particle size showed that the WG molecules became smaller. The proteomic method was used and there were 3 subunits (A0A3B6LVB5, A0A3B5XV32 and A0A0A7AA82) observed having an impact on the improvement of solubility. Besides, the emulsifying activity index and emulsifying stability index of modified WG have been improved 8 times and 1.6 times, respectively. Furthermore, the powder oils made of the modified WG exhibited enhanced emulsifying and rehydrating characteristics than those of powder oils made of sodium caseinate and soybean protein isolates. Therefore, this work provided a feasible way to enhance solubility and processing properties of WG, by which the modified WG has a good application prospect in powder oils and other products. • The solubility of WG improved to 71.1% by pH cycling combined with heat treatment. • The change in subunits during treatment has been analyzed by proteomics. • The treated WG exhibited good emulsifying properties in powder oils system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two New hole transport type exciton blocking (HTEB) materials, EB01 and EB02 for red Phosphorescent OLEDs (PhOLEDs), were designed and synthesized, both of which have an azaindolo[3,2,1- jk ]carbazole moiety chemically bonded with arylamine. As HTEB materials, their performances were investigated by comparing with device of HTEBL free. The results revealed that significant improvement in efficiencies can be realized by devices employing EB01 and EB02 compared to device without HTEBL. Moreover, in top-emitting devices using EB01 as HTEBL，very low driving voltages of 3 V, outstanding CE of more than 87 cd/A and PE of more than 91 Im/W at 1000 cd/m2, and remarkable long lifetime of LT95 with 84.03h at a constant current density of 50 mA/cm2 were simultaneously achieved, with deep-red emission of CIE x > 0.68, which is among the best performance in the reported deep-red PhOLEDs. [Display omitted] • Two new hole transport type exciton blocking materials for deep-red phosphorescent OLEDs with CIE x > 0.68 • Very low driving voltages of 3 V at 1000 cd/m2. • Outstanding current efficiency of more than 87 cd/A and power efficiency of more than 91 Im/W at 1000 cd/m2. • Remarkable long lifetime of LT95 with 84.03 h at a constant current density of 50 mA/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that regenerating islet-derived protein 3 alpha (REG3A) exacerbates pancreatic malignancies. The mechanism of this effect has not been clearly elucidated. Here we first identified key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and signal pathways in the pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990, compared to two control cell lines, by microarray analysis. We then identified key genes and pathways regulated by REG3A or the cytokine IL6 in SW1990 cells. Afterwards, these DEGs induced by REG3A or IL6 were subjected to KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and GO function analysis by the DAVID online tool. Ultimately, we constructed protein–protein interaction networks among the DEGs by Cytoscape. Among the three pancreatic cell lines, SW1990 exhibited highly deterioration with the activation of genes and pathways related to proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and invasion. As a result, 50 DEGs enriched in 11 pathways were identified in REG3A-treated SW1990 cells, and 28 DEGs enriched in 9 pathways were detected in IL6-treated cells. Overall, results of microarray analysis followed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting suggest that REG3A regulates pancreatic cell growth by increasing the expression of at least 8 genes: JAK1 , STAT3 , IL10 , FOXM1 , KRAS , MYC , CyclinD1 , and c-fos ; and activation of at least 4 signal pathways: TGFβ, PDGF, angiogenesis and RAS. Similar results were obtained with IL6 treatment. Regulation network analysis confirmed the cell growth related DEGs, and further uncovered three transcription factor families with immune functions regulated by REG3A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Infectious bronchitis virus causes a respiratory disease in domestic chickens worldwide. [•] Recombination is thought to contribute to the emergence of IBV variants. [•] Strain ck/CH/LJL/111054 is originated from recombination events. [•] Concerns were raised regarding the recombination between different IBV types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Flos populi is an important traditional Chinese medicine prepared from the male inflorescence of Populus tomentosa Carr. or Populus canadensis Moench (Salicaceae family). Flos populi is mainly used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases and anti diarrhea in East Asian countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the aqueous extract of Flos populi (FPAE). Materials and methods: Cotton pellets-induced granuloma, carrageenan-induced paw oedema, arachidonic acid-induced right ear oedema and xylene-induced ear oedema were used to assess anti-inflammatory activity of FPAE and analgesic activity was evaluated by hot plate test, acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test and formalin test. Results: FPAE produced significant dose–response anti-inflammatory activity against cotton pellets-induced granuloma. FPAE at dosages of 50, 100 and 200mg/kgbw. significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema by 48.84% (P<0.05), 54.95% (P<0.05), and 62.05% (P<0.05) at 5h after carrageenan injection, respectively. FPAE significantly (P<0.05) reduced the ear oedema induced by arachidonic acid and peaked at the dose of 200mg/kgbw. (40.78%). A significant (P<0.05) dose dependent inhibition of xylene-induced oedema was produced by FPAE and peaked at the highest dose of 200mg/kgbw. (23.95%). FPAE (50, 100 and 200mg/kgbw.) produced significant dose–response analgesic activity in the hot-plate test. However, the low percentage inhibition (<50%) suggests that it is not a centrally acting analgesic. Extract at dosages of 50, 100 and 200mg/kgbw., p.o. significantly reduced acetic acid-induced writhing by 39.6% (P<0.05), 45.4% (P<0.05), and 51.8% (P<0.05), respectively. The extract also caused marked dose-dependent inhibition of formalin-induced pain in the second phase (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest that the aqueous extract of Flos populi possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. These results may support the fact that this plant is used traditionally to cure inflammatory diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The mechanism of volatile and non-volatile compounds formed from model reactions of 3 peptides from beef protein hydrolysate, with cysteine, [13C5] xylose/xylose (1:1) and thiamine, heated at 140°C for 90min, were analyzed respectively with GC-O-MS and ESI Q-TOF MS. The carbohydrate module labeling (CAMOLA) method was used to analyze and identify the formation pathways of volatiles and non-volatiles. Only one nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds 1-(2-furanylmethyl)-1H-pyrrole was identified in this study. Analysis of the mass spectra showed that the carbon skeleton furfural, 2-butyl-furan 2,3-dihydrofuran, thiophene, 2-methoxy-5-methyl-thiophene stem from xylose. It was proposed that (Gly-Val-Thr-Val-Phe-Glu-Asp-Leu-Lys) could be capable of splitting in the position of aspartyl and prolyl and then formed cyclic (Leu-Lys). The compounds with high m/z values of 320 were formed by cross-linking peptide and xylose. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study was aimed to evaluate the morphology and immune function development of the jejunum and ileum in squab pigeons (Columba livia), by determining the villus ultrastructure, secretory IgA, and cytokines. Eight squabs were randomly selected and sampled on the day of hatch (DOH), d 7 (D 7), 14 (D 14), and 21 (D 21) post-hatch, respectively. The results showed that under transmission electron microscope, the enterocyte circumference in jejunum and ileum decreased with age. The tight junction involved in enterocyte circumference of jejunal villi plateaued from D 7, whereas that of ileal villi changed irregularly. The microvilli of jejunal and ileal villi was maximum at D 14. Under scanning electron microscope, the villus morphology of jejunum and ileum appeared finger-shaped at DOH. After D 7, the jejunal villi were still finger-shaped whereas the ileal villi were leaflike. The secretory IgA in jejunum was significantly increased at D 21. The TGF-β decreased linearly in jejunum and ileum. The anti-inflammatory cytokines increased linearly and proinflammatory cytokines decreased linearly in jejunum and ileum with age. In conclusion, the morphological changes of jejunal epithelium were concentrated at DOH–D 7 and ileal epithelium at DOH–D 14 mainly. The changes in mucus layer and immune-related factors of jejunum and ileum persisted for almost the entire period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Flos populi (male inflorescence of Populus tomentosa Carrière) has been traditionally used in East Asian countries for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, strengthening the spleen and stomach, anti-rheumatic, anti-tumor and anti-diarrhoeal. Aim of the study: To evaluate the in vivo or in vitro anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial activity of Flos populi aqueous extract. Materials and methods: Acute toxicity of Flos populi aqueous extract (FPAE) was investigated. Castor oil-induced diarrhoea method was used to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal activity, inhibition of defecation and diarrhoea were determined in mice, effects on castor oil-induced enteropooling, intestinal transit and intestinal fluid secretion in rats or mice. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of FPAE against strains of three clinical bacterial isolates and one reference strain were used to test the anti-microbial activity. Results: The FPAE reduced the frequency of diarrhoea episodes and decreased the propulsion of charcoal meal through the gastrointestinal tract in a dose dependent manner. FPAE (100–500mg/kg, p.o.) produced dose-dependent and significant (P<0.01) protection of mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea. FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) delayed the onset of castor-oil induced diarrhoea, decreased the frequency of defecation, and reduced the severity of diarrhoea. Compared with control animals, FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) decreased the volume of castor oil-induced intestinal fluid secretion, and reduced the number, weight and wetness of faecal droppings. There was no deaths or abnormalities in behaviour seen in the acute toxicity test. The aqueous extract displayed anti-microbial effects to three species of bacteria in anti-microbial test. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that FPAE possesses anti-diarrhoeal property in rats and mice and confirm the ethnomedicinal use of Flos Populi as a valuable natural remedy for the treatment, management and/or control of diarrhoea. These results may support the fact that this plant is traditionally used to cure diarrhoea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Flos populi (male inflorescence of Populus tomentosa Carrière) has been traditionally used in East Asian countries for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, strengthening the spleen and stomach, anti-rheumatic, anti-tumor and anti-diarrhoeal. Aim of the study: To evaluate the in vivo or in vitro anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial activity of Flos populi aqueous extract. Materials and methods: Acute toxicity of Flos populi aqueous extract (FPAE) was investigated. Castor oil-induced diarrhoea method was used to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal activity, inhibition of defecation and diarrhoea were determined in mice, effects on castor oil-induced enteropooling, intestinal transit and intestinal fluid secretion in rats or mice. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of FPAE against strains of three clinical bacterial isolates and one reference strain were used to test the anti-microbial activity. Results: The FPAE reduced the frequency of diarrhoea episodes and decreased the propulsion of charcoal meal through the gastrointestinal tract in a dose dependent manner. FPAE (100–500mg/kg, p.o.) produced dose-dependent and significant (P<0.01) protection of mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea. FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) delayed the onset of castor-oil induced diarrhoea, decreased the frequency of defecation, and reduced the severity of diarrhoea. Compared with control animals, FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) decreased the volume of castor oil-induced intestinal fluid secretion, and reduced the number, weight and wetness of faecal droppings. There was no deaths or abnormalities in behaviour seen in the acute toxicity test. The aqueous extract displayed anti-microbial effects to three species of bacteria in anti-microbial test. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that FPAE possesses anti-diarrhoeal property in rats and mice and confirm the ethnomedicinal use of Flos Populi as a valuable natural remedy for the treatment, management and/or control of diarrhoea. These results may support the fact that this plant is traditionally used to cure diarrhoea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The adiabatic self-induced transparency in an inhomogeneously broadened GaN/AlN quantum-dot ensemble is investigated numerically with a double-stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. The influence of resonant situation and pulse delay as well as pulse area on the transit pulse is explored. Under the condition considered in this paper, we get stronger transparent signal while near-resonance other than center-resonance. Additionally, the transparent signal intensity can be tuned by prolonging or shortening the delay time, which makes the intensity stronger or weaker respectively. Furthermore, increasing the pulse area can help to avoid inhomogeneous broadening, the adverse effect in quantum-dot ensemble, in adiabatic self-induced transparency process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The multiplex dPCR system newly established here was the first reported quadruple dPCR assay for four common human Plasmodium species, which enables a four-in-one detection. • The analytical sensitivity of multiplex dPCR was as low as 0.557 copies/μL (95% CI 0.521 to 0.607), and it had a sensitivity of 98.0% and a specificity of 100% in clinical samples to make up for the false negative of microscopic examination. • The multiplex dPCR system has great potential in diagnosing mixed-infection and monitoring pharmacotherapy effectiveness. • The multiplex dPCR system presents a promising candidate as an absolute quantitative tool in clinical practice. Blood smear examination through traditional optical microscopy is the gold standard for malaria diagnosis. However, it imposes strict requirements for operational staff and its sensitivity cannot perfectly satisfy the needs of clinical requirements. More sensitive and accurate modern technologies should be applied to this field. Digital PCR (dPCR), as an absolute quantification detection method, can serve as an effective tool to facilitate the diagnosis and classification of different malaria species. We aimed to establish a new multiplex dPCR detection system for four main Plasmodium species: P. vivax , P. falciparum , P. ovale and P. malariae , which can distinguish exact species of malaria by one PCR reaction. A total of 39 patients were identified as malaria-positive by microscopic examination in Huashan Hospital from 2016 to 2021; seventy blood samples from these patients were collected. Additionally, 20 healthy individuals, 20 patients with fever and 6 patients with other types of blood parasites infection were also included in this study. Each blood sample was subjected to examination by both blood smears and dPCR. By optimizing four different fluorescence-labeled probes in one reaction system, dPCR permitted the performance of accurate quantitation and working out the exact number of copies of malaria DNA per microliter in whole blood. Rapid diagnostic tests were also conducted to verify part of the results obtained by dPCR. The dPCR system was able to make rapid diagnosis and quantification of malaria DNA samples. The analytical sensitivity of multiplex dPCR was as low as 0.557 copies/μL (95% CI 0.521 to 0.607), and it had a sensitivity of 98.0% and a specificity of 100% in clinical samples. Additionally, three multiple malaria co-infection samples have been detected by this dPCR system, including one triple malaria infection case. By testing consecutive daily blood samples of Patient 39, dPCR facilitated monitoring the efficacy of drug treatment. It showed that the DNA concentrations of P. falciparum ranged from 5474 copies/μL to 0 copies/μL, which can reflect the efficacy of antimalarials in real time. This study also found that haemocyte samples (plasma removed) rather than whole blood had higher malaria detection capability and an enhanced positive rate. The multiplex dPCR system newly established here made a substantial contribution in detecting malaria infection at low concentrations. It is suitable for mixed-infection diagnosis and multi-sample continuous monitoring, and presents a promising candidate as an absolute quantitative tool in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Milbemectin is a widely used veterinary antiparasitic agent. A high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescent detection (HPLC–FLD) method is described for the determination of milbemectin in dog plasma. The derivative procedure included mixing 1-methylimizole [MI, MI-ACN (1:1, v/v), 100μL], trifluoroacetic anhydride [TFAA, TFAA-ACN (1:2, v/v), 150μL] with a subsequent incubation for 3s at the room temperature to obtain a fluorescent derivative, which is reproducible in different blood samples and the derivatives proved to be stable for at least 80h at room temperature. HPLC method was developed on C18 column with FLD detection at an excitation wavelength of 365nm and emission wavelength of 475nm, with the mobile phase consisting of methanol and water in the ratio of 98:2 (v/v). The assay lower limit of quantification was 1ng/mL. The calibration curve was linear over concentration range of 1–200ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day accuracy was >94% and precision expressed as % coefficient of variation was <5%. This method is specific, simple, accurate, precise and easily adaptable to measure milbemycin in blood of other animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Three unusual alkaloids were isolated from Aspergillus versicolor F210. • 21- Epi -taichunamide D features a rare methylsulfonyl unit. • (±)- Versicalin A exist as two pairs of keto-enol tautomers. • (±)-Versicalin A exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against HL-60 cells. Three new alkaloids, 21- epi -taichunamide D (1) and (±)-versicalin A ((±)- 6), along with four known analogues (2 – 5) were isolated from the endophytic Aspergillus versicolor F210, which harbored in the bulbs of Lycoris radiata. Structurally, compound 1 is the third natural indole alkaloid with a rare methylsulfonyl unit, and (±)- 6 existing as two pairs of keto-enol tautomers ((+)- 6a/ (+)- 6b and (−)- 6a/ (−)- 6b , respectively), represent the first naturally occurring alkaloids with a rare 2,3-dihydro-1 H -isoindol-1-one unit fused to a tautomeric diisopentenyl cyclohexenone unit. The absolute structures of 1 and (±)- 6 were characterized by extensive analyses of spectroscopic data, comparison of the electronic circular dichroic (ECD) data, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. Compound 6 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against HL-60 cells with an IC 50 value of 5.6 μ M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new equation for γ ∞ calculation using gas-liquid chromatography was established. • Thermodynamic parameters of many solutes in two cyano-containing ILs were obtained. • Phase loading study was adopted. • LSER model was used to characterize the properties of ILs. Gas-liquid chromatography is an effective method to determine infinite dilution activity coefficients (γ ∞). Wall-coated open-tubular (WCOT) column which offers more advantages over packed column should be a preferable column type; however, the small carrier gas flow rate and stationary phase amount in WCOT columns limit its application in the determination of γ ∞. Mathematical strategy made some progress to avoid the quantification problem in the determination of γ ∞ by static-wall-coated open-tubular (SWCOT) columns. However, the previously reported strategy was based on the assumption that SWCOT column was geometrically an ideal hollow cylinder, which indeed deviates from the reality. In this study, without that assumption, we derived a new microgeometry-independent equation by using the relationship between the hold-up volume (V M) and the volume of stationary phase (V L), and used it to measure the γ ∞ of various organic solutes in two ionic liquids (ILs) 1‑butyl‑3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide and 1,3-dibutyronitrile-imidazolium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide, both of which contain double cyano groups in the anion or cation. Phase loading study was adopted to eliminate the influence of interfacial adsorption to partition. The infinite dilution partial molar excess enthalpy, selectivity and capacity were directly calculated from the experimental γ ∞ values, and the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) model was used to characterize the specific properties of both ILs. This new established equation will promote the application of SWCOT columns in thermodynamic measurement and benefit the fast screening of novel solvents for chemical separation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 (Ni: 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt% and 8 wt%) porous nanoplates are synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. For the low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 , X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman data show that the Ni ions are successfully incorporated into the Co 3 O 4 lattices. Electrochemical measurements indicate that Co 3 O 4 with low amount of Ni doping possesses remarkably enhanced activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. And especially, 4 wt% Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity with an overpotential of 240 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and 120 mV for HER in 1 M KOH than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. Our study suggests that the low doping would have a great potential in rational design of spinel oxides toward highly efficient electrocatalysis. • The Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates are successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. • This is the first report of low-doped Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates for both OER and HER in alkaline media. • The 4 wt % Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystinase (MlrA) catalyzes the first and most important biodegradation step of hepatotoxic microcystin-LR (MC-LR) produced and released from cyanobacterial cells, and the underlying catalytic mechanism is not completely understood yet. MlrA was postulated previously to be a metalloprotease with an active site of H260AIH263NE265, a variant of the common metal-binding motif of HEXXH. Through comparison with representative modes in HEXXH-containing metalloproteases, molecular dynamics simulation, homology modeling, and docking, the active sites of MlrA involved in the MC-LR biodegradation by Sphingomonas sp. USTB-05 were predicted. Site-directed mutants of MlrA were constructed for verification then. The results show that MlrA is likely not a metalloprotease, but a glutamate protease belonging to type II CAAX prenyl endopeptidases. Combined with the biodegradation of MC-LR by MlrA and its mutants, a complete enzymatic mechanism for MC-LR biodegradation by MlrA is proposed: Glu172 and His205 activate a water molecule facilitating a nucleophilic attack on the Adda-Arg peptide bond of MC-LR; Trp176 and Trp201 contact the carboxylate side chain of Glu172and, by raising its p K a potentially, accelerate the reaction rates; His260 and Asn264 (located in the previous postulated active center of H260AIH263NE265) function as an oxyanion hole to stabilize the transition states. This study reveals the enzymatic mechanism of MlrA for catalyzing MC-LR in both the representative modes and the experiments of site-directed mutagenesis. Image 1 • Microcystinase (MlrA) was predicted belonging to type II CAAX prenyl endopeptidases. • E172, H205, H260, and N264 are critical residues responsible for MlrA activity. • Homology modeling of MlrA was verified positively by site-directed mutagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to delineate correlation between stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) and clinical outcomes among patients in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Participants were categorized based on their SHR threshold values. Key outcomes were short-term mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) at 1-year follow-up. The association between SHR and outcomes was estimated using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and Kaplan-Meier analyses. The C-statistic was used to gauge the predictive capability of SHR. The study included 1,133 patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV and 412 from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that individuals with elevated SHR exhibited higher 90-day mortality and MACEs. When considering SHR levels and diabetes status simultaneously, those with increased SHR but non-diabetes had the highest 90-day mortality and MACEs. SHR was associated with short-term mortality and MACEs (HR adjusted 1.63 95%CI 1.15–2.30; HR IPTW 1.47 95%CI 1.05–2.05). Upon integrating SHR into the foundational model, the C-statistic was 0.821, outperforming other hyperglycemia metrics. SHR is a valuable indicator for predicting poor outcomes in CICU patients. Its utility spans potential risk stratification and offers insights for tailoring prognostic treatments to CICU patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistance of sperm to freezing varies widely among boars. The semen ejaculate of different boars can be grouped into poor freezability ejaculate (PFE) and good freezability ejaculate (GFE). In this study, five Yorkshire boars each of the GFE and PFE were selected by comparing the changes in sperm motility before and after cryopreservation. Firstly, we found that the sperm plasma membrane of the PFE group showed weak integrity after PI and 6-CFDA staining. Then the electron microscopy results verified that the plasma membrane condition of all segments of GFE was better than that of PFE segments. Furthermore, the lipid composition of sperm plasma membranes in GPE and PFE sperm was analyzed by using mass spectrometry, and 15 lipids showed differences between the two groups. Among those lipids, only phosphatidylcholine (PC) (14:0/20:4) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (14:0/20:4) were higher in PFE. The remaining lipid contents, including those of dihydroceramide (18:0/18:0), four hexosylceramides (18:1/20:1, 18:0/22:1, 18:1/16:0, 18:1/18:0), lactosylceramide (18:1/16:0), two hemolyzed phosphatidylethanolamines (18:2, 20:2), five phosphatidylcholines (16:1/18:2, 18:2/16:1, 14:0/20:4, 16:0/18:3, 18:1/20:2), and two phosphatidylethanolamines (14:0/20:4, 18:1/18:3), were all positively correlated with resistance to cryopreservation (p < 0.05, r > 0.6). Moreover, we analyzed the metabolic profile of sperm using untarget metabolomic. KEGG annotation analysis revealed that the altered metabolites were mainly involved in fatty acid biosynthesis. Finally, we determined that the contents of oleic acid, oleamideetc, N8-acetylspermidine etc., were different between GFE and PFE sperm. In summary, the different lipid metabolism levels and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in plasma membrane may be key factors contributing to differences in sperm resistance to cryopreservation among boars. • We screened out two groups of boars with significant differences in sperm freezability. • The plasma membrane of poor freezability sperms has low integrity. • Based on membrane lipidomics and metabolomics analysis, we determined that the level of metabolism and plasma membrane lipid composition were obvious different between good and poor freezability sperm. • Some potential biomarkers of boar sperm freezability were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Emulsions stabilized by Tempo-oxidized bacterial cellulose present viscoelasticity. • Microrheology results agree well with that from macrorheology. • Rheological features of Pickering emulsions associate closely with physical stability. • Rheological data of Pickering emulsions are useful to predict physical stability. The present study assesses the rheological behaviors of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBCs) with diverse oxidation degrees to explore the potential relationship between the rheology and stability of the emulsions. The TOBCs with different oxidation degrees were prepared at the NaClO dosages of 2, 6, and 10 mmol/g, designated 2-TOBC, 6-TOBC, and 10-TOBC, respectively. The small amplitude dynamic rheology and diffusing wave spectroscopy results showed that 2-TOBC emulsion had higher storage modulus G' and loss modulus G" with lower tan δ than 6-TOBC emulsion and possessed the lowest solid-liquid balance among all of the TOBC Pickering emulsions, indicating the highest emulsion stability of 2-TOBC emulsion. Positive correlations existed between the viscoelasticity and stability of the TOBCs Pickering emulsions, with the coefficients of correlation over than 0.6. These results should improve understanding of the relationships between emulsions' stability and rheological characteristics, and lead to a potential application of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose as an emulsion stabilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whey is an important byproduct of the dairy industry containing mainly lactose and proteins. However, few studies have been conducted on co-utilization of lactose and proteins in whey for chemical production. To establish an efficient bioconversion method for the comprehensive utilization of cheese whey, a low-cost and labor-saving method for D-lactic acid production from cheese whey powder (CWP) was investigated and optimized in this study. CWP could be directly utilized by Lactobacillus bulgaricus CGMCC 1.6970 without the addition of extra nutrients. To fully utilize proteins in CWP, different proteases were selected to hydrolyze CWP, and the highest D-lactic acid concentration was obtained using neutral protease pretreated CPW as substrate. D-Lactic acid concentration could be further improved by adding a small amount of yeast extract. Based on the optimization, 70.70 g/L D-lactic acid with an average productivity of 1.47 g/L/h was obtained from batch fermentation. In fed-batch fermentation, a high D-lactic acid concentration (113.18 g/L) was obtained with an average productivity of 2.36 g/L/h. All the fermentations were carried out under an open condition without sterilization. This study presented a simple and economic strategy for CWP valorization and D-lactic acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the genomic characteristics of 110 LX4 genotype strains of infectious bronchitis viruses (IBVs) isolated between 1995 and 2005 in China. The genome of these IBVs varies in size from 27596 bp to 27790 bp. Most IBV strains have the typical genomic organization of other gamacoronaviruses, however, two strains lacked 3a and 5b genes as a result of a nucleotide change within the start codon in the 3a or 5b genes. Analysis of our 110 viruses revealed that recombination events may be responsible for the emergence of the LX4 genotype with different topologies. Most of these viruses disappeared (before mid-2005) because they were not “fit” to adaptation in chickens. Finally, those of the “fit” viruses (after mid-2005) continued to evolve and have become widespread and predominant in commercial poultry. In addition, few of these viruses experienced recombination with those of the vaccine strains at the 3′ end of the genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main barriers to cost-effective lactic acid production from lignocellulose are the high cost of enzymes and the ineffective utilization of the xylose within the hydrolysate. In the present study, the thermophilic Bacillus coagulans strain CC17 was used for the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of bagasse sulfite pulp (BSP) to produce l -lactic acid. Unexpectedly, SSF by CC17 required approximately 33.33% less fungal cellulase than did separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). More interestingly, CC17 can co-ferment cellobiose and xylose without any exogenous β-glucosidase in SSF. Moreover, adding xylanase could increase the concentration of lactic acid produced via SSF. Up to 110 g/L of l -lactic acid was obtained using fed-batch SSF, resulting in a lactic acid yield of 0.72 g/g cellulose. These results suggest that SSF using CC17 has a remarkable advantage over SHF and that a potentially low-cost and highly-efficient fermentation process can be established using this protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(±)-Hyperpyran A (1a / 1b), a pair of new terpenoid-based bicyclic dihydropyran enantiomers, were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort). Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic analyses, ECD comparison, and X-ray crystal diffraction. Compounds 1a / 1b possess hexahydrocyclopenta[ c ]pyran ring system and a plausible biosynthetic pathway was also proposed. In addition, compound 1a exhibited a moderate promotion of glucose uptake activity in hepatocytes. [Display omitted] • A pair of new bicyclic dihydropyrans were isolated from Hypericum perforatum. • Their absolute configuration was established by X-ray crystal diffraction data. • A plausible biogenetic pathway for (±)-hyperpyran A (1) was proposed. • (+)-hyperpyran A exerted moderate hypoglycemic activity in hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infectious bronchitis coronavirus, designated as ck/CH/LGX/130530, was isolated from an IBV strain H120-vaccinated chicken in this study. Analysis of the S1 gene showed that isolate ck/CH/LGX/130530 was a tl/CH/LDT3/03-like virus, with a nucleotide sequence similarity of 99%. However, a complete genomic sequence analysis showed that ck/CH/LGX/130530 was more closely related to a Massachusetts type strain (95% similarity to strain H120) than to the tl/CH/LDT3/03 strain (86%), suggesting that recombination might have occurred during the origin of the virus. A SimPlot analysis of the complete genomic sequence confirmed this hypothesis, and it showed that isolate ck/CH/LGX/130530 emerged from a recombination event between parental IBV H120 strain and pathogenic tl/CH/LDT3/03-like virus. The results obtained from the pairwise comparison and nucleotide similarity showed that the recombination breakpoint was located in the nsp14 gene at nucleotides 17055–17083. In line with the high S1 gene sequence similarity, the ck/CH/LGX/130530 isolate was serotypically close to that of the tl/CH/LDT3/03 strain (73% antigenic relatedness). Furthermore, vaccination with the LDT3-A vaccine, which was derived from the tl/CH/LDT3/03 strain by serial passaging in chicken eggs, provided good protection against challenge with the tl/CH/LDT3/03 strain, in contrast to the poor protection offered with the H120 vaccine. Interestingly, isolate ck/CH/LGX/130530 exhibited low pathogenicity toward specific-pathogen-free chickens compared with the nephropathogenic tl/CH/LDT3/03 strain, which was likely due to natural recombination in the 5′ 17-kb region of the genome. Our results also indicate that the replicase gene of IBV isolate ck/CH/LGX/130530 is associated with viral pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide-based gas sensors encounter challenges in effectively detecting hazardous benzenes due to their stability and structural similarities. Here we report an innovative in situ growth method for synthesizing Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 heterostructure nanotubes (NTs) using highly negatively charged multivacant lacunary TBA 4 H 6 [SiW 9 O 34 ]·2H 2 O (α -SiW 9) and Fe3+ as precursors. A two-step process involving electrospinning followed by a thermal oxidation method was employed to synthesize a series of the uniform Si-FeWO 4 decorated Fe 2 O 3 heterostructure NTs. Considering the rich Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 active interfaces, rapid electron transfer, and high specific surface area, the optimal Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 based sensors demonstrate significantly higher sensitivity (S = 27.5) towards 50 ppm m-xylene in comparison to pristine Fe 2 O 3 (S = 1.8). Furthermore, the Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 exhibits excellent stability, humidity resistance, and high selectivity for m-xylene. This work offers an efficient, cost-effective strategy to synthesize Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 heterostructure NTs, with prospects for synthesizing other advanced sensing heterostructure nanomaterials with lacunary polyoxometalates as precursors. [Display omitted] • Obtaining Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 nanotubes by lacunary POMs-induced in-situ growth method. • Fe 2 O 3 /Si-FeWO 4 nanotubes exhibited high m-xylene sensitivity and selectivity. • Unique heterostructure interface in nanotubes enhances nanotube sensing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infectious bronchitis coronavirus, designated as ck/CH/LHLJ/140906, was isolated from an infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain H120-vaccinated chicken flock, which presented with a suspected infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection. A phylogenetic analysis based on the S1 gene clustered ck/CH/LHLJ/140906 with the 793/B group; however, a pairwise comparison showed that the 5′ terminal of the S1 gene (containing hypervariable regions I and II) had high sequence identity with the H120 strain, while the 3′ terminal sequence was very similar to that of IBV 4/91 strain. A SimPlot analysis of the complete genomic sequence, which was confirmed by a phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide similarities using the corresponding gene fragments, suggested that isolate ck/CH/LHLJ/140906 emerged from multiple recombination events between parental IBV strains 4/91 and H120. Although the isolate ck/CH/LHLJ/140906 had slightly higher S1 amino acid sequence identity to strain 4/91 (88.2%) than to strain H120 (86%), the serotype of the virus was more closely related to that of the H120 strain (32% antigenic relatedness) than to the 4/91 strain (15% antigenic relatedness). Whereas, vaccination of specific pathogen-free chickens with the 4/91 vaccine provided better protection against challenge with ck/CH/LHLJ/140906 than did vaccination with the H120 strain according to the result of virus re-isolation. As the spike protein, especially in the hypervariable regions of the S1 domain, of IBVs contains viral neutralizing epitopes, the results of this study showed that recombination of the S1 domain resulted in the emergence of a new serotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, based on the integrable idea, analytical solutions of the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger equations in the presence of time- and space-dependent dissipation (or gain) and nonlinear dispersion with five types of nonlinearities are obtained. These nonlinearities are the Kerr law, power law, parabolic law, dual-power law as well as the log law. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Interlayer expanded Ni/Fe(SDS)-LDH was prepared by Ni/Fe-LDH intercalated with sodium dodecyl sulfate. • Interlayer spacing of NiFe(SDS)-LDH was effectively enlarged to 2.36 nm in contrast to 0.77 nm of NiFe-LDH. • NiFe(SDS)-LDH showed a highly enhanced OER performance with a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at overpotential of 115 mV. • NiFe(SDS)-LDH exposed more active sites for electrocatalysis and more accessible surface for ion transfer in the interlayer. [Display omitted] Layered double hydroxides (LDH), a typical two-dimensional nanomaterial, has received vigorous attention in water splitting for its typically weak van der Waals interactions that can tunable for its interlayer spacing. Opening LDH with expanded interlayer is highly desirable to expose more active sites for electrocatalysis and more accessible surface for ion transfer in the interlayer, which can greatly boost the performance of LDH. Herein, interlayer expanded nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) was fabricated by the intercalation with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) using a one-pot hydrothermal route. For compassion, the NiFe-LDH without SDS were also prepared as hierarchical hollow spheres (NiFe-LDH HSs), while hollow spheres were transformed into hierarchical nanosheets (NiFe(SDS)-LDH NSs) with the addition of SDS. Moreover, the interlayer spacing of NiFe(SDS)-LDH NSs was effectively enlarged to 2.36 nm contrast to 0.77 nm of NiFe-LDH HSs. As expected, a highly enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance was obtained on NiFe(SDS)-LDH NSs with a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at overpotential of 115 mV, while 225 mV for NiFe-LDH HSs. The intercalation of SDS in NiFe-LDH plays an indispensable role in boosting OER. It indicates the importance of enlarging the interlayer space of LDH for high-performance OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

USP2 and USP8 are crucial in the development and progression of breast cancer, primarily through the stabilization of protein substrates such as Her2 and ERα. The dual-target inhibitor ML364 , targeting both USP2 and USP8, has garnered significant interest in recent research. In this study, we developed a series of ML364 derivatives using ligand-based drug design strategies. The standout compound, LLK203 , demonstrated enhanced inhibitory activity, showing a 4-fold increase against USP2 and a 9-fold increase against USP8, compared to the parent molecule. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, LLK203 effectively degraded key proteins involved in cancer progression and notably inhibited cell proliferation. Moreover, LLK203 exhibited potent in vivo efficacy in the 4T1 homograft model, while maintaining a low toxicity profile. These results underscore the potential of LLK203 as a promising dual-target inhibitor of USP2/USP8 for breast cancer treatment. [Display omitted] • Design and synthesis of novel USP2/USP8 dual-target inhibitors. • An SAR study of ML364 led the discovery of LLK203 , a more potent USP2/USP8 dual-target inhibitor. • Compound LLK203 potently inhibits the development of breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), ck/CH/LZJ/111113, was isolated from a H120-vaccinated chicken which showed disease suspected of IBV infection. Neutralization testing showed that ck/CH/LZJ/111113 was distinct from either the Chinese predominant IBV LX4-type or Mass-type vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that ck/CH/LZJ/111113 is of the 4/91 type; however, further extensive analyses of full-length genomes identified occurrence of recombination events. Therefore, ck/CH/LZJ/111113 originated from the recombination events between ck/CH/LDL/091022- and 4/91-like strains at three switch sites located upstream of the spike (S) glycoprotein gene, and the 3′ ends of S1 and nuceocapsid (N) genes, respectively. The difference of serotypes and tissue tropisms in kidneys between ck/CH/LZJ/111113 and ck/CH/LDL/091022 may have been contributed by the uptake of the S1 gene by a ck/CH/LDL/091022-like virus from a 4/91-like strain. This recombination event took place at the 3′ end of the N gene and the 3′ untranslated region may account for differences in replication efficiency in tissues of chickens inoculated by the two viruses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study proposed a novel strategy to fabricate highly permeable and robust supported membranes for membrane distillation, via a nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation method. Different from traditional supported membranes cast on non-woven fabrics, a well-integrated fabric-embedded PVDF (FE-PVDF) membrane was successfully obtained using polyamide 66 gauze supports. The optimal FE-PVDF membrane PA-120 exhibited an interesting structure with pseudo Janus function, which entailed hydrophobic bulk membrane property but a pseudo hydrophilic bottom surface due to the presence of water-filled "50 μm grade" pores. The PA-120 exhibited a DCMD flux of 68.5 kg.m−2.h−1 at 70 °C with synthetic saline solution and exceptional tensile strength of 21 MPa (lateral)/21 MPa (longitudinal), which was 1.4-fold and 23-fold higher than that of the unsupported benchmark, respectively. The concentration of 10 wt% monosodium glutamate solution with PA-120 was demonstrated at 70 °C up to 55 wt% when crystallization was observed, The flux showed a minor decrease by 16.3% until 40 wt% and a subsequent decline towards 55 wt%. Repeated concentration cycles were conducted with intermediate membrane rinsing by fresh feed, demonstrating highly recoverable performance. This preliminary study brings new perspectives towards pushing the limits of current lab-made MD membranes. [Display omitted] • Ultra-robust fabric-embedded PVDF membranes were obtained by a facile NTIPS method. • FE-PVDF membrane offered tensile strength 21 MPa and DCMD flux 68.5 kg.m−2.h−1 (70 °C). • Membrane structure with a pseudo Janus function led to greatly enhanced mass transfer. • Successful concentration of MSG solution was conducted towards crystallization. • Reversible MD performance demonstrated in repeated cycles with no additional cleaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) autophosphorylation-triggered mitophagy is the main mitophagic pathway in the nervous system. Moreover, multiple studies have confirmed that mitophagy is closely related to the occurrence and development of epilepsy. Therefore, we speculated that the PINK1 autophosphorylation may be involved in epileptogenesis by mediating mitophagic pathway. This study aimed to explore the contribution of activated PINK1 to epileptogenesis induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in Sprague‒Dawley rats. During PTZ-induced epileptogenesis, the levels of phosphorylated PINK1 were increased, accompanied by elevated mitophagy, mitochondria oxidative stress and neuronal damage. After microRNA intervention targeting translocase outer mitochondrial membrane 7 (TOM7) or overlapping with the m-AAA protease 1 homolog (OMA1), the levels of PINK1 phosphorylation, mitophagy, mitochondrial oxidative stress, neuronal injury were observed in the rats with induced epileptogenesis. Furthermore, inhibiting of the expression of TOM7, a positive regulator of PINK1 autophosphorylation, reversed the increase in PINK1 phosphorylation and alleviated mitophagy, neuronal injury, thereby preventing epileptogenesis. In contrast, reducing the levels of OMA1, a negative regulator of PINK1 autophosphorylation, led to increased phosphorylation of PINK1, accompanied by aggravated neuronal injury and ultimately, epileptogenesis. This study confirmed the contribution of activated PINK1 to PTZ-induced epileptogenesis and suggested that the inhibition of PINK1 autophosphorylation may assist in preventing epileptogenesis. [Display omitted] • Increased levels of PINK1 phosphorylation during PTZ-induced epileptogenesis. • Suppressing PINK1 phosphorylation attenuates neuronal injury and epileptogenesis. • Promoting PINK1 phosphorylation aggravates neuronal injury and epileptogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells prefer to utilizing aerobic glycolysis to generate energy and anabolic metabolic intermediates for cell growth. However, whether the activities of glycolytic enzymes can be regulated by specific posttranslational modifications, such as SUMOylation, in response to oncogenic signallings, thereby promoting the Warburg effect, remain largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a key glycolytic enzyme, interacts with SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 and is SUMOylated at K302 in glioblastoma cells. Expression of UBC9, which competitively prevents the binding of ubiquitin E3 ligase APC/C to PFKFB3 and subsequent PFKFB3 polyubiquitination, increases PFKFB3 stability and expression. Importantly, EGFR activation increases the interaction between UBC9 and PFKFB3, leading to increased SUMOylation and expression of PFKFB3. This increase is blocked by inhibition of EGFR-induced AKT activation whereas expression of activate AKT by itself was sufficient to recapitulate EGF-induced effect. Knockout of PFKFB3 expression decreases EGF-enhanced lactate production and GBM cell proliferation and this decrease was fully rescued by reconstituted expression of WT PFKFB3 whereas PFKFB3 K302R mutant expression abrogates EGF- and UBC9-regulated lactate production and GBM cell proliferation. These findings reveal a previously unknown mechanism underlying the regulation of the Warburg effect through the EGFR activation-induced and UBC9-mediated SUMOylation and stabilization of PFKFB3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The article reveals changes in intestinal flora, metabolism and immunity in the gut of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mice. • This article reveals the reasons for changes in intestinal immunity in RA mice by using intestinal metabolism as a bridge between gut bacteria and intestinal immunity. • This article provides evidence for the intestine as a therapeutic strategy for RA by revealing changes in intestinal flora, metabolism and immunity in the gut of RA mice. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory-mediated autoimmune disease characterized by persistent joint enlargement, synovial cartilage damage, and inflammatory infiltrates. Although the pathogenesis and treatment of RA are still currently insufficient, the importance of the intestine flora, metabolism and immunity for RA has been gradually recognized, and many intestine regulatory strategies have been used to treat RA. However, the relationship between RA and intestine flora, metabolism and immunity has not been fully expounded. In this study, Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) was used to establish RA model, CyTOF technology was used to study the changes of intestinal immune cell types, 16S rRNA technology was used to analyze the differences of intestinal flora, and LC-MS technology was used to explain the effects of metabolites produced by the changed intestinal flora on RA. Moreover, we systematically explored how the imbalance of intestinal flora changed the intestinal immune status through its metabolites in RA mice. Our results showed that the intestinal flora of RA mice changed significantly, and the bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indole classes and secondary bile acids were significantly reduced. The abundance of SCFAs, indole classes and secondary bile acids in the intestine were significantly decreased. The balance of immune cells in the intestine of RA mice was significantly disrupted, with an overall decrease in immune cells. This work reveals the possible relationship between intestinal flora, metabolism and immunity and RA in mice, which will provide new therapeutic strategies for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role and mechanism of action of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in the pathogenesis of renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF), and its involvement in the anti-RIF effect of norcantharidin (NCTD). Mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction and BUMPT mouse proximal tubular cells exposed to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were used as in vivo and in vitro models of RIF, respectively. NCTD was administered to mice by intraperitoneal injection (0.075 mg kg−1·day−1). Hematoxylin–eosin and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to assess pathologic changes in the kidney. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and real-time PCR were performed to evaluate the expression of TWEAK and the fibrotic factors fibronectin (FN) and collagen type I (Col-I). The role of TWEAK in RIF and in the anti-RIF effect of NCTD was evaluated by TWEAK overexpression and neutralization with a specific antibody, and specific inhibitor of Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad)3 (SIS3) was used to examine the involvement of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling. TWEAK was mainly expressed in renal tubules in mice; the level was markedly elevated in both in vivo and in vitro RIF models. TWEAK overexpression in BUMPT cells increased the levels of phosphorylated Smad3, FN, and Col-I, which were reduced by treatment with SIS3. NCTD suppressed FN and Col-I expression by blocking TWEAK-mediated Smad3 phosphorylation. Upregulation of TWEAK contributes to RIF by promoting Smad3 phosphorylation, while NCTD inhibits this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weaned pigs fed with 250 to 1000 mg/kg C. butyricum diets decreased the diarrhea incidences compared with the control. • C. butyricum could relive diarrhea by improving digestive enzyme activity, maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, and relieving intestinal inflammation. • C. butyricium supplementation could maintain the intestinal barrier integrity by enhancing the expression of intestinal zonula occludens-1 and alkaline phosphatase rather than the sIgA. • To achieve better gut health in weaned piglet, the optimal dose for dietary supplementation with C. butyricum was 500 mg/kg. The current study aimed to determine how Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) relieved diarrhea by evaluating its effects on intestinal digestive enzyme activity, barrier integrity, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress in weaned piglets. A total of 360 weaned piglets that were 25 days old (180 males and 180 females) were randomly assigned to 5 groups in 6 pens, with 12 pigs per pen, and offered the same antibiotic-free corn-soybean-type basal diet for 30 d. The groups were as follows: no additives (control), basal diet + 250 mg/kg C. butyricum (CB1), basal diet + 500 mg/kg C. butyricum (CB2), basal diet + 1,000 mg/kg C. butyricum (CB3), and basal diet + 2,000 mg/kg C. butyricum (CB4). The incidence of diarrhea decreased quadratically as the amount of C. butyricum supplementation was increased, and this decrease was minimized in the CB2 group. Compared with those in the control group, the duodenal amylase and lipase activities were increased quadratically and maximized in the CB2 group, and the jejunal lipase activity was increased cubically in the CB1 group, while the pancreatic trypsin activity was increased linearly and maximized in the CB4 group. The serum concentration of D-lactic acid responded to the increases in the levels of C. butyricum in a quadratic manner; the minimum level was observed in the CB2 group. Jejunal zonula occludens-1 expression displayed linear and quadratic trends following C. butyricum supplementation, with the maximum response observed in the CB3 group. Quadratic and cubic increases were observed in jejunal alkaline phosphatase activity in the CB3 group. The jejunal IL-10 concentration increased, while the jejunal vascular endothelial growth factor concentration decreased quadratically in response to dietary C. butyricum supplementation in the CB2 group. No significant differences among the groups were observed in terms of the jejunal mucosal concentrations of oxidation-associated enzymes and products. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with appropriate doses of C. butyricum could relieve diarrhea in weaned piglets by enhancing digestive enzyme activity, maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, and relieving intestinal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NCF/GO hybrid nanofillers with excellent UV-shielding properties were prepared by using TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose fibrils (NCF) and graphene oxide (GO) as raw materials; different mass ratios of NCF to GO (2: 1, 4: 1, 8: 1, and 16: 1) were used. The NCF and GO were then combined and used as a hybrid filler to study the synergistic effects on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposites. With 5% hybrid nanofiller, the UV-shielding performance of the PVA/NCF/GO composite film was higher than 90%. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the PVA/CG-2 composite film increased by 74.5% and 278.0%, respectively, and the water absorption decreased by 59%. Moreover, the thermal stabilities of the nanocomposites also improved. This synergistic effect improved the performance of the hybrid nanofiller by avoiding the agglomeration of nanofillers in the polymer matrix and improving the homogeneity of the dispersion. The synergistic effect between the fillers provides a new idea for the preparation of novel multifunctional nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We made a comprehensive investigation on surface morphology of InAsSbP epilayer. • It is the first time we presented the details about two kinds of micro-defects of globules and hillocks. • The way to eliminate the micro defects is proposed; • Possible formation cause of two kinds of micro defects is proposed. • The bright and stable room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) is reported. Surface morphology of InAs 1-x-y Sb x P y epilayers grown by liquid phase epitaxy has been studied, which has two typical patterns: crosshatch pattern and shiny uniform pattern, depending on the lattice mismatch between the epilayer and the substrate. Two kinds of micro-defects of globules and hillocks appear in the above two patterns. Although lower temperature growth can eliminate both globules and hillocks, it also brings a problem that the band gap of InAs 1-x-y Sb x P y alloy is not high due to the low P composition. Our study shows that globules and hillocks have no effects on the crystalline quality and compositional uniformity of InAs 1-x-y Sb x P y epilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]