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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a globally rising issue that can cause liver-related morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have revealed that a high-fat diet (HFD) highly contributes to the prevalence and progression of NAFLD via impacting gut microbiota and lipid metabolism signal pathways. Resveratrol (RSV), a natural bioactive compound, has exhibited potential for preventing and alleviating NAFLD. However, due to the poor bioavailability of RSV, its strengths and underlying mechanisms for NAFLD therapeutic potential are poorly understood. To address this, we utilized Hydroxypropyl-beta-Cyclodextrin (HBC) to encapsulate RSV to enhance its water solubility and conducted prevention and intervention experiments in HFD-fed mice. The results showed that the HBC has significantly enhanced the water solubility of RSV by 250-fold and the HBC-RSV better prevented and alleviated the liver steatosis, obesity and abnormal lipid metabolism induced by HFD than RSV alone. Meanwhile, combining HFD and HBC-RSV or RSV prevented HFD mice progressing to NAFLD. Besides, further investigation indicated that RSV could resist liver injury and obesity by modulating gut microbiota, raising the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. The activated pathway down-regulated sterol receptor element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) to decrease lipid synthesis and up-regulated peroxisome proliferators-activated receptorα (PPARα) to promote the fatty acid oxidation, thus preventing NAFLD. Our findings suggested that water solubility-enhanced RSV beneficially modulated gut microbiota, altered gut microbiota-derived SCFAs, and activated lipid metabolism regulatory pathways, providing potential for NAFLD prevention and alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between oral disorders and respiratory diseases has been revealed for decades. Emerging oral biomarkers, including microbiome, metabolites, proteins, and nucleic acids, have been gradually discovered and proposed to contribute to the development and progression of both oral and respiratory diseases. While promising, oral ecosystem surveillance remains confined due to the constant changes in the oral ecosystem and the lack of sophisticated assessment technologies. With the advent of nanotechnology, efficient diagnostics and real-time monitoring of disease are implemented via platforms such as biomarker-capturing nanoparticles, nanobiosensors, nano-microfluidics, and wearable devices. In this review, the association between the oral ecosystem and respiratory system, especially the clinical relevance and cross-regulatory mechanisms, will be first discussed. Saliva, serving as a readily available biofluid for non-invasive diagnostics, will be overviewed for the emerging biomarkers in respiratory disease diagnosis. The latest nanotechnology-enabled approaches will be highlighted in terms of oral biomarker enrichment, multiplexing analysis, sensitive and selective diagnosis, and nanodentistry. Finally, the incorporation of nano-enabled approaches into routine clinical practice will be prospected for future translation. [Display omitted] ● The disorder in oral ecosystem correlates with the initiation and progression of respiratory diseases. ● As a readily available biofluid, saliva contains various biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of respiratory diseases. ● Nanotechnology that facilitates oral biomarker detection can improve the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interactions between all ten mature proteins of the potyviruses Soybean mosaic virus (Pinellia ternata isolate) and Shallot yellow stripe virus were investigated using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays. Consistently strong self-interactions were found between the pairs of HC-Pro, VPg, NIa-Pro, NIb and CP in both viruses. Apart from the NIb, such interactions have been previously reported for some other potyviruses. The 6K1/NIa-Pro combination gave a consistently moderate to strong interaction in both directions for both viruses. This interaction occurred even when the 6K1 of SMV-P was truncated to eliminate the C-terminal motif that acts as a recognition site for cleavage by the NIa-Pro. Many other interactions occurred only in one direction or only for one of the two viruses. When taken together with other published reports, the data suggest that interactions detected by Y2H should be regarded as only preliminary indications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Two folliculinids are redescribed based on detailed morphological characters. • The life cycles of two folliculinids are described in detail for the first time. • SSU rDNA sequences of two folliculinid species are determined. • The taxonomic confusion and mistakes of M. producta are corrected and clarified. • Evolutionary relationships of Folliculinidae are revealed by phylogenetic analyses. Most ciliates of the heterotrich family Folliculinidae are flagship periphytic species. They are characterized by their transparent lorica, conspicuous peristomial lobes, and dimorphic life cycle. However, the understanding of their biodiversity and systematics is relatively poor. In the present study, we investigate the morphology and phylogenetic affinities of Ampullofolliculina lageniformis Hadži, 1951 and Metafolliculina producta (Wright, 1859) Dons, 1934, collected from subtropical coastal wetlands in China. An integrative approach combining investigations of their morphology, life cycle and ecology was used. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences showed that: all folliculinid genera form a monophyletic clade; the two genera with flexible peristomial lobes, Metafolliculina and Eufolliculina , are closely related; the other three genera with inflexible peristomial lobes, Ampullofolliculina , Diafolliculina and Folliculina, group together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnMn 2 O 4 , with theoretical specific capacity of 1008 mAh g−1, is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. It attracts intensive research interests not only because of its high specific capacity, but also due to its low cost, abundant resources and environmental friendliness. However, its poor reaction kinetics, low intrinsic electrical conductivity and large volume changes upon cycling impede its commercial application. In this work, we demonstrate a method to effectively synthesize a three-dimensional, layered network architecture utilizing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and cross-linked carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as substrates for ZnMn 2 O 4 nanoparticles. The ZnMn 2 O 4 nanoparticles are grown in-situ on the surface of both the rGO and the CNTs. The results show that the composite samples display a significantly enhanced electrochemical performance when compared with their pristine counterparts. In particular, the ZnMn 2 O 4 -rGO/CNT composite anode delivered an enhanced capacity of 606 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 1000 cycles with an 83% capacity retention. The synergistic effect between the rGO and the CNTs is believed to be the reason for the improved performance. In-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to successfully reveal the electrochemical conversion reaction mechanism of the new ZnMn 2 O 4 anode. A three-dimensional layered ZnMn 2 O 4 -rGO/CNT composite anode material was designed via a facile hydrothermal process. The anode material delivered a high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability (606 mA h g−1 for Li-ion batteries at 1.0 A g−1 rate after 1000 discharge/charge cycles). Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract P-glycoprotein (P-gp or ABCB1) and multidrug resistance associated proteins (MRPs or ABCC) belonging to the family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters protect aquatic organisms from various toxicants and pathogen exposure. The function of ABC transporters of Sinonovacula constricta in response to pathogens was explored by cloning the complete cDNA of ABCB1 and ABCC5 of S. constricta through the rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Tissue-specific expression showed that ABCB1 and ABCC5 have the highest expression in hemocytes and gills among eight examined tissues, respectively. The transport activities of ABCB1 and ABCC5 in the gills were severely inhibited after their corresponding inhibitor treatments. The expression levels and transport activities of ABCB1 and ABCB5 were also investigated by using S. constricta samples infected by Vibrio parahaemolyticus at a final concentration of 107 CFU/mL. Results showed that the mRNA expression levels of ABCB1 and ABCC5 were significantly down-regulated when exposed to V. parahaemolyticus at 6 h and 12 h (P < 0.05) and then recovered to normal level at 24 h and 48 h. Consistently, the activities of the two ABC transporters display the same trends as the mRNA expression levels. The results, combined with that of previous investigations, indicated that these activities may be an innate immune response in S. constricta. Immunohistochemical results justified the tissue localization of P-gp in the interface between external environment and tissues. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that ABC transporters form an active, physiological barrier at the tissue–environment interface in S. constricta gills in response to pathogen infection, and they might play a vital role in adaptation and response to environmental stress and the immune defense. Highlights • We firstly identified the full-length transcripts of ABCB1 and long open reading frame of ABCC5 of Sinonovacula constricta. • Hemocytes and gills were the dominant expressed tissues for ABCB1 and ABCC5 respectively. • The mRNA level and activities of MXR proteins in gills were suppressed and then recovered under pathogen infection. • The immunohistochemical results showed that ABCB1 in S. constricta gills was concentrated in tissue-environment interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is a commercially important common osmeroid fish for freshwater fisheries. But little is known about the sex-determination (SD) mechanisms. Type IIB endonucleases restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (2b-RAD-seq) is a popular reduced representation method and shown to be an efficient and valuable way for identifying the sex-specific DNA fragments and SD systems. In this study, one male and one female were first whole-genome sequenced. The total size of high-quality genome assembly of the male was 434 Mb (14,900 scaffolds) and of the female 424 Mb (15,340 scaffolds). And ten males and ten females were then subjected to 2b-RAD-seq and isolated 124 candidate male-specific tags and no female-specific tags. The candidate male-specific tags were mapped to 14 male scaffolds, nine of which were aligned to the female allelic scaffolds, and the other five belonged to the candidate male-specific scaffolds. Thereinto, scaf162525, scaf184183, scaf192610 encoded 45 candidate genes in all, 9 of which had functional descriptions. Furthermore, the anti-Müllerian hormone type-2 receptor on scaf192610 was tentatively identified as a Y-linked duplicate copy (Amhr2by) of the autosomal counterpart (Amhr2a), demonstrating the potential role in the SD system of ayu. Based on the four selected male-specific loci, four sets of primers were designed to develop the multiplex-PCR assay. Results showed that the four male-specific markers could identify the genetic sex with 100% accuracy in 126 farmed mature ayu of the different source populations. In conclusion, the genome sequences from both sexes combined with 2b-RAD sequencing analyses from other males and females led to the isolation of male-specific scaffolds, supporting an XX/XY SD system in ayu. The multiplex-PCR assay based on male-specific markers can be applied to perform molecular sexing in ayu culture. • The candidate male-specific scaffolds provided strong evidence of the male heterogamety (XX/XY) system in ayu. • A Y-linked duplicate copy (Amhr2by) of the autosomal counterpart (Amhr2a) was identified on the male-specific scaffolds. • A multiplex-PCR assay based on four selected male-specific markers was developed and validated for sex genotyping of ayu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]