Search

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) can participate in plant biological stress responses and play important roles. SlWRKY80 was found to be differentially expressed in the Mi-1- and Mi-3-resistant tomato lines by RNA-seq and may serve as a key node for disease resistance regulation. This study used RNAi to determine whether SlWRKY80 silencing could influence the sensitivity of 'M82' (mi-1/mi-1)-susceptible lines to M. incognita. Further overexpression of this gene revealed a significant increase in tomato disease resistance, ranging from highly susceptible to susceptible, combined with the identification of growth (plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area) and physiological (soluble sugars and proteins; root activity) indicators, clarifying the role of SlWRKY80 as a positive regulatory factor in tomato defense against M. incognita. Based on this phenomenon, a preliminary exploration of its metabolic signals revealed that SlWRKY80 stimulates different degrees of signaling, such as salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ETH), and may synergistically regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and scavenging enzyme activity, hindering the formation of feeding sites and ultimately leading to the reduction of root gall growth. To our knowledge, SlWRKY80 has an extremely high utilization value for improving tomato resistance to root-knot nematodes and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-knot nematode (RKN) infections are among the most serious soil-borne diseases in the world, and tomato is a common host of RKNs. WRKY transcription factors are involved in complex, diverse biological processes in plants. In a previous study, a resistant variety, LA3858 (Mi-3/Mi-3), was treated at different soil temperatures before RNA-seq, and six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding WRKY proteins were screened. In this study, cloning and sequencing were used to identify six target DEGs encoding SlWRKY1, SlWRKY13, SlWRKY30, SlWRKY41, SlWRKY46, and SlWRKY80. Conserved domain identification and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that SlWRKY1, SlWRKY13, and SlWRKY46 have similar functions and are mainly involved in plant growth and development and abiotic stress responses. SlWRKY30 and SlWRKY41 share high homology, while AtWRKY46 and AtWRKY70, which are highly homologous to SlWRKY80, play an important role in the disease resistance of A. thaliana. Considering these findings combined with the high level of SlWRKY80 expression observed in the roots and leaves of the resistant variety Motelle (Mi-1/Mi-1) and the continuous upregulation of SlWRKY80 expression in the roots after inoculation of Motelle with M. incognita, it is speculated that SlWRKY80 plays an important role in the Mi-1-mediated disease resistance pathway. Further study revealed that SlWRKY80 is a typical nuclear-localized protein, and a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay verified that SlWRKY80 is involved in tomato resistance to RKNs as a positive regulator. SA and JA signals play an important role in Mi-1-mediated resistance to RKNs. SlWRKY80 was able to respond rapidly to treatment with both plant hormones, which indicated that SlWRKY80 might be involved in disease resistance regulation through various immune pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A man diagnosed as TAFRO syndrome was successfully responded to a novel immunosuppressive regimen containing methylprednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil. Blood cells firstly recovered, followed by the general situation and complete recover 1 month later, highlighting the danger of TAFRO syndrome and the importance of immunosuppressive agents in reversing pathological course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated myofibrillar protein (MP) was treated by the oxidation system of FeCl 3 (0.01 mM) at four different H 2 O 2 concentrations (0, 1, 10, 20 mM). The oxidation degree was determined by measuring the carbonyl and total sulphydryl values. The structure and physicochemical properties of MP gels were investigated by water holding capacity (WHC) evaluation, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), texture profile analysis (TPA), Raman spectroscopy, and NMR transverse relaxation (T 2). The results of carbonyls and total sulphydryls indicated that oxidation degree of MP increased with increasing H 2 O 2 concentration. TPA showed that moderate oxidation (10 mM H 2 O 2) could improve the hardness, springiness, gumminess and cohesiveness of MP gels, but not contribute to the maintenance of their WHC, probably due to severe depolymerization of MPs, unfolding of α-helix, exposure of the hydrophobic groups and the migration of protein-associated water (T 2b) and intra-myofibrillar water (T 21) to the longer relaxation time. Unlabelled Image • Oxidation affects the myofibrillar protein gel textural property and structure. • Moderate oxidation (10 mM H 2 O 2) can improve the gel textural property. • Gel water-holding capacity cannot be well maintained when oxidized at 1–20 mM H 2 O 2. • α-helix, hydrophobic group and water changes decrease gel water-holding capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study investigated the effects of sarcoplasmic protein (SP) on myofibrillar protein (MP) gel properties by adding different concentrations of SP (0, 10, 20 and 30 g/100 g) into MP, with both of them isolated from pork. The interaction between MP and SP and the potential mechanism were also explored. When compared with the untreated MP, adding 20 g/100 g SP showed the maximum water-holding capacity, with an increase of 31.74%, as well as the most compact and densest MP gel network as indicated by the scanning electron microscopy. SP addition could also increase the binding water capacity of the gel due to shorter T 22 and less free water. Furthermore, adding 20 g/100 g SP increased the values of springiness, hardness and chewiness from 0.35 to 0.70, 142.86 to 581.63, and 11.88 to 92.55, while adding 10 g/100 g SP increased the cohesiveness value from 0.17 to 0.25. These results indicated that moderate SP addition can improve the gel properties of MP. Highlights • Sarcoplasmic protein (SP) notably affects myofibrillar protein (MP) gel property. • 20% SP addition largely improves MP gel texture property and water-holding capacity. • SEM showed the most compact and dense MP gel network by 20% SP addition. • Moderate SP could improve MP gel texture and WHC by padding the network and increasing the hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of gold supported cerium oxide. • 5–10 nm Au nanoparticles supported on 20–30 nm CeO 2 nanoparticles. • Room temperature photocatalytic esterification of aldehyde. • Aldehyde conversion of 82% with 99% selectivity of ester. Abstract We report herein, a one-pot synthetic route for the synthesis of Au/CeO 2 nanocomposite and studied its catalytic activity as a recyclable and efficient photocatalyst for visible light esterification from aldehydes at room temperatures. The catalyst was characterised by XRD, SEM, TEM, Mapping, EDX, XPS, ICP-AES and BET-surface area analysis. It was observed that 5–10 nm Au-nanoparticles supported on 20–30 nm CeO 2 nanoparticles with a gold loading of 1 wt% shows high conversion and selectivity towards the target product ester. The efficiencies of the photocatalytic activity depend on the Au loading and synergistic effect between the surface Au and CeO 2 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A ternary BiOBr/CS/ g-C 3 N 4 composite was synthesized by the in-situ attachment of carbon spheres (CS) to the surface of g-C 3 N 4 , and BiOBr nanosheets by a solvothermal route. The properties of the composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was analyzed through the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine (RhB) dye under the visible-light irradiation. The successful photocatalytic execution of BiOBr/CS/g g-C 3 N 4 composite lost fewer activity after five consecutive cycles, demonstrating the excellent stability of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our laboratory previously used the SEREX method in U937 cells and identified a novel leukemia-associated gene MLAA-34, a novel splice variant of CAB39L associated with acute monocytic leukemia, that exhibited anti-apoptotic activities in U937 cells. Whether MLAA-34 has an anti-apoptotic role in other tumor cells has not yet been reported. We explored whether MLAA-34 exhibited anti-apoptotic effects in HeLa cervical cancer cells and the possible mechanism of action. We generated a HeLa cell line stably expressing MLAA-34 and found that MLAA-34 overexpression had no effect on the growth, apoptosis and cell cycle of HeLa cells. However, upon treatment with arsenic trioxide (ATO) to induce apoptosis, the cell viability and colony formation ability of ATO-treated MLAA-34 stable HeLa cells were significantly higher than that of ATO-treated controls, and the apoptosis rate and proportion of G2/M cells also decreased. We found that ATO treatment of HeLa cells resulted in significant decreases in the expression of β-catenin mRNA and protein and the downstream target factors c-Myc, cyclin B1, and cyclin D1 in the Wnt signaling pathway. Notably, ATO-treated MLAA-34 stable HeLa cells showed a significant reduction in the ATO-mediated downregulation of these factors. In addition, MLAA-34 overexpression significantly increased the expression of nuclear β-catenin protein in ATO-treated cells compared with HeLa cells treated only with ATO. Thus, here we have found that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is involved in ATO-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells. MLAA-34 reduces ATO-induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest, and the anti-apoptotic effect may be achieved by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the tribological behaviors of Cu–30wt% Pb (denoted as CuPb) alloy sliding against aluminum bronze ZCuAl9Mn2 lubricated by seawater were investigated. It was found that the friction coefficients decrease with increasing load and sliding speed, and the wear rates increase slightly with applied load but decrease with sliding speed. The low friction coefficient and wear rate can be attributed to the seawater as a lubrication medium, which has lubricating, cooling, and corrosive effects on the sliding couple. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The tribological behavior of Babbitt alloy rubbing with SiN ball and steel ball with various sliding speeds at dry friction condition was investigated. It was found that B88 alloy rubbing with SiN ball and steel ball possesses a low sliding wear resistance at dry friction. The wear rate is above 10 mm/Nm, and the friction coefficient is from 0.2 to 0.4. At low sliding speed of 0.05-0.1 m/s, the mainly wear mechanisms are microgroove and fatigue wear, while at high sliding speed of 0.5 m/s, the wear mechanisms depend on plastic deformation and delamination. The high wear rate indicates that it is needed to prevent Babbitt alloy from working at dry friction conditions, while the low friction coefficient suggests that it is not easy to the occurrence of cold weld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydrophobic spike-like vaterite CaCO3 composed of nanoparticles with an average size of 100nm has been successfully synthesized via a simple synthetic method. The crystallization of vaterite CaCO3 was fabricated by the reaction of CaCl2 with Na2CO3 in ethanol–water solvents in the presence of oleic acid. The as-prepared products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle analysis. The characterization results revealed that oleic acid played an important role in determining the phase and morphology of the sample. In addition, the surface properties of the vaterite CaCO3 changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The contact angle of the modified CaCO3 reached 95.8°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spheroidal vaterite CaCO3 composed of irregular nanoparticals have been synthesized by a fast microwave-assisted method. The structures are fabricated by the reaction of Ca(CH3COO)2 with (NH4)2CO3 at 90°C in ethylene glycol–water mixed solvents without any surfactants. The diameters of the spheroidal vaterite CaCO3 range from 1 to 2μm, and the average size of the nanoparticals is about 70nm. Bundle-shaped aragonite and rhombohedral calcite are also obtained by adjusting the experimental parameters. Our experiments show that the ratio of ethylene glycol to water, microwave power, reaction time, and two sources of ammonium ions and acetate anions are key parameters for the fabrication of spheroidal vaterite CaCO3. A possible growth mechanism for the spheroidal structures has been proposed, which suggests that the spheroidal vaterite CaCO3 is formed by an aggregation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cubic calcium carbonate nanoparticles with hydrophobic properties were prepared by a carbonation route in the presence of dodecanoic acid at 20°C. The as-prepared products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle analysis. It was found that dodecanoic acid not only inhibited the growth of CaCO3 particles but also changed the surface properties of the final products. The effects of the weight ratio of DA to CaCO3, the calcium hydroxide concentration and temperature on the morphologies of the as-prepared calcium carbonate were systematically studied. The results showed that temperature, the weight ratio of DA to CaCO3 and the calcium hydroxide concentration are important parameters for the preparation of cubic calcium carbonate nanoparticles with hydrophobic properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Increased magnetic field promoted H 2 O 2 oxidation of myoglobin (Mb). • Magnetic fields of ≥ 9 mT changed the redox equivalents of Mb. • ≥ 9 mT magnetic field shifted oxidation site from porphyrin ring to Mb skeleton. • Mb aggregation was affected by magnetic field-induced iron ion movement. The effects of low frequency magnetic field (0–12 mT) on hydrogen peroxide oxidized myoglobin-isolate (MbI) were investigated. The results indicate that the primary target of the hydrogen peroxide oxidation was Met(FeIII)Mb, leading to the fall off of iron ions from the porphyrin ring. Additionally, the increased magnetic field (≥9 mT) enhanced the release of more iron ions to react with H 2 O 2 , giving rise to the production of more hydroxyl radicals and the shift of oxidation site from porphyrin ring to Mb skeleton. Moreover, the directional movement of iron ions induced by magnetic field caused the generation of local micro-electric field and the rearrangement of charged groups on the protein surface or near-surface, thus affecting Mb aggregation. Overall, the magnetic field interfered with the hydrogen peroxide chain reaction process, changed the redox equivalents of Mb, and shifted the oxidation sites of Mb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Total sulfhydryl and free amino groups increased at 9 and 12 mT (magnetic field). • 3–12 mT treatments inhibited Mb (myoglobin) central iron atom oxidation. • More uniform Mb particle size distribution appeared at 3, 9 and 12 mT. • Increased zeta potential at 3, 6 and 12 mT improved Mb stability. • Mb clusters and β-turn or β-sheet structures unfolded at 9 or 12 mT. The effects of low frequency magnetic field on myoglobin (Mb) oxidation stability were evaluated by treatments at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 mT and storage for 10 h. The results showed that Mb oxidation was inhibited under all magnetic field treatments, due to the increase of total sulfhydryl and free amino groups (9 or 12 mT) from unfolding of Mb clusters (3, 9, 12 mT) as well as β-turn and β-sheet structures (9 or 12 mT). The unfolding also induced (i) the destruction or burial of iron porphyrin and tyrosine residues; (ii) the exposure of tryptophan; (iii) more uniform Mb particle size distribution (3, 9, 12 mT) and increased zeta potential (3, 6, 12 mT). Overall, magnetic field promoted exposed active groups as the preferred oxidation target, thus decreasing the oxidation rate of central iron atoms. It also promoted Mb stability by redistributing particle size and increasing zeta potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of ultrasonic treatment (180 W, 25 min) on the foaming and physicochemical properties of egg white from shell egg stored for seven periods (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 d) were investigated in this study. The foaming ability significantly increased after ultrasound treatment and the highest foaming ability (99.13%) was achieved at 60 d compared to untreated egg white (29.75%). This improvement was ascribed to the increased free sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity, indicating that egg white protein became easier to adsorb at the air-water interface and its structure was more flexible. However, a reduction in the foaming stability of ultrasound-treated egg white resulted from the lower absolute zeta potential. Moreover, decreasing particle size and broadening protein size distribution were obtained after ultrasonic processing. Using scanning electron microscopy, small aggregates were observed on the surface of the untreated sample after storage, while the ultrasound-treated sample had large numbers of irregular and unevenly distributed pores with different sizes. These results provide important evidence of the protein properties induced by ultrasound modification during storage, and further expand the ultrasound application in the food storage industry. • The highest foaming ability (99.13%) was achieved at 60 d by ultrasound modification. • Surface hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl content increased by ultrasound treatment. • Ultrasound decreased the absolute zeta potential of cold stored egg white. • Ultrasound decreased particle size and broadened size distribution of egg white. • Scanning electron microscopy showed irregular and unevenly distributed pore structure after ultrasound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present work, we synthesized a yolk-shell shaped CuCo2S4 by a simple anion exchange method. The morphological and structural properties of the as-synthesized sample were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM and TEM results confirmed that the uniform yolk-shell structure was formed during the solvothermal process. The band gap was about 1.41 eV, which have been confirmed by UV–vis DRS analysis. The photocatalytic property was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye as a target pollutant under the visible-light irradiation. The experimental results confirmed the potential application of yolk-shell shape CuCo2S4 in visible-light photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms of malignancy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell is important for the targeted treatment and drug development. We found that visfatin, a 52-kDa adipokine, can positively regulate the proliferation of AML cells. Targeted inhibition of visfatin via its specific siRNAs or inhibitor can suppress the proliferation of AML cells. Further, knockdown of visfatin can increase the doxorubicin (Dox) and cisplatin (CDDP) sensitivity of AML cells. Among the tested six cytokines, si-visfatin can decrease the expression of interleukin-17 (IL-17). Over expression of IL-17 can reverse si-visfatin suppressed cell proliferation and increased Dox sensitivity. The upregulation of IL-17 was also involved in visfatin induced activation of PI3K/Akt signals in AML cells. The inhibitor of PI3K/Akt can synergistically suppress the proliferation of HL60 cells which were transfected with si-visfatin. Knockdown of visfatin can increase the expression of miR-135a, which can bind to the 3′UTR of IL-17 and decrease its expression. The inhibitor of miR-135a can attenuate si-visfatin suppressed expression of IL-17 and proliferation of AML cells. Collectively, our data suggested that visfatin can increase the malignancy of AML cells via regulation of miR-135a/IL-17/PI3K/Akt signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]