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Background: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is an intestinal metabolic toxin, which is produced by gut flora via metabolizing high-choline foods. TMAO is known to increase the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of TMAO aggravating kidney injury. Method: We used the five-sixths nephrectomy (5/6 Nx)-induced CKD rats to investigate whether TMAO could aggravate kidney damage and its possible mechanisms. Six weeks after the operation, the two groups of 5/6 Nx rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection with 2.5% glucose peritoneal dialysis fluid (2.5% PDF) and 2.5% PDF plus TMAO 20 mg/kg/day. Results: In this study, we provided evidence showing TMAO significantly aggravated renal failure as well as inflammatory cell infiltration and in five-sixths nephrectomy-induced CKD rats. We found that TMAO could upregulate inflammatory factors including MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-18 by activating p38 phosphorylation and upregulation of human antigen R. TMAO could aggravate oxidative stress by upregulating NOX4 and downregulating SOD. The result also confirmed that TMAO promoted NLRP3 inflammasome formation as well as cleaved caspase-1 and IL-1β activation in the kidney tissue. Conclusions: Taken together, the present study validates TMAO as a pro-inflammatory factor that causes renal inflammatory injury and renal function impairment. Inhibition of TMAO synthesis or promoting its clearance may be a potential therapeutic approach of CKD in the future.

BackgroundUCA1 is frequently upregulated in a variety of cancers, including CRC, and it can play an oncogenic role by various mechanisms. However, how UCA1 is regulated in cancer is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine whether RNA methylation at N6-methyladenosine (m6A) can impact UCA1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC).MethodsqRT-PCR was performed to detect the level of UCA1 and IGF2BP2 in CRC samples. CRISPR/Cas9 was employed to knockout (KO) UCA1, METTL3 and WTAP in DLD-1 and HCT-116 cells, while rescue experiments were carried out to re-express METTL3 and WTAP in KO cells. Immunoprecipitation using m6A antibody was performed to determine the m6A modification of UCA1. In vivo pulldown assays using S1m tagging combined with site-direct mutagenesis was carried out to confirm the recognition of m6A-modified UCA1 by IGF2BP2. Cell viability was measured by MTT and colony formation assays. The expression of UCA1 and IGF2BP2 in TCGA CRC database was obtained from GEPIA (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn).ResultsOur results revealed that IGF2BP2 serves as a reader for m6A modified UCA1 and that adenosine at 1038 of UCA1 is critical to the recognition by IGF2BP2. Importantly, we showed that m6A writers, METTL3 and WTAP positively regulate UCA1 expression. Mechanically, IGF2BP2 increases the stability of m6A-modified UCA1. Clinically, IGF2BP2 is upregulated in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues.ConclusionThese results suggest that m6A modification is an important factor contributing to upregulation of UCA1 in CRC tissues.

Keeping the nucleolus a liquid condensate The nucleolus is a multilayered, membraneless nuclear condensate in which DNA polymerase I (Pol I)–mediated ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription and pre-rRNA processing occur in fibrillar center and dense fibrillar component (FC/DFC) units. How its biophysical properties are regulated has remained elusive. Wu et al . found that the RNA helicase DDX21 forms a shell coating each FC/DFC unit in the nucleolus (see the Perspective by Yamazaki and Hirose). The authors found that a long noncoding RNA called SLERT facilitates the transition from the open to the closed configuration of the helicase using a chaperone-like mechanism. DDX21 in the closed conformation forms loose clusters that confer the FC/DFC unit sufficient liquidity and space required for Pol I processivity. In addition, DDX21 within the loose clusters cannot approach and wrap rDNA, thus licensing rDNA for transcription. —DJ

Clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas systems have a powerful ability to edit DNA and RNA targets. However, the need for a specific recognition site, protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), of the CRISPR/Cas system limits its application in gene editing. Some Argonaute (Ago) proteins have endonuclease functions under the guidance of 5′ phosphorylated or hydroxylated guide DNA (gDNA). The NgAgo protein might perform RNA gene editing at 37 °C, suggesting its application in mammalian cells; however, its mechanisms are unclear. In the present study, the target of NgAgo in RNA was confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Then, an in vitro RNA cleavage system was designed and the cleavage site was verified by sequencing. Furthermore, NgAgo and gDNA were transfected into cells to cleave an intracellular target sequence. We demonstrated targeted degradation of GFP, HCV, and AKR1B10 RNAs in a gDNA-dependent manner by NgAgo both in vitro and in vivo, but no effect on DNA was observed. Sequencing demonstrated that the cleavage sites are located at the 3′ of the target RNA which is recognized by 5′ sequence of the gDNA. These results confirmed that NgAgo–gDNA cleaves RNA not DNA. We observed that the cleavage site is located at the 3′ of the target RNA, which is a new finding that has not been reported in the past.

The detection of Singlet oxygen (1O2) is of great interest to develop cancer therapies, because it can initiate a plethora of events that result in cell death. Singlet oxygen sensor green (SOSG) is considered the preferred probe because of its claimed high selectivity to Singlet oxygen (1O2). Although many researchers have used SOSG to detect 1O2 generation in Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) processes, the effect of ultrasound irradiation on SOSG has not been comprehensively evaluated. In this study, we conducted systematic experiments to determine SOSG activation in the presence of ultrasound irradiation. We found that the SOSG exhibited the abnormal physicochemical phenomena in distilled water in the presence of ultrasound. The fluorescence intensity of SOSG increased significantly when exposed to ultrasound alone. The results showed that there was a linear positive correlation between the treatment duration of different ultrasound intensities or SOSG concentrations and the fluorescence intensity of SOSG, respectively. In addition, scavenger tests also indicated that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) might be involved in the activation of SOSG. In conclusion, our results suggest that the influences of experimental conditions to SOSG must be fully considered, and that SOSG may not be a suitable probe for 1O2 in SDT.

The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is the limiting half-reaction in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Although Pt is the most active single-metal electrocatalyst for MOR, it is hampered by high cost and CO poisoning. Constructing a Pt or Ru monolayer on a second metal substrate by means of galvanic replacement of underpotentially deposited (UPD) Cu monolayer has been shown as an efficient catalyst design strategy for the electrocatalysis of MOR because of the presumed 100% utilization of atoms and resistance to CO poisoning. Herein, we prepared one-dimensional surface-alloyed electrocatalyst from predominantly (111) faceted Au nanowires with high aspect ratio as the substrate of under-potential deposition. The electrocatalyst comprises a core of the Au nanowire and a shell of catalytically active Pt coated by Ru. Coverage-dependent electro-catalytic activity and stability is demonstrated on the Pt/Ru submonolayers on Au wires for MOR. Among all these catalysts, Au@PtML@RuML exhibits the best electrocatalytic activity and poisoning tolerance to CO. This presents a viable method for the rational catalyst design for achieving high noble-metal utilization efficiency and high catalytic performance.

The sol-gel method was used to make nano-TiO2 and five Chinese herbal medicines of Sophora flavescens Alt., Hypericum perforatum L., Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., Kochia scoparia (L.), and Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. to prepare five kinds of nano-TiO2-Chinese herbal medicine composite anti-degradative wood. Populus tomentosa Carr was chosen as the wood sample. Indoor decay resistance test results showed that the resistance to weight gain and decay of nano-TiO2-Chinese herbal medicine composite anti-degradative wood noticeably increased compared with either Chinese herbal medicine modified wood or nano-TiO2 modified wood, reaching a strong decay resistance level. The results of the anti-loss test showed that the magnitude of loss of wood samples treated with nano-TiO2 and Chinese herbal medicine was noticeably reduced compared with that with just Chinese herbal medicine. It was found by scanning electron microscopy that the nano-TiO2 particles and the Chinese herbal medicine enter the wood cell cavity, and the wood vessels and pits were the main permeation channels. Fourier transform infrared analysis results showed that nano-TiO2 could not only enter the wood interior, and associate with wood components through physical adsorption to form hydrogen bonds, but also through the carboxyl groups in cellulose and hemicellulose, or the phenolic hydroxyl group in lignin, forming a coordinated chemical bond to fix it in the wood component.

Two-dimensional (2D) oxide can be continuously produced by bubbling oxygen into liquid metals and the harvesting of these oxide relies on the proper choice of dispersion solvents. The mass-production of ligand-free 2D materials from high melting-point metals will not be possible if the limited stability of the traditional dispersion solvents is not circumvented. Herein, liquid tin was used for the first time in the bubbling protocol and 2D tin oxide was obtained in molten salts. The nanosheets were studied with combined microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, and high-density grain boundaries was identified between the sub-5-nm nano-crystallites in the nanosheets. It gives rise to the high performance in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction. Density-functional-theory based calculation was applied to achieve a deeper understanding of the relationship between the activity, selectivity, and the grain-boundary features. The molten-salt based protocol could be explored for the synthesis of a library of functional 2D oxides.

The propagation of epigenetic information across cell divisions is crucial to the maintenance of cell identity. During DNA replication, both parental and newly synthesized histones are deposited onto the replicating DNA, where they assemble into nucleosomes. Parental histones bear a variety of post-translational modifications, which constitute crucial epigenetic information, and the pattern of parental and newly synthesized histone allocation is crucial for the determination and maintenance of cell fate in multicellular organisms. The DNA replication-coupled nucleosome assembly process is regulated by multitude of histone chaperones, and recent breakthroughs in next-generation sequencing and super-resolution imaging methods have provided novel insights into the underlying mechanisms. Here, we review recent findings concerning parental histone deposition onto replicating DNA strands and the segregation of these to symmetrically or asymmetrically dividing daughter cells. Furthermore, we discuss the role of the allocation patterns of parental and newly synthesized histones in the determination of cell fate.

A simple, convenient and label-free approach was developed for detection of acetylcholine (ACh) based on competitive enzymatic hydrolysis by use of liquid crystals (LCs) as a sensing medium. Self-assembled monolayers of myristoylcholine (Myr) were obtained at the aqueous/LC interface when the surfactants were in contact with LCs, resulting in a perpendicular orientation of LCs at the interface. Thus, LCs displayed a dark optical image. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of Myr by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) disturbed the Myr monolayers, which led to a horizontal orientation of LCs at the interface, thereby inducing a dark-to-bright shift of the LCs optical appearance. Interestingly, as ACh was also a substrate of AChE, the bright appearance of LCs was prevented when incubating the mixture of AChE and ACh with Myr decorated aqueous/LC interface due to the competitive enzymatic hydrolysis between Myr and ACh by AChE. By using this strategy, ACh could be detected selectively and sensitively, with a broad linear range from 0.01 μmol/L to 1 mmol/L and a low detection limit of 14.5 nmol/L. The results showed that the competitive enzymatic hydrolysis-assisted LC-based sensor had potential applications in ACh detection.

Nowadays, films with antibacterial activity and applied for freshness monitoring by colorimetric response have been drawing growing attention in food packaging. However, the development of versatile antibacterial and colorimetric agents is still highly desirable. Herein, WO3 nanorods are incorporated in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to develop a novel composite film with photothermal antibacterial activity and freshness monitoring faculty. The interaction between WO3 nanorods and PVA is due to hydrogen bonds. Compared with the PVA film, the presence of WO3 nanorods can significantly enhance the mechanical and barrier properties; typically, the target film (WO3/PVA)4 shows an increase in tensile strength by 52.7% and Young's modulus by 400.0% and a decrease in oxygen permeability by 72.4% and water vapor permeability by 66.9%. The films demonstrate a WO3 content-dependent antibacterial activity. Under irradiation of near-infrared light (NIR808), the synergistic effect of physical damage, oxidative stress, and temperature increase markedly improves the antibacterial activity of (WO3/PVA)4, showing an antibacterial efficiency of ∼90% against Escherichia coli or beyond 90% against Staphylococcus aureus. The incorporated WO3 nanorods demonstrate lower cytotoxicity toward the model cells of human colon cancer cell line HT-29. The (WO3/PVA)4 film exhibits colorimetric response to H2S and can also be used for pork freshness monitoring as an indicator.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), which employs the interaction between low-intensity ultrasound and a non-toxic sonosensitizer to produce various reactive oxygen species (ROS), offers the possibility of treating cancer non-invasively. In this work, systematic experiments were conducted to detect the types of ROS produced in the process of sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) mediated SDT (DVDMS-SDT). We found that the fluorescence intensity of the superoxide anion (˙O2−) specific probe BES-SO in the DVDMS-SDT group was significantly higher than that in the ultrasound group alone, while it decreased with the introduction of superoxide dismutase (˙O2− scavenger), indicating the production of ˙O2−. At the same molality concentration, DVDMS is superior to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) in ˙O2− generation, indicating that the properties of sonosensitizers determine the ˙O2− yield. Although ultrasound alone could also produce ˙O2− by pyrolyzing water, the significance of DVMDS lies in reducing the ultrasonic intensity threshold and improving the low efficiency of pure ultrasound in producing ˙O2−. More importantly, DVDMS-SDT is involved in the process of ˙O2− even at low levels of oxygenation, showing its greater superiority for the treatment of tumors under a hypoxic environment.

Nobel metal catalysts with high-index facets feature a high density of steps and kink sites, which bring about high activity but could be unstable during the electrocatalytic process. Doping with interstitial hydrogen atoms is a unique and effective way to regulate the electronic structure of the host materials. The formation of hydride also helps to stabilize the active sites on the surface of catalysts. Herein, we demonstrate the conformal doping of H atoms into the Pd nanostructure with preferential exposure of {730} facets, forming concave nanocubes of palladium hydride. Compared to the palladium counterparts, the palladium hydride catalysts show enhanced activity and stability in electrocatalytic methanol oxidation, and the structural differences between the Pd and PdH catalysts are revealed by XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our work presents a powerful strategy for designing durable catalysts with high performance by combining high-index facet with interstitial atom doping.

DREBs are transcription factors that regulate abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Previously, we reported that wheat transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1 showed increased tolerance to drought and salt stress. However, the molecular basis of increased tolerance is still poorly understood, and whether the overexpression of DREB will cause unexpected effects is also of concern. We performed seed metabolic profiling of the genetically modified (GM) wheat T349 and three non-GM cultivars with LC-MS to identify the metabolic basis of stress tolerance and to assess the unexpected effects of exogenous gene insertion. Although we did not note the appearance of novel metabolites or the disappearance of existing metabolites, overexpression of the transcription factor GmDREB1 in T349 wheat influenced metabolite levels in seeds. Increased levels of stress tolerance-associated metabolites were found in the stress-sensitive non-transgenic acceptor counterpart J19, while metabolites associated with cell membrane structure and stability accumulated in T349. Among these metabolites in T349, most showed levels similar to those in the non-GM wheats. Overexpression of GmDREB1 in T349 may cause a shift in its metabolic profile leading to down-regulation of several energy-consuming processes to favor increased yield under stress conditions, which is a reasonable expectation of breeders while creating the GM wheat and GmDREB1 overexpression did not cause unexpected effects in T349 seeds. These results may be helpful for GM crop research and risk assessment.

A two-step hydrothermal method was used to synthesize Ag3PO4/MFe2O4 (M = Zn, Ni, Co) composites, which were characterized in detail and employed as the visible light-response catalysts in the removal of different organic pollutants such as methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), tetracycline (TC), and levofloxacin (LVF). Compared with Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 and Ag3PO4/NiFe2O4, Ag3PO4/CoFe2O4 showed a higher photocatalytic performance because of its larger BET surface area and higher separation rate of charge carriers. After exposure to visible light for 40 min, the efficiency of MO degradation by optimized Ag3PO4/CoFe2O4 reached 94.8%, and the degradation efficiency of MB, TC, and LVF was 99.0%, 80.5%, and 75.5% after 60 min, respectively. Only MO was selected as the target contaminant, the visible light-driven catalytic activity of Ag3PO4/CoFe2O4 was slightly higher than that of pure Ag3PO4. The magnetic Ag3PO4/CoFe2O4 can be easily recovered and its recyclability was superior to bare Ag3PO4. Due to the narrow bandgap of MFe2O4 (M = Zn, Ni, Co), the photoexcited holes and electrons cannot transfer to the surface of MFe2O4 and participate in photocatalytic reaction, thus the reactive species generated in Ag3PO4/MFe2O4 suspension were derived only from irradiated Ag3PO4. This study provided a new insight into the photocatalytic mechanism of Ag3PO4/MFe2O4 (M = Zn, Ni, Co).

Electrochemical H2O2 production via two-electron (2e–) oxygen reduction is a green onsite alternative to the current anthraquinone process. However, searching for cost-effective, metal-free electro...

Metal-nitrogen-carbon materials are promising catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to CO. Herein, by taking the unique hierarchical carbon nanocages as the support, an advanced nickel-nitrogen-carbon single-site catalyst is conveniently prepared by pyrolyzing the mixture of NiCl2 and phenanthroline, which exhibits a Faradaic efficiency plateau of > 87% in a wide potential window of −0.6–−1.0 V. Further S-doping by adding KSCN into the precursor much enhances the CO specific current density by 68%, up to 37.5 A·g−1 at −0.8 V, along with an improved CO Faradaic efficiency plateau of > 90%. Such an enhancement can be ascribed to the facilitated CO pathway and suppressed hydrogen evolution from thermodynamic viewpoint as well as the increased electroactive surface area and improved charge transfer fromkinetic viewpoint due to the S-doping. This study demonstrates a simple and effective approach to advanced electrocatalysts by synergetic modification of the porous carbon-based support and electronic structure of the active sites.

Liquid metal forms a thin layer of oxide skin via exposure to oxygen and this layer could be exfoliated by mechanical delamination or gas-injection/solvent-dispersion. Although the room-temperature fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) oxide through gas-injection and water-dispersion has been successfully demonstrated, a synthetic protocol in nonaqueous solvent at elevated temperature still remains as a challenge. Herein we report the mass-production of amorphous 2D SnOx nanoflakes with Bi decoration from liquid Sn-Bi alloy and selected nonaqueous solvents. The functional groups of the solvents play a key role in determining the final morphology of the product and the hydroxyl-rich solvents exhibit the best control toward 2D SnOx. The different solvent-oxide interaction that facilitates this phase-transfer process is further discussed on the basis of DFT calculation. Finally, the as-obtained 2D SnOx is evaluated in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with high faradaic efficiency (>90%) of formic acid and stable performance over 10 h.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) represents a noninvasive therapeutic method via the activation of certain chemical sensitizers using low intensity ultrasound to generate various reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this work, we conducted systematic experiments to evaluate the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) mediated SDT (DVDMS-SDT). We found that the fluorescence intensities of H2O2 specific probe BES-H2O2 and Amplex Red increased significantly exposure to DVDMS-SDT while decreased with the introduction of catalase (H2O2 scavenger), indicating the production of H2O2. And the fluorescence intensity of H2O2 susceptible probes were positively correlated with DVDMS concentration, ultrasound intensity and irradiation time. Under the same molarity concentration, DVDMS has advantages over proto-porphyrin IX (PpIX) and hemoporrin monomethyl ether (HMME) in H2O2 production, indicating that the yield of H2O2 depends on the properties of sensitizer. More importantly, DVDMS-SDT is involved in the process of H2O2 even in the oxygen-free condition, showing its greater superiority for the treatment of tumor under hypoxia environment.

To characterize the formation mechanism and characteristics of two cointegrate plasmids in Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis strain S13, plasmids from strain S13 and three corresponding transconjugants were subjected to whole genome sequencing and analyzed using bioinformatics tools. The traits of two fusion plasmids in transconjugants were characterized by stability and conjugation experiments. Sequence analysis indicated that strain S13 contained four plasmids, including mcr-1-bearing pS13-1, blaCTX–M–55-carrying pS13-2, tet(M)-bearing pS13-3, and floR-carrying pS13-4. IncN1-F33:A–:B– plasmid pS13-2, respectively, fused with IncFI:A–:B– plasmid pS13-3 and IncX1 plasmid pS13-4, which generated two cointegrate plasmids, designated pS13D and pS13F, which involved in two intermolecular replicative mechanisms mediated by IS26 and the novel transposon Tn6952 (ΔTnAS3-IS26-ΔISEcp1-ramA-ΔIS26-ΔTnAS1), respectively. This is the first report of the fusion of the IncN1-F33:A–:B– plasmid and IncFI:A–:B– plasmid mediated by IS26, and with IncX1 plasmid mediated by Tn6952. The formation and evolution of cointegrate plasmids could expand the resistance and host spectrum of fusion plasmids.

Objectives To characterize the complete sequences of four plasmids in MCR-1-producing clinical Escherichia coli strain D72, and to depict the formation mechanism and characteristics of the cointegrate plasmid derived from the pD72-mcr1 and pD72-F33 plasmids. Methods The genetic profiles of plasmids in strain D72 and its transconjugant were determined by conjugation, S1-PFGE, Southern hybridization, WGS analysis and PCR. Plasmid sequences were analysed with bioinformatic tools. The traits of the fusion plasmid were characterized by cointegration, stability and conjugation assays. Results Strain D72, belonging to ST1114, contained four plasmids, including mcr-1-carrying pD72-mcr1, blaCTX-M-55-carrying pD72-F33, blaTEM-238-bearing pD72-IncP and pD72-IncX1 carrying aph(3′)-Ia, qnrS2 and floR. A single plasmid, pD72C, in the transconjugant was found to be larger than any plasmid in the original strain D72. Sequence analysis showed that pD72C was the fusion product of pD72-mcr1 and pD72-F33, and the recombinant event involved an intermolecular replicative mechanism. Plasmid fusion occurred at a frequency of 1.75 × 10−4 cointegrates per transconjugant. The fusion plasmid presented a high stability and conjugation frequency of 8.00 × 10−3. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of the IS26-mediated fusion of an IncN1-F33:A−:B− plasmid and an mcr-1-carrying phage-like plasmid, providing evidence for the important role of IS26 in the recombination of plasmids. The biological advantages of the fusion plasmid indicated that the fusion event presumably plays a potential role in the dissemination of mcr-1.

Magnetically separable Cu/CuFe2O4 composite obtained by a solvothermal method was used to active persulfate (PS) for the removal of tetracycline (TC). Under different pH conditions, Cu/CuFe2O4 catalyst exhibited a higher catalytic activity for PS activation to degrade TC than that of CuFe2O4. The effects of some key parameters including initial pH value, PS concentration, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature and coexisting ions on TC degradation were investigated in Cu/CuFe2O4/PS system. The reuse of Cu/CuFe2O4 catalyst at pH 3.50, 7.00 and 11.00 indicated that the catalyst showed a low stability due to the corrosion of metallic copper (Cu°), but bicarbonate ions could enhance the stability and recyclability of this catalyst through the suppression of copper leaching. Both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were the main reactive species in Cu/CuFe2O4/PS system. Cu° can not only work as electron donor to active PS to produce the reactive radicals but also act as an electron bridge to facilitate the fast electron transfer between PS and catalyst. The structural cuprous and ferrous ions on the surface of CuFe2O4 participated in the PS activation process through the redox reactions, as confirmed by XPS analysis. The possible degradation pathways of TC were proposed based on the identified intermediates.

Exploring inexpensive and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Herein, we report a new 3D hierarchical sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanocages (hSNCNC) as a promising bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst by an in-situ MgO template method with pyridine and thiophene as the mixed precursor. The as-prepared hSNCNC exhibits a positive half-wave potential of 0.792 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) for ORR, and a low operating potential of 1.640 V at a 10 mA cm−2 current density for OER. The reversible oxygen electrode index is 0.847 V, far superior to commercial Pt/C and IrO2, which reaches the top level of the reported bifunctional catalysts. Consequently, the hSNCNC as air cathodes in an assembled Zn-air battery features low charge/discharge overpotential and long lifetime. The remarkable properties arises from the introduced multiple heteroatom dopants and stable 3D hierarchical structure with multi-scale pores, which provides the abundant uniform high-active S and N species and efficient charge transfer as well as mass transportation. These results demonstrate the potential strategy in developing suitable carbon-based bi-/multi-functional catalysts to enable the next generation of the rechargeable metal-air batteries.

Ustiloxin A is a cyclopeptide mycotoxin originally isolated from rice false smut balls (FSBs) that formed in rice spikelets infected by the fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens. Studies have shown that ustiloxin A was toxic to animals, but the toxicological evidence is still lacking. To reveal the negative influence of ustiloxin A on model organism, zebrafish were selected and exposed to ustiloxin A at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 2.5 or 25 μM from 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 144 hpf. The hatching rates of embryos in the 25 μM exposure group was 12.85% less than the control group at 96 hpf. Meanwhile, exposure to 0.25, 2.5 or 25 μM ustiloxin A resulted in a distinct dose-dependent increase in mortality rate of embryos at 96 hpf. We also found that exposed to ustiloxin A could cause some other damages on zebrafish larvae, such as growth delay and increased heart rate. In addition, the athletic behavior of zebrafish larvae exposed to ustiloxin A at 25 μM was dramatically different with that of control. Transcriptome sequencing showed that abundances of 339 transcripts (125 up-regulated and 214 down-regulated) were significantly altered in larvae exposed to 25 μM of ustiloxin A. Several of the crucial genes were validated by RT-qPCR. This is the first report on the toxicologic study of ustiloxins against model organism zebrafish. Results suggested that ustiloxins have become a potential danger for food security.

The risk factors promoting acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) accelerates the development of renal fibrosis after AKI.Hhcy aggravated ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI and the subsequent development of renal fibrotic lesions characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Mechanistically, the RNA binding protein human antigen R (HuR) bound to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) messenger RNA (mRNA). Homocysteine (Hcy) downregulated HuR expression, reduced the binding of HuR to the 3'-UTR of HO-1, and thereafter decreased HO-1 expression. Administration of the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin-IX significantly hindered Hhcy-augmented reactive oxygen species production and renal fibrotic lesions. Innovation and Conclusion: These data indicate that Hhcy might be a novel risk factor that promotes AKI to CKD progression. Lowering Hcy level or HO-1 induction might be a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the outcome of AKI.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) is an intensively studied anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity, but it is still confronted by severe challenges of unsatisfactory rate capability and cycle life. Herein, few-layer MoS2 nanosheets, vertically grown on hierarchical carbon nanocages (hCNC) by a facile hydrothermal method, introduce pseudocapacitive lithium storage owing to the highly exposed MoS2 basal planes, enhanced conductivity, and facilitated electrolyte access arising from good hybridization with hCNC. Thus, the optimized MoS2 /hCNC exhibits reversible capacities of 1670 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 50 cycles, 621 mAh g-1 at 5.0 A g-1 after 500 cycles, and 196 mAh g-1 at 50 A g-1 after 2500 cycles, which are among the best for MoS2 -based anode materials. The specific power and specific energy, which can reach 16.1 kW kg electrode - 1 and 252.8 Wh kg electrode - 1 after 3000 cycles, respectively, indicate great potential in high-power and long-life LIBs. These findings suggest a promising strategy for exploring advanced anode materials with high reversible capacity, high-rate capability, and long-term recyclability.

Heteroatom-doped nanocarbons are beneficial for the performance improvement of lithium-sulfur batteries, and the reason is usually attributed to their strong adsorption to the soluble polysulfides. Herein, we found that, despite the weak polysulfide adsorption on hierarchical S-doped carbon nanocages (hSCNCs), the hSCNC-encapsulated sulfur cathode still exhibited better performance than the counterpart using undoped carbon nanocages, showing a high capacity of 579 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 400 cycles, and a high areal capacity of 4.7 mA h cm-2 with a high sulfur loading of 4.5 mg cm-2. The electrocatalysis-promoted mechanism of S-doped carbon was demonstrated, which facilitated polysulfide conversion and suppressed the polarization effect, thereby leading to superior performance.

Surface runoff is one of the predominant routes for agricultural nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses, yet their characteristics and corresponding control measures are not fully understood. In 2019 and 2020, field-scale plot experiments were performed at Dongjiang Basin in South China to investigate the characteristics of N and P runoff losses from paddy and maize cropping systems. The results showed that N and P losses from maize fields via surface runoff (27.85 and 1.24 kg ha−1 year−1) were significantly higher than those from paddy fields (15.37 and 0.8 kg ha−1 year−1). The main forms of N losses were nitrate (NO3--N) and ammonium (NH4+-N) in paddy and maize fields, respectively, whereas particulate P form predominated in surface runoff losses from both the paddy and maize fields. Considerable proportions of agricultural N and P (71–83% of the total runoff loss) were lost during basal fertilization and first topdressing application. Moreover, frequent rainfall events following fertilizer application triggered N and P losses from the monitored fields. About 26.22 and 37.48% of N fertilizer was recovered from grains and straw of paddy and maize, respectively, whereas only 12.35 and 19.51% of P fertilizer were recovered during the crop harvesting stage. Surface runoff was one of the dominant liquid pathways in N loss, whereas most of P loss (introduced from fertilizers without crops utilization) was fixed in the soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) proved that the primary sources of N and P losses were fertilizers rather than N and P in the soil. The current results suggest controlled management relating to fertilization, irrigation, and tillage strategies are effective measures for reducing N and P losses, thereby controlling agricultural non-point source pollution. It is hoped that this study will provide comprehensive field-based inputs on characteristics of N and P runoff losses and formulate appropriate control strategies to protect aquatic environments from eutrophication., Graphical Abstract The experimental location and setup details.

Background: Progressive tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is the final common pathway leading to ESRD. There is an urgent need to develop effective approaches slowing the progression of TIF. Previous studies showed that systemic supplementation of nicotinamide (NAM) increases renal NAD+ and reverses ischemic-reperfusion induced acute renal injury. However, the role and mechanism of NAM in TIF has been unclear. Methods: In vivo, we injected NAM (0.25 mg/g) 3 days before unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) till day 7 post-operation. In vitro, mouse primary proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTCs), rat renal NRK-49F cells, and human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell (HK-2) were pretreated with the indicated concentration of NAM 1 h before incubation with transform growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) or aristolochic acid (AA) for 24 or 48 h. To evaluate the role of sirtuins (SIRTs), PTCs were pretreated with EX527 or resveratrol 30 min before incubation with NAM and TGF-β1. Results: In the present study, we demonstrated that NAM supplementation prevented UUO-induced TIF, and AA-induced renal injury. NAM also decreased the expression of pro-fibrotic proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and attenuated interstitial inflammation. In vitro experiment showed that, NAM inhibited AA-induced G2/M arrest of HK-2 cells by downregulating the expression of cyclin G1, a target gene of p53. In addition, NAM inhibited TGF-β1-induced fibroblast proliferation and activation shown as downregulated expression of collagen I, fibronectin, PCNA, cyclin D1, IL-6, and TNF-α. NAM decreased the acetylation of Smad3 and p53. EX527, an inhibitor of SIRT1, reversed the effect of NAM on TGF-β1-induced matrix protein production. However, resveratrol, a SIRT1 activator, did not further boost the protective effect of NAM on reducing matrix protein production. Conclusions: Taken together, these data indicate that NAM supplementation could inhibit TIF at least partially by boosting the activity of sirtuins.

The cellular response to DNA damage is crucial for maintaining the integrity and stability of molecular structure. To maintain genome stability, DNA-damaged cells should be arrested so that mutations can be repaired before replication. Although several key components required for this arrest have been discovered, the majority of the pathways are still unclear. Through a number of assays, including cell viability, colony formation, and apotheosis assay, we found that AKR1B10 protected cells from UVC-induced DNA damage. Surprisingly, UVC-induced γH2AX foci and DNA double-strand breaks in the AKR1B10-overexpressing cells were ∼4-5 folds lower than those in the control group. The expression levels of AKR1B10, p53, chk1, chk2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and p65 showed dynamic changes in response to UVC irradiation. Our results suggested that AKR1B10 is involved in the pathway of cell cycle checkpoint and NF-κB in DNA damage. Taken together, our results suggest that AKR1B10 is involved in the repair of the DNA double-strand break, which provides a new insight into the role of AKR1B10 in DNA damage repair and indicates a new trail in tumorigenesis and cancer drug resistance.

As an important receptor-like kinase subfamily in plants, receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs), such as Oryza sativa L. (Os) RLCK241, are critical in the response to abiotic stress conditions. However, the involvement of OsRLCK241 in the abscisic acid (ABA) signal response remains unknown. In this study, we found that OsRLCK241 participates in the ABA response in rice. The results showed that OsRLCK241 transcription was notably induced by ABA in the rice shoot and root in time- and dose-dependent manners. Additionally, β-glucuronidase staining and analysis of subcellular localization demonstrated that OsRLCK241 directly responded to both ABA and salt treatments. Moreover, phenotypic and physiological analyses showed that OsRLCK241 overexpression decreased ABA sensitivity and ABA content relative to the wild-type variant (Kitaake) under salt stress, and OsRLCK241 loss-of-function variants consistently displayed the opposite ABA-sensitivity phenotype and effects on ABA content. Furthermore, OsRLCK241 overexpression or loss of function modified stomatal patterning under salt stress. Quantitative real-time PCR indicated that the expression of most ABA synthesis-related marker genes, as well as that of genes involved in ABA signal transduction, was altered in both OsRLCK241-overexpressing rice lines and loss-of-function mutants under salt stress. These results suggest that OsRLCK241 is an important regulator of ABA synthesis and response in rice and expand the understanding of plant RLCKs.

The commercial catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are highly dependent on the scarce and expensive Pt to achieve high activity and reasonable durability, especially for the fuel cells used in automobiles. Ag alloys have been proposed as promising candidates for non-Pt ORR catalysts in alkaline media, with reasonably high activity at significantly lower cost. Herein we demonstrate the synthesis of Ag/Co/C hybrid electrocatalyst for ORR via radiative flash Joule heating. Unlike the previously reported solid-solution structure of the quenched immiscible alloys by flash Joule heating, the large immiscibility gap in the liquid state of the Ag-Co alloy prevents the formation of solid solution. The hybrid catalyst exhibits a specific activity 40 times and a mass activity 52 times higher than that of the pristine Ag/C at 0.8 V vs. RHE in alkaline media, and its tolerance to methanol and ethanol is superior to that of commercial Pt/C. The enhanced activity and good stability are attributed to the enhanced oxygen adsorption energy on silver due to the strong interaction between silver and cobalt.

The degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in spiked soil was studied to investigate persulfate (PS) activation by the environment-friendly heterogeneous material greigite for removing organic pollutants from soil. The effects of the PS and greigite doses were investigated, and the BPA degradation rate in the lateritic red soil was lower than that in kaolin. Notably, 500 mg/kg of BPA could be effectively removed by the flower-like greigite (FLG)/PS system in 30 min. The difference in BPA degradation in kaolin and the lateritic red soil was negligible, thus indicating that the contents of components such as total organic matters in the lateritic red soil did not affect the BPA degradation rate of the FLG/PS system considerably. Furthermore, the distribution processes of BPA in the soil and liquid phase were also investigated in detail. The results showed that the water contents were a key factor in the distribution and degradation of BPA. The transfer of BPA from kaolin to the liquid phase was simpler than that from the lateritic red soil to the liquid phase. BPA might be transferred to the liquid phase first and then degraded by the FLG/PS system in that phase. Regarding BPA degradation in the lateritic red soil, BPA was degraded in the soil and liquid phases at the same time. This study proposed a pathway for BPA degradation in soil slurries by heterogeneous material/PS systems for first time, providing a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanism of organic pollutants in soil and new methods for soil remediation.

Key message We found GmNAC06 plays an important role in salt stress responses through the phenotypic, physiological and molecular analyses of OE, VC, and Mutant composite soybean. Abstract Salinization affects 20% of all cultivated land worldwide because of the high salinity of irrigation water and the excessive use of water, and this amount is increasing daily. NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) have been found to be involved in salt stress. In this study, a soybean NAC gene, GmNAC06 (Glyma06g21020.1), was cloned and functionally characterized. The results of expression analysis suggested that salt stress could influence the expression level of GmNAC06. The subcellular localization analysis results suggested that GmNAC06 may function as a transcription factor. Under salt stress, the overexpression technology combined with CRISPR-Cas9 system found that GmNAC06 could cause the accumulation of proline and glycine betaine to alleviate or avoid the negative effects of ROS; similarly, it could control the Na+/K+ ratios in hairy roots to maintain ionic homeostasis. The fresh weight of the transgenic hairy roots and the histochemical ROS staining of wild leaves suggested that transgenic hairy roots influence the function of wild leaves under salt stress conditions. Moreover, the expression levels of GmUBC2 and GmHKT1 were higher in the GmNAC06 hairy roots than in the control. Thus, the overexpression of GmNAC06 in hairy roots notably causes an entire composite plant to exhibit salt tolerance. The phenotype of composite soybean plants and transgenic Arabidopsis plants suggest that GmNAC06 plays a role in response to salt stress and could be useful in generating salt tolerant transgenic crops.

The detection of circulating tumor DNA is important in cancer research and clinical practice. In the present study, we aimed to improve the sensitivity of downstream mutation detection of next-generation sequencing using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system to selectively target wild-type fragments but with low or no cleavage activity to mutant fragments, followed by amplification using polymerase chain reaction. We selected different mutant sites of epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR)-exon19 deletions in patients with lung cancer and constructed mixed templates of mutant and wild-type DNA comprising ratios of 10% to 0.01% to test the effectiveness of the enrichment method. The results showed that after CRISPR/Cas9 enrichment, a low concentration of mutant DNA fragments (0.01%) could be detected by Sanger sequencing, which represented a 1000-fold increase compared with the untreated samples. We further verified the feasibility of the introduced method and obtained similar results in clinical samples from patients with non-small cell lung cancer, indicating that this method has the potential to detect low copy number mutations at the early stage.

It has been found that >90% of oral cancer patients suffer from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The 5-year survival rate of SCC is ~50%, despite the availability of different treatments. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has been developed as a novel therapy for cancer, resisting bacterial infection and inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque progression. The present study investigated the efficacy of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME)-mediated SDT on the A-253 epidermoid cancer cell line. The cytotoxicity of HMME and the survival rate of cells following SDT were examined by the MTT assay. Apoptosis and necrosis of cells were detected using flow cytometry with Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining, and fluorescence microscopy with Hoechst 33258 and PI staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ levels were measured using a fluorescence microscope based on 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate and fluo-3/acetoxymethylester, respectively. Results of the MTT assay demonstrated that a lower concentration (

The widespread detection of 17β-estradiol (E2) in the environment has become an emerging concern worldwide due to its endocrine disrupting effects. This work focuses on the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradations of E2 in various sedimentary environments with different availabilities of electron acceptors, including O2, NO3−, Fe3+, SO42−, or HCO3−. The highest removal efficiency (98.9%) and shortest degradation half-life of E2 (t1/2 = 5.0 d) were achieved under aerobic condition, followed by nitrate-reducing, ferric-reducing, sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. We propose four different degradation pathways of E2 based on the metabolites identified under various redox conditions. Although most of E2 was effectively removed under aerobic condition, the potential environmental risk still needs to be considered due to the residual estrogenic activity induced by estrone (E1) formation. The endocrine-disrupting activities, as indicated by estradiol equivalent (EEQ) values, were related to E2 degradation rate and metabolite formation. We further analyzed the succession of bacterial community compositions and functions using Illumina HiSeq sequencing and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). The findings herein evidenced that bacterial community compositions and metabolic functions associated with different redox conditions impact the biodegradation of E2 and its endocrine-disrupting activity. This knowledge will be useful in predicting the environmental fates of estrogenic hormones in various sedimentary environments and aid in establishing appropriate strategies for eliminating potential environmental risks.

The conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals has captured extensive attention for its significance in energy storage and greenhouse gas alleviation, but the development of cost-effective electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity remains the bottleneck. Herein, we designed a Fe–N–C nanofiber catalyst featuring a core–shell structure consisting of iron nitride nanoparticles encapsulated within Fe and N codoped carbon layers that can efficiently catalyze CO2 to CO with nearly 100% selectivity, high faradic efficiency (∼95%), and remarkable durability at −0.53 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of an iron nitride core can facilitate the CO intermediate desorption from the Fe and N codoped shell, thus enhancing the catalytic performance of CO2 reduction. This work presents an ideal approach to rationally design and develop transition-metal and N codoped carbon materials for efficient CO2 reduction.

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are promising electrode materials for advanced electrochemical energy storage (EES) due to their high theoretical capacities, but they usually exhibit quite poor practical performance. There is a pressing need to boost their EES performance by electrode engineering directed with a well-defined structure–performance relationship. Herein, we report an efficient approach to improve the specific capacitance and high-rate capability of spinel nickel cobaltite by constructing three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous mesostructures. The optimal Ni1.4Co1.6O4 mesostructures assembled from ultrathin nanosheets exhibit high capacitance (2282 F g–1 at 1 A g–1), excellent high-rate capability (1234 F g–1 at 50 A g–1) and good cycling performance, which are significantly superior to the Co3O4 mesostructure counterparts, Ni1.4Co1.6O4 mesostructures assembled from nanowires, and randomly packed Ni1.4Co1.6O4 nanosheets. The excellent performance is attributed to the stable hierarchical por...

Obtaining a high-performance nonprecious electrocatalyst for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) under mild conditions is highly desirable yet challenging. Transition metal nitrides are emerging as cost-effective substitutes for state-of-the-art noble metal based catalysts, but large OER overpotentials plague these nitrides. Herein, we developed the heterostructure of CoO-domain-anchored Co4N nanowhiskers as an effective bifunctional electrocatalyst for both OER and HER in neutral media. The exterior CoO targets OER, and the CO4N matrix is active for HER. The periodically-aligned {111} crystalline planes between Co4N and CoO provide good electron transport through their interface. The heterostructure performs dual functions of elevating activity and diminishing interior resistance of the catalyst. Moreover, the porous metallic Co4N nanowhiskers were integrated on a nickel foam, and this configuration contributes an arterial channel for collecting current as well as a spacious surface area for increasing the reaction cross section for heterocatalysis. These advantages actuate our bifunctional 3D catalytic electrode to achieve low OER and HER overpotentials in neutral systems. It finally provides an unprecedentedly low cell voltage (1.79 V for 10 mA cm−2) for catalyzing overall water splitting in neutral media.

Developing highly efficient anodic catalyst is important, yet still challenging. Here, hybrid catalyst of Pd with multi-metallic oxides (Pd/MMO) was synthesized in one step on commercial carbon black with one-second high-temperature shock through Joule heating. Thanks to the promoting effect of multi-metallic oxides, the mass activity was enhanced by a factor of 1.8 over pristine Pd. The improvement was caused by the synergistic effect of multi-metallic oxides as its activity also surpassed that of hybrid catalysts of Pd with unary oxides. The superior performance of Pd/MMO was well maintained after a two-hour durability test, which showed the best anti-poisoning capability among all the catalysts evaluated. It demonstrated Joule-heating as a simple, fast, and powerful tool for synthesizing hybrid catalysts with excellent performance.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries hold great promise for the applications of high energy density storage. However, the performances of Li–S batteries are restricted by the low electrical conductivity of sulfur and shuttle effect of intermediate polysulfides. Moreover, the areal loading weights of sulfur in previous studies are usually low (around 1–3 mg cm–2) and thus cannot fulfill the requirement for practical deployment. Herein, we report that porous-shell vanadium nitride nanobubbles (VN-NBs) can serve as an efficient sulfur host in Li–S batteries, exhibiting remarkable electrochemical performances even with ultrahigh areal sulfur loading weights (5.4–6.8 mg cm–2). The large inner space of VN-NBs can afford a high sulfur content and accommodate the volume expansion, and the high electrical conductivity of VN-NBs ensures the effective utilization and fast redox kinetics of polysulfides. Moreover, VN-NBs present strong chemical affinity/adsorption with polysulfides and thus can efficiently suppress the sh...

This study demonstrates a pH-responsive antibacterial film based on polyvinyl alcohol/poly (acrylic acid) incorporated with aminoethyl-phloretin (PVA/PAA-AEP) for intelligent food packaging. The thermal, mechanical, barrier and light transmittance properties of PVA/PAA are enhanced by PAA presence of ≤6%. The interactions between PVA and PAA were hydrogen and ester bonds. The pH-responsive characteristic is dependent on the protonation/deprotonation tendency of the carboxylic groups on PAA in acidic/alkaline environment. The PVA/PAA3 is selected for the incorporation of AEP and its pH-responsive swelling follows Ritger-Peppas and Schott second-order models. The AEP is hydrogen bonded with the matrix of PVA/PAA3 and the release of AEP is pH-responsive and a rate-limiting step following the First-order model. With pH decrease, the predominant release control was gradually changing from polymer relaxation to Fick diffusion. The PVA/PAA3-AEP films demonstrate AEP content dependent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficiency against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus is significantly better than Escherichia coli. The target film PVA/PAA3-AEP3 can effectively prolong the shelf-life of pork (TVB-N 25 mg/100 g) by 4 days at 25 °C, suggesting its great potential in intelligent food packaging.

Zeolite has a high adsorption capacity for heavy metals, but it is difficult to separate from the medium because of its small particle size. In this study, magnetic zeolite was synthesized from natural, low-grade molybdenum ore by adding nano ferroferric oxide (saturation magnetization 83.43 emu/g) directly in the hydrothermal synthesis process, which was used to adsorb cadmium from wastewater. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the nano ferroferric oxide was adhered to the surface of the zeolite to make it magnetic. The vibrating sample magnetometer showed that the larger the amount of nano ferroferric oxide added, the higher the saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite with a loading proportion of 25% was 18.18 emu/g with a specific surface area of 459.8 m2/g. The adsorption experiments showed that when the pH value is greater than 4, the adsorption capacity of magnetic zeolite is high and stable, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity is 204.2 mg Cd/g. Na+ and Ca2+ have different inhibitory functions on the adsorption capacity. The mapping graphs showed that cadmium is captured by the magnetic zeolite after contact with cadmium, and XRD confirmed the presence of cadmium oxide in the magnetic zeolite after adsorption, XPS and EDS results indicated that ion exchange is one of the main mechanisms of cadmium adsorption by magnetic zeolites, and electrostatic adsorption may also have a contribution.

Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway of all varieties of progressive chronic kidney disease. However, there are no effective therapies to prevent or slow the progression of renal fibrosis. Niclosamide is a US Food and Drug Administration–approved oral antihelminthic drug used for treating most tapeworm infections. Here, we demonstrated that phosphate niclosamide, the water-soluble form of niclosamide, significantly reduced proteinuria, glomerulosclrotic lesions, and interstitial fibrosis in a murine model of adriamycin nephropathy. In addition, phosphate niclosamide significantly ameliorated established renal interstitial fibrosis a murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction. Mechanistically, phosphate niclosamide directly inhibited TGF-β-induced expression of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) by interfering with the binding of Smad3 to the promoter of the HIPK2 gene, and subsequently mitigated the activation of its downstream signaling pathways including Smad, Notch, NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin pathway both in vitro and in vivo . Thus, phosphate niclosamide mitigates renal fibrosis at least partially by inhibiting HIPK2 expression. Hence, phosphate niclosamide might be a potential therapeutic agent for renal fibrosis.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been linked to several clinical manifestations including chronic kidney disease. However, it is not known whether HHcy has a role in the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). In the present study, we reported that HHcy mice developed more severe renal injury after cisplatin injection and ischemia-reperfusion injury shown as more severe renal tubular damage and higher serum creatinine. In response to cisplatin, HHcy mice showed more prevalent tubular cell apoptosis and decreased tubular cell proliferation. Mechanistically, a heightened ER stress and a reduced Akt activity were observed in kidney tissues of HHcy mice after cisplatin injection. Stimulating cultured NRK-52E cells with Hcy significantly increased the fraction of cells in G2/M phase and cell apoptosis together with decreased Akt kinase activity. Akt agonist IGF-1 rescued HHcy-induced cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that HHcy increases the sensitivity and severity of AKI.

Nitrogen-enriched porous carbon spheres are synthesized through a one-pot carbonization process by decorating the as-made melamine–formaldehyde spheres with resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine, exhibiting high surface areas of 518–828 m2 g−1 with a micropore size of 0.5–1.3 nm. Due to the successful incorporation of large amounts of highly dispersed N (4.3–10.8 wt%) into the carbon matrix, the synthesized microporous carbon spheres, having a large amount of narrow micropores (

Currently, iron nitride (Fe2N) and iron carbide (Fe3C), which are regarded as the new non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with high activity and stability in acidic medium, are attracting increasing attention. Herein, by systematic comparison of the ORR activities for Fe2N- and Fe3C-based catalysts designed with or without a solid nitrogen source, we found that only the former is highly active for ORR while the latter is quite poorly active despite their similar crystalline phases. This result indicates that the Fe–N related species are responsible for the high ORR activities of the Fe-based catalysts, similar to the case of Fe/N/C catalysts. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the Fe–N4/C moiety has a far superior ORR activity to that of Fe2N and Fe3C. The experimental and theoretical results mutually support that the high activities of the Fe-based catalysts originate from Fe–Nx/C moieties (x ≥ 4) rather than Fe2N or Fe3C phases, which is significant for exploring advanced Fe-based electrocatalysts.

Persistent high-risk HPV infection is the main factor for cervical cancer. HPV E7 oncogene plays an important role in HPV carcinogenesis. Down-regulation of E7 oncogene expression could induce growth inhibition in HPV-positive cells and thus treats HPV related cervical cancer. Here we developed a non-virus gene vector based on poly(amide-amine)-poly(β-amino ester) hyperbranched copolymer (hPPC) for the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 system to specifically cleave HPV E7 oncogene in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells. The diameter of polyplex nanoparticles (NPs) formed by hPPCs/linear poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) and plasmids were approximately 300 nm. These hPPCs/PBAE-green fluorescence protein plasmids polyplex NPs showed high transfection efficiency and low toxicity in cells and mouse organs. By cleaving HPV16 E7 oncogene, reducing the expression of HPV16 E7 protein and increasing intracellular retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) amount, hPPCs/PBAE-CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutic plasmids polyplex NPs, especially highly branched hPPC1-plasmids polyplex NPs, exhibited strong growth inhibition of cervical cancer cells in vitro and xenograft tumors in nude mice. Together, the hPPCs/PBAE polyplex NPs to deliver HPV16 E7 targeted CRISPR/Cas9 system in this study could potentially be applied to treat HPV-related cervical cancer.