High-density lipoprotein mimetic nano-therapeutics targeting monocytes and macrophages for improved cardiovascular care: a comprehensive review

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases continues to be a challenge for global health, necessitating innovative solutions. The potential of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) mimetic nanotherapeutics in the context of cardiovascular disease and the intricate mechanisms underlying the interactions between monocyte-derived cells and HDL mimetic showing their impact on inflammation, cellular lipid metabolism, and the progression of atherosclerotic plaque. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that HDL mimetic nanotherapeutics can regulate monocyte recruitment and macrophage polarization towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype, suggesting their potential to impede the progression of atherosclerosis. The challenges and opportunities associated with the clinical application of HDL mimetic nanotherapeutics, emphasize the need for additional research to gain a better understanding of the precise molecular pathways and long-term effects of these nanotherapeutics on monocytes and macrophages to maximize their therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the use of nanotechnology in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases highlights the potential of nanoparticles for targeted treatments. Moreover, the concept of theranostics combines therapy and diagnosis to create a selective platform for the conversion of traditional therapeutic medications into specialized and customized treatments. The multifaceted contributions of HDL to cardiovascular and metabolic health via highlight its potential to improve plaque stability and avert atherosclerosis-related problems. There is a need for further research to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of HDL mimetic nanotherapeutics and to develop targeted treatment approaches to prevent atherosclerosis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the potential of nanotherapeutics in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by cardiovascular diseases.

Enhanced Low-Temperature Resistance of Lithium-Metal Rechargeable Batteries Based on Electrolyte Including Ethyl Acetate and LiDFOB Additives

To meet the demand for higher energy density in lithium-ion batteries and expand their application range, coupling lithium metal anodes with high-voltage cathodes is an ideal solution. However, the compatibility between lithium metal batteries and electrolytes affects their applicability. In this study, proposes a locally concentrated electrolyte based on ethyl acetate (EA) as the solvent, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as the lithium salt, and lithium difluorooxoborate (LiDFOB) as a sacrificial agent to enhance the low-temperature and high-voltage endurance of Li//Lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) batteries. The Li//LCO battery can operate within the voltage range of 3 to 4.5 V, with an initial discharge specific capacity of 174.5 mAh g-1 at 20 °C. At -40 °C, after 200 cycles, the capacity retention rate is 87.7 %. It can operate under extreme conditions of -70 °C, with a discharge specific capacity of 112.6 mAh g-1. Additionally, LCO//HC batteries using this electrolyte demonstrate excellent performance. Present work provides a new perspective for the optimization of electrolytes for low-temperature lithium-ion batteries.

On-Demand Activatable and Integrated Bioorthogonal Nanocatalyst against Biofilm-Associated Infections

Bioorthogonal chemistry has emerged as a powerful tool for manipulating biological processes. However, difficulties in controlling the exact location and on-demand catalytic synthesis limit its application in biological systems. Herein, this work constructs an activatable bioorthogonal system integrating a shielded catalyst and prodrug molecules to combat biofilm-associated infections. The catalytic species is activated in response to the hyaluronidase (HAase) secreted by the bacteria and the acidic pH of the biofilm, which is accompanied by the release of prodrugs, to achieve the bioorthogonal catalytic synthesis of antibacterial molecules in situ. Moreover, the system can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) to disperse bacterial biofilms, enabling the antibacterial molecules to penetrate the biofilm and eliminate the bacteria within it. This study promotes the design of efficient and safe bioorthogonal catalysts and the development of bioorthogonal chemistry-mediated antibacterial strategies.

Photo-electrochemical activation of persulfate for the simultaneous degradation of microplastics and personal care products

The recent widespread use of microplastics (MPs), especially in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), has caused significant water pollution. This study presents a UV/electrically co-facilitated activated persulfate (PS) system to co-degrade a typical microplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and an organic sunscreen p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). We investigated the effect of various reaction conditions on the degradation. PVC and PABA degradation was 37% and 99.22%, respectively. Furthermore, we observed alterations in the surface topography and chemical characteristics of PVC throughout degradation. The possible degradation pathways of PVC and PABA were proposed by analyzing the intermediate products and the free radicals generated. This study reveals the co-promoting effect of multiple mechanisms in the activation by ultraviolet light and electricity.

Osthole exhibits the remedial potential for polycystic ovary syndrome mice through Nrf2-Foxo1-GSH-NF-κB pathway

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the primary cause of female infertility with a lack of universal therapeutic regimen. Although osthole exhibits numerous pharmacological activities in treating various diseases, its therapeutic effect on PCOS is undiscovered. The present study found that application of osthole improved the symptoms of PCOS mice through preventing ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) production of more estrogen and alleviating the liberation of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Meanwhile, osthole enhanced ovarian antioxidant capacity and alleviated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation with a concurrent attenuation for oxidative stress, while intervention of antioxidant enzymic activity and glutathione (GSH) synthesis neutralized the salvation of osthole on GCs secretory disorder and chronic inflammation. Further analysis revealed that osthole restored the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and forkhead box O 1 (Foxo1) whose repression antagonized the amelioration of osthole on the insufficiency of antioxidant capacity and accumulation of ROS. Moreover, Nrf2 served as an intermedium to mediate the regulation of osthole on Foxo1. Additionally, osthole restricted the phosphorylation of IκBα and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) subunit p65 by DHEA and weakened the transcriptional activity of NF-κB, but this effectiveness was abrogated by the obstruction of Nrf2 and Foxo1, whereas adjunction of GSH renewed the redemptive effect of osthole on NF-κB whose activation caused an invalidation of osthole in rescuing the aberration of GCs secretory function and inflammation response. Collectively, osthole might relieve the symptoms of PCOS mice via Nrf2-Foxo1-GSH-NF-κB pathway.

Rice Origin Tracing Technology Based on Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Stoichiometry

The origin of agricultural products is crucial to their quality and safety. This study explored the differences in chemical composition and structure of rice from different origins using fluorescence detection technology. These differences are mainly affected by climate, environment, geology and other factors. By identifying the fluorescence characteristic absorption peaks of the same rice seed varieties from different origins, and comparing them with known or standard samples, this study aims to authenticate rice, protect brands, and achieve traceability. The study selected the same variety of rice seed planted in different regions of Jilin Province in the same year as samples. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to collect spectral data, which was preprocessed by normalization, smoothing, and wavelet transformation to remove noise, scattering, and burrs. The processed spectral data was used as input for the long short-term memory (LSTM) model. The study focused on the processing and analysis of rice spectra based on NZ-WT-processed data. To simplify the model, uninformative variable elimination (UVE) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used to screen the best wavelengths. These wavelengths were used as input for the support vector machine (SVM) prediction model to achieve efficient and accurate predictions. Within the fluorescence spectral range of 475-525 nm and 665-690 nm, absorption peaks of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH), riboflavin (B2), starch, and protein were observed. The origin tracing prediction model established using SVM exhibited stable performance with a classification accuracy of up to 99.5%.The experiment demonstrated that fluorescence spectroscopy technology has high discrimination accuracy in tracing the origin of rice, providing a new method for rapid identification of rice origin.

Cucurbit[8]uril-based supramolecular theranostics

Different from most of the conventional platforms with dissatisfactory theranostic capabilities, supramolecular nanotheranostic systems have unparalleled advantages via the artful combination of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. Benefiting from the tunable stimuli-responsiveness and compatible hierarchical organization, host-guest interactions have developed into the most popular mainstay for constructing supramolecular nanoplatforms. Characterized by the strong and diverse complexation property, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) shows great potential as important building blocks for supramolecular theranostic systems. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of CB[8]-based supramolecular theranostics regarding the design, manufacture and theranostic mechanism. Meanwhile, the current limitations and corresponding reasonable solutions as well as the potential future development are also discussed.

Customized Proteinaceous Nanoformulation for In Vivo Chemical Reprogramming

Sweat gland (SwG) regeneration is crucial for the functional rehabilitation of burn patients. In vivo chemical reprogramming that harnessing the patient's own cells in damaged tissue is of substantial interest to regenerate organs endogenously by pharmacological manipulation, which could compensate for tissue loss in devastating diseases and injuries, for example, burns. However, achieving in vivo chemical reprogramming is challenging due to the low reprogramming efficiency and an unfavorable tissue environment. Herein, this work has developed a functionalized proteinaceous nanoformulation delivery system containing prefabricated epidermal growth factor structure for on-demand delivery of a cocktail of seven SwG reprogramming components to the dermal site. Such a chemical reprogramming system can efficiently induce the conversion of epidermal keratinocytes into SwG myoepithelial cells, resulting in successful in situ regeneration of functional SwGs. Notably, in vivo chemical reprogramming of SwGs is achieved for the first time with an impressive efficiency of 30.6%, surpassing previously reported efficiencies. Overall, this proteinaceous nanoformulation provides a platform for coordinating the target delivery of multiple pharmacological agents and facilitating in vivo SwG reprogramming by chemicals. This advancement greatly improves the clinical accessibility of in vivo reprogramming and offers a non-surgical, non-viral, and cell-free strategy for in situ SwG regeneration.

Porous Aromatic Frameworks Enabling Polyiodide Confinement toward High Capacity and Long Lifespan Zinc-Iodine Batteries

Aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (AZIBs) are attracting increasing attention because of their high safety and abundance of resources. However, the performance of AZIBs is compromised by inadequate confinement of soluble polyiodides, the undesired shuttle effect, and slow reaction kinetics. In this study, a porous aromatic framework (PAF) with abundant benzene motifs and a well-organized pore structure is adopted as the iodine host, which exhibits high iodine adsorption capacity and robust polyiodide confinement. Both experimental characterizations and theoretical simulations indicate that the interactions between iodine species and the PAF-1 facilitate the redox reaction by coupling the electronic structures of the active species in the framework. A comparison of PAF-1, PAF-5, and PAF-11 also emphasizes the structural advantages of the high surface area and interconnected three-dimensional channels of PAF-1. Consequently, the I2@PAF-1 cathode can deliver a high capacity of 328 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C, outstanding rate performance, and a stable cycling life of 20 000 cycles (86 % retention at 10 C). The robust polyiodide confinement and superb electrochemical performance of Zn-I2@PAF-1 provide insights into the practical application of PAFs as excellent electrode materials for AZIBs.

Investigation of 200 anthropogenic activities in a representative alpine peatland in the Altay Mountains, northwestern China

Peatlands records can be used to reconstruct and understand the history of environmental evolution, as well as a more accurate reflection of human activities. The black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ideal natural archives of anthropogenic activities. To identify the information of anthropogenic activities recorded by peatlands in the middle and high latitudes of the alpine mountains in the arid and semi-arid regions of China. this study analyzed the concentrations of BC, δ13C ratios of BC, PAHs, and molecular diagnostic ratios of PHAs (including Benzo(a) anthracene (BaA), Chrysene (Chr), fluoranthene (Flt), anthracene (Ant), phenanthrene (Phe), Benzo(a) pyrene (BaP), and pyrene (Pyr) in a 30-cm peat profile from the Altay Mountain, northwestern China. Our results revealed concentrations of BC from 11.71 to 67.5 mg·g-1, and PAHs from 168.09 to 263.53 ng·g-1. The δ13CBC value ranged from - 31.37 to - 26.27‰, with an average of - 29.54‰, indicating that the BC mainly comes from biomass combustion. The ratios of BaA/(BaA + Chr), Flt/(Flt + Pyr), and Ant/(Ant + Phe) exceeded 0.35, 0.5, and 0.1, respectively, revealing that the PAHs pollutants mainly originated from the combustion of biomass and fossil fuel burning. Furthermore, based on these findings and our knowledge of social development in Altay, industrial transport and tourism have influenced the emission, transport, and deposition of BC and PAH in peatlands in the Altay mountains since the 1980s. After 1980, pollutant concentrations decreased with the implementation of environmental policies. The results not only reveal the influence of anthropogenic activities on the sedimentary characteristics of peatlands in the Altay Mountains, but also provide an important theoretical basis for the conservation of fragile mountain peatlands.

The effect and mechanism of hexokinase-2 on cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells A549

BACKGROUND

Hexokinase (HK) is the first rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, which can convert glucose to glucose-6-phosphate. There are several subtypes of HK, including HK2, which is highly expressed in a variety of different tumors and is closely associated with survival.

METHODS

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells with stable overexpression and knockdown of HK2 were obtained by lentivirus transfection. The effects of overexpression and knockdown of HK2 on proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolytic activity of A549 cells were investigated. The effects on apoptosis were also analyzed using western blot and flow cytometry. In addition, the mitochondria and cytoplasm were separated and the expression of apoptotic proteins was detected by western blot respectively.

RESULTS

Upregulation of HK2 could promote glycolysis, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which would be inhibited through the knockdown of HK2. HK2 overexpression contributed to cisplatin resistance, whereas HK2 knockdown enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis in A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of HK2 can promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistance of A549 cells by enhancing aerobic glycolysis and inhibiting apoptosis. Reducing HK2 expression or inhibiting HK2 activity can inhibit glycolysis and induce apoptosis in A549 cells, which is expected to be a potential treatment method for NSCLC.

Enhanced Mechanical Properties, Corrosion Resistance, Cytocompatibility, Osteogenesis, and Antibacterial Performance of Biodegradable Mg-2Zn-0.5Ca-0.5Sr/Zr Alloys for Bone-Implant Application

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are widely used in bone fixation and bone repair as biodegradable bone-implant materials. However, their clinical application is limited due to their fast corrosion rate and poor mechanical stability. Here, the development of Mg-2Zn-0.5Ca-0.5Sr (MZCS) and Mg-2Zn-0.5Ca-0.5Zr (MZCZ) alloys with improved mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, cytocompatibility, osteogenesis performance, and antibacterial capability is reported. The hot-extruded (HE) MZCZ sample exhibits the highest ultimate tensile strength of 255.8 ± 2.4 MPa and the highest yield strength of 208.4 ± 2.8 MPa and an elongation of 15.7 ± 0.5%. The HE MZCS sample shows the highest corrosion resistance, with the lowest corrosion current density of 0.2 ± 0.1 µA cm-2 and the lowest corrosion rate of 4 ± 2 µm per year obtained from electrochemical testing, and a degradation rate of 368 µm per year and hydrogen evolution rate of 0.83 ± 0.03 mL cm-2 per day obtained from immersion testing. The MZCZ sample shows the highest cell viability in relation to MC3T3-E1 cells among all alloy extracts, indicating good cytocompatibility except at 25% concentration. Furthermore, the MZCZ alloy shows good antibacterial capability against Staphylococcus aureus.

Efficient and Stable Multicolor Emissions of the Coumarin-Modified Cs3LnCl6 Lead-Free Perovskite Nanocrystals and LED Application

Lanthanide-based lead-free perovskite materials hold great promise for the development of high-resolution full-color displays in the future. Here, various Cs3LnCl6 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) emitting light across the visible to near-infrared spectrum with remarkably high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) are systemically prepared. Especially, by introducing multifunctional coumarin small molecules into Cs3EuCl6 NCs as an intermediate state, Cs3EuCl6 NCs can achieve an impressive PLQY of 92.4% with pure red emission and an exceptional energy transfer efficiency of nearly 93.2%. Furthermore, the lanthanide-based electroluminescent devices in red, green, and blue are successfully fabricated. Among them, the Cs3EuCl6-NC-based red light-emitting diode (LED) demonstrates a FWHM of 18 nm at 617 nm, an external quantum efficiency up to 5.17%, and a maximum brightness of 2373 cd m-2, which is the most excellent reported for lead-free narrowband (within 20 nm) emission devices. Notably, these devices exhibit an operating half-life of 440 h at a brightness level of 100 cd m-2, surpassing the performance of most reported lead-free perovskite LEDs (PLEDs). This work opens up exciting possibilities for the future commercialization of lanthanide-based PLEDs in the display industry, paving the way for more vibrant, energy-efficient, and long-lasting display technologies.

Fangchinoline inhibits growth and biofilm of Candida albicans by inducing ROS overproduction

Infections caused by Candida species, especially Candida albicans, threaten the public health and create economic burden. Shortage of antifungals and emergence of drug resistance call for new antifungal therapies while natural products were attractive sources for developing new drugs. In our study, fangchinoline, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Chinese herb Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, exerted antifungal effects on planktonic growth of several Candida species including C. albicans, with MIC no more than 50 μg/mL. In addition, results from microscopic, MTT and XTT reduction assays showed that fangchinoline had inhibitory activities against the multiple virulence factors of C. albicans, such as adhesion, hyphal growth and biofilm formation. Furthermore, this compound could also suppress the metabolic activity of preformed C. albicans biofilms. PI staining, followed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) analysis showed that fangchinoline can elevate permeability of cell membrane. DCFH-DA staining suggested its anti-Candida mechanism also involved overproduction of intracellular ROS, which was further confirmed by N-acetyl-cysteine rescue tests. Moreover, fangchinoline showed synergy with three antifungal drugs (amphotericin B, fluconazole and caspofungin), further indicating its potential use in treating C. albicans infections. Therefore, these results indicated that fangchinoline could be a potential candidate for developing anti-Candida therapies.

Bidirectional machine learning-assisted sensitivity-based stochastic searching approach for groundwater DNAPL source characterization

In this study, we designed a machine learning-based parallel global searching method using the Bayesian inversion framework for efficient identification of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source characteristics and contaminant transport parameters in groundwater. Swarm intelligence organized hybrid-kernel extreme learning machine (SIO-HKELM) was proposed to approximate the forward and inverse input-output correlation with a high accuracy using the DNAPL transport numerical simulation model. An adaptive inverse-HKELM was established for preliminary estimation of the source characteristics and contaminant transport parameters to correct prior information and generate high-quality initial starting points of parallel searching. A local accurate forward-HKELM surrogate of the numerical model was embedded in the searching system for avoiding repetitive CPU-demanding likelihood evaluations. A sensitivity-based Metropolis criterion (MC), incorporating the dynamic particle swarm optimization (SD-PSO) algorithm, was developed for improving the search ergodicity and realizing precise inversion of all the unknown variables with drastic variations in sensitivity to the likelihood function. Results showed that the generalization capability and robustness of SIO-HKELM were superior to those of the traditional machine learning methods, including KELM and support vector regression (SVR), and it sufficiently approximated the forward and inverse input-output mapping of the numerical model with testing determination coefficients of 0.9944 and 0.6440, respectively. With high-quality prior information and initial starting points generated by the adaptive inverse-HKELM feed approach, the uncertainty in the inversion outputs was reduced, and the searching process rapidly converged to reasonable posterior distributions in around 60 iterations. Compared with the widely used multichain Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach, the parallel searching lines generated by SD-PSO-MC adequately covered the searching space, and the "equifinality" effect was more effectively restrained by reducing the relative errors of all the point estimations to less than 8%. Therefore, the real source information reflected by the statistical characteristics of the SD-PSO-MC inversion outputs was more precise than that obtained using the multichain MCMC approach.

Synthesis of amide derivatives containing the imidazole moiety and evaluation of their anti-cardiac fibrosis activity

Three series of N-{[4-([1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-α]pyridin-6-yl)-5-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]methyl}acetamides (14a-d, 15a-n, and 16a-f) were synthesized and evaluated for activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK5) inhibitory activities in an enzymatic assay. The target compounds showed high ALK5 inhibitory activity and selectivity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for phosphorylation of ALK5 of 16f (9.1 nM), the most potent compound, was 2.7 times that of the clinical candidate EW-7197 (vactosertib) and 14 times that of the clinical candidate LY-2157299. The selectivity index of 16f against p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase was >109, which was much higher than that of positive controls (EW-7197: >41, and LY-2157299: 4). Furthermore, a molecular docking study provided the interaction modes between the target compounds and ALK5. Compounds 14c, 14d, and 16f effectively inhibited the protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1)/matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) in transforming growth factor-β-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Compounds 14c and 16f showed especially high activity at low concentrations, which suggests that these compounds could inhibit myocardial cell fibrosis. Compounds 14c, 14d, and 16f are potential preclinical candidates for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.

Characterization, Applications and New Technologies of Civil Engineering Materials and Structures

With the continuous development of large-scale maintenance of infrastructure, accurate, reasonable, and efficient mechanical behavior evaluation and performance prediction of civil materials and structures have become the keys to improving service durability and intelligent maintenance management for infrastructure [...].

Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Oxidative Stress-Induced Pyroptosis in Annulus Fibrosus Cells to Alleviate Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Based on Matric Hydrogels

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the primary cause of low back pain. Stem cell transplantation may be a possible approach to promote IVDD. This study was aimed to investigate the role of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in IVDD and the molecular mechanism. Annulus fibrosus cells (AFCs) were treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) to induce oxidative stress injury. AFC biological functions were analyzed using a lactate dehydrogenase kit, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, and western blot. The molecular mechanisms of BMSC functions were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunoprecipitation (IP), co-IP, GST pull-down, and cycloheximide treatment. Furthermore, the impacts of BMSCs in IVDD progression in vivo were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and H&E analysis. BMSCs inhibited TBHP-induced inflammation and pyroptosis in AFCs. Knockdown of SIRT1 reversed the effects on inflammation and pyroptosis of BMSCs. Moreover, SIRT1 promoted the deacetylation of ASC rather than NLRP3. SIRT1 interacted with ASC to reduce its protein stability, thereby negatively regulating ASC protein levels. In addition, BMSCs alleviated LPS-induced IVDD based on matrix hydrogels. BMSCs inhibited oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis and inflammation in AFCs, thereby alleviating IVDD, suggesting that BMSCs may contribute to treating intervertebral disc generation.

A Thermosalient and Mechanically Compliant Organic Crystalline Optical Waveguide Switcher

The dense and ordered molecular arrangements endow dynamic molecular crystals with fast response, rapid energy conversion, low energy dissipation, and strong coupling between heat/light and mechanical energy. Most of the known dynamic crystals can only respond to a single stimulus, and materials that can respond to multiple stimuli are rare. Here, we report an organic crystalline material that can be bent plastically and is also thermosalient, as its crystals can move when they undergo a reversible phase transition. The crystals transmit light regardless of their shape or crystalline phase. The combination of light transduction and reversible thermomechanical deformation provides an opportunity to switch the waveguiding capability of the material in a narrow temperature range, which holds a tremendous potential for applications in heat-averse electronic components, such as central processing units. Unlike existing electronics, the material we report here is completely organic and therefore much lighter, potentially reducing the overall weight of electronic circuits.

Plant endophytic fungi exhibit diverse biotransformation pathways of mogrosides and show great potential application in siamenoside I production

Fungal endophytes, as an untapped resource of glycoside hydrolase biocatalysts, need to be further developed. Mogroside V, the primary active compound in Siraitia grosvenorii fruit, can be converted into other various bioactive mogrosides by selective hydrolysis of glucose residues at C3 and C24 positions. In present study, 20 fungal strains were randomly selected from our endophytic fungal strain library to assess their capability for mogroside V transformation. The results revealed that relatively high rate (30%) endophytic fungal strains exhibited transformative potential. Further analysis indicated that endophytic fungi could produce abundant mogrosides, and the pathways for biotransforming mogroside V showed diverse. Among the given fungal endophytes, Aspergillus sp. S125 almost completely converted mogroside V into the end-products mogroside II A and aglycone within just 2 days of fermentation; Muyocopron sp. A5 produced rich intermediate products, including siamenoside I, and the end-product mogroside II E. Subsequently, we optimized the fermentation conditions for Aspergillus sp. S125 and Muyocopron sp. A5 to evaluate the feasibility of large-scale mogroside V conversion. After optimization, Aspergillus sp. S125 converted 10 g/L of mogroside V into 4.5 g/L of mogroside II A and 3.6 g/L of aglycone after 3 days of fermentation, whereas Muyocopron sp. A5 selectively produced 4.88 g/L of siamenoside I from 7.5 g/L of mogroside V after 36 h of fermentation. This study not only identifies highly effective biocatalytic candidates for mogrosides transformation, but also strongly suggests the potential of plant endophytic fungi as valuable resources for the biocatalysis of natural compounds.

Study on the Effect of Two-Stage Injection Strategy for Coal-to-Liquid/Gasoline Reactivity-Controlled Compression Ignition Combustion Mode

An experimental study was carried out on a modified single-cylinder dual-fuel engine in reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) mode using pilot fuels with different physicochemical properties, and the effects of the pilot fuels and the two-stage injection strategy on the combustion and emission characteristics of the RCCI mode were explored. The results show that when coal-to-liquid (CTL) is used with a high cetane number as the pilot fuel, the reactivity stratification of the fuel-air mixture is more pronounced. With the advancement of pilot injection timing (SOI1), the heat release rate (HRR) of the CTL/gasoline mode gradually changes from a bimodal pattern to a unimodal pattern. Among them, the bimodal HRR includes CTL premixed combustion and gasoline flame propagation, as well as CTL diffused combustion and gasoline multipoint spontaneous combustion, while the unimodal HRR represents CTL premixed combustion and gasoline multipoint spontaneous combustion. However, the HRR of the fossil diesel/gasoline RCCI combustion mode always exhibits a unimodal form. With the advancement of the main injection timing (SOI2), the gravity center of heat release (CA50) is more advanced when using CTL as the pilot fuel due to the short ignition delay. Overall, compared to fossil diesel, using CTL as the pilot fuel is conducive to controlling the pressure rise rate, which expands the operating range of the RCCI combustion mode. Besides, for both pilot fuels of CTL and fossil diesel, the advancement of SOI1 lowers particle emissions, and the advancement of SOI2 reduces NOx emissions, while the two-stage injection achieves higher indicated thermal efficiency.

Mouse serum albumin induces neuronal apoptosis and tauopathies

The elderly frequently present impaired blood-brain barrier which is closely associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. However, how the albumin, the most abundant protein in the plasma, leaking through the disrupted BBB, contributes to the neuropathology remains poorly understood. We here demonstrated that mouse serum albumin-activated microglia induced astrocytes to A1 phenotype to remarkably increase levels of Elovl1, an astrocytic synthase for very long-chain saturated fatty acids, significantly promoting VLSFAs secretion and causing neuronal lippoapoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress response pathway. Moreover, MSA-activated microglia triggered remarkable tau phosphorylation at multiple sites through NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Intracerebroventricular injection of MSA into the brains of C57BL/6J mice to a similar concentration as in patient brains induced neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, increased tau phosphorylation, and decreased the spatial learning and memory abilities, while Elovl1 knockdown significantly prevented the deleterious effect of MSA. Overall, our study here revealed that MSA induced tau phosphorylation and neuron apoptosis based on MSA-activated microglia and astrocytes, respectively, showing the critical roles of MSA in initiating the occurrence of tauopathies and cognitive decline, and providing potential therapeutic targets for MSA-induced neuropathology in multiple neurodegenerative disorders.

Reciprocal negative feedback between Prrx1 and miR-140-3p regulates rapid chondrogenesis in the regenerating antler

During growth phase, antlers exhibit a very rapid rate of chondrogenesis. The antler is formed from its growth center reserve mesenchyme (RM) cells, which have been found to be the derivatives of paired related homeobox 1 (Prrx1)-positive periosteal cells. However, the underlying mechanism that drives rapid chondrogenesis is not known. Herein, the miRNA expression profiles and chromatin states of three tissue layers (RM, precartilage, and cartilage) at different stages of differentiation within the antler growth center were analyzed by RNA-sequencing and ATAC-sequencing. We found that miR-140-3p was the miRNA that exhibited the greatest degree of upregulation in the rapidly growing antler, increasing from the RM to the cartilage layer. We also showed that Prrx1 was a key upstream regulator of miR-140-3p, which firmly confirmed by Prrx1 CUT&Tag sequencing of RM cells. Through multiple approaches (three-dimensional chondrogenic culture and xenogeneic antler model), we demonstrated that Prrx1 and miR-140-3p functioned as reciprocal negative feedback in the antler growth center, and downregulating PRRX1/upregulating miR-140-3p promoted rapid chondrogenesis of RM cells and xenogeneic antler. Thus, we conclude that the reciprocal negative feedback between Prrx1 and miR-140-3p is essential for balancing mesenchymal proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation in the regenerating antler. We further propose that the mechanism underlying chondrogenesis in the regenerating antler would provide a reference for helping understand the regulation of human cartilage regeneration and repair.

Theoretical Study on the Structures and Electronic Properties of Tungsten Fluorides at High Pressures

Transition metal fluorides are a series of strong oxidizing agents. Tungsten (W) fluorides, particularly WF6, have shown broad applications such as luminescence and fluorinating agent. However, other stoichiometries of W fluorides have rarely been studied. It is well-known that pressure can induce structural phase transition, stabilize new compounds, and produce novel properties. In this work, the high-pressure phases of W-F were searched systematically at the pressure range of 0-200 GPa through first-principles swarm-intelligence structural search calculations. A new stoichiometry of WF4 has been predicted to be stable under high pressures. On the other hand, two new high-pressure phases of WF6 with the symmetries ofP 2 1 ${{P2}_{1}}$ /m and P ${P}$ -1 were found with decahedral structural units. The electronic properties of the W-F compounds were then investigated. The predicted stable WF6 high-pressure phases maintain semiconducting features, since the W atom provides all its valence electrons to fluorine. We evaluated the oxidizing ability of WF6 by calculating its electron affinity potential. The high pressureP 2 1 ${{P2}_{1}}$ /m WF6 molecular phase shows higher oxidation capacity than the ambient phase. The built pressure-composition phase diagram and the theoretical results of W-F system provide some useful information for experimental synthesis.