Inhibitory effects and mechanisms of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil on advanced glycation end product formation in chemical and cellular models in vitro

Sinapic acid (SA), canolol (CAO) and canolol dimer (CAO dimer) are the main phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil. However, their possible efficacy against glycation remains unclear. This study aims to explore the impacts of these substances on the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) based on chemical and cellular models in vitro. Based on fluorescence spectroscopy results, three chemical models of BSA-fructose, BSA-methylglyoxal (MGO), and arginine (Arg)-MGO showed that SA/CAO/CAO dimer could effectively reduce AGE formation but with different abilities. After SA/CAO/CAO dimer incubation, effective protection against BSA protein glycation was observed and three different MGO adducts were formed. In MGO-induced HUVEC cell models, only CAO and CAO dimer significantly inhibited oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, accompanied by the regulation of the Nrf2-HO-1 pathway. During the inhibition, 20 and 12 lipid mediators were reversed in the CAO and CAO dimer groups compared to the MGO group.

Plant exosome-like nanovesicles derived from sesame leaves as carriers for luteolin delivery: Molecular docking, stability and bioactivity

The growing recognition of luteolin (Lu) as a vital functional component is attributed to its notable bioactive properties. However, the effective use of Lu is hindered by its inherent limitations related to water solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Here, we aim to develop sesame leaves-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (Exo) for Lu delivery (Exo@Lu) as vehicles. The encapsulation mechanism, solubility, stability, and bioactivity of Exo@Lu were thoroughly evaluated. Exo enriched abundant lipids, proteins, and phenolic compounds with an encapsulation efficiency of ∼ 91.9 % and a loading capacity of ∼ 20.5 % for Lu. The primary binding forces responsible for the encapsulation were hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. After encapsulation, the water solubility and stability of Lu were significantly improved under various conditions, including thermal, light, storage, ionic strength, and pH. Exo@Lu maintained structural integrity during simulated digestion, enhancing bioaccessibility and efficacy in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammatory response compared to Exo and free Lu.

Integration of One-Dimensional (1D) Lead-Free Perovskite Microbelts onto Silicon for Ultraviolet-Visible-Near-Infrared (UV-vis-NIR) Heterojunction Photodetectors

Lead-free perovskites are considered to be candidates for next-generation photodetectors, because of their excellent charge carrier transport properties and low toxicity. However, their application in integrated circuits is hindered by their inadequate performance and size restrictions. To aim at the development of lead-free perovskite-integrated optoelectronic devices, a CsAg2I3/silicon (CAI/Si) heterojunction is presented in this work by using a spatial confinement growth method, where the in-plane growth of CAI microbelts with high-quality single-crystal characteristics is primarily dependent on the concentration of surrounding precursor solution. The fabricated photodetectors based on the CAI/Si heterojunctions exhibit a broad-spectrum detection capability in the ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) range. In addition, the photodetectors show good photoelectric detection performance, including a maximum responsivity of 48.5 mA/W and detectivity of 1.13 × 1011 Jones, respectively. Besides, the photodetectors have a rapid response of 6.5/224 μs and good air stability for over 2 months. This work contributes a new idea to design next-generation optoelectronic devices with high integration density.

The mediating effect of family resilience between coping styles and caregiver burden in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Primary caregivers of hemodialysis patients suffer from varying degrees of stress from their patients. Caring for hemodialysis patients can expose caregivers to many problems, leading to an increased burden of care and even impacting the quality of care. The purpose of our study was to examine whether family resilience could be a mediating variable moderating the relationship between patient coping styles and caregiver burden.

METHODS

The study was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study that interviewed 173 pairs of hemodialysis patients and their caregivers at a blood purification center in a public hospital in China. The Brief Coping Styles Scale (Chinese version) was used to assess individuals' coping styles for disease and treatment. From the caregiver's perspective, the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (Chinese version) was used to understand the resilience of families, and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale was used to capture the caregiver's subjective experience of burden. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 23 and Amos version 26 to analyze the relationships between variables to examine for correlation and construct mediated effects models.

RESULTS

Coping styles showed a significant positive correlation with family resilience (r = 0.347, P < 0.01) and a negative correlation with caregiver burden (r = -0.379, P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was found between family resilience and caregiver burden (r = -0.503, P < 0.01). In the mediation model, patient coping styles directly impacted caregiver burden significantly (95% CI [-0.372, -0.058]), and coping styles indirectly impacted caregiver burden by family resilience in a significant way (95% CI [-0.275, -0.098]).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient coping styles directly affect caregiver burden. Family resilience is a mediating variable between patients' coping styles and the burden on caregivers.

Sulforaphane effectively inhibits HBV by altering Treg/Th17 immune balance and the MIF-macrophages polarizing axis in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem. After HBV infection, viral antigens shift the immune balance in favor of viral escape. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a traditional Chinese medicine.It regulates multi-biological activities, including anti-inflammation, anticancer, and antiviral. However, few studies reported that SFN can inhibit HBV infection before.

METHODS

An immunocompetent HBV CBA/CaJ mouse model and a co-culture model were used to explore the effect of SFN on HBV and whether SFN altered the immune balance after HBV infection.

RESULTS

We found that SFN was able to reduce HBV DNA, cccDNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAg levels in serum and liver tissues of HBV-infected mice. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that SFN could significantly increase the expression of Cd86 and iNOS and inhibit the expression of Arg1 on macrophages after HBV infection. After SFN administration, Th17 markers in liver tissue and serum were significantly increased. There was no significant changes in the proportion of Treg cells in peripheral blood, but a significant increase in the proportion of Th17 cells and decrease of the Treg/Th17 ratio. Using a network pharmacology approach, we predicted macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a potential target of SFN and further validated that MIF expression was significantly increased after HBV infection and SFN significantly inhibited MIF expression both in vitro and in vivo. There was an upward trend in HBV markers (p>0.05) after MIF overexpression. Overexpression of MIF combined with the use of SFN resulted in a significant reversion in the expression of HBV markers and polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that immunocompetent HBV CBA/CaJ mouse model is a good model to evaluate HBV infection. SFN could inhibit the expression of HBV markers, promote polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype after HBV infection, change the proportion of Treg and Th17 cells. Our findings demonstrate that SFN inhibit HBV infection by inhibiting the expression of MIF and promoting the polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype, which illustrates a promising therapeutic approach in HBV infection.

Two-Step Catalytic Against Polysulfide Shuttling to Enhance Redox Conversion for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The development of lithium-sulfur batteries is seriously hindered by the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the low electrical conductivity of sulfur. To solve these problems, efficient catalysts can be used to improve the conversion rate of LiPSs and the conductivity of sulfur cathode. Herein, annealed melamine foam supported MoSe2 (NCF@MoSe2) is used as interlayer and the MoSe2/MoP heterojunction obtained by phosphating MoSe2 is further used as the catalyst material for metal fusion with a sulfur element. The interlayer can not only improve the electrical conductivity and effectively adsorb and catalyze LiPSs, but more importantly, the MoSe2/MoP heterojunction can also effectively adsorb and catalyze LiPSs, so that the batteries have a dual inhibition shuttling effect strategy. Furthermore, the rapid anchor-diffusion transition of LiPSs, and the suppression of shuttling effects by catalyst materials are elucidated using theoretical calculations and in situ Raman spectroscopy. The two-step catalytic strategy exhibits a high reversibility of 983 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 C and a high-rate capacity of 889 mAh g-1 at 5 C. This work provides a feasible solution for the rational design of interlayer and heterojunction materials and is also conducive to the development of more advanced Li-S batteries.

Chemical profile of phenolic extracts from rapeseed meal and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase: UPLC-MS/MS analysis, multispectral approaches, molecular simulation and ADMET analysis

Rapeseed meal (RSM) is the by-product of rapeseed processing that enriches phenolic compounds. However, the comprehensive characterization of its phenolic substances in terms of composition and potential activities remains incomplete, leading to limited utilization in the food industry. In this study, the phenolic profile from RSM (referred to as RMP) was identified, and their inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase were investigated. UPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that a total of 466 phenolic compounds were detected in RMP. The primary components were sinapic acid (SA), caffeic acid (CA), salicylic acid (SAA), and astragalin (AS). Multispectral approaches demonstrated significant inhibitory capacity of RMP against α-glucosidase with a half inhibition value (IC50) of 0.32 mg/mL, with a stronger inhibition compared to CA/SAA/AS (IC50: 4.0, 5.9, and 0.9 mg/mL) in addition to the previously reported SA, suggesting a synergistic effect. Both RMP and CA/SAA/AS altered the secondary structure of α-glucosidase to quench its intrinsic fluorescence. Molecular simulation results revealed that hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces primarily contributed to the interaction between CA/SAA/AS and α-glucosidase, as well as verified the stability of the binding process over the entire simulation duration. The ADMET analysis showed that CYP2D6 was not inhibited by CA/SAA/AS, which had no AMES toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and skin sensitization. This finding suggests the potential of RMP against α-glucosidase for the treatment of diabetes.

Improving the Thermostability of Thermomyces lanuginosus Lipase by Restricting the Flexibility of N-Terminus and C-Terminus Simultaneously via the 25-Loop Substitutions

(1) Lipases are catalysts widely applied in industrial fields. To sustain the harsh treatments in industries, optimizing lipase activities and thermal stability is necessary to reduce production loss. (2) The thermostability of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) was evaluated via B-factor analysis and consensus-sequence substitutions. Five single-point variants (K24S, D27N, D27R, P29S, and A30P) with improved thermostability were constructed via site-directed mutagenesis. (3) The optimal reaction temperatures of all the five variants displayed 5 °C improvement compared with TLL. Four variants, except D27N, showed enhanced residual activities at 80 °C. The melting temperatures of three variants (D27R, P29S, and A30P) were significantly increased. The molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the 25-loop (residues 24-30) in the N-terminus of the five variants generated more hydrogen bonds with surrounding amino acids; hydrogen bond pair D254-I255 preserved in the C-terminus of the variants also contributes to the improved thermostability. Furthermore, the newly formed salt-bridge interaction (R27…E56) in D27R was identified as a crucial determinant for thermostability. (4) Our study discovered that substituting residues from the 25-loop will enhance the stability of the N-terminus and C-terminus simultaneously, restrict the most flexible regions of TLL, and result in improved thermostability.

The Short-Term Efficacy and Safety of Induction Chemotherapy Combined with PD-1 Inhibitor or Anti-EGFR in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This study aimed to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy (IC) combined with PD-1 inhibitor or anti-EGFR in the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 206 patients with LA-NPC, including IC combined with anti-PD1 (57 patients), IC combined with anti-EGFR (28 patients), and IC alone (121 patients). The short-term efficacy was assessed at the end of IC and one month after overall treatment. According to the RECIST v1.1, the short-term efficacy of cervical lymph nodes and primary nasopharynx foci was divided into complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD). The overall response (ORR) was defined as the sum of CR and PR. Acute toxicities were graded according to the CTCAE v5.0. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare differences in the numerical variables among groups. Fisher Freeman-Halton test or Pearson Chi-square test was used to compare classified variables.

RESULTS

The ORR rates of primary nasopharynx foci in IC, anti-EGFR, and anti-PD1 group were 68.60%, 67.9%, and 94.7%, respectively, and the corresponding rates of ORR in cervical lymph nodes were 78.5%, 71.4%, and 93.0%, respectively. There was a statistical difference in the ORR between the three groups. Further analysis showed that after IC or overall treatment, the CR rate of primary nasopharynx foci in the anti-PD1 group was significantly higher than the other two groups. The most common adverse effects were hematotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and transaminase elevation. However, there were no statistical differences in the frequency of any common adverse effects between the three groups.

CONCLUSION

The addition of anti-PD1 based on IC significantly improved the short-term efficacy of LA-NPC and toxicities were tolerable.

Combining Radiotherapy with Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy as First-Line Treatment for De Novo Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Dual-Center Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Local regional radiotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy significantly improves the prognosis of patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Immunochemotherapy has become the first-line treatment for initial metastatic NPC. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of local regional radiotherapy combined with immunochemotherapy as the first-line treatment of metastatic NPC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with histologically proven de novo metastatic NPC who received immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by local-regional radiotherapy were included from 2 cancer centers. Toxicity and treatment response were assessed using CTCAE 5.0 and RECIST 1.1, respectively. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

From 2019 to 2021, a total of 16 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The median age was 44.5-year-old (range 16-76). Patients with ≥3 metastatic lesions accounts for 58.8%. Bone metastasis was the most common metastatic site. The chemotherapy regimens were paclitaxel/gemcitabine and cisplatin. Toripalimab, camrelizumab and sintilimab were used for immunotherapy. All patients completed the local regional radiotherapy with 69.96Gy for primary nasopharyngeal tumor and positive lymph nodes, 60.06Gy for high-risk region and 50ཞ54.45Gy for low-risk region. Seven patients underwent radiotherapy for metastatic lesions. The median follow-up was 20.5 months (range 6-38 months). Two-year OS was 100%. Three patients experienced distant progression. One-year and 2-year PFS rate was 93.8% and 76.7%, respectively. After combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the overall response rate (ORR) was 93.7% with a complete response (CR) of 6.3%. At the end of radiotherapy, the ORR was 100%. Nine patients (56.3%) achieved CR. Radiotherapy related acute severe (grade 3 or higher) toxicity was dermatitis (1/16, 6.3%) and mucositis (2/16, 12.5%). Immunotherapy related hypophysitis and capillary hyperplasia was 6.3% and 6.3%, respectively. No long-term toxicity was observed.

CONCLUSION

Loco-regional radiotherapy provided a promising efficacy with modest toxicity for patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received immunochemotherapy.

Improving the Thermostability of Serine Protease PB92 from Bacillus alcalophilus via Site-Directed Mutagenesis Based on Semi-Rational Design

Proteases have been widely employed in many industrial processes. In this work, we aimed to improve the thermostability of the serine protease PB92 from Bacillus alcalophilus to meet the high-temperature requirements of biotechnological treatments. Eight mutation sites (N18, S97-S101, E110, and R143) were identified, and 21 mutants were constructed from B-factor comparison and multiple sequence alignment and expressed via Bacillus subtilis. Among them, fifteen mutants exhibited increased half-life (t1/2) values at 65 °C (1.13-31.61 times greater than that of the wild type). Based on the composite score of enzyme activity and thermostability, six complex mutants were implemented. The t1/2 values of these six complex mutants were 2.12-10.05 times greater than that of the wild type at 65 °C. In addition, structural analysis revealed that the increased thermal stability of complex mutants may be related to the formation of additional hydrophobic interactions due to increased hydrophobicity and the decreased flexibility of the structure. In brief, the thermal stability of the complex mutants N18L/R143L/S97A, N18L/R143L/S99L, and N18L/R143L/G100A was increased 4-fold, which reveals application potential in industry.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. This Letter reports results from LUX-ZEPLIN's first search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an exposure of 60 live days using a fiducial mass of 5.5 t. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis shows the data to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, setting new limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon, spin-dependent WIMP-neutron, and spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for WIMP masses above 9  GeV/c^{2}. The most stringent limit is set for spin-independent scattering at 36  GeV/c^{2}, rejecting cross sections above 9.2×10^{-48}  cm at the 90% confidence level.

The influence of social alienation on maintenance hemodialysis patients' coping styles: chain mediating effects of family resilience and caregiver burden

Objective

Research on the possible impact of social alienation, family resilience, and caregiver burden on the coping styles of Chinese patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) is scarce. We explore the influence of social alienation, family resilience, and caregiver burden on the coping styles of MHD patients, both directly and indirectly.

Methods

We invited 173 MHD patients and their primary caregivers for a cross-sectional study; the study using convenience sampling method at the hemodialysis center of the First People's Hospital of Foshan. The Chinese version of the generalized social of alienation scale, the Chinese version of the simplified coping style questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire were completed by the MHD patients, while their primary caregivers had filled out the Chinese family resilience assessment scale, the Chinese version of the Zarit caregiver burden interview, and provided socio-demographic information. SPSS macro program PROCESS v3.3 Model 6 were used for analyses of chain-mediated effects.

Results

In the mediating effects model, the direct influence of social alienation upon coping styles was significant (95% CI -0.050, -0.014), and social alienation indirectly impacted coping style by family resilience in a significant way (95% CI -0.012, -0.001) or caregiver burden (95% CI -0.013, -0.001). In addition, social alienation significantly impacted coping style by both family resilience and caregiver burden (95% CI -0.008, -0.001).

Conclusion

Social alienation can exert both a direct and indirect influence on coping styles through the mediating factors of family resilience and caregiver burden. Clinicians can take interventions to strengthen family resilience and reduce caregiver burden, which may be useful in improving socially isolated behaviors and coping skills in MHD patients.

Boosting thermoelectric performance of HfSe2 monolayer by selectivity chemical adsorption

In this work, a strategy to boosting thermoelectric (TE) performance of 2D materials is explored. We find that, appropriate chemical adsorption of atoms can effectively increase the TE performance of HfSe₂ monolayer. Our results show that the adsorption of Ni atom on HfSe₂ monolayer (Ni-HfSe₂) can improve the optimal power factor PF and ZT at 300 K, increased by more than ∼67% and ∼340%, respectively. The PF and ZT of Ni-HfSe₂ at 300 K can reach 85.06 mW m^-1 K^-2 and 3.09, respectively. The detailed study reveal that the adsorption of Ni atom can induce additional conductional channels of electrons, enhance the coupling of acoustic-optical phonons and the phonon anharmonicity, resulting in an obvious increment of electrical conductivity (increased by more than ∼89%) in n-type doped system and an ultralow phonon thermal conductivity (1.17 W/mK at 300 K). The high electrical conductivity and ultralow phonon thermal conductivity results in the significant increments of PF and ZT. Our study also shows that, Ni-HfSe₂ is a thermal, dynamic and mechanical stable structure, which can be employed in TE application. Our research indicates that selectivity chemical adsorption is a promising way to increase TE performance of 2D materials.

Rational N,P-Codoped pH-Activatable Red Carbon Dot for In Vitro and In Vivo Tumor Imaging

Tumor detection and imaging via tumor microenvironmental indicators can have practical value. Here, a low-pH-responsive red carbon dot (CD) was prepared via a hydrothermal reaction for specific tumor imaging in vitro and in vivo. The probe responded to the acidic tumor microenvironment. The CDs are codoped by nitrogen and phosphorene and contain anilines on the surface. These anilines are efficient electron donors and modulate the pH response: Fluorescence is undetectable at common physical pH (>7.0), but red fluorescence (600-720 nm) increases with decreasing pH. The inactivation of fluorescence is due to three aspects: photoinduced electron transfer from anilines, deprotonation-induced energy states changing, and particle aggregation-induced quenching. It is believed that this pH-responsive character of CD is better than other reported CDs. Thus, in vitro images of HeLa cells show strong fluorescence that is 4-fold higher than normal cells. Subsequently, the CDs are used for in vivo imaging of tumors in mice. Tumors can be clearly observed within 1 h, and clearance of CDs will be finished within 24 h due to the small size of the CDs. The CDs offer excellent tumor-to-normal tissue (T/N) ratios and have great potential for biomedical research and disease diagnosis.

Hyaluronic acid-functionalized redox-responsive organosilica nanoparticles for targeted resveratrol delivery to attenuate acrylamide-induced toxicity

The purpose of this study is to construct a redox-responsive and targeted nanoparticle to effectively deliver resveratrol (Res) for alleviating acrylamide (ACR) toxicity. Here, Res-loaded tetrasulfide-containing organosilica nanoparticles (DSMSNs) functionalized with hyaluronic acid on the surface (DSMSNs@Res@HA) were prepared. The DSMSNs@Res@HA nanoparticles were spherical with an encapsulation efficiency of 46.68 ± 1.64 % and a hydrated particle size of about 237.73 nm. As expected, DSMSNs@Res@HA were capable of significantly protecting PC12 cells against ACR-induced damage in oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, and cell apoptosis compared with free Res and DSMSNs@Res at the equivalent dose. Moreover, DSMSNs@Res@HA could be biodegraded and released Res in response to GSH stimulus. In vivo experiments suggested that DSMSNs@Res@HA significantly reduced histological damage in the brain, liver, and kidney of rats compared with free Res and DSMSNs@Res. After oral administration of DSMSNs@Res@HA, the intestinal flora of ACR-treated rats could be effectively regulated by improving the species uniformity and abundance as well as recovering the species diversity. According to these findings, DSMSNs@Res@HA is worth further investigation as a potential therapeutic nanomedicine to alleviate ACR toxicity and restore gut microbiota diversity.

Inhibitory mechanism of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil on α-amylase and α-glucosidase: Spectroscopy, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation

Developing naturally active components to control α-amylase/α-glucosidase activity is highly desired for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. Rapeseed oil is rich in active phenolic compounds and seed oil is a major source of liposoluble inhibitors to these enzymes. However, it remains unclear about the interaction of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil with α-amylase/α-glucosidase. This study found that the important phenolic compounds from rapeseed oil (Sinapic acid, SA; canolol, CAO; canolol dimer, CAO dimer) possessed effective inhibition performance against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. CAO showed the lowest and highest inhibitory effect, respectively. In the kinetics studies, the inhibition mechanism of SA/CAO/CAO dimer against α-glucosidase was non-competitive, exhibiting a different way from α-amylase. Fluorescence quenching spectra implied that the static processes were responsible for the spontaneous binding between the compounds and enzymes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) displayed these compounds-induced conformation alterations of α-amylase/α-glucosidase. Molecular docking revealed that SA/CAO/CAO dimer decreased the catalytic efficiency of α-amylase/α-glucosidase through hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic force, or π-π interaction. Molecular dynamics matched well with the experimental and docking results regarding the inhibitory behaviors and interactions toward α-amylase/α-glucosidase. These results demonstrated the potential benefits of phenolic compounds from rapeseed oil in antidiabetic-related activities.

Docosahexaenoic acid enhances hippocampal insulin sensitivity to promote cognitive function of aged rats on a high-fat diet

INTRODUCTION

Diminished brain insulin sensitivity is associated with reduced cognitive function. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is known to maintain normal brain function.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine whether DHA impacts hippocampal insulin sensitivity and cognitive function in aged rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

METHODS

Eight-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 50 each). Rats in the aged group, HFD group, and DHA treatment group received standard diet (10 kcal% fat), HFD (45 kcal% fat), and DHA-enriched HFD (45 kcal% fat, 1% DHA, W/W) for 10 months, respectively. Four-month-old female rats (n = 40) that received a standard diet served as young controls. Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, amyloid formation, and tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus, as well as systemic glucose homeostasis and cognitive function, were tested.

RESULTS

DHA treatment relieved a block in the insulin signaling pathway and consequently protected aged rats against HFD-induced hippocampal insulin resistance. The beneficial effects were explained by a DHA-induced decrease in systemic glucose homeostasis dysregulation, hippocampal neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. In addition, DHA treatment broke the reciprocal cycle of hippocampal insulin resistance, Aβ burden, and tau hyperphosphorylation. Importantly, treatment of model rats with DHA significantly increased their cognitive capacity, as evidenced by their increased hippocampal-dependent learning and memory, restored neuron morphology, enhanced cholinergic activity, and activated cyclic AMP-response element-binding protein.

CONCLUSION

DHA improves cognitive function by enhancing hippocampal insulin sensitivity.

Strain Tunable Thermoelectric Material: Janus ZrSSe Monolayer

Thermoelectric (TE) performance of the Janus ZrSSe monolayer under biaxial strain is systematically explored by the first-principles approach and Boltzmann transport theory. Our results show that the Janus ZrSSe monolayer has excellent chemical, dynamical, thermal, and mechanical stabilities, which provide a reliable platform for strain tuning. The electronic structure and TE transport parameters of the Janus ZrSSe monolayer can be obviously tuned by biaxial strain. Under 2% tensile strain, the optimal power factor PF of the n-type-doped Janus ZrSSe monolayer reaches 46.36 m W m^-1 K^-2 at 300 K. This value is higher than that of the most classical TE materials. Under 6% tensile strain, the maximum ZT values for the p-type- and n-type-doped Janus ZrSSe monolayers are 4.41 and 4.88, respectively, which are about 3.83 and 1.49 times the results of no strain, respectively. Such high TE performance can be attributed to high band degeneracy and short phonon relaxation time under strain, causing simultaneous increase of the Seebeck coefficient and suppression of the phonon thermal transport. Present work demonstrates that the Janus ZrSSe monolayer is a promising candidate as a strain-tunable TE material and stimulates further experimental synthesis.

Association between Dried Fruit Intake and DNA Methylation: A Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Observational studies have reported associations between dried fruit intake and DNA methylation(DNAm). However, inherent flaws in observational study designs make them susceptible to confounding and reverse causality bias. Consequently, it is unclear whether a causal association exists. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal associations between dried fruit intake and DNAm.

METHODS

We performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using the IEU Open GWAS database aggregated data. Forty-three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with dried fruit intake as instrumental variables (IVs) were selected as exposure. DNAm outcomes include Gran (estimated granulocyte proportions); AgeAccelGrim(GrimAge acceleration); Hannum (Hannum age acceleration); IEAA(Intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration), AgeAccelPheno( PhenoAge acceleration), and DNAmPAIadjAge (DNAm-estimated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels). We used the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test (MRPRESSO) and Radial-MR test to identify any level of multi-effect outliers and assessed the causal effect estimates(after removing outliers). The primary causal effects were estimated using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method and undertook sensitivity analyses using MR methods robust to horizontal pleiotropy.The direct effects of dried fruit intake on DNAm were estimated using multivariable mendelian randomization (MVMR).

RESULTS

Leveraging two-sample MR analysis, we observed statistically significant associations between dried fruit intake with a lower AgeAccelGrim(β=-1.365, 95% confidence intervals [CI] -2.266 to -0.464, PIVW=2.985×10-3) and AgeAccelPheno (β= -1.933, 95% CI -3.068 to -0.798, PIVW=8.371×10-4). By contrast, the effects level on Gran (β=0.008, PIVW=0.430), Hannum(β=-0.430, PIVW=0.357), IEAA(β=-0.184, PIVW=0.700), and DNAmPAIadjAge (β=-1.861, PIVW=0.093) were not statistically significant. MVMR results adjusting for the potential effects of confounders showed that the causal relationship between dried fruit intake and AgeAccelGrim(β= -1.315, 95% CI -2.373 to -0.258, PIVW=1.480×10-2) and AgeAccelPheno(β= -1.595, 95% CI -2.987 to -0.202, PIVW=2.483×10-2) persisted. No significant horizontal polymorphism was found in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Our MR study suggested that increased dried fruit intake is associated with slower AgeAccelGrim and AgeAccelPheno. It can providing a promising avenue for exploring the beneficial effects of dried fruit intake on lifespan extension.

Enhanced Extracellular Expression of a Ca2+- and Mg2+-Dependent Hyperthermostable Protease EA1 in Bacillus subtilis via Systematic Screening of Optimal Signal Peptides

Proteases have been widely applied in various industries, including tanning, silk, feed, medicine, food, and environmental protection. Herein, the protease EA1 (GenBank accession no. U25630.1) was successfully expressed in Bacillus subtilis and demonstrated to function as a Ca²⁺- and Mg²⁺-dependent hyperthermostable neutral protease. At 80 °C, its half-life (t_1/2) in the presence of 10 mM Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ was 50.4-fold longer than that in their absence (7.4 min), which can be explained by structural analysis. Compared with the currently available commercial proteases, protease EA1 has obvious advantages in heat resistance. The largest peptide library was used to enhance the extracellular expression of protease EA1 via constructing and screening 244 signal peptides (SPs). Eleven SPs with high yields of protease EA1 were identified from 5000 clones using a high-throughput assay. Specifically, the enzyme activity of protease produced by the strain (217.6 U/mL) containing the SP XynD was 5.2-fold higher than that of the strain with the initial SP. In brief, the protease is a potential candidate for future use in the high-temperature industry.

[Analysis of clinical and imaging features of 6 cases of linear scleroderma en coup de sabre with central nervous system involvement in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical and imaging features of linear scleroderma en coup de saber (LSCS) with central nervous system involvement in children. Methods: The clinical data(clinical manifestations and imaging features) of 6 children diagnosed with LSCS with central nervous system involvement who were admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from May 2019 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The 6 patients were all female, aged 6.8 (3.3, 11.0) years at the time of diagnosis, and aged 3.0 (1.7, 4.1) years at the time of discovery of facial skin lesions. Facial skin lesions appeared before neurological symptoms in 5 cases, and neurological symptoms appeared 2 months before skin lesions in 1 case. All the patients had "sword wound" skin lesions on the forehead with alopecia. Neurological manifestations included epileptic seizures in 6 cases, focal neurological defects in 5 cases, and headaches in 2 cases. The intracranial lesions were all ipsilateral to the skin lesions. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 6 cases showed abnormal signals mainly involving white matter in 1 hemisphere, and 3 cases showed local encephalomalacia. The scattered low signal was observed in 5 cases on susceptibility weighted imaging. Localized brain parenchyma or leptomeninges enhancement was seen on Gadolinium-enhanced sequences in 5 cases. Scattered foci of calcification on the affected side were seen on cranial CT in 4 cases. Skin biopsy was performed in 2 cases. Part of the lesion of the brain was removed in 1 case, and the pathological findings suggested small vasculitis, which was consistent with skin pathological changes. All patients received symptomatic treatment with antiepileptic drugs. Oral prednisone combined with methotrexate was given in 4 cases, and 1 case was given oral prednisone only. One case was presumed to be in the resting stage of the disease due to significant cerebral atrophy in half of the brain, and only antiepileptic drugs were added. The patients were followed up for 6-36 months. The skin lesions of scleroderma and alopecia did not progress in 5 cases, and hemifacial atrophy was developed in 1 case, which was considered to be combined with Parry-Romberg syndrome. The seizures were controlled in 4 cases. One case had reduced seizure frequency but left hemiplegia. One patient still had intractable epilepsy and paroxysmal headache. Conclusions: LSCS with central nervous system involvement is more common in girls, with seizures and neurological defects as the main manifestations. Intracranial lesions are mostly ipsilateral to the skin lesions. Cerebral microbleeds, calcification, and encephalomalacia foci are common, and the pathological changes in skin and intracranial lesions are consistent with small-vessel vasculitis. Prednisone combined with methotrexate treatment has shown some efficacy, but some children remain with refractory epilepsy and neurological deficit symptoms.

First-principle study of neutron irradiation induced performance degradation of amorphous porous silica

Neutron irradiation induced degradation of porous silica film is studied by Molecular Dynamics and Density-Functional theory-based methods. The degradation of microscopic structure, thermal property, and optical property of porous silica film are systematically investigated. Low-energy recoil is used to simulate the neutron irradiation effect. The pair and bond angle distributions, and coordination number distributions reveal that, under neutron irradiation, the microscopic structure of porous silica film is obviously modified, and the coordination defects are induced. We find that the higher recoil energy, the more coordination defects are formed in the film. The increased defects lead to a decrease in thermal conductivity. In addition, neutron irradiation induces additional optical absorption peaks in UV region and increasement in refractive index, resulting in a noticeable reduction in light transmittance. The detailed calculation of density of states reveals that these optical absorption peaks originate from the irradiation induced defect states in band gap. Our work shows that low-energy neutron irradiation can induce obvious defect density and degrade thermal and optical properties of porous silica film, which are responsible for subsequent laser-induced damage.

Hepatitis B Virus Infection Promotes M2 Polarization of Macrophages by Upregulating the Expression of B7x In Vivo and In Vitro

Several studies have reported that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is mediated by macrophages and that the B7x (B7-H4, VTCN-1) protein plays an important role in immune regulation in HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC). However, the relationship among HBV, macrophages, and B7x has not been studied. In this study, HBV-infected mouse model and coculture of HBV cell lines and macrophages were used to observe the changes in macrophages and the role of B7x after HBV infection. The expression of HBV markers (HBeAg, HBsAg), negative regulator of immunity (B7x), T-helper 17 (Th17)/T-regulatory (Treg)-related cytokines, and macrophage markers, as well as changes in the apoptosis and cell cycle of macrophages were analyzed through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot, and flow cytometry. The expression of HBsAg, HBeAg, and B7x increased and the levels of macrophage surface marker and Treg cells secrete related cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β) were altered after HBV infection both in vivo and in vitro. Apoptosis of macrophages increased, and cell cycle arrest occurred in vitro. These effects, except those in the cell cycle, were reversed when B7x was knocked down. Thus, HBV infection can promote the expression of B7x, which in turn regulates the Th17/Treg balance and affects the expression of HBsAg and HBeAg. The mechanism used by B7x likely involves the promotion of macrophage polarization and apoptosis. These results suggest that B7x is a novel target for HBV immunotherapy.

Discovery of the Key Mutation Site Influencing the Thermostability of Thermomyces lanuginosus Lipase by Rosetta Design Programs

Lipases are remarkable biocatalysts and are broadly applied in many industry fields because of their versatile catalytic capabilities. Considering the harsh biotechnological treatment of industrial processes, the activities of lipase products are required to be maintained under extreme conditions. In our current study, Gibbs free energy calculations were performed to predict potent thermostable Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) variants by Rosetta design programs. The calculating results suggest that engineering on R209 may greatly influence TLL thermostability. Accordingly, ten TLL mutants substituted R209 were generated and verified. We demonstrate that three out of ten mutants (R209H, R209M, and R209I) exhibit increased optimum reaction temperatures, melting temperatures, and thermal tolerances. Based on molecular dynamics simulation analysis, we show that the stable hydrogen bonding interaction between H198 and N247 stabilizes the local configuration of the 250-loop in the three R209 mutants, which may further contribute to higher rigidity and improved enzymatic thermostability. Our study provides novel insights into a single residue, R209, and the 250-loop, which were reported for the first time in modulating the thermostability of TLL. Additionally, the resultant R209 variants generated in this study might be promising candidates for future-industrial applications.

Ultrahigh oxygen evolution reaction activity in Au doped co-based nanosheets

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has attracted enormous interest as a key process for water electrolysis over the past years. The advance of this process relies on an effective catalyst. Herein, we employed single-atom Au doped Co-based nanosheets (NSs) to theoretically and experimentally evaluate the OER activity and also the interaction between Co and Au. We reveal that Au-Co(OH)₂ NSs achieved a low overpotential of 0.26 V at 10 mA cm^-2. This extraordinary phenomenon presents an overall superior performance greater than state-of-the-art Co-based catalysts in a sequence of α-Co(OH)₂ < Co₃O₄ < CoOOH < Au-Co(OH)₂. With ab initio calculations and analysis in the specific Au-Co(OH)₂ configuration, we reveal that OER on highly active Au-Co(OH)₂ originates from lattice oxygen, which is different from the conventional adsorbate evolution scheme. Explicitly, the configuration of Au-Co(OH)₂ gives rise to oxygen non-bonding (O_NB) states and oxygen holes, allowing direct O-O bond formation by a couple of oxidized oxygen with oxygen holes, offering a high OER activity. This study provides new insights for elucidating the origins of activity and synthesizing efficient OER electrocatalysts.

Process optimization and characterization of arachidonic acid oil degumming using ultrasound-assisted enzymatic method

Ultrasound assisted enzymatic method was applied to the degumming of arachidonic acid (ARA) oil produced by Mortierella alpina. The conditions of degumming process were optimized by response surface methodology with Box- Behnken design. A dephosphorization rate of 98.82% was achieved under optimum conditions of a 500 U/kg of Phospholipase A₁ (PLA₁) dosage, 2.8 mL/100 g of water volume, 120 min of ultrasonic time, and 135 W of ultrasonic power. The phosphorus content of ultrasonic assisted enzymatic degumming oil (UAEDO) was 4.79 mg/kg, which was significantly lower than that of enzymatic degumming oil (EDO, 17.98 mg/kg). Crude Oil (CO), EDO and UAEDO revealed the similar fatty acid compositions, and ARA was dominated (50.97 ~ 52.40%). The oxidation stability of UAEDO was equivalent to EDO and weaker than CO, while UAEDO presented the strongest thermal stability, followed by EDO and CO. Furthermore, aldehydes, acids and alcohols were identified the main volatile flavor components for the three oils. The proportions of major contributing components such as hexanal, nonanal, (E)-2-nonanal, (E, E)-2,4-decadienal, (E)-2-nonenal and aldehydes in UAEDO and EDO were all lower than CO. Overall, Ultrasound assisted enzymatic degumming proved to be an efficient and superior method for degumming of ARA oil.

GATA binding protein 4 promotes the expression and transcription of hepatitis B virus by facilitating hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha in vitro

Background

GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) has been reported as a potential target of gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is well known that the main cause of HCC is the chronic infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, whether the effect of GATA4 on HBV has not yet been reported.

Methods

In this study, the regulation of GATA4 on HBV was analyzed in vitro. In turn, the effect of HBV on GATA4 was also observed in vitro, in vivo, and clinical HCC patients. Subsequently, we analyzed whether the effect of GATA4 on HBV was related to hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α) in vitro.

Results

The results showed that GATA4 significantly promoted the secretion of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV e antigen in the cell culture medium, improved the replication of HBV genomic DNA, and increased the level of HBV 3.5 kb pre-genomic RNA and HBV total RNA (P < 0.05). Moreover, it was showed that HBV had no significant effect on GATA4 in vitro and in vivo (P > 0.05). At the same time, GATA4 expression was decreased in 78.9% (15/19) of HCC patients regardless of the HBV and HBsAg status. Among them, there were 76.9% (10/13) in HBV-associated patients with HCC (HBV-HCC), and 83.3% (5/6) in non-HBV-HCC patients. In addition, the expression of HNF4α was also up-regulated or down-regulated accordingly when stimulating or interfering with the expression of GATA4. Furthermore, stimulating the expression of HNF4α could only alleviate the HBsAg level and HBV transcription levels, but had no significant effect on GATA4.

Conclusions

In summary, this study found that GATA4 has a positive effect on HBV, and the potential pathway may be related to another transcription factor HNF4α that regulates HBV.

Strong UV laser absorption source near 355 nm in fused silica and its origination

As a high-performance optical material, fused silica is widely applied in high-power laser and photoelectric systems. However, laser induced damage (LID) of fused silica severely limits the output power and performance of these systems. Due to the values in strong field physics and improving the load capacity and performance of high power systems at UV laser, LID at 355 nm of fused silica has attracted much attention. It has been found that, even be treated by advanced processing technologies, the actual damage threshold of fused silica at 355 nm is far below the intrinsic threshold. It means that there is an absorption source near 355 nm in fused silica. However, to date, the absorption source is still unknown. In this paper, a absorption source near 355 nm is found by first-principles calculations. We find that the absorption source near 355 nm is neutral oxygen-vacancy defect (NOV, ≡Si-Si≡) and this defect originates from the oxygen deficiency of fused silica. Our results indicate that NOV defect can be taken as a damage precursor for 355 nm UV laser, and this precursor can be obviously reduced by increasing the ratio of oxygen to silicon. Present work is valuable for exploring damage mechanisms and methods to improve the damage threshold of fused silica at UV laser.

C2orf40 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through interaction with UBR5

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) urgently needs a marker for early diagnosis and targeted treatment. C2orf40 has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in many cancers. However, the precise role and regulatory mechanism by C2orf40 contribute to HCC remain elusive and merit exploration.

METHODS

Reverse-transcription PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and methylation-specific PCR were used to detect expression and methylation of C2orf40 in HCC cell lines or tissues. The effects of C2orf40 in liver cancer cells were examined via colony formation, CCK8, transwell, and flow cytometric assays. The effect of C2orf40 on tumorigenesis in vivo was determined by xenografts and immunohistochemical analysis. Western blot, indirect immunofluorescence, Co-IP, and cycloheximide (CHX) were used to further investigate the potential mechanism of C2orf40.

RESULTS

The down-regulation of C2orf40 in hepatocellular cancer tissue samples is often related to the degree of methylation of its promoter CpG. The recovery of C2orf40 expression in HCC cell lines can induce G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis and also inhibit cell migration and invasion by reversing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, C2orf40 can increase the expression of p21 through interaction with UBR5.

CONCLUSIONS

Low expression levels of C2orf40 are related to the hypermethylation of its promoter. C2orf40 can inhibit HCC through UBR5-dependent or p53-independent mechanisms. C2orf40 may be a diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in HCC.

Cannabis Seed Oil Alleviates Experimental Atherosclerosis by Ameliorating Vascular Inflammation in Apolipoprotein-E-Deficient Mice

In recent decades, epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies have demonstrated that a diet with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory function plays a central role in the prevention of atherosclerosis (AS). The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Cannabis seed oil (CO) administration on in vitro antioxidant capacity as well as blood lipid profiles, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory response, and endothelial cell integrity. Female ApoE^-/- mice were fed a high-cholesterol diet and administrated with CO or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and seal oil by gavage for 8 weeks. The results show that CO administration reduced the levels of serum triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at week 6. Additionally, a decrease in serum tumor necrosis factor α and nitric oxide was also observed. Moreover, results from CD31 staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed that CO treatment alleviated the endothelial cell damage and lipid deposition induced by a high-cholesterol diet. The ratio of lesion area to the total aorta area was 19.57% for the CO group, which was lower than the PBS control group (24.67%). Collectively, CO exerted anti-atherosclerotic effects by modulating serum lipid profiles and inflammatory responses and improving endothelial cell integrity and arterial lipid deposition. The results provide a promising preventive strategy for the early progression of AS.

Unraveling of the Aroma-Active Compounds in Virgin Camellia Oil (Camellia oleifera Abel) Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry, Aroma Recombination, and Omission Studies

Camellia oil is a popular edible oil in China as a result of its nutritional properties. However, the key odorants of camellia oil remain unclear. In this study, the volatiles of virgin camellia oil (VCO) were extracted by solvent-assisted and non-solvent-assisted methods. A total of 66 volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry, with flavor dilution factors ranging from 1 to 729 via aroma extraction dilution analysis. Among them, 10 odorants were identified for the first time in VCO. Moreover, 41 volatiles were confirmed as aroma-active compounds with odor activity values greater than 1. Aroma recombination and omission studies demonstrated that aldehydes, esters, acids, and heterocyclic compounds significantly contribute to the aroma profiles of VCO. Hexanal, octanal, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, decyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, 2-methylbutyl (Z)-2-methyl-2-butenoate, 2-methylbutanoic acid, hexanoic acid, 2-pentylfuran, and 2-methyl-3-furanthiol could impart roasted-like, nut-like, fat-like, fruit-like, grass-like, and sweat-like odors and were the key odorants in VCO. The lipoxygenase pathway was possibly responsible for the formation of key odorants in VCO. This work provides an extract aroma consistent for virgin camellia oil.

Longitudinal crossover and the dynamics of uniform electron ellipsoids focused by a linear chirp

High-resolution single-shot nonrelativistic ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) relies on adaptive optics to compress high-intensity bunches using radio frequency (RF) cavities. We present a comprehensive discussion of the analytic approaches available to characterize bunch dynamics as an electron bunch goes through a longitudinal focal point after an RF cavity where space charge effects can be large. Methods drawn from the Coulomb explosion literature, the accelerator physics literature, and the analytic Gaussian model developed for UEM are compared, utilized, and extended in some cases. In particular the longitudinal focus may occur in two different regimes, a bounce-back regime and a crossover regime; and we characterize the critical point separating these regimes in the zero-emittance model. Results from N-particle simulations using efficient multipole methods are compared to the theoretical models revealing features requiring extensions of the analytic approaches; and in particular mechanisms for emittance growth and transfer are discussed.

Studying the Evaluation Model of the Nutritional Quality of Edible Vegetable Oil Based on Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake

Edible vegetable oils can provide most of the fatty acids, vitamin E, and certain phytochemicals necessary in the daily human diet to facilitate the required physiological activities. However, there are many types of edible vegetable oils on the market, and evaluating their nutritional quality is a matter of significant interest to consumers and producers. Most of the existing research studies that comparatively analyze and qualitatively describe the type, content, and proportion of nutrients in edible vegetable oil lack a comprehensive method for evaluating the nutritional quality of edible vegetable oil. Based on the physical and chemical analysis of fatty acids, vitamins, and phytochemicals in edible vegetable oil, this study aims to establish a model for a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional quality of edible vegetable oils. The characteristic nutrients in edible vegetable oil were screened as the evaluation index, while the 2013 China Dietary Reference Intake and French Population Reference Intakes For Fatty Acids was considered the evaluation threshold. When each evaluation index in the edible vegetable oil reached the range stipulated by the reference intake of dietary nutrients, the index will get 1 point. The total score of each index was accumulated to evaluate the nutritional quality of the edible vegetable oils comprehensively. In this study, 13 edible vegetable oils, including low erucic acid rapeseed oil (in America, people usually call it canola oil), soybean oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, flaxseed oil, edible blend oil, olive oil, palm oil, corn oil, camellia oil, peony seed oil, sacha inchi oil, and sesame oil, were selected as the evaluation objects because they are very common in China. Seven evaluation indexes were found for total saturated fatty acids (SFAs), atherogenic fatty acids (SFAs with 12, 14, and 16 carbon chains), monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids like linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, vitamin E, and phytosterol. When the evaluation index met the evaluation threshold, it was scored 1 point. Scores ranged from 2 to 6. The highest scores were obtained from peony seed oil, flaxseed oil, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, and edible blend oil all of which were 6 points. The lowest score belonged to palm oil at 2 points. The higher the score, the higher the degree of satisfaction between the various nutrients in the edible vegetable oil and the dietary reference intake of this model is. This paper establishes a new method for the nutritional evaluation of edible vegetable oils, which is convenient for comparing the overall nutritional quality of different kinds of edible vegetable oils while providing a new technique for the extensive evaluation of edible vegetable oil.

Melamine Foam Derived 2H/1T MoS2 as Flexible Interlayer with Efficient Polysulfides Trapping and Fast Li+ Diffusion to Stabilize Li-S Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries featuring high-energy densities are identified as a hopeful energy storage system but are strongly impeded by shuttle effect and sluggish redox chemistry of sulfur cathodes. Herein, annealed melamine foam loaded 2H/1T MoS₂ (CF@2H/1T MoS₂) is prepared as a multifunctional interlayer to inhibit the shuttle effect, improve redox kinetics, and reduce the charge-discharge polarization of Li-S batteries. The CF@2H/1T MoS₂ becomes fragmented structures after assembling the cell, which not only benefits to adsorb and catalyze LiPSs but also to significantly buffer the volume expansion due to a large number of gaps between fragmented structures. Meanwhile, the batteries based on CF@2H/1T MoS₂ interlayer delivers high areal capacity of 5.1 mAh cm^-2 under high sulfur mass loading of 7.6 mg cm^-2 at 0.2 C. Importantly, the experiments of in situ Raman spectra demonstrate that the CF@2H/1T MoS₂ can obviously inhibit the shuttle effect by effectively adsorbing and catalyzing LiPSs. This novel design idea and low-cost melamine foam raw material open up a new way for the application of high-energy density Li-S batteries.

A sensitive biomolecules detection device with catalytic hairpin assembly and cationic conjugated polymer-assisted dual signal amplification strategy

A simple, sensitive, selective, and enzyme-free homogeneous fluorescent biosensing device for DNA and protein detection is fabricated based on catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA), cationic conjugated polymer (CCP), and graphene oxide (GO). In this biosensing device, CCP together with CHA, provides dual signal amplification, and GO suppresses the background when the target is absent. Thus, this CHA/CCP/GO-based biosensor shows improved sensitivity compared with conventional CHA-based biosensors. In the biosensor, two 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled hairpin DNA probes (H1 and H2) are designed, and in the initial state, they could absorb on the surface of GO, leading the system to produce a low background fluorescence signal. When the target DNA appears, it continually catalyzes the formation of H1-H2 double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) complex by CHA reaction, which could be regarded as the first-step amplification. At the same time, the H1-H2 dsDNA complex departures from the surface of GO and interacts with CCP through electrostatic interaction. Then, CCP provides the second-step amplification due to its high fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency from CCP to FAM. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) for the target DNA could reach 32 pM and 1 nM, respectively. The linear range was from 0.1 to 40 nM, and relative standard deviation (RSD) for the points on the calibration curve ranged from 2.8% to 13.9%. This strategy could also be applied to protein detection potentially by integrating the aptamer of the target protein into the hairpin DNA. As proof of concept, thrombin was detected, and the LOD and LOQ was 11 pM and 33 pM, respectively. The linear range was from 3 to 54 nM, and RSD ranged from 3.3% to 10.4%. It showed good selectivity for thrombin compared to equal concentrations of interferences. It was also applied to quantify the thrombin (5, 10, 20 nM) in 1% spiked human serum, which showed satisfying recovery in the range of 94.7 ± 5.3 to 103.7 ± 4.9%.

Nitrogen-sulfur co-doped pH-insensitive fluorescent carbon dots for high sensitive and selective hypochlorite detection

Carbon dots (CDs) are novel fluorescent carbon nanomaterial with exceptional properties and have drawn great attention in recent years. However, the preparation and applications of high-quality carbon dots remain challenging. Here, we describe a simple hydrothermal synthesis route using citric acid as a carbon source for stable fluorescent CDs. The CDs are modified with glutathione and exhibit high fluorescent quantum yields (30.2%) and excellent photo-stability. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of CDs remains stable over a wide range of pH values (3-12). Hypochlorite (ClO^-) can effectively quench the fluorescence of the CDs by destroying the pyrrolic ring and conjugate structure of the CDs. Thus, the CDs can be used to detect ClO^-. Under optimized conditions, the fluorescence intensity changes of CDs correspond selectively to ClO^- in the range of 100-800 nmol/L with a LOD of 16 nmol/L. Practical applications of the proposed method for free chlorine detection in tap water show similar results and recovery compared to the standard DPD-based method. These results suggest that the pH-insensitive CDs prepared via this facile procedure are a promising chemosensor for free chlorine and have great potential in analytical applications.

Semantic and attentional networks in bilingual processing: fMRI connectivity signatures of translation directionality

Comparisons between backward and forward translation (BT, FT) have long illuminated the organization of bilingual memory, with neuroscientific evidence indicating that FT would involve greater linguistic and attentional demands. However, no study has directly assessed the functional interaction between relevant mechanisms. Against this background, we conducted the first fMRI investigation of functional connectivity (FC) differences between BT and FT. In addition to yielding lower behavioral outcomes, FT was characterized by increased FC between a core semantic hub (the left anterior temporal lobe, ATL) and key nodes of attentional and vigilance networks (left inferior frontal, left orbitofrontal, and bilateral parietal clusters). Instead, distinct FC patterns for BT emerged only between the left ATL and the right thalamus, a region implicated in automatic relaying of sensory information to cortical regions. Therefore, FT seems to involve enhanced coupling between semantic and attentional mechanisms, suggesting that asymmetries in cross-language processing reflect dynamic interactions between linguistic and domain-general systems.

Highly Conductive PDMS Composite Mechanically Enhanced with 3D-Graphene Network for High-Performance EMI Shielding Application

A highly conductive three-dimensional (3D) graphene network (GN) was fabricated by chemical vapor deposition on a 3D nickel fiber network and subsequent etching process. Then a lightweight and flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/GN composite was prepared by a vacuum infiltration method by using the graphene network as a template. The composite showed the superior electrical conductivity of 6100 S/m even at a very low loading level of graphene (1.2 wt %). As a result, an outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of around 40 and 90 dB can be achieved in the X-band at thicknesses of 0.25 and 0.75 mm, respectively, which are much higher than most of the conductive polymers filled with carbon. The 3D graphene network can also act as a mechanical enhancer for PDMS. With a loading level of 1.2 wt %, the composite shows a significant increase by 256% in tensile strength.

Structural Features and Photoelectric Properties of Si-Doped GaAs under Gamma Irradiation

GaAs has been demonstrated to be a promising material for manufacturing semiconductor light-emitting devices and integrated circuits. It has been widely used in the field of aerospace, due to its high electron mobility and wide band gap. In this study, the structural and photoelectric characteristics of Si-doped GaAs under different gamma irradiation doses (0, 0.1, 1 and 10 KGy) are investigated. Surface morphology studies show roughen of the surface with irradiation. Appearance of transverse-optical (TO) phonon mode and blueshift of TO peak reflect the presence of internal strain with irradiation. The average strain has been measured to be 0.009 by Raman spectroscopy, indicating that the irradiated zone still has a good crystallinity even at a dose of 10 KGy. Photoluminescence intensity is increased by about 60% under 10 KGy gamma irradiation due to the strain suppression of nonradiative recombination centers. Furthermore, the current of Si-doped GaAs is reduced at 3V bias with the increasing gamma dose. This study demonstrates that the Si-doped GaAs has good radiation resistance under gamma irradiation, and appropriate level of gamma irradiation can be used to enhance the luminescence property of Si-doped GaAs.

Probing the Origin of Gold Dissolution and Tunneling Across Ni2P Shell Using in situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

Hybrid core-shell catalysts possess superior physiochemical properties that are closely related to their atomic structures. Here, we report novel diffusion phenomena in an Au-Ni₂P yolk-shell structure using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The Au yolks can dissolve completely into and diffuse across the Ni₂P shell at 500 °C, resulting in an inward volume expansion of the Ni₂P shell and shrinkage of the void. The dissolved Au is subsequently segregated, forming a new crystal on the outer layer of the shell. A detailed atomic-scale resolution imaging revealed that the outward Au diffusion and aggregation occur when the Au yolks are epitaxial to the Ni₂P shells. Theoretical analysis shows that the outward diffusion and deposition of Au atoms is primarily driven by the excess epitaxial strain energy.