Objective
We have previously reported that the coactivation of NF‐κB and STAT3 in nonimmune cells, including synovial fibroblasts, enhances the expression of NF‐κB target genes and plays a role in ...chronic inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was undertaken to examine the role of NF‐κB activation in chondrocytes and better understand the pathogenesis of RA. Furthermore, transmembrane protein 147 (TMEM147) was investigated as a representative NF‐κB activator in chondrocytes.
Methods
Clinical samples from RA patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Specimens obtained from patients with polydactyly were used as control samples. The functional contribution of chondrocytes and TMEM147 to arthritis was examined in several murine models of RA. In vitro experiments (quantitative polymerase chain reaction, RNA interference, immunoprecipitation, and confocal microscopy) were performed to investigate the mechanism of action of TMEM147 in chondrocytes.
Results
Samples obtained from RA patients and mouse models of RA showed coactivation of NF‐κB and STAT3 in chondrocytes (P < 0.001). This coactivation induced a synergistic expression of NF‐κB targets in vitro (P < 0.01). Chondrocyte‐specific deletion of STAT3 significantly suppressed the development of cytokine‐induced RA (P < 0.01). TMEM147 was highly expressed in chondrocytes from RA patient samples and the mouse models of RA. Gene silencing of TMEM147 or anti‐TMEM147 antibody treatment inhibited the cytokine‐mediated activation of NF‐κB in vitro (P < 0.01) and suppressed cytokine‐induced RA in vivo (P < 0.01). Mechanistically, TMEM147 molecules acted as scaffold proteins for the NF‐κB complex, which included breakpoint cluster region and casein kinase 2, and enhanced NF‐κB activity.
Conclusion
These results suggest that chondrocytes play a role in the development of RA via TMEM147‐mediated NF‐κB activation and indicate a novel therapeutic strategy for RA.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
► The self-assembled cylindrical graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid can be fabricated by a simple hydrothermal process. ► The hybrid showed a good adsorption performance for the removal of methylene ...blue from aqueous solution. ► The adsorption process was characterized by kinetics and isotherm analysis.
In this study, we report the efficient removal of organic dye from aqueous solution with a self-assembled cylindrical graphene–carbon nanotube (G–CNT) hybrid which can be directly fabricated by a simple one-step hydrothermal process. The hybrid showed good performance for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution with a maximum adsorption capacity of 81.97mgg−1. The removal efficiency was found to be 97% at the initial MB concentration of 10mgL−1. The kinetics of adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while the Freundlich adsorption isotherm was applicable to describe the equilibrium adsorption process. This study suggests that carbon-based hybrid could be explored as a new adsorbent for removing organic dye pollutants from aqueous solution.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Recently, two alternative targets in insect periphery nerve system have been explored for environmentally-friendly approaches in insect pest management, namely odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and ...odorant receptors (ORs). Located in insect antennae, OBPs are thought to be involved in the transport of odorants to ORs for the specific signal transduction of behaviorally active odorants. There is rich information on OBP binding affinity and molecular docking to bioactive compounds as well as ample 3D crystal structures due to feasible production of recombinant proteins. Although these provide excellent opportunities for them to be considered as pest control targets and a tool to design pest control agents, the debates on their binding specificity represent an obstacle. On the other hand, ORs have recently been functionally characterized with increasing evidence for their specificity, sensitivity and functional roles in pest behaviors. However, a major barrier to use ORs for semiochemical discovery is the lack of 3D crystal structures. Thus, OBPs and ORs have not been analyzed comparatively together so far for their feasibility as pest control targets. Here, we summarize the state of OBPs and ORs research in terms of its application in insect pest management. We discuss the suitability of both proteins as pest control targets and their selection toward the discovery of new potent semiochemicals. We argue that both proteins represent promising targets for pest control and can be used to identify new super-ligands likely present in nature and with reduced risk of resistance development than insect pesticides currently used in agriculture. We discuss that with the massive identification of OBPs through RNA-seq and improved binding affinity measurements, these proteins could be reconsidered as suitable targets for semiochemical discovery.
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•A trading framework is designed enabling the exchange of energy and carbon allowance.•Smart contract is exploited to automate standardised auction procedure.•The bidding/selling ...prices directly target on reshaping prosumption behaviours.•Results prove that the proposed framework facilitates regional energy balance and carbon saving.
Prosumers are active participants in future energy systems who produce and consume energy. However, the emerging role of prosumers brings challenges of tracing carbon emissions behaviours and formulating pricing scheme targeting on individual prosumption behaviours. This paper proposes a novel blockchain-based peer-to-peer trading framework to trade energy and carbon allowance. The bidding/selling prices of prosumers can directly incentivise the reshaping of prosumption behaviours to achieve regional energy balance and carbon emissions mitigation. A decentralised low carbon incentive mechanism is formulated targeting on specific prosumption behaviours. Case studies using the modified IEEE 37-bus test feeder show that the proposed trading framework can export 0.99 kWh of daily energy and save 1465.90 g daily carbon emissions, outperforming the existing centralised trading and aggregator-based trading.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The outbreak of a novel corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city of Wuhan, China has resulted in more than 1.7 million laboratory confirmed cases all over the world. Recent studies showed ...that SARS-CoV-2 was likely originated from bats, but its intermediate hosts are still largely unknown. In this study, we assembled the complete genome of a coronavirus identified in 3 sick Malayan pangolins. The molecular and phylogenetic analyses showed that this pangolin coronavirus (pangolin-CoV-2020) is genetically related to the SARS-CoV-2 as well as a group of bat coronaviruses but do not support the SARS-CoV-2 emerged directly from the pangolin-CoV-2020. Our study suggests that pangolins are natural hosts of Betacoronaviruses. Large surveillance of coronaviruses in pangolins could improve our understanding of the spectrum of coronaviruses in pangolins. In addition to conservation of wildlife, minimizing the exposures of humans to wildlife will be important to reduce the spillover risks of coronaviruses from wild animals to humans.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This work reports the design of a wavelength sensor composed of two identical perovskite (FA0.85Cs0.15PbI3) photodetectors (PDs) that are capable of discriminating incident wavelength in a ...quantitative way. Due to strong wavelength‐dependent absorption coefficient, the penetration depth of the photons in the FA0.85Cs0.15PbI3 nanofilms increases with the increasing wavelength, leading to a gradual decrease of photo‐generated current for PD1, but an increase of photocurrent in PD2, according to the theoretical simulation of Technology Computer Aided Design. This special evolution of photo‐generated current as a function of wavelength facilitates the quantitative determination of the wavelength since the current ratio of both PDs monotonously decreases with the increase of wavelength from 265 to 810 nm. The average absolute error and the average relative error are estimated to be 7.6 nm and 1.68%, respectively, which are much better than other semiconductors materials‐based wavelength sensors previously reported. It is believed that the present perovskite film‐based wavelength sensor will have potential application in the future color/spectrum optoelectronic devices.
A novel wavelength sensor that is composed of two parallel perovskite photodetectors with typical Au/FA0.85Cs0.15PbI3/Au structure has been successfully fabricated. By virtue of the wavelength‐dependent penetration depth of the perovskite, the wavelength of incident light can be quantitatively estimated through the current ratio of the two devices, with quite small absolute error and relative error.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Three‐dimensional (3D) printing, also called additive manufacturing (AM) or rapid prototyping (RP), is a layer by layer manufacturing method and now has been widely used in many areas such as organ ...printing, aerospace and industrial design. Now 3D printed microfluidics attract more and more interests for its rapid printing in the lab. In this review, we focused on the advances of 3D printed microfluidic chips especially the use in the chemistry and biology (vascularization and organs on chips). Based on the brief review of different 3D printing methods, we discussed how to choose the suitable 3D printing methods to print the desired microfluidics. We predict that microfluidics will be evolved from 2D chips to 3D cubes, printed hydrogel‐based microfluidics will be reported and widely used, sensors & actuators could be integrated in the microfluidics during printing, and rapid assembling chips with printed microfluidic modules will be popular in the near future.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
BiOCl single-crystalline nanosheets with exposed {001} and {010} facets were selectively synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The resulting BiOCl single-crystalline nanosheets with exposed ...{001} facets exhibited higher activity for direct semiconductor photoexcitation pollutant degradation under UV light, but the counterpart with exposed {010} facets possessed superior activity for indirect dye photosensitization degradation under visible light.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) are often used as electron scavengers in conventional semiconductor photocatalysis to suppress electron–hole (e−–h+) recombination and promote interfacial charge ...transfer, and thus enhance photocatalytic activity of semiconductors. In this contribution, it is demonstrated that noble metal NPs such as Ag NPs function as visible‐light harvesting and electron‐generating centers during the daylight photocatalysis of AgBr@Ag. Novel Ag plasmonic photocatalysis could cooperate with the conventional AgBr semiconductor photocatalysis to enhance the overall daylight activity of AgBr@Ag greatly because of an interesting synergistic effect. After a systematic investigation of the daylight photocatalysis mechanism of AgBr@Ag, the synergistic effect was attributed to surface plasmon resonance induced local electric field enhancement on Ag, which can accelerate the generation of e−–h+ pairs in AgBr, so that more electrons are produced in the conduction band of AgBr under daylight irradiation. This study provides new insight into the photocatalytic mechanism of noble metal/semiconductor systems as well as the design and fabrication of novel plasmonic photocatalysts.
Indoor daylight active photocatalysts AgBr@Ag consisting of Ag nanoparticles and AgBr polyhedra were synthesized by a facile one‐pot nonaqueous microwave route. Their enhanced daylight photocatalytic activity could be attributed to a synergistic effect between Ag plasmonic photocatalysis and conventional AgBr semiconductor photocatalysis (see figure).
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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