Iron is a vital element in nearly every living organism. During pregnancy, optimal iron concentration is essential for both maternal health and fetal development. As the barrier between the mother ...and fetus, placenta plays a pivotal role in mediating and regulating iron transport. Imbalances in iron metabolism correlate with severe adverse pregnancy outcomes. Like most other nutrients, iron exhibits a U-shaped risk curve. Apart from iron deficiency, iron overload is also dangerous since labile iron can generate reactive oxygen species, which leads to oxidative stress and activates ferroptosis. In this review, we summarized the molecular mechanism and regulation signals of placental iron trafficking under physiological conditions. In addition, we revealed the role of iron metabolism and ferroptosis in the view of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus, which may bring new insight to the pathogenesis and treatment of pregnancy-related diseases.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
To optimize the preparation of ACE inhibitory peptides from black soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), three enzymatic methods were compared, with the technical conditions optimized by response surface ...analysis. The black soybean protein hydrolysate inhibited 70.38% of the ACE activity. The ACE inhibitory peptides were isolated from black soybean protein hydrolysates by macro-porous resin, ultrafiltration, and Sephadex G-15. Four fractions were obtained, with each fraction having some ACE inhibitory activity. Fraction III exhibited the highest activity of 90.78%, and a molecular weight range of 145–468 Da. The ACE inhibitory peptides were stable across a range of pH values (2–10), at temperatures <40 °C, and in the presence of metal ions (Ca2+, K+, Mg2+), but had little resistance to digestive enzymes. These results indicated that the ACE inhibitory peptides of black soybean are substrate-type inhibitory peptides.
•Microwave-assisted Alcalase hydrolysis was used to prepare black soybean protein hydrolysate.•The hydrolysis parameters were optimized using response surface methodology.•The hydrolysates exhibited an excellent stability in a wide variety of conditions.•ACE inhibition peptides with the highest activity were obtained by purification.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity and mechanisms of citral, limonene and eugenol against Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. All the three essential oil ingredients presented ...strong antifungal activities against Z. rouxii. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of citral, limonene and eugenol were 0.188, 0.75 and 0.4 μL/mL, and the minimum fungicidal concentrations were 0.375, 3 and 0.8 μL/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the tested essential oil compounds had destructive effects on the yeast cell surface. After treated by citral, limonene and eugenol, the relative electric conductivity and leakage of nucleic acid were increased significantly. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the essential oil components could result in the loss of soluble proteins and might also destroy the yeast protein or inhibit their expression. These results demonstrated that citral, limonene and eugenol exerted their antifungal action against Z. rouxii through cell membrane damage and destruction of cellular proteins. This study provided a theoretical possibility that citral, limonene and eugenol could be used as natural food preservatives for the control of Z. rouxii-related spoilage in the fruit juice industry.
•MIC and MFC of citral, limonene and eugenol against Z. rouxii were determined.•Citral, limonene and eugenol had destructive effects on the yeast cell surface.•The electric conductivity and leakage of nucleic acid were increased significantly.•The essential oil ingredients might destroy the protein or inhibit their synthesis.•The antifungal mechanisms were membrane damage and destruction of proteins.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Cu(II) decorated thiol-functionalized MOF was used as transfer medium of charge carriers.•The UiOS-Cu transformed the I-type transfer mechanism in CdS/ZnS into II-type ...mechanism.•Cu(II) markedly lifted the HOMO of UiOS-Cu to the position higher than the VB of CdS.•The optimized UiOSCu-CdS/ZnS exhibited a high H2 generation rate of 425.5 μmol/h.•The AQE was as high as 24.6% at the wavelength of 365 nm without noble metal co-catalyst.
Herein, a new photocatalyst (UiOS-Cu-CdS/ZnS, abbreviated as SCu-CZS) with hierarchical structure is well-designed by loading CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) onto Cu (II) decorated thiol-functionalized UiO-66 (UiOS-Cu) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for water splitting, where CdS and ZnS QDs are evenly distributed on the surface and in the channels of MOF, respectively, and Cu (II) ions are connected with thiol groups. We find that the UiOS-Cu, as an efficient medium for the separation and transfer of charge carriers between CdS and ZnS, successfully transforms the I-type transfer mechanism of charge carriers in CdS/ZnS heterojunction into II-type transfer mechanism, in which the decoration of Cu (II) plays a key role. Due to the decoration of Cu (II), the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of UiOS-Cu is markedly lifted to the position higher than the valence band (VB) of CdS, promoting the smooth transfer of photoinduced holes from the VB of CdS to the HOMO of UiOS-Cu. Thanks to this II-type transfer mechanism, the photogenerated electrons and holes are effectively separated and transferred, significantly improving the photocatalytic H2 evolution performance. The optimized SCu-CZS sample exhibits a high H2 generation rate of 425.5 μmol/h (10 mg of catalyst) with an apparent quantum efficiency of 24.6% at the wavelength of 365 nm in the absence of noble metal co-catalyst. This work indicates that MOF can be used as an efficient transfer medium of charge carriers, promoting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by transforming the transfer mechanism of photogenerated electrons and holes, which provides a new idea for the construction of MOF-based photocatalysts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Atmospheric electricity research has been conducted actively in China, having profited from the development and application of high temporal and spatial resolution lightning detection and location ...technologies. This paper reviews the scientific advances made in the field of atmospheric electricity in China from 2011 to 2018, covering the following five aspects: (1) lightning detection and location techniques; (2) discharge processes and parameters associated with rocket-triggered lightning; (3) physical processes in natural lightning and attachment to the ground; (4) lightning activities and charge structure in different thunderstorms; and (5) effects of thunderstorms on the upper atmosphere. In addition, some outstanding questions for future research are outlined.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:We assessed prospectively whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its severity predict future ischemic stroke (IS) events in a community-based cohort.
METHODS:From ...the Kailuan study, participants free of history of stroke, cancer, or myocardial infarction were enrolled after excluding alcohol abuse and other liver diseases. NAFLD was evaluated through ultrasonography. Participants with NAFLD were further stratified into mild, moderate, and severe groups. The outcome was the first occurrence of IS. The secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction and combined vascular events. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios and 95% CIs of incident IS according to presence and severity of NAFLD, adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index, smoker, history of hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, lipid-lowering medication, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), triglyceride, hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), and fasting blood glucose.
RESULTS:During a median of 10.34 years of follow-up, we documented 3490 incident stroke cases among 79 905 participants. NAFLD was found in 24 874 (31.18%) participants. Relative to participants without NAFLD at the baseline, those with NAFLD had a 16% higher risk (95% CI, 1.07–1.26) of developing ischemic stroke, after adjusted for confounding variables. The hazard ratios for patients with mild, moderate, and severe NAFLD were 1.15 (95% CI, 1.05–1.25), 1.19 (95% CI, 1.06–1.34), and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.08–1.50), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS:The severity of NAFLD is associated with a higher risk of future ischemic stroke events.
The first use of the combination of ammonium citrate (AC) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as coordinating precursors for the synthesis of highly fluorescent (quantum yield = 67%) ...multicolour nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) is reported. Under UV light, these CDs emitted outstanding luminescence in colours from dark blue to red. Interestingly, a single component white-light CD point with high fluorescence efficiency was obtained by surface control. Alterations of the photoluminescence (PL) emission of these full-colour CDs were tentatively proposed to benefit from surface functional groups, such as Cdouble bond, length as m-dashO and Cdouble bond, length as m-dashN. An energy-level model was proposed to explain the continuously adjustable full-colour emission. The white light may be attributed to the overlap of diverse light emission induced by electron transitions between the energy levels. Subsequently, to avoid aggregation-induced solid-state fluorescence quenching, multicolour CD-based sandwich glasses with various colour emission was fabricated, which is anticipated to be compatible with the all-optical light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The facile preparation and outstanding optical features are believed to provide an alternative synthesis route and inspire more research into applications and CD-based materials of multicolour CDs.
This article provides an overview of solution-based methods for the controllable synthesis of metal oxides and their applications for electrochemical energy storage. Typical solution synthesis ...strategies are summarized and the detailed chemical reactions are elaborated for several common nanostructured transition metal oxides and their composites. The merits and demerits of these synthesis methods and some important considerations are discussed in association with their electrochemical performance. We also propose the basic guideline for designing advanced nanostructure electrode materials, and the future research trend in the development of high power and energy density electrochemical energy storage devices.
Various solution-based synthesis methods for common metal oxide nanostructures and associated reaction mechanisms are reviewed.
Introduction
In the realm of emerging e-commerce platforms, the influence of online shopping events, specifically online carnival promotions (OSC), on consumer behavior is a significant area of ...interest.This paper delves into the effects of such promotions on consumer perceptions, a topic that has not been extensively explored in academic research.
Methods
To investigate this phenomenon, two distinct studies were conducted. The first study employed a questionnaire-based experiment involving 220 participants, divided into two groups. The first study examined the mediating role of cognitive legitimacy in the relationship between OSC events organized by new e-commerce platforms and the perceptions of consumers. The second study utilized an event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment with 33 participants to explore the differences in consumer perceptions between OSC promotions and general promotions by new e-commerce platforms. This study measured the brain’s response to promotional stimuli to gain insights into the cognitive processes involved.
Results
The first study yielded results that suggest OSC activities can facilitate the establishment of cognitive legitimacy for new e-commerce platforms. This, in turn, was found to be associated with an increase in positive purchase intentions among consumers. In the second study, the ERPs data indicated that exposure to OSC promotional materials elicited larger P2 and N2 ERP components when participants were presented with the logo of a new e-commerce platform. This was in contrast to the response to general promotional materials, suggesting a heightened cognitive and perceptual engagement with OSC promotions.
Discussion
The findings from both studies collectively imply that OSC promotions have a distinct impact on consumer perceptions and cognitive processes. The implicit memory triggered by these promotions appears to influence the identification of new platforms and the mechanisms of cognitive control during online shopping. This, in turn, may have implications for explicit consumer behavior, suggesting that OSC promotions could be a powerful tool for shaping consumer attitudes and behaviors in the e-commerce space. The results underscore the importance of understanding the nuances of consumer engagement with new e-commerce platforms and the role of promotional strategies in fostering a positive brand image and consumer loyalty.
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play multiple key regulatory roles in various cellular pathways. However, their functions in HIV-1 latent infection remain largely unknown. Here we show that a lncRNA ...named NRON, which is highly expressed in resting CD4(+) T lymphocytes, could be involved in HIV-1 latency by specifically inducing Tat protein degradation. Our results suggest that NRON lncRNA potently suppresses the viral transcription by decreasing the cellular abundance of viral transactivator protein Tat. NRON directly links Tat to the ubiquitin/proteasome components including CUL4B and PSMD11, thus facilitating Tat degradation. Depletion of NRON, especially in combination with a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, significantly reactivates the viral production from the HIV-1-latently infected primary CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Our data indicate that lncRNAs play a role in HIV-1 latency and their manipulation could be a novel approach for developing latency-reversing agents.
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