The conventional production of platform compounds from biomass suffers from low yield, long residence time, and waste of cellulose and lignin components. To achieve the separation of three components ...in sugarcane bagasse with a high yield of furfural (FF), this study investigated various factors such as reaction temperature and time, pressure, acid concentration within the pressurized phosphoric acid/acetone/water (PPAWS) system. The results indicated that under the optimized conditions of external pressure (1.5 Mpa N2), solid/liquid ratio (1:52.8 g ml−1), acid concentration (8.3 wt% H3PO4) and dose of metal chloride salt (25 % AlCl3), a high yield (72.7 %) of FF and high content of cellulose (92.63 %) in the hydrolysis residue were obtained in only 5 min. The lignin was retained in the hydrolysate and its content in the hydrolysis residue was only 4.4 %, with a removal rate of 93.4 %. The interaction experiments demonstrated the synergistic effect among these factors. Furthermore, this study pioneered the online visualization of catalytic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse using a high-pressure differential scanning calorimeter to monitor heat absorption and exothermic reactions. It implied that the acetone present emerged as a solvent that promoted FF production by inhibiting the condensation reactions under high pressure.
•High yield of FF and high purity cellulose residue was produced in PPAWS system.•External and internal factors as well as their interaction on FF yield was studied.•DSC was used to monitor heat absorption and exothermic reactions in hydrolysis.
Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) is a pore protein located in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Its channel gating mediates mitochondrial respiration and cell metabolism, and it has been ...identified as a critical modulator of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. In many diseases characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, VDAC1 is considered a promising potential therapeutic target. However, there is limited research on the regulatory factors involved in VDAC1 protein expression in both normal and pathological states. In this study, we find that VDAC1 protein expression is up-regulated in various neuronal cell lines in response to intracellular metabolic and oxidative stress. We further demonstrate that VDAC1 expression is modulated by intracellular ATP level. Through the use of pharmacological agonists and inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA), we reveal that the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway is involved in regulating VDAC1 expression. Additionally, based on bioinformatics predictions and biochemical verification, we identify p53 as a potential transcription factor that regulates
VDAC1
promoter activity during metabolic oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that VDAC1 expression is regulated by the AMPK/PGC-1α and p53 pathways, which contributes to the maintenance of stress adaptation and apoptotic homeostasis in neuronal cells.
Rubisco activase (RCA) regulates the activity of Rubisco and is a key enzyme of photosynthesis. RCA expression was widely reported to affect plant photosynthesis and crop yield, but the molecular ...basis of natural variation in RCA expression in a wide range of maize materials has not been fully elucidated.
In this study, correlation analysis in approximately 200 maize inbred lines revealed a significantly positive correlation between the expression of maize RCA gene ZmRCAβ and grain yield. A genome-wide association study revealed both cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs) and trans-eQTLs underlying the expression of ZmRCAβ, with the latter playing a more important role. Further allele mining and genetic transformation analysis showed that a 2-bp insertion and a 14-bp insertion in the promoter of ZmRCAβ conferred increased gene expression. Because rice is reported to have higher RCA gene expression than does maize, we subsequently compared the genetic factors underlying RCA gene expression between maize and rice. The promoter activity of the rice RCA gene was shown to be stronger than that of the maize RCA gene, suggesting that replacing the maize RCA gene promoter with that of the rice RCA gene would improve the expression of RCA in maize.
Our results revealed two DNA polymorphisms regulating maize RCA gene ZmRCAβ expression, and the RCA gene promoter activity of rice was stronger than that of maize. This work increased understanding of the genetic mechanism that underlies RCA gene expression and identify new targets for both genetic engineering and selection for maize yield improvement.
Silicon dioxide (SiO2) has huge reserves and relatively high theoretical specific capacity (1965 mAh g−1) on the earth, so it is recognized by many researchers as one of the anode materials for the ...next generation lithium-ion battery (LIBs). However, compared with commercial graphite materials, silicon-based anode materials are severely limited in wide application because of their poor conductivity, low lithium-ion (Li+) diffusivity and huge volume effect, which lead to obvious capacity attenuation and poor rate performance. Herein, we developed a simple method to prepare silica nanotubes (SNTs) by sol-gel method with Cetrimonium Bromide-Disodium edetate dihydrate (CTAB-EDTA) template. SNTs were modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to form SNTs with amino groups (SNTs-NH2). The SiO2 tubes were coated with N−doped carbon layer by self-assembly of amino carboxyl groups of tartaric acid, melamine and SNTs-NH2. The unique hollow tubular structure can maintain the stability of the structure and interface to a certain extent during the lithium/de-lithium process, thus improving the cycle stability of the electrode. In addition, N-doped carbon layer can not only improve the electron migration rate, but also contribute to the storage and transfer of Li+. Compared with the original SNTs, N−doped carbon-coated SNTs (NC@SNTs) has a reversible capacity of 972 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, a cycle stability capacity of 634 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 1 A g−1. Therefore, the unique template and self-assembly process can prepare anode composites with excellent properties. It is of great significance to the large-scale production and commercial application of silicon−based anode LIBs in the future.
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•A unique template, CTAB-EDTA, was used to prepare NC@SNTs composites by sol-gel and self-assembly methods.•The hollow structure of NC@SNTs composites can slow down the volume change during charge and discharge.•N doping can introduce more defects and reaction sites, and improve the wettability of the electrode.•The material exhibits a reversible capacity of 972 mAh g−1 after undergoing 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1.
Cyclic electron transport (CET) around photosystem I (PSI) mediated by the NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex is closely related to plant salt tolerance. However, whether overexpression of a core ...subunit of the NDH complex affects the photosynthetic electron transport under salt stress is currently unclear. Here, we expressed the NDH complex L subunit (Ndhl) genes ZmNdhl1 and ZmNdhl2 from C4 plant maize (Zea mays) or OsNdhl from C3 plant rice (Oryza sativa) using a constitutive promoter in rice. Transgenic rice lines expressing ZmNdhl1, ZmNdhl2, or OsNdhl displayed enhanced salt tolerance, as indicated by greater plant height, dry weight, and leaf relative water content, as well as lower malondialdehyde content compared to wild-type plants under salt stress. Fluorescence parameters such as post-illumination rise (PIR), the prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence transient (OJIP), modulated 820-nm reflection (MR), and delayed chlorophyll a fluorescence (DF) remained relatively normal in transgenic plants during salt stress. These results indicate that expression of ZmNdhl1, ZmNdhl2, or OsNdhl increases cyclic electron transport activity, slows down damage to linear electron transport, alleviates oxidative damage to the PSI reaction center and plastocyanin, and reduces damage to electron transport on the receptor side of PSI in rice leaves under salt stress. Thus, expression of Ndhl genes from maize or rice improves salt tolerance by enhancing photosynthetic electron transport in rice. Maize and rice Ndhl genes played a similar role in enhancing salinity tolerance and avoiding photosynthetic damage.
•Expression of maize (ZmNdhl1, ZmNdhl2), or rice (OsNdhl) in rice enhances salt tolerance.•Expression of Ndhl improves cyclic electron transport rate, alleviates salinity damage to photosynthetic electron transport.•Maize and rice Ndhl genes have similar ability to enhance salinity tolerance and photosynthetic electron transport.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with high mortality and poor prognosis due to a lack of predictive markers. However, research on small nuclear RNAs (snoRNAs) in HCC were very ...little. This study aimed to identify a potential diagnostic and prognostic snoRNA signature for HCC.
HCC datasets from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and international cancer genome consortium (ICGC) cohorts were used. Differentially expressed snoRNA (DEs) were identified using the limma package. Based on the DEs, diagnostic and prognostic models were established by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and COX analysis, and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of signatures. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were used to analyze the risk score and further explore the potential correlation between the risk groups and tumor immune status in TCGA. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to determine the functions of key snoRNAs.
We constructed a 6-snoRNAs signature which could classify patients into high- or low-risk groups and found that patients in the high-risk group had a worse prognosis than those in the low-risk group and were significantly involved in p53 processes. Tumor immune status analysis revealed that CTLA4 and PDCD1 (PD1) were highly expressed in the high-risk group, which responded to PD1 inhibitor therapy. Additionally, a 25-snoRNAs diagnostic signature was constructed with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.933 for distinguishing HCCs from normal controls. Finally, 3 key snoRNAs (SNORA11, SNORD124, and SNORD46) were identified with both diagnostic and prognostic efficacy, some of which were closely related to the spliceosome and Notch signaling pathways.
Our study identified 6 snoRNAs that may serve as novel prognostic models and 3 key snoRNAs with both diagnostic and prognostic efficacy for HCC.
Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing contributes to the generation of drug resistance worldwide, and is particularly common in China. We assessed the effectiveness of an antimicrobial stewardship ...programme aiming to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in paediatric outpatients by targeting providers and caregivers in primary care hospitals in rural China.
We did a pragmatic, cluster-randomised controlled trial with a 6-month intervention period. Clusters were primary care township hospitals in two counties of Guangxi province in China, which were randomly allocated to the intervention group or the control group (in a 1:1 ratio in Rong county and in a 5:6 ratio in Liujiang county). Randomisation was stratified by county. Eligible participants were children aged 2–14 years who attended a township hospital as an outpatient and were given a prescription following a primary diagnosis of an upper respiratory tract infection. The intervention included clinician guidelines and training on appropriate prescribing, monthly prescribing peer-review meetings, and brief caregiver education. In hospitals allocated to the control group, usual care was provided, with antibiotics prescribed at the individual clinician's discretion. Patients were masked to their allocated treatment group but doctors were not. The primary outcome was the antibiotic prescription rate in children attending the hospitals, defined as the cluster-level proportion of prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections in 2–14-year-old outpatients, issued during the final 3 months of the 6-month intervention period (endline), that included one or more antibiotics. The outcome was based on prescription records and analysed by modified intention-to-treat. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN14340536.
We recruited all 25 eligible township hospitals in the two counties (14 hospitals in Rong county and 11 in Liujiang county), and randomly allocated 12 to the intervention group and 13 to the control group. We implemented the intervention in three internal pilot clusters between July 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2015, and in the remaining nine intervention clusters between Oct 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016. Between baseline (the 3 months before implementation of the intervention) and endline (the final 3 months of the 6-month intervention period) the antibiotic prescription rate at the individual level decreased from 82% (1936/2349) to 40% (943/2351) in the intervention group, and from 75% (1922/2548) to 70% (1782/2552) in the control group. After adjusting for the baseline antibiotic prescription rate, stratum (county), and potentially confounding patient and prescribing doctor covariates, this endline difference between the groups represented an intervention effect (absolute risk reduction in antibiotic prescribing) of −29% (95% CI −42 to −16; p=0·0002).
In China's primary care setting, pragmatic interventions on antimicrobial stewardship targeting providers and caregivers substantially reduced prescribing of antibiotics for childhood upper respiratory tract infections.
Department of International Development (UKAID) through Communicable Diseases Health Service Delivery.
The production of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) is considered promising for carbon resource recovery from waste streams. However, a large quantity of external electron donors are often required, ...causing great cost and environmental impact. Therefore, in this study, a two-stage technology was developed to produce MCFAs from carbohydrate-rich wastewater without external electron donor addition, with the biofilm development and pH impact being explored. Stage I aimed at converting organics into ethanol and a yeast biofilm reactor is innovatively applied. The results showed that the yeast biofilm could quickly form on carriers with steady-state thickness reaching 50–200 μm. However, the attachment of yeast biofilm was weak at the initial stage so that the violent turbulence should be avoided during operation. The polyurethane foam was the most suitable for yeast biofilm development among the tested carriers, as evidenced by the highest ethanol production, accounting for 74.2% of soluble organics. The Nakaseomyces was the main fungal genus in the steady-state biofilm, while lactic acid bacteria were also developed, resulting in lactate and acetate production. In Stage II, the yeast biofilm reactor effluent was applied for MCFA production at different pH (5–8). However, the MCFA production selectivity was significantly affected by pH, with 65.2% at pH of 5 but decreasing substantially to 3.0% at pH of 8. Both the microbial and electron transfer efficiency analysis suggested that mildly acidic pH can promote the electron transfer from ethanol toward the chain elongation process instead of its excessive oxidation. Thus, if conditions of online extraction or microbial tolerance permit, a lower pH should be recommended for Stage II in the developed technology as well as other ethanol-based MCFA production process. This is a conceptual study that eliminated external electron donor addition in MCFAs production and provide a sustainable and reliable way in carbon resources recovery.
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•A two-stage technology was developed to produce MCFA from waste stream without external electron donors.•74.2% of soluble organics are converted to ethanol in Stage I yeast biofilm reactor.•PU foam is preferable for yeast biofilm quick development but violent turbulence should be avoided.•LAB also grew in yeast biofilm, benefical to biofilm development, but causing byproducts.•Low pH promotes electron transfer from ethanol to MCFA production instead of excessive oxidation.
The unchecked growth of Eichhornia crassipes can cause significant harm, including covering of the water surface, depletion of oxygen, clogging of river channels, and promotion of the breeding of ...flies and mosquitoes. These effects can significantly impact farmland irrigation, water transportation, and human health. However, methods for controlling its growth are not ideal, and control using biological and chemical agents can result in secondary pollution. The utilization of E. crassipes as a resource, for example, as animal feed or organic substrates, can not only turn waste into valuable resources, but it can also solve the problem of its growth, thus bringing about economic and ecological benefits. In this paper, the growth and ecological characteristics of E. crassipes, its nutrient composition, and resource utilization approaches were reviewed. The challenges associated with the large-scale utilization of E. crassipes were also analyzed in order to provide references for the control and resource utilization of the species. Regarding challenges such as the difficulty of cultivation and the high cost of harvesting and dehydrating, it is necessary to investigate the proper water surface and coverage characteristics of E. crassipes cultivation to assure adequate biomass and protect the ecological landscape. It is also necessary to evaluate the effect of E. crassipes cultivation on the health of aquatic ecosystems and the safety of the water environment in order to prevent the significant potential ecological and environmental risks. In addition, developing portable, high-efficiency facilities to promote the effectiveness of harvesting, transportation and dehydration are needed, as well as further improvement in the techniques of utilization and assessment of the economic value.
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