Walnut (
L.) is unique for its extensive biological activities and pharmaceutical properties. There are few studies on walnut oligopeptides (WOPs), which are small molecule peptides extracted from ...walnuts. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of WOPs on ICR mice and explore the possible underlying mechanism. Mice were randomly divided into four experimental sets and each set of mice were then randomly divided into four groups. The vehicle group was administered distilled water, and the three WOP intervention groups were orally administered WOP solution at a dose of 110, 220, and 440 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. After 30 days of WOP intervention, the anti-fatigue activity of WOPs were evaluated using the weight-loaded swimming test and by measuring the change of biochemical parameters, glycogen storage and energy metabolism enzymes, anti-oxidative capacity and mitochondrial function. It was observed that WOPs could significantly prolong the swimming time, decrease the accumulation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood lactic acid (BLA), and increased the glycogen storage of liver and gastrocnemius muscle. WOPs also markedly inhibited fatigue induced oxidative stress by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and decreasing the content malondialdehyde (MDA). Notably, WOPs improved the activity of pyruvate kinase (PK), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), Na+-K+-ATPase, and enhanced the mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis factors and mitochondrial DNA content in skeletal muscles of mice. These results suggest that WOPs have beneficial anti-fatigue effects, which may be attributed to their positive effects on increasing glycogen storage, improving energy metabolism, inhibiting oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle, and ameliorating the cell damage and the muscular injury.
Hard carbon (HC) is considered as a commercial candidate for anode materials of sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost and excellent capacity. However, the problem of low initial Coulombic ...efficiency is still urgently needed to be solved to promote the industrialization of HC. In this paper, 2,2-dimethylvinyl boric acid (DEBA) is used to modify the surface of HC to prepare HC-DEBA materials. During the cycling, the C = C bonds of DEBA molecules will be in situ electro-polymerized to form a polymer network, which can act as the passive protecting layer to inhibit irreversible decomposition of electrolyte, and induce a thinner solid electrolyte interface with lower interface impedance. Therefore, HC-DEBA has higher initial Coulombic efficiency and better cycling stability. In ester-based electrolyte, the initial Coulombic efficiency of the optimized HC-DEBA-3% increases from 65.2% to 77.2%. After 2000 cycles at 1 A·g
−1
, the capacity retention rate is 90.92%. Moreover, it can provide a high reversible capacity of 294.7 mAh·g
−1
at 50 mA·g
−1
. This simple surface modification method is ingenious and versatile, which can be extended to other energy storage materials.
Graphical abstract
Background A sequenced house dust mite (HDM) genome would advance our understanding of HDM allergens, a common cause of human allergies. Objective We sought to produce an annotated Dermatophagoides ...farinae draft genome and develop a combined genomic-transcriptomic-proteomic approach for elucidation of HDM allergens. Methods A D farinae draft genome and transcriptome were assembled with high-throughput sequencing, accommodating microbiome sequences. The allergen gene structures were validated by means of Sanger sequencing. The mite's microbiome composition was determined, and the predominant genus was validated immunohistochemically. The allergenicity of a ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase binding protein homologue was evaluated with immunoblotting, immunosorbent assays, and skin prick tests. Results The full gene structures of 20 canonical allergens and 7 noncanonical allergen homologues were produced. A novel major allergen, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase binding protein–like protein, was found and designated Der f 24. All 40 sera samples from patients with mite allergy had IgE antibodies against rDer f 24. Of 10 patients tested, 5 had positive skin reactions. The predominant bacterial genus among 100 identified species was Enterobacter (63.4%). An intron was found in the 13.8-kDa D farinae bacteriolytic enzyme gene, indicating that it is of HDM origin. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed a phototransduction pathway in D farinae , as well as thiamine and amino acid synthesis pathways, which is suggestive of an endosymbiotic relationship between D farinae and its microbiome. Conclusion An HDM genome draft produced from genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic experiments revealed allergen genes and a diverse endosymbiotic microbiome, providing a tool for further identification and characterization of HDM allergens and development of diagnostics and immunotherapeutic vaccines.
Developments in semiconductor technology are propelling the dimensions of devices down to 10 nm, but facing great challenges in manufacture at the sub-10 nm scale. Nanotechnology can fabricate ...nanoribbons from two-dimensional atomic crystals, such as graphene, with widths below the 10 nm threshold, but their geometries and properties have been hard to control at this scale. Here we find that robust ultrafine molybdenum-sulfide ribbons with a uniform width of 0.35 nm can be widely formed between holes created in a MoS2 sheet under electron irradiation. In situ high-resolution transmission electron microscope characterization, combined with first-principles calculations, identifies the sub-1 nm ribbon as a Mo5S4 crystal derived from MoS2, through a spontaneous phase transition. Further first-principles investigations show that the Mo5S4 ribbon has a band gap of 0.77 eV, a Young's modulus of 300GPa and can demonstrate 9% tensile strain before fracture. The results show a novel top-down route for controllable fabrication of functional building blocks for sub-nanometre electronics.
Among a great variety of cell surface receptors, the largest superfamily is G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-transmembrane domain receptors. GPCRs can modulate diverse ...signal-transduction pathways through G protein-dependent or independent pathways which involve β-arrestins, G protein receptor kinases (GRKs), ion channels, or Src kinases under physiological and pathological conditions. Recent studies have revealed the crucial role of GPCRs in the tumorigenesis and the development of cancer metastasis. We will sum up the functions of GPCRs-particularly those coupled to chemokines, prostaglandin, lysophosphatidic acid, endothelin, catecholamine, and angiotensin-in the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis of hepatoma cells and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in this review. We also highlight the potential avenues of GPCR-based therapeutics for HCC.
Yellow and dark mealworms (Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus) biodegrade commercial polyethylene (PE) materials at a high rate. We examined the impact of physical and chemical properties on ...biodegradation using high purity microplastics (MPs). These included high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), all with different weight average molecular weights (Mw) and different crystallinity degrees in T. molitor and T. obscurus larvae. The biodegradation extent in the two mealworms was similar but strongly depended on the polymer type in sequence, since LDPE > LLDPE> HDPE (with respective Mw of 222.5, 110.5 and 182 kDa). When LDPE MPs with Mw of 0.84, 6.4 and 106.8 kDa and HDPE with Mw of 52, 105 and 132.7 kDa were tested, the PE MPs with lower Mw showed a greater extent of depolymerization. The results of dominance analysis indicated that less branching structure and higher crystallinity degree negatively impacted depolymerization and biodegradation. Py-GC/MS analysis confirmed the breaking of the macromolecule backbone as well as the formation of oxidized functional groups after all the tested PE materials passed through the mealworm intestine. The results demonstrated that molecular weight, PE type, branching, and crystallinity degree significantly affect the biodegradation capability of PE by the mealworms, and possibly by other biological systems as well.
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•Comparison of biodegrability of LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE by yellow and dark mealworms•Sequence of biodegradation extent showed LDPE > LLDPE> HDPE•Low molecular weight, high branching and low crystallinity are positive for biodegradation.•Molecular weight is a key factor influencing biodegradability.
The current research on the corrosion resistance of high entropy alloys (HEAs), mainly focuses on the influence of element composition and percentage difference. Considering the almost consistent ...passivation range with different corrosion resistance contributed by element addition, it inevitably exists obvious differences the passive film properties. The effect of passive film on corrosion behavior of HEA is worthy to be investigated in detail. Considering the microstructure transformation detected by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) and surface feedback effect measured by approach curve of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), the passivity of Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x (x = 0–20) HEAs in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution has been investigated by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Mott-Schottky analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results demonstrate that the passive film is thick and dense at low Al content (5%), which shows excellent corrosion resistance. However, with the increase of Al content, the corrosion resistance of passive film deteriorates gradually. XPS are adopted to detect film composition to explain the reason of film property change. The results suggest that there are more oxidized states of Al and less oxidized states of Cr in the passive film of HEAs with Al addition. The dominate semiconductor characteristics of Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x with Al addition change from p-type to n-type. All results indicate that the addition of Al has a significantly influence on the composition and properties of passive film on the Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x alloys surface.
•The corrosion resistance and semiconductor characterization of passive film on Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x was studied.•The phase constituents of Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x change from single FCC phase to BCC phases as more Al is being added.•A small amount of Al without phase transformation is beneficial to stabilize a thick and compact passive film.•The passive film semiconductor characteristic of Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x with Al addition is predominant from p-type to n-type.
Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) mutation is prevalent and a driver of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy for lung adenocarcinoma. Here leveraging single cell RNA sequencing data, we ...demonstrate that trafficking and adhesion process of activated T cells are defected in genetically engineered Kras-driven mouse model with Lkb1 conditional knockout. LKB1 mutant cancer cells result in marked suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1). Ectopic expression of Icam1 in Lkb1-deficient tumor increases homing and activation of adoptively transferred SIINFEKL-specific CD8
T cells, reactivates tumor-effector cell interactions and re-sensitises tumors to ICB. Further discovery proves that CDK4/6 inhibitors upregulate ICAM1 transcription by inhibiting phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein RB in LKB1 deficient cancer cells. Finally, a tailored combination strategy using CDK4/6 inhibitors and anti-PD-1 antibodies promotes ICAM1-triggered immune response in multiple Lkb1-deficient murine models. Our findings renovate that ICAM1 on tumor cells orchestrates anti-tumor immune response, especially for adaptive immunity.
The clinical features of KCNQ2-related disorders range from benign familial neonatal seizures 1 to early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 7. The genotype-phenotypic association is difficult to ...establish.
To explore potential factors in neonatal period that can predict the prognosis of neonates with KCNQ2-related disorder.
Infants with KCNQ2-related disorder were retrospectively enrolled in our study in Children's Hospital of Fudan University in China from Jan 2015 to Mar 2020. All infants were older than age of 12 months at time of follow-up, and assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (BSID-III) or Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-fourth edition (WPPSI-IV), then divided into three groups based on scores of BSID-III or WPPSI-IV: normal group, mild impairment group, encephalopathy group. We collected demographic variables, clinical characteristics, neuroimaging data. Considered variables include gender, gestational age, birth weight, age of the initial seizures, early interictal VEEG, variant location, delivery type. Variables predicting prognosis were identified using multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis.
A total of 52 infants were selected in this study. Early interictal video-electro-encephalography (VEEG) (β = 2.77, 1.20 to 4.34, P = 0.001), and variant location (β = 2.77, 0.03 to 5.5, P = 0.048) were independent risk factors for prognosis. The worse the early interictal VEEG, the worse the prognosis. Patients with variants located in the pore-lining domain or S4 segment are more likely to have a poor prognosis.
The integration of early initial VEEG and variant location can predict prognosis. An individual whose KCNQ2 variant located in voltage sensor, the pore domain, with worse early initial VEEG background, often had an adverse outcome.
The influences of SO42−, Cl−, ClO4− and BF4− on the corrosion behavior of Fe in acidic solutions were quantitatively investigated through macro- and micro-electrochemical techniques, combined with ...DFT calculation. The electrochemical results showed that the corrosion rate increased in the order of BF4−, ClO4−, Cl− and SO42−, confirmed by the negative shift of OCP and Ecorr, the decrease of Rct and the increase of k0eff of Fe oxidation. DFT calculation showed that the adsorption of SO42− on Fe(100) surface was easier and stronger than Cl−, and caused more significant Fe surface structure changes, resulting in more serious corrosion of Fe.
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•The corrosion behavior and mechanisms of Fe in acidic solution under different anions were investigated.•The increase of Fe corrosion rate in the following order of SO42− > Cl− > ClO4−> BF4−.•The k0eff of SO42− was about two orders of magnitude greater than BF4−, but αFe was similar about 0.76.•SO42− caused more significant surface structure changes and electron losses of Fe surface than Cl−.
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