Given the highly increased incidence of human diseases, a better understanding of the related mechanisms regarding endogenous metabolism is urgently needed. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics has ...been used in a variety of disease research areas. However, the deep research of metabolites remains a difficult and lengthy process. Fortunately, mass spectrometry is considered to be a universal tool with high specificity and sensitivity and is widely used around the world. Mass spectrometry technology has been applied to various basic disciplines, providing technical support for the discovery and identification of endogenous substances in living organisms. The combination of metabolomics and mass spectrometry is of great significance for the discovery and identification of metabolite biomarkers. The mass spectrometry tool could further improve and develop the exploratory research of the life sciences. This mini review discusses metabolomics biotechnology with a focus on recent applications of metabolomics as a powerful tool to elucidate metabolic disturbances and the related mechanisms of diseases.
Given the highly increased incidence of human diseases, a better understanding of the related mechanisms regarding endogenous metabolism is urgently needed.
The study of spatial symmetries was accomplished during the last century and had greatly improved our understanding of the properties of solids. Nowadays, the symmetry data of any crystal can be ...readily extracted from standard first-principles calculation. On the other hand, the topological data (topological invariants), the defining quantities of nontrivial topological states, are in general considerably difficult to obtain, and this difficulty has critically slowed down the search for topological materials. Here we provide explicit and exhaustive mappings from symmetry data to topological data for arbitrary gapped band structure in the presence of time-reversal symmetry and any one of the 230 space groups. The mappings are completed using the theoretical tools of layer construction and symmetry-based indicators. With these results, finding topological invariants in any given gapped band structure reduces to a simple search in the mapping tables provided.
Summary
The productivity of species‐diverse plant assemblages strongly depends on the temporal dynamics of nutrient uptake by competing neighbouring plants. Our understanding, however, of how rates ...of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) uptake might change through time between neighbouring plant species under field conditions is still very limited.
Here, we specifically measure the temporal trajectories of N, P and K uptake by staple food plants such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) when growing either in monocultures or in intercropping systems. We ask how (i) plant species combinations, (ii) N fertilization and (iii) film mulching might affect key indexes of N, P and K uptake over time. We fit logistic models to characterize the nutrient uptake trajectories.
Maximum cumulative N, P and K uptake (kg ha−1) by wheat and barley were significantly greater in wheat–maize or barley–maize intercropping systems than in wheat or barley monocultures. Cumulative nutrient uptake by intercropped maize (either with wheat or with barley) was reduced by interspecific competition at early growth stages, but it increased rapidly after wheat and barley were harvested. Maximum cumulative N and P (but not K) uptake by intercropped maize were significantly higher than the uptake by monoculture maize, particularly when N fertilizer or film mulching was applied.
Intercropping induced a significant temporal niche differentiation in maximum daily nutrient uptake rates (kg ha−1 day−1) between intercropped species. Fertilization had much stronger effects on maximum cumulative nutrient uptake of maize than that of wheat and barley. Mulching significantly increased the maximum cumulative nutrient uptake of maize and advanced the time to reach its maximum daily P and K uptake rates.
Our study provides evidence of an important temporal niche differentiation mechanism (‘temporal complementarity’) in nutrient uptake rates between neighbouring plant species. A better understanding of temporal trajectories of interspecific nutrient uptake rates remains crucial if we want to maximize the nutrient‐use efficiency and sustain overyielding (i.e. high food production) in plant species‐diverse systems such as intercropping.
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•PPy particles were deposited on electrospun PVDF fibers with the aid of PDA.•The composite fibers showed bidirectional removal ability toward cation/anion dyes.•The composite fibers ...showed excellent removal ability toward Cr(VI).
In this work, novel composite nanofibers which exhibited ‘core–shell’-like structure were fabricated through the deposition of polypyrrole (PPy) particles on the electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers with the aid of polydopamine (PDA). First, the PVDF/DA electrospun nanofibers were prepared. Then, the self-polymerization of PDA was triggered in a Tris–HCl buffer solution. After that, the pyrrole monomer was added into the distilled water containing the PVDF/PDA fibrous membrane and the chemical oxidation polymerization of PPy was triggered by adding FeCl3. Morphological characterization confirmed that the electrospun PVDF/PDA nanofibers were homogenously coated by PPy particles. Largely enhanced hydrophilicity of the fibrous membrane surface was achieved due to the presence of many nitrogen-containing groups and the increased surface roughness of nanofibers. The adsorption abilities of the composite nanofibers were investigated using Methylene Blue (MB) and Congo Red (CR) as the probe dyes. The results showed that the composite nanofibers exhibited excellent adsorption abilities toward cation and anion dyes simultaneously, and the maximum adsorption capacities were 370.4 and 384.6 mg/g for MB and CR adsorption, respectively. The adsorption behaviors toward the two dyes could be well described by the pseudo second-order adsorption model and the Langmuir adsorption model. Further results showed that the adsorption abilities of the composite nanofibers were greatly dependent upon the pH values of the solution. Furthermore, the composite nanofibers exhibited good regeneration ability. The removal ability toward Cr(VI) was also measured and the experimental adsorption capacity was 126.7 mg/g. The excellent adsorption abilities toward cation/anion dyes and heavy metal ions endow the composite nanofibers with great potential application in wastewater treatment.
A new type of purely organic light-harvesting phosphorescence energy transfer (PET) supramolecular assembly is constructed from 4-(4-bromophenyl)-pyridine modified β-cyclodextrin (CD-PY) as a donor, ...cucurbit8uril (CB8) as a mediator, rhodamine B (RhB) as an acceptor, and adamantane modified hyaluronic acid (HA-ADA) as a cancer cell targeting agent. Interestingly, the complexation of free CD-PY, which has no RTP emission in aqueous solution, with CB8 results in the formation of CD-PY@CB8 pseudorotaxane with an RTP emission at 510 nm. Then the addition of RhB leads to an efficient light-harvesting PET process with highly efficient energy transfer and an ultrahigh antenna effect (36.42) between CD-PY@CB8 pseudorotaxane and RhB. Importantly, CD-PY@CB8@RhB assembles with HA-ADA into nanoparticles with further enhanced delayed emission at 590 nm. The nanoparticles could be successfully used for mitochondria targeted imaging in A549 cancer cells. This aqueous-state PET based on a supramolecular assembly strategy has potential application in delayed fluorescence cell imaging.
A new type of purely organic light-harvesting PET supramolecular assembly is constructed with efficient energy transfer and ultrahigh antenna effect. Moreover, the assembly could be used for mitochondria targeted imaging in A549 cancer cells.
A‐spiro‐ing to greatness: The catalytic asymmetric Michael addition/cyclization of isothiocyanato oxindoles has been realized. This versatile approach provides an easy and highly efficient way to ...access not only the enantioselective synthesis of 3,2′‐pyrrolidinyl spirooxindole frameworks, but also the construction of enatiomerically enriched bi‐spirooxindoles containing three contiguous stereocenters and two spiro‐quaternary centers (see scheme).
Bio and nanomaterials based on Fe3O4 Xu, Jia-Kun; Zhang, Fang-Fang; Sun, Jing-Jing ...
Molecules,
12/2014, Volume:
19, Issue:
12
Journal Article, Book Review
Peer reviewed
Open access
During the past few years, nanoparticles have been used for various applications including, but not limited to, protein immobilization, bioseparation, environmental treatment, biomedical and ...bioengineering usage, and food analysis. Among all types of nanoparticles, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, especially Fe3O4, have attracted a great deal of attention due to their unique magnetic properties and the ability of being easily chemical modified for improved biocompatibility, dispersibility. This review covers recent advances in the fabrication of functional materials based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles together with their possibilities and limitations for application in different fields.
Background LCAR-B38M is a chimeric antigen receptor T cell product with two binding domains targeting B cell maturation antigen. Our previous reports showed a remarkable efficacy of LCAR-B38M in ...patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) at a median follow-up of 2 years. Here, we report long-term safety and efficacy data from a median follow-up of 4 years. Methods LEGEND-2 was a phase 1, single-arm, open-label study conducted in four registered sites in China. Seventy-four participants with RRMM received LCAR-B38M treatment. Lymphodepletion was performed using cyclophosphamide or cyclophosphamide plus fludarabine. LCAR-B38M, at a median dose of 0.513 x 10.sup.6 cells/kg, was intravenously administered either in three split infusions or in a single infusion. The primary objective was the safety of LCAR-B38M, and the secondary objective was efficacy. Results As of May 25, 2021, the median follow-up was 47.8 months. All patients experienced greater than or equal to 1 adverse events (AEs). Grade greater than or equal to 3 AEs were observed in 45/74 (60.8%) patients. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 68/74 (91.9%) cases; 7 (9.5%) had grade greater than or equal to 3 CRS. One patient experienced grade 1 central nervous system toxicity. The overall response rate was 87.8%. Fifty-four out of 74 (73.0%) patients achieved complete response. The median progression-free survival was 18.0 months, and the median overall survival for all patients was not reached. The median duration of response was 23.3 months. Four patients experienced viral infection more than 6 months post-infusion, and four patients developed second primary non-hematological malignancies at a median time of 11.5 months post-CAR-T cell transfer. Conclusions The 4-year follow-up data of LCAR-B38M therapy demonstrated a favorable long-term safety profile and a durable response in patients with RRMM. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03090659 (retrospectively registered on March 27, 2017); ChiCTR-ONH-17012285. Keywords: Multiple myeloma, Chimeric antigen receptor therapy, B cell maturation antigen, Safety, Efficacy
Polyploidy roles on adaptive evolution and ecological novelty have been extensively studied in plants but remained unclear in vertebrates owing to the rare polyploidy incidences. Here, a huge number ...of 3105 specimens in Carassius species complex including 2211 hexaploids and 894 tetraploids were sampled from 34 locations through mainland China. And hexaploids had wider geographic distribution than tetraploids especially in the areas with high altitude, high latitude and low annual precipitation. Then, an approximate 1050 bp transferrin (tf) fragments were amplified from all the samples, and 526 tf alleles were identified from a total of 37260 sequences at last. Intriguingly, higher nucleotide diversity of tf alleles in hexaploids than in tetraploids was revealed. Moreover, via phylogenetic analysis of tf alleles, potential origin center of Carassius species complex was deduced to be Yangtze River basin and hexaploids should undergo multiple independent polyploidy origins from sympatric tetraploids. These findings indicate that the hexaploids might possess stronger environmental adaptation and ecological novelty than the tetraploids, which provide an association paradigm of recurrent polyploidy and ecological context in polyploid vertebrates.
The proteasome in eukaryotic cells can degrade a variety of proteins and plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle, cell survival and apoptosis. The proteasome receives much attention as a ...potential chemotherapeutic target for treatment of a variety of infectious parasitic diseases, but few studies of proteasomes have been done on parasitic nematodes.
A proteasomal β5 subunit encoding gene (named Hc-pbs-5) and its inferred product (Hc-PBS-5) in Haemonchus contortus were identified and characterized in this study. Then, the transcriptional profiles and anatomical expression were studied using an integrated molecular approach. Finally, a specific proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BTZ), together with RNA interference (RNAi), was employed to assess the function of Hc-PBS-5.
Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the coding sequence of Hc-pbs-5 was 855 bp long and encoded 284 amino acids (aa). The predicted protein (Hc-PBS-5) had core conservative sequences (65-250 aa) belonging to N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn) family of hydrolases. Real-time PCR results revealed that Hc-pbs-5 was continuously transcribed in eight developmental stages with higher levels at the infective third-stage larvae (L3s) and adult males of H. contortus. Immunohistochemical results revealed that Hc-PBS-5 was expressed in intestine, outer cuticle, muscle cells under the outer cuticle, cervical glands and seminal vesicles of male adults and also in intestine, outer cuticle, cervical glands, uterine wall, eggs and ovaries of female adults of H. contortus. BTZ could reduce proportions of egg hatching, and the fourth-stage larvae (L4s) developed from the exsheathed L3s (xL3s) of H. contortus. In addition, silencing Hc-pbs-5 by soaking the specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) could decrease the transcription of Hc-pbs-5 and result in fewer xL3s developing to L4s in vitro.
These results indicate that proteasomal β5 subunit plays an important role in the growth, development and life span of H. contortus.
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