Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common opportunistic pathogen that colonizes the nasopharynx. NTHi infections result in enormous global morbidity in two clinical settings: otitis media ...in children and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. Thus, there is an urgent need to design and develop effective vaccines to prevent morbidity and reduce antibiotic use. The NTHi outer membrane protein P6, a potential vaccine candidate, is highly conserved and effectively induces protective immunity. Here, to enhance mucosal immune responses, P6-loaded mannose-modified chitosan (MC) microspheres (P6-MCMs) were developed for mucosal delivery. MC (18.75%) was synthesized by the reductive amination reaction method using sodium cyanoborohydride (NaBH3CN), and P6-MCMs with an average size of 590.4±16.2 nm were successfully prepared via the tripolyphosphate (TPP) ionotropic gelation process. After intranasal immunization with P6-MCMs, evaluation of humoral immune responses indicated that P6-MCMs enhance both systemic and mucosal immune responses. Evaluation of cellular immune responses indicated that P6-MCMs enhance cellular immunity and trigger a mixed Th1/Th2-type immune response. Importantly, P6-MCMs also trigger a Th17-type immune response. They are effective in promoting lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation without toxicity in vitro. The results also demonstrate that P6-MCMs can effectively induce MHC class I- and II-restricted cross-presentation, promoting CD4+-mediated Th immune responses and CD8+-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune responses. Evaluation of protective immunity indicated that immunization with P6-MCMs can reduce inflammation in the nasal mucosa and the lung and prevent NTHi infection. In conclusion, MCMs are a promising adjuvant-delivery system for vaccines against NTHi.
A novel 2-aminoacetophenone reductase was purified to homogeneity from Arthrobacter sulfureus BW1010. The enzyme is a monomer with a molecular weight of approximately 60 kDa. Using NADPH as coenzyme, ...it catalyzes the reduction of ketones, especially amine phenyl ketones, and stereospecifically reduces 2-aminoacetophenone to (S)-2-amino-1-phenylethanol (e.e > 99.8%) with the optimal pH at 7.5.
As one of the important nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution sources of waters, the paddy water N and P runoff losses are still poorly understood in the double rice cropping system under the ...interaction of chemical fertilizer and pesticide. In the subtropical hilly region of China, we conducted a 1.5-year continuous and high-frequency monitoring of paddy water N and P concentrations, runoff N and P losses, and grain yield in a double rice-cropping system with different chemical fertilizer and pesticide application rates. The results showed that the high-risk periods for N loss were in the first 5 days after the base fertilizer (BF) application and the first 10 days after the topdressing fertilizer application in both early and late rice seasons, while the high-risk periods for P loss were in the first 5 days after BF application in the early rice season and the first 15 days after BF application in the late rice season. The N and P runoff losses in the early rice season were greater than those in the late rice season, due to that the N and P fertilizers use efficiencies were lower, and thus paddy water N and P concentrations were higher in the early rice season. The paddy N and P concentrations and N and P runoff losses increased significantly with increased fertilizer application rates, while the pesticide application rate did not significantly affect N and P losses. Therefore, special effects (e.g., avoiding high irrigation, fertilizer deep application) should be taken during the high-risk periods of N and P losses to reduce the N and P runoff losses in the double rice cropping system, especially in the early rice season. There are also potentials to reduce fertilizer and pesticide input without reducing rice grain yield for the double rice cropping system in the subtropical hilly region of China.
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•High-risk periods for N loss were 5–10 days after N fertilizer application.•High-risk periods for P loss were 5–15 days after P fertilizer application.•N and P losses in early rice season were greater than those in late rice season.•Pesticide application did not significantly affect N and P losses.
Triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid nanogenerator (HNG) exhibits exceptional output performance, rendering it a highly viable solution for powering tiny electronics in the foreseeable future. ...However, the construction of a simple structure and light weight HNG using magnetizable triboelectric materials is a highly desirable yet challenging task. Herein, we present a HNG based on flexible neodymium iron boron/polyvinyl chloride (Nd2Fe14B/PVC) composite films for efficiently harvesting mechanical energy from the environment. By embedding Nd2Fe14B powder in PVC matrix, the as-prepared Nd2Fe14B/PVC composites possess desirable triboelectricity and magnetic strength, which is advantageous in replacing traditional heavy magnets to construct a lightweight HNG with high performance. Under a force of 3.8 N and a frequency of 2.1 Hz, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) produces an output power of 4.5 mW at a loading resistance of 5 MΩ, while the electromagnetic generator (EMG) generates up to 0.11 mW at a loading resistance of 200 Ω. The HNG exhibits superior stability and better charging performance compared to single energy harvesting units. A commercial 470 μF capacitor can be charged to 3 V within 385 s through the HNG, which can continuously supply electrical energy to a hygrothermograph and vernier scale. This work provides an effective method for preparing magnetizable triboelectric materials and introduces new possibilities for the rational design of simple structure and lightweight HNGs.
A light-weight and stable hybridized triboelectric-electromagnetic nanogenerator with high-performance is designed based on flexible neodymium iron boron/polyvinyl chloride (Nd2Fe14B/PVC) composite film, which can continuously provide electrical energy for a hygrothermograph and vernier scale. Display omitted
•Design a simple and lightweight hybridized triboelectric-electromagnetic nanogenerator remains a challenge.•The novel magnetizable triboelectric film exhibits desirable triboelectricity and magnetic strength.•A hybridized nanogenerator is constructed based on flexible magnetizable Nd2Fe14B/PVC film.•The hybridized nanogenerator can continuously power a hygrothermograph and vernier scale.•This work provides an effective method for preparing magnetizable triboelectric materials.
Dihuang Yinzi, as a classical Chinese medicine prescription, plays an important role for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Gut microbiota play a functional role for the expression of proinflammatory ...cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which further affect central nervous system and change brain function. Our research confirmed that Dihuang Yinzi can exert brain protection by inhibiting inflammatory reaction. Dihuang Yinzi can significantly decrease the contents of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in brain, serum, and colon tissues and increase the contents of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model rats. The results of 16s rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that Dihuang Yinzi had a significant effect on microbiome in rats. The firmicutes, bacteroidetes, and proteobacteria were dominant in Dihuang Yinzi group. The content of firmicutes increased with the increase of dosage of Dihuang Yinzi. Especially, the content of actinomycetes in the high-dose group was higher than other groups. At the genus level, the number of bacteroides in the antibiotic groups was significantly higher than that in the other treatment groups. The results suggest that Dihuang Yinzi may play important roles in treatment of ischemic stroke by regulating the gut microbiota and the inflammatory reaction in the colon tissues, serum, and brain of the model rats, to verify the scientific nature of this prescription in relieving brain inflammatory reaction and brain injury by this way and to reveal the brain-gut related mechanism of Dihuang Yinzi in treating ischemic stroke.
Lung cancer is the second most common tumor and has the highest mortality rate. Both novel therapeutic targets and approaches are needed to improve the overall survival of patients with lung cancer. ...MicroRNA-320a-3p belongs to the miR-320a family and has been reported as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers. However, its definitive role and precise mechanism in the progression of lung cancer remain unclear. In this study, we developed a new type of gold nanorod modified with polyethyleneimine that targets cancer-specific nanoparticles by RGD peptide, which could condense miRNA to self-assemble supramolecular nanoparticles. The designed nanoparticles can achieve integrin αvβ3-targeted cancer therapy, realize photosensitive therapy by laser irradiation and attain gene-targeted therapy by miRNAs. These nanoparticles could deliver miR-320a into lung cancer cells specifically and efficiently. Moreover, we demonstrated that Au-RGD-miR-320a nanoparticles combined with laser irradiation dramatically inhibited the proliferation and metastasis, and enhanced the apoptosis of lung cancer, both
and
. In terms of the mechanism, miR-320a inhibits Sp1 expression by directly binding to the 3'UTR of Sp1, and it eventually enhanced the expression of PTEN and inhibited the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9). These findings provide a new and promising anticancer strategy
the use of Au-RGD-miR-320a nanoparticles, and identify miR-320a/Sp1 as a potential target for future systemic therapy against lung cancer.
Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a new energy technology, which can effectively convert ambient various mechanical energy into electricity by coupling effect of triboelectrification and ...electrostatic induction, yielding self-powered microelectronic devices. However, the surface charge density of triboelectric materials and the performance degradation and failure of TENG caused by wear are the key bottlenecks for its practical application. Here, we propose a high-performance and long-life TENG for harvesting wind energy that uses polyvinyl chloride/molybdenum disulfide (PVC/MoS2) composite membranes and polyamide (PA) membranes as matching triboelectric materials, and aluminum (Al) sheets with micro-nano structures as electrodes. Adding a small amount of MoS2 with excellent lubricating properties can not only effectively increase the surface charge density of composite films but also improve its wear resistance, which enhances the output performance and extends the life time of the TENG. The optimized TENG can generate an output voltage, current and maximum power up to 398 V, 40 μA and 1.23 mW, respectively, which can power tens of commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a water thermometer. Moreover, the friction coefficient of PVC after the doping of 2.5 wt% MoS2 is 0.29, which is 19.4% lower than that of pure PVC film, providing a new way to improve the surface charge density and the durability of triboelectric materials.
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•Solid lubrication is used for the first time to enhance the outperformance and extend the service lifetime of TENG.•The optimized TENG can generate an output voltage, current and maximum power up to 398 V, 40 μA and 1.23 mW.•The friction coefficient of pure PVC membrane is approximately 0.36 while the friction coefficient of the PVC/MoS2 composite membrane is 0.29.
Cancer pain seriously reduces the quality of life of cancer patients. However, most research about cancer focuses solely on inhibiting tumor growth, neglecting the issue of cancer pain. Therefore, ...the development of therapeutic agents with both tumor suppression and cancer pain relief is crucial to achieve human-centered treatment. Here, the work reports curcumin (CUR) and ropivacaine (Ropi) coincorporating CaCO
/PDA nanoparticles (CaPNM
) that realized efficient tumor immunotherapy and cancer pain suppression. The therapeutic efficiency and mechanism are revealed in vitro and in vivo. The results indicate that CaPNM
underwent tumor microenvironment-responsive degradation and realized rapid release of calcium ions, Ropi, and CUR. The excessive intracellular calcium triggered the apoptosis of tumor cells, and the transient pain caused by the tumor injection was relieved by Ropi. Simultaneously, CUR reduced the levels of immunosuppressive factor (TGF-β) and inflammatory factor (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in the tumor microenvironment, thereby continuously augmenting the immune response and alleviating inflammatory pain of cancer animals. Meanwhile, the decrease of TGF-β leads to the reduction of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) expression, thereby alleviating hyperalgesia and achieving long-lasting analgesic effects. The design of the nanosystem provides a novel idea for human-centered tumor treatment in the future.
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have great potential applications in the field of microelectronics. However, the low surface charge density of the triboelectric layer is one of the key problems ...greatly limiting its output performance. Herein, we report a high-performance TENG using BiFeO
3
@polydimethylsiloxane (BFO@PDMS) composite film as a triboelectric layer. The results indicate that doping a small amount of BFO particles can significantly increase the dielectric constant and surface area of the PDMS film, which maximises the surface charge density of the triboelectric layer. With an optimized doping concentration , the dielectric constant of BFO@PDMS composite film is 14.2% higher than that of the pure PDMS film. The BFO@PDMS-based TENG delivers a maximum output voltage and current of 180 V and 30 μA, corresponding to 200% and 500% increases compared with pure PDMS film, respectively, which can drive an electronic watch and light 52 LEDs, indicating potential applications in microelectronic devices.
