Meierbarnett6648

Linear sweep voltammetry and galvanostatic lithium plating-stripping tests reveal that this nanotube-based electrolyte is stable over a wide potential range and supports long-term cyclability. These findings demonstrate how the coupling of synthetic design and supramolecular structural control can yield high-performance ionic transporters that are amenable to device-relevant fabrication, as well as the technological potential of chemically designed self-assembled nanotubes.Biofouling has been a substantial burden on biomarker analysis in complex biological media, leading to poor sensitivity and selectivity or even malfunction of the sensing devices. In this work, an electrochemical biosensor with excellent antifouling ability and high stability was fabricated based on amyloid-like bovine serum albumin (AL-BSA) crosslinked with the conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI). Compared with the crosslinked conventional bovine serum albumin (BSA), the crosslinked AL-BSA exhibited enhanced antifouling capability, and it was able to form an effective antifouling film within a significantly short reaction time. With further immobilization of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies onto the prepared AL-BSA surface via the formation of amide bonds, an electrochemical biosensor capable of assaying IgM in human serum samples with superior selectivity and sensitivity was constructed. The biosensor exhibited excellent antifouling performance even in 100% human serum, a low limit of detection down to 2.32 pg mL-1, and acceptable accuracy for real sample analysis compared with the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgM detection. This strategy of using AL-BSA to construct antifouling sensing interfaces provided a reliable diagnostic method for the detection of a series of protein biomarkers in complex biological media.In recent decades, many poly(amino acid)s have been successfully prepared for various biomedical applications. To date, the synthesis and purification procedures used to generate these poly(amino acid)s have generally been complicated and costly. Here, a one-step synthesis strategy was developed and optimized via direct polymerization using thionyl chloride to easily and economically obtain poly(amino acid)s. Phenylalanine (Phe) was selected as a model amino acid to construct a family of biodegradable and biocompatible poly(phenylalanine) (PPhe) molecules with a tunable molecular weight. The prepared PPhe can self-assemble into nanoparticles (PP-NPs) through nanoprecipitation with a particle size of approximately 100 nm. see more PP-NPs exhibit a high drug-loading capacity (>12 wt %) of paclitaxel (PTX, a commercial antitumor drug) and good therapeutic effects in CT26 cells. The in vivo evaluation of PTX@PP-NPs indicates that it has a prolonged blood circulation time and high tumor aggregation after intravenous injection, resulting in significant antitumor effects in CT26 tumor-bearing mice with minimal toxicity to normal organs. Overall, this study provides a facile and simple strategy for synthesizing poly(amino acids) and a PPhe-based nanoparticle platform for effectively delivering various small-molecule drugs.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is in the first place of the causes that lead to end-stage renal disease in the world. Thus, it is urgent to develop a novel diagnostic or therapeutic strategy that could stop the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

RNA-sequencing was conducted in high glucose (HG)-treated MPC5 cells (podocytes). Cell morphology was examined under a light microscope. Upon high-glucose challenge, the effects of lncRNA Hoxb3os overexpression on MPC5 cells apoptosis, viability, autophagy and Akt-mTOR signaling were evaluated using flow cytometry, Cell Counting Kit-8, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. TUNEL staining and ELISA were performed to confirm the establishment of DN model in db/db mice.

High-glucose exposure dramatically altered lncRNA expression profile in MPC5 cells (fold change>2), including 305 upregulated lncRNAs and 451 downregulated lncRNAs. LncRNA Hoxb3os expression was significantly reduced in the HG-induced podocyte damage model, as well as in the renal tissues from db/db mice with spontaneous DN. Overexpression of Hoxb3os significantly reduced the apoptosis rate and increased the viability of MPC5 cells under HG conditions. Further study revealed that exogenous Hoxb3os increased autophagy level in HG-exposed MPC5 cells via abrogating Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and that the process was possibly implicated in the upregulation of SIRT1.

LncRNA Hoxb3os protected podocytes from HG-induced damage by regulating Akt-mTOR pathway and cell autophagy. Thus, lncRNA Hoxb3os appears as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of DN in the future.

LncRNA Hoxb3os protected podocytes from HG-induced damage by regulating Akt-mTOR pathway and cell autophagy. Thus, lncRNA Hoxb3os appears as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of DN in the future.The objective of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism of intestinal microorganisms- bile acid- NLRP3 inflammasome regulation in mice with inflammatory bowel disease treated with probiotics. The abnormal activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is the main pathogenic factor that leads to the development of chronic colitis in IL-10-/- mice. In this study, we divided the IL-10-/- and wild-type mice on a C57BL/6 background into 3 groups control group (wt mice, n=10), IBD group (IL-10-/- mice, n=10), and probiotic group (IL-10-/- mice treated with probiotics, n=10). The analyses included mRNA levels of cytokines and protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and NOD2, as well as colorimetric determination of Wnt, Notch and BMP activity in colon tissue and fresh colon mass. The fresh colon mass was increased in the IBD mice when compared with the control and the probiotic groups (P less then 0.05). The histological score of the proximal colon in the IBD group was higher than in two other groups (P less then 0.05). The probiotic group showed lower levels of IFN-γ, IL-17F, IL-1α and IL-25 mRNA compared to the IBD group (P less then 0.05). The main components of NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β) and NOD2 were increased in IBD group compared to the control, and decreased after probiotic treatment (P less then 0.05). FXR, TGR5, vitamin D, and CAR were all increased in IBD group compared to the control and probiotic groups (P less then 0.05). In conclusion, probiotics modulated the intestinal microbial-bile acid-NLRP3 inflammation in IBD mice.Conjugated chromophores possessing π-twisted functionality such as tetracyanobutadiene (TCBD) have emerged as promising active layer materials for organic photovoltaics (OPVs). In this study, we disclose the synthesis of two azulenyl chromophores containing one and two TCBD groups. The symmetrical and unsymmetrical structural characteristics of these molecules inflict dissimilar optoelectronic and electrochemical properties. Based on molar absorptivity, aggregation behavior, HOMO-LUMO energies and other quantum chemical parameters, the symmetrical molecule (TATC2) appears to be a better non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) compared to its unsymmetrical counterpart (TATC1). For instance, higher absorptivity and deeper HOMO-LUMO levels for TATC2 (23950 M-1  cm-1 ; -6.01 eV/-3.86 eV) over TATC1 (12200 M1  cm-1 ; -5.46 eV/-3.64 eV) was observed. Validating this structure-property relationship on solar cell prototypes exhibited higher photovoltaic parameters (VOC =0.54 V, FF=0.48, JSC =6.42 mA/cm2 ) for TATC2 than TATC1 (VOC =0.47 V, FF=0.38, JSC =5.77 mA/cm2 ). Though the device parameters are not high, this work uncovers the intrinsic properties of azulene-tethered twisted chromophores as potential π-semiconductor choice for NFA solar cells. In particular, this report explores the utility of azulene-based π-twisted semiconductors as acceptor material for OPVs with cell efficiencies of 1.70 and 1.04 % for TATC2 and TATC1 respectively.Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease induced by local infection in tooth-supporting tissue. Periodontitis is associated with systemic bone diseases, but little is known about the mechanism of the causal effect of periodontitis on systemic bone resorption. Bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) act as natural carriers of virulence factors that are responsible for systemic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the role of EVs derived from Filifactor alocis, a Gram-positive, anaerobic periodontal pathogen, in systemic bone loss and osteoclast differentiation. F. alocis EVs accumulated in the long bones of mice after intraperitoneal administration. These EVs induced proinflammatory cytokines, osteoclastogenesis, and bone resorption via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). The phase separation of F. alocis EVs showed that amphiphilic molecules were responsible for the induced bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis. The osteoclastogenic effects of F. alocis EVs were reduced by lipoprotein lipase. Proteomic analysis of the amphiphilic molecules identified seven lipoproteins. Our results indicate that lipoprotein-like molecules in F. alocis EVs may contribute to systemic bone loss via TLR2.Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are highly aggressive, nerve-associated tumors and the main cause of death amongst neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) patients. Schwann cells (SCs) are the pathogenic cell type in MPNST, however the secretome of human MPNST -derived SCs is poorly defined. In this study, a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the proteins secreted by the sNF96.2 human SC line, derived from a patient with MPNST, was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 17,354 unique peptides corresponding to 1538 individual proteins were identified. Among them, 995 proteins were confirmed as secreted using various bioinformatics tools including SignalP, SecretomeP, Vertebrate Secretome Database (VerSeDa), and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were conducted to assign protein localization and function, and to define enriched pathways. Protein binding was the most enriched molecular function, and the most enriched biological process was cell-cell adhesion. Metabolic pathways showed the highest levels of enrichment. In addition, 13 of the identified proteins were validated in Western blotting. This comprehensive secretome map constitutes a reference library providing a new molecular insight into MPNST.The industrialization of perovskite solar cells relies on solving intrinsic-to-material issues. To reach record efficiencies perovskite deposition needs to be finely adjusted by multi-step processes, in a humidity free glove-box environment and by means of hardly scalable techniques often associated with toxic solvents and anti-solvent dripping/bath. Herein, the use of polymeric material is proposed to deposit perovskite layers with easy processability. To the scope, a starch-polymer/perovskite composite is developed to suit slot-die coating technique requirement, allowing the deposition of hybrid halide perovskite material in a single straightforward step without the use of toxic solvents, and in uncontrolled humid environment (RH up to 70 %). The starch-polymer increases the viscosity of the perovskite precursor solutions and delays the perovskite crystallization that results in the formation of perovskite films at mild temperature (60 °C) with good morphology. These innovative inks enables the fabrication of flexible solar cells with p-i-n configuration featured by a power conversion efficiency higher than 3 %.