Molecular characterization, expression analysis and function identification of Pf_IL-12p35, Pf_IL-23p19 and Pf_IL-12p40 genes in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco).

The interleukin-12 (IL-12) family is a class of heterodimeric cytokines that play crucial roles in pro-inflammatory and pro-stimulatory responses. Although some IL-12 and IL-23 paralogues have been found in fish, their functional activity in fish remains poorly understood. In this study, Pf_IL-12p35a/b, Pf_IL-23p19 and Pf_IL-12p40a/b/c genes were cloned from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), four α-helices were found in Pf_IL-12p35a/b and Pf_IL-23p19.

Immune cells and RBCs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells: method, progress, prospective challenges.

Blood has an important role in the healthcare system, particularly in blood transfusions and immunotherapy. However, the occurrence of outbreaks of infectious diseases worldwide and seasonal fluctuations, blood shortages are becoming a major challenge. Moreover, the narrow specificity of immune cells hinders the widespread application of immune cell therapy.

Molecular Characterization of Nine TRAF Genes in Yellow Catfish () and Their Expression Profiling in Response to Infection.

The yellow catfish () is an economic fish with a large breeding scale, and diseases have led to huge economic losses. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) are a class of intracellular signal transduction proteins that play an important role in innate and adaptive immune responses by mediating NF-κB, JNK and MAPK signaling pathways. However, there are few studies on the TRAF gene family in yellow catfish.

Increasing Accessible Active Site Density of Non-Precious Metal Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts through Ionic Liquid Modification.

Non-precious metal catalysts show great promise to replace the state-of-the-art Pt-based catalysts for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), while their catalytic activity still needs to be greatly improved before their broad-based application. Here, we report a facile approach to improving the performance of zeolitic imidazolate framework-derived carbon (ZDC) toward the ORR by incorporating a small amount of ionic liquid (IL). The IL would preferentially fill the micropores of ZDC and greatly enhance the utilization of the active sites within the micropores, which are initially not accessible due to insufficient surface wetting.

Molecular and functional characterization of teleost-specific Interleukin-17N in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco).

In mammals, six interleukin-17 (IL-17) genes, as potent pro-inflammatory cytokines, all accelerate the inflammatory responses. In teleosts, seven IL-17 genes have been found in various species, but little is known about the function of teleost-specific IL-17N. In this study, teleost IL-17N and IL-17A/F2 genes all had six conserved cysteine residues forming three intrachain disulfide bridges, the length of three exons of teleost IL-17N gene was similar to that of teleost IL-17A/F2 gene, and the neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree showed that teleost IL-17N was clustered with vertebrate IL-17A/F, implying that teleost IL-17N gene may be a paralog of teleost IL-17A/F gene.

Altered Amygdala-prefrontal Connectivity in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Resting-state fMRI and Dynamic Causal Modelling Study.

Chronic nonspecific low back pain (cNLBP) is a leading contributor to disease burden worldwide that is difficult to treat due to its nonspecific aetiology and complexity. The amygdala is a complex of structurally and functionally heterogeneous nuclei that serve as a key neural substrate for the interactions between pain and negative affective states. However, whether the functions of amygdalar subcomponents are differentially altered in cNLBP remains unknown.

Expression and Function Analysis of Interleukin-17A/F1, 2, and 3 Genes in Yellow Catfish (): Distinct Bioactivity of Recombinant IL-17A/F1, 2, and 3.

In mammals, Interleukin-17 cytokine family plays critical roles in both acute and chronic inflammatory responses. In fish species, three Interleukin-17A/F (IL-17A/F) genes have been identified to be homologous to mammalian IL-17A and IL-17F, but little is known about their functional activity. In this study, _IL-17A/F1, 2 and 3 genes were cloned from yellow catfish () and they differed in protein structure and exon length, implying that they may have divergent bioactivity.

Molecular characterization, expression analysis and function identification of Pf_TNF-α and its two receptors Pf_TNFR1 and Pf_TNFR2 in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco).

Inflammation is a common manifestation of body immunity and mediates a cascade of cytokines. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as a multi-effect cytokine, plays an important role in the inflammatory response by interacting with its receptor (TNFR). In this study, Pf_TNF-α, Pf_TNFR1 and Pf_TNFR2 genes were cloned from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), and bioinformatics analyses showed that the three genes were conserved and possessed similar sequence characteristics as those of other vertebrates.

Avoiding Pitfalls in Comparison of Activity and Selectivity of Solid Catalysts for Electrochemical HMF Oxidation.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) offers a renewable approach to produce the value-added platform chemical 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The key for the economic viability of this approach is to develop active and selective electrocatalysts. Nevertheless, a reliable catalyst evaluation protocol is still missing, leading to elusive conclusions on criteria for a high-performing catalyst.

The Dynamic Immune Response of Yellow Catfish () Infected With Presenting the Inflammation Process.

is a highly destructive pathogen in cultured yellow catfish, thus it was very necessary to study the immune response of yellow catfish against bacterial infection. In this study, RNA-Seq technology was used to study the immune response in two distinct tissues of yellow catfish at eight different time points (h) after infection. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the spleen and liver was low at 3 h and 6 h post-infection, respectively.

Overall Oxygen Electrocatalysis on Nitrogen-Modified Carbon Catalysts: Identification of Active Sites and In Situ Observation of Reactive Intermediates.

The recent mechanistic understanding of active sites, adsorbed intermediate products, and rate-determining steps (RDS) of nitrogen (N)-modified carbon catalysts in electrocatalytic oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are still rife with controversy because of the inevitable coexistence of diverse N configurations and the technical limitations for the observation of formed intermediates. Herein, seven kinds of aromatic molecules with designated single N species are used as model structures to investigate the explicit role of each common N group in both ORR and OER. Specifically, dynamic evolution of active sites and key adsorbed intermediate products including O (ads), superoxide anion O *, and OOH* are monitored with in situ spectroscopy.

Probing CO Reduction Pathways for Copper Catalysis Using an Ionic Liquid as a Chemical Trapping Agent.

The key to fully leveraging the potential of the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CO2RR) to achieve a sustainable solar-power-based economy is the development of high-performance electrocatalysts. The development process relies heavily on trial and error methods due to poor mechanistic understanding of the reaction. Demonstrated here is that ionic liquids (ILs) can be employed as a chemical trapping agent to probe CO2RR mechanistic pathways.

Paper-Based Microfluidics for Electrochemical Applications.

Paper-based microfluidics is characteristic of fluid transportation through spontaneous capillary action of paper and has exhibited great promise for a variety of applications especially for sensing. Furthermore, paper-based microfluidics enables the design of miniaturized electrochemical devices to be applied in the energy sector, which is especially attractive for the rapid growing market of small size disposable electronics. This review gives a brief summary on the basics of paper chemistry and capillary-driven microfluidic behavior, and highlights recent advances of paper-based microfluidics in developing electrochemical sensing devices and miniaturized energy storage/conversion devices.

Paper-based microfluidic aluminum-air batteries: toward next-generation miniaturized power supply.

Paper-based microfluidics (lab on paper) emerges as an innovative platform for building small-scale devices for sensing, diagnosis, and energy storage/conversions due to the power-free fluidic transport capability of paper via capillary action. Herein, we report for the first time that paper-based microfluidic concept can be employed to fabricate high-performing aluminum-air batteries, which entails the use of a thin sheet of fibrous capillary paper sandwiched between an aluminum foil anode and a catalyst coated graphite foil cathode without using any costly air electrode or external pump device for fluid transport. The unique microfluidic configuration can help overcome the major drawbacks of conventional aluminum-air batteries including battery self-discharge, product-induced electrode passivation, and expensive and complex air electrodes which have long been considered as grand obstacles to aluminum-air batteries penetrating the market.

Effect of Ionic Liquid Modification on the ORR Performance and Degradation Mechanism of Trimetallic PtNiMo/C Catalysts.

Ionic liquids (ILs) modification, following the concept of "solid catalyst with ionic liquid layer (SCILL)", has been demonstrated to be an effective approach to improving both activity and stability of Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. In this work, the SCILL concept has been applied to a trimetallic PtNiMo/C system, which has been documented recently to be significantly advantageous over the benchmark PtNi-based catalysts for oxygen reduction. To achieve this, two hydrophobic ILs ([BMIM][NTF2] and [MTBD][BETI]) were used to modify PtNiMo/C with four IL-loading amounts between 7 and 38 wt %.

Improving control of carbide-derived carbon microstructure by immobilization of a transition-metal catalyst within the shell of carbide/carbon core-shell structures.

Carbon materials for electrical energy devices, such as battery electrodes or fuel-cell catalysts, require the combination of the contradicting properties of graphitic microstructure and porosity. The usage of graphitization catalysts during the synthesis of carbide-derived carbon materials results in materials that combine the required properties, but controlling the microstructure during synthesis remains a challenge. In this work, the controllability of the synthesis route is enhanced by immobilizing the transition-metal graphitization catalyst on a porous carbon shell covering the carbide precursor prior to conversion of the carbide core to carbon.

Phylogeography of the threatened tetraploid fish, Schizothorax waltoni, in the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: implications for conservation.

The phylogeography of Schizothorax waltoni, an endemic and endangered tetraploid schizothoracine fish in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YLTR) on southern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), was investigated using two mitochondrial DNA regions and eleven microsatellite loci. Analyses of concatenated sequences of cytochrome b (1141 bp) and the control region (712 bp) revealed high haplotype diversity and moderate nucleotide diversity. High genetic diversity was observed based on microsatellite variation.

Recombinant DENV 2 NS5: An effective antigen for diagnosis of DENV infection.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease with dramatically increasing morbidity rate worldwide in decades. Since there is no specific treatment to date, early diagnosis is important for providing proper timely medical care to minimize mortality, and for the prompt initiation of public health control measures. NS5 is a potential biomarker for dengue virus infection due to its highly conserved and immunogenic properties.

Type 2 diabetes increases oocyte mtDNA mutations which are eliminated in the offspring by bottleneck effect.

Background: Diabetes induces many complications including reduced fertility and low oocyte quality, but whether it causes increased mtDNA mutations is unknown.

Methods: We generated a T2D mouse model by using high-fat-diet (HFD) and Streptozotocin (STZ) injection. We examined mtDNA mutations in oocytes of diabetic mice by high-throughput sequencing techniques.

Tuning the Electrocatalytic Performance of Ionic Liquid Modified Pt Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction via Cationic Chain Engineering.

Modifying Pt catalysts using hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) has been demonstrated to be a facile approach for boosting the performance of Pt catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This work aims to deepen the understanding and initiate a rational molecular tuning of ILs for improved activity and stability. To this end, Pt/C catalysts were modified using a variety of 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C Cim][NTf], = 2-10) ILs with varying alkyl chain lengths in imidazolium cations, and the electrocatalytic properties (e.

[Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for infertile males with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease].

Objective: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic renal diseases, which may cause oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia and result in male infertility. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in male patients with ADPKD-induced infertility.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 7 male patients with ADPKD-induced infertility undergoing PGD from April 2015 to February 2017, including 6 cases of oligoasthenospermia and 1 case of obstructive azoospermia, all with the PKD1 gene heterozygous mutations.

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of IL-22 and its two receptors genes in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus filvidraco) in response to Edwardsiella ictaluri challenge.

Interleukin (IL)-22, as a member of the interleukin (IL)-10 family, is an important mediator between the immune cells and epithelial tissues during infection and inflammation. This study reported the characterization and mRNA expression patterns of Pf_IL-22 gene and its cell surface-associated receptors Pf_IL-22RA1 and soluble Pf_IL-22RA2 genes in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus filvidraco). The open reading frames (ORFs) of the Pf_IL-22, Pf_IL-22RA1 and Pf_IL-22RA2 genes were 546 bp, 1740 bp and 690 bp in length, encoding 181, 579 and 229 amino acids, respectively.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of interleukin-1β and interleukin-1 receptor type I genes in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco): Responses to challenge of Edwardsiella ictaluri.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is one of the pivotal early pro-inflammatory cytokines, which play important roles in regulating immune response and inducing a series of inflammatory reactions to infections. Interleukin-1 type I receptor (IL-1RI) is a receptor of the IL-1β that can mediate IL-1-dependent activation. In this study, partial cDNA sequences of the Pf_IL-1β and Pf_IL-1RI genes were cloned from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco).

Modifier-Free Microfluidic Electrochemical Sensor for Heavy-Metal Detection.

Heavy-metal pollution poses severe threat to ecological systems and presents a great challenge for global sustainability. Portable point-of-care sensing platform for detection/monitoring of heavy-metal pollution in the environment is urgently demanded. Herein, a highly sensitive, robust, and low-cost microfluidic electrochemical carbon-based sensor (μCS) for detection of trace heavy metals is presented.