The mRNA and miRNA profiles of goat bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by strains of serotype A and D.

() is a zoonotic bacterium that predominantly colonizes the respiratory tract and lungs of a variety of farmed and wild animals, and causes severe respiratory disease. To investigate the characteristics of the host immune response induced by strains of serotype A and D, high-throughput mRNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq were performed to analyze the changes in goat bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by these two serotypes of for 4 h. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to validate the randomly selected genes and miRNAs.

Downregulation of Three Novel miRNAs in the Lymph Nodes of Sheep Immunized With the Strain 2 Vaccine.

Ovine and caprine brucellosis, both caused by , lead to substantial economic losses in the animal industry and health problems in human populations. strain 2 (), as a live attenuated vaccine, is used extensively in China to prevent brucellosis. It has been proven that microRNA (miRNAs) are involved in the immunopathogenesis of brucellosis; however, the miRNA-driven mechanism of immune response to S2 remains unknown.

Certificateless Hybrid Signcryption by a Novel Protocol Applied to Internet of Things.

The rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated the integration of science and technology with life, enabling the public to start enjoying the convenience brought by intelligent living. However, there are multiple resource-constrained sensing devices in IoT, which are always facing various external or internal attacks, making it difficult to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive data in IoT. Therefore, to address the problem of data transmission in resource-constrained devices in IoT, we propose a new certificateless hybrid signcryption scheme for IoT.

Local Coordination Environment of 3d and 4d Transition Metal Ions in LiCl-KCl Eutectic Mixture.

In this study, the structure and coordination environment of two 3d transition elements (Ni and Cr) is investigated in a molten chloride salt system. Electronic absorption spectroscopy was employed to elucidate their coordination environment in 3LiCl-2KCl eutectic salt, as a function of temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling was used to determine the coordination environment of the transition metal species in the eutectic composition as well as the optical spectra computationally.

Dual stimuli-responsive nanocarriers based on polyethylene glycol-mediated schiff base interactions for overcoming tumour chemoresistance.

Multifunctional and stimulus-sensitive intelligent nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs) can significantly optimize the effectiveness of theranostic agents for cancer treatment. In this study, redox and pH dual-responsive nanocarriers (CPNPs) were prepared through molecular assembly by utilizing the Schiff base interactions of cystamine (Cys), PEG-NH and formaldehyde (FA) under aqueous conditions with a one-pot, one-step technique. First, the degradation products of CPNPs exhibited good biocompatibility, and the high concentration of intact CPNPs (200 µg/mL) could inhibit the growth of cells.

A healing promoting wound dressing with tailor-made antibacterial potency employing piezocatalytic processes in multi-functional nanocomposites.

Developing a novel antibiotics-free antibacterial strategy is essential for minimizing bacterial resistance. Materials that not only kill bacteria but also promote tissue healing are especially challenging to achieve. Inspired by chemical conversion processes in living organisms, we develop a piezoelectrically active antibacterial device that converts ambient O and HO to ROS by piezocatalytic processes.

Discovery of novel 4-phenylquinazoline-based BRD4 inhibitors for cardiac fibrosis.

Bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4), as an epigenetic reader, can specifically bind to the acetyl lysine residues of histones and has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for various diseases, including cancer, cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Herein, we described the discovery of hit 5 bearing 4-phenylquinazoline skeleton through a high-throughput virtual screen using 2,003,400 compound library (enamine). Then, structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was performed and 47 new 4-phenylquinazoline derivatives toward BRD4 were further designed, synthesized and evaluated, using HTRF assay set up in our lab.

CoVac501, a self-adjuvanting peptide vaccine conjugated with TLR7 agonists, against SARS-CoV-2 induces protective immunity.

Safe, effective, and economical vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed to achieve adequate herd immunity and end the pandemic. We constructed a novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, CoVac501, which is a self-adjuvanting peptide vaccine conjugated with Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists. The vaccine contains immunodominant peptides screened from the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and is fully chemically synthesized.

Enzyme-Mimetic Molecular Selective Catalysis via Single Zr Atom Catalysis in Chelated Cage Embedded in a Flexible Piezoelectrical Matrix.

The molecularly selective catalysis in enzyme is central to life. However, their functioning mechanism remains elusive. We propose here that the synergistic effects from (i) effective orbital hybridizing and energy gap decreasing via chelating on single Zr atom as the catalytic center, (ii) selective supramolecular encapsulation in the cage, and (iii) piezoelectrical field motivation are able to achieve the enzyme-mimetic molecular selective high performance catalysis.

Enhanced ionic conductivity of a NaZrSiPO solid electrolyte with NaSiO obtained by liquid phase sintering for solid-state Na batteries.

NASICON-type NaZrSiPO (NZSP) is supposed to be one of the best potential solid electrolytes with the characteristics of high ionic conductivity and safety for use in solid-state sodium batteries. Many methods have been used to enhance the ionic conductivity of NZSP, among which liquid phase sintering is a simple and rapid method. However, the transport mechanism of sodium ions in a NZSP electrolyte obtained by liquid phase sintering is not clear, and its application in solid-state batteries has not been confirmed.

Understanding rich oxygen vacant hollow CeO@MoSe heterojunction for accelerating photocatalytic CO reduction.

Solar-driven CO reduction into gas fuels is desirable for a sustainable carbon cycle. To improve the photocatalytic activity of CORR, the unique rich oxygen (Vo) vacant hollow CeO@MoSe is designed. The introduction of Vo is conducive to the capture of electrons by CO and promotes the process of photocatalytic CORR.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to emerging and legacy per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances: Levels and transfer in maternal serum, cord serum, and breast milk.

Gestation and lactation are critical and vulnerable stages for fetuses and newborns. During these periods, per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) accumulated in mothers can be transferred to newborns through placenta and/or breastfeeding, causing potential health risks. To investigate the pre- and postnatal PFAS exposure of newborns, we analyzed 21 emerging and legacy PFASs in 60 sets of matched maternal serum, cord serum, and breast milk samples.

Discovery of Potent and Selective 2-(Benzylthio)pyrimidine-based DCN1-UBC12 Inhibitors for Anticardiac Fibrotic Effects.

DCN1, a co-E3 ligase, interacts with UBC12 and activates cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) by catalyzing cullin neddylation. Although DCN1 has been recognized as an important therapeutic target for human diseases, its role in the cardiovascular area remains unknown. Here, we first found that DCN1 was upregulated in isolated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) treated by angiotensin (Ang) II and in mouse hearts after pressure overload.

The L-G phase transition in binary Cu-Zr metallic liquids.

The authors recently reported that undercooled liquid Ag and Ag-Cu alloys both exhibit a first order phase transition from the homogeneous liquid (L-phase) to a heterogeneous solid-like G-phase under isothermal evolution. Here, we report a similar L-G transition and heterogenous G-phase in simulations of liquid Cu-Zr bulk glass. The thermodynamic description and kinetic features (viscosity) of the L-G-phase transition in Cu-Zr simulations suggest it corresponds to experimentally reported liquid-liquid phase transitions in Vitreloy 1 (Vit1) and other Cu-Zr-bearing bulk glass forming alloys.

[Impact of the freezing-thawing process on human sperm mitochondria].

Objective: To study the structure and function of human sperm mitochondria before and after the freezing-thawing process.

Methods: Human sperm from healthy donors were subjected to the slow freezing-thawing process, and the sperm mitochondrion-related indexes compared before and after cryopreservation. The ultrastructural changes of the mitochondria were observed under the projection electron microscope, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and seminal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content measured by immunofluorescence labeling and ELISA, respectively, and the sperm oxidative stress related indexes detected before and after sperm cryopreservation.

Prototype readout electronics of a double-sided silicon strip detector for space exploration.

Double-sided silicon strip detectors (DSSDs) have been widely used in interplanetary exploration. In this study, the prototype readout electronics of a DSSD for space exploration is presented. It mainly includes a front-end readout module (FEM) and a data acquisition module (DAM).

Identification of risk factors for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with hip fractures by a risk stratification index model: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Postoperative delirium is one of the most common and dangerous psychiatric complications after hip surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery and to identify risk factors for such, as part of developing a risk stratification index (RSI) system to predict a patient's risk of postoperative delirium.

Methods: Elderly patients (aged 65 years or older) with hip fractures who had received surgical treatment in our hospital between March 2018 and December 2019 were retrospectively included.

Significant Aggregation-Enhanced Carrier Separation in Nanoscopic Catalysts Heterojunction Stacks.

Nanoscopic heterojunction stacks are prevalent in nature as well as in artificial material systems, such as the nanoscopically blended components in soil or artificial catalytic layers on device surfaces. Despite the enormous attention placed on studying individual heterojunctions, the advantageous catalytic performance of heterojunction aggregates has not been recognized. In this study, we employ the ordered N-doped TiO nanosheets and Au nanoparticle heterojunction multilayers obtained by a layer-by-layer technique to investigate the functional merits stemmed from heterojunction aggregates.

Effect of Extending the Conjugation of Dye Molecules on the Efficiency and Stability of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

We designed and synthesized two organic dyes ( and ) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by extending the molecular conjugation strategy. The sensitizer was constructed by inserting ethene into our previously reported sensitizer . The sensitizer was obtained by further substituting the hydrogen of ethene with another donor (D) and π-bridge-acceptor (π-A) segment.

Comparison of Volatile Oils and Primary Metabolites of Raw and Honey-Processed Ephedrae Herba by GC-MS and Chemometrics.

Background: Ephedrae Herba (EH) is the terrestrial stem of Ephedra sinica Stapf, E. intermedia Schrenk et C. A.

Recent updates on bioactive properties of linalool.

Natural products, including essential oils and their components, have been used for their bioactivities. Linalool (2,6-dimethyl-2,7-octadien-6-ol) is an aromatic monoterpene alcohol that is widely found in essential oils and is broadly used in perfumes, cosmetics, household cleaners and food additives. This review covers the sources, physicochemical properties, application, synthesis and bioactivities of linalool.

Discovering Catalytic Reaction Networks Using Deep Reinforcement Learning from First-Principles.

Determining the reaction pathways, which is central to illustrating the working mechanisms of a catalyst, is severely hindered by the high complexity of the reaction and the extreme scarcity of the data. Here, we develop a novel artificial intelligence framework integrating deep reinforcement learning (DRL) techniques with density functional theory simulations to automate the quantitative search and evaluation on the complex catalytic reaction networks from zero knowledge. Our framework quantitatively transforms the first-principles-derived free energy landscape of the chemical reactions to a DRL environment and the corresponding actions.