Effect of Reaction Interface Structure on the Morphology and Performance of Thin-Film Composite Membrane.

Thin-film composite (TFC) membrane has been extensively utilized and investigated for its excellent properties. Herein, we have constructed an active layer (AL) containing cave-like structures utilizing large meniscus interface. Furthermore, the impact of interface structure on the growth process, morphology, and effective surface area of AL has been fully explored with the assistance of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS).

Research Progress of Flexible Electronic Devices Based on Electrospun Nanofibers.

Electrospun nanofibers have become an important component in fabricating flexible electronic devices because of their permeability, flexibility, stretchability, and conformability to three-dimensional curved surfaces. This review delves into the advancements in adaptable and flexible electronic devices using electrospun nanofibers as the substrates and explores their diverse and innovative applications. The primary development of key substrates for flexible devices is summarized.

Kirigami enabled reconfigurable three-dimensional evaporator arrays for dynamic solar tracking and high efficiency desalination.

A kirigami-engineered composite hydrogel membrane is exploited for the construction of three dimensional (3D) solar-tracking evaporator arrays with outstanding evaporation performance and salt tolerance. The hybrid nanofiber network in the hydrogel membrane offers favorable water transport dynamics combined with excellent structural robustness, which are beneficial for the engineering of 3D dynamic structures. Periodic triangular cuts patterned into the membrane allow formation and reconfiguration of 3D conical arrays controlled by uniaxial stretching.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: Efficacy and safety of biological treatment on salivary gland function in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

The study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of clinical trials of biologics in improving the salivary gland (SG) function in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), which has not been analyzed critically and systematically. PubMed, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, the EU Clinical Trials Register, and the Cochrane Library were searched for clinical trials that reported effects of biological treatment on the SG function and safety in pSS patients.

Analysis of the Ubiquitination and Phosphorylation of Vangl Proteins.

The core planar cell polarity (PCP) protein Vang/Vangl, including Vangl1 and Vangl2 in vertebrates, is indispensable during development. Our previous studies showed that the activity of Vangl is tightly controlled by two important posttranslational modifications, ubiquitination and phosphorylation. Vangl is ubiquitinated through an endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway and is phosphorylated by casein kinase 1 (CK1) in response to Wnt.

Covalent Inhibition of Pyruvate Kinase M2 Reprograms Metabolic and Inflammatory Pathways in Hepatic Macrophages against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Warburg effect of aerobic glycolysis in hepatic M1 macrophages is a major cause for metabolic dysfunction and inflammatory stress in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Plant-derived triterpene celastrol markedly inhibited macrophage M1 polarization and adipocyte hypertrophy in obesity. The present study was designed to identify the celastrol-bound proteins which reprogrammed metabolic and inflammatory pathways in M1 macrophages.

Generation of a RRAGA knockout human iPSC line GIBHi002-A-5 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Ras-related GTP-binding protein A (RagA), encoded by RRAGA gene, initially senses the availability of cellular amino acids (e.g., leucine) and controls the translocation of mTORC1 to the lysosomal membrane.

Cross-regional scale pollution of freshwater biofilms unveiled by antibiotic resistance genes.

A comprehensive global profile of the distribution of ARGs in freshwater biofilms is lacking. We utilized metagenomic approaches to reveal the diversity, abundance, transferability and hosts of ARGs in 96 freshwater biofilm samples from 38 sampling sites across four countries. The abundant ARGs were associated with bacitracin, multidrug, polymyxin macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS) aminoglycoside, β-lactam, chloramphenicol, sulfonamide and tetracycline resistance, consistent with the spectrum of antibiotics commonly used in human or veterinary medicine.

Botanical Drug Puerarin Ameliorates Liposaccharide-Induced Depressive Behaviors in Mice via Inhibiting RagA/mTOR/p70S6K Pathways.

Background: The depressive symptom hallmarks the progression of the neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. Bacterial infection is related to inflammation and depression. The present project thereby examined whether botanical drug puerarin could attenuate liposaccharide- (LPS-) induced depressive behaviors in mice.

Fluorescent probes for and quantification of hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) plays essential roles in redox signaling and oxidative stress, and its dynamic concentration is critical to human health and diseases. Here we report the design, syntheses, and biological applications of and for quantitative measurement of HO. Both probes were successfully applied to detect endogenous HO fluxes in living cells or zebrafish, and biological effects of multiple stress inducers including rotenone, arsenic trioxide, and starvation were investigated.

Regulation of Wnt/PCP signaling through p97/VCP-KBTBD7-mediated Vangl ubiquitination and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation.

The four-pass transmembrane proteins Vangl1 and Vangl2 are dedicated core components of Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling that critically regulate polarized cell behaviors in many morphological and physiological processes. Here, we found that the abundance of Vangl proteins is tightly controlled by the ubiquitin-proteasome system through endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). The key ERAD component p97/VCP directly binds to Vangl at a highly conserved VCP-interacting motif and recruits the E3 ligase KBTBD7 via its UBA-UBX adaptors to promote Vangl ubiquitination and ERAD.

Active Microbiome Structure and Functional Analyses of Freshwater Benthic Biofilm Samples Influenced by RNA Extraction Methods.

Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled extensive studies of freshwater biofilms and significant breakthroughs in biofilm meta-omics. To date, however, no standardized protocols have been developed for the effective isolation of RNA from freshwater benthic biofilms. In this study, we compared column-based kit RNA extraction with five RNAzol-based extractions, differentiated by various protocol modifications.

Ecotoxicological effects of erythromycin on a multispecies biofilm model, revealed by metagenomic and metabolomic approaches.

The presence of antibiotics such as erythromycin, even in trace amounts, has long been acknowledged for negatively impacting ecosystems in freshwater environments. Although many studies have focused on the impact of antibiotic pollution at a macroecological level, the impact of erythromycin on microecosystems, such as freshwater biofilms, is still not fully understood. This knowledge gap may be attributed to the lack of robust multispecies biofilm models for fundamental investigations.

Peroxynitrite activates NLRP3 inflammasome and contributes to hemorrhagic transformation and poor outcome in ischemic stroke with hyperglycemia.

This study aims to test the hypothesis that peroxynitrite-mediated inflammasome activation could be a crucial player in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and poor outcome in ischemic stroke with hyperglycemia. We used an experimental rat stroke model subjected to 90 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion plus 24 h or 7 days of reperfusion with or without acute hyperglycemia. We detected the production of peroxynitrite, the expression of NADPH oxidase, iNOS, MMPs and NLRP3 inflammasome in the ischemic brains, and evaluated infarct volume, brain edema, HT, neurological deficit score and survival rates.

Botanical Drug Puerarin Promotes Neuronal Survival and Neurite Outgrowth against MPTP/MPP-Induced Toxicity via Progesterone Receptor Signaling.

Background: Progesterone receptor (PR) modulates neuroprotective and regenerative responses in Parkinson's disease and related neurological diseases.

Objectives: The present study was designed to determine whether botanical drug puerarin could exhibit neuroprotective and neurorestorative activities via PR signaling.

Methods: The neuroprotective and neurotrophic activities of puerarin were investigated in MPTP-lesioned mice and MPP-challenged primary rat midbrain neurons.

Effects of sodium citrate on the structure and microbial community composition of an early-stage multispecies biofilm model.

In recent years, most biofilm studies have focused on fundamental investigations using multispecies biofilm models developed preferentially in simulated naturally occurring low-nutrient medium than in artificial nutrient-rich medium. Because biofilm development under low-nutrient growth media is slow, natural media are often supplemented with an additional carbon source to increase the rate of biofilm formation. However, there are knowledge gaps in interpreting the effects of such supplementation on the resulting biofilm in terms of structure and microbial community composition.

Extracellular Matrix and Cellular Plasticity in Musculoskeletal Development.

Cellular plasticity refers to the ability of cell fates to be reprogrammed given the proper signals, allowing for dedifferentiation or transdifferentiation into different cell fates. , this can be induced through direct activation of gene expression, however this process does not naturally occur . Instead, the microenvironment consisting of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and signaling factors, directs the signals presented to cells.

A Highly Selective and Sensitive Chemiluminescent Probe for Real-Time Monitoring of Hydrogen Peroxide in Cells and Animals.

Selective and sensitive molecular probes for hydrogen peroxide (H O ), which plays diverse roles in oxidative stress and redox signaling, are urgently needed to investigate the physiological and pathological effects of H O . A lack of reliable tools for in vivo imaging has hampered the development of H O mediated therapeutics. By combining a specific tandem Payne/Dakin reaction with a chemiluminescent scaffold, H O -CL-510 was developed as a highly selective and sensitive probe for detection of H O both in vitro and in vivo.

Human embryonic stem cell-derived blastocyst-like spheroids resemble human trophectoderm during early implantation process.

Objective: To study the use of human embryonic stem cell-derived trophoblastic spheroids (BAP-EB) as human blastocyst surrogates for studying early implantation and trophoblast development.

Design: Laboratory study.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Therapeutic targets of oxidative/nitrosative stress and neuroinflammation in ischemic stroke: Applications for natural product efficacy with omics and systemic biology.

Oxidative/nitrosative stress and neuroinflammation are critical pathological processes in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and their intimate interactions mediate neuronal damage, blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage and hemorrhagic transformation (HT) during ischemic stroke. We review current progress towards understanding the interactions of oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory responses in ischemic brain injury. The interactions between reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and innate immune receptors such as TLR2/4, NOD-like receptor, RAGE, and scavenger receptors are crucial pathological mechanisms that amplify brain damage during cerebral ischemic injury.

N-Propargyl caffeate amide (PACA) prevents cardiac fibrosis in experimental myocardial infarction by promoting pro-resolving macrophage polarization.

Macrophages control the initiation and resolution of cardiac fibrosis in post-infarction cardiac remodeling. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether N-propargyl caffeate amide (PACA) could suppress myocardial fibrosis via regulating macrophage polarization. By using rat model of isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis, we discovered that PACA could reduce cardiac fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner.

Potential link between the RagA-mTOR-p70S6K axis and depressive-behaviors during bacterial liposaccharide challenge.

Background: Bacterial infection is a potential risk factor for depression. However, little is known about the mechanistic link between bacterial endotoxin and depressive-like behaviors. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether liposaccharide (LPS) could induce depressive-like behaviors in mice via sequentially activating small GTPase RagA, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and p70S6K.

Lgr5 and Col22a1 Mark Progenitor Cells in the Lineage toward Juvenile Articular Chondrocytes.

The synovial joint forms from a pool of progenitor cells in the future region of the joint, the interzone. Expression of Gdf5 and Wnt9a has been used to mark the earliest cellular processes in the formation of the interzone and the progenitor cells. However, lineage specification and progression toward the different tissues of the joint are not well understood.