The nuclear cytokine IL-37a controls lethal cytokine storms primarily via IL-1R8-independent transcriptional upregulation of PPARγ

Cytokine storms are crucial in the development of various inflammatory diseases,including sepsis and autoimmune disorders.The immunosuppressive cytokine INTERLEUKIN(IL)-37 consists of five isoforms(IL-37a-e).We identified IL-37a as a nuclear cytokine for the first time.Compared to IL-37b,IL-37a demonstrated greater efficacy in protecting against Toll-like receptor-induced cytokine hypersecretion and lethal endotoxic shock.The full-length(FL)form of IL-37a and the N-terminal fragment,which is processed by elastase,could translocate into cell nuclei through a distinctive nuclear localization sequence(NLS)/importin nuclear transport pathway.These forms exerted their regulatory effects independent of the IL-1R8 receptor by transcriptionally upregulating the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPARγ).This process involved the recruitment of the H3K4 methyltransferase complex WDR5/MLL4/C/EBPβand H3K4me1/2 to the enhancer/promoter of Pparg.The receptor-independent regulatory pathway of the nuclear IL-37a–PPARγaxis and receptor-dependent signaling by secreted IL-37a maintain homeostasis and are potential therapeutic targets for various inflammatory diseases,including sepsis.

Explore the nucleolus: unveiling the hidden layer with superresolution microscopy

The nucleolus, a well-known membraneless organelle and the largest substructure with the highest transcriptional activity in the nucleus, was discovered over 200 years ago and is best known for its critical role in ribosome biogenesis(Kresoja-Rakic and Santoro, 2019;Navarro, 2019). Previous studies have reported that the nucleolus comprises three radially distributed layers known as the fibrillar center (FC).

Antimonene:a long-term stable two-dimensional saturable absorption material under ambient conditions for the mid-infrared spectral region

We experimentally demonstrate a long-term stable two-dimensional saturable absorption material under ambient conditions—multi-layer antimonene feasible for the mid-infrared spectral region—for the first time to our knowledge. The multi-layer antimonene material prepared using a liquid-phase exfoliation method was coated on a quartz/Ca F_2 for characterizations and an Au mirror as a reflection-type saturable absorber(SA) device. It has a modulation depth of 10.5%, a saturation peak intensity of 0.26 GW∕cm^2, and a non-saturation loss of 19.1% measured at 2868.0 nm using the typical power-dependent method. By introducing the SA device into a linear-cavity Ho^(3+)∕ Pr^(3+)-codoped fluoride fiber laser at 2865.0 nm, stable Q-switched pulses were obtained. It generated a maximum output power of 112.3 m W and pulse energy of 0.72 μJ, while the shortest pulse duration and largest repetition rate were 1.74 μs and 156.2 k Hz, respectively. The long-term stability of the SA device was also checked using the same laser setup within 28 days. The results indicate that multi-layer antimonene is a type of promising long-term stable SA material under ambient conditions that can be applied in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Cadmium accumulation and tolerance of two castor cultivars in relation to antioxidant systems

To investigate the effects of Cd on tolerance and antioxidant activities of castor, two different castor（Ricinus communis L.） cultivars（Zibo No. 5 and Zibo No. 8） were used for a hydroponic experiment（0, 1 and 2 mg/L Cd） and a pot experiment using Cd-contaminated soil（34 mg/kg） with the addition of ethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid（EDTA）. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the two cultivars with respect to Cd uptake in shoots（113–248 mg/kg for Zibo No. 5 and 130–288 mg/kg Zibo No. 8）, biomass tolerance indexes（64.9%–74.6% for Zibo No. 5 and 80.1%–90.9% for Zibo No. 8） in the hydroponic experiment and survival rates（0% for Zibo No. 5 and 100% for Zibo No. 8）determined by the addition of EDTA in the pot experiment, suggesting that Zibo No. 8 has higher tolerance than Zibo No. 5. Moreover, the castor cultivars have low bioconcentration factors（4.80% for Zibo No. 5 and 5.43% for Zibo No. 8） and low translocation factors（〈1%）.Consequently, Zibo No. 8 can participate in Cd phytostabilization in highly Cd-polluted areas. The results indicated that glutathione（GSH） as a non-enzymatic antioxidant, and antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase（SOD）, catalase（CAT） and guaiacol peroxidase（GPX）, were cultivar- and dose-dependent. The higher tolerance of Zibo No. 8compared with Zibo No. 5 can be attributed to the higher GSH levels in the root and higher GPX activity in the leaf.

Washing out heavy metals from contaminated soils from an iron and steel smelting site

Washing is a promising method for separating contaminants bound to the particles of soil ex-situ by chemical mobilization. Laboratory batch washing experi- ments were conducted using deionized water and varying concentrations of oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid （EDTA） to assess the efficiency of using these chemicals as washing agents and to clean up heavy metals from two heavily polluted soils from an iron and streel smelting site. The toxicity reduction index and remediation costs were analyzed, and the results showed that the soils were polluted with Cd, Pb and Zn. Hydrochloric acid and EDTA were more efficient than the other washing agents in the remediation of the test soils. The maximum total toxicity reduction index showed that 0.5 mol·L^-1 hydro- chloric acid could achieve the remediation with the lowest costs.

Blue–green color-tunable emissions in novel transparent Sr2LuF7:Eu/Tb glass-ceramics for WLEDs

To introduce ordered nano-structures inside a transparent amorphous matrix with superior optical and mechanical properties bears scientific and technological importance,yet limited success has been achieved.Here,via simple melting-quenching and subsequent thermal activation,we report the successful preparation of transparent nano-structured glass-ceramics embedded in Sr2Lu F7 nano-crystals(~26 nm),as evidenced by X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and high resolution TEM.The successful incorporation of dopants into formed Sr2Lu F7 nano-crystals with low phonon energy results in highly tunable blue–green photoemission,which depends on excitation wavelength,dopant type,and temperature.We found that Eu3+and Eu2+ions co-exist in this hybrid optical material,accompanied by the broadband blue emission of Eu2+and sharp red emissions of Eu3+.A series of optical characterizations are summoned,including emission/excitation spectrum and decay curve measurement,to reveal the reduction mechanism of Eu3+to Eu2+.Furthermore,near green–white photoemission is achieved via the enrichment of Tb3+/Eu3+into crystallized Sr2Lu F7 nano-crystals.The temperature-dependent visible photoemission reveals thermal activation energy increases with the precipitation of Sr2Lu F7 nano-crystals in a glass matrix,suggesting better thermal stability of glass-ceramics than precursor glasses.These results could not only deepen the understanding of glass-ceramics but also indicate the promising potential of Eu3+/Tb3+-ions-doped Sr2Lu F7 glass-ceramics for UV pumped white light emitting diodes(WLEDs)with good thermal stability.