Current Status and Perspectives of Dual-Atom Catalysts Towards Sustainable Energy Utilization

The exploration of sustainable energy utilization requires the imple-mentation of advanced electrochemical devices for efficient energy conversion and storage,which are enabled by the usage of cost-effective,high-performance electro-catalysts.Currently,heterogeneous atomically dispersed catalysts are considered as potential candidates for a wide range of applications.Compared to conventional cata-lysts,atomically dispersed metal atoms in carbon-based catalysts have more unsatu-rated coordination sites,quantum size effect,and strong metal-support interactions,resulting in exceptional catalytic activity.Of these,dual-atomic catalysts(DACs)have attracted extensive attention due to the additional synergistic effect between two adja-cent metal atoms.DACs have the advantages of full active site exposure,high selectiv-ity,theoretical 100%atom utilization,and the ability to break the scaling relationship of adsorption free energy on active sites.In this review,we summarize recent research advancement of DACs,which includes(1)the comprehensive understanding of the synergy between atomic pairs;(2)the synthesis of DACs;(3)characterization meth-ods,especially aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron spectroscopy;and(4)electrochemical energy-related applications.The last part focuses on great potential for the electrochemical catalysis of energy-related small molecules,such as oxygen reduction reaction,CO_(2) reduction reaction,hydrogen evolution reaction,and N_(2) reduction reaction.The future research challenges and opportunities are also raised in prospective section.

Epimedin B exhibits pigmentation by increasing tyrosinase family proteins expression,activity,and stability

Epimedin B(EB)is one of the main flavonoid ingredients present in Epimedium brevicornum Maxim.,a traditional herb widely used in China.Our previous study showed that EB was a stronger inducer of melanogenesis and an activator of tyrosinase(TYR).However,the role of EB in melanogenesis and the mechanism underlying the regulation remain unclear.Herein,as an extension to our previous investigation,we provide comprehensive evidence of EB-induced pigmentation in vivo and in vitro and elucidate the melanogenesis mechanism by assessing its effects on the TYR family of proteins(TYRs)in terms of expression,activity,and stability.The results showed that EB increased TYRs expression through microphthalmia-associated transcription factor-mediated p-Akt(referred to as protein kinase B(PKB))/glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK3β)/β-catenin,p-p70 S6 kinase cascades,and protein 38(p38)/mitogen-activated protein(MAP)kinase(MAPK)and extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK)/MAPK pathways,after which EB increased the number of melanosomes and promoted their maturation for melanogenesis in melanoma cells and human primary melanocytes/skin tissues.Furthermore,EB exerted repigmentation by stimulating TYR activity in hydroquinone-and N-phenylthiourea-induced TYR inhibitive models,including melanoma cells,zebrafish,and mice.Finally,EB ameliorated monobenzone-induced depigmentation in vitro and in vivo through the enhancement of TYRs stability by inhibiting TYR misfolding,TYR-related protein 1 formation,and retention in the endoplasmic reticulum and then by downregulating the ubiquitination and proteolysis processes.These data conclude that EB can target TYRs and alter their expression,activity,and stability,thus stimulating their pigmentation function,which might provide a novel rational strategy for hypopigmentation treatment in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Association of twelve polymorphisms in three onco-lncRNA genes with hepatocellular cancer risk and prognosis:A case-control study

AIM To evaluate the association of 12 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms(tag SNPs) in three onco-long non-coding RNA(lnc RNA) genes(HOTTIP,CCAT2,MALAT1) with the risk and prognosis of hepatocellular cancer(HCC). METHODS Twelve tag SNPs covering the three onco-lnc RNAs were genotyped by the KASP method in a total of 1338 samples,including 521 HCC patients and frequencymatched 817 controls. The samples were obtained from an unrelated Chinese population at the First Hospital ofChina Medical University from 2012-2015. The expression quantitative trait loci(e QTL) analyses were conducted to explore further the potential function of the promising SNPs. RESULTS Three SNPs in HOTTIP,one promoter SNP in MALAT1,and one haplotype of HOTTIP were associated with HCC risk. The HOTTIP rs17501292,rs2067087,and rs17427960 SNPs were increased to 1.55-,1.20-,and 1.18-fold HCC risk under allelic models(P = 0.012,0.017 and 0.049,respectively). MALAT1 rs4102217 SNP was increased to a 1.32-fold HCC risk under dominant models(P = 0.028). In addition,the two-way interaction of HOTTIP rs17501292-MALAT1 rs619586 polymorphisms showed a decreased effect on HCC risk(P interaction = 0.028,OR = 0.30) and epistasis with each other. HOTTIP rs3807598 variant genotype showed significantly longer survival time in HBV negative subgroup(P = 0.049,HR = 0.12),and MALAT1 rs591291 showed significantly better prognosis in female and HBV negative subgroups(P = 0.022,HR = 0.37; P = 0.042,HR = 0.25,respectively). In the study,no significant effect was observed in e QTL analysis. CONCLUSION Specific lnc RNA(HOTTIP and MALAT1) SNPs have potential to be biomarkers for HCC risk and prognosis.

基于in silico技术探究益母草在化妆品中的应用前景

益母草具有行血养血,活血化瘀的作用,临床应用广泛,常用来主治妇科疾病,近年来益母草的美容应用逐渐受到关注。本研究利用in silico技术平台,通过文献计量学对益母草的研究现状和未来的发展态势进行了预测,同时结合网络药理学对益母草皮肤美容的功效及物质基础进行预测,结果表明益母草的活性成分萜类化合物及益母草碱可通过NADPH、PDPK1、MAOB、VEGF2、SIRT2等靶点有效促进血液流动,改善皮肤微循环,调节激素代谢,降低炎症反应,抵御氧化应激,具有延缓皮肤老化,滋养皮肤的功效。本研究为益母草作为化妆品植物功效原料的物质基础及功效机理提供了理论基础,同时证明了益母草作为化妆品功效原料的独特性,具备良好的发展前景。

Impact of SNP-SNP interactions of DNA repair gene ERCC5 and metabolic gene GSTP1 on gastric cancer/atrophic gastritis risk in a Chinese population

AIM To investigate the interactions of the DNA repair gene excision repair cross complementing group 5(ERCC5) and the metabolic gene glutathione S-transferase pi 1(GSTP1) and their effects on atrophic gastritis(AG) and gastric cancer(GC) risk.METHODS Seven ERCC5 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)(rs1047768, rs2094258, rs2228959, rs4150291, rs4150383, rs751402, and rs873601) and GSTP1 SNP rs1695 were detected using the Sequenom MassA RRAY platform in 450 GC patients, 634 AG cases, and 621 healthy control subjects in a Chinese population.RESULTS Two pairwise combinations(ERCC5 rs2094258 and rs873601 with GSTP1 rs1695) influenced AG risk(P_(interaction) = 0.008 and 0.043, respectively), and the ERCC5 rs2094258-GSTP1 rs1695 SNP pair demonstrated an antagonistic effect, while ERCC5 rs873601-GSTP1 rs1695 showed a synergistic effect on AG risk OR = 0.51 and 1.79, respectively). No pairwise combinations were observed in relation to GC risk. There were no cumulative effects among the pairwise interactions(ERCC5 rs2094258 and rs873601 with GSTP1 rs1695) on AG susceptibility(P_(trend) > 0.05). When the modification effect of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection was evaluated, the cumulative effect of one of the aforementioned pairwise interactions(ERCC5 rs873601-GSTP1 rs1695) was associated with an increased AG risk in the case of negative H. pylori status(P_(trend)= 0.043).CONCLUSION There is a multifarious interaction between the DNA repair gene ERCC5 SNPs(rs2094258 and rs873601) and the metabolic gene GSTP1 rs1695, which may form the basis for various inter-individual susceptibilities to AG.

Initial effects of inflammation-related cytokines and signaling pathways on the pathogenesis of post-traumatic osteoarthritis

The main pathological change in post-traumatic osteoarthritis （PTOA） is cartilage degeneration, which is closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Inflammation can cause degeneration of articular cartilage. Cartilage degeneration can also stimulate the progression of inflammation. It has been found that inflammatory cytokines can participate in the pathological process of cartilage degeneration through multiple signaling pathways, mainly mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear transcription factor kappa B, and Wnt-p-catenin signal transduction pathways. This review aimed at exploring the relationship between PTOA and inflammation-related cytokines by introducing the role of proinflammatory cytokines in chondrocyte destruction and extracellular matrix degradation.

发酵莲花花瓣美白功效提升及作用机制研究

随着现代生物工程技术快速发展,利用发酵技术提高草药提取物在食品和化妆品添加剂领域的生物活性已成为新趋势。在本研究中,以蘑菇酪氨酸酶活性和黑色素形成为评价指标,对5种益生菌的莲花提取物(LPE)发酵产物进行活性筛选。结果显示植物乳杆菌CGMCC 1.124发酵产物(FLPE)具有酪氨酸酶抑制活力;在A-MSH诱导的小鼠黑色素瘤细胞(B16F10)美白模型中,经50μg/mL FLPE处理的B16F10黑色素含量为模型对照组的86%±4.6%。为进一步阐明FLPE主要活性成分,利用HPLC,NMR和LC-MS对莲花提取物发酵前后产物中的主要黄酮类化合物进行定性定量分析。结构分析和生物活性评价结果表明,山奈酚-3-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷(49.8%,94.22 mg/g)和槲皮素-3-O-β-D-葡萄糖醛酸(13.6%)生物转化为两个生物活性苷元-槲皮素(14.4%,26.43 mg/g)和山奈酚(60.9%,70.76 mg/g)。在这些单体中,槲皮素通过调节酪氨酸酶活性、黑素发生相关酶(TYR,TRP-1和TRP-2)和小眼畸形相关转录调控因子(MITF)的表达抑制黑素形成。总体而言,利用植物乳杆菌CGMCC 1.124发酵提高了莲花提取物美白功效,转化生成的槲皮素是植物乳杆菌发酵产物抑制黑色素合成的物质基础之一。

ON THE(CO)HOMOLOGY OF(QUOTIENTS OF)MOMENT-ANGLE MANIFOLDS OVER POLYGONS

The purpose of this paper is to represent the cohomology ring of a moment-angle manifold over an m-gon explicitly in terms of the quotient of an exterior algebra,and to count the Betti numbers of the cohomology groups of a special class of quotients of moment-angle manifolds.

Release characteristics of different diameter ultrafine fibers as antibacterial materials

Although the electrospinning technique has been devoted to promoting therapeutic purposes as a drug carrier,however,there are still many fundamental problems in this area.This work focuses on a comparison of various diameter polyethersulfone(PES)electrospun ultrafine fibers as an-timicrobial materials.The fibrous morphology,antimicrobial agent distribution,thermally property,and biocompatibility evaluation of PES-based ultrafine fibers were systematically in-vestigated.The results demonstrated that the PES-based ultrafine fibers were suitable as anti-microbial material.Furthermore,the drug release behavior and mechanism were studied through total immersion.The release mechanism was confirmed to Fickian diffusion.It was revealed that the drug max release amount(71.5%)and release rate(7.71)are the highest for the smallest diameter ultrafine fibers.Meanwhile,the antimicrobial activity of PES ultrafine fibers is also inversely correlated with the diameter of fiber.The electrospun PES fibers would control their release behavior through the diameter and have a potential application in the wound dressings,such as chronic osteomyelitis and exposure injury.

Research progress of microRNA-21 in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor,which often occurs in the epiphysis of young people.The 5-year survival rate is 60-70%.Lung metastasis can be detected at first examination in 15-20%of patients,and 5-year survival in patients with early lung metastasis is no more than 20%.MicroRNAs are a class of small noncoding RNA molecules with 19-24 nucleotides in length that binding to target gene mRNA by incomplete pairing ways.And then RNA-induced silencing complex is formed to degrade mRNA or impedes its translation,thus inhibiting the expression of related proteins.microRNA-21 is stably expressed in a variety of tumors,and osteosarcoma is no exception.This study aims to review the role of microRNA-21 in osteosarcoma,hoping to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma and basic research.

Research progress on methylation of osteosarcoma-related genes

The occurrence of osteosarcoma is related to a variety of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.DNA methylation is an important feature of epigenetics,which can cause the activation of oncogenes and the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes.DNA methylation is an important factor in the study of metastasis,recurrence and drug resistance of osteosarcoma.To study the methylation of osteosarcoma-related genes provides theoretical support for the study of the occurrence,metastasis and drug resistance of osteosarcoma,and provides a theoretical basis for clinical diagnosis,prognosis prediction,targeted therapy and the study of new drugs.

How to establish an expected animal model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis?

Background：Animal models of osteoarthritis（OA）,including post-traumatic osteoarthritis and spontaneous osteoarthritis,have been established in many ways.In recent years,there have been many reports in various foreign academic journals,but animal models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis（distinct from spontaneous osteoarthritis） have rarely been established or summarized in these reports.Animal models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis show different characteristics depending on the animal species and modeling methods used,which is why we have written this article.Objective：To summarize the research progress and research status of animal models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.Methods：A retrospective review of the animal model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis（OA） was conducted on the basis of reports retrieved from the PubMed database with the keywords for searching ＂animal model,post-traumatic osteoarthritis（PTOA）＂ from October 2006 to October 2016 and confided English language.A total of 80 academic articles on the study of animal models of traumatic osteoarthritis were retrieved,and 34 of them were included in this literature review after reading the free fulltext of them.Results：Different PTOA models based on different modeling methods and different animal species had their own characteristics.Different modeling methods should be selected according to different modeling animals.Conclusions：Considering the project funds,experimental objectives and technical conditions,appropriate experimental animal and modeling method should be selected based on synthetic considerations to obtain an appropriate PTOA model and ideal experimental results.

Pigsties near dwellings as a potential risk factor for the prevalence of Japanese encephalitis virus in adult in Shanxi,China

Background:The increasing trend of adult cases of Japanese encephalitis(JE)in China,particularly in northern China,has become an important public health issue.We conducted an epidemiological investigation in the south of Shanxi Province to examine the relationships between mosquitoes,Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV),and adult JE cases.Methods:Mosquito specimens were collected from the courtyards of farmers’households and pig farms in Shanxi Province.Mosquitoes were pooled,homogenized,and centrifuged.Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to detect mosquito-borne arbovirus genes in homogenates.Specimens positive for these genes were inoculated into the baby hamster kidney cell line(BHK-21)to isolate virus.Minimum infection rate was calculated and phylogenetic analyses were performed.Results:A total of 7943 mosquitoes belonging to six species in four genera were collected;Culex tritaeniorhynchus accounted for 73.08%(5805/7943),C.pipiens pallens for 24.75%(1966/7943),and the remaining 3%(104/7943)consisted of Anopheles sinensis,Aedes vexans,Ae.dorsalis,and Armigeres subalbatus.Sixteen pools were positive for JEV based on RT-PCR using JEV pre-membrane gene nested primers.Phylogenetic analyses showed that all JEVs belonged to genotype I;two pools were positive using Getah Virus(GETV)gene primers.In addition,one JEV strain(SXYC1523)was isolated from C.pipiens pallens specimens.These results indicate that the minimum infection rate of JEV in mosquito specimens collected from the courtyards of farmers’households with pigsties was 7.39/1000;the rate for pig farms was 2.68/1000;and the rate for farmers’courtyards without pigsties was zero.Conclusions:The high-prevalence regions of adult JE investigated in this study are still the natural epidemic focus of JEV.Having pigsties near dwellings is a potential risk factor contributing to the prevalence of adult JE.To prevent the occurrence of local adult JE cases,a recommendation was raised that,besides continuing to implement the Expanded Program on Immunization for children,the government should urge local farmers to cease raising pigs in their own courtyards to reduce the probability of infection with JEV.

Crossing-changeable braids from chromatic configuration spaces

Motivated by the work in Li et al.(2019),this paper deals with the theory of the braids from chromatic configuration spaces.These kinds of braids possess the property that some strings of each braid may intersect together and can also be untangled,so they are quite different from the ordinary braids in the sense of Artin(1925).This enriches and extends the theory of ordinary braids.