DEFA

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to many biological processes that play an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. Targeting the interaction between tumour-related proteins with emerging small molecule drugs has become an attractive approach for treatment of human diseases, especially tumours. Encouragingly, selective PPI-based therapeutic agents have been rapidly advancing over the past decade, providing promising perspectives for novel therapies for patients with cancer...

In this study, impregnation combined with KOH activation with different mixing methods was used to prepare magnetic biochar. The effects of synthetic method on biochar physicochemical properties and adsorption performance were explored. The results showed that treatment of a Fe-Zn oxide with KOH activation provided excellent adsorption properties with adsorption capacity of 458.90 mg/g due to well-developed microporous structure and rich-in O-containing functional groups as well as exposed oxidizing functional groups (Fe2 O3 and FeOOH)...

ITGAM-ITGAX (rs11150612, rs11574637), VAV3 rs17019602, CARD9 rs4077515, DEFA (rs2738048, rs10086568), and HORMAD2 rs2412971 are mucosal immune defence polymorphisms, that have an impact on IgA production, described as risk loci for IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Since IgAN and Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV) share molecular mechanisms, with the aberrant deposit of IgA1 being the main pathophysiologic feature of both entities, we assessed the potential influence of the seven abovementioned polymorphisms on IgAV pathogenesis...

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of black soldier fly (BSF) replacing soybean meal (SBM) in diets on the performance and health condition of piglets. A total of 180 weaned piglets were allocated into 5 treatments: BSF0 (corn-soybean meal basal diet), BSF25 (BSF replacing 25% SBM), BSF50 (BSF replacing 50% SBM), BSF75 (BSF replacing 75% SBM) and BSF100 (BSF replacing 100% SBM). During the whole period, in comparison with BSF0, average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake increased in the BSF25 and BSF50 groups, whereas ADG decreased in the BSF75 and BSF100 groups ( P  < 0...

Modifying the polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with organic molecules is a promising strategy to enhance the photocatalytic activity. However, most previously reported works show that interchain embedding and edge grafting of the organic molecule can hardly be achieved simultaneously. Herein, we successfully synthesized organic molecule bifunctionalized CN (MBCN) through copolymerization of melon and sulfanilamide at a purposely elevated temperature of 550 °C. In MBCN, the edge grafted and interchain embedded benzene rings act as the electron-donating group and charge-transfer channel, respectively, rendering efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production...

Airborne particulate matter produced by industrial sources and automobiles has been linked to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and it is known to be recognized by cells of the immune system. The molecular mechanisms and changes in gene expression profiles induced in immune cells by PM have not been fully mapped out or systematically integrated. Here, we use RNA-seq to analyze mRNA profiles of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells after exposure to coarse particulate matter (PM10 ). Our analyses showed that PM10 was able to reprogram the expression of 1,196 genes in immune cells, including activation of a proinflammatory state with an increase in cytokines and chemokines...

As the foremost category of carbon materials, carbon dots (CDs) have been extensively applied in many domains because of their special fluorescence features and outstanding biocompatibility. However, in early studies of fluorescent CDs, as the fluorescence wavelength of most CDs was restricted to the blue or green region and was excitation dependent, the application of CDs was limited. In this study, three representative CDs, fluorescing yellow, green, and blue, were synthesized under alkaline, neutral, and acidic circumstances, respectively, while using a hydrothermal method in which catechol and phthalaldehyde acted as carbon sources and methanol functioned as the reaction solvent...

Aggregation of α-synuclein is central to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The most toxic familial mutation E46K accelerates the aggregation process by an unknown mechanism. Herein, we provide a clue by investigating the influence of E46K on monomeric α-synuclein and its relation to aggregation with molecular dynamics simulations. The E46K mutation suppresses β-sheet structures in the N-terminus while promoting those at the key fibrillization region named NACore. Even though WT and E46K monomers share conserved intramolecular interactions with fibrils, E46K abolishes intramolecular contacts within the N-terminus which are present in the WT monomer but absent in fibrils...

Starch adhesive, as a sustainable biomass-based adhesive, could be used to solve environmental problems from petroleum-derived adhesive. But its application is hindered by poor water resistance, mildew resistance, and storage stability. Here, a fully bio-based citric acid-starch adhesive (CASt) with high properties was successfully introduced by a simple method. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) determined that esterification of citric acid (CA) and starch (St) occurred to form a stable three-dimensional crosslinking structure, which strengthened water resistance and bonding strength of the starch adhesive...

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected population accounts for approximately 50% of all hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases and has a relatively poor prognosis. Although the significant role of ferroptosis in the development and therapeutic response of various cancers has been validated, the key ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) on the stratification of HBV-associated HCC are still unclear. METHODS: Through the random forest, GSVA and Cox regression analyses, we established a comprehensive prognostic system covering multiple FRGs to elevate the predictive accuracy for the survival rate of HBV-related HCC using information obtained from public databases...

Background : Research on the development of reliable diagnostic targets is being conducted to overcome the high prevalence and difficulty in managing periodontitis. However, despite the development of various periodontitis target markers, their practical application has been limited due to poor diagnostic accuracy. In this study, we present an improved periodontitis diagnostic target and explore its role in periodontitis. Methods : Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected from healthy individuals and periodontitis patients, and proteomic analysis was performed...

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid with powerful anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to explore whether combining intravenous and topical dexamethasone could improve postoperative pain, swelling, and function recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study, 90 patients undergoing primary unilateral TKA were randomized into a dexamethasone group, which received dexamethasone (10 mg) by periarticular infiltration during surgery, as well as intravenous dexamethasone (10 mg) before tourniquet release and at 12 h postoperatively; or a control group, which received equal volumes of isotonic saline instead of dexamethasone...

Materials with Kagome nets are of particular importance for their potential combination of strong correlation, exotic magnetism, and electronic topology. KV3 Sb5 was discovered to be a layered topological metal with a Kagome net of vanadium. Here, we fabricated Josephson Junctions of K1- x V3 Sb5 and induced superconductivity over long junction lengths. Through magnetoresistance and current versus phase measurements, we observed a magnetic field sweeping direction-dependent magnetoresistance and an anisotropic interference pattern with a Fraunhofer pattern for in-plane magnetic field but a suppression of critical current for out-of-plane magnetic field...

In this study, a novel nitrogen-doped magnetic Fe-Ca codoped biochar for phenol removal was successfully fabricated via a hydrothermal and coactivation pyrolysis method. A series of adsorption process parameters (K2 FeO4 to CaCO3 ratio, initial phenol concentration, pH value, adsorption time, adsorbent dosage and ion strength) and adsorption models (kinetic models, isotherms and thermodynamic models) were determined using batch experiments and various analysis techniques (XRD, BET, SEM-EDX, Raman spectroscopy, VSM, FTIR and XPS) to investigate the adsorption mechanism and metal-nitrogen-carbon interaction...

We report on a simple fabrication technique for Fabry-Perot (FP) sensors formed by a microbubble within a polymer drop deposited on the tip of an optical fiber. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) drops are deposited on the tips of standard single-mode fibers incorporating a layer of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). A microbubble inside this polymer end-cap, aligned along the fiber core, can be readily generated on launching light from a laser diode through the fiber, owing to the photothermal effect produced in the CNP layer...

Since the end of 2019, a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has deprived numerous lives worldwide, called COVID-19. Up to date, omicron is the latest variant of concern, and BA.5 is replacing the BA.2 variant to become the main subtype rampaging worldwide. These subtypes harbor an L452R mutation, which increases their transmissibility among vaccinated people. Current methods for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants are mainly based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gene sequencing, making time-consuming processes and expensive instrumentation indispensable...

Artificial photosynthesis is a promising strategy for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into fuels and value-added chemical products. However, a photocatalyst is usually suffered from low activity and product selectivity due to the sluggish dynamic transfer of photoexcited charge carriers. Herein, we develop the Ag single atoms anchored hollow porous polygonal tubular C3N4 (PCN) photocatalyst Ag1@PCN with an Ag-N3coordination for CO2 photoreduction using H2O as the reductant. The as-synthesized Ag1@PCNexhibits a high CO production rate of 0...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC is characterized by insidious onset, and most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Identification of biomarkers for HCC onset and progression is imperative to development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. CD147 is a glycoprotein that is involved in tumor cell invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis through multiple mechanisms...

Reported in 2004, carbon dots (CDs) have been widely used in various fields due to their excellent optical properties. However, the mechanism of their fluorescence modulation is still a controversial issue, which also seriously affects the further development of carbon dots. In this paper, m-hydroxybenzaldehyde is used as a raw material to obtain multicolor luminescent CDs by pyrolysis under different reaction conditions, thereby revealing the forbidden band tuning and formation mechanism of CDs. Different acid-base conditions lead to different reaction paths of the precursors, forming molecular fluorophores with different conjugated structures, which aggregate to eventually form CDs and further enhance the photoluminescence of the system by inhibiting the movement of the fluorescent centers...

Lignin has many potential applications and is a biopolymer with a three-dimensional network structure. It is composed of three phenylpropane units, p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl, connected by ether bonds and carbon-carbon bonds, and it contains a large number of phenol or aldehyde structural units, resulting in complex lignin structures. This limits the application of lignin. To expand the application range of lignin, we prepared lignin thermoplastic phenolic resins (LPRs) by using lignin instead of phenol; these LPRs had molecular weights of up to 1917 g/mol, a molecular weight distribution of 1...