UGT1 knockdown inhibited the production of infectious HCV particles.

<p>(<b>A</b>) The UGT1-dependent glycoprotein repair and refolding. Incompletely folded proteins carrying N-glycans (M7-9GNA2-Pr) are sensed and re-glucosylated by UGT1, which results in binding to the ER lectin chaperones, calnexin and calreticulin. This prevents the proteins from degradation and allows longer ER retention for further folding. Properly folded proteins are released from Cal/Crt by de-glucosylation by glucosidase II. Abbreviations: GNA,N-acetylglucosamine; M, mannose; G, glucose; Pr, protein; Gls II, glucosidase II;G,glucose;Cnx/crt, calnexin/calreticulin. (B) Western blotting results of UGT1 knockdown in Huh7.5.1 cells. 4 different shRNA lentiviral clones (Purchased from Sigma, clones TRCN0000004520-23) were used to silence UGT1, with clone #4 showing the best silencing effect. (C) Cells from (B) were infected with HCVcc-Luc (MOI 1) and supernatant viruses were collected 48 hrs post infection and tiered for infectivity. Data shown are representatives of three independent experiments.</p

HCV E2 interacts with NS4B.

<p>A) 293T cells were co-transfected with indicated flag-tagged HCV protein DNA constructs and a HCV E1 construct. Input cell lysates and immunoprecipitates were blotted with antibodies against HCV E1and flag. Only NS2 robustly interacted with HCV E1. B) Lysates of 293T cells transfected with indicated flag-tagged HCV constructs together with an E2 expressing plasmid were immunoprecipitated with anti-Flag affinity resin. It was observed that p7, NS2, NS4A, and NS4B were able to individually precipitate E2. C) Mapping the domains of NS4B that interact with E2. Topology of HCV NS4B and mutants (modified from ref [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0147991#pone.0147991.ref036" target="_blank">36</a>]). D) All NS4B deletion mutants except NS4B-TM robustly precipitated with E2. E) NS4B failed to precipitate soluble E2 (sE2). 293T cells were co-transfected with indicated plasmids expressing flag-NS4B or flag-NS5A or CD81 LEL fused with human Fc (hFc) and soluble E2. CD81-LEL efficiently pulled down sE2, whereas NS4B and NS5A failed to do so. The sE2 (aa 384–661 from H77 clone) lacks the entire TMD and is commonly used in binding studies as E2 substitute [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0147991#pone.0147991.ref037" target="_blank">37</a>]. The CD81-LEL contains the large extracellular loop that interacts with sE2 in direct binding assays [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0147991#pone.0147991.ref038" target="_blank">38</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0147991#pone.0147991.ref039" target="_blank">39</a>].</p

Co-immunoprecipitations of AFP (A), Cdc2 (B), and UGT1 (C) with HCV E2.

<p>293T cells were transfected with indicated plasmids. Whole cell lysates were prepared for immunoprecipitation followed by western blotting. Representative data of three independent experiments are shown.</p

Identification of cellular proteins from HCV E2 complex.

<p>Details can be found in Experimental Procedures. (A), Genomic organization of the Flag-E2-JFH1 virus. (B), Schematic of the purification strategy. The infection efficiency was nearly 100% in all three replicates. (C), Venn diagram of 89 proteins (including 4 viral proteins) that were identified in all three trials.</p

Thermal Cyclodebromination of Polybromopyrroles to Polymer with High Performance for Supercapacitor

A strategy has been designed for synthesizing a new type of polymer with hierarchical architecture and crystalline CN_<i>x</i> (<i>x</i> ≤ 0.25) domains through deep thermal cyclodebromination of polybromopyrroles. The crystalline CN_<i>x</i> domain is determined to be a curving sp²-hybridized CN_<i>x</i> network cross-linked by the sp³-hybridized N–C bond on the basis of sample characterization and theoretical calculations. N atoms in the CN_<i>x</i> network are confirmed to be negatively charged by theoretical calculations, facilitating electrosorption of electrolyte cations. The polymer obtained at the condensation temperature of 500 °C is featured with high tap density, a high degree of graphitization, and a microporous characteristic, exhibiting nearly stable volumetric capacitance (143 and 101 F cm^–3) and specific surface capacitance (1.94 and 1.37 mF cm^–2) when cycled in 1 mol L^–1 KCl at a current density of 1 and 0.5 A g^–1 for 2000 cycles with three- and two-electrode systems, respectively

Gold Nanoprobe-Enabled Three-Dimensional Ozone Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography

Ozone (O₃) would be harmful to human skin for its strong oxidizing property, especially when stratum corneum or corneal epithelium is wounded. Imaging the penetration and distribution of ozone at depth is beneficial for studying the influence of ozone on skin or eyes. Here, we introduced a facile method for three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the penetration of O₃ into the anterior chamber of an isolated crucian carp eye by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) combined with gold triangular nanoprisms (GTNPs) as the contrast agent and molecular probe. We illustrated the specific response of GTNPs to ozone and demonstrated that GTNPs can function as an efficient nanoprobe for sensing O₃. The stabilities of GTNPs in different biologic solutions, as well as the signal intensity of GTNPs on an OCT imaging system, were investigated. Visualization of 3D penetration and distribution of O₃ in the biologic tissue was proved for the first time. The quantitative analysis of O₃ diffusion in the anterior chamber of the fish eye revealed a penetration depth of 311 μm within 172 min. Due to the strong scattering, near-infrared extinction band, and easy functionalization of GTNPs, they could further serve as nanoprobes for 3D OCT or multimodal imaging of other molecules or ions in the future

Chemical Tuning of TiO₂ Nanoparticles and Sintered Compacts for Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties

A novel, fast combustion method for synthesizing anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles (average diameter ∼14 nm) codoped with N and Nb in a single step is reported. XRD, STEM-EDX, and XPS measurements confirm that Nb ions are incorporated into the tetragonal lattice on Ti sites, while N ions occupy O sites, and likely also interstitial sites. Sintering of pellets of codoped powders under reducing conditions produced polycrystalline samples with the rutile structure. Chemically tuned samples have power factors up to 9.87 × 10^–4 W m^–1 K^–2, 7 times higher than that of pure TiO₂ sintered under the same conditions. In addition, the thermal conductivity is considerably lower at 2.6–4.0 W m^–1 K^–1 as a result of greater grain-boundary and point-defect scattering. The figure of merit, <i>ZT</i>, is improved to 0.35 at 700 °C, which is the highest value reported for a TiO₂ material to date, and is comparable to the highest values of any n-type thermoelectric oxide. Our material also exhibits good thermal stability in a pure N₂ atmosphere and is an excellent candidate for thermoelectric power generators. Consequently, the combustion technique represents a promising new strategy for preparing foreign-atom-doped metal oxides; the chemical tuning approach, a combination of foreign-atom-doped nanoparticle synthesis and optimized sintering process, can be applied to prepare superior thermoelectric materials

Additional file 1: of The prognostic value of the preoperative c-reactive protein/albumin ratio in ovarian cancer

ROC analysis of CA-125 to predict an “optimal” cutoff value (AUC area under the curve). (TIFF 23 kb

Mussel-Inspired Self-Adhesive and Tough Hydrogels for Effectively Cooling Solar Cells and Thermoelectric Generators

Adhesive hydrogel-based evaporative cooling, which necessitates no electricity input, holds promise for reducing energy consumption in thermal management. Herein, inspired by the surface attachment of mussel adhesive proteins via abundant dynamic covalent bonds and noncovalent interactions, we propose a facile strategy to fabricate a self-adhesive cooling hydrogel (Li-AA-TA-PAM) using a copolymer of acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) as the primary framework. The monomers formed hydrogen bonds between their carboxyl and amide groups, while tannic acid (TA), rich in catechol groups, enhances the adhesion of the hydrogel through hydrogen bonding. The hydrogel demonstrated strong adhesion to various material surfaces, including plastic, ceramic, glass, and metal. Even under high-speed rotation, it still maintains robust adhesion. The adhesion strength of the Li-AA-TA-PAM hydrogel to aluminum foil reached an impressive value of 296.875 kPa. Interestingly, the excellent contact caused by robust adhesion accelerates heat transfer, resulting in a rapid cooling performance, which mimics the perspiration of mammals. Lithium bromide (LiBr) with hydroactively sorptive sites is introduced to enhance sorption kinetics, thereby extending the effective cooling period. Consequently, the operation temperature of commercial polycrystalline silicon solar cells was reduced by 16 °C under an illumination of 1 kW m–2, and the corresponding efficiency of energy conversion was increased by 1.14%, thereby enhancing the output properties and life span of solar cells. The strategy demonstrates the potential for refrigeration applications using viscous gels

Hollow Casein-Based Polymeric Nanospheres for Opaque Coatings

Casein-based hollow polymeric sphere were fabricated through emulsifier-free polymerization coupled with alkali swelling approach. Hollow structure and nanoscale size of casein-based polymeric spheres were verified by TEM, AFM, SEM, and UV–vis spectra. The as-obtained hollow spheres were proved exhibiting superior opaque characteristic. Through adjusting the structural parameters, for example, MAA usages and MAA content in seed to core, sphere film showed tunable visible-light transmittance and antiultraviolet property. The formation mechanism of casein-based hollow sphere has been discussed in depth. Worth mentioning, the resultant hollow polymeric sphere can easily form films itself at room temperature, which would open a new possibility of designing opaque coatings in several fields, such as leather, packaging, paper making, biomedical, and special indoor coating applications