BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and individual parameters of 199 subjects.

<p>Data were presented as mean (S.D.).</p>a<p><i>p</i> values were adjusted for age, gender, duration of clozapine treatment and drug dose, and not corrected for multiple test.</p

Fasting levels of GLU in males classified according to the <i>BDNF</i> Val66Met genotypes.

<p>Each column represents the mean±SD. Met/Met homozygous individuals had significantly higher levels of fasting GLU than those with Val/Val or Val/Met genotypes (corrected <i>p</i> = 0.042 and corrected <i>p</i> = 0.012, respectively).</p

Distribution of Val66Met genotype and allele in schizophrenic patients with or without MetS.

<p>The Odds ratio was calculated for MetS group homozygous for Met allele ^a (Met/Met vs. Val/Val+Val/Met), and homozygous or heterozygous for Met allele ^b (Met/Met+Val/Met vs Val/Val).</p>c<p><i>p</i> values were not corrected for multiple test.</p

Formulation of Silk Fibroin Nanobrush-Stabilized Biocompatible Pickering Emulsions

Silk fibroin is widely believed to be sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable, providing promising features such as carriers to deliver drugs and functional ingredients in food, personal care, and biomedical areas, which are consistent with emulsion characteristics; especially, green, all-natural biopolymer-based stabilizers are in great demand to stabilize Pickering emulsions and match the multifunctional needs for developing ideal materials. Herein, an unprecedented three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure, namely a brush-like silk nanobrush (SNB), is applied as the stabilizer to formulate and stabilize Pickering emulsions. The size and interfacial tension are compared among the SNB, a regenerated silk nanofiber, and a nanowhisker. Additionally, optimization processes are conducted to determine the ideal ultrasonication intensity and SNB concentration required to prepare Pickering emulsions by analyzing the morphology, creaming index, mean oil droplet size, and rheological behavior. The results indicate that an SNB with the characteristic structure and suitable size shows superior potential to form sophisticated and interconnected networks in oil-water interfaces, and is proved to be able to resist creaming at a wide range of concentrations and subsequently stabilize Pickering emulsions from liquid-like emulsions to gel-like emulsions. Additionally, SNB is proved to be biocompatible according to cell experiments, providing a promising alternative in designing all-natural, green, and biocompatible emulsions with the aim of efficiently delivering nutrients or drugs associated with health benefits

Controllable Synthesis of Core–Shell Bi@Amorphous Bi₂O₃ Nanospheres with Tunable Optical and Photocatalytic Activity for NO Removal

The size, morphology, and structure of a Bi nanoparticle can significantly affect its photocatalytic performance. In this study, core–shell structured Bi@amorphous Bi₂O₃ nanospheres were synthesized through a one-step solvothermal method, and the reaction mechanisms on NO removal were proposed. It was found that Bi nanoparticles can generate charge carriers by surface plasma resonance (SPR) under visible light irradiation, while the surface amorphous Bi₂O₃ layer can facilitate the charge carriers’ separation. The Bi@Bi₂O₃ sample with the synthesis time of 18 h exhibited superior visible light photocatalytic activity for NO degradation, attributed to the suited size and suitable amorphous Bi₂O₃ layer. ^•O₂^–, ¹O₂, and ^•OH radicals were identified as the main reactive species involved in the photocatalysis processes. Moreover, the enhancement mechanisms of photocatalytic NO removal over Bi@Bi₂O₃ samples were discussed. This study demonstrated that the fabrication of core–shell structured Bi@Bi₂O₃ is a good strategy for effective air pollution control

DataSheet_1_Therapeutic prospects of ceRNAs in COVID-19.zip

Since the end of 2019, COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide, and the understanding of the new coronavirus is in a preliminary stage. Currently, immunotherapy, cell therapy, antiviral therapy, and Chinese herbal medicine have been applied in the clinical treatment of the new coronavirus; however, more efficient and safe drugs to control the progress of the new coronavirus are needed. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) may provide new therapeutic targets for novel coronavirus treatments. The first aim of this paper is to review research progress on COVID-19 in the respiratory, immune, digestive, circulatory, urinary, reproductive, and nervous systems. The second aim is to review the body systems and potential therapeutic targets of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs in patients with COVID-19. The current research on competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) (lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA) in SARS-CoV-2 is summarized. Finally, we predict the possible therapeutic targets of four lncRNAs, MALAT1, NEAT1, TUG1, and GAS5, in COVID-19. Importantly, the role of PTEN gene in the ceRNA network predicted by lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA TUG1 may help in the discovery and clinical treatment of effective drugs for COVID-19.</p