Impact of translational error-induced and error-free misfolding on the rate of protein evolution

Theoretical calculations suggest that, in addition to translational error-induced protein misfolding, a non-negligible fraction of misfolded proteins are error free.We propose that the anticorrelation between the expression level of a protein and its rate of sequence evolution be explained by an overarching protein-misfolding-avoidance hypothesis that includes selection against both error-induced and error-free protein misfolding, and verify this model by a molecular-level evolutionary simulation.We provide strong empirical evidence for the protein-misfolding-avoidance hypothesis, including a positive correlation between protein expression level and stability, enrichment of misfolding-minimizing codons and amino acids in highly expressed genes, and stronger evolutionary conservation of residues in which nonsynonymous changes are more likely to increase protein misfolding

Magnetically-targetable outer-membrane vesicles for sonodynamic eradication of antibiotic-tolerant bacteria in bacterial meningitis

Treatment of acute bacterial meningitis is difficult due to the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier, greatly limiting the antibiotic concentrations that can be achieved in the brain. Escherichia coli grown in presence of iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles secrete large amounts of magnetic outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs) in order to remove excess Fe from their cytoplasm. OMVs are fully biomimetic nanocarriers, but can be inflammatory. Here, non-inflammatory magnetic OMVs were prepared from an E. coli strain in which the synthesis of inflammatory lipid A acyltransferase was inhibited using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene knockout. OMVs were loaded with ceftriaxone (CRO) and meso-tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP) and magnetically driven across the blood-brain barrier for sonodynamic treatment of bacterial meningitis. ROS-generation upon ultrasound application of CRO- and TCPP-loaded OMVs yielded similar ROS-generation as by TCPP in solution. In vitro, ROS-generation by CRO- and TCPP-loaded OMVs upon ultrasound application operated synergistically with CRO to kill a hard-to-kill, CRO-tolerant E. coli strain. In a mouse model of CRO-tolerant E. coli meningitis, CRO- and TCPP-loaded OMVs improved survival rates and clinical behavioral scores of infected mice after magnetic targeting and ultrasound application. Recurrence did not occur for at least two weeks after arresting treatment.</p

Impedance studies of spinel LiMn2O4 electrode/electrolyte interfaces

The formation process of solid electrolyte interphase(SEI) film on spinet LiMn2O4 electrode surface was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) during the initial storage in 1 mol/L LiPF6-EC:DMC:DEC electrolyte and in the subsequent first charge-discharge cycle. It has been demonstrated that the SEI film thickness increased with the increase of storage time and spontaneous reactions occurring between spinet LiMn2O4 electrode and electrolyte can be prevented by the SEI film. In the first charge-discharge cycle succeeding the storage, the electrolyte oxidation coupled with Li-ion insertion is evidenced as the main origin to increase the resistance of SEI film. The results also confirm that the variations of the charge transfer resistance(R-ct) with the electrode potential(E) can be well described using a classical equation

Effects of temperature on the intercalation-deintercalation process of lithium ion in LiCOO2

The temperature dependent properties of the impedance spectral characters, the electronic resistance, the resistances of the SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) film as well as the charge transfer reaction of the LiCoO2 electrode in 1 mol/L LiPF6-EC (ethylene carbonate); DEC (diethyl carbonate):DMC (dimethyl carbonate) and I mol/L LiPF6-PC (propylene carbonate):DMC+5% VC (vinylene carbonate) electrolyte solutions were studied and reported. The temperature was varied from 0 to 30 degrees C. The studies of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that, the common EIS features' of the LiCoO2 electrode in the I mol/L LiPF6-EC:DEC:DMC and I mol/L LiPF6-PC:DMC+5% VC electrolyte solutions were related to the temperature, and a straight line reflecting solid state Li ion diffusion in the bulk of active mass appeared at 10 and 20 V, respectively. In I mol/L LiPF6-EC:DEC:DMC and I mol/L LiPF6-PC:DMC+5% VC electrolyte solutions, the energy barriers for the ion jump relating to migration of lithium ions through the SEI film of the LiCoO2 electrode were determined to be 37.74 and 26.55 kJ/mol, the thermal active energy of the electronic conductivities to be 39.08 and 53.81 kJ/mol, and the intercalation-deintercalation reaction active energies to be 68.97 and 73.73 kJ/mol, respectively

Disparities and risks of sexually transmissible infections among men who have sex with men in China: a meta-analysis and data synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including Hepatitis B and C virus, are emerging public health risks in China, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aims to assess the magnitude and risks of STIs among Chinese MSM. METHODS: Chinese and English peer-reviewed articles were searched in five electronic databases from January 2000 to February 2013. Pooled prevalence estimates for each STI infection were calculated using meta-analysis. Infection risks of STIs in MSM, HIV-positive MSM and male sex workers (MSW) were obtained. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. RESULTS: Eighty-eight articles (11 in English and 77 in Chinese) investigating 35,203 MSM in 28 provinces were included in this review. The prevalence levels of STIs among MSM were 6.3% (95% CI: 3.5-11.0%) for chlamydia, 1.5% (0.7-2.9%) for genital wart, 1.9% (1.3-2.7%) for gonorrhoea, 8.9% (7.8-10.2%) for hepatitis B (HBV), 1.2% (1.0-1.6%) for hepatitis C (HCV), 66.3% (57.4-74.1%) for human papillomavirus (HPV), 10.6% (6.2-17.6%) for herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) and 4.3% (3.2-5.8%) for Ureaplasma urealyticum. HIV-positive MSM have consistently higher odds of all these infections than the broader MSM population. As a subgroup of MSM, MSW were 2.5 (1.4-4.7), 5.7 (2.7-12.3), and 2.2 (1.4-3.7) times more likely to be infected with chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HCV than the broader MSM population, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prevalence levels of STIs among MSW were significantly higher than the broader MSM population. Co-infection of HIV and STIs were prevalent among Chinese MSM. Integration of HIV and STIs healthcare and surveillance systems is essential in providing effective HIV/STIs preventive measures and treatments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO NO: CRD42013003721

Preparation and capacity fading mechanism of tin thin film as anode of lithium-ion battery

Tin thin film coated on Cu substrate as anode of lithium-ion battery was prepared by electroplating. Its structure and properties were characterized and studied by X-ray diffration, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, charging/discharging test and AC impedence method. XRD patterns indicate that the tin thin film exhibits a structure of tetragonal crystal. The first discharge and charge capacities of the tin thin film electrode were determined to be 709 and 561 mAh(.)g(-1), respectively. Cyclic voltammetric results illustrated that multi-phase changes occurred during the lithiation and delithiation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicated that SEI film was begun to form on the surface of tin thin film electrode at 1.2 V, and then break down below 0.4 V because of large volume expansion. SEM investigations revealed that the tin thin film electrode appeared serious cracks after 30 charging and discharging cycles

Lamellar Liquid Crystals of In-Plane Lying Rod-Like Mesogens with Designer Side-Chains: the Case of Sliding vs Locked Layers

The dimensionality of self-assembled nano-structures plays an essential role for their properties and applications. Here we provide an understanding of the transition from weakly to strongly coupled lamellea in soft matter systems involving in-plane organized π-conjugated rods. For this purpose bolaamphiphilic triblock molecules consisting of a rigid biphenyl core, polar glycerol groups at the ends, and a branched (swallow-tail) or linear alkyl or semiperfluoroalkyl chain in lateral position have been synthesized and investigated. Besides weakly coupled lamellar isotropic (LamIso), lamellar nematic (LamN) and sliding lamellar smectic phases (LamSm) a sequence of three distinct types of strongly coupled (correlated) lamellar smectic phases with either centered (c2mm) or non-centered rectangular (p2mm) lattice and an intermediate oblique lattices (p2) were observed depending on chain length, chain branching and degree of chain fluorination. This new sequence is explained by the strengthening of the layer coupling and the competition between energetic packing constraints and the entropic contribution of either longitudinal or tangential fluctuations. This example of directed side chain engineering of small generic model compounds provides general clues for morphological design of two-dimensional and three-dimensionally coupled lamellar systems involving larger π-conjugated molecular rods and molecular or supramolecular polymers, being of contemporary interest