Transcriptome Analysis on Maternal Separation Rats With Depression-Related Manifestations Ameliorated by Electroacupuncture

Maternal separation (MS), a stressful event in early life, has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, especially depression. In this study we investigated whether treatment with electroacupuncture (EA) could ameliorate depression-related manifestations in adult animals that had adverse early life experiences. We demonstrated depression-like behavior deficiencies in a sucrose preference test and a forced swimming test in a rat model with neonatal MS. Repeated EA treatment at the acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) during adulthood was shown to be remarkably attenuated above behavioral deficits. Using unbiased genome-wide RNA sequencing to investigate alterations in the transcriptome of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), we explored the altered gene sets involved in circadian rhythm and neurotransmitter transporter activity in MS rats, and their expression tended to be reversed after EA treatment. In addition, we analyzed the interaction network of differentiated lncRNA– or circRNA–miRNA–mRNA by using the principle of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA). These results suggest that EA at GV20 and GV29 ameliorates depression-related manifestations by regulating the expression of multiple genes

Highly Active and Stable Fe-N-C Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts Derived from Electrospinning and In Situ Pyrolysis

Abstract High-performance electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are essential in electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies. Fe-N-C electrocatalysts have been developed as one of the most promising alternatives to precious metal materials. Current M-N-C electrocatalysts usually are derived from high-temperature thermal treatment of a nitrogen-containing polymer or metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Here, we developed Fe-N-C mesoporous nanofibers with low-cost urea and FeCl3 as the nitride and iron source; the electrocatalysts with abundant Fe-Nx active sites and large surface area were synthesized via electrospinning, in situ pyrolysis, and acid treatment process. The use of sealing conditions in the calcination process can effectively improve the nitrogen species content in the catalyst, which is important for improving performance. The as-prepared electrocatalyst material manifests well electrocatalytic performance for ORR in alkaline electrolyte (onset potential of 0.93 V and half-wave potential of 0.82 V); meanwhile, the electrocatalyst expresses good stability and methanol tolerance. This work may provide new thought for developing high-performance ORR electrocatalysts

Additional file 1: of Highly Active and Stable Fe-N-C Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts Derived from Electrospinning and In Situ Pyrolysis

Figure S1. EDX specter of FN-800 and the insert was the element ratio of C, N and Fe, respectively. Figure S2. Pore size distributions for FN-800. Figure S3. N2 absorption and desorptionof FN-800 without acid treat. Figure S4. XPS survey scan and N1 s high resolution spectra of FN-800 which uncover during carbonization process. Figure S5. Polarization curves at various speeds and a scan rate of 5 mV/s: (a) N-800; (b) F-800; K-L plots (J− 1 vs. ω-1/2) at different potentials of N-800 (c) and F-800 (d). Figure S6. LSV of the Fe-N-doped carbon nanofibers catalysts with different carbonize temperature in the range of 600–1000 °C. Table S1. Comparison of the ORR performance between FN-800 and other reported catalysts in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. (PDF 843 kb

Portable Wireless Intelligent Electrochemical Sensor for the Ultrasensitive Detection of Rutin Using Functionalized Black Phosphorene Nanocomposite

To build a portable and sensitive method for monitoring the concentration of the flavonoid rutin, a new electrochemical sensing procedure was established. By using nitrogen-doped carbonized polymer dots (N-CPDs) anchoring few-layer black phosphorene (N-CPDs@FLBP) 0D-2D heterostructure and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the modifiers, a carbon ionic liquid electrode and a screen-printed electrode (SPE) were used as the substrate electrodes to construct a conventional electrochemical sensor and a portable wireless intelligent electrochemical sensor, respectively. The electrochemical behavior of rutin on the fabricated electrochemical sensors was explored in detail, with the analytical performances investigated. Due to the electroactive groups of rutin, and the specific π-π stacking and cation–π interaction between the nanocomposite with rutin, the electrochemical responses of rutin were greatly enhanced on the AuNPs/N-CPDs@FLBP-modified electrodes. Under the optimal conditions, ultra-sensitive detection of rutin could be realized on AuNPs/N-CPDs@FLBP/SPE with the detection range of 1.0 nmol L−1 to 220.0 μmol L−1 and the detection limit of 0.33 nmol L−1 (S/N = 3). Finally, two kinds of sensors were applied to test the real samples with satisfactory results

Preparation and Characterization of Mo Doped in BiVO4 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

Molybdenum (Mo) doped BiVO4 was fabricated via a simple electrospun method. Morphology, structure, chemical states and optical properties of the obtained catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET) and photoluminescence spectrum (PL), respectively. The photocatalytic properties indicate that doping Mo into BiVO4 can enhance the photocatalytic activity and dark adsorption ability. The photocatalytic test suggests that the 1% Mo-BiVO4 shows the best photocatalytic activity, which is about three times higher than pure BiVO4. Meanwhile, 3% Mo-BiVO4 shows stronger dark adsorption than pure BiVO4 and 1% Mo-BiVO4. The enhancement in photocatalytic property should be ascribed to that BiVO4 with small amount of Mo doping could efficiently separate the photogenerated carries and improve the electronic conductivity. The high concentration doping would lead the crystal structure transformation from monoclinic to tetragonal phase, as well as the formation of MoO3 nanoparticles on the BiVO4 surface, which could also act as recombination centers to decrease the photocatalytic activity

M1 Macrophage-Biomimetic Targeted Nanoparticles Containing Oxygen Self-Supplied Enzyme for Enhancing the Chemotherapy

Tumor hypoxia is considered one of the key causes of the ineffectiveness of various strategies for cancer treatment, and the non-specific effects of chemotherapy drugs on tumor treatment often lead to systemic toxicity. Thus, we designed M1 macrophage-biomimetic-targeted nanoparticles (DOX/CAT@PLGA-M1) which contain oxygen self-supplied enzyme (catalase, CAT) and chemo-therapeutic drug (doxorubicin, DOX). The particle size of DOX/CAT@PLGA-M1 was 202.32 ± 2.27 nm (PDI 3), which further proved the active targeting effect of the M1 macrophage membrane. Above all, a novel multifunctional nano-therapy was developed which improved tumor hypoxia and obtained tumor targeting activity

nNOS in Erbb4-positive neurons regulates GABAergic transmission in mouse hippocampus

Abstract Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, gene name Nos1) orchestrates the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) within neurons, pivotal for diverse neural processes encompassing synaptic transmission, plasticity, neuronal excitability, learning, memory, and neurogenesis. Despite its significance, the precise regulation of nNOS activity across distinct neuronal types remains incompletely understood. Erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 (ErbB4), selectively expressed in GABAergic interneurons and activated by its ligand neuregulin 1 (NRG1), modulates GABA release in the brain. Our investigation reveals the presence of nNOS in a subset of GABAergic interneurons expressing ErbB4. Notably, NRG1 activates nNOS via ErbB4 and its downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), critical for NRG1-induced GABA release. Genetic removal of nNos from Erbb4-positive neurons impairs GABAergic transmission, partially rescued by the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Intriguingly, the genetic deletion of nNos from Erbb4-positive neurons induces schizophrenia-relevant behavioral deficits, including hyperactivity, impaired sensorimotor gating, and deficient working memory and social interaction. These deficits are ameliorated by the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. This study underscores the role and regulation of nNOS within a specific subset of GABAergic interneurons, offering insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia, given the association of Nrg1, Erbb4, Pi3k, and Nos1 genes with this mental disorder

Structure of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from COVID-19 virus

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) outbreak has caused a global pandemic resulting in tens of thousands of infections and thousands of deaths worldwide. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, also named nsp12) is the central component of coronaviral replication/transcription machinery and appears to be a primary target for the antiviral drug, remdesivir. We report the cryo-EM structure of COVID-19 virus full-length nsp12 in complex with cofactors nsp7 and nsp8 at 2.9-Å resolution. In addition to the conserved architecture of the polymerase core of the viral polymerase family, nsp12 possesses a newly identified β-hairpin domain at its N terminus. A comparative analysis model shows how remdesivir binds to this polymerase. The structure provides a basis for the design of new antiviral therapeutics targeting viral RdRp