A simple nanoelectrospray arrangement with controllable flowrate for mass analysis of submicroliter protein samples

AbstractA simple arrangement for nanoelectrospray ionization using a conventional syringe pump connected to a pulled unmodified capillary has been evaluated. This arrangement avoids several disadvantages associated with metal-coated nanoelectrospray emitters. The relatively large orifice (∼9 μm) at the pulled capillary tip reduces sample clogging and the use of the pump minimizes spray disruption due to gas bubbles. Subattomole detection limit was achieved with nanomolar protein sample solutions at 5–10 nL/min flowrates using an LCQ mass spectrometer. Submicroliter samples can be loaded from the tip orifice and stored inside the capillary to virtually eliminate any dead volume, and then be electrosprayed for extended periods at well-controlled flowrates

Cryptanalysis of a Chaotic Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Information Entropy

Recently, a chaotic image encryption algorithm based on information entropy (IEAIE) was proposed. This paper scrutinizes the security properties of the algorithm and evaluates the validity of the used quantifiable security metrics. When the round number is only one, the equivalent secret key of every basic operation of IEAIE can be recovered with a differential attack separately. Some common insecurity problems in the field of chaotic image encryption are found in IEAIE, e.g. the short orbits of the digital chaotic system and the invalid sensitivity mechanism built on information entropy of the plain image. Even worse, each security metric is questionable, which undermines the security credibility of IEAIE. Hence, IEAIE can only serve as a counterexample for illustrating common pitfalls in designing secure communication method for image data.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, IEEE Access, 201

Gastrointestinal Bioaccessibility and Colonic Fermentation of Fucoxanthin from the Extract of the Microalga Nitzschia laevis

The extract of microalga Nitzschia laevis (NLE) is considered a source of dietary fucoxanthin, a carotenoid possessing a variety of health benefits. In the present study, the bioaccessibility and deacetylation of fucoxanthin were studied by simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic batch fermentation. In the gastric phase, higher fucoxanthin loss was observed at pH 3 compared to pH 4 and 5. Lipases are crucial for the deacetylation of fucoxanthin into fucoxanthinol. Fucoxanthinol production decreased significantly in the order: pure fucoxanthin (25.3%) > NLE (21.3%) > fucoxanthin-containing emulsion (11.74%). More than 32.7% of fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol was bioaccessible after gastrointestinal digestion of NLE. During colon fermentation of NLE, a higher loss of fucoxanthin and changes of short-chain fatty acid production were observed but no fucoxanthinol was detected. Altogether, we provided novel insights on the fucoxanthin fate along the human digestion tract and showed the potential of NLE as a promising source of fucoxanthin.</p

MTR4 drives liver tumorigenesis by promoting cancer metabolic switch through alternative splicing.

The metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis is required for tumorigenesis in order to provide cancer cells with energy and substrates of biosynthesis. Therefore, it is important to elucidate mechanisms controlling the cancer metabolic switch. MTR4 is a RNA helicase associated with a nuclear exosome that plays key roles in RNA processing and surveillance. We demonstrate that MTR4 is frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is an independent diagnostic marker predicting the poor prognosis of HCC patients. MTR4 drives cancer metabolism by ensuring correct alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs of critical glycolytic genes such as GLUT1 and PKM2. c-Myc binds to the promoter of the MTR4 gene and is important for MTR4 expression in HCC cells, indicating that MTR4 is a mediator of the functions of c-Myc in cancer metabolism. These findings reveal important roles of MTR4 in the cancer metabolic switch and present MTR4 as a promising therapeutic target for treating HCC

BiOCl Decorated NaNbO3 Nanocubes: A Novel p-n Heterojunction Photocatalyst With Improved Activity for Ofloxacin Degradation

BiOCl/NaNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts with significantly improved photocatalytic performance were fabricated by a facile in-situ growth method. The obtained BiOCl/NaNbO3 samples were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photocurrent (PC) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic activity of the BiOCl/NaNbO3 samples was investigated by the degradation of a typical antibiotic Ofloxacin (OFX). The experimental results showed that BiOCl/NaNbO3 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity for OFX degradation compared to pure NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The degradation percent of OFX reached 90% within 60 min, and the apparent rate constant was about 8 times as that of pure NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The improved activity can be attributed to the formation of p-n junction between NaNbO3 and BiOCl. The formed p-n junction facilitated the separation of photogenerated holes and electrons, thereby enhancing photocatalytic activity. In addition, the composite photocatalyst showed satisfactory stability for the degradation of OFX. Due to the simple synthesis process, high photocatalytic activity, and the good recyclability of these composite photocatalysts, the results of this study would provide a good example for the rational design of other highly efficient heterojunction photocatalytic materials

Nitrogen Self-Doped Activated Carbons Derived from Bamboo Shoots as Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Adsorption

Bamboo shoots, a promising renewable biomass, mainly consist of carbohydrates and other nitrogen-related compounds, such as proteins, amino acids and nucleotides. In this work, nitrogen self-doped activated carbons derived from bamboo shoots were prepared via a simultaneous carbonization and activation process. The adsorption properties of the prepared samples were evaluated by removing methylene blue from waste water. The factors that affect the adsorption process were examined, including initial concentration, contact time and pH of methylene blue solution. The resulting that BSNC-800-4 performed better in methylene blue removal from waste water, due to its high specific surface area (2270.9 m2 g−1), proper pore size (2.19 nm) and relatively high nitrogen content (1.06%). Its equilibrium data were well fitted to Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 458 mg g−1 and a removal efficiency of 91.7% at methylene blue concentration of 500 mg L−1. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model could be used to accurately estimate the carbon material’s (BSNC-800-4) adsorption process. The adsorption mechanism between methylene blue solution and BSNC-800-4 was controlled by film diffusion. This study provides an alternative way to develop nitrogen self-doped activated carbons to better meet the needs of the adsorption applications

Individual Differences in the Neural Basis of Response Inhibition After Sleep Deprivation Are Mediated by Chronotype

Sleep deprivation (SD) has been reported to severely affect executive function, and interindividual differences in these effects may contribute to the SD-associated cognition impairment. However, it is unclear how individual differences in chronotypes (morning-type, MT; evening-type, ET) influence neurobehavioral functions after SD. To address this question, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate whether 24 h of SD differentially affect response inhibition, a core component of executive function, in MT and ET individuals. Accordingly, MT and ET participants were instructed to follow their preferred 7–9-h sleep schedule for 2 weeks at home both prior to and throughout the course of the study, and then performed a go/no-go task during fMRI scanning at 08:00 a.m. both at rested wakefulness (RW) and following SD. We also examined whether the neurobehavioral inhibition differences in the chronotypes in each session can be predicted by subjective ratings (sleepiness, mood, and task) or objective attention. Behaviorally, SD led to an increased response time of go trials (hit RT), more attentional lapses, higher subjective sleepiness, and worse mood indices, but it did not impair the accuracy of go trials (hit rate) and no-go trials (stop rate). Regardless of the presence of SD, ET individuals exhibited a lower stop rate, higher subjective ratings of sleepiness, exhausted mood, and task difficulty in comparison with MT individuals. On the neural level, SD resulted in decreased inhibition-related activation of the right lateral inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) in MT individuals and increased rIFG activation in ET individuals. Moreover, the rIFG activation in ET individuals after SD was positively correlated to the subjective ratings of sleepiness and effort put into the task, which was considered as a compensatory response to the adverse effects of SD. These findings suggest that individual differences in inhibition-related cerebral activation after SD are influenced by chronotypes. In addition, ET individuals may be vulnerable to response inhibition. Thus, it is essential to take into consideration the chronotype in SD research and sleep medicine

Orf virus DNA vaccines expressing ORFV 011 and ORFV 059 chimeric protein enhances immunogenicity

Background: ORFV attenuated live vaccines have been the main prophylactic measure against contagious ecthyma in sheep and goats in the last decades, which play an important role in preventing the outbreak of the disease. However, the available vaccines do not induce lasting immunity in sheep and goats. On the other hand, variation in the terminal genome of Orf virus vaccine strains during cell culture adaptation may affect the efficacy of a vaccine. Currently, there are no more effective antiviral treatments available for contagious ecthyma. Results: We constructed three eukaryotic expression vectors pcDNA3.1-ORFV011, pcDNA3.1-ORFV059 and pcDNA3.1-ORFV011/ORFV059 and tested their immunogenicity in mouse model. High level expression of the recombinant proteins ORFV011, ORFV059 and ORFV011/ORFV059 was confirmed by western blotting analysis and indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA) tests. The ORFV-specific antibody titers and serum IgG1/IgG2a titers, the proliferation of lymphocytes and ORFV-specific cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha) were examined to evaluate the immune responses of the vaccinated mice. We found that mice inoculated with pcDNA3.1-ORFV 011/ORFV059 had significantly stronger immunological responses than those inoculated with pcDNA3.1-ORFV011, pcDNA3.1-ORFV059, or pcDNA3.1-ORFV011 plus pcDNA3.1-ORFV059. Compared to other vaccine plasmids immunized groups, pcDNA3.1-ORFV011/ORFV059 immunized group enhances immunogenicity. Conclusions: We concluded that DNA vaccine pcDNA3.1-ORFV011/ORFV059 expressing ORFV011 and ORFV059 chemeric-proteins can significantly improve the potency of DNA vaccination and could be served as more effective and safe approach for new vaccines against ORFV.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000304650500001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701VirologySCI(E)3ARTICLEnull

Efficient removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution by pinecone biochar: Sorption performance and governing mechanisms

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most harmful and widespread environmental pollutants. Despite decades-long research efforts, the remediation of water contaminated by Cd has remained a significant challenge. A novel carbon material, pinecone biochar, was previously hypothesized to be a promising adsorbent for Cd, while so far, it has received little attention. This study evaluated the sorption capacity of pinecone biochar through isotherm experiments. Based on Langmuir model, the adsorption maximum for Cd(II) was up to 92.7 mg g−1. The mechanism of Cd(II) adsorption on pinecone biochar was also explored through both thermodynamic and kinetics adsorption experiments, as well as both solution and solid-phase microstructure characterization. The solid-solution partitioning behaviour of Cd(II) fitted best with the Tόth model while the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order rate, suggesting that the Cd(II) adsorption on the pinecone biochar was mainly a chemisorption process. Microstructure characteristics and mechanism analysis further suggested that coprecipitation and surface complexation were the main mechanisms of Cd adsorption by biochar. Coprecipitation occurred mainly through the forms of Cd(OH)2 and CdCO3. Our results demonstrated that pinecone biochar was an efficient adsorbent which holds a huge potential for Cd(II) removal from aqueous solution