Analysis of the Composition of Deinagkistrodon acutus Snake Venom Based on Proteomics,and Its Antithrombotic Activity and Toxicity Studies

There is a strong correlation between the composition of Deinagkistrodon acutus venom proteins and their potential pharmacological effects. The proteomic analysis revealed 103 proteins identified through label-free proteomics from 30 different snake venom families. Phospholipase A2 (30.0%), snaclec (21.0%), antithrombin (17.8%), thrombin (8.1%) and metalloproteinases (4.2%) were the most abundant proteins. The main toxicity of Deinagkistrodon acutus venom is hematotoxicity and neurotoxicity, and it acts on the lung. Deinagkistrodon acutus venom may have anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects. In summary, the protein profile and related toxicity and pharmacological activity of Deinagkistrodon acutus venom from southwest China were put forward for the first time. In addition, we revealed the relationship between the main toxicity, pharmacological effects, and the protein components of snake venom.     

Health-Promoting Properties of Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Bioactive Compounds for the COVID-19 Era—An Appraisal: Do the Pro-Health Claims Measure Up?

Many mushroom species are consumed as food, while significant numbers are also utilised medicinally. Mushrooms are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. A growing body of in vitro, in vivo, and human research has revealed their therapeutic potentials, which include such properties as anti-pathogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, gut microbiota enhancement, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 specificity. The uses of medicinal mushrooms (MMs) as extracts in nutraceuticals and other functional food and health products are burgeoning. COVID-19 presents an opportunity to consider how, and if, specific MM compounds might be utilised therapeutically to mitigate associated risk factors, reduce disease severity, and support recovery. As vaccines become a mainstay, MMs may have the potential as an adjunct therapy to enhance immunity. In the context of COVID-19, this review explores current research about MMs to identify the key properties claimed to confer health benefits. Considered also are barriers or limitations that may impact general recommendations on MMs as therapy. It is contended that the extraction method used to isolate bioactive compounds must be a primary consideration for efficacious targeting of physiological endpoints. Mushrooms commonly available for culinary use and obtainable as a dietary supplement for medicinal purposes are included in this review. Specific properties related to these mushrooms have been considered due to their potential protective and mediating effects on human exposure to the SARS CoV-2 virus and the ensuing COVID-19 disease processes.     

g-C3N4/CeO2异质结材料的制备及其光催化性能的研究

以三聚氰胺、硝酸铈为原料,通过高温煅烧法制备了不同CeO₂含量的片层状g-C₃N₄/CeO₂,通过XRD、FT-IR、XPS等对系列g-C₃N₄-CeO₂材料进行了表征,考察了材料在可见光(λ≥420nm)条件下降解盐酸四环素(TC)的光催化活性。与单纯的g-C₃N₄相比,g-C₃N₄/CeO₂-30%具有更优异的光催化性能,这是由于g-C₃N₄-CeO₂间的异质结作用促进了光生电子和空穴分离。自由基捕获实验证实·O^-₂在催化反应过程中起到主要作用,并提出了相应的光催化机理。     

Cytosolic escape of mitochondrial DNA triggers cGAS-STING-NLRP3 axis-dependent nucleus pulposus cell pyroptosis

Low back pain (LBP) is a major musculoskeletal disorder and the socioeconomic problem with a high prevalence that mainly involves intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, characterized by progressive nucleus pulposus (NP) cell death and the development of an inflammatory microenvironment in NP tissue. Excessively accumulated cytosolic DNA acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) that is monitored by the cGAS-STING axis to trigger the immune response in many degenerative diseases. NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis is a type of inflammatory programmed death that promotes a chronic inflammatory response and tissue degeneration. However, the relationship between the cGAS-STING axis and NLRP3 inflammasome-induced pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of IVD degeneration remains unclear. Here, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathology to demonstrate that cGAS, STING, and NLRP3 are associated with the degree of IVD degeneration. Oxidative stress induced cGAS-STING axis activation and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in a STING-dependent manner in human NP cells. Interestingly, the canonical morphological and functional characteristics of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening with the cytosolic escape of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were observed in human NP cells under oxidative stress. Furthermore, the administration of a specific pharmacological inhibitor of mPTP and self-mtDNA cytosolic leakage effectively reduced NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptotic NP cell death and microenvironmental inflammation in vitro and degenerative progression in a rat disc needle puncture model. Collectively, these data highlight the critical roles of the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 axis and pyroptosis in the progression of IVD degeneration and provide promising therapeutic approaches for discogenic LBP.Subject terms: Cell death, Diseases     

Facial Synthesis and Bioevaluation of Well-Defined OEGylated Betulinic Acid-Cyclodextrin Conjugates for Inhibition of Influenza Infection

Betulinic acid (BA) and its derivatives exhibit a variety of biological activities, especially their anti-HIV-1 activity, but generally have only modest inhibitory potency against influenza virus. The entry of influenza virus into host cells can be competitively inhibited by multivalent derivatives targeting hemagglutinin. In this study, a series of hexa-, hepta- and octavalent BA derivatives based on α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin scaffolds, respectively, with varying lengths of flexible oligo(ethylene glycol) linkers was designed and synthesized using a microwave-assisted copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The generated BA-cyclodextrin conjugates were tested for their in vitro activity against influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus and cytotoxicity. Among the tested compounds, 58, 80 and 82 showed slight cytotoxicity to Madin-Darby canine kidney cells with viabilities ranging from 64 to 68% at a high concentration of 100 μM. Four conjugates 51 and 69–71 showed significant inhibitory effects on influenza infection with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 5.20, 9.82, 7.48 and 7.59 μM, respectively. The structure-activity relationships of multivalent BA-cyclodextrin conjugates were discussed, highlighting that multivalent BA derivatives may be potential antiviral agents against influenza infection.     

钴铁水滑石基材料在电催化析氧中的应用

析氧反应(OER)是电催化裂解水、二次金属-空气电池和可再生燃料电池等绿色可持续能源储存和转化技术中的关键步骤,但其较高的势垒和迟滞的动力学过程限制了反应的效率。因此,设计开发高效、稳定的非贵金属催化剂是新能源领域面临的挑战之一。钴铁水滑石(CoFe LDH)材料具有独特的二维层状结构、丰富多变的化学组成、高分散的金属阳离子、优异的稳定性和成本低廉等优点,在OER反应中有广泛的应用前景。但不良的导电性和有限的活性位点阻碍了CoFe LDH的工业化应用。本文首先介绍了CoFe LDH的结构并阐述了其OER反应机理,接着总结了CoFe LDH的制备工艺,并详细综述了近年来提升其OER性能的改性策略：插层剥离、空位制造、材料复合、离子取代和衍生物等。最后讨论了水滑石材料现阶段存在的问题和未来在能源转化和利用领域的发展方向。     

二维钙钛矿光伏器件

有机-无机杂化卤化物钙钛矿太阳能电池(perovskite solar cells, PSCs)由于其成本低廉、制备工艺简单、光电转换率高等优点引起了越来越多的关注,在下一代半导体光伏技术中显示出巨大的发展潜力。然而PSCs器件在商业化生产应用之前,必须解决某些关键问题,例如器件在湿度、光照和过热条件下缺乏稳定性,性能会急剧衰退。层状二维(two-dimensional, 2D)钙钛矿由于其优异的环境稳定性而受到研究人员的广泛关注。通过引入不同种类的疏水性大体积有机铵阳离子可以在钙钛矿体内形成稳定的2D结构。然而,由于绝缘有机间隔阳离子的存在,使其电荷输运能力受阻并影响光电转换性能。本文根据不同种类2D钙钛矿光伏器件的发展进程,总结了影响2D钙钛矿结构和性能的关键问题,如晶体垂直取向设计、量子阱调控和有机层间隔阳离子替换工程等。最后对2D PSCs的未来发展进行展望。     

Effects of High-Intensity Ultrasound Pretreatment on Structure,Properties, and Enzymolysis of Walnut Protein Isolate

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effect of high-intensity ultrasonication (HIU) pretreatment before enzymolysis on structural conformations of walnut protein isolate (WPI) and antioxidant activity of its hydrolysates. Aqueous WPI suspensions were subjected to ultrasonic processing at different power levels (600–2000 W) and times (5–30 min), and then changes in the particle size, zeta (ζ) potential, and structure of WPI were investigated, and antioxidant activity of its hydrolysates was determined. The particle size of the particles of aqueous WPI suspensions was decreased after ultrasound, indicating that sonication destroyed protein aggregates. The ζ-potential values of a protein solution significantly changed after sonication, demonstrating that the original dense structure of the protein was destroyed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated a change in the secondary structure of WPI after sonication, with a decrease in β-turn and an increase in α-helix, β-sheet, and random coil content. Two absorption peaks of WPI were generated, and the fluorescence emission intensity of the proteins decreased after ultrasonic treatment, indicating that the changes in protein tertiary structure occurred. Moreover, the degree of hydrolysis and the antioxidant activity of the WPI hydrolysates increased after sonication. These results suggest that HIU pretreatment is a potential tool for improving the functional properties of walnut proteins.     

环形光纤声发射传感器的相位调制特性研究

提出了一种基于光纤Sagnac干涉仪的环形传感器,用于固体表面传播的超声波的检测.这种传感器的特点是能够精确地检测由固体表面传播的超声波产生的微弱振动.当超声波信号通过光纤传感器的两个臂到达探测器时,干涉仪的输出光强度受到了超声信号的调制.通过检测干涉仪的输出光强度并利用Fourier变换,测得了超声信号的振幅和频率.而且对传感系统的位相调制特性进行了仿真,并对实验结果进行了分析,结果表明该系统可用于固体表面传播的超声波频率特征的识别.     

4.8 nm Concave {M_(72)}(M=Co,Ni,Fe) metal-organic polyhedra capped by 18 calixarenes

Three 4.8 nm isostructural{M₇₂}(M=Co^Ⅱ for CIAC-128,Ni^Ⅱ for CIAC-129,Fe^Ⅱ for CIAC-130) metal-organic polyhedra(MOPs) are constructed by eighteen M₄-p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (M₄-TC4A) units bridged via sixteen four-connected 5,5′-(1H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diyl) diisophthalic acid (H₄TADIPA) linkers.These MOPs are featured with a rarely reported concave coordination cage,which can be simplified as a squeezed double-decker hexagonal prism pressed from the top and bottom hexagonal faces.Furthermore,CIAC-128,CIAC-129 and CIAC-130 are the highest nuclearity discrete clusters of Co,Ni and Fe reported so far.CIAC-128 has higher separation selectivity of C₃H₈ than CH₄ under ambient conditions,and also exhibits separation selectivity for C₂H₆/CH₄,C₂H₂/CH₄,and C₂H₄/CH₄.In addition,CIAC-128 can provide the cavity for the confined synthesis of noble metal nanoclusters such as Pd nanoclusters and the resulting Pd@CIAC-128 hybrids show higher electrocatalytic activity than commercial Pt/C towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).