Thermal and light-driven soft actuators based on a conductive polypyrrole nanofibers integrated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel with intelligent response.

The development of soft hydrogel actuators with outstanding mechanical properties, fast actuation speed, and available quantification of self-sensing actuation remains a challenging endeavor. In this work, dopamine-decorated polypyrrole nanofibers (DAPPy) were introduced into the polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)-crosslinked poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) network to generate a stretchable, NIR-responsive, and strain sensitive DAPPy/PNIPAM hydrogel layer. Besides, this active layer was combined with the passive ligninsulfonate sodium/polyacrylamide (LS/PAAM) to give DAPPy/PNIPAM//LS/PAAM bilayer hydrogel actuator, which exhibits ultrafast thermo-responsive actuation (19°/s) and underwater grasping and lifting performance. Moreover, the DAPPy/PNIPAM layer has excellent electrical conductivity (0.29 S/m) and thermal conversion ability (10.8 °C/min), which enable such a conductive hydrogel to act as a highly sensitive strain and temperature sensor with real-time resistance change in response to tensile strain (gauge factor up to 3.4), applied pressure, temperature, and remote NIR light irradiation. More importantly, the bilayer hydrogel actuator can integrate both actuation and self-sensing functions through the bending angle-surface temperature-relative resistance change relationship of the photothermal process. With excellent mechanical actuation and self-sensing ability, the resulting bilayer hydrogel showed a promising application potential as soft biomimetic actuating materials and soft intelligent actuators.

Lignosulfonate sodium assisted PEDOT-based all-gel supercapacitors with enhanced supercapacitance and wide temperature tolerance.

Conducting polymer hydrogels are typically employed in all-gel supercapacitors; however, Poly[3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene] (PEDOT)-based hydrogel supercapacitors still suffer from low capacitance because of the low packing density of PEDOT in the electrodes. Here, we demonstrate lignosulfonate sodium (LS) as an excellent template to synthesize various LS-PEDOT conductive nanofillers for high mass-loading LS-PEDOT/PAAM hydrogel electrodes. Then, the optimum LS-PEDOT/PAAM electrode was assembled with a redox-active LS/PAAM/Fe3+ hydrogel electrolyte to form sandwich-structured all-gel supercapacitors, which could deliver a high specific capacitance of 672.5 mF/cm2 and an energy efficiency of 60 µWh/cm2, which are three times higher than the 220 mF/cm2 and 19.5 µWh/cm2 of the device without Fe3+ at the same condition. Such a device shows excellent temperature tolerance from -30 to 100 °C. Besides, the LS-PEDOT/PAAM electrode has excellent photothermal conversion effects under simulated solar illumination. The sluggish electrochemical performance of the SC under low temperatures could be significantly boosted by ~50 % under simulated solar light. All of these findings demonstrate that the capacitance performance of the PEDOT-based hydrogel device is successfully improved not only at room temperature but also under subzero conditions.

A zinc-ion battery-type self-powered strain sensing system by using a high-performance ionic hydrogel.

Flexible strain sensors based on conductive hydrogels have profound implications for wearable electronics and health-monitoring systems. However, such sensors still need to integrate with energy providing devices to drive their functions. Herein, we develop a soaking-free polyacrylamide/carboxymethyl cellulose/tannic acid (PAAM/CMC/TA) hydrogel containing 2 M ZnSO4 + 0.1 M MnSO4 electrolyte for a novel zinc-ion battery-type self-powered strain sensing system. The synthesized hydrogel possesses desirable stretchability (tensile strain/stress of 622%/132 kPa), self-healing and self-adhesive properties, as well as good ionic conductivity (0.76 ± 0.04 S m-1). A mechanically durable Zn-MnO2 battery is developed using the PAAM/CMC/TA hydrogel and it can deliver a high specific capacity (223.0 mA h g-1) and maintain stable energy outputs under severe mechanical deformations. The electrochemical behavior of the battery can recover even after several self-healing cycles. Due to the excellent strain and pressure sensing properties of the PAAM/CMC/TA hydrogel, the battery combined with a fixed resistor served as a self-powered wearable sensing device, which could translate different human movements into distinguishable electrical signals without an external power supply. Our work provides guidance for the development of next-generation self-powered sensors.

High glucose and high lipid induced mitochondrial dysfunction in JEG-3 cells through oxidative stress.

Few studies focused on the roles of high glucose combined with high lipid in placental development or fetal growth. This study was designed to investigate the roles of high glucose combined with high lipid in mitochondrial dysfunction of JEG-3 cells. We determined the cellular proliferation and apoptosis, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), and lactic acid dehydrogenase in control group, high glucose group, high lipid group, and high glucose and high lipid group, together with the mitochondrial dysfunction, Nrf2, HO-1, SMAC, and cytochrome C (Cyt-C) expression. Significant decrease of SOD and significant elevation of MDA was seen in high glucose and high lipid group compared with the other three groups. There was significant decrease in mitochondrial SMAC and Cyt-C in high glucose group, high lipid group, and high glucose and high lipid group compared with those of control group. Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression in high glucose combined with high lipid group showed significant decrease compared with that of high lipid group or high glucose group. We speculated that combination of high glucose and high lipid induced oxidative stress in JEG-3 cells, and Nrf2/ARE pathway may be related to this process.

Recent advances of cereal ß-glucan on immunity with gut microbiota regulation functions and its intelligent gelling application.

ß-glucan from cereals such as wheat, barley, oats and rye are a water-soluble dietary fiber, which are composed of repeating (1→4)-ß-bond ß-D-glucopyranosyl units and a single (1→3)-ß-D-bond separated unit. ß-glucan has a series of physicochemical properties (such as viscosity, gelling properties, solubility, etc.), which can be used as a food gel and fat substitute. Its structure endows the healthy functions, including anti-oxidative stress, lowering blood glucose and serum cholesterol, regulating metabolic syndrome and exerting gut immunity via gut microbiota. Due to their unique structural properties and efficacy, cereal ß-glucan are not only applied in food substrates in the food industry, but also in food coatings and packaging. This article reviewed the applications of cereal ß-glucan in hydrogels, aerogels, intelligent packaging systems and targeted delivery carriers in recent years. Cereal ß-glucan in edible film and gel packaging applications are becoming more diversified and intelligent in recent years. Those advances provide a potential solution based on cereal ß-glucan as biodegradable substances for immune regulation delivery system and intelligent gelling material in the biomedicine field.

Dietary polyphenols: regulate the advanced glycation end products-RAGE axis and the microbiota-gut-brain axis to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed in non-enzymatic reaction, oxidation, rearrangement and cross-linking between the active carbonyl groups of reducing sugars and the free amines of amino acids. The Maillard reaction is related to sensory characteristics in thermal processed food, while AGEs are formed in food matrix in this process. AGEs are a key link between carbonyl stress and neurodegenerative disease. AGEs can interact with receptors for AGEs (RAGE), causing oxidative stress, inflammation response and signal pathways activation related to neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases are closely related to gut microbiota imbalance and intestinal inflammation. Polyphenols with multiple hydroxyl groups showed a powerful ability to scavenge ROS and capture α-dicarbonyl species, which led to the formation of mono- and di- adducts, thereby inhibiting AGEs formation. Neurodegenerative diseases can be effectively prevented by inhibiting AGEs production, and interaction with RAGEs, or regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis. These strategies include polyphenols multifunctional effects on AGEs inhibition, RAGE-ligand interactions blocking, and regulating the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota, and intestinal inflammation alleviation to delay or prevent neurodegenerative diseases progress. It is a wise and promising strategy to supplement dietary polyphenols for preventing neurodegenerative diseases via AGEs-RAGE axis and microbiota-gut-brain axis regulation.

The positive correlation of antioxidant activity and prebiotic effect about oat phenolic compounds.

The correlation of antioxidant activity and prebiotic effect about oat phenolic compounds was invested, while there exists limited studies. Free and bound phenolic compounds were separated from ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to investigate gut microbiota of in vitro fermentation samples. The results showed that ethyl acetate fraction possesses higher total phenolics contents than that of aqueous fraction (p < 0.01). The bound-n-butanol and free-ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the higher antioxidant capacity (p < 0.01). The phenolic compounds with more powerful antioxidant capacity could promote the proliferation of gut microbiota (Lactobacillus/Enterococcus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.) (p < 0.05) and inhibit the growth of gut microbiota (Bacteroides spp. and Clostridium/histolyticum group). There is a positive correlation of antioxidant activity and prebiotic effect about oat phenolic compounds. This study provides a basis for the correlation between antioxidant stress and gut microbiota regulation in vivo.

Transcription factor Sox3 is required for oogenesis in the teleost fish Nile tilapia.

Oogenesis is a complex developmental process responsible for the production of eggs from oogonia in fish and other animals. However, transcriptional regulation underlying oogenesis is not fully understood. In the present study, we demonstrated in the teleost fish Nile tilapia that the Sox transcription factor family member Sox3 was involved in regulating oocyte growth during oogenesis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that Sox3 expression was enriched in growing oocytes of ovary but could not be detected in testes. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homozygous mutation in the Sox3 gene disrupted oocyte growth. Further analysis revealed that Sox3 mutation caused a decrease in the contents of neutral lipids in oocytes and estradiol-17 beta (E2) production. RNA-seq-based transcriptome profiling and RT-qPCR analysis in ovaries demonstrated that the expression levels of genes involved in E2 production, lipid accumulation, and yolk formation were significantly downregulated following Sox3 mutation. Altogether, our findings indicate that Sox3 is required for oocyte growth in Nile tilapia and provides insights into transcriptional regulation underlying oogenesis in teleost fish.

Carboxymethyl cellulose assisted polyaniline in conductive hydrogels for high-performance self-powered strain sensors.

Engineering high mass electroactive materials into hydrogel scaffolds remains an enormous challenge in achieving flexible energy storage devices. Herein, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) assisted high mass polyaniline (PANI) into an interpenetrating double-network polyethyleneimine/polyacrylamide (PEI/PAAM) hydrogel was developed. With the optimum mass loading of PANI at 9.04 mg/cm2, the all-in-gel CMC-PANI0.8M/PEI/PAAM supercapacitor can deliver a high specific capacitance of 679 mF/cm2, a maximum energy density of 58.82 µWh/cm2 at a power density of 14.69 mW/cm2, and an enhanced capacitance retention of 98 % after 5000 cycles. Such device can withstand severely bending/compressing deformations and operate properly at extreme temperatures (-30-70 °C). The CMC-PANI0.8M/PEI/PAAM hydrogel exhibits high sensitivity and stable electrical performance for wearable strain sensors. By connecting the supercapacitor with the strain sensor, the fabricated self-powered sensing system is capable of monitoring human activities accurately. Therefore, the multifunctional performance of the CMC-PANI0.8M/PEI/PAAM hydrogel is competent in the field of flexible electronics.

Metabolic changes of Issatchenkia orientalis under acetic acid stress by transcriptome profile using RNA-sequencing / Cambios metabólicos de Issatchenkia orientalis bajo estrés con ácido acético por perfil de transcriptoma usando secuenciación de ARN

Issatchenkia orientalis (I. orientalis) is tolerant to various environmental stresses especially acetic acid stress in wine making. However, limited literature is available on the transcriptome profile of I. orientalis under acetic acid stress. RNA-sequence was used to investigate the metabolic changes due to underlying I. orientalis 166 (Io 166) tolerant to acetic acid. Transcriptomic analyses showed that genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis are differentially expressed under acetic acid stress. Genes associated with ribosome function were downregulated, while energy metabolism-related genes were upregulated. Moreover, Hsp70/Hsp90 and related molecular chaperones were upregulated to recognize and degrade misfolded proteins. Compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transcriptomic changes of Io 166 showed many similarities under acetic acid stress. There were significant upregulation of genes in ergosterol biosynthesis and for the application of wine production.(AU)

Tetrathiomolybdate as an old drug in a new use: As a chemotherapeutic sensitizer for non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, cisplatin resistance is a major obstacle to successful therapeutic efficacy. Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to reverse chemotherapy resistance and improve prognosis. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether copper chelator Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) can enhance the anticancer effect of cisplatin, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Cell viability, wounding healing, and colony formation assays were performed on H1299 and A549 cells. The combination indices (CI) were determined by the Chou-Talalay method. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and ROS generation. GSH levels were measured in a microplate reader. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched biology processes. The concentrations of Pt and Cu were determined by ICP-MS. Animal xenograft tumor model was established to evaluate the synergistic anticancer effect of TM and cisplatin. RESULTS: Combination treatment with TM and cisplatin decreased cell viability and migration of H1299 and A549 cells compared with cisplatin alone. Mechanistically, combination treatment could significantly increase ROS and reduce GSH content, leading to a notable increase in DNA-bound Pt and cell apoptosis. Moreover, in animal xenograft tumor model, TM enhanced cisplatin-elicited antitumor effect, but did not increase cisplatin-induced side effects. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that TM may be a promising chemotherapeutic sensitizer for non-small cell lung cancer.

Effects of enzymatic cross-linking combined with ultrasound on the oil adsorption capacity of chickpea protein.

In order to improve the oil adsorption capacity of chickpea protein, enzymatic cross-linking combined ultrasound was used to modify chickpea protein. Electrophoretic results showed that enzymatic cross-linking made the protein bands thinner, but ultrasound had no significant effect. The oil adsorption capacity of chickpea protein increased from 1.88 to 2.43 g/g; the surface hydrophobicity increased from 3933 to 4575; the zeta potential and emulsification performance were improved.After enzymatic cross-linking, the content of the free sulfhydryl group and emulsifying stability were decreased, and the particle size and the content of disulfide bonds were increased.After ultrasonic treatment, these properties showed an opposite trend. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy showed that ß-turn and random coil increased, the structure of protein became more loose and disordered. These results indicate that enzymatic cross-linking combined with ultrasound improves the functional properties of chickpea protein and extends its application.

Metabolic changes of Issatchenkia orientalis under acetic acid stress by transcriptome profile using RNA-sequencing.

Issatchenkia orientalis (I. orientalis) is tolerant to various environmental stresses especially acetic acid stress in wine making. However, limited literature is available on the transcriptome profile of I. orientalis under acetic acid stress. RNA-sequence was used to investigate the metabolic changes due to underlying I. orientalis 166 (Io 166) tolerant to acetic acid. Transcriptomic analyses showed that genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis are differentially expressed under acetic acid stress. Genes associated with ribosome function were downregulated, while energy metabolism-related genes were upregulated. Moreover, Hsp70/Hsp90 and related molecular chaperones were upregulated to recognize and degrade misfolded proteins. Compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transcriptomic changes of Io 166 showed many similarities under acetic acid stress. There were significant upregulation of genes in ergosterol biosynthesis and for the application of wine production.

The transcription factor Sox30 is involved in Nile tilapia spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is a complex process in which spermatogonial stem cells differentiate and develop into mature spermatozoa. The transcriptional regulatory network involved in fish spermatogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate in Nile tilapia that the Sox transcription factor family member Sox30 is specifically expressed in the testes and mainly localizes to spermatocytes and spermatids. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated sox30 mutation results in abnormal spermiogenesis, reduction of sperm motility, and male subfertility. Comparative transcriptome analysis shows that sox30 mutation alters the expression of genes involved in spermatogenesis. Further chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), ChIP-PCR, and luciferase reporter assays revealed that Sox30 positively regulates the transcription of ift140 and ptprb, two genes involved in spermiogenesis, by directly binding to their promoters. Our data, taken together, indicate that Sox30 plays an essential role in Nile tilapia spermatogenesis by directly regulating the transcription of the spermiogenesis-related genes ift140 and ptprb.

Synergistic anti-oxidative and antimicrobial effects of oat phenolic compounds and ascorbate palmitoyl on fish balls during cold storage.

This study investigated the effect of antioxidants on lipid stability of mackerel (Scomber japonicus) fish balls. Oat phenolic acid compounds (OPC) and ascorbate palmitoyl (AP) were used to prolong the shelf life of steamed mackerel fish balls. Fish balls were stored at 4°C for 21 days, and the total bacterial count, hardness, whiteness, water holding capacity (WHC), pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value were monitored regularly. The results indicated that OPC+AP composite as a biological preservative could significantly inhibit the increase of the total bacterial count. Meanwhile, OPC and AP could maintain better hardness, whiteness, and WHC of fish balls during refrigerated storage. Furthermore, OPC and AP slowed down the increase of TVB-N and TBARS values. The results showed that OPC+AP had a synergistic effect on the storage time and could prolong the shelf life within the storage time. Adding OPC and AP was a promising strategy to improve the quality and shelf life of fish balls. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The research provided a new application of OPC and AP for improving fish balls quality and shelf life during cold storage (4°C). OPC is a natural plant secondary metabolite from oat which exhibits excellent anti-oxidation. The research showed that OPC and AP combined with synergistic effect as biological preservatives can effectively inhibit the total bacterial count and reduce TBARS and TVB-N value of fish balls during the shelf life and maintain the hardness, which improved the quality and shelf life of fish balls.

Wide temperature-tolerant polyaniline/cellulose/polyacrylamide hydrogels for high-performance supercapacitors and motion sensors.

Herein, we report a simple approach to fabricate PANI/cellulose/PAAM conductive hydrogels with interpenetrating structure by in-situ polymerization of PANI into the acid tolerant cellulose/PAAM hydrogel. The obtained conductive hydrogels not only can achieve high flexibility and excellent conductivity, but also can be directly sandwiched between carbon clothes to fabricate all-in-one configured supercapacitors. Such supercapacitors show excellent electrochemical performances with a large areal capacitance of 835.0 mF/cm2 (corresponding to 4.175 F/cm3), a high energy density of 74.22 µWh/cm2 and an enhanced cycling performance with 96% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. What's more, the supercapacitors can withstand large bending/compressing deformations and wide temperature-tolerant from -60 to 80 °C. In addition, the PANI/cellulose/PAAM hydrogels can be fabricated into wearable motion sensors to monitor various human movements, such as finger bending and pressing, subtle clenching fist, swallowing and phonation in real-time. The obtained multifunctional performances may provide intriguing opportunities for practical applications.