Nanosheets‐Assembled CuSe Crystal Pillar as a Stable and High‐Power Anode for Sodium‐Ion and Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Thanks to low costs and the abundance of the resources, sodium‐ion (SIBs) and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as leading candidates for next‐generation energy storage devices. So far, only few materials can serve as the host for both Na⁺ and K⁺ ions. Herein, a cubic phase CuSe with crystal‐pillar‐like morphology (CPL‐CuSe) assembled by the nanosheets are synthesized and its dual functionality in SIBs and PIBs is comprehensively studied. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that CPL‐CuSe enables fast Na⁺ and K⁺ storage as well as the sufficiently long duration. Specifically, the anode delivers a specific capacity of 295 mA h g^?1 at current density of 10 A g^?1 in SIBs, while 280 mA h g^?1 at 5 A g^?1 in PIBs, as well as the high capacity retention of nearly 100% over 1200 cycles and 340 cycles, respectively. Remarkably, CPL‐CuSe exhibits a high initial coulombic efficiency of 91.0% (SIBs) and 92.4% (PIBs), superior to most existing selenide anodes. A combination of in situ X‐ray diffraction and ex situ transmission electron microscopy tests fundamentally reveal the structural transition and phase evolution of CuSe, which shows a reversible conversion reaction for both cells, while the intermediate products are different due to the sluggish K⁺ insertion reaction.     

Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Proton pump inhibitors(PPIs) are commonly used to lessen symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). However, the effects of PPI therapy on the gastrointestinal microbiota in GERD patients remain unclear. We examined the association between the PPI usage and the microbiota present in gastric mucosal and fecal samples from GERD patients and healthy controls(HCs) using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. GERD patients taking PPIs were further divided into short-term and long-term PPI user groups. We showed that PPI administration lowered the relative bacterial diversity of the gastric microbiota in GERD patients. Compared to the non-PPIuser and HC groups, higher abundances of Planococcaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, and Sphingomonadaceae were found in the gastric microbiota from the PPI-user group. In addition, the Methylophilus genus was more highly abundant in the long-term PPI user group than in the short-term PPI-user group. Despite the absence of differences in alpha diversity, there were significant differences in the fecal bacterial composition of between GERD patients taking PPIs and those not taking PPIs. There was a higher abundance of Streptococcaceae, Veillonellaceae, Acidaminococcaceae,Micrococcaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae present in the fecal microbiota from the PPI-user group than those from the non-PPI-user and HC groups. Additionally, a significantly higher abundance of Ruminococcus was found in GERD patients on long-term PPI medication than that on shortterm PPI medication. Our study indicates that PPI administration in patients with GERD has a significant effect on the abundance and structure of the gastric mucosal microbiota but only on the composition of the fecal microbiota.     

Genome Characteristics and Evolution of Pseudorabies Virus Strains in Eastern China from 2017 to 2019

Since late 2011, outbreaks of pseudorabies virus(PRV) have occurred in southern China causing major economic losses to the pig industry. We previously reported that variant PRV forms and recombination in China could be the source of continued epidemics. Here, we analyzed samples from intensive pig farms in eastern China between 2017 and 2019, and sequenced the main glycoproteins(gB, gC, gD, and gE) to study the evolution characteristics of PRV. Based on the g C gene, we found that PRV variants belong to clade 2 and detected a founder effect during by the PRV epidemic. In addition,we detected inter-and intra-clade recombination; in particular, inter-clade recombination in the g B genes of strains FJ-ZXF and FJ-W2, which were recombinant with clade 1 strains. We also found specific amino-acid changes and positively selected sites, possibly associated with functional changes. This analysis of the emergence of PRV in China illustrates the need for continuous monitoring and the development of vaccines against specific variants of PRV.     

Rho‐associated coiled‐coil kinase 1 activation mediates amyloid precursor protein site‐specific Ser655 phosphorylation and triggers amyloid pathology

Rho‐associated coiled‐coil kinase 1 (ROCK1) is proposed to be implicated in Aβ suppression; however, the role for ROCK1 in amyloidogenic metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce Aβ was unknown. In the present study, we showed that ROCK1 kinase activity and its APP binding were enhanced in AD brain, resulting in increased β‐secretase cleavage of APP. Furthermore, we firstly confirmed that APP served as a substrate for ROCK1 and its major phosphorylation site was located at Ser655. The increased level of APP Ser655 phosphorylation was observed in the brain of APP/PS1 mice and AD patients compared to controls. Moreover, blockade of APP Ser655 phosphorylation, or inhibition of ROCK1 activity with either shRNA knockdown or Y‐27632, ameliorated amyloid pathology and improved learning and memory in APP/PS1 mice. These findings suggest that activated ROCK1 targets APP Ser655 phosphorylation, which promotes amyloid processing and pathology. Inhibition of ROCK1 could be a potential therapeutic approach for AD.     

LncRNA FENDRR represses proliferation,migration and invasion through suppression of survivin in cholangiocarcinoma cells

This study was to investigate the biological function and underlying mechanisms of FENDRR in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell proliferation, migration and invasion. FENDRR and survivin expression in CCA tissues or cell lines were measured by qRT-PCR. In QBC939 and HuCCTl cells, cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8, cell migration and invasion were using transwell assay. RNA pull-down and RIP assay were performed to determine whether FENDRR can combine with SETDB1 in CCA cell. The effect of SETDB1 on survivin and H3K9me1 expression in CCA cells were determined by western blotting. ChIP analysis was performed to analyze the combination of SETDB1 with survivin promoter in CCA cell. The effect of SETDB1 knockdown on survivin and H3K9me1 expression in CCA cells after transfection with FENDRR were determined by western blotting. The results showed that lncRNA FENDRR was downregulated in CCA tissues and cells, and was negatively correlated with survivin expression. Further investigation demonstrated that FENDRR represses CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion through regulating survivin expression. FENDRR associated with SETDB1 and H3K9 to epigenetically silence survivin and then regulated cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These findings indicate an important role for FENDRR–survivin axis in CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and reveal a novel epigenetic mechanism for survivin silencing. Our data indicated that FENDRR silences survivin via SETDB1-mediated H3K9 methylation, thereby represses CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion.     

Optimization of peptidic HIV‐1 fusion inhibitor T20 by phage display

The HIV fusion inhibitor T20 has been approved to treat those living with HIV/AIDS, but treatment gives rise to resistant viruses. Using combinatorial phage‐displayed libraries, we applied a saturation scan approach to dissect the entire T20 sequence for binding to a prefusogenic five‐helix bundle (5HB) mimetic of HIV‐1 gp41. Our data set compares all possible amino acid substitutions at all positions, and affords a complete view of the complex molecular interactions governing the binding of T20 to 5HB. The scan of T20 revealed that 12 of its 36 positions were conserved for 5HB binding, which cluster into three epitopes: hydrophobic epitopes at the ends and a central dyad of hydrophilic residues. The scan also revealed that the T20 sequence was highly adaptable to mutations at most positions, demonstrating a striking structural plasticity that allows multiple amino acid substitutions at contact points to adapt to conformational changes, and also at noncontact points to fine‐tune the interface. Based on the scan result and structural knowledge of the gp41 fusion intermediate, a library was designed with tailored diversity at particular positions of T20 and was used to derive a variant (T20v1) that was found to be a highly effective inhibitor of infection by multiple HIV‐1 variants, including a common T20‐escape mutant. These findings show that the plasticity of the T20 functional sequence space can be exploited to develop variants that overcome resistance of HIV‐1 variants to T20 itself, and demonstrate the utility of saturation scanning for rapid epitope mapping and protein engineering.     

黄土丘陵区刺槐群落林下物种分布对环境因子的响应

以吴起、安塞、米脂、宜川等地刺槐群落为对象,结合种群生态位宽度及土壤、海拔等环境因子探究刺槐林下物种分布特征及其影响因素,分析该地区刺槐林下物种分布对环境因子的响应机制,为黄土丘陵区刺槐林的管理提供科学依据.结果表明:在黄土丘陵区不同生长年限刺槐林中,分布较为广泛的物种有狗尾草、阿尔泰狗娃花、猪毛蒿、硬质早熟禾、茭蒿、苦荬菜、角蒿等.随刺槐生长年限的增加(10年至50年),林下物种优势种的分布更替依次为:茵陈蒿→硬质早熟禾→猪毛蒿→其他(茜草、悬钩子蔷薇等)→茭蒿→狗尾草.对刺槐林下物种分布影响较大的因子依次为土壤全磷含量(25.6%)>海拔(20.3%)>土壤全氮(19.3%).土壤有机碳含量、土壤全氮含量、土壤全磷含量、土壤含水量与刺槐林下物种的分布数量呈正相关,相关程度因种群不同而有所差异.坡向对刺槐林下物种的分布无明显影响.综上所述,地形与土壤因子在刺槐林下物种的分布中均占有重要地位,坡度越大,海拔越高,刺槐林下物种的分布种类越少.其次,土壤全磷含量和海拔是影响刺槐林下物种分布的重要环境因子.刺槐林下物种的分布是土壤养分状况的反映,对刺槐林的管理具有一定的指示作用.     

新型2-喹诺酮类Polo样激酶1抑制剂的设计合成及分子对接研究

目的:设计合成新型2-喹诺酮类Polo样激酶1(Plk1)抑制剂。方法:以Plk1抑制剂ON 01910为先导化合物,利用生物电子等排原理设计一系列2-喹诺酮类衍生物,用Autodock软件将该类化合物与Plk1进行分子对接和虚拟筛选,计算结合自由能;以取代的氯(溴)苄为起始原料,先后经巯基乙酸取代、双氧水氧化、与(对甲氧基)苯胺酰化,再经环合、水解制得目标化合物。结果:设计的化合物大多数与Plk1的结合自由能均比ON 01910的低,结合强度高、稳定性好;合成了16个2-喹诺酮类衍生物,产物结构经1H-NMR确证。结论:所得化合物中有15个为新化合物,化合物的结构设计科学合理,虚拟筛选结果良好,为后续实体筛选和化合物结构优化提供了理论依据和参考。