Talaromyces marneffei Mp1p Antigen Detection may Play an Important Role in the Early Diagnosis of Talaromycosis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Mycopathologia - Talaromycosis is a life-threatening fungal disease commonly seen in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is endemic in Southern China and Southeast...     

Linking city‐level input–output table to urban energy footprint: Construction framework and application

Multiregion input–output (MRIO) models have become increasingly important in economic and environmental analysis. However, the current resolution of most MRIO models fails to capture the heterogeneity between subregions, especially in cities. The lack of city‐level MRIO tables has impeded the accomplishment of city‐level studies and hampered the understanding of the relationship between urban growth and consumption, and teleconnections to other regions. In this paper, we propose a partial survey‐based multiple‐layer framework for MRIO table compilation of a Chinese province that distinguishes city‐based regions. This framework can effectively address a large number of data processes and retain consistency between layers. Using the framework, we first compile a nested Hebei‐China city‐level MRIO table and then apply city‐level energy footprint accounting of the North China urban agglomeration. Our results present the critical role of Hebei cities in energy supply in 2012 and quantify energy use embodied in goods for the domestic trade. Tangshan, Shijiazhuang, and Handan are distinctive cities in the energy supply chain of other regions, for both less developed and developed regions. This multiple‐layer framework represents a feasible approach for developing subregional‐level MRIO models and offers the possibility to analyze global trade at the subregional level with limited data. The data and results from the analysis in this article are available for download from China Emission Accounts and Datasets.     

Vitamin D Stimulates Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Controls Organ Size and Regeneration in Zebrafish

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Bortezomib attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis in kidney transplantation via regulating the EMT induced by TNF‐α‐Smurf1‐Akt‐mTOR‐P70S6K pathway

Allograft interstitial fibrosis was characterized by massive extracellular matrix deposition caused by activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is recognized as an important source of myofibroblasts contributing to the pathogenesis of allograft interstitial fibrosis. Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1) has been recently reported to be involved in the progression of EMT. Our study was to detect the effect of Bortezomib and Smurf1 in the EMT and allograft interstitial fibrosis. Biomarkers of EMT, as well as Smurf1, were examined in human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK‐2) treated with tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) in various doses or at various time points by Western Blotting or qRT‐PCR. We knockdown or overexpressed Smurf1 in HK‐2 cells. Furthermore, rat renal transplant model was established and intervened by Bortezomib. Allograft tissues from human and rats were also collected and prepared for HE, Masson's trichrome, immunohistochemical staining and western blotting assays. As a result, we found that TNF‐α significantly promoted the development of EMT in a time‐dependent and dose‐dependent manner through Smurf1/Akt/mTOR/P70S6K signalling pathway. More importantly, Bortezomib alleviated the progression of EMT and allograft interstitial fibrosis in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting the production of TNF‐α and expression of Smurf1. In conclusion, Smurf1 plays a critical role in the development of EMT induced by TNF‐α. Bortezomib can attenuate the Sumrf1‐mediated progression of EMT and renal allograft interstitial fibrosis, which could be suggested as a novel choice for the prevention and treatment of renal allograft interstitial fibrosis.     

O‐GlcNAcylation promotes colorectal cancer progression by regulating protein stability and potential catcinogenic function of DDX5

The RNA helicase p68 (DDX5), a key player in RNA metabolism, belongs to the DEAD box family and is involved in the development of colorectal cancer. Here, we found both DDX5 and O‐GlcNAcylation are up‐regulated in colorectal cancer. In addition, DDX5 protein level is significantly positively correlated with the expression of O‐GlcNAcylation. Although it was known DDX5 protein could be regulated by post‐translational modification (PTM), how O‐GlcNAcylation modification regulated of DDX5 remains unclear. Here we show that DDX5 interacts directly with OGT in the SW480 cell line, which is the only known enzyme that catalyses O‐GlcNAcylation in humans. Meanwhile, O‐GlcNAcylation could promote DDX5 protein stability. The OGT‐DDX5 axis affects colorectal cancer progression mainly by regulating activation of the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Taken together, these results indicated that OGT‐mediated O‐GlcNAcylation stabilizes DDX5, promoting activation of the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, thus accelerating colorectal cancer progression. This study not only reveals the novel functional of O‐GlcNAcylation in regulating DDX5, but also reveals the carcinogenic effect of the OGT‐DDX5 axis in colorectal cancer.     

Ultrahigh Nitrogen Doping of Carbon Nanosheets for High Capacity and Long Cycling Potassium Ion Storage

Potassium‐based energy storage devices (PESDs) are promising candidates for large‐scale energy storage applications owing to potassiums abundant in nature, the low standard redox potential (?2.93 V for K/K⁺ vs the standard hydrogen electrode) of potassium (K), and high ionic conductivity of K‐ion based electrolytes. However, lack of proper cathode and anode materials hinder practical applications of PESDs. In this work, carbon nanosheets doped with an ultrahigh content of nitrogen (22.7 at%) are successfully synthesized as an anode material for a K‐ion battery, which delivers a high capacity of 410 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 500 mA g^?1, which is the best result among the carbon based anodes for PESDs. Moreover, the battery exhibits an excellent cycling performance with a capacity retention of 70% after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g^?1. In situ Raman, galvanostatic intermittent titration, and density functional theory calculations reveal that the ultrahigh N‐doped carbon nanosheet (UNCN) simultaneously combines the diffusion and pseudocapacitive mechanisms together, which remarkably improves its electrochemical performances in K‐ion storage. These results demonstrate the good potential of UNCNs as a high‐performance anode for PESDs.     

Structure Distortion Induced Monoclinic Nickel Hexacyanoferrate as High‐Performance Cathode for Na‐Ion Batteries

Prussian blue analogs with an open framework are ideal cathodes for Na‐ion batteries. A superior high‐rate and highly stable monoclinic nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF‐3) is synthesized via a facile one‐step crystallization‐controlled co‐precipitation method. It gives a high specific capacity of 85.7 mAh g^?1, nearly to its theoretical value. It also exhibits an excellent rate capability with a high capacity retention ratio of 78% at 50 C and a stable cycling performance over 1200 cycles. Through the ex situ X‐ray diffraction and pair distribution function measurements, it is found that the monoclinic structure with distorted framework is greatly related to the high Na content. The electronic structure studies by density functional theory (DFT) calculation demonstrate that NiHCF‐3 deformation promotes the framework conductivity and improves the electrochemical activity of Fe, which results in an ultrahigh‐rate performance of monoclinic phase. Furthermore, the high‐quality monoclinic (NiHCF‐3) exhibits excellent compatibility with both hard carbon and NaTi₂(PO₄)₃ anodes in full cells, which shows great prospects for the application in the large‐scale energy storage systems.     

Proteomic Profiling of LPS‐Induced Macrophage‐Derived Exosomes Indicates Their Involvement in Acute Liver Injury

Exosomes are typically involved in cellular communication and signaling. Macrophages play a key role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced sepsis. However, the molecular comparison of exosomes derived from LPS‐induced macrophage has not been well analyzed. The macrophage‐exosomes are validated and the protein composition of those exosomes are investigated by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) mass spectrometry. A total of 5056 proteins are identified in macrophage‐exosomes. We discovered 341 increased proteins and 363 reduced proteins in LPS‐treated macrophage‐exosomes compared with control exosomes. In addition, gene ontology analysis demonstrates that macrophage‐exosomes proteins are mostly linked to cell, organelle, extracellular region, and membrane. The bioinformatics analysis also indicates that these proteins are mainly involved in cellular process, single‐organism process, metabolic process, and biological regulation. Among these 341 upregulated proteins, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis reveals that 22 proteins are involved in the NOD‐like receptor signaling pathway. Finally, hepatocytes can uptake macrophage‐exosomes and subsequently NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in vitro and in vivo. These data emphasize the fundamental importance of macrophage‐exosomes in sepsis‐induced liver injury. Therefore, the iTRAQ proteomic strategy brings new insights into macrophage‐derived exosomes. It may improve our understanding of macrophage‐exosomes’ functions and their possible use as therapeutic targets for sepsis.     

Ciliopathy-associated proteins are involved in vesicle distribution in sensory cilia

Cilia play a wide range of critical roles in regulating cell motility,sensory signaling and metazoan development(Goetz and Anderson,2010;Reiter and Leroux,2017).Both motile cilia and pri-mary cilia consist of a basal body and a microtubule-based axoneme that is encompassed within the ciliary membrane.The formationand maintenance of ciliary structure depends on bidirectional intraflagellar transport(IFT):the kinesin-2 family motor proteins deliver ciliary precursors bound to the IFT particle protein complex from the ciliary base to the tip and the cytoplasmic dynein-2 recy-cles the anterograde IFT-protein machinery and ciliary turnover products back to the base(Scholey,2013;Reiter and Leroux,2017).Defects of ciliary structure and function lead to more than 35 types of systemic disorders in most human organ systems.which are collectively called ciliopathies(Reiter and Leroux,2017).187 established and 241 candidate ciliopathy-associated genes have been identified from the human genome(Reiter and Leroux,2017).     

Efficiency of inventory plot patterns for the estimation of woody vegetation recruit density in a tropical dense forest in Bénin

This study assessed the effectiveness of plot patterns for estimating recruit density of woody species in the dense forest of Lama Reserve (Bénin). The experimental design consisted of thirty 0.04 ha plots randomly settled in the forest and each subdivided into four hundred 1‐m² quadrats. Within each quadrat, recruits (dbh ≤10 cm) were counted and saplings (h ≥ 2 m and 2 cm ≤ dbh < 7 cm) and young trees (h ≥ 2 m and 7 cm ≤ dbh < 10 cm) were measured in dbh. In each 0.04 ha plot, seven different plot shapes and sizes were considered by grouping adjacent 1‐m² quadrats. Relationship between mean square error of the estimation of the density of recruitments and the plot sizes was modelled using the Smith law. Results obtained showed an average value of density of recruitments of 10.7 plants/m² with Green index value of 0.01. Shape and size of plots highly influenced the estimation of the density of recruitments. Rectangular plots of length/width = 2 and size of 72 m² (12 m × 6 m) were most efficient for the estimation of the density of recruitments in tropical dense forest with standard error of 0.79 plants/m².