MOF-derived cobalt manganese phosphide as highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen is considered as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by electrochemical water splitting is the most reliable and effective way for the sustainable production of pure hydrogen. The design and synthesis of highly active and stable non-noble-metal-based electrocatalysts is the core of the large-scale application of this technology. Herein, peony petal-like CoMnP/NF nanomaterials growing on nickel foam (NF) are prepared via facile hydrothermal and phosphorization methods. The results showed that CoMnP/NF had excellent HER activity in acidic and alkaline media. In 0.5 M H₂SO₄, CoMnP/NF only needed 66.6 mV overpotential to drive the current density of 10 mA cm^?2, with a Tafel slope of 38.8 mV dec^?1. In addition, a particularly low overpotential of 53.9 mV and Tafel slope of 63 mV dec^?1 are required to achieve the same current density in the 1 M KOH electrolyte. Meanwhile, the electrocatalyst showed good stability after 1000 cyclic voltammetry tests and 12 h I-T tests. In the 1 M KOH electrolyte, the current density of 10 mA cm^?2 achieved with only 1.70 V battery voltage, and the electrocatalyst showed excellent stability. The performance of CoMnP/NF can be attributed to the synergistic effect between Co and Mn atoms and the high electrochemical surface area (ECSA). This study provides a valuable strategy for the synthesis of non-precious metals and high-performance catalytic materials.     

Hsp100 Molecular Chaperone ClpB and Its Role in Virulence of Bacterial Pathogens

This review focuses on the molecular chaperone ClpB that belongs to the Hsp100/Clp subfamily of the AAA+ ATPases and its biological function in selected bacterial pathogens, causing a variety of human infectious diseases, including zoonoses. It has been established that ClpB disaggregates and reactivates aggregated cellular proteins. It has been postulated that ClpB’s protein disaggregation activity supports the survival of pathogenic bacteria under host-induced stresses (e.g., high temperature and oxidative stress), which allows them to rapidly adapt to the human host and establish infection. Interestingly, ClpB may also perform other functions in pathogenic bacteria, which are required for their virulence. Since ClpB is not found in human cells, this chaperone emerges as an attractive target for novel antimicrobial therapies in combating bacterial infections.     

Changes in apoptosis factors and activation of caspase-3 in tilapia muscle during storage

The activation of the apoptosis pathway in tilapia muscle during postmortem storage was studied. Changes in caspase-3 activity, ATP content, cytochrome c levels, and ratio of Bcl-2/Bax levels of tilapia muscle were observed during postmortem storage at 20°C. Caspase-3 activity was found to be significantly increased at first, followed by a decrease (P < 0.05); the highest caspase-3 activity was observed at 1 h. The ATP content decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and almost exhausted after 10 h storage. The cytochrome c level in the cytosol showed a significant increase after 5 h of storage (P < 0.05), while the mitochondrial cytochrome c levels showed a decrease. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio was stable from 0–5 h, followed by a rapid decreased at 10–20 h and a significant increased after 20 h (P < 0.05), suggesting that the apoptosis process occurred until 20 h of postmortem storage. Thus, we concluded that the availability of ATP and the increase in cytosolic cytochrome c levels are essential for the activation of caspase-3, and that the former partly limits caspase-3 activity.     

Temperature-sensitive polyurethane (TSPU) film incorporated with carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde: antimicrobial activity,sustained release kinetics and potential use as food packaging for Cantonese-style moon cake

Temperature-sensitive polyurethane (TSPU) films incorporated with carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde were prepared for the potential use of food packaging. The antimicrobial properties and sustained release kinetics of carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde in TSPU film were investigated. Results indicated that cinnamyl aldehyde and carvacrol had favourable antimicrobial properties at relatively low addition ratio. The diffusion and release of carvacrol were linearly related to temperature and its addition ratio. The release rates of carvacrol from TSPU film increased from 0.6% to 2.2% with the increase of addition ratio and temperature. The first-order kinetic equation could be used to describe its diffusion and sustained release process. TSPU films could significantly prolong the shelf life of Cantonese-style moon cakes by effectively inhibiting microbial growth and decreasing lipid oxidation comparing with commonly used polyethylene food packaging. Results obtained in the present work can provide technical guide of sustained release food packaging films with antimicrobial properties.     

Antibacterial effects of chitosan coating containing Mentha aquatica L. essence against Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes in Iranian white cheese

The effect of a chitosan coating and Mentha aquatica L. essence on Iranian white cheese was investigated. Results showed 100% inhibition of Escherichia coli growth using 1.5% essence after 10 days. After 15 days of incubation, the Staphylococcus aureus population was reduced by 44.2%, 70.0%, and 88.5% using 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% essence, respectively. After 15 days, Listeria monocytogenes growth was inhibited by 63.84%, 70.12%, and 85.9% using 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% essence, respectively. Inhibition zone diameter studies also confirmed the antibacterial effects of applied coating against all the above‐mentioned bacteria in Iranian white cheese.     

Combined Effects of Confinement and Macromolecular Crowding on Protein Stability

Confinement and crowding have been shown to affect protein fates, including folding, functional stability, and their interactions with self and other proteins. Using both theoretical and experimental studies, researchers have established the independent effects of confinement or crowding, but only a few studies have explored their effects in combination; therefore, their combined impact on protein fates is still relatively unknown. Here, we investigated the combined effects of confinement and crowding on protein stability using the pores of agarose hydrogels as a confining agent and the biopolymer, dextran, as a crowding agent. The addition of dextran further stabilized the enzymes encapsulated in agarose; moreover, the observed increases in enhancements (due to the addition of dextran) exceeded the sum of the individual enhancements due to confinement and crowding. These results suggest that even though confinement and crowding may behave differently in how they influence protein fates, these conditions may be combined to provide synergistic benefits for protein stabilization. In summary, our study demonstrated the successful use of polymer-based platforms to advance our understanding of how in vivo like environments impact protein function and structure.     

Hydrolytic degree and antioxidant activity of purified casein characterised by different haplotypes (αs1-, β- and k-casein) after enzymatic hydrolysis with pepsin and enzymatic extract from Pleurotus eryngii

The aim of this study was to estimate the hydrolytic degree and antioxidant activity of purified casein characterised by different haplotypes (α_s1-, β- and k-casein) after in vitro digestion with two different enzymatic systems: pepsin from porcine gastric mucosa (EP) and a crude enzymatic extract from the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii. The used enzymes showed a different mode of casein catalysis with a consequent production of peptides of different antioxidant activity. The CN haplotype significantly influenced peptides production; in fact, the amino acid substitutions caused by genetic polymorphisms at the α_s1-, β- and k-CN loci influenced the sites of enzymatic cleavage and therefore the produced peptides. The above is evidenced by the different antioxidant activity found in the hydrolysates depending on the used enzymatic system, the CN haplotype, and the CN haplotype × enzymatic treatment interaction. The findings of this study are a perspective for the production of specific foods that exert a biological effect in addition to the nutritional one.     

海参废渣皂苷通过核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体信号通路抵抗环磷酰胺诱导小鼠的免疫抑制

在我国海参是一种具有多种生物活性的传统滋补品。本实验系统性地研究了2.5、5.0、10.0 mg/（kg mb·d）海参废渣皂苷（saponins extracted from sea cucumber residues，SCRSS）对免疫抑制小鼠的调节作用。结果表明，与模型对照组相比，5.0 mg/（kg mb·d）SCRSS使小鼠的体质量、脾脏指数和胸腺指数分别增加了15.3%、23.8%和39.8%；5.0 mg/（kg mb·d）SCRSS也极显著增加了免疫抑制小鼠的吞噬指数（P＜0.01）。此外，与模型对照组相比，各剂量SCRSS均明显地增加了血清中细胞因子的水平，并促进了脾淋巴细胞和腹腔巨噬细胞的增殖活性。其中，中等剂量（5.0 mg/（kg mb·d））SCRSS可以更有效地上调免疫抑制小鼠核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域蛋白1、核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域蛋白2、受体相互作用蛋白-2和核因子-κB的表达。结论：SCRSS具有作为提高免疫力的功能性食品补充剂的潜力。     

How important is tryptophan in human health?

Tryptophan (Trp) is an amino acid and an essential component of the human diet. It plays a crucial role in many metabolic functions. Clinicians can use Trp levels in the course of diagnosing various metabolic disorders and the symptoms associated with those diseases. Furthermore, supplementation with this amino acid is considered in the treatment of depression and sleep disorders, mainly due to the Trp relationship with the synthesis of serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin. It is also used in helping to resolve cognitive disorders, anxiety, or neurodegenerative diseases. Reduced secretion of serotonin is associated with autism spectrum disorder, obesity, anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and other diseases presenting peripherals symptoms. The literature strongly suggests that Trp has a significant role in the correct functionality of the brain-gut axis and immunology. This information leads to the consideration of Trp as an essential dietary component due to its role in the serotonin pathway. A reduced availability of Trp in diet and nutraceutical supplementation should be considered with greater concern than one might expect. This paper constitutes a review of the more salient aspects gleaned from the current knowledge base about the role of Trp in diseases, associated nutritional disorders, and food science, in general.     

Three-dimensional imaging of human stem cells using soft X-ray tomography

Three-dimensional imaging of human stem cells using transmission soft X-ray tomography (SXT) is presented for the first time. Major organelle types—nuclei, nucleoli, mitochondria, lysosomes and vesicles—were discriminated at approximately 50 nm spatial resolution without the use of contrast agents, on the basis of measured linear X-ray absorption coefficients and comparison of the size and shape of structures to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. In addition, SXT was used to visualize the distribution of a cell surface protein using gold-labelled antibody staining. We present the strengths of SXT, which include excellent spatial resolution (intermediate between that of TEM and light microscopy), the lack of the requirement for fixative or contrast agent that might perturb cellular morphology or produce imaging artefacts, and the ability to produce three-dimensional images of cells without microtome sectioning. Possible applications to studying the differentiation of human stem cells are discussed.