Search

Piezocatalysis is an emerging catalytic method that efficiently harnesses mechanical energy from the environment and converts it into electrical energy to drive chemical reactions. Graphitic carbon nitride (CN), as a nonmetallic piezocatalyst, offers significant cost advantages and environmental friendliness. However, enhancing the catalytic efficiency of pristine CN is hindered by its weak adsorption ability and piezoelectric response. To overcome these challenges, this study introduces dicarboxylic acid as a precursor for CN synthesis, resulting in carbon-rich CN through a self-assembly process that enables precise control over the C/N ratio at the molecular level. Compared to pristine CN, carbon-rich CN exhibits enhanced cationic substrate adsorption due to altered zeta potential and an improved piezoelectric response stemming from reduced structural symmetry. These dual enhancements facilitate stronger substrate–catalyst interactions and accelerate substrate decomposition, thereby tripling the piezocatalytic activity of CN. This research introduces a novel approach for designing efficient and environmentally friendly piezocatalysts while contributing to a deeper understanding of piezocatalytic mechanisms.

In order to reduce the regeneration energy consumption of CO2capture in the postcombustion capture process and explore the regulatory characteristics of phase separation, a series of 1-amino-2-propanol (MIPA)/sulfolane biphasic solutions were proposed to capture CO2. The effects of the molar ratio on the phase separation behavior, CO2equilibrium absorption, and desorption performances of MIPA/solfolane biphasic absorbents as well as three ternary solutions with the extra addition of ethanolamine (MEA) were investigated comprehensively in experiments. The results showed that the 4M/5M MIPA/sulfolane biphasic solution exhibited excellent performance with higher CO2loadings in the phase separation point for a CO2-rich liquid (0.4530 mol/mol), better desorption efficiency (85.53%), and relatively low regeneration energy consumption (32% lower than 30 wt % MEA). Besides, MEA has a positive effect on promoting the phase separation of the MIPA/sulfolane solution and reducing the desorption energy consumption. Furthermore, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to explore the reaction and phase separation mechanisms. The results indicated that generated carbamate salts can increase the ionic strength of the aqueous solution, leading to the accumulation of reacted MIPA or MEA in the water phase and the exclusion of sulfolane from water to form a new liquid phase. The results of this work can provide theoretical support for the future industrial application of MIPA/sulfolane biphasic absorbents and offer some guidance for the mechanism exploration of other biphasic solvent systems.

• A novel compound, La 3 Mg 2 SbO 9 (LMS), was synthesized for the first time and utilized as the host material for Mn4+-doped phosphors. The dual functionality of the phosphor in temperature and pressure sensing applications was explored. • A comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms underlying the LMS:Mn4+ phosphor's temperature response at both low and high temperatures was conducted. Utilizing a lifetime-based readout method, excellent thermometric performance was achieved, with a sensitivity of 2.52 % K−1 at 391 K. • In the application of luminescent manometry, the LMS:Mn4+ phosphor demonstrates not only high pressure sensitivity (Sr = 1.20 nm/GPa, which is about 3.3 times that of the conventional ruby probe) but also excellent resistance to pressure-induced spectral broadening (FWHM remained 37 nm at 9.48 GPa). The principle of stress-induced spectral redshift in LMS:Mn4+ phosphor has also been discussed. Photoluminescent materials, serving as optical probes, constitute a significant medium for reliable remote sensing of fundamental state parameters such as temperature and pressure. Herein, we report a novel Mn4+-activated perovskite-type La 3 Mg 2 SbO 9 phosphor (LMS:Mn4+) for bifunctional application in both thermometry and manometry. Upon excitation with 341 nm, LMS:Mn4+ (0.7 % Mn4+) emits a bright narrow-band red light peaking at 705 nm with an FWHM (full width at half maximum) of 32 nm. As a thermometer, when the temperature surpasses 298 K, non-radiative transitions from the 2E g excited state lead to a sharp decrease in decay lifetimes with increasing temperature. This allows for lifetime-based luminescence thermometry with a relative sensitivity of 2.52 % K−1 at 391 K. Moreover, LMS:Mn4+ was processed into a temperature-sensing coating and its non-contact thermometry functionality was validated. In manometry applications, the LMS:Mn4+ probe experiences substantial pressure-dependent redshift with a sensitivity of 1.20 nm GPa−1 in the testing range of 9.48 GPa, which is about 3.3 times that of conventional ruby probes. Furthermore, its FWHM consistently remains below 37 nm, which contributes to a high reliability of pressure measurements. The above results indicate that the LMS:Mn4+ constitutes a promising bifunctional luminescence probe material in thermometry and manometry. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term impact of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for the treatment of patients with de novo coronary artery lesions remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the non-inferiority of DCB angioplasty with rescue stenting to intended drug-eluting stent (DES) deployment for patients with de novo, non-complex coronary artery lesions.

GH19 (glycoside hydrolase 19) chitinases play crucial roles in the enzymatic conversion of chitin and biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi. Herein, a novel multifunctional chitinase of GH19 (CaChi19A), which contains three chitin-binding domains (ChBDs), was successfully cloned from Chitinilyticum aquatileCSC-1 and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. We also generated truncated mutants of CaChi19A_ΔI, CaChi19A_ΔIΔII, and CaChi19A_CatD consisting of two ChBDs and a catalytic domain, one ChBD and a catalytic domain, and only a catalytic domain, respectively. CaChi19A, CaChi19A_ΔI, CaChi19A_ΔIΔII, and CaChi19A_CatD exhibited cold adaptation, as their relative enzyme activities at 5 °C were 40.7, 51.6, 66.2, and 82.6%, respectively. Compared with CaChi19A and other variants, CaChi19A_ΔIΔII demonstrated a higher level of stability below 50 °C and retained relatively high activity over a wide pH range of 5–12. Analysis of the hydrolysis products revealed that CaChi19A and CaChi19A_ΔIΔII exhibit exoacting, endoacting, and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activities toward colloidal chitin. Furthermore, CaChi19A and CaChi19A_ΔIΔII exhibited inhibitory effects on the hyphal growth of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium redolens, Fusarium fujikuroi, Fusarium solani,and Coniothyrium diplodiella, thereby illustrating effective biocontrol activity. These results indicated that CaChi19A and CaChi19A_ΔIΔII show advantages in some applications where low temperatures were demanded in industries as well as the biocontrol of fungal diseases in agriculture.

Bacterial infections have emerged as a significant contributor to global mortality and morbidity rates. Herein, we introduce a dual fluorescence “turn-on” supramolecular sensor array composed of three assembled complexes (C1–C3), formed from three positively charged fluorophores (A1–A3) and one cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). The ability of this three-element array to simultaneously recognize 10 bacterial species within just 30 s was remarkable, boasting an impressive 100% accuracy. Additionally, the array excelled at distinguishing among various bacterial mixtures and enabled the quantitative detection of common bacterial strains. Notably, it has been skillfully applied to differentiate 10 bacterial samples in urine, achieving excellent differentiation and showcasing promising potential for medical diagnostic applications.

A convenient and less time-consuming approach for developing an optical oxygen sensing film with excellent balance between sensing performance and operating stability is addressed in the current work. In order to achieve better mechanical strength and resistance against ultraviolet (UV) degradation, a series of oxygen sensing films were prepared by embedding Pt (II) meso-tetra (pentafluorophenyl)porphine (PtTFPP) in the hosting copolymer matrices, which comprised different blending ratios of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) on polypropylene porous fiber membrane. The microstructure and optical properties of the sensing films were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser confocal microscopy, and fluorescence spectrometer. Phase delay measurement under different oxygen partial pressure (PO $_{{2}}\text {)}$ and temperature was conducted to evaluate the sensing performance and temperature compensation models of the sensing films for oxygen monitoring. Results show that the response time of the sensing films were all less than 10 s. The sensitivities and detecting ranges of the sensing films were increased and decreased with the reduction in PVC/PVDF-HFP ratio. When PVC/PVDF-HFP ratio reached 1:2, sensing film exhibits the best sensitivity of 0.334 kPa $^{-{1}}$ and the smallest phase reduction rate of 0.0045°/h after 24 h of continuous irradiation by UV light, presenting a promising utilization potentiality in fields of gaseous oxygen detection.

Graphical Abstract:

AbstractColorectal cancer is a serious threat to people’s life due to its high incidence and high mortality. Quercetin can effectively treat colorectal carcinoma (CRC), but its exact mechanism of action is still unclear. Then quercetin-related target genes were obtained from Swiss Target Prediction database and Similarity Ensemble Approach (SEA) database, and CRC-related target genes were obtained from GeneCards database, respectively. Common target genes were obtained by FunRich software. String software was used to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. R package was used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and post-dynamics simulation were used to explore the binding stability of quercetin to key targets. In total, 103 and 141 target information of quercetin were obtained from the Swiss Target Prediction database and SEA database, respectively. 1,649 CRC-related genes were obtained from GeneCards database. FunRich software was used to draw venny map and obtain 36 intersection targets of quercetin and CRC. String software was used to construct the PPI network. The core genes were AKT1, EGFR, MMP9, KDR, MET and PTK2. There were 532 items related to biological processes, 14 items related to cellular components, and 43 items related to molecular functions among the key target GO enrichment items. KEGG enrichment pathways of key targets involved cancer pathways, PI3K-Akt signal pathway, etc. The results of molecular docking, MD simulation and post-dynamics simulation showed they had a good affinity and formed a stable effect. So quercetin may play an important role in the treatment of CRC by acting on AKT1, EGFR, MMP9, KDR, MET and PTK2 to affect the development of CRC.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Grid-connected inverters (GCIs) operating in grid-following (GFL) mode may be unstable under weak grids with low short-circuit ratio (SCR). Improved GFL controls enhance the small-signal stability of GCIs under weak grids but result in a decrease in dynamic performance and remain unstable under very weak grids. While the small-signal stability of GCIs operating in grid-forming (GFM) mode is just the opposite: stable under weak or even very weak grids, unstable under strong grids. Both GFL and GFM modes are difficult to meet the stability requirements under large fluctuations in SCR. Therefore, this article proposes a hybrid-mode control strategy for GCIs that can adapt to large fluctuations in SCR. This control strategy weights the modulation signals output from GFL mode and GFM mode, and removes the phase-locked loop of GFL mode, improving the small-signal stability of GCIs under a wide range of SCR. The sequence impedance model of the hybrid-mode GCIs is established, and the small-signal stability is analyzed in this article. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

The shrinking Arctic sea-ice area (SIA) in recent decades is a striking manifestation of the ongoing climate change. Variations of the Arctic sea ice have been continuously observed by satellites since 1979, relatively well monitored since the 1950s, but are highly uncertain in the earlier period due to a lack of observations. Several reconstructions of the historical gridded sea-ice concentration (SIC) data were recently presented based on synthesized regional sea-ice observations or by applying a hybrid model–empirical approach. Here, we present an SIC reconstruction for the period 1901–2019 based on established co-variability between SIC and surface air temperature, sea surface temperature, and sea level pressure patterns. The reconstructed sea-ice data for March and September are compared to the frequently used HadISST1.1 and SIBT1850 datasets. Our reconstruction shows a large decrease in SIA from the 1920 to 1940 concurrent with the Early 20th Century Warming event in the Arctic. Such a negative SIA anomaly is absent in HadISST1.1 data. The amplitude of the SIA anomaly reaches about 0.8 mln km2in March and 1.5 mln km2in September. The anomaly is about three times stronger than that in the SIBT1850 dataset. The larger decrease in SIA in September is largely due to the stronger SIC reduction in the western sector of the Arctic Ocean in the 70°–80°N latitudinal zone. Our reconstruction provides gridded monthly data that can be used as boundary conditions for atmospheric reanalyses and model experiments to study the Arctic climate for the first half of the 20th century.

Precipitous Arctic sea-ice decline and the corresponding increase in Arctic open-water areas in summer months give more space for sea-ice growth in the subsequent cold seasons. Compared to the decline of the entire Arctic multiyear sea ice, changes in newly formed sea ice indicate more thermodynamic and dynamic information on Arctic atmosphere–ocean–ice interaction and northern mid–high latitude atmospheric teleconnections. Here, we use a large multimodel ensemble from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to investigate future changes in wintertime newly formed Arctic sea ice. The commonly used model-democracy approach that gives equal weight to each model essentially assumes that all models are independent and equally plausible, which contradicts with the fact that there are large interdependencies in the ensemble and discrepancies in models’ performances in reproducing observations. Therefore, instead of using the arithmetic mean of well-performing models or all available models for projections like in previous studies, we employ a newly developed model weighting scheme that weights all models in the ensemble with consideration of their performance and independence to provide more reliable projections. Model democracy leads to evident bias and large intermodel spread in CMIP6 projections of newly formed Arctic sea ice. However, we show that both the bias and the intermodel spread can be effectively reduced by the weighting scheme. Projections from the weighted models indicate that wintertime newly formed Arctic sea ice is likely to increase dramatically until the middle of this century regardless of the emissions scenario. Thereafter, it may decrease (or remain stable) if the Arctic warming crosses a threshold (or is extensively constrained).

Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent degenerative joint disease, significantly affects the well-being of afflicted individuals and compromises the standard functionality of human joints. The emerging biomarker, Cartilage acidic protein 1 (CRTAC1), intricately associates with OA initiation and serves as a prognostic indicator for the trajectory toward joint replacement. However, existing diagnostic methods for CRTAC1 are hampered by the limited abundance, thus restricting the precision and specificity. Herein, a novel approach utilizing a single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (SWCNTs FET) biosensor is reported for the direct label-free detection of CRTAC1. High-purity semiconducting carbon nanotube films, functionalized with antibodies of CRTAC1, provide excellent electrical and sensing properties. The SWCNTs FET biosensor exhibits high sensitivity, notable reproducibility, and a wide linear detection range (1 fg/mL to 100 ng/mL) for CRTAC1 with a theoretical limit of detection (LOD) of 0.2 fg/mL. Moreover, the SWCNTs FET biosensor is capable of directly detecting human serum samples, showing excellent sensing performance in differentiating clinical samples from OA patients and healthy populations. Comparative analysis with traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reveals that the proposed biosensor demonstrates faster detection speeds, higher sensitivity/accuracy, and lower errors, indicating high potential for the early OA diagnosis. Furthermore, the SWCNTs FET biosensor has good scalability for the combined diagnosis and measurement of multiple disease markers, thereby significantly expanding the application of SWCNTs FETs in biosensing and clinical diagnostics.

ABSTRACTA high-resolution meteorological dataset (≤10 km) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the foundation for investigating and predicting the weather and climate over Asia. The TP Subregional Dynamical Downscaling (TPSDD) dataset is a newly developed high-spatial-temporal resolution gridded dataset for land‒air exchange processes and lower atmospheric structure studies over the whole TP region, taking the climate characteristics of each TP subregion into consideration. The dataset spans from 1981 to 2020, covering the TP with a temporal resolution of 2 hr and spatial resolution of 10 km. Meteorological elements of the dataset include near-surface land–air exchange parameters, such as downward/upward longwave/shortwave radiation flux, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, etc. In addition, the vertical distributions of 3-dimensional wind, temperature, humidity, and pressure from the surface to the lower stratosphere are also included. Independent evaluations were conducted to verify the performance of the TPSDD dataset by comparing TPSDD/reanalysis with surface and vertical observations through the calculation of statistical parameters. The results demonstrate the accuracy and superiority of this dataset against reanalysis data, which provides great potential for future climate change research.

The cascaded-H-bridge (CHB) type converter is widely used in grid-tied applications, such as static var generator (SVG), static synchronous compensator (STATCOM), and photovoltaic system. In these situations, the dc-link capacitor is a key component, which serves as energy buffer and determines the quality of output waveform. Thus, acquiring the health status of these capacitors is critical for the reliable operation of the whole system. In this article, a general capacitor condition monitoring approach based on improved recursive least square (RLS) for CHB-type converters is proposed. The key equations are deduced from the basic control strategies and no extra sensors are introduced. The only signal required is the dc-link voltage, which is already collected for control purpose. The RLS algorithm is modified by adding self-adapted forgetting factor, to achieve a good performance on both identification accuracy and tracking speed. The capacitance estimation error is below 1%, and shows good feasibility in various working conditions and applications. The principle, main steps, case study, and proof-of-concept of the proposed method are presented.

Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) grid-connected converters face challenges during startup, including issues such as overmodulation and inrush currents due to low dc-link voltage. In addition, the common occurrence of dc-link voltage imbalance among multiple independent submodules (SMs) of CHB exacerbates these risks. In this article, a self-excitation startup strategy based on dynamic virtual impedance is proposed, adjusting the converter's output impedance to a virtual impedance. By establishing a relationship between the modulation index and virtual impedance, the modulation index is controlled within the linear modulation range, effectively suppressing inrush currents. The design of the modulation index reduces power loss during startup and enhances the charging power of the converter, allowing the converter to complete startup within a predetermined time. Furthermore, for typical control-based methods of dc-link voltage balance, a quantitative analysis of the impact of modulation index on the range of SM active power modification is conducted to optimize the modulation index design, thereby improving the dc-link voltage balance capability during the startup. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Compared to transient simulation, steady-state simulation of circulating fluidized bed risers is more efficient, but is also harder to perform due to the complex scale-dependency of dense gas-solid flows. In this work, steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of a riser is performed using the steady energy-minimization multi-scale (EMMS) drag. It is found that the steady state corresponds to an extremely large scale of length and time, thus the grid size required in steady-state simulation is larger than that in transient one. The time-averaged two-fluid model (TFM) coupled with the steady-state EMMS/1M drag model enables a good prediction of the S-shaped, axial solids distribution and the choking transition, whereas the two-phase turbulence and solids stress models are important in predicting the radially core-annular distribution of solids. So far as we know, this is the first time that one can predict the choking transition in a steady-state CFD simulation. Further improvement may need an EMMS modeling of the time-averaged solid stresses.

In this study, we compared the growth, development, and fecundity of Arma chinensis(Fallou) reared on pupae of the geometrid Ectropis grisescensWarren fed on tea shoots during different seasons of the year. The raw data on life history were analyzed using the age–stage, 2-sex life table. When reared on spring or winter geometrid pupae, the duration of the immature stage of A. chinensiswas significantly longer than in those produced during the summer or autumn. The survival rate of immature A. chinensisreared on autumn geometrid pupae was significantly lower compared to other treatments. Reproductive diapause was observed in adult A. chinensisreared on winter geometrid pupae. The adult preoviposition period (APOP), total preoviposition period (TPOP), and total longevity were significantly longer in A. chinensisreared on winter pupae than in the other treatments. The fecundity of A. chinensisreared on spring geometrid pupae was significantly lower than in the other treatments. The higher intrinsic rate of increase of the A. chinensisreared on summer pupae (r= 0.0966 day-1) and autumn pupae (r= 0.0983 day-1) resulted in higher fecundity, shorter immature duration, and shorter TPOP compared to the winter and spring populations. These findings can be utilized to enhance and sustain biological control of E. grisescensin tea plantations.Graphical Abstract

Graphical abstract:

Through the lipid bilayer membrane-like photoanodes and Ru-bda catalysts with different O-O bond formation pathways, the rate determine step of the dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical was determined to be the electron transfer rather than the water oxidation reaction. The electron transfer can be promoted by ICZ as the charge transfer mediator.

Objective: Abnormal expression of T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) was reported to be closely related to the resistance of prostate cancer to radiotherapy and to targeted drug resistance in lung cancer. However, the role of TOPK inhibition in enhancing radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the radiosensitization of TOPK knockdown in CRC cells. Methods: The expression of TOPK was detected in CRC tissues by immunohistochemistry, and the effect of TOPK knockdown was detected in CRC cells by Western blotting. CCK-8 and clonogenic assays were used to detect the growth and clonogenic ability of CRC cells after TOPK knockdown combined with radiotherapy in CRC cells. Furthermore, proteomic analysis showed that the phosphorylation of TOPK downstream proteins changed after radiotherapy. DNA damage was detected by the comet assay. Changes in the DNA damage response signaling pathway were analyzed by Western blotting, and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Results: The expression of TOPK was significantly greater in CRC tissues at grades 2–4 than in those at grade 1. After irradiation, CRC cells with genetically silenced TOPK had shorter comet tails and reduced expression levels of DNA damage response-associated proteins, including phospho-cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (p-CDK1), phospho-ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (p-ATM), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and meiotic recombination 11 homolog 1 (MRE11). Conclusions: TOPK was overexpressed in patients with moderately to poorly differentiated CRC. Moreover, TOPK knockdown significantly enhanced the radiosensitivity of CRC cells by reducing the DNA damage response.

Objective: The primary objective was to establish a radiomics model utilizing longitudinal +cross-sectional ultrasound (US) images of lymph nodes (LNs) to predict cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) following differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) surgery. Methods: A retrospective collection of 211 LNs from 211 postoperative DTC patients who underwent neck US with suspicious LN fine needle aspiration cytopathology findings at our institution was conducted between June 2021 and April 2023. Conventional US and clinicopathological information of patients were gathered. Based on the pathological results, patients were categorized into CLNM and non-CLNM groups. The database was randomly divided into a training cohort (n= 147) and a test cohort (n= 64) at a 7:3 ratio. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was applied to screen the most relevant radiomic features from the longitudinal + cross-sectional US images, and a radiomics model was constructed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess US and clinicopathological significance features. Subsequently, a combined model for predicting CLNM was constructed by integrating radiomics, conventional US, and clinicopathological features and presented as a nomogram. Results: The area under the curves (AUCs) of the longitudinal + cross-sectional radiomics models were 0.846 and 0.801 in the training and test sets, respectively, outperforming the single longitudinal and cross-sectional models (p< 0.05). In the testing cohort, the AUC of the combined model in predicting CLNM was 0.901, surpassing that of the single US model (AUC, 0.731) and radiomics model (AUC, 0.801). Conclusions: The US-based radiomics model exhibits the potential to accurately predict CLNM following DTC surgery, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

To enable successful multi-phase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) simulations of circulating fluidized beds (CFBs), both the interphase drag force and interparticle collisions need to be carefully modeled. Particle collisions are usually represented by the solid stress consisting of the normal and shear components, in which the normal stress was found to have a leading role in the numerical stability of MP-PIC simulations, whereas the impact of the shear stress has seldom been reported. In this work, the effects of the solid shear stress are investigated by using two-dimensional simulations of the moderately dense laboratory-scale CFB riser with in-house MP-PIC code implemented on MFIX open-source platform. Cases including only normal solid stress and those considering both normal and shear solid stresses are simulated. The results of solids flux, axial and radial solids profiles are compared with available experimental data. The results show that the solid shear stress plays a minor role on the accuracy of simulation, and the increase of PPP (number particles per parcel) leads to a lower accuracy of simulation.

Our design aimed to explore the potential involvement of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the inflammatory response associated with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We also aimed to preliminarily examine the potential impact of a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13 (ADAMTS13) on MMP-9 in AIS. We conducted oxygen-glucose deprivation models of microglia cells and mice models of AIS with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). We assessed the expression pattern of MMP-9 with western blotting (WB) and real-time quantitative PCR both in vivo and in vitro. MMP-9 downregulation was achieved by using ACE inhibitors such as trandolapril. For the MCAO model, we used ADAMTS13-deficient mice. We then evaluated the related neurological function scores, cerebral edema and infarct volume. The levels of inflammation-related proteins, such as COX2 and iNOS, were assessed using WB, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines was measured via enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay in vivo. Our findings indicated that MMP-9 was up-regulated while ADAMTS13 was down-regulated in the MCAO model. Knockdown of MMP-9 reduced both inflammation and ischemic brain injury. ADAMTS13 prevented brain damage, improved neurological function and decreased the inflammation response in mice AIS models. Additionally, ADAMTS13 alleviated MMP-9-induced neuroinflammation in vivo. It showed that ADAMTS13 deficiency exacerbated ischemic brain injury through an MMP-9-dependent inflammatory mechanism. Therefore, the ADAMTS13-MMP-9 axis could have therapeutic potential for the treatment of AIS.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play indispensable roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. The identification of target mRNAs is essential for dissecting the recognition basis, dynamics, and regulatory mechanism of miRNA–mRNA interactions. However, the lack of an unbiased method for detecting weak miRNA–mRNA interactions remains a long-standing obstacle for miRNA research. Here, we develop and provide proof-of-concept evidence demonstrating a chemical G-clamp-enhanced photo-cross-linking strategy for covalent capture of intracellular miRNA targets in different cell lines. This approach relies on an aryl-diazirine-G-clamp-modified-nucleoside (ARAGON) miRNA probe containing an alkynyl group that improves the thermal stability of miRNA–target mRNA duplex molecules and can rapidly cross-link with the complementary strand upon UV 365 nm activation, enhancing the transient capture of mRNA targets. After validating the accuracy and binding properties of ARAGON-based miRNA probes through the successful enrichment for the known targets of miR-106a, miR-21, and miR-101, we then extend ARAGON’s application to screen for previously unknown targets of different miRNAs in various cell lines. Ultimately, results in this study uncover GAB1 as a target of miR-101 in H1299 lung cancer cells and show that miR-101 silencing of GAB1 can promote apoptosis in H1299 cells, suggesting an oncogenic mechanism of GAB1. This study thus provides a powerful and versatile tool for enhanced screening of global miRNA targets in cells to facilitate investigations of miRNA functions in fundamental cellular processes and disease pathogenesis.