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BiOCl flowerlike microspheres exhibit a favorable cycling performance ascribed to their unique structure. The reaction mechanism of BiOCl contains two steps involving a conversion reaction of BiOCl to Bi as well as the alloying reaction of Bi to Mg3Bi2.

Self-adaptability is highly envisioned for artificial devices such as robots with chemical noses. For this goal, seeking catalysts with multiple and modulable reaction pathways is promising but generally hampered by inconsistent reaction conditions and negative internal interferences. Herein, we report an adaptable graphitic C6N6-based copper single-atom catalyst. It drives the basic oxidation of peroxidase substrates by a bound copper-oxo pathway, and undertakes a second gain reaction triggered by light via a free hydroxyl radical pathway. Such multiformity of reactive oxygen-related intermediates for the same oxidation reaction makes the reaction conditions capable to be the same. Moreover, the unique topological structure of CuSAC6N6 along with the specialized donor-π-acceptor linker promotes intramolecular charge separation and migration, thus inhibiting negative interferences of the above two reaction pathways. As a result, a sound basic activity and a superb gain of up to 3.6 times under household lights are observed, superior to that of the controls, including peroxidase-like catalysts, photocatalysts, or their mixtures. CuSAC6N6 is further applied to a glucose biosensor, which can intelligently switch sensitivity and linear detection range in vitro.

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including pathological dysplasia, inflammation, neoplasia and injury, suffer millions of patients globally per year. Organoids, three-dimensional cell mass structures supported by biomaterials in dishes, are currently used as a research model for diseases of the small intestine. However, the traditional enzymatic-digestion method for establishing small-intestinal organoids (EnzyOs) is time consuming and often loses the bulk of crypts, a more efficient and reliable method needs to be developed. In this study, using mouse GI organoids as a model, we formulated a rapid mechanical isolation method that could efficiently isolate and culture villi-crypts into small intestinal organoids (MechOs). Primary duodenum organoids generated by MechOs displayed three types of morphology: spheroid, semi-budding and budding, while EnzyOs produced much less budding. Moreover, primary duodenum organoids from MechOs could be subcultured and presented similar gene expression profiles of small intestine specific markers as that from EnzyOs. Importantly, the MechOs method could also be used to generate other types of organoids derived from the stomach, jejunum-ileum, sigmoid-rectum and bile cysts. Taken together, the results show that MechOs could efficiently and economically generate digestive system organoids, providing a potential basis of epithelial organoids for the clinical treatment of gastroenterological diseases.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, global public health and the economy have suffered unprecedented damage. Based on the increasing related literature, the characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of the virus, and epidemiological and clinical features of the disease are being rapidly discovered. The spike glycoprotein (S protein), as a key antigen of SARS-CoV-2 for developing vaccines, antibodies, and drug targets, has been shown to play an important role in viral entry, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of interaction between S protein and host factors, especially receptor-mediated viral modulation of host signaling pathways, and highlight the progression of potential therapeutic targets, prophylactic and therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background Compared to traditional fetal heart rate monitoring (FHR) for the outpatients in clinic, remote FHR monitoring shows real-time assessment of fetal wellbeing at home. The clinical function of remote FHR monitoring in pregnant wome in outpatient is still unclear. Objective: To explore the feasibility of remote FHR self-monitoring in singleton pregnant women from southern China. Study Design This prospective cohort studywas conducted at one tertiary center in southern China. Pregnant women used a mobile cardiotocogram device to measure the FHR at least once a week until delivery in the remote group. For the control group, pregnant women underwenttraditional FHR monitoring once a week in the outpatient clinic. The rate of cesarean section, risk of postpartum hemorrhage and adverse neonatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. All the pregnant women completed a questionnaire survey to evaluate their acquisition of remote FHR self-monitoring. Results Approximately 500 women were recruited in the remote FHR self-monitoring group (remote group), and 567 women were recruited in the traditional FHR monitoring group (control group). The women in the remote FHR monitoring group were more likely to be nulliparous (PConclusion Remote FHR self-monitoring technology has a lower cost and shows potential clinical efficacy for the outpatient setting in southern China. This approach does not increase the risk of cesarean section or adverse neonatal outcomes. It is acceptable among nulliparous pregnant women with a high education level, high household income or high risk. Further research is needed to assess the impact of this technology on obstetric outcomes in different health settings.

Background In 2016, “universal two-child” policy, allowing each couple to have two children, was introduced in China. The characteristic change of the long-term peroid after implementation of universal two-child policy was unclear. To investigate trends in the obstetric characteristics and their potential impact on the rates of cesarean section and preterm birth in the era of China’s universal two-child policy. Methods A tertiary center-based study (2010-2021) retrospectively enrolled 39 016 single pregnancies who delivered from the one-child policy period (OCP,2010-2015) to the universal two-child policy period (TCP, 2016-2021). Maternal demographics, complications, delivery mode and obstetric outcomes were analyzed. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between cesarean section rate, preterm birth and implementation of the universal two-child policy. Results The proportion of women with advanced maternal age (AMA) increased from 14.6% in the OCP to 31.6% in the TCP. The number of multiparous women increased 2-fold in the TCP. In addition, the overall rate of cesarean section significantly decreased over the policy change, regardless of maternal age, whereas the risk of preterm birth significantly increased in the TCP. Adjusting for maternal age, parity and fetal distress, the universal two-child policy showed a significantly favorable impact on the cesarean section rate (RR 0.745, 95%CI (0.714-0.777), PConclusions After the implementation of the universal two-child policy in China, the rate of the cesarean section significantly decreased, especially for women under 35 years old. However, the overall risk of postpartum hemorrhage increased in women under 35 years old, while there was no change in women with AMA. Under the new population policy, the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in the young women should not be neglected.

Background Adrenal adenoma during pregnancy is rare and the diagnosis is challenging owing to unspecific symdromes and restricted investigation. It’s poorly described obstetric outcomes of patients underwent surgery during pregnancy or only received medicine treatment. To report the clinical characteristics and obstetric outcomes of pregnant women complicated with adrenal adenoma. Methods A retrospective study was performed. The clinical characteristics, management and obstetric outcome of pregnancies diagnosed as adrenal adenoma over 20 years were reviewed from a teriary hospital. Results A total of 12 women were diagnosed as adrenal adenoma during pregnancy from to January 2000 to September 2022. Eight women had cortisol-secreting adrenal adenoma, two had over-secrete catecholamine and two primary aldosteronism. The original symptoms adrenal adenoma during pregnancy included hypertension or preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus or pre-pregnancy diabetes mellitus, hypokalemia and ecchymosis. There were four women took adrenalectomy during pregnancy, while 8 women only received medicine therapy. Preterm birth occurred in all cases who received medicine, whereas 1 case suffered from preterm birth in the group underwent surgery. Among the 8 women of medicine group, there were 3 neonatal death. Conclusions Once simultaneous onset of hypertension, hyperglycemia and hypokalemia during the 1st or 2nd trimester, adrenal adenoma should be investigate by laboratory examination and imaging examination. The maternal and fetal outcome were unpredictive owing to the severity of adrenal adenoma, particular in patients only received medicine treatment. Adrenalectomy should be recommended during the pregnancy.

Ascorbic acid (H2A) is a well-known antioxidant to protect cellular components from free radical damage, meanwhile it is also emerged as pro-oxidant in cancer therapy. However, such contradictory mechanisms underlying H2A oxidation are not well understood. Here, we report the discovery of Fe leaching during catalytic H2A oxidation using Fe-N-C nanozyme as a ferritin mimic and its influence in selectivity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Owing to the heterogeneity, Fe-Nx sites in Fe-N-C primarily catalyzed the H2A oxidation and 4e ORR via an iron-oxo intermediate; meanwhile marginal N-C sites catalyzed the 2e ORR via an O2 intermediate with H2O2 production, although which was less favorable in kinetics and hardly observable in the early stage. Nonetheless, trace O2 accumulated and attacked Fe-Nx sites, leading to a linear leakage of unstable Fe ions up to 420 ppb when the concentration of H2A increased. As a result, a substantial fraction (~40%) of N-C sites on Fe-N-C were activated, and a new path for Fenton-type H2A oxidation was finally enabled. After Fe ions diffused into the bulk solution, the ORR at the N-C sites stopped at H2O2 production, which was the origin for the pro-oxidant effect by H2A. This work highlights the Fe-leakage occurring on Fe-N-C nanozymes and uncovers the multifaceted insights of ORR selectivity in H2A oxidation under realistic conditions.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of trends in lipid profiles from first to second trimester with trends in insulin indices and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsSecondary analysis of an ongoing prospective cohort study was conducted on 1234 pregnant women in a single center. Lipid profiles, glucose metabolism and insulin indices were collected in the first and second trimesters. Trends in lipid profiles were divided into four subgroups: low-to-low, high-to-high, high-to-low and low-to-high group. Insulin indices including homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index were calculated to evaluate insulin resistance (IR). Trends in insulin indices were described as: no IR, persistent IR, first-trimester IR alone and second-trimester IR alone. Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess the associations of lipid profiles subgroups with insulin indices and GDM.ResultsFirst- and second-trimester total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were strongly correlated to first- and second-trimester insulin indices. Only TG had a sustained correlation with glucose metabolism indices. High-to-high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) was an independent risk factor for GDM. High-to-high TG and high-to-low TG groups were independent risk factors for persistent IR. High-to-high TG and low-to-high TG groups were independent risk factors for second-trimester IR alone.ConclusionTG has a sustained correlation with insulin indices and glucose metabolism indices. Persistently high TG is an independent risk factor for persistent IR and second-trimester IR alone. Regardless of whether pregnant women have first-trimester IR, lower TG levels help reduce the risk for persistent IR or subsequent development of IR. These results highlight the benefit of lowering TG levels in early and middle pregnancy to prevent the development of IR.

Single stimulus leading to multiple responses is an essential function of many biological networks, which enable complex life activities. However, it is challenging to duplicate a similar chemical reaction network...

A single stimulus leading to multiple responses is an essential function of many biological enzymatic reaction networks, which enable complex life activities. Owing to the lack of allosteric regulation of natural enzymes, it is challenging to duplicate a similar network using non-living chemicals. Herein, we report a nanozymatic cascade reaction network that demonstrates multiple responses of different modes and intensities upon a single H2O2 stimulus based on a single-atom nanozyme (Co-N-CNTs). Taking the two-electron cascade oxidation of 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as an example, the endogenous product H2O2 competitively inhibited substrates in the first one-electron oxidation at the Co-N4 active site on Co-N-CNTs, while accelerated the second one-electron oxidation under a micellar nanozyme. Using such a nanozymatic network, the feedback and feedforward regulation of product transformation were further applied to microfluidic flow reactors as a cell mimic. Owing to the unique varieties of response in intensities and modes, the proposed cell mimic demonstrated highly selective recognition and linear perception of H2O2 against over 20 interferences in a wide range of concentrations (0.01-100 mM), reminiscent of a primordial life-like process in mutable and harsh conditions.

Self-adaptability is highly envisioned for artificial devices such as robots with chemical noses. For this goal, seeking catalysts with multiple and modulable reaction pathways is promising but generally hampered by inconsistent reaction conditions. Herein, we report a self-adaptive CuSAC6N6 single-atom catalyst having two reactive oxygen-oriented pathways under the same reaction conditions. CuSAC6N6 consisted of coordinated peroxidase-like Cu-N coordination centers and photo-responsive donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) units with promoted intramolecular charge separation and migration. Interestingly, it drove the basic oxidation of peroxidase substrates by the bound copper-oxo pathway, and undertook a second gain reaction triggered by light via the free hydroxyl radical pathway under the same conditions. A remarkable basic activity and a superb gain of up to 3.6 times under household lights were observed, significantly higher than that of its control systems, including solo carbon nitride-based nanozymes or photocatalysts, their mixtures, and even that under thermal stimuli to the maximum endured temperature for most lives. As an application, the self-adapting CuSAC6N6 was used to construct a glucose biosensor, which can intelligently switch the linear detection range and sensitivity to a diverse range of concentrations in vitro.

Exposure to probiotics in early life contributes to host intestinal development and prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

γδ T cells represent a substantial fraction of intestinal lymphocytes at homeostasis, but they also constitute a major lymphocyte population infiltrating colorectal cancers (CRCs); however, their temporal contribution to CRC development or progression remains unclear. Using human CRC samples and murine CRC models, we found that most γδ T cells in premalignant or nontumor colons exhibit cytotoxic markers, whereas tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells express a protumorigenic profile. These contrasting T cell profiles were associated with distinct T cell receptor (TCR)–Vγδ gene usage in both humans and mice. Longitudinal intersectional genetics and antibody-dependent strategies targeting murine γδ T cells enriched in the epithelium at steady state led to heightened tumor development, whereas targeting γδ subsets that accumulate during CRC resulted in reduced tumor growth. Our results uncover temporal pro- and antitumor roles for γδ T cell subsets.

Cells in living systems are stimulated to produce diverse biological responses, which are regulated by complex chemical reaction networks (CRNs). Artificial CRNs, primarily relying on sophisticated multi-enzyme or nucleic acids architectures as basic units, provide a powerful abstraction to formally represent marvelous biochemical processes. From a perspective of large-scale industrial applications, it is highly envisioned to substitute natural molecules to develop CRNs with similar behaviors but remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report single atom Co-N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co-N-CNTs) as the basic unit for CRNs. Thanks to multiple nanozymatic reactions of Co-N-CNTs, several essential biological regulation functionalities were successfully integrated into a single programmable network, including cascade reaction, negative feedback, and positive feedforward. By incorporating the proposed nanozymatic network into microfluidic flow reactors as a cell mimic, selective recognition of small reductive biomolecules was further achieved under the bypass mode. This work would open a new avenue for artificial CRNs construction and extend biological applications of lifelike materials.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as a cell source for cultivated meat production due to their adipose differentiation potential, but MSCs lose their stemness and undergo replicative senescence during expansion in vitro. Autophagy is an important mechanism for senescent cells to remove toxic substances. However, the role of autophagy in the replicative senescence of MSCs is controversial. Here, we evaluated the changes in autophagy in porcine MSCs (pMSCs) during long-term culture in vitro and identified a natural phytochemical, ginsenoside Rg2, that could stimulate pMSC proliferation. First, some typical senescence characteristics were observed in aged pMSCs, including decreased EdU-positive cells, increased senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity, declined stemness-associated marker OCT4 expression, and enhanced P53 expression. Importantly, autophagic flux was impaired in aged pMSCs, suggesting deficient substrate clearance in aged pMSCs. Rg2 was found to promote the proliferation of pMSCs using MTT assay and EdU staining. In addition, Rg2 inhibited D-galactose-induced senescence and oxidative stress in pMSCs. Rg2 increased autophagic activity via the AMPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, long-term culture with Rg2 promoted the proliferation, inhibited the replicative senescence, and maintained the stemness of pMSCs. These results provide a potential strategy for porcine MSC expansion in vitro.

The oxidase-like activity of high-performance Fe–N–C was enhanced by up to 55% by using a secondary N-containing precursor in pyrolysis. Moreover, the exploration of the O2 activation half-reaction using electrochemical methods was disclosed to be a practically facile approach to quantitatively evaluate the factors associated with the activity.

Introduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which seriously threatens the health of people. Tim-1 is known to be associated with the pathogenesis of SLE. However, the role of Tim-1 in LN is still unclear. Aim of the study To explore the expression and the potential regulatory molecular mechanism of Tim-1 in LN-induced podocyte injury. Material and methods An in vivo model of LN was established to detect the expression of Tim-1, inflammatory cytokines and autophagy-related proteins. Podocytes were treated with immunoglobulin G (IgG) to establish the LN in vitro model and then treated with an autophagy inhibitor. RT-qPCR and western blot were performed to investigate the effect of Tim-1 on inflammatory responses as well as autophagy in podocytes. The function of Tim-1 in IgG-induced podocytes was detected by CCK-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Results Tim-1, L3BII/L3BI ratio and inflammatory cytokines were upregulated in LN mice. Tim-1 notably inhibited IgG-induced inflammatory responses in podocytes via reducing tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β expression, and it could protect podocytes against LN-induced injury via inducing autophagy. Meanwhile, Tim-1 significantly promoted the proliferation of IgG-induced podocytes via inhibiting apoptosis. The autophagy inhibitor reversed the effect of Tim-1 on inflammatory cytokines and autophagy-related proteins in IgG-treated podocytes. Conclusions Tim-1 protects podocytes against LN-induced injury via mediating autophagy, which might serve as a new target for the treatment of LN.

Porous CNT@TiO2 nanocables are prepared via an impregnation method combined with calcination, which not only display the illusive capacity of 233.5 mAh g−1 but also possess outstanding rate performance (144.9 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1). Compared with TiO2 nanoparticles and nanotubes, CNT@TiO2 exhibits the excellent electrochemical performance on account of the unique coaxial nanocable feature (short ion diffusion path, large contact surface area, supernal conductivity, and favorable structure stability), which simultaneously overcomes the aggregation of TiO2 particles and the collapse of TiO2 nanotubes. Importantly, there are no significant changes in the morphology and phase after long cycling, meaning that CNT@TiO2 has a highly structural stability and reversibility. Therefore, CNT@TiO2 can be applied as a promising cathode material for Mg2+/Li+ hybrid batteries.

To improve the efficiency of smoke prevention and exhaust (SPE) system for buildings, this paper analyzes the building space structure, SPE design and equipment, fire control strategy, and smoke features of emerging buildings, namely, metro stations, tunnels, atriums, and underground garages, and evaluates the reliability of water curtain system in SPE design. By analyzing the factors affecting the SPE efficiency of buildings, the authors measured the effect of building SPE plan and evacuation situation, and summarized the keys and technical difficulties in the SPE system research of different types of buildings. Considering building features and SPE optimization strategy, it is recommended to apply water curtain system as fire partitions in metro stations and underground garages. The proposed optimization strategy, coupled with the original SPE system for buildings, marks the research trend of SPE system for emerging buildings in future.

High plasma lactate is emerging as a critical regulator in development and progression of many human malignancies. Small RNAs derived from cleavage of mature tRNAs have been implicated in many cellular stresses, but the detailed mechanisms that respond to lactic acid (LA; acidic lactate) are not well defined. Here, using an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized B lymphoblastic cell line (LCL) as a model, we report that LA induces cleavage of mature tRNA at the anticodon loop, particularly production of three 5′-tRNA halves (5′-HisGUG, 5′-ValAAC, and 5′-GlyGCC), along with increased expression of RNA polymerase III and angiogenin (ANG). Of these, only the 5′-HisGUG half binds to the chromatin regulator argonaute-2 (AGO2) instead of the AGO1 protein for stability. Notably, the levels of ANG and 5′-HisGUG half expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from B cell lymphoma patients are tightly correlated with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; a lactate indicator) in plasma. Silencing production of the 5′-HisGUG half by small interfering RNA or inhibition of ANG significantly reduces colony formation and growth of LA-induced tumor cells in vitro and in vivo using a murine xenograft model. Overall, our findings identify a novel molecular therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of B cell lymphoma.

Due to its structural limitation, the super-long tunnel faces the difficulty in smoke suppression on the ceiling. For this, the authors aim to develop a water mist curtain with an upward sprinkler head and analyze its smoke suppression performance. FDS numerical simulation was conducted to analyze the changes over time of different parameters such as temperature, smoke spread, radiative heat flux density, CO volume fraction, and the distance between the sprinkler head and the ceiling, and explore the smoke-proof and fire extinguishing effect of the improved water mist curtain together with the tunnel's smoke exhaust system. The results show that with the spray flow rate of 12L/min and droplet size of 300μm, the water mist system with upward sprinkler heads has a more efficient smoke suppression efficiency than the conventional one; the improved water mist system reduced the temperature at the tunnel ceiling by more than 40%, and the CO volume fraction by about 33%, thereby significantly decreasing the smoke density on the ceiling; it reduced the radiative heat flux density at a height of 2m by about 47%, and especially when coupled with the tunnel smoke exhaust system, the smoke suppression performance is better; the smoke volume fraction decreases with the distance between the sprinkler head and ceiling at the height of 5m from the ground. The research findings provide a reference for the smoke suppression of the water mist system and smoke exhaust system in the future.

MXene, the 2D layered material, is intensively investigated for application in the energy storage field due to its multiple advantages of the high electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity and the plastic layer structure. Herein, a composite (M(II)(OH)n@Ti3C2) of Ti3C2 MXene matrices embedded with ultrafine M(II)(OH)n (M = Fe/Co/Ni) particles is in-situ prepared. M(II)(OH)n particles are tightly grown on the surface and between the interlayers of Ti3C2 MXene by strong Ti–O–Co covalent bonds. Co(II)(OH)n@Ti3C2 exhibits the remarkable performance in hybrid magnesium–lithium batteries (HMLBs) due to the redox capacitive contribution and “pillar effect” of Co(II)(OH)n particles between the interlayers of Ti3C2 MXene. It exhibits a promising reversible capacity and excellent cycling stability. Its reversible capacity maintains 81.1 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 100 mA g−1, and the coulombic efficiency is nearly 100%. Therefore, it is an effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of HMLBs by increasing redox capacitance of MXene cathodes. The Co(II)(OH)n nanoparticles decorated Ti3C2 nanocomposite (M(II)(OH)n@Ti3C2) was successfully synthesized by three processing steps. The Co(II)(OH)n@Ti3C2 nanocomposite exhibits the superior performance in HMLBs due to the synergistic effect of the Co(II)(OH)n nanoparticles and the Ti3C2 matrix.

BackgroundHypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays an important regulatory role in inflammatory and hypoxic diseases. Higher HIF-1α level was found in lungs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, however, its role in cigarette smoke (CS)-induced COPD has not been fully studied. Digoxin has been showed to inhibit HIF-1α translation and block HIF-1α activity and thus is often used as the HIF-1α inhibitor. Therefore, in the present study, we chose digoxin as the inhibitor to investigate whether HIF-1α contributes to the progression of COPD and possible mechanism.MethodsCS-exposed mice were intragastrically treated with different doses of digoxin, and COPD-associated phenotypes such as pathological changes in lungs, inflammation, lung function and mucus secretion in airways were evaluated. Meanwhile, CSE-treated A549 cells were administrated with digoxin or S7959. Moreover, EMT-associated markers together with HIF-1α\TGF-β1\Smad3 signaling pathway were detected both in vivo and in vitro.ResultsThe level of HIF-1α was significantly increased in lungs of COPD mice and CSE-exposed A549 cells, which was markedly suppressed by digoxin. Moreover, digoxin inhibited CS-induced inflammatory responses, lung function decline, and mucus hyper-secretion in COPD mouse model. In in vitro studies, digoxin decreased CSE-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release. Importantly, CS-induced or CSE-induced EMT and up-regulation of HIF-1α/TGF-β1/Smad pathway was inhibited by digoxin. Additionally, S7959 mitigated CSE-induced EMT in A549 cells.ConclusionsDigoxin can protect CS-induced COPD and prevent CS-induced EMT possibly through HIF-1α/TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. This study suggests HIF1-α could be a potential intervention target for COPD prevention and treatment, especially for EMT in CS-induced COPD.

Organic phosphorescence materials demonstrate potential optoelectronic applications due to their remarkably ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) lifetime and abundant optical characteristics prior to the fluorescence materials. For a better insight into the intrinsic relationship among regioisomeric molecules, crystalline interactions, and phosphorescence properties, three crystalline dicarbazol-9-yl pyrazine-based regioisomers with para-, meta-, and ortho-convergent substitutions (p-DCzP, m-DCzP, and o-DCzP) were designed and presented gradually increased UOP lifetimes prolonging from 63.14, 127.93 to 350.46 ms, respectively, due to the regioisomerism effect (RIE) which would be an effective strategy for better understanding of structure-property of UOP materials.

Hypoxia signaling is a key regulator in the development and progression of many types of human malignancies, including viral cancers. The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), encoded by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) during latency, is a multifunctional protein that plays an essential role in viral episome maintenance and lytic gene silencing for inducing tumorigenesis. Although our previous studies have shown that LANA contains a SUMO-interacting motif (LANASIM), and hypoxia reduces SUMOylated KAP1 association with LANASIM, the physiological proteomic network of LANASIM-associated cellular proteins in response to hypoxia is still unclear. In this study, we individually established cell lines stably expressing wild-type LANA (LANAWT) and its SIM-deleted mutant (LANAdSIM) and treated them with or without hypoxia, followed by coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis to systemically identify the hypoxia-responsive profile of LANASIM-associated cellular proteins. We found that in hypoxia, the number of cellular proteins associated with LANAWT instead of LANAdSIM was dramatically increased. Functional network analysis revealed that two major pathways, which included cytoskeleton organization and DNA/RNA binding and processing pathways, were significantly enriched for 28 LANASIM-associated proteins in response to hypoxia. HNRNPU was one of the proteins consistently identified that interacted with LANASIM in different proteomic screening systems and responded to hypoxia. This study provides a proteomic profile of LANASIM-associated proteins in hypoxia and facilitates our understanding of the role of the collaboration between viral infection and the hypoxia response in inducing viral persistence and tumorigenesis. IMPORTANCE Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been reported to be involved in the regulation of host proteins in response to hypoxic stress. LANA, one of the key latent proteins, contains a SUMO-interacting motif (LANASIM) and reduces the association with SUMOylated KAP1 upon hypoxic treatment. However, the physiological systematic network of LANASIM-associated cellular proteins in hypoxia is still unclear. Here, we revealed two major pathways, which included cytoskeleton organization and DNA/RNA binding and processing pathways, that were significantly enriched for 28 LANASIM-associated proteins in hypoxia. This discovery not only provides a proteomic profile of LANASIM-associated proteins in hypoxia but also facilitates our understanding of the collaboration between viral infection and hypoxic stress in inducing viral persistence and tumorigenesis.

γδ T cells physiologically scan the intestinal epithelium, representing a substantial fraction of infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer (CRC), albeit their role in CRC remains unclear. Using murine CRC models, we found that most γδ T cells in pre- or non-tumor colon express Vγ1+ or Vγ7+ and exhibit a cytotoxic profile. Targeting these γδ T cell subsets, as well as conditionally interfering with γδ T cell function at early stages of tumorigenesis led to heightened tumor development, suggesting anti-CRC functions for Vγ1+ and Vγ7+ subsets. In contrast, RORγt+ γδ T cell subsets, including Vγ4+ and microbiotadependent Vγ6+, accumulated during CRC progression. Conditional deletion of RORγt or Vγ chains revealed redundant roles for IL-17–producing Vγ4+ and Vγ6+ γδ T cells in promoting tumor growth. Our results uncover pro- and anti-tumor roles for γδ T cell subsets.

Syngas conversion to dimethyl ether (DME) is an important reaction (STD) in C1 chemistry since DME not only possesses high value but also can be used as a vital chemical intermediate. Here, we design a Cu-based mesoporous alumina catalyst to realize the DME synthesis reaction. It exhibits high catalytic activity in terms of CO conversion of 21.2% and DME selectivity of 95.9% according to its synergistic effect between the Cu and alumina. In the Cu-based alumina catalyst, the Cu–Cu bond is for converting CO to methanol and the Cu–Al bond is for the formed methanol dehydration to DME. Therefore, the well-dispersed Cu nanoparticles provide amounts of active sites for methanol synthesizing, at the same time as the strong metal–support interaction between the Cu nanoparticles and mesoporous alumina offering Cu–Al active sites for methanol quick dehydration to DME. In addition, the mesopores supplied by alumina support also accelerate the mass transfer and diffusion, boosting the CO activation. This study points out the real active phase for DME synthesis, which plays an important guiding role in design of related catalysts for DME synthesis. The process of syngas conversion to DME over Cu-based mesoporous alumina catalyst.

Magnesium–lithium hybrid batteries attract considerable attention due to combined advantages of metallic magnesium anode (free dendrite) and Li-driven reaction cathode (fast ion diffusion rate). In...

A three-dimensional numerical model has been conducted to study the laminar flow and heat transfer characteristics in serpentine microchannel with different geometric fan-shaped reentrant cavities for Reynolds number ranging from 150 to 980. The microchannel has the width of 0.1 mm and depth of 0.2 mm in the rectangular cross-section. The geometric parameters of fan-shaped reentrant cavities examined in this paper are 0.04058 mm for the width (Wc), 0.0084–0.02029 mm for the height (Hc) and 0.04058–0.12174 mm for the spacing (Sc). This study firstly presents the comparison of the thermal and hydraulic characteristics of serpentine microchannel with fan-shaped reentrant cavities with the conventional microchannels heat sink. Then the effects of fan-shaped cavities on velocity contour, temperature distribution and secondary flow features in such microchannel heat sinks are given. It is apparent that the fan-shaped cavities can effectively reduce the flow resistance and improve the temperature distribution uniformity. The effects of developed non-dimensional variables on the frictional pressure drop, average Nusselt number and the relationship between thermal resistance and pumping power in the novel channel are investigated. Compared with rectangular serpentine channel, heat transfer is enhanced for all cases and flow resistance is decreased besides Re = 980 and Hc/Wc = 0.2887. The best performance of serpentine microchannel with fan-shaped reentrant cavities is found at Sc/Wc = 3 and Hc/Wc = 0.2887.

Magnesium–lithium hybrid batteries (MLHBs) are playing an increasingly important role in energy storage systems owing to their abundant raw materials and favorable safety characteristics. Consequently, MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) compounds have been synthesized via a sol–gel method, followed by calcination. For the first time, as cathodes for MLHBs, MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) showed good electrochemical properties. For example, at 50 mA g−1, the specific capacities of MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) after 300 cycles are 75.6, 68.2 and 76.3 mA h g−1, respectively. In addition, MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) also possess outstanding rate performances. Importantly, the ion storage mechanism of MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) compounds in MLHBs was studied with PbLi2Ti6O14 as the representative. These results reveal that MLi2Ti6O14 (M = Sr, Ba, and Pb) have good electrochemical reversibility, and can be used as cathodes for MLHBs.

A feasible strategy relies on using heteroatom replacement, namely, chemical modification of an organic compound. Here we present this design concept for donor-acceptor complexes, which involves introducing nitrogen atoms to the middle ring of donor molecules to promote short contacts and reduce steric effect of the mixed framework. These nitrogen-modified complexes can possess a shorter molecular distance besides the mixed-stacking pathway, enlarged π-π interactions, or even a scarce 1:2.5 molar ratio through extra acceptor insertion. As a result, the unique 1:2 complex with nitrogen atoms on the different sides demonstrated stable electron field-effect mobility performance, whereas the binary system with no nitrogen replacement or N atoms on the identical sides displayed poor ambipolar properties. These results confirmed that heteroatom replacement was a powerful molecular design tool to fine-tune the molecular packing of organic donor-acceptor complexes and their corresponding electronic properties.

High plasma lactate is associated with poor prognosis of many malignancies, but its role in virally mediated cancer progression and underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the first human oncogenic virus, causes several cancers, including B-cell lymphoma. Here, we report that lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) expression and lactate production are elevated in EBV-immortalized B lymphoblastic cells, and lactic acid (LA; acidic lactate) at low concentration triggers EBV-infected B-cell adhesion, morphological changes, and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, LA-induced responses of EBV-infected B cells uniquely occurs in viral latency type III, and it is dramatically associated with the inhibition of global viral microRNAs, particularly the miR-BHRF1 cluster, and the high expression of SMAD3, JUN, and COL1A genes. The introduction of miR-BHRF1-1 blocks the LA-induced effects of EBV-infected B cells. Thus, this may be a novel mechanism to explain EBV-immortalized B lymphoblastic cell malignancy in an LA microenvironment.

A compact 64-channel (16x CWDM4) ROSA is demonstrated. The ROSA core with InP PD array vertically aligned to PLC chip provides a new solution to 3.2T/6.4T co-packaged optic transceivers. The performance is verified to be comparable to pluggable transceivers. © 2021 The Author(s)

The study of the performance of high-efficiency heat pump systems has been a hot issue of general interest in the field of heat pump air conditioning. For the designed and developed two-stage casing tandem heat exchanger of heat pump system, the 3D finite volume method and the realizable k-ε model are used to numerically analyze the influence law of inlet fluid temperature and flow velocity on the overall heat transfer coefficient as well as the Nussle number of inner and outer tubes. The results show that decreasing the inlet water temperature or increasing the inlet refrigerant temperature can improve the overall heat transfer performance; Nuin increases with the increase of water and refrigerant flow rates, while Nuout increases with the increase of water flow rate but decreases with the increase of refrigerant flow rate; Nuin and Nuout both increase with the decrease of water temperature or refrigerant temperature increases.

In the automatic manufacturing of robotic welding, real-time monitoring of weld quality is a difficult problem. Meanwhile, due to volatilization of zinc vapor in galvanized steel and complexity of welding process, the existence of welding defects greatly affects industrial production process. And real-time detection of welding defects is a key step in development of intelligent welding. To realize real-time monitoring of weld surface defects, an active visual monitoring method for weld surface defects is proposed. Firstly, after applying Gabor filter to remove interference signals such as arc and noise, obtain weld centerline image; then employ the slope analysis method to extract peak valley coefficient of weld defects, extract five feature points of weld surface quality by Douglas-Puke algorithm, and analyse geometric and spatial distribution features of different types of defects in weld laser stripe images. Finally, using eight feature vectors extracted from weld features, design a weld defect recognition random forest model based on decision tree. After optimizing the decision tree depth and number of model evaluators, compared with the traditional decision tree ID3 and CART algorithm model, this model has better performance than traditional machine learning algorithms on five weld surface defect data sets. The experimental results show that accuracy of weld defect identification in the training set is 99.26%, accuracy of weld defect recognition in the test set is 96%, and processing time of a single image is only 5.3 ms, which overcomes difficulty of real-time weld defect detection in intelligent welding and ensures real-time and accuracy.