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Owing to the flammability of dendrites and organic liquid electrolytes, the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries cannot be effectively ensured. The sodium-ion solid electrolyte is anticipated to become the leading next generation battery in commercial applications due to the high thermal stability and low price. Yet, the insufficient ionic conductivity of Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 solid electrolytes, along with the large interfacial resistance between the cathode material and the solid electrolyte, substantially restricts the performance of room-temperature all-solid-state sodium rechargeable batteries. In the present study, the effects of Bi 2 O 3 additive on the phase, microstructure and ionic conductivity of Na 3.1 Y 0.1 Zr 1.9 Si 2 PO 12 ceramic electrolyte are reported. Moreover, a significant room temperature conductivity of 1.21 × 10-3 S cm-1 and the dense microstructure was attained by adding 1 wt% Bi 2 O 3 to Na 3.1 Y 0.1 Zr 1.9 Si 2 PO 12 sintered at 1100 °C for 6 h. Simultaneously, an electrochemical test exhibited that the electrochemical stability window increased to 4.8 V and revealed good cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cell division is a highly regulated process that relies on the accurate capture and movement of chromosomes to the metaphase plate. Errors in the fidelity of chromosome congression and alignment can lead to improper chromosome segregation, which is correlated with aneuploidy and tumorigenesis. These processes are known to be regulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in other species, but the role of ERK2 in mitosis in mammals remains unclear. Here, we have identified the dual-specificity phosphatase 7 (DUSP7), known to display selectivity for ERK2, as important in regulating chromosome alignment. During mitosis, DUSP7 bound to ERK2 and regulated the abundance of active phospho-ERK2 through its phosphatase activity. Overexpression of DUSP7, but not catalytically inactive mutants, led to a decrease in the levels of phospho-ERK2 and mitotic chromosome misalignment, while knockdown of DUSP7 also led to defective chromosome congression that resulted in a prolonged mitosis. Consistently, knockdown or chemical inhibition of ERK2 or chemical inhibition of the MEK kinase that phosphorylates ERK2 led to chromosome alignment defects. Our results support a model wherein MEK-mediated phosphorylation and DUSP7-mediated dephosphorylation regulate the levels of active phospho-ERK2 to promote proper cell division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic ceramic as one of the most promising candidate for solid state electrolytes (SSEs) have received extensive attention due to their excellent thermal stability, good electrochemical stability and wide electrochemical window. The sodium super ionic conductor (NASICON, Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12) structure possesses a three-dimensional network, which helps the migration of Na+. However, because of its low Na+ ion conductivity and poor sintering performance, Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 is difficult to achieve application. Therefore, it is quite urgent to solve these questions. In this study, we have reported the effects of additive antimony-tin oxide (ATO) on the phase, microstructure and ionic conductivity of Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 ceramic electrolytes. With the ATO sintering additive added, the Na+ ion conductivity and density of Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 ceramic electrolytes were improved. The Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 ceramic with 5 wt% ATO additive sintered at 1100 °C shows a relatively high ionic conductivity of 1.43 × 10 − 3 S cm-1 at room-temperature, most densest microstructure and wide electrochemical window up to 4.6 V (vs. Na/Na+). In addition, Na/NASICON/Na symmetrical cells were assembled and exhibited good cycling stability which implied good compatibility between sodium (Na) metal and NASICON electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our recent study demonstrated that the nonselective cation current mediated by the transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) channel is activated by endothelin-1 (ET-1) in human atrial myocytes; however, the related signal molecules involved are unknown.Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate how the TRPC1 channel is regulated by ET-1 and whether it is upregulated in human atria from patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods: Whole-cell patch technique and molecular biology techniques were used in the study.Results: The ET-1-evoked TRPC1 current was inhibited by the ET-1 type A (ETA) receptor antagonist BQ123 and the ET-1 type B (ETB) receptor antagonist BQ788 as well as the protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine. ETA receptor-mediated TRPC1 channel activity was selectively inhibited by the phosphoinositide-3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin, while ETB receptor-mediated TRPC1 activity was inhibited by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122. The messenger RNAs and proteins of the TRPC1 channel and ETA receptor, but not the ETB receptor, were significantly upregulated in atria from patients with AF. The basal TRPC1 current increased in AF myocytes, and the response to ET-1 was greater in AF myocytes than in sinus rhythm myocytes. ET-1 induced a delayed repolarization in 20% of AF myocytes.Conclusion: These results demonstrate for the first time that TRPC1 activation by ET-1 is mediated by protein kinase C through the distinct phospholipids pathways phosphoinositide-3-kinase and phospholipase C and that the TRPC1 channel and ETA receptor are upregulated in AF atria, which are likely involved in atrial electrical remodeling in patients with AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract A dinuclear cobalt-based pillar-layered-like metal–organic framework has been synthesized and characterized. MOF 1 features a two-fold interpenetrated CdSO 4 -type network. Both MOF 1 and its pyrolysis product Co 3 O 4 can be used as an electrode material for supercapacitor. Compared with pristine MOF, the Co 3 O 4 material has higher specific capacitance in less current density. In addition, MOF 1 displays photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of RhB under UV irradiation. Abstract A dinuclear cobalt-based pillar-layered-like metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely [Co 2 (TPPA)(sdba) 2 ] n (1) has been synthesized hydrothermally (TPPA = tris(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)amine, H 2 sdba = 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoic acid). MOF 1 features a two-fold interpenetrated CdSO 4 -type (cds) network. MOF 1 can be used as an electrode material for supercapacitors, the maximum specific capacitance is 75.7 F g−1 at current density 0.5 A g−1, while the maximum specific capacitance of the Co 3 O 4 material with sheet-like nanoporous structure by calcination of 1 at 500 °C achieved 118.6 F g−1 at current density of 0.5 A g−1. The above two materials have excellent recycling stability, their capacitance retention can be kept at 94% and 97% after 3000 cycles at 1 A g−1 in 3 M KOH electrolyte, respectively. In addition, MOF 1 also displays photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of RhB under UV irradiation, approximately 94% of RhB was decomposed after 60 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theoretically presented the temperature effects on the 63 Ni–Si betavoltaic microbattery irradiated by a source with different thicknesses and activity densities at a temperature range 170–340 K. Temperature dependences of the monolayer and interbedded 63 Ni–Si betavoltaics at 213.15–333.15 K were tested with respect to calculations. Results showed that the higher the thickness, activity density, and average energy of the source, the lower is the betavoltaic performance responds to temperature. With the increase in temperature, the V oc and P max of the upper, lower, and interbedded betavoltaics decreased linearly at low temperatures and decreased exponentially at high temperatures in the experiment. As predicted, the measured V oc and P max sensitivities of the lower betavoltaic with 4.90 mCi/cm 2 63 Ni, −2.230 mV/K and −1.132%, respectively, were lower than those with 1.96 mCi/cm 2 63 Ni, −2.490 mV/K and −1.348%, respectively. Compared with the calculated results, the prepared betavoltaics had lower V oc sensitivity and higher P max sensitivity. In addition, the measured V oc sensitivity of the interbedded betavoltaic in series is equal to the sum of those of the upper and lower ones as predicted. Moreover, the measured P max sensitivity of the interbedded betavoltaic is equal to the average of those of the two monolayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is the primary metabolic checkpoint connecting glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and is important for maintaining cellular and organismal glucose homeostasis. Phosphorylation of the PDC E1 subunit was identified as a key inhibitory modification in bovine tissue ~50 years ago, and this regulatory process is now known to be conserved throughout evolution. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a pervasive model organism for investigating cellular metabolism and its regulation by signaling processes, the phosphatase(s) responsible for activating the PDC in S. cerevisiae has not been conclusively defined. Here, using comparative mitochondrial phosphoproteomics, analyses of protein-protein interactions by affinity enrichment-mass spectrometry, and in vitro biochemistry, we define Ptc6p as the primary PDC phosphatase in S. cerevisiae. Our analyses further suggest additional substrates for related S. cerevisiae phosphatases and describe the overall phosphoproteomic changes that accompany mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction. In summary, our quantitative proteomics and biochemical analyses have identified Ptc6p as the primary-and likely sole-S. cerevisiae PDC phosphatase, closing a key knowledge gap about the regulation of yeast mitochondrial metabolism. Our findings highlight the power of integrative omics and biochemical analyses for annotating the functions of poorly characterized signaling proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]