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Previous studies have shown that eukaryotic elongation factor 1A2 (eEF1A2) serves as an essential heart-specific translation elongation element and that its mutation or knockout delays heart development and causes congenital heart disease and death among species. However, the function and regulatory mechanisms of eEF1A2 in mammalian heart development remain largely unknown. Here we identified the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Cpmer (cytoplasmic mesoderm regulator), which interacted with eEF1A2 to co-regulate differentiation of mouse and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, Cpmer specifically recognized Eomes mRNA by RNA-RNA pairing and facilitated binding of eEF1A2 with Eomes mRNA, guaranteeing Eomes mRNA translation and cardiomyocyte differentiation. Our data reveal a novel functionally conserved lncRNA that can specifically regulate Eomes translation and cardiomyocyte differentiation, which broadens our understanding of the mechanism of lncRNA involvement in the subtle translational regulation of eEF1A2 during mammalian heart development.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is a serious nervous system insult, and apoptosis in secondary injury is an important barrier to recovery from TSCI. Heat shock protein family A member 1A (HSPA1A) is a protective protein whose expression is elevated after stress. However, whether HSPA1A can inhibit apoptosis after spinal cord injury, and the potential mechanism of this inhibition, remain unclear. In this study, we established in vivo and in vitro models of TSCI and induced HSPA1A overexpression and silencing. HSPA1A upregulation promoted the recovery of neurological function and pathological morphology at the injury site, enhanced neurological cell survival, and inhibited apoptosis in rats following TSCI. In the in vitro model, HSPA1A overexpression inhibited H

The lead-free Ba0.53Sr0.47TiO3 (BST) thin films buffered with La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) bottom electrode of different thicknesses were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition method on a (001) SrTiO3 substrate. It was found that the roughness of electrode decreases and substrate stress relaxes gradually with the increase of LSMO thickness, which is beneficial for weakening local high electric field and achieving higher Eb. Therefore, the recoverable energy density (Wrec) of BST films can be greatly improved up to 67.3 %, that is, from 30.6 J/cm3 for the LSMO thickness of 30 nm up to 51.2 J/cm3 for the LSMO thickness of 140 nm after optimizing the LSMO thickness. Furthermore, the thin film capacitor with a 140 nm LSMO bottom electrode shows an outstanding thermal stability from 20 °C to 160 °C and superior fatigue resistance after 108 electrical cycles with only a slightly decrease of Wrec below 1.6 % and 3.7 %, respectively. Our work demonstrates that optimizing bottom electrodes thickness is a promising way for enhancing energy storage properties of thin-film capacitors.

Field observations, petrology, zircon geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr-Nd isotopes were used to reveal the lithology, age, and tectonic setting of the protoliths of the Sangsang mafic schists in the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ), central southern Tibet. The mafic schists occur as exotic blocks within the accretionary complex of the YZSZ. Relic amygdaloidal features indicate the schist protoliths were volcanic rocks. The mineral assemblage mainly comprises riebeckite + magnesioriebeckite + chlorite + sericite + albite + relic clinopyroxene. The youngest group of zircon ages constrains the formation time of the protoliths to 149.2 ± 2.2 Ma (i.e., latest Jurassic). Abundant Paleozoic and older zircons suggest the protolith volcanic rocks were erupted onto a continental terrane. Whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic data indicate the protoliths were of ocean island basalt affinity. The mafic schists mostly have high-Ti, alkaline, basaltic compositions with 43.57–46.93 wt% SiO2, 3.27–7.24 wt% Na2O + K2O, and 4.04–4.69 wt% TiO2. The schists are enriched in light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements, and have (La/Yb)N = 5.85–8.53 and small positive Ta and negative Zr-Hf anomalies. (87Sr/86Sr)i values vary from 0.7044 to 0.7055, while (143Nd/144Nd)i ranges from 0.512670 to 0.512727, with eNd(t) values of +4.4 to +5.5. The protoliths of the mafic schists were probably formed in a within-plate extension setting associated with mantle plume upwelling and melting of continental lithosphere. This setting was related to the Late Jurassic continental breakup of Argoland off the northern margin of east Gondwana, and thus marked the paleoposition of the northern edge of Greater India before the breakup of India from east Gondwana during Early Cretaceous. The N-S extent of Greater India at that time was ~2400 km. This further indicates how the India–Eurasia continental convergence has been accommodated.

Mangrove forests are among the highest carbon (C) sinks in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Net primary productivity (NPP) is estimated by the permanent plot method with litterfall plus incremental growth (LG) and has great significance for the evaluation of the carbon sequestration capacity of forests. Here, we developed a new high-resolution method, sap flow investigation (SF), for the evaluation of carbon sequestration capacity. We also compared the forest carbon sequestration capacity estimated using two NPP estimation methods, stand water use using SF and light attenuation/gas exchange (LA), with traditional permanent plots using the LG method in four typical mangrove forests in the Futian Mangrove Reserve of Shenzhen City, China. The LG results showed that mangrove forests had NPPs ranging from 7.67 to 11.87 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, with species-specific differences. Among the three methods, the LG method is the most widely used, although it is costly and difficult to implement in the field. The LA results showed seasonal variation of NPP, with 4.69 g C m−2 d-1 in summer and 2.02 g C m−2 d-1 in winter. The LA method is relatively simple, but it requires a homogeneous canopy structure with a simple canopy extinction coefficient, which is suitable for mangroves with homogenous canopy structures. Although costly, the most convenient and efficient method is the SF method, which can realize continuous and high-precision dynamic NPP monitoring at the stand scale. After standardization by the LG method, the two high-resolution NPP methods could be used in mangrove forests with different time scales. For the global scale, after modification by the correction method provided in our study, the error caused by the determination method could be eliminated, which could make the global database more plentiful and accurate.

The ecological civilization characterized by the ecological redline policy (ERP) has been a new long-term national development strategy in China. The ERP emphasizes the need to define ecological baseline areas to provide ecosystem services and guarantee the national ecological safety. Eco-land units delineated by the individual spatial boundaries of ecosystems may facilitate an understanding of ecosystem patterns and the associated ecological processes at the landscape level. An eco-land classification system may help to identify and manage ecological baseline areas. In this study, a multi-dimensional eco-land classification system was designed to show how eco-land types could provide a reliable work platform for implementing the ERP and land management. Based on previous studies of eco-land types, we extracted three characteristics comprising the scale dependence, functional dominance, and adaptability of management. These three features were then integrated with the existing land use classification to develop a hierarchical eco-land classification system with four primary classes (fundamental eco-land, auxiliary eco-land, productive eco-land, and daily-life eco-land), 11 secondary classes, and 21 sub-secondary classes. Using a performance index based on spatial overlay analysis, we found that the fundamental eco-land covered up to 65% of the ecological redlining areas at the national scale, but not in some physical geographical regions. Thus, productive eco-land, auxiliary eco-land, and daily-life eco-land were also classified to fill the national level gaps among fundamental eco-lands, where the percentage cover of eco-land types at both the regional and urban scales could exceed 65% of the ecological redlining areas at the corresponding scale. Therefore, the disconnected fundamental eco-lands within ecological redlining areas at the national scale might be linked together as a conterminous green infrastructure if productive, auxiliary, and daily-life eco-land types located in strategic gap sites can be identified and protected at regional and urban scales. The eco-land classification system developed in this study may provide a useful land management framework for implementing the new ERP in China.

A theoretical basis is presented to develop a real-time position tracking system for a remote-controlled drug-delivery capsule that would enable the targeted delivery of drugs to specific locations in the gastrointestinal tract. Tracking is accomplished by dual magnetic vector detection over time, using two separate sets of magnetic field sensing devices. One is used to detect the alternating magnetic field excited externally with certain frequencies, while the other is used to detect the geomagnetic field. A mathematical model of the magnetic flux density in space and time is constructed using the Biot–Savart law. Additionally, the earth’s magnetic field and quaternion rotation theory are also used in the model to compensate for the constantly changing spatial orientation of the capsule as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. Based on the model, an improved artificial bee colony algorithm is used to solve the inverse magnetic field problem. Firstly, chaotic sequencing improves the initial solution diversity, and a ranked selection strategy is applied. At later stages, the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is introduced in order to accelerate convergence. To verify the theoretical basis presented above, a prototype of the tracking system is developed. Calculations verification results in a convergence rate of 100% with an average of 179 iterations. The prototype testing shows that the dual magnetic vector detection method simplifies the solution of the inverse magnetic field problem, shortens the tracking time for each round of data, and increases the solution accuracy.

Abnormal expression of γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) in living organisms is closely implicated in the development of several human tumors. The GGT levels in tissue and serum have emerged as a potential criterion for tumor diagnosis. However, precise "light up" GGT activity in vivo is still challenging due to the signal interferes of background. Bioluminescence based on the firefly luciferase-catalyzed reaction for light production provides a feasible strategy for GGT detection in vivo. In this report, a bioluminogenic probe, Glu-Luc, was designed and synthesized by connecting D-luciferin with γ-glutamyl group. The cleavage of γ-glutamyl group is triggered by GGT, resulting in the release of D-luciferin, which generates a bright bioluminescence emission in the present of luciferase and ATP. The probe exhibits very high selectivity and sensitivity toward GGT activity from in vitro to in vivo and in clinical samples, which offers a promising tool for investigations of the GGT-overexpressing related biological process including tumor diagnosis and prognosis in living organisms.

Novel (1−x)(0.65Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.35Bi0.2Sr0.7TiO3)-xCaZrO3 (BNT-BST-xCZ, x = 0–0.15) ceramics were manufactured through a solid phase sintering process and their structural and electrical performance have been systematically investigated. By doping CaZrO3, a higher recoverable energy storage density of 2.9 J/cm3 and energy storage efficiency of 80% at 330 kV/cm can be simultaneously obtained in BNT-BST-0.1CZ ceramic. Further analysis with the aid of finite element simulation indicates that the improvement of energy storage performance lies in the refined grain size and reduced defects, which are both conductive to improve the dielectric breakdown strength. More importantly, incorporating CaZrO3 gives slimmer hysteresis loops as well as excellent temperature (20–150 °C) and frequency (5–200 Hz) stability of energy storage properties. Moreover, a stable dielectric permittivity of in an ultra-wide range from 44 °C to 483 °C was achieved in BNT-BST-0.10CZ ceramic. Our findings suggest that the BNT-BST-0.1CZ ceramic has great potential applications in pulsed power systems and high-temperature capacitors.

Summary During gastrulation, the neuroectoderm cells form the neural tube and neural crest. The nervous system contains significantly more microRNAs than other tissues, but the role of microRNAs in controlling the differentiation of neuroectodermal cells into neural tube epithelial (NTE) cells and neural crest cells (NCCs) remains unknown. Using embryonic stem cell (ESC) neural differentiation systems, we found that miR-29b was upregulated in NTE cells and downregulated in NCCs. MiR-29b promoted the differentiation of ESCs into NTE cells and inhibited their differentiation into NCCs. Accordingly, the inhibition of miR-29b significantly inhibited the differentiation of NTE cells. A mechanistic study revealed that miR-29b targets DNA methyltransferase 3a (Dnmt3a) to regulate neural differentiation. Moreover, miR-29b mediated the function of Pou3f1, a critical neural transcription factor. Therefore, our study showed that the Pou3f1-miR-29b-Dnmt3a regulatory axis was active at the initial stage of neural differentiation and regulated the determination of cell fate., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • MiR-29b promoted NTE differentiation and inhibited NCC differentiation from ESCs • MiR-29b targeted Dnmt3a to regulate neural differentiation • MiR-29b mediated the function of Pou3f1 • The Pou3f1-miR-29b-Dnmt3a axis regulated the cell fate determination, In this article, Kang and colleagues demonstrated that miR-29b mediated the function of a critical neural transcription factor Pou3f1 to promote the differentiation of ESCs into NTE cells and inhibit their differentiation into NCCs by targeting Dnmt3a. This study showed that the Pou3f1-miR-29b-Dnmt3a regulatory axis was active at the initial stage of neural differentiation and regulated cell fate determination.

Dielectric ceramics are highly favorable for pulsed power applications owing to their ultra-fast charge-discharge speed and excellent reliability. However, their low energy density under low electric fields remains as a bottleneck for them to be employed in integrated electronic devices with shrinking dimensions. In this work, we have designed a comprehensive strategy to synthesize lead-free (Bi1/2Na1/2)1−xSrxTi0.98(Fe1/2Nb1/2)0.02O3 (BNT-xST-2FN, x = 0.30, 0.35, 0.40 and 0.45) ceramics via traditional solid-state method. On one hand, the hybridizations of Bi3+ orbitals and the displacement of B-site cations under the applied electric field lead to a high polarization. On the other hand, the (Fe1/2Nb1/2)4+ complex-ion and SrTiO3 were introduced to improve the relaxor behavior of the system, resulting in a high energy-storage efficiency. In this way, an excellent energy density of 3.36 J/cm3 and a high energy efficiency of 81% are simultaneously achieved in the BNT-0.40ST-0.02FN composition under a low electric field of 170 kV/cm, which is superior to other BNT-based materials under similar electric fields. Moreover, the ceramic exhibits a superior thermal stability (25–200 °C). This work provides a promising approach for designing high-performance lead-free energy storage ceramics under low electric fields.

Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) are natural flavonoids with strong antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects. Oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis are major contributors to spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we assessed the potential protective effects of GSP on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-damaged pheochromocytoma-12 (PC12) cells in an in vitro model of SCI as well as the putative mechanism of action. We established a model using PC12 cells with oxidative damage induced by H2O2. Cells were treated with various concentrations of GSP (control group, 200 μmol/L H2O2 group, 5 μM GSP + H2O2 group, 10 μM GSP + H2O2 group, and 25 μM GSP + H2O2 group). The CCK-8 assay was used to determine cell activity. Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate was used to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and flow cytometry was used to determine apoptosis rate. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, and PI3K/AKT proteins. The results showed that GSP reduced H2O2-induced intracellular ROS and inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, GSP inhibited the expression of caspase-3 and Bax, while promoting the expression of Bcl-2. In addition, GSP promoted the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT. Moreover, a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) weakened the protective effects of GSP on H2O2-induced PC12 cells. In conclusion, GSP pretreatment can protect PC12 cells from oxidative damage induced by H2O2 via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Annexin A1 (ANXA1), a calcium-dependent phospholipid binding protein expressed in animals, plants and microorganisms, participates in various cellular physiological activities. Previous proteomics analysis indicates that the level of ANXA1 in mice dorsal skin changes during hair growth cycle, we speculate that ANXA1 may play an important role in hair follicle (HF) development. Thus, Anxa1 knock-out (KO) and over-expression (OE) mice were constructed to test its function. Our results showed that in addition to the diameter of HF and hair shaft, ANXA1 could participate in hair growth by affecting the density of HF, and the proliferation of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). Meanwhile, molecular analysis showed that EGF signaling pathway is involved in the function of ANXA1. The expression of Anxa1 is negatively correlated with the levels of Egf, Notch1, Mkk7, and phosphorylated AKT1 and ERK/2 proteins. The levels of Egf, Notch1, Mkk7 and phosphorylation of AKT1 and ERK/2 increased in Anxa1 KO mice but decreased in Anxa1 OE mice. Taken together, our results suggested that ANXA1 could affect the hair growth by regulating the HFSCs proliferation through EGF signaling pathway.

The critical temperatures and pressures of eight binary systems and two ternary systems (1-propanol + cyclohexane, 1-propanol + n-hexane, 1-propanol + n-heptane, 1-propanol + n-octane, 1-propanol + n-decane, 2-propanol + cyclohexane, cyclohexane + n-hexane, cyclohexane + n-heptane, 1-propanol + cyclohexane + n-heptane and 1-propanol + n-octane + n-decane) were measured using an efficient and accurate low residence time flow apparatus. The uncertainties of the critical temperature and the pressure were estimated to be less than 0.4 K and 0.01 MPa, respectively. All the critical loci of binary systems belong to the type I or type II as defined by Scott and van Konynenburg. The curves of critical temperatures for the six binary mixtures containing 1-propanol or 2-propanol are non-ideal. Maximum average absolute deviations of the Redlich–Kister equations from the experimental results for the critical temperatures and the critical pressures of all the binary systems are 0.05% and 0.07%, respectively. Moreover, the two ternary systems were correlated by Cibulka's and Singh's expressions with maximum average absolute deviations 0.06% for critical temperatures and 0.83% for critical pressures.

Noncontact ratiometric fluorescent thermometers have received great interests in recent years. Besides being a sensitive and easily observable detection signal, the ratiometric dual fluorescence are also highly accurate and resistable to interference. However, organic molecular thermometers with such fluorescence property are very rare, and their measurement ranges and colors are limited. In this work, a series of ratiometric dual fluorescent tridurylboron thermometers, with tunable measurement ranges and colors, are designed and synthesized. The measurement ranges of the thermometers are −20 °C–40 °C, −10 °C–50 °C and −25 °C–30 °C in solid polymeric systems, and −50 °C–100 °C and −30 °C–110 °C in liquid organic solvent. With decreasing temperature, the fluorescence colors of tridurylboron-MOE thermometers are from green yellow to yellow red, green to green yellow, blue to green. This study provides a novel strategy for developing tunable ratiometric dual fluoresence organic molecular thermometers.

In this paper, we introduce a method for the assembly of micropatterned bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with controllable patterns and particle sizes on laser interference-structured substrates. The microstructures of interference patterning in conjunction with the nanostructures fabricated by the direct laser interference ablation (DLIA) were used as the templates for the assembly of patterned NPs in thermal dewetting processes. The location and particle size of micropatterned Au-Ni NPs formed were well-controlled by the nanostructures on the substrate surface. The magnetic domain pattern of as-annealed Au-Ni NPs is consistent with the topography of the silicon templates. The DLIA method provides a one-step new way for the large-area and high throughput fabrication of patterned NPs with the templated dewetting method. It can be easily extended to many metal combinations and has wide applications such as magnetic recording, plasmon-enhancement and other functional nanostructured elements and devices.

Since temperature is one of the most important physical parameters, it is of great significance to measure temperature with high space resolution and accuracy. Herein, a series of π-conjugated triarylboron compounds with temperature sensitivity based on naphthalene aromatic groups were designed and synthesized. Their photophysical properties were studied in detail by steady state absorption, emission spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory calculation. As the temperature increased, their emission spectra exhibited obvious blue shifts in liquid organic solvent, making ratiometric fluorescence sensing of temperature achievable.

Nanozymes with excellent enzyme-mimicking catalytic property are playing an increasingly significant role in tumor diagnosis and therapy. Fe-metal organic framework nanoparticles (MIL-101(Fe) NPs) are prepared as nanozymes to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce cancer cell death by catalyzing endogenous substances in tumor microenvironment. Abundant stimuli-responsive hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are accelerated to generate in the presence of microwave irradiation, realizing microwave enhancing dynamic therapy (MEDT). Moreover, MIL-101(Fe) NPs possess biodegradability and bioresponsibility, which exhibit favourable properties of metabolism and non-toxic accumulation comparing with inorganic nanozymes. Fluorescent gold nanoclusters (BSA-Au NCs) are rapidly coupled with the surface of MIL-101(Fe) NPs to obtain MIL-101(Fe)@BSA-AuNCs NPs. MIL-101(Fe)@BSA-AuNCs NPs with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescent imaging (FI) not only image accurately for the site of tumor, but also monitor dynamic distribution process of MIL-101(Fe) in vivo. The signal intensity of FI and MRI reaches maximum at 1 h in the liver and 5 h in the tumor. Ionic liquid (IL) is also loaded into MIL-101(Fe)@BSA-AuNCs NPs as microwave sensitive reagents for microwave thermal therapy (MTT). This work synthesizes the nanozymes that possess degradability, microwave sensitivity and dual-mode imaging to achieve the combination of MTT and MEDT against tumor. Experiment result in vivo confirms that the kill rate of tumor is up to 96.65%, showing an outstanding anti-tumor efficacy.

In order to non-invasively track a medical micro-device in gastrointestinal tract, an alternating electromagnetic tracking method was presented and a prototype was developed. In the tracking method, several energizing coils were excited by time-sharing sinusoidal signal to generate varying magnetic fields by one coil and then another coil. A wireless magnetic sensor measured the magnetic field strength at the location of the micro-device. The root-mean-square value of the magnetic field strength is a high-order nonlinear system of equations with respect to the position and orientation of the micro-device. Based on the adaptive particle swarm optimization (PSO) with neighborhood search, the position and orientation of the micro-device could be obtained. The experimental results show that the tracking method is valid and the modified algorithm succeeds in dealing with the nonlinear system of equations in localization. Comparing to the standard PSO algorithm, it does not require a good initial guess to guarantee convergence. Furthermore, it has high precision and fast convergence.

Summary Large intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) play widespread roles in epigenetic regulation during multiple differentiation processes, but little is known about their mode of action in cardiac differentiation. Here, we identified the key roles of a lincRNA, termed linc1405, in modulating the core network of cardiac differentiation by functionally interacting with Eomes. Chromatin- and RNA-immunoprecipitation assays showed that exon 2 of linc1405 physically mediates a complex consisting of Eomes, trithorax group (TrxG) subunit WDR5, and histone acetyltransferase GCN5 binding at the enhancer region of Mesp1 gene and activates its expression during cardiac mesoderm specification of embryonic stem cells. Importantly, linc1405 co-localizes with Eomes, WDR5, and GCN5 at the primitive streak, and linc1405 depletion impairs heart development and function in vivo. In summary, linc1405 mediates a Eomes/WDR5/GCN5 complex that contributes to cardiogenesis, highlighting the critical roles of lincRNA-based complexes in the epigenetic regulation of cardiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Aim To propose a practical, non-invasive method for monitoring intestinal pressure activity and introduce its clinical application on discrimination between the healthy subjects and the slow transit constipation (STC) patient subjects in the sense of medical statistics. Methods Nineteen healthy subjects and eight STC patient subjects participated in the experiments. The authors tried to find the optimal feature combination by using the probabilistic neural network (PNN) to separate these two groups and test their significant differences. Results The statistical analysis revealed that the combination of the frequency and the average pressure of the pressure activity induced by colonic peristalsis was the optimal feature combination among the possible feature subsets, which was composed of several typical extracted features, and the discrimination accuracy of test samples was about 88.89%. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis also showed that there were differences or significant differences between them. Conclusions Clinical experiments and analysis method related verified the practicability of the system, and the measurement technology developed for monitoring intestinal pressure activity was useful.