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Abstract The complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle, defines the initiation and progression of multifactorial diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and neurological disorders. Given that most of the studies have been performed in controlled experimental settings to ensure the consistency and reproducibility, the impacts of environmental factors, such as dietary perturbation, on the development of animals with different genotypes and the pathogenesis of these diseases remain poorly understood. By analyzing the cdk8 and cyclin C (cycC) mutant larvae in Drosophila , we have previously reported that the CDK8-CycC complex coordinately regulates lipogenesis by repressing dSREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding protein)-activated transcription and developmental timing by activating EcR (ecdysone receptor)-dependent gene expression. Here we report that dietary nutrients, particularly proteins and carbohydrates, modulate the developmental timing through the CDK8/CycC/EcR pathway. We observed that cdk8 and cycC mutants are sensitive to the levels of dietary proteins and seven amino acids (arginine, glutamine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, threonine, and valine). Those mutants are also sensitive to dietary carbohydrates, and they are more sensitive to monosaccharides than disaccharides. These results suggest that CDK8-CycC mediates the dietary effects on lipid metabolism and developmental timing in Drosophila larvae. Highlights • The cdk8 and cycC mutant Drosophila larvae are hypersensitive to increased levels of dietary proteins. • Of the 20 kinds of amino acids, the cdk8 and cycC mutants are particularly sensitive to the levels of 7 specific amino acids. • Compared to disaccharides, the cdk8 and cycC mutants are more sensitive to increased dietary monosaccharides. • CDK8-CycC may mediate the dietary effects on lipid metabolism and developmental transition in Drosophila larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon(Si)/graphene composite has been regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next generation anode materials with high power and energy density in lithium ion batteries. Introduction of graphene in Si anodes could improve the electronic conductivity, suppress the severe volume expansion of Si, and facilitate the formation of stable solid electrolyte interphase, etc. However, traditionally mechanical mixing of Si and graphene cannot realize uniform distribution of Si particles on the graphene sheets, which would largely weaken the effectiveness of the graphene in the composite. In this work, nano-Si/reduced graphene oxide porous composite (p Si/rGO) has been fabricated by a facile electrostatic self-assembly approach via using SiO 2 as the sacrificial template. Compared with the simply mechanically mixed nano-Si and rGO (Si/rGO), the nano-Si particles could be more uniformly dispersed among the rGO sheets in the p Si/rGO, which significantly increases its electronic conductivity. Moreover, the drastic volume expansion of nano-Si during repeated lithiation/delithiation cycles also has been effectively accommodated by the large number of pores left after removing the SiO 2 template in the composite. Thus, the p Si/rGO presented largely enhanced electrochemical performances, showing a high reversible capacity up to 1849 mA h g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 with good capacity retention, and high rate capability (535 mA h g −1 at 2 A g −1 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: B7 family has been identified as co-stimulatory or co-inhibitory molecules on T-cell response and plays an important role in tumour mortality and malignancy. In this study, the expression pattern of B7 family in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer was examined. Its upstream regulating mechanism, downstream targets and association with clinical parameters were also studied. Materials and methods: The expression level of B7 members was analysed by FIREHOUSE. The gene mutation, DNA methylation, association with clinical parameters and downstream network of B7 members were analysed in cBioportal. The mutation frequency was analysed by Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) analysis. The phylogenetic tree was constructed in MEGA7. The interaction protein domain analysis was performed by Pfam 31.0. Results: Differential expression of B7 family molecules was detected in different kinds of GI cancer. High-frequency gene alteration was found in tumour samples. There was negative correlation of promoter methylation and mRNA expression of B7 family members in tumour samples, suggesting the epigenetic basis of B7 family gene deregulation in GI cancer. The overexpression of B7-H1 in pancreatic cancer, B7-H5 in oesophageal cancer and B7-H6 in liver cancer were significantly associated with worse overall survival. Finally, by network analysis, we identified some potential interacting proteins for B7-1/2 and B7-H1/DC. Conclusions: Overall, our study suggested that B7 member deregulation was strongly involved in GI cancer tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects in cilia have been associated with an expanding human disease spectrum known as ciliopathies. Regulatory Factor X 3 (RFX3) is one of the major transcription factors required for ciliogenesis and cilia functions. In addition, RFX3 regulates pancreatic islet cell differentiation and mature β-cell functions. However, how RFX3 protein is regulated at the posttranslational level remains poorly understood. Using chemical reporters of protein fatty acylation and mass spectrometry analysis, here we show that RFX3 transcriptional activity is regulated by S-fatty acylation at a highly conserved cysteine residue in the dimerization domain. Surprisingly, RFX3 undergoes enzyme-independent, "self-catalyzed" auto-fatty acylation and displays preferences for 18-carbon stearic acid and oleic acid. The fatty acylation-deficient mutant of RFX3 shows decreased homodimerization; fails to promote ciliary gene expression, ciliogenesis, and elongation; and impairs Hedgehog signaling. Our findings reveal a regulation of RFX3 transcription factor and link fatty acid metabolism and protein lipidation to the regulation of ciliogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for continuous separation of microparticles in viscoelastic fluid is reported. A series of sharp corners were fabricated at one side of a microchannel, which induced the curved streamline and the asymmetric distribution of the elastic force. The Newtonian sheath flow was utilized to squeeze microparticles to the side wall with sharp corners at the inlet. Particles were subjected to inertial forces, elastic force and viscous drag force, all of which pointed to the straight wall side. Stronger forces were exerted on larger particles, leading to size-dependent migration of particles across the interface between the Newtonian and the viscoelastic fluids. The influence of the flow rate ratio on the particle separation was also studied. The results show that the sharp corners and the co-flowing fluid system significantly enhanced particle lateral migration, achieving complete particle separation at a low flow rate and in a short channel length. The particle separation efficiency was further increased at a higher flow rate ratio (sheath flow/sample flow). With a simple structure and small footprint, this device has great potential to be used in a variety of particle separation processes for lab-on-a-chip applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Coprecipitation reaction soft chemistry method was employed to prepare fine (Y,Gd)P x V1−x O4:Eu3+ phosphor particles. SEM image showed the size of (Y,Gd)P x V1−x O4:Eu3+ particles is uniform, homogeneous and smaller than 1 μm. XRD indicated that the prepared resultant has a tetragonal crystal structure. The red emission color purity and intensity of (Y,Gd)P x V1−x O4:Eu3+ phosphor is much better than and almost close to that of recent widely used commercial PDP phosphor (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu3+, respectively. It is expected that (Y,Gd)P0.2V0.8O4:Eu3+ phosphor would be a promising candidate for plasma display panels application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mixed Langmuir films composed of the left- and right-handed chiral enantiomers are analyzed using a model based on the Bragg-Williams theory for binary mixtures, and the contribution of the mixing effect to the generation of Maxwell displacement current (MDC) and surface pressure-area isotherm is discussed. It is revealed that the formation of the homogeneous and intimate mixture of the left- and right-handed chiral enantiomers gives rise to the additional MDC generation due to the dipole-dipole interaction between the left- and right-handed chiral enantiomer molecules by the molecular twist transition during monolayer compression. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lithium (Li) metal battery (LMB) is one of the most promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage systems. However, it is still a significant challenge to operate LMBs with high voltage cathodes under high rate conditions. In this work, an LMB using a nickel‐rich layered cathode of LiNi0.76Mn0.14Co0.10O2 (NMC76) and an optimized electrolyte [0.6 m lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide + 0.4 m lithium bis(oxalato)borate + 0.05 m LiPF6 dissolved in ethylene carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate (4:6 by weight)] demonstrates excellent stability at a high charge cutoff voltage of 4.5 V. Remarkably, these Li||NMC76 cells can deliver a high discharge capacity of >220 mA h g−1 (846 W h kg−1) and retain more than 80% capacity after 1000 cycles at high charge/discharge current rates of 2C/2C (1C = 200 mA g−1). This excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the greatly enhanced structural/interfacial stability of both the Ni‐rich NMC76 cathode material and the Li metal anode using the optimized electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of automatic DNA image cytometry (DNA-ICM) for diagnosing lung cancer. A total of three different types of samples from 465 cases were included: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), 386 samples; pleural effusion cases, 70 samples; and fine-needle aspiration procedures, 9 samples. Two methods, liquid-based cytology (LBC) and automatic DNA-ICM, were used to assess the samples, and the pathological results of 120/465 cases were reviewed. The results of DNA-ICM were compared with those of LBC and pathology. There were 57 cases of lung cancer without aneuploidy and 49 cases without evidence of malignant tumor, but with the presence of heteroploid cells. The positive diagnostic rate for BALF samples using LBC was significantly higher compared with that for DNA-ICM (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the positive diagnostic rate between DNA-ICM and LBC in pleural effusion samples. For DNA-ICM in BALF, pleural effusion and all samples, no statistically significant differences were identified between the positive diagnostic rates of lung squamous carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma. The positive diagnostic rate of LBC combined with DNA-ICM was not significantly improved. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, the difference in the maximum value of DNA (DNAmax) was positively correlated with tumor stage (P<0.05), but no significant correlations were observed among DNA max, tumor type and tumor location. In small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases, no significant correlations were observed among DNAmax, tumor staging or tumor location. The differences in the DNAmax values of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, SCLC and NSCLC were not statistically significant. In the present study, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for LBC (0.936) was significantly greater compared with that for DNA-ICM (0.766) (P<0.05). DNA-ICM has medium diagnostic value in lung cancer, and the DNAmax was positively correlated with tumor stage in NSCLC. DNA-ICM may serve as a supplement to LBC, but it is not recommended as a sole procedure for lung cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) is proposed to improve the biosensor’s sensitivity. In this sensor, different kinds of two-dimensional TMDCs are coated on both surfaces of metal film. By optimizing the structural parameters, the angular sensitivity can reach as high as 315.5 Deg/RIU with 7-layers WS2 and 36 nm Al thin film, which is 3.3 times of the conventional structure based on single Al thin film. We also obtain maximum phase sensitivity (3.85 × 106 Deg/RIU) with bilayer WS2 and 35 nm Al thin film. The phase sensitivity can be further improved by employing Ag and removing air layer. The proposed configuration is of great potential for biochemical sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The instability of lithium (Li) metal anodes due to dendritic growth and low Coulombic efficiency (CE) hinders the practical application of high‐energy‐density Li metal batteries. Here, the systematic studies of improving the stability of Li metal anodes and the electrochemical performance of Li metal batteries through the addition of combinational additives and the optimization of solvent compositions in dual‐salt/carbonate electrolytes are reported. A dendrite‐free and high CE of 98.1% for Li metal anode is achieved. The well‐protected Li metal anode and the excellent cyclability and rate capability of the 4‐V Li metal batteries are obtained. This is attributed to the formation of a robust, denser, more polymeric, and higher ionic conductive surface film on the Li metal anode via the electrochemical reductive decompositions of the electrolyte components and the ring‐opening polymerization of additives and cyclic carbonate solvents. The key findings of this work indicate that the optimization of solvent compositions and the manipulation of additives are facile and effective ways to enhance the performances of Li metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential expression of cold-responsive proteins is necessary for cyanobacteria to acclimate to cold stress frequently occurring in their natural habitats. Accumulating evidence indicates that cold-induced expression of certain proteins is dependent on light illumination, but a systematic identification of light-dependent and/or light-independent cold-responsive proteins in cyanobacteria is still lacking. Herein, we comprehensively identified cold-responsive proteins in a model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Hereafter Synechocystis ) that was cold-stressed in light or in dark. In total, 72 proteins were identified as cold-responsive, including 19 and 17 proteins whose cold-responsiveness are light-dependent and light-independent, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that outer membrane proteins, proteins involved in translation, and proteins involved in divergent types of stress responses were highly enriched in the cold-responsive proteins. Moreover, a protein network responsible for nitrogen assimilation and amino acid biosynthesis, transcription, and translation were upregulated in response to the cold stress. The network contains both light-dependent and light-independent cold-responsive proteins, probably for fine tuning its activity to endow Synechocystis the flexibility necessary for cold adaptation in their natural habitats, where days and nights are alternating. Together, our results should serve as an important resource for future study toward understanding the mechanism of cold acclimation in cyanobacteria. Significance Photosynthetic cyanobacteria need to acclimate to frequently occurring abiotic stresses such as cold in their natural habitats, and the acclimation process has to be coordinated with photosynthesis, the light-dependent process that provides carbon and energy for propagation of cyanobacteria. It is conceivable that cold-induced differential protein expression can also be regulated by light. Hence it is important to systematically identify cold responsive proteins that are regulated or not regulated by light to better understand the mechanism of cold acclimation in cyanobacteria. In this manuscript, we identified a network involved in protein synthesis that were upregulated by cold. The network contains both light-dependent and light-independent cold-inducible proteins, presumably for fine tuning the activity of the network in natural habitats of cyanobacteria where days and nights are alternating. This finding underscores the significance of proteome reprograming toward enhancing protein synthesis in cold adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reformulation of electrolyte systems and improvement of separator wettability are vital to electrochemical performances of rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries, especially for suppressing Li dendrites. In this work we report a bifunctional electrolyte additive that improves separator wettability and suppresses Li dendrite growth in Li metal batteries. A triblock polyether (Pluronic P123) is added as an additive into a commonly used carbonate-based electrolyte. It is found that addition of 0.2–1% (by weight) P123 into the electrolyte can effectively enhance the wettability of polyethylene separator. More importantly, the adsorption of P123 on Li metal surface can act as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase layer and suppress the growth of Li dendrites. A smooth and dendrite-free Li morphology can be achieved in the electrolyte with 0.2% P123. The Li||Li symmetric cells with the 0.2% P123-containing electrolyte exhibit a relatively long cycling stability at high current densities of 1.0 and 3.0 mA cm −2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group-V elemental monolayers were recently predicted to exhibit exotic physical properties such as nontrivial topological properties, or a quantum anomalous Hall effect, which would make them very suitable for applications in next-generation electronic devices. The free-standing group-V monolayer materials usually have a buckled honeycomb form, in contrast with the flat graphene monolayer. Here, we report epitaxial growth of atomically thin flat honeycomb monolayer of group-V element antimony on a Ag(111) substrate. Combined study of experiments and theoretical calculations verify the formation of a uniform and single-crystalline antimonene monolayer without atomic wrinkles, as a new honeycomb analogue of graphene monolayer. Directional bonding between adjacent Sb atoms and weak antimonene-substrate interaction are confirmed. The realization and investigation of flat antimonene honeycombs extends the scope of two-dimensional atomically-thick structures and provides a promising way to tune topological properties for future technological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lithium (Li) metal is an ideal anode material for high energy density batteries. However, the low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and the formation of dendrites during repeated plating and stripping processes have hindered its applications in rechargeable Li metal batteries. The accurate measurement of Li CE is a critical factor to predict the cycle life of Li metal batteries, but the measurement of Li CE is affected by various factors that often lead to conflicting values reported in the literature. Here, several parameters that affect the measurement of Li CE are investigated and a more accurate method of determining Li CE is proposed. It is also found that the capacity used for cycling greatly affects the stabilization cycles and the average CE. A higher cycling capacity leads to faster stabilization of Li anode and a higher average CE. With a proper operating protocol, the average Li CE can be increased from 99.0% to 99.5% at a high capacity of 6 mA h cm−2 (which is suitable for practical applications) when a high‐concentration ether‐based electrolyte is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrate form of Ni–Al layered double hydroxide (denoted as Ni–Al–NO3-LDH) and the corresponding carbonate form (denoted as Ni–Al–CO3-LDH) were tunably fabricated by the hexamethylenetetramine hydrolysis method. A catalytic behaviour investigation proved Ni–Al–CO3-LDH to be an ineffective catalyst, while for Ni–Al–NO3-LDH excellent catalytic activity and reusability were obtained, in the acetalisation of furfural to furfural diethyl acetal. Characterisation and analysis revealed that the appearance of Lewis acid sites in Ni–Al–NO3-LDH was responsible for its excellent catalytic performance. The acquired kinetic parameters confirmed that this reaction was a first-order process and the apparent activation energy was 36.28 kJ mol-1, which is in reasonable agreement with the theoretical result of 38.57 kJ mol-1. Additionally, apart from the typical Brønsted acid catalytic mechanism, a possible Lewis acid catalytic mechanism was probed theoretically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-carbon batteries could provide better performance on high-rate partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) cycles than lead-acid batteries (LABs), making them promising for the new-generation of hybrid electric vehicles. The addition of carbon allotropes to the negative active material (NAM) could induce a significant improvement to the battery performance. Herein, an environmentally friendly strategy is demonstrated to prepare lead oxide and carbon (PbO@C) composite by pyrolyzing the lead citrate precursor derived from the spent lead paste of LABs. When the PbO@C composite is used as an additive to the NAM of lead-carbon batteries, the utilization efficiency of the NAM is improved from 56.9% to 72.5%, and the cycle life of the cell in HRPSoC is tremendously extended by four times compared with the control one. The enhancement in battery performance is attributed to the hydrophilic carbon in the composite, which acts as a 3D electroosmotic pump facilitating electrolyte diffusion, and hindering the tendency to excess sulfation during the HRPSoC operation. This proposed research provides a sustainable and scalable strategy to recycle the discarded/spent LABs into high-performance lead-carbon batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we design a novel one dimensional and coaxial polyaniline@tin dioxide@multi-wall carbon nanotube (PANI@SnO 2 @MWCNT) composite as advanced conductive additive free anode material for the lithium ion battery. The SnO 2 nanoparticles (∼5 nm) are firstly fixed on the conductive MWCNT skeleton by self-assembling the nano-sized SnO 2 particles on the surface of MWCNT with the assist of surfactant P123 then followed by in-situ coating a flexible layer of PANI with excellent electron and lithium ion conductivity. The one dimensional and coaxial PANI@SnO 2 @MWCNT can effectively accommodate the volume expansion of SnO 2 nanoparticles during lithiating and delithiating via the wrapping of the flexible coating layer of PANI and the buffer of the one dimensional MWCNT. Moreover, the electronic and lithium ionic conductivities of the composite are also obviously improved by the synergistic action between the PANI and MWCNT. As a result, the PANI@SnO 2 @MWCNT composite exhibits an excellent rate capacity and stable cycling performance even without the adding of the conductive additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discontinuous unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites are shown to possibly exhibit pseudo-ductile failure that is lacking in continuous fiber composites. The aim of this paper is to use a discontinuous and interdigitated design strategy which mimicks the nacre structure to improve the specific energy absorption (SEA) of a carbon/expoxy composite tube. Quasi-static axial compressive experiment is combined with a digital image correlation system to analyze the failure process of the specimens. Four kinds of tubular specimens which are based on different ply cut intervals and distributions are fabricated and crushed. The load-crushed displacement curves and the SEA values are obtained showing that circular shaped continuous ply cuts result is the highest fluctuation of the compressive force. Moreover, the tubes with helical and nacre mimicking ply cut structures result in a flatter load-crushed displacement curve. This work demonstrates that in a crush process, unidirectional composites with a well-designed discontinuity at the ply level can improve the SEA over 51% as compared to the unidirectional continuous tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium (Li) metal is one of the most promising candidates for the anode in high-energy-density batteries. However, Li dendrite growth induces a significant safety concerns in these batteries. Here, a multifunctional separator through coating a thin electronic conductive film on one side of the conventional polymer separator facing the Li anode is proposed for the purpose of Li dendrite suppression and cycling stability improvement. The ultrathin Cu film on one side of the polyethylene support serves as an additional conducting agent to facilitate electrochemical stripping/deposition of Li metal with less accumulation of electrically isolated or 'dead' Li. Furthermore, its electrically conductive nature guides the backside plating of Li metal and modulates the Li deposition morphology via dendrite merging. In addition, metallic Cu film coating can also improve thermal stability of the separator and enhance the safety of the batteries. Due to its unique beneficial features, this separator enables stable cycling of Li metal anode with enhanced Coulombic efficiency during extended cycles in Li metal batteries and increases the lifetime of Li metal anode by preventing short-circuit failures even under extensive Li metal deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of water-based coating strategies has led to safe and affordable techniques with applications in various fields, whereas the design of water-based superhydrophobic coatings still needs to be improved to facilitate their large-scale production and widespread adoption. Herein, we report a novel water-based strategy that can endow smooth surfaces with superhydrophobicity by designing a multifunctional polymer and incorporating a hydrophobic nanomaterial and a selective solvent. The superhydrophobic coatings show outstanding flexibility and can be made in various colors using both hydrophobic and hydrophilic dyes. The fabrication process is scalable, and it might open up many possibilities for the preparation of water-based coatings using hydrophobic nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) are the primary component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Tight junction (TJ) proteins, including claudin, occludin and zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2 and ZO-3, maintain the structural integrity of BMECs. Ethanol activates the assembly and disassembly of TJs, which is a process that is regulated by protein kinase C (PKC). In addition, ethanol treatment leads to the loss of structural integrity, which damages the permeability of the BBB and subsequently affects central nervous system homeostasis, thus allowing additional substances to enter the brain. However, the mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced loss of BBB structure remain unknown. It has been hypothesized that long-term exposure to ethanol reduces the expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 via the PKC signaling pathway, thereby affecting BBB structural integrity. In the current study, the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line, HCMEC/D3, was treated with 50, 100, 200 and 400 mM ethanol for 24, 48 and 72 h. Cell viability was determined using an MTS assay. The expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 protein and mRNA was measured using western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Following the pretreatment of HCMEC/D3 cells with the PKCα-specific inhibitor, safingol (10 μmol/l), the expression of claudin-5, occludin, ZO-1 and phosphorylated (p)-PKCα was measured using western blot analysis, and PKCα localization was determined by immunofluorescence. With increasing concentrations of ethanol, the expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 protein decreased, while the expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 mRNA increased. Exposure to ethanol significantly increased the expression of p-PKCα, whereas no significant effect on the expression of PKCα was observed. Following 48 h treatment with 200 mM ethanol, the expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 protein was significantly decreased when compared with the control. By contrast, the expression of p-PKCα was increased, and increased translocation of PKCα from the cytoplasm to the nuclear membrane and nucleus was observed. In addition, the results demonstrated that safingol significantly reversed these effects of ethanol. In conclusion, long-term exposure to ethanol downregulates the expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 protein in HCMEC/D3 s, and this effect may be mediated via activation of PKCα. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese(iii) hexadentate Schiff base complexes ([Mn(sal-N-1,5,8,12)]Y·S, Y = AsF6 (1); Y = SbF6 (2); Y = NO3, S = C2H5OH (3) and Y = Cl (4)) have been investigated to determine the impact of anion effects, intramolecular ligand distortions, and intermolecular supramolecular structures on the spin crossover (SCO) behavior. The crystal structure of [Mn(sal-N-1,5,8,12)]PF6, a complex known to exhibit an abrupt SCO behavior with an 8 K hysteresis window, reveals that this complex has a temperature-dependent anion order–disorder transition that disrupts the hydrogen-bonding chain upon SCO, indicating that hydrogen bonds between cations and anions greatly influence the magnetic properties. The SCO in 1 is mediated by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. The subtle balance of these hydrogen bonds induces a cooperative SCO process with a hysteresis width of 18 K, which is the largest one reported in the d4 SCO chemistry. For 2, crystal structural analysis indicates that changing the anion from AsF6− to SbF6− led to close stackings between phenyl groups from ligands. These stackings preclude the spin transition of the [Mn(sal-N-1,5,8,12)]+ cations. With NO3− and Cl− as counterions, the [Mn(sal-N-1,5,8,12)]+ cations are arranged more loosely and exhibit gradual SCO in the temperature range of 300–100 K. Careful evaluation of the supramolecular structures of these complexes and similar complexes reported previously revealed strong correlation between the supramolecular packing forces and their magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a Triangular Spatial Relationship (TSR)-based computational method for protein structure comparison and motif discovery that is both sequence and structure alignment-free. A protein 3D structure is modeled by all possible triangles that are constructed with every three C α atoms of amino acids as vertices. Every triangle is represented using an integer (a key). The keys are calculated by a rule-based formula which is a function of a representative length, a representative angle, and the vertex labels associated with amino acids. A 3D structure is thereby represented by a vector of integers (TSR keys). Global or local structure comparisons are achieved by computing all keys or a set of keys, respectively. Many enzymatic reactions and notable marketed drugs are highly stereospecific. Thus, in this paper, we propose a modified key calculation formula by including a mechanism for discriminating mirror-image keys to capture stereo geometry. We assign a positive or a negative sign to the integers representing mirror-image keys. Applying the new key calculation function provides the ability to further discriminate mirror-image keys that were previously considered identical. As the result, applying the mirror-image discrimination capability (i) significantly increases the number of distinct keys; (ii) decreases the number of common keys; (iii) decreases structural similarity; (iv) increases the opportunity to identify specific keys for each type of the receptors. The specific keys identified in this study for the cases of without (not applying) and with (applying) mirror-image discrimination can be considered as the structure signatures that exclusively belong to a certain type of receptors. Applying mirror-image discrimination introduces stereospecificity to keys for allowing more precise modeling of ligand - target interactions. The development of mirror-image TSR keys of C α atom, in conjunction with the integration of C α TSR keys with all-atom TSR keys for amino acids and drugs, will lead to a new and promising computational method for aiding drug design and discovery. [Display omitted] • Mirror-image discrimination capability is introduced into the Triangular Spatial Relationship (TSR)-based key generation formula to capture stereo geometry. • Applying mirror images decreases structural similarity which can be partially explained by the observation of a decrease in common keys. • For a hierarchically organized structure dataset, applying mirror images enhances the opportunity to discover specific keys that exclusively belong to certain types of proteins. • Different types of receptors share little sequence similarity and are functionally diverse. However, similar substructures are identified within each protein of a receptor family. • Unique substructures are identified for the majority of the receptor types, which build a foundation for designing new inhibitors specifically for certain types of receptors. • The TSR-based method has its advantage in studying protein sequence, structure and function relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electromechanical impedance and nonlinear ultrasonics were hybridized. • Combined linear and nonlinear features facilitate comprehensive crack evaluation. • A single piezo transducer realized the nonlinear ultrasonic testing procedure. • Chaos information in the spectra fosters a baseline-free damage index. • The authors declare no conflict of interest. This article presents a Nonlinear Electro-Mechanical Impedance Spectroscopy (NEMIS) methodology for fatigue crack monitoring. Different from the conventional Electro-Mechanical Impedance Spectroscopy (EMIS) implemented in the frequency domain, the proposed NEMIS employs a temporal chirp interrogating signal to obtain the impedance spectra, and simultaneously captures the Contact Acoustic Nonlinearity (CAN) features. To develop an insight into the mechanism behind the NEMIS method, a comparative investigation between the conventional EMIS and the two-phase NEMIS algorithm was conducted. Numerical studies were carried out on a 1-D transitional-bilinear CAN model to demonstrate the chirp-induced higher harmonics and nonlinear mixed-frequency response features. Furthermore, finite element (FE) simulations were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the NEMIS. A baseline-free damage index was subsequently developed to quantify the severity of the fatigue crack. Finally, experimental validation of the NEMIS method was performed. The experimental results validated the feasibility and accuracy of the chirp-based impedance spectra. It was also shown that NEMIS successfully captured the nonlinear impedance spectra, obtaining higher harmonics and wave modulation features to manifest the existence of the fatigue crack. Quantification on the severity of the crack was conducted via the nonlinear damage index, which presented a consistent, monotonic trend with the increasing severity of the fatigue crack. The experiment demonstrated the capability of NEMIS for detecting and quantifying fatigue cracks. The article finishes with summary, concluding remarks, and suggestions for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing probes for the detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a hallmark of many pathophysiological process, is imperative to both understanding the precise roles of ROS in many life-threatening diseases and optimizing therapeutic interventions. We herein report an all-in-one fluorescent semiconducting polymer based far-red to near-infrared (NIR) Pdot nanoprobe for the ratiometric detection of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The fabrication takes the advantage of flexible polymer design by incorporating target-sensitive and target-inert fluorophores into a single conjugated polymer to avoid leakage or differential photobleaching problems existed in other nanoprobes. The obtained nanoprobe has improved performance in HOCl sensing, such as high brightness, ideal far-red to NIR optical window, excellent photostability, self-referenced ratiometric response, fast response, and high selectivity. The dual-emission property allows the sensitive imaging of HOCl fluctuations produced in living macrophage cells and peritonitis of living mice with high contrast. This study not only provides a powerful and promising nanoprobe to be potentially used in the investigations of in situ HOCl status of diseases in living systems but also puts forward the design strategy of a new category of ratiometric fluorescent probes facilitating precise and reliable measurement in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defense is important in the pathogenesis of lung diseases. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcriptional factor that regulates the antioxidant response. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether Nrf2-mediated antioxidative defense is involved in methamphetamine (MA)-induced lung injury in rats. Following establishment of chronic MA toxicity in rats, Doppler ultrasonic detection was used to measure the changes of physiological indexes, followed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, ELISA and western blot analysis. MA was demonstrated to increase the heart rate and peak blood flow velocity of pulmonary arterial valves and to decrease the survival rate of rats, and resulted in lung injury characterized by perivascular exudates, airspace edema, slight hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltration. MA significantly inhibited the expression of nuclear Nrf2 protein and its target genes (glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit C and heme oxygenase-1), and dose-dependently reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and the ratio of GSH/oxidized glutathione, accompanied by increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in rat lungs. Linear regression analysis revealed that there was a positive correlation between lung ROS level and lung injury indexes. These findings suggested that chronic exposure to MA led to lung injury by suppression of Nrf2-mediated antioxidative defense, suggesting that Nrf2 may be an important therapeutic target for MA-induced chronic lung toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous Stokes and anti-Stokes ultralow-frequency (ULF) Raman measurement down to ~2 cm-1 or 60 GHz is realized by a single-stage spectrometer in combination with volume-Bragg-grating-based notch filters. This system reveals its excellent performance by probing Brillouin signal of acoustic phonons in silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and gallium nitride. The deduced sound velocity and elastic constants are in good accordance with previous results determined by various methods. This system can shorten the integration time of the Brillouin signal with a good signal-to-noise ratio by more than 2000-fold compared to a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). This study shows how a filter-based ULF Raman system can be used to reliably achieve Brillouin spectroscopy for condensed materials with high sensitivity and high signal-to-noise ratio, stimulating fast Brillouin spectrum measurements to probe acoustic phonons in semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new high-precision boundary meshfree method, namely virtual boundary meshfree Galerkin method (VBMGM), for calculating the multi-domain constant coefficient heat conduction with a heat source problem is given. In the paper, the radial basis function interpolation is used to solve the virtual source function of virtual boundary and the heat source within each subdomain. Simultaneously, the equation of VBMGM for multi-domain constant coefficient heat conduction with a heat source problem is obtained by the Galerkin method. Therefore, the proposed method has common advantages of the boundary element method, meshfree method, and Galerkin method. Coefficient matrix of this specific expression is symmetrical and the specific expression of VBMGM for the multi-domain constant coefficient heat conduction with a heat source problem is given. Two numerical examples are given. The numerical results are also compared with other numerical methods. The accuracy and feasibility of the method for the multi-domain constant coefficient heat conduction with a heat source problem are proved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The photosynthetic model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 can grow in different trophic modes, depending on the availability of light and exogenous organic carbon source. However, how the protein profile changes to facilitate the cells differentially propagate in different modes has not been comprehensively investigated. Using isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomics, we simultaneously identified and quantified 45% Synechocystis proteome across four different trophic modes, i.e., autotrophic, heterotrophic, photoheterotrophic, and mixotrophic modes. Among the 155 proteins that are differentially expressed across four trophic modes, proteins involved in nitrogen assimilation and light-independent chlorophyll synthesis are dramatically upregulated in the mixotrophic mode, concomitant with a dramatic increase of P II phosphorylation that senses carbon and nitrogen assimilation status. Moreover, functional study using a mutant defective in light-independent chlorophyll synthesis revealed that this pathway is important for chlorophyll accumulation under a cycled light/dark illumination regime, a condition mimicking day/night cycles in certain natural habitats. Collectively, these results provide the most comprehensive information on trophic mode-dependent protein expression in cyanobacterium, and reveal the functional significance of light-independent chlorophyll synthesis in trophic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop chiral anticancer drug candidates for molecular target DNA, the synthesis and characterization of a novel enantiomerically pure copper(II) complex [Cu 1 Cl ] ( 2) of an optically pure ligand N-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene) dehydroabietylamine ( 1) was carried out. The coordination geometry of the copper center is a distorted square-planar arrangement. The interactions of 1 and 2 with salmon sperm DNA were investigated by viscosity measurements, UV, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic techniques. All the results reveal that 1 and 2 interacted with DNA through intercalation and 2 exhibited a higher DNA binding ability. Further, 1 and 2 could cleave supercoiled pBR322 DNA by single strand and 2 displayed stronger cleavage ability in the presence of ascorbic acid. In vitro cytotoxicity of 1 and 2 against HeLa, SiHa, HepG-2 and A431 cancer cell lines was studied using CCK-8 assay. The results indicate that 2 had a superior cytotoxicity than 1 and the widely used drug cisplatin under identical conditions. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates 2 produced death of HeLa cancer cells through an apoptotic pathway. Cell cycle analysis shows that 2 mainly arrested HeLa cells at the S phase. Graphical abstract: A novel enantiomerically pure copper(II) complex [Cu 1 Cl ] ( 2) of an optically pure ligand N-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene) dehydroabietylamine ( 1), based on natural product rosin has been synthesized. 2 has the potential to act as effective anticancer drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anode-free rechargeable lithium (Li) batteries (AFLBs) are phenomenal energy storage systems due to their significantly increased energy density and reduced cost relative to Li-ion batteries, as well as ease of assembly because of the absence of an active (reactive) anode material. However, significant challenges, including Li dendrite growth and low cycling Coulombic efficiency (CE), have prevented their practical implementation. Here, an anode-free rechargeable lithium battery based on a Cu||LiFePO4 cell structure with an extremely high CE (>99.8%) is reported for the first time. This results from the utilization of both an exceptionally stable electrolyte and optimized charge/discharge protocols, which minimize the corrosion of the in situly formed Li metal anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant progress has been made toward overcoming fundamental challenges in developing a silicon (Si) anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, much less work has been reported on design and failure analysis of these batteries for practical applications. In this work, we analyzed the main factors that affect the performance of a Si anode and the energy density of pouch cells using micron-sized, nanoporous Si coated by pitch-derived carbon (p-Si/C). The volumetric energy density of the Si anode depends heavily on these factors, such as the loading of p-Si/C in the anode, the calendering density of the anode, the first-cycle coulombic efficiency, and the capacity density of the anode. The effects of other factors on the cycling performance were also revealed by postmortem analysis of cycled anodes. We found that a stable p-Si/C electrode structure is critical to avoid the disintegration of the anode structural integrity and lithium plating and enable long-term cycling. Moreover, prelithiation of Si anodes increases energy density, while the degree of prelithiation is another factor to balance with the cycle life of Si-based full cells. We propose pathways and strategies for adoption of micron-sized p-Si/C anodes in LIBs for their practical applications. • Factors affecting the performance of Si-based full cells have been investigated. • Corrosion of the Si surface largely contributes to capacity loss at early stage. • Destruction of Si anode is the main reason for the capacity loss at the late stages. • Prelithiation of Si anodes is found to worsen cycling stability if not optimized. • Pathways and strategies for adoption of Si anodes have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control of ion transport and fluid flow through nanofluidic devices is of primary importance for energy storage and conversion, drug delivery and a wide range of biological processes. Recent development of nanotechnology, synthesis techniques, purification technologies, and experiment have led to rapid advances in simulation and modeling studies on ion transport properties. In this review, the applications of Poisson–Nernst–Plank (PNP) equations in analyzing transport properties are presented. The molecular dynamics (MD) studies of transport properties of ion and fluidic flow through nanofluidic devices are reported as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries with conventional LiPF 6 -carbonate electrolytes have been reported to fail quickly at charging current densities of about 1.0 mA cm −2 and above. In this work, we demonstrate the rapid charging capability of Li||LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA) cells can be enabled by a dual-salt electrolyte of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) in a carbonate solvent mixture. The cells using the LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte significantly outperform those using the LiPF 6 electrolyte at high charging current densities. At the charging current density of 1.50 mA cm −2 , the Li||NCA cells with the dual-salt electrolyte can still deliver a discharge capacity of 131 mAh g −1 and a capacity retention of 80% after 100 cycles. The Li||NCA cells with the LiPF 6 electrolyte start to show fast capacity fading after the 30th cycle and only exhibit a low capacity of 25 mAh g −1 and a low retention of 15% after 100 cycles. The reasons for the good chargeability and cycling stability of the cells using the LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte can be attributed to the good film-formation ability of the electrolyte on the Li metal anode and the highly conductive nature of the sulfur-rich interphase layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coactivators CBP (CREBBP) and its paralog p300 (EP300), two conserved multi-domain proteins in eukaryotic organisms, regulate gene expression in part by binding DNA-binding transcription factors. It was previously reported that the CBP/p300 KIX domain mutant (Y650A, A654Q, and Y658A) altered both c-Myb-dependent gene activation and repression, and that mice with these three point mutations had reduced numbers of platelets, B cells, T cells, and red blood cells. Here, our transient transfection assays demonstrated that mouse embryonic fibroblast cells containing the same mutations in the KIX domain and without a wild-type allele of either CBP or p300, showed decreased c-Myb-mediated transcription. Dr. Wright’s group solved a 3-D structure of the mouse CBP:c-Myb complex using NMR. To take advantage of the experimental structure and function data and improved theoretical calculation methods, we performed MD simulations of CBP KIX, CBP KIX with the mutations, and c-Myb, as well as binding energy analysis for both the wild-type and mutant complexes. The binding between CBP and c-Myb is mainly mediated by a shallow hydrophobic groove in the center where the side-chain of Leu302 of c-Myb plays an essential role and two salt bridges at the two ends. We found that the KIX mutations slightly decreased stability of the CBP:c-Myb complex as demonstrated by higher binding energy calculated using either MM/PBSA or MM/GBSA methods. More specifically, the KIX mutations affected the two salt bridges between CBP and c-Myb (CBP-R646 and c-Myb-E306; CBP-E665 and c-Myb-R294). Our studies also revealed differing dynamics of the hydrogen bonds between CBP-R646 and c-Myb-E306 and between CBP-E665 and c-Myb-R294 caused by the CBP KIX mutations. In the wild-type CBP:c-Myb complex, both of the hydrogen bonds stayed relatively stable. In contrast, in the mutant CBP:c-Myb complex, hydrogen bonds between R646 and E306 showed an increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend, and hydrogen bonds of the E665:R294 pair exhibited a fast decreasing trend over time during MD simulations. In addition, our data showed that the KIX mutations attenuate CBP’s hydrophobic interaction with Leu302 of c-Myb. Furthermore, our 500-ns MD simulations showed that CBP KIX with the mutations has a slightly lower potential energy than wild-type CBP. The CBP KIX structures with or without its interacting protein c-Myb are different for both wild-type and mutant CBP KIX, and this is likewise the case for c-Myb with or without CBP, suggesting that the presence of an interacting protein influences the structure of a protein. Taken together, these analyses will improve our understanding of the exact functions of CBP and its interaction with c-Myb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the significant progress made in the development of cathodes in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the stability of Li metal anodes becomes a more urgent challenge in these batteries. Here the systematic investigation of the stability of the anode/electrolyte interface in Li-S batteries with concentrated electrolytes containing various lithium salts is reported. It is found that Li-S batteries using LiTFSI-based electrolytes are more stable than those using LiFSI-based electrolytes. The decreased stability is because the N-S bond in the FSI− anion is fairly weak and the scission of this bond leads to the formation of lithium sulfate (LiSOx) in the presence of polysulfide species. In contrast, in the LiTFSI-based electrolyte, the lithium metal anode tends to react with polysulfide to form lithium sulfide (LiSx), which is more reversible than LiSOx formed in the LiFSI-based electrolyte. This fundamental difference in the bond strength of the salt anions in the presence of polysulfide species leads to a large difference in the stability of the anode-electrolyte interface and performance of the Li-S batteries with electrolytes composed of these salts. Therefore, anion selection is one of the key parameters in the search for new electrolytes for stable operation of Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung epithelium restoration subsequent to injury is of concern in association with the outcomes of diverse inflammatory lung diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may promote epithelial repair subsequent to inflammatory injury, however the mechanism that mediates this effect remains unclear. The current study examined the role of MSCs in alveolar type II epithelial cell (AT-II cell) restoration subsequent to an inflammatory insult. AT-II cells were firstly exposed to inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, then were co-cultured with MSCs in Transwell for 72 h. Cell proliferation, expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and expression of the a1 subunit were evaluated respectively by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, western blotting and semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) small interfering RNA (siRNA) was applied to knockdown the main cytoprotective factors in the MSCs. Subsequent to an inflammatory insult, AT-II cells were observed to be impaired, exhibiting the characteristics of injured cell morphology, reduced cell proliferation and reduced expression of SP-A and the a1 subunit. Co-culture with MSCs significantly ameliorated these cell impairments, while these benefits were weakened by the application of KGF siRNA. Simultaneously, expression levels of phosphorylated (p-) protein kinase B (AKT) and p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in AT-II cells were upregulated by MSCs, suggesting activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. These data demonstrate that administration of MSCs to the inflammation-insulted AT-II cells may ameliorate the impairments through a KGF-dependent PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium (Li) metal has been extensively investigated as an anode for rechargeable battery applications due to its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, significant challenges including dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency are still hindering the practical applications of rechargeable Li metal batteries. It is demonstrated that long-term cycling of Li metal batteries can be realized by the formation of a transient high-concentration electrolyte layer near the surface of Li metal anode during high rate discharge process. The highly concentrated Li+ ions in this transient layer will immediately be solvated by the available solvent molecules and facilitate the formation of a stable and flexible solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer composed of a poly(ethylene carbonate) framework integrated with other organic/inorganic lithium salts. This SEI layer largely suppresses the corrosion of Li metal anode attacked by free organic solvents and enables the long-term operation of Li metal batteries. The fundamental findings in this work provide a new direction for the development of Li metal batteries that could be operated at high current densities for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cesium ion (Cs + ) has been reported to be an effective electrolyte additive to suppress Li dendrite growth which prevents the application of lithium (Li) metal as an anode for rechargeable Li batteries. In this work, we investigated the effect of Cs + additive on Li depositions using quantitative in situ 7 Li and 133 Cs nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with planar symmetric Li cells. It's found that the addition of Cs + can significantly enhance both the formation of well aligned Li nanorods and reversibility of the Li electrode. In situ 133 Cs NMR directly confirms that Cs + migrates to Li electrode to form a positively charged electrostatic shield during the charging process. Much more electrochemical “active” Li was found in Li films deposited with Cs + additive, while more electrochemical “dead” and thicker Li rods were identified in Li films deposited without Cs + . Combining the in situ and the previous ex-situ results, a Li deposition model has been proposed to explain these observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The disheveled, Egl-10, and pleckstrin (DEP) domain containing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-interacting protein (DEPTOR) is a binding protein containing mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), and an endogenous mTOR inhibitor. DEPTOR shows abnormal expressions in numerous types of solid tumors. However, how DEPTOR is expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains elusive. Methods: The expression of DEPTOR in 220 cases of ESCC and non-cancerous adjacent tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. DEPTOR levels in ESCC and paired normal tissue were quantified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis to verify the immunohistochemical results. The relationship between DEPTOR expression and the clinicopathological features of ESCC was analyzed based on the results of immunohistochemistry. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between DEPTOR expression and the prognosis of patients with ESCC. Results: Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression rate of DEPTOR in ESCC tissues was significantly increased. DEPTOR mRNA and protein expression was significantly higher in ESCC tissues than in normal adjacent esophageal squamous tissues. High DEPTOR expression was significantly correlated with regional lymph node status in the TNM stage of patients with ESCC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the rate of overall survival was significantly lower in patients with high DEPTOR expression than in those with low DEPTOR expression. Additionally, high DEPTOR expression was an independent prognostic predictor for ESCC patients. Conclusion: High DEPTOR expression is an independent prognostic biomarker indicating a worse prognosis for patients with ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of lithium (Li) metal anode in rechargeable Li batteries is hindered by both the growth of Li dendrites and the low Coulombic efficiency (CE) during repeated charge/discharge cycles. Recently, we have discovered that CsPF 6 as an electrolyte additive can significantly suppress Li dendrite growth and lead to highly compacted and well aligned Li nanorod structures during Li deposition on copper substrates. In this paper, the effect of CsPF 6 additive on the performance of rechargeable Li metal batteries with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode is further studied. Li|LFP coin cells with CsPF 6 additive in electrolytes show well protected Li anode surface, decreased resistance, enhanced rate capability and extended cycling stability. In Li|LFP cells, the electrolyte with CsPF 6 additive shows excellent long-term cycling stability (at least 500 cycles) at a charge current density of 0.5 mA cm −2 without internal short circuit. At high charge current densities, the effect of CsPF 6 additive becomes less significant. Future work needs to be done to protect Li metal anode, especially at high charge current densities and for long cycle life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steroid hormone ecdysone and its receptor (EcR) play critical roles in orchestrating developmental transitions in arthropods. However, the mechanism by which EcR integrates nutritional and developmental cues to correctly activate transcription remains poorly understood. Here, we show that EcR-dependent transcription, and thus, developmental timing in Drosophila, is regulated by CDK8 and its regulatory partner Cyclin C (CycC), and the level of CDK8 is affected by nutrient availability. We observed that cdk8 and cycC mutants resemble EcR mutants and EcR-target genes are systematically down-regulated in both mutants. Indeed, the ability of the EcR-Ultraspiracle (USP) heterodimer to bind to polytene chromosomes and the promoters of EcR target genes is also diminished. Mass spectrometry analysis of proteins that co-immunoprecipitate with EcR and USP identified multiple Mediator subunits, including CDK8 and CycC. Consistently, CDK8-CycC interacts with EcR-USP in vivo; in particular, CDK8 and Med14 can directly interact with the AF1 domain of EcR. These results suggest that CDK8-CycC may serve as transcriptional cofactors for EcR-dependent transcription. During the larval–pupal transition, the levels of CDK8 protein positively correlate with EcR and USP levels, but inversely correlate with the activity of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), the master regulator of intracellular lipid homeostasis. Likewise, starvation of early third instar larvae precociously increases the levels of CDK8, EcR and USP, yet down-regulates SREBP activity. Conversely, refeeding the starved larvae strongly reduces CDK8 levels but increases SREBP activity. Importantly, these changes correlate with the timing for the larval–pupal transition. Taken together, these results suggest that CDK8-CycC links nutrient intake to developmental transitions (EcR activity) and fat metabolism (SREBP activity) during the larval–pupal transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of solid ternary lanthanide complexes with the general formula Ln(BA)(PIP) (Ln = La-Lu, except Pm) were prepared with hydrated lanthanide chloride, benzoic acid (BA), and 2-phenylimidazo[4,5- f]1,10-phenanthroline (PIP). These obtained complexes were characterized by means of elemental analysis, EDTA volumetric analysis, IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and mass spectroscopy. The thermal decomposition mechanism of all complexes in the solid state was explored using TG-DTG techniques under dynamic flow of air atmosphere. Moreover, the constant-volume combustion energies, ∆ U, of the complexes were determined by a precise rotating-bomb calorimeter (RBC-type II) at 298.15 K. Their standard molar enthalpies of combustion, $$ \Delta _{\text{c}} H_{\text{m}}^{\uptheta} $$ , and standard molar enthalpies of formation, $$ \Delta_{\text{f}} H_{\text{m}}^{\uptheta} $$ , were calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrimer-encapsulated ruthenium oxide nanoparticles (DEN-RuO2) have been used as catalysts in lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries for the first time. The results obtained from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that the nanoparticles synthesized by the dendrimer template method are ruthenium oxide, not metallic ruthenium as reported by other groups. The DEN-RuO2 significantly improves the cycling stability of Li-O2 batteries with carbon electrodes and decreases the charging potential even at ten times less catalyst loading than those reported previously. The monodispersity, porosity, and large number of surface functionalities of the dendrimer template prevent the aggregation of the RuO2 nanoparticles, making their entire surface area available for catalysis. The potential of using DEN-RuO2 as a standalone cathode material for Li-O2 batteries is also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background aims Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been documented to improve delayed wound healing in diabetes, but the underlying mechanism remains obscure. We aimed to investigate whether the therapeutic effects on wounds was associated with metabolic alterations by paracrine action of MSCs. Methods MSCs from mice with high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetes or wild-type C57BL/6 mice were evaluated for their paracrine potential in vitro using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical staining assay. MSCs were then evaluated for their therapeutic potential in vivo using an excisional cutaneous wound model in mice with diabetes. Metabolic alterations and glucose transporter four (GLUT4) as well as PI3K/Akt signaling pathway expression after wounding were also examined. Results MSCs from normal mice expressed even more insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) than mice with diabetes, suggesting putative paracrine action. Furthermore, compared with IGF-1 knockdown MSCs, normal MSCs markedly accelerated wound healing, as revealed by higher wound closure rate and better healing quality at 21 days post-wound. By contrast, MSCs administration increased the level of insulin as well as GLUT4 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway expression but repressed the biochemical indexes of glucose and lipid, resulting in obvious metabolic improvement. Conclusions These findings suggest that IGF-1 is an important paracrine factor that mediates the therapeutic effects of MSCs on wound healing in diabetes, and the benefits of MSCs may be associated with metabolism improvements, which would provide a new target for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The axial ligands of the acceptor chlorophylls, A0A and A0B, in Photosystem I are the Met sulfur atoms of M688PsaA and M668PsaB. To determine the role of the Met, His variants were generated in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Molecular dynamics simulations on M688HPsaA show that there exist low energy conformations with the His coordinated to A0A and possibly H-bonded to A1A. Transient EPR studies on M688HPsaA indicate a more symmetrical electron spin distribution in the A1A phyllosemiquinone ring consistent with the presence of an H-bond to the C1 carbonyl. Ultrafast optical studies on the variants show that the 150fs charge separation between P700 and A0 remains unaffected. Studies on the ns timescale show that 57% of the electrons are transferred from A0A − to A1A in M688HPsaA and 48% from A0B − to A1B in M668HPsaB; the remainder recombine with P700 + with 1/e times of 25ns and 37ns, respectively. Those electrons that reach A1A and A1B in the branch carrying the mutation are not transferred to FX, but recombine with P700 + with 1/e times of ~15μs and ~5μs, respectively. Hence, the His is coordinated to A0 in all populations, but in a second population, the His may be additionally H-bonded to A1. Electron transfer from A0 to A1 occurs only in the latter, but the higher redox potentials of A0 and A1 as a result of the stronger coordination bond to A0 and the proposed second H-bond to A1 preclude electron transfer to the Fe/S clusters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this work, localized high concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) based on tetramethylene sulfone (TMS) were designed. Similar to LHCEs based on other solvents, TMS-based LHCEs can achieve excellent compatibility with high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) when combined with a proper additive. The unique solvation structure of LHCEs facilitates the synergetic decomposition of anion, solvent and additive in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Proper combinations of the three constituents of the solvation sheaths in LHCEs can promote the formation of highly effective SEI on graphite negative electrode. The absence of LiPF 6 in LHCEs also suppresses the degradation of positive electrode materials in LIBs. The superior interphasial properties of LHCEs are the key to realizing the long lifespan of high energy density LIBs. • Tetramethylene sulfone (TMS) based LHCEs with different additives were studied. • Additive-free TMS-LHCE outperforms conventional electrolyte in Gr.||Ni-rich LIBs. • Proper additives in TMS-LHCE can further boost performance of Gr.||Ni-rich LIBs. • Electrolyte solvation structure/content govern interphase and battery performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S)battery is one of the mostpromising energy storage systems because of its high specific capacityof 1675 mAh g–1based on sulfur. However, the rapidcapacity degradation, mainly caused by polysulfide dissolution, remainsa significant challenge prior to practical applications. This workdemonstrates that a novel Ni-based metal organic framework (Ni-MOF),Ni6(BTB)4(BP)3(BTB = benzene-1,3,5-tribenzoateand BP = 4,4′-bipyridyl), can remarkably immobilize polysulfideswithin the cathode structure through physical and chemical interactionsat molecular level. The capacity retention achieves up to 89% after100 cycles at 0.1 C. The excellent performance is attributed to thesynergistic effects of the interwoven mesopores (∼2.8 nm) andmicropores (∼1.4 nm) of Ni-MOF, which first provide an idealmatrix to confine polysulfides, and the strong interactions betweenLewis acidic Ni(II) center and the polysulfide base, which significantlyslow down the migration of soluble polysulfides out of the pores,leading to the excellent cycling performance of Ni-MOF/S composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]