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The proposal of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect shines a light on the practical application of luminescent materials. The AIE-active luminescence microgels (TPEC MGs) with photo-induced color-changing behavior were developed by integrating positively charged AIE luminogens (AIEgens) into the anionic network of microgels, where AIEgens of TPEC were obtained from the quaternization reaction between tetra-(4-pyridylphenyl)ethylene (TPE-4Py) and 7-(6-bromohexyloxy)-coumarin. The aqueous suspensions of TPEC MGs exhibit a significant AIE effect following the enhancement of quantum yield. In addition, further increase in fluorescence intensity and blueshift occur at elevated temperatures due to the collapse of microgels. The distinctive photochromic behavior of TPEC MGs was observed, which presents as the transition from orange-yellow to blue-green color under UV irradiation, which is different from TPEC in good organic solvents. The phenomenon of color changing can be ascribed to the competition between photodimerization of the coumarin part and photocyclization of TPE-4Py in TPEC. The photochromic TPEC MG aqueous suspensions can be conducted as aqueous microgel inks for information display, encryption, and dynamic anticounterfeiting.

Enhancing the terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink (referred to as terrestrial C sink) is an important way to slow down the continuous increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO

Daidzin (DDZ) is a natural brassin-like compound extracted from the soybean, and has been found to have therapeutic potential against tumors in recent years. This study investigates the therapeutic effect of DDZ on hepatocellular carcinoma cells and elucidates the possible mechanisms of action. The viability of HCCLM3 and Hep3B cells was detected by MTT assay. Western blots and qPCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA levels of proliferation and apoptosis related genes. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for metabolome analysis. In vivo antitumor effects were assessed in nude mice engrafted with HCC cell lines. Our results show that DDZ treatment dose-dependently inhibited cell viability, migration, and survival. The expressions of CDK1, BCL2, MYC, and survivin were reduced, while the expressions of BAX and PARP were increased in DDZ treated cells. The differentially expressed metabolites detected in DDZ treated cultures are associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. Bioinformatic analysis identified TPI1, a gene in the glycolysis pathway with prognostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and DDZ treatment downregulated this gene. In vivo experiments show that DDZ significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight, and inhibited Ki67 expression within tumors. This study shows that DDZ interfered with the survival and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, likely via TPI1 and the gluconeogenesis pathway.

A once overlooked source of electrolyte degradation incurred by dissolved manganese (II) species in lithium-ion batteries has been identified recently. In order to deactivate the catalytic activity of such manganese (II) ion, 1-aza-12-crown-4-ether (A12C4) with cavity size well matched manganese (II) ion is used in this work as electrolyte additive. Theoretical and experimental results show that stable complex forms between A12C4 and manganese (II) ions in the electrolyte, which does not affect the solvation of Li ions. The strong binding effect of A12C4 additive reduces the charge density of manganese (II) ion and inhibits its destruction of the PF6− structure in the electrolyte, leading to greatly improved thermal stability of manganese (II) ions-containing electrolyte. In addition to bulk electrolyte, A12C4 additive also shows capability in preventing Mn2+ from degrading SEI on graphite surface. Such bulk and interphasial stability introduced by A12C4 leads to significantly improved cycling performance of LIBs.

Background DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most deleterious DNA lesions, and they can cause cancer if improperly repaired. Recent chromosome conformation capture techniques, such as Hi-C, have enabled the identification of relationships between the 3D chromatin structure and DSBs, but little is known about how to explain these relationships, especially from global contact maps, or their contributions to DSB formation. Results Here, we propose a framework that integrates graph neural network (GNN) to unravel the relationship between 3D chromatin structure and DSBs using an advanced interpretable technique GNNExplainer. We identify a new chromatin structural unit named the DNA fragility–associated chromatin interaction network (FaCIN). FaCIN is a bottleneck-like structure, and it helps to reveal a universal form of how the fragility of a piece of DNA might be affected by the whole genome through chromatin interactions. Moreover, we demonstrate that neck interactions in FaCIN can serve as chromatin structural determinants of DSB formation. Conclusions Our study provides a more systematic and refined view enabling a better understanding of the mechanisms of DSB formation under the context of the 3D genome.

Purpose In this retrospective study, we compared the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of parathyroid lesions and the target-to-background ratio (TBR) of parathyroid lesions to thyroid tissue in early-phase single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) versus delayed-phase SPECT/CT in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in order to determine the optimal timing of 99mTc- methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) SPECT/CT imaging. Methods Seventeen patients with a history of chronic kidney failure stage 5 on hemodialysis, underwent pre-operative parathyroid scintigraphy for detection and localization of parathyroid lesions. Retrospective analysis was conducted for lesions with focal accumulation of 99mTc-MIBI. All patients underwent dual-phase 99mTc-MIBI parathyroid scintigraphy and dual-phase SPECT/CT. SUVmax of parathyroid lesions and thyroid tissues was measured. Results Mean SUVmax of parathyroid lesions was 4.86 on early-phase and 2.58 on delayed-phase SPECT/CT, respectively. Mean TBR was 1.14 on early phase and 1.48 on delayed-phase SPECT/CT, respectively. Statistically significant differences in SUVmax and TBR between dual-phase SPECT/CT were observed (P Conclusions Delayed-phase SPECT/CT in SHPT is required because of the better image contrast.

We assessed the performance of state-of-the-art coupled models in reproducing the equatorial undercurrent (EUC) in the Indian Ocean based on the outputs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models and compared with the Phase 5 (CMIP5) models. Our results showed that the CMIP6 models reproduced the boreal winter–spring Indian Ocean EUC more realistically than the CMIP5 models, although both generations of models underestimated the strength of the Indian Ocean EUC compared with the observations. This underestimation of the Indian Ocean EUC can be attributed to the excessively strong and westward-extended cold tongue in the equatorial Pacific. In the CMIP models, a stronger winter-mean cold tongue favors a stronger zonal sea surface temperature gradient, which forces a strong easterly wind bias over the equatorial western Pacific. This, in turn, contributes to an acceleration of the Walker circulation. This enhanced Walker circulation over the Indo-Pacific Ocean directly causes a lower level westerly wind bias over the equatorial Indian Ocean and drives a shallow west–deep east thermocline tilt bias, ultimately leading to an excessively weak EUC in the Indian Ocean via wind-induced thermocline processes. Compared with the CMIP5 models, the overall improvement in the strength of the winter–spring Indian Ocean EUC in the CMIP6 models can be traced back to the improvement in the degree of the strong and westward-extended cold tongue bias. Our results suggest that efforts should be made to reduce the bias in the mean-state equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature to further improve the simulation and projection of the atmospheric and oceanic circulations in the Indian Ocean.

Electrolytes are indispensable components in electrochemistry and the fast-growing electrochemical energy storage markets. Research in electrolytes has witnessed exponential growth in recent years, accompanied by their applications in the most popular electrochemical cell ever invented, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In myriads of LIBs, electrolytes and their interphases determine how high the voltage of a battery is, how many times it can be charged/discharged, or how rapid the energy stored therein could be released. The conquest of further technical challenges around safety, life and cost-effectiveness of lithium-based or beyond-lithium batteries requires in-depth understanding of electrolytes and interphases. This will be the authoritative textbook for those entering the field. Chapters will establish the fundamental principles for the field, before moving onto important knowledge acquired in recent years. There will be special emphasis on linking these fundamentals to real-world problems encountered in devices, especially lithium-ion batteries. The book will be suitable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in electrochemical energy storage, electrochemistry, materials science and engineering, as well as researchers new to the subject.

The annotation entry statistics for TE lncRNAs.

Supplementary figures S1-S8 and supplementary text S1.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the predictive efficacies of 6 established scoring systems for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance to Kawasaki disease (KD) in Chinese children. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed KD patients treated at cardiovascular medical ward in our institution between January 2020 and December 2022. Data were analyzed in 6scoring systems (Egami, Formosa, Harada, Kobayashi, Lan and Yang). Results: We recruited 763 KD patients in our study, including 60 IVIG-resistant cases (7.9%). Our study indicated that IVIG resistance KD patients represent a higher risk of developing coronary arterial lesions (CALs) (P < 0.001). In determining IVIG resistance, the sensitivity and specificity varied among scoring systems (Egami, 33.3% and 87.2%; Formosa, 91.7% and 42.0%; Harada, 76.7% and 42.8%; Kobayashi, 66.7% and 79.2%; Lan, 68.3% and 73.0%; Yang, 65.0% and 76.4%, respectively). Our study discovered that neutrophilic granulocyte percentage (NE%) ≥ 72.3% was an independent risk factor associated with IVIG resistance. Conclusion: The Kobayashi, Lan and Yang scoring systems were shown to be appropriate for determining IVIG resistance in Chinese KD patients. Meanwhile, more consideration should be considered for KD patients with high NE% to reduce IVIG resistance.

Meina Feng,&ast; Wenxian Tu,&ast; Qin Zhou, Yuanmin Du, Kang Xu, Yunfeng Wang Department of Neurology, Wuhan Brain Hospital, General Hospital of the YANGTZE River Shipping, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yunfeng Wang, Email wyf4get@aliyun.comPurpose: The objective of this paper is to explore the role of circHECTD1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and atherosclerosis (AS).Methods: VSMCs were treated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) in vitro, and the level of circHECTD1 was determined using qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were analyzed using CCK8 and transwell assays. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed using flow cytometry. The binding interaction between circHECTD1 and KHDRBS3 or EZH2 was investigated using the RIP, RNA pull-down.Results: CircHECTD1 was upregulated in PDGF-BB-induced VSMCs with a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Knockdown of circHECTD1 suppressed VSMCsproliferation and migration and enhanced cell apoptosis in VSMCs, while circHECTD1 overexpression yielded opposite effects. Mechanistically, circHECTD1 could interact with KHDRBS3, thus enhanced the stability of EZH2 mRNA and increased EZH2 protein level. In addition, silencing EZH2 in VSMCs reversed the proliferation-enhancing effect of circHECTD1 overexpression.Conclusion: Our findings provided providing a potential prognostic and therapy biomarker for AS.Keywords: circHECTD1, KHDRBS3, EZH2, VSMCs, atherosclerosis

Diffuse type gastric cancer was identified with relatively worse prognosis than other Lauren’s histological classification. Integrin β1 (ITGB1) was a member of integrin family which played a markedly important role in tumorigenesis and progression. However, the influence of ITGB1 in diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) remains uncertain. Here, we leveraged the transcriptomic and proteomic data to explore the association between ITGB1 expression and clinicopathologic information and biological process in DGC. Cell phenotype experiments combined with quantitative-PCR (q-PCR) and western blotting were utilized to identify the potential molecular mechanism underling ITGB1.Transcriptomics and proteomics both revealed that the higher ITGB1 expression was significantly associated with worse prognosis in DGC, but not in intestinal GC. Genomic analysis indicated that the mutation frequency of significantly mutated genes of ARID1A and COL11A1, and mutational signatures of SBS6 and SBS15 were markedly increased in the ITGB1 low expression subgroup. The enrichment analysis revealed diverse pathways related to dysregulation of ITGB1 in DGC, especially in cell adhesion, proliferation, metabolism reprogramming, and immune regulation alterations. Elevated activities of kinase-ROCK1, PKACA/PRKACA and AKT1 were observed in the ITGB1 high-expression subgroup. The ssGSEA analysis also found that ITGB1 low-expression had a higher cuproptosis score and was negatively correlated with key regulators of cuproptosis, including FDX1, DLAT, and DLST. We further observed that the upregulated expression of mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in the ITGB1 low-expression group. Reduced expression of ITGB1 inhibited the ability of cell proliferation and motility and also potentiated the cell sensitive to copper ionophores via western blotting assay. Overall, this study revealed that ITGB1 was a protumorigenic gene and regulated tumor metabolism and cuproptosis in DGC.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of texture analysis (TA) of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating malignant from benign sinonasal lesions, and its added value to the conventional imaging features. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with malignant and 40 patients with benign sinonasal lesions were retrospectively enrolled. Conventional CT and MRI features were reviewed. Texture parameters were obtained and compared between two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the most valuable variables. Receiver operating characteristic curves were performed to assess the differentiating performance of independent variables and their combination. Results: There were significant differences in tumor necrosis, bone erosion and soft tissue invasion between the two groups (all p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the 10th and entropy of Apparent diffusion coefficient map, the mean, 10th and entropy of D map, the mean and 90th of K map between the two groups (all p < 0.002). The bone erosion, entropy of D, and mean of K were independent variables associated with malignant tumors. Receiver operating characteristic analyses indicated that the combination of three features possessed better differentiating performance than bone erosion alone (p = 0.003). Conclusion: TA of DKI could supply incremental value to conventional imaging features for pre-operative differential diagnosis between benign and malignant sinonasal lesions. Advances in knowledge: The present study is the first to combine conventional imaging features and the TA of DKI in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant sinonasal lesions. Our findings suggest that TA of DKI could supply incremental value to conventional imaging features.

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) in the South China Sea (SCS) have dramatic impacts on local ecosystems, fisheries, and aquacultures. Our results show that SCS MHWs were strongly regulated by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with a distinct life cycle during 1982–2018. Based on the ENSO-associated sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) warming peaks in the SCS, we can classify SCS MHWs into three categories: El Niño-P1 during the first warming peak of El Niño from September to the following February, El Niño-P2 during the second warming peak of El Niño from the following June to September, and La Niña-P1 during the single warming peak of La Niña from the following February to May. The three types of SCS MHWs are all affected by the lower-level enhanced anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNP), but their physical mechanisms are quite different. In El Niño-P1, SCS MHWs are mostly induced by enhanced net downward shortwave radiation and reduced latent heat flux loss over the southwestern and northern SCS, respectively. In El Niño-P2, SCS MHWs are primarily attributed to weaker entrainment cooling caused by a local enhanced anticyclone and stronger Ekman downwelling in the central-northern SCS. However, in La Niña-P1, SCS MHWs are mainly contributed by the reduced latent heat loss due to the weaker WNP anticyclone centered east of the Philippines on the pentad time scale. The distinct spatial distributions of MHWs show phase locking with ENSO-associated SCS SSTA warming, which provides a potential seasonal forecast of SCS MHWs according to the ENSO phase.

To meet the rapidly growing and diversified demand for energy storage, advanced rechargeable batteries with high-performance materials and efficient battery configuration are widely being exploited and developed. Bipolar-stacked electrode coupling with solid-state electrolytes enables achieving batteries with high output voltage, high energy density, and simple components. Here, a polymer electrolyte membrane is designed with polyethylene oxide containing bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)-imide as the electrolyte, succinonitrile as the plasticizer, and nylon mesh as a reinforcement for the bipolar-stacked battery. The as-prepared nylon mesh-reinforced polymer electrolyte membrane shows advantageous features, that is, excellent ionic conductivity (3.38 × 10

Schematic graph of PGRFB affecting DSS-induced UC through the AMPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

KRAS mutation is the most frequent oncogenic aberration in colorectal cancer (CRC). The molecular mechanism and clinical implications of KRAS mutation in CRC remain unclear and show high heterogeneity within these tumors.

Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. is a herb widely used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastric ulcer, spleen deficiency, and diarrhea. In China, people fry raw A. lancea (SCZ) together with wheat bran to make bran-fried A. lancea (FCZ). Ancient Chinese texts have documented that FCZ can enhance the function of regulating the intestines and stomach. Nevertheless, the effect and mechanism of SCZ and FCZ on ulcerative colitis (UC) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of SCZ and FCZ and their mechanisms on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in mice. The chemical constituents of SCZ and FCZ were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) with six reference compounds. The effects of SCZ and FCZ were investigated based on their effects on weight loss, disease activity index (DAI) score, colon length shortening, goblet cell loss, and pathological changes using the colons from a mouse model of DSS-induced UC. The effects of SCZ and FCZ on levels of the inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text], interleukin-6, interleukin-1[Formula: see text], mucoprotein (MUC2), tight protein (ZO-1, occludin), and the activation of macrophages were determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF). 16s RNA sequencing technology was used to detect the composition of the intestinal flora in each group. Nontargeted metabonomics was used to detect the serum metabolite levels of mice in each group. Pearson analysis was used to determine the correlation between the intestinal flora, metabolites, and pathological indices. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the genes of different metabolite-related enzymes. A pseudogerm free (PGF) mouse model was used to verify whether the effect of SCZ and FCZ in UC depends on the regulation of intestinal flora. SCZ and FCZ could inhibit weight loss and decrease the DAI score, colon length shortening, goblet cell loss, and the extent of pathological changes in the colons of mice with DSS-induced colitis. Moreover, SCZ and FCZ inhibited the decrease in MUC2, ZO-1, occludin, production of pro-inflammatory factors, and activation of pro-inflammatory macrophages in colonic tissue. The effect of FCZ was better than that of SCZ. SCZ and FCZ not only inhibited the abundance of harmful bacteria and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, but also regulated the metabolism of disease-related metabolites such as amino acid and cholesterol metabolism. Both preparations inhibited the gene expression (Slc6A7, PRODH, Sdsl, HMGCR, SREBP-2) of different metabolite-related enzymes. In the PGF mouse model, the above effects were not observed. Rhizoma Atractylodes was effective in alleviating DSS-induced UC in mice, and FCZ was found to be superior to SCZ. The mechanism of action of FCZ and SCZ is mainly related to the regulation of intestinal flora and their associated metabolites.

This review focuses on end-functionalized polymers synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerizations and the applications in fields including bioconjugate formation, surface modification, topology construction, and self-assembly.

A novel P2/O3-Na0.7Li0.1Ni0.1Fe0.2Mn0.6O2 cathode is prepared via Li/Ni co-doping, and delivers attractive cycling and rate performances due to the high Na+ diffusion coefficient and the complete suppression of the high-voltage P2–Z phase transition.

An in-depth investigation of the solvation structure of the trivalent aluminum cation in Al(OTf)3 solutions reveals major concerns regarding the feasibility of rechargeable aqueous aluminum batteries.

A Janus evaporator featuring a “moving interface” is developed. The photothermal layer shows a reversible wettability transition from the daytime to the night, performing excellent de-scaling capacity when treating hypersaline feed.

Ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) have potential to be a highly efficient power source of high energy density. However, the inadequate catalytic activity of the existing anodes for utilization of ammonia greatly limits the performance of PCFCs. Here we report a Fe-modified state-of-the-art Ni cermet anode with greatly enhanced activity and durability toward utilization of ammonia. Cells with a Fe-decorated Ni-BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3 (Ni-BZCYYb) anode demonstrate an excellent performance, achieving peak power densities of 0.360, 0.723, 1.257, and 1.609 Wcm−2 at 550, 600, 650, and 700 oC, respectively, which are the highest performance of solid oxide fuel cells fueled on ammonia. In addition, the cells show an excellent durability when operated at a constant current density of 0.5 A cm−2 (or power density of ~0.435 Wcm−2) at 650 oC. The superior activity and durability of the Fe-modified Ni/BZCYYb anode is attributed to the alternation of NH3 adsorption strength and N2 desorption barrier heights, as confirmed by first-principles based mechanistic and microkinetic modeling. Our research provides a valuable guidance for the development of efficient electro-catalysts for ammonia PCFCs.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the three fatal tumors of the female reproductive system. Epigenetic alterations have been reported to be important in tumorigenesis, especially the chromatin accessibility changes and transcription factor binding differences. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying epigenetic alterations in EC development remains unclear. Here, we identified and characterized transcription factor binding site clustered regions (TFCRs) by integrating chromatin accessibility and transcription factor binding information. We totally identified 78,820 TFCRs and explored the relationship between TFCRs and regulatory elements, gene expression and mutation. Finally, we constructed a bioinformatic framework to identify candidate oncogenes and screened 13 candidate key genes, which may serve as potential diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets of EC.