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Key Clinical Message: An encephalocele is a congenital malformation characterized by protrusion of the intracranial contents through a cranial defect. We report that a fetus of a pregnant mother who had two consecutive pregnancies with ultrasound‐detected encephalocele carried compound heterozygous variants in B3GALNT2 NM_152490.5:c.[1423C > T (p.Gln475Ter)]; [261‐2A > G] of maternal and paternal origins, respectively, as confirmed by exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing validation. The present case implies that mutations in B3GALNT2, a well‐known dystroglycanopathy causative gene, may result in a phenotype of neural tube defect, providing new insights into the clinical spectrum of B3GALNT2‐related disorders. Our study may contribute to prenatal screening/diagnosis and genetic counseling of congenital brain malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational and postpartum high‐fat diets (HFDs) have been implicated as causes of obesity in offspring in later life. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational and/or postpartum HFD on obesity in offspring. We established a mouse model of HFD exposure that included gestation, lactation and post‐weaning periods. We found that gestation was the most sensitive period, as the administration of a HFD impaired lipid metabolism, especially fatty acid oxidation in both foetal and adult mice, and caused obesity in offspring. Mechanistically, the DNA hypermethylation level of the nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α (Pparα), and the decreased mRNA levels of ten‐eleven translocation 1 (Tet1) and/or ten‐eleven translocation 2 (Tet2) were detected in the livers of foetal and adult offspring from mothers given a HFD during gestation, which was also associated with low Pparα expression in hepatic cells. We speculated that the hypermethylation of Pparα resulted from the decreased Tet1/2 expression in mothers given a HFD during gestation, thereby causing lipid metabolism disorders and obesity. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that a HFD during gestation exerts long‐term effects on the health of offspring via the DNA demethylation of Pparα, thereby highlighting the importance of the gestational period in regulating epigenetic mechanisms involved in metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For TiO2-based photoanodes, the interfacial coupling between TiO2 and conductive materials (e.g., carbon) plays a vital role in determining the electron transfer efficiency and thus photoelectrical performance. In this paper, we describe a facile approach to effectively engineering the interfacial coupling between reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO2 in well-designed one-dimensional (1D) RGO-wrapped TiO2 nanofibers, which act as ultrafast electron transfer bridges when implanted in photoanodes. The 3–5 nm RGO nanoshells were hybridized with TiO2 nanofibers as an electron donor component via d–π electron orbital overlap between C and Ti atoms, by adopting a thermal reduction at 450 °C. Remarkable photoelectric improvement, in terms of high photocurrent density by 2.2-fold and ultralow charge transfer resistance (Rct) by 0.2-fold, is ascribed to the interfacial charge transfer. Completely reduced RGO in RGO/TiO2 nanofibers was not necessary at the expense of their hydrophilicity, as it led to unexpected isolation in the photoanodes. The thermal reduction temperature of RGO/TiO2 nanofibers was found to be critical, and a maximal photocurrent density could be achieved by 2.7-fold at 530 °C. An excess of RGO/TiO2 nanofibers of more than 5 wt% had a degrading effect on the photoelectrical activity, largely due to the light-block effect and isolation in the matrix. This strategy provides new insight for tuning the intrinsic chemical and/or physical properties of well-designed semiconductor nanostructures with promising photoactivities in highly efficient photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonium ions feature a light molar mass and small hydrated radius, and the interesting interaction between NH 4 + and host materials has attracted widespread attention in aqueous energy storage, while few studies focus on high-performance NH 4 + storage anodes. Herein, we present a high-performance inset-type anode for aqueous ammonium-ion batteries (AIBs) based on Bi 2 SeO 5 nanosheets. A reversible NH 4 + /H + co-intercalation/deintercalation accompanied by hydrogen bond formation/breaking and a conversion reaction mechanism in layered Bi 2 SeO 5 is proposed according to ex situ characterizations. Accordingly, the optimized Bi 2 SeO 5 anode has a high reversible capacity of 341.03 mAh g -1 at 0.3 A g -1 in 1 M NH 4 Cl electrolyte and an impressive capacity retention of 86.7% after 7000 cycles at 3 A g -1 , which is related to the existence of oxygen vacancies that enhance ion/electron transfer and promote the formation of hydrogen bonds between NH 4 + and the host material. When the rocking-chair ammonium-ion battery is assembled using a MnO 2 cathode, the device delivers an ultrahigh capacity of 140.73 mAh g -1 at 0.15 A g -1 and energy density of 207.13 Wh kg -1 at the power density of 2985.07 W kg -1 . This work provides a promising strategy for designing high-performance anodes for next-generation AIBs.