Evaluation of lncRNA Expression Pattern and Potential Role in Heart Failure Pathology.

During the last few decades, the morbidity and mortality of heart failure (HF) have remained on an upward trend. Despite the advances in therapeutic and diagnostic measures, there are still many aspects requiring further research. This study is aimed at finding potential long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that could aid with the diagnosis and treatment of HF. We performed RNA sequencing on the peripheral blood of healthy controls as well as HF patients. The expression of lncRNAs was validated by RT-qPCR. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to investigate the possible mechanism of differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. The diagnostic value of lncRNAs was analysed by ROC analysis. Finally, a total of 207 mRNAs and 422 lncRNAs were identified. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that biological pathways such as immune response, regulation of cell membrane, and transcriptional regulatory process were associated with the pathological progress of HF. The lncRNA-mRNA coexpression network was conducted, and several mRNAs were identified as key potential pathological targets, while lncRNA CHST11, MIR29B2CHG, CR381653.1, and FP236383.2 presented a potential diagnostic value for HF. These findings provide novel insights for the underlying mechanisms and possible therapeutic targets for HF.

The mechanisms of glycolipid metabolism disorder on vascular injury in type 2 diabetes.

Patients with diabetes have severe vascular complications, such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and neuropathy. Devastating vascular complications lead to increased mortality, blindness, kidney failure, and decreased overall quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Glycolipid metabolism disorder plays a vital role in the vascular complications of T2D. However, the specific mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. In T2D patients, vascular damage begins to develop before insulin resistance and clinical diagnosis. Endothelial dysregulation is a significant cause of vascular complications and the early event of vascular injury. Hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, which impair endothelial function. Furthermore, during the pathogenesis of T2D, epigenetic modifications are aberrant and activate various biological processes, resulting in endothelial dysregulation. In the present review, we provide an overview and discussion of the roles of hyperglycemia- and hyperlipidemia-induced endothelial dysfunction, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modification in the pathogenesis of T2D. Understanding the connections of glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity with vascular injury may reveal a novel potential therapeutic target for diabetic vascular complications.

Water-resistant, solid-state, dye-sensitized solar cells based on hydrophobic organic ionic plastic crystal electrolytes.

Water-resistant, solid-state, dye-sensitized solar cells with excellent long-term stability at 100% relative humidity and at 50 °C are fabricated on the basis of a novel hydrophobic organic ionic plastic crystal electrolyte and hybrid redox couple.

Silica nanoparticle doped organic ionic plastic crystal electrolytes for highly efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

Organic ionic plastic crystal, 1-propyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium iodide (P13I), which possesses a broad plastic phase from -36 to 135 °C, was doped with silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (EMII), for the preparation of SiO2/EMII/P13I solid-state electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The thermal properties of all the electrolytes, including solid-solid phase transitions and melting temperatures, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of silica particles on the ionic conductivity, diffusion of I⁻/I3⁻ redox couple in electrolytes, and photovoltaic performance for solid-state DSSCs were investigated. The fabricated solid-state DSSCs yielded a high power conversion efficiency of 5.25% under simulated air mass 1.5 solar spectrum illuminations at 50 mW cm⁻². Furthermore, the DSSCs based on SiO2/EMII/P13I solid-state electrolytes show good stability after an accelerating aging test, demonstrating potential practical applications.