Deciphering metabolic heterogeneity in retinoblastoma unravels the role of monocarboxylate transporter 1 in tumor progression.

BACKGROUND: Tumors exhibit metabolic heterogeneity, influencing cancer progression. However, understanding metabolic diversity in retinoblastoma (RB), the primary intraocular malignancy in children, remains limited. METHODS: The metabolic landscape of RB was constructed based on single-cell transcriptomic sequencing from 11 RB and 5 retina samples. Various analyses were conducted, including assessing overall metabolic activity, metabolic heterogeneity, and the correlation between hypoxia and metabolic pathways. Additionally, the expression pattern of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family in different cell clusters was examined. Validation assays of MCT1 expression and function in RB cell lines were performed. The therapeutic potential of targeting MCT1 was evaluated using an orthotopic xenograft model. A cohort of 47 RB patients was analyzed to evaluate the relationship between MCT1 expression and tumor invasion. RESULTS: Distinct metabolic patterns in RB cells, notably increased glycolysis, were identified. This metabolic heterogeneity correlated closely with hypoxia. MCT1 emerged as the primary monocarboxylate transporter in RB cells. Disrupting MCT1 altered cell viability and energy metabolism. In vivo studies using the MCT1 inhibitor AZD3965 effectively suppressed RB tumor growth. Additionally, a correlation between MCT1 expression and optic nerve invasion in RB samples suggested prognostic implications. CONCLUSIONS: This study enhances our understanding of RB metabolic characteristics at the single-cell level, highlighting the significance of MCT1 in RB pathogenesis. Targeting MCT1 holds promise as a therapeutic strategy for combating RB, with potential prognostic implications.

Observing one-divalent-metal-ion dependent and histidine-promoted His-Me family I-PpoI nuclease catalysis in crystallo.

Metal-ion-dependent nucleases play crucial roles in cellular defense and biotechnological applications. Time-resolved crystallography has resolved catalytic details of metal-ion-dependent DNA hydrolysis and synthesis, uncovering the essential roles of multiple metal ions during catalysis. The superfamily of His-Me nucleases is renowned for binding one divalent metal ion and requiring a conserved histidine to promote catalysis. Many His-Me family nucleases, including homing endonucleases and Cas9 nuclease, have been adapted for biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, it remains unclear how this single metal ion in His-Me nucleases, together with the histidine, promotes water deprotonation, nucleophilic attack, and phosphodiester bond breakage. By observing DNA hydrolysis in crystallo with His-Me I-PpoI nuclease as a model system, we proved that only one divalent metal ion is required during its catalysis. Moreover, we uncovered several possible deprotonation pathways for the nucleophilic water. Interestingly, binding of the single metal ion and water deprotonation are concerted during catalysis. Our results reveal catalytic details of His-Me nucleases, which is distinct from multi-metal-ion-dependent DNA polymerases and nucleases. Teaser: Soaking crystals of the HNH Cas9 family I-PpoI nuclease reveals how one metal ion and a histidine residue are sufficient for cleaving DNA.

Confidential multiple-input multiple-output optical camera communication aided by a two-dimensional pilot.

Optical camera communication (OCC) has attracted increased attention for its inherent security advantage. However, there still exists the risk of eavesdropping on the broadcasting channel of OCC. To achieve confidential communication, we propose the confidentiality-interference dual light-emitting diode (LED) communication (CIDLC) scheme at the transmitter (TX) and elimination of interference (EI) scheme at the receiver (RX). Meanwhile, interference signals refer to the bit shift of confidential signals. Further, we propose the two-dimensional pilot-aided channel estimation (2D-PACE) scheme to enhance the reliability of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) OCC. Experiment results validate the effectiveness of our schemes, which guarantee confidentiality while performing well at a 2 m non-line-of-sight (NLOS) distance. Finally, the communication-illumination integration OCC is constructed via the energy equalization coding (EEC) scheme.

A parylene/graphene UV photodetector with ultrahigh responsivity and long term stability.

Long term stability, high responsivity, and fast response speed are essential for the commercialization of graphene photodetectors (GPDs). In this work, a parylene/graphene UV photodetector with long term stability, ultrahigh responsivity and fast response speed, is demonstrated. Parylene as a stable physical and chemical insulating layer reduces the environmental sensitivity of graphene, and enhances the performances of GPDs. In addition, utilizing bilayer electrodes reduces the buckling and damage of graphene after transferring. Parylene/graphene UV photodetector exhibits an ultrahigh responsivity of 5.82×10^5 A/W under 325 nm light irradiation at 1 V bias. Additionally, it shows a fast response speed of 17 µs, and a long term stability at 405 nm wavelength which is absent in the device without parylene. Parylene/graphene UV photodetector possesses superior performances. This paves the way to realize the commercial application of high-performance graphene hybrid photodetectors, and provides a practical method for maintaining the long term stability of two dimensional (2D) materials. .

Paediatric off-label use of drugs in Gansu, China: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the current prevalence and cost of paediatric off-label drug prescriptions in Gansu, China, and the potential influencing factors. DESIGN: The prevalence of off-label prescriptions in paediatrics was evaluated according to the National Medical Products Administration drug instructions in the China Pharmaceutical Reference (China Pharmaceutical Reference, MCDEX) database. The evidence of the prescription was determined by existing clinical practice guidelines and the Thomson Grade in the Micromedex 2021 compendium. We used logistic regression to investigate the characteristics that influence paediatric off-label drug use after single-factor regression analysis. SETTING: A multicentre cross-sectional study of outpatient paediatric prescriptions in 196 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Gansu Province, China, in March and September 2020. RESULTS: We retrieved 104 029 paediatric prescriptions, of which 39 480 (38.0%) contained off-label use. The most common diseases treated by off-label drugs were respiratory system diseases (n=15 831, 40.1%). A quarter of off-label prescriptions had adequate evidence basis (n=10 130, 25.6%). Unapproved indications were the most common type of off-label drug use (n=25 891, 65.6%). A total of 1177 different drugs were prescribed off-label, with multienzyme tablets being the most common drug (n=1790, 3.5%). The total cost of the prescribed off-label drugs was ¥106 116/day. Off-label prescriptions were less frequent in tertiary than in secondary hospitals. Topical preparations were more commonly prescribed off-label than other types of drugs. Senior-level clinicians prescribed drugs off-label more often than intermediate and junior clinicians. CONCLUSION: Off-label drug use is widespread in paediatric practice in China. Three-quarters of the prescriptions may potentially include inappropriate medication use, resulting in a daily economic burden of about ¥81 000 in 2020 in Gansu Province with 25 million inhabitants. The management of off-label drug use in paediatrics in China needs improvement.

Long-term risks of cardiovascular death among older patients with major hematological malignancies: a population-based cohort study from SEER database.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related death in older patients with major hematological malignancies (HM). METHODS: This study included 103,102 older patients diagnosed with 7 major types of HM between 1975 and 2018 (median follow-up: 2.7 years) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. The proportion of deaths, Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazards regression model, standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and absolute excess risk (AER) were used to evaluate the risk of CVD-related death. RESULTS: For older patients with HM, CVD-related death ranked as the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by primary malignancy. Compared to the general older population, older patients with HM had higher SMR and AER of CVD-related deaths (SMR: 1.16-1.81; AER: 41.24-308.99), heart disease-related deaths (SMR: 1.19-1.90; AER: 39.23-274.69), and cerebrovascular dis-ease-related deaths (SMR: 0.99-1.66; AER: -0.35 -24.15). The proportion of deaths and cumulative mortality increased with the passage of survival time, especially in Hodgkin lymphoma patients with stage I/II and those aged ≥85 years with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, surpassing primary malignancy. The risk of CVD-related death varied among different HM types. CONCLUSIONS: For older patients with HM, long-term cardiovascular risk management needs to be focused on while addressing the primary malignancy. IMPACT: Our results emphasize the need to manage long-term cardiovascular risk in older patients with HM, especially in those identified as high-risk cases.

A prion-like domain is required for phase separation and chloroplast RNA processing during cold acclimation in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants can produce photosynthetic tissue with active chloroplasts at temperatures as low as 4°C, and this process depends on the presence of the nuclear-encoded, chloroplast-localized RNA-binding protein CP29A. In this study, we demonstrate that CP29A undergoes phase separation in vitro and in vivo in a temperature-dependent manner, which is mediated by a prion-like domain (PLD) located between the two RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains of CP29A. The resulting droplets display liquid-like properties and are found near chloroplast nucleoids. The PLD is required to support chloroplast RNA splicing and translation in cold-treated tissue. Together, our findings suggest that plant chloroplast gene expression is compartmentalized by inducible condensation of CP29A at low temperatures, a mechanism that could play a crucial role in plant cold resistance.

Unveiling the roles of Sertoli cells lineage differentiation in reproductive development and disorders: a review.

In mammals, gonadal somatic cell lineage differentiation determines the development of the bipotential gonad into either the ovary or testis. Sertoli cells, the only somatic cells in the spermatogenic tubules, support spermatogenesis during gonadal development. During embryonic Sertoli cell lineage differentiation, relevant genes, including WT1, GATA4, SRY, SOX9, AMH, PTGDS, SF1, and DMRT1, are expressed at specific times and in specific locations to ensure the correct differentiation of the embryo toward the male phenotype. The dysregulated development of Sertoli cells leads to gonadal malformations and male fertility disorders. Nevertheless, the molecular pathways underlying the embryonic origin of Sertoli cells remain elusive. By reviewing recent advances in research on embryonic Sertoli cell genesis and its key regulators, this review provides novel insights into sex determination in male mammals as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the genealogical differentiation of Sertoli cells in the male reproductive ridge.

Performance of the 2019 ESC pre-test probability model in predicting obstructive coronary artery disease in a Chinese population using coronary computed tomography angiography outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines proposed a pre-test probability (PTP) model to determine the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the prediction accuracy of this model has not yet been evaluated in Chinese populations. This study aimed to validate the 2019 ESC-PTP model in predicting CAD using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) outcomes in a Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 26,346 consecutive patients with suspected CAD who underwent CCTA were included. The 2019 ESC-PTP model and 2013 ESC-PTP model were calculated for each patient, considering age, sex, and the symptom of chest pain, and the patients were categorized into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. The predictive performance of the 2019 ESC-PTP model was evaluated by comparing it with the 2013 ESC-PTP model and the observed prevalence of CAD from CCTA. RESULTS: Among the 11,234 patients analyzed in the study, 1896 (16.9%) patients were found to have obstructive CAD from CCTA. The 2019 ESC-PTP model had better calibration compared to the 2013 ESC-PTP model. After categorization, 80.9% of patients (67.9% in men and 94.4% in women) were in the same risk category as in the 2019 ESC-PTP model, but the risks of younger patients (7.5% versus 2.5%; P â€‹< â€‹0.001) and patients with non-anginal chest pain (13.7% versus 8.2%; P â€‹< â€‹0.001) were underestimated in the 2019 ESC-PTP model. CONCLUSION: The 2019 ESC-PTP model demonstrated a good calibration in predicting CAD in a Chinese population who underwent CCTA, but it exhibited an underestimation of CAD probability in younger patients and patients with non-anginal chest pain.

Multifaceted roles of lymphatic and blood endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma: A comprehensive review.

The tumor microenvironment is a complex network of cells, extracellular matrix, and signaling molecules that plays a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis. Lymphatic and blood vessels are major routes for solid tumor metastasis and essential parts of tumor drainage conduits. However, recent studies have shown that lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and blood endothelial cells (BECs) also play multifaceted roles in the tumor microenvironment beyond their structural functions, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This comprehensive review summarizes the diverse roles played by LECs and BECs in HCC, including their involvement in angiogenesis, immune modulation, lymphangiogenesis, and metastasis. By providing a detailed account of the complex interplay between LECs, BECs, and tumor cells, this review aims to shed light on future research directions regarding the immune regulatory function of LECs and potential therapeutic targets for HCC.

Seeds Priming with Melatonin Improves Root Hydraulic Conductivity of Wheat Varieties under Drought, Salinity, and Combined Stress.

Drought and salinity stress reduce root hydraulic conductivity of plant seedlings, and melatonin application positively mitigates stress-induced damage. However, the underlying effect of melatonin priming on root hydraulic conductivity of seedlings under drought-salinity combined remains greatly unclear. In the current report, we investigated the influence of seeds of three wheat lines' 12 h priming with 100 µM of melatonin on root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) and relevant physiological indicators of seedlings under PEG, NaCl, and PEG + NaCl combined stress. A previous study found that the combined PEG and NaCl stress remarkably reduced the Lpr of three wheat varieties, and its value could not be detected. Melatonin priming mitigated the adverse effects of combined PEG + NaCl stress on Lpr of H4399, Y1212, and X19 to 0.0071 mL·h-1·MPa-1, 0.2477 mL·h-1·MPa-1, and 0.4444 mL·h-1·MPa-1, respectively, by modulating translation levels of aquaporin genes and contributed root elongation and seedlings growth. The root length of H4399, Y1212, and X19 was increased by 129.07%, 141.64%, and 497.58%, respectively, after seeds pre-treatment with melatonin under PEG + NaCl combined stress. Melatonin -priming appreciably regulated antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced accumulation of osmotic regulators, decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased K+ content in stems and root of H4399, Y1212, and X19 under PEG + NaCl stress. The path investigation displayed that seeds primed with melatonin altered the modification of the path relationship between Lpr and leaf area under stress. The present study suggested that melatonin priming was a strategy as regards the enhancement of root hydraulic conductivity under PEG, NaCl, and PEG + NaCl stress, which efficiently enhanced wheat resistant to drought-salinity stress.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 promotes aerobic glycolysis and progression of cervical cancer through WNT/ß-catenin/PDK1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological cancers. Accumulated evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles in cervical cancer occurrence and progression, but their specific functions and mechanisms remain to be further explored. METHODS: The RT-qPCR assay was used to detect the expression of NEAT1 in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, western blotting, and Transwell assays were used to evaluate the impact of NEAT1 on the malignant behavior of cervical cancer cells. Glucose consumption, lactate production, ATP levels, ROS levels, MMP levels, and the mRNA expressions of glycolysis-related genes and tricarboxylic acid cycle-related genes were detected to analyze the effect of NEAT1 on metabolism reprograming in cervical cancer cells. The expressions of PDK1, ß-catenin and downstream molecules of the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway in cervical cancer cells and tissues were detected by western blotting, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays. RESULTS: This study investigated the role and possible molecular mechanism of lncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in cervical cancer. Our results showed that NEAT1 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of NEAT1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis of cervical cancer cells, while overexpression of NEAT1 led to the opposite effects. Mechanistically, NEAT1 upregulated pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1) through the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway, which enhanced glycolysis and then facilitated cervical cancer metastasis. Furthermore, NEAT1 maintained the protein stability of ß-catenin but did not affect its mRNA level. We also excluded the direct binding of NEAT1 to the ß-catenin protein via RNA pull-down assay. The suppressive impact of NEAT1 knockdown on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration was rescued by ß-catenin overexpression. The WNT inhibitor iCRT3 attenuated the carcinogenic effect induced by NEAT1 overexpression. CONCLUSION: In summary, these findings indicated that NEAT1 may contribute to the progression of cervical cancer by activating the WNT/ß-catenin/PDK1 signaling axis.

Pd-Catalyzed Enantioselective Desymmetrizing 1,7-Enyne Cycloisomerization of Alkyne-Tethered Cyclopentenes.

An enantioselective Pd-catalyzed intramolecular desymmetrizing cycloisomerization of N-(cyclopent-3-en-1-yl)propiolamides has been developed by employing a new chiral phosphoramidite ligand. A series of structurally unique bridged azabicycles are achieved in moderate to excellent yields with good E/Z selectivity and high enantioselectivity. Synthetic transformations are conducted to demonstrate the practical utility of this reaction.

Sugar ring alignment and dynamics underline cytarabine and gemcitabine inhibition on Pol η catalyzed DNA synthesis.

Nucleoside analogue drugs are pervasively used as antiviral and chemotherapy agents. Cytarabine and gemcitabine are anti-cancer nucleoside analogue drugs that contain C2´ modifications on the sugar ring. Despite carrying all the required functional groups for DNA synthesis, these two compounds inhibit DNA extension once incorporated into DNA. It remains unclear how the C2´ modifications on cytarabine and gemcitabine affect the polymerase active site during substrate binding and DNA extension. Using steady-state kinetics, static and time-resolved X-ray crystallography with DNA polymerase η (Pol η) as a model system, we showed that the sugar ring C2´ chemical groups on cytarabine and gemcitabine snugly fit within the Pol η active site without occluding the steric gate. During DNA extension, Pol η can extend past gemcitabine but with much lower efficiency past cytarabine. Pol η crystal structures show that the -OH modification in the ß direction on cytarabine locks the sugar ring in an unfavorable C2´-endo geometry for product formation. On the other hand, the addition of fluorine atoms on gemcitabine alters the proper conformational transition of the sugar ring for DNA synthesis. Our study illustrates mechanistic insights into chemotherapeutic drug inhibition and resistance and provides guidance for future optimization of nucleoside analogue drugs.

A tunable ultra-broadband and ultra-high sensitivity far-infrared metamaterial absorber based on VO2 and graphene.

We proposed a far-infrared tunable metamaterial absorber using vanadium dioxide (VO2) and graphene as controlling materials. The properties of the absorber are investigated theoretically using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. It was found that when the Fermi energy level of graphene is fixed at zero, VO2 is in the insulated state, and the metasurface exhibits far-infrared broadband absorption performance, with absorptance exceeding 90% in the wavelength range of 12.6 µm to 23.2 µm. In addition, by elevating the Fermi energy level of graphene, the absorption bandwidth of the device is expanded continuously. When the VO2 is in the metallic state, the device can flexibly transform into a far-infrared narrowband absorber. The device also has the advantage of being insensitive to changes in polarization and incident angle. The origin of the absorption and the tuning principle of the device were analyzed and verified successfully by using an equivalent circuit model (ECM). Besides, we also studied the refraction index sensing characteristics of the absorber. Surprisingly, the absorber exhibits excellent sensing characteristics, and its sensitivity (S) reaches 14.108 µm per RIU and the figure of merit (FOM) is 6.13 per RIU.

Transformation of Coherent Twin Boundary into Basal-Prismatic Boundary in HCP-Ti: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

The manufacturing process for wrought Ti alloys with the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure introduces a complicated microstructure with abundant intra- and inter-grain boundaries, which greatly influence performance. In the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure, two types of grain boundaries are commonly observed between grains with ~90° misorientation: the basal/prismatic boundary (BPB) and the coherent twin boundary (CTB). The mechanical response of the BPB and CTB under external loading was studied through molecular dynamic simulations of HCP-Ti. The results revealed that CTB undergoes transformation into BPB through the accumulation of twin boundary (TB) steps and subsequent emission of Shockley partial dislocations. When the total mismatch vector is close to the Burgers vector of a Shockley partial dislocation, BPB emits partial dislocations and further grows along the stacking faults. When a pair of CTBs are close to each other, severe boundary distortion occurs, facilitating the emission and absorption of partial dislocations, which further assists the CTB-BPB transformation. The present results thus help to explain the frequent observation of coexisting CTB and BPB in HCP alloys and further contribute to the understanding of their microstructure and property regulation.

Preoperative exercise training decreases complications of minimally invasive lung cancer surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Limited evidence exists regarding the efficacy of preoperative exercise in reducing short-term complications after minimally invasive surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. This study aims to investigate the impact of preoperative exercise on short-term complications after minimally invasive lung resection. METHODS: In this prospective, open-label, randomized (1:1) controlled trial at Xiangya Hospital, China (September 2020 to February 2022), patients were randomly assigned to a preoperative exercise group with 16-day alternate supervised exercise or a control group. The primary outcome assessed was short-term postoperative complications, with a follow-up period of 30 days postsurgery. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were recruited (preoperative exercise group n = 62; control n = 62). Finally, 101 patients (preoperative exercise group; n = 51 and control; n = 50) with a median age of 56 years (interquartile range, 50-62 years) completed the study. Compared with the control group, the preoperative exercise group showed fewer postoperative complications (preoperative exercise 3/51 vs control 10/50; odds ratio, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.86; P = .03) and shorter hospital stays (mean difference, -2; 95% CI, -3 to -1; P = .01). Preoperative exercise significantly improved depression, stress, functional capacity, and quality of life (all P < .05) before surgery. Furthermore, preoperative exercise demonstrated a significantly lower minimum blood pressure during surgery and lower increases in body temperature on day 2 after surgery, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil count after surgery (all P < .05). Exploratory research on lung tissue RNA sequencing (5 in each group) showed downregulation of the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway in the preoperative exercise group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative exercise training decreased short-term postoperative complications in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Changes in clinical parameters and inflammatory markers after blood culture collection facilitate early identification of positive culture in adult patients with COVID-19 and clinically suspected bloodstream infection.

OBJECTIVE: We explored whether changes in clinical parameters and inflammatory markers can facilitate early identification of positive blood culture in adult patients with COVID-19 and clinically suspected bloodstream infection (BSI). METHODS: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 20 adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit who underwent blood culture for clinically suspected BSI (February 2020-November 2021). We divided patients into positive (Pos) and negative blood culture groups. Clinical parameters and inflammatory markers were obtained from medical records between blood culture collection and the first positive or negative result and compared between groups on different days. RESULTS: Patients in the positive culture group had significantly older age and higher D-dimer, immunoglobulin 6 (IL-6), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score as well as lower albumin (ALB). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.865 for IL-6, D-dimer and ALB on the first day after blood culture collection; the AUC was 0.979 for IL-6, IL-10, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein on the second day after blood culture collection. CONCLUSION: Changes in clinical parameters and inflammatory markers after blood culture collection may facilitate early identification of positive culture in adult patients with COVID-19 and clinically suspected BSI.

Directional Polarization of a Ferroelectric Intermediate Layer Inspires a Built-In Field in Si Anodes to Regulate Li+ Transport Behaviors in Particles and Electrolyte.

The silicon (Si) anode is prone to forming a high electric field gradient and concentration gradient on the electrode surface under high-rate conditions, which may destroy the surface structure and decrease cycling stability. In this study, a ferroelectric (BaTiO3) interlayer and field polarization treatment are introduced to set up a built-in field, which optimizes the transport mechanisms of Li+ in solid and liquid phases and thus enhances the rate performance and cycling stability of Si anodes. Also, a fast discharging and slow charging phenomenon is observed in a half-cell with a high reversible capacity of 1500.8 mAh g-1 when controlling the polarization direction of the interlayer, which means a fast charging and slow discharging property in a full battery and thus is valuable for potential applications in commercial batteries. Simulation results demonstrated that the built-in field plays a key role in regulating the Li+ concentration distribution in the electrolyte and the Li+ diffusion behavior inside particles, leading to more uniform Li+ diffusion from local high-concentration sites to surrounding regions. The assembled lithium-ion battery with a BaTiO3 interlayer exhibited superior electrochemical performance and long-term cycling life (915.6 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at a high current density of 4.2 A g-1). The significance of this research lies in exploring a new approach to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries and providing new ideas and pathways for addressing the challenges faced by Si-based anodes.

Ultra-high Q-factor and amplitude-tunable Fano resonance in vanadium dioxide-silicon hybrid metamaterials.

As the resonance response in magnetic systems usually occurs at low frequencies, previously known as terahertz high Q-factor resonances, are mainly excited by electrical resonances. In this paper, we present a metamaterial based on vanadium dioxide-silicon arrays capable of achieving a Q-factor of up to 165 198; the ultra-high Q-factor Fano resonance excited by the proposed metamaterial is mainly affected by strong magnetic resonance. The analysis of diffractive coupling theory, electric field, magnetic field and current distribution shows that strong magnetic resonance is mainly realized by coupling localized plasmon resonance with the lattice resonance. Due to the conductivity-tunable nature of vanadium dioxide, the proposed metamaterial features an amplitude tunable function with a modulation depth of 98.8%. The spectral response of the analyte demonstrates the capability of the proposed metamaterial for application as a sensor with a maximum sensitivity of 69.52 GHz per RIU and a figure of merit of 15 456. The ultra-high Q-factor performance and amplitude tunability of the proposed structure can be applied to terahertz devices, such as ultrasensitive sensors, filters and optical switches.