High Young's Modulus LixTiO2 Layer Suppressing the Pulverization and Deactivation of Lithiophilic Ag Nanoparticles.

Anode-free Lithium metal batteries, with their high energy density (>500 Wh/kg), are emerging as a promising solution for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. However, the Coulombic Efficiency and capacity often decline due to interface side reactions. To address this, a lithiophilic layer is introduced, promoting stable and uniform Li deposition. Despite its effectiveness, this layer often undergoes electrochemical deactivation over time. This work investigates lithiophilic silver (Ag), prepared via magnetron sputtering on a copper (Cu) current collector. Finite element simulations identify stress changes from alloying reactions as a key cause of Ag particle pulverization and deactivation. A high Young's modulus coating layer is proposed to mitigate this. The Ag2TiO3@Ag@TiO2@Cu composite electrode, designed with multi-layer structures, demonstrates a slower deactivation process through galvanostatic electrochemical cycling. Characterization methods such as SEM, AFM, and TEM confirm the suppression of Ag particle pulverization, while uncoated Ag fractures and deactivates. This work uncovers a potential failure mechanism of lithiophilic metallic nanoparticles and proposes a strategy for deactivation suppression using an artificial coating layer.

Screening of herbal extracts binding with vascular endothelial growth factor by applying HerboChip platform.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been hailed as a rich source of medicine, but many types of herbs and their functions still need to be rapidly discovered and elucidated. HerboChip, a target-based drug screening platform, is an array of different fractions deriving from herbal extracts. This study was designed to identify effective components from TCM that interact with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a target using HerboChip. METHODS: Selected TCMs that are traditionally used as remedies for cancer prevention and wound healing were determined and extracted with 50% ethanol. Biotinylated-VEGF was hybridized with over 500 chips coated with different HPLC-separated fractions from TCM extracts and straptavidin-Cy5 was applied to identify plant extracts containing VEGF-binding fractions. Cytotoxicity of selected herbal extracts and their activities on VEGF-mediated angiogenic functions were evaluated. RESULTS: Over 500 chips were screened within a week, and ten positive hits were identified. The interaction of the identified herbal extracts with VEGF was confirmed in cultured endothelial cells. The identified herbs promoted or inhibited VEGF-mediated cell proliferation, migration and tube formation. Results from western blotting analysis demonstrated the identified herbal extracts significantly affected VEGF-triggered phosphorylations of eNOS, Akt and Erk. Five TCMs demonstrated potentiating activities on the VEGF response and five TCMs revealed suppressive activities. CONCLUSIONS: The current results demonstrated the applicability of the HerboChip platform and systematically elucidated the activity of selected TCMs on angiogenesis and its related signal transduction mechanisms.

cGAS/STING signalling pathway in senescence and oncogenesis.

The cGAS/STING signaling pathway is a crucial component of the innate immune system, playing significant roles in sensing cytosolic DNA, regulating cellular senescence, and contributing to oncogenesis. Recent advances have shed new lights into the molecular mechanisms governing pathway activation in multiple pathophysiological settings, the indispensable roles of cGAS/STING signaling in cellular senescence, and its context-dependent roles in cancer development and suppression. This review summarizes current knowledge related to the biology of cGAS/STING signaling pathway and its participations into senescence and oncogenesis. We further explore the clinical implications and therapeutic potential for cGAS/STING targeted therapies, and faced challenges in the field. With a focus on molecular mechanisms and emerging pharmacological targets, this review underscores the importance of future studies to harness the therapeutic potential of the cGAS/STING pathway in treating senescence-related disorders and cancer. Advanced understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of cGAS/STING signaling, along with the associated deregulations in diseases, combined with the development of new classes of cGAS/STING modulators, hold great promises for creating novel and effective therapeutic strategies. These advancements could address current treatment challenges and unlock the full potential of cGAS/STING in treating senescence-related disorders and oncogenesis.

Chloride-Ion-Enriched Solid Electrolyte Interphase with Rapid Na+ Migration toward High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), particularly for large-scale applications. Alloy-type anode materials for sodium-ion batteries are esteemed as prospective candidate materials for sodium-ion anodes, owing to their elevated theoretical capacity, heightened utilization efficiency, and minimal production of insulating byproducts. However, the severe volume changes and sluggish ion diffusion kinetics can lead to irreversible particle fragmentation and reaggregation phenomena, ultimately resulting in electrode degradation. Additionally, repetitive volume changes can cause an unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). This study presents the synthesis of chloride-ion-modulated bimetallic SnSb/C nanoparticle anode materials, highlighting the following advantages: (i) Designing a bimetallic SnSb alloy structure serves to buffer the structural stresses generated during sodium insertion/extraction processes, effectively mitigating particle fracture phenomena induced by electrode material expansion/contraction. (ii) Nanostructuring both alloy materials enables the full utilization of active materials and shortens diffusion pathways, thereby significantly enhancing the diffusion rate of sodium ions. (iii) Introducing a carbonaceous matrix serves to alleviate self-agglomeration phenomena of the material during charge/discharge cycles, enhancing the material's conductivity and structural stability. (iv) Utilizing chloride-ion interface modification to achieve a chloride-rich solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) enhances battery performance.

Temporal variation characteristics in the association between climate and vegetation in Northwest China.

Northwest China has undergone notable alterations in climate and vegetation growth in recent decades. Nevertheless, uncertainties persist concerning the response of different vegetation types to climate change and the underlying mechanisms. This study utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and three sets of meteorological data to investigate the interannual variations in the association between vegetation and climate (specifically precipitation and temperature) from 1982 to 2015. Several conclusions were drawn. (1) RNDVI-GP (relationship between Growing Season NDVI and precipitation) decreased significantly across all vegetation, while RNDVI-GT (relationship between Growing Season NDVI and temperature) showed an insignificant increase. (2) Trends of RNDVI-GP and RNDVI-GT exhibited great variations across various types of vegetation, with forests displaying notable downward trends in both indices. The grassland exhibited a declining trend in RNDVI-GP but an insignificant increase in RNDVI-GT, while no significant temporal changes in RNDVI-GP or RNDVI-GT were observed in the barren land. (3) The fluctuations in RNDVI-GP and RNDVI-GT closely aligned with variations in drought conditions. Specifically, in regions characterized by VPD (vapor pressure deficit) trends less than 0.02 hpa/yr, which are predominantly grasslands, a rise in SWV (soil water volume) tended to cause a reduction in RNDVI-GP but an increase in RNDVI-GT. However, a more negative trend in SWV was associated with a more negative trend in both RNDVI-GP and RNDVI-GT when the VPD trend exceeded 0.02 hPa/yr, primarily in forests. Our results underscore the variability in the relationship between climate change and vegetation across different vegetation types, as well as the role of drought in modulating these associations.

Choroidal vascular changes in early-stage myopic maculopathy from deep learning choroidal analysis: a hospital-based SS-OCT study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to illustrate the changes in the choroidal vasculature in individuals with diffuse chorioretinal atrophy (DCA, early-stage myopic maculopathy) and investigate the association between them. METHODS: This study included 1418 highly myopic eyes from 720 participants aged 18 - 60 years from the Wenzhou High Myopia Cohort Study. These participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic assessments. Myopic maculopathy classification followed the Meta-PM system, with pathological myopia defined as myopic maculopathy of DCA or severer. Eyes with myopic maculopathy categorized as no macular lesions (C0), tessellated fundus (C1), and DCA (C2) were enrolled in the analysis. Choroidal images were obtained from swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), and the images were processed with a deep learning-based automatic segmentation algorithm and the Niblack auto-local threshold algorithm. RESULTS: DCA was detected in 247 eyes (17.4%). In comparison to eyes with C0, those with C2 exhibited significant reductions in choroidal thickness (ChT), luminal area (LA), and stromal area (SA) across all evaluated regions (all P < 0.001). An increase in choroidal vascular index (CVI) was observed in all regions, except for the nasal perifoveal (N2) and inferior perifoveal (I2) regions (all P < 0.01). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a negative association between the presence of DCA and increases in choroidal LA and SA (odds ratio ≤ 0.099, P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the mean deviation of the visual field test was positively associated with LA and SA at the vertical meridian (B = 1.512, P < 0.001 for LA; B = 1.956, P < 0.001 for SA). Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed the optimal ChT to diagnose pathological myopia was 82.4 µm in the N2 region, the LA was 0.076 mm2 and the SA was 0.049 mm2, with area under the curves of 0.916, 0.908, and 0.895, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that both the presence of DCA and visual function impairment were associated with reductions in choroidal perfusion and stromal components. Moreover, we established threshold values for choroidal parameters in diagnosing pathological myopia, offering valuable references for clinical diagnosis and management.

Trends in habitat quality and habitat degradation in terrestrial protected areas.

Protected areas are typically considered a cornerstone of conservation programs and play a fundamental role in protecting natural areas and biodiversity. Human-driven land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes lead to habitat loss and biodiversity loss inside protected areas, impairing their effectiveness. However, the global dynamics of habitat quality and habitat degradation in protected areas remain unclear. We used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model based on global annual remotely sensed data to examine the spatial and temporal trends in habitat quality and degradation in global terrestrial protected areas. Habitat quality represented the ability of habitats to provide suitable conditions for the persistence of individuals and populations, and habitat degradation represented the impacts on habitats from human-driven LULC changes in the surrounding landscape. Based on a linear mixed-effects modeling method, we also explored the relationship between habitat degradation trends and protected area characteristics, biophysical factors, and socioeconomic factors. Habitat quality declined by 0.005 (0.6%) and habitat degradation increased by 0.002 (11%) from 1992 to 2020 globally, and similar trends occurred even in remote or restrictively managed protected areas. Habitat degradation was attributed primarily to nonirrigated cropland (62%) and urbanization (27%) in 2020. Increases in elevation, gross domestic production per capita, and human population density and decreases in agricultural suitability were associated with accelerated habitat degradation. Our results suggest that human-induced LULC changes have expanded from already-exploited areas into relatively undisturbed areas, and that in wealthy countries in particular, degradation is related to rapid urbanization and increasing demand for agricultural products.

Tendencias en la calidad y degradación del hábitat en áreas protegidas terrestres Resumen Las áreas protegidas suelen considerarse la piedra angular de los programas de conservación y desempeñan un papel fundamental en la protección de los espacios naturales y la biodiversidad. Los cambios en el uso y la cobertura del suelo (CUCS) provocados por el hombre conducen a la pérdida de hábitats y de biodiversidad dentro de las áreas protegidas, lo que merma su eficacia. Sin embargo, la dinámica global de la calidad y la degradación del hábitat en las áreas protegidas sigue sin estar clara. Utilizamos el modelo de valoración integrada de servicios ambientales y compensaciones (InVEST), basado en datos anuales mundiales obtenidos por teledetección, para examinar las tendencias espaciales y temporales de la calidad y degradación del hábitat en las áreas terrestres protegidas de todo el mundo. La calidad del hábitat representó su capacidad para proporcionar condiciones adecuadas para la persistencia de individuos y poblaciones, y la degradación del hábitat representó los impactos sobre los hábitats de los cambios CUCS provocados por el hombre en el paisaje circundante. Con base en un método de modelo lineal de efectos mixtos, también exploramos la relación entre las tendencias de degradación del hábitat y las características de las áreas protegidas, los factores biofísicos y los factores socioeconómicos. La calidad del hábitat disminuyó en un 0.005 (0,6%) y la degradación del hábitat aumentó en un 0.002 (11%) entre 1992 y 2020 a nivel mundial, y se produjeron tendencias similares incluso en áreas protegidas remotas o gestionadas de forma restrictiva. La degradación del hábitat se atribuyó principalmente a las tierras de cultivo sin irrigación (62%) y a la urbanización (27%) en 2020. El aumento de la altitud, del producto interno bruto per cápita y de la densidad de población humana, así como la disminución de la idoneidad agrícola, se asociaron a una aceleración de la degradación del hábitat. Nuestros resultados sugieren que los cambios en el CUCS inducidos por el hombre se han extendido desde zonas ya explotadas a zonas relativamente inalteradas, y que, en particular en los países ricos, la degradación está relacionada con la rápida urbanización y la creciente demanda de productos agrícolas.

Polyphyllin VII as a potential medication for targeting epithelial mesenchymal transitionin in thyroid cancer.

The need for novel anti-thyroid cancer (TC) medications is urgent due to the rising incidence and metastatic rates of malignant TC. In this study, we investigated the effect of Polyphyllin VII (PPVII) to TC cells, and explored their potential mechanism. B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells, were used to analyze the antitumor activity of PPVII by quantifying cell growth and metastasis as well as to study the effect on epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). The results showed that PPVII dramatically reduced the capacity of B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells to proliferate and migrate in a dose-response manner. Following PPVII treatment of TC cells, the expression levels of E-cadherin progressively increased and were higher than the control group, while the expression levels of EMT-related genes Vimentin, N-cadherin, Slug, Zeb-1, and Foxe1 gradually declined and were lower than the control group. It was proposed that PPVII might prevent TC from undergoing EMT. The Foxe1 gene was shown to be significantly expressed in TC, and a statistically significant variation in Foxe1 expression was observed across clinical stages of the disease, according to a bioinformatics database study. There was a strong link between the expression of the Foxe1 gene and the EMT-related gene. In the meantime, TC cells' expression of Foxe1 can be inhibited by PPVII. In conclusion, our results showed that PPVII may as a potential medication for targeting EMT in thyroid cancer.

Quantitative Evaluation of Blending Behavior between Virgin Asphalt and Aged Asphalt Incorporating a New Bio-Based Warm-Mix Rejuvenator.

The blending degree between virgin asphalt and aged asphalt has a significant effect on road performance of reclaimed asphalt mixture. This study presented an innovative examination of blending behavior between virgin asphalt and aged asphalt incorporating a new bio-based warm-mix rejuvenator (BWR) by utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Through analyzing the variation of several micro-morphology parameters between virgin asphalt and aged asphalt (or recycled asphalt) after blending, an index of regenerative blending degree (RBD) was proposed to quantitatively evaluate their blending behavior, and the effect of various blending temperatures and durations on regenerative blending degree was investigated. The results show that the regenerative blending degree between virgin asphalt and aged asphalt was higher than that between virgin asphalt and recycled asphalt under the same blending condition. A clear linear correlation was observed between the regenerative blending degree calculated by 3D micro-morphology parameters and the dosage of bio-based warm-mix rejuvenator in recycled asphalt, with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. With the increase in blending duration, the regenerative blending degree between virgin asphalt and recycled asphalt increased first and then decreased, but continued to improve with the increase in blending temperature, which indicates that a higher blending temperature and prolonging the blending duration properly have a positive effect on the blending processing between virgin asphalt and recycled asphalt. Compared with the regenerative blending degree calculated by 2D micro-morphology parameters, the regenerative blending degree calculated by 3D micro-morphology parameters is more reasonable to quantify the blending behavior between virgin asphalt and recycled asphalt.

A nomogram predicting intraoperative adverse events during minimally invasive radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND: To define the incidence and independent predictive factors of intraoperative adverse events (IOAEs) after minimally invasive radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy (RNAT) and to determine the impact of intraoperative adverse events on oncological outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 294 patients underwent minimally invasive RNAT from January 2010 to December 2023 in our center were included. IOAEs are defined as any deviation from the normal surgical procedure during the operation course. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent predictive factors of IOAEs. The Kaplan-Meier curves was used to compare overall survival and cancer-specific survival between patients with IOAEs or not. RESULTS: Seventy-four IOAEs occurred in 57 of 294 patients (19.4%) and the most frequent IOAEs were conversion to open surgery (42/74, 56.7%), followed by excessive hemorrhage (20/74, 27.0%). In multivariate logistic analysis, side (OR 0.0929; 95%Cl 0.0367-0.2160; p < 0.001), operation approach (OR 0.1762; 95%Cl 0.06828-0.4109; p < 0.001), and Mayo grade (OR 6.321; 95%Cl 3.846-11.13; p < 0.001) were independent predictive predictors of IOAEs during minimally invasive RNAT. IOAEs (OR 2.713; 95%Cl 1.242-5.897; p = 0.012) was an independent risk factor of the occurrence of postoperative complications. Between the patients with IOAEs or not, neither overall survival (OS) nor cancer-specific survival (CSS) showed statistical differences. Patients with postoperative complications show shorter OS and CSS. CONCLUSION: We found that the independent predictive factors of  minimally invasive RNAT were side, operation approach and Mayo grade, and it is a risk factor of the occurrence of postoperative complications. In addition, the occurrence of IOAEs had no effect on long-term oncological outcomes.

Recent advances in oxidative dearomatization involving C-H bonds for constructing value-added oxindoles.

Exploring three-dimensional chemical space is an important research objective of organic synthetic chemistry. Oxidative dearomatization (ODA) is one of the most important and powerful tools for realizing this goal, because it changes and removes aromatic structures from aromatic compounds to increase levels of saturation and stereoisomerism by direct addition reactions between functional groups with aromatic cores under oxidative conditions. As a hot topic in indole chemistry, the synthetic value of the oxidative dearomatization of indoles has been well recognized and has witnessed rapid development recently, since it could provide convenient and unprecedented access to fabricate high-value-added three-dimensional oxindole skeletons, such as C-quaternary indolones, polycycloindolones and spiroindolones, and be widely applied to the total synthesis of these oxindole alkaloids. Therefore, this article provides a review of recent developments in oxidative dearomatization involving the C-H bonds of indoles. In this article, the features and mechanisms of different types of ODA reactions of indoles are summarized and represented, and asymmetric synthesis methods and their applications are illustrated with examples, and future development trends in this field are predicted at the end.

Balance Error Scoring System in the assessment of chronic ankle stability: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common musculoskeletal injury associated with static balance deficits. The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is commonly used to assess static balance in individuals with CAI. However, the sensitivity of BESS in detecting balance deficits in CAI is unknown. This study compared BESS performance between people with CAI and controls and investigated which stances most effectively identified balance deficits in individuals with CAI. LITERATURE SURVEY: Seven electronic databases (Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Library) were searched from July 13, 2023, to September 10, 2023, using the ankle instability and balance related terms as keywords to search original studies and perform a systematic review. METHODS: Studies that compared BESS scores between individuals with CAI and healthy controls were systematically identified. Extracted data included study characteristics, participant demographics, and assessment details. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as effect sizes to compare groups for the BESS components used to assess CAI. RESULTS: Six studies met the eligibility criteria. The double-leg foam stance yielded an SMD of -0.02 (95% CI: -0.32 to 0.29), with an I2 value of 3.5%. Significant differences between groups were noted in the single foam (SMD = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.33-1.45; I2 = 78.3%) and single firm (SMD = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.14-1.10; I2 = 72.1%) performances, although both demonstrated high heterogeneity. Conversely, the tandem foam (SMD = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.51-1.02; I2 = 0.0%) and tandem firm (SMD = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.11-0.68; I2 = 23.8%) performances showed small to moderate between-group differences with considerably lower heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: This review indicates that tandem stances on foam and firm surfaces in the BESS are reliable indicators of static balance deficits in individuals with CAI.

[Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential and compare the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential who underwent different surgical methods. METHODS: Clinicopathological data and prognosis of patients admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from January 2010 to September 2023 were collected. Patients who underwent radical nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery and were pathologically diagnosed with multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential were identified. Based on the surgical methods, the patients were divided into radical nephrectomy group and nephron-sparing surgery group. The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 53.0 (39.0-62.0) years. Among the 35 patients, 23 were males (65.7%) and 12 were females (34.3%). Nine patients underwent radical nephrectomy (25.7%), while 26 patients underwent nephron-sparing surgery (74.3%). The clinical T-stage of 35 patients did not exceed T2a stage. The median operation time was 145.0 min, and the median estimated intraoperative blood loss was 20.0 mL. The median postoperative hospitalization days was 6.0 d. The postoperative pathological results did not indicate renal sinus invasion, sarcomatous change, adrenal invasion or lymph node invasion. Based on the surgical methods, the patients were divided into a radical nephrectomy group and a nephron-sparing surgery group. There was no significant difference in clinicopathological charac-teristics between the two groups. Except for one patient who was lost to the follow-up, all the other patients were followed up for 8-111 months, with a median follow-up time of 70.5 months. Only one patient died from non-cancer-specific reasons, other patients had no tumor metastasis or recurrence. CONCLUSION: Patients with multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential have a good prognosis. There is no significant difference in clinicopathological characteristics of patients between nephron-sparing surgery group and radical nephrectomy group for multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential.

Silver-Assisted Chemical Etching for the Fabrication of Porous Silicon N-Doped Nanohollow Carbon Spheres Composite Anodes to Enhance Electrochemical Performance.

Silicon (Si) shows great potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, it experiences significant expansion in volume as it undergoes the charging and discharging cycles, presenting challenges for practical implementation. Nanostructured Si has emerged as a viable solution to address these challenges. However, it requires a complex preparation process and high costs. In order to explore the above problems, this study devised an innovative approach to create Si/C composite anodes: micron-porous silicon (p-Si) was synthesized at low cost at a lower silver ion concentration, and then porous silicon-coated carbon (p-Si@C) composites were prepared by compositing nanohollow carbon spheres with porous silicon, which had good electrochemical properties. The initial coulombic efficiency of the composite was 76.51%. After undergoing 250 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A·g-1, the composites exhibited a capacity of 1008.84 mAh·g-1. Even when subjected to a current density of 1 A·g-1, the composites sustained a discharge capacity of 485.93 mAh·g-1 even after completing 1000 cycles. The employment of micron-structured p-Si improves cycling stability, which is primarily due to the porous space it provides. This porous structure helps alleviate the mechanical stress caused by volume expansion and prevents Si particles from detaching from the electrodes. The increased surface area facilitates a longer pathway for lithium-ion transport, thereby encouraging a more even distribution of lithium ions and mitigating the localized expansion of Si particles during cycling. Additionally, when Si particles expand, the hollow carbon nanospheres are capable of absorbing the resulting stress, thus preventing the electrode from cracking. The as-prepared p-Si utilizing metal-assisted chemical etching holds promising prospects as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Biomass waste-assisted micro(nano)plastics capture, utilization, and storage for sustainable water remediation.

Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) have become a significant environmental concern due to their widespread presence in the biosphere and potential harm to ecosystems and human health. Here, we propose for the first time a MNPs capture, utilization, and storage (PCUS) concept to achieve MNPs remediation from water while meeting economically productive upcycling and environmentally sustainable plastic waste management. A highly efficient capturing material derived from surface-modified woody biomass waste (M-Basswood) is developed to remove a broad spectrum of multidimensional and compositional MNPs from water. The M-Basswood delivered a high and stable capture efficiency of >99.1% at different pH or salinity levels. This exceptional capture performance is driven by multiscale interactions between M-Basswood and MNPs, involving physical trapping, strong electrostatic attractions, and triggered MNPs cluster-like aggregation sedimentation. Additionally, the in vivo biodistribution of MNPs shows low ingestion and accumulation of MNPs in the mice organs. After MNPs remediation from water, the M-Basswood, together with captured MNPs, is further processed into a high-performance composite board product where MNPs serve as the glue for utilization and storage. Furthermore, the life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) results demonstrate the environmental friendliness and economic viability of our proposed full-chain PCUS strategy, promising to drive positive change in plastic pollution and foster a circular economy.

BAP1 loss confers sensitivity to bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma.

The tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) is frequently mutated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). BAP1 loss-of-function mutations are associated with poor survival outcomes. However, personalized therapy for BAP1-mutated RCC is currently not available. Previously, we found that BAP1 loss renders RCC cells more sensitive to bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors, as demonstrated in both cell culture and xenografted nude mice models. Here, we demonstrate that BAP1 loss in murine RCC cells enhances sensitivity to BET inhibitors in ectopic and orthotopic allograft models. While BAP1 deletion suppresses RCC cell survival in vitro, it does not impede tumor growth in immunocompetent murine models. Thus, the effect of BAP1 loss on the interactions between tumor cells and host microenvironment plays a predominant role in RCC growth, highlighting the importance of utilizing immunocompetent animal models to assess the efficacy of potential anticancer therapies. Mechanistically, BAP1 deletion compromises DNA repair capacity, rendering RCC cells more vulnerable to DNA damage induced by BET inhibitors. Our results indicate that BET inhibitors show promise as targeted therapy for BAP1-deficient RCC.

Scaffold design considerations for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) represents a serious clinical and public health problem due to its high incurrence and poor spontaneous recovery. Compared to autograft, which is still the best current practice for long-gap peripheral nerve defects in clinics, the use of polymer-based biodegradable nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) has been gaining momentum as an alternative to guide the repair of severe PNI without the need of secondary surgery and donor nerve tissue. However, simple hollow cylindrical tubes can barely outperform autograft in terms of the regenerative efficiency especially in critical sized PNI. With the rapid development of tissue engineering technology and materials science, various functionalized NGCs have emerged to enhance nerve regeneration over the past decades. From the aspect of scaffold design considerations, with a specific focus on biodegradable polymers, this review aims to summarize the recent advances in NGCs by addressing the onerous demands of biomaterial selections, structural designs, and manufacturing techniques that contributes to the biocompatibility, degradation rate, mechanical properties, drug encapsulation and release efficiency, immunomodulation, angiogenesis, and the overall nerve regeneration potential of NGCs. In addition, several commercially available NGCs along with their regulation pathways and clinical applications are compared and discussed. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges and future directions attempting to provide inspiration for the future design of ideal NGCs that can completely cure long-gap peripheral nerve defects.

Decoration of Ag Species into Reduced Graphene Oxide Foam as a Superelastic and Robust Host toward Stable Zn Metal Anodes under Dwell-Fatigue Condition.

Deep-sea equipment usually operates under dwell-fatigue condition, which means the equipped energy storage devices must survive under the changing pressure. Special mechanical designs should be considered to maintain the electrochemical performance of electrodes under this extreme condition. In this work, an effective assembly strategy is proposed to accommodate the dwell-fatigue loading using Ag decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) foam (denoted as AGF) as a superelastic and robust Zn host. The wet-press assembly process enables the formation of highly porous and robust framework. The strong synergetic effect between rGO and Ag further guarantees AGF's superelasticity and ultrahigh mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the homogeneously distributed Ag species on the rGO sheets act as zincophilic sites to effectively facilitate Zn plating. Furthermore, AGF offers enough space to address the expansion during the charge and discharge cycles. As expected, the symmetrical cell using this AGF@Zn host demonstrates a long lifespan over 400 h at a depth-of-discharge of 50%. It is worth mentioning that the superelastic AGF host realizes stable Zn plating/stripping under varying pressures.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Biocontrol Mechanism of Endophytic Bacterium AM201, Rhodococcus sp., against Root Rot Disease of Atractylodes macrocephala.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is a perennial herb from the plant family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). This herb is mainly distributed in mountainous wetlands in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hunan provinces of China. Its medicinal production and quality, however, are severely impacted by root rot disease. In our previous study, endophytic bacterium designated AM201 exerted a high biocontrol effect on the root rot disease of AMK. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. In this study, the identity of strain AM201 as Rhodococcus sp. was determined through analysis of its morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequencing. Subsequently, we performed transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to compare and analyze the transcriptome profiles of root tissues from two groups: AM201 (AMK seedlings inoculated with Fusarium solani [FS] and AM201) and FS (AMK seedlings inoculated with FS alone). We also conducted morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular identification analyses for the AM201 strain. We obtained 1,560 differentially expressed genes, including 187 upregulated genes and 1,373 downregulated genes. We screened six key genes (GOLS2, CIPK25, ABI2, egID, PG1, and pgxB) involved in the resistance of AM201 against AMK root rot disease. These genes play a critical role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance, Ca2+ signal transduction, abscisic acid signal inhibition, plant root growth, and plant cell wall defense. The strain AM201 was identified as Rhodococcus sp. based on its morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties, and 16S rDNA sequencing results. The findings of this study could enable to prevent and control root rot disease in AMK and could offer theoretical guidance for the agricultural production of other medicinal herbs.