The genome of the black-footed cat: Revealing a rich natural history and urgent conservation priorities for small felids.

Habitat degradation and loss of genetic diversity are common threats faced by almost all of today's wild cats. Big cats, such as tigers and lions, are of great concern and have received considerable conservation attention through policies and international actions. However, knowledge of and conservation actions for small wild cats are lagging considerably behind. The black-footed cat, Felis nigripes, one of the smallest felid species, is experiencing increasing threats with a rapid reduction in population size. However, there is a lack of genetic information to assist in developing effective conservation actions. A de novo assembly of a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of the black-footed cat was made, and comparative genomics and population genomics analyses were carried out. These analyses revealed that the most significant genetic changes in the evolution of the black-footed cat are the rapid evolution of sensory and metabolic-related genes, reflecting genetic adaptations to its characteristic nocturnal hunting and a high metabolic rate. Genomes of the black-footed cat exhibit a high level of inbreeding, especially for signals of recent inbreeding events, which suggest that they may have experienced severe genetic isolation caused by habitat fragmentation. More importantly, inbreeding associated with two deleterious mutated genes may exacerbate the risk of amyloidosis, the dominant disease that causes mortality of about 70% of captive individuals. Our research provides comprehensive documentation of the evolutionary history of the black-footed cat and suggests that there is an urgent need to investigate genomic variations of small felids worldwide to support effective conservation actions.

Rational Lithium Salt Molecule Tuning for Fast Charging/Discharging Lithium Metal Battery.

The electrolytes for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are plagued by a low Li+ transference number (T+) of conventional lithium salts and inability to form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Here, we synthesized a self-folded lithium salt, lithium 2-[2-(2-methoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]ethanesulfonyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiETFSI), and comparatively studied with its structure analogue, lithium 1,1,1-trifluoro-N-[2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)]ethyl]methanesulfonamide (LiFEA). The special anion chemistry imparts the following new characteristics: i) In both LiFEA and LiETFSI, the ethylene oxide moiety efficiently captures Li+, resulting in a self-folded structure and high T+ around 0.8. ii) For LiFEA, a Li-N bond (2.069 Å) is revealed by single crystal X-ray diffraction, indicating that the FEA anion possesses a high donor number (DN) and thus an intensive interphase "self-cleaning" function for an ultra-thin and compact SEI. iii) Starting from LiFEA, an electron-withdrawing sulfone group is introduced near the N atom. The distance of Li-N is tuned from 2.069 Šin LiFEA to 4.367 Šin LiETFSI. This alteration enhances ionic separation, achieves a more balanced DN, and tunes the self-cleaning intensity for a reinforced SEI. Consequently, the fast charging/discharging capability of LMBs is progressively improved. This rationally tuned anion chemistry reshapes the interactions among Li+, anions, and solvents, presenting new prospects for advanced LMBs.

Rationally Designed Fluorinated Amide Additive Enables the Stable Operation of Lithium Metal Batteries by Regulating the Interfacial Chemistry.

A fluorinated amide molecule with two functional segments, namely, an amide group with a high donor number to bind lithium ions and a fluorine chain to expel carbonate solvents and mediate the formation of LiF, was designed to regulate the interfacial chemistry. As expected, the additive preferably appears in the first solvation sheath of lithium ions and is electrochemically reduced on the anode, and thus an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase is generated. The morphology of deposited lithium metal evolves from brittle dendrites into a granular shape. Consequently, the Li||LiFePO4 cell shows an excellent capacity retention of 92.7% at a high rate of 5 C after 800 cycles. Besides, the Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cell succeeds to maintain 98.1% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 1 C. Our designing of N,N-diethyl- 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropionamide (denoted as DETFP) highlights the importance of a "high donor number" and may shed light on the design principles of electrolytes for high performance batteries.

Which type of chromosomal mosaicism is compatible for embryo transfer: a systematical review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Chromosomal mosaicism becomes a common phenomenon in Preimplantaion genetic testing (PGT). This meta-analysis was conducted to study which feature of chromosomal mosaicism was compatible for embryo transfer. METHODS: After searching the database PubMed, Embase, CCTR and related reviews up until May 2021. Two reviewers extracted relevant information and assessed study quality by the Newcastle-Ottawa scale independently. Summary Odd Radios (OR) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models for clinical outcomes. A network meta-analysis compared the clinical outcomes of different chromosomes. RESULTS: A total of six studies with 1,106 cycles of single mosaic embryo transferred were included. Significant results of implantation rate (IR), miscarriage rate (MR), and ongoing pregnancy/live birth rate (OP/LBR) were observed when comparing embryos with mosaicism level < 50% and ≥ 50% [OR 1.42, 95% CI (1.06, 1.89); OR 0.45, 95% CI (0.27, 0.75); OR 1.74, 95% CI (1.28, 2.37)], and embryos with mosaicism with only affecting segmental chromosome(s) and only involving whole chromosome(s) [OR 1.31, 95% CI (1.01, 1.71); OR 0.57, 95% CI (0.36, 0.93); OR 1.51, 95% CI (1.15, 2.00)]. Embryos with only mosaic gains or losses had significant higher IR and OP/LBR than complex mosaicism [Gains vs complex: OR 1.75, 95% CI (1.20, 2.54); OR 1.73, 95% CI (1.16, 2.58). Losses vs complex: OR 1.90, 95% CI (1.34, 2.71); OR 2.10, 95% CI (1.44, 3.07)]. Mosaic embryos with only one chromosome involved had significant favorable outcomes of IR and OP/LBR than with three or more chromosomes involved [OR 1.76, 95% CI (1.23, 2.52); OR 1.86, 95% CI (1.25,2.78)]. Chr. 7, Chr. 2, Chr. 1, Chr. 18, Chr. 11, Chr. X, Chr. 13, Chr. 14, Chr. 12, and Chr. 9 were considered as prioritized chromosomes of mosaic embryos for transfer. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis support the embryos with mosaicism level ≥ 50%, whole chromosome(s) involved, multiple mosaic abnormalities were associated with worse pregnancy outcomes. Mosaicism level of 50% could be used as a threshold to assess the mosaic embryos.

Vision-Based Structural Modal Identification Using Hybrid Motion Magnification.

As a promising alternative to conventional contact sensors, vision-based technologies for a structural dynamic response measurement and health monitoring have attracted much attention from the research community. Among these technologies, Eulerian video magnification has a unique capability of analyzing modal responses and visualizing modal shapes. To reduce the noise interference and improve the quality and stability of the modal shape visualization, this study proposes a hybrid motion magnification framework that combines linear and phase-based motion processing. Based on the assumption that temporal variations can represent spatial motions, the linear motion processing extracts and manipulates the temporal intensity variations related to modal responses through matrix decomposition and underdetermined blind source separation (BSS) techniques. Meanwhile, the theory of Fourier transform profilometry (FTP) is utilized to reduce spatial high-frequency noise. As all spatial motions in a video are linearly controllable, the subsequent phase-based motion processing highlights the motions and visualizes the modal shapes with a higher quality. The proposed method is validated by two laboratory experiments and a field test on a large-scale truss bridge. The quantitative evaluation results with high-speed cameras demonstrate that the hybrid method performs better than the single-step phase-based motion magnification method in visualizing sound-induced subtle motions. In the field test, the vibration characteristics of the truss bridge when a train is driving across the bridge are studied with a commercial camera over 400 m away from the bridge. Moreover, four full-field modal shapes of the bridge are successfully observed.

No impact of treated hyperprolactinemia on cumulative live birth rate and perinatal outcomes in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

AIM: To investigate whether treated hyperprolactinemia has an impact on pregnancy outcomes in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 535 women who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET between January 2012 and December 2016, of which 123 had treated hyperprolactinemia (case group), 369 were matched controls. Besides, 43 remained hyperprolactinemic after treatment consisted of abnormal group. Cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) after one oocyte retrieval cycle was taken as the primary outcome. A time-to-event analysis using Fine and Gray's test was used to compare CLBR between case and control groups. RESULTS: The median prolactin level was 80.00 ng/mL before dopamine agonist treatment in case group, and it reduced to 14.80 ng/mL after the treatment, similar to the level of control group (15.17 ng/mL, P = 0.316). No significant differences in baseline characteristics were found between case and control groups. The CLBR after one oocyte retrieval cycle were 69.1% (85/123) and 66.4% (245/369) in the case group and control group, respectively (P = 0.580). No significant differences were found between case and control groups in perinatal outcomes. Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes of abnormal group were similar to those of case and control groups. CONCLUSION: Impact of treated hyperprolactinemia on CLBR and perinatal outcomes in IVF-ET was not evident.

Technique for two-dimensional displacement field determination using a reliability-guided spatial-gradient-based digital image correlation algorithm.

This paper proposed a novel in-plane displacement field measurement algorithm using an optical flow strategy. We built a linear illumination model between images before and after deformation to guarantee intensity invariability. We used image upsampling and a reliability-guided strategy to find the matching points accurate to 0.5 pixels in the reference and deformed images. The criterion to determine the reliability is zero-mean normalized cross-correlation coefficient. Afterward, we used the brightness constancy constraint combined with Lucas-Kanade optical flow constraint in a specific image region to obtain an overdetermined linear equation. We applied the noniterative least-squares algorithm to solve the equations and to achieve the displacement offsets. This research utilized multithread calculation to handle the complete cracking applications. We estimated the computing efficiency and calculation precision of the proposed method through a series of experimental speckle patterns. All results demonstrated the correctness, effectiveness, and robustness of the proposed method.

Effect of intrauterine injection of human chorionic gonadotropin before fresh embryo transfer on IVF and ICSI outcomes: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of intrauterine injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) before fresh embryo transfer (ET) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by searching electronic databases. The outcomes of live birth, clinical pregnancy, implantation, biochemical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, and miscarriage between groups with and without hCG injections were analyzed. Summary measures were reported as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Six RCTs on fresh embryo transfer (ET) were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 2759 women undergoing fresh ET were enrolled (hCG group n = 1429; control group n = 1330). Intrauterine injection of hCG significantly increased rates of biochemical pregnancy (RR 1.61) and ongoing pregnancy (RR 1.58) compared to controls. However, there were no significant differences in clinical pregnancy (RR 1.11), implantation (RR 1.17), miscarriage (RR 0.91), ectopic (RR 1.65) or live birth rates (RR 1.13) between the hCG group and control group. CONCLUSION: The current evidence for intrauterine injection of hCG before fresh ET does not support its use in an assisted reproduction cycle.

Correlation between protein expression of FOXP3 and level of FOXP3 promoter methylation in recurrent spontaneous abortion.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) promoter methylation and protein expression in recurrent spontaneous abortion and to elucidate the pathogenesis of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). METHODS: We assessed a total of 56 URSA patients with a normal embryo, 24 recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) patients with an abnormal embryo (as control group 1), and 39 normal pregnant women (as control group 2). The expression of FOXP3 protein in deciduas was assessed through Western blot, and the level of FOXP3 promoter methylation was detected using bisulfite-assisted genomic sequencing polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The expressing quantity of FOXP3 protein in the URSA group was significantly lower than that in control groups 1 and 2, both with a P-value < 0.05. By contrast, no statistical difference was observed in the expressing quantity of FOXP3 protein of the two control groups (P = 0.212). The FOXP3 promoter methylation level in the URSA group was significantly higher than that in the two control groups, both of which exhibited a statistical difference of P-values < 0.05. Meanwhile, no statistical difference was observed in the FOXP3 promoter methylation level of the two control groups (P = 0.141). A negative correlation was found between the FOXP3 promoter methylation level and the expressing quantity of FOXP3 protein (r = -0.861, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increasing FOXP3 promoter methylation levels may cause abnormal immune tolerance through the downregulation expression of the FOXP3 protein, which in turn leads to URSA.

Screening of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors in Cichorium glandulosum Boiss. et Huet Extracts and Study of Interaction Mechanisms.

Cichorium glandulosum Boiss. et Huet (CGB) extract has an α-glucosidase inhibitory effect (IC50 = 59.34 ± 0.07 µg/mL, positive control drug acarbose IC50 = 126.1 ± 0.02 µg/mL), but the precise enzyme inhibitors implicated in this process are not known. The screening of α-glucosidase inhibitors in CGB extracts was conducted by bioaffinity ultrafiltration, and six potential inhibitors (quercetin, lactucin, 3-O-methylquercetin, hyperoside, lactucopicrin, and isochlorogenic acid B) were screened as the precise inhibitors. The binding rate calculations and evaluation of enzyme inhibitory effects showed that lactucin and lactucopicrin exhibited the greatest inhibitory activities. Next, the inhibiting effects of the active components of CGB, lactucin and lactucopicrin, on α-glucosidase and their mechanisms were investigated through α-glucosidase activity assay, enzyme kinetics, multispectral analysis, and molecular docking simulation. The findings demonstrated that lactucin (IC50 = 52.76 ± 0.21 µM) and lactucopicrin (IC50 = 17.71 ± 0.64 µM) exhibited more inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase in comparison to acarbose (positive drug, IC50 = 195.2 ± 0.30 µM). Enzyme kinetic research revealed that lactucin inhibits α-glucosidase through a noncompetitive inhibition mechanism, while lactucopicrin inhibits it through a competitive inhibition mechanism. The fluorescence results suggested that lactucin and lactucopicrin effectively reduce the fluorescence of α-glucosidase by creating lactucin-α-glucosidase and lactucopicrin-α-glucosidase complexes through static quenching. Furthermore, the circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses revealed that the interaction between lactucin or lactucopicrin and α-glucosidase resulted in a modification of the α-glucosidase's conformation. The findings from molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations offer further confirmation that lactucopicrin has a robust binding affinity for certain residues located within the active cavity of α-glucosidase. Furthermore, it has a greater affinity for α-glucosidase compared to lactucin. The results validate the suppressive impact of lactucin and lactucopicrin on α-glucosidase and elucidate their underlying processes. Additionally, they serve as a foundation for the structural alteration of sesquiterpene derived from CGB, with the intention of using it for the management of diabetic mellitus.

Cichorium glandulosum Ameliorates HFD-Induced Obesity in Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Bile Acids.

Obesity is an ongoing global health problem, and Cichorium glandulosum (CG, chicory) is traditionally used as a hepatoprotective and lipid-lowering drug. However, there is still a lack of research on the role of CG in the treatment of obesity. In the present study, we found that CG significantly delayed weight gain and positively affected glucolipid metabolism disorders, serum metabolism levels, and the degree of liver and kidney oxidative stress in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. Further examination of the effects of CG on intestinal microenvironmental dysregulation and its metabolites in HFD mice revealed that the CG ethanol extract high-dose group (CGH) did not have a significant regulatory effect on short-chain fatty acids. Still, CGH significantly decreased the levels of 12α-OH/non-12α-OH bile acids and also found significant upregulation of proteobacteria and downregulation of cyanobacteria at the phylum level. CG may have ameliorated obesity and metabolic abnormalities in mice by repairing gut microbiota dysbiosis and modulating bile acid biosynthesis.

The antidepressant effects of protein arginine methyltransferase 2 involve neuroinflammation.

Protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 2 catalyzes the methylation of arginine residues in histones. Depression is associated with histone methylation; however, more comprehensive research is needed on how PRMT2 regulates depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and possible mechanism(s) of PRMT2 overexpression on depression-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in rats, and whether lentivirus-mediated PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus suppresses depression-like behavior. Furthermore, the PRMT2 inhibitor MS023 was administered to the animals to investigate whether the antidepressant effect of PRMT2 overexpression could be reversed. Behavioral experiments were performed to detect depression-like behavior in rats. Western blotting was used to determine protein expression levels of PRMT2, histone H3R8 asymmetric dimethylation (H3R8me2a), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and arginase 1 (Arg1) in rat hippocampal tissues. Hippocampal microglia and PRMT2 were stained using immunofluorescence techniques. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of various inflammatory factors in rat hippocampal tissue. Results of analysis revealed that PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus exerted an antidepressant effect. PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus reduced the proportion of activated microglia in the hippocampus, upregulated Arg1 and H3R8me2a expression, and downregulated iNOS expression. PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory factors and promoted the release of anti-inflammatory factors. In summary, PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus promoted the conversion of microglia from the M1 to M2 type, resulting in an antidepressant effect. These results suggest that PRMT2 may be a potential therapeutic target to prevent and treat depression.

CeO2-TiO2 sorbents for the removal of elemental mercury from syngas.

A series of CeO2-TiO2 (CeTi) sorbents with different CeO2/TiO2 mass ratios were prepared by an impregnation method and employed to remove elemental mercury (Hg(0)) in simulated syngas. The CeTi sorbents with a CeO2/TiO2 mass ratio of 0.2 exhibited superior Hg(0) removal efficiency from 80 to 150 °C, which could be ascribed to the greater amount of surface chemisorbed oxygen resulted from Ce(3+) on the sample surface. H2S was the most effective syngas component responsible for Hg(0) removal. The use of 400 ppm H2S resulted in 98% Hg(0) removal efficiency under the experimental conditions. H2 and CO had a negligible effect on the efficiency of Hg removal. In the presence of H2S, a prohibitive effect of HCl and NH3 on Hg(0) removal was observed because of the consumption of the surface oxygen. Water vapor also inhibited Hg(0) removal due to competitive adsorption with H2S. Hg(0) removal over CeTi sorbents was proposed to follow the Eley-Rideal mechanism, in which active surface sulfur reacts with gas-phase Hg(0). This large oxygen storage capacity of CeTi sorbents is quite favorable to H2S catalytic oxidation and Hg(0) emission control in an extremely reducing environment, such as when there is a deficiency of O2.

[Mass spectrum characterization of five valepotriates by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss mass spectrum characterization of five valepotriates including 'monoene' type (didrovaltrate), 'diene' type (valtrate, acevaltrate) and 'four-olefinic' type (baldrinal and homobaldrinal) by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)). METHOD: This study was carried out on the basis of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method and analysis of multistage fragments. RESULT: The fragmentation patterns and structural assignment of 'monoene' type, 'diene' type and 'four-olefinic' type valepotriates in ESI-MSn under positive mode were summarized. CONCLUSION: The compounds have a strong pyrolysis rules and it can provide reference date for valepotriates in rapid structural identification, quantitative analysis and pharmacokinetic study.

Age at menarche and polycystic ovary syndrome: A Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to use a large two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to reveal the causality between age at menarche (AAM) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) incidence. METHODS: The authors collected summary statistics from the hitherto largest genome-wide association studies conducted in AAM and PCOS in the same ancestry. MR with inverse variance weighting was conducted as the main analysis method, while weighted median and MR-Egger regression were used for comprehensive analysis. As for pleiotropy detection, inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger regression, Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier, as well as leave-one-out analysis were used to detect pleiotropy. Risk factor analysis was conducted to investigate the underlying mechanisms linking AAM to PCOS. RESULTS: Each standard deviation increment in AAM was associated with a significantly lower incidence of PCOS (odds ratio, 0.86 [95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.98]). After adjustment in horizontal pleiotropy by eliminating four outliers, this pathogenic association was still statistically detected. All pleiotropy indexes were without statistical differences, which suggested the conclusions were robust. It showed the causal association between later AAM and lower body mass index, lower fasting insulin level and insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: Our MR analysis verified that a slightly later onset age (15 to 18 years) at menarche could reduce the risk of PCOS. A more comprehensive investigation in a prospective setting is strongly advised.

Tuning the Li+ Solvation Structure by a "Bulky Coordinating" Strategy Enables Nonflammable Electrolyte for Ultrahigh Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries.

In battery electrolyte design principles, tuning Li+ solvation structure is an effective way to connect electrolyte chemistry with interfacial chemistry. Although recent proposed solvation tuning strategies are able to improve battery cyclability, a comprehensive strategy for electrolyte design remains imperative. Here, we report a solvation tuning strategy by utilizing molecular steric effect to create a "bulky coordinating" structure. Based on this strategy, the designed electrolyte generates an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI), leading to excellent compatibility with both Li metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes. Under an ultrahigh voltage of 4.6 V, Li/NMC811 full-cells (N/P = 2.0) hold an 84.1% capacity retention over 150 cycles and industrial Li/NMC811 pouch cells realize an energy density of 495 Wh kg-1. This study provides innovative insights into Li+ solvation tuning for electrolyte engineering and offers a promising path toward developing high-energy Li metal batteries.

Asymmetric Trihalogenated Aromatic Lithium Salt Induced Lithium Halide Rich Interface for Stable Cycling of All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are the key components for all-solid-state lithium metal batteries with high energy density and intrinsic safety. However, the low lithium ion transference number (t+) of a conventional SPE and its unstable electrolyte/electrode interface cannot guarantee long-term stable operation. Herein, asymmetric trihalogenated aromatic lithium salts, i.e., lithium (3,4,5-trifluorobenzenesulfonyl)(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiFFF) and lithium (4-bromo-3,5-difluorobenzenesulfonyl)(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiFBF), are synthesized for polymer electrolytes. They exhibit higher t+ values and better compatibility with Li metal than conventional lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI). Due to the trihalogenated aromatic anions, LiFFF- and LiFBF-based electrolytes are prone to generate an LiF- and LiBr-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), therefore increasing the stability of the solid electrolyte/anode interface. Particularly, LiFBF could induce a LiF/LiBr hybrid SEI, where LiF shows a high Young's modulus and high surface energy for homogenizing Li ion flux and LiBr exhibits an extremely low Li ion diffusion barrier in the SEI layer. As a result, the Li/Li symmetric cells could remain stable for more than 1200 h without a short circuit and the LiFePO4/Li batteries showed superb electrochemical performance over 1200 cycles at 1 C. This work provides valuable insights from the perspective of lithium salt molecular structures for high-performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Tuning and Balancing the Donor Number of Lithium Salts and Solvents for High-Performance Li Metal Anode.

The low reversibility of Li deposition/stripping in conventional carbonate electrolytes hinders the development of lithium metal batteries. Herein, we proposed a combination of solvents with a moderate donor number (DN) and LiNO3 as the sole salt, which has rarely been attempted due to its low solubility or dissociation degree in common solvents. It is found that the DN value of solvents is highly correlated to the reversibility of Li deposition behavior when LiNO3 is applied as the sole salt. The combination of LiNO3 and solvents with moderate DN behaves like a quasi-concentrated electrolyte even at a common or moderate concentration, while neither the solvents with poor solubility and low dissociation for LiNO3 (which usually corresponds to a low DN) nor the solvents with high dissociation for LiNO3 (which usually corresponds to an overly high DN) can achieve a high reversibility for low conductivity or excessive solvent decomposition. As a result, a Coulombic efficiency as high as 99.6% for Li deposition/stripping is achieved with the optimized combination. We believe this work will give a better understanding of the role of anions and solvents in the regulation of the solvation structure, and DN can be utilized as an important guideline to sieve suitable solvents for LiNO3 as the main salt to exhibit intriguing properties beyond traditional cognition.

Adoptive Treg therapy with metabolic intervention via perforated microneedles ameliorates psoriasis syndrome.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells underlie multiple autoimmune disorders and potentialize an anti-inflammation treatment with adoptive cell therapy. However, systemic delivery of cellular therapeutics often lacks tissue targeting and accumulation for localized autoimmune diseases. Besides, the instability and plasticity of Treg cells also induce phenotype transition and functional loss, impeding clinical translation. Here, we developed a perforated microneedle (PMN) with favorable mechanical performance and a spacious encapsulation cavity to support cell survival, as well as tunable channels to facilitate cell migration for local Treg therapy of psoriasis. In addition, the enzyme-degradable microneedle matrix could release fatty acid in the hyperinflammatory area of psoriasis, enhancing the Treg suppressive functions via the fatty acid oxidation (FAO)-mediated metabolic intervention. Treg cells administered through PMN substantially ameliorated psoriasis syndrome with the assistance of fatty acid-mediated metabolic intervention in a psoriasis mouse model. This tailorable PMN could offer a transformative platform for local cell therapy to treat a variety of diseases.

Fluorinated Carbamate-Based Electrolyte Enables Anion-Dominated Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Highly Reversible Li Metal Anode.

Li metal is regarded as the most promising battery anode to boost energy density. However, being faced with the hostile compatibility between the Li anode and traditional carbonate electrolyte, its large-scale industrialization has been in a distressing circumstance due to severe dendrite growth caused by unsatisfying solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). With this regard, accurate control over the composition of the SEI is urgently desired to tackle the electrochemical and mechanical instability at the electrolyte/anode interface. Herein, we report a rationally designed fluorinated carbamate-based electrolyte employing LiNO3 as one of the main salts to induce the preferable anion decomposition to achieve a homogeneous and inorganic (LiF, Li3N, Li2O)-rich SEI. Thus, this electrolyte achieves a high Coulombic efficiency of 99% of the Li metal anode, a stable cycling over 1000 h for Li|Li symmetric cells, more than 100 cycles in 40-µm-thin Li|high-loading-NCM811 full batteries, and >50 cycles in Cu|LiFePO4 pouch cells, which is a promising electrolyte for highly reversible Li metal batteries.