ADNP modulates SINE B2-derived CTCF-binding sites during blastocyst formation in mice.

CTCF is crucial for chromatin structure and transcription regulation in early embryonic development. However, the kinetics of CTCF chromatin occupation in preimplantation embryos have remained unclear. In this study, we used CUT&RUN technology to investigate CTCF occupancy in mouse preimplantation development. Our findings revealed that CTCF begins binding to the genome prior to zygotic genome activation (ZGA), with a preference for CTCF-anchored chromatin loops. Although the majority of CTCF occupancy is consistently maintained, we identified a specific set of binding sites enriched in the mouse-specific short interspersed element (SINE) family B2 that are restricted to the cleavage stages. Notably, we discovered that the neuroprotective protein ADNP counteracts the stable association of CTCF at SINE B2-derived CTCF-binding sites. Knockout of Adnp in the zygote led to impaired CTCF binding signal recovery, failed deposition of H3K9me3, and transcriptional derepression of SINE B2 during the morula-to-blastocyst transition, which further led to unfaithful cell differentiation in embryos around implantation. Our analysis highlights an ADNP-dependent restriction of CTCF binding during cell differentiation in preimplantation embryos. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the functional importance of transposable elements (TEs) in promoting genetic innovation and actively shaping the early embryo developmental process specific to mammals.

Defining the Hoxb8 cell lineage during murine definitive hematopoiesis.

Previously, we have demonstrated that a subpopulation of microglia, known as Hoxb8 microglia, is derived from the Hoxb8 lineage during the second wave (E8.5) of yolk sac hematopoiesis, whereas canonical non-Hoxb8 microglia arise from the first wave (E7.5). Hoxb8 microglia have an ontogeny distinct from non-Hoxb8 microglia. Dysfunctional Hoxb8 microglia cause the acquisition of chronic anxiety and an obsessive-compulsive spectrum-like behavior, trichotillomania, in mice. The nature and fate of the progenitors generated during E8.5 yolk sac hematopoiesis have been controversial. Herein, we use the Hoxb8 cell lineage reporter to define the ontogeny of hematopoietic cells arising during the definitive waves of hematopoiesis initiated in the E8.5 yolk sac and aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region. Our murine cell lineage analysis shows that the Hoxb8 cell lineage reporter robustly marks erythromyeloid progenitors, hematopoietic stem cells and their progeny, particularly monocytes. Hoxb8 progenitors and microglia require Myb function, a hallmark transcription factor for definitive hematopoiesis, for propagation and maturation. During adulthood, all immune lineages and, interestingly, resident macrophages in only hematopoietic/lymphoid tissues are derived from Hoxb8 precursors. These results illustrate that the Hoxb8 lineage exclusively mirrors murine definitive hematopoiesis.

A comprehensive review of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their derivatives in environmental pollution control.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained considerable attention due to their design possibilities as the molecular organic building blocks that can stack in an atomically precise spatial arrangement. Since the inception of COFs in 2005, there has been a continuous expansion in the product range of COFs and their derivatives. This expansion has led to the evolution of three-dimensional structures and various synthetic routes, propelling the field towards large-scale preparation of COFs and their derivatives. This review will offer a holistic analysis and comparison of the spatial structure and synthesis techniques of COFs and their derivatives. The conventional methods of COF synthesis (i.e., ultrasonic chemical, microwave, and solvothermal) are discussed alongside the synthesis strategies of new COFs and their derivatives. Furthermore, the applications of COFs and their derived materials are demonstrated in air, water, and soil pollution management such as gas capture, catalytic conversion, adsorption, and pollutant removal. Finally, this review highlights the current challenges and prospects for large-scale preparation and application of new COFs and the derived materials. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the needs of digital-enabled technologies (AI and machine learning), this review will encompass the future technical trends for COFs in environmental pollution control.

Microstructure-Reconfigured Graphene Oxide Aerogel Metamaterials for Ultrarobust Directional Sensing at Human-Machine Interfaces.

Graphene aerogels hold huge promise for the development of high-performance pressure sensors for future human-machine interfaces due to their ordered microstructure and conductive network. However, their application is hindered by the limited strain sensing range caused by the intrinsic stiffness of the porous microstructure. Herein, an anisotropic cross-linked chitosan and reduced graphene oxide (CCS-rGO) aerogel metamaterial is realized by reconfiguring the microstructure from a honeycomb to a buckling structure at the dedicated cross-section plane. The reconfigured CCS-rGO aerogel shows directional hyperelasticity with extraordinary durability (no obvious structural damage after 20 000 cycles at a directional compressive strain of ≤0.7). The CCS-rGO aerogel pressure sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity of 121.45 kPa-1, an unprecedented sensing range, and robust mechanical and electrical performance. The aerogel sensors are demonstrated to monitor human motions, control robotic hands, and even integrate into a flexible keyboard to play music, which opens a wide application potential in future human-machine interfaces.

Launching a Drop via Interplay of Buoyancy and Stick-Jump Dissolution.

According to Archimedes' principle, a submerged object with a density lower than that of aqueous acid solution is more buoyant than a smaller one. In this work, a remarkable phenomenon is reported wherein a dissolving drop on a substrate rises in the water only after it has diminished to a much smaller size, though the buoyancy is smaller. The drop consisting of a polymer solution reacts with the acid in the surrounding, yielding a water-soluble product. During drop dissolution, water-rich microdroplets form within the drop, merging with the external aqueous phase along the drop-substrate boundary. Two key elements determine the drop rise dynamics. The first is the stick-jump behavior during drop dissolution. The second is that buoyancy exerts a strong enough force on the drop at an Archimedean number greater than 1, while the stick-jump behavior is ongoing. The time of the drop rise is controlled by the initial size and the reaction rate of the drop. This novel mechanism for programmable drop rise may be beneficial for many future applications, such as microfluidics, microrobotics, and device engineering where the spontaneous drop detachment may be utilized to trigger a cascade of events in a dense medium.

Spontaneous Rise of Hydrogen Microbubbles in Interfacial Gas Evolution Reaction.

Liquid organic hydrogen carrier is a promising option for the transport and storage of hydrogen as a clean energy source. This study examines the stability and behavior of organic drops immobilized on a substrate during an interfacial hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) at the drop surface and its surrounding aqueous solution. Hydrogen microbubbles form within the drop and rise to the drop apex. The growth rate of the hydrogen in-drop bubble increases with the concentration of the reactant in the surrounding medium. The drop remains stable till the buoyancy acting on the in-drop bubble is large enough to overcome the capillary force and the external viscous drag. The bubble spontaneously rises and carries a portion drop liquid to the solution surface. These spontaneous rising in-drop bubbles are detected in measurements using a high-precision sensor placed on the upper surface of the aqueous solution, reversing the settling phase from phase separation in the reactive emulsion. The finding from this work provides new insights into the behaviors of drops and bubbles in many interfacial gas evolution reactions in clean technologies.

Transient Zwitterions Dynamics Empowered Adaptive Interface for Ultra-Stable Zn Plating/Stripping.

A highly reversible zinc anode is crucial for the commercialization of zinc-ion batteries. However, the change in the microstructure of the electric double layer originated from the dynamic change in charge density on the electrode greatly impacts anode reversibility during charge/discharge, which is rarely considered in previous research. Herein, the zwitterion additive is employed to create an adaptive interface by coupling the transient zwitterion dynamics upon the change of interfacial charge density. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations suggest the molecular orientation and adsorption groups of zwitterions will be determined by the charging state of the electrode. ZnSO4 electrolyte with zwitterion fulfills a highly reversible Zn anode with an average Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.85%. Zn/Zn symmetric cells achieve greatly enhanced cycling stability for 700 h with extremely small voltage hysteresis of 29 mV under 5 mA cm-2 with 5 mAh cm-2 . This study validates the adaptive interface based on transient dynamics of zwitterions, which sheds new light on developing highly reversible metal anodes with a high utilization rate.

MXene/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanosheet Scaffold Electrode toward High-Performance Solid-State Zinc Ion Supercapacitor.

While MXene is widely used as an electrode material for supercapacitor, the intrinsic limitation of stacking caused by the interlayer van der Waals forces has yet to be overcome. In this work, a strategy is proposed to fabricate a composite scaffold electrode (MCN) by intercalating MXene with highly nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (CN). The 2D structured CN, thermally converted and pickling from Zn-hexamine (Zn-HMT), serves as a spacer that effectively prevents the stacking of MXene and contributes to a hierarchically scaffolded structure, which is conducive to ion movement; meanwhile, the high nitrogen-doping of CN tunes the electronic structure of MCN to facilitate charge transfer and providing additional pseudocapacitance. As a result, the MCN50 composite electrode achieves a high specific capacitance of 418.4 F g-1 at 1 A g-1. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor delivers a corresponding power density of 1658.9 W kg-1 and an energy density of 30.8 Wh kg-1. The all-solid-state zinc ion supercapacitor demonstrates a superior energy density of 68.4 Wh kg-1 and a power density of 403.5 W kg-1 and shows a high capacitance retention of 93% after 8000 charge-discharge cycles. This study sheds a new light on the design and development of novel MXene-based composite electrodes for high performance all-solid-state zinc ion supercapacitor.

Hydrophobic Multilayered PEG@PAN/MXene/PVDF@SiO2 Composite Film with Excellent Thermal Management and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding for Electronic Devices.

With the rapid development of electronic industry, it's pressing to develop multifunctional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials to ensure the stable operation of electronic devices. Herein, multilayered flexible PEG@PAN/MXene (Ti3C2Tx)/PVDF@SiO2 (PMF) composite film has been constructed from the level of microstructure design via coaxial electrospinning, coating spraying, and uniaxial electrospinning strategies. Benefiting from the effective encapsulation for PEG and high conductivity of MXene coating, PEG@PAN/MXene composite film with MXene coating loading density of 0.70 mg cm-2 exhibits high thermal energy storage density of 120.77 J g-1 and great EMI shielding performance (EMI SE of 34.409 dB and SSE of 49.086 dB cm3 g-1) in X-band (8-12 GHz). Therefore, this advanced composite film can not only help electronic devices prevent the influence of electromagnetic pollution in the X-band but also play an important role in electronic device thermal management. Additionally, the deposition of nano PVDF@SiO2 fibers (289 ± 128 nm) endowed the PMF composite film with great hydrophobic properties (water contact angle of 126.5°) to ensure the stable working of hydrophilic MXene coating, thereby breaks the limitation of humid application environments. The finding paves a new way for the development of novel multifunctional EMI shielding composite films for electronic devices.

All-solid highly sensitive fiber-tip magnetic field sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer with a breakpoint structure.

An all-solid fiber-tip Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) coated with a nickel film is proposed and experimentally verified for magnetic field sensing with high sensitivity. It is fabricated by splicing a segment of a thin-wall capillary tube to a standard single-mode fiber (SMF), then inserting a tiny segment of fiber with a smaller diameter into the capillary tube, and creating an ultra-narrow air-gap at the SMF end to form an FPI. When the device is exposed to magnetic field, the capillary tube is strained due to the magnetostrictive effect of the nickel film coated on its outer surface. In addition, owing to the unique breakpoint sensitivity-enhancement structure of the air-gap FPI, the elongation of the capillary tube whose length is over 100 times longer than the air-gap width is entirely transferred to the cavity length change of the FPI, and the sensor is extremely sensitive to the magnetic field as proved by our experiments, achieving a high sensitivity of up to 2.236 nm/mT for a linear magnetic field range from 40 to 60 mT, as well as a low-temperature cross-sensitivity of 56 µT/°C. The all-solid stable structure, compact size (total length of ∼3.0 mm), and reflective working mode with high magnetic field sensitivity indicate that this sensor has good application prospects.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy for refractory or relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective and available local treatment for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, the value of hypofractionated RT in this setting has not been confirmed. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received hypofractionated RT between January 2020 and August 2022 at a single institution. The objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and acute side effects were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were included. The median dose for residual disease was 36 Gy, at a dose per fraction of 2.3-5 Gy. After RT, the ORR and complete response (CR) rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 2-27 months), 10 patients (33.3%) experienced disease progression and three died. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for all patients were 81.8% and 66.3%, respectively. The majority (8/10) of post-RT progressions involved out-of-field relapses. Patients with relapsed diseases, no response to systemic therapy, multiple lesions at the time of RT, and no response to RT were associated with out-of-field relapses. PFS was associated with response to RT (P = 0.001) and numbers of residual sites (P < 0.001). No serious non-hematological adverse effects (≥ grade 3) associated with RT were reported. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that hypofractionated RT was effective and tolerable for patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma, especially for those that exhibited localized residual disease.

Overview of Inorganic Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Sodium Batteries.

All-solid-state sodium batteries (AS3B) emerged as a strong contender in the global electrochemical energy storage market as a replacement for current lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their high abundance, low cost, high safety, high energy density, and long calendar life. Inorganic electrolytes (IEs) are highly preferred over the conventional liquid and solid polymer electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high ionic conductivity (∼10-2-10-4 S cm-1), wide potential window (∼5 V), and overall better battery performances. This review discusses the bird's eye view of the recent progress in inorganic electrolytes such as Na-ß"-alumina, NASICON, sulfides, antipervoskites, borohydride-type electrolytes, etc. for AS3Bs. Current state-of-the-art inorganic electrolytes in correlation with their ionic conduction mechanism present challenges and interfacial characteristics that have been critically reviewed in this review. The current challenges associated with the present battery configuration are overlooked, and also the chemical and electrochemical stabilities are emphasized. The substantial solution based on ongoing electrolyte development and promising modification strategies are also suggested.

Model-based dosing optimization and therapeutic drug monitoring practices of teicoplanin in patients with complicated or non-complicated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection.

AIMS: This study aims to establish a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model of teicoplanin in Chinese adult patients to evaluate the dosing regimen in the label sheet and optimize it. METHODS: Nonlinear mixed-effects modelling was used to estimate PK parameters. Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the attainment of various dosing regimens in achieving the target trough concentrations in patients with normal or decreased renal function. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Creatinine clearance (CrCL) and albumin (ALB) were identified as covariates on the clearance of teicoplanin. For the treatment of non-complicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in patients with normal renal function and serum ALB concentration, the recommended dosing regimen was 600 mg q12h with five administrations as the loading dose followed by 600 mg qd as the maintenance dose; for the treatment of serious and/or complicated MRSA infections, the recommended dosing regimen was 800 mg q12h with five administrations as the loading dose followed by 800 mg qd as the maintenance dose. It is worth noting that both the loading and maintenance doses ought to be modified based on the patient's renal function and serum ALB concentration. In addition, trough concentrations of teicoplanin were significantly increased every other week. CONCLUSIONS: Both loading dosing and maintenance dosing regimens were recommended to be adjusted according to patient's renal function and serum ALB concentration. In addition, it is necessary to perform follow-up therapeutic drug monitoring of teicoplanin at least once every week.

The progression of obstructive renal fibrosis in rats is regulated by ADAMTS18 gene methylation in the embryonic kidney through the AKT/Notch pathway.

This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which postembryonic renal ADAMTS18 methylation influences obstructive renal fibrosis in rats. After exposure to transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 during the embryonic period, analysis of postembryonic renal ADAMTS18 methylation and expression levels was conducted. Histological analysis was performed to assess embryonic kidney lesions and damage. Western blot analysis was used to determine the expression of renal fibrosis markers. Rats with ureteral obstruction and a healthy control group were selected. The methylation levels of ADAMTS18 in the different groups were analyzed. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to analyze the expression of renal fibrosis markers, and kidney-related indicators were measured. Treatment with TGF-ß1 resulted in abnormal development of the postembryonic kidney, which was characterized by rough kidney surfaces with mild depressions and irregularities on the outer surface. TGF-ß1 treatment significantly promoted ADAMTS18 methylation and activated the protein kinase B (AKT)/Notch pathway. Ureteral obstruction was induced to establish a renal hydronephrosis model, which led to renal fibrotic injury in newborn rats. Overexpression of the ADAMTS18 gene alleviated renal fibrosis. The western blot results showed that compared to that in the control group, the expression of renal fibrosis markers was significantly decreased after ADAMTS18 overexpression, and there was a thicker renal parenchymal tissue layer and significantly reduced p-AKT/AKT and Notch1 levels. TGF-ß1 can induce ADAMTS18 gene methylation in the postembryonic kidney, and the resulting downregulation of ADAMTS18 expression has long-term effects on kidney development, potentially leading to increased susceptibility to obstructive renal fibrosis. This mechanism may involve activation of the AKT/Notch pathway. Reversing ADAMTS18 gene methylation may reverse this process.

Benzylpiperidine derivatives as new dual µ-opioid and σ1 receptor ligands with potent antinociceptive effects.

Dual-acting µ-opioid receptor (MOR)/sigma-1 receptor (σ1R) ligands have displayed promise in exerting robust antinociceptive effects while reducing opioid-related side effects. To discover safer and more effective analgesics, we designed, prepared, and evaluated 30 benzylpiperidine derivatives as dual MOR and σ1R ligands. The obtained benzylpiperidine analogs were tested for MOR and σ1R binding affinity in vitro. The best compound 52 showed high affinity for both MOR [Ki (MOR) = 56.4 nM] and σ1R [Ki (σ1R) = 11.0 nM] and produced potent antinociceptive effects in the abdominal contraction test (ED50 = 4.04 mg/kg in mice), carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain model (ED50 = 6.88 mg/kg in mice), formalin test (ED50 = 13.98 mg/kg in rats) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic pain model (ED50 = 7.62 mg/kg in mice). Moreover, 52 had less MOR-related adverse effects than oxycodone, including constipation, acute hyperlocomotion and physical dependence. The above results suggested that 52 may be a promising candidate for the development of safer analgesics.

Discovery of 4-(isopentyloxy)-3-nitrobenzamide derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors through a non-anthraquinone exploration.

In our previous study, we reported a series of N-(9,10-anthraquinone-2-carbonyl) amino acid derivatives as novel inhibitors of xanthine oxidase (XO). Recognizing the suboptimal drug-like properties associated with the anthraquinone moiety, we embarked on a nonanthraquinone medicinal chemistry exploration in the current investigation. Through systematic structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, we identified a series of 4-(isopentyloxy)-3-nitrobenzamide derivatives exhibiting excellent in vitro potency against XO. The optimized compound, 4-isopentyloxy-N-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-3-nitrobenzamide (6k), demonstrated exceptional in vitro potency with an IC50 value of 0.13 µM. Compound 6k showed favorable drug-like characteristics with ligand efficiency (LE) and lipophilic ligand efficiency (LLE) values of 0.41 and 3.73, respectively. In comparison to the initial compound 1d, 6k exhibited a substantial 24-fold improvement in IC50, along with a 1.6-fold enhancement in LE and a 3.7-fold increase in LLE. Molecular modeling studies provided insights into the strong interactions of 6k with critical amino acid residues within the active site. Furthermore, in vivo hypouricemic investigations convincingly demonstrated that 6k significantly reduced serum uric acid levels in rats. The MTT results revealed that compound 6k is nontoxic to healthy cells. The gastric and intestinal stability assay demonstrated that compound 6k exhibits good stability in the gastric and intestinal environments. In conclusion, compound 6k emerges as a promising lead compound, showcasing both exceptional in vitro potency and favorable drug-like characteristics, thereby warranting further exploration.

Catabolism of phenolics from grape peel and its effects on gut microbiota during in vitro colonic fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Grape peels, the main by-products of wine processing, are rich in bioactive ingredients of phenolics, including proanthocyanidins, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Phenolics have the function of regulating intestinal microbiota and promoting intestinal health. From the perspective of the dietary nutrition of grape peel phenolics (GPP), the present study aimed to investigate the influence of GPP on the composition and metabolism of human gut microbiota during in vitro fermentation. RESULTS: The results indicated that GPP could decrease pH and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids. ACE and Chao1 indices in GPP group were lower than that of the Blank group. GPP enhanced the levels of Lachnospiraceae UCG-004, Bacteroidetes and Roseburia, but reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Proteins and Genome enrichment pathways related to phenolic acid metabolism mainly included flavonoid, anthocyanin, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. Gut microbiota could accelerate the release and breakdown of phenolic compounds, resulting in a decrease in the content of hesperetin-7-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside etc. In vitro antibacterial test found that GPP increased the diameters of the inhibition zones of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study revealed that GPP might be a potential prebiotic-like to prevent diseases by improving gut health. The findings could provide a theoretical basis for the potential to exploit GPP as dietary nutrition to maintain intestinal function. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Discordant Distortion in Cubic GeMnTe2 and High Thermoelectric Properties of GeMnTe2-x%SbTe.

GeMnTe2 adopts a cubic rock salt structure and is a promising mid-temperature thermoelectric material. The pair distribution function analysis of neutron total scattering data, however, indicates that GeMnTe2 is locally distorted from the ideal rock salt structure with Ge2+ cations being discordant and displaced ∼0.3 Å off the octahedron center. By alloying GeMnTe2 with SbTe, the carrier concentration can be tuned in GeMnTe2-x%SbTe (x = 15.1), leading to converged multiple broad valence bands and a high Seebeck coefficient of >200 µV K-1 from 300 to 823 K. The system exhibits a large density-of-state effective mass of >10 me and a high weighted mobility of 80 cm2 V-1 s-1, leading to a power factor of 15 µWcm-1 K-2 at 823 K. The composition GeMnTe2-15.1%SbTe exhibits very low lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.5 Wm-1 K-1 at 823 K, attributed to the combination of off-centering cations in the rock salt structure, Ge/Mn positional disorder, dislocations, and abundant Ge-rich and Mn-rich nanoparticles. A ZT value of ∼1.5 can be achieved for GeMnTe2-15.1%SbTe with a ZTave of 0.96 in the temperature range of 400-823 K.

A Simple and Effective Physical Ball-Milling Strategy to Prepare Super-Tough and Stretchable PVA@MXene@PPy Hydrogel for Flexible Capacitive Electronics.

Biomimetic flexible electronics for E-skin have received increasing attention, due to their ability to sense various movements. However, the development of smart skin-mimic material remains a challenge. Here, a simple and effective approach is reported to fabricate super-tough, stretchable, and self-healing conductive hydrogel consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Ti3 C2 Tx MXene nanosheets, and polypyrrole (PPy) (PMP hydrogel). The MXene nanosheets and Fe3+ serve as multifunctional cross-linkers and effective stress transfer centers, to facilitate a considerable high conductivity, super toughness, and ultra-high stretchability (elongation up to 4300%) for the PMP hydrogel with. The hydrogels also exhibit rapid self-healing and repeatable self-adhesive capacity because of the presence of dynamic borate ester bond. The flexible capacitive strain sensor made by PMP hydrogel shows a relatively broad range of strain sensing (up to 400%), with a self-healing feature. The sensor can precisely monitor various human physiological signals, including joint movements, facial expressions, and pulse waves. The PMP hydrogel-based supercapacitor is demonstrated with a high capacitance retention of ≈92.83% and a coulombic efficiency of ≈100%.

Interaction of PKR with STCS1: an indispensable step in the biosynthesis of lunularic acid in Marchantia polymorpha.

Unlike bibenzyls derived from the vascular plants, lunularic acid (LA), a key precursor for macrocyclic bisbibenzyl synthesis in nonvascular liverworts, exhibits the absence of one hydroxy group within the A ring. It was hypothesized that both polyketide reductase (PKR) and stilbenecarboxylate synthase 1 (STCS1) were involved in the LA biosynthesis, but the underlined mechanisms have not been clarified. This study used bioinformatics analysis with molecular, biochemical and physiological approaches to characterize STCS1s and PKRs involved in the biosynthesis of LA. The results indicated that MpSTCS1s from Marchantia polymorpha catalyzed both C2→C7 aldol-type and C6→C1 Claisen-type cyclization using dihydro-p-coumaroyl-coenzyme A (CoA) and malonyl-CoA as substrates to yield a C6-C2-C6 skeleton of dihydro-resveratrol following decarboxylation and the C6-C3-C6 type of phloretin in vitro. The protein-protein interaction of PKRs with STCS1 (PPI-PS) was revealed and proved essential for LA accumulation when transiently co-expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, replacement of the active domain of STCS1 with an 18-amino-acid fragment from the chalcone synthase led to the PPI-PS greatly decreasing and diminishing the formation of LA. The replacement also increased the chalcone formation in STCS1s. Our results highlight a previously unrecognized PPI in planta that is indispensable for the formation of LA.