PBOX-sRNA-seq uncovers novel features of miRNA modification and identifies selected 5'-tRNA fragments bearing 2'-O-modification.

The concomitant cloning of RNA degradation products is a major concern in standard small RNA-sequencing practices. This not only complicates the characterization of bona fide sRNAs but also hampers cross-batch experimental replicability and sometimes even results in library construction failure. Given that all types of plant canonical small RNAs possess the 3' end 2'-O-methylation modification, a new small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) method, designated as PBOX-sRNA-seq, has been developed specifically to capture this modification. PBOX-sRNA-seq, as its name implies, relies on the sequential treatment of RNA samples with phenylboronic acid-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PBA-PAGE) and sodium periodate (NaIO4) oxidation, before sRNA library construction and sequencing. PBOX-sRNA-seq outperformed separate treatments (i.e. PBA-PAGE only or NaIO4 only) in terms of the depletion of unmethylated RNA species and capture 2'-O-modified sRNAs with extra-high purity. Using PBOX-sRNA-seq, we discovered that nascent miRNA-5p/-3p duplexes may undergo mono-cytidylation/uridylation before 2'-O-methylation. We also identified two highly conserved types of 5'-tRNA fragments (tRF) bearing HEN1-independent 2'-O modification (mainly the 13-nt tRF-5aAla and the 26-nt tRF-5bGly). We believe that PBOX-sRNA-seq is powerful for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of sRNAs in plants and piRNAs in animals.

Genetic analysis of congenital unilateral renal agenesis in children based on next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Congenital unilateral renal agenesis (URA) is a kind of rare birth defect during fetal development with varies clinical phenotypes. The pathogenesis and the relationship between gene and phenotype are still unclear. METHODS: Ten URA fetuses were followed up after birth using postnatal renal ultrasound examination to confirm the diagnosis with nine children were URA and one was Renal Ectopy (RE). Trio- WES, CNV- seq were performed with the 10 children and their close relatives. RESULTS: There were 3 heterozygous variants of CHD7, PROKR2 and NRIP1 genes were identified in 3 children, respectively. CHD7 (c.2663T>C, p.M888T) is classified as likely pathogenic (LP), PROKR2 (c.685G>C, p.G229R) and NRIP1 (c.2705T>G, p.F902C) are classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). CHD7 (c.2663T>C, p.M888T) and PROKR2 (c.685G>C, p.G229R) as URA-related genes may be associated with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) or CHARGE syndrome (CS), and 3D-protein structure prediction revealed that the two variants may affect the stability in the CHD7 protein or PROKR2 protein, separately. The RE-related gene NRIP1 (c.2705T>G, p.F902C) may be causative of congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT). CONCLUSIONS: Identification of these variants can in exploring the etiology of URA or RE and improve the level of genetic counseling. IMPACTS: We performed trio-whole-exome sequencing (trio- WES) and copy number variation sequencing (CNV- seq) in 10 children, including 9 children with Unilateral Renal Agenesis and 1 with Renal Ectopy after birth. The possible pathogenic genes of URA can be screened using prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of URA fetuses and gene detection after birth. Future studies evaluating this association may lead to a better understanding of URA and elucidate exploring the etiology of URA or RE and improve the level of genetic counseling.

Molecular mechanism underlying the di-uridylation activity of Arabidopsis TUTase URT1.

In Arabidopsis, HESO1 and URT1 act cooperatively on unmethylated miRNA and mRNA uridylation to induce their degradation. Their collaboration significantly impacts RNA metabolism in plants. However, the molecular mechanism determining the functional difference and complementarity of these two enzymes remains unclear. We previously solved the three-dimensional structure of URT1 in the absence and presence of UTP. In this study, we further determined the structure of URT1 in complex with a 5'-AAAU-3' RNA stretch that mimics the post-catalytic state of the mRNA poly(A) tail after the addition of the first uridine. Structural analysis and enzymatic assays revealed that L527 and Y592 endow URT1 with a preference to interact with purine over pyrimidine at the -1 RNA binding position, thus controlling the optimal number of uridine added to the 3' extremity of poly(A) as two. In addition, we observed that a large-scale conformational rearrangement in URT1 occurs upon binding with RNA from an 'open' to a 'closed' state. Molecular dynamic simulation supports an open-closed conformational selection mechanism employed by URT1 to interact with RNA substrates and maintain distributive enzymatic activity. Based on the above results, a model regarding the catalytic cycle of URT1 is proposed to explain its di-uridylation activity.

Short-Term Effects of Combining Moxibustion Therapy and Gua sha on Post-Multiple Cerebral Infarction Rehabilitation.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of combined moxibustion therapy and Gua sha on enhancing functional independence, reducing fall risk, and alleviating pain in patients undergoing post-rehabilitation for multiple cerebral infarctions. Methods: In a prospective clinical trial, 67 patients diagnosed with multiple cerebral infarctions (age range: 40 to 93 years) were enrolled. Baseline health characteristics included a median hospital stay of 10 days, prevalent medical conditions such as hypertension (64.18%), and various comorbidities like spondylosis (17.91%) and heart disease (14.93%). Patients received moxibustion treatment daily for 20-30 minutes on specific acupoints of the upper and lower extremities. Additionally, Gua sha therapy targeting the the head, back, chest, abdomen, and selected acupoints was administered twice a week with an interval of 3 to 4 days. Assessments included Barthel Index (BI) for functional independence, Morse Fall Scale (MFS) for fall risk, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity before and after the intervention. Results: After one week of rehabilitation, significant improvements were observed in the patient's functional independence, as indicated by a median BI score of 100 (IQR: 95-100), compared to the pre-rehabilitation median score of 95 (IQR: 90-100). The MFS score also showed a significant decrease after rehabilitation, with a median score of 35 (IQR: 35-45) compared to the pre-rehabilitation median score of 45 (IQR: 35-45). Additionally, pain intensity significantly decreased, with a median VAS score of 0 (range: 0-2) after rehabilitation, compared to the pre-rehabilitation median score of 0 (range: 0-3). Conclusion: Combined moxibustion therapy and Gua sha demonstrated positive effects on functional independence, fall risk reduction, and pain alleviation in post-rehabilitation for multiple cerebral infarctions. These findings suggest the potential of moxibustion and Gua sha as complementary interventions in stroke rehabilitation. The observed improvements in functional independence, fall risk, and pain underscore the potential benefits of these therapies for patients with multiple cerebral infarctions. Further exploration could delve into long-term effects, larger-scale trials, and mechanistic studies to elucidate the underlying pathways of efficacy.

NUAK1 promotes tumor metastasis through upregulating slug transcription in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis is still a major cause of poor pathological outcome and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. NUAK1 has been reported highly expressed in many human cancers and is associated with the poor prognosis of cancer patients. However, the role of NUAK1 and its underlying signaling mechanism in ESCC metastasis remain unclear. METHODS: Expression of NUAK1 in ESCC was detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. MTT, colony formation, wound-healing and transwell assays were used to determine the role NUAK1 in vitro. Metastasis was evaluated by use of an experimental pulmonary metastasis model in BALB/c-nu/nu mice. The mechanisms were assessed by using coimmunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and dual-luciferase reporter gene experiments. RESULTS: NUAK1 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal esophageal epithelial tissues. Moreover, the elevated expression of NUAK1 positively correlated with tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, pathological TNM stage, and poor survival in ESCC patients. Further experiments showed that NUAK1 overexpression did not change the cell viability and colony formation of ESCC cells, while remarkably promoted the migration and invasion in vitro and experimental pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, NUAK1 enhanced the transcription level of Slug, which enhanced the migratory and invasive capability of ESCC cells. Consistently, silencing Slug almost completely diminished the migration and invasion of NUAK1-overexpressing ESCC cells. Further studies demonstrated that NUAK1 upregulated the transcription activity of Slug through activating the JNK/c-Jun pathway. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that NUAK1 promoted the metastasis of ESCC cells through activating JNK/c-Jun/Slug signaling, indicating NUAK1 is a promising therapeutic target for metastatic ESCC.

Understanding the interaction of nucleotides with UVC light: an insight from quantum chemical calculation-based findings.

Short-wave ultraviolet (also called UVC) irradiation is a well-adopted method of viral inactivation due to its ability to damage genetic material. A fundamental problem with the UVC inactivation method is that its mechanism of action on viruses is still unknown at the molecular level. To address this problem, herein we investigate the response mechanism of genome materials to UVC light by means of quantum chemical calculations. The spectral properties of four nucleotides, namely, adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil, are mainly focused on. Meanwhile, the transition state and reaction rate constant of uracil molecules are also considered to demonstrate the difficulty level of adjacent nucleotide reaction without and with UVC irradiation. The results show that the peak wavelengths are 248.7 nm, 226.1 nm (252.7 nm), 248.3 nm, and 205.8 nm (249.2 nm) for adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil nucleotides, respectively. Besides, the reaction rate constants of uracil molecules are 6.419 × 10-49 s-1 M-1 and 5.436 × 1011 s-1 M-1 for the ground state and excited state, respectively. Their corresponding half-life values are 1.56 × 1048 s and 1.84 × 10-12 s. This directly suggests that the molecular reaction between nucleotides is a photochemical process and the reaction without UVC irradiation almost cannot occur.

Unravelling the adsorption and electroreduction performance of CO2 and N2 over defective and B, P, Si-doped C3Ns: a DFT study.

Two-dimensional carbon-based materials have great potential for electrocatalysis. Herein, we screen 12 defective and doped C3N nanosheets by evaluating their CO2RR and NRR activity and selectivity vs. the HER based on density functional theory calculations. The calculation results suggest that all 12 C3Ns can enhance CO2 adsorption and activation. And PN-VC-C3N is the best electrocatalyst for the CO2RR towards HCOOH with UL = -0.17 V, which is much more positive than most of the reported values. BN-C3N and PN-C3N are also good electrocatalysts that promote the CO2RR towards HCOOH (UL = -0.38 V and -0.46 V). Moreover, we find that SiC-C3N can reduce CO2 to CH3OH, adding an alternative option to the limited catalysts available for the CO2RR to CH3OH. Furthermore, BC-VC-C3N, BC-VN-C3N, and SiC-VN-C3N are promising electrocatalysts for the HER with |ΔGH*| ≤ 0.30 eV. However, only three C3Ns of BC-VC-C3N, SiC-VN-C3N, and SiC-VC-C3N can slightly improve N2 adsorption. And none of the 12 C3Ns are found to be suitable for the electrocatalytic NRR because all the ΔeNNH* values are larger than the corresponding ΔGH* values. The high performance of C3Ns in the CO2RR stems from the altered structure and electronic properties, which result from the introduction of vacancies and doping elements into C3N. This work identifies suitable defective and doped C3Ns for excellent performance in the electrocatalytic CO2RR, which will inspire relevant experimental studies to further explore C3Ns for electrocatalysis.

Tiliroside Protects against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury via Intrarenal Renin-Angiotensin System in Mice.

Tiliroside, a natural flavonoid, has various biological activities and improves several inflammatory diseases in rodents. However, the effect of Tiliroside on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the potential renoprotective effect of Tiliroside on LPS-induced AKI in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (a single dose, 3 mg/kg) with or without Tiliroside (50 or 200 mg/kg/day for 8 days). Tiliroside administration protected against LPS-induced AKI, as reflected by ameliorated renal dysfunction and histological alterations. LPS-stimulated renal expression of inflammatory cytokines, fibrosis markers, and kidney injury markers in mice was significantly abolished by Tiliroside. This flavonoid also stimulated autophagy flux but inhibited oxidative stress and tubular cell apoptosis in kidneys from LPS-injected mice. Mechanistically, our study showed the regulation of Tiliroside on the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system in LPS-induced AKI mice. Tiliroside treatment suppressed intrarenal AGT, Renin, ACE, and Ang II, but upregulated intrarenal ACE2 and Ang1-7, without affecting plasma Ang II and Ang1-7 levels. Collectively, our data highlight the renoprotective action of Tiliroside on LPS-induced AKI by suppressing inflammation, oxidative stress, and tubular cell apoptosis and activating autophagy flux via the shift towards the intrarenal ACE2/Ang1-7 axis and away from the intrarenal ACE/Ang II axis.

The Spin Modulation Stimulated Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction over LaCoO3 Perovskite.

Perovskite is a promising non-noble catalyst and has been widely investigated for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, there is still serious lack of valid approaches to further enhance their catalytic performance. Herein, we propose a spin state modulation strategy to improve the OER electrocatalytic activity of typical perovskite material of LaCoO3 . Specifically, the electronic configuration transition was realized by a simple high temperature thermal reduction process. M-H hysteresis loop results reveal that the reduction treatment can produce more unpaired electrons in 3d orbit by promoting the electron transitions of Co from low spin state to high spin state, and thus lead to the increase of the spin polarization. Electrochemical measurements show that the catalytic performance of LaCoO3 is strongly dependent on its electronic configuration. With the optimized reduction treatment, the overpotential for the OER process in 0.5 M KOH electrolyte solution at 10 mA cm-2 current density was 396 mV, significantly lower than that of the original state. Furthermore, it can mediate efficient OER with an overpotential of 383 mV under an external magnetic field, which is attributed to the appropriate electron filling. Our results show that electron spin state regulation is a new way to boost the OER electrocatalytic activity.

The effect of a multidisciplinary lifestyle modification program for obese and overweight children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents has been recognized as a public health threat worldwide. This study aimed to assess the effect of a stepwise lifestyle intervention in children and adolescents. METHODS: We developed a multidisciplinary clinic aimed at providing lifestyle interventions for obese children and adolescents. The program comprised three stages with stepwise goals: knowledge building (the first 4 weeks), habit consolidation (5-12 weeks), and self-monitoring (13-20 weeks). RESULTS: Of the 63 participants (age 11.6 ± 3.2 years) who entered the first stage of the program, 48, 22, and 15 completed the first, second and third stages (4, 12, and 20 weeks), respectively. In the first stage, significant improvement was noted in body weight, body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, and waist circumference. Improvements in physical fitness performance were observed at 4 weeks in 3/5 items and at 12 weeks in 4/5 items. The decreases in body weight, BMI and BMI z-score were most prominent in the first two stages. In the third stage, participants maintained a stable body weight. In the 15 subjects who completed the whole program, BMI decreased from 29.3 ± 6.9 to 27.8 ± 6.1 (P = 0.001), and BMI z-score decreased from 3.06 ± 0.96 to 2.69 ± 0.91(P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: We developed a feasible multidisciplinary program based on knowledge education and individualized training. BMI and physical fitness scores can be used as early indicators of lifestyle change for obese children and adolescents.

Genome-wide identification of the 14-3-3 gene family and its participation in floral transition by interacting with TFL1/FT in apple.

BACKGROUND: Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is a popular cultivated fruit crop with high economic value in China. Apple floral transition is an important process but liable to be affected by various environmental factors. The 14-3-3 proteins are involved in regulating diverse biological processes in plants, and some 14-3-3 members play vital roles in flowering. However, little information was available about the 14-3-3 members in apple. RESULTS: In the current study, we identified eighteen 14-3-3 gene family members from the apple genome database, designated MdGF14a to MdGF14r. The isoforms possess a conserved core region comprising nine antiparallel α-helices and divergent N and C termini. According to their structural and phylogenetic features, Md14-3-3 proteins could be classified into two major evolutionary branches, the epsilon (ɛ) group and the non-epsilon (non-ɛ) group. Moreover, expression profiles derived from transcriptome data and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR analysis showed diverse expression patterns of Md14-3-3 genes in various tissues and in response to different sugars and hormone treatments during the floral transition phase. Four Md14-3-3 isoforms (MdGF14a, MdGF14d, MdGF14i, and MdGF14j) exhibiting prominent transcriptional responses to sugars and hormones were selected for further investigation. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation experiments showed that the four Md14-3-3 proteins interact with key floral integrators, MdTFL1 (TERMINAL FLOWER1) and MdFT (FLOWERING LOCUS T). Subcellular localization of four selected Md14-3-3 proteins demonstrated their localization in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. CONCLUSION: We identified the Md14-3-3 s family in apple comprehensively. Certain Md14-3-3 genes are expressed predominantly during the apple floral transition stage, and may participate in the regulation of flowering through association with flower control genes. Our results provide a preliminary framework for further investigation into the roles of Md14-3-3 s in floral transition.

Reduction of N2 to NH3 by TiO2-supported Ni cluster catalysts: a DFT study.

Electrochemical techniques for ammonia synthesis are considered as an encouraging energy conversion technology to efficiently meet the challenge of nitrogen cycle balance. Herein, we find that TiO2(101)-supported Ni4 and Ni13 clusters can serve as efficient catalysts for electrocatalytic N2 reduction based on theoretical calculations. Electronic property calculations reveal the formation of electron-deficient Ni clusters on the TiO2 surface, which provides multiple active sites for N2 adsorption and activation. Theoretical calculation identifies the strongest activated configuration of N2* on the catalysts and confirms the potential-limiting step in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). On Ni4-TiO2(101), N2* → NNH* is the potential-limiting step with a very small free energy increase (ΔG) of 0.24 eV (the corresponding overpotential is 0.33 V), while on Ni13-TiO2(101) the potential-limiting step occurs at NH* → NH2* with ΔG of 0.49 eV (the corresponding overpotential is 0.58 V). Moreover, the Nin-TiO2(101) catalyst, especially Ni13-TiO2(101), involves in a highly selective NRR even at the corresponding NRR overpotential. This work will enlighten material design to construct metal oxide supported transition metal clusters for the highly efficient NRR and NH3 synthesis.

Improved method for damping coefficient measurement based on spectral analysis of a self-mixing signal.

In this paper, the self-mixing interference subject to weak optical feedback has been used to measure the damping vibration. By analyzing the spectrum of the signal, the damping coefficient can be extracted precisely from the nth-order Bessel functions, which are determined by the dominant harmonic order of the frequency spectrum. Theoretical derivation and signal processing are presented. Four kinds of vibrating targets with different damping coefficients are measured. Experimental results show that standard deviation and root mean square error of data are less than 0.2 and 0.1, respectively, which means fitted values are stable as well as having a very high fitting precision.

Tunable electronic and optical properties of the WS2/IGZO heterostructure via an external electric field and strain: a theoretical study.

In this study, the structural, electronic and optical properties of a tungsten disulfide (WS2) hybrid with indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) heterostructures were investigated based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. According to the results of binding energy, charge density difference and electron localization function of heterostructures, we found that the WS2 and IGZO monolayers were bound to each other via non-covalent interactions with large binding energy. The calculated results illustrate that the AAii stacking pattern has an indirect band gap of 1.643 eV, while AAi and AB stacking patterns have maximum direct-gaps of 1.102 eV and 1.234 eV, respectively. Under an external E-field and mechanical strain, the response of the energy gap of the WS2/IGZO heterostructure monotonically decreased over a wide range, even with a semiconductor-metal transition. In addition, we investigated the optical properties of the heterostructure and found that it exhibits a much broad spectral responsivity (from visible light to deep UV light) and a more pronounced optical absorption than WS2 and IGZO monolayers. Moreover, the tensile strain could weaken the photoresponse of the heterostructure to the UV light and enhance the response for the visible light; under compressive strain, the heterostructure showed a strong absorption peak in the UV light. Meanwhile, a red-shift was observed under an external strain. All these unique and tunable properties indicate that the WS2/IGZO heterostructure is a good candidate for nanoelectronic and photoelectronic devices, such as field-effect transistors, flexible sensors, photodetectors and photonic devices.

Fabrication of Acidic pH-Cleavable Polymer for Anticancer Drug Delivery Using a Dual Functional Monomer.

The preparation of tumor acidic pH-cleavable polymers generally requires tedious postpolymerization modifications, leading to batch-to-batch variation and scale-up complexity. To develop a facile and universal strategy, we reported in this study design and successful synthesis of a dual functional monomer, a-OEGMA that bridges a methacrylate structure and oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) units via an acidic pH-cleavable acetal link. Therefore, a-OEGMA integrates (i) the merits of commercially available oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) monomer, i.e., hydrophilicity for extracellular stabilization of particulates and a polymerizable methacrylate for adopting controlled living radical polymerization (CLRP), and (ii) an acidic pH-cleavable acetal link for efficiently intracellular destabilization of polymeric carriers. To demonstrate the advantages of a-OEGMA ( Mn = 500 g/mol) relative to the commercially available OEGMA ( Mn = 300 g/mol) for drug delivery applications, we prepared both acidic pH-cleavable poly(ε-caprolactone)21- b-poly( a-OEGMA)11 (PCL21- b-P( a-OEGMA)11) and pH-insensitive analogues of PCL21- b-P(OEGMA)18 with an almost identical molecular weight (MW) of approximately 5.0 kDa for the hydrophilic blocks by a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-CL and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of a-OEGMA or OEGMA. The pH-responsive micelles self-assembled from PCL21- b-P( a-OEGMA)11 showed sufficient salt stability, but efficient acidic pH-triggered aggregation that was confirmed by the DLS and TEM measurements as well as further characterizations of the products after degradation. In vitro drug release study revealed significantly promoted drug release at pH 5.0 relative to the release profile recorded at pH 7.4 due to the loss of colloidal stability and formation of micelle aggregates. The delivery efficacy evaluated by flow cytometry analyses and an in vitro cytotoxicity study in A549 cells further corroborated greater cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of Dox-loaded pH-sensitive micelles of PCL21- b-P( a-OEGMA)11 relative to the pH-insensitive analogues of PCL21- b-P(OEGMA)18. This study therefore presents a facile and robust means toward tumor acidic pH-responsive polymers as well as provides one solution to the trade-off between extracellular stability and intracellular high therapeutic efficacy of drug delivery systems using a novel monomer of a-OEGMA with dual functionalities.

Ab Initio Studies of Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction for Small Cu Cluster Supported on Polar Substrates.

Small Cu clusters are excellent candidates for the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR), and their catalytic performance is expected to be significantly influenced by the interaction between the substrate and cluster. In this study, we systematically investigate the CO2RR for a Cu3 cluster anchored on Janus MoSX (X = Se, Te) substrates using density functional theory calculations. These substrates feature a broken vertical mirror symmetry, which generates spontaneous out-of-plane polarization and offers two distinct polar surfaces to support the Cu3 cluster. Our findings reveal that the CO2RR performance on the Cu3 cluster is strongly influenced by the polarization direction and strength of the MoSX (X = Se, Te) substrates. Notably, the Cu3 cluster supported on the S-terminated MoSTe surface (Cu3(S)@MoSTe) demonstrates the highest CO2RR activity, producing methane. These results underscore the pivotal role of substrate polarization in modulating the binding strength of reactants and reaction intermediates, thereby enhancing the CO2RR efficiency.

Chitosan Oligosaccharide Laser Lithograph: A Facile Route to Porous Graphene Electrodes for Flexible On-Chip Microsupercapacitors.

In this study, a convenient chitosan oligosaccharide laser lithograph (COSLL) technology was developed to fabricate laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes and flexible on-chip microsupercapacitors (MSCs). With a simple one-step CO2 laser, the pyrolysis of a chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and in situ welding of the generated LIGs to engineering plastic substrates are achieved simultaneously. The resulting LIG products display a hierarchical porous architecture, excellent electrical conductivity (6.3 Ω sq-1), and superhydrophilic properties, making them ideal electrode materials for MSCs. The pyrolysis-welding coupled mechanism is deeply discussed through cross-sectional analyses and finite element simulations. The MSCs prepared by COSLL exhibit considerable areal capacitance of over 4 mF cm-2, which is comparable to that of the polyimide-LIG-based counterpart. COSLL is also compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) processes, enabling the fabrication of LIG/Au MSCs with comparable areal capacitance and lower internal resistance. Furthermore, the as-prepared MSCs demonstrate excellent mechanical robustness, long-cycle capability, and ease of series-parallel integration, benefiting their practical application in various scenarios. With the use of eco-friendly biomass carbon source and convenient process flowchart, the COSLL emerges as an attractive method for the fabrication of flexible LIG on-chip MSCs and various other advanced LIG devices.

Decreased plasma ELABELA level as a novel screening indicator for heart failure: a cohort and observational study.

The predictive power of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is limited by its low specificity in patients with heart failure (HF). Discovery of more novel biomarkers for HF better diagnosis is necessary and urgent. ELABELA, an early endogenous ligand for the G protein-coupled receptor APJ (Apelin peptide jejunum, Apelin receptor), exhibits cardioprotective actions. However, the relationship between plasma ELABELA and cardiac function in HF patients is unclear. To evaluate plasma ELABELA level and its diagnostic value in HF patients, a total of 335 patients with or without HF were recruited for our monocentric observational study. Plasma ELABELA and Apelin levels were detected by immunoassay in all patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between plasma ELABELA or Apelin levels and study variables. The receiver operating characteristic curves were used to access the predictive power of plasma ELABELA or Apelin levels. Plasma ELABELA levels were lower, while plasma Apelin levels were higher in HF patients than in non-HF patients. Plasma ELABELA levels were gradually decreased with increasing New York Heart Association grade or decreasing LVEF. Plasma ELABELA levels were negatively correlated with BNP, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, and left ventricular posterior wall thickness and positively correlated with LVEF in HF patients. In contrast, the correlation between plasma Apelin levels and these parameters is utterly opposite to ELABELA. The diagnostic value of ELABELA, Apelin, and LVEF for all HF patients was 0.835, 0.673, and 0.612; the sensitivity was 62.52, 66.20, and 32.97%; and the specificity was 95.92, 67.23, and 87.49%, respectively. All these parameters in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction were comparable to those in total HF patients. Overall, plasma ELABELA levels were significantly reduced and negatively correlated with cardiac function in HF patients. Decreased plasma ELABELA levels may function as a novel screening biomarker for HF. A combined assessment of BNP and ELABELA may be a good choice to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of HF.

Specific interaction based drug loading strategies.

Drug carriers have been commonly used for drug control release, enhancing drug efficacy and/or minimizing side-effects. However, it is still difficult to get a high loading efficiency when encapsulating super hydrophilic drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, such as many neurotoxins. Increasing the carrier proportion can improve drug loading to a certain degree, while the burst released drug when the formulation enters the body may cause overdose side-effects. Moreover, high-dose carriers themselves may increase the metabolic burden of the body. Hence, new drug carriers and/or loading strategies are urgently needed to promote the applications of these drugs. This minireview will introduce drug loading strategies based on specific interactions (between drugs and carriers) and will discuss the challenges and perspectives of these strategies. This work is expected to provide alternative inspiration for the delivery of hydrophilic drugs.

PPyNT/NR/NBR Composites with Excellent Microwave Absorbing Performance in X-Band.

To meet the comprehensive demand for flexible microwave absorbing (MA) materials, a novel MA rubber containing homemade Polypyrrole nanotube (PPyNT) is produced based on the natural rubber (NR) and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) blends. To achieve the optimal MA performance in the X band, the PPyNT content and NR/NBR blend ratio are adjusted in detail. The 6 phr PPyNT filled NR/NBR (90/10) composite has the superior MA performance with the minimum reflection loss value of -56.67 dB and the corresponding effective bandwidth of 3.7 GHz at a thickness of 2.9 mm, which has the merits in virtue of achieving strong absorption and wide effective absorption band with low filler content and thickness compared to most reported microwave absorbing rubber materials over the same frequency. This work provides new insight into the development of flexible microwave-absorbing materials.