Recent Progress and Future Prospects on All-Organic Polymer Dielectrics for Energy Storage Capacitors.

With the development of advanced electronic devices and electric power systems, polymer-based dielectric film capacitors with high energy storage capability have become particularly important. Compared with polymer nanocomposites with widespread attention, all-organic polymers are fundamental and have been proven to be more effective choices in the process of scalable, continuous, and large-scale industrial production, leading to many dielectric and energy storage applications. In the past decade, efforts have intensified in this field with great progress in newly discovered dielectric polymers, fundamental production technologies, and extension toward emerging computational strategies. This review summarizes the recent progress in the field of energy storage based on conventional as well as heat-resistant all-organic polymer materials with the focus on strategies to enhance the dielectric properties and energy storage performances. The key parameters of all-organic polymers, such as dielectric constant, dielectric loss, breakdown strength, energy density, and charge-discharge efficiency, have been thoroughly studied. In addition, the applications of computer-aided calculation including density functional theory, machine learning, and materials genome in rational design and performance prediction of polymer dielectrics are reviewed in detail. Based on a comprehensive understanding of recent developments, guidelines and prospects for the future development of all-organic polymer materials with dielectric and energy storage applications are proposed.

Tiny Drosophila intestinal stem cells, big power.

The signaling pathways are highly conserved between Drosophila and mammals concerning intestinal development, regeneration, and disease. The powerful genetic tools of Drosophila make it a valuable and convenient alternative to answer basic biological questions that can not be addressed using mammalian models. In this review, we discuss recent advances in how we use fly midgut to answer the following key questions: (1) How intestine stem cell niches are established; (2) which factors control asymmetric division of stem cells; (3) how intestinal cells interact with environmental factors, such as tissue damage, microbiota, and diet; (4) how to screen aging/cancer-related factors or drugs by fly intestine stem cells.

Urological Tumor: A Narrative Review of Tertiary Lymphatic Structures.

BACKGROUND: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), as ectopic lymphoid-like tissues, are highly similar to secondary lymphoid organs and are not only involved in chronic inflammation and autoimmune responses but are also closely associated with tumor immunotherapy and prognosis. The complex composition of the urological tumor microenvironment not only varies greatly in response to immunotherapy, but the prognostic value of TLSs in different urological tumors remains controversial. SUMMARY: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and other full-text database systems. TLSs, kidney cancer, uroepithelial cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer as keywords, relevant literature was searched from the time the library was built to 2023. Systematically explore the role and mechanism of TLSs in urological tumors. It includes the characteristics of TLSs, the role and mechanism of TLSs in urological tumors, and the clinical significance of TLSs in urological tumors. KEY MESSAGES: The prognostic role of TLSs in different urological tumors was significantly different. It is not only related to its enrichment in the tumor but also highly correlated with the location of the tumor. In addition, autoimmune toxicity may be a potential barrier to its role in the formation of TLSs through induction. Therefore, studying the mechanisms of TLSs in autoimmune diseases may help in the development of antitumor target drugs.

A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Adsorption Sites of Zinc-Based MOFs for Efficient Ammonia Capture.

Ammonia (NH3) is a common pollutant mostly derived from pig manure composting under humid conditions, and it is absolutely necessary to develop materials for ammonia removal with high stability and efficiency. To this end, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received special attention because of their high selectivity of harmful gases in the air, resulting from their large surface area and high density of active sites, which can be tailored by appropriate modifications. Herein, two synthetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) and zinc-trimesic acid (ZnBTC), were selected for ammonia removal under humid conditions during composting. The two MOFs, with different organic linkers, exhibit fairly distinctive ammonia absorption behaviors under the same conditions. For the ZnBTC framework, the ammonia intake is 11.37 mmol/g at 298 K, nine times higher than that of the ZIF-8 framework (1.26 mmol/g). In combination with theoretical calculations, powder XRD patterns, FTIR, and BET surface area tests were conducted to reveal the absorption mechanisms of ammonia for the two materials. The adsorption of ammonia on the ZnBTC framework can be attributed to both physical and chemical adsorption. A strong coordination interaction exists between the nitrogen atom from the ammonia molecule and the zinc atom in the ZnBTC framework. In contrast, the absorption of ammonia in the ZIF-8 framework is mainly physical. The weak interaction between the ammonia molecule and the ZIF-8 framework mainly results from the inherent severely steric hindrance, which is related to the coordination mode of the imidazole ligands and the zinc atom of this framework. Therefore, this study provides a method for designing promising MOFs with appropriate organic linkers for the selective capture of ammonia during manure composting.

Tunable Ammonia Adsorption within Metal-Organic Frameworks with Different Unsaturated Metal Sites.

Ammonia (NH3) emissions during agricultural production can cause serious consequences on animal and human health, and it is quite vital to develop high-efficiency adsorbents for NH3 removal from emission sources or air. Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as the most promising candidates for the capture of NH3, offer a unique solid adsorbent design platform. In this work, a series of MOFs with different metal centers, ZnBTC, FeBTC and CuBTC, were proposed for NH3 adsorption. The metal centers of the three MOFs are coordinated in a different manner and can be attacked by NH3 with different strengths, resulting in different adsorption capacities of 11.33, 9.5, and 23.88 mmol/g, respectively. In addition, theoretical calculations, powder XRD patterns, FTIR, and BET for the three materials before and after absorption of ammonia were investigated to elucidate their distinctively different ammonia absorption mechanisms. Overall, the study will absolutely provide an important step in designing promising MOFs with appropriate central metals for the capture of NH3.

Neutralization of IL-10 produced by B cells promotes protective immunity during persistent HCV infection in humanized mice.

Chronic HCV infection can lead to cirrhosis and is associated with increased mortality. Interleukin (IL)-10-producing B cells (B10 cells) are regulatory cells that suppress cellular immune responses. Here, we aimed to determine whether HCV induces B10 cells and assess the roles of the B10 cells during HCV infection. HCV-induced B10 cells were enriched in CD19hi and CD1dhi CD5+ cell populations. HCV predominantly triggered the TLR2-MyD88-NF-κB and AP-1 signaling pathways to drive IL-10 production by B cells. In a humanized murine model of persistent HCV infection, to neutralize IL-10 produced by B10 cells, mice were treated with pcCD19scFv-IL-10R, which contains the genes coding the anti-CD19 single-chain variable fragment (CD19scFv) and the extracellular domain of IL-10 receptor alpha chain (sIL-10Ra). This treatment resulted in significant reduction of B10 cells in spleen and liver, increase of cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses against HCV, and low viral loads in infected humanized mice. Our results indicate that targeting B10 cells via neutralization of IL-10 may offer a novel strategy to enhance anti-HCV immunotherapy.

All-Organic Dielectrics with High Breakdown Strength and Energy Storage Density for High-Power Capacitors.

Polymer-based film capacitors with high breakdown strength and excellent flexibility are crucial in the field of advanced electronic devices and electric power systems. Although massive works are carried to enhance the energy storage performances, it is still a great challenge to improve the energy density of polymer composites under the premise of large-scale industrial production. Herein, a general strategy is proposed to improve the intrinsic breakdown strength and energy storage performances by blending core-shell structured methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS) rubber particles into a polymer matrix. Good compatibility and uniform dispersion state of MBS particles are observed in the matrix. Polarizing microscopy images show that blended films exhibit clear reduction of crystalline grains with the addition of MBS particles. Accordingly, an increased breakdown strength of 515 MV m-1 and discharged energy density of 12.33 J cm-3 are observed in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)-based composite films. Through comprehensive characterizations, it is believed that the superior energy storage performance of composite films is attributed to decreased crystalline grains, improved mechanical properties, and restriction on carrier motion. These results provide a novel design of dielectric polymers for high breakdown strength and discharged energy density applications.

Longipetalol A: A Highly Modified Triterpenoid from Dichapetalum longipetalum.

Longipetalol A (1) is an unprecedented highly modified triterpenoid with a unique 1,2-seco-3-(2-oxo-phenylethyl)-17α-13,30-cyclodammarane skeleton, featuring an acetal-lactone fragment. It was isolated from Dichapetalum longipetalum along with two additional derivatives, namely, longipetalols B (2) and C (3). Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic analyses combined with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 exhibited inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 macrophages.

Mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan-induced B10 cells decrease severity of dextran sodium sulphate-induced inflammatory bowel disease in mice.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, non-specific, inflammatory gastrointestinal disease that mainly consists of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. However, the aetiology and pathogenesis of IBD are still unclear. B10 (IL-10 producing regulatory B) cells, a subset of regulatory B cells, are known to contribute to intestinal homeostasis and the aberrant frequency of B10 cells is associated with IBD. We have recently reported that B10 cells can be induced by ManLAM (mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan), a major cell-wall lipoglycan of M tb (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). In the current study, the ManLAM-induced B10 cells were adoptively transferred into IL(interleukin)-10-/- mice and the roles of ManLAM-induced B10 cells were investigated in DSS (dextran sodium sulphate)-induced IBD model. ManLAM-induced B10 cells decrease colitis severity in the mice. The B10 cells downregulate Th1 polarization in spleen and MLNs (mesenteric lymph nodes) of DSS-treated mice. These results suggest that IL-10 production by ManLAM-treated B cells contributes to keeping the balance between CD4+ T cell subsets and protect mice from DSS-induced IBD.

Calycosin inhibits viability, induces apoptosis, and suppresses invasion of cervical cancer cells by upregulating tumor suppressor miR-375.

Calycosin, a functional phytoestrogen isoflavone isolated from Radix astragali, has been shown to possess multiple pharmacological properties including anti-cancer activity. However, up to now, the anti-cancer effect and the related mechanism of calycosin on cervical cancer (CC) cells have not been explored. It has been demonstrated that tumor suppressor miR-375 was downregulated in CC and calycosin upregulated miR-375 expression in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. Thus we supposed that calycosin exerted anti-cancer effect by upregulating miR-375 expression in CC cells. Effects of calycosin or combined with miR-375 on cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were detected by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetra zoliumromide (MTT) and LDH release assay. Apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, and cell invasion were determined by flow cytometry, caspase-3 activity assay, and Transwell assay, respectively. miR-375 expression was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Our results showed that Calycosin dose-dependently inhibited cell viability and increased LDH release in CC cells, suggesting the cytotoxic effect of calycosin on CC cells. Calycosin enhanced the apoptotic rate and caspase-3 activity and decreased the number of invaded cells in CC cells. In addition, we found that miR-375 expression was decreased in CC cells but was upregulated in response to calycosin. Mechanistically, knockdown of miR-375 significantly reversed the anti-cancer effect of calycosin on CC cells. In conclusion, calycosin inhibited viability, induced apoptosis, and suppressed invasion of CC cells by upregulating tumor suppressor miR-375.

Efficacy of novel nano-hydroxyapatite/polyurethane composite scaffolds with silver phosphate particles in chronic osteomyelitis.

Recently, chronic osteomyelitis is still a challenging surgical problem. Unfortunately, the traditional clinical method using bone cement loaded antibiotics is restricted due to its non-biodegradability and limited release of antibiotics. Hydroxyapatite is a good adsorbent with good biocompatibility, an ideal bone repair material, and can avert the requirement for the secondary surgical procedure of removal. In this study, nano-hydroxyapatite combined with a polyurethane containing 3% silver (Ag/n-HA/PU) was synthesized, and investigated for its efficacy of treating chronic bone infection with bone defects. To clarify its silver ions release characteristics, the concentration of the Ag+ in the elution was analyzed every day after in vitro deionized water immersion. A chronic osteomyelitis of tibia in rabbit model was established, and 70 New Zealand rabbits were divided into 4 groups, including the blank control group, nano-hydroxyapatite combined with polyurethane (n-HA/PU) implant group, 3% Ag/n-HA/PU group and 10% Ag/n-HA/PU group after debridement. Routine blood tests, radiography, Micro-CT, and histological staining were conducted at 4 days, 3, 6 and 12 weeks post-treatment. The results showed that the released silver from the 3% Ag/n-HA/PU and 10% Ag/n-HA/PU exhibited an initial burst release and followed by a slow controlled release up to 39 days and 42 days respectively. A good repair of bone defects, an appropriate rate of degradation of scaffolds and no significant toxicity were observed in the 3% Ag/n-HA/PU group, indicating the advantages of this novel synthetic scaffold to be a potential option for the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. A novel nano-composite, nano-hydroxyapatite combined with a polyurethane containing 3% silver (Ag/n-HA/PU) provide controlled release of Ag+, illustrated by its abilities of biodegradation, antimicrobial activity, and favorable repair of bone defects in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis.

Genetics implicate common mechanisms in autism and schizophrenia: synaptic activity and immunity.

The diagnosis of debilitating psychiatric disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCHZ) is on the rise. These are severe conditions that lead to social isolation and require lifelong professional care. Improved diagnosis of ASD and SCHZ provides early access to medication and therapy, but the reality is that the mechanisms and the cellular pathology underlying these conditions are mostly unknown at this time. Although both ASD and SCHZ have strong inherited components, genetic risk seems to be distributed in hundreds of variants, each conferring low risk. The poor understanding of the genetics of ASD and SCHZ is a significant hurdle to developing effective treatments for these costly conditions. The recent implementation of next-generation sequencing technologies and the creation of large consortia have started to reveal the genetic bases of ASD and SCHZ. Alterations in gene expression regulation, synaptic architecture and activity and immunity seem to be the main cellular mechanisms contributing to both ASD and SCHZ, a surprising overlap given the distinct phenotypes and onset of these conditions. These diverse pathways seem to converge in aberrant synaptic plasticity and remodelling, which leads to altered connectivity between relevant brain regions. Continuous efforts to understand the genetic basis of ASD and SCHZ will soon lead to significant progress in the mechanistic understanding of these prominent psychiatric disorders and enable the development of disease-modifying therapies for these devastating conditions.

Evaluation of combined effects of brain electronic biofeedback training and psycho-behavior intervention in ADHD affected children.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to explore the potential effects of brain electronic biofeedback training in combination with psycho-behavior intervention during non-medical treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The children with ADHD admitted to our department from January 2015 to January 2016 were selected as the study subjects. All the cases met the standard of Chinese classification of mental disorders criterion and were divided into two groups, the control group and the observation group, with 15 cases in each group. Medical treatment and brain electronic biofeedback training were provided for the children in the control group; while medical treatment and brain electronic biofeedback training in combination with psycho-behavior intervention were provided to children in the observation group. For both groups, one course lasted for three months, after which questionnaires were distribute in order to evaluate the application effects. RESULTS: The symptoms of the children in the two groups were improved after the treatment. However, the improvement in observation group was significantly higher that of the children in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Brain electronic biofeedback training in combination with psycho-behavior intervention is significantly better treatment option for children affected with ADHD.

Molecular basis of behavior problems in young infants.

The molecular bases of behavior problems in young infants are related to genetic and epigenetic determinants of children's behavior. It has been estimated that 7% of preschoolers and 13-20% of school-aged children and adolescents suffer from internalizing and/or externalizing problems. Researchers in the field are involved in the search for specific epigenetic patterns related to the prenatal environment using cutting-edge approaches like the candidate gene, the genome-wide, and epigenome-wide approaches. The present review article will discuss all these latest innovations in order to better understand molecular bases of behavior problems in young infants that shall definitely result in better treatment planning.

WITHDRAWN: Up-regulation of RIP3 alleviates cervical cancer progression through inducing necroptosis.

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Ratiometric Fluorescent Detection of Pb2+ by FRET-Based Phthalocyanine-Porphyrin Dyads.

Sensitive and selective detection of Pb2+ is a very worthwhile endeavor in terms of both human health and environmental protection, as the heavy metal is fairly ubiquitous and highly toxic. In this study, we designed phthalocyanine-porphyrin (Pc-Por) heterodyads, namely, H2Pc-α-ZnPor (1) and H2Pc-ß-ZnPor (2), by connecting a zinc(II) porphyrin moiety to the nonperipheral (α) or peripheral (ß) position of a metal-free phthalocyanine moiety. Upon excitation at the porphyrin Soret region (420 nm), both of the dyads exhibited not only a porphyrin emission (605 nm) but also a phthalocyanine emission (ca. 700 nm), indicating the occurrence of intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) processes from the porphyrin donor to the phthalocyanine acceptor. The dyads can selectively bind Pb2+ in the phthalocyanine core leading to a red shift of the phthalocyanine absorption and thus a decrease of spectral overlap between the porphyrin emission and phthalocyanine absorption, which in turn suppresses the intramolecular FRET. In addition, the binding of Pb2+ can highly quench the emission of phthalocyanine by heavy-metal ion effects. The synergistic coupled functions endow the dyads with remarkable ratiometric fluorescent responses at two distinct wavelengths (F605/F703 for 1 and F605/F700 for 2). The emission intensity ratio increased as a linear function to the concentration of Pb2+ in the range of 0-4.0 µM, whereas the detection limits were determined to be 3.4 × 10-9 and 2.2 × 10-8 M for 1 and 2, respectively. Furthermore, by comparative study of 1 and 2, the effects of distance and relative orientation between Pc and ZnPor fluorophores on the FRET efficiency and sensing performance were highlighted, which is helpful for further optimizing such FRET systems.

Genetic frequencies related to severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The aim was to study the frequencies of common deafness-related mutations and their contribution to hearing loss in different regions of Inner Mongolia. A total of 738 deaf children were recruited from five different ethnic groups of Inner Mongolia, including Han Chinese (n=486), Mongolian (n=216), Manchurian (n=24), Hui (n=6) and Daur (n=6). Nine common mutations in four genes (GJB2, SLC26A4, GJB3 and mitochondrial MT-RNR1 gene) were detected by allele-specific PCR and universal array. At least one mutated allele was detected in 282 patients. Pathogenic mutations were detected in 168 patients: 114 were homozygotes and 54 were compound heterozygotes. The 114 patients were carriers of only one mutated allele. The frequency of GJB2 variants in Han Chinese (21.0%) was higher than that in Mongolians (16.7%), but not significantly different. On the other hand, the frequency of SLC26A4 variants in Han Chinese (14.8%) was lower than that in Mongolians (19.4%), but also not significantly different. The frequency of patients with pathogenic mutations was different in Ulanqab (21.4%), Xilingol (40.0%), Chifeng (40.0%), Hulunbeier (30.0%), Hohhot (26.3%), and in Baotou (0%). In conclusion, the frequency of mutated alleles in deafness-related genes did not differ between Han Chinese and Mongolians. However, differences in the distribution of common deafness-related mutations were found among the investigated areas of Inner Mongolia.

Circ_0050444 represses esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ranks as the fourth leading cause of tumor-related deaths in China. Circ_0050444 has been revealed to be downregulated in ESCC tissues, however, its function and molecular mechanism underlying ESCC progression is unknown. Therefore, we attempted to clarify the functional role and molecular mechanism of circ_0050444 underlying ESCC progression. RT-qPCR and RNase R digestion assays were used to evaluate circ_0050444 expression and stability characteristics in ESCC cells. Gain-of-function assays were conducted to clarify circ_0050444 role in ESCC cell malignant behaviors. Bioinformatics and mechanism experiments were performed to assess the relationship between circ_0050444 or C10orf91 and miR-486-3p in ESCC cells. Rescue assays were conducted to evaluate the regulatory function of the circ_0050444-miR-486-3p-C10orf91 axis in ESCC cellular processes. Circ_0050444 expression was found to be downregulated both in ESCC patient tissues and cell lines. Functionally, circ_0050444 overexpression repressed ESCC cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities in cultured cells. Mechanistically, circ_0050444 was found to be competitively bound with miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91 in ESCC cells. Moreover, the impact of circ_0050444 elevation on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was countervailed by C10orf91 silencing. Circ_0050444 presents downregulation and functions as a tumor suppressor in ESCC progression. Circ_0050444 suppresses ESCC proliferation, migration, and invasion through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91, providing a potential new direction for seeking therapeutic plans for ESCC.

Potential of novel iron 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate loaded on biochar to reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions and its associated biological mechanism during composting.

In this study, a novel iron 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate loaded on biochar (BC-FeBTC) was developed and applied to kitchen waste composting. The results demonstrated that the emissions of NH3 and N2O were significantly reduced by 57.2% and 37.8%, respectively, compared with those in control group (CK). Microbiological analysis indicated that BC-FeBTC addition altered the diversity and abundance of community structure as well as key functional genes. The nitrification genes of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were enhanced, thereby promoting nitrification and reducing the emission of NH3. The typical denitrifying bacterium, Pseudomonas, and critical functional genes (nirS, nirK, and nosZ) were significantly inhibited, contributing to reduced N2O emissions. Network analysis further revealed the important influence of BC-FeBTC in nitrogen transformation driven by functional microbes. These findings offer crucial scientific foundation and guidance for the application of novel materials aimed at mitigating nitrogen loss and environmental pollution during composting.

Glutathione-dependent degradation of SMARCA2/4 for targeted lung cancer therapy with improved selectivity.

SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 are the mutually exclusive catalytic subunits of the mammalian Switch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex, and have recently been considered as attractive synthetic lethal targets for PROTAC-based cancer therapy. However, the potential off-tissue toxicity towards normal tissues remains a concern. Here, we optimize a GSH-inducible SMARCA2/4-based PROTAC precursor with selective antitumor activity towards lung cancer cells and negligible cytotoxicity towards normal cells in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The precursor is not bioactive or cytotoxic, but preferentially responds to endogenous GSH in GSH-rich lung cancer cells, releasing active PROTAC to degrade SMARCA2/4 via PROTAC-mediated proteasome pathway. Subsequent xenograft model study reveals that selective SMARCA2/4 degradation in lung tumors triggers DNA damage and apoptosis, which significantly inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation without obvious adverse events towards normal tissues. This study exemplifies the targeted degradation of SMARCA2/4 in lung cancer cells by the GSH-responsive PROTAC precursor, highlighting its potential as an encouraging cancer therapeutic strategy.