AuBr3 Induces CsPb(Br/I)3 QDs to Self-Assemble into Nanowires.

Perovskite quantum dots can form various forms such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanosheets through self-assembly. Nanoscale self-assembly can be used to fabricate materials with excellent device properties. This study introduces AuBr3 into CsPb(Br/I)3 quantum dots, causing them to assemble into nanowires. The nanowires form because part of Au3+ is surface-doped to replace Pb2+, and the [PbX6]4- octahedral structure is distorted. The symmetry of the structural surface is broken, and a dipole-moment-induced field is generated, thus promoting self-assembly. Moreover, the presence of Au nanoparticles (NPs) causes a localized surface plasmon resonance and generates strong van der Waals forces that promote self-assembly. Finally, to test other applications of perovskite nanowires, the solution method is used to prepare films by compounding the sample solution and polystyrene (PS) for backlighted displays.

Advancements in MRI-Based Radiomics and Artificial Intelligence for Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Review and Future Prospects.

The use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) has become a common technique used in guiding biopsy and developing treatment plans for prostate lesions. While this technique is effective, non-invasive methods such as radiomics have gained popularity for extracting imaging features to develop predictive models for clinical tasks. The aim is to minimize invasive processes for improved management of prostate cancer (PCa). This study reviews recent research progress in MRI-based radiomics for PCa, including the radiomics pipeline and potential factors affecting personalized diagnosis. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with medical imaging is also discussed, in line with the development trend of radiogenomics and multi-omics. The survey highlights the need for more data from multiple institutions to avoid bias and generalize the predictive model. The AI-based radiomics model is considered a promising clinical tool with good prospects for application.

Oxidative Radical Transnitrilation of Arylboronic Acids with Trityl Isocyanide.

We report a radical transnitrilation of arylboronic acids with trityl isocyanide in the presence of manganese(III) acetate. Many functional groups can be tolerated in this transformation, and a special positive effect of benzoic acid in this reaction has been observed.

Amelioration of hepatic steatosis by dietary essential amino acid-induced ubiquitination.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern with no approved drugs. High-protein dietary intervention is currently the most effective treatment. However, its underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, using Drosophila oenocytes, the specialized hepatocyte-like cells, we find that dietary essential amino acids ameliorate hepatic steatosis by inducing polyubiquitination of Plin2, a lipid droplet-stabilizing protein. Leucine and isoleucine, two branched-chain essential amino acids, strongly bind to and activate the E3 ubiquitin ligase Ubr1, targeting Plin2 for degradation. We further show that the amino acid-induced Ubr1 activity is necessary to prevent steatosis in mouse livers and cultured human hepatocytes, providing molecular insight into the anti-NAFLD effects of dietary protein/amino acids. Importantly, split-intein-mediated trans-splicing expression of constitutively active UBR2, an Ubr1 family member, significantly ameliorates obesity-induced and high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Together, our results highlight activation of Ubr1 family proteins as a promising strategy in NAFLD treatment.

RNF20 affects porcine adipocyte differentiation via regulation of mitotic clonal expansion.

OBJECTIVES: RNF20 is recognized as a main E3 ligase for monoubiquitination of histone H2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub). The critical role of RNF20 and H2Bub in various molecular events, such as DNA replication, RNA transcription, and DNA damage response, has been widely investigated and documented. However, its role in porcine adipogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to clarify the effect of RNF20 on porcine preadipocyte differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Backfat tissues from fat-type pigs (Bama and Meishan) and lean-type pigs (Yorkshire and Landrace) were collected to detect the expression level of RNF20. Preadipocytes were isolated from Bama piglets and induced to differentiation. Small interfering RNAs were applied to deplete RNF20. Oil Red O staining, quantitative real-time PCR, RNA-seq, Western blot analysis, and EdU assays were performed to study the regulatory mechanism of RNF20 during adipogenesis. RESULTS: We found that the expression levels of RNF20 and H2Bub were significantly higher in backfat tissues from fat-type pigs than in those from lean-type pigs. Consistently, the significantly induced expression of RNF20 and H2Bub was also observed in porcine differentiated adipocytes. In addition, knockdown of RNF20 greatly inhibited porcine adipogenesis, as evidenced by dramatically decreased lipid droplet formation and lower expression levels of adipogenic transcription masters in RNF20 knockdown cells. Mechanistically, the depletion of RNF20 decreases the cell proliferation and the level of p-C/EBPß via the Ras-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 cascade pathway at the mitotic clonal expansion phase and therefore suppresses cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that RNF20 is required for porcine preadipocyte differentiation.

Highly Photoluminescent CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5 NCs@TEOS Nanocomposite in Light-Emitting Diodes.

All-inorganic halide perovskite (CsPb2Br5) nanocrystals (NCs) have received widespread attention owing to their unique photoelectric properties. This work reports a novel strategy to control the phase transition from CsPbBr3 to CsPb2Br5 and investigates the effects of different treatment times and treatment temperatures on perovskite NCs formation. By controlling the volume of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) added, the formation of different phases of perovskite powder can be well controlled. In addition, a white light-emitting diode (WLED) device is designed by coupling the CsPbBr3/CsPbBr3-CsPb2Br5 NCs@TEOS nanocomposite and CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ commercial phosphor with a 460 nm InGaN blue chip, exhibiting a high luminous efficiency of 57.65 lm/W, color rendering index (CRI) of 91, and a low CCT of 5334 K. The CIE chromaticity coordinates are (0.3363, 0.3419). This work provides a new strategy for the synthesis of CsPbBr3/CsPbBr3-CsPb2Br5 NCs@TEOS nanocomposite, which can be applied to the field of WLEDs and display devices.

Rnf20 deficiency in adipocyte impairs adipose tissue development and thermogenesis.

RNF20, an E3 ligase critical for monoubiquitination of histone H2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub), has been implicated in the regulation of various cellar processes; however, its physiological roles in adipocytes remain poorly characterized. Here, we report that the adipocyte-specific knockout of Rnf20 (ASKO) in mice led to progressive fat loss, organomegaly and hyperinsulinemia. Despite signs of hyperinsulinemia, normal insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance were observed in the young and aged CD-fed ASKO mice. In addition, high-fat diet-fed ASKO mice developed severe liver steatosis. Moreover, we observed that the ASKO mice were extremely sensitive to a cold environment due to decreased expression levels of brown adipose tissue (BAT) selective genes, including uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1), and impaired mitochondrial functions. Significantly decreased levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparγ) were observed in the gonadal white adipose tissues (gWAT) from the ASKO mice, suggesting that Rnf20 regulates adipogenesis, at least in part, through Pparγ. Rosiglitazone-treated ASKO mice exhibited increased fat mass compared to that of the non-treated ASKO mice. Collectively, our results illustrate the critical role of RNF20 in control of white and brown adipose tissue development and physiological function.

Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase is Essential for Porcine Adipocyte Differentiation.

Fat deposition, which influences pork production, meat quality and growth efficiency, is an economically important trait in pigs. Numerous studies have demonstrated that stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of saturated fatty acids into monounsaturated fatty acids, is associated with fatty acid composition in pigs. As SCD was observed to be significantly induced in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiation, we hypothesized that it plays a role in porcine adipocyte differentiation and fat deposition. In this study, we revealed that SCD is highly expressed in adipose tissues from seven-day-old piglets, compared to its expression in tissues from four-month-old adult pigs. Moreover, we found that SCD and lipogenesis-related genes were induced significantly in differentiated porcine adipocytes. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated SCD-/- porcine embryonic fibroblasts (PEFs) and found that the loss of SCD led to dramatically decreased transdifferentiation efficiency, as evidenced by the decreased expression of known lipid synthesis-related genes, lower levels of oil red O staining and significantly lower levels of triglyceride content. Our study demonstrates the critical role of SCD expression in porcine adipocyte differentiation and paves the way for identifying it as the promising candidate gene for less fat deposition in pigs.

Amplified spontaneous emission and random lasing using CsPbBr3 quantum dot glass through controlling crystallization.

By increasing the heat treatment temperature, the average size of CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) in the glass matrix was increased, which contributed to a 5.5 fold increase of the optical gain coefficients. And the corresponding lasing threshold decreased from 0.752 mJ cm-2 to 0.138 mJ cm-2.

The preparation and up-conversion properties of full spectrum CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) quantum dot glasses.

All-inorganic perovskite (CsPbX3) quantum dots (QDs) have achieved unprecedented success in various applications due to their outstanding performance. Nevertheless, the inherent instability of these QDs severely limits their practical applications. Here, ultra-stable full visible spectrum CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) QD glasses are prepared successfully. For the first time, the full spectrum tunable up-conversion (UC) emission of CsPbX3 QD glasses ranging from 420 nm to 711 nm under excitation with an 800 nm femtosecond (fs) laser was achieved. Importantly, the two-photon absorption properties, the exciton binding energy and the UC full width at half maximum (FWHM) of CsPbCl1.5Br1.5 (blue), CsPbBr3 (green), and CsPbBr1.5I1.5 (red) QD glasses were studied in depth. Furthermore, CsPbCl1.5Br1.5 showed the highest exciton binding energy (∼87.5 meV), allowing the CsPbCl1.5Br1.5 QD glass to act as a good optical gain material that could more easily achieve amplified spontaneous emission (ASE).

Adipocyte-specific disruption of ATPase copper transporting α in mice accelerates lipoatrophy.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: ATPase copper transporting α (ATP7A), also known as Menkes disease protein, is a P-type ATPase that transports copper across cell membranes. The critical role of ATP7A-mediated copper homeostasis has been well recognised in various organs, such as the intestine, macrophages and the nervous system. However, the importance of adipocyte ATP7A-mediated copper homeostasis on fat metabolism is not well understood. Here, we sought to reveal the contribution of adipose ATP7A to whole-body fat metabolism in mice. METHODS: We generated adipocyte-specific Atp7a-knockout (ASKO) mice using the Cre/loxP system, with Cre expression driven by the adiponectin promoter. ASKO mice and littermate control mice were aged on a chow diet or fed with a high-fat diet (HFD); body weight, fat mass, and glucose and insulin metabolism were analysed. Histological analysis, transmission electron microscopy and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of white adipose tissue (WAT) were used to understand the physiological and molecular changes associated with loss of copper homeostasis in adipocytes. RESULTS: Significantly increased copper concentrations were observed in adipose tissues of ASKO mice compared with control mice. Aged or HFD-fed ASKO mice manifested a lipoatrophic phenotype characterised by a progressive generalised loss of WAT. Dysfunction of adipose tissues in these ASKO mice was confirmed by decreased levels of both serum leptin and adiponectin and increased levels of triacylglycerol and insulin. Systemic metabolism was also impaired in these mice, as evidenced by a pronounced glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. Moreover, we demonstrate a significant induction of lipolysis and DNA-damage signalling pathways in gonadal WAT from aged and HFD-fed ASKO mice. In vitro studies suggest that copper overload is responsible for increased lipolysis and DNA damage. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our results show a previously unappreciated role of adipocyte Atp7a in the regulation of ageing-related metabolic disease and identify new metallophysiologies in whole-body fat metabolism. DATA AVAILABILITY: The datasets generated during the current study are available in the Genome Sequence Archive in BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, under accession number CRA001769 (http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gsa).

Transcriptional Response of Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue to Acute Cold Exposure in Mice.

Beige adipose tissue has been considered to have potential applications in combating obesity and its related metabolic diseases. However, the mechanisms of acute cold-stimulated beige formation still remain largely unknown. Here, transcriptional analysis of acute cold-stimulated (4 °C for 4 h) subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) was conducted to determine the molecular signatures that might be involved in beige formation. Histological analysis confirmed the appearance of beige adipocytes in acute cold-treated sWAT. The RNA-sequencing data revealed that 714 genes were differentially expressed (p-value < 0.05 and fold change > 2), in which 221 genes were upregulated and 493 genes were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) analyses showed that the upregulated genes were enriched in the GO terms related to lipid metabolic process, fatty acid metabolic process, lipid oxidation, fatty acid oxidation, etc. In contrast, downregulated genes were assigned the GO terms of regulation of immune response, regulation of response to stimulus, defense response, etc. The expressions of some browning candidate genes were validated in cold-treated sWAT and 3T3-L1 cell browning differentiation. In summary, our results illustrated the transcriptional response of sWAT to acute cold exposure and identified the genes, including Acad11, Cyp2e1, Plin5, and Pdk2, involved in beige adipocyte formation in mice.

Ultrastability and color-tunability of CsPb(Br/I)3 nanocrystals in P-Si-Zn glass for white LEDs.

A series of CsPbBrxI3-x NC glasses, showing tunable emission (523-693 nm) controlled by different ratios of Br- and I-, were successfully prepared. The CsPbBrxI3-x NC glasses exhibited excellent optical properties and outstanding stability towards ambient conditions, water and heat.

Moderate fabrication and characterization of the microcrystalline Sr2CuO3 glass films with effective nonlinearities.

Since nonlinear optical materials used in the ultrafast all-optical switching is an important part for the modern optical technology, cuprates have been widely investigated for their specific Cu-O chain structure and intriguing optical properties. We present a new preparation method of microcrystalline Sr2CuO3 glass films on glass substrates combining spin-coating and co-sintering techniques. Then, the as-prepared samples were polished for different times to obtain microcrystalline Sr2CuO3 glass films with varying thickness. The influence of polishing time on the structure, the valence state and the nonlinear optical response were discussed, respectively. The purity of the Sr2CuO3 phase, surface morphology and the chemical composites of these synthesized glass films were given with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Importantly, optical absorption spectroscopy and Z-scan technique were used to measure linear absorption and third-order optical nonlinearity of the films. The experiments showed that third-order nonlinear susceptibility of the 140 min polished film sample with a thickness of 18 µm was up to 1.23 × 10-12 esu, indicating its potential application in the nonlinear field.

Tb3+, Eu3+ Co-doped CsPbBr3 QDs Glass with Highly Stable and Luminous Adjustable for White LEDs.

Herein, we have introduced rare-earth cations Tb3+ and Eu3+ into CsPbBr3 QDs glass by conventional melt-quenching. Rare-earth cations like Tb3+ emit green light, causing the main peak of bromide lead cesium to exhibit some redshift, owing to the energy transfer between CsPbBr3 and Tb3+. To achieve adjustable light, Eu3+ emits red light, which was doped in this glass with different proportions to solve the problem of red deficiency. More importantly, Tb3+ and Eu3+ co-doped CsPbBr3 QDs glass shows a series of desirable characteristics due to the energy transfer between Tb3+ and Eu3+. Interestingly, the blue light radiated by blue chip can excite Tb3+, Eu3+, and CsPbBr3 perovskite effectively. We acquired high-performance white light-emitting diodes with color-rendering index, color coordinate transformation, and luminous efficiency of 85.7, 4945 K, and 63.21 lm/W under the current of 20 mA. This acquired Tb3+, Eu3+ co-doped CsPbBr3 QDs glass proved the significant feasibility of luminescent materials in solid warm light source.

CsPbBr3:xEu3+ perovskite QD borosilicate glass: a new member of the luminescent material family.

Eu3+ ions were introduced into the lattices of CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs and a tunable multicolour emission from CsPbBr3:xEu3+ perovskite QD glass was successfully obtained. Multicolour LEDs that were fabricated by combining the as-prepared CsPbBr3:xEu3+ QD glasses with a UV chip were also researched in this study.

Multicolour nitrogen-doped carbon dots: tunable photoluminescence and sandwich fluorescent glass-based light-emitting diodes.

The first use of the combination of ammonium citrate (AC) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as coordinating precursors for the synthesis of highly fluorescent (quantum yield = 67%) multicolour nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) is reported. Under UV light, these CDs emitted outstanding luminescence in colours from dark blue to red. Interestingly, a single component white-light CD point with high fluorescence efficiency was obtained by surface control. Alterations of the photoluminescence (PL) emission of these full-colour CDs were tentatively proposed to benefit from surface functional groups, such as C[double bond, length as m-dash]O and C[double bond, length as m-dash]N. An energy-level model was proposed to explain the continuously adjustable full-colour emission. The white light may be attributed to the overlap of diverse light emission induced by electron transitions between the energy levels. Subsequently, to avoid aggregation-induced solid-state fluorescence quenching, multicolour CD-based sandwich glasses with various colour emission was fabricated, which is anticipated to be compatible with the all-optical light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The facile preparation and outstanding optical features are believed to provide an alternative synthesis route and inspire more research into applications and CD-based materials of multicolour CDs.

Use of long-term stable CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots in phospho-silicate glass for highly efficient white LEDs.

We report the synthesis of CsPbBr3 QDs with great stability and high quantum yield in phospho-silicate glass, which was fabricated by using a heat-treatment approach, for white light emitting devices. QD glasses exhibited excellent photo- and thermal stability, and significantly prolonged the lifetime of light emitters under ambient air conditions.

Induction of copper and iron in acute cold-stimulated brown adipose tissues.

Copper (Cu) and iron (Fe), the enzymatic cofactors required for various biochemical processes, have been recently linked to lipid metabolism. Adipose tissues play central roles in energy balance and whether copper and iron homeostasis is involved in cold-stimulated energy metabolism remains unknown. In this study, the Cu and Fe contents in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (subWAT) from mice at different developmental stages were measured. Our results revealed the dynamic changes of Cu and Fe levels during development, suggesting their potential roles in energy homeostasis. Furthermore, the significantly increased Cu and Fe contents and the markedly up-regulated CTR1 and ATP7A expression in acute cold-stimulated BAT indicates the involvement of both Cu and Fe in the BAT-mediated thermogenesis. Comparably, no change in the Cu and Fe levels in cold-stimulated subWAT was observed at the indicated time points, suggesting that both metals are not involved in the cellular process of cold-induced WAT browning. Taken together, these data demonstrate the induction of Cu and Fe in acute cold-stimulated BAT activation, thus providing the direct evidences of the involvement of copper and iron homeostasis in BAT-mediated non-shivering energy metabolism.

PPARγ is regulated by miR-27b-3p negatively and plays an important role in porcine oocyte maturation.

To elucidate the key miRNAs and the signalling pathways that are involved in porcine oocyte maturation, we performed a deep sequencing analysis of the miRNAs of pig germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes and metaphase II (MII) oocytes. Seven differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified and the expression levels of miR-21 and miR-27b-3p were further confirmed by QPCR analysis. The target genes of 7 DE miRNAs were predicted and subjected to pathway analysis. Interestingly, fatty acid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis were the top two significantly enriched molecular functions during oocyte maturation. Heat map, which was built with 7 DE miRNAs and the enriched the molecular functions, revealed that miR-21, miR-27b-3p, miR-10a-5p and miR-10b-5p were involved in fatty acid metabolism. In particular, the regulatory role of miR-27b-3p on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) was confirmed by their inversed expression patterns in GV and MII oocytes and luciferase report assays. In addition, we observed that PPARγ agonist (rosiglitazone) treatment significantly enhanced porcine oocyte maturation rate and early embryo developmental competent. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR-27b and its target, PPARγ, play the vital roles in pig oocyte maturation through regulating the fatty acid metabolism. These data increased our understanding of the regulatory gene networks in porcine oocyte maturation and development.