Structuring restricted amorphous molecular chains in the reinforced cellulose film by uniaxial stretching.

The construction of the preferred orientation structure by stretching is an efficient strategy to fabricate high-performance cellulose film and it is still an open issue whether crystalline structure or amorphous molecular chain is the key factor in determining the enhanced mechanical performance. Herein, uniaxial stretching with constant width followed by drying in a stretching state was carried out to cellulose hydrogels with physical and chemical double cross-linking networks, achieving high-performance regenerated cellulose films (RCFs) with an impressive tensile strength of 154.5 MPa and an elastic modulus of 5.4 GPa. The hierarchical structure of RCFs during uniaxial stretching and drying was systematically characterized from micro- to nanoscale, including microscopic morphology, crystalline structure as well as relaxation behavior at a molecular level. The two-dimensional correlation spectra of dynamic mechanical analysis and Havriliak-Negami fitting results verified that the enhanced mechanical properties of RCFs were mainly attributed to the stretch-induced tight packing and restricted relaxation of amorphous molecular chains. The new insight concerning the contribution of molecular chains in the amorphous region to the enhancement of mechanical performance for RCFs is expected to provide valuable guidance for designing and fabricating high-performance eco-friendly cellulose-based films.

Validation of Core Ingredients and Molecular Mechanism of Cinobufotalin Injection Against Liver Cancer.

Purpose: Cinobufotalin injection has obvious curative effects on liver cancer patients with less toxicity and fewer side effects than other therapeutic approaches. However, the core ingredients and mechanism underlying these anti-liver cancer effects have not been fully clarified due to its complex composition. Methods: Multidimensional network analysis was used to screen the core ingredients, key targets and pathways underlying the therapeutic effects of cinobufotalin injection on liver cancer, and in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to confirm the findings. Results: By construction of ingredient networks and integrated analysis, eight core ingredients and ten key targets were finally identified in cinobufotalin injection, and all of the core ingredients are tightly linked with the key targets, and these key targets are highly associated with the cell cycle-related pathways, supporting that both cinobufotalin injection and its core ingredients exert anti-liver cancer roles by blocking cell cycle-related pathways. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that either cinobufotalin injection or one of its core ingredients, cinobufagin, significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression and xenograft tumor growth, and the key target molecules involved in the cell cycle pathway such as CDK1, CDK4, CCNB1, CHEK1 and CCNE1, exhibit consistent changes in expression after treatment with cinobufotalin injection or cinobufagin. Interestingly, some key targets CDK1, CDK4, PLK1, CHEK1, TTK were predicted to bind with multiple of core ingredients of cinobufotalin injection, and the affinity between one of the critical ingredients cinobufagin and key target CDK1 was further confirmed by SPR assay. Conclusion: Cinobufotalin injection was confirmed to includes eight core ingredients, and they play therapeutic effects in liver cancer by blocking cell cycle-related pathways, which provides important insights for the mechanism of cinobufotalin injection antagonizing liver cancer and the development of novel small molecule anti-cancer drugs.

MicroRNA-7 deficiency ameliorates d-galactose-induced aging in mice by regulating senescence of Kupffer cells.

Aging is intricately linked to immune system dysfunction. Recent studies have highlighted the biological function of microRNA-7 (miR-7) as a novel regulator of immune cell function and related diseases. However, the potential role of miR-7 in aging remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the contribution of miR-7 to d-gal-induced aging in mice, focusing on its regulation of senescent Kupffer cells. Our findings revealed that miR-7 deficiency significantly ameliorated the aging process, characterized by enhanced CD4+ T-cell activation. However, the adoptive transfer of miR-7-deficient CD4+ T cells failed to improve the age-related phenotype. Further analysis showed that miR-7 deficiency significantly reduced IL-1ß production in liver tissue, and inhibiting IL-1ß in vivo slowed down the aging process in mice. Notably, IL-1ß is mainly produced by senescent Kupffer cells in the liver tissue of aging mice, and miR-7 expression was significantly up-regulated in these cells. Mechanistically, KLF4, a target of miR-7, was down-regulated in senescent Kupffer cells in aging mouse model. Furthermore, miR-7 deficiency also modulated the NF-κB activation and IL-1ß production in senescent Kupffer cells through KLF4. In conclusion, our findings unveil the role of miR-7 in d-gal-induced aging in mice, highlighting its regulation of KLF4/NF-κB/IL-1ß pathways in senescent Kupffer cells. This research may enhance our understanding of miRNA-based aging immune cells and offer new avenues for new intervention strategies in aging process.

Promoter A1312C mutation leads to microRNA-7 downregulation in human non-small cell lung cancer.

MicroRNA-7 (miRNA-7, miR-7) is a unique class of tumor suppressors, plays an important role in various physiological and pathological processes including human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In previous works, we revealed that miR-7 could regulate the growth and metastasis of human NSCLC cells. However, the mechanism of dysregulated miR-7 expression in NSCLC remains to be further elucidated. In this study, based on clinical sample analysis, we found that the downregulated expression of miR-7 was dominantly attributed to the decreased level of pri-miR-7-2 in human NSCLC. Furthermore, there were four site mutations in the miR-7-2 promoter sequence. Notably, among these four sites, mutation at -1312 locus (A â†’ C, termed as A1312C mutation) was dominate, and A1312C mutation further led to decreased expression of miR-7 in human NSCLC cells, accompanied with elevated transduction of NDUFA4/ERK/AKT signaling pathway. Mechanistically, homeobox A5 (HOXA5) is the key transcription factors regulating miR-7 expression in NSCLC. A1312C mutation impairs HOXA5 binding, thereby reducing the transcriptional activity of miR-7-2 promoter, resulting in downregulation of miR-7 expression. Together, these data may provide new insights into the dysregulation of specific miRNA expression in NSCLC and ultimately prove to be helpful in the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies against NSCLC.

Hierarchically porous cellulose-based carbon aerogels with N-doped skeletons and encapsulated iron-based catalysts for efficient tetracycline catalytic degradation.

Three-dimensional interpenetrating and hierarchically porous carbon material is an efficient catalyst support in water remediation and it is still a daunting challenge to establish the relationship between hierarchically porous structure and catalytic degradation performance. Herein, a highly porous silica (SiO2)/cellulose-based carbon aerogel with iron-based catalyst (FexOy) was fabricated by in-situ synthesis, freeze-drying and pyrolysis, where the addition of SiO2 induced the hierarchically porous morphology and three-dimensional interpenetrating sheet-like network with nitrogen doping. The destruction of cellulose crystalline structure by SiO2 and the iron-catalyzed breakdown of glycosidic bonds synergistically facilitated the formation of electron-rich graphite-like carbon skeleton. The unique microstructure is confirmed to be favorable for the diffusion of reactants and electron transport during catalytic process, thus boosting the catalytic degradation performance of carbon aerogels. As a result, the catalytic degradation efficiency of tetracycline under light irradiation by adding only 5 mg of FexOy/SiO2 cellulose carbon aerogels was as high as 90 % within 60 min, demonstrating the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and Fenton reaction. This ingenious structure design provides new insight into the relationship between hierarchically porous structure of carbon aerogels and their catalytic degradation performance, and opens a new avenue to develop cellulose-based carbon aerogel catalysts with efficient catalytic performance.

CircBRD7 attenuates tumor growth and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via epigenetic activation of its host gene.

BRD7 was identified as a tumor suppressor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are involved in the occurrence and development of NPC as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. However, the function and mechanism of the circular RNA forms derived from BRD7 in NPC are not well understood. In this study, we first identified that circBRD7 was a novel circRNA derived from BRD7 that inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion of NPC cells, as well as the xenograft tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, circBRD7 promoted the transcriptional activation and expression of BRD7 by enhancing the enrichment of histone 3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) in the promoter region of its host gene BRD7, and BRD7 promoted the formation of circBRD7. Therefore, circBRD7 formed a positive feedback loop with BRD7 to inhibit NPC development and progression. Moreover, restoration of BRD7 expression rescued the inhibitory effect of circBRD7 on the malignant progression of NPC. In addition, circBRD7 demonstrated low expression in NPC tissues, which was positively correlated with BRD7 expression and negatively correlated with the clinical stage of NPC patients. Taken together, circBRD7 attenuates the tumor growth and metastasis of NPC by forming a positive feedback loop with its host gene BRD7, and targeting the circBRD7/BRD7 axis is a promising strategy for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of NPC.

Impact of apolipoprotein A1 on tumor immune microenvironment, clinical prognosis and genomic landscape in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Current knowledge on apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is fragmented and even contradictory. Multi-dimensional analyses are required to comprehensively elucidate its value and underlying mechanism. Methods: We collected 49 RNA-seq datasets, 40 cell line types data and 70 scRNA pan-cancer datasets public available, including 17 HCC datasets (1754 tumor samples), and enrolled 73 pairs of HCC tissue and 516 blood samples independently from our clinics. APOA1 impacting on the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) was analyzed using intensive data mining. Methylation sequencing, flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, western blot, immunohistochemistry and clinical chemistry assays were conducted for wet experimental investigation. Results: The APOA1 ontology fingerprint indicated that it played various crucial biological roles in HCC, primarily involved in cholesterol efflux. Consistent findings at histology, serology, and clinical follow-up revealed that high APOA1 was a good prognosis indicator of HCC. Hypermethylation in the APOA1 promoter region was found in clinical samples which is in accordance with the reduction of APOA1 in HCC. The cell cycle, DNA replication, mismatch repair pathways, and tumor cell proliferation were less observed in the HCC APOA1high subgroup. The favorable immunoregulatory abilities of APOA1 showed interesting findings: a positive correlation between APOA1 and anti-tumor immune cells (NK, CD8+ T cells) and a negative association with immune cells exerting immunosuppressive effects, including M2 macrophages. Conclusion: This is an integrative multidimensional exploration of APOA1 using bioinformatics and experiments. Both the prognostic value and anti-tumor effects based on APOA1 panoramic exploration in the HCC TME demonstrate a new potential clinical target for HCC assessment and intervention in the future.

Regulatory roles of microRNA163 in responses to stresses in Arabidopsis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that participate in various biological processes by silencing target genes. In Arabidopsis, microRNA163 (miR163) was found to be involved in seed germination, root development, and biotic resistance. However, the regulatory roles of miR163 remain unclear. In the current study, the mir163 mutant was investigated to comprehensively understand and characterize its functions in Arabidopsis. RNA-sequencing and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses revealed that miR163 might be involved in "response to stimulus" and "metabolic process". Interestingly, "response to stress", including heat, cold, and oxidative stress, was enriched under the subcategory of "response to stimulus". We observed that miR163 and PXMT were repressed and induced under heat stress, respectively. Furthermore, the study detected significant differences in seed germination rate, hypocotyl length, and survival rate, indicating a variation in the thermotolerance between WT and mir163 mutant. The results revealed that the mir163 mutant had a lesser degree of germination inhibition by heat treatment than WT. In addition, the mir163 mutant showed a better survival rate and longer hypocotyl length under heat treatment than the WT. The metabolomes of WT and mir163 mutant were further analyzed. The contents of benzene derivatives and flavonoids were affected by miR163, which could enhance plants' defense abilities. In conclusion, miR163/targets regulated the expression of stress-responsive genes and the accumulation of defense-related metabolites to alter stress tolerance.

Review: Defense responses in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) against biotic stress.

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is regarded as amongst the world's most important crops for food, vegetable, forage, and raw material for starch and alcohol production. Since pest attack and disease infection are the main limiting aspects frequently causing the yield loss and quality degradation of sweetpotato, it is a great demand to develop the effective defense strategies for maintaining productivity. In the past decade, many studies have focused on dynamic analysis at the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of sweetpotatoes to environmental challenges. This review offers an overview of the defense mechanisms against biotic stresses in sweetpotato observed so far, particularly insect herbivory and pathogen infections. The defenses of sweetpotato include the regulation of the toxic and anti-digestive proteins, plant-derived compounds, physical barrier formation, and sugar distribution. Ipomoelin and sporamin have been extensively researched for the defense against herbivore wounding. Herbivory-induced plant volatiles, chlorogenic acid, and latex phytochemicals play important roles in defenses for insect herbivory. Induction of IbSWEET10 reduces sugar content to mediate F. oxysporum resistance. Therefore, these researches provide the genetic strategies for improving resistance bioengineering and breeding of sweetpotato crops and future prospects for research in this field.

Yin Yang 1 suppresses tumor invasion and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by negatively regulating eIF4E transcriptional activity and expression.

Tumor metastasis is a leading cause of death in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Previous research has identified that transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) acts as a tumor suppressor that inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth in NPC; however, the role and the molecular mechanisms of YY1 in NPC invasion and metastasis remain unclear. In this study, we discovered that YY1 could inhibit the migration and invasion of NPC cells in vitro as well as NPC xenograft tumor metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, we identified eIF4E as a direct downstream target of YY1, and YY1 could negatively regulate the expression of eIF4E at transcriptional level. Moreover, we found that eIF4E promoted the migration and invasion of NPC cells as well as NPC lung metastasis, suggesting its potential as a pro-metastatic mediator in NPC. Importantly, restoring eIF4E expression could partially reverse the inhibitory effects of YY1 on NPC malignancy. In consistent with these findings, the expression of YY1 was downregulated while eIF4E was upregulated in NPC patients with metastasis, and there was a negative correlation between YY1 and eIF4E expression. Collectively, our results indicate that YY1 suppresses the invasion and metastasis of NPC by negatively regulating eIF4E transcription. Therefore, targeting the YY1/eIF4E transcriptional axis could be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with NPC.

NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 is a potential pan-cancer prognostic biomarker and is related to immunity.

BACKGROUND: NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 (NSUN2), an important methyltransferase of m5C, has been poorly studied in cancers, and the relationship between NSUN2 and immunity remains largely unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the expression and prognostic value of NSUN2 and the role of NSUN2 in immunity in cancers. METHODS: The TIMER, CPTAC and other databases were used to analyze the expression of NSUN2, its correlation with clinical stage and its prognostic value across cancers. Moreover, the TISIDB, TIMER2.0 and Sangerbox platform were used to depict the relationships between NSUN2 and immune molecular subtypes, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), immune checkpoints (ICPs) and immunoregulatory genes. Furthermore, the NSUN2-interacting proteins and related genes as well as the coexpression networks of NSUN2 in LIHC, LUAD and HNSC were explored with the STRING, DAVID, GEPIA2 and LinkedOmics databases. Finally, the subcellular location and function of NSUN2 in HepG2, A549 and 5-8F cells were investigated by performing immunofluorescence, CCK-8 and wound healing assays. RESULTS: Overall, NSUN2 was highly expressed and related to a poor prognosis in most types of cancers and was also significantly associated with immune molecular subtypes in some cancer types. Furthermore, NSUN2 was significantly associated with the levels of ICPs and immunoregulatory genes. In addition, NSUN2 was found to be involved in a series of immune-related biological processes, such as the humoral immune response in LIHC and LUAD and T-cell activation and B-cell activation in HNSC. Immunofluorescence and CCK-8 assays also confirmed that NSUN2 was widely expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and overexpression of NSUN2 promoted the proliferation and migration of HepG2, A549 and 5-8F cells. NSUN2 was also confirmed to positively regulate the expression of PD-L1. CONCLUSION: NSUN2 serves as a pan-cancer prognostic biomarker and is correlated with the immune infiltration of tumors.

Inhibitory effect of cyclodextrin on Maillard reaction and its mechanism.

Maillard reaction in pharmaceutical preparations refers to a complex chemical reaction existing between reducing excipients and amino-containing drugs in preparations, which can cause a series of quality problems in preparations. Maillard reaction belongs to chemical incompatibility in preparations, and measures should be taken to reduce or avoid it. In this study, the effect of cyclodextrins (commonly used pharmaceutical excipients) on the Maillard reaction and its mechanism in the lysine hydrochloride-lactose solid preparation model were explored for the first time. Our research results show that the embedding of lysine in cyclodextrin can inhibit the Maillard reaction of lysine to some extent, and the embedding of lysine in cyclodextrin with different structures has differences in the inhibitory effects on Maillard reaction.Among the five cyclodextrins we studied, α-CD and HP-ß-CD embedded lysine can reduce Maillard reaction to a greater extent. We suspect that this may be related to the stability of the embedded substance, which needs further study and verification. And our research shows that the inclusion complex between lysine and cyclodextrin may be the result of hydrogen bond, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals force. Cyclodextrin is expected to solve the problem of Maillard reaction in pharmaceutical industry to some extent.

Liver metastases across cancer types sharing tumor environment immunotolerance can impede immune response therapy and immune monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic immune tolerance might contribute to the development of therapeutic resistance to immunotherapy. However, addressing this issue is challenging since the efficacy of immunotherapy in the context of liver metastasis (LM) remains poorly studied. Here, we aimed to establish an LM common immune feature (LMCIF) score to quantify the characteristics of LM immunotolerance across cancer types for assisting clinical disease management. METHODS: Large-scale clinical data were collected to identify the prognosis of LM. Multi-omics datasets of metastatic cancers with LM special immune-related pathways (LMSIPs) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB)were used to obtain an LMCIF cluster. Based on differential expression genes (DEGs), a novel LMCIF score for the LMCIF cluster was constructed. In addition, multi-omics, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from the public and in-house cohorts were used to explore the features of LM, and LMCIF score. RESULTS: Patients with LM had a worse prognosis and significantly lower infiltration of immune cells than patients with metastasis to other organs when analyzed with combined clinical and RNA sequencing data. After extracting the LMCIF cluster from 373 samples by utilizing 29 LMSIPs and validating them in a microarray cohort, an LMCIF score was established to confirm the role of the immunosuppressive environment as a contributor to the poor prognosis of LM across cancer types. Moreover, this LMCIF score could be used to predict the immune response of cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. Finally, we identified that the majority of the 31 LMCIF genes exhibited a negative correlation with TME cells in LM patients, one of them, KRT19, which possessed the strongest positive correlation with LMCIF score, was confirmed to have an immunosuppressive effect through IHC analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that LM across cancer types share similar immunological profiles that induce immunotolerance and escape from immune monitoring. The novel LMCIF score represents a common liver metastasis immune cluster for predicting immunotherapy response, the results of which might benefit clinical disease management.

Histone Deacetylase 3-Directed PROTACs Have Anti-inflammatory Potential by Blocking Polarization of M0-like into M1-like Macrophages.

Macrophage polarization plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) has a deacetylase-independent function that can activate pro-inflammatory gene expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated M1-like macrophages and cannot be blocked by traditional small-molecule HDAC3 inhibitors. Here we employed the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology to target the deacetylase-independent function of HDAC3. We developed a potent and selective HDAC3-directed PROTAC, P7, which induces nearly complete HDAC3 degradation at low micromolar concentrations in both THP-1 cells and human primary macrophages. P7 increases the anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion in THP-1-derived M1-like macrophages. Importantly, P7 decreases the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in M1-like macrophages derived from human primary macrophages. This can be explained by the observed inhibition of macrophage polarization from M0-like into M1-like macrophage. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the HDAC3-directed PROTAC P7 has anti-inflammatory activity and blocks macrophage polarization, demonstrating that this molecular mechanism can be targeted with small molecule therapeutics.

The landscape of mitophagy in sepsis reveals PHB1 as an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor.

Mitophagy is a selective autophagy targeting damaged and potential cytotoxic mitochondria, which can effectively prevent excessive cytotoxic production from damaged mitochondria and alleviate the inflammatory response. However, the potential role of mitophagy in sepsis remains poorly explored. Here, we studied the role of mitophagy in sepsis and its immune heterogeneity. By performing mitophagy-related typing on 348 sepsis samples, three clusters (A, B, and C) were obtained. Cluster A had the highest degree of mitophagy accompanied by lowest disease severity, while cluster C had the lowest degree of mitophagy with the highest disease severity. The three clusters had unique immune characteristics. We further revealed that the expression of PHB1 in these three clusters was significantly different and negatively correlated with the severity of sepsis, suggesting that PHB1 was involved in the development of sepsis. It has been reported that impaired mitophagy leads to the over-activation of inflammasomes, which promotes sepsis development. Further analysis showed that the expressions of NLRP3 inflammasomes core genes in cluster C were significantly up-regulated and negatively correlated with PHB1. Next, we verified whether PHB1 downregulation caused the activation of inflammasomes and found that the PHB1 knockdown increased the levels of mtDNA in the cytoplasm and enhanced the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. In addition, mitophagy inhibitor treatment abolished PHB1 knockdown-mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, suggesting that PHB1 inhibited the activation of inflammasomes through mitophagy. In conclusion, this study reveals that a high degree of mitophagy may predict a good outcome of sepsis, and PHB1 is a key NLRP3 inflammasome regulator via mitophagy in inflammatory diseases such as sepsis.

Solar-Driven Production Of Hydrogen Peroxide And Benzaldehyde In Two-Phase System By An Interface-Engineered Co9 S8 -CoZnIn2 S4 Heterostructure.

Coupling the photoproduction of solar fuel and value-added chemicals is highly attractive, as it maximizes the utilization of incident sunlight and the economic value of photocatalytic reactions. Constructing intimate semiconductor heterojunction for these reactions is highly desirable due to accelerated charge separation at the interfacial contact, but is challenged by material synthesis. Here, an active heterostructure bearing intimate interface, consisting of discrete Co9 S8 nanoparticles anchored on cobalt doped ZnIn2 S4 using a facile in situ one-step strategy, can drive photocatalytic co-production of H2 O2 and benzaldehyde from a two-phase water/benzyl alcohol system with spatial product separation is reported. The heterostructure yields a high production amount of 49.5 and 55.8 mmol L-1 for H2 O2 and benzaldehyde under visible-light soaking, respectively. The synchronous elemental Co doping and intimate heterostructure establishment substantially improve the overall reaction kinetics. Mechanism studies reveal that H2 O2 generated in the aqueous phase undergoes photodecomposition forming hydroxyl radical, which is subsequently transferred into the organic phase to oxidize benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde. This study offers fertile guidelines for creating integrated semiconductors and broadens the avenue toward the coupled production of solar fuels and industrially important chemicals.

Understanding the roles and regulation patterns of circRNA on its host gene in tumorigenesis and tumor progression.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of endogenous non-coding RNAs, which are covalently closed loop structures formed by precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) through back-splicing. CircRNAs are abnormally expressed in many tumors, and play critical roles in a variety of tumors as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes by sponging miRNAs, regulating alternative splicing and transcription, cis-regulating host genes, interacting with RNA binding proteins (RBPs) or encoding polypeptides. Among them, the regulation of circRNAs on their corresponding host genes is a critical way for circRNAs to exit their functions. Accumulating evidence suggests that circRNAs are able to regulate the expression of host genes at the transcriptional level, post-transcriptional level, translational level, post-translational level, or by encoding polypeptides. Therefore, this paper mainly summarized the roles and association of circRNAs and their corresponding host genes in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, generalized the circRNAs that function synergistically or antagonistically with their host genes, and elaborated the mechanisms of mutual regulation between circRNAs and their host genes. More importantly, this review provides specific references for revealing the potential application of circRNAs combined with their host genes in tumor diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Photothermal-enabled single-atom catalysts for high-efficiency hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis from natural seawater.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a powerful industrial oxidant and potential carbon-neutral liquid energy carrier. Sunlight-driven synthesis of H2O2 from the most earth-abundant O2 and seawater is highly desirable. However, the solar-to-chemical efficiency of H2O2 synthesis in particulate photocatalysis systems is low. Here, we present a cooperative sunlight-driven photothermal-photocatalytic system based on cobalt single-atom supported on sulfur doped graphitic carbon nitride/reduced graphene oxide heterostructure (Co-CN@G) to boost H2O2 photosynthesis from natural seawater. By virtue of the photothermal effect and synergy between Co single atoms and the heterostructure, Co-CN@G enables a solar-to-chemical efficiency of more than 0.7% under simulated sunlight irradiation. Theoretical calculations verify that the single atoms combined with heterostructure significantly promote the charge separation, facilitate O2 absorption and reduce the energy barriers for O2 reduction and water oxidation, eventually boosting H2O2 photoproduction. The single-atom photothermal-photocatalytic materials may provide possibility of large-scale H2O2 production from inexhaustible seawater in a sustainable way.

Dissecting the roles and clinical potential of YY1 in the tumor microenvironment.

Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) is a member of the GLI-Kruppel family of zinc finger proteins and plays a vital dual biological role in cancer as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor during tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is identified as the "soil" of tumor that has a critical role in both tumor growth and metastasis. Many studies have found that YY1 is closely related to the remodeling and regulation of the TME. Herein, we reviewed the expression pattern of YY1 in tumors and summarized the function and mechanism of YY1 in regulating tumor angiogenesis, immune and metabolism. In addition, we discussed the potential value of YY1 in tumor diagnosis and treatment and provided a novel molecular strategy for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumors.

An In Situ Prepared Comb-like Polycaprolactone-Based Gel Electrolyte for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

Herein, we present the synthesis and electrochemical performance of a comb-like polycaprolactone-based gel electrolyte from acrylate terminated polycaprolactone oligomers and liquid electrolyte for high-voltage lithium metal batteries. The ionic conductivity of this gel electrolyte at room temperature was measured to be 8.8 × 10-3 S cm-1, which is an exceptionally high value that is more than sufficient for the stable cycling of solid-state lithium metal batteries. The Li+ transference number was detected to be 0.45, facilitating the prohibition of concentration gradients and polarization, thereby prohibiting lithium dendrite formation. In addition, the gel electrolyte exhibits high oxidation voltage up to 5.0 V vs. Li+/Li and perfect compatibility against metallic lithium electrodes. The superior electrochemical properties provide the LiFePO4-based solid-state lithium metal batteries with excellent cycling stability, displaying a high initial discharge capacity of 141 mAh g-1 and an extraordinary capacity retention exceeding 74% of its initial specific capacity after being cycled for 280 cycles at 0.5C at room temperature. This paper presents a simple and effective in situ preparation process yielding an excellent gel electrolyte for high-performance lithium metal battery applications.