Unlocking Giant Third-Order Optical Nonlinearity in (MA)2CuX4 through Introducing Jahn-Teller Distortion.

Nonlinear absorption coefficient and modulation depth stand as pivotal properties of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, while the existing NLO materials exhibit limitations such as low nonlinear absorption coefficients and/or small modulation depths, thereby severely impeding their practical application. Here we unveil that introducing Jahn-Teller distortion in a Mott-Hubbard system, (MA)2CuX4 (MA=methylammonium; X=Cl, Br) affords the simultaneous attainment of a giant nonlinear absorption coefficient and substantial modulation depth. The optimized compound, (MA)2CuCl4, demonstrates a nonlinear absorption coefficient of (1.5±0.08)×105 cm GW-1, a modulation depth of 60 %, and a relatively low optical limiting threshold of 1.22×10-5 J cm-2. These outstanding attributes surpass those of most reported NLO materials. Our investigation reveals that a more pronounced distortion of the [CuX6]4- octahedron emerges as a crucial factor in augmenting optical nonlinearity. Mechanism study involving structural and spectral characterization along with theoretical calculations indicates a correlation between the compelling performance and the Mott-Hubbard band structure of the materials, coupled with the Jahn-Teller distortion-induced d-d transition. This study not only introduces a promising category of high-performance NLO materials but also provides novel insights into enhancing the performance of such materials.

Constructing Quasi-single Ion Conductors by a ß-Cyclodextrin Polymer to Stabilize Zn Anode.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for the next-generation large-scale energy storage. However, the Zn anode remains facing challenges. Here, we report a cyclodextrin polymer (P-CD) to construct quasi-single ion conductor for coating and protecting Zn anodes. The P-CD coating layer inhibited the corrosion of Zn anode and prevented the side reaction of metal anodes. More important is that the cyclodextrin units enabled the trapping of anions through host-guest interactions and hydrogen bonds, forming a quasi-single ion conductor that elevated the Zn ion transference number (from 0.31 to 0.68), suppressed the formation of space charge regions and hence stabilized the plating/striping of Zn ions. As a result, the Zn//Zn symmetric cells coated with P-CD achieved a 70.6 times improvement in cycle life at high current densities of 10 mA cm-2 with 10 mAh cm-2. Importantly, the Zn//K1.1V3O8 (KVO) full-cells with high mass loading of cathode materials and low N/P ratio of 1.46 reached the capacity retention of 94.5% after 1000 cycles at 10 A g-1; while the cell without coating failed only after 230 cycles. These results provide novel perspective into the control of solid-electrolyte interfaces for stabilizing Zn anode and offer a practical strategy to improve AZIBs.

Insights into symbiotic interactions from metatranscriptome analysis of deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons under long-term laboratory maintenance.

Symbioses between invertebrates and chemosynthetic bacteria are of fundamental importance in deep-sea ecosystems, but the mechanisms that enable their symbiont associations are still largely undescribed, owing to the culturable difficulties of deep-sea lives. Bathymodiolinae mussels are remarkable in their ability to overcome decompression and can be maintained successfully for an extended period under atmospheric pressure, thus providing a model for investigating the molecular basis of symbiotic interactions. Herein, we conducted metatranscriptome sequencing and gene co-expression network analysis of Gigantidas platifrons under laboratory maintenance with gradual loss of symbionts. The results revealed that one-day short-term maintenance triggered global transcriptional perturbation in symbionts, but little gene expression changes in mussel hosts, which were mainly involved in responses to environmental changes. Long-term maintenance with depleted symbionts induced a metabolic shift in the mussel host. The most notable changes were the suppression of sterol biosynthesis and the complementary activation of terpenoid backbone synthesis in response to the reduction of bacteria-derived terpenoid sources. In addition, we detected the upregulation of host proteasomes responsible for amino acid deprivation caused by symbiont depletion. Additionally, a significant correlation between host microtubule motor activity and symbiont abundance was revealed, suggesting the possible function of microtubule-based intracellular trafficking in the nutritional interaction of symbiosis. Overall, by analyzing the dynamic transcriptomic changes during the loss of symbionts, our study highlights the nutritional importance of symbionts in supplementing terpenoid compounds and essential amino acids and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms and strategies underlying the symbiotic interactions in deep-sea ecosystems.

Efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for infertility undergoing IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for infertility and recurrent spontaneous abortion. METHODS: Existing research was searched in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library till Dec 2021. Randomized control trials (RCTs) that compared G-CSF administration with the control group in infertility women undergoing IVF were included. The primary outcomes included clinical pregnancy rate; the secondary outcomes included live birth rate, abortion ratebiochemical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, as well as endometrial thickness. RESULT(S): 20 RCTs were included in this study. G-CSF increased the clinical pregnancy rate (RR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.07, 3.18) and the endometrial thickness (MD = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.58,2.92;) in patients with thin endometrium undergoing IVF. G-CSF increased the biochemical pregnancy rate (RR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.54, 2.93), the embryo implantation rate (RR = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.82, 3.47) and the clinical pregnancy rate (RR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.63, 2.29) in patients with a history of repeated implantation failure undergoing IVF. No differences were found in pregnancy outcomes of general IVF patients. CONCLUSIONS: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is likely to be a potential option for infertility women undergoing IVF with thin endometrium or recurrent implantation failure . TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered (The PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022360161).

Nonradiative Triplet Loss Suppressed in Organic Photovoltaic Blends with Fluoridated Nonfullerene Acceptors.

In organic photovoltaic (OPV) blends, photogenerated excitons dissociate into charge-separated electrons and holes at donor/acceptor interfaces. The bimolecular recombination of spin-uncorrelated electrons and holes may cause nonradiative loss by forming the low-lying triplet excited states (T1) via the intermediate charge-transfer triplet states. Here, we show that such a spin-related loss channel can be suppressed in the OPV blends with fluorinated nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs). By combining ultrafast optical spectroscopy and triplet sensitization measurements, the T1 states at the acceptors have been observed to generate from the charge-separated electrons and holes in the OPV blends with a same polymer donor and two sets of NFAs with and without fluorination. The triplet formation is largely suppressed and the lifetime of charge carrier is markedly prolonged in the blends with fluorinated NFAs. The fluorination effect on the charge dynamics can be ascribed to the modified energy alignment between the triplet excited states of charge-transfer and locally excited characters as supported by quantum chemical computation. Our findings explain the mechanism responsible for the improved photocurrent generation in the OPV blends with fluorinated NFAs, suggesting that manipulating the energy landscape of triplet excited states is a promising strategy for further optimizing OPV devices.

The apple MdCOP1-interacting protein 1 negatively regulates hypocotyl elongation and anthocyanin biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: In plants, CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) is a key negative regulator in photoperiod response. However, the biological function of COP1-interacting protein 1 (CIP1) and the regulatory mechanism of the CIP1-COP1 interaction are not fully understood. RESULTS: Here, we identified the apple MdCIP1 gene based on the Arabidopsis AtCIP1 gene. Expression pattern analysis showed that MdCIP1 was constitutively expressed in various tissues of apple, and responded to stress and hormone signals at the transcriptional level. Ectopic expression of MdCIP1 complemented the phenotypes of the Arabidopsis cip1 mutant, and MdCIP1 inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple calli. In addition, the biochemical assay demonstrated that MdCIP1 could interact with MdCOP1 protein by their coiled-coil domain, and MdCIP1-OX/cop1-4 had a similar phenotype in photomorphogenesis with the cop1-4 mutant, suggesting that COP1 is epistatic to CIP1. Furthermore, the transient transformation assay indicated that MdCIP1 repressed anthocyanin biosynthesis in an MdCOP1-mediated pathway. CONCLUSION: Take together, this study finds that MdCIP1 acts as a repressor in regulating hypocotyl elongation and anthocyanin biosynthesis through MdCOP1 in apple.

Selection of Planar Chiral Conformations between Pillar[5,6]arenes Induced by Amino Acid Derivatives in Aqueous Media.

Chiral α-amino acids play critical roles in the metabolic process in nearly all life forms. So far, chiral recognition of α-amino acids has mainly focused on the determination of l/d enantiomers. Herein, selection of planar chiral conformations between water-soluble pillar[5]arene WP5 and pillar[6]arene WP6 was observed due to α-side chain or ethyl ester moieties of l-α-amino acid ethyl ester hydrochlorides binding with WP5 and WP6, respectively. Therefore, α-side chain and ethyl ester moieties of l-α-amino acid ethyl ester hydrochlorides were recognized by observing the induced CD signal and its inversion. This is a rare example of being able to detect the chiral region around α-carbon of a chiral α-amino acid molecule.

Dysregulated Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common debilitating gynecologic disease. Almost 10% of reproductive-age women are affected by this disease; they commonly suffer pelvic pain and/or infertility. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease remains difficult because its etiology is not clear and the early symptoms are nonspecific. In addition, many reproductive-age women are unwilling to undergo invasive laparoscopic surgery because of the possibility of decreasing fertility. Thus, identifying biomarkers for the early diagnosis of endometriosis a key focus of current research. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of noncoding transcripts that have length of > 200 nucleotides and lack protein-coding ability but still influence gene expression in various ways. With advances in genome-wide analysis, researchers have determined that lncRNAs play an important role in many human diseases, particularly tumors. Moreover, the role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of endometriosis has been continually recognized. In this review, we discuss the status of current research on dysregulated lncRNAs and their roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We aim to stimulate new investigations toward the identification of lncRNAs as biomarkers for the early diagnosis and therapy of this long-term gynecological disease.

Biomimetic stimuli-responsive nanochannels and their applications.

Biomimetic smart nanochannels have been studied extensively to achieve the precise ionic transport compared to biological ion channels. Similar to ion channels in living organisms, biomimetic smart nanochannels can respond to various stimuli, which allows for promising applications in many fields. In this review, we mainly summarize the recent advances in the design of biomimetic stimuli-responsive nanochannels and their potential applications including biosensors and drug delivery. Finally, an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for biomimetic stimuli-responsive nanochannels is provided.

Identification of mRNAs related to endometrium function regulated by lncRNA CD36-005 in rat endometrial stromal cells.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and is commonly complicated by adverse endometrial outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-protein-coding transcripts that are more than 200 nucleotides in length. Accumulating evidence indicates that lncRNAs are involved in the development of various human diseases. Among these lncRNAs, lncRNA CD36-005 (CD36-005) is indicated to be associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, the mechanisms of action of CD36-005 have not yet been elucidated. METHODS: This study determined the CD36-005 expression level in the uteri of PCOS rat model and its effect on the proliferation activity of rat primary endometrial stromal cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatics analysis were performed to detect the mRNA expression profiles and the biological pathways in which these differentially expressed mRNAs involved, after CD36-005 overexpression in the primary endometrial stromal cells. The differential expression of Hmgn5, Nr5a2, Dll4, Entpd1, Fam50a, and Brms1 were further validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: CD36-005 is highly expressed in the uteri of PCOS rat model and promotes the proliferation of rat primary endometrial stromal cells. A total of fifty-five mRNAs differentially expressed were identified in CD36-005 overexpressed stromal cells. Further analyses identified that these differentially expressed mRNAs participate in many biological processes and are associated with various human diseases. The results of qRT-PCR validation were consistent with the RNA-seq data. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a list of potential target mRNA genes of CD36-005 in endometrial stromal cells and laid a foundation for further studies on the molecular function and mechanism of CD36-005 in the endometrium.

Role of lncRNAs as Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death among all gynecological malignancies in the world and its underlying mechanism is still unclear. Compared with research on microRNAs, research on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is still in its infancy. Studies in recent years have demonstrated that lncRNAs exhibit multiple biological functions in various stages of OC development. In this review, we conclude that lncRNAs are closely involved in the pathogenesis of OC. The expression of lncRNAs indicates the early diagnosis, prognosis, and response to chemotherapy of OC. An attractive approach to treatment of OC is lncRNA small interfering RNA or acting as a plasmid targeting the expression of toxic genes, which is a novel step toward a major breakthrough in the treatment of human OC. E2-regulated lncRNA and its polymorphism, methylation, are also involved in OC. Further research efforts are needed before fully identifying, characterizing, and elucidating the actual functions of lncRNAs in OC at the molecular level and putting them into clinical practice.

[Updated molecular genetic mechanisms of globozoospermia].

Globozoospermia is a rare and serious teratozoospermia, which is one of the important causes contributing to human male infertility. The assisted reproductive technique remains the only means for such patients to produce offspring. However, the pathogenesis of globozoospermia is not yet clear. In recent years, related studies have shown that some genes are connected with the onset of globozoospermia. This paper outlines the progress in the studies of pathogenicity genes, aiming to contribute to the molecular diagnosis and mechanism investigation of the disease.

Ovarian hormones predict cooperative strategies updating during multiple rounds of the prisoner's dilemma.

Increasing research has focused on how ovarian hormones influence individual prosocial motivation and cooperation. However, most results remain ambiguous and contradictory. Here, we collected progesterone (PROG) and oestradiol from 62 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles to explore whether variations in ovarian hormones could flexibly change their cooperative preference according to their opponents' strategies in multiple rounds of a prisoner's dilemma (PD) game. Participants in different menstrual phases (32 in the follicular phase [FP] and 30 in the luteal phase [LP]) were asked to complete 20 rounds of PD games with each of three computer opponents holding different cooperative strategies. The results revealed that in PD games that did not require cooperation for increased outcomes, women in the LP (high PROG) reduced their cooperation rate more significantly than women in the FP (low PROG). In contrast, when the game design required reciprocity, simultaneously elevated levels of PROG and oestradiol predicted greater instances of participants choosing to cooperate. Furthermore, we found that elevated PROG levels accounted for women's elevated prosocial choices, regardless of the need to increase outcomes through cooperation. These results implied higher levels of PROG and oestradiol influence women's cooperative strategies resulting in increased social interactions.

Relationship between leadership and work readiness in a cohort of new head nurses in China: A cross-sectional study.

To identify the relationship between leadership and work readiness in a cohort of new head nurses in China. This cross-sectional study enrolled 225 newly appointed head nurses in public tertiary hospitals in China, which were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using online questionnaires that included a sociodemographic characteristics form, the Nursing Managers Leadership Scale (NMLS), and the New Nurse Leaders' Job Readiness Scale (NNLJRS). IBM SPSS v.25 was used for statistical analysis. The overall mean scores of NMLS (100.50 ±â€…17.64) and NNLJRS (111.90 ±â€…15.84) of the 225 new nurse leaders were at moderate levels. The results of the Pearson correlation analysis and the hierarchical regression analysis further indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between leadership and work readiness of new head nurses (r = 0.85, P < .001), as well as charisma (ß = 0.19, P < .01), affinity (ß = 0.18, P < .01), coordination ability (ß = 0.32, P < .01), and motivational ability (ß = 0.21, P < .01) in leadership were found to be positively associated with work readiness. This study found that the leadership and work readiness of the new head nurses still needed improvement. A significant relationship was found between these 2 variables, and charisma, affinity, coordination ability, and motivational ability in the leadership ability of the new head nurses facilitated the level of work readiness. Nursing administration should create a leadership development series program focusing on the development of charisma, affinity, coordination ability, and motivational ability to support the work readiness of new nurse managers and help them with role transition.

Innovative behaviour profile and its associated factors among nurses in China: a cross-sectional study based on latent profile analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the current status of innovative behaviours among nurses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals using latent profile analysis, identify potential subgroups and their population characteristics and explore factors associated with different categories. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Six TCM hospitals in Anhui, China. PARTICIPANTS: From 1 April 2023 to 31 July 2023, a total of 642 registered nurses with more than 1 year of work experience were recruited from the clinical departments of six TCM hospitals using a stratified cluster sampling method. 529 valid questionnaires were recovered, presenting a validity rate of 82.40%. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were collected through online surveys containing a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Nurse Innovative Behaviour Scale, the Nurse Adversity Quotient Self-Evaluation Scale and the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify categorisation features of nurses' innovative behaviour in TCM hospitals. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associated factors with profile membership. RESULTS: TCM hospital nurses' innovative behaviours were mainly classified into three types of latent profiles: low innovative behaviour (35.3%), moderate innovative behaviour (48.4%) and high innovative behaviour (16.3%). The results of multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that gender, monthly income, department, hospital level, position, nurse competency level, any training attended related to TCM knowledge and skills, adversity quotient level and structural empowerment level were the influencing factors for the potential profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The innovative behaviour of nurses in TCM hospitals can be classified into three categories. Studying the heterogeneity of the innovative behaviour of nurses in TCM hospitals and its associated factors provides evidence for nursing administrators and educators to develop individualised interventions based on each latent characteristic to improve the innovative behaviour of nurses in TCM hospitals. It is of great significance to the heritage and innovative development of TCM nursing.

An intrusion and environmental effects of man-made silver nanoparticles in cold seeps.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most widely used metal-based engineered nanomaterials in biomedicine and nanotechnology, and account for >50 % of global nanomaterial consumer products. The increasing use of AgNPs potentially causes marine ecosystem changes; however, the environmental impacts of man-made AgNPs are still poorly studied. This study reports for the first time that man-made AgNPs intruded into cold seeps, which are important marine ecosystems where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occur. Using a combination of electron microscopy, geochemical and metagenomic analyses, we found that in the cold seeps with high AgNPs concentrations, the relative abundance of genes associated with anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) was lower, while those related to the sulfide oxidizing and sulfate reducing were higher. This suggests that AgNPs can stimulate the proliferation of sulfate-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria, likely due to the effects of activating repair mechanisms of the cells against the toxicant. A reaction of AgNPs with hydrogen sulfide to form silver sulfide could also effectively reduce the amount of available sulfate in local ecosystems, which is generally used as the AOM oxidant. These novel findings indicate that man-made AgNPs may be involved in the biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and carbon in nature, and their potential effects on the releasing of methane from the marine methane seeps should not be ignored in both scientific and environmental aspects.

The diversification and potential function of microbiome in sediment-water interface of methane seeps in South China Sea.

The sediment-water interfaces of cold seeps play important roles in nutrient transportation between seafloor and deep-water column. Microorganisms are the key actors of biogeochemical processes in this interface. However, the knowledge of the microbiome in this interface are limited. Here we studied the microbial diversity and potential metabolic functions by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing at sediment-water interface of two active cold seeps in the northern slope of South China Sea, Lingshui and Site F cold seeps. The microbial diversity and potential functions in the two cold seeps are obviously different. The microbial diversity of Lingshui interface areas, is found to be relatively low. Microbes associated with methane consumption are enriched, possibly due to the large and continuous eruptions of methane fluids. Methane consumption is mainly mediated by aerobic oxidation and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO). The microbial diversity in Site F is higher than Lingshui. Fluids from seepage of Site F are mitigated by methanotrophic bacteria at the cyclical oxic-hypoxic fluctuating interface where intense redox cycling of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds occurs. The primary modes of microbial methane consumption are aerobic methane oxidation, along with DAMO, sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (SAMO). To sum up, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) may be underestimated in cold seep interface microenvironments. Our findings highlight the significance of AOM and interdependence between microorganisms and their environments in the interface microenvironments, providing insights into the biogeochemical processes that govern these unique ecological systems.

Hofmeister Effects in Supramolecular Chemistry for Anion-Modulation to Stabilize Zn Anode.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered as promising candidates for the next-generation large-scale energy storage, which, however, is facing the challenge of instable Zn anodes. The anion is pivotal in the stability of anodes, which are not being paid enough attention to. Herein, the modulation of anions is reported using the Hofmeister series in supramolecular chemistry to boost the stability of Zn anodes. It is found that the right-side anions in the Hofmeister series (e.g., OTf-) can enhance the Zn2+ transference number, increase the Coulombic efficiency, facilitate uniform Zn deposition, reduce the freezing point of electrolytes, and thereby stabilize the Zn anodes. More importantly, the right-side anions can form strong interaction with ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) compared to the left-side anions, and hence the addition of ß-CD can further enhance the stability of Zn anodes in OTf--based electrolytes, showing enhancement of cycling lifespan in the Zn//Zn symmetric cells more than 45.5 times with ß-CD compared with those without ß-CD. On the contrary, the left-side anions show worse rate performance after the addition of ß-CD. These results provide an effective and novel approach for choosing anions and matching additives to stabilize the anodes and achieve high-performance AZIBs through the Hofmeister effect.

[Risk factors of recurrent spontaneous abortion].

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) has various complicated causes, and more and more researches are focused on its etiology. Genetic factors are the most common risk factors of RSA; immune factors, infection factors, male factors and female factors play an important role; environmental pollution and some other unknown factors may also be conspirators. This article presents an overview on the possible risk factors of RSA.

Impact of Processing Methods on the In Vitro Protein Digestibility and DIAAS of Various Foods Produced by Millet, Highland Barley and Buckwheat.

Cereals are rich sources of dietary protein, whose nutritional assessments are often performed on raw grains or protein isolates. However, processing and gastrointestinal digestion may affect amino acid (AA) compositions, then change the protein quality. In this study, we determined the digestibility and AA compositions of various foods produced by whole grains (PG) or flour (PF) from three cereals (millet, highland barley and buckwheat) and analyzed the impact of processing methods on the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) using the INFOGEST protocol. The in vitro protein digestibility of cereal-based foods was lower than raw grains, and PF showed a better digestion property than PG. The intestinal digestibility of individual AA within a food varied widely, and the digestibility of Cys and Ile was the lowest among all AAs. The DIAAS values of PG were lower than those of PF in each kind of cereal, and PF of buckwheat had the highest DIAAS value, followed by highland barley. The first limiting AA was still Lys for millet and highland barley compared to the raw grains; however, for buckwheat it was Leu. This study provided nutritional information on cereal products and helped to guide the collocation of different foods in diets.