Molecular mechanism of the metal-independent production of hydroxyl radicals by thiourea dioxide and H2O2.

It is well-known that highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (HO•) can be produced by the classic Fenton system and our recently discovered haloquinone/H2O2 system, but rarely from thiol-derivatives. Here, we found, unexpectedly, that HO• can be generated from H2O2 and thiourea dioxide (TUO2), a widely used and environmentally friendly bleaching agent. A carbon-centered radical and sulfite were detected and identified as the transient intermediates, and urea and sulfate as the final products, with the complementary application of electron spin-trapping, oxygen-18 isotope labeling coupled with HPLC/MS analysis. Density functional theory calculations were conducted to further elucidate the detailed pathways for HO• production. Taken together, we proposed that the molecular mechanism for HO• generation by TUO2/H2O2: TUO2 tautomerizes from sulfinic acid into ketone isomer (TUO2-K) through proton transfer, then a nucleophilic addition of H2O2 on the S atom of TUO2-K, forming a S-hydroperoxide intermediate TUO2-OOH, which dissociates homolytically to produce HO•. Our findings represent the first experimental and computational study on an unprecedented new molecular mechanism of HO• production from simple thiol-derived sulfinic acids, which may have broad chemical, environmental, and biomedical significance for future research on the application of the well-known bleaching agent and its analogs.

Knocking out isopropylmalate synthase simultaneously improves grain appearance and nutritional quality in rice.

Grain appearance and nutritional quality are critical traits for rice marketing. However, how to simultaneously improve grain appearance (slender grain and low chalkiness) and nutritional quality (improved protein and amino acid contents) in rice remains a major challenge. Here, we show that knocking out rice isopropylmalate synthase genes OsIPMS1 and OsIPMS2 can improve both grain appearance and nutritional quality. We find that OsIPMS1 directly interacts with OsIPMS2 to form heterodimers. Meanwhile, we observe that OsIPMS1 and OsIPMS2 influence the expression of genes previously reported to be involved in the determination of grain size and nutritional quality in the developing panicles and grains. Furthermore, we show that Osipms1/2 double mutants exhibit significantly improved grain appearance and nutritional quality in polished rice in both the japonica (Wuyungeng 23) and indica (Huanghuazhan) varieties. Our findings indicate that OsIPMS is a useful target gene for breeding of rice varieties appealing for marketing and with health-benefiting properties.

Historic dog Furs Unravel the Origin and Artificial Selection of Modern Nordic Lapphund and Elkhound dog Breeds.

The origins and extreme morphological evolution of the modern dog breeds are poorly studied because the founder populations are extinct. Here, we analyse eight 100 to 200 years old dog fur samples obtained from traditional North Swedish clothing, to explore the origin and artificial selection of the modern Nordic Lapphund and Elkhound dog breeds. Population genomic analysis confirmed the Lapphund and Elkhound breeds to originate from the local dog population, and showed a distinct decrease in genetic diversity in agreement with intense breeding. We identified eleven genes under positive selection during the breed development. In particular, the MSRB3 gene, associated with breed-related ear morphology, was selected in all Lapphund and Elkhound breeds, and functional assays showed that a SNP mutation in the 3'UTR region suppresses its expression through miRNA regulation. Our findings demonstrate analysis of near-modern dog artifacts as an effective tool for interpreting the origin and artificial selection of the modern dog breeds.

Unprecedented enantio-selective live-cell mitochondrial DNA super-resolution imaging and photo-sensitizing by the chiral ruthenium polypyridyl DNA "light-switch".

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is known to play a critical role in cellular functions. However, the fluorescent probe enantio-selectively targeting live-cell mtDNA is rare. We recently found that the well-known DNA 'light-switch' [Ru(phen)2dppz]Cl2 can image nuclear DNA in live-cells with chlorophenolic counter-anions via forming lipophilic ion-pairing complex. Interestingly, after washing with fresh-medium, [Ru(phen)2dppz]Cl2 was found to re-localize from nucleus to mitochondria via ABC transporter proteins. Intriguingly, the two enantiomers of [Ru(phen)2dppz]Cl2 were found to bind enantio-selectively with mtDNA in live-cells not only by super-resolution optical microscopy techniques (SIM, STED), but also by biochemical methods (mitochondrial membrane staining with Tomo20-dronpa). Using [Ru(phen)2dppz]Cl2 as the new mtDNA probe, we further found that each mitochondrion containing 1-8 mtDNA molecules are distributed throughout the entire mitochondrial matrix, and there are more nucleoids near nucleus. More interestingly, we found enantio-selective apoptotic cell death was induced by the two enantiomers by prolonged visible light irradiation, and in-situ self-monitoring apoptosis process can be achieved by using the unique 'photo-triggered nuclear translocation' property of the Ru complex. This is the first report on enantio-selective targeting and super-resolution imaging of live-cell mtDNA by a chiral Ru complex via formation and dissociation of ion-pairing complex with suitable counter-anions.

Genome-wide direct quantification of in vivo mutagenesis using high-accuracy paired-end and complementary consensus sequencing.

Error-corrected next-generation sequencing (ecNGS) is an emerging technology for accurately measuring somatic mutations. Here, we report paired-end and complementary consensus sequencing (PECC-Seq), a high-accuracy ecNGS approach for genome-wide somatic mutation detection. We characterize a novel 2-aminoimidazolone lesion besides 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine and the resulting end-repair artifacts originating from NGS library preparation that obscure the sequencing accuracy of NGS. We modify library preparation protocol for the enzymatic removal of end-repair artifacts and improve the accuracy of our previously developed duplex consensus sequencing method. Optimized PECC-Seq shows an error rate of <5 × 10-8 with consensus bases compressed from approximately 25 Gb of raw sequencing data, enabling the accurate detection of low-abundance somatic mutations. We apply PECC-Seq to the quantification of in vivo mutagenesis. Compared with the classic gpt gene mutation assay using gpt delta transgenic mice, PECC-Seq exhibits high sensitivity in quantitatively measuring dose-dependent mutagenesis induced by Aristolochic acid I (AAI). Moreover, PECC-Seq specifically characterizes the distinct genome-wide mutational signatures of AAI, Benzo[a]pyrene, N-Nitroso-N-ethylurea and N-nitrosodiethylamine and reveals the mutational signature of Quinoline in common mouse models. Overall, our findings demonstrate that high-accuracy PECC-Seq is a promising tool for genome-wide somatic mutagenesis quantification and for in vivo mutagenicity testing.

Role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and the impact of exercise-induced remodeling.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent and debilitating brain disorder that worsens progressively with age, characterized by cognitive decline and memory impairment. The accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aß) leading to amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylation of Tau, resulting in intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), are primary pathological features of AD. Despite significant research investment and effort, therapies targeting Aß and NFTs have proven limited in efficacy for treating or slowing AD progression. Consequently, there is a growing interest in non-invasive therapeutic strategies for AD prevention. Exercise, a low-cost and non-invasive intervention, has demonstrated promising neuroprotective potential in AD prevention. Astrocytes, among the most abundant glial cells in the brain, play essential roles in various physiological processes and are implicated in AD initiation and progression. Exercise delays pathological progression and mitigates cognitive dysfunction in AD by modulating astrocyte morphological and phenotypic changes and fostering crosstalk with other glial cells. This review aims to consolidate the current understanding of how exercise influences astrocyte dynamics in AD, with a focus on elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying astrocyte remodeling. The review begins with an overview of the neuropathological changes observed in AD, followed by an examination of astrocyte dysfunction as a feature of the disease. Lastly, the review explores the potential therapeutic implications of exercise-induced astrocyte remodeling in the context of AD.

Lost in Rotation: How TiO2 and ZnO Nanoparticles Disrupt Coordinated Epithelial Cell Rotation.

Coordinated cell movement is a cardinal feature in tissue organization that highlights the importance of cells working together as a collective unit. Disruptions to this synchronization can have far-reaching pathological consequences, ranging from developmental disorders to tissue repair impairment. Herein, it is shown that metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), even at low and non-toxic doses (1 and 10 µg mL-1), can perturb the coordinated epithelial cell rotation (CECR) in micropatterned human epithelial cell clusters via distinct nanoparticle-specific mechanisms. Zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs are found to induce significant levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to promote mitogenic activity. Generation of a new localized force field through changes in the cytoskeleton organization and an increase in cell density leads to the arrest of CECR. Conversely, epithelial cell clusters exposed to titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs maintain their CECR directionality but display suppressed rotational speed in an autophagy-dependent manner. Thus, these findings reveal that nanoparticles can actively hijack the nano-adaptive responses of epithelial cells to disrupt the fundamental mechanics of cooperation and communication in a collective setting.

Cross-Linking CdSO4-Type Nets with Hexafluorosilicate Anions to Form an Ultramicroporous Material for Efficient C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/C2H4 Separation.

A 44.610.8 topology hybrid ultramicroporous material (HUM), {[Cu1.5F(SiF6)(L)2.5]·G}n, (L = 4,4'-bisimidazolylbiphenyl, G = guest molecules), 1, formed by cross-linking interpenetrated 3D four-connected CdSO4-type nets with hexafluorosilicate anions is synthesized and evaluated in the context of gas sorption and separation herein. 1 is the first HUM functionalized with two different types of fluorinated sites (SiF6 2- and F- anions) lining along the pore surface. The optimal pore size (≈5 Å) combining mixed and high-density electronegative fluorinated sites enable 1 to preferentially adsorb C2H2 over CO2 and C2H4 by hydrogen bonding interactions with a high C2H2 isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst) of ≈42.3 kJ mol-1 at zero loading. The pronounced discriminatory sorption behaviors lead to excellent separation performance for C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/C2H4 that surpasses many well-known sorbents. Dynamic breakthrough experiments are conducted to confirm the practical separation capability of 1, which reveal an impressive separation factor of 6.1 for equimolar C2H2/CO2 mixture. Furthermore, molecular simulation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations validate the strong binding of C2H2 stems from the chelating fix of C2H2 between SiF6 2- anion and coordinated F- anion.

Efficacy of MAGE-A4 long peptide as a universal immunoprevention cancer vaccine.

BACKGROUND: The clinical application of peptide vaccines in tumor immunotherapy holds significant promise. Peptide-based tumor vaccines are currently subject to certain limitations in clinical trials, including the challenge of inducing a sustained response from CD4+ T helper cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), as well as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restrictions. METHODS: Through the utilization of biological information methodology, a screening process was conducted to identify three potential long peptides that are specifically targeted by the MAGE-A4 antigen. The candidate long peptides were subjected to in vitro testing using human peripheral blood lymphocytes as samples to evaluate their immunogenicity and immune function. The antitumor properties and preliminary mechanism of the long peptide vaccine were investigated through the use of a mouse model designed for the prevention of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). RESULTS: Three predicted multi-epitope long peptides targeting MAGE-A4 have shown to have a strong immunogenicity, with a total positive rate of 72% across different HLA subtypes in Chinese populations. they can also increase the levels of the costimulatory factor CD137 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), activate T cells, and boost the cytotoxic activity. Results from an animal study have revealed that the long-peptide vaccine, both on its own and in combination with R848, has displayed impressive anti-tumor and target-specific capabilities. Moreover, it has the ability to increase the expression of effector memory T cells and central memory T cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to screen three multi-epitope long peptides targeting MAGE-A4 and assess their immunogenicity, immune function, and potential as adjuvant peptides. The results showed that the MAGE-A4 long peptide vaccine can be used as a novel immunoprophylaxis method to prevent TNBC. Moreover, the proposed development model is capable of screening multiple target antigens, which lead to its clinical application.

Soluble Periostin is a potential surveillance biomarker for early and long-term response to chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive biomarkers for the assessment of response to chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer (BCa) are essential for optimized therapeutic decision-making. We evaluated the potential of soluble Periostin (POSTN) in circulation as a novel biomarker for chemotherapy efficacy monitoring. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-one patients with different stages of BCa were included. Of those patients, 58 patients with inoperable metastatic disease receiving HER2-targeted or non-targeted chemotherapy were enrolled to assess the performances of markers in recapitulating the chemotherapy efficacy assessed by imaging. POSTN, together with CA153 or CEA at different time points (C0, C2, and C4) were determined. RESULTS: POSTN levels were significantly associated with tumor volume (P < 0.0001) and TNM stages (P < 0.0001) of BCa. For early monitoring, dynamics of POSTN could recapitulate the chemotherapy efficacy among all molecular subtypes (Cohen's weighted kappa = 0.638, P < 0.0001), much better than that of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 153 (CA15-3). For early partial response, superior performance of POSTN was observed (Cohen's weighted kappa = 0.827, P < 0.0001) in cases with baseline levels above 17.19 ng/mL. For long-term monitoring, the POSTN response was observed to be strongly consistent with the course of the disease. Moreover, progression free survival analysis showed that patients experienced a significant early decrease of POSTN tended to obtain more benefits from the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that soluble POSTN is an informative serum biomarker to complement the current clinical approaches for early and long-term chemotherapy efficacy monitoring in advanced BCa.

Dynamic pattern of postprandial bile acids in paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of bile acids (BAs), as important signalling molecules in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism, contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, static BA profiles during fasting may obscure certain pathogenetic aspects. In this study, we investigate the dynamic alterations of BAs in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) among children with NAFLD. METHODS: We recruited 230 subjects, including children with overweight/obesity, or complicated with NAFLD, and healthy controls. Serum BAs, 7-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4) and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) were quantified during OGTT. Clinical markers related to liver function, lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism were assessed at baseline or during OGTT. FINDINGS: Conjugated BAs increased while unconjugated ones decreased after glucose uptake. Most BAs were blunted in response to glucose in NAFLD (p > .05); only glycine and taurine-conjugated chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and cholic acid (CA) were responsive (p < .05). Primary BAs were significantly increased while secondary BAs were decreased in NAFLD. C4 and FGF19 were significantly increased while their ratio FGF19/C4 ratio was decreased in NAFLD. The dynamic pattern of CDCA and taurine-conjugated hyocholic acid (THCA) species was closely correlated with glucose (correlation coefficient r = .175 and -.233, p < .05), insulin (r = .327 and -.236, p < .05) and c-peptide (r = .318 and -.238, p < .05). Among which, CDCA was positively associated with liver fat content in NAFLD (r = .438, p < .05). Additionally, glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA), CDCA and THCA were potential biomarkers to discriminate paediatric NAFLD from healthy controls and children with obesity. INTERPRETATION: This study provides novel insights into the dynamics of BAs during OGTT in paediatric NAFLD. The observed variations in CDCA and HCA species were associated with liver dysfunction, dyslipidaemia and dysglycaemia, highlighting their potential roles as promising diagnostic and therapeutic targets in NAFLD.

Development and evaluation of a health literacy scale for parasitic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Parasitic diseases remain a serious public health problem in China. Health education aimed at disseminating health-related knowledge and promoting healthy behaviours, plays a crucial role in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases. This study aims to develop a tool to measure the parasitic disease health literacy of residents in China. METHODS: Scale development was based on qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative method included focus group discussions and Delphi consultations. A methodological design with multistage sampling and a pilot study was used to evaluate the questionnaire. The scale's reliability was tested using Cronbach's α and split-half reliability, while its construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. The scale's passing score was determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in six districts of the prefecture of Jiangsu and residents aged 14-69 years in the participating townships were randomly selected based on their location. RESULTS: The health literacy indicator system for parasitic diseases included 3 first-level, 9 s-level and 23 third-level indicators. The 23-item questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.774) and split-half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.778). The questionnaire's passing score was 60. A total of 990 valid questionnaires were collected from participants in three cities. The percentage of participants with health literacy regarding parasitic diseases was 15.8%. Their scores were influenced by age, income, employment, and educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Health literacy of parasitic diseases is an integrated indicator rather than just knowledge or behavior information. The correlation between knowledge and behavior is weak. The capacity for healthy behavior of parasitic disease is associated with the location and culture of the city. For neglected diseases, it is important for people to talk positively about their behaviors with a doctor.

An investigator-initiated clinical study in patients with refractory or recurrent solid tumors: 'R-ISV-FOLactis' trial.

Aim: In situ vaccination, a kind of therapeutic cancer vaccine, can be realized by radiotherapy and intratumoral immune injection. This study combines intratumoral injection, radiotherapy and PD-1 blockade for synergistic antitumor effect.Materials & methods: Patients with advanced solid tumors who are unresponsive or intolerant to standard treatment will be treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy, intratumoral injection of FOLactis, PD-1 blockade. The primary end point is to observe the efficacy and safety, with the secondary end point to evaluate abscopal effects and the correlation between the immunological rationale and efficacy.Discussion: The combined regimen will be utilized to trigger antitumor immunity and is expected to be feasible and effective and provide a novel option for the comprehensive treatment of cancer.Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR2200060660 (ChiCTR.gov.cn).

[Box: see text].

Prenatal diagnosis and treatment for fetal angiotensin converting enzyme deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate an etiology in a case with persistent oligohydramnios by prenatal diagnosis and actively treat the case to achieve good prognosis. METHODS: We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of DNA from the fetus and parents. Serial amnioinfusions were conducted until birth. Pressors were required to maintain normal blood pressure. The infant angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, angiotensin II (Ang II, a downstream product of ACE), and compensatory enzymes (CEs) activities were measured. Compensatory enzyme activities in plasma from age-matched healthy controls were also detected. RESULTS: We identified a fetus with a severe ACE mutation prenatally. The infant was born prematurely without pulmonary dysplasia. Hypotension and anuria resolved spontaneously. He had almost no ACE activity, but his Ang II level and CE activity exceeded the upper limit of the normal range and the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of controls, respectively. His renal function also largely recovered. CONCLUSION: Fetuses with ACE mutations can be diagnosed prenatally through WES. Serial amnioinfusion permits the continuation of pregnancy in fetal ACE deficiency. Compensatory enzymes for defective ACE appeared postnatally. Renal function may be spared by preterm delivery; furthermore, for postnatal vasopressor therapy to begin, improving renal perfusion pressure before nephrogenesis has been completed.

Comparing clinical outcomes of trifocal intraocular lens in patients with and without prior history of laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia.

BACKGROUND: To compare clinical outcomes of trifocal intraocular lens in patients with and without prior history of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: A retrospective study included patients who underwent bilateral cataract surgery and PanOptix trifocal intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation. Patients were grouped: Group A for patients with history of LASIK and Group B for patients without history of LASIK. Postoperative outcome measures comprised distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity, manifest refraction, defocus curve, contrast sensitivity, visual quality, patient satisfaction, and the rate of spectacle independence. RESULTS: A total of 288 eyes (144 patients) were included: 132 eyes in Group A and 156 eyes in Group B. At 6 months post-surgery, patients of both groups achieved a continuous satisfying visual acuity from 33 cm to distance. 73% of eyes in Group A and 75% of eyes in Group B were within ± 0.50 D of emmetropia (P > 0.05). The percentages of eyes within ± 1.00 D of emmetropia were 98% for Group A and 96% for Group B (P > 0.05). The total scores of satisfaction were 52.58 ± 3.46 for Group A and 53.23 ± 3.46 for Group B (P > 0.05). Most of patients (98% for Group A, 99% for Group B) were able to be spectacle independence for daily living. 53% of patients in Group A and 51% in Group B experiencd mild to moderate negative visual symptoms, which made it a little or moderate difficult to drive at night. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract patients with and without history of LASIK could safely undergo implantation of the PanOptix IOLs, which results in precise refractive outcomes and satisfactory visual acuity. Although contrast sensitivity decreased and some negative visual symptoms were observed, patients' satisfaction was generally high due to the high rate of spectacles independence. There were no statistically significant differences between the study groups.

Report on Pseudoaneurysm Caused by Injury of Internal Carotid Artery During Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery and Rebleeding After Treatment With Willis Covered Stent.

OBJECTIVE: Report on a case of pseudoaneurysm which was caused by injury of the internal carotid artery (ICA) during endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES), which was followed by rebleeding after treatment with a Willis covered stent. METHODS: A woman, aged 68, underwent EES for the treatment of a pituitary adenoma. During the surgery, the right ICA was injured, and successfully hemostasis by packed with cottonoid and gelatin sponge. Besides, cerebral angiography was performed in the interventional operating room for the purpose of discovering the formation of a pseudoaneurysm in the cavernous sinus segment of ICA, which was treated with a covered stent. After successfully placing the covered stent, the patient was promptly transferred to the general operating room for the removal of the cottonoid and to address the bleeding once again. The authors employ crushed muscles and cottonoid to locally compress and stop bleeding. Owing to concerns about the risk of rebleeding in the patient, after stent implantation, the patient did not utilize antiplatelet drugs. After the surgery, the patient developed occlusion of the right ICA and massive cerebral infarction in the right hemisphere. Dehydration, anti-infection, rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen, as well as related treatments, were given. The cottonoid was removed in EES 2 months postsurgery, and no instances of bleeding were observed. Six months after surgery, the patient had clear consciousness and hemiplegia in the left limb, with a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4. RESULTS: The ICA was injured during EES, which resulted in the formation of a pseudoaneurysm, the Willis stent was adopted for treatment, and there was a risk of rebleeding after the nasal packing (cottonoid, crushed muscles) was removed immediately. CONCLUSIONS: The ICA was injured during EES after bleeding was controlled by packing with cottonoid, crushed muscles, etc, subsequently, the patient was given intravascular treatment, it is advised to make thorough preparations and, after a suitable period, remove nasal packing in the hybrid operating room to address unexpected situations and unforeseen circumstances.

Enhancing Radar Echo Extrapolation by ConvLSTM2D for Precipitation Nowcasting.

Precipitation nowcasting in real-time is a challenging task that demands accurate and current data from multiple sources. Despite various approaches proposed by researchers to address this challenge, models such as the interaction-based dual attention LSTM (IDA-LSTM) face limitations, particularly in radar echo extrapolation. These limitations include higher computational costs and resource requirements. Moreover, the fixed kernel size across layers in these models restricts their ability to extract global features, focusing more on local representations. To address these issues, this study introduces an enhanced convolutional long short-term 2D (ConvLSTM2D) based architecture for precipitation nowcasting. The proposed approach includes time-distributed layers that enable parallel Conv2D operations on each image input, enabling effective analysis of spatial patterns. Following this, ConvLSTM2D is applied to capture spatiotemporal features, which improves the model's forecasting skills and computational efficacy. The performance evaluation employs a real-world weather dataset benchmarked against established techniques, with metrics including the Heidke skill score (HSS), critical success index (CSI), mean absolute error (MAE), and structural similarity index (SSIM). ConvLSTM2D demonstrates superior performance, achieving an HSS of 0.5493, a CSI of 0.5035, and an SSIM of 0.3847. Notably, a lower MAE of 11.16 further indicates the model's precision in predicting precipitation.

Differentiation between fetal and postnatal iron deficiency in altering brain substrates of cognitive control in pre-adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Early iron deficiency (ID) is a common risk factor for poorer neurodevelopment, limiting children's potential and contributing to global burden. However, it is unclear how early ID alters the substrate of brain functions supporting high-order cognitive abilities and whether the timing of early ID matters in terms of long-term brain development. This study aimed to examine the effects of ID during fetal or early postnatal periods on brain activities supporting proactive and reactive cognitive control in pre-adolescent children. METHODS: Participants were part of a longitudinal cohort enrolled at birth in southeastern China between December 2008 and November 2011. Between July 2019 and October 2021, 115 children aged 8-11 years were invited to participate in this neuroimaging study. Final analyses included 71 children: 20 with fetal ID, 24 with ID at 9 months (postnatal ID), and 27 iron-sufficient at birth and 9 months. Participants performed a computer-based behavioral task in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner to measure proactive and reactive cognitive control. Outcome measures included accuracy, reaction times, and brain activity. Linear mixed modeling and the 3dlme command in Analysis of Functional NeuroImages (AFNI) were separately used to analyze behavioral performance and neuroimaging data. RESULTS: Faster responses in proactive vs. reactive conditions indicated that all groups could use proactive or reactive cognitive control according to contextual demands. However, the fetal ID group was lower in general accuracy than the other 2 groups. Per the demands of cues and targets, the iron-sufficient group showed greater activation of wide brain regions in proactive vs. reactive conditions. In contrast, such condition differences were reversed in the postnatal ID group. Condition differences in brain activation, shown in postnatal ID and iron-sufficient groups, were not found in the fetal ID group. This group specifically showed greater activation of brain regions in the reward pathway in proactive vs. reactive conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Early ID was associated with altered brain functions supporting proactive and reactive cognitive control in childhood. Alterations differed between fetal and postnatal ID groups. The findings imply that iron supplement alone is insufficient to prevent persisting brain alterations associated with early ID. Intervention strategies in addition to the iron supplement should consider ID timing.

Interfacial Engineering of Copper-Nickel Selenide Nanodendrites for Enhanced Overall Water Splitting in Alkali Condition.

Fabricating heterogeneous interfaces is an effective approach to improve the intrinsic activity of noble-metal-free catalysts for water splitting. Herein, 3D copper-nickel selenide (CuNi@NiSe) nanodendrites with abundant heterointerfaces are constructed by a precise multi-step wet chemistry method. Notably, CuNi@NiSe only needs 293 and 41 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. Moreover, the assembled CuNi@NiSe system just requires 2.2 V at 1000 mA cm-2 in anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer, which is 2.0 times better than Pt/C//IrO2 . Mechanism studies reveal Cu defects on the Cu2-x Se surface boost the electron transfer between Cu atoms and Se atoms of Ni3 Se4 via Cu2-x Se/Ni3 Se4 interface, largely lowering the reaction barrier of rate-determining step for HER. Besides, the intrinsic activity of Ni atoms for in situ generated NiOOH is largely enhanced during OER because of the electron-modulating effect of Se atoms at Ni3 Se4 /NiOOH interface. The unique 3D structure also promotes the mass transfer during catalysis process. This work emphasizes the essential role of interfacial engineering for practical water splitting.

Ultrafast Charge and Long Life of High-Voltage Cathodes for Dual-Ion Batteries via a Bifunctional Interphase Nanolayer on Graphite Particles.

Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) with Co/Ni-free cathodes especially graphite cathodes are very attractive energy storage systems in the long run because of the cost effectiveness and sustainability. However, graphite cathodes severely suffer from poor structural stability during anions storage at high potentials owing to the oxidative decomposition of electrolytes and volume expansion. This work proposes an artificial cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) strategy by implanting polyphosphoric acid (PPA) nanofilms tightly on natural graphite (NG) particles via interfacial hydrogen bonding. The electrochemical results show that the PPA-modified graphite cathodes possess enhanced charge-discharge reversibility, accelerated electrode reaction kinetic, decreased resistance, decelerated self-discharge, and prolonged cycling life. Through post-analyses on the cycled graphite cathodes, the improved performance is mainly attributed to the PPA-based CEI, which effectively mitigates the electrolyte decomposition and protects the graphitic structure. More interestingly, the hydrogen bonding interactions between poly(vinyldifluoride) (PVDF) binder and PPA as validated through density functional theory calculations and practical experiments can increase the contact sites of PVDF chains on NG@PPA particles. Meanwhile, the cross-linking effect of PPA can enhance the mechanical strength of PVDF, thus the long life of NG@PPA cathode is also correlated with the improved mechanical stability of the entire electrode.