The inertial-based gait normalcy index of dual task cost during turning quantifies gait automaticity improvement in early-stage Parkinson's rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: The loss of gait automaticity is a key cause of motor deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, even at the early stage of the disease. Action observation training (AOT) shows promise in enhancing gait automaticity. However, effective assessment methods are lacking. We aimed to propose a novel gait normalcy index based on dual task cost (NIDTC) and evaluate its validity and responsiveness for early-stage PD rehabilitation. METHODS: Thirty early-stage PD patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the AOT or active control (CON) group. The proposed NIDTC during straight walking and turning tasks and clinical scale scores were measured before and after 12 weeks of rehabilitation. The correlations between the NIDTCs and clinical scores were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient analysis to evaluate the construct validity. The rehabilitative changes were assessed using repeated-measures ANOVA, while the responsiveness of NIDTC was further compared by t tests. RESULTS: The turning-based NIDTC was significantly correlated with multiple clinical scales. Significant group-time interactions were observed for the turning-based NIDTC (F = 4.669, p = 0.042), BBS (F = 6.050, p = 0.022) and PDQ-39 (F = 7.772, p = 0.011) tests. The turning-based NIDTC reflected different rehabilitation effects between the AOT and CON groups, with the largest effect size (p = 0.020, Cohen's d = 0.933). CONCLUSION: The turning-based NIDTC exhibited the highest responsiveness for identifying gait automaticity improvement by providing a comprehensive representation of motor ability during dual tasks. It has great potential as a valid measure for early-stage PD diagnosis and rehabilitation assessment. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2300067657.

Improving the Performance of LiNi0.925Co0.065Mn0.01O2 via Ti4+& Nb5+ Co-Modifications.

Ni-rich layer-structured materials are some of the most promising cathodes owing to their attractive reversible capacity and cost-effectiveness. When the Ni content is increased to 90% and higher, mechanical deterioration becomes serious and leads to accelerated cyclic degradation, since removable Li+ is ∼0.85, accompanied by large lattice variation during operation. Here, we investigate the influences of Ti4+ bulky substitution, Nb5+ surface treatment, and their coutilization on the behavior of LiNi0.925Co0.065Mn0.01O2 (NCM92). In contrast to the limited positive effects of monousage, the coutilization of Ti4+ and Nb5+ obviously suppresses particles' pulverization, relying on their synergistic effects of the shape of lattice variation and the protection of a tough shell layer. As a result, Ti & Nb-LiNi0.925Co0.065Mn0.01O2 (TiNb-NCM92) presents the best capacity retention, as high as 90.2% after 300 cycles, much higher than NCM92 (49.0%), Ti-NCM92 (76.3%), and Nb-NCM92 (72.4%). Our approaches demonstrate that the serious mechanical challenges of ultrahigh nickel cathodes could be alleviated by various remedies coutilized together.

Bridged triphenylamine-based fluorescent probe for selective and direct detection of HSA in urine.

Human serum albumin (HSA) serves as a crucial indicator for therapeutic monitoring and biomedical diagnosis. In this study, a near infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe, termed BTPA, characterized a donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) structure based on bridged triphenylamine (TPA) was developed. BTPA exhibited outstanding sensitivity and selectivity towards HSA among various analysts, with a remarkable 50-fold fluorescence enhancement with a significant Stokes shift (∼190 nm) and a wide linear detection range of 0-20 µM of HSA. Especially, BTPA displayed selectivity for discrimination of HSA from BSA. Job's Plot analysis suggested a 1:1 stoichiometry for the formation of the BTPA-HSA complex. Displacement assays and molecular docking demonstrated that BTPA binds to subdomain IB of HSA which could effectively avoid interference from most drugs. Besides, BTPA have good biocompatibility and could detect of exogenous HSA with a relatively low fluorescence background. For practical applications, BTPA was tested for detecting HSA levels in human urine without any pretreatment, showing detection capability in the range of 0-10 µM with a fast response (<30 s), a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.12 µM and good recoveries (81.7-92.9 %), highlighting the high performance of bridged triphenylamine-based probe BTPA.

Scalable Multi-FPGA HPC Architecture for Associative Memory System.

Associative memory is a cornerstone of cognitive intelligence within the human brain. The Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN), a cortex-inspired model with high biological plausibility, has proven effective in emulating high-level cognitive functions like associative memory. However, the current approach using GPUs to simulate BCPNN-based associative memory tasks encounters challenges in latency and power efficiency as the model size scales. This work proposes a scalable multi-FPGA high performance computing (HPC) architecture designed for the associative memory system. The architecture integrates a set of hypercolumn unit (HCU) computing cores for intra-board online learning and inference, along with a spike-based synchronization scheme for inter-board communication among multiple FPGAs. Several design strategies, including population-based model mapping, packet-based spike synchronization, and cluster-based timing optimization, are presented to facilitate the multi-FPGA implementation. The architecture is implemented and validated on two Xilinx Alveo U50 FPGA cards, achieving a maximum model size of 200×10 and a peak working frequency of 220 MHz for the associative memory system. Both the memory-bounded spatial scalability and compute-bounded temporal scalability of the architecture are evaluated and optimized, achieving a maximum scale-latency ratio (SLR) of 268.82 for the two-FPGA implementation. Compared to a two-GPU counterpart, the two-FPGA approach demonstrates a maximum latency reduction of 51.72× and a power reduction exceeding 5.28× under the same network configuration. Compared with the state-of-the-art works, the two-FPGA implementation exhibits a high pattern storage capacity for the associative memory task.

BET degrader exhibits lower antiproliferative activity than its inhibitor via EGR1 recruiting septins to promote E2F1-3 transcription in triple-negative breast cancer.

The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family proteins serve as primary readers of acetylated lysine residues and play crucial roles in cell proliferation and differentiation. Dysregulation of BET proteins has been implicated in tumorigenesis, making them important therapeutic targets. BET-bromodomain (BD) inhibitors and BET-targeting degraders have been developed to inhibit BET proteins. In this study, we found that the BET inhibitor MS645 exhibited superior antiproliferative activity than BET degraders including ARV771, AT1, MZ1 and dBET1 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Treatment with MS645 led to the dissociation of BETs, MED1 and RNA polymerase II from the E2F1-3 promoter, resulting in the suppression of E2F1-3 transcription and subsequent inhibition of cell growth in TNBC. In contrast, while ARV771 displaced BET proteins from chromatin, it did not significantly alter E2F1-3 expression. Mechanistically, ARV771 induced BRD4 depletion at protein level, which markedly increased EGR1 expression. This elevation of EGR1 subsequently recruited septin 2 and septin 9 to E2F1-3 promoters, enhancing E2F1-3 transcription and promoting cell proliferation rate in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide valuable insights into differential mechanisms of BET inhibition and highlight potential of developing BET-targeting molecules as therapeutic strategies for TNBC.

Is Ablation Suitable For Small Renal Masses (SRMs)? A Meta-Analysis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To compare perioperative and oncology outcomes of ablation and partial nephrectomy in small renal masses (SRMs). METHODS: We conduct this meta-analysis strictly according to the PRISMA standard, and the quality evaluation follows the AMSTAR standard. Four databases, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were systematically searched. The search time range is from database creation to November 2023. Stata16 statistical software was used for statistical analysis. Weighted mean difference (WMD) represented continuity variables, odds ratio or relative risk (OR/RR) represented dichotomies variables, and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 27 studies, including 6030 patients. Results showed that patients undergoing partial nephrectomy were younger (WMD = -5.45 years, 95%CI [-7.44, -3.46], P < 0.05), had longer operation time (WMD = 64.91 min, 95%CI [44.47, 85.34], P < 0.05), had longer length of stay (WMD = 2.91 days, 95%CI [2.04, 3.78], P < 0.05), and had more estimated blood loss (WMD = 97.76 ml, 95%CI [69.48, 126.04]. P < 0.05), the overall complication rate was higher (OR = 1.84, 95%CI [1.48, 2.29], P < 0.05), the major complication rate was higher (OR = 1.98, 95%CI [1.36, 2.88], P < 0.05), and the recurrence rate was lower (OR = 0.32, 95%Cl [0.20, 0.50], P < 0.05). However, there were no differences between ablation and partial nephrectomy in cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR = 2.07, 95%CI [0.61, 7.04], P > 0.05), overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.24, 95%CI [0.58, 2.65], P > 0.05), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 2.68, 95%CI [0.91, 7.88], P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing partial nephrectomy are younger, have longer operation time and length of stay, and have higher complication rate. However, there was no significant difference in CSS, OS, and RFS between partial nephrectomy and ablation, but more well-designed, high-quality studies are needed to confirm this.

Comparing the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery and open inguinal lymph node dissection in penile cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with open inguinal lymph node dissection (O-ILND) in penile cancer. METHODS: We performed a systematic reviews and cumulative meta-analyses of primary results of interest according to PRISMA criteria, and quality assessment followed AMSTAR. The system searched five databases, including Zhiwang, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. The search period ranged was from database creation until September 2023. The statistical analysis software used Stata16. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies, including 898 patients. Compared to O-ILND, MIS is superior in length of stay (WMD = -2.96, 95%CI [-4.38, -1.54], P < 0.05), drainage time (WMD = -3.24, 95%CI [-4.70, -1.78], P < 0.05) and estimated blood loss (WMD = -35.70, 95%CI [-46.27, -25.14], P < 0.05), while operation time, recurrence rate and 5-year overall survival rate are the same. The number of lymph nodes dissection between the two groups are not statistically significant. Subgroup analyses found that there are more lymph nodes dissection in robotic-assisted inguinal lymph nodes dissection (WMD = 0.50, 95%CI [0.20, 0.80], P < 0.05). The overall complication rate of MIS was lower (OR = 0.26, 95%CI [0.09, 0.70], P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive inguinal lymph nodes dissection appears to be a better option for penile cancer cases. But more large samples and multicenter studies are needed to further confirm.

YEATS domain-containing protein GAS41 regulates nuclear shape by working in concert with BRD2 and the mediator complex in colorectal cancer.

The maintenance of nuclear shape is essential for cellular homeostasis and disruptions in this process have been linked to various pathological conditions, including cancer, laminopathies, and aging. Despite the significance of nuclear shape, the precise molecular mechanisms controlling it are not fully understood. In this study, we have identified the YEATS domain-containing protein 4 (GAS41) as a previously unidentified factor involved in regulating nuclear morphology. Genetic ablation of GAS41 in colorectal cancer cells resulted in significant abnormalities in nuclear shape and inhibited cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Restoration experiments revealed that wild-type GAS41, but not a YEATS domain mutant devoid of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation or crotonylation (H3K27ac/cr) binding, rescued the aberrant nuclear phenotypes in GAS41-deficient cells, highlighting the importance of GAS41's binding to H3K27ac/cr in nuclear shape regulation. Further experiments showed that GAS41 interacts with H3K27ac/cr to regulate the expression of key nuclear shape regulators, including LMNB1, LMNB2, SYNE4, and LEMD2. Mechanistically, GAS41 recruited BRD2 and the Mediator complex to gene loci of these regulators, promoting their transcriptional activation. Disruption of GAS41-H3K27ac/cr binding caused BRD2, MED14 and MED23 to dissociate from gene loci, leading to nuclear shape abnormalities. Overall, our findings demonstrate that GAS41 collaborates with BRD2 and the Mediator complex to control the expression of crucial nuclear shape regulators.

MgNiO2 as a Ceramic Additive To Improve the Durability of Lithium Metal Anode.

Ceramic materials are the most popular additives to regulate the reinless interfacial reaction between lithium and the electrolyte by strengthening the SEI layer or tuning lithium deposition. Here, we propose an exceptional material, MgNiO2, abbreviated as MN, which can improve the durability of lithium metal anode. Since it is undecomposed up to 0 V vs Li/Li+, the MN's particles give some semiconductive characteristics to the SEI layer to tune the interfacial reactions. The addition of MgNiO2 in the protective films lowers interfacial resistance, which is responsible for the improved durability of Li|Cu cells: ∼210 cycles, which is 4 times longer than that of the control. Furthermore, this ceramic is used to modify the carbon film woven with carbon nanofibers (CNF @ MN). The cells with this modified 3-D host present excellent operational lives, as high as ∼2400 h in Li|Li symmetric cells and ∼280 cycles in the Li|NCM811 cells. Our approaches demonstrate that MN is an effective ceramic for stabilizing the lithium anode. It also indicates that the inert nature of the semiconductor to lithium is worth exploring thoroughly.

A study of the mediating effect of social support on self-disclosure and demoralization in Chinese older adult homebound breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Demoralization is common in older adult homebound breast cancer patients, seriously affecting their quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the demoralization of older adult homebound breast cancer patients and to analyse the mediating effects of social support between self-disclosure and demoralization. Methods: The study enrolled 368 older adult homebound breast cancer patients reviewed in outpatient clinics of three hospitals from January 2022 to August 2023. A questionnaire survey was conducted using the general information questionnaire, the distress disclosure index (DDI), the social support revalued scale (SSRS), and the demoralization scale (DS). Path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesised serial mediation model. Results: The total scores of self-disclosure, social support, and demoralization were 37 (25-42), 34 (19-48.75), and 46.5 (35-68), respectively. The results indicated a positive correlation between self-disclosure and social support (p < 0.01). In contrast, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between self-disclosure, social support, and various demoralization dimensions (p < 0.01). Social support played a partial mediation effects between self-disclosure and demoralization, indirect effect =0.6362, SE = -0.591, 95% CI (-0.785 ~ -0.415); Self-disclosure direct effect demoralization, direct effect =0.3638, SE = -0.337, 95% CI (-0.525 ~ -0.144); total effect, SE = -0.929, 95% CI (-0.945 ~ -0.904). Discussion: Social support a partial mediated between self-disclosure and demoralization in Chinese older adult homebound breast cancer patients. Clinical staff should focus on developing a social support system for Chinese older adult homebound breast cancer patients, encouraging patients to reveal their minds, and providing psychological counselling to enhance self-confidence and rebirth from adversity.

Activation of polyamine catabolism promotes glutamine metabolism and creates a targetable vulnerability in lung cancer.

Polyamines are a class of small polycationic alkylamines that play essential roles in both normal and cancer cell growth. Polyamine metabolism is frequently dysregulated and considered a therapeutic target in cancer. However, targeting polyamine metabolism as monotherapy often exhibits limited efficacy, and the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we report that activation of polyamine catabolism promotes glutamine metabolism, leading to a targetable vulnerability in lung cancer. Genetic and pharmacological activation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), the rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine catabolism, enhances the conversion of glutamine to glutamate and subsequent glutathione (GSH) synthesis. This metabolic rewiring ameliorates oxidative stress to support lung cancer cell proliferation and survival. Simultaneous glutamine limitation and SAT1 activation result in ROS accumulation, growth inhibition, and cell death. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of either one of glutamine transport, glutaminase, or GSH biosynthesis in combination with activation of polyamine catabolism synergistically suppresses lung cancer cell growth and xenograft tumor formation. Together, this study unveils a previously unappreciated functional interconnection between polyamine catabolism and glutamine metabolism and establishes cotargeting strategies as potential therapeutics in lung cancer.

Large Organic Polar Molecules Tailored Electrode Interfaces for Stable Lithium Metal Battery.

Lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) are deemed as ones of the most promising energy storage devices for next electrification applications. However, the uneven Li electroplating process caused by the diffusion-limited Li+ transportation at the Li metal surface inherently promotes the formation of dendritic morphology and instable Li interphase, while the sluggish Li+ transfer kinetic can also cause lithiation-induced stress on the cathode materials suffering from serious structural stability. Herein, a novel electrolyte designing strategy is proposed to accelerate the Li+ transfer by introducing a trace of large organic polar molecules of lithium phytate (LP) without significantly altering the electrolyte structure. The LP molecules can afford a competitive solvent attraction mechanism against the solvated Li+, enhancing both the bulk and interfacial Li+ transfer kinetic, and creating better anode/cathode interfaces to suppress the side reactions, resulting in much improved cycling efficiency of LMBs. Using LP-based electrolyte, the performance of LMB pouch cell with a practical capacity of ~1.5 Ah can be improved greatly. This strategy opens up a novel electrolyte designing route for reliable LMBs.

Binding FSI- to Construct a Self-Healing SEI Film for Li-Metal Batteries by In situ Crosslinking Vinyl Ionic Liquid.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) membrane on the Li metal anode tends to breakdown and undergo reconstruction during operation, causing Li metal batteries to experience accelerated decay. Notably, an SEI membrane with self-healing characteristics can help considerably in stabilizing the Li-electrolyte interface; however, uniformly fixing the repairing agent onto the anode remains a challenging task. By leveraging the noteworthy film-forming attributes of bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI-) anions and the photopolymerization property of the vinyl group, the ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (VMI-FSI) was crosslinked with polyethylene oxide (PEO) in this study to form a self-healing film fixing FSI- groups as the repairing agent. When they encounter lithium metal, the FSI- groups are chemically decomposed into LiF & Li3N, which assist forming SEI membrane on lithium sheet and repairing SEI membrane in the cracks lacerated by lithium dendrite. Furthermore, the FSI- anions exchanged from film are electrochemically decomposed to generate inorganic salts to strengthen the SEI membrane. Benefiting from the self-healing behavior of the film, Li/LiCoO2 cells with the loading of 16.3 mg cm-2 exhibit the initial discharge capacities of 183.0 mAh ⋅ g-1 and are stably operated for 500 cycles with the retention rates of 81.4 % and the average coulombic efficiency of 99.97 %, operated between 3.0-4.5 V vs. Li+/Li. This study presents a new design approach for self-healing Li metal anodes and durable lithium metal battery.

Designing Compatible Ceramic/Polymer Composite Solid-State Electrolyte for Stable Silicon Nanosheet Anodes.

The commercialization of silicon anode for lithium-ion batteries has been hindered by severe structure fracture and continuous interfacial reaction against liquid electrolytes, which can be mitigated by solid-state electrolytes. However, rigid ceramic electrolyte suffers from large electrolyte/electrode interfacial resistance, and polymer electrolyte undergoes poor ionic conductivity, both of which are worsened by volume expansion of silicon. Herein, by dispersing Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) into poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrix, the PVDF-HFP/PEO/LATP (PHP-L) solid-state electrolyte with high ionic conductivity (1.40 × 10-3 S cm-1), high tensile strength and flexibility is designed, achieving brilliant compatibility with silicon nanosheets. The chemical interactions between PVDF-HFP and PEO, LATP increase amorphous degree of polymer, accelerating Li+ transfer. Good flexibility of the PHP-L contributes to adaptive structure variation of electrolyte with silicon expansion/shrinkage, ensuring swift interfacial ions transfer. Moreover, the solid membrane with high tensile limits electrode structural degradation and eliminates continuous interfacial growth to form stable 2D solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film, achieving superior cyclic performance to liquid electrolytes. The Si//PHP-L15//LiFePO4 solid-state full-cell exhibits stable lithium storage with 81% capacity retention after 100 cycles. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of composite solid electrolyte in addressing fundamental interfacial and performance challenges of silicon anodes.

Enhanced brain functional connectivity and activation after 12-week Tai Chi-based action observation training in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Motor-cognitive interactive interventions, such as action observation training (AOT), have shown great potential in restoring cognitive function and motor behaviors. It is expected that an advanced AOT incorporating specific Tai Chi movements with continuous and spiral characteristics can facilitate the shift from automatic to intentional actions and thus enhance motor control ability for early-stage PD. Nonetheless, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. The study aimed to investigate changes in brain functional connectivity (FC) and clinical improvement after 12 weeks of Tai Chi-based action observation training (TC-AOT) compared to traditional physical therapy (TPT). Methods: Thirty early-stage PD patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the TC-AOT group (N = 15) or TPT group (N = 15). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans before and after 12 weeks of training and clinical assessments. The FCs were evaluated by seed-based correlation analysis based on the default mode network (DMN). The rehabilitation effects of the two training methods were compared while the correlations between significant FC changes and clinical improvement were investigated. Results: The results showed that the TC-AOT group exhibited significantly increased FCs between the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and cerebellum crus I, between the posterior inferior parietal lobe and supramarginal gyrus, and between the temporal parietal junction and clusters of middle occipital gyrus and superior temporal. Moreover, these FC changes had a positive relationship with patients' improved motor and cognitive performance. Discussion: The finding supported that the TC-AOT promotes early-stage PD rehabilitation outcomes by promoting brain neuroplasticity where the FCs involved in the integration of sensorimotor processing and motor learning were strengthened.

Gaussian optics optimization of an optical particle counter for measurement in high-pressure gas.

An optimization model for the parameters of the pressure-resistant lens of an optical particle counter, based on Gaussian optics theory, was established to increase the measurement accuracy of the counter for high-pressure natural gas. Comparing the experimental and calculated values of the calibrated model, when the pressure-resistant lens is displaced by 2 mm under atmospheric pressure, the relative error of the measured body deformation is 0.15%. When the air pressure varies in the range 0.10-5.09 MPa, the maximum relative error of optical measurement volume deformation with the change of refractive index is 0.13%, which shows that the model has high reliability and accuracy.

Mass Loading-Independent Lithium Storage of Transitional Metal Compounds Achieved by Multi-Dimensional Synergistic Nanoarchitecture.

Nanostructured transitional metal compounds (TMCs) have demonstrated extraordinary promise for high-efficient and rapid lithium storage. However, good performance is usually limited to electrodes with low mass loading (≤1.0 mg cm-2 ) and is difficult to realize at higher mass loading due to increased electrons/ions transport limitations in the thicker electrode. Herein, the multi-dimensional synergistic nanoarchitecture design of graphene-wrapped MnO@carbon microcapsules (capsule-like MnO@C-G) is reported, which demonstrates impressive mass loading-independent lithium storage properties. Highly porous MnO nanoclusters assembled by 0D nanocrystals facilitate sufficient electrolyte infiltration and shorten the solid-state ions transport path. 1D carbon shell, 2D graphene, and 3D continuous network with tight interconnection accelerate electrons transport inside the thick electrode. The capsule-like MnO@C-G delivers ultrahigh gravimetric capacity retention of 91.0% as the mass loading increases 4.3 times, while the areal capacities increase linearly with the mass loading at various current densities. Specifically, the capsule-like MnO@C electrode delivers a remarkable areal capacity of 2.0 mAh cm-2 at a mass loading of 3.0 mg cm-2 . Moreover, the capsule-like MnO@C also demonstrates excellent performance in full battery applications. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-dimensional synergistic nanoarchitecture in achieving mass loading-independent performance, which can be extended to other TMCs for electrochemical energy storage.

Histone H3 lysine 27 crotonylation mediates gene transcriptional repression in chromatin.

Histone lysine acylation, including acetylation and crotonylation, plays a pivotal role in gene transcription in health and diseases. However, our understanding of histone lysine acylation has been limited to gene transcriptional activation. Here, we report that histone H3 lysine 27 crotonylation (H3K27cr) directs gene transcriptional repression rather than activation. Specifically, H3K27cr in chromatin is selectively recognized by the YEATS domain of GAS41 in complex with SIN3A-HDAC1 co-repressors. Proto-oncogenic transcription factor MYC recruits GAS41/SIN3A-HDAC1 complex to repress genes in chromatin, including cell-cycle inhibitor p21. GAS41 knockout or H3K27cr-binding depletion results in p21 de-repression, cell-cycle arrest, and tumor growth inhibition in mice, explaining a causal relationship between GAS41 and MYC gene amplification and p21 downregulation in colorectal cancer. Our study suggests that H3K27 crotonylation signifies a previously unrecognized, distinct chromatin state for gene transcriptional repression in contrast to H3K27 trimethylation for transcriptional silencing and H3K27 acetylation for transcriptional activation.

A Memristor-Based Learning Engine for Synaptic Trace-Based Online Learning.

The memristor has been extensively used to facilitate the synaptic online learning of brain-inspired spiking neural networks (SNNs). However, the current memristor-based work can not support the widely used yet sophisticated trace-based learning rules, including the trace-based Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP) and the Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN) learning rules. This paper proposes a learning engine to implement trace-based online learning, consisting of memristor-based blocks and analog computing blocks. The memristor is used to mimic the synaptic trace dynamics by exploiting the nonlinear physical property of the device. The analog computing blocks are used for the addition, multiplication, logarithmic and integral operations. By organizing these building blocks, a reconfigurable learning engine is architected and realized to simulate the STDP and BCPNN online learning rules, using memristors and 180 nm analog CMOS technology. The results show that the proposed learning engine can achieve energy consumption of 10.61 pJ and 51.49 pJ per synaptic update for the STDP and BCPNN learning rules, respectively, with a 147.03× and 93.61× reduction compared to the 180 nm ASIC counterparts, and also a 9.39× and 5.63× reduction compared to the 40 nm ASIC counterparts. Compared with the state-of-the-art work of Loihi and eBrainII, the learning engine can reduce the energy per synaptic update by 11.31× and 13.13× for trace-based STDP and BCPNN learning rules, respectively.

Introducing Hybrid Defects of Silicon Doping and Oxygen Vacancies into MOF-Derived TiO2-X @Carbon Nanotablets Toward High-Performance Sodium-Ion Storage.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), which suffer from the intrinsic sluggish ion transferability and poor conductivity. To overcome these drawbacks, a facile strategy is developed to synergistically engineer the lattice defects (i.e., heteroatom doping and oxygen vacancy generation) and the fine microstructure (i.e., carbon hybridization and porous structure) of TiO2 -based anode, which efficiently enhances the sodium storage performance. Herein, it is successfully realized that the Si-doping into the MIL-125 metal-organic framework structure, which can be easily converted to SiO2 /TiO2-x @C nanotablets by annealing under inert atmosphere. After NaOH etching SiO2 /TiO2-x @C which contains unbonded SiO2 and chemically bonded SiOTi, thus the lattice Si-doped TiO2-x @C (Si-TiO2-x @C) nanotablets with rich Ti3+ /oxygen vacancies and abundant inner pores are developed. When examined as an anode for SIB, the Si-TiO2-x @C exhibits a high sodium storage capacity (285 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 ), excellent long-term cycling, and high-rate performances (190 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 2500 cycles with 95.1% capacity retention). Theoretical calculations indicate that the rich Ti3+ /oxygen vacancies and Si-doping synergistically contribute to a narrowed bandgap and lower sodiation barrier, which thus lead to fast electron/ion transfer coefficients and the predominant pseudocapacitive sodium storage behavior.