Detection of cell-type-enriched long noncoding RNAs in atherosclerosis using single-cell techniques: A brief review.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Atherosclerotic plaque underlies the predominant factors and is composed of various cell types, including structure cells, such as endothelial and smooth muscle cells, and immune cells, such as macrophages and T cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has been extensively applied to decipher these cellular heterogeneities to expand our understanding on the mechanisms of atherosclerosis (AS) and to facilitate identifying cell-type-specific long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs). LncRNAs have been demonstrated to deeply regulate biological activities at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. A group of well-documented functional lncRNAs in AS have been studied. In our review, we selectively described several lncRNAs involved in the critical process of AS. We highlighted four novel lncRNAs (lncRNA CARMN, LINC00607, PCAT19, LINC01235) detected in scRNA-seq datasets and their functions in AS. We also reviewed open web source and bioinformatic tools, as well as the latest methods to perform an in-depth study of lncRNAs. It is fundamental to annotate functional lncRNAs in the various biological activities of AS, as lncRNAs may represent promising targets in the future for treatment and diagnosis in clinical practice.

Rate-Dependent Failure Mechanisms and Mitigating Strategies of Anode-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

Anode-free lithium (Li) metal batteries (AFLMBs) could provide a specific energy over 500 Wh/kg, but their cycle life requires improvement. In this work, we propose a new method to calculate the real Coulombic efficiency (CE) of the Li metal during the cycling of AFLMBs. Through this approach, we find low rate discharging unfavorable for Li CE, which is mitigated through electrolyte optimization. In contrast, high rate discharging boosts Li reversibility, indicating AFLMBs to be intrinsically suited for high power use cases. However, AFLMBs still fail rapidly, due to the Li stripping overpotential buildup, which is mitigated by a zinc coating that enables a better electron/ion transferring network. We believe well-targeted strategies need to be better developed to synergize with the intrinsic features of AFLMBs to enable their commercialization in the future.

PdAgPt Corner-Satellite Nanocrystals in Well-Controlled Morphologies and the Structure-Related Electrocatalytic Properties.

The functions of heterogeneous metallic nanocrystals (HMNCs) can be undoubtedly tuned by controlling their morphologies and compositions. As a less-studied kind of HMNCs, corner-satellite multi-metallic nanocrystals (CSMNCs) have great research value in structure-related electrocatalytic performance. In this work, PdAgPt corner-satellite nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies and compositions have been developed by temperature regulation of a seed-mediated growth process. Through the seed-mediated growth, the morphology of PdAgPt products evolves from Pd@Ag cubes to PdAgPt corner-satellite cubes, and eventually to truncated hollow octahedra, as a result of the expansion of {111} facets in AgPt satellites. The growth of AgPt satellites exclusively on the corners of central cubes is realized with the joint help of Ag shell and moderate bromide, and hollow structures form only at higher reaction temperatures on account of galvanic displacement promoted by the Pd core. In view of the different performances of Pd and Pt toward formic acid oxidation (FAO), this structure-sensitive reaction is chosen to measure electrocatalytic properties of PdAgPt HMNCs. It is proven that PdAgPt CSMNCs display greatly improved activity toward FAO in direct oxidation pathway. In addition, with the help of AgPt heterogeneous shells, all PdAgPt HMNCs exhibit better durability than Pd cubes and commercial Pt.

Stable Lithium Metal Anode Enabled by a Lithiophilic and Electron/Ion Conductive Framework.

Li metal anode has been considered as the ideal anode for next-generation batteries due to its ultrahigh capacity and lowest electrochemical potential. However, its practical application is still impeded by low Coulombic efficiency, huge volume change, and safety hazards arising from Li dendrite growth. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) structured highly stable Li metal anode is designed and easily preapred. Benefiting from the in situ reaction between Li metal and AlN, highly Li+ conductive Li3N and lithiophilic LiAl alloy have been simultaneously formed and homogeneously distributed in the framework, in which Li metal is finely dispersed and embedded. The outstanding electron/ion mixed conductivity of Li3N/LiAl and 3D composite structure with enhanced interfacial area significantly improve the electrode kinetics and suppress the volume change on cycling, while a lithiophilic effect of LiAl alloy and uniform distribution of Li ion flux inside the electrode avoid dendritic Li deposition. As a result, the proposed Li metal electrode exhibits exceptional electrochemical reversibility in both carbonate and ether-based electrolytes. Paired with LiFePO4 and sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (S@pPAN) cathodes, the full cells deliver highly stable and long-term cycling performance. Therefore, the proposed strategy to fabricate Li metal anodes could promote the practical application of Li metal batteries.

Paving the road toward the use of ß-Fe2O3 in solar water splitting: Raman identification, phase transformation and strategies for phase stabilization.

Although ß-Fe2O3 has a high theoretical solar-to-hydrogen efficiency because of its narrow band gap, the study of ß-Fe2O3 photoanodes for water splitting is elusive as a result of their metastable nature. Raman identification of ß-Fe2O3 is theoretically and experimentally investigated in this study for the first time, thus clarifying the debate about its Raman spectrum in the literature. Phase transformation of ß-Fe2O3 to α-Fe2O3 was found to potentially take place under laser and electron irradiation as well as annealing. Herein, phase transformation of ß-Fe2O3 to α-Fe2O3 was inhibited by introduction of Zr doping, and ß-Fe2O3 was found to withstand a higher annealing temperature without any phase transformation. The solar water splitting photocurrent of the Zr-doped ß-Fe2O3 photoanode was increased by 500% compared to that of the pure ß-Fe2O3 photoanode. Additionally, Zr-doped ß-Fe2O3 exhibited very good stability during the process of solar water splitting. These results indicate that by improving its thermal stability, metastable ß-Fe2O3 film is a promising photoanode for solar water splitting.

New Strategy for High-Performance Integrated Catalysts for Cracking Hydrocarbon Fuels.

In this study, we described the synthesis, characterization, and application of hyperbranched polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles (HEMNs) as integrated catalysts for the supercritical cracking of hydrocarbon fuels. The metal precursor was extracted into the organic phase using a hydrocarbon-soluble hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (CPAMAM) and then reduced in situ by NaBH4 to produce HEMNs with virtually a single-size distribution. The monitoring of the preparation process by UV-vis demonstrated the feasibility of this encapsulation approach, and the successful synthesis of three different types of HEMNs, metal (Pd, Pt, Au)@CPAMAM, reflected the universality of this method. Compared with the existing catalyst octadecylamine-stabilized Pd nanoparticle, Pd@18N, HEMNs were superior in every aspect. The new encapsulation method allowed metal NPs to have a smaller particle size beneficial to their overall specific surface area and a higher proportion of active surface atoms for a better catalytic activity. Moreover, the space-limiting effect of the polymer allowed the three HEMNs to be highly dispersed in decalin and exhibited admirable stability under storage tests for up to 12 months and high-temperature stability tests at 180 °C. During the supercritical cracking of decalin, Pd@CPAMAM possessed a much better catalytic performance than Pd@18N and CPAMAM (which can also be used as a macroinitiator). To obtain the same heat sink of 3.02 MJ/kg, the temperature could be lowered from 725 to 701, 693, and 699 °C for Pd, Pt, and Au HEMNs, respectively. Pt HEMN turned out to be the best due to its excellent catalytic dehydrogenation/cracking performance, with the conversion of decalin increasing from 22.3 to 50.7% and the heat sink rising from 2.18 to 2.62 MJ/kg with the existence of 50 ppm Pt@CPAMAM, at 675 °C. The significant enhancements were ascribed to the synergistic catalysis through the remarkable abilities of nanometals to catalyze dehydrogenation/cracking of fuel, the supercritical stabilization effects from CPAMAM, and the initiation effects of the hyperbranched polymer CPAMAM.

Phenotypes of the inflammatory cells in the induced sputum from young children or infants with recurrent wheezing.

BACKGROUND: To identify inflammatory cell types by phenotypic analysis of the inflammatory cells in the induced sputum. METHODS: This retrospective study included 1232 children and infants, who were assigned into mild/moderate groups (326) and severe group (602) by clinical symptom scores. Phenotypes of sputum inflammatory cells were analyzed using liquid-based thin-cytologic test and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) was quantified by ELISA. RESULTS: Blood eosinophil count, serum total IgE level, and allergen detection rate were significantly higher in the severe group. In the 905 cases of qualified sputum, 526 cases exhibited at least one type of inflammatory cells, including neutrophil (343, 65.2%), eosinophil (161, 30.6%), and mixed granulocytes (22, 4.2%). Levels of neutrophils and eosinophils were significantly higher in the severe group than mild/moderate group, and eosinophil was predominant in the severe group. Serum EDN was 104.8 ± 39.4 µg/l in the eosinophil phenotype group, 112.6 ± 41.2 µg/l in the mixed group, 88.2 ± 36.6 µg/l in the neutrophil phenotype group, and 60.9 ± 34.6 µg/l in the paucigranulocytic phenotype group. CONCLUSION: Induced-sputum inflammatory cell count may be used to determine phenotype of wheezing. The criteria of classifying adult asthma could be applicable for children and infants.

Effects of Chelating Agents and Salts on Interfacial Properties and Lipid Oxidation in Oil-in-Water Emulsions.

The effects of chelating agents and salts on the interfacial characteristics and oxidative stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing an endogenous concentration of metal ions were investigated. Emulsions were fabricated by high-pressure homogenization of 10% oil phase (sacha inchi oil) and 90% aqueous phase (1% Tween 60 in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7, 50 mM). The oxidative stability of the emulsions was characterized by measuring peroxide values and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances throughout storage. Endogenous iron and copper ion levels in the emulsions were detected by atom absorption spectroscopy as 1.99 and 0.86 ppm, respectively. Incorporation of chelating agents, either ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or sodium citrate, into the emulsions effectively inhibited lipid oxidation, showing that even these low levels of endogenous metal ions ( parts per million) were sufficient to promote oxidation. Conversely, the addition of monovalent salts, NaCl or KCl, slightly increased the rate of lipid oxidation in the emulsions, which was attributed to their impact on the physical properties of the surfactant layer at the oil droplet surfaces. The impact of chelating agents and salts on the electrical characteristics (ξ potential) and relaxation time (TR) of the surfactant-coated lipid droplets were characterized by particle electrophoresis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. The chelating agents and salts altered the surface potential of the droplets, indicative of a change in the adsorption of metal ions to the droplet surfaces. Moreover, they altered the arrangement of surface-active molecules at the droplet surfaces, thereby impacting the contact of pro-/antioxidants with the oil phase. These results have important implications for the formulation of emulsion-based materials that are more stable to lipid oxidation.

Influence of Reduction Kinetics on the Preparation of Well-Defined Cubic Palladium Nanocrystals.

A facile synthesis strategy has been developed to synthesize palladium nanocubes with tunable size and well-controlled morphology. Through adjusting the dosages of acetate species (KOAc, NH4OAc, and HOAc), the sizes of well-defined Pd nanocubes are tuned. The reduction of Pd precursors, a first-order reaction, is influenceable by acetate species, and a quantitative relationship between cubic width and apparent reduction rate constant, which has been found to be an effective parameter to describe the growth process of Pd nanocubes, has been uncovered. The effect of apparent reduction rate constant on the growth of Pd nanocubes has been discussed, and the growth kinetics of Pd nanocubes is quantitatively depicted.

A new ether-based electrolyte for lithium sulfur batteries using a S@pPAN cathode.

A new electrolyte composed of 4 M LiFSI in dibutyl ether (DBE) is proposed for Li-S batteries. Dissolution of lithium polysulfides is definitely inhibited by DBE. More impressively, the electrolyte ensures a high Coulombic efficiency for Li deposition/stripping (∼99.2%) without dendrite growth. Enhanced cycling stability is demonstrated when coupled with a sulfurized poly(acrylonitrile) (S@pPAN) cathode. This electrolyte offers new insight into electrolyte design for high performance Li-S batteries.

A high performance lithium-ion-sulfur battery with a free-standing carbon matrix supported Li-rich alloy anode.

Although the lithium-sulfur battery exhibits high capacity and energy density, the cycling performance is severely retarded by dendrite formation and side-reactions of the lithium metal anode and the shuttle effect of polysulfides. Therefore, exploring lithium rich-alloy (or compound) anodes and suppressing the shuttling of polysulfides have become practical technical challenges for the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries. Here, a lithium ion sulfur full battery system combining a lithium-rich Li-Si alloy anode and sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (S@pPAN) cathode has been proposed. The free-standing CNF matrix supported Li-Si alloy anode is prepared by a simple and effective method, which is practical for scale-up production. The obtained Li-Si alloy anode demonstrates high cycling stability without dendrite growth, while the use of the S@pPAN cathode avoids the shuttle effect in carbonate electrolytes. The constructed Li-Si/S@pPAN battery could be cycled more than 1000 times at 1C and 3000 times at 3C, with a capacity fading rate of 0.01% and 0.03% per cycle. The exceptional performance should originate from the stable integrated anode structure and the excellent compatibility of the S@pPAN cathode and Li-Si alloy anode with carbonate electrolytes.

Exploring facile strategies for high-oxidation-state metal nitride synthesis: carbonate-assisted one-step synthesis of Ta3N5 films for solar water splitting.

Metal nitrides are widely studied due to their outstanding physical properties, including high hardness, high thermal and chemical stability, low electrical resistivity etc. Generally, metal nitrides can be obtained from the direct reaction of metal and ammonia/nitrogen. However, some of the metal nitrides, such as Ta3N5, cannot be synthesized by direct nitridation of metals. To achieve Ta3N5, high-oxidation-state Ta precursors like Ta2O5, NaTaO3, TaS3, K6Ta10.8O30, Ta(N(CH3)2)5 and TaCl5 have to be employed, which is a time-consuming and laborious process with the possibility of introducing undesirable impurities. Here taking Ta3N5 as an example, a facile carbonate-assisted one-step nitridation method is proposed, which enables the direct synthesis of high-oxidation-state metal nitride films from metal precursors under ammonia flow. The mechanism of the nitridation process has been studied, which carbon dioxide released from carbonates decomposition reacts with metallic Ta and assists the one-step conversion of metallic Ta to Ta3N5. The as-prepared Ta3N5 film, after modified with NiFe layered double hydroxide, exhibits promising water splitting performance and stability. This method avoids the preoxidation process of metal precursors in high-oxidation-state metal nitride synthesis, and may facilitate the direct fabrication of other important metal nitrides besides Ta3N5.

Modified Hyperbranched Polyglycerol as Dispersant for Size Control and Stabilization of Gold Nanoparticles in Hydrocarbons.

Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) is modified with dodecanethiol (DS) via the "thiol-ene" click reaction to obtain an amphiphilic product DSHPG. The molecular structures of DSHPG samples are characterized by NMR, FTIR, and GPC, and the thermal behaviors are characterized by DSC and TGA. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are prepared with DSHPG as the stabilizer and surface-modification reagent. The size of Au NPs can be tuned by changing the molecular weight of HPG. It is observed that the HPG molecular weights of 1123, 3826, and 55,075 lead to the NP diameters of 4.1 nm for Au@DSHPG-1, 9.7 nm for Au@DSHPG-2, and 15.1 nm for Au@DSHPG-3, respectively. The morphology and size of Au NPs are characterized by TEM and DLS. Especially, the dispersion abilities of Au NPs in different pure solvents and co-solvent mixtures are investigated. The long alkyl chains on DSHPG give the ability of Au NPs to be well dispersed in nonpolar solvents. Hydrocarbon-based nanofluids can be obtained from the hydrophobic Au NPs dispersed into a series of hydrocarbons. The dispersion stability for Au NPs in hydrocarbons is monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and the relative concentration of Au NPs is observed to still maintain over 80% after 3600 h.

Improved charge separation efficiency of hematite photoanodes by coating an ultrathin p-type LaFeO3 overlayer.

Many metal-oxide candidates for photoelectrochemical water splitting exhibit localized small polaron carrier conduction. Especially hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanodes often suffer from low carrier mobility, which causes the serious bulk electron-hole recombination and greatly limits their PEC performances. In this study, the charge separation efficiency of hematite was enhanced greatly by coating an ultrathin p-type LaFeO3 overlayer. Compared to the hematite photoanodes, the solar water splitting photocurrent of the Fe2O3/LaFeO3 n-p junction exhibits a 90% increase at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, due to enlarging the band bending and expanding the depletion layer.

A beta-Fe2O3 nanoparticle-assembled film for photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Since Fe2O3 is a promising photoanode material for water splitting, it has attracted much attention, while other phases of ferric oxide are ignored. Here, ß-Fe2O3 was used as a photoanode material for solar water splitting. The crystal structure and phase of ß-Fe2O3 were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman scattering, Mössbauer spectra and a superconducting quantum interference device. The photocurrent density of the ß-Fe2O3 photoanode at 1.6 VRHE was 0.12 mA·cm-2 under the illumination of simulated sunlight (AM1.5G, 100 mW cm-2).

Novel Guanidinium-Based Ionic Liquids for Highly Efficient SO2 Capture.

The application of ionic liquids (ILs) for acidic gas absorption has long been an interesting and challenging issue. In this work, the ethyl sulfate ([C2OSO3](-)) anion has been introduced into the structure of guanidinium-based ILs to form two novel low-cost ethyl sulfate ILs, namely 2-ethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium ethyl sulfate ([C2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3]) and 2,2-diethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium ethyl sulfate ([(C2)2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3]). The ethyl sulfate ILs, together with 2-ethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][NTf2]) and 2,2-diethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([(C2)2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][NTf2]), are employed to evaluate the SO2 absorption and desorption performance. The recyclable ethyl sulfate ILs demonstrate high absorption capacities of SO2. At a low pressure of 0.1 bar and at 20 °C, 0.71 and 1.08 mol SO2 per mole of IL can be captured by [C2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3] and [(C2)2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3], respectively. The absorption enthalpy for SO2 absorption with [C2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3] and [(C2)2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][C2OSO3] are -3.98 and -3.43 kcal mol(-1), respectively. While those by [C2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][NTf2] and [(C2)2(2)(C1)2(C1)2(3)gu][NTf2] turn out to be only 0.17 and 0.24 mol SO2 per mole of IL under the same conditions. It can be concluded that the guanidinium ethyl sulfate ILs show good performance for SO2 capture. Quantum chemistry calculations reveal nonbonded weak interactions between the ILs and SO2. The anionic moieties of the ILs play an important role in SO2 capture on the basis of the consistently experimental and computational results.

A study of the relationship between the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and the gastrointestinal development of rat embryonic and perinatal periods.

The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway plays a critical role in directing cell fate during the embryonic development of animals and humans. To investigate the effects of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway on gastrointestinal development and differentiation, we studied the expression pattern of ß-catenin, a key component of the pathway, in the gastrointestinal tissues of embryonic and perinatal rats. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression levels of ß-catenin in Sprague Dawley (SD) rat embryos at days 13, 18 and 21 and in SD rats at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days of age. We observed that the expression of ß-catenin was greater and more diffuse in the gastrointestinal tissues of rat embryos at days 18 and 21 of gestation and in SD rats at days 1 and 3. In conclusion, our data suggest that ß-catenin also plays an important role in the development of gastrointestinal tissues during the middle and late embryonic periods and the early postnatal period.

A novel electrolyte system without a Grignard reagent for rechargeable magnesium batteries.

A new phenolate-based magnesium ion conducting electrolyte is prepared. The electrolyte exhibits air insensitive character and excellent electrochemical performances which make it highly promising for advanced rechargeable Mg battery systems.

Study on volatility and flash point of the pseudo-binary mixtures of sunflowerseed-based biodiesel+ethanol.

Volatility and flash point for the pseudo-binary mixtures of sunflower seed-based biodiesel+ethanol were measured over the entire composition range. The biodiesel was prepared by the transesterification of sunflower seed oil in supercritical methanol without using any catalyst. The vapor pressures of mixtures of biodiesel+ethanol as a function of temperature were measured by comparative ebulliometry with an inclined ebulliometer. The vapor pressures versus composition at different temperatures and temperatures versus composition at different pressures were obtained from Antoine correlations. It is found that ethanol can adjust effectively the volatility and flash point of the biodiesel. The correlation of the flash points with the vapor pressure data for the pseudo-binary mixtures of biodiesel+ethanol displays agreement with the experimental data obtained by closed cup test.

Effects of dimethyl or diethyl carbonate as an additive on volatility and flash point of an aviation fuel.

Vapor pressures and flash points for several mixtures of an aviation fuel with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or diethyl carbonate (DEC) have been measured, respectively, over the entire composition range. Correlation between the experimental vapor pressures and the equilibrium temperatures by the Antoine equation is performed for each mixture. The bubble-point lines of pressure versus composition at different temperatures and those of temperature versus composition at different pressures are then obtained from the Antoine correlations. It is found that DMC and DEC are the oxygenated hydrocarbon additives that can adjust effectively the volatility and flash point of the aviation fuel. The correlation of the flash points with the vapor pressure data for the pseudo-binary mixtures of the fuel and DMC or DEC gives satisfactory results.