Polymorphic Heterogeneous Polar Structure Enabled Superior Capacitive Energy Storage in Lead-Free Relaxor Ferroelectrics at Low Electric Field.

High-performance energy storage dielectrics capable of low/moderate field operation are vital in advanced electrical and electronic systems. However, in contrast to achievements in enhancing recoverable energy density (Wrec), the active realization of superior Wrec and energy efficiency (η) with giant energy-storage coefficient (Wrec/E) in low/moderate electric field (E) regions is much more challenging for dielectric materials. Herein, lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics are reported with giant Wrec/E designed with polymorphic heterogeneous polar structure. Following the guidance of Landau phenomenological theory and rational composition construction, the conceived (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-based ternary solid solution that delivers giant Wrec/E of ≈0.0168 µC cm-2, high Wrec of ≈4.71 J cm-3 and high η of ≈93% under low E of 280 kV cm-1, accompanied by great stabilities against temperature/frequency/cycling number and excellent charging-discharging properties, which is ahead of most currently reported lead-free energy storage bulk ceramics measured at same E range. Atomistic observations reveal that the correlated coexisting local rhombohedral-tetragonal polar nanoregions embedded in the cubic matrix are constructed, which enables high polarization, minimized hysteresis, and significantly delayed polarization saturation concurrently, endowing giant Wrec/E along with high Wrec and η. These findings advance the superiority and feasibility of polymorphic nanodomains in designing highly efficient capacitors for low/moderate field-region practical applications.

Band Structure Tuning via Pt Single Atom Induced Rapid Hydroxyl Radical Generation toward Efficient Photocatalytic Reforming of Lignocellulose into H2.

Photocatalytic lignocellulose reforming for H2 production presents a compelling solution to solve environmental and energy issues. However, achieving scalable conversion under benign conditions faces consistent challenges including insufficient active sites for H2 evolution reaction (HER) and inefficient lignocellulose oxidation directly by photogenerated holes. Herein, it is found that Pt single atom-loaded CdS nanosheet (PtSA -CdS) would be an active photocatalyst for lignocellulose-to-H2 conversion. Theoretical and experimental analyses confirm that the valence band of CdS shifts downward after depositing isolated Pt atoms, and the slope of valence band potential on pH for PtSA -CdS is more positive than Nernstian equation. These characteristics allow PtSA -CdS to generate large amounts of •OH radicals even at pH 14, while the capacity is lacking with CdS alone. The employment of •OH/OH- redox shuttle succeeds in relaying photoexcited holes from the surface of photocatalyst, and the •OH radicals can diffuse away to decompose lignocellulose efficiently. Simultaneously, surface Pt atoms, featured with a thermoneutral Δ G H ∗ $\Delta G_{\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ , would collect electrons to expedite HER. Consequently, PtSA -CdS performs a H2 evolution rate of 10.14 µmol h-1 in 1 m KOH aqueous solution, showcasing a remarkable 37.1-fold enhancement compared to CdS. This work provides a feasible approach to transform waste biomass into valuable sources.

Epicardial CCM2 Promotes Cardiac Development and Repair Via its Regulation on Cytoskeletal Reorganization.

The epicardium provides epicardial-derived cells and molecular signals to support cardiac development and regeneration. Zebrafish and mouse studies have shown that ccm2, a cerebral cavernous malformation disease gene, is essential for cardiac development. Endocardial cell-specific deletion of Ccm2 in mice has previously established that Ccm2 is essential for maintenance of the cardiac jelly for cardiac development during early gestation. The current study aimed to explore the function of Ccm2 in epicardial cells for heart development and regeneration. Through genetic deletion of Ccm2 in epicardial cells, our in vivo and ex vivo experiments revealed that Ccm2 is required by epicardial cells to support heart development. Ccm2 regulates epicardial cell adhesion, cell polarity, cell spreading, and migration. Importantly, the loss of Ccm2 in epicardial cells delays cardiac function recovery and aggravates cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction. Molecularly, Ccm2 targets the production of cytoskeletal and matrix proteins to maintain epicardial cell function and behaviors. Epicardial Ccm2 plays a critical role in heart development and regeneration via its regulation of cytoskeleton reorganization.

Identification of pattern recognition receptor genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes as biomarkers for the diagnosis of lupus nephritis.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of lupus-related pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and monocytes (MONs) for lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS: PBMCs were isolated from a cohort with 37 LN patients and 39 healthy controls (HCs), and MONs were derived from another cohort with 70 LN patients and 66 HCs. Q-PCR was used to measure the mRNA levels of CGAS, IFNB1, AIM2, IL1Β, NLRC4, NLRP3, NLRP12 and ZBP1 in the PBMCs and MONs. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the data in LN patients and HCs. Eleven GEO datasets of SLE/LN were used to perform differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis to these PRR genes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess the performance of individual genes or the disease prediction model established by combining multiple genes in LN diagnosis. Spearman correlation method was done to analyze the correlation between these PRRs and other clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of five genes (AIM2, NLRC4, IL1B, NLRP12 and ZBP1) in PBMCs, and seven genes (CGAS, IFNB1, AIM2, IL1B, NLRP3, NLRP12 and ZBP1) in MONs of LN patients were significantly higher than those of HCs (P < 0.05). DEGs analysis based on the GEO datasets showed that ZBP1, AIM2 and IL1B were significantly increased in several datasets. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under curve (AUC) of the LN prediction models derived from PBMCs or MONs were 0.82 or 0.91 respectively. In addition, the expression levels of these PRRs were correlated with other clinical features in LN patients, including Anti-Sm, ESR, serum Cr, and C3. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that these lupus-related PRRs might be served as potential biomarkers of LN.

Deficiency of Pdcd10 causes urothelium hypertrophy and vesicle trafficking defects in ureter.

The scaffolding protein programmed cell death protein 10 (Pdcd10) has been demonstrated to play a critical role in renal epithelial cell homeostasis and function by maintaining appropriate water reabsorption in collecting ducts. Both ureter and kidney collecting duct systems are derived from the ureter bud during development. Here, we report that cadherin-16 (Cdh16)-cre drives gene recombination with high specificity in the ureter, but not the bladder, urothelium. The consequences of Pdcd10 deletion on the stratified ureter urothelium were investigated using an integrated approach including messenger RNA (mRNA) expression analysis, immunocytochemistry, and high-resolution confocal and electron microscopy. Loss of Pdcd10 in the ureter urothelium resulted in increased expression of uroplakins (Upks) and keratins (Krts), as well as hypertrophy of the ureter urothelium with an associated increase in the number of proliferation marker protein Ki-67 (Ki67)-expressing cells specifically within the basal urothelium layer. Ultrastructural analysis documented significant modification of the intracellular membrane system, including intracellular vesicle genesis and transport along the basal- to umbrella-cell-layer axis. Additionally, Pdcd10 loss resulted in swelling of Golgi compartments, disruption of mitochondrial cristae structure, and increased lysosomal fusion. Lack of Pdcd10 also resulted in decreased fusiform vesicle formation in umbrella cells, increased secretion of exosome vesicles, and alteration in microvillar structure on apical membranes. Our findings indicate that Pdcd10 expression and its influence on homeostasis is associated with modulation of endomembrane trafficking and organelle biogenesis in the ureter urothelium.

Mechanism of ferroptosis in breast cancer and research progress of natural compounds regulating ferroptosis.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer worldwide and its incidence increases with age, posing a significant threat to women's health globally. Due to the clinical heterogeneity of breast cancer, the majority of patients develop drug resistance and metastasis following treatment. Ferroptosis, a form of programmed cell death dependent on iron, is characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides, elevated levels of iron ions and lipid peroxidation. The underlying mechanisms and signalling pathways associated with ferroptosis are intricate and interconnected, involving various proteins and enzymes such as the cystine/glutamate antiporter, glutathione peroxidase 4, ferroptosis inhibitor 1 and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. Consequently, emerging research suggests that ferroptosis may offer a novel target for breast cancer treatment; however, the mechanisms of ferroptosis in breast cancer urgently require resolution. Additionally, certain natural compounds have been reported to induce ferroptosis, thereby interfering with breast cancer. Therefore, this review not only discusses the molecular mechanisms of multiple signalling pathways that mediate ferroptosis in breast cancer (including metastasis, invasion and proliferation) but also elaborates on the mechanisms by which natural compounds induce ferroptosis in breast cancer. Furthermore, this review summarizes potential compound types that may serve as ferroptosis inducers in future tumour cells, providing lead compounds for the development of ferroptosis-inducing agents. Last, this review proposes the potential synergy of combining natural compounds with traditional breast cancer drugs in the treatment of breast cancer, thereby suggesting future directions and offering new insights.

Effective Photocatalytic Ethanol Reforming into High-Value-Added Multicarbon Compound Coupled with H2 Production Over Pt-S3 Sites at PtSA -ZnIn2 S4 Interface.

Selective photocatalytic production of high-value acetaldehyde concurrently with H2 from bioethanol is an appealing approach to meet the urgent environment and energy issues. However, the difficult ethanol dehydrogenation and insufficient active sites for proton reduction within the catalysts, and the long spatial distance between these two sites always restrict their catalytic activity. Here, guided by the strong metal-substrate interaction effect, an atomic-level catalyst design strategy to construct Pt-S3 single atom on ZnIn2 S4 nanosheets (PtSA -ZIS) is demonstrated. As active center with optimized H adsorption energy to facilitate H2 evolution reaction, the unique Pt single atom also donates electrons to its neighboring S atoms with electron-enriched sites formed to activate the O─H bond in * CH3 CHOH and promote the desorption of * CH3 CHO. Thus, the synergy between Pt single atom and ZIS together will reduce the energy barrier for the ethanol oxidization to acetaldehyde, and also narrow the spatial distance for proton mass transfer. These features enable PtSA -ZIS photocatalyst to produce acetaldehyde with a selectivity of ≈100%, which will spontaneously transform into 1,1-diethoxyethane via acetalization to avoid volatilization. Meanwhile, a remarkable H2 evolution rate (184.4 µmol h-1 ) is achieved with a high apparent quantum efficiency of 10.50% at 400 nm.

Release of STK24/25 suppression on MEKK3 signaling in endothelial cells confers cerebral cavernous malformation.

Loss-of-function mutations in cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) genes and gain-of-function mutation in the MAP3K3 gene encoding MEKK3 cause CCM. Deficiency of CCM proteins leads to the activation of MEKK3-KLF2/4 signaling, but it is not clear how this occurs. Here, we demonstrate that deletion of the CCM3 interacting kinases STK24/25 in endothelial cells causes defects in vascular patterning during development as well as CCM lesion formation during postnatal life. While permanent deletion of STK24/25 in endothelial cells caused developmental defects of the vascular system, inducible postnatal deletion of STK24/25 impaired angiogenesis in the retina and brain. More importantly, deletion of STK24/25 in neonatal mice led to the development of severe CCM lesions. At the molecular level, a hybrid protein consisting of the STK kinase domain and the MEKK3 interacting domain of CCM2 rescued the vascular phenotype caused by the loss of ccm gene function in zebrafish. Our study suggests that CCM2/3 proteins act as adapters to allow recruitment of STK24/25 to limit the constitutive MEKK3 activity, thus contributing to vessel stability. Loss of STK24/25 causes MEKK3 activation, leading to CCM lesion formation.

Superior Energy Storage Capability and Stability in Lead-Free Relaxors for Dielectric Capacitors Utilizing Nanoscale Polarization Heterogeneous Regions.

The development of high-performance lead-free dielectric ceramic capacitors is essential in the field of advanced electronics and electrical power systems. A huge challenge, however, is how to simultaneously realize large recoverable energy density (Wrec ), ultrahigh efficiency (η), and satisfactory temperature stability to effectuate next-generation high/pulsed power capacitors applications. Here, a strategy of utilizing nanoscale polarization heterogeneous regions is demonstrated for high-performance dielectric capacitors, showing comprehensive properties of large Wrec (≈6.39 J cm-3 ) and ultrahigh η (≈94.4%) at 700 kV cm-1 accompanied by excellent thermal endurance (20-160 °C), frequency stability (5-200 Hz), cycling reliability (1-105 cycles) at 500 kV cm-1 , and superior charging-discharging performance (discharge rate t0.9 ≈ 28.4 ns, power density PD ≈161.3 MW cm-3 ). The observations reveal that constructing the polarization heterogeneous regions in a linear dielectric to form novel relaxor ferroelectrics produces favorable microstructural characters, including extremely small polar nanoregions with high dynamics and multiphase coexistence and stable local structure symmetry, which enables large breakdown strength and ultralow polarization switching hysteresis, hence synergistically contributing to high-efficient capacitive energy storage. This study thus opens up a novel strategy to design lead-free dielectrics with comprehensive high-efficient energy storage performance for advanced pulsed power capacitors applications.

Role of pericytes in the development of cerebral cavernous malformations.

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in CCM1, CCM2, or CCM3 genes of endothelial cells. It is characterized by pericyte deficiency. However, the role of pericytes in CCMs is not yet clarified. We found pericytes in Cdh5Cre ERT2 ;Ccm1 fl/fl (Ccm1 ECKO ) mice had a high expression of PDGFRß. The inhibition of pericyte function by CP-673451 aggravated the CCM lesion development. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed the molecular traits of pericytes, such as highly expressed ECM-related genes, especially Fn1. Furthermore, KLF4 coupled with phosphorylated SMAD3 (pSMAD3) promoted the transcription of fibronectin in the pericytes of CCM lesions. RGDS peptide, an inhibitor of fibronectin, decreased the lesion area in the cerebella and retinas of Ccm1 ECKO mice. Also, human CCM lesions had abundant fibronectin deposition, and pSMAD3- and KLF4-positive pericytes. These findings indicate that pericytes are essential for CCM lesion development, and fibronectin intervention may provide a novel target for therapeutic intervention in such patients.

Differential expression profiles of miRNA in granulomatous lobular mastitis and identification of possible biomarkers.

The etiology and pathogenesis of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) remain largely elusive and the expression levels and regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in GLM have remained mostly undetermined. In the present study, the miRNAs that were differentially expressed in breast biopsy samples from patients with GLM and normal tissue adjacent to fibroadenoma were analyzed, a comprehensive differential expression profile of miRNAs was provided and potential biomarkers were screened out. The expression profile of miRNAs was determined by high-throughput sequencing in the tissues of patients with GLM and healthy controls. Significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were screened by threshold setting and cluster analysis and their target genes were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, circulating differentially expressed miRNAs between the GLM and control groups were further analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). A total of 31,077 miRNAs were detected by high-throughput sequencing. By using the cutoff criteria of |log2 fold change|>2.5 and q<0.001, 13 miRNAs that were indicated to be GLM biomarkers were screened out. The expression levels of these 13 miRNAs in the GLM group were higher than those in the control group. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses suggested that the occurrence and development of GLM may be associated with autoimmune inflammation, metabolism and pathogenic organisms. miR-451a and miR-5571-3p were confirmed to be significantly increased in the serum of patients with GLM compared with their levels in the serum of healthy volunteers, which suggests that they may be used as biomarkers of GLM. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first report detailing genome-wide miRNA profiling of patients with GLM compared with controls. The possible targets and pathways of GLM were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. The present study identified 13 differentially expressed miRNAs with important theoretical significance and potential application. Furthermore, miR-451a and miR-5571-3p were verified by RT-qPCR as possible biomarkers of GLM.

Impact of high-intensity football on the comprehensive quality of physical functions / Impacto do futebol americano de alta intensidade na qualidade integral de funções físicas / Impacto del fútbol americano de alta intensidad en la calidad integral de las funciones físicas

ABSTRACT Introduction: Football is a high-intensity, high-speed, high-strength physical exercise. It can effectively improve the overall qualities of endurance, strength, and speed. Objective: To determine whether football training impacts the physical function and quality of students. Methods: We use the physiological and biochemical indicators of football players to monitor their physical functions. Results: Football training can significantly improve the physical fitness of college students in terms of cardiopulmonary function, endurance, explosive power, flexibility, body balance, and coordination sensitivity. Conclusion: Football training can significantly reduce the basic heart rate of college students. It also significantly improves the flexibility and coordination sensitivity of these students. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

RESUMO Introdução: O futebol americano é uma atividade física de alta intensidade, velocidade e força. Ele pode efetivamente aprimorar as qualidades de resistência, força e velocidade. Objetivo: Determinar se o treino de futebol americano tem impacto sobre a função e a qualidade físicas dos estudantes. Métodos: Os indicadores fisiológicos e bioquímicos dos jogadores foram utilizados para monitorar suas funções físicas. Resultados: O treino em futebol americano pode melhorar significativamente a aptidão física dos estudantes universitários no que diz respeito a sua função cardiopulmonar, resistência, poder de explosão, flexibilidade, equilíbrio, e sensibilidade motora. Conclusão: O treino de futebol americano é capaz de reduzir significativamente a frequência cardíaca em repouso dos estudantes. Também trouxe melhoras significativas em sua flexibilidade e sensibilidade motora. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação de resultados de tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: El fútbol americano es una actividad física de alta intensidad, velocidad y fuerza. Este puede efectivamente mejorar las calidades de resistencia, fuerza y velocidad. Objetivo: Determinar si el entrenamiento de fútbol americano tiene impacto sobre la función y la calidad físicas de los estudiantes. Métodos: Los indicadores fisiológicos y bioquímicos de los jugadores fueron utilizados para monitorear sus funciones físicas. Resultados: El entrenamiento en fútbol americano puede mejorar significativamente la aptitud física de los estudiantes universitarios en lo que respecta a su función cardiopulmonar, resistencia, poder de explosión, flexibilidad, equilibrio y sensibilidad motora. Conclusión: El entrenamiento de fútbol americano es capaz de reducir significativamente la frecuencia cardíaca en reposo de los estudiantes. También les aportó mejoras significativas en su flexibilidad y sensibilidad motora. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de resultados de tratamiento.

Synergy of a Stabilized Antiferroelectric Phase and Domain Engineering Boosting the Energy Storage Performance of NaNbO3-Based Relaxor Antiferroelectric Ceramics.

Relaxor antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramic capacitors have drawn growing attention in future advanced pulsed power devices for their superior energy storage performance. However, state of the art dielectric materials are restricted by desirable comprehensive energy-storage features, which have become a longstanding hurdle for actual capacitor applications. Here, we report that a large energy density Wrec of 5.52 J/cm3, high efficiency η of 83.3% at 560 kV/cm, high power density PD of 114.8 MW/cm3, ultrafast discharge rate t0.9 of 45 ns, and remarkable stability against temperature (30-140 °C)/frequency (5-200 Hz)/cycles (1-105) are simultaneously achieved in 0.7 NaNbO3-0.3 CaTiO3 relaxor AFE ceramics via the synergy of stabilized AFE R phase and domain engineering in combination with breakdown strength enhancement. The structural origin for these achievements is disclosed by probing the in situ microstructure evolution by means of the first-order reversal curve method, piezoelectric force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The highly dynamic polar nanoregions and stabilized AFE R phase synergistically generate a linear-like and highly stable polarization field response over a wide temperature and field scope with concurrently improved energy density and efficiency. This work offers a new solution for designing high-performance next-generation pulsed power capacitors.

Sulfur-doped wood-derived porous carbon for optimizing electromagnetic response performance.

Bio-mass materials have been selected as one of the advanced electromagnetic (EM) functional materials due to their natural porous framework for dynamically and flexibly optimizing the EM response property. Herein, we demonstrate sulfur-doped wood-derived porous carbon EM materials (SPC) for optimizing the EM response performance via the coupling between doped heterostructures and the original 3D microchannels. The experimental results reveal that both the dielectric loss capacity and interfacial impedance matching could be increased by the sulfur-doped heterostructures. By tailoring the sulfur content, the microwave absorption (normalized RLmin) of SPC could be optimized to -15.90 dB mm-1, while the effective absorption bandwidth (EABRL≤-10 dB) could cover the K band. Moreover, the shielding effectiveness of SPC can be enhanced from 10 dB to 30 dB with the assistance of water, ascribed to the super-wettability performance. This present study provides a novel strategy to further optimize the EM response performance of wood-derived materials, and meanwhile could be widely extended to other bio-mass absorbers.

Pdcd10-Stk24/25 complex controls kidney water reabsorption by regulating Aqp2 membrane targeting.

PDCD10, also known as CCM3, is a gene found to be associated with the human disease cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). PDCD10 forms a complex with GCKIII kinases including STK24, STK25, and MST4. Studies in C. elegans and Drosophila have shown a pivotal role of the PDCD10-GCKIII complex in maintaining epithelial integrity. Here, we found that mice deficient of Pdcd10 or Stk24/25 in the kidney tubules developed polyuria and displayed increased water consumption. Although the expression levels of aquaporin genes were not decreased, the levels of total and phosphorylated aquaporin 2 (Aqp2) protein in the apical membrane of tubular epithelial cells were decreased in Pdcd10- and Stk24/25-deficient mice. This loss of Aqp2 was associated with increased expression and membrane targeting of Ezrin and phosphorylated Ezrin, Radixin, Moesin (p-ERM) proteins and impaired intracellular vesicle trafficking. Treatment with Erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor promoting exocytosis and inhibiting endocytosis, normalized the expression level and membrane abundance of Aqp2 protein, and partially rescued the water reabsorption defect observed in the Pdcd10-deficient mice. Our current study identified the PDCD10-STK-ERM signaling pathway as a potentially novel pathway required for water balance control by regulating vesicle trafficking and protein abundance of AQP2 in the kidneys.

Porous and hydrophobic graphene-based core-shell sponges for efficient removal of water contaminants.

Water pollution is a global environmental problem that has attracted great concern, and functional carbon nanomaterials are widely used in water treatment. Here, to optimize the removal performance of both oil/organic matter and dye molecules, we fabricated porous and hydrophobic core-shell sponges by growing graphene on three-dimensional stacked copper nanowires. The interconnected pores between the one-dimensional nanocore-shells construct the porous channels within the sponge, and the multilayered graphene shells equip the sponge with a water contact angle over 120° even under acidic and alkaline environments, which enables fast and efficient cleanup of oil on or under the water. The core-shell sponge can absorb oil or organic solvents with densities 40-90 times its own, and its oil-sorption capacity is much larger than those of other porous materials like activated carbon and loofah. On the other hand, the adsorption behavior of the core-shell sponge to dyes including methyl orange (MO) and malachite green (MG), also common water pollutants, was also measured. Dynamic adsorption of MG under cyclic compression demonstrated a higher adsorption rate than that in the static state, and an acidic environment was favorable for the adsorption of MO molecules. Finally, the adsorption isotherm for MO molecules was analyzed and fitted with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics were studied in depth as well.

Construction of hierarchical CoP@Ni2P core-shell nanoarrays for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in alkaline solution.

Design and synthesis of non-noble electrocatalyst with controlled structure and composition for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are significant for large-scale water electrolysis. Here, an elegant multi-step templating strategy is developed for the fabrication of vertically aligned CoP@Ni2P nanowire-nanosheet architecture on Ni foam. Cobalt-carbonate hydroxides nanowires grown on Ni foam are first synthesized as the self-template. Afterward, a layer of amorphous Ni(OH)2 nanosheets is grown on the Co-based precursors through a chemical bath process, which is then transformed into the hierarchical CoP@Ni2P nanoarrays by a co-phosphatization treatment. Owing to the synergistic effect of the compositions and the advantages of the hierarchical heterostructures, the resulting hybrid electrocatalyst with dense heterointerfaces is revealed as an excellent HER catalyst, with a low overpotential of 101 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2, a relatively small Tafel slope of 79 mV dec-1, and favorable long-term stability of at least 20 h in 1 M KOH.

Bioinformatics identification of CCL8/21 as potential prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among females worldwide. The tumor microenvironment usually prevents effective lymphocyte activation and infiltration, and suppresses infiltrating effector cells, leading to a failure of the host to reject the tumor. CC chemokines play a significant role in inflammation and infection. METHODS: In our study, we analyzed the expression and survival data of CC chemokines in patients with BC using several bioinformatics analyses tools. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of CCL2/3/4/5/7/8/11/17/19/20/22 was remarkably increased while CCL14/21/23/28 was significantly down-regulated in BC tissues compared with normal tissues. Methylation could down-regulate expression of CCL2/5/15/17/19/20/22/23/24/25/26/27 in BC. Low expression of CCL3/4/23 was found to be associated with drug resistance in BC. Results from Kaplan-Meier plotter and BC Gene-Expression Miner v4.2 (bcGenExMiner) v4.2 demonstrated that BC patients with high CCL8 and low CCL19/21/22 expression were more likely to have a worse prognosis. CCL8 expression was significantly up-regulated in BC tissues compared with normal tissues. High CCL8 expression was significantly correlated with negative PR, negative ER, positive nodal status, triple-negative BC subtype, basal-like BC subtype, triple-negative and basal-like BC subtype and high grades. CCL21 was down-regulated in BC, while high levels of CCL21 was associated with negative PR, triple-negative subtype, basal-like subtype and low tumor grade. Functional analysis demonstrated that CCL8 and CCL21 were involved in carcinogenesis, tumor immune escape and chemoresistance in BC. CONCLUSION: Integrative bioinformatics analysis demonstrated CCL8/21 as potential prognostic biomarkers in BC microenvironment.

Energy Manipulation in Lanthanide-Doped Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Tunable Dual-Mode Luminescence toward Advanced Anti-Counterfeiting.

Developing advanced luminescent materials and techniques is of significant importance for anti-counterfeiting applications, and remains a huge challenge. In this work, a new and efficient approach for achieving efficient dual-mode luminescence with tunable color outputs via Gd3+ -mediated interfacial energy transfer, Ce3+ -assisted cross-relaxation, and core-shell nanostructuring strategy is reported. The introduction of Ce3+ into the inner core not only serves the regulation of upconversion emission, but also facilitates the ultraviolet photon harvesting and subsequent energy transfer to downshifting (DS) activators in the outer shell layer. Furthermore, the construction of the core@shell nanoarchitecture enables the spatial separation of upconverting activators and DS centers, which greatly suppresses their adverse cross-relaxation processes. Consequently, efficient and multicolor-tunable dual-mode emissions can be simultaneously observed in the pre-designed NaGdF4 :Yb/Ho/Ce@NaYF4 :X (X = Eu, Tb, Sm, Dy) core-shell nanostructures under 254 nm ultraviolet light and 980 nm laser excitation. The proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that 2D-encoded patterns based on dual-mode emitting nanomaterials are very promising for anti-counterfeiting applications. It is believed that this preliminary study will advance the development of the fluorescent materials for potential applications in anti-counterfeiting and optical multiplexing.