Exposure to Molybdate Results in Metabolic Disorder: An Integrated Study of the Urine Elementome and Serum Metabolome in Mice.

The increasing use of molybdate has raised concerns about its potential toxicity in humans. However, the potential toxicity of molybdate under the current level of human exposure remains largely unknown. Endogenous metabolic alterations that are caused in humans by environmental exposure to pollutants are associated with the occurrence and progression of many diseases. This study exposed eight-week-old male C57 mice to sodium molybdate at doses relevant to humans (0.01 and 1 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) were utilized to assess changes in urine element levels and serum metabolites in mice, respectively. A total of 838 subjects from the NHANES 2017-2018 population database were also included in our study to verify the associations between molybdenum and cadmium found in mice. Analysis of the metabolome in mice revealed that four metabolites in blood serum exhibited significant changes, including 5-aminolevulinic acid, glycolic acid, l-acetylcarnitine, and 2,3-dihydroxypropyl octanoate. Analysis of the elementome revealed a significant increase in urine levels of cadmium after molybdate exposure in mice. Notably, molybdenum also showed a positive correlation with cadmium in humans from the NHANES database. Further analysis identified a positive correlation between cadmium and 2,3-dihydroxypropyl octanoate in mice. In conclusion, these findings suggest that molybdate exposure disrupted amino acid and lipid metabolism, which may be partially mediated by molybdate-altered cadmium levels. The integration of elementome and metabolome data provides sensitive information on molybdate-induced metabolic disorders and associated toxicities at levels relevant to human exposure.

Deep learning assists detection of esophageal cancer and precursor lesions in a prospective, randomized controlled study.

Endoscopy is the primary modality for detecting asymptomatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and precancerous lesions. Improving detection rate remains challenging. We developed a system based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for detecting esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions [high-risk esophageal lesions (HrELs)] and validated its efficacy in improving HrEL detection rate in clinical practice (trial registration ChiCTR2100044126 at www.chictr.org.cn). Between April 2021 and March 2022, 3117 patients ≥50 years old were consecutively recruited from Taizhou Hospital, Zhejiang Province, and randomly assigned 1:1 to an experimental group (CNN-assisted endoscopy) or a control group (unassisted endoscopy) based on block randomization. The primary endpoint was the HrEL detection rate. In the intention-to-treat population, the HrEL detection rate [28 of 1556 (1.8%)] was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group [14 of 1561 (0.9%), P = 0.029], and the experimental group detection rate was twice that of the control group. Similar findings were observed between the experimental and control groups [28 of 1524 (1.9%) versus 13 of 1534 (0.9%), respectively; P = 0.021]. The system's sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting HrELs were 89.7, 98.5, and 98.2%, respectively. No adverse events occurred. The proposed system thus improved HrEL detection rate during endoscopy and was safe. Deep learning assistance may enhance early diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer and may become a useful tool for esophageal cancer screening.

SILAR Growth of ZnO NSs/CdS QDs on the Optical Fiber-Based Opto-Electrode with Guided In Situ Light and Its Application for the "Signal-On" Detection of Inflammatory Cytokine.

In this study, a novel integrated photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor platform was proposed, utilizing an optical fiber (OF) as the working electrode for guided in situ light. A CdS quantum dots (QDs)/ZnO nanosheets (NSs) n-n heterojunction was quickly and easily constructed on the OF surface by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Au nanoparticles (NPs)@dsDNA as a capturing probe were modified on the CdS QDs/ZnO NSs@OF (CZ@OF). Due to the energy transfer between Au NPs@dsDNA and CdS QDs, the resultant opto-electrode has a lower background near zero, enabling the "signal-on" detection of biomarkers (interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a model). The OF-PEC biosensor demonstrated a wide linear range from 1 to 100 pg mL-1 with a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.9958 and an impressive detection limit (LOD) of 0.19 pg mL-1. More significantly, the proposed OF-PEC can be successfully used for the detection of IL-6 in serum samples from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and it showed consistency and is more sensitive to trace concentrations compared to BD FACSCanto II flow cytometry used at the hospital. This holds significance for an early disease diagnosis. Therefore, the proposed OF-PEC not only achieves integration of the light source and sensing interface but also enables sensitive and accurate "signal-on" detection of IL-6. Furthermore, due to the flexibility and remote detection capabilities of OF, the application of OF-PEC is expected to be expanded more widely. This approach opens up possibilities for advances in PEC sensing.

Catalytically Active Carbon for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Energy Conversion: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives.

The shortage and unevenness of fossil energy sources are affecting the development and progress of human civilization. The technology of efficiently converting material resources into energy for utilization and storage is attracting the attention of researchers. Environmentally friendly biomass materials are a treasure to drive the development of new-generation energy sources. Electrochemical theory is used to efficiently convert the chemical energy of chemical substances into electrical energy. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of green and economical electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Although many reviews have been reported around the application of biomass-derived catalytically active carbon (CAC) catalysts in ORR, these reviews have only selected a single/partial topic (including synthesis and preparation of catalysts from different sources, structural optimization, or performance enhancement methods based on CAC catalysts, and application of biomass-derived CACs) for discussion. There is no review that systematically addresses the latest progress in the synthesis, performance enhancement, and applications related to biomass-derived CAC-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts synchronously. This review fills the gap by providing a timely and comprehensive review and summary from the following sections: the exposition of the basic catalytic principles of ORR, the summary of the chemical composition and structural properties of various types of biomass, the analysis of traditional and the latest popular biomass-derived CAC synthesis methods and optimization strategies, and the summary of the practical applications of biomass-derived CAC-based oxidative reduction electrocatalysts. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest advances to provide research directions and design ideas for the development of catalyst synthesis/optimization and contributes to the industrialization of biomass-derived CAC electrocatalysis and electric energy storage.

Calcineurin regulates synaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in hypothalamic presympathetic neurons via α2δ-1-mediated GluA1/GluA2 assembly.

Hypertension is a major adverse effect of calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine, used clinically as immunosuppressants. Calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension (CIH) is linked to augmented sympathetic output from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). GluA2-lacking, Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) are a key feature of glutamatergic synaptic plasticity, yet their role in CIH remains elusive. Here, we found that systemic administration of FK506 in rats significantly increased serine phosphorylation of GluA1 and GluA2 in PVN synaptosomes. Strikingly, FK506 treatment reduced GluA1/GluA2 heteromers in both synaptosomes and endoplasmic reticulum-enriched fractions from the PVN. Blocking CP-AMPARs with IEM-1460 induced a larger reduction of AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic current (AMPAR-EPSC) amplitudes in retrogradely labelled, spinally projecting PVN neurons in FK506-treated rats than in vehicle-treated rats. Furthermore, FK506 treatment shifted the current-voltage relationship of AMPAR-EPSCs from linear to inward rectification in labelled PVN neurons. FK506 treatment profoundly enhanced physical interactions of α2δ-1 with GluA1 and GluA2 in the PVN. Inhibiting α2δ-1 with gabapentin, α2δ-1 genetic knockout, or disrupting α2δ-1-AMPAR interactions with an α2δ-1 C terminus peptide restored GluA1/GluA2 heteromers in the PVN and diminished inward rectification of AMPAR-EPSCs in labelled PVN neurons induced by FK506 treatment. Additionally, microinjection of IEM-1460 or α2δ-1 C terminus peptide into the PVN reduced renal sympathetic nerve discharges and arterial blood pressure elevated in FK506-treated rats but not in vehicle-treated rats. Thus, calcineurin in the hypothalamus constitutively regulates AMPAR subunit composition and phenotypes by controlling GluA1/GluA2 interactions with α2δ-1. Synaptic CP-AMPARs in PVN presympathetic neurons contribute to augmented sympathetic outflow in CIH. KEY POINTS: Systemic treatment with the calcineurin inhibitor increases serine phosphorylation of synaptic GluA1 and GluA2 in the PVN. Calcineurin inhibition enhances the prevalence of postsynaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPARs in PVN presympathetic neurons. Calcineurin inhibition potentiates α2δ-1 interactions with GluA1 and GluA2, disrupting intracellular assembly of GluA1/GluA2 heterotetramers in the PVN. Blocking Ca2+-permeable AMPARs or α2δ-1-AMPAR interactions in the PVN attenuates sympathetic outflow augmented by the calcineurin inhibitor.

Sulfated glyco-based hydrogels as self-healing, adhesive, and anti-inflammatory dressings for wound healing.

Hydrogels have emerged as a new type of wound dressing materials that involved in different stages of the healing processes. However, most of the existing wound dressings mainly offer a protective and moisturizing layer to prevent cross-infection, while the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties are frequently induced by extra addition of other bioactive molecules. Here, a novel type of sulfated glyco-functionalized hydrogels for wound dressing was prepared through the hybrid supramolecular co-assembly of carbohydrate segments (FG, FGS and FG3S), fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF), and diphenylalanine-dopamine (FFD). Implanting sulfated carbohydrates can mimic the structure of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), promoting cell proliferation and migration, along with anti-inflammatory effects. In situ polymerization of FFD introduced a secondary covalent network to the hydrogel, meanwhile, providing anti-oxidation and adhesion properties to wound surfaces. Furthermore, the dynamic supramolecular interactions within the hydrogels also confer self-healing capabilities to the wound dressing materials. In vivo experiments further demonstrated significantly accelerated healing rates with the multifunctional hydrogel FG3S-FFD, indicating high application potential.

Spike 1 trimer, a nanoparticle vaccine against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus induces protective immunity challenge in piglets.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is considered the cause for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) outbreaks and hefty losses in pig farming. However, no effective commercial vaccines against PEDV mutant strains are available nowadays. Here, we constructed three native-like trimeric candidate nanovaccines, i.e., spike 1 trimer (S1-Trimer), collagenase equivalent domain trimer (COE-Trimer), and receptor-binding domain trimer (RBD-Trimer) for PEDV based on Trimer-Tag technology. And evaluated its physical properties and immune efficacy. The result showed that the candidate nanovaccines were safe for mice and pregnant sows, and no animal death or miscarriage occurred in our study. S1-Trimer showed stable physical properties, high cell uptake rate and receptor affinity. In the mouse, sow and piglet models, immunization of S1-Trimer induced high-level of humoral immunity containing PEDV-specific IgG and IgA. S1-Trimer-driven mucosal IgA responses and systemic IgG responses exhibited high titers of virus neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in vitro. S1-Trimer induced Th1-biased cellular immune responses in mice. Moreover, the piglets from the S1-Trimer and inactivated vaccine groups displayed significantly fewer microscopic lesions in the intestinal tissue, with only one and two piglets showing mild diarrhea. The viral load in feces and intestines from the S1-Trimer and inactivated vaccine groups were significantly lower than those of the PBS group. For the first time, our data demonstrated the protective efficacy of Trimer-Tag-based nanovaccines used for PEDV. The S1-Trimer developed in this study was a competitive vaccine candidate, and Trimer-Tag may be an important platform for the rapid production of safe and effective subunit vaccines in the future.

Design and analysis of self-priming extension DNA hairpin probe for miRNA detection based on a unified dynamic programming framework.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, methods for detecting miRNAs with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability are urgently needed. Various nucleic acid probes that have traditionally been for this purpose suffer several drawbacks, including inefficient signal-to-noise ratios and intensities, high cost, and time-consuming method establishment. Computing tools used for investigating the thermodynamics of DNA hybridization reactions can accurately predict the secondary structure of DNA and the interactions between DNA molecules. Herein, NUPACK was used to design a series of nucleic acid probes and develop a phosphorothioated-terminal hairpin formation and self-priming extension (PS-THSP) signal amplification strategy, which enabled the ultrasensitive detection of miR-200a in serum samples. The free and binding energies of the DNA detection probes calculated using NUPACK, as well as the biological experimental results, were considered synthetically to select the best sequence and experimental conditions. A unified dynamic programming framework, NUPACK analysis and the experimental data, were complementary and improved the designed model in all respects. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using computer technology such as NUPACK to simplify the experimental process and provide intuitive results.

Fluorinated Polydopamine Shell Decorated Fillers in Polytetrafluoroethylene Composite for Achieving Highly Reduced Coefficient of Thermal Expansion.

The noticeable difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings and copper substrates is a major challenge for thermal debonding of the copper-clad laminate (CCL) in high-frequency communications. Theoretically, ceramic fillers with low CTEs in the coating can effectively reduce the gap, and there remains a trade-off between the dispersibility of fillers and the interfacial interactions with the polymeric matrix. Here, we propose a novel approach to prepare a pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBC)-modified polydopamine (PDA) shell on silica particles by using amidation. Such modified particles perform excellent dispersion and exhibit diminished interfacial gaps in the PTFE matrix, which highly reduces CTE to 77 ppm/°C, accounting for only 48.1% of the neat coating. Moreover, the composite exhibits enhanced mechanical strength and toughness, and consequently suppresses thermal debonding in CCL under high-temperature conditions. Therefore, results present a promising potential for its use in the next-generation CCL of high-frequency communication devices.

Vitamin D Deficiency Participates in Depression of Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy by Regulating the Expression of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and low levels of vitamin D are common in patients with depression. Depression is common in DPN patients and the definite pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to determine vitamin D deficiency in the onset of depression in DPN and evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression. Methods: A total of 192 patients with DPN were enrolled in this study. Clinical and laboratory information was collected. Chemiluminescent immunoassay was used to measure the level of 25(OH)D. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-17A. Subjects with low 25(OH)D received 5000IU vitamin D daily for 12 weeks. Depression scores and levels of 25(OH)D, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17A were re-evaluated after supplementation. Results: The incidence of vitamin D deficiency and depression was high in DPN patients. Compared with vitamin D sufficient participants, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores and the levels of inflammatory markers IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17A were significantly higher in insufficient group (all p<0.05). HAMD score, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17A were negatively correlated with 25(OH)D (all p<0.05). A linear relationship existed among IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-17A, and 25(OH)D (p<0.05). HAMD scores, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17A were all reduced significantly after supplementation of vitamin D (p<0.05). Binary logistic analysis revealed that vitamin D insufficiency was an independent risk factor for depression in patients with DPN. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed a high sensitivity (87.20%) of 25(OH)D in discriminating DPN patients with depression. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency participated in occurrence of depression in DPN patients and could be mediated, at least in part, by upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D supplementation may be effective in improving depressive symptoms in DPN patients.

Wavelength-tunable Tm:Y2O3 ceramic vortex laser with a changeable orbital angular momentum state.

Wavelength-tunable orbital angular momentum (OAM) lasers with controllable topological charges have the potential for serving as light sources for large-capacity optical communication by combining conventional wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) with OAM mode-division multiplexing (OAM-MDM). In this study, we demonstrate a wavelength-tunable Tm-bulk laser that can control OAM states in the 2-µm spectral range. The excitation conditions for different Laguerre-Gaussian (L G 0,l ) modes in a bulk laser cavity are theoretically determined by measuring the spatial propagation dynamics of the annular pump beam. As a proof-of-principle study, we experimentally generate OAM states of |ℏ| and |2ℏ| from a T m:Y 2 O 3 ceramic laser with a tunable emission wavelength using a Lyot filter (LF). The spatial properties of the scalar optical vortices are well conserved during wavelength tuning, indicating the feasibility of our approach for producing wavelength-tunable structured light. These OAM laser sources, which are characterized by their robustness and compactness, have potential applications in various areas such as optical communications, quantum optics, super-resolution microscopes, and more.

miR-335-3p improves type II diabetes mellitus by IGF-1 regulating macrophage polarization.

Previous studies have found that miR-335 is highly expressed in type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) models and is related to insulin secretion, but there are few studies on the regulatory effects of miR-335-3p on insulin resistance and macrophage polarization in T2DM patients. This study aims to explore the effects of miR-335-3p on insulin resistance and macrophage polarization in T2DM patients. Blood glucose (insulin tolerance tests, glucose tolerance tests) and body weight of the T2DM model were measured; macrophages from adipose tissue were isolated and cultured, and the number of macrophages was detected by F4/80 immunofluorescence assay; the Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay and Western blot assay were used to detect the miR-335-3p expression levels, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), M1-polarizing genes (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and TNF-α) as well as M2-polarizing genes (IL-10 and ARG-1). The targeting link between miR-335-3p and IGF-1 was confirmed using bioinformatics and dual luciferase assay. The results showed that miR-335-3p expression level in adipose tissue of the T2DM model was significantly decreased, and the mice's body weight and blood glucose levels dropped considerably, miR-335-3p inhibited the number of macrophages, inhibiting the iNOS and TNF-α relative mRNA expression levels, and up-regulated the IL-10 and ARG-1 relative mRNA expression levels, miR-335-3p negatively regulated target gene IGF-1, IGF-1 significantly increased the iNOS and TNF-α mRNA and protein expression levels, decreasing the IL-10 and ARG-1 mRNA and protein expression levels, indicating that miR-335-3p could affect the T2DM process by regulating macrophage polarization via IGF-1.

Gut microbial CAZymes markers for depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness, characterized by disturbances of gut microbiome, it is required to further explore how the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were changed in MDD. Here, using the metagenomic data from patients with MDD (n = 118) and heath controls (HC, n = 118), we found that the whole CAZymes signatures of MDD were significantly discriminated from that in HC. α-diversity indexes of the two groups were also significantly different. The patients with MDD were characterized by enriched Glycoside Hydrolases (GHs) and Polysaccharide Lyases (PLs) relative to HC. A panel of makers composed of 9 CAZymes mainly belonging to GHs enabled to discriminate the patients with MDD and HC with AUC of 0.824. In addition, this marker panel could classify blinded test samples from the two groups with an AUC of 0.736. Moreover, we found that baseline 4 CAZymes levels also could predict the antidepressant efficacy after adjusted confounding factors and times of depressive episode. Our findings showed that MDD was associated with disturbances of gut CAZymes, which may help to develop diagnostic and predictive tools for depression.

STUB1 increases adiponectin expression by inducing ubiquitination and degradation of NR2F2, thereby reducing hepatic stellate cell activation and alleviating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin (APN) has exhibited ameliorating effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study investigates the roles of APN and its regulatory molecules in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and the progression of NAFLD. METHODS: Mice were subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) to establish NAFLD models. Liver tissue was examined for lipid metabolism, fibrosis, and inflammation. Mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to palmitic acid (PA) to mimic a high-fat environment. The conditioned medium (CM) from adipocytes was collected for the culture of isolated mouse HSCs. Gain- or loss-of-function studies of APN, nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 2 (NR2F2), and STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1 (STUB1) were performed to analyze their roles in NAFLD and HSC activation in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: APN expression was poorly expressed in HFD-fed mice and PA-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which was attributed to the transcription inhibition mediated by NR2F2. Silencing of NR2F2 restored the APN expression, ameliorating liver steatosis, fibrosis, and inflammatory cytokine infiltration in mouse livers and reducing HSC activation. Similarly, the NR2F2 silencing condition reduced HSC activation in vitro. However, these effects were counteracted by artificial APN silencing. STUB1 facilitated the ubiquitination and protein degradation of NR2F2, and its upregulation mitigated NAFLD-like symptoms in mice and HSC activation, effects reversed by the NR2F2 overexpression. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the role of STUB1 in reducing HSC activation and alleviating NAFLD by attenuating NR2F2-mediated transcriptional repression of APN.

Identifying the core residual symptom in patients with major depressive disorder using network analysis and illustrating its association with prognosis: A study based on the national cohorts in China.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the core residual symptom of MDD and assess its relationship with patients' long-term outcomes. METHOD: All patients were administered antidepressants during the acute phase and treated continuously. The 521 patients remitted at month 6 of a multicenter prospective project were included. Remission was defined as a Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self-Report total score of ≤5. Functional impairments were measured with the Sheehan Disability Scale, quality of life with the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire - short form, and family burden with the Family Burden Scale of Disease. Visits were scheduled at baseline, weeks 2, 8, 12, and month 6. RESULTS: Difficulty with concentration/decision making was the core residual symptom of MDD, determined with the centrality measure of network analysis. It was positively associated with functional impairments and family burden (r = 0.35, P < 0.01 and r = 0.31, P < 0.01, respectively) and negatively associated with life satisfaction (r = -0.29, P < 0.01). The exhibition of this residual symptom was associated with a family history of psychiatric disorders (OR = 2.610 [1.242-5.485]). CONCLUSIONS: The core residual symptom of MDD, difficulty with concentration/decision making, is associated with poorer social functioning, heavier family burden, and lower life satisfaction. Early detection and intervention of this symptom may be beneficial. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: (Chinese Clinical Trials.gov identifier) ChiCTR-OOC-17012566 and ChiCTR-INR-17012574.

Fe, N-Inducing Interfacial Electron Redistribution in NiCo Spinel on Biomass-Derived Carbon for Bi-functional Oxygen Conversion.

Herein, an interfacial electron redistribution is proposed to boost the activity of carbon-supported spinel NiCo2O4 catalyst toward oxygen conversion via Fe, N-doping strategy. Fe-doping into octahedron induces a redistribution of electrons between Co and Ni atoms on NiCo1.8Fe0.2O4@N-carbon. The increased electron density of Co promotes the coordination of water to Co sites and further dissociation. The generation of proton from water improves the overall activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The increased electron density of Ni facilitates the generation of oxygen vacancies. The Ni-VO-Fe structure accelerates the deprotonation of *OOH to improve the activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). N-doping modulates the electron density of carbon to form active sites for the adsorption and protonation of oxygen species. Fir wood-derived carbon endows catalyst with an integral structure to enable outstanding electrocatalytic performance. The NiCo1.8Fe0.2O4@N-carbon express high half-wave potential up to 0.86 V in ORR and low overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in OER. The zinc-air batteries (ZABs) assembled with the as-prepared catalyst achieve long-term cycle stability (over 2000 cycles) with peak power density (180 mWcm-2). Fe, N-doping strategy drives the catalysis of biomass-derived carbon-based catalysts to the highest level for the oxygen conversion in ZABs.

Study on the dynamic change of volatile components of white tea in the pile-up processing based on sensory evaluation and ATD-GC-MS Technology.

The pile-up processing has a great impact on the flavor of white tea. To investigate the effects of the volatile accumulation of white tea with different piling thickness treatments, tea leaves from different thickness treatments were subjected to sensory quantitative description analysis and ATD-GC-MS detection in this study. As a result, 122 volatile components were identified from white tea with different treatments. A total of 8 key compounds, including isovaleraldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, 2-methyl-butanal, 1-octene-3-ol, linalool, pentanoic acid, hexanal and 1-hexanol were screened out using multivariate statistical analysis, which were characteristic components of grassy, floral-fruity, pekoe aroma and sweet flavors. The results of the selected key characteristic volatile compounds were consistent with the sensory quantitative description. The aroma of mid-pile dried tea (MD) was exhibited a harmonious and pleasant overall flavor. This study provides a novel insight into the accumulation of volatile during the withering step of white tea production.

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.

Biomass-Derived Catalytically Active Carbon Materials for the Air Electrode of Zn-air Batteries.

Given the growing environmental and energy problems, developing clean, renewable electrochemical energy storage devices is of great interest. Zn-air batteries (ZABs) have broad prospects in energy storage because of their high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. The unavailability of cheap air electrode materials and effective and stable oxygen electrocatalysts to catalyze air electrodes are main barriers to large-scale implementation of ZABs. Due to the abundant biomass resources, self-doped heteroatoms, and unique pore structure, biomass-derived catalytically active carbon materials (CACs) have great potential to prepare carbon-based catalysts and porous electrodes with excellent performance for ZABs. This paper reviews the research progress of biomass-derived CACs applied to ZABs air electrodes. Specifically, the principle of ZABs and the source and preparation method of biomass-derived CACs are introduced. To prepare efficient biomass-based oxygen electrocatalysts, heteroatom doping and metal modification were introduced to improve the efficiency and stability of carbon materials. Finally, the effects of electron transfer number and H2 O2 yield in ORR on the performance of ZABs were evaluated. This review aims to deepen the understanding of the advantages and challenges of biomass-derived CACs in the air electrodes of ZABs, promote more comprehensive research on biomass resources, and accelerate the commercial application of ZABs.

MST1/2: Important regulators of Hippo pathway in immune system associated diseases.

The Hippo signaling pathway is first found in Drosophila and is highly conserved in evolution. Previous studies on this pathway in mammals have revealed its key role in cell proliferation and differentiation, organ size control, and carcinogenesis. Apart from these, recent findings indicate that mammalian Ste20-like kinases 1 and 2 (MST1/2) have significant effects on immune regulation. In this review, we summarize the updated understanding of how MST1/2 affect the regulation of the immune system and the specific mechanism. The effect of MST1/2 on immune cells and its role in the tumor immune microenvironment can alter the body's response to tumor cells. The relationship between MST1/2 and the immune system suggests new directions in the manipulation of immune responses for clinical immunotherapy, especially for tumor treatment.