Engineering a Low-Strain Si@TiSi2@NC Composite for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The huge volume expansion/contraction of silicon (Si) during the lithium (Li) insertion/extraction process, which can lead to cracking and pulverization, poses a substantial impediment to its practical implementation in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The development of low-strain Si-based composite materials is imperative to address the challenges associated with Si anodes. In this study, we have engineered a TiSi2 interface on the surface of Si particles via a high-temperature calcination process, followed by the introduction of an outermost carbon (C) shell, leading to the construction of a low-strain and highly stable Si@TiSi2@NC composite. The robust TiSi2 interface not only enhances electrical and ionic transport but also, more critically, significantly mitigates particle cracking by restraining the stress/strain induced by volumetric variations, thus alleviating pulverization during the lithiation/delithiation process. As a result, the as-fabricated Si@TiSi2@NC electrode exhibits a high initial reversible capacity (2172.7 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1), superior rate performance (1198.4 mAh g-1 at 2.0 A g-1), and excellent long-term cycling stability (847.0 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g-1). Upon pairing with LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622), the assembled Si@TiSi2@NC||NCM622 pouch-type full cell exhibits exceptional cycling stability, retaining 90.1% of its capacity after 160 cycles at 0.5 C.

Review: Mechanism of herbivores synergistically metabolizing toxic plants through liver and intestinal microbiota.

Interspecific interactions are central to ecological research. Plants produce toxic plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) as a defense mechanism against herbivore overgrazing, prompting their gradual adaptation to toxic substances for tolerance or detoxification. P450 enzymes in herbivore livers bind to PSMs, whereas UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and glutathione S-transferase increase the hydrophobicity of the bound PSMs for detoxification. Intestinal microorganisms such as Bacteroidetes metabolize cellulase and other macromolecules to break down toxic components. However, detoxification is an overall response of the animal body, necessitating coordination among various organs to detoxify ingested PSMs. PSMs undergo detoxification metabolism through the liver and gut microbiota, evidenced by increased signaling processes of bile acids, inflammatory signaling molecules, and aromatic hydrocarbon receptors. In this context, we offer a succinct overview of how metabolites from the liver and gut microbiota of herbivores contribute to enhancing metabolic PSMs. We focused mainly on elucidating the molecular communication between the liver and gut microbiota involving endocrine, immune, and metabolic processes in detoxification. We have also discussed the potential for future alterations in the gut of herbivores to enhance the metabolic effects of the liver and boost the detoxification and metabolic abilities of PSMs.

Emerging role of the crosstalk between gut microbiota and liver metabolome of subterranean herbivores in response to toxic plants.

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are a defense mechanism against herbivores, which in turn use detoxification metabolism to process ingested and absorbed PSMs. The feeding environment can cause changes in liver metabolism patterns and the gut microbiota. Here, we compared gut microbiota and liver metabolome to investigate the response mechanism of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) to toxic plant Stellera chamaejasme (SC) in non-SC and SC grassland (-SCG and +SCG). Our results indicated that exposure to SC in the -SCG population increased liver inflammatory markers including prostaglandin (PG) in the Arachidonic acid pathway, while exposure to SC in the +SCG population exhibited a significant downregulation of PGs. Secondary bile acids were significantly downregulated in +SCG plateau zokors after SC treatment. Of note, the microbial taxa Veillonella in the -SCG group was significantly correlated with liver inflammation markers, while Clostridium innocum in the +SCG group had a significant positive correlation with secondary bile acids. The increase in bile acids and PGs can lead to liver inflammatory reactions, suggesting that +SCG plateau zokors may mitigate the toxicity of SC plants by reducing liver inflammatory markers including PGs and secondary bile acids, thereby avoiding liver damage. This provides new insight into mechanisms of toxicity by PSMs and counter-mechanisms for toxin tolerance by herbivores.

Discovery of a Dual Tubulin and Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) Inhibitor with Potent In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity via Pharmacophore-based Docking Screening, Structure Optimization, and Biological Evaluation.

Dual inhibition of tubulin and neuropilin-1 (NRP1) may become an effective method for cancer treatment by simultaneously killing tumor cells and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Herein, we identified dual tubulin/NRP1-targeting inhibitor TN-2, which exhibited good inhibitory activity against both tubulin polymerization (IC50 = 0.71 ± 0.03 µM) and NRP1 (IC50 = 0.85 ± 0.04 µM). Importantly, it significantly inhibited the viability of several human prostate tumor cell lines. Further mechanism studies indicated that TN-2 could inhibit tubulin polymerization and cause G2/M arrest, thereby inducing cell apoptosis. It could also suppress cell tube formation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, TN-2 showed obvious antitumor effects on the PC-3 cell-derived xenograft model with negligible side effects and good pharmacokinetic profiles. These data demonstrate that TN-2 could be a promising dual-target chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Possibility of Wild Boar Harm Occurring in Five Provinces of Northwest China.

With the implementation of ecological engineering projects and related policies in China, wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have surged, leading to increasingly serious conflicts with humans. We evaluated their potential habitat changes from the perspective of environmental suitability. To elucidate the suitable habitat characteristics for wild boars, we obtained data from 79 sites in five provinces in northwest China using database retrieval, human-wildlife conflict (HWC) incident questionnaires, and document retrieval. Thus, 10 environmental variables with lower correlation were selected, and potentially suitable distribution areas for wild boars under the current climate scenario were predicted based on the maximum entropy model. These areas were superimposed with different land use types in different periods to explore habitat selection. Precipitation seasonality (26.40%), human footprint index (16.50%), and elevation (11.90%) were the main environmental factors affecting wild boar distribution. The areas with high potential suitability for wild boars were mainly in the southeast and northwest of the region (total area of 2.63 × 105 km2). The land use types in the high-suitability zones are mainly woodland and grassland with high coverage, canopy density, and cultivated land borders. This study provides a reference for the effective prevention of HWC and management of wild boars.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-one derivatives as novel tubulin polymerization inhibitors.

A series of novel dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-one derivatives targeting colchicine binding site on tubulin were designed, synthesized and evaluated as anticancer agents. The most potent compound 6t showed remarkable antiproliferative activities against four cancer cell lines with IC50 values among 0.003-0.024 µM and tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity (IC50 = 3.06 µM). Further mechanism studies revealed that compound 6t could induce K562 cells apoptosis and arrest at the G2/M phase. Meanwhile, 6t significantly inhibited migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, and disrupted the angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. In addition, compound 6t inhibited tumor growth in H22 allograft tumor model with a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) rate of 63.3 % (i.v., 20 mg/kg per day) without obvious toxicity. Collectively, these results indicated that compound 6t was a novel tubulin polymerization inhibitor with potent anticancer properties in vitro and in vivo.

Himalayan Marmot (Marmota himalayana) Redistribution to High Latitudes under Climate Change.

Climate warming and human activities impact the expansion and contraction of species distribution. The Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) is a unique mammal and an ecosystem engineer in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). This pest aggravates grassland degradation and is a carrier and transmitter of plagues. Therefore, exploring the future distribution of Himalayan marmots based on climate change and human activities is crucial for ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and public health safety. Here, a maximum entropy model was explored to forecast changes in the distribution and centroid migration of the Himalayan marmot in the 2050s and 2070s. The results implied that the human footprint index (72.80%) and altitude (16.40%) were the crucial environmental factors affecting the potential distribution of Himalayan marmots, with moderately covered grassland being the preferred habitat of the Himalayan marmot. Over the next 30-50 years, the area of suitable habitat for the Himalayan marmot will increase slightly and the distribution center will shift towards higher latitudes in the northeastern part of the plateau. These results demonstrate the influence of climate change on Himalayan marmots and provide a theoretical reference for ecological management and plague monitoring.

Micrometer-scale single crystalline particles of niobium titanium oxide enabling an Ah-level pouch cell with superior fast-charging capability.

Wadsley-Roth phase niobium titanium oxide (TiNb2O7) is widely regarded as a promising anode candidate for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries due to its safe working potential and doubled capacity in comparison to the commercial fast-charging anode material (lithium titanium oxide, Li4Ti5O12). Although good fast charge/discharge performance was shown for nanostructured TiNb2O7, the small size would cause the low electrode compensation density and energy density of batteries, as well as parasitic reactions. Fundamental understanding of the electrochemical lithium insertion/extraction process and the structural evolution for the micrometer-scale single crystalline TiNb2O7 (MSC-TiNb2O7) could provide insights to understand its inherent properties and possibility for fast-charging application. Here, we revealed the highly reversible structural evolution of the MSC-TiNb2O7 during the lithiation/delithiation processes. Interestingly, an ion-conductive lithium niobate interphase was in situ formed on the MSC-TiNb2O7 surface during the formation cycle, which could facilitate fast ion diffusion on the material surface and support fast electrochemical reaction kinetics. Experimentally, the MSC-TiNb2O7 delivered a high reversible capacity of 291.9 mA h g-1 at 0.5C with a high initial Coulombic efficiency (>95%), and showed superb rate capability with a reasonable capacity of 55.6 mA h g-1 under a high current density of 40C. An Ah-level pouch cell with a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode exhibited 91.5% capacity retention at 3C charging rate, which revealed the significant role of high crystallinity and in situ formation of an ion conductive nano-interphase in realizing fast charging capability of practical TiNb2O7-based lithium-ion batteries.

Seasonal patterns of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the testes of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi).

The gonads of seasonal breeding animals undergo periodic annual changes in morphology, physiological hormones, and gene expression levels. To clarify the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in the seasonal testicular development and spermatogenesis of plateau zokors, the miRNA expression profiles in their testicles during breeding and non-breeding seasons were analyzed. In total, 447 miRNAs, including 366, 81, and 167 known, novel, and differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, respectively, were determined in the testes. Compared to the non-breeding season, 90 DE miRNAs were upregulated and 77 DE miRNAs were downregulated during the breeding season. By analysing the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles, we predicted 2096 significant target mRNAs. According to the miRNA-mRNA interaction network, target mRNAs with DE miRNAs were related to testicular development and spermatogenesis. GO indicated that target mRNAs were enriched in spermatogenesis, cell differentiation, multicellular biological development, and flagellated sperm movement and were associated with regulating testicular development and spermatogenesis. KEGG suggested that target mRNAs were enriched in lipid and fructose metabolism and provided energy and material for spermatogenesis. The target mRNA of rno-miR-24-3p was determined to be Polyubiquitin-B (UBB). Our results provide a reference for revealing the mechanism by which miRNAs regulate testicular development and spermatogenesis in plateau zokors, which has important implications for understanding the regulation of seasonal reproduction in animals.

Comparative transcriptomes reveal geographic differences in the ability of the liver of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) to respond and adapt to toxic plants.

BACKGROUND: Environmental changes are expected to intensify in the future. The invasion of toxic plants under environmental changes may change herbivore feeding environments. Herbivores living long-term in toxic plant-feeding environments will inevitably ingest plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), and under different feeding environments are likely to have unique protection mechanisms that support improved adaptation to PSMs in their habitat. We aimed to compare different subterranean herbivore population responses and adaptations to toxic plants to unveil their feeding challenges. RESULTS: Here, we investigated the adaptive capacity of the liver in two geographically separated populations of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) before and after exposure to the toxic plant Stellera chamaejasme (SC), at the organ, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels. The results showed no significant liver granules or inflammatory reactions in the Tianzhu (TZ) population after the SC treatment. The transaminase level in the TZ population was significantly lower than that in the Luqu population. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the TZ population exhibited interactions with other detoxification metabolic pathways by oxytocin pathway-associated genes, including diacylglycerol lipase alpha (Dagla), calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II Alpha (Camk2a), and CD38 molecule (Cd38). The phase II process of liver drug metabolism increased to promote the rate of metabolism. We found that alternative splicing (AS) and the expression of the cyclin D (Ccnd1) gene interact-a TZ population hallmark-reduced liver inflammatory responses. CONCLUSION: Our study supports the detoxification limitation hypothesis that differences in liver detoxification metabolism gene expression and AS are potential factors in herbivore adaptation to PSMs and may be a strategy of different herbivore populations to improve toxic plant adaptability.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of dihydro-1H-indene derivatives as novel tubulin polymerisation inhibitors with anti-angiogenic and antitumor potency.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in tumour generation and progression, which is used to supply nutrients and metastasis. Herein, a series of novel dihydro-1H-indene derivatives were designed and evaluated as tubulin polymerisation inhibitors by binding to colchicine site, exhibiting anti-angiogenic activities against new vessel forming. Through structure-activity relationships study, compound 12d was found to be the most potent derivative possessing the antiproliferative activity against four cancer lines with IC50 values among 0.028-0.087 µM. Compound 12d bound to colchicine site on tubulin and inhibited tubulin polymerisation in vitro. In addition, compound 12d induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, stimulated cell apoptosis, inhibited tumour metastasis and angiogenesis. Finally, the results of in vivo assay suggested that compound 12d could prevent tumour generation, inhibit tumour proliferation and angiogenesis without obvious toxicity. Collectively, all these findings suggested that compound 12d is a novel tubulin polymerisation inhibitor deserving further research.

Probing Hybrid LiFePO4/FePO4 Phases in a Single Olive LiFePO4 Particle and Their Recovering from Degraded Electric Vehicle Batteries.

The recycling of LiFePO4 from degraded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) from electric vehicles (EVs) has gained significant attention due to resource, environment, and cost considerations. Through neutron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we revealed continuous lithium loss during battery cycling, resulting in a Li-deficient state (Li1-xFePO4) and phase separation within individual particles, where olive-shaped FePO4 nanodomains (5-10 nm) were embedded in the LiFePO4 matrix. The preservation of the olive-shaped skeleton during Li loss and phase change enabled materials recovery. By chemical compensation for the lithium loss, we successfully restored the hybrid LiFePO4/FePO4 structure to pure LiFePO4, eliminating nanograin boundaries. The regenerated LiFePO4 (R-LiFePO4) exhibited a high crystallinity similar to the fresh counterpart. This study highlights the importance of topotactic chemical reactions in structural repair and offers insights into the potential of targeted Li compensation for energy-efficient recycling of battery electrode materials with polyanion-type skeletons.

Comparative analysis of microRNA and messengerRNA expression profiles in plateau zokor testicular cells under reproductive suppression.

Introduction: Reproductive suppression is an adaptive strategy that affects the success rate and reproductive efficiency in animals, which in turn affects population continuation and evolution. However, no studies on the miRNAs in testicular development and spermatogenesis regulatory mechanisms under reproductive suppression have been reported. Methods: In this study, the differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, miRNA-mRNA interaction network and function of the plateau zokor testicular cells of non-breeders and breeders during the breeding season were comprehensively analyzed by transcriptomics. Results: In total, 381 known and 94 novel miRNAs were determined. Compared with that in the breeders, 70 downregulated and 68 upregulated DE miRNAs were identified in the non-breeders. We predicted 1670 significant target mRNAs by analyzing the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles. According to the miRNA-mRNA interaction network, the target mRNAs of the DE miRNAs were related to testicular development and spermatogenesis. GO indicate that the target mRNAs were related to testicular development and spermatogenesis. KEGG indicate that pathways of target mRNAs enrichment related to testicular development, spermatogenesis, and energy metabolism. PROK2 was determined as the target mRNA of rno-miR-143-3p. Discussion: Our study offers a basis for the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in testicular development and spermatogenesis in plateau zokor under reproductive suppression and offers a reference for reproductive regulation.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of novel stilbene-based derivatives as tubulin/HDAC dual-target inhibitors with potent antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo.

A series of novel stilbene-based derivatives were designed and synthesized as tubulin/HDAC dual-target inhibitors. Among forty-three target compounds, compound II-19k not only exhibited considerable antiproliferative activity in the hematological cell line K562 with IC50 value of 0.003 µM, but also effectively inhibited the growth of various solid tumor cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.005 to 0.036 µM. The mechanism studies demonstrated that II-19k could inhibit microtubules and HDACs at the cellular level, block cell cycle arrest at G2 phase, induce cell apoptosis, and reduce solid tumor cells metastasis. What's more, the vascular disrupting effects of compound II-19k were more pronounced than the combined administration of parent compound 8 and HDAC inhibitor SAHA. The in vivo antitumor assay of II-19k also showed the superiority of dual-target inhibition of tubulin and HDAC. II-19k significantly suppressed the tumor volume and effectively reduced tumor weight by 73.12% without apparent toxicity. Overall, the promising bioactivities of II-19k make it valuable for further development as an antitumor agent.

Mitigating Concentration Polarization through Acid-Base Interaction Effects for Long-Cycling Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal has attracted great attention as a promising high-capacity anode material for next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. Nonuniform Li+ transport and uneven Li plating/stripping behavior are two key factors that deteriorate the electrochemical performance. In this work, we propose an interphase acid-base interaction effect that could regulate Li plating/stripping behavior and stabilize the Li metal anode. ZSM-5, a class of zeolites with ordered nanochannels and abundant acid sites, was employed as a functional interface layer to facilitate Li+ transport and mitigate the cell concentration polarization. As a demonstration, a pouch cell with a high-areal-capacity LiNi0.95Co0.02Mn0.03O2 cathode (3.7 mAh cm-2) and a ZSM-5 modified thin lithium anode (50 µm) delivered impressive electrochemical performance, showing 92% capacity retention in 100 cycles (375.7 mAh). This work reveals the effect of acid-base interaction on regulating lithium plating/stripping behaviors, which could be extended to developing other high-performance alkali metal anodes.

Reproductive Suppression Caused by Spermatogenic Arrest: Transcriptomic Evidence from a Non-Social Animal.

Reproductive suppression is an adaptive strategy in animal reproduction. The mechanism of reproductive suppression has been studied in social animals, providing an essential basis for understanding the maintenance and development of population stability. However, little is known about it in solitary animals. The plateau zokor is a dominant, subterranean, solitary rodent in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, the mechanism of reproductive suppression in this animal is unknown. We perform morphological, hormonal, and transcriptomic assays on the testes of male plateau zokors in breeders, in non-breeders, and in the non-breeding season. We found that the testes of non-breeders are smaller in weight and have lower serum testosterone levels than those of breeders, and the mRNA expression levels of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and its transcription factors are significantly higher in non-breeder testes. Genes related to spermatogenesis are significantly downregulated in both meiotic and post-meiotic stages in non-breeders. Genes related to the meiotic cell cycle, spermatogenesis, flagellated sperm motility, fertilization, and sperm capacitation are significantly downregulated in non-breeders. Our data suggest that high levels of AMH may lead to low levels of testosterone, resulting in delayed testicular development, and physiological reproductive suppression in plateau zokor. This study enriches our understanding of reproductive suppression in solitary mammals and provides a basis for the optimization of managing this species.

Potential Role of Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Regulating Seasonal Reproduction in Animals: The Example of Males.

Seasonal reproduction is a survival strategy by which animals adapt to environmental changes to improve their fitness. Males are often characterized by a significantly reduced testicular volume, indicating that they are in an immature state. Although many hormones, including gonadotropins, have played a role in testicular development and spermatogenesis, research on other hormones is insufficient. The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which is a hormone responsible for inducing the regression of Müllerian ducts involved in male sex differentiation, was discovered in 1953. Disorders in AMH secretion are the main biomarkers of gonadal dysplasia, indicating that it may play a crucial role in reproduction regulation. A recent study has found that the AMH protein is expressed at a high level during the non-breeding period of seasonal reproduction in animals, implying that it may play a role in restricting breeding activities. In this review, we summarize the research progress on the AMH gene expression, regulatory factors of the gene's expression, and its role in reproductive regulation. Using males as an example, we combined testicular regression and the regulatory pathway of seasonal reproduction and attempted to identify the potential relationship between AMH and seasonal reproduction, to broaden the physiological function of AMH in reproductive suppression, and to provide new ideas for understanding the regulatory pathway of seasonal reproduction.

Improvement of Acoustic Models Fused with Lip Visual Information for Low-Resource Speech.

Endangered language generally has low-resource characteristics, as an immaterial cultural resource that cannot be renewed. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) is an effective means to protect this language. However, for low-resource language, native speakers are few and labeled corpora are insufficient. ASR, thus, suffers deficiencies including high speaker dependence and over fitting, which greatly harms the accuracy of recognition. To tackle the deficiencies, the paper puts forward an approach of audiovisual speech recognition (AVSR) based on LSTM-Transformer. The approach introduces visual modality information including lip movements to reduce the dependence of acoustic models on speakers and the quantity of data. Specifically, the new approach, through the fusion of audio and visual information, enhances the expression of speakers' feature space, thus achieving the speaker adaptation that is difficult in a single modality. The approach also includes experiments on speaker dependence and evaluates to what extent audiovisual fusion is dependent on speakers. Experimental results show that the CER of AVSR is 16.9% lower than those of traditional models (optimal performance scenario), and 11.8% lower than that for lip reading. The accuracy for recognizing phonemes, especially finals, improves substantially. For recognizing initials, the accuracy improves for affricates and fricatives where the lip movements are obvious and deteriorates for stops where the lip movements are not obvious. In AVSR, the generalization onto different speakers is also better than in a single modality and the CER can drop by as much as 17.2%. Therefore, AVSR is of great significance in studying the protection and preservation of endangered languages through AI.

Two plants improve stress response of a subterranean herbivore by downregulating amphetamine addiction pathways.

Introduction: Captivity serves as the primary method for enhancing animal survival and productivity. However, the stress induced by confinement can hinder animal growth and reproduction. The administration of drugs to captive animals can effectively regulate their stress response and can also be used inartificial breeding, reproduction, and experimental animalization of wild species. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a subterranean herbivore, experiences significant stress during the captive process owing to its unique habitat. Methods: In our study, we utilized Radix astragali (RA) and Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) extracts to intervene in the stress response of plateau zokors. Results: Our findings demonstrated that RA and AS treatment considerably improved food intake and reduced weight loss, stress-related behavior, and stress hormone levels in plateau zokors. Furthermore, the excitatory pathway of amphetamine addition in the hypothalamus was suppressed by RA and AS treatment, acting through the Grin and Prkc gene families. Notably, after RA treatment, the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway, enriched by the Col1a1/3a1/1a2/6a1 gene, was significantly upregulated, potentially enhancing the immune function of captive plateau zokors. Discussion: In conclusion, our research demonstrates that RA and AS treatment can effectively alleviate the stress response of plateau zokors in captive environments. The downregulation of the excitation pathway and upregulation of the immune pathway offer valuable insights into the response and potential mechanisms of plant-based drugs in mitigating animal stress.