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Electrolytes are critical for the safety and long-term cyclability of potassium ion batteries. Here, a low-concentration, non-flammable, and weakly solvating electrolyte enables the cycling stability of K||graphite cell for over 2 years.

Enhancer of rudimentary homologue (ERH), a small protein conserved in eukaryotes, is involved in a wide spectrum of cellular events, including cell cycle progression, piRNA biogenesis, miRNA maturation and gene expression. Human ERH is recruited to replication foci by CDKN1A-interacting zinc finger protein 1 (CIZ1), and plays an important role in cell growth control. However, the molecular basis for CIZ1 recognition by ERH remains unknown. By using GST pull-down experiment, we found that a fragment within CIZ1, upstream of its first zinc finger, is sufficient for binding to ERH. We solved the structure of CIZ1-bound ERH, in which the ERH dimer binds to two CIZ1 fragments to form a 2 : 2 heterotetramer. CIZ1 forms intermolecular antiparallel β-strands with ERH, and its binding surface on ERH is distinct from those of other known ERH-binding ligands. The ERH-CIZ1 interface was further validated by mutagenesis and binding experiments. Our structural study complemented by biochemistry experiments not only provides insights into a previously unidentified ligand-binding mode for ERH but also sheds light on the understanding of evolutionarily conserved roles for ERH orthologs.

Conventional ether-based electrolytes exhibited a low polarization voltage in potassium-ion batteries, yet suffered from ion-solvent co-intercalation phenomena in a graphite anode, inferior potassium-metal performance, and limited oxidation stability. Here, we reveal that weakening the cation-solvent interactions could suppress the co-intercalation behaviour, enhance the potassium-metal performance, and improve the oxidation stability. Consequently, the graphite anode exhibits K

Rapid and accurate identification of cardiac troponin I (cTnl) in biological fluids is very essential for judging acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Herein, we constructed an enzyme-free electrochemical immunosensing system for sensitive monitoring of human plasma cTnl cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Prussian blue-doped PAMAM dendrimer nanospheres (PBDENPs) were first synthesized by using in situ chemical reaction, and functionalized with polyclonal anti-human cTnl antibody as the signal-transduction tags. Field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized for characterization of the immunosensing platform. By using a monoclonal anti-human cTnl antibody-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) as the immunsensing interface and polyclonal anti-cTnl antibody-labeled PBDENPs and the signal tags, a new sandwich-type immunoassay was designed for the determination of target cTnl by using square wave voltammetry (SWV). Multi-armed dendritic PAMAM nanospheres were expected to enhance the detectable signal of electrochemical immunoassay through the doped Prussian blue with electrochemical activity. Under optimum conditions, the enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay displayed a wide linear range of four orders of magnitude from 0.01 ng mL−1 to 100 ng mL−1 with a low detection limit of 6.2 pg mL−1 cTnl at the 3sB criterion. An intermediate precision of ≤10.9% was accomplished with batch-to-batch identification, and good anti-interference capacity against other cancer biomarkers or proteins was acquired toward target cTnl. In addition, measurements of human serum specimens were demonstrated to further confirm the method accuracy of electrochemical immunoassay, and well-matched results were obtained between the electrochemical immunoassay and the referenced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Background and aims The number of hypertensive population rises year by year recently, and their age becomes more youthful. For a long time, hypertension has long been regarded as a multi-factorial disease. In addition to smoking, genetics, diet and other factors, helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) had been regarded as a potential risk factor for hypertension in recent years. However, most studies had certain limitations and their results were inconsistent. Thus, it is necessary for us to assess the impact of H. pylori on hypertension through meta-analysis. Methods We searched all published relevant literature through multiple databases by July 23, 2021. Pooled results were calculated under the random effect model. Heterogeneity was evaluated by the Q statistic and the I2 statistic. The risk of bias was evaluated via ROBINS-I tool. Publication bias was evaluated by the Egger test and Begg funnel plot. Results 6 eligible studies involving 11317 hypertensive patients and 12765 controls were selected from 20767 retrieval records. Our research confirmed that H. pylori significantly increased the probability of suffering from hypertension in the random effect model (OR:1.34, 95% CI:1.10–1.63, P = 0.002, I2 = 74%). The same results were also found in both Asian population and developing country (OR:1.28, 95%CI:1.05–1.55, P = 0.003, I2 = 78.5%). Conclusions Our results confirmed that H. pylori was a vital risk factor for hypertension. H. pylori-infected people were 13.4% higher risk for hypertension than uninfected individuals. In addition, it will be a new method to prevent and treat hypertension by eradicating H. pylori. Trial registration The registration number for systematic review in PROSPERO CRD42021279677.

Herein, we have reported a new one-step potentiometric immunoassay for the sensitive and specific detection of human plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a biomarker of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Initially, the cTnI biomolecules were immobilized on the surface of a gold nanoparticle-functionalized screen-printed graphite electrode (SPGE). Thereafter, rabbit polyclonal antibodies to cTnI were covalently conjugated to the bis-MPA-COOH dendrimers through typical carbodiimide coupling. The introduction of the target analyte caused a competitive immunoreaction between the immobilized cTnI on the electrode and the conjugated antibody on the dendrimers. The potentiometric measurement was mainly derived from the change in the surface charge on the surface of the modified electrode due to the negatively charged bis-MPA-COOH dendrimers after the immunoreaction. On increasing target cTcI, the number of charged dendrimers on the immunosensor decreased, resulting in a change in the electric potential. Under optimum conditions, the potentiometric immunosensor exhibited good potentiometric responses for the detection of cTcI and allowed the determination of the target analyte at a concentration as low as 7.3 pg mL-1. An intermediate precision of ≤8.7% was accomplished with batch-to-batch identification. Meanwhile, the potentiometric immunosensor showed good anti-interfering capacity and selectivity against other proteins and biomarkers. Importantly, our system displayed high accuracy for the analysis of human plasma serum samples containing target cTcI relative to commercial human cTcI enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.

Objective To investigate the association between DNA methylation and the stable warfarin dose through genome-wide DNA methylation analysis and pyrosequencing assay. Method This study included 161 patients and genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was used to screen potential warfarin dose-associated CpGs through Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation 450 K BeadChip; then, the pyrosequencing assay was used to further validate the association between the stable warfarin dose and alterations in the methylation of the screened CpGs. GenomeStudio Software and R were used to analyze the differentially methylated CpGs. Results The methylation levels of CpGs surrounding the xenobiotic response element (XRE) within the CYP1A1 promoter, differed significantly between the different dose groups (P 0, P Conclusion This is a novel report of the methylation levels of six CpGs surrounding the XRE within the CYP1A1 promoter and one differential CpG at the VKORC1 promoter associated with stable warfarin dosage; these methylation levels might be applied as molecular signatures for warfarin.

Background We used bioinformatic analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays to investigate the association between plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) and stable warfarin dosage in a Chinese Han population. Methods Bioinformatics analysis was used to screen out potential warfarin dose-associated miRNAs. Three plasma miRNAs were validated in 99 samples by RT-qPCR. Kruskal–Wallis test and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare differences in plasma miRNAs expression levels between three warfarin dosage groups. Results There were significant between-group differences among the three dose groups for hsa-miR-133b expression (p = 0.005), but we observed an “n-shaped” dose-dependent curve rather than a linear relationship. Expression levels of hsa-miR-24-3p (p = 0.475) and hsa-miR-1276 (p = 0.558) were not significantly different in the multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion miRNAs have received extensive attention as ideal biomarkers and possible therapeutic targets for various diseases. However, they are not yet widely used in precision medicine. Our results indicate that hsa-miR-133b may be a possible reference factor for the warfarin dosage algorithm. These findings emphasize the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of complex relationships in warfarin dose prediction models and provide new avenues for future pharmacogenomics studies.

Nucleic acids are considered as perfect programmable materials for cascade signal amplification and not merely as genetic information carriers. Among them, catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA), an enzyme-free, high-efficiency, and isothermal amplification method, is a typical example. A typical CHA reaction is initiated by single-stranded analytes, and substrate hairpins are successively opened, resulting in thermodynamically stable duplexes. CHA circuits, which were first proposed in 2008, present dozens of systems today. Through in-depth research on mechanisms, the CHA circuits have been continuously enriched with diverse reaction systems and improved analytical performance. After a short time, the CHA reaction can realize exponential amplification under isothermal conditions. Under certain conditions, the CHA reaction can even achieve 600 000-fold signal amplification. Owing to its promising versatility, CHA is able to be applied for analysis of various markers in vitro and in living cells. Also, CHA is integrated with nanomaterials and other molecular biotechnologies to produce diverse readouts. Herein, the varied CHA mechanisms, hairpin designs, and reaction conditions are introduced in detail. Additionally, biosensors based on CHA are presented. Finally, challenges and the outlook of CHA development are considered.

Background: Numerous studies have illustrated the association between Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the results are contradictory. Therefore, we conducted the meta-analysis to identify the association between H pylori and ACS. Methods: We performed a systematic search through electronic databases (Excerpta Medica Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random effect model. We also carried out the sensitivity analysis and publication bias. Results: Forty-four eligible studies involving 7522 cases and 8311 controls were included. The pooled result showed that H pylori infection was associated with an increase risk of ACS (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.66–2.47). In addition, similar results were obtained in subgroups of study quality, area, human development index, and H pylori detection method. The OR for developing countries was significantly higher than developed countries (OR = 2.58 vs OR = 1.69). Moreover, H pylori with cytotoxin-associated antigen A was also significantly associated with an increase risk of ACS (OR = 2.39, 95% CI 1.21–4.74). Conclusion: The meta-analysis suggested that H pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of ACS, especially in developing countries. H pylori is easily screened and can be treated with a wide range of drugs. Thus, more high-quality and well-designed studies are needed to confirm whether the treatment of H pylori is an effective way to reduce ACS risk.

Background: Many studies have reported that the IL-1β + 3954C/T polymorphism (rs1143634) is related to myocardial infarction (MI). To classify the association between IL-1β + 3954C/T and MI susceptibility, we performed a meta-analysis. Methods: We retrieved relevant literature from electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated with a fixed effect model or a random effect model. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias results are also presented. Results: Nine eligible studies (2299 controls and 2203 cases) were included. The pooled results showed a significant relationship between MI and IL-1β + 3954C/T in an allelic comparison (T vs C: OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02–1.25, I2 = 0%, PH = .448) and in a dominant model (TC + TT vs CC: OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.30, I2 = 0%, PH = .880). Ethnic subgroup analysis showed similar results in Caucasian populations: an allelic comparison (T vs C: OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.04–1.29, I2 = 0%, PH = .701), homozygote model (TT vs CC: OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.04–1.79, I2 = 0%, PH = .673), and dominant model (TC + TT vs CC: OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.02–1.33, I2 = 0%, PH = .851). In addition, similar effects remained in subgroups analyses of high-quality studies and PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) data. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis proved that IL-1β + 3954C/T is associated with MI susceptibility, especially among Caucasian populations.