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Electrochemical biosensors are gaining attention as powerful tools in cancer diagnosis, particularly in liquid biopsy, due to their high efficiency, rapid response, exceptional sensitivity, and specificity. However, the complexity of intra- and intertumor heterogeneity, with variations in genetic and protein expression profiles and epigenetic modifications, makes electrochemical biosensors susceptible to false-positive or false-negative diagnostic outcomes. To address this challenge, there is growing interest in simultaneously analyzing multiple biomarkers to reveal molecular characteristics of tumor heterogeneity for precise cancer diagnosis. In this Perspective, we highlight recent advancements in utilizing electrochemical biosensors for cancer diagnosis, with a specific emphasis on the multitarget analysis of cancer biomarkers including tumor-associated nucleic acids, tumor protein markers, extracellular vesicles, and tumor cells. These biosensors hold significant promise for improving precision in early cancer diagnosis and monitoring, as well as potentially offering new insights into personalized cancer management.

Polycrystalline Cu(InGaAl)Se2(CIGAS) thin films were prepared on polyimide (PI) foils by depositing aluminum (Al) and CIGS precursor layers. Three ceramic CIGS quaternary targets with different sodium (Na) contents were used for investigating the influences of alkali doping at an annealing temperature of 500 °C. The Al concentration was enriched at the front interfaces of absorber films with different Na doping amounts after annealing. Na in the precursor layer diffused to both interfaces during the annealing process, most Na diffused into the Mo layer, and Na existed in the annealed film as compounds Na2Sexand Na2SeO3. An appropriate amount Na element could be beneficial for grain growth in the region beneath the surface. Low Na doping had no significant effect on the crystallization property. High Na doping effected the diffusion of the Cu2–xSe liquid phase and reduced the grain size. On the basis of good crystallization, the passivation effect of Na can effectively improve the performance of cells. A certified power conversion efficiency of 16.19% of a CIGAS flexible solar cell with a 0.54 cm2active area has been achieved.

High fish predation pressure can trigger “induced defense” in Daphniaspecies, resulting in phenotypic plasticity in morphology, behavior, or life-history traits. The molecular mechanisms of defense morphogenesis (e.g., the tail spine and helmet) in Daphniaremain unclear. In the present study, the tail spine, helmet, and body of Daphnia galeataunder fish and non-fish kairomones conditions were collected for transcriptome analysis. A total of 24 candidate genes related to the morphological defense of D. galeatawere identified, including 2 trypsin, one cuticle protein, 1 C1qDC protein, and 2 ferritin genes. The function of the Dagcutgene (D. galeatacuticle protein gene) in relation to tail spine morphology was assessed using RNA interference (RNAi). Compared with the EGFP (Enhanced green fluorescent protein) treatment, after RNAi, the expression levels of the Dagcutgene (D. galeatacuticle protein gene) showed a significant decrease. Correspondingly, the tail spines of the offspring produced by D. galeataafter RNAi of the Dagcutgene appeared curved during the experiment. In whole-mount in situ hybridization, a clear signal site was detected on the tail spine of D. galeatabefore RNAi which disappeared after RNAi. Our results suggest that the Dagcutgene may play an important role in tail spine formation of D. galeata, and will provide a theoretical basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of the morphological plasticity in cladocera in the future.

Information and communication technology (ICT) provides employees with convenience in communication. However, it also creates a preoccupation with and urges to respond quickly to work‐related ICT messages during nonworking time, which is defined as workplace telepressure after hours (WTA). Drawing on the job demand–resource model, conservation of resource theory, and workplace anxiety theory, this study explores how and when task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety affect WTA and how individuals cope with WTA. A total of 269 full‐time workers from an online survey panel completed questionnaires at three time‐points. We found that both task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety are positively related to WTA. The perception of pay‐for‐responsiveness moderates the relationship between task interdependence and WTA, such that the relationship is significant only for employees with a strong perception of pay‐for‐responsiveness. Others' approval contingency of self‐worth moderates the relationship between dispositional workplace anxiety and WTA, and the relationship is significant only for employees with high degrees of others' approval contingency of self‐worth. Finally, WTA arising from external work requirements or the internal pursuit of achieving work goals prompts employees to generate responsiveness coping strategies. Overall, these findings suggest that task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety are important factors affecting employees' WTA and highlight the importance of being responsive to WTA.

Thermoplastic polypropylene (PP) insulated cables, an alternative to cross-linked polyethylene, offer superior insulation, high operating temperature, recyclability, cost-effectiveness, and a limitless cable length. However, challenges such as brittleness at low temperatures and limited flexibility at room temperature impede the application of PP in the field of cable insulation. To address these issues, in-reactor alloy technology seems to be a promising strategy, creating a multiphase system with intrinsic elastomer dispersion in a homopolypropylene matrix. Most of the research on PP-based multiphase systems focuses on enhancing mechanical properties by controlling microscopic structures. A comprehensive understanding of structural evolution during processing and its correlation with the electrical performance of PP thermoplastic insulation materials remains in its infancy. In this study, PP in-reactor alloys with intrinsic elastomers were utilized as model polymeric materials. A novel technology of “melting extrusion–hot stretching–thermal annealing” was employed to manipulate the elastomer phase morphology and crystalline structure. Severe interfacial mismatch during hot stretching initially compromised the mechanical and electrical properties. After thermal annealing, the mechanical and electrical properties were recovered, arising from the reduced rubber deformation and increased crystalline reorganization. The work presented here is expected to help our understanding of the dependence of electrical and mechanical properties on the microstructure of PP in-reactor alloys, providing a valuable reference for the structural design of cable insulation.

Glycoproteins produced and secreted from specific cells and tissues are associated with several diseases and emerge as typical biomarkers to provide useful information in cancer diagnosis considering their abnormal expression levels. In this work, we design a universal method to achieve the accurate and sensitive analysis of tumor-associated glycoprotein biomarkers based on both carbohydrate recognition and protein recognition at the same protein surface. The byproduct of dual recognition-induced proximity amplification, pyrophosphate, triggers the disassembly of methylene blue-encapsulated metal–organic frameworks, MB@ZIF-90. As a result, methylene blue molecules are released to arouse amplified electrochemical responses for glycoprotein analysis. Experimental results demonstrate the high-accuracy analysis of carcinoembryonic antigen, a typical glycoprotein biomarker in cancer diagnosis, in a linear range of 0.001–100 ng mL–1with a low limit of detection of 0.419 pg mL–1. The method also displays satisfactory specificity and recoveries in complex serum samples and proves good versatility by adopting two other tumor-associated glycoprotein biomarkers, α-fetoprotein and mucin-1, as the targets. Therefore, this work provides a valuable tool for the analysis of glycoprotein biomarkers, which may be of great potential in early warning of malignant tumors in clinical applications.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complication of Dravet syndrome, accounting for many unexpected deaths. To control VTE more tightly and to prevent such tragedies, a reliable and low-cost risk evaluation assay is urgently needed, so that the daily routine of VTE risk evaluation can be established. In this work, we have developed such an assay combining the photocatalytic activity of Bengal red to trigger the target-specific self-splicing of a peptide probe and subsequent cross-linking with P-selectin. Following this protocol, a robust and one-step detection can be achieved, without using any costly enzymes, antibodies, or nanomaterials, but the same level of sensitivity and robustness can be attained. Specifically, the effect of epilepsy on elevating platelet P-selectin can be observed by using the proposed assay. This may in the near future promise a new method for evaluating the side effects of P-selectin through relatively noninvasive peripheral blood sampling.

To elucidate the evolution mechanism of the structure and properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) during the cycled fused deposition molding (FDM) process, five cycles of FDMed ABS were carefully prepared, and the molecular structure and properties of FDMed ABS were characterized. Results showed that with the increase of cycles of FDM, the molecular chain of the polybutadiene (PB) phase broke, color groups on the molecular chain and gelatinous substance were generated, the molecular weight of the acrylonitrile–styrene copolymer (SAN) phase decreased, and the loss of antioxidants and other additives in ABS became serious. The thermal degradation transition temperature, melt flow rate, and mechanical properties of cycled FDMed ABS decreased. Impact section morphology results revealed that after cycled FDM, the voids between layers became larger, and the interfacial strength between the PB phase and the SAN phase decreased. The yellow index of the cycled FDMed ABS increased. The evolution mechanism of cycled FDM on the molecular structure and properties of ABS resin was proposed.

Traditional polyolefin separators used in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) suffer from poor wettability with electrolytes, significantly hindering their application in high-energy density batteries. To address this issue, we developed an EVOH-coated polyethylene separator using a phase separation method. The modified separator retains mechanical properties such as tensile strength and puncture resistance similar to the base separator. The soft EVOH coating enhances the separator’s ability to conform to the electrode under stress, improving contact and overall battery performance. Notably, the EVOH coating significantly enhances the separator’s electrolyte wettability, resulting in an electrolyte uptake of 253%. The abundant hydroxyl groups within the coating improve the electrochemical performance, leading to enhanced discharge rate capacity and cycling stability. The lithium-ion transference number of the modified separator increased to 0.76. The straightforward preparation method and superior performance of the EVOH-coated separator suggest its promising application in high-performance LIBs.

Serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is a “gold-standard” biomarker for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Available pieces of evidence suggest that the ratio of AFP-L3 isoform in the total AFP may provide more accurate prediction for the incidence of HCC. In this work, we design an electrochemical aptasensor for high-accuracy assay of AFP-L3 ratio based on differentiated labeling of AFP isoforms in an orderly fashion. Specifically, total AFP is first captured by an AFP aptamer-functionalized electrode and labeled with quantum dots-functionalized DNA probes via mild reduction. Then, AFP-L3 isoform that strongly binds to Lens culinarisagglutinin is labeled with silver nanoparticles after the exonuclease-catalyzed removal of DNA probes. By tracing the electrochemical responses of quantum dots and silver nanoparticles, respectively, the amounts of total AFP and AFP-L3 isoforms are determined and the AFP-L3 ratio is accordingly calculated to favor the accurate HCC diagnosis. Experimental results prove the high-accuracy assay of AFP-L3 ratio based on the AFP quantitation in a linear range of 0.0008–40 ng mL–1and AFP-L3 quantitation in a linear range of 0.004–40 ng mL–1. The aptasensor also displays satisfactory specificity and good recoveries even in the complex serum samples. Therefore, the aptasensor may provide a valuable tool for the assay of the AFP-L3 ratio and have a great potential use in early warning of HCC for clinical application.

Resveratrol has several functions, including protection of the heart and nervous system and exerts antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and antitumor effects. It is reported to impede the occurrence and development of tumors in cancer cell lines, animal models, and clinical studies. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that it exerts preventive or adjuvant therapeutic effects in pancreatic, colorectal, prostate, liver, and lung cancers. Mechanistic research reports show that resveratrol can induce tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy, inhibit cell cycle and angiogenesis, regulate nuclear factors and cyclooxygenase signal transduction pathways, and inhibit carcinogens' metabolic activation and alter tumor-related expression patterns; anti-oxidation affects tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis. However, the exact mechanism underlying its action remains unclear. This review highlights multiple aspects of the biological impacts and mechanisms underlying resveratrol action on the occurrence and development of lung cancer.

ABSTRACTA tumor’s heterogeneity has important implications in terms of its clonal origin, progression, stemness, and drug resistance. Therefore, because of its significance in treatment, it is important to understand the gene expression pattern of a single cell, track gene expression or mutation in heterogeneous cells, evaluate the clonal origin of cancer cells, and determine the selective evolution of different subpopulations of cancer cells. Researchers are able to trace a cell’s mutation and identify different types of tumor cells by measuring the whole transcriptome with single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq). This technology provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving tumor growth than that offered by traditional RNA sequencing methods. In addition, it has revealed changes in the mutations and functions of somatic cells as a tumor evolves; it has also clarified immune cell infiltration and activation. Research on scRNA-seq technology has recently advanced significantly, suggesting new strategies for the treatment of cancer. In short, cancer researchers have become increasingly dependent on scRNA-seq. This paper reviews the development, detection principles, and processes of scRNA-seq technology and their application in tumor research. It also considers potential clinical applications.

Molecular diagnostics devoted to discover and monitor new biomarkers is gaining increasing attention in clinical diagnosis. In this work, a programmable DNA-fueled electrochemical analysis strategy is designed for the determination of an emerging biomarker in lung cancer, PD-L1-expressing exosomes. Specifically, PD-L1-expressing exosomes are first enriched onto magnetic beads functionalized with PD-L1 antibody and are able to interact with cholesterol-modified hairpin templates. Then, programmable DNA synthesis starts from the hairpin template-triggered primer exchange reaction and generates a large number of extension products to activate the trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a. After that, CRISPR-Cas12a-catalyzed random cleavage boosts the degradation of methylene blue-labeled signaling strands, so electro-active methylene blue molecules can be enriched onto a cucurbit[7]uril-modified electrode for quantitative determination. Our method demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity toward electrochemical analysis of PD-L1-expressing exosomes in the range from 103to 109particles mL–1with a low detection limit of 708 particles mL–1. When applied to clinical samples, our method reveals an elevated level of circulating PD-L1-expressing exosomes in lung cancer patients, especially for those at the advanced stages. Therefore, our method may provide new insight into liquid biopsy for better implementation of immunotherapy in lung cancer in the future.

Evidence suggests that plant-derived nanovesicles may play a significant role in human health. Tartary buckwheat has several physiological activities; however, its underlying health-promoting mechanism remains unclear. In this study, first, Tartary buckwheat-derived nanovesicles (TBDNs) were collected, their structures were analyzed, and microRNA sequencing was performed. Next, target prediction and functional verification were conducted. Finally, the effects of TBDNs on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid levels were evaluated. The average size of TBDNs was 141.8 nm diameter. Through the sequencing analyses, 129 microRNAs, including 11 novel microRNAs were identified. Target gene prediction showed that some microRNAs could target functional genes in Escherichia coliand Lactobacillus rhamnosus-related physiological processes. TBDNs significantly promoted the growth of E. coliand L. rhamnosus, enhanced the diversity of fecal microorganisms and increased the short-chain fatty acid levels. These findings provided a new nutritional perspective for Tartary buckwheat and were conducive to promote the development and utilization of Tartary buckwheat.

A shutdown-functionalized lithium-ion battery separator plays a pivotal role in preventing thermal runaway as cells experience electrical abuse, overcharge, and external short circuit. In this article, the trilayer separator endowed with shutdown function was fabricated by ingenious co-extrusion and bidirectional drawing based on the nano-Al2O3coating online construction during the β-iPP cavitation process. The middle layer composed of nano-Al2O3, polyethylene, and polypropylene offers a shutdown temperature of 130 °C, and skin polypropylene layers with nano-Al2O3coating hold optimized dimensional stability below the meltdown temperature. Crystal structure measurement and pore structure diagnosis disclose that nano-Al2O3thins coarse fibrils and makes the porous structure uniform. De-bonding of nano-Al2O3/β-iPP interfaces retains nano-Al2O3not only on the top surface of the separator but also on the pore intine to realize nano-Al2O3coating online construction, consequently strengthening tensile capacity, dimensional stability to heating, and electrolyte affinity. Electrochemical tests further disclose that nano-Al2O3coating stabilizes solid electrolyte interphase germination and heightens lithium-ion migration numbers, confining cell resistances and granting optimal high-rate performance and cycling ability. The proposed approach features simple technics, environment-friendly, continuous fabrication, and coating online construction, which can offer new ideas for the mass fabricating of the high-end separator.

ABSTRACTMechanical ventilation can induce lung injury and exacerbate brain injury due to lung-brain interaction. The current study sought to investigate the mechanism of lung-brain interaction induced by mechanical ventilation and offer theoretical insight into the management of ventilator-induced brain injury. The experimental mice were assigned into the spontaneously breathing group and the mechanical ventilation group and injected with dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist haloperidol or P2Y1 receptor antagonist MRS2279 before ventilation. In vitroassay was conducted using lung epithelial cells MLE-12 hippocampal neuron cells and HT-22. Mouse recognition function and lung injury were examined. The condition and concentration of neurons in the hippocampus were observed. The levels of several inflammatory factors, DA, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), P2Y1R, and dysbindin-1 were detected. Mechanical ventilation induced lung and brain injury in mice, manifested in increased inflammatory factors in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and hippocampus, prolonged escape latency, and swimming distance and time in the target quadrant with a weakened concentration of neurons in the hippocampus. Our results presented elevated ATP and P2Y1R expressions in the mechanically ventilated mice and stretched MLE-12 cells. The mechanically ventilated mice and P2Y1 receptor activator MRS2365-treated HT-22 cells presented with elevated levels of DA and dysbindin-1. Inactivation of P2Y1 receptor in the hippocampus or blockage of DA receptor alleviated brain injury induced by mechanical ventilation in mice. To conclude, the current study elicited that lung injury induced by mechanical ventilation exacerbated brain injury in mice by increasing ATP production, activating the P2Y1 receptor, and thus promoting DA release.

The Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy system has wide applications across different areas, e.g., regression, classification and decision making, attributed to its high precision and interpretability. However, the existing Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy system is not an ideal solution to some special scenarios, particularly for those that are constrained monotonically. To this end, a monotonic relation-constrained Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy system classifier is proposed in this paper. The proposed method introduces a monotonic relation between the inputs and the outputs, where the objective function is expressed in a monotonically constrained form and a strategy for generating monotonicity constraint pairs is developed. Furthermore, to address the convexity loss caused by the increasing monotonicity constraints, the proposed method introduces the Tikhonov regularization strategy to ensure the uniqueness and boundedness of the solution. The results from extensive experiments show that the proposed method exhibits better classification performance than the original Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy system and state-of-the-art monotonic classification methods in handling monotonic datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cancer, a result of multifactorial interplay between heredity and the environment, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common histologic type of primary liver cancer. Here, we reported that deficiency in PCDHB14, a member of the cadherin superfamily, participates in the progression of HCC. We found that PCDHB14 is inactivated by aberrant methylation of its promoter in HCC patients and that PCDHB14 functions as a tumor suppressor to promote cell cycle arrest, inhibit cell proliferation, and induce ferroptosis. Furthermore, PCDHB14 ablation dramatically enhanced diethylenenitrite-induced HCC development. Mechanistically, PCDHB14 is induced by p53, and increased PCDHB14 downregulates the expression of SLC7A11, which is critical for ferroptosis. This effect is mediated by accelerated p65 protein degradation resulting from PCDHB14 promoting E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF182-mediated ubiquitination of p65 to block p65 binding to the promoter of SLC7A11. This study reports the new discovery that PCDHB14 serves as a potential prognostic marker for HCC.

With the continuous development of energy density and charge–discharge rates of lithium-ion batteries in recent years, safety function has become the most concerning issue. In this work, a polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene (PE) composited separator with shutdown function is prepared by a facile dry process with biaxial stretching. Owing to the thermodynamic incompatibility between PP and PE, PE crystallizes initially upon cooling and separates from PP melt, forming ample nanoscale PE microspheres within the PP matrix. The weak interfaces between PE microspheres and PP debond during biaxial stretching to create numerous micropores directly. More importantly, as the temperature rises to 135 °C, PE within the separator melts to block the channels for Li-ion transport; meanwhile, the PP matrix maintains the overall dimensional stability of the separator to prevent the internal short circuiting. Compared with the commercial PP/PE/PP trilayer separator manufacturing technique, this approach has advantages of simple techniques, environmental friendliness, continuous fabrication, and low manufacturing cost, which can offer practical guidance for large-scale low-cost manufacturing of high-performance separators.

Plant-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in human health and are “dark nutrients”, as opposed to traditional plant nutrients, as well as important components of food diversification. Studies have revealed that multiple plant-derived miRNA pathways affect human health. First, plant miRNAs regulate plant growth and development and accumulation of metabolites, which alters the food quality and thus indirectly interferes with the health of the host. Moreover, when absorbed in vivo, some miRNAs may target the host cell mRNAs to affect protein expression. In addition, plant miRNAs target and reshape the human gut microbiota (GM), which interferes with the physiology and metabolism of the host. Therefore, miRNAs play a significant role in the cross-kingdom communication of plants, GM, and the host and in maintaining a balance of the three. Future contributions of plant miRNAs can bring new perspectives and opportunities to better understand food nutrition and health care research, which will facilitate the right exploitation of plant resources.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases among women worldwide, and the existence of breast cancer stem cells is closely associated with poor outcomes. Herein, we report an electrochemical phenotyping method to characterize the stemlike phenotype in breast cancer, offering a low-cost but robust choice other than the highly expensive and experience-dependent flow cytometry. Specially, after immune-magnetic beads-assisted enrichment, an in situ programmable DNA circuit is designed using capture probes to bring in the toeholds for DNA assembly and effector probes to accelerate the removal of background signals. The electrochemical phenotyping method could sensitively determine breast cancer stem cells in a wide linear range and exhibit desirable accuracy and reliability. The method can not only monitor the phenotypic transition of breast cancer cells and the drug-reversed effect but also determinate stemlike phenotype in the mice bearing breast cancer xenograft tumor. Overall, the electrochemical phenotyping method may provide promising technical support for precise management of breast tumors.

EpsteinBarr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) plays an important oncogenic role in the viral latent infection. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that the high expression of LMP1 during EBV lytic cycle is related to the viral lytic replication. However, the mechanism by which LMP1 regulates EBV lytic replication remains unclear. ()-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) prevents carcinogenesis by directly targeting numerous membrane proteins and effectively inhibits EBV lytic cascade. Here, we demonstrated that LMP1 promotes EBV lytic replication through the downstream signal molecules MAPKs, including ERKs, p38, and JNKs. LMP1 induces the phosphorylation of p53 through MAPKs to enhance the ability of wild-type p53 (wt-p53) to activate expression of BZLF1 gene, while the JNKs/c-Jun signal axis appears to be involved in EBV lytic replication induced by LMP1 in p53 mutant manner. We provided the first evidence that EGCG directly targets the viral membrane LMP1 (Kd=0.36 M, n=1) using fluorescence quenching, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assay, and CNBR-activated Sepharose 4B pull-down affinity chromatography. Furthermore, we revealed that EGCG inhibits EBV lytic replication via suppressing LMP1 and thus blocking the downstream MAPKs/wt-p53 signal axis in AGS-EBV cells and JNKs/c-Jun signal axis in p53 mutant B95.8 cells. Our study, for the first time, reports the binding and inhibitory efficacy of EGCG to the LMP1, which is a key oncoprotein encoded by EBV. These findings suggest the novel function of LMP1 in the regulation of EBV lytic cycle and reveal the new role of EGCG in EBV-associated malignancies through suppressing viral reactivation.

Safety function is becoming the largest issue of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with the increase in the capacity and charge–discharge rate of LIBs in recent years. In this study, we successfully produce an isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/polypropylene random copolymer (PPR) + silicon dioxide (SiO2)/iPP tri-layer separator through a facile industrial method. Since the PPR core layer has compatible processability and cavitation behavior with the iPP skin layer, the multilayer coextrusion and biaxial stretching could be carried out in a continuous process. The electrochemical tests show that the iPP/PPR + SiO2/iPP separator has a lower impedance and better charge–discharge cycling properties than the commercial separators, resulting from the large pores and introduction of SiO2in the core layer. On the other hand, it is found that the PPR + SiO2core layer would melt and close the pores at 150 °C to increase the impedance of the tri-layer separator significantly; meanwhile, the iPP skin layer with a higher thermal stability can prevent the whole separator from shrinking. The iPP/PPR + SiO2/iPP tri-layer separator could act as a safety switch to prevent serious thermal runaway in LIBs. The fascinating performance and convenient processing method make the iPP/PPR + SiO2/iPP separator a promising application in high-performance LIBs.

Epoxy coatings and Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) modified epoxy coatings were prepared on N80 tubing steel. The influence of temperature on the corrosion resistance of RGO modified epoxy coatings was studied. And the corrosion behavior of epoxy coatings and RGO modified epoxy coatings in 10.0 wt% NaCl solution at different temperatures was compared. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of both coatings decreased with the increase of temperature. However, the corrosion resistance of RGO modified epoxy coating was two to three orders of magnitude higher than that of epoxy coating at different test temperature. The addition of RGO nanosheets greatly enhanced the corrosion resistance of epoxy composite coatings in 10.0 wt% NaCl solution at high temperature due to their high impermeability and negative coefficient of thermal expansion.

In this study, the carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation during ultraviolet-photolysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, including PCB18, PCB77, PCB110, and PCB138) in n-hexane (Hex), methanol/water (MeOH/H2O), and silica gel was first investigated to explore their mechanistic processes. We observed a significant variation in ΛCl–C(εCl/εC) for the same PCBs in different photochemical systems, implying that PCB degradation processes in various photoreaction systems could differ. Although all substrates showed normal apparent carbon/chlorine kinetic isotope effects (C–/Cl–AKIE >1), the putative inverse C-AKIE of nondechlorinated pathways was suggested by 13C depletion of the average carbon isotope composition of PCB138 and corresponding dechlorinated products in MeOH/H2O, which might originate from the magnetic isotope effect. Significant negative correlations were found between C-AKIE and relative disappearance quantum yields (“Φ”) of ortho-dechlorinated substrates (PCB18, PCB110, and PCB138) in Hex and MeOH/H2O. However, the C-AKIE and “Φ” of PCB77 (meta/para-dechlorinated congener) obviously deviated from the above correlations. Furthermore, significantly different product-related carbon isotope enrichment factors of PCB77 in Hex were found. These results demonstrated the existence of dechlorination position-specific and masking effects in carbon isotope fractionations.

Myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MYD88) is a critical universal adapter that transduces signaling from Toll-like and interleukin receptors to downstream nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). MYD88L265P (leucine changed to proline at position 265) is a gain-of-function mutation that occurs frequently in B-cell malignancies such as Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. In this study, E3 ligase RING finger protein family 138 (RNF138) catalyzed K63-linked nonproteolytic polyubiquitination of MYD88L265P, resulting in enhanced recruitment of interleukin-1 receptor–associated kinases and elevated NF-κB activation. However, RNF138 had little effect on wild-type MYD88 (MYD88WT). With either RNF138 knockdown or mutation on MYD88 ubiquitination sites, MYD88L265P did not constitutively activate NF-κB. A20, a negative regulator of NF-κB signaling, mediated K48-linked polyubiquitination of RNF138 for proteasomal degradation. Depletion of A20 further augmented MYD88L265P-mediated NF-κB activation and lymphoma growth. Furthermore, A20 expression correlated negatively with RNF138 expression and NF-κB activation in lymphomas with MYD88L265P and in those without. Strikingly, RNF138 expression correlated positively with NF-κB activation in lymphomas with MYD88L265P, but not in those without it. Our study revealed a novel mutation-specific biochemical reaction that drives B-cell oncogenesis, providing a therapeutic opportunity for targeting oncogenic MYD88L265P, while sparing MYD88WT, which is critical to innate immunity.

Two different supermolecular structures of ß-iPP cast films were used to investigate structural evolution during the simultaneous biaxial stretching process via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Based on the mechanical behaviors and porosity variations during the stretching process, it was found that the two samples had different structural evolution modes. During the initial stage of deformation, ß-hedrites exhibited violent cavitation behavior in the center region of the hedrites by forming elliptical crazes and expanding, while ß-spherulites were more inclined to fragment into blocky crystal structures, which was accompanied by the slippage of these structures. In the later stages of stretching, ß-hedrites formed numerous dense regions around the elliptical crazes, which hindered microvoid formation and led to a poor pore size distribution. Conversely, ß-spherulites generated abundant microfibrillar structures, and abundant microvoids were formed by directly separating the microfibrils, forming a membrane with a superior pore size distribution.

Coarse cereals and legume grains (CCLGs) are rich in specific macro- and functional elements that are considered important dietary components for maintaining human health. Therefore, determining the precise nutritional mechanism involved in exerting the health benefits of CCLGs can help understand dietary nutrition in a better manner. Evidence suggests that gut microbiota play a crucial role in the function of CCLGs via their complicated interplay with CCLGs. First, CCLGs modulate gut microbiota and function. Second, gut microbiota convert CCLGs into compounds that perform different functions. Third, gut microbiota mediate interactions among different CCLG components. Therefore, using gut microbiota to expound the nutritional mechanism of CCLGs is important for future studies. A precise and rapid gut microbiota research model is required to screen and evaluate the quality of CCLGs. The outcomes of such research may promote the rapid discovery, classification, and evaluation of CCLG resources, thereby opening a new opportunity to guide nutrition-based development of CCLG products.

The solubilities of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in 1-butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl tert-butyl ether, and 2-propanol + water binary solvent systems at different temperatures were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography analysis method. Various models were used to fit the solubility data; the results showed that the modified Apelblat mode can best fit the solubility data with temperature among the three modes (the modified Apelblat mode, the λhequation, and the van’t Hoff equation), and the Ma model gave a better correlation of the solubility data with both the temperature and mole fraction of 2-propanol in the binary solvent mixture than the Sun model. The experimental solubility data and computational model can be useful for separation and purification of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid.

Tough self-healing elastomers with excellent comprehensive performance are extremely demanding and fascinating for future product development, such as wearable devices and robots. However, the deformation of conventional elastomers is dependent on the cross-link density, and there is a trade-off between toughness and stretchability. Therefore, it is a challenge to solve the contradiction between toughness and stiffness. Here, we prepared a tough and stiff rotaxane cross-linked (RC) elastomer with a self-healing property by a one-pot rotaxa-polymerization method in which inclusion complexes of β-CD-trimer@isoprene were copolymerized with isoprene monomers and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) monomers. The rigid β-CD-trimers not only form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the HEA chains but also can move along the PI segments, leading to good comprehensive mechanical properties. This one-pot synthesis of RC elastomers is facile, and the material simultaneously has good stiffness and toughness. The fracture energy and Young’s modulus materials could reach 43.40 MJ/m3and 1.40 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the PI-PHEA RC elastomer showed self-healing ability due to a large amount of hydrogen bonds (PI stands for polyisoprene). The self-healing efficiency can reach 84.34% at 60 °C.

ObjectiveTumour pathology contains rich information, including tissue structure and cell morphology, that reflects disease progression and patient survival. However, phenotypic information is subtle and complex, making the discovery of prognostic indicators from pathological images challenging.DesignAn interpretable, weakly supervised deep learning framework incorporating prior knowledge was proposed to analyse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore new prognostic phenotypes on pathological whole-slide images (WSIs) from the Zhongshan cohort of 1125 HCC patients (2451 WSIs) and TCGA cohort of 320 HCC patients (320 WSIs). A ‘tumour risk score (TRS)’ was established to evaluate patient outcomes, and then risk activation mapping (RAM) was applied to visualise the pathological phenotypes of TRS. The multi-omics data of The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) HCC were used to assess the potential pathogenesis underlying TRS.ResultsSurvival analysis revealed that TRS was an independent prognosticator in both the Zhongshan cohort (p<0.0001) and TCGA cohort (p=0.0003). The predictive abilityof TRS was superior to and independent of clinical staging systems, and TRS could evenly stratify patients into up to five groups with significantly different prognoses. Notably, sinusoidal capillarisation, prominent nucleoli and karyotheca, the nucleus/cytoplasm ratio and infiltrating inflammatory cells were identified as the main underlying features of TRS. The multi-omics data of TCGA HCC hint at the relevance of TRS to tumour immune infiltration and genetic alterations such as the FAT3and RYR2mutations.ConclusionOur deep learning framework is an effective and labour-saving method for decoding pathological images, providing a valuable means for HCC risk stratification and precise patient treatment.

Polyamide thin-film composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes face poor chlorine resistance and antifouling properties, which greatly limit the wide application of RO technology. To evidently enhance chlorine stability, antifouling properties, and the permeability of the RO membrane, in this research, L-arginine (Arg) had been grafted on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) first, and the functionalized PVA (denoted as PVA–Arg) had been grafted on the RO membrane surface subsequently. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the successful synthesis of PVA–Arg as well as the successful grafting of PVA or PVA–Arg on the RO membrane surface. The permeability, chlorine resistance property, and antifouling properties of all RO membranes were tested. The PVA- or PVA–Arg-grafted RO membranes showed obvious enhancements in permeability, chlorine resistance property, and antifouling properties. For PVA-modified RO membranes, the bonus PVA layer deteriorated its water flux while filtrating. However surprisingly, the PVA–Arg-grafted RO membranes exhibited excellent enhancement in water flux and antifouling properties. For the optimized sample, the pure water flux of the PVA–Arg-grafted RO membrane is 8.3% higher than the nascent RO membrane (57.2 L/m2h compared with 52.8 L/m2h); the salt rejection of membranes is promoted to around 99.50% from the original 95.58%. Meanwhile, the antifouling properties of PVA–Arg-grafted RO membranes are further enhanced than that of PVA-grafted RO membranes.

Corrosion of oil country tubular goods not only causes huge economic loss, but also brings serious environmental pollution. Stress corrosion cracking of oil country tubular goods in the sulfur-containing environment is the principal corrosion failure form in the exploitation of oil and gas process. Therefore, extensive investigations on hydrogen sulfide corrosion of steels for oil country tubular goods have been carried out. The aim of this work is to review the research progress on the hydrogen sulfide corrosion performance of steels for oil country tubular goods. The influence of alloy elements, defects, environmental factors and mechanical factors on hydrogen sulfide corrosion resistance of steels for oil country tubular goods were discussed. The future work in hydrogen sulfide corrosion performance of oil country tubular good and new sulfur-resistant steels for oil country tubular goods development were prospected.

Graphene modified coatings have attracted extensive attention in recent years due to their excellent corrosion resistance and broad application prospects in the field of anti-corrosion. However, large-scale applications of graphene coatings were seldom reported, which is mainly attributed to the lack of fundamental research on the anti-corrosive mechanism and the long-term service performance evaluation of graphene modified coatings in actual working conditions. In the present work, the influence of the characteristics of corrosive medium, the content of graphene, the structure and morphology of graphene and the external environmental conditions on the anti-corrosive performance of graphene modified coatings were systematically reviewed. The deficiencies in the research of anti-corrosive performance of graphene modified coatings were summarized. The future work were prospected for the anti-corrosive performance and applications of graphene modified coatings in oil and gas exploration.

The solution-processable silica/poly(o-methoxyaniline) (SiO2/PMOANI) nanocomposites were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization for the first time. The SiO2/PMOANI film electrode was fabricated by spraying nanocomposites dispersion onto ITO conductive glass. A large optical contrast (77.1% at 700 nm), fast switching speed (910 ms for bleaching, 940 ms for coloring), high coloration efficiency, and good durability are achieved by SiO2/PMOANI nanocomposite film. And the SiO2/PMOANI film was successfully assembled into an all-solid-state electrochromic device. The electrochromic device based on SiO2/PMOANI film exhibits large optical modulation, ultrafast switching speed (446 ms for bleaching, 453 ms for coloring), and excellent cycling stability (optical contrast decay of only 4.3% after 1000 cycles). Moreover, the large-area electrochromic display based on SiO2/PMOANI film with high-quality pattern was fabricated by spray-coating method using a mask to form patterns. The patterned electrochromic display presents a fast switching speed and large optical modulation. The solution-processable SiO2/PMOANI nanocomposites show potential applications for large-area smart windows, energy-efficient displays, and multifunctional electronic devices.

Here, we report O-methyl S-aryl thiocarbonates as a versatile esterification reagent for palladium-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation of arylboronic acid in the presence of copper(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC). The reaction condition is mild, and a variety of substituents including sensitive −Cl, −Br, and free −NH2could be tolerated. Further applications in the late-stage esterification of some pharmaceutical drugs demonstrate the broad utility of this method.

Dysregulated metabolism contributes to cancer initiation and progression, but the key drivers of these pathways are just being discovered. Here, we report a critical role for proline catabolism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) is activated to reduce proline levels by the chromatin remodeling factor lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH), an epigenetic driver of NSCLC. PRODH promotes NSCLC tumorigenesis by inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and IKKα-dependent inflammatory genes, including CXCL1, LCN2, and IL17C. Consistently, proline addition promotes the expression of these inflammatory genes, as well as EMT, tumor cell proliferation, and migration in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, while the depletion or inhibition of PRODH blocks these phenotypes. In summary, we reveal an essential metabolic pathway amenable to targeting in NSCLC.

In this article, the unusual delamination phenomenon of LIB separators prepared by a wet process is reported. Meanwhile, a simple tearing test is proposed to quantify the delamination trend from the energy point of view and the effects of the tearing rate and temperature on the delamination trend of the separator were researched. Increasing the temperature makes separator delamination much more difficult, while the tearing rate has weaker effects on the separator delamination trend at lower temperatures but has a stronger influence at higher temperatures. In addition, the delamination trend of the separator in various electrolytes and under repeated compression cycles, which happened to the separator during battery cycles, is also investigated in detail. Also, the results show that the energy consumption per unit area during delamination decreases distinctly with increasing number of compression cycles, which was also influenced severely by different kinds of electrolytes with different Hildebrand interaction parameter.

Stainless steel (SS) foils have successful flexible device applications because of their excellent high‐temperature performance and commercial availability, and they are widely used as flexible substrate materials for Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells. The method used to control metal impurities is crucial for producing high‐quality cells. Herein, CIGS precursor films are deposited on SS foils coated with a SiOx/Ti compound barrier layer by sputtering a CIGS quaternary target. The absorber layer is recrystallized at a high annealing temperature (≈600 °C). The relationship between cell performance and SiOxlayer processes is investigated. The diffusion of Fe and Cr in the annealed films is influenced by SiOxlayer processes. The proposed CIGS flexible cells obtain better conversion efficiency when thicker SiOxlayers are deposited at high sputtering powers. Thin silicon oxide and titanium compound layer with thickness of 300 nm can satisfy the preparation requirements of Cu(In,Ga)Se2flexible cells. The silicon oxide layer processes do not influence the crystalline properties of absorber films but influence the performance of solar cells. Appropriate process can improve the photon absorption and conversion efficiency.

Elucidating mechanisms in tumor suppressors and epigenetic modifiers are needed to gain insights into the etiology and treatment of cancer, the interplay between long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and chromatin remodeling remains unclear. Here, we showed that GIAT4RA, a poorly characterized lncRNA LOC102723729, was significantly decreased in lung cancer cells and tissues; while no association was observed with clinical risk factors, expression was linked with clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis. Higher expression of GIAT4RA was linked with overall survival in NSCLC. GIAT4RA inhibited many characteristics of tumorigenesis including cell growth, clonal formation, migration and invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, tumor sphere and tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, GIAT4RA was essential for the degradation of chromatin modifier lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH) by counteracting the deubiquintination in proteasome pathway by binding to 227-589 AA of LSH. GIAT4RA interfered with ubiquitin hydrolase Uchl3-mediated interaction and stabilization of LSH. LSH knockdown rescued GIAT4RA-promoted features, and LSH overexpression prevented GIAT4RA-induced phenotypes. Taken together, lncRNA GIAT4RA plays a critical role in NSCLC adenocarcinoma as a ubiquitination regulator and tumor suppressor.

The regulatory loop between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs has a dynamic role in transcriptional and translational regulation, and is involved in cancer. However, the regulatory circuitry between lncRNAs and microRNAs in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that a nuclear lncRNA LINC00336 is upregulated in lung cancer and functions as an oncogene by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNAs). LINC00336 bound RNA-binding protein ELAVL1 (ELAV-like RNA-binding protein 1) using nucleotides 1901–2107 of LINC00336 and the RRM interaction domain and key amino acids (aa) of ELAVL1 (aa 101–213), inhibiting ferroptosis. Moreover, ELAVL1 increased LINC00336 expression by stabilizing its posttranscriptional level, whereas LSH (lymphoid-specific helicase) increased ELAVL1 expression through the p53 signaling pathway, further supporting the hypothesis that LSH promotes LINC00336 expression. Interestingly, LINC00336 served as an endogenous sponge of microRNA 6852 (MIR6852) to regulate the expression of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), a surrogate marker of ferroptosis. Finally, we found that MIR6852 inhibited cell growth by promoting ferroptosis. These data show that the network of lncRNA and ceRNA has an important role in tumorigenesis and ferroptosis.

In this paper, the optimal synchronization controller design problem for complex dynamical networks with unknown system internal dynamics is studied. A necessary and sufficient condition on the existence of the optimal control minimizing a quadratic performance index is given. The optimal control law consists of a feedback control and a compensated feedforward control, and the feedback control gain can be obtained by solving the well-known Algebraic Riccati Equation (ARE). Especially, in the presence of unknown system dynamics, a novel adaptive iterative algorithm using the information of system states and inputs is proposed to solve the ARE to get the optimal feedback control gain. Finally, a simulation example shows the effectiveness of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two linear low-density polyethylene samples (PE-A and PE-B), with similar melt index and molecular weight but different molecular structures, were used to explore the structural evolution during sequential biaxial stretching. Only PE-A could be successfully stretched into a film with the biaxial draw ratio of 6 × 6. The interlamellae crossing adjacent lamellar stacks were observed in PE-A but not in PE-B, which could increase the lateral tie connection. Moreover, the amount of fibril was less in PE-A than that in PE-B and the fibrillar structure lacked tie chains between each other. In addition, the newly formed lamellae in PE-A (derived from fine lamellae) could lock the molecular chains of different crystals, which increased the lateral connection via anchoring the tie chains from adjacent lamellae. Therefore, the above specific structures increased the lateral connection and were beneficial for biaxial stretching. Furthermore, the relationship between molecular structure and condensed structure was also established.

Palladium-catalyzed meta-selective C–H deuteration of a series of substrates, including phenylacetic acids, hydrocinnamic acid, benzylphosphonate, benzylsulfonate, and benzyl and phenyl ethyl alcohol ester, is developed by using a pyridine-based directing template. The template is installed into the substrate through a practical ester linkage. Under mild reaction conditions, a variety of phenylacetic acids containing alkyl, methoxyl, and halo substituents are compatible in the reaction, resulting in high levels of D-incorporation at the metaposition.

Cancer stem-like cells are closely related with the development and metastasis of tumors. Herein, an electrochemical method is proposed to identify stem-like cells in breast tumor. The core concept of the method is the use of multifunctional nanofibers (MNFs), which are synthesized through facile self-assembly of peptide probes. MNFs can perform three functions, specifically targeting surface biomarker to identify stem-like cells, recruiting silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to generate electrochemical signals, and providing large amounts of reaction sites to amplify signals. Specially, breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are first captured by nucleolin aptamer immobilized on the electrode surface and then selectively recognized by MNFs through the binding with CD44, thereby offering a large number of azide groups for signal labeling. By tracing electrochemical signals from MNF-recruited AgNPs, the method demonstrates to detect target cells as low as 6 cells/mL within a wide linear range from 10 to 5 × 105cells/mL. Moreover, the method can not only recognize BCSCs with high selectivity in complex environment but also monitor drug-induced stemness changes with high sensitivity, providing promising prospective clinic applications in the future.

Genetic diversity plays an essential role in plant breeding and utilization. Pepper is an important vegetable and spice crop worldwide. The genetic diversity of 1 904 accessions of pepper conserved at the National Mid-term Genebank for Vegetables, Beijing, China was analyzed based on 29 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which were evenly distributed over 12 pepper chromosomes. The pepper accessions were divided into two groups in a genetic structure analysis, and the two groups showed obvious differences in fruit type and geographical distribution. We finally selected 248 accessions capturing 75.6% of the SSR alleles as the core collection for further research. Insights into the genetic structure of pepper provide the basis for population-level gene mining and genetic improvement.

•Lasalocid A, an antibacterial agent, is identified as a candidate against lymphoma with MYD88 L265P through high-throughput screening.•Lasalocid A selectively induces ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of MYD88 in lymphomas with the MYD88 L265P mutation.

Dorsal approach is the potentially effective strategy for minimally invasive liver resection. This study aimed to compare the outcomes between robot-assisted and laparoscopic hemihepatectomy through dorsal approach.

We present the application of N-difluoroacetylglucosamine (GlcNDFA) in a chemical evolution strategy to synthesize oligosaccharides. In comparison to conventional N-trifluoroacetylglucosamine, GlcNDFA exhibits superior substrate compatibility with glycosyltransferases as well as stability in aqueous environments. Using our 16-step assembly line, GlcNDFA can be used to produce homogeneous dekaparin, a heparin-like medication, with a yield of 62.2%. This underscores the significant potential of GlcNDFA as a chemical evolution precursor in the precise synthesis of structurally defined polysaccharides.