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Recycling of carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer composites (CFRCs) based on thermosetting plastics is difficult. In the present study, high‐performance CFRCs are fabricated through complexation of aromatic pinacol‐cross‐linked polyurethane (PU−AP) thermosets with carbon fiber (CF) cloths. PU−AP thermosets exhibit a breaking strength of 95.5 MPa and toughness of 473.6 MJ m−3 and contain abundant hydrogen‐bonding groups, which can have strong adhesion with CFs. Because of the high interfacial adhesion between CF cloths and PU−AP thermosets and high toughness of PU−AP thermosets, CF/PU−AP composites possess a high tensile strength of >870 MPa. Upon heating in N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 100 °C, the aromatic pinacols in the CF/PU−AP composites can be cleaved, generating non‐destructive CF cloths and linear polymers that can be converted to high‐performance elastomers. The elastomers are mechanically robust, healable, reprocessable, and damage‐resistant with an extremely high tensile strength of 74.2 MPa and fracture energy of 149.6 kJ m−2. As a result, dissociation of CF/PU−AP composites enables the recovery of reusable CF cloths and high‐performance elastomers, thus realizing the upcycling of CF/PU−AP composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional strategies for highly efficient and selective CO2 photoreduction focus on the design of catalysts and cocatalysts. In this study, we discover that hydrogen bond network breakdown in reaction system can suppress H2 evolution, thereby improving CO2 photoreduction performance. Photosensitive poly(ionic liquid)s are designed as photocatalysts owing to their strong hydrogen bonding with solvents. The hydrogen bond strength is tuned by solvent composition, thereby effectively regulating H2 evolution (from 0 to 12.6 mmol g−1 h−1). No H2 is detected after hydrogen bond network breakdown with trichloromethane or tetrachloromethane as additives. CO production rate and selectivity increase to 35.4 mmol g−1 h−1 and 98.9 % with trichloromethane, compared with 0.6 mmol g−1 h−1 and 26.2 %, respectively, without trichloromethane. Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations confirm that trichloromethane broke the systemic hydrogen bond network and subsequently suppressed H2 evolution. This hydrogen bond network breakdown strategy may be extended to other catalytic reactions involving H2 evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermochromic smart windows have gained increasing popularity in light modulation and energy management in buildings. However, the fabrication of flexible thermochromic smart windows with high luminous transmittance (Tlum), tailorable critical temperature (τc), strong solar modulation ability (ΔTsol), and long‐term durability remains a huge challenge. In this study, hydrogel‐based thermochromic smart windows are fabricated by sandwiching thermochromic hydrogels of polyallylamine hydrochloride, polyacrylic acid, and carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) complexes between two pieces of transparent substrates. Benefiting from the incorporation of nanosized CPDs, the thermochromic hydrogel has an ultrahigh Tlum of ~98.7%, a desirable τc of ~24.2 °C, a ΔTsol of ~89.3% and a rapid transition time of ~3 s from opaque state to transparent state. Moreover, the thermochromic hydrogel exhibits excellent anti‐freezing ability, tight adhesion toward various substrates, and excellent self‐healing capability. The self‐healing capability enables the fabrication of large‐area smart windows by welding multiple hydrogel pieces. The smart windows retain their original thermochromic properties after being stored under ambient conditions for at least 147 days or undergoing 10,000 uninterrupted heating/cooling cycles. The model houses with smart windows can achieve a temperature reduction of 9.2 °C, demonstrating the excellent indoor temperature modulation performance of the smart windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metasurfaces hold tremendous promise for various innovative sensing applications, thanks to their remarkable ability to manipulate light. A recent significant advancement in this research direction is using quasi‐BIC (bound states in the continuum) metasurfaces for mid‐infrared molecular sensing, which relies on creating a series of nearly uniformly spaced, sharp resonances on a single device. Although many studies have highlighted the potential of adopting this method in the terahertz (THz) regime, experimental demonstration is lacking. In this work, the first experimental demonstration of such frequency comb‐like, quasi‐BIC resonances on a single device is presented in the THz regime. By pixelating a 6‐inch Si wafer with 25 different metasurfaces that possess both high‐order quasi‐BIC modes and a geometric scaling, a set of 241 sharp resonances ranging from 350 to 750 GHz is produced based on numerical simulation. By using a high‐resolution vector network analyzer, 140 peaks that fall into the detection range from 500 to 750 GHz are confirmed experimentally, and their frequencies match well with the simulated results. By experimentally demonstrating frequency comb‐like, quasi‐BIC THz resonances on a single device, this work shows a new path for metasurface‐based sensing in the THz regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the mechanisms of action and characteristics of immune effects, immunity is commonly categorized into innate and adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity is associated with the response to non‐self‐entities and is characterized by high specificity and memory properties. In contrast, innate immunity has traditionally been considered devoid of memory characteristics. However, an increasing number of studies have sought to challenge this conventional immunological dogma and shown that innate immune cells exhibit a more robust and rapid response to secondary stimulation, thus providing evidence of the immunological memory in innate immunity. Macrophages, which are among the most important innate immune cells, can also acquire memory phenotype that facilitates the mediation of recall responses. Macrophage memory is a relatively new concept that is revolutionizing our understanding of macrophage biology and immunological memory and could lead to a new class of vaccines and immunotherapies. In this review, we describe the characteristics and mechanisms of macrophage memory, as well as its essential roles in various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bufalin, a major cardiotonic compound of the traditional Chinese medicine Chanshu has been used for cancer treatment for several years. However, the molecular mechanisms of Bufalin‐induced autophagy in osteosarcoma (OS) is not fully understood. In the present study, it was shown that Bufalin induced crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy, which resulted in OS cell death. Mechanistically, Bufalin induced autophagy by increased the ratio of microtubule‐associated protein 1A/1B‐light chain 3 (LC3)‐II/LC3‐I, and inducing apoptosis via the caspase‐dependent pathway. Inhibition of autophagy promoted Bufalin‐induced cell death. In contrast, suppression of apoptosis enhanced Bufalin‐induced autophagy. In addition, it was found that Bufalin activated the Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase β/AMPK/Beclin1 pathway, which resulted in induction of autophagy. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of the means by which Bufalin mediates autophagy and apoptosis in OS cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a water‐soluble antioxidant that plays important roles in plant development and human health. Understanding the regulatory mechanism underlying AsA biosynthesis is imperative to the development of high AsA plants.In this study, we reveal that the auxin response factor SlARF4 transcriptionally inhibits SlMYB99, which subsequently modulates AsA accumulation via transcriptional activation of AsA biosynthesis genes GPP, GLDH, and DHAR. The auxin‐dependent transcriptional cascade of SlARF4‐SlMYB99‐GPP/GLDH/DHAR modulates AsA synthesis, while mitogen‐activated protein kinase SlMAPK8 not only phosphorylates SlMYB99, but also activates its transcriptional activity. Both SlMYB99 and SlMYB11 proteins physically interact with each other, thereby synergistically regulating AsA biosynthesis by upregulating the expression of GPP, GLDH, and DHAR genes.Collectively, these results demonstrate that auxin and abscisic acid antagonistically regulate AsA biosynthesis during development and drought tolerance in tomato via the SlMAPK8‐SlARF4‐SlMYB99/11 module.These findings provide new insights into the mechanism underlying phytohormone regulation of AsA biosynthesis and provide a theoretical basis for the future development of high AsA plants via molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a major cause of heart failure after myocardial infarction. It has been reported that miR‐322 is involved in MIRI progression, while the molecular mechanism of miR‐322 in regulating MIRI progression needs to be further probed. MIRI cell model was established by oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Cell viability was assessed using MTS assay. Flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling staining were employed to analyze cell apoptosis. In addition, the interactions between miR‐322, Smad7/Smurf2, hypoxia‐inducible factor alpha (HIF‐1α), and β‐catenin were verified by dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay. Our results displayed that miR‐322 was significantly downregulated in OGD/R‐treated H9c2 cells, and its overexpression resulted in increased cell viability and reduced the apoptosis. Smurf2 and Smad7 were identified as the direct targets of miR‐322. Smad7 knockdown or Smurf2 knockdown increased OGD/R‐treated H9c2 cell viability and suppressed the apoptosis. Meanwhile, miR‐322 mimics abolished the mitigating effect of Smad7 or Smurf2 overexpression on MIRI. In addition, the Smad3/β‐catenin pathway was identified as the downstream pathway of Smurf2/Smad7. Moreover, it was found that HIF‐1α interacted with the miR‐322 promoter, and β‐catenin interacted with the HIF‐1α promoter to form a loop. HIF‐1α‐induced upregulated miR‐322 activated the Smad3/β‐catenin pathway by targeting Smurf2 and Smad7 to improve MIRI; meanwhile, β‐catenin/HIF‐1α formed a positive feedback loop to continuously improve MIRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides is a key catalytic procedure for CO2 utilization. Several metal-based catalysts with cocatalysts are developed for photo-driven CO2 cycloaddition, while facing difficulties in product purification and continuous reaction. Here, poly(ionic liquid)s are proposed as metal-free catalysts for photo-driven CO2 cycloaddition without cocatalysts. A series of poly(ionic liquid)s with donor-acceptor segments are fabricated and their photo-driven catalytic performance (conversion rate of 83.5% for glycidyl phenyl ether) outstrips (≈4.9 times) their thermal-driven catalytic performance (17.2%) at the same temperature. Mechanism studies confirm that photo-induced charge separation is promoted by the donor-acceptor segments and can accelerate the CO2 cycloaddition reaction. This work paves the way for the further use of poly(ionic liquid)s as catalysts in photo-driven CO2 cycloaddition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the sustainable development of society, it is important to develop methods for facile fabrication of bio‐based plastics that are mechanically robust and capable of recycling and completely degrading in soil. In this study, such bio‐based supramolecular plastics are conveniently and cost‐effectively fabricated by cross‐linking epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and low‐molecular‐weight polylactic acid (PLA) (≈2 kDa) with dynamic boroxines. The bio‐based supramolecular plastic, which is denoted as ESO‐PLA, exhibits a tensile strength of ≈43 MPa and is highly flexible and water‐resistant. After being stored in an environment with a 100% relative humidity for 10 days, the tensile strength of the plastic remains higher than polyethylene. Due to the reversibility of boroxines, the ESO‐PLA plastic can be conveniently processed into different shapes and products. Meanwhile, the plastic can be recycled multiple times for repeated usage by either hot‐pressing or solvent‐assisted depolymerization/repolymerization methods. Benefiting from the easy degradation of ESO and low‐molecular‐weight PLA, the breakage of boroxine cross‐links enables rapid and complete degradation of the plastics in soil within 60 days. Additionally, in vitro and in vivo tests prove that the ESO‐PLA plastic exhibits satisfactory biocompatibility, which extends its application in medicine, food, and cosmetics industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AngewandteCover Picture Chengcheng Liu, Weiqiao Deng et al. Hydrogen- Bond- Network Breakdown Boosts Selective CO2 Photoreduction by Suppressing H2 Evolution ACIEFS 63 ( 21) ( 2024) · ISSN 1433– 7851 · Vol. 63 · No. 21 Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2024, No. 21 A Journal of the German Chemical Society Chemie International Edition www. angewandte. org 2024– 63/ 21 [Extracted from the article]

A recent research article published in Angewandte Chemie discusses the breakdown of the hydrogen bond network in the CO2 photoreduction system, which can suppress the evolution of H2 and increase the production of CO. The study by Chengcheng Liu, Weiqiao Deng, and others focuses on the use of photosensitive poly(ionic liquid)s as photocatalysts, which have strong hydrogen bonding with solvents. By disrupting the hydrogen bond network with solvent additives, the researchers were able to effectively suppress H2 evolution in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Another research article in the journal discusses the use of metal-organic frameworks to achieve photocatalytic CO2 reduction to syngas. [Extracted from the article]

The development of potassium‐ion battery (PIB) electrode materials is critical for promoting their use in next‐generation energy storage systems. Although metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are appealing electrode materials, their performance in PIBs remains unsatisfactory. The low K+ adsorption energy (ΔEa) on the saturated coordination of MOFs can explain the limited capacity. Herein, MXene‐derived MOF nodes (NMD‐MOF) are unlocked and used as anodes in PIB. The NMD‐MOF anode exhibits substantially increased capacity (250 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1), as well as good rate‐performance and excellent capacity retention. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the ΔEa at unlocked node sites is significantly higher than at intact node sites of the pristine MOF. Furthermore, the NMD‐MOF anode and homologous MXene‐derived K+‐intercalated vanadium oxide (MD‐KVO) cathode combine to assemble a PIB, which delivers an encouraging capacity of 63 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1 and high energy (143 Wh kg−1) and power density (440 W kg−1). The fabrication of MXene‐derived electrode materials and the unlocking node strategy for binding site activation may spur further research into highly active electrode materials for energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of circRNAs is reported to exert crucial roles in cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). So far, the function of circRNAs in HCC development remains poorly known. Currently, our data showed that circ_0008305 was highly elevated in HCC cell lines and 30 paired tissue samples of HCC. As evidenced, suppression of circ_0008305 repressed HCC cell growth significantly. Meanwhile, upregulation of circ_0008305 significantly reduced HCC cell growth. Mechanistically, we displayed that circ_0008305 could bind with miR-186 by using bioinformatics analysis. miR-186 has been reported to be a crucial tumour oncogene in many cancers. In addition, we proved miR-186 was greatly decreased in HCC. The direct correlation between miR-186 and circ_0008305 was confirmed in our work. In addition, up-regulation of miR-186 obviously restrained HCC progression. Increased expression of transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 2 (TMED2) is significantly related to the unfavourable outcomes in cancer patients. At our present work, we proved that TMED2 could act as a direct target of miR-186. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circ_0008305 up-regulated TMED2 expression by sponging miR-186, which resulted in significantly induced HCC progression in vitro and in vivo. These revealed the significant role of circ_0008305 in HCC progression, which might indicate a new perspective on circRNAs in HCC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is closely related to the prognosis and treatment of patients. Accurate preoperative FAP expression can better identify the population benefitting from FAP-targeting drugs.Purpose: To develop and validate a machine learning classifier based on noncontrast MRI for the preoperative prediction of FAP expression in patients with PDAC.Study Type: Retrospective cohort study.Population: Altogether, 129 patients with pathology-confirmed PDAC undergoing MR scan and surgical resection; 90 patients in a training cohort, and 39 patients in a validation cohort. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE/3T: Breath-hold single-shot fast-spin echo T2-weighted sequence and unenhanced and noncontrast T1-weighted fat-suppressed sequences.Assessment: FAP expression was quantified using immunohistochemistry. For each patient, 1409 radiomics features were extracted from T1- and T2-weighted images and reduced using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression algorithm. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) network classifier was developed using the training and validation set. The MLP network classifier performance was determined by its discriminative ability, calibration, and clinical utility.Statistical Tests: Kaplan-Meier estimates, student's t-test, the Kruskal-Wallis H test, and the chi-square test, univariable regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve, and decision curve analysis were used.Results: A log-rank test showed that the survival of patients with low FAP expression (24.43 months) was significantly longer (P < 0.05) than that in the FAP-high group (13.50 months). The prediction model showed good discrimination in the training set (area under the curve [AUC], 0.84) and the validation set (AUC, 0.77). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the training set were 75.00%, 79.41%, 0.77, 0.86, and 0.66, respectively, whereas those for the validation set were 85.00%, 63.16%, 0.74, 0.71, and 0.80, respectively.Data Conclusions: The MLP network classifier based on noncontrast MRI can accurately predict FAP expression in patients with PDAC.Evidence Level: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imines are important intermediates in drug synthesis. Photocatalytic aerobic oxidative coupling of amines has been considered as a clean and promising way to produce imines and has attracted great attention. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel two‐dimensional porphyrin‐based covalent organic framework (Por‐BC‐COF) which adopts an AA stacking mode with excellent crystallinity, high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface areas (1200 m2 g−1), wide light absorption range (200–1300 nm) and good stability in a variety of organic solvents. Por‐BC‐COF can be used as a metal‐free heterogeneous photocatalyst for the photocatalytic oxidation of amines to imines under visible light and red light with a high yield (97 %). This work presents a novel and efficient COF photocatalyst in the application of light‐driven organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration is associated with the accurate determination of tumor grade. However, because it is an invasive procedure there is a need to explore alternative noninvasive procedures.Purpose: To develop and validate a noncontrast radiomics model for the preoperative prediction of nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NF-pNET) grade (G).Study Type: Retrospective, single-center study.Subjects: Patients with pathologically confirmed PNETs (139) were included.Field Strength/sequence: 3T/breath-hold single-shot fast-spin echo T2 -weighted sequence and unenhanced and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1 -weighted fat-suppressed sequences.Assessment: Tumor features on contrast MR images were evaluated by three board-certified abdominal radiologists.Statistical Tests: Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the clinical model. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method and linear discriminative analysis (LDA) were used to select the features and to construct a radiomics model. The performance of the models was assessed using the training cohort (97 patients) and the validation cohort (42 patients), and decision curve analysis (DCA) was applied for clinical use.Results: The clinical model included 14 imaging features, and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) was 0.769 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.675-0.863) in the training cohort and 0.729 (95% CI, 0.568-0.890) in the validation cohort. The LDA included 14 selected radiomics features that showed good discrimination-in the training cohort (AUC, 0.851; 95% CI, 0.758-0.916) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.736; 95% CI, 0.518-0.874). In the decision curves, if the threshold probability was 0.17-0.84, using the radiomics score to distinguish NF-pNET G1 and G2/3, offered more benefit than did the use of a treat-all-patients or treat-none scheme.Data Conclusion: The developed radiomics model using noncontrast MRI could help differentiate G1 and G2/3 tumors, to make the clinical decision, and screen pNETs grade.Level Of Evidence: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1124-1136. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for high‐level production of aromatic chemicals has received increasing attention in recent years. Tyrosol production from glucose by S. cerevisiae is considered an environmentally sustainable and safe approach. However, the production of tyrosol and salidroside by engineered S. cerevisiae has been reported to be lower than 2 g/L to date. In this study, S. cerevisiae was engineered with a push‐pull‐restrain strategy to efficiently produce tyrosol and salidroside from glucose. The biosynthetic pathways of ethanol, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were restrained by disrupting PDC1, PHA2, and TRP3. Subsequently, tyrosol biosynthesis was enhanced with a metabolic pull strategy of introducing PcAAS and EcTyrAM53I/A354V. Moreover, a metabolic push strategy was implemented with the heterologous expression of phosphoketolase (Xfpk), and then erythrose 4‐phosphate was synthesized simultaneously by two pathways, the Xfpk‐based pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway, in S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, the heterologous expression of Xfpk alone in S. cerevisiae efficiently improved tyrosol production compared with the coexpression of Xfpk and phosphotransacetylase. Finally, the tyrosol yield increased by approximately 135‐folds, compared with that of parent strain. The total amount of tyrosol and salidroside with glucose fed‐batch fermentation was over 10 g/L and reached levels suitable for large‐scale production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A theory is proposed to evaluate the loosening earth pressure (vertical earth pressure after excavation) acting on a shallow tunnel in unsaturated ground with an arbitrary groundwater level. The theory is developed based on the limit equilibrium theory, combining soil–water characteristic curves, Mohr–Coulomb failure criteria, and effective stress for unsaturated soils. The proposed theory is applied to predict the vertical distribution of loosening earth pressure in unsaturated ground, which shows a significant difference from that in saturated ground. In unsaturated ground, suction contributes to the increase in effective loosening earth pressure and shear resistance. The remarkable effects of groundwater depth, soil type, and scale of overburden height and trapdoor width on loosening earth pressure are also revealed. Based on the soil–water characteristic curve, the degree of saturation decreases, which causes wet density to decrease and the total and effective loosening earth pressures to have contrary tendencies. Moreover, effective loosening earth pressures vary with soil type as the degree of saturation varies. The total loosening earth pressures are, however, very similar regardless of soil type, because wet density and shear resistance have similar tendencies. The proposed theory provides a valid model for loosening earth pressure in unsaturated ground that will be useful for shallow tunnel excavations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional state (FS) of adult pancreatic islets is regulated by a large array of regulatory molecules including numerous transcription factors. Whether any islet structural molecules play such a role has not been well understood. Here, multiple technologies including bioinformatics analyses were used to explore such molecules. The tight junction family molecule claudin 4 (Cldn4) was the highest enriched amongst over 140 structural genes analysed. Cldn4 expression was ~75‐fold higher in adult islets than in exocrine tissues and was mostly up‐regulated during functional maturation of developing islet cells. Cldn4 was progressively down‐regulated in functionally compromised, dedifferentiating insulin‐secreting β cells and in db/db type 2 diabetic islets. Furthermore, the genetic deletion of Cldn4 impaired significantly the FS without apparently affecting pancreas morphology, islet architectural structure and cellular distribution, and secretion of enteroendocrine hormones. Thus, we suggest a previously unidentified role for Cldn4 in regulating the FS of islets, with implications in translational research for better diabetes therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: CD39 and CD73 are two novel cell surface markers of CD25highFoxp3+ regulatory T‐cells (Tregs). Concordant expression of these two ectoenzymes not only discriminate Tregs from other cell populations, but also generates pericellular adenosine, which has been reported to suppress proliferation of activated T effector (Teff) cells. Because it is currently unclear whether human ectoenzymes (CD39/CD73) are involved in the impaired suppressive activity of Tregs in psoriasis, we examined the frequencies and phenotypes of CD39/CD73‐expressing Tregs and related receptor adenosine receptor 2A (A2AR) in peripheral blood of patients with different types of psoriasis. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) were prepared from patients with three different types of psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris, pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis). CD4+ cells were separated from PBMC by negative selection on midiMACS columns, and the frequencies and phenotypes of CD39 and CD73 expressing Tregs, and A2AR expressing Teff were all determined by flow cytometry analysis. Blood from healthy volunteers served as controls. Results: The expression of single CD73+ Tregs was markedly reduced (approximately 50%) in psoriasis vulgaris, compared to normal controls. In pustular psoriasis, the mean numbers of CD39+ Tregs and A2AR+ Teff was significantly lower than in normal controls. Among three different types of psoriasis, CD39 expression was strikingly reduced in the blood Treg population of pustular psoriasis patients. Decreased CD73+ Tregs levels were observed in psoriasis vulgaris compared to pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis. Conclusions: The differences in the expression of CD39− and CD73− Tregs may be a factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The deficiency of family 5 endoglucanase ( Cel5A) and family 6 cellobiohydrolase ( Cel6A) has become a key limiting factor on cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis in bioprocessing of cellulosic biomass. To improve the production of Trichoderma reesei Cel5A / Cel6A, a Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gene was tried to co-express extracellularly for the first time with Cel5A / Cel6A in Pichia pastoris GS115. RESULTS Newly constructed recombinant of co-expressing Cel5A / Cel6A extracellularly with VHb was consistent with the single expression at some key variables of culture condition, i.e. inoculum size, initial pH, culture temperature and methanol concentration. Comparing their single expression, the CMCase activity of co-expressed Cel5A and Cel6A enzymes enhanced by 40% and 30%, respectively. With high-cell-density fed-batch (HCDFB) fermentation, the co-expressed Cel5A enzyme activity was 366.8 U mL-1 with 4.3 g L-1 protein content and the Cel6A enzyme activity reached 1.3 U mL-1 with 2.23 g L-1 protein content. The two co-expressed enzyme activities were enhanced by 35% and 20%, respectively, compared with the single expression. CONCLUSION VHb protein capable of binding oxygen can be successfully co-expressed extracellularly with other target proteins. The co-expression of VHb with recombinant Cel5A / Cel6A is efficient at improving oxygen-limited condition and thus enzyme production in both shake-flask and HCDFB fermentation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion To investigate the role of the microRNA (miRNA)‐669f‐5p/deoxycytidylate deaminase (Dctd) axis in sevoflurane inducing cognitive dysfunction in aged mice.Sixty‐six C57BL/6J mice were used in the experiment model and were randomly divided into the sevoflurane group and the control group. The mice in the sevoflurane group were anesthetised with 3.4% sevoflurane, whereas those in the control group were air‐treated for the same period. The study was then performed using bioinformatics sequencing, as well as in vitro and in vivo validation.The mice in the sevoflurane group showed significant cognitive impairments in terms of a decrease in both spatial learning and memory abilities. Experimental doses of miR‐669f‐5p agonist exhibited no obvious effect on cognitive function following sevoflurane inhalation, but inhibiting the expression of miR‐669f‐5p could alleviate the impairments. Based on the results of the bioinformatics sequencing, miR‐669f‐5p/Dctd and the toll‐like receptor (TLR) signalling pathway could be the key miRNA, gene and pathway leading to postoperative cognitive dysfunction following sevoflurane inhalation. The aged mice showed significantly increased expression of miR‐669f‐5p in the hippocampus following sevoflurane inhalation, and upregulating/inhibiting its expression could increase/decrease TLR expression in the hippocampus. Furthermore, miR‐669f‐5p could reduce the expression of the Dctd gene by binding to its 3′untranslated region.The miR‐669f‐5p/Dctd axis plays an important role in sevoflurane inducing cognitive dysfunction in aged mice, providing a new direction for further development of therapeutic strategies concerning the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with sevoflurane anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task sequence planning (TSP) is the key factor to the efficiency, stableness, and cost of a complex assembly system. To address the issue, an adaptive quantum genetic algorithm based on artificial potential field and gradient of object function is proposed to optimise the solving process, and to obtain the optimal TSP scheme. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm can perform higher efficiency and stableness than the previously reported methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, self‐healing polyampholyte hydrogels with high mechanical strength in megapascal order, good resilience, improved toughness, and satisfactory conductivity are fabricated via one‐step polymerization of positively charged imidazolium‐based ionic liquid monomers containing urea groups and negatively charged 3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt monomers followed by subsequent dialysis in water. Dialysis can remove partial counter ions in the original hydrogels to strengthen electrostatic interactions between imidazolium and sulfonate groups and improve mechanical strength of the hydrogels. After dialysis for 3 d, the originally soft hydrogels become mechanically robust with a tensile strength of ≈1.3 MPa, strain at break of ≈720%, and toughness of ≈6.7 MJ m−3. Hydrogen‐bonding interactions between urea groups, which act as sacrificial bonds to dissipate energy, are important to improve the mechanical strength and toughness of the hydrogels. More importantly, the hydrogel can automatically heal from physical cut at room temperature with a healing efficiency of ≈91% because of the reversibility of the electrostatic and hydrogen‐bonding interactions. Because of the undialyzed salts in the hydrogels, the mechanically robust hydrogels possess a satisfactory ionic conductivity of ≈3 S m−1 at room temperature and can serve as highly flexible and stretchable conductors with self‐healing capacity. Self‐healing polyampholyte hydrogels with high mechanical strength, good resilience, improved toughness, and satisfactory conductivity are fabricated via copolymerization of imidazolium‐based ionic liquid monomers and sulfonate‐containing methacrylate monomers, followed by dialysis in water to partially remove salts. The hydrogels, which are cross linked by reversible electrostatic and hydrogen‐bonding interactions, can automatically heal from physical cut at room temperature to restore mechanical strength and conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CD39 and CD73 are two novel cell surface markers of CD25 high Foxp3 + regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Concordant expression of these two ectoenzymes not only discriminate Tregs from other cell populations, but also generates pericellular adenosine, which has been reported to suppress proliferation of activated T effector (Teff) cells. Because it is currently unclear whether human ectoenzymes (CD39/CD73) are involved in the impaired suppressive activity of Tregs in psoriasis, we examined the frequencies and phenotypes of CD39/CD73-expressing Tregs and related receptor adenosine receptor 2A (A 2A R) in peripheral blood of patients with different types of psoriasis., Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) were prepared from patients with three different types of psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris, pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis). CD4 + cells were separated from PBMC by negative selection on midiMACS columns, and the frequencies and phenotypes of CD39 and CD73 expressing Tregs, and A 2A R expressing Teff were all determined by flow cytometry analysis. Blood from healthy volunteers served as controls., Results: The expression of single CD73 + Tregs was markedly reduced (approximately 50%) in psoriasis vulgaris, compared to normal controls. In pustular psoriasis, the mean numbers of CD39 + Tregs and A 2A R + Teff was significantly lower than in normal controls. Among three different types of psoriasis, CD39 expression was strikingly reduced in the blood Treg population of pustular psoriasis patients. Decreased CD73 + Tregs levels were observed in psoriasis vulgaris compared to pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis., Conclusions: The differences in the expression of CD39 - and CD73 - Tregs may be a factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis., (© 2017 The Authors. Australasian Journal of Dermatology published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of The Australasian College of Dermatologists.)