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An elevation of pathologic intraocular pressure (IOP) is the greatest risk factor for glaucoma. CD154 has been reported to bind to CD40 expressed by orbital fibroblasts and be involved in immune and inflammatory responses. However, the function and mechanism of CD154 in ocular hypertensive glaucoma (OHG) are not fully understood. We isolated and characterized Müller cells and subsequently examined the effect of CD154 on ATP release from those cells. After being cocultured with CD154‐pretreated Müller cells, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were treated with P2X7 siRNAs or a P2X7 inhibitor. Furthermore, mouse models of glaucoma (GC) were injected with P2X7 shRNA. p21, p53, and P2X7 expression were examined, and cellular senescence and apoptosis were detected by β‐Gal and TUNEL staining, retinal pathology was examined by H&E staining, and CD154 and β‐Gal expression were detected by ELISA. CD154 induced ATP release from Müller cells and accelerated the senescence and apoptosis of RGCs that had been cocultured with Müller cells. We also found that treatment with P2X7 could attenuate the senescence and apoptosis of RGCs mediated by Müller cells pretreated with CD154. In vivo studies in GC model mice verified that P2X7 silencing attenuated pathological damage and prevented the senescence and apoptosis of retinal tissue. The study demonstrates how CD154 accelerates the aging and apoptosis of RGCs by co‐cultivating Müller cells pretreated with CD154 in OHG. The research implies that CD154 has the potential to become a new therapeutic target for ocular hypertension glaucoma, providing a new research direction for its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety, durability and power density of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are currently inadequate to satisfy the continuously growing demand of the emerging battery markets. Rapid progress has been made from material engineering to system design, combining experimental results and simulations to enhance LIB performance. Limited by spatial and temporal resolution, state‐of‐the‐art advanced characterization techniques fail to fully reveal the complex multi‐scale degradation mechanism in LIBs. Strengthening interaction and iteration between characterization and modeling improves the understanding of reaction mechanisms as well as design and management of LIBs. Herein, a seed cyber hierarchy and interactional network framework is demonstrated to evaluate the overall lifecycle of LIBs. The typical examples of bridging the characterization techniques and modeling are discussed. The critical parameters extracted from multi‐scale characterization can serve as digital inputs for modeling. Furthermore, advanced computational techniques including cloud computing, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence can also promote the comprehensive understanding and precise control of the whole battery lifecycle. Digital twins techniques will be introduced enabling the real‐time monitoring and control of LIBs, autonomous computer‐assisted characterizations and intelligent manufacturing. It is anticipated that this work will provide a roadmap for further intensive research on developing high‐performance LIBs and intelligent battery management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) can occur together, and this concomitance is thought to be higher in diabetes patients. We aimed to examine and compare hand function in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without CTS and DPN (CTS−DPN−), patients with CTS without DPN (CTS+DPN−), patients with DPN without CTS (CTS−DPN+), and patients with CTS and DPN (CTS+DPN+). Materials and Methods: A total of 161 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients underwent physical examination and electrodiagnostic tests. Grip and pinch strengths, tactile sensory thresholds were measured for each participant. Purdue pegboard test was used in evaluating the hand dexterity of the participants. Results: Of the 161 type 2 diabetes mellitus participants, 36 (22.4%) had both CTS and DPN. CTS participants had lower grip (26.6 ± 10.6 vs 35.2 ± 14.3, P < 0.001) and pinch (6.3 ± 2.6 vs 7.5 ± 2.9, P = 0.026) strengths compared with non‐CTS participants, whereas DPN participants had elevated tactile sensory thresholds of both the second (2.8 [2.8–3.6] vs 2.4 [2.4–2.8], P < 0.001) and the fifth (2.8 [2.8–3.6] vs 2.4 [2.4–2.8], P < 0.001) fingers compared with non‐DPN participants. The CTS+DPN+ group had lower Purdue pegboard test scores than other groups. Grip (r = 0.482, 0.530, 0.467, 0.498, all P < 0.001) and pinch (r = 0.246, P = 0.003; r = 0.265, P = 0.001; r = 0.264, P = 0.001; r = 0.235, P = 0.005) strengths were positively correlated with Purdue pegboard test scores, whereas tactile sensory thresholds were negatively correlated with Purdue pegboard test scores (r = −0.447 to −0.359, all P < 0.001). Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with both DPN and CTS had lower grip and pinch strengths and decreased tactile sensation, both of which were correlated with poorer hand dexterity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loma psittaca, previously described as inhabiting the intestinal mucosa of an anadromous fish, Colomesus pisttacus, from the Amazon Basin, is reported as being found for the first time in a marine fish, the hybrid grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus♂×Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀), from Lingshui city, Hainan Province, China, expanding the geographical distribution and host range of this parasite. Numerous whitish xenomas (0.5–0.7 mm in diameter) of this new isolate of L. psittaca were found distinctly in the muscle layer of the host stomach wall. Electron microscopic observations showed a monokaryotic nucleus in all developmental stages. Round or elongated multinucleate merogonial plasmodia surrounded by numerous mitochondria were observed initially, subsequently transforming into uninucleate sporonts through multiple fissions. Sporonts, each with a large centrally positioned nucleus, further developed into sporoblasts. Each sporoblast mother cell gave rise to two uninucleate sporoblasts by binary fission. Mature spores were ellipsoidal, measuring 4.0 ± 0.3 (3.7–4.3) μm in length and 2.2 ± 0.2 (2.1–2.5) μm in width. Spores possessed a mushroom‐like anchoring disk, a bipartite polarplast, isofilar polar filaments arranged in 12–14 turns in one row, and a trilaminar spore wall. The obtained partial SSU rRNA gene sequence of the new isolate was 1330 bp in length and showed 99.4% sequence similarity with an estuary isolate of L. psittaca previously reported in South America. SSU rRNA gene‐based phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the two L. psittaca isolates first clustered together and then formed a dichotomy that included the digestive‐tract‐infecting Loma species, L. acerinae, with high support values within group I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet pepper, a globally commercialized horticultural crop, has been demonstrated to impede fat accumulation, but its mechanism remains incompletely understood. This study was designed to explore the potential mechanism of sweet pepper in reducing fat accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans through RNA‐seq and metabolome analysis. A total of 22 metabolites were identified from sweet pepper by UHPLC‐ESI‐TOF‐MS analysis. In vivo, sweet pepper significantly inhibited α‐glucosidase activity and reduced the levels of glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and the area stained with oil red O. Additionally, it increased body length and the number of head swings in C. elegans compared to the control group. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids signaling pathway among the differentially expressed genes and metabolites. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element‐binding proteins (SREBPs) ortholog SBP‐1, as well as the stearyl CoA desaturase‐1 (SCD1), including fat‐5, fat‐6, and fat‐7, were significantly decreased after treatment with sweet pepper. Collectively, sweet pepper effectively reduces fat accumulation, which is probably related to downregulating the SREBP‐SCD axis, offering new insights for future functional food development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated patterns of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their predictors among 2,431 Asian American and 31,455 non‐Hispanic White World Trade Center (WTC) Registry participants 2–3 years and 5–6 years after the WTC attack. Participants were divided into four PTSD pattern groups: resilient, remitted, delayed onset, and chronic. Asians had a lower proportion in the resilient group (76.5% vs. 79.8%), a higher proportion in the chronic (8.6% vs. 7.4%) and remitted (5.9% vs. 3.4%) groups, and a similar proportion in the delayed onset group (about 9%) compared to Whites. In multinomial logistic regression analyses, disaster exposure, immigrant status, lower income, pre‐attack depression/anxiety, and lower respiratory symptoms were associated with increased odds of chronic and delayed onset PTSD (vs. resilience) among both races. Education and employment were protective against chronic and delayed onset PTSD among Whites only. These results can inform targeted outreach efforts to enhance prevention and treatment for Asians affected by future events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization, digital twins, machine learning, simulation Bridging Multiscale Characterization Technologies and Digital Modeling to Evaluate Lithium Battery Full Lifecycle (Adv. Keywords: characterization; digital twins; machine learning; simulation EN characterization digital twins machine learning simulation 1 1 1 09/05/22 20220901 NES 220901 B Lithium Batteries b In article number 2200889, Kai Yang, Shichun Yang and co-workers demonstrate the potential of cyber hierarchy and interactional network framework (CHAIN) to bridge multi-scale characterization and modeling technologies to evaluate lithium battery overall lifecycle. [Extracted from the article]

In this work, we have conducted a blend of type I collagen and dencichine under acid conditions, followed by investigating the intermolecular interactions between the two components. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), molecular modeling methods, the circular dichrorism (CD) measurement, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies inducate that the structure integrity of collagen is still maintained obviously after introducing dencichine. Furthermore, we also analyze the mechanism of the combination, which is just more than hydrogen bonding. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) reveals that compared to pure collagen, dencichine could promote the thermalstability of collagen-dencichine composite sponge (CDCS) with the increasing content of dencichine. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is utilized to determine the morphology changes of collagen by inducing dencichine. The fibril aggregation occurs due to the crosslinking with dencichine and the fibrous structure of collagen after inducing dencichine still remains compact and clear, which is the foundation of its biological activity. The present study, reveals that intermolecular interactions exist in the CDCS indeed, which is benefit for the development of new biological material and fabrication of novel functionalized hemostatic biomaterials. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2027-2036, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tough aerogel electrode of manganese oxide and polyaniline was prepared by in situ gelation, freeze-drying, and heat treatment on carbon cloth. The porous structure endows the final aerogel electrode with high electrochemical performance even at high current density and excellent cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biomedical research and practice, continuous biomarkers are often used for diagnosis and prognosis, with a cut-point being established on the measurement to aid binary classification. When survival time is examined for the purposes of disease prognostication and is found to be related to the baseline measure of a biomarker, employing a single cut-point on the biomarker may not be very informative. Using survival time-dependent sensitivity and specificity, we extend a concordance probability-based objective function to select survival time-related cut-points. To estimate the objective function with censored survival data, we adopt a non-parametric procedure for time-dependent receiver operational characteristics curves, which uses nearest neighbor estimation techniques. In a simulation study, the proposed method, when used to select a cut-point to optimally predict survival at a given time within a specified range, yields satisfactory results. We apply the procedure to estimate survival time-dependent cut-point on the prognostic biomarker of serum bilirubin among patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biomedical research and practice, quantitative tests or biomarkers are often used for diagnostic or screening purposes, with a cut point established on the quantitative measurement to aid binary classification. This paper introduces an alternative to the traditional methods based on the Youden index and the closest-to-(0, 1) criterion for threshold selection. A concordance probability evaluating the classification accuracy of a dichotomized measure is defined as an objective function of the possible cut point. A nonparametric approach is used to search for the optimal cut point maximizing the objective function. The procedure is shown to perform well in a simulation study. Using data from a real-world study of arsenic-induced skin lesions, we apply the method to a measure of blood arsenic levels, selecting a cut point to be used as a warning threshold. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a non-parametric approach for the selection of items in a scale for screening, with the score defined as the sum of item response indicators. Without specifying parametric models for binary classification probabilities, the proposed item selection method evaluates the change in classification accuracy due to adding or deleting one item for a scale with k items. It first removes least useful items from the scale and then uses a forward stepwise selection procedure to the remaining items to identify a subset of items for a reduced scale. The reduced scale usually retains or improves classification accuracy compared to the full scale. The variation in items selected can be assessed with bootstrap samples. In a simulation study, the proposed procedure shows a fairly good finite sample performance. The method is illustrated with a data set on patients with and without high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease who were administered a 40-item test of olfactory function. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), a measure of concordance in ratings from multiple raters, was used to study inter-rater agreement in measurements of time to event, generally not observed with perfect consistency among raters. As a function of the first two moments of rating measures, the CCC can be estimated with data subject to censoring, using a likelihood-based estimation method applied under the assumptions of random censoring and parametric distribution models for the ratings of time to event. A simulation study was conducted for small sample performance under various censoring proportions. The use of the CCC with censored data is illustrated with an example taken from a data set containing data on time to an event with two raters per subject. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are recognized for energy conversion efficiency and applications including electronics and energy storage devices. This study introduces a groundbreaking development in TENG by incorporating negative Poisson's ratio metamaterials to fabricate auxetic‐assisted triboelectric nanogenerators (Auxetic‐TENG), subversively overcoming the low power density of traditional materials. Subtly, an integrated layer‐by‐layer‐assembly and core–shell accumulation strategy is employed to create a synclastic polytetrafluoroethylene negative friction shell‐skeleton, into which positive Poisson's ratio nature collagen aggregate (CA) foam is inwardly embedded as the positive friction core‐material. Surprisingly, the on‐demand introduction of metamaterials in synergy with CA significantly increases the contact area and mechanical energy absorption of the Auxetic‐TENG under pressure. This enhancement in the conversion efficiency of mechanical to electricity capitalizes on the contraction origins of negative Poisson's ratio metamaterials, integrated with the expansion characteristics of the positive Poisson's ratio materials within the structure, facilitating the synergistic compression of the positive and negative friction stratum. Consequently, Auxetic‐TENG achieves an open‐circuit voltage of 85 V, an overturning four times compared to conventional contact–separation TENG, and a power density of 4.2 W m−2. Application experiments demonstrate the superior performance of auxetic‐TENG under various compression ratios and stress conditions, highlighting its potential for real‐time monitoring in healthcare applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucoma, an irreversible blinding eye disease, is currently unclear whose pathological mechanism is. This study investigated how transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), 1‐phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate phosphodiesterase gamma‐1 (PLCγ1), and P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2X7) modulate the levels of intracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in Müller cells and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) under conditions of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Müller cells were maintained at hydrostatic pressure (HP). TRPV1‐ and PLCG1‐silenced Müller cells and P2X7‐silenced RGCs were constructed by transfection with short interfering RNA (siRNAs). RGCs were cultured with the conditioned media of Müller cells under HP. A mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension (COH) was established and used to investigate the role of TRPV1 in RGCs in vivo. Müller cells and RGCs were analyzed by ATP release assays, intracellular calcium assays, CCK‐8 assays, EdU (5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine) staining, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, and transmission electron microscopy. In vivo changes in inner retinal function were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and TUNEL staining. Western blot analyses were performed to measure the levels of related proteins. Our data showed that HP increased the levels of ATP and Ca2+ influx in Müller cells, and those increases were accompanied by the upregulation of TRPV1 and p‐PLCγ1 expression. Suppression of TRPV1 or PLCG1 expression in Müller cells significantly decreased the ATP levels and intracellular Ca2+ accumulation induced by HP. Knockdown of TRPV1, PLCG1, or P2X7 significantly decreased apoptosis and autophagy in RGCs cultured in the conditioned media of HP‐treated Müller cells. Moreover, TRPV1 silencing decreased RGC apoptosis and autophagy in the in vivo model of COH. Collectively, inhibition of TRPV1/PLCγ1 and P2X7 expression may be a useful therapeutic strategy for managing RGC death in glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy crisis and worsening greenhouse effects cause unprecedented global environmental and economic‐sustainability challenges. The emerging all‐season thermal regulation technology that can provide comfort to humans without consuming external‐energy demonstrates promising prospects. Inspired by the temperature‐accommodative skin of the color‐changing rain‐frog, a biodegradable nature‐skin‐derived thermochromic membrane (PCTM‐H) is nano‐engineered for active all‐season thermal management using the integrative interfacially wet‐casting film‐forming and spraying strategy of nature‐skin to incorporate polyvinyl alcohol and thermochromic microcapsules. Its outstanding thermochromic origins allow it to switch adaptively between cooling and heating modes without additional energy input. PCTM‐H has a light color with high reflectivity in hot summer and a dark‐color that absorbs solar radiation in cold winter, with an overall visible light modulation of ≈53.5%, solar modulation of ≈32.2%, and a remarkable emissivity in mid‐infrared band (≈86.7%). PCTM‐H has exceptional adaptive thermal management capabilities for multitudinous outdoor‐applications. Simulation results show that PCTM‐H has prominent energy‐saving efficiency in cities with different climate zones when utilized as roof‐protection membranes. Additionally, the distinguished mechanical features, weatherability, and bio‐degradability of PCTM‐H substantially increase its potential applications. This study provides a reference for the development of active all‐season thermal management materials and high‐value utilization of nature‐skin, contributing to the goal of carbon‐neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis, a key enabler of hydrogen energy production, presents significant potential as a strategy for achieving net‐zero emissions. However, the widespread deployment of water electrolysis is currently limited by the high‐cost and scarce noble metal electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Given this challenge, design and synthesis of cost‐effective and high‐performance alternative catalysts have become a research focus, which necessitates insightful understandings of HER fundamentals and material engineering strategies. Distinct from typical reviews that concentrate only on the summary of recent catalyst materials, this review article shifts focus to material engineering strategies for developing efficient HER catalysts. In‐depth analysis of key material design approaches for HER catalysts, such as doping, vacancy defect creation, phase engineering, and metal‐support engineering, are illustrated along with typical research cases. A special emphasis is placed on designing noble metal‐free catalysts with a brief discussion on recent advancements in electrocatalytic water‐splitting technology. The article also delves into important descriptors, reliable evaluation parameters and characterization techniques, aiming to link the fundamental mechanisms of HER with its catalytic performance. In conclusion, it explores future trends in HER catalysts by integrating theoretical, experimental and industrial perspectives, while acknowledging the challenges that remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the recrystallization behavior of cold‐rolled silicon steel during continuous heating is essential for optimizing continuous annealing parameters and accurately controlling material performance. To address the limitations of isothermal annealing studies in interpreting actual continuous annealing processes, this study investigates the recrystallization kinetics of Fe–2.3 wt%Si steel using a continuous heating three‐point bending method. The method effectively determines the characteristic recrystallization temperatures. Interestingly, these recrystallization characteristic temperatures remain unaffected by the initial load but shift toward higher temperatures with increasing heating rates in the range of 5–15 °C min−1. The average activation energy of recrystallization is estimated to be 144.5 kJ mol−1, comparable to the value of 147.0 kJ mol−1 obtained from the isothermal process through microhardness measurement. The recrystallization kinetics, described by an extended version of the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall model, exhibits excellent agreement with experimental evaluations. By combining the present processing technologies with continuous heating recrystallization kinetics, different recrystallization temperatures and times can be determined, offering valuable insights for optimizing annealing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implantable bioelectronic devices (IBDs) have gained attention for their capacity to conformably detect physiological and pathological signals and further provide internal therapy. However, traditional power sources integrated into these IBDs possess intricate limitations such as bulkiness, rigidity, and biotoxicity. Recently, artificial "tissue batteries" (ATBs) have diffusely developed as artificial power sources for IBDs manufacturing, enabling comprehensive biological‐activity monitoring, diagnosis, and therapy. ATBs are on‐demand and designed to accommodate the soft and confining curved placement space of organisms, minimizing interface discrepancies, and providing ample power for clinical applications. This review presents the near‐term advancements in ATBs, with a focus on their miniaturization, flexibility, biodegradability, and power density. Furthermore, it delves into material‐screening, structural‐design, and energy density across three distinct categories of TBs, distinguished by power supply strategies. These types encompass innovative energy storage devices (chemical batteries and supercapacitors), power conversion devices that harness power from human‐body (biofuel cells, thermoelectric nanogenerators, bio‐potential devices, piezoelectric harvesters, and triboelectric devices), and energy transfer devices that receive and utilize external energy (radiofrequency‐ultrasound energy harvesters, ultrasound‐induced energy harvesters, and photovoltaic devices). Ultimately, future challenges and prospects emphasize ATBs with the indispensability of bio‐safety, flexibility, and high‐volume energy density as crucial components in long‐term implantable bioelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the practical applications of wearable electronic skin (e‐skin), the multifunctional, self‐powered, biodegradable, biocompatible, and breathable materials are needed to be assessed and tailored simultaneously. Integration of these features in flexible e‐skin is highly desirable; however, it is challenging to construct an e‐skin to meet the requirements of practical applications. Herein, a bio‐inspired multifunctional e‐skin with a multilayer nanostructure based on spider web and ant tentacle is constructed, which can collect biological energy through a triboelectric nanogenerator for the simultaneous detection of pressure, humidity, and temperature. Owing to the poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofibers spider web structure, internal bead‐chain structure, and the collagen aggregate nanofibers based positive friction material, e‐skin exhibits the highest pressure sensitivity (0.48 V kPa−1) and high detection range (0–135 kPa). Synchronously, the nanofibers imitating the antennae of ants provide e‐skin with short response and recovery time (16 and 25 s, respectively) to a wide humidity range (25–85% RH). The e‐skin is demonstrated to exhibit temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR = 0.0075 °C−1) in a range of the surrounding temperature (27–55 °C). Moreover, the natural collagen aggregate and the all‐nanofibers structure ensure the biodegradability, biocompatibility, and breathability of the e‐skin, showing great promise for practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionogels are a new class of promising materials for use in all‐solid‐state energy storage devices in which they can function as an integrated separator and electrolyte. However, their performance is limited by the presence of a crosslinking polymer, which is needed to improve the mechanical properties, but compromises their ionic conductivity. Here, directional freezing is used followed by a solvent replacement method to prepare aligned nanocomposite ionogels which exhibit enhanced ionic conductivity, good mechanical strength, and thermal stability simultaneously. The aligned ionogel based supercapacitor achieves a 29% higher specific capacitance (176 F g−1 at 25 °C and 1 A g−1) than an equivalent nonaligned form. Notably, this thermally stable aligned ionogel has a high ionic conductivity of 22.1 mS cm−1 and achieves a high specific capacitance of 167 F g−1 at 10 A g−1 and 200 °C. Furthermore, the diffusion simulations conducted on 3D reconstructed tomography images are employed to explain the improved conductivity in the relevant direction of the aligned structure compared to the nonaligned. This work demonstrates the synthesis, analysis, and use of aligned ionogels as supercapacitor separators and electrolytes, representing a promising direction for the development of wearable electronics coupled with image based process and simulations. A nanocomposite ionogel with hierarchical aligned structures is prepared via self‐initiated cryopolymerization. The diffusion simulations based on X‐ray tomographic 3D reconstructed images are employed in a nondestructive way to explain the mechanisms of the observed electrochemical enhancements, thus open new possibilities to achieve high‐performance structural material design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article number 1801337, Qigang Wang and co‐workers report a self‐initiated cryopolymerization method to prepare nanocomposite ionogels with hierarchical aligned pores for use in high temperature supercapacitors. Diffusion simulations based on X‐ray tomographic 3D reconstructed images are used to explain the origins of the observed electrochemical enhancements in the aligned ionogels, which highlight the potential for structured materials in energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very challenging to demonstrate the intrinsic feature and absorption mechanism for electromagnetic (EM) wave absorber since dipole polarization loss is always discussed together with magnetic loss, conductive loss, defects/interfacial polarization, and so on. To address this issue, here, a kind of atomic composites is reported, including single‐atom Co and Co cluster with controllable atom dipole to tune the polarization and establish the link between dipole polarization and the EM wave absorption. Using a chemical synthesis route, the atomic composites are fabricated, including Co single‐atom (SA) sites and cluster (Cs) on nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon (Co1+Cs/NGC). Due to the special design, the effect of magnetic loss, conductive loss, and interfacial polarization on EM wave dissipation can be ignored so that it can only highlight dielectric loss caused by dipole polarization. And, by controlling the Co atoms concentration, it can tune the valence state of Co atoms between 0 to +2 to control dipole polarization and relaxation. As a result, the Co1+Cs/NGC‐2 with Co concentration of 6.0 wt% exhibits optimized dipole moments and thus excellent absorption performance (the reflection loss exceeds −54.3 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth with RL ≤−10 dB reaches 7.0 GHz at 2.0 mm) due to the effective dipole polarization caused by the large annular dipole bounded between Co SA sites and Co Cs. This study proposes a simplified model to clarify EM wave absorption mechanism from atom view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital ectopia lentis (EL) refers to the congenital dysplasia or weakness of the lens suspensory ligament, resulting in an abnormal position of the crystalline lens, which can appear as isolated EL or as an ocular manifestation of a syndrome, such as the Marfan syndrome. The fibrillin‐1 protein encoded by the FBN1 gene is an essential component of the lens zonules. Mutations in FBN1 are the leading causes of congenital EL and Marfan syndrome. Owing to the complexity and individual heterogeneity of FBN1 gene mutations, the correlation between FBN1 mutation characteristics and various clinical phenotypes remains unclear. Methods: This study describes the clinical characteristics and identifies possible causative genes in eight families with Marfan syndrome or isolated EL using Sanger and whole‐exome sequencing. Results: Eight FBN1 mutations were identified in these families, of which three (c.5065G > C, c.1600 T > A, and c.2210G > C) are reported for the first time. Based on in silico analyses, we hypothesized that these mutations may be pathogenic by affecting the fibrillin‐1 protein structure and function. Conclusion: These findings expand the number of known mutations involved in EL and provide a reference for the research on their genotype and phenotype associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic skins (e‐skins), which are mechanically compliant with human skin, are regarded as ideal electronic devices for noninvasive human–machine interaction and wearable devices. In order to fully mimic human skin, e‐skins should possess reliable mechanical properties and be able to resist external environmental factors like heat, cold, desiccation, and bacteria, while perceiving multiple external stimuli, such as temperature, humidity, and strain. Here, a transparent, mechanically robust, environmentally stable, versatile natural skin‐derived organohydrogel (NSD‐Gel) is nanoengineered through the integration of betaine, silver nanoparticles, and sodium chloride in a glycerol/water binary solvent. The transparent NSD‐Gel e‐skin exhibits outstanding tensile strength (7.33 MPa), puncture resistance, moisture retention, self‐regeneration, and antibacterial properties. Additionally, the NSD‐Gel e‐skin possesses enhanced cold/heat resistance and stimuli‐responsive characteristics that effectively sense environmental temperature and humidity changes, as well as physiological human body motion signals. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that the NSD‐Gel e‐skin confers desired biocompatibility and tissue protective properties even in extremely harsh environments (−196 °C to 100 °C). The NSD‐Gel e‐skin has great potential for applications in multidimensional wearable electronic devices, human‐machine interfaces, and artificial intelligence, generating a versatile platform for the development of high‐performance e‐skins with on‐demand properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal anode has received increasing attention. However, safety issues arising from lithium dendrite growth have limited the commercialization of lithium metal anodes. Herein, a porous carbon nanofiber framework decorated with nickel nanoparticles was designed as a 3D conductive host by simple electrospinning technique to solve the above problem. Uniformly dispersed nickel nanoparticles on N‐doped carbon fibers can expose more active sites to trap lithium ions. The design of the Ni/N co‐doping structure can effectively improve its lithiophilicity. In addition, the 3D porous conductive structure facilitates electron transport and can effectively decrease the local current density to suppress the formation and generation of lithium dendrites. The combined results of experiments and density functional theory calculations show that carbon nanofibers decorated with Ni nanoparticles have stronger adsorption ability for lithium, thus resulting in more uniform plating. This work provides inspiration for designing low‐cost and dendrite‐free structural lithium metal anode hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries is impeded by dendrite growth, especially at high areal capacities and high current densities. Here, this challenge is addressed by proposing zinc perfluoro(2‐ethoxyethane)sulfonic (Zn(PES)2) as a zinc battery electrolyte. This new amphipathic zinc salt, with a hydrophobic perfluorinated tail, can form an anode protecting layer, in situ, with a biomimetic lipid‐bilayer structure. The layer limits the anode contact with free H2O and offers fast Zn2+ transport pathways, thereby effectively suppressing dendrite growth while maintaining high rate capability. A stable, Zn2+‐conductive fluorinated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is also formed, further enhancing zinc reversibility. The electrolyte enables unprecedented cycling stability with dendrite‐free zinc plating/stripping over 1600 h at 1 mA cm−2 at 2 mAh cm−2, and over 380 h under an even harsher condition of 2.5 mA cm−2 and 5 mAh cm−2. Full cell tests with a high‐loading VS2 cathode demonstrate good capacity retention of 78% after 1000 cycles at 1.5 mA cm−2. The idea of in situ formation of a biomimetic lipid‐bilayer anode protecting layer and fluorinated SEI opens a new route for engineering the electrode–electrolyte interface toward next‐generation aqueous zinc batteries with long lifetime and high areal capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The blood‐brain barrier (BBB) plays a principal role in the healthy and diseased central nervous systems, and BBB disruption after ischaemic stroke is responsible for increased mortality. Smyd2, a member of the SMYD‐methyltransferase family, plays a vital role in disease by methylation of diverse substrates; however, little is known about its role in the pathophysiology of the brain in response to ischaemia‐reperfusion injury. Methods: Using oxygen glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R)‐induced primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and Smyd2 knockdown mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, we evaluated the role of Smyd2 in BBB disruption. We performed loss‐of‐function and gain‐of‐function studies to investigate the biological function of Smyd2 in ischaemic stroke. Results: We found that Smyd2 was a critical factor for regulating brain endothelial barrier integrity in ischaemia‐reperfusion injury. Smyd2 is upregulated in peri‐ischaemic brains, leading to BBB disruption via methylation‐mediated Sphk/S1PR. Knockdown of Smyd2 in mice reduces BBB permeability and improves functional recovery. Using OGD/R‐induced BMECs, we demonstrated that Sphk/S1PR methylation modification by Smyd2 affects ubiquitin‐dependent degradation and protein stability, which may disrupt endothelial integrity. Moreover, overexpression of Smyd2 can damage endothelial integrity through Sphk/S1PR signalling. Conclusions: Overall, these results reveal a novel role for Smyd2 in BBB disruption in ischaemic stroke, suggesting that Smyd2 may represent a new therapeutic target for ischaemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a promising solid electrolyte material for solid‐state lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, but low intrinsic ionic conductivity, poor mechanical properties, and failure to hinder the polysulfide shuttle effect limits its application. Herein, a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) is synthesized and applied as an organic framework to comprehensively enhance the performance of PEO by forming a composite electrolyte (PEO‐PIM). The unique structure of PIM‐1 not only enhances the mechanical strength and hardness over the PEO electrolyte by an order of magnitude, increasing stability toward the metallic lithium anode but also increases its ionic conductivity by lowering the degree of crystallinity. Furthermore, the PIM‐1 is shown to effectively trap lithium polysulfide species to mitigate against the detrimental polysulfide shuttle effect, as electrophilic 1,4‐dicyanooxanthrene functional groups possess higher binding energy to polysulfides. Benefiting from these properties, the use of PEO‐PIM composite electrolyte has achieved greatly improved rate performance, long‐cycling stability, and excellent safety features for solid‐state Li‐S batteries. This methodology offers a new direction for the optimization of solid polymer electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The methylation of lysine residues has been involved in the multiple biological and diseases processes. Recently, some particular non‐histone proteins have been elucidated to be methylated by SMYD2, a SET and MYND domain protein with lysine methyltransferase activity. Methods: SMYD2 was evaluated in synovial tissue and cells derived from rheumatoid arthritis patients. We confirmed TRAF2 could be methylated by SMYD2 using Mass spectrometry, pull‐down, immunoprecipitation, methyltransferase assay, ubiquitination assay, luciferase reporter assays, and western blot analyses. Using loss‐ and gain‐of function studies, we explored the biological functions of SMYD2 in vitro and in vivo. Using acute and chronic inflammation with different mice models to determine the impact of SMYD2. Results: Here, we first time confirmed that the cytoplasmic protein TRAF2 as the kernel node for NF‐κB signaling pathway could be methylated by SMYD2. SMYD2‐mediated TRAF2 methylation contributed to the durative sensitization of NF‐κB signaling transduction through restraining its own proteolysis and enhancing the activity. In addition, we found knocking down of SMYD2 has different degrees of mitigation in acute and chronic inflammation mice models. Furthermore, as the lysine‐specific demethylase, LSD1 could resist methylation on TRAF2 induced by SMYD2. Conclusions: Our data uncovered an unprecedented cytoplasmic protein network that employed methylation of TRAF2 for the maintenance of NF‐κB activation during inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between ecstasy use and suicidal behavior among adolescents in the United States was examined. Data from the adolescent subsample (ages 12-17, N = 19,301) of the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse were used in the analyses. Information on adolescent substance use, suicidal behaviors, and related sociodemographic, family, and individual factors was obtained in the survey. The rate of past year suicide attempt among adolescents with lifetime ecstasy use was almost double that of adolescents who had used other drugs only, and nine times that of adolescents with no history of illicit drug use. In multinomial logistic regression analyses controlling for related factors, the effect of ecstasy use remained significant. Adolescent ecstasy users may require enhanced suicide prevention and intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic role of CD20 expression and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after solid organ transplantation (SOT) in paediatric patients is poorly understood. We retrospectively examined the relationship of CD20 and EBV with the time interval from SOT to PTLD diagnosis, and PTLD-related event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in 45 consecutive PTLD patients (≤25 years) following SOT. These 45 paediatric SOT patients (28 heart, 11 liver, six kidney) were diagnosed with PTLD 45 months (mean; SD 43; range 4-153; median 24·5) after SOT, with PTLD diagnosis at 118 months (mean) (SD 77; range 14-287) of age. Of 40 evaluable tumours (11 monomorphic, 19 polymorphic, five early lesions, five rare subtypes), 32 (80%) had detectable EBV and 28 (70%) were classified as CD20. Patients whose PTLD expressed CD20 or EBV had shorter intervals between SOT and PTLD onset (28 vs. 64 or 77 months for CD20 and EBV respectively) ( P < 0·02), even after adjusting for age at SOT. Patients with CD20 tumours had higher 5-year PTLD-related EFS (83·7% vs. 28·6%, P < 0·001) and OS (95·8% vs. 56·3%, P = 0·01). EBV expression was unrelated to PTLD-related EFS or OS. CD20 expression is associated with timing of development of PTLD and predicts survival in PTLD diagnosed following paediatric SOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aqueous Al‐ion battery has achieved great progress in recent years. It now shows comparable performance to that of even non‐aqueous Al‐ion batteries. However, it also shows relatively low energy output and there is limited general understanding of the mechanism behind this restriction to its practical application. Thus, the development of a high‐performance cathode material is in great demand. Herein, a high‐capacity single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is developed as a cathode for the water‐in‐salt electrolyte‐based aqueous Al‐ion battery, which provides an ultra‐high specific capacity of 790 mAh g–1 (based on the mass of SWCNT) at a high current density of 5 A g–1 even after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the SWCNT/Al battery shows a complicated multi‐ion intercalation mechanism, where AlCl4–, Cl–, Al3+, and H+ can function at the same time, improving the battery output. Beyond recently revealed H+ and metal ion co‐intercalation, the Cl‐assisted intercalation of Al3+ ions mechanism is also studied by experimental characterization and modeling for the first time, which significantly boosts the Al3+ storage capacity. This multi‐ion intercalation mechanism combines the high‐voltage anion deintercalation and the high‐capacity cation intercalation, and thus, benefits the development and application of high‐energy Al‐ion batteries in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Jews have lower rates of alcohol-related problems than other Caucasians. The ADH2*2 allele of the alcohol dehydrogenase 2 ( ADH2) gene protects against alcoholism in Asians and is found in approximately 20% of Jews. We studied the relationship of ADH2*2 to DSM-IV dependence severity in a random community sample of Israeli Ashkenazis, recent Russian immigrants (also Ashkenazis), and Sephardics. Methods Subjects participated in a structured interview that included highly reliable questions on DSM-IV alcohol dependence symptoms. ADH2 genotype was determined for 68 subjects. Results Recent Russian immigrants had more past and lifetime DSM-IV dependence symptoms. Sephardics had a higher prevalence of ADH2*2 than Ashkenazis. Controlling for group and other potentially confounding factors, ADH2*2 was associated with a lower lifetime DSM-IV alcohol dependence severity, although this differed somewhat within groups. Conclusions ADH2*2 protects against dependence severity in Jewish samples. Future work in larger samples should address genetic and environmental factors that affect the relationship of ADH2*2 to alcohol consumption and dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prepare electrodes with high mass loading and areal capacities, the key issue is to achieve depolarization for both ion and electron transfer on the electrode material surface. In this work, through copolymerization of xanthan gum (XG) and amorphophallus konjac gum (KG) followed by an ice‐templating method, aligned electrodes with high areal mass loading of active materials are prepared. In addition to firmly holding active materials together, the prepared KG–XG copolymer also facilitates improved effective porosity as well as homogeneous dispersion of conductive agents (i.e., CNTs). Consequently, with minimum inactive components (i.e., binder and conductive agents), the proposed electrode structure delivers good cycling stability and rate capability under high areal loading (as high as 200 mg cm−2). The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the unique aligned structure where the robust conductive network provides an efficient electron and lithium‐ion pathway, and the homogenous porosity is beneficial for the electrolyte percolation, hence the reduced polarization during charge transfer. In addition, this electrode preparation method is found to be universal as it is suitable for various types of anode and cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous hybrid Na–Zn ion batteries (ASZIBs) are promising for large‐scale energy storage due to their low cost and potential for high output voltage. However, most ASZIBs show limited discharge voltage (<2.0 V) and capacity (<100 mAh g–1) due to inefficient usage of the dual ions. In this study, a novel large‐electrochemical‐window "water‐in‐gel" electrolyte based CuHCF‐CNT/Zn Na–Zn hybrid battery is proposed, which achieves a high extraction voltage of Na ion (2.1 V vs Zn/Zn2+), together with a large discharge specific capacity (260 mAh g–1) thanks to the Zn‐ion insertion, delivering a superior energy density of 440 Wh kg–1. The hybrid battery also shows a high capacity retention of 96.8% after 450 cycles. Moreover, an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 1250 mAh g–1 is achieved when further coupled with the Zn‐O2 reaction, delivering the promising application of ion intercalation and metal–air hybrid battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial cell senescence is one of the main risk factors contributing to vascular diseases. As increasing number of "epigenetic drugs" entering clinical trials, understanding the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in vascular aging has significant implications in finding targets to cure vascular diseases. However, the epigenetic regulation of endothelial senescence remains unclear. Based on the findings that increased protein level of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase Smyd3 and elevated H3K4me3 modification happened in angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced senescence in rat endothelial cells, we are curious about whether and how Smyd3 can regulate endothelial senescence. We found that an increase of Smyd3 alone promoted senescence‐associated phenotypes, while knockdown of Smyd3 blocked senescence in endothelial cells. Furthermore, Smyd3‐specific inhibitor reversed vascular senescence‐associated phenotypes at cellular level. Importantly, Ang II‐induced vascular senescence can be greatly alleviated in Smyd3 knockout (KO) mice and those treated with Smyd3 inhibitor. Mechanistically, Smyd3 directly bound to the promoter region of Cdkn1a (coding for p21), then caused its increased H3K4me3 level and elevated gene expression, and ultimately gave rise to senescence‐associated phenotypes. Intriguingly, Smyd3‐mediated p21 upregulated expression also exists in human tissues of vascular disease, indicating it is probably an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in regulating vascular senescence. Thus, Smyd3 can act as a novel factor regulating endothelial senescence through transcriptionally promoting p21 expression. Blocking the Smyd3‐p21 signaling axis may also have potential medical implications in treating diseases related to vascular aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypokalemia is a common feature in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS). Whether the occurrence of hypokalemia is associated with cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels is still unclear. Approximately 80% of cases of endogenous CS are due to Cushing's disease (CD). The purpose of this study was to determine the association of hypokalemia with cortisol and ACTH levels in patients with CD. The retrospective study included 195 patients with CD referred to our medical center from January 2011 to December 2017. The results show that 25.64% (50/195) of the patients had hypokalemia. The 24‐h urinary free cortisol (UFC) and plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in patients with hypokalemia than those with normokalemia (P < 0.05). Plasma ACTH levels were similar between the patients with hypokalemia and normokalemia (P > 0.05). Cortisol levels were negatively correlated with plasma potassium levels (08:00: r = −0.344 (P < 0.01), 00:00: r = −0.435 (P < 0.01); 24‐h UFC: r = −0.281 (P < 0.05)). There was no significant correlation between the plasma ACTH and potassium (08:00: r = −0.093 (P > 0.05), 00:00: r = −0.184 (P > 0.050)). Our current data suggest that cortisol level, instead of ACTH level, is correlated with plasma potassium level. A high cortisol level may be the principal cause of hypokalemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intracellular NOD‐like receptor nucleotide‐binding domain‐like receptors Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 (NLRP3) is a pivotal regulator of intestinal homeostasis through regulating a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The Jumonji domain‐containing 3 (Jmjd3) plays important role in inflammatory responses and thus has been proposed as a novel attractive epigenetic target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. We here investigated whether targeting Jmjd3 regulates NLRP3 inflammasome during experimental colitis. Jmjd3 specific inhibitor GSK J4 or knocking down Jmjd3 significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and nigericin‐stimulated bone marrow‐derived macrophages. Chromatin immunoprecipitation‐PCR analysis validated that GSK J4 rescued the decreased repressive H3K27me3 recruitment level on the promotors of nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) in LPS plus nigericin‐induced macrophages. Nrf2 knockdown abolished NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Notably, oral administration of GSK J4 attenuated the disease progression in dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colitis mouse model, including reduced disease activity index, improved body weight, rescued bowel shortening and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Overall, our study reveals that Jmjd3 is a potential epigenetic regulator for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), suggesting that Nrf2 is a potential target gene of Jmjd3 by mediating methylation status of trimethylated H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) in the promotor and is required for NLRP3 inflammasome activation, thereby providing the platform for potential future therapeutic interventions in IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Ni/NiF2‐AlF3 catalyst was prepared by impregnation and following vapor hydrofluorination, and it was used to dehydrofluorination of tetrafluoroethane to trifluoroethylene. BET, SEM, XRD, XPS, NH3‐TPD and Py‐IR techniques were employed to characterize the Ni/NiF2‐AlF3 catalysts. Based on the NH3‐TPD results, it was interestingly found that the strong acidic sites of Ni/NiF2‐AlF3 catalyst transformed into the mid‐strength acidic sites with the increase of Ni loading, attributing to the roles of Ni on the catalyst surface. Compared with the NiF2‐AlF3 catalyst, the added Ni particles can improve the catalyst activity and stability for dehydrofluorination of 1, 1, 1, 2‐tetrafluoroethane. The best performance was obtained at Al/Ni=2 over the Ni/NiF2‐AlF3 catalyst, with high trifluoroethylene selectivity(99%) and CF3CFH2 conversion of 21.3%, after the reaction for 20 h on‐time stream at 500 °C, which showed the better application possibility as a heterogeneous dehydrofluorination catalyst. It was suggested that catalytic performance was related with the mid‐strength Lewis acidity on the catalyst surface. And the Ni/NiF2‐AlF3 catalyst (Al/Ni=2) possessed the good catalytic stability due to the mild‐strength Lewis acid sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of unilateral retinoblastoma varies globally, suggesting possible environmental contributors to disease incidence. Maternal intake of naturally occurring folate from vegetables during pregnancy is associated inversely with the risk of retinoblastoma in offspring.Methods: The authors used a case-control study design to examine the association between retinoblastoma risk and maternal variations in the folate-metabolizing genes methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) (a cytosine-to-thymine substitution at nucleotide 677 [MTHFR677C→T]; reference single nucleotide polymorphism rs1801133) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) (a 19-base-pair deletion of intron 1a [DHFR19bpdel]; rs70991108). In central Mexico, 103 mothers of children with newly diagnosed unilateral retinoblastoma were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved study along with a control group of 97 mothers who had healthy children. Mothers were interviewed regarding perinatal characteristics, including use of prenatal vitamin supplements, and gave peripheral blood samples, which were used for polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping of rs1801133 and rs70991108.Results: The risk of having a child with unilateral retinoblastoma was associated with maternal homozygosity for DHFR19bpdel (odds ratio, 3.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-7.55; P = .0002), even after controlling for the child's DHFR19bpdel genotype (odds ratio, 2.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-5.99; P = .0073). In a subgroup of 167 mothers with data on prenatal intake of supplements containing folic acid (a synthetic form of folate), DHFR19bpdel-associated risk was elevated significantly only among those who reported taking folic acid supplements. Maternal MTHFR genotype was unrelated to the risk of having a child with retinoblastoma.Conclusions: Maternal homozygosity for a polymorphism in the DHFR gene necessary for converting synthetic folic acid into biologic folate was associated with an increased risk for retinoblastoma. Prenatal ingestion of synthetic folic acid supplements may be associated with increased risk for early childhood carcinogenesis in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The incidence of unilateral retinoblastoma varies globally, suggesting possible environmental contributors to disease incidence. Maternal intake of naturally occurring folate from vegetables during pregnancy is associated inversely with the risk of retinoblastoma in offspring. METHODS: The authors used a case-control study design to examine the association between retinoblastoma risk and maternal variations in the folate-metabolizing genes methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) (a cytosine-to-thymine substitution at nucleotide 677 [ MTHFR677C→T]; reference single nucleotide polymorphism rs1801133) and dihydrofolate reductase ( DHFR) (a 19-base-pair deletion of intron 1a [ DHFR19bpdel]; rs70991108). In central Mexico, 103 mothers of children with newly diagnosed unilateral retinoblastoma were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved study along with a control group of 97 mothers who had healthy children. Mothers were interviewed regarding perinatal characteristics, including use of prenatal vitamin supplements, and gave peripheral blood samples, which were used for polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping of rs1801133 and rs70991108. RESULTS: The risk of having a child with unilateral retinoblastoma was associated with maternal homozygosity for DHFR19bpdel (odds ratio, 3.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-7.55; P = .0002), even after controlling for the child's DHFR19bpdel genotype (odds ratio, 2.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-5.99; P = .0073). In a subgroup of 167 mothers with data on prenatal intake of supplements containing folic acid (a synthetic form of folate), DHFR19bpdel-associated risk was elevated significantly only among those who reported taking folic acid supplements. Maternal MTHFR genotype was unrelated to the risk of having a child with retinoblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal homozygosity for a polymorphism in the DHFR gene necessary for converting synthetic folic acid into biologic folate was associated with an increased risk for retinoblastoma. Prenatal ingestion of synthetic folic acid supplements may be associated with increased risk for early childhood carcinogenesis in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild action tremor occurs in most normal people. Yet this tremor mainly has been studied within the context of advanced age rather than among the vast bulk of adults who are not elderly. Whether this tremor worsens during young and middle age is unknown. Using cross-sectional data from a large population-based study of young and midlife normal adults (age range, 18-60 years), we assessed whether increasing age is associated with more severe action tremor. Two thousand five hundred and twenty-four adults in Araihazar, Bangladesh, drew an Archimedes spiral with each hand. Tremor in spirals was rated (0-3) by a blinded neurologist, and a spiral score (range, 0-6) was assigned. Spiral score was correlated with age ( r = 0.06, P = .004). With each advancing decade, the spiral score increased ( P = .002) so that the spiral score in participants in the highest age group (age 60) was approximately twice that of participants in the youngest age group (age 18-19); P = .003. In the regression model that adjusted for potential confounders (sex, cigarettes, medications, asthma inhalers, and tea and betel nut use), spiral score was associated with age ( P = .0045). In this cross-sectional, population-based study of more than 2500 young and midlife normal adults, there was a clear association between age and tremor severity. Although the magnitude of the correlation coefficient was modest, tremor severity was higher with each passing decade. These data suggest that age-dependent increase in tremor amplitude is not restricted to older people but occurs in all adult age groups. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare state and trait anxiety in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and matched control subjects, and to assess the impact of these variables in predicting conversion to Alzheimer's disease. Methods One hundred and forty-eight patients with MCI, broadly defined, were assessed and followed systematically. Baseline predictors for follow-up conversion to AD (entire sample: 39/148 converted to Alzheimer's disease (AD)) included the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results At baseline evaluation, MCI patients had higher levels of state and trait anxiety than controls, with no differences between future AD converters (n = 39) and non-converters. In age-stratified Cox proportional hazards model analyses, STAI State was not a significant predictor of conversion to AD (STAI State ≤30 vs. > 30 risk ratio, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.75, 3.77; p = 0.21), but higher Trait scores indicated a lower risk of conversion when STAI State, education, the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination and HAM-D (depression score) were also included in the model (STAI Trait ≤30 vs. > 30 risk ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.82; p = 0.015). Conclusions In contrast to two other recent studies that showed anxiety predicted cognitive decline or conversion to AD, in this clinic-based sample, state anxiety was not a significant predictor. However, higher Trait anxiety predicted a lower risk of future conversion to AD. Further research with systematic long-term follow-up in larger samples is needed to clarify the role of state and trait anxiety in predicting MCI conversion to AD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The biochemical effects of 2-(ethoxymethylthio)-9-phenyl-cyclohepta[d]pyrimidone (EPCP), a novel non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, have been investigated. Treatment with EPCP (EC50 of 0.88nM in CEM x174 cells) significantly inhibited the activity of SIV reverse transcriptase and elevated the percentage of viable cells in an SIV-infected sample in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of cells accumulated in G1 phase increased significantly from 34.5 to 62.4%, with a concomitant reduction in S-phase from 50.7% in the control to 22.6% in the infected group. This cell cycle profile was restored by treatment with EPCP. SIV upregulated the levels of the caspase-3, p53 and bax proteins, and downregulated the level of bcl-2 in infected cells. The apoptotic effect of SIV was also blocked by treatment with EPCP. The pharmacological effects of EPCP paralleled those of AZT, suggesting the possibility that EPCP might be a novel antiviral agent for SIV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aqueous Al‐Ion Batteries In article number 2101514, Xinhua Liu, Dennis Y. C. Leung, and co‐workers propose a high‐performance aqueous Al‐ion battery with a SWCNT cathode and an aluminum foil anode. A water‐in‐salt electrolyte is used to provide multiple electrochemical species so that AlCl4− ions can be extracted and Al3+ ions can be inserted from/into the SWCNT cathode during discharging, providing a high‐energy‐density output. This low‐cost battery technology is expected to be utilized for large‐scale renewable energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-Energy SWCNT Cathode for Aqueous Al-Ion Battery Boosted by Multi-Ion Intercalation Chemistry (Adv. Aqueous Al-ion batteries, Cl-assisted intercalation, high-capacity cathodes, multi-ion chemistry, SWCNT cathodes Keywords: aqueous Al-ion batteries; Cl-assisted intercalation; high-capacity cathodes; multi-ion chemistry; SWCNT cathodes EN aqueous Al-ion batteries Cl-assisted intercalation high-capacity cathodes multi-ion chemistry SWCNT cathodes 1 1 1 10/25/21 20211021 NES 211021 B Aqueous Al-Ion Batteries b In article number 2101514, Xinhua Liu, Dennis Y. C. Leung, and co-workers propose a high-performance aqueous Al-ion battery with a SWCNT cathode and an aluminum foil anode. [Extracted from the article]

This study examined the associations between physical and psychological proximity to terrorist attacks and post-traumatic symptoms (PTS), depressive symptoms, and alcohol use among Israeli youth. Self-administered questionnaires were completed under anonymous conditions by 1,150 high and junior high school students (51.3% boys and 48.7% girls) in a town in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Standardized, validated scales were used to measure psychological symptoms and alcohol use. High levels of exposure to terrorism were reported. Physical and psychological proximity to terrorist attacks were associated with more PTS symptoms and alcohol consumption. Physical proximity was also associated with symptoms of depression. The implications of terror-associated early drinking for later alcohol problems should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The roles of methionine enkephalin, as an immunomodulator, on immunodeficiency virus-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes during prolonged infection are still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of methionine enkephalin on the viability, the profile of cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the expression of apoptosis-related genes in CEM×174 cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus for 72h. Our data demonstrated that methionine enkephalin maintains the viability of cells during the period of prolonged infection. Following co-incubation with the virus, CEM×174 cells were arrested at S phase, with increased mortality as a result of apoptosis. Methionine enkephalin could abolish virus-induced over-expression of caspase-3. Taken together all findings, we conclude that methionine enkephalin may maintain the viability of SIV-infected cells via suppressing the expression of caspase-3, which may have clinical implications in opioid peptide therapy for AIDS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using data from a community sample of youth ( N = 1,458; ages 9-17), this study assessed the association between adolescent substance use/abuse and suicidal behaviors. Suicide attempts were strongly associated with alcohol abuse and dependence, followed by frequent cigarette smoking. The associations remained significant even after controlling for depression. The associations between substance use/abuse and suicidal ideation were no longer significant after controlling for depression. These findings highlight the important role that substance use plays in adolescent suicidal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]