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Surface coating approaches for silicon (Si) have demonstrated potential for use as anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to address the large volume change and low conductivity of Si. However, the practical application of these approaches remains a challenge because they do not effectively accommodate the pulverization of Si during cycling or require complex processes. Herein, Si-embedded titanium oxynitride (Si-TiON) was proposed and successfully fabricated using a spray-drying process. TiON can be uniformly coated on the Si surface via self-assembly, which can enhance the Si utilization and electrode stability. This is because TiON exhibits high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity, allowing it to act as a rigid and electrically conductive matrix. As a result, the Si-TiON electrodes delivered an initial reversible capacity of 1663 mA h g−1 with remarkably enhanced capacity retention and rate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective surface coatings on Si anodes are promising for improving the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, most coating materials have severe issues, including low initial coulombic efficiency, structural fracture, morphology control, and complicated synthetic processing. In this study, a multifunctional TiO2‐x/TiO1‐yNy (TTN) formed via a facile and scalable synthetic process is applied as a coating material for Si anodes. A thin layer of amorphous TiO2 is uniformly coated onto Si nanoparticles by a simple sol–gel method and then converted into a two phase TiO2‐x/TiO1‐yNy via nitridation. The lithiated TiO2‐x provides high ionic and electrical conductivity, while TiO1‐yNy can improve mechanical strength that alleviates volume change of Si to address capacity fading issue. Owing to these synergetic advantages, TiO2‐x/TiO1‐yNy‐coated Si (Si@TTN) exhibits excellent electrochemical properties, including a high charge capacity of 1650 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1 and 84% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 A g–1. Moreover, a significantly enhanced rate performance can be achieved at a high current density. This investigation presents a facile and effective coating material to use as the high‐capacity silicon anode in the emerging Si anode technology in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is caused by loss of expression of paternally expressed genes in the human 15q11.2-q13 imprinting domain. A set of imprinted genes that are active on the paternal but silenced on the maternal chromosome are intricately regulated by a bipartite imprinting center (PWS-IC) located in the PWS imprinting domain. In past work, we discovered that euchromatic histone lysine N-methyltransferase-2 (EHMT2/G9a) inhibitors were capable of un-silencing PWS-associated genes by restoring their expression from the maternal chromosome. Here, in mice lacking the Ehmt2 gene, we document un-silencing of the imprinted Snrpn/Snhg14 gene on the maternal chromosome in the late embryonic and postnatal brain. Using PWS and Angelman syndrome patient derived cells with either paternal or maternal deletion of 15q11-q13, we have found that chromatin of maternal PWS-IC is closed and has compact 3D folding confirmation. We further show that a new and distinct noncoding RNA preferentially transcribed from upstream of the PWS-IC interacts with EHMT2 and forms a heterochromatin complex to silence gene expression of SNRPN in CIS on maternal chromosome. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that allele-specific recruitment of EHMT2 is required to maintain the maternal imprints. Our findings provide novel mechanistic insights and support a new model for imprinting maintenance of the PWS imprinted domain., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests Y-H.J. is a co-founder of, have an equity interest in, a scientific advisor to, and have an unpaid seat on the board of directors to Couragene, Inc., a biotechnology company that has licensed his intellectual property. However, Couragene did not have any direct role in this paper. J.J., Y.X., Y-H.J., and S.E.W. are described in a patent application for MS1262 as inventors, titled “G9A/GLP INHIBITORS AND METHODS OF USE” was filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office as application 63/515,010 (the “Application”). S.W. is an inventor on patent applications related to the chromatin tracing technology applied for by Harvard University and Yale University.

Oleanolic acid (OA) has neurotrophic effects on neurons, although its use as a neurological drug requires further research. In the present study, we investigated the effects of OA and OA derivatives on the neuronal differentiation of rat hippocampal neural progenitor cells. In addition, we investigated whether the class II histone deacetylase (HDAC) 5 mediates the gene expression induced by OA. We found that OA and OA derivatives induced the formation of neurite spines and the expression of synapse-related molecules. OA and OA derivatives stimulated HDAC5 phosphorylation, and concurrently the nuclear export of HDCA5 and the expression of HDAC5 target genes, indicating that OA and OA derivatives induce neural differentiation and synapse formation via a pathway that involves HDAC5 phosphorylation.