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Highlights MVOH/rGO cathode with dual defect of Mg2+ pre-intercalation defect (P-Mgd) and surface oxygen defect (Od) is prepared. The dual defect of Od and P-Mgd in MVOH/rGO lamellar structure effectively enhances Mg2+ migration kinetics, structural stability, and electronic conductivity. The Mg foil//MVOH/rGO full cell achieves an ultralong lifespan of 850 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 and powers an orange light-emitting diode.

Abstract Mg‐ion batteries (MIBs) are promising next‐generation secondary batteries, but suffer from sluggish Mg2+ migration kinetics and structural collapse of the cathode materials. Here, an H2O‐Mg2+ waltz‐like shuttle mechanism in the lamellar cathode, which is realized by the coordination, adaptive rotation and flipping, and co‐migration of lattice H2O molecules with inserted Mg2+, leading to the fast Mg2+ migration kinetics, is reported; after Mg2+ extraction, the lattice H2O molecules rearrange to stabilize the lamellar structure, eliminating structural collapse of the cathode. Consequently, the demo cathode of Mg0.75V10O24·nH2O (MVOH) exhibits a high capacity of 350 mAh g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1 and maintains a capacity of 70 mAh g−1 at 4 A g−1. The full aqueous MIB based on MVOH delivers an ultralong lifespan of 5000 cycles The reported waltz‐like shuttle mechanism of lattice H2O provides a novel strategy to develop high‐performance cathodes for MIBs as well as other multivalent‐ion batteries.

Abstract Structural search and feature extraction are a central subject in modern materials design, the efficiency of which is currently limited, but can be potentially boosted by machine learning (ML). Here, we develop an ML-based prediction-analysis framework, which includes a symmetry-based combinatorial crystal optimization program (SCCOP) and a feature additive attribution model, to significantly reduce computational costs and to extract property-related structural features. Our method is highly accurate and predictive, and extracts structural features from desired structures to guide materials design. We first test SCCOP on 35 typical compounds to demonstrate its generality. As a case study, we apply our approach to a two-dimensional B-C-N system, which identifies 28 previously undiscovered stable structures out of 82 compositions; our analysis further establishes the structural features that contribute most to energy and bandgap. Compared to conventional approaches, SCCOP is about 10 times faster while maintaining a comparable accuracy. Our framework is generally applicable to all types of systems for precise and efficient structural search, providing insights into the relationship between ML-extracted structural features and physical properties.

Abstract The electronic structure of halide perovskites is central to their carrier dynamics, enabling the excellent optoelectronic performance. However, the experimentally resolved transient absorption spectra exhibit large discrepancies from the commonly computed electronic structure by density functional theory. Using pseudocubic CsPbI3 as a prototype example, here, it is unveiled with both ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and transmission electron microscopy that there exists pronounced dynamical lattice distortion in the form of disordered instantaneous octahedral tilting. Rigorous first‐principles calculations reveal that the lattice distortion substantially alters the electronic band structure through renormalizing the band dispersions and the interband transition energies. Most notably, the electron and hole effective masses increase by 65% and 88%, respectively; the transition energy between the two highest valence bands decreases by about one half, agreeing remarkably well with supercontinuum transient‐absorption measurements. This study further demonstrates how the resulting electronic structure modulates various aspects of the carrier dynamics such as carrier transport, hot‐carrier relaxation, Auger recombination, and carrier multiplication in halide perovskites. The insights provide a pathway to engineer carrier transport and relaxation via lattice distortion, enabling the promise to achieve ultrahigh‐efficiency photovoltaic devices.

Knots in wood have a substantial impact on both the physical and mechanical properties of derived products. It is necessary to study their effect on the mechanical properties of wood and understand the mechanisms behind the effect. The modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) of specimens without knots and with knots are measured using the three-point bending test. The size and position of knots are recorded. The specimens with knots are analyzed according to failure not at knots and failure at knots. For specimens with failure at knots, they are further divided into two sub-groups, i.e., failure around knots (FK-A) or failure in knots (FK-I).

Highlights • Quercetin (QCN) promotes motoneuron survival and accelerates axonal regeneration after brachial plexus root avulsion/re-implantation in rats. • QCN improves motor function recovery of the forelimb. • QCN exhibits neuroprotective effects via inhibiting neuroinflammation and upregulating the neurotrophins. • QCN alleviates the avulsion-induced oxidative damage in rats. • QCN inhibits the avulsion-induced neuronal apoptosis in rats. • QCN modulates Nrf2/HO-1 and neurotrophin/Akt/MAPK signaling pathways.

Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects has been a long cherished goal for heterogeneous catalysis due to their tangled relationship. Here the authors propose a novel orthogonal decomposition method to decouple the electronic and geometric effect for supported metal catalysts.

Nanoparticle technologies offer a non-invasive means to deliver basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the inability of bFGF to accumulate at the injury site and inefficient penetration across the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) remain challenges. The present study describes a dual-targeting liposome (bFGF@Lip-Cp&Rp) with injury lesion targeting and BSCB-penetrating capability to deliver bFGF for SCI treatment. The CAQK peptide (Cp) with injury lesion targeting ability and R2KC peptide (Rp) with BSCB-penetrating capability were grafted onto the liposomes for a flexible and non-invasive drug delivery systems preparation. Results exhibit that the dual-targeted liposomes could significantly cross the BSCB and accumulate at the injury site. During the early stage of SCI, bFGF@Lip-Cp&Rp promotes repair of BSCB and facilitates M2-polarization of macrophages. Regular delivery of bFGF@Lip-Cp&Rp increase HUVECs tube formation and angiogenesis, ameliorate the microenvironment of lesion site, suppress the neuronal apoptosis and axonal atrophy in SCI rats. Importantly, continuous treatment of bFGF@Lip-Cp&Rp supports the restoration of limb motor function in SCI rats. In summary, this research implies that the injury site-targeting and BSCB-penetrating liposomes could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of SCI.

BackgroundLong-term alcohol exposure is associated with oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and neuroinflammation, which may impair cognitive function. Probiotics supplements can significantly improve cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum ST-III culture supernatant (LP-cs) on alcohol-induced cognitive dysfunction remains unclear.MethodsA mouse model of cognitive dysfunction was established by intraperitoneal injection of alcohol (2 g/kg body weight) for 28 days. Mice were pre-treated with LP-cs, and cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze test. Hippocampal tissues were collected for biochemical and molecular analysis.ResultsLP-cs significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced decline in learning and memory function and hippocampal morphology changes, neuronal apoptosis, and synaptic dysfunction. A mechanistic study showed that alcohol activated protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) signaling and suppressed brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels via ER stress in the hippocampus, which LP-cs reversed. Alcohol activated oxidative stress and inflammation responses in the hippocampus, which LP-cs reversed.ConclusionLP-cs significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced cognitive dysfunction and cellular stress. LP-cs might serve as an effective treatment for alcohol-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Pinelliae rhizoma (PR), one kind of commonly-used Chinese herbs, is generally prescribed to treat various respiratory diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI). However, the accurate bioactive ingredients of PR and the underlying pharmacological mechanism have both not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the bioactive ingredients that could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and explore the possible mechanism involved. Our results confirmed that LPS infection indeed caused acute inflammatory damage in mice lung, accompanying with the enhancement of IL-1β contents and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in lung tissue and macrophagocyte, all of which were remarkably ameliorated by PR treatment. Next, mechanistically, LPS was found to trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and downstream cellular calcium ions (Ca2+) release via activating Bip/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway. Like PR, 4-PBA (a specific inhibitor of ER stress) not only obviously reversed Bip/ATF4/CHOP-mediated ER stress, but also significantly attenuated LPS-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, the bioactive ingredients of PR, which generated the anti-inflammatory effects, were screened by metabolomics and network pharmacology. In vitro experiments showed that chrysin, dihydrocapsaicin, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) notably suppressed LPS-induced ER stress and following NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In conclusion, our findings suggested that PR alleviated LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting ER stress-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which is mainly relevant with these three bioactive ingredients. This study provided a theoretical basis for the clinical application of PR to treat ALI, and these bioactive ingredients of PR would be promising therapeutic drugs for the treatment of ALI.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

The WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) proteins are widely distributed in plants and play important regulatory roles in growth and development processes such as embryonic development and organ development. Here, series of bioinformatics methods were utilized to unravel the structural basis and genetic hierarchy of WOX genes, followed by regulation of the WOX genes in four Euphorbiaceae species. A genome-wide survey identified 59 WOX genes in Hevea brasiliensis (H. brasiliensis: 20 genes), Jatropha curcas (J. curcas: 10 genes), Manihot esculenta (M. esculenta: 18 genes), and Ricinus communis (R. communis: 11 genes). The phylogenetic analysis revealed that these WOX members could be clustered into three close proximal clades, such as namely ancient, intermediate and modern/WUS clades. In addition, gene structures and conserved motif analyses further validated that the WOX genes were conserved within each phylogenetic clade. These results suggested the relationships among WOX members in the four Euphorbiaceae species. We found that WOX genes in H. brasiliensis and M. esculenta exhibit close genetic relationship with J. curcas and R. communis. Additionally, the presence of various cis-acting regulatory elements in the promoter of J. curcas WOX genes (JcWOXs) reflected distinct functions. These speculations were further validated with the differential expression profiles of various JcWOXs in seeds, reflecting the importance of two JcWOX genes (JcWOX6 and JcWOX13) during plant growth and development. Our quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that the JcWOX11 gene plays an indispensable role in regulating plant callus. Taken together, the present study reports the comprehensive characteristics and relationships of WOX genes in four Euphorbiaceae species, providing new insights into their characterization.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly aggressive, deadly, and is rarely diagnosed early. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are a multifunctional class of immunosuppressive T cells that help maintain immunologic homeostasis and participate in autoimmune diseases, transplants, and tumors. This cell type mediates immune homeostasis, tolerance, and surveillance and is associated with poor outcomes in PDAC. Tregs remodel the tumor immune microenvironment, mediate tumor immune escape, and promote tumor invasion and metastasis. A promising area of research involves regulating Tregs to reduce their infiltration into tumor tissues. However, the complexity of the immune microenvironment has limited the efficacy of immunotherapy in PDAC. Treg modulation combined with other treatments is emerging. This review summarizes the mechanisms of Tregs activity in tumor immune microenvironments in PDAC and the latest developments in immunotherapy and clinical trials.

BackgroundPTEN-Long is a translational variant of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). This tumor suppressor is frequently lost or mutated and even it has been shown as the determinant in several human tumors. Therefore, we will determine the significant roles of PTEN-Long in the development of liver cancer.MethodsIn the present study, we characterized the antitumor effects of PTEN-Long and PTEN in proliferation, migration of HepG2 cells, apoptosis and autophagy in liver cancer cells. To extends, we have also measured the effects of purified PTEN and PTEN-Long in the above index of HepG2 cells.ResultsPTEN and PTEN-Long were ectopic-expressed in HepG2 cells, and their phenotypic effects were recorded. As expected, there was less expression of PTEN-Long and PTEN in liver cancer samples than in paired normal tissues. Ectopic expression of PTEN-Long or PTEN significantly decreased the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells and increased apoptosis. PTEN ectopic-expression increased the number of GFP-/RFP+-LC3 puncta and levels of beclin-1 and LC3BII/LC3BI, suggesting autophagy induction. Purified PTEN-Long freely entered cells, decreased proliferation, and increased autophagy and apoptosis, while purified PTEN did not.ConclusionsOur results identify an antitumor function of purified PTEN-Long and suggest its potential utility for liver cancer treatment.

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) is one of the most important tree species for afforestation in China. First-, second-, and third-generation seed orchards of Chinese fir have been established successively, and rich germplasms have been accumulated in the process of genetic improvement. It is necessary to build a core collection of germplasms from Chinese fir seed orchards. In this work, we constructed core collections representing the genetic diversity of Chinese fir seed orchard resources based on SSR data. A total of 607 seed orchard materials from three generations were used to determine the best sampling method and intensity by comparing and analyzing nine methods for constructing core collections. Core Hunter’s multi-strategy optimizes allele coverage and the distance criterion under a 30% sampling intensity (weight: A–NE, 0.7; CV, 0.3 and E–NE, 0.5; CV, 0.5), which is superior to other strategies and was selected as the best method. The two core collections (A–NE&CV73, E–NE&CV55) constructed contained all the alleles of the whole collection and effectively limited the homology in the core collections; each core collection contained 182 accessions. Our findings could contribute greatly towards improving the management of genetic resources in Chinese fir seed orchards and provide elite materials for future studies.

Objective: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder, which may relate to increased impulsivity. A more detailed understanding of the potential moderating factor on association between AUD and impulsivity is likely to have far-reaching effects. This study aims to examine whether the interaction between a genetic variant ZNF804A rs1344706 and alcohol use is related to impulsivity in Chinese Han adult males diagnosed with AUD.Methods: A total of 455 Chinese Han adult males diagnosed with AUD were included in this study. Impulsivity was assessed using Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Alcohol dependence was measured by Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of participants and genotyped.Results: Hierarchical multiple regression yielded a significant interaction between ZNF804A rs1344706 and alcohol use (β = 0.20, p = 0.0237). Then, A region of significance (RoS) test was performed to interpret the interaction effect. Re-parameterized regression models revealed that the interaction between ZNF804A rs1344706 and alcohol problem severity fit to the weak diathesis-stress model (R2 = 0.15, p < 0.0010), indicating that the T allele carriers are more susceptible to alcohol problem severity, jointly contributing to impulsivity.Conclusions: This study, which analyzed a specific gene-environment interaction, demonstrated that carriers of the T allele of ZNF804A rs1344706 may be more susceptible to alcohol problem severity, correlated with higher levels of impulsivity during withdrawal.

PurposeTo compare conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating malignant and benign lung lesions.MethodFifty-five consecutive patients with lung lesions underwent multiple b-value DWI. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), IVIM and DKI parameters were calculated using postprocessing software and compared between the malignant and benign groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for all parameters.ResultsADC and D were lower in malignant lesions than in benign lesions, while Kapp was higher (P < 0.05). The differences in D*, f, and Dapp between the two groups were not significant (P > 0.05). The areas under the curves (AUCs) of ADC, D, and Kapp were 0.816, 0.864, and 0.822. The combination of all the significant parameters yielded an AUC of 0.880. There were no significant differences in diagnostic efficacy among ADC, D, Kapp and the predictor factor (PRE).ConclusionsIn this study, traditional DWI (ADC), IVIM (D), and DKI (Kapp) all had good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant lung lesions from benign lesions, but the combination of ADC, D, and Kapp value had better diagnostic efficacy than these parameters alone.

Target seedling cultivation pursues high quality and nutrient utilization instead of increasing growth and size. Exposure to light-emitting diode (LED) spectra is a well-known approach that can accelerate growing speed in tree seedlings, but it is still unknown whether seedling quality and nutrient utilization would be further improved with exogeneous polymer additives. Luohan pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus) seedlings were exposed to red (red-green-blue lights, 71.7%-13.7%-14.6%), green (26.2%-56.4%-17.4%), and blue (17.8%-33.7%-48.5%) LED-light spectra with half receiving leaf spray by chitosan oligosaccharides (Cos) at a rate of 2 ppm (w/w) and the other half receiving only water. The red-light spectrum promoted height, biomass, nutrient utilization, and quality assessment (DQI) in water-sprayed seedlings. The Cos spray enhanced fine-root growth, protein, and chlorophyll-b contents with elevated nutrient utilization and quality in seedlings in the green-light spectrum. DQI was found to have a positive relationship with phosphorus utilization. In conclusion, although the red-light LED spectrum can promote seedling growth, green light combined with Cos spray is recommended with the aim of maintaining seedling quality and increasing P utilization in Luohan pine seedlings.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of the Zhuang medicine Yingbupu decoction on stage I and II acute kidney injury through sequential test. Methods: The open one-way qualitative response sequential design of experiments was adopted, and the patients with AKI in phase I and II who met the inclusion criteria were divided into the treatment group and the control group according to the order of hospitalization by random number table. On the basis of basic treatment, the treatment group was treated with Zhuang medicine Yingbupu decoction, and the control group was treated with Jinshuibao tablet. The clinical efficacy, TCM syndrome score, 24 h urine volume, serum creatinine (Scr), microalbumin in urine (mAlb), neutrophil Gelatinase related lipid delivery albumin (NGAL) of the two groups were compared, and the adverse reactions and complications of the two groups were observed. Results: After 14 d of treatment, when the treatment group reached the 10th case, the experimental line contacted the upper bound U-line and reached the experimental standard to terminate the experiment. The effective hypothesis was accepted, and it was believed that the Zhuang medicine Yingbupu decoction had a therapeutic effect on stage I and II AKI. The conclusion was drawn that the treatment group received the Zhuang medicine Yingbupu. The clinical effective rate and improvement days were similar between the two groups, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). However, the integral value of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), After treatment, the Scr, mAlb, and NGAL levels of patients in both groups were lower than before treatment(P<0.05). After treatment, the Scr, mAlb, and NGAL values in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05). After treatment, the 24-hour urine volume in both groups was higher than that before treatment, and the values in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). During the treatment period, there were no significant adverse reactions or complications in either group. Conclusion: The Zhuang medicine Yingbupu decoction is effective in treating stage I and II AKI, and the Zhuang medicine Yingbupu can significantly improve the symptoms and quality of life of patients with stage I and II AKI. Its improvement of renal function is better than that of Jinshuibao tablets, and its safety is good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prototypical photocatalyst, TiO2 has been extensively studied. An interesting yet puzzling experimental fact was that P25—a mixture of anatase and rutile TiO2— outperforms the individual phases; the origin of this mysterious fact, however, remains elusive. Employing rigorous first-principles calculations, here we uncover a metastable intermediate structure (MIS), which is formed due to confinement at the anatase/rutile interface. The MIS has a high conduction-band minimum level and thus substantially enhances the overpotential of the hydrogen evolution reaction. Also, the corresponding band alignment at the interface leads to efficient separation of electrons and holes. The interfacial confinement additionally creates a wide distribution of the band gap in the vicinity of the interface, which in turn improves optical absorption. These factors all contribute to the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in P25. Our insights provide a rationale to the puzzling superior photocatalytic performance of P25 and enable a strategy to achieve highly efficient photocatalysis via interface engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]