Materials with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity have immense potential applications in molecular switches, optical sensors, information storage, asymmetric photosynthesis, 3D optical ...displays, biological probe, and spintronic devices. However, the achiral architectures of most of the luminophores severely limit their practical needs. Within this context, molecular ferroelectrics with striking chemical variability and structure–property flexibility bring light to the assembly of CPL-active ferroelectric materials. Herein, we report organic–inorganic perovskite enantiomorphic ferroelectrics, (R)- and (S)-3-(fluoropyrrolidinium)MnBr3, undergoing a 222F2-type ferroelectric phase transition at 273 K. Their mirror relationships are verified by both single-crystal X-ray diffraction and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). Furthermore, the corresponding Cotton effect for two chiral crystals was captured by mirror CPL activity. This may be assigned to the inducing interaction between the achiral luminescent perovskite framework and chiral organic components. As far as we know, this is the first molecular ferroelectric with CPL activity. Accordingly, this will inspire intriguing research in molecular ferroelectrics with CPL activity and holds great potential for the development of new optoelectronic devices.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Piezoelectric sensors that can work under various conditions with superior performance are highly desirable with the arrival of the Internet of Things. For practical applications, a large ...piezoelectric voltage coefficient g and a high Curie temperature T c are critical to the performance of piezoelectric sensors. Here, we report a two-dimensional perovskite ferroelectric (4-aminotetrahydropyran)2PbBr4 (ATHP)2PbBr4 with a saturated polarization of 5.6 μC cm–2, high T c of 503 K above that of BaTiO3 (BTO, 393 K), and extremely large g 33 of 660.3 × 10–3 V m N–1 much beyond that of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) ceramics (20 to 40 × 10–3 V m N–1), more than 2 times higher than that of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF, about 286.7 × 10–3 V m N–1). Combined with the advantages of molecular ferroelectrics, such as light weight, easy and environmentally friendly processing, and mechanical flexibility, (ATHP)2PbBr4 would be a competitive candidate for next-generation smart piezoelectric sensors in flexible devices, soft robotics, and biomedical devices.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Anaplasma capra is an emerging tickborne human pathogen initially recognized in China in 2015; it has been reported in ticks and in a wide range of domestic and wild animals worldwide. We describe ...whole-genome sequences of 2 A. capra strains from metagenomic sequencing of purified erythrocytes from infected goats in China. The genome of A. capra was the smallest among members of the genus Anaplasma. The genomes of the 2 A. capra strains contained comparable G+C content and numbers of pseudogenes with intraerythrocytic Anaplasma species. The 2 A. capra strains had 54 unique genes. The prevalence of A. capra was high among goats in the 2 endemic areas. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the A. capra strains detected in this study were basically classified into 2 subclusters with those previously detected in Asia. Our findings clarify details of the genomic characteristics of A. capra and shed light on its genetic diversity.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Here we proposed a novel approach to greatly enhance the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries by designing a composite electrode material composed of a core-shell structure of S@Pt composite ...(sulfur content, 85%) grown on the S surface. The platinum (Pt) nanosheets provide physical barrier and strong chemical binding to anchor LiPSs and improve the electronic conductivity of S. Significantly, by introducing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as the interlayer, we achieved outstanding Li–S battery with a high initial discharge capacity of 1040 mAh g−1 at 1.0C and a reversible capacity of 742 mAh g−1 after 350 cycles, demonstrating its excellent long-term cycling stability with a low capacity decay rate of 0.08% per cycle. According to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we proposed that the superior performance is attributed to the cooperative effects of the strong interfacial interaction between Pt (111) surface and the S8 molecule, and very low reaction energy of decomposition, −6.4 eV.
In the work, we proposed a promising S@Pt composites with a core-shell structure (sulfur content: 85 wt%) by a one-spot wet chemical method and the in-situ deposition of platinum (Pt) layer on the spherical S particles has strong chemical interaction between the Pt (111) surface and polysulfide species. For the S@Pt&CNFs layer electrodes, the Li–S batteries demonstrated a high initial discharge capacity of 1040 mAh g−1 at 1.0C and a reversible capacity of 742 mAh g−1 after 350 cycles with a low capacity decay rate of 0.08% per cycle. Furthermore, a high initial discharge capacities of 1249 and 1227 mAh g−1 are also obtained at 0.03C, corresponding to the sulfur loading of 1.8 and 2.7 mg cm−2. Display omitted
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
Background: Little is known about the role of specific leisure activities in affecting cognitive functions. We aim to examine the associations of specific leisure activities with the risk of ...cognitive impairment among oldest-old people in China. Methods: This community-based prospective cohort study included 10,741 cognitively normal Chinese individuals aged 80 years or older (median age 88 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to estimate the effects of specific leisure activities on cognitive impairment outcome. Results: During a median follow-up time of 3.4 years (41,760 person-years), 2,894 participants developed cognitive impairment. Compared to those who “never” engaged in watching TV or listening to radio, reading books or newspapers, and playing cards or mah-jong, those who engaged in such activities “almost every day” reduced their risk of cognitive impairment, the fully-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.56 (0.51–0.61), 0.64 (0.53–0.78), and 0.70 (0.56–0.86), respectively. The association between the risk of cognitive impairment and watching TV and listening to the radio, playing cards or mah-jong, and reading books or newspapers were stronger among those who had two or more years of education. Moreover, the association between risk of cognitive impairment and watching TV and listening to radio was stronger in men than in women. Conclusions: In conclusion, a greater frequency of TV watching or radio listening, reading books or newspapers, and playing cards or mah-jong may decrease the risk of cognitive impairment among the oldest-old.
Metastasis has been considered as the terminal step of tumor progression. However, recent genomic studies suggest that many metastases are initiated by further spread of other metastases. ...Nevertheless, the corresponding pre-clinical models are lacking, and underlying mechanisms are elusive. Using several approaches, including parabiosis and an evolving barcode system, we demonstrated that the bone microenvironment facilitates breast and prostate cancer cells to further metastasize and establish multi-organ secondary metastases. We uncovered that this metastasis-promoting effect is driven by epigenetic reprogramming that confers stem cell-like properties on cancer cells disseminated from bone lesions. Furthermore, we discovered that enhanced EZH2 activity mediates the increased stemness and metastasis capacity. The same findings also apply to single cell-derived populations, indicating mechanisms distinct from clonal selection. Taken together, our work revealed an unappreciated role of the bone microenvironment in metastasis evolution and elucidated an epigenomic reprogramming process driving terminal-stage, multi-organ metastases.
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•Experimental bone metastases (BoM) spread to other organs in mouse models•Evolving barcodes delineate further spread from BoM in spontaneous metastasis•BoM spurs metastatic seeds with increased stemness and reduced organotropism•EZH2 mediates secondary metastasis invigorated by the bone microenvironment
Delineation of cancer cell spreading from primary bone metastasis by an evolving barcode system highlights the impact of the bone microenvironment in shaping secondary metastasis through mechanisms distinct from clonal selection.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We recently detected a HKU4-related coronavirus in subgenus Merbecovirus (named pangolin-CoV-HKU4-P251T) from a Malayan pangolin
. Here we report isolation and characterization of ...pangolin-CoV-HKU4-P251T, the genome sequence of which is closest to that of a coronavirus from the greater bamboo bat (Tylonycteris robustula) in Yunnan Province, China, with a 94.3% nucleotide identity. Pangolin-CoV-HKU4-P251T is able to infect human cell lines, and replicates more efficiently in cells that express human-dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (hDPP4)-expressing and pangolin-DPP4-expressing cells than in bat-DPP4-expressing cells. After intranasal inoculation with pangolin-CoV-HKU4-P251, hDPP4-transgenic female mice are likely infected, showing persistent viral RNA copy numbers in the lungs. Progressive interstitial pneumonia developed in the infected mice, characterized by the accumulation of macrophages, and increase of antiviral cytokines, proinflammatory cytokines, and chemokines in lung tissues. These findings suggest that the pangolin-borne HKU4-related coronavirus has a potential for emerging as a human pathogen by using hDPP4.
Splicing regulation is an important step of post-transcriptional gene regulation. It is a highly dynamic process orchestrated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). RBP dysfunction and global splicing ...dysregulation have been implicated in many human diseases, but the in vivo functions of most RBPs and the splicing outcome upon their loss remain largely unexplored. Here we report that constitutive deletion of Rbm17, which encodes an RBP with a putative role in splicing, causes early embryonic lethality in mice and that its loss in Purkinje neurons leads to rapid degeneration. Transcriptome profiling of Rbm17-deficient and control neurons and subsequent splicing analyses using CrypSplice, a new computational method that we developed, revealed that more than half of RBM17-dependent splicing changes are cryptic. Importantly, RBM17 represses cryptic splicing of genes that likely contribute to motor coordination and cell survival. This finding prompted us to re-analyze published datasets from a recent report on TDP-43, an RBP implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as it was demonstrated that TDP-43 represses cryptic exon splicing to promote cell survival. We uncovered a large number of TDP-43-dependent splicing defects that were not previously discovered, revealing that TDP-43 extensively regulates cryptic splicing. Moreover, we found a significant overlap in genes that undergo both RBM17- and TDP-43-dependent cryptic splicing repression, many of which are associated with survival. We propose that repression of cryptic splicing by RBPs is critical for neuronal health and survival. CrypSplice is available at www.liuzlab.org/CrypSplice.
Plexin-B1, the receptor for Sema4D, has been reported to trigger multiple and sometimes opposing cellular responses in various types of tumor cells. It has been implicated in the regulation of ...tumor-cell survival, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. However, the plexin-B1 gene expression and its regulatory mechanism in cervical cancer remain unclear. The present study shows that plexin-B1 is over-expressed in cervical tumor tissues compared to normal cervical tissues by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of plexin-B1 is significantly associated with cervical tumor metastasis and invasion according to the analysis of the clinicopathologic data. Plexin-B1 also promotes proliferation, migration and invasion in human cervical cancer HeLa cells. We also found that the plexin-B1 levels are inversely correlated with miR-214 amounts in both cervical cancer tissues and HeLa cells. And miR-214 expression level is also associated with metastasis and invasion of cervical tumor. Furthermore, we demonstrate that plexin-B1 is inhibited by miR-214 through a miR-214 binding site within the 3′UTR of plexin-B1 in HeLa cells. Ectopic expression of miR-214 could inhibit the proliferation capacity, migration and invasion ability of HeLa cells. Our findings suggest that plexin-B1, a target of miR-214, may function as an oncogene in human cervical cancer HeLa cells.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Increased oxidative stress and inflammation has a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Drugs with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, such as ...N-acetylcysteine, might provide a useful therapeutic approach for COPD. We aimed to assess whether N-acetylcysteine could reduce the rate of exacerbations in patients with COPD.
In our prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, we enrolled patients aged 40-80 years with moderate-to-severe COPD (post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s FEV1/forced vital capacity <0·7 and FEV1 of 30-70% of predicted) at 34 hospitals in China. We stratified patients according to use of inhaled corticosteroids (regular use or not) at baseline and randomly allocated them to receive N-acetylcysteine (one 600 mg tablet, twice daily) or matched placebo for 1 year. The primary endpoint was the annual exacerbation rate in patients who received at least one dose of study drug and had at least one assessment visit after randomisation. This study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR-TRC-09000460.
Between June 25, 2009, and Dec 29, 2010, we screened 1297 patients, of whom 1006 were eligible for randomisation (504 to N-acetylcysteine and 502 to placebo). After 1 year, we noted 497 acute exacerbations in 482 patients in the N-acetylcysteine group who received at least one dose and had at least one assessment visit (1·16 exacerbations per patient-year) and 641 acute exacerbations in 482 patients in the placebo group (1·49 exacerbations per patient-year; risk ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·67-0·90; p=0·0011). N-acetylcysteine was well tolerated: 146 (29%) of 495 patients who received at least one dose of N-acetylcysteine had adverse events (48 serious), as did 130 (26%) of 495 patients who received at least one dose of placebo (46 serious). The most common serious adverse event was acute exacerbation of COPD, occurring in 32 (6%) of 495 patients in the N-acetylcysteine group and 36 (7%) of 495 patients in the placebo group.
Our findings show that in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, long-term use of N-acetylcysteine 600 mg twice daily can prevent exacerbations, especially in disease of moderate severity. Future studies are needed to explore efficacy in patients with mild COPD (GOLD I).
Hainan Zambon Pharmaceutical.
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