The fictive temperature (Tf) is widely applied to understand the relaxation thermodynamics of a glass; however, its atomic structural origin is still unclear. Here, we report two novel AZnP3O9 ...glasses obtained by melting the composition identical single crystals. These glasses exhibit structural inheritance within 5 Å from the single crystal counterparts that is quantified by δ=nglass/ncry (0≤δ≤1, n is the number of pair correlation functions). Among the available glass‐formers, glassKZnP3O9 exhibits the highest structural inheritance (δ=1, nglass=8). More insightfully, a reverse correlation between δ and the relaxation thermodynamic parameters is observed in glassAZnP3O9, revealing for the first time the atomic structural origin of fictive temperature.
A new evaluation method is provided to judge the glass stability and glass‐forming ability. As an example, the reported novel glass KZnP3O9 exhibits the highest δ (δ=1, nglass=8) that quantitatively identifies the short‐range order similarity to its crystalline counterpart. The inverse δ‐Tf correlation gives the direct evidence for the structural origin of fictive temperature revealing the relaxation thermodynamics.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Cancer cells display phenotypic equilibrium between the stem-like and differentiated states during neoplastic homeostasis. The functional and mechanistic implications of this subpopulation plasticity ...remain largely unknown. Herein, it is demonstrated that the breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) secretome autonomously compresses the stem cell population. Co-implantation with BCSCs decreases the tumor-initiating capacity yet increases metastasis of accompanying cancer cells, wherein DKK1 is identified as a pivotal factor secreted by BCSCs for such functions. DKK1-promotes differentiation is indispensable for disseminated tumor cell metastatic outgrowth. In contrast, DKK1 inhibitors substantially relieve the metastatic burden by restraining metastatic cells in the dormant state. DKK1 increases the expression of SLC7A11 to protect metastasizing cancer cells from lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis. Combined treatment with a ferroptosis inducer and a DKK1 inhibitor exhibits synergistic effects in diminishing metastasis. Hence, this study deciphers the contribution of CSC-regulated phenotypic plasticity in metastatic colonization and provides therapeutic approaches to limit metastatic outgrowth.
Personal care products (PCPs) are widely applied in our daily life, however, little is known about their occurrence in wild fish. We investigated the bioaccumulation and potential risks of 24 PCPs in ...muscle and liver tissues of wild fish collected from two large rivers of Pearl and Yangtze Rivers in China. The results showed the detection of a total of 13 PCPs including 9 biocides, 2 synthetic musks and 2 benzotriazoles in at least one type of fish tissue from 12 fish species. The compounds with high detection frequencies (>50%) in fish muscle or liver tissues were N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, carbendazim, climbazole, miconazole (MCZ), methylparaben, propylparaben, triclosan (TCS), tonalide, galaxolide (HHCB) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5-TT). Among biocides, synthetic musks and benzotriazoles, TCS, HHCB and benzotriazole showed the maximum concentrations of 79.5ng/g wet weight (ww), 299ng/g ww and 3.14ng/g ww, respectively, in muscle tissue, while MCZ, HHCB and 5-TT showed the maximum concentrations of 432ng/g ww, 2619ng/g ww and 54.5ng/g ww, respectively, in liver tissue. The median values of logarithm of bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for the detected 13 PCPs were ranged 0.8–3.35 in muscle and 0.85–4.58 in liver. The log BAF values of the PCPs displayed good linear relationships with log Kow and log Dow (pH-dependent Kow). The health hazard assessment of 10 detected PCPs in the muscle indicated no appreciable risk to human via consumption of the wild fish.
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•Levels of personal care products (PCPs) in wild fish tissues were investigated.•Thirteen PCPs were found in muscle/liver tissues up to thousands ng/g wet weight.•The log BAF displayed good linear relationships with log Kow and log Dow.•No appreciable health risk to human via the consumption of wild fish muscle
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The enrichment of Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) has been identified in CRC patients and associated with worse prognosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play essential roles in CRC ...development. However, whether ETBF is involved in CSCs regulation is unknown. To clarify the role of ETBF in CSCs properties, we performed extreme limited dilution assays (ELDA) in nude mice injected with ETBF-treated or untreated CRC cells subcutaneously, tumor organoids culture in azoxymethane (AOM) mouse model after gavaging with or without ETBF, and cell sphere formation assay after incubating CRC cell lines with or without ETBF. The results indicated that ETBF increased the stemness of CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, ETBF enhanced the expression of core stemness transcription factors Nanog homeobox (NANOG) and sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2). Histone H3 Lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) is critical in regulating CSCs properties. As an epigenetic and transcriptional regulator, JmjC-domain containing histone demethylase 2B (JMJD2B) is essential for embryonic stem cell (ESC) transformation and H3K9me3 demethylation. Mechanistically, ETBF infection significantly upregulated JMJD2B levels in CRC cell lines and nude mice xenograft model. JMJD2B epigenetically upregulated NANOG expression via demethylating its promoter H3K9me3, to mediate ETBF-induced stemness of CRC cells. Subsequently, we found that the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, activated by ETBF, contributed to the enhanced expression of JMJD2B via nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5). Finally, in human CRC samples, the amount of ETBF positively correlated with nuclear NFAT5, JMJD2B, and NANOG expression levels. In summary, ETBF upregulated JMJD2B levels in a TLR4-NFAT5-dependent pathway, and played an important role in stemness regulation, which promoted colorectal carcinogenesis.
Atropisomerism, an expression of axial chirality caused by limited bond rotation, is a prominent aspect within the field of medicinal chemistry. It has been shown that atropisomers of a wide range of ...compounds, including established FDA-approved drugs and experimental molecules, display markedly different biological activities. The time-dependent reversal of chirality in atropisomers poses complexity and obstacles in the process of drug discovery and development. Nonetheless, recent progress in understanding atropisomerism and enhanced characterization methods have greatly assisted medicinal chemists in the effective development of atropisomeric drug molecules. This article provides a comprehensive review of their special design thoughts, synthetic routes, and biological activities, serving as a reference for the synthesis and biological evaluation of bioactive atropisomers in the future.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The significant positive correlation between ghrelin and iron and hepcidin levels in the plasma of children with iron deficiency anemia prompted us to hypothesize that ghrelin may affect iron ...metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of fasting or ghrelin on the expression of hepcidin, ferroportin 1 (Fpn1), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), ferritin light chain (Ft‐L) proteins, and ghrelin, and also hormone secretagogue receptor 1 alpha (GHSR1α) and ghrelin O‐acyltransferase (GOAT) mRNAs in the spleen and/or macrophage. We demonstrated that fasting induces a significant increase in the expression of ghrelin, GHSR1α, GOAT, and hepcidin mRNAs, as well as Ft‐L and Fpn1 but not TfR1 proteins in the spleens of mice in vivo. Similar to the effects of fasting on the spleen, ghrelin induced a significant increase in the expression of Ft‐L and Fpn1 but not TfR1 proteins in macrophages in vitro. In addition, ghrelin was found to induce a significant enhancement in phosphorylation of ERK as well as translocation of pERK from the cytosol to nuclei. Furthermore, the increased pERK and Fpn1 induced by ghrelin was demonstrated to be preventable by pre‐treatment with either GHSR1α antagonist or pERK inhibitor. Our findings support the hypothesis that fasting upregulates Fpn1 expression, probably via a ghrelin/GHSR/MAPK signaling pathway.
Fasting increases the expression of ghrelin, GHSR1α, GOAT as well as Ft‐L and Fpn1 proteins in the spleens of mice in vivo. Ghrelin increases the expression of Ft‐L and Fpn1 proteins as well as phosphorylation of ERK in macrophages in vitro. Fasting upregulates Fpn1 expression probably via a ghrelin/GHSR/MAPK signaling pathway.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Bilateral communication between bone and nerves is crucial for optimal repair of large bone defects as well as repair of peripheral nerves within the skeleton. However, simultaneous regeneration of ...bone and nerves is an issue that has long been overlooked in prior literature. Incongruous or even contradictory requirements or regeneration environments for bone and nerves make simultaneous regeneration of multiple tissues challenging. The present review commences with introducing natural crosstalk between bone and nerves, highlighting the rationale for simultaneous regeneration of bone and nerves. These issues will pave the way for the development of inspirational materials design concepts that capitalize on the principles of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, neuroconduction, neuroinduction, and neuroattraction. Potential strategies based on selection of appropriate scaffolds, acellular biological factors and architectural design will be addressed.
Q.‐Q. Wan, W.‐P. Qin, M.‐J. Shen, Y.‐X. Ma, B. Li, S.‐Y. Liu, F. R. Tay, K. Jiao, L.‐n. Niu
Bone is from Mars. Nerves are from Venus. Once bone is injured, simultaneous regeneration of bone and nerves is extremely taxing. It is only when material scientists realize and respect the differences between bone and nerves that simultaneous regeneration has a chance to blossom.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To avoid the peeling‐off of ceramic nanoparticles (NPs) from polyolefin membranes usually occurred in commercially available ceramic NPs coated polyolefin separators for lithium batteries, we propose ...a simple one‐pot in‐situ reaction method to modify commercial polyethylene (PE) separators by surface grafting 3‐Aminophenol/formaldehyde (AF)/silica (SiO2) composite NPs. The AF/SiO2 composite NPs form self‐supporting connected pores on the modified layer of the separator surface, which ensures the transportation of Li+. Moreover, the PE@AF/SiO2 separators has higher electrolyte wettability and compatibility than neat PE separators attributed to the plentiful polar functional groups in the AF/SiO2 layer and AF/SiO2 composite NPs, resulting in higher lithium ion transference number (tLi+= 0.62) and ionic conductivity (σ = 0.722 mS cm−1). More importantly, the discharge capacity, capacity retention rate and coulombic efficiency (136.2 mA h g−1, 87.9% and 99%, respectively) after 200 cycles of Li|NMC half batteries with PE@AF/SiO2 separators, are all more excellent than that with the pure PE separator (125 mA h g−1, 83.1% and 85%, respectively). Our results show that the PE@AF/SiO2 separators obtained by this modification method have higher electrochemical stability in the lithium battery system.
A simple one‐step in‐situ polymerization method is used to prepare a composite polyethylene separator grafted with AF/SiO2 NPs. The results indicate that the strong Lewis acidity of SiO2 and the abundant polar functional groups in AF/SiO2 weaken the decomposition of the electrolyte, which will further improve the electrochemical stability of the batteries.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Wastewater indicator is a useful tool for evaluating the wastewater impact on natural water, but there is little information about the suitability of wastewater indicators for different regions. This ...study aimed to select suitable wastewater indicators in the Pearl River Delta region, south China by screening a range of wastewater related organic compounds. The screening campaign was carried out by investigating the occurrence and removal efficiencies of 93 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 5 artificial sweeteners (ASs) in nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the region, and the occurrence of these target compounds in the contaminated and clean surface water of the Pearl River. An ideal wastewater indicator should be hydrophilic, source-specific for domestic wastewater, ubiquitous in contaminated surface water with detection frequency (DF) >80% and absent in background water samples. For liable indicators, high removal rates (>90%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the influent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. For conservative indicators, low removal rates (<50%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the effluent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. Based on the above criteria, sucralose and fluconazole were selected as conservative indicators in the region, while cyclamate, saccharin, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, paracetamol, salicylic acid and caffeine were selected as liable indicators.
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•We screened 98 wastewater related organic compounds in WWTPs and rivers.•The criteria include chemical property, removal, detection frequency and ratio.•Cyclamate, saccharin, parabens, paracetamol, salicylic acid and caffeine were liable indicators.•Sucralose and fluconazole were selected as conservative indicators in the region.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Copy number variants (CNVs) are associated with changes in gene expression levels and contribute to various adaptive traits. Here we show that a CNV at the Grain Length on Chromosome 7 (GL7) locus ...contributes to grain size diversity in rice (Oryza sativa L.). GL7 encodes a protein homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana LONGIFOLIA proteins, which regulate longitudinal cell elongation. Tandem duplication of a 17.1-kb segment at the GL7 locus leads to upregulation of GL7 and downregulation of its nearby negative regulator, resulting in an increase in grain length and improvement of grain appearance quality. Sequence analysis indicates that allelic variants of GL7 and its negative regulator are associated with grain size diversity and that the CNV at the GL7 locus was selected for and used in breeding. Our work suggests that pyramiding beneficial alleles of GL7 and other yield- and quality-related genes may improve the breeding of elite rice varieties.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK