Bismuth (Bi) has been demonstrated as a promising anode material for both Na-ion batteries (NIBs) and K-ion batteries (KIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity (385 mA h g
−1
for NIBs and KIBs). ...However, Bi undergoes a huge volume change during charge–discharge processes, leading to severe pulverization of Bi particles and structural degradation. Herein, a robust composite possessing a three-dimensional (3D) structure with Bi nanoparticles embedded in 3D macroporous graphene frameworks (Bi@3DGFs) is designed to address these issues. This 3D porous Bi@3DGF composite demonstrates high capacity and stable long-term cycling performance at various current densities for both NIBs and KIBs. As an anode for NIBs, it shows a reversible capacity of 180 mA h g
−1
at a current density as high as 50 A g
−1
. The rate capability for KIBs is also unprecedented; it delivers a reversible capacity of 185.2 mA h g
−1
after 2000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g
−1
. The excellent electrochemical performance of the Bi@3DGFs is ascribed to the unique structure. The 3D interconnecting pores facilitate the penetration of the electrolyte, leading to direct contact between electrochemically active Bi and the electrolyte, enhancing charge transfer kinetics.
The detection of gravitational waves from compact binary mergers by the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration has, for the first time, allowed for tests of relativistic gravity in the strong, dynamical, and ...nonlinear regime. Outside Einstein’s relativity, spinning black holes may be different from their general relativistic counterparts, and their merger may then lead to a modified ringdown. We study the latter and, for the first time, derive a modified Teukolsky equation, i.e., a set of linear, decoupled differential equations that describe dynamical perturbations of non-Kerr black holes for the radiative Newman-Penrose scalarsΨ0andΨ4. We first focus on non-Ricci-flat, Petrov type-Dblack hole backgrounds in modified gravity and derive the modified Teukolsky equation through direct decoupling and through a new approach, proposed by Chandrasekhar, that uses certain gauge conditions. We then extend this analysis to non-Ricci-flat, Petrov type-I black hole backgrounds in modified gravity, assuming they can be treated as a linear perturbation of Petrov type-D, black hole backgrounds in general relativity by generalizing Chandrasekhar’s approach, and derive the decoupled modified Teukolsky equation. We further show that our formalism can be extended beyond linear order in both modified gravity corrections and gravitational wave perturbations. Our work lays the foundation to study the gravitational waves emitted in the ringdown phase of black hole coalescence in modified gravity for black holes of any spin. Our work can also be extended to compute gravitational waves emitted by extreme mass-ratio binary inspirals in modified gravity.
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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an exuberant inflammatory desmoplastic response. The PDAC microenvironment is complex, containing both pro- and antitumorigenic elements, ...and remains to be fully characterized. Here, we show that sensory neurons, an under-studied cohort of the pancreas tumor stroma, play a significant role in the initiation and progression of the early stages of PDAC. Using a well-established autochthonous model of PDAC (PKC), we show that inflammation and neuronal damage in the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) occurs as early as the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) 2 stage. Also at the PanIN2 stage, pancreas acinar-derived cells frequently invade along sensory neurons into the spinal cord and migrate caudally to the lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions. Sensory neuron ablation by neonatal capsaicin injection prevented perineural invasion (PNI), astrocyte activation, and neuronal damage, suggesting that sensory neurons convey inflammatory signals from Kras-induced pancreatic neoplasia to the CNS. Neuron ablation in PKC mice also significantly delayed PanIN formation and ultimately prolonged survival compared with vehicle-treated controls (median survival, 7.8 vs. 4.5 mo; P = 0.001). These data establish a reciprocal signaling loop between the pancreas and nervous system, including the CNS, that supports inflammation associated with oncogenic Kras-induced neoplasia. Thus, pancreatic sensory neurons comprise an important stromal cell population that supports the initiation and progression of PDAC and may represent a potential target for prevention in high-risk populations.
In recent times, disulfidptosis, an intricate form of cellular demise, has garnered attention due to its impact on prognosis, tumor progression and treatment response. Nevertheless, the exact ...significance of disulfidptosis-related genes (DisRGs) in glioblastoma (GBM) remains enigmatic.
The GEO and TCGA databases provided transcriptional and clinically relevant data on tumor samples, while the GTEx database provided data on healthy tissues. Disulfidptosis-related genes (DisRGs) were procured from previous scholarly investigations. The expression profile of DisRGs was initially scrutinized among patients diagnosed with GBM, subsequent to which their prognostic value was explored. Through consensus clustering, we constructed DisRGs-related clusters and gene subtypes. Our results established that the DisRG-related clusters had differentially expressed genes, resulting in a DisulfidptosisScore model, which had a positive prognostic value.
The differential expression profile of 24 DisRGs between GBM samples and healthy samples was acquired. Through consensus cluster analysis, two distinct disulfidptosis subtypes, namely DisRGcluster A and DisRGcluster B, were identified. Then, the DisulfidptosisScore model including 4 characteristic genes was constructed.Notably, patients with GBM assigned with lower score demonstrated a considerably longer overall survival (OS) compared to those with higher score.
We have effectively devised a prognostic model associated with disulfidptosis, presenting autonomous prognostic predictions for patients with GBM. These findings serve as a valuable addition to the current comprehension of disulfidptosis and offer fresh theoretical substantiation for the development of enhanced treatment strategies.
Bismuth (Bi) has been prompted many investigations into the development of next-generation energy storage systems on account of its unique physicochemical properties. Although there are still some ...challenges, the application of metallic Bi-based materials in the field of energy storage still has good prospects. Herein, we systematically review the application and development of metallic Bi-based anode in lithium ion batteries and beyond-lithium ion batteries. The reaction mechanism, modification methodologies and their relationship with electrochemical performance are discussed in detail. Additionally, owing to the unique physicochemical properties of Bi and Bi-based alloys, some innovative investigations of metallic Bi-based materials in alkali metal anode modification and sulfur cathodes are systematically summarized for the first time. Following the obtained insights, the main unsolved challenges and research directions are pointed out on the research trend and potential applications of the Bi-based materials in various energy storage fields in the future.
Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) prophylaxis reduces graft-
-host disease (GVHD) incidence. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the long-term efficacy of ATG and the influencing factors in patients ...undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for the relevant studies published up to August 2020. Data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on ATG prophylaxis for GVHD prevention in allo-HSCT patients were extracted.
A total of eight relevant RCTs (1,348 patients) were included. ATG significantly reduced the incidence of grade III-IV aGVHD (P = 0.001) and cGVHD (P < 0.001). ATG significantly improved the GVHD relapse-free survival (GRFS) (P < 0.001). The immunosuppressive regimen (number and dose of immunosuppressants) was significantly reduced when using ATG (P = 0.005). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation was high in patients receiving ATG (P = 0.003). No significant differences were detected in relapses, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and non-relapse mortality (NRM) between the ATG and no ATG groups. Subgroup analyses revealed that the donor type and ATG formulation might be the possible sources of heterogeneity among the included studies. Meta-regression analysis showed that the cumulative dose of ATG did not affect GVHD, OS, relapse, RFS, and NRM.
Although ATG had no significant effect on relapse, RFS, and NRM, it significantly reduced the occurrence and severity of GVHD, improved the GRFS, and reduced the number and dose of immunosuppressants in patients undergoing allo-HSCT.
Radioulnar synostosis with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (RUSAT) type 2, caused by MDS1 and EVI1 complex locus (MECOM) gene mutations, is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) with ...skeletal anomalies, characterized by varying presentation of congenital thrombocytopenia (progressing to pancytopenia), bilateral proximal radioulnar synostosis, and other skeletal abnormalities. Due to limited knowledge and heterogenous manifestations, clinical diagnosis of the disease is challenging. Here we reported a novel MECOM mutation in a Chinese boy with typical clinical features for RUSAT-2. Trio-based whole exome sequencing of buccal swab revealed a novel heterozygous missense mutation in exon 11 of the MECOM gene (chr3:168818673; NM_001105078.3:c.2285G > A). The results strongly suggest that the variant was a germline mutation and disease-causing mutation. The patient received matched unrelated donor hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This finding was not only expanded the pathogenic mutation spectrum of MECOM gene, but also provided key information for clinical diagnosis and treatment of RUSAT-2.
The efficient separation of coal and gangue in the mining process is of great significance for improving coal mining efficiency and reducing environmental pollution. Automatic detection of coal and ...gangue is the key and foundation for the separation of coal and gangue. In this paper, we proposed a hierarchical framework for coal and gangue detection based on deep learning models. In this framework, the Gaussian pyramid principle is first used to construct multi-level training data, leading to the sets of coal and gangue image features with multiple scales. Then, the coal and gangue regional proposal networks (CG-RPN) are designed to determine the candidate regions of the target objects in the image. Next, convolution neural networks (CNNs) are constructed to recognize coal and gangue objects on the basis of extracted candidate regions. We performed our method on three different datasets. Experimental results showed that the proposed method improves the detection accuracy of coal and gangue objects by 0.8% compared with the previous methods, reaching up to 98.33%. In addition, our proposed method enables the detection of multiple coal and gangue objects in an individual image and solves the problem of queuing requirements in traditional methods.
Objective
To determine the clinical and molecular features in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4 (ALS4) due to mutations in the senataxin (SETX) gene and to develop tools for evaluating ...SETX variants.
Methods
Our study involved 32 patients, including 31 with mutation in SETX at c.1166 T>C (p.Leu389Ser) and 1 with mutation at c.1153 G>A (p.Glu385Lys). Clinical characterization of the patients included neurological examination, blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Fibroblasts and motor neurons were obtained to model the disease and characterize the molecular alteration in senataxin function.
Results
We report key clinical features of ALS4. Laboratory analysis showed alteration of serum creatine kinase and creatinine in the Leu389Ser ALS4 cohort. MRI showed increased muscle fat fraction in the lower extremities, which correlates with disease duration (thigh fat fraction R2 = 0.35, p = 0.01; lower leg fat fraction R2 = 0.49, p < 0.01). DEXA measurements showed lower extremities are more affected than upper extremities (average fat z scores of 2.1 and 0.6, respectively). A cellular assay for SETX function confirmed that like the Leu389Ser mutation, the Glu385Lys variant leads to a decrease in R loops, likely from a gain of function.
Interpretation
We identified clinical laboratory and radiological features of ALS4, and hence they should be monitored for disease progression. The molecular characterization of R‐loop levels in patient‐derived cells provides insight into the disease pathology and assays to evaluate the pathogenicity of candidate mutations in the SETX gene. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:547–555
X-linked sideroblastic anaemia (XLSA) is an inherited disorder caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in the biosynthesis of haem. The pathogenic gene, as well as the pathogenesis ...and diagnosis of XLSA, have been fully elucidated in previous studies. However, only a few new advances have been made in managing XLSA in recent years, and blood transfusion remains the primary treatment. We report a case of umbilical cord blood haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a male infant diagnosed with XLSA who was born with asphyxia due to severe anaemia. Early hepatic vein occlusion occurred after transplantation. However, this complication was rapidly controlled after active treatment, and the child’s quality of life improved significantly. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a promising alternative treatment for XLSA.
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