Tin diselenide (SnSe2) nanosheets as novel 2D layered materials have excellent optical properties with many promising application prospects, such as photoelectric detectors, nonlinear optics, ...infrared photoelectric devices, and ultrafast photonics. Among them, ultrafast photonics has attracted much attention due to its enormous advantages; for instance, extremely fast pulse, strong peak power, and narrow bandwidth. In this work, SnSe2 nanosheets are fabricated by using solvothermal treatment, and the characteristics of SnSe2 are systemically investigated. In addition, the solution of SnSe2 nanosheets is successfully prepared as a fiber‐based saturable absorber by utilizing the evanescent field effect, which can bear a high pump power. 31st‐order subpicosecond harmonic mode locking is generated in an Er‐doped fiber laser, corresponding to the maximum repetition rate of 257.3 MHz and pulse duration of 887 fs. The results show that SnSe2 can be used as an excellent nonlinear photonic device in many fields, such as frequency comb, lasers, photodetectors, etc.
Tin diselenide (SnSe2) nanosheets as novel 2D layered materials have excellent optical properties. SnSe2 nanosheets fabricated by using solvothermal treatment are successfully prepared as fiber‐based saturable absorbers by utilizing the evanescent field effect, which can bear a high pump power. 31st‐order subpicosecond harmonic mode‐locking is generated, corresponding to 257.3 MHz repetition rate.
Accumulation of evidence indicates that miRNAs have crucial roles in the regulation of EMT-associated properties, such as proliferation, migration and invasion. However, the underlying molecular ...mechanisms are not entirely illustrated. Here, we investigated the role of miR-296-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.
In vitro cell morphology, proliferation, migration and invasion were compared between HCC cell lines with up- or down-regulation of miR-296-5p. Immunofluorescence and Western blot immunofluorescence assays were used to detect the expression of EMT markers. Bioinformatics programs, luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments were used to validate the downstream targets of miR-296-5p. Xenograft nude mouse models were established to observe tumor growth and metastasis. Immunohistochemical assays were conducted to study the relationships between miR-296-5p expression and Neuregulin-1 (NRG1)/EMT markers in human HCC samples and mice.
miR-296-5p was prominently downregulated in HCC tissues relative to adjacent normal liver tissues and associated with favorable prognosis. Overexpression of miR-296-5p inhibited EMT along with migration and invasion of HCC cells via suppressing NRG1/ERBB2/ERBB3/RAS/MAPK/Fra-2 signaling in vitro. More importantly, miR-296-5p disrupted intrahepatic and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. NRG1, as a direct target of miR-296-5p, mediates downstream biological responses. In HCC tissues from patients and mice, the levels of miR-296-5p and NRG1 also showed an inverse relationship.
miR-296-5p inhibited EMT-related metastasis of HCC through NRG1/ERBB2/ERBB3/RAS/MAPK/Fra-2 signaling.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airway obstruction and progressive lung inflammation. As the primary ingredient of a traditional Chinese medical herb, Baicalin has ...been previously shown to possess anti-inflammatory abilities. Thus, the current study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which baicalin alleviates COPD.
Baicalin was adopted to treat cigarette smoke in extract-exposed MLE-12 cells after which cell viability and apoptosis were determined. The production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. A COPD mouse model was constructed via exposure to cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide, baicalin treatment. Lung function and inflammatory cell infiltration were determined and the production of Muc5AC, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was assayed by ELISA. The effect of HSP72 and JNK on COPD following treatment with baicalin was assessed both in vivo and in vitro by conducting loss- and gain- function experiments.
Baicalin improved lung function evidenced by reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration and Muc5AC, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 levels observed in BALF in mice. Baicalin was further observed to elevate cell viability while inhibited apoptosis and TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 levels in MLE-12 cells. Baicalin treatment increased HSP72 expression, while its depletion reversed the effect of baicalin on COPD. HSP72 inhibited the activation of JNK, while JNK activation was found to inhibit the effect of baicalin on COPD.
Baicalin upregulated the expression of HSP72, resulting in the inhibition of JNK signaling activation, which ultimately alleviates COPD.
Abstract
Electrorefining process has been widely used to separate and purify metals, but it is limited by deposition potential of the metal itself. Here we report in-situ anodic precipitation (IAP), ...a modified electrorefining process, to purify aluminium from contaminants that are more reactive. During IAP, the target metals that are more cathodic than aluminium are oxidized at the anode and forced to precipitate out in a low oxidation state. This strategy is fundamentally based on different solubilities of target metal chlorides in the NaAlCl
4
molten salt rather than deposition potential of metals. The results suggest that IAP is able to efficiently and simply separate components of aluminum alloys with fast kinetics and high recovery yields, and it is also a valuable synthetic approach for metal chlorides in low oxidation states.
Statins are inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, and have been clinically used to treat cardiovascular disease. However, a paradoxical increase of ...reductase protein following statin treatment may attenuate the effect and increase the side effects. Here we present a previously unexplored strategy to alleviate statin-induced reductase accumulation by inducing its degradation. Inspired by the observations that cholesterol intermediates trigger reductase degradation, we identify a potent degrader, namely Cmpd 81, through structure-activity relationship analysis of sterol analogs. Cmpd 81 stimulates ubiquitination and degradation of reductase in an Insig-dependent manner, thus dramatically reducing protein accumulation induced by various statins. Cmpd 81 can act alone or synergistically with statin to lower cholesterol and reduce atherosclerotic plaques in mice. Collectively, our work suggests that inducing reductase degradation by Cmpd 81 or similar chemicals alone or in combination with statin therapy can be a promising strategy for treating cardiovascular disease.
The contribution of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to pancreatic cancer progression and the regulatory mechanisms of their expression are attractive areas. In the present study, the overexpression of ...lncRNA-BX111887 (BX111) in pancreatic cancer tissues was detected by microarray and further validated in a cohort of pancreatic cancer tissues. We further demonstrated that knockdown or overexpression of BX111 dramatically repressed or enhanced proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanically, BX111 activated transcription of ZEB1, a key regulator for epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT), via recruiting transcriptional factor Y-box protein (YB1) to its promoter region. Moreover, we revealed that BX111 transcription was induced by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) in response to hypoxia. In addition, BX111 contributed to the hypoxia-induced EMT of pancreatic cells by regulating expression of ZEB1 and its downstream proteins E-cadherin and MMP2. Coincidence with in vitro results, BX111 depletion effectively inhibited growth and metastasis of xenograft tumor in vivo. The clinical samples of pancreatic cancer further confirmed a positive association between BX111 and ZEB1. Moreover, high BX111 expression was correlated with late TNM stage, lymphatic invasion and distant metastasis, as well as short overall survival time in patients. Taken together, our findings implicate a hypoxia-induced lncRNA contributes to metastasis and progression of pancreatic cancer, and suggest BX111 might be applied as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.
Anode‐free lithium‐metal batteries employ in situ lithium‐plated current collectors as negative electrodes to afford optimal mass and volumetric energy densities. The main challenges to such ...batteries include their poor cycling stability and the safety issues of the flammable organic electrolytes. Here, a high‐voltage 4.7 V anode‐free lithium‐metal battery is reported, which uses a Cu foil coated with a layer (≈950 nm) of silicon–polyacrylonitrile (Si‐PAN, 25.5 µg cm−2) as the negative electrode, a high‐voltage cobalt‐free LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) as the positive electrode and a safe, nonflammable ionic liquid electrolyte composed of 4.5 m lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) salt in N‐methyl‐N‐propyl pyrrolidiniumbis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (Py13FSI) with 1 wt% lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as additive. The Si‐PAN coating is found to seed the growth of lithium during charging, and reversibly expand/shrink during lithium plating/stripping over battery cycling. The wide‐voltage‐window electrolyte containing a high concentration of FSI− and TFSI− facilitates the formation of stable solid‐electrolyte interphase, affording a 4.7 V anode‐free Cu@Si‐PAN/LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 battery with a reversible specific capacity of ≈120 mAh g−1 and high cycling stability (80% capacity retention after 120 cycles). These results represent the first anode‐free Li battery with a high 4.7 V discharge voltage and high safety.
4.7 V Cu@Si‐PAN/LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 anode‐free Li batteries with a reversible specific capacity of ≈120 mAh g−1 and high capacity retention of 80% after 120 cycles are reported. With the nonflammable F‐rich ionic liquid electrolyte and the seeding Si‐PAN layer (950 nm), an enhanced safety and high‐voltage anode‐free Li battery without dendritic Li growth is demonstrated.
Zinc metal is considered a promising anode material for aqueous zinc ion batteries. However, it suffers from dendrite growth, corrosion, and low coulombic efficiency (CE) during plating/stripping. ...Herein, a concentrated hybrid (4 m Zn(CF3SO3)2 + 2 m LiClO4) aqueous electrolyte (CHAE) to overcome the challenges facing the Zn anode is reported. The developed electrolyte achieves dendrite‐free Zn plating/stripping and obtains an excellent CE of ≈100%, surpassing the previously reported values. The combination of synchrotron‐based in operando transmission X‐ray microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and ex situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses indicate that the denser, anion‐derived passivation layer formed using the CHAE facilitates homogeneous current distribution and better prevents freshly deposited Zn from directly contacting the electrolyte than the looser, solvent‐derived layers formed from a dilute hybrid aqueous electrolyte (DHAE). The beneficial effects of the CHAE on the compact, dense, and stable salt‐anion‐derived passivation layer can be attributed to its unique solvation structure, which suppresses the water‐related side reactions and widens the electrochemical potential window. In the hybrid Zn||LiFePO4 configuration, the CHAE‐based cell delivered a stable performance of CE >99% and capacity retention >90% after 285 cycles. In contrast, the DHAE‐based cell exhibits capacity retention of <65% after 170 cycles.
A concentrated hybrid aqueous electrolyte (CHAE) (4 m Zn(CF3SO3)2 + 2 m LiClO4) is developed to address the dendrite formation and low coulombic efficiency upon Zn deposition/stripping. The Zn growth behavior and the formation mechanism of dense anion‐derived passivation layer are unveiled by synchrotron‐based in operando imaging and spectroscopy techniques. The CHAE shows excellent cell performance in Zn||LiFePO4 dual‐ion battery.
The construction of all-carbon quaternary centers in small-ring systems is important but challenging in organic synthesis. Herein, by taking gem-difluorocyclopropyl bromides (DFCBs) as a type of ...general and versatile building block, we developed a practical method for building all-carbon quaternary centers in gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes (DFCs). The reaction relies on the involvement of a gem-difluorocyclopropyl radical intermediate, which can couple with a wide range of nucleophiles under copper catalysis.
Doublesex (Dsx) is a polymorphic transcription factor of the DMRTs family, which is involved in male sex trait development and controls sexual dimorphism at different developmental stages in ...arthropods. However, the transcriptional regulation of the Dsx gene is largely unknown in decapods. In this study, we reported the cDNA sequence of PmDsx in Penaeus monodon, which encodes a 257 amino acid polypeptide. It shared many similarities with Dsx homologs and has a close relationship in the phylogeny of different species. We demonstrated that the expression of the male sex differentiation gene Dsx was predominantly expressed in the P. monodon testis, and that PmDsx dsRNA injection significantly decreased the expression of the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) and male sex-determining gene while increasing the expression of the female sex-determining gene. We also identified a 5′-flanking region of PmIAG that had two potential cis-regulatory elements (CREs) for the PmDsx transcription. Further, the dual-luciferase reporter analysis and truncated mutagenesis revealed that PmDsx overexpression significantly promoted the transcriptional activity of the PmIAG promoter via a specific CRE. These results suggest that PmDsx is engaged in male reproductive development and positively regulates the transcription of the PmIAG by specifically binding upstream of the promoter of the PmIAG. It provides a theoretical basis for exploring the sexual regulation pathway and evolutionary dynamics of Dmrt family genes in P. monodon.
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