Membrane-based purification and recovery of phosphate and antibiotics by two-dimensional zeolitic nanoflakes

The pervasive presence of persistent contaminants in water resources, including phosphate and antibiotics, has attracted significant attention due to their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Adsorption membranes packed with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been proposed as a potential solution to this challenge due to their high surface area to volume ratio, and the tailored functionality they can provide for selective purification. However, devising a straightforward method to enhance the stability of MOF membranes on polymer supports and manipulate their surface morphology remains challenging. In this study, we present a facile solution immersion technique to fabricate a ZIF-L adsorption membrane on commercial supports by leveraging the self-polymerization characteristics of dopamine. The simple coating methodology provides a polydopamine-lined interface that regulates the ZIF-L heteroepitaxial growth, along with tailored nanoflake morphology. Compared with crystals prepared in bulk solution, the sorbents grown on the membrane exhibit a higher saturation capacity of 248 mg g^-1 of phosphate (∼80 mg phosphorus per g sorbent) and 196 mg g^-1 for tetracycline in static adsorption experiments at 30 °C. Additionally, the membranes are capable of selectively removing 99.5% of the phosphate in simulant solutions comprising competitive background ions in various concentrations, and efficiently removing tetracycline. The result from the static adsorption experiments directly translates to a flow-through process, showcasing the utility of a composite membrane with a 3 μm thick active layer in practical adsorption applications. The facile solution immersion fabrication protocol introduced in this work may offer a more efficient paradigm to harness the potential of MOF composite membranes in selective adsorption and resource recovery applications.

From closed-shell edge-extended kekulenes to open-shell carbonylated cycloarene diradicaloid

The precise synthesis of cycloarenes remains a challenging topic in both organic chemistry and materials science due to their unique fully fused macrocyclic π-conjugated structure. Herein, a series of alkoxyl- and aryl-cosubstituted cycloarenes (kekulene and edge-extended kekulene derivatives, K1-K3) were conveniently synthesized and an unexpected transformation of the anthryl-containing cycloarene K3 into a carbonylated cycloarene derivative K3-R was disclosed by controlling the temperature and gas atmosphere of the Bi(OTf)₃-catalyzed cyclization reaction. All their molecular structures were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The crystallographic data, NMR measurements, and theoretical calculations reveal their rigid quasi-planar skeletons, dominant local aromaticities, and decreasing intermolecular π-π stacking distance with extension of the two opposite edges. The much lower oxidation potential for K3 by cyclic voltammetry explains its unique reactivity. Moreover, carbonylated cycloarene derivative K3-R shows a remarkable stability, large diradical character, a small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_S-T = -1.81 kcal mol^-1), and weak intramolecular spin-spin coupling. Most importantly, it represents the first example of carbonylated cycloarene diradicaloids as well as the first example of radical-acceptor cycloarenes and will shed some light on synthesis of extended kekulenes and conjugated macrocyclic diradicaloids and polyradicaloids.

Inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability of optical coherence tomography angiography in vascular density measurement of retinal and choriocapillaris plexuses in healthy children aged 6-15 years

Objective

This study aimed to test the inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability of macular vascular density (VD) measurement of retinal and choriocapillaris plexuses in healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Materials and methods

Ninety-two school children were prospectively recruited. Macular OCTA images (6 × 6 mm²) were obtained thrice by two examiners using the RTVue-XR Avanti OCT system. The coefficient of variation (COV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility.

Results

Ninety participants aged 6-15 years were enrolled; two participants were excluded because of low-quality images. In the retina, the reproducibility and repeatability of VD became poorer from superficial to deep retinal capillary plexus (superficial: COV = 4.61-11.11%; intermediate: COV = 7.73-14.15%; deep: COV = 14.60-32.28%). For both reproducibility and repeatability, the ICC ranged from moderate to high (superficial plexus: ICC = 0.570-0.976; intermediate plexus: ICC = 0.720-0.968; deep plexus: ICC = 0.628-0.954). In the choroid, the inter-examiner reproducibility and intra-examiner repeatability of the VD measurement of choriocapillaris were excellent in the macula, fovea, parafovea, and perifovea (COV = 1.00-6.10%; ICC = 0.856-0.950). The parameters of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) also showed significant reproducibility and repeatability (COV = 0.01-0.21%; ICC = 0.743-0.994).

Conclusion

The VD measurements of the choriocapillaris and FAZ parameters using OCTA showed excellent inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability in school children. The reproducibility and repeatability of the VD of three retinal capillary plexuses depended on the depth of the retinal capillary plexus.

The Imbalance of p53-Park7 Signaling Axis Induces Iron Homeostasis Dysfunction in Doxorubicin-Challenged Cardiomyocytes

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity (DoIC) is a major side effect for cancer patients. Recently, ferroptosis, triggered by iron overload, is demonstrated to play a role in DoIC. How iron homeostasis is dysregulated in DoIC remains to be elucidated. Here, the authors demonstrate that DOX challenge exhibits reduced contractile function and induction of ferroptosis-related phenotype in cardiomyocytes, evidenced by iron overload, lipid peroxide accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Compared to Ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) induced secondary iron overload, DOX-challenged cardiomyocytes show a dysfunction of iron homeostasis, with decreased cytoplasmic and mitochondrial iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster-mediated aconitase activity and abnormal expression of iron homeostasis-related proteins. Mechanistically, mass spectrometry analysis identified DOX-treatment induces p53-dependent degradation of Parkinsonism associated deglycase (Park7) which results in iron homeostasis dysregulation. Park7 counteracts iron overload by regulating iron regulatory protein family transcription while blocking mitochondrial iron uptake. Knockout of p53 or overexpression of Park7 in cardiomyocytes remarkably restores the activity of FeS cluster and iron homeostasis, inhibits ferroptosis, and rescues cardiac function in DOX treated animals. These results demonstrate that the iron homeostasis plays a key role in DoIC ferroptosis. Targeting of the newly identified p53-Park7 signaling axis may provide a new approach to prevent DoIC.

Near-infrared absorbing semiconducting polymer nanomedicines for cancer therapy

As a new type of organic optical nanomaterials, semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) have the advantages of good optical characteristics and photostability, low toxicity concerns, and relatively simple preparation processes. Particularly, near-infrared (NIR) absorbing SPNs have shown a great promise in biomedicine. In addition to acting as nanoprobes for molecular imaging, these SPNs can produce local heat and reactive oxygen species with the stimulation of NIR light, allowing photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), respectively. Herein, we summarize the recent development of SPN-based nanomedicines for cancer therapy. The rational designs of SPNs for enhanced PTT, PDT, or combinational PTT/PDT to achieve effective ablation of tumor tissues are highlighted. Via loading/conjugating SPNs with other therapeutic elements (such as chemotherapeutic drugs and immunotherapeutic agents), phototherapy-combined chemotherapy or immunotherapy can be realized, which is then discussed. In especial, the constructions of SPN-based nanomedicines for NIR photoactivatable chemotherapy and immunotherapy are introduced with representative examples. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and key concerns of SPNs for their biomedical applications and give an outlook for their future clinical translation. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Noncontact liquid-solid nanogenerators as self-powered droplet sensors

Liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerators (L-S TENGs) can generate corresponding electrical signal responses through the contact separation of droplets and dielectrics and have a wide range of applications in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. However, the contact between the droplet and the electret will cause the contact L-S TENG's performance degradation or even failure. Here we report a noncontact triboelectric nanogenerator (NCLS-TENG) that can effectively sense droplet stimuli without contact with droplets and convert them into electrical energy or corresponding electrical signals. Since there is no contact between the droplet and the dielectric, it can continuously and stably generate a signal output. To verify the feasibility of NCLS-TENG, we demonstrate the modified murphy's dropper as a smart infusion monitoring system. The smart infusion monitoring system can effectively identify information such as the type, concentration, and frequency of droplets. NCLS-TENG show great potential in smart medical, smart wearable and other fields.

Single-Atom Fe Nanozyme with Enhanced Oxidase-like Activity for the Colorimetric Detection of Ascorbic Acid and Glutathione

Single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) have drawn ever-increasing attention due to their maximum atom utilization efficiency and enhanced enzyme-like activity. Herein, a facile pyrolysis strategy is reported for the synthesis of the iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) SAzyme using ferrocene trapped within porous zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8@Fc) as a precursor. The as-prepared Fe-N-C SAzyme exhibited exceptional oxidase-mimicking activity, catalytically oxidizing 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with high affinity (K_m) and fast reaction rate (V_max). Taking advantage of this property, we designed two colorimetric sensing assays based on different interaction modes between small molecules and Fe active sites. Firstly, utilizing the reduction activity of ascorbic acid (AA) toward oxidized TMB (TMBox), a colorimetric bioassay for AA detection was established, which exhibited a good linear range of detection from 0.1 to 2 μM and a detection limit as low as 0.1 μM. Additionally, based on the inhibition of nanozyme activity by the thiols of glutathione (GSH), a colorimetric biosensor for GSH detection was constructed, showing a linear response over a concentration range of 1-10 μM, with a detection limit of 1.3 μM. This work provides a promising strategy for rationally designing oxidase-like SAzymes and broadening their application in biosensing.

Dihydrophenazine-derived oligomers from industrial waste as sustainable superior cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Organic materials with the 5,10-dihydrophenazine motif are superior cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, the difficult accessibility and low capacity of such cathodes materials are obstacles to their practical applications. Herein, two novel oligomers, termed poly(5-methyl-10-(2-methacryloxypropyl)-5,10-dihydrophenazine) (PMPPZ) and poly(5-methyl-10-(2-methacryloxyethyl)-5,10-dihydrophenazine) (PMEPZ), were effectively synthesized from an industrial waste phenazine. Both oligomers were exploited successfully as excellent cathode materials for sustainable lithium-ion batteries. PMPPZ and PMEPZ exhibited good electrochemical stability and high initial discharge specific capacities of 88 mA h g^-1 and 152 mA h g^-1, respectively. Furthermore, upon in situ composition with MWCNTs, a composite material, named PMEPZ-MWCNTs, was achieved with enhanced stability and superior specific discharge capacity with the active-site utilization rate of up to 99%. PMEPZ-MWCNTs delivers high initial discharge capacity of up to 303 mA h g^-1 and even 252 mA h g^-1 after 300 cycles. Both oligomers exhibit double-electron transfer mechanisms. This work affords an alternative approach to utilizing phenazine as a useful material, circumventing the emission of vast environment harmful gases.

Association of Early and Supernormal Vascular Aging categories with cardiovascular disease in the Chinese population

Background

Early Vascular Aging and Supernormal Vascular Aging are two extreme phenotypes of vascular aging, and people in the two categories demonstrate distinct clinical characteristics and cardiovascular prognosis. However, the clinical implication of vascular aging categories in the Asian or Chinese population has not been investigated. We aimed to investigate the association between vascular aging categories and cardiovascular events in a Chinese cohort.

Methods

We explored the association of vascular aging categories with incident cardiovascular disease in a community cohort in Shanghai, China, which included 10,375 participants following up for 4.5 years. Vascular age was predicted by a multivariable linear regression model including classical risk factors and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Early and Supernormal vascular aging groups were defined by 10% and 90% percentiles of Δ-age, which was calculated as chronological minus vascular age.

Results

We found that cardiovascular risk significantly increased in Early [hazard ratio (HR), 1.597 (95% CI, 1.043–2.445)] and decreased in Supernormal [HR, 0.729 (95% CI, 0.539–0.986)] vascular aging individuals, comparing with normal vascular aging subjects. The associations were independent of the Framingham risk score. Early vascular aging individuals also showed an elevated risk of total mortality [HR, 2.614 (95% CI, 1.302–5.249)]. Further, the associations of vascular aging categories with cardiovascular risk were much stronger in females than in males. Vascular aging categories with different cutoff levels expressed as percentiles (10th, 20th, and 25th) of Δ-age showed similar associations with cardiovascular risk.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the vascular aging categories could identify people with different levels of cardiovascular risk in the Chinese population, particularly in women.

Natural wood-derived free-standing films as efficient and stable separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries

A sustainable and low-cost separator is highly required for electrochemical energy storage systems. Herein, a type of modified natural wood film with excellent mechanical properties, ion conductivity and thermal stability is fabricated for high-performance lithium ion batteries. Using the modified natural wood film as a separator, the fabricated symmetric cell exhibits a more stable and lower plating/stripping voltage for Li than that of the cell with a commercialized polypropylene (PP) separator. The LiFePO₄/Li half-cell with the modified wood film separator shows a small polarization voltage and high discharge capacity because of the multi-level nanostructure and abundant functional groups of the modified wood films. The results suggest that the modified wood films are a promising candidate for use as separators in lithium ion batteries. As desired, the LiFePO₄/Li half-cells with the modified wood film separator deliver much higher discharge capacities and more stable Coulomb efficiency over two hundred charge/discharge cycles than the cell based on the PP separator. The present work systematically investigate the feasibility of abundant and cheap natural wood-derived materials for use as efficient separators instead of synthetic polymers for high-performance lithium ion batteries with long cycle life.

Antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles as nanotransducers for second near-infrared photo-stimulation of neurons in rats

Infrared neural stimulation with the assistance of photothermal transducers holds great promise as a mini-invasive neural modulation modality. Optical nanoparticles with the absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) window have emerged as excellent photothermal transducers due to their good biocompatibility, surface modifiability, and tunable optical absorption. However, poor activation efficiency and limited stimulation depth are main predicaments encountered in the neural stimulation mediated by these nanoparticles. In this study, we prepared a targeted polydopamine (PDA)-coated gold (Au) nanoparticles with specific binding to thermo-sensitive ion channel as nanotransducers for second near-infrared (NIR-II) photo-stimulation of neurons in rats. The targeted Au nanoparticles were constructed via conjugation of anti-TRPV1 antibody with PEGylated PDA-coated Au nanoparticles and thus exhibited potent photothermal performance property in the second NIR (NIR-II) window and converted NIR-II light to heat to rapidly activate Ca²⁺ influx of neurons in vitro. Furthermore, wireless photothermal stimulation of neurons in living rat successfully evoke excitation in neurons in the targeted brain region as deep as 5 mm beneath cortex. This study thus demonstrates a remote-controlled strategy for neuromodulation using photothermal nanotransducers.

Hypoglycemia-Exacerbated Mitochondrial Connexin 43 Accumulation Aggravates Cardiac Dysfunction in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Background

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a complex multifaceted disease responsible for elevated heart failure (HF) morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with DCM exhibit subclinical diastolic dysfunction, progression toward systolic impairment, and abnormal electrophysiology. Hypoglycemia events that occur spontaneously or due to excess insulin administration threaten the lives of patients with DM—with the increased risk of sudden death. However, the molecular underpinnings of this fatal disease remain to be elucidated.

Methods and Results

Here, we used the established streptozotocin-induced DCM murine model to investigate how hypoglycemia aggravates DCM progression. We confirmed connexin 43 (Cx43) dissociation from cell–cell interaction and accumulation at mitochondrial inner membrane both in the cardiomyocytes of patients with DM and DCM murine. Here, we observed that cardiac diastolic function, induced by chronic hyperglycemia, was further aggravated upon hypoglycemia challenge. Similar contractile defects were recapitulated using neonatal mouse ventricular myocytes (NMVMs) under glucose fluctuation challenges. Using immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry, we identified and validated that hypoglycemia challenge activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPK kinase) (MEK)/extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) and inhibits phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathways, which results in Cx43 phosphorylation by Src protein and translocation to mitochondria in cardiomyocytes. To determine causality, we overexpressed a mitochondrial targeting Cx43 (mtCx43) using adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2)/9. At normal blood glucose levels, mtCx43 overexpression recapitulated cardiac diastolic dysfunction as well as aberrant electrophysiology in vivo. Our findings give support for therapeutic targeting of MEK/ERK/Src and PI3K/Akt/Src pathways to prevent mtCx43-driven DCM.

Conclusion

DCM presents compensatory adaptation of mild mtCx43 accumulation, yet acute hypoglycemia challenges result in further accumulation of mtCx43 through the MEK/ERK/Src and PI3K/Akt/Src pathways. We provide evidence that Cx43 mislocalization is present in hearts of patients with DM hearts, STZ-induced DCM murine model, and glucose fluctuation challenged NMVMs. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that mtCx43 is responsible for inducing aberrant contraction and disrupts electrophysiology in cardiomyocytes and our results support targeting of mtCx43 in treating DCM.

De novo mutations identified by whole-genome sequencing implicate chromatin modifications in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic anxiety disorder with a substantial genetic basis and a broadly undiscovered etiology. Recent studies of de novo mutation (DNM) exome-sequencing studies for OCD have reinforced the hypothesis that rare variation contributes to the risk. We performed, to our knowledge, the first whole-genome sequencing on 53 parent-offspring families with offspring affected with OCD to investigate all rare de novo variants and insertions/deletions. We observed higher mutation rates in promoter-anchored chromatin loops (empirical P = 0.0015) and regions with high frequencies of histone marks (empirical P = 0.0001). Mutations affecting coding regions were significantly enriched within coexpression modules of genes involved in chromatin modification during human brain development. Four genes—SETD5, KDM3B, ASXL3, and FBL—had strong aggregated evidence and functionally converged on transcription’s epigenetic regulation, suggesting an important OCD risk mechanism. Our data characterized different genome-wide DNMs and highlighted the contribution of chromatin modification in the etiology of OCD.

Priority index: database of genetic targets in immune-mediated disease

We describe a comprehensive and unique database 'Priority index' (Pi; http://pi.well.ox.ac.uk) of prioritized genes encoding potential therapeutic targets that encompasses all major immune-mediated diseases. We provide targets at the gene level, each receiving a 5-star rating supported by: genomic evidence arising from disease genome-wide associations and functional immunogenomics, annotation evidence using ontologies restricted to genes with genomic evidence, and network evidence from protein interactions. Target genes often act together in related molecular pathways. The underlying Pi approach is unique in identifying a network of highly rated genes that mediate pathway crosstalk. In the Pi website, disease-centric pages are specially designed to enable the users to browse a complete list of prioritized genes and also a manageable list of nodal genes at the pathway crosstalk level; both switchable by clicks. Moreover, target genes are cross-referenced and supported using additional information, particularly regarding tractability, including druggable pockets viewed in 3D within protein structures. Target genes highly rated across diseases suggest drug repurposing opportunity, while genes in a particular disease reveal disease-specific targeting potential. To facilitate the ease of such utility, cross-disease comparisons involving multiple diseases are also supported. This facility, together with the faceted search, enhances integrative mining of the Pi resource to accelerate early-stage therapeutic target identification and validation leveraging human genetics.

Size-dependent properties and unusual reactivity of novel nonplanar heterocycloarenes

The solution-phase synthesis of (hetero)cycloarenes with a well-defined size and geometric structure remains a challenging topic in organic chemistry and materials science. Herein, two novel nonplanar N,S-heterocycloarenes (PTZ1 and PTZ2) containing two/three alternate phenothiazine-co-phenanthrene units were conveniently synthesized. The smaller size heterocycloarene PTZ1 adopts a unique butterfly-shaped geometry and shows moderate supramolecular host–guest interactions with both fullerenes C₆₀ and C₇₀; whereas the higher homologue PTZ2 has a saddle-shaped conformation and demonstrates no obvious encapsulation with C₆₀ or C₇₀. Meanwhile, benefiting from the relatively ordered molecular packing, the thin film of PTZ1 behaved as a p-type semiconductor, while the more distorted PTZ2 does not display any field-effect characteristics. Particularly, upon the oxidation of heterocycloarene PTZ1 by Oxone, an unusual bis(sulfone-co-orthoquinone) product PTZ1-Oxi with an arc-shaped geometry is obtained and identified by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Our findings markedly expand the known chemistry of (hetero)cycloarenes and open a new path for their further functionalization.

Two novel fully fused heterocycloarenes consisting of nonplanar phenothiazine building units have been designed and successfully synthesized, which show size-dependent properties and unusual reactivity.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pan-Genotypic Sofosbuvir-Based Regimens for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 Infection in China

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 is the most prevalent HCV infection in China. Sofosbuvir-based direct antiviral agent (DAA) regimens are the current mainstays of treatment. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) and sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SOF/LDV) regimens became reimbursable in China in 2020. Thus, this study aimed to identify the optimal SOF-based regimen and to inform efficient use of healthcare resources by optimizing DAA use in treating HCV genotype 1. Methods and Models: A modeling-based cost-utility analysis was conducted from the payer's perspective targeting adult Chinese patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. Direct medical costs and health utilities were inputted into a Markov model to simulate lifetime experiences of chronically infected HCV patients after receiving SOF/LDV, SOF/VEL or the traditional strategy of pegylated interferon (pegIFN) + ribavirin (RBV). Discounted lifetime cost and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were computed and compared to generate the incremental cost utility ratio (ICUR). An ICUR below the threshold of 31,500 $/QALY suggests cost-effectiveness. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of model findings. Results: Both SOF/LDV and SOF/VEL regimens were dominant to the pegIFN + RBV regimen by creating more QALYs and incurring less cost. SOF/LDV produced 0.542 more QALYs but cost $10,390 less than pegIFN + RBV. Relative to SOF/LDV, SOF/VEL had an ICUR of 168,239 $/QALY which did not meet the cost-effectiveness standard. Therefore SOF/LDV was the optimal strategy. These findings were robust to linear and random variations of model parameters. However, reducing the SOF/VEL price by 40% would make this regimen the most cost-effective option. Conclusions: SOF/LDV was found to be the most cost-effective treatment, and SOF/VEL was also economically dominant to pegIFN + RBV. These findings indicated that replacing pegIFN + RBV with DAA regimens could be a promising strategy.

A multi-omics study delineates new molecular features and therapeutic targets for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major histological subtype of esophageal cancer with inferior prognosis. Here, we conducted comprehensive transcriptomic, proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic characterization of human, treatment-naive ESCC and paired normal adjacent tissues (cohort 1, n = 24) in an effort to identify new molecular vulnerabilities for ESCC and potential therapeutic targets. Integrative analysis revealed a small group of genes that were related to the active posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation of ESCC. By using proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic data, networks of ESCC-related signaling and metabolic pathways that were closely linked to cancer etiology were unraveled. Notably, integrative analysis of proteomic and phosphoproteomic data pinpointed that certain pathways involved in RNA transcription, processing, and metabolism were stimulated in ESCC. Importantly, proteins with close linkage to ESCC prognosis were identified. By enrolling an ESCC patient cohort 2 (n = 41), three top-ranked prognostic proteins X-prolyl aminopeptidase 3 (XPNPEP3), bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF), and fibrillarin (FBL) were verified to have increased expression in ESCC. Among these prognostic proteins, only FBL, a well-known nucleolar methyltransferase, was essential for ESCC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, a validation study using an ESCC patient cohort 3 (n = 100) demonstrated that high FBL expression predicted unfavorable patient survival. Finally, common cancer/testis antigens and established cancer drivers and kinases, all of which could direct therapeutic decisions, were characterized. Collectively, our multi-omics analyses delineated new molecular features associated with ESCC pathobiology involving epigenetic, posttranscriptional, posttranslational, and metabolic characteristics, and unveiled new molecular vulnerabilities with therapeutic potential for ESCC.

Integrative enrichment analysis of gene expression based on an artificial neuron

BACKGROUND

Huntington's disease is a kind of chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease with complex pathogenic mechanisms. To data, the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease is still not fully understood, and there has been no effective treatment. The rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technologies makes it possible to explore the molecular mechanisms at the transcriptome level. Our previous studies on Huntington's disease have shown that it is difficult to distinguish disease-associated genes from non-disease genes. Meanwhile, recent progress in bio-medicine shows that the molecular origin of chronic complex diseases may not exist in the diseased tissue, and differentially expressed genes between different tissues may be helpful to reveal the molecular origin of chronic diseases. Therefore, developing integrative analysis computational methods for the multi-tissues gene expression data, exploring the relationship between differentially expressed genes in different tissues and the disease, can greatly accelerate the molecular discovery process.

METHODS

For analysis of the intra- and inter- tissues' differentially expressed genes, we designed an integrative enrichment analysis method based on an artificial neuron (IEAAN). Firstly, we calculated the differential expression scores of genes which are seen as features of the corresponding gene, using fold-change approach with intra- and inter- tissues' gene expression data. Then, we weighted sum all the differential expression scores through a sigmoid function to get differential expression enrichment score. Finally, we ranked the genes according to the enrichment score. Top ranking genes are supposed to be the potential disease-associated genes.

RESULTS

In this study, we conducted large amounts of experiments to analyze the differentially expressed genes of intra- and inter- tissues. Experimental results showed that genes differentially expressed between different tissues are more likely to be Huntington's disease-associated genes. Five disease-associated genes were selected out in this study, two of which have been reported to be implicated in Huntington's disease.

CONCLUSIONS

We proposed a novel integrative enrichment analysis method based on artificial neuron (IEAAN), which displays better prediction precision of disease-associated genes in comparison with the state-of-the-art statistical-based methods. Our comprehensive evaluation suggests that genes differentially expressed between striatum and liver tissues of health individuals are more likely to be Huntington's disease-associated genes.

Preparation of p-Phenylenediamine Modified Graphene Foam/Polyaniline@Epoxy Composite with Superior Thermal and EMI Shielding Performance

With the development of integrated devices, the local hot spot has become a critical problem to guarantee the working efficiency and the stability. In this work, we proposed an innovative approach to deliver graphene foam/polyaniline@epoxy composites (GF/PANI@EP) with improvement in the thermal and mechanical property performance. The graphene foam was firstly modified by the grafting strategy of p-phenylenediamine to anchor reactive sites for further in-situ polymerization of PANI resulting in a conductive network. The thermal conductivity (κ) and electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI) performance of the optimized GF/PANI4:1@EP is significantly enhanced by 238% and 1184%, respectively, compared to that of pristine EP with superior reduced modulus and hardness. Such a method to deliver GF composites can not only solve the agglomeration problem in traditional high content filler casting process, but also provides an effective way to build up conductive network with low density for thermal management of electronic devices.

m6A demethylase ALKBH5 controls CD4+ T cell pathogenicity and promotes autoimmunity

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification is dynamically regulated by "writer" and "eraser" enzymes. m⁶A "writers" have been shown to ensure the homeostasis of CD4⁺ T cells, but the "erasers" functioning in T cells is poorly understood. Here, we reported that m⁶A eraser AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), but not FTO, maintains the ability of naïve CD4⁺ T cells to induce adoptive transfer colitis. In addition, T cell-specific ablation of ALKBH5 confers protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. During the induced neuroinflammation, ALKBH5 deficiency increased m⁶A modification on interferon-γ and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 messenger RNA (mRNA), thus decreasing their mRNA stability and protein expression in CD4⁺ T cells. These modifications resulted in attenuated CD4⁺ T cell responses and diminished recruitment of neutrophils into the central nervous system. Our findings reveal an unexpected specific role of ALKBH5 as an m⁶A eraser in controlling the pathogenicity of CD4⁺ T cells during autoimmunity.

Controllable One-Step Synthesis of Mixed-Phase TiO2 Nanocrystals with Equivalent Anatase/Rutile Ratio for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

In this study, the novel mixed-phase TiO2 nanocrystals (s-TiO2) with nearly equivalent anatase/rutile ratio were fabricated in the reagent of sec-butanol at the relatively low temperature of 80 °C by using a facile one-step condensing reflux method. The photocatalytic water splitting hydrogen production performance of s-TiO2 nanocrystals is close to that of commercial TiO2 (P25), and its photocatalytic degradation performance is about four times that of P25. The energy-level staggered interfaces and surface bridged hydroxyl groups significantly increased due to the anatase/rutile mixed-phase crystal structure and high specific surface area, which might generate the synergistic effect for the improvement of photocatalytic degradation.

Pooled CRISPR screening identifies m6A as a positive regulator of macrophage activation

m⁶A RNA modification is implicated in multiple cellular responses. However, its function in the innate immune cells is poorly understood. Here, we identified major m⁶A "writers" as the top candidate genes regulating macrophage activation by LPS in an RNA binding protein focused CRISPR screening. We have confirmed that Mettl3-deficient macrophages exhibited reduced TNF-α production upon LPS stimulation in vitro. Consistently, Mettl3 ^flox/flox;Lyzm-Cre mice displayed increased susceptibility to bacterial infection and showed faster tumor growth. Mechanistically, the transcripts of the Irakm gene encoding a negative regulator of TLR4 signaling were highly decorated by m⁶A modification. METTL3 deficiency led to the loss of m⁶A modification on Irakm mRNA and slowed down its degradation, resulting in a higher level of IRAKM, which ultimately suppressed TLR signaling-mediated macrophage activation. Our findings demonstrate a previously unknown role for METTL3-mediated m⁶A modification in innate immune responses and implicate the m⁶A machinery as a potential cancer immunotherapy target.

Integrative Analysis Identified Key Schizophrenia Risk Factors from an Abnormal Behavior Mouse Gene Set

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe chronic psychiatric illness with heterogeneous symptoms. However, the pathogenesis of SCZ is unclear, and the number of well-defined SCZ risk factors is limited. We hypothesized that an abnormal behavior (AB) gene set verified by mouse model experiments can be used to better understand SCZ risks. In this work, we carried out an integrative bioinformatics analysis to study two types of risk genes that are either differentially expressed (DEGs) in the case-control study data or carry reported SCZ genetic variants (MUTs). Next, we used RNA-Seq expression data from the hippocampus (HIPPO) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to define the key genes affected by different types (DEGs and MUTs) in different brain regions (DLPFC and HIPPO): DLPFC-kDEG, DLPFC-kMUT, HIPPO-kDEG, and HIPPO-kMUT. The four hub genes (SHANK1, SHANK2, DLG4, and NLGN3) of the biological functionally enriched terms were strongly linked to SCZ via gene co-expression network analysis. Then, we observed that specific spatial expressions of DLPFC-kMUT and HIPPO-kMUT were convergent in the early stages and divergent in the later stages of development. In addition, all four types of key genes showed significantly larger average protein-protein interaction degrees than the background. Comparing the different cell types, the expression of four types of key genes showed specificity in different dimensions. Together, our results offer new insights into potential risk factors and help us understand the complexity and regional heterogeneity of SCZ.

NuRD mediates mitochondrial stress-induced longevity via chromatin remodeling in response to acetyl-CoA level

Mild mitochondrial stress experienced early in life can have beneficial effects on the life span of organisms through epigenetic regulations. Here, we report that acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) represents a critical mitochondrial signal to regulate aging through the chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylase complex (NuRD) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Upon mitochondrial stress, the impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle results in a decreased level of citrate, which accounts for reduced production of acetyl-CoA and consequently induces nuclear accumulation of the NuRD and a homeodomain-containing transcription factor DVE-1, thereby enabling decreased histone acetylation and chromatin reorganization. The metabolic stress response is thus established during early life and propagated into adulthood to allow transcriptional regulation for life-span extension. Furthermore, adding nutrients to restore acetyl-CoA production is sufficient to counteract the chromatin changes and diminish the longevity upon mitochondrial stress. Our findings uncover the molecular mechanism of the metabolite-mediated epigenome for the regulation of organismal aging.

Shape- and size dependent piezoelectric properties of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets

We use molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to study piezoelectric properties of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) and reveal how piezoelectric properties depend on size and shape. We first analyze how the macroscopic shape affects the full 2D structure symmetry and its piezoelectric tensor. In particular, we demonstrate that a hexagonal (rectangular)-shaped BNNS belongs to the hexagonal 6̄m2 (monoclinic m) point group. Our simulation results show that the piezoelectric constants of BNNS depend strongly on the macroscopic shape, in agreement with the symmetry of the structure, but are nearly independent of the macroscopic size. The present study provides a detailed understanding of the piezoelectric properties of finite size BNNS and guidance to future experiments and optimization of 2D piezoelectric materials in general.