Lithium Ion Repulsion-Enrichment Synergism Induced by Core-Shell Ionic Complexes to Enable High-Loading Lithium Metal Batteries.

A core-shell additive with anionic Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM) cluster as core and N-containing cation of ionic liquid (IL) as shell is proposed to stabilize Li-metal batteries (LMBs). The suspended POM derived complex in ether-based electrolyte is absorbed around the protuberances of anode and triggers a lithiophobic repulsion mechanism for the homogenization of Li redistribution. The gradually released POM cores with negative charge then enrich Li and co-assemble with Li.

LiCO-affiliative mechanism for air-accessible interface engineering of garnet electrolyte via facile liquid metal painting.

Garnet based solid-state batteries have the advantages of wide electrochemical window and good chemical stability. However, at Li-garnet interface, the poor interfacial wettability due to LiCO passivation usually causes large resistance and unstable contact. Here, a LiCO-affiliative mechanism is proposed for air-accessible interface engineering of garnet electrolyte via facile liquid metal (LM) painting.

Behind the Candelabra: A Facile Flame Vapor Deposition Method for Interfacial Engineering of Garnet Electrolyte To Enable Ultralong Cycling Solid-State Li-FeF Conversion Batteries.

The frustrating interfacial issue between Li metal anode and solid electrolyte is the main obstacle that restricts the commercial promotion of solid-state batteries. The garnet-type ceramic electrolyte with high stability against metallic Li has drawn much attention, but it also suffers from huge interfacial resistance and Li dendrite penetration due to the unavoidable formation of the carbonate passivation layer and limited interface contact. Herein, we propose a facile and effective method of flame vapor deposition to spray candle soot (CS) coating on the garnet surface.

Optical refrigeration: the role of parasitic absorption at cryogenic temperatures.

Optical cooling of a YLF:Yb single crystal to 87 K, well below the minimum achievable temperature predicted from existing theory, has been observed. This discrepancy between theory and data has motivated us to revisit the current model of optical refrigeration, in particular the critical role of parasitic background absorption. Challenging experiments that measured the cooling efficiency as a function of temperature reveal that the background absorption coefficient decreases with temperature, resulting in a significant enhancement of the cooling efficiency at cryogenic temperatures.

Radiation-balanced Yb:YAG disk laser.

A radiation-balanced Yb:YAG disk laser is demonstrated in an intracavity pumping geometry. Detailed analysis of the data reveals the feasibility of using the multi-kilowatt level "athermal" disk lasers with minimal modal instabilities, which arise from thermal lensing.

A microfluidics-based mobility shift assay to identify new inhibitors of β-secretase for Alzheimer's disease.

The β-secretase (BACE1) initiates the generation of toxic amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) from amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), which was widely considered to play a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, a novel microfluidics-based mobility shift assay (MMSA) was developed, validated, and applied for the screening of BACE1 inhibitors for AD. First, the BACE1 activity assay was established with a new fluorescent peptide substrate (FAM-EVNLDAEF) derived from the Swedish mutant APP, and high-quality ratiometric data were generated in both endpoint and kinetic modes by electrophoretic separation of peptide substrate from the BACE1 cleaved product (FAM-EVNL) before fluorescence quantification.

White light photothermal lens spectrophotometer for the determination of absorption in scattering samples.

We developed a pump-probe photothermal lens spectrophotometer that uses a broadband arc-lamp and a set of interference filters to provide tunable, nearly monochromatic radiation between 370 and 730 nm as the pump light source. This light is focused onto an absorbing sample, generating a photothermal lens of millimeter dimensions. A highly collimated monochromatic probe light from a low-power He-Ne laser interrogates the generated lens, yielding a photothermal signal proportional to the absorption of light.

Missense mutations in IHH impair Indian Hedgehog signaling in C3H10T1/2 cells: Implications for brachydactyly type A1, and new targets for Hedgehog signaling.

Heterozygous missense mutations in IHH result in Brachydactyly type A1 (BDA1; OMIM 112500), a condition characterized by the shortening of digits due to hypoplasia/aplasia of the middle phalanx. Indian Hedgehog signaling regulates the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes and is essential for endochondral bone formation. Analyses of activated IHH signaling in C3H10T1/2 cells showed that three BDA1-associated mutations (p.

A comparative proteomics analysis of rat mitochondria from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in response to antipsychotic medications.

An increasing number of experiments have found anomalies in mitochondria in the brains of psychotics, which suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction or abnormal cerebral energy metabolism might play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). We adopted a proteomic approach to identify the differential effects on the cerebral cortex and hippocampus mitochondrial protein expression of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by comparing exposure to typical and atypical antipsychotic medications. Differential mitochondrial protein expressions were assessed using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis for three groups with Chlorpromazine (CPZ), Clozapine (CLZ), quetiapine (QTP) and a control group.

IHH and FGF8 coregulate elongation of digit primordia.

In the developing limb bud, digit pattern arises from anterior-posterior (A-P) positional information which is provided by the concentration gradient of SHH. However, the mechanisms of translating early asymmetry into morphological form are still unclear. Here, we examined the ability of IHH and FGF8 signaling to regulate digital chondrogenesis, by implanting protein-loaded beads in the interdigital space singly and in combination.

An association study between PPP1R1B gene and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

Schizophrenia has been linked with dysfunctions of glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic neurotransmission. Dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of relative molecular mass 32 kDa (DARPP-32), encoded by PPP1R1B (protein phosphatase 1, regulatory/inhibitor subunit 1B) gene, is enriched in neostriatal medium spiny neurons. It plays a key regulator role in dopaminergic and glutamatergic signaling pathways.

Screening for SNPs and haplotypes in the CYP3A7 gene in Chinese populations.

Objective: To determine the frequencies and haplotypes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A7 gene in three Chinese ethnic groups, namely, Han, She and Dong.

Methods: SNP analyses of the CYP3A7 gene were carried out on three groups of healthy Chinese subjects consisting of 539 Han, 264 She and 273 Dong subjects, using direct sequencing. Linkage disequilibrium, haplotype inference and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were also determined for these samples.

The PIP5K2A gene and schizophrenia in the Chinese population--a case-control study.

Results from a number of molecular and pharmacological studies suggest that the phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase IIalpha (PIP5K2A) gene may be involved in the development of schizophrenia. A recent family-based transmission disequilibrium test in the German and Israeli populations found that four single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs1417374, rs10828317, rs746203 and rs8341 in this gene or nearby intergenic regions are significantly associated with schizophrenia. The objective of our study was to investigate whether these four SNPs are also associated with schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

No association found between the promoter variants of ADRA1A and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatry disorder with a strong genetic component. A recent association study of alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor gene (ADRA1A) involving an isolated Spanish population, focusing on the promoter region of the ADRA1A, genotyped eight single SNPs at the promoter region of ADRA1A and found that two SNPs, -563G/A and -9625G/A, were associated with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. We were interested in the two positive sites reported and selected five variants among the promoter region of ADRA1A, namely -563G/A, -9625G/A, -2760C/A, -4155G/C and a new substitution we detected between -508bp and -530bp upstream of the translation initiation site.

No significant association between the genetic polymorphisms in the GSK-3 beta gene and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

The GSK-3 beta gene encodes a protein kinase which is abundant in the brain, and its product is involved in signal transduction cascades of neuronal cell development, energy metabolism and body pattern formation. Previous studies have suggested that GSK-3 beta might act as a potential candidate locus for schizophrenia susceptibility. We genotyped six SNPs within the gene and conducted a case-control study involving 329 schizophrenic patients and 288 healthy subjects in the Chinese population.

Functional variants in the promoter region of Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) and susceptibility to schizophrenia.

The chitinase 3-like 1 gene (CHI3L1) is abnormally expressed in the hippocampus of subjects with schizophrenia and may be involved in the cellular response to various environmental events that are reported to increase the risk of schizophrenia. Here, we provide evidence that the functional variants at the CHI3L1 locus influence the genetic risk of schizophrenia. First, using case-control and transmission/disequilibrium-test (TDT) methodologies, we detected a significant association between schizophrenia and haplotypes within the promoter region of CHI3L1 in two independent cohorts of Chinese individuals.

The relationship between the therapeutic response to risperidone and the dopamine D2 receptor polymorphism in Chinese schizophrenia patients.

Antipsychotic drugs exert both therapeutic and adverse effects through dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) antagonism. Genetic variants of this receptor may be responsible for individual variations in neuroleptic response and may therefore be useful in predicting response. In this study we evaluated the role of six polymorphisms of the DRD2 gene in 125 risperidone-treated Chinese schizophrenia patients following the hypothesis that variation in the DRD2 gene could affect drug response.

Polymorphisms of the ABCB1 gene are associated with the therapeutic response to risperidone in Chinese schizophrenia patients.

P-glycoprotein, a product of the ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) gene, plays an important role in absorption and distribution of drugs. The brain entry of risperidone and 9-OH-risperidone is greatly limited by P-glycoprotein, which implies that the functional polymorphisms of ABCB1 in humans may be a factor contributing to the variability in response to risperidone. The present study was therefore designed to examine whether polymorphisms of the ABCB1 gene are related to therapeutic response.

No genetic association between polymorphisms in the AMPA receptor subunit GluR4 gene (GRIA4) and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

The glutamatergic dysfunction hypothesis of schizophrenia suggests genes involved in glutamatergic transmission as candidates for schizophrenia-susceptibility genes. It has recently been reported that some haplotypes in the AMPA receptor subunit GluR4 Gene (GRIA4), which is located on chromosome 11q22, are positively associated with schizophrenia in the Japanese population. In order to assess the role of GRIA4 in schizophrenia, we examined three reported positive SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms): rs609239, rs641574 and rs659840 at the GRIA4 locus in schizophrenic cases (n = 372) and controls (n = 392) of the Chinese population.