Electrolyte Design Enables Stable and Energy-Dense Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Free from strategically important elements such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper, potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are heralded as promising low-cost and sustainable electrochemical energy storage systems that complement the existing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the reported electrochemical performance of PIBs is still suboptimal, especially under practically relevant battery manufacturing conditions. The primary challenge stems from the lack of electrolytes capable of concurrently supporting both the low-voltage anode and high-voltage cathode with satisfactory Coulombic efficiency (CE) and cycling stability.

DGA ameliorates severe acute pancreatitis through modulating macrophage pyroptosis.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is an inflammatory disease with varying severity, ranging from mild local inflammation to severe systemic disease, with a high incidence rate and mortality. Current drug treatments are not ideal. Therefore, safer and more effective therapeutic drugs are urgently needed.

Plin4 exacerbates cadmium-decreased testosterone level via inducing ferroptosis in testicular Leydig cells.

Strong evidence indicates that environmental stressors are the risk factors for male testosterone deficiency (TD). However, the mechanisms of environmental stress-induced TD remain unclear. Based on our all-cause male reproductive cohort, we found that serum ferrous iron (Fe⁺) levels were elevated in TD donors.

Sirt1 m6A modification-evoked Leydig cell senescence promotes Cd-induced testosterone decline.

Diminished testosterone levels have been documented as a key factor in numerous male health disorders. Both human and animal studies have consistently demonstrated that cadmium (Cd), a pervasive environmental heavy metal, results in decreased testosterone levels. However, the exact mechanism through which Cd interferes with testosterone synthesis remains incompletely elucidated.

Identification of adipocyte infiltration-related gene subtypes for predicting colorectal cancer prognosis and responses of immunotherapy/chemotherapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent and aggressive malignancy characterized by a complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Given the variations in the level of adipocyte infiltration in TME, the prognosis may differ among CRC patients. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish a reliable method for identifying adipocyte subtypes in CRC in order to elucidate the impact of adipocyte infiltration on CRC treatment and prognosis.

Dilute Electrolytes with Fluorine-Free Ether Solvents for 4.5 V Lithium Metal Batteries.

The limited oxidation stability of ether solvents has posed significant challenges for their applications in high-voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs). To tackle this issue, the prevailing strategy either adopts a high concentration of fluorinated salts or relies on highly fluorinated solvents, which will significantly increase the manufacturing cost and create severe environmental hazards. Herein, an alternative and sustainable salt engineering approach is proposed to enable the utilization of dilute electrolytes consisting of fluorine (F)-free ethers in high-voltage LMBs.

Activation of lipophagy ameliorates cadmium-induced neural tube defects via reducing low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in mouse placentas.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) represent a prevalent and severe category of congenital anomalies in humans. Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental teratogen known to cause fetal NTDs. However, its underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

A Pilot Study on a Possible Mechanism behind Olfactory Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: The Association of TAAR1 Downregulation with Neuronal Loss and Inflammation along Olfactory Pathway.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized not only by motor symptoms but also by non-motor dysfunctions, such as olfactory impairment; the cause is not fully understood. Our study suggests that neuronal loss and inflammation in brain regions along the olfactory pathway, such as the olfactory bulb (OB) and the piriform cortex (PC), may contribute to olfactory dysfunction in PD mice, which might be related to the downregulation of the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) in these areas. In the striatum, although only a decrease in mRNA level, but not in protein level, of TAAR1 was detected, bioinformatic analyses substantiated its correlation with PD.

A Strong, Tough, and Stable Composite with Nacre-Inspired Sandwich Structure.

Improving the fracture resistance of nacre-inspired composites is crucial in addressing the strength-toughness trade-off. However, most previously proposed strategies for enhancing fracture resistance in these composites have been limited to interfacial modification by polymer, which restricts mechanical enhancement. Here, a composite material consisting of graphene oxide (GO) lamellae and nanocrystalline reinforced amorphous alumina nanowires (NAANs) has been developed.

Identified S100A9 as a target for diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis by bioinformatics analysis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory bowel disease. UC confronts with severe challenges including the unclear pathogenesis and lack of specific diagnostic markers, demanding for identifying predictive biomarkers for UC diagnosis and treatment. We perform immune infiltration and weighted gene co-expression network analysis on gene expression profiles of active UC, inactive UC, and normal controls to identify UC related immune cell and hub genes.

Dual-ROS Sensitive Moieties Conjugate Inhibits Curcumin Oxidative Degradation for Colitis Precise Therapy.

Curcumin, a natural bioactive polyphenol with diverse molecular targets, is well known for its anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory potential. However, curcumin exhibits low solubility (<1 µg mL), poor tissue-targeting ability, and rapid oxidative degradation, resulting in poor bioavailability and stability for inflammatory therapy. Here, poly(diselenide-oxalate-curcumin) nanoparticle (SeOC-NP) with dual-reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensitive chemical moieties (diselenide and peroxalate ester bonds) is fabricated by a one-step synthetic strategy.

Multigenerational paternal obesity enhances the susceptibility to male subfertility in offspring via Wt1 N6-methyladenosine modification.

There is strong evidence that obesity is a risk factor for poor semen quality. However, the effects of multigenerational paternal obesity on the susceptibility to cadmium (a reproductive toxicant)-induced spermatogenesis disorders in offspring remain unknown. Here, we show that, in mice, spermatogenesis and retinoic acid levels become progressively lower as the number of generations exposed to a high-fat diet increase.

The History and Prediction of Prebiotics and Postbiotics: A Patent Analysis.

Prebiotics and postbiotics have gained attention as functional food additives due to their substantial influence on the gut microbiome and potential implications for human health on a broader scale. In addition, the number of patents for these additives has also increased, yet their functional classification has been problematic. In this study, we classified 2215 patents granted from 2001 to 2020 by functionality to enable predictions of future development directions.

A High-Entropy Prussian Blue Analog for Aqueous Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous potassium-ion batteries (AKIBs) are considered promising electrochemical energy storage systems owing to their high safety and cost-effectiveness. However, the structural degradation resulting from the repeated accommodation of large K-ions and the dissolution of active electrode materials in highly dielectric aqueous electrolytes often lead to unsatisfactory electrochemical performance. This study introduces a high-entropy Prussian blue analog (HEPBA) cathode material for AKIBs, demonstrating significantly enhanced structural stability and reduced dissolution.

LncRNA-edited biomimetic nanovaccines combined with anti-TIM-3 for augmented immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy.

T-cell immunoglobulin mucin (TIM)-3 blockade ameliorates T cell exhaustion and triggers dendritic cell (DC) inflammasome activation, showing great potential in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy. However, pharmacokinetic profile and T cell/DC infiltration in tumor microenvironment is still undesired. Here, we develop a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-edited biomimetic nanovaccine combined with anti-TIM-3 to mediate dual-effect antigen cross-presentation and dampen T cell immunosuppression for reinforced ICB immunotherapy.

Loss of Atg5 in Sertoli cells enhances the susceptibility of cadmium-impaired testicular spermatogenesis in mice.

Cadmium (Cd), one of the most common contaminants in diet and drinking water, impairs testicular germ cell development and spermatogenesis. Autophagy is essential for maintaining Sertoli cell function and Sertoli-germ cell communication. However, the role of Sertoli cell autophagy in Cd-caused spermatogenesis disorder remains unclear.

Like father, like daughter:Paternal cadmium exposure causes hepatic glucose metabolic disorder and phospholipids accumulation in adult female offspring.

Cadmium (Cd), is a well-known reproductive toxicant. The impacts of paternal Cd exposure on offspring glucose and lipid metabolism remain unclear, despite the abundance of adverse reports following early exposure from the mother. Here, we assessed paternally acquired metabolic derailment using a mouse model.

Sperm Rhoa m6A modification mediates intergenerational transmission of paternally acquired hippocampal neuronal senescence and cognitive deficits after combined exposure to environmental cadmium and high-fat diet in mice.

Little is currently known about the effect and mechanism of combined paternal environmental cadmium (Cd) and high-fat diet (HFD) on offspring cognitive ability. Here, using in vivo model, we found that combined paternal environmental Cd and HFD caused hippocampal neuronal senescence and cognitive deficits in offspring. MeRIP-seq revealed m6A level of Rhoa, a regulatory gene of cellular senescence, was significantly increased in combined environmental Cd and HFD-treated paternal sperm.

Gestational cadmium exposure disrupts fetal liver development via repressing estrogen biosynthesis in placental trophoblasts.

Cadmium (Cd), commonly found in diet and drinking water, is known to be harmful to the human liver. Nevertheless, the effects and mechanisms of gestational Cd exposure on fetal liver development remain unclear. Here, we reported that gestational Cd (150 mg/L) exposure obviously downregulated the expression of critical proteins including PCNA, Ki67 and VEGF-A in proliferation and angiogenesis in fetal livers, and lowered the estradiol concentration in fetal livers and placentae.

MXRA8 is an immune-relative prognostic biomarker associated with metastasis and CD8 T cell infiltration in colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tumor metastasis and CD8 T cell infiltration play a crucial role in CRC patient survival. It is important to determine the etiology and mechanism of the malignant progression of CRC to develop more effective treatment strategies.

Identification of Aging and Young Subtypes for Predicting Colorectal Cancer Prognosis and Immunotherapy Responses.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is critically related to aging and severely threatens human lives. To better explore the effects of aging on CRC progression and therapy outcome, a reliable aging subtypes identification of CRC is urgently desired. Here, 28 aging-related genes associated with the CRC prognosis were selected by univariate Cox analyses.

The expression pattern of pyroptosis-related genes predicts the prognosis and drug response of melanoma.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM, hereafter referred to as melanoma) is a highly malignant tumor that typically undergoes early metastasis. Pyroptosis, as a special programmed cell death process that releases inflammatory factors and has been widely studied in tumors, but its role in melanoma has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the relationship between pyroptosis and the prognosis of melanoma through bioinformatic analysis of RNA-sequencing data.