Anisotropic Resonant Tunneling in Twist-Stacked van der Waals Heterostructure.

Resonant tunneling, with energy and momentum conservation, has been extensively studied in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures and has potential applications in band structure probing, multivalued logic, and oscillators. Lattice alignment is crucial in resonant tunneling transistors (RTTs) for achieving negative differential resistance (NDR) with a high peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) because twist-angle-induced momentum mismatch can break the resonant tunneling condition. Here, we report anisotropic resonant tunneling in twist-stacked ReSe/-BN/ReSe RTTs, where the PVR exhibits a strong dependence on the twist angle between the two ReSe layers, reaching a maximum at the twist angle of 102°.

Biomimetic celastrol nanocrystals with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity for suppressing breast cancer invasion and metastasis.

Breast cancer and its lung metastases pose significant threats to women's health worldwide, impacting their quality of life. Although several therapeutic strategies against breast cancer have been developed, they often cause serious side effects due to their high toxicity and low specificity. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies that offer potent anti-tumor activity with minimal toxicity are urgently needed to combat the threat of breast cancer and lung metastases.

Tailoring industrial enzymes for thermostability and activity evolution by the machine learning-based iCASE strategy.

The pursuit of obtaining enzymes with high activity and stability remains a grail in enzyme evolution due to the stability-activity trade-off. Here, we develop an isothermal compressibility-assisted dynamic squeezing index perturbation engineering (iCASE) strategy to construct hierarchical modular networks for enzymes of varying complexity. Molecular mechanism analysis elucidates that the peak of adaptive evolution is reached through a structural response mechanism among variants.

Rational Design Engineering of 5-Aminolevulinate Synthase with Activity and Stability Enhancement.

5-Aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS) is the key rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of the vital biosynthetic intermediate 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). However, its catalytic efficiency is compromised due to its low activity and poor stability. Here, we obtained the mutant I325M/V390Y/H391I (T6), which exhibited a 7.

Engineering mRNA vaccine with broad-spectrum protection against SARS-cov-2 variants.

Herd immunity through mass vaccination is an effective method for preventing infectious diseases. However, the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, with their frequent mutations, largely evade the immune response and protection induced by COVID-19 vaccines. Here, we designed messenger RNAs encoding mutant epitopes of the spike protein shared among various COVID-19 variants.

Effects of synbiotics surpass probiotics alone in improving type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Combining probiotics and prebiotics in synbiotics may present a synergistic approach to improve type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, further evidence is required to establish the comparative efficacy of synbiotics versus probiotics. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis MN-Gup (MN-Gup) and a synbiotic mixture of MN-Gup and galactooligosaccharide (MN-Gup-GOS) on glycemic control in T2DM patients and explore possible mechanisms.

Single-Cell Sequencing Combined with Transcriptome Sequencing to Explore the Molecular Mechanisms Related to Skin Photoaging.

Background: The aging of skin is a diversified biological phenomenon, influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, the specific mechanism of skin photoaging is not yet completely elucidated.

Methods: Gene expression profiles for photoaging patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) collection.

Association of multiple environmental exposures with rhinitis and asthma symptoms in preschool children: Identifying critical risk factor.

Background: The concept "one airway, one disease" for childhood rhinitis and asthma has been challenged in recent years. This study aimed to evaluate associations of environmental exposures with alone and co-morbid symptoms of rhinitis and asthma and identify critical risk factor.

Methods: 5828 children aged 3-6 years in Shanghai were surveyed in 2019.

Association of Klotho and Gout in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: National Health and Nutrition Survey (2007-2016).

Background: Klotho, which is known to negatively regulate metabolic disorders and kidney disease, has a role in gout that remains unclear. This research explored how klotho levels correlate with the prevalence of gout.

Methods: Participants aged 40 to 79 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2016) were examined in both lines.

Associations of exposure to phthalate with serum uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, and the mediating role of systemic immune inflammation.

Background: Previous studies found that urinary phthalates (PAEs) metabolites may be associated with increased serum uric acid concentration and hyperuricemia risk. However, no population-based study has investigated the underlying biological mechanisms.

Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional study analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2018.

Association Between the Serum Phosphate Levels and Hospital Mortality as Well as 90-Day Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: COPD patients frequently have abnormal serum phosphorus levels. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between serum phosphorus levels with hospital and 90-day mortality in critically ill patients with COPD.

Patients And Methods: The MIMIC IV database was used for this retrospective cohort analysis.

Sliding Memristor in Parallel-Stacked Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Sliding ferroelectricity in 2D materials, arising from interlayer sliding-induced interlayer hybridization and charge redistribution at the van der Waals interface, offers a means to manipulate spontaneous polarization at the atomic scale through various methods such as stacking order, interfacial contact, and electric field. However, the practical application of extending 2D sliding ferroelectricity remains challenging due to the contentious mechanisms and the complex device structures required for ferroelectric switching. Here, a sliding memristor based on a graphene/parallel-stacked hexagonal boron nitride/graphene tunneling device, featuring a stable memristive hysteresis induced by interfacial polarizations and barrier height modulations, is presented.

Complex impact of metals on the fate of disinfection by-products in drinking water pipelines: A systematic review.

Metals in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) play an important role on the fate of disinfection by-products (DBPs). They can increase the formation of DBPs through several mechanisms, such as enhancing the proportion of reactive halogen species (RHS), catalysing the reaction between natural organic matter (NOM) and RHS through complexation, or by increasing the conversion of NOM into DBP precursors. This review comprehensively summarizes these complex processes, focusing on the most important metals (copper, iron, manganese) in DWDS and their impact on various DBPs.

Kidney function decline mediates the adverse effects of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on uric acid levels and hyperuricemia risk.

Previous studies indicated per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were related to uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, but evidence for the exposure-response (E-R) curves and combined effect of PFAS mixture is limited. Moreover, the potential mediation effect of kidney function was not assessed. Hence, we conducted a national cross-sectional study involving 13,979 US adults in NHANES 2003-2018 to examine the associations of serum PFAS with uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, and the mediation effects of kidney function.

Indoor metabolites and chemicals outperform microbiome in classifying childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Indoor microorganisms impact asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), but the associated microbial taxa often vary extensively due to climate and geographical variations. To provide more consistent environmental assessments, new perspectives on microbial exposure for asthma and AR are needed. Home dust from 97 cases (32 asthma alone, 37 AR alone, 28 comorbidity) and 52 age- and gender-matched controls in Shanghai, China, were analyzed using high-throughput shotgun metagenomic sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Intrinsic High-Temperature Ferroelectric 2D CuCrSe.

Ultrathin 2D ferroelectrics with high Curie temperature are critical for multifunctional ferroelectric devices. However, the ferroelectric spontaneous polarization is consistently broken by the strong thermal fluctuations at high temperature, resulting in the rare discovery of high-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D materials. Here, a chemical vapor deposition method is reported to synthesize 2D CuCrSe nanosheets.

The joint effect of cumulative doses for outdoor air pollutants exposure in early life on asthma and wheezing among young children.

Background: Constrained by no proper way to assess cumulative exposure, the joint effect of air pollution cumulative exposure doses on childhood asthma and wheezing (AW) was not understood.

Objective: To assess the association between cumulative exposure to multiple air pollutants in early life and childhood AW.

Methods: We designed a nested case-control study based on the birth cohort in Jinan City.

The Association Between Exercise During Pregnancy and the Risk of Preterm Birth.

Purpose: We aimed to examine the association between exercise during pregnancy and preterm birth (PTB).

Methods: This study was a baseline survey of the Jinan birth cohort. The study subjects were the mothers one month after giving birth, which were investigated by questionnaires retrospectively containing physical exercise (frequency, time, and primary exercise patterns) during pregnancy and each trimester.

FTO attenuates LPS-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting autophagy via regulating SNHG14/miR-373-3p/ATG7 axis.

N6-methyladenosine (mA) is a master driver of RNA function and implicates in the pathogenesis of renal injury. LncRNA SNHG14 is highly expressed in sepsis patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and aggravates kidney cell dysfunction. This study aimed to explore whether demethylase FTO affect mA methylation of SNHG14 in AKI injury and its underlying mechanism.

Directed Evolution of the UDP-Glycosyltransferase UGT1 for Highly Regioselective and Efficient Biosynthesis of Natural Phenolic Glycosides.

The O-glycosylation of polyphenols for the synthesis of glycosides has garnered substantial attention in food research applications. However, the practical utility of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) is significantly hindered by their low catalytic efficiency and suboptimal regioselectivity. The concurrent optimization of the regioselectivity and activity during the glycosylation of polyphenols presents a formidable challenge.

Exercise makes better mind: a data mining study on effect of physical activity on academic achievement of college students.

The effect of physical activity (PA) on academic achievement has long been a hot research issue in physical education, but few studies have been conducted using machine learning methods for analyzing activity behavior. In this paper, we collected the data on both physical activity and academic performance from 2,219 undergraduate students (Mean = 19 years) over a continuous period of 12 weeks within one academic semester. Based on students' behavioral indicators transformed from a running APP interface and the average academic course scores, two models were constructed and processed by CHAID decision tree for regression analysis and significance detection.

Neurotrophin-3 promotes peripheral nerve regeneration by maintaining a repair state of Schwann cells after chronic denervation via the TrkC/ERK/c-Jun pathway.

Background: Maintaining the repair phenotype of denervated Schwann cells in the injured distal nerve is crucial for promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. However, when chronically denervated, the capacity of Schwann cells to support repair and regeneration deteriorates, leading to peripheral nerve regeneration and poor functional recovery. Herein, we investigated whether neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) could sustain the reparative phenotype of Schwann cells and promote peripheral nerve regeneration after chronic denervation and aimed to uncover its potential molecular mechanisms.

Extracellular vesicles: a rising star for therapeutics and drug delivery.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, natural, cell-derived vesicles that contain the same nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids as their source cells. Thus, they can serve as natural carriers for therapeutic agents and drugs, and have many advantages over conventional nanocarriers, including their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, natural blood-brain barrier penetration, and capacity for gene delivery. This review first introduces the classification of EVs and then discusses several currently popular methods for isolating and purifying EVs, EVs-mediated drug delivery, and the functionalization of EVs as carriers.