STAT1-VAMP8 axis drives nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression via autophagy enhancement.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor with a high risk of invasion and metastasis. Elucidating the molecular underpinnings of NPC may uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Vesicle associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8) is overexpressed and plays an oncogenic role in various tumors.

Interface compatible organic-inorganic solid electrolyte with intimate electrode/electrolyte interfacial contact for dendrite-free Li metal batteries.

The increasing demand for safe, high-energy-density batteries drives the development of solid-state electrolytes. Organic/inorganic hybrid electrolytes, integrating the benefits of polymer and inorganic electrolytes, exhibit flexibility, high mechanical strength, and superior ionic conductivity. However, interfacial incompatibility between organic/inorganic components and high electrolyte/electrode interfacial resistance restricts their practical applications.

Direct atomic-scale investigation of the coarsening mechanisms of exsolved catalytic Ni nanoparticles.

Exsolution-active catalysts allow for the formation of highly active metallic nanoparticles, yet recent work has shown that their long-term thermal stability remains a challenge. In this work, the dynamics of exsolved Ni nanoparticles are probed in-situ with atomically resolved secondary electron imaging with environmental scanning transmission electron microscopy. Pre-characterization shows embedded NiO nanostructures within the parent oxide.

Deciphering phenylalanine-derived salicylic acid biosynthesis in plants.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a ubiquitous plant hormone with a long history in human civilization. Because of the central role of SA in orchestrating plant pathogen defence, understanding SA biosynthesis is fundamental to plant immunity research and crop improvement. Isochorismate-derived SA biosynthesis has been well defined in Arabidopsis.

Polyimide-driven innovations as "inert" components in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

The rapid proliferation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) across portable electronics and electrified transportation systems has propelled unprecedented requirements for high energy density, prolonged cycle life, and improved safety protocols. Polyimides (PIs), attributed to the excellent thermal stability, mechanical robustness, chemical stability, and flame retardant properties, have been widely researched as "inert" materials to address critical challenges in advancing LIBs. Herein, this review provides design principles for employing PIs' inherent characteristics to develop next-generation high-performance LIBs with balanced energy density, rate capability, and operational reliability.

Through the lens of bioenergy crops: advances, bottlenecks, and promises of plant engineering.

Advances in engineering of bioenergy crops were driven over the past years by adapting technological breakthroughs and accelerating conventional applications but also exposed intriguing challenges. New tools revealed rich interconnectivity in the exponentially growing and dynamic 'big' omics data' of metabolomes, transcriptomes, and genomes at previously inaccessible magnitude (global, cross-species, meta-) and resolution (single cell). Insights enabled fresh hypotheses and stimulated disciplines such as functional genomics with discovery of broad regulatory networks and their determinants, that is, DNA parts, including promoters, regulatory elements, and transcription factors.

Closed-Loop and Selective Recyclable Fluoro-Containing Graft Copolymers with Diverse Applications.

The intrinsic chemically inert fluoropolymers, constitute a large portion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), granting them unique properties and prolonged lifetime while also bring substantial environmental concerns. This study develops fluoro-containing graft copolymer with closed-loop and selective recyclability of side chains. The poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) (PVDF-CTFE) backbone is modified via 4-vinylbenzyl alcohol (VBOH) units and then grafted by poly (trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) side chains, yielding the graft copolymer with improved ionic conductivity and enhanced mechanical robustness, demonstrating it as a polymer electrolyte for battery application.

Stable Na Deposition/Dissolution Enabled by 3D Bimetallic Carbon Fibers with Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interface.

3D bimetallic carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are promising interlayers for regulating Na deposition/dissolution on the Na metal or directly on current collectors like Cu. However, uncontrollable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) growth on the interlayer during the repeated Na plating/stripping process leads to low initial Coulombic efficiency (CE), impeding the practical applications of such a protective layer in Na metal batteries. Herein, an artificial SEI-coated interlayer decorated with sodiophilic Ag and sodiophobic Cu on CNF is applied on Cu foil to regulate the Na deposition/dissolution behavior.

GhTOPP4aD and GhRAF36 inversely regulate cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) response to ABA and salt stress through reversible phosphorylation of GhABI1.

The post-translational phosphorylation modification of stress-related proteins regulated by kinases and phosphatases is one of the crucial regulatory mechanisms for plants in response to salt stress. However, the paired kinases and phosphatases of the same substrate that participate in response to salt tolerance in crops, especially in cotton, remain to be elucidated. Here, we identified GhTOPP4aD as a negative regulator of salt-stress response in cotton.

Type One Protein Phosphatase 4aD Negatively Regulates Cotton () Salt Tolerance by Inhibiting the Phosphorylation of Kinases That Respond to Abscisic Acid.

Salinity is one of the major factors limiting the growth, development, and yield of cotton. Although the mechanisms of cotton tolerance to salt stress have been studied, the regulatory roles and mechanisms of protein kinases and phosphatases in cotton salt response remain poorly understood. Here, we identify Type One Protein Phosphatase 4aD (), belonging to the Type One Protein Phosphatase (TOPP) family, as a negative regulator in cotton salt stress response.

Asymmetrically tailored catalysts towards electrochemical energy conversion with non-precious materials.

Electrocatalytic technologies, such as water electrolysis and metal-air batteries, enable a path to sustainable energy storage and conversion into high-value chemicals. These systems rely on electrocatalysts to drive redox reactions that define key performance metrics such as activity and selectivity. However, conventional electrocatalysts face inherent trade-offs between activity, stability, and scalability particularly due to the reliance on noble metals.

Catalytic remodeling of complex alkenes to oxonitriles through C=C double bond deconstruction.

Deconstructive transformation of carbon-carbon double bonds (C=C) is a pivotal strategy in synthetic chemistry and drug discovery. Despite the substantial advances in olefin metathesis and ozonolysis for natural product synthesis through C=C double-bond cleavage, the catalytic remodeling of complex molecules through C=C double-bond deconstruction has been underdeveloped. We report a heterogeneous copper-catalyzed C=C double-bond cleavage, which enables the remodeling of complex molecules by converting the carbons on either side of the C=C double bond to carbonyl and cyano groups, respectively.

Achieving Strength-Ductility Balance in TWIP Steel by Tailoring Cementite.

High-Mn steels are widely used in various fields. However, the FCC structure is not conducive to improving strength, limiting their development and application. In this work, hot-rolled Fe-25Mn-1Al-3Si-1C (wt.

Immunoregulatory Neuro-Vascularized Osseointegration Driven by Different Nano-Morphological CaTiO Bioactive Coatings on Porous Titanium Alloy Scaffolds.

Up to now, how to implement the optimal regenerative repair of large load-bearing bone defects using artificial bone prosthesis remains to be an enormous challenge in clinical practice. Titanium-based alloys, especially Ti6Al4V, are applied as artificial bone grafts due to their favorable mechanical property and biocompatibility, assisted by personalized customization of 3D-printing to completely match with the bone defect. However, their bioinert peculiarity restricts osteointegration at the interface between bone and titanium-based implants and bone growth into porous titanium-based scaffolds, for lack of bone regeneration with the aid of blood vessels and neural networks.

Mechanism of microRNA-124-3p targeting calpain-1 to affect the function of intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus cells.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) represents a major cause of lower back pain, whose prevalence rises with age. This study probed into the mechanism of microRNA (miR)-124-3p regulating function of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) by targeting calpain-1 (CAPN1). Rat IVD NPCs were cultured in vitro and transfected with miR-124-3p mimics, miR-124-3p inhibitor, oe-CAPN1 and their negative controls.

Advancement of 3D biofabrication in repairing and regeneration of cartilage defects.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, an additive manufacturing technology, fabricates biomimetic tissues that possess natural structure and function. It involves precise deposition of bioinks, including cells, and bioactive factors, on basis of computer-aided 3D models. Articular cartilage injuries, a common orthopedic issue.

Mastering the Copolymerization Behavior of Ethyl Cyanoacrylate as Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium-metal Battery Application.

Polymers with strong electron-withdrawing groups (e.g., cyano-containing polymers) are attractive for a wide range of applications due to their high dielectric constant and outstanding electrochemical stability.

Ultra-robust Single-Ion Conducting Composite Electrolytes for Stable Li-Metal Batteries.

With significantly high lithium-ion (Li) transport efficiency, single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes (SIPEs) often suffer from low ionic conductivity due to the covalently bonded anions to the polymer backbone. Adding plasticizers to SIPEs to improve ionic conductivity usually reduces the polymer matrix's mechanical robustness, negatively affecting overall performance as solid electrolytes. Herein, to surpass such a trade-off relationship, we successfully designed a single-ion conducting composite membrane (c-SIPM60) with cross-linked linear SIPEs and incorporated glass-mesh substrate, which shows a cation transport number close to 1, ultrahigh tensile strength of 22 MPa (modulus of 547.

Engineered Magneto-Piezoelectric Nanoparticles-Enhanced Scaffolds Disrupt Biofilms and Activate Oxidative Phosphorylation in Icam1 Macrophages for Infectious Bone Defect Regeneration.

Infectious bone defects pose significant clinical challenges due to persistent infection and impaired bone healing. Icam1 macrophages were identified as crucial and previously unrecognized regulators in the repair of bone defects, where impaired oxidative phosphorylation within this macrophage subset represents a significant barrier to effective bone regeneration. To address this challenge, dual-responsive iron-doped barium titanate (BFTO) nanoparticles were synthesized with magnetic and ultrasonic properties.

Impact of the frequency error of direct digital synthesizers on the evaluation of two-photon light shift in atom gravimeters.

One major systematic error for free-fall atom gravimeters is the effect of two-photon light shift (LS2). In the process of evaluating LS2, the results can be affected by the residual frequency error of direct digital synthesizers due to necessary experimental parameter changes. In this paper, the impact of the coupling effect between the frequency error and LS2 has been investigated and analyzed, along with the related physical mechanisms.

Enhancing computational efficiency in topology-optimized mode converters via dynamic update rate strategies.

In the big data era, mode division multiplexing, as a technology for extended channel capacity, demonstrates potential in enhancing parallel data processing capability. Consequently, developing a compact, high-performance mode converter through efficient design methods is an urgent requirement. However, traditional design methodologies for these converters face significant computational complexities and inefficiencies.

Construction of an ultrathin multi-functional polymer electrolyte for safe and stable all-solid-state batteries.

The ever-increasing demand for safe and high-energy-density batteries urges the exploration of ultrathin, lightweight solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with high flexibility, reduced interfacial resistance and excellent processability have been attracting significant attentions. However, reducing the thickness of SPEs to be comparable with that of commercial separators increases the risk of short-circuiting.

EIF4A3 is stabilized by the long noncoding RNA BC200 to regulate gene expression during Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) regulates the expression of host genes involved in functional pathways for viral infection and pathogenicity. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be important regulators of cellular biology. However, how EBV affects host biological processes via lncRNAs remains elusive.

LncRNA BC200 promotes the development of EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma by competitively binding to miR-6834-5p to upregulate TYMS expression.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is closely related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in cancers. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the roles of lncRNAs in EBV-associated NPC remains largely unclear.

Investigating the Effect of Chain Extender on the Phase Separation and Mechanical Properties of Polybutadiene-Based Polyurethane.

The thermodynamic incompatibility between the soft and hard segments of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) results in a microphase-separated behavior and excellent mechanical properties. However, the effect of the chain extender on the degree of microphase separation (DMS) and the resultant mechanical properties of TPU have not been well studied because of the complex interactions between the soft and hard segments. Herein, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-based TPUs(HTPB-TPUs) without hydrogen bonding between the soft and hard segments are synthesized using hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, toluene diisocyanate, and four different chain extenders, and the effect of the chain extender structure on DMS is analyzed experimentally using a combination of analytical techniques.