RESUMEN

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising porous materials due to their high specific surface area, adjustable structure, highly ordered nanochannels, and abundant functional groups, which brings about wide applications in the field of gas adsorption, hydrogen storage, optics, and so forth. In recent years, COFs have attracted considerable attention in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Specifically, COF-based functional separators are ideal candidates for addressing the ionic transport-related issues in high-energy batteries, such as dendritic formation and shuttle effect. Therefore, it is necessary to make a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of COFs in functional separators. In this review, the advantages, applications as well as synthesis of COFs are firstly presented. Then, the mechanism of COFs in functional separators for high-energy batteries is summarized in detail, including pore channels regulating ionic transport, functional groups regulating ionic transport, adsorption effect, and catalytic effect. Finally, the application prospect of COFs-based separators in high-energy batteries is proposed. This review may provide new insights into the design of functional separators for advanced electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems.

RESUMEN

A long-standing key issue for examining the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF), such as forest productivity, is whether ecosystem functions are influenced by the total number of species or the properties of a few key species. Compared with controlled ecosystem experiments, the BEF relationships in secondary forest remain unclear, as do the effects of common species richness and rare species richness on the variation in ecosystem functions. To address this issue, we conducted field surveys at five sampling sites (1 ha each) with subtropical secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest vegetation. We found (1) a positive correlation between species richness and standing aboveground biomass (AGB); (2) that common species were primarily responsible for the distribution patterns of species abundance and dominance; although they accounted for approximately 25% of the total species richness on average, they represented 86-91% of species abundance and 88-97% of species dominance; and (3) that common species richness could explain much more of the variation in AGB than total species richness (common species plus rare species) at both the site and plot scales. Because rare species and common species were not equivalent in their ability to predict productivity in the biodiversity-ecosystem productivity model, redundant information should be eliminated to obtain more accurate results. Our study suggested that woody plant species richness and productivity relationship in subtropical forest ecosystem can be explained and predicted by a few common species.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background: Approximately 10%-30% of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) experience relapse or refractory (R/R) disease after first-line standard therapy. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have important roles in the salvage treatment of R/R HL. However, subsequent treatment for HL refractory to BV and/or ICI treatment is challenging. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients in two institutions who had R/R HL, experienced BV or ICI treatment failure, and received radiotherapy (RT) thereafter. The overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results: Overall, 19 patients were enrolled. First-line systemic therapy comprised doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD, 84.2%); AVD plus ICIs (10.5%); and bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP, 5.3%). After first-line therapy, 15 (78.9%) and four patients (21.1%) had refractory disease and relapsed, respectively. After R/R HL diagnosis, six (31.6%), two (10.5%), and 11 (57.9%) patients received BV and ICIs concurrently, BV monotherapy, and ICI monotherapy, respectively. All patients received intensity-modulated RT (n = 12, 63.2%) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT; n = 7, 36.8%). The ORR as well as the complete response (CR) rate was 100%; the median DOR to RT was 17.2 months (range, 7.9-46.7 months). Two patients showed progression outside the radiation field; one patient had extensive in-field, out-of-field, nodal, and extranodal relapse. With a median follow-up time of 16.2 months (range, 9.2-23.2 months), the 1-year PFS and OS were 84.4% and 100%, respectively. PFS was associated with extranodal involvement (P = 0.019) and gross tumor volume (P = 0.044). All patients tolerated RT well without adverse events of grade ≥ 3. Conclusion: RT is effective and safe for treating HL refractory to BV or ICIs and has the potential to be part of a comprehensive strategy for HL.

RESUMEN

Water-to-land transition is a hallmark of terrestrialization for land plants and requires molecular adaptation to resist water deficiency. Lineages- or species-specific genes are widespread across eukaryotes, and yet the majority of those are functionally unknown and not annotated. Recent studies have revealed that some of such genes could play a role in adapting to environmental stress responses. Here, we identified a novel gene PpBCG1 (Bryophyte Co-retained Gene 1) in the moss Physcomitrium patens that was responsive to dehydration and rehydration. Under de- and rehydration treatments, PpBCG1 was significantly co-expressed with the dehydrin-encoding gene PpDHNA. Microarray data revealed that PpBCG1 was highly expressed in tissues of spores, female organ archegonia, and mature sporophytes. In addition, the Ppbcg1 mutant showed reduced ability of dehydration tolerance, whose plants were accompanied by a relatively low level of chlorophyll content during recovery. Comprehensive transcriptomics uncovered a detailed set of regulatory processes that were affected by the PpBCG1 disruption. Moreover, experimental evidence showed that PpBCG1 might function in the antioxidant activity, abscisic acid (ABA) pathway, and intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis to resist desiccation. Together, our study provides insights into the roles of one bryophyte co-retained gene in the desiccation tolerance.

RESUMEN

This investigation is motivated by an interest in multiferroic BaFe12O19 (BFO), which combines advanced ferrimagnetic and ferroelectric properties at room temperature and exhibits interesting magnetoelectric phenomena. The ferroelectric charge storage properties of BFO are limited due to high coercivity, low dielectric constant, and high dielectric losses. We report the pseudocapacitive behavior of BFO, which allows superior charge storage compared to the ferroelectric charge storage mechanism. The BFO electrodes show a remarkably high capacitance of 1.34 F cm-2 in a neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte. The charging mechanism is discussed. The capacitive behavior is linked to the beneficial effect of high-energy ball milling (HEBM) and the use of an efficient dispersant, which facilitates charge transfer. Another approach is based on the use of conductive polypyrrole (PPy) for the fabrication of PPy-BFO composites. The choice of new polyaromatic dopants with a high charge-to-mass ratio plays a crucial role in achieving a high capacitance of 4.66 F cm-2 for pure PPy electrodes. The composite PPy-BFO (50/50) electrodes show a capacitance of 3.39 F cm-2, low impedance, reduced charge transfer resistance, enhanced capacitance retention at fast charging rates, and good cyclic stability due to the beneficial effect of advanced dopants, HEBM, and synergy of the contribution of PPy and BFO.

RESUMEN

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by obesity is rapidly increasing. Although there are many synthetic drugs for treating T2DM, they have various side effects. Here, we report that miR8175, a plant miRNA from burdock root, has effective antidiabetic activity. After administration of burdock decoction or synthetic miR8175 by gavage, both burdock decoction and miR8175 can significantly improve the impaired glucose metabolism of diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Our results demonstrate that burdock decoction and miR8175 enhance the insulin sensitivity of the hepatic insulin signaling pathway by targeting Ptprf and Ptp1b, which may be the reason for the improvement in metabolism. This study provides a theoretical basis for the main active component and molecular mechanism of burdock to improve insulin resistance. And the study also suggests that plant miRNA may be an indispensable nutrient for maintaining human health.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective and available local treatment for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, the value of hypofractionated RT in this setting has not been confirmed. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received hypofractionated RT between January 2020 and August 2022 at a single institution. The objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and acute side effects were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were included. The median dose for residual disease was 36 Gy, at a dose per fraction of 2.3-5 Gy. After RT, the ORR and complete response (CR) rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 2-27 months), 10 patients (33.3%) experienced disease progression and three died. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for all patients were 81.8% and 66.3%, respectively. The majority (8/10) of post-RT progressions involved out-of-field relapses. Patients with relapsed diseases, no response to systemic therapy, multiple lesions at the time of RT, and no response to RT were associated with out-of-field relapses. PFS was associated with response to RT (P = 0.001) and numbers of residual sites (P < 0.001). No serious non-hematological adverse effects (≥ grade 3) associated with RT were reported. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that hypofractionated RT was effective and tolerable for patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma, especially for those that exhibited localized residual disease.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most common types of mental disorders. Guided by the theory of social determinants of health (SDH), the study aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and to identify factors related to depressive symptoms in the general population of China. METHODS: A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted among 101,392 residents from 31 provinces of mainland China from January to March 2019, and 97,126 survey responses were included in the final analysis. Multilevel linear regression models were used to identify SDH associated with depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≥10) in Chinese residents was 15.81 %. The results of the multilevel analysis demonstrated that depressive symptoms were affected by various factors on five levels, including individual characteristics, behavioral lifestyle, community support network, social structural factors, and macro social factors. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design of the study makes it difficult to establish causality between variables. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms is high among general population in China. According to the theory of SDH, the study shows that the depressive symptoms are complex and involves all areas of social life. Therefore, adopting a multi-level, cross-sectoral intervention approach will be instrumental to improving the mental health of residents in China.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Water, energy and food security are at the heart of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Maintaining water-energy-food (WEF) system security is critical to sustainable socio-economic development. To clarify the trends in China's WEF system stress, this paper analyses the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of WEF system stress using panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2020. Using an extended STIRPAT model, we discuss the influencing factors of WEF system stress and forecast the WEF system stress index (WEF_SI) for 2021-2030. We find that China's WEF_SI has a significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with energy stress being the dominant stress in China's WEF system. Second, GDP per capita, urban population density, education level per capita, technology level and effective irrigated area have spatial and temporal heterogeneity in their effects on WEF system stress. Third, the prediction results show that China's WEF system stress will decrease in 2021-2030 but to a lesser extent. The government should coordinate the relationship between water, energy and food based on the evolutionary characteristics and projected trends of each element and formulate differentiated policies according to the resource endowment of each region to promote the coordinated development of the WEF system.

RESUMEN

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a main component of the extracellular matrix, is widely utilized to deliver anticancer drugs due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity and numerous modification sites, such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Moreover, HA serves as a natural ligand for tumor-targeted drug delivery systems, as it contains the endocytic HA receptor, CD44, which is overexpressed in many cancer cells. Therefore, HA-based nanocarriers have been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency and distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, resulting in reduced residual toxicity and off-target accumulation. This article comprehensively reviews the fabrication of anticancer drug nanocarriers based on HA in the context of prodrugs, organic carrier materials (micelles, liposomes, nanoparticles, microbubbles and hydrogels) and inorganic composite nanocarriers (gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and silicon dioxide). Additionally, the progress achieved in the design and optimization of these nanocarriers and their effects on cancer therapy are discussed. Finally, the review provides a summary of the perspectives, the lessons learned so far and the outlook towards further developments in this field.

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: Distant metastasis (DM) and neoadjuvant treatment response prediction remain critical challenges in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for DM or response in patients with LARC in a neoadjuvant setting. METHODS: The detection of viable CTCs at different stages of treatment was planned for consecutive patients from a prospective trial. The Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazards model, and logistic regression model were utilized to analyze factors associated with DM or pathological complete response (pCR) and clinical complete response (cCR). RESULTS: Between December 2016 and July 2018, peripheral blood samples from 83 patients were collected before any treatment (median follow-up time, 49.3 months). CTCs were present in 76 of 83 patients (91.6%) at baseline, and more than three CTCs detected in the blood sample was considered high risk. Only the CTC risk group was significantly associated with 3-year metastasis-free survival (MFS) (high risk vs. low risk, 57.1% (95% CI, 41.6-72.6) vs. 78.3% (95% CI, 65.8-90.8), p = 0.018, log-rank test). When all the important variables were entered into the Cox model, the CTC risk group remained the only significant independent factor for DM (hazard ratio (HR), 2.74; 95% CI, 1.17-6.45, p = 0.021). The pCR and continuous cCR rates were higher in patients with a decreased number of CTCs of more than one after radiotherapy (HR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.09-14.71, P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The dynamic detection of viable CTCs may strengthen pretreatment risk assessment and postradiotherapy decision making for LARC. This observation requires further validation in a prospective study.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Boosting the energy density and safety issue of lithium-ion batteries has become ever more important to satisfy the diverse applications such as energy storage and mobile electronic devices. Herein, we present a new high voltage polyether-based electrolyte (HVPEE) by solvation structure design that can endure high-voltage operations and also possess non-flammable features. Especially, HVPEEs show better compatibility and stability with electrode than conventional electrolyte. We find that the solvent separated ion pair (SSIP) and contact ion pair (CIP) dominate the ion-solvent structure of HVPEEs, rather than the free solvent and ions. In this way, the oxidative decomposition of HVPEE on the cathode interface can be suppressed significantly due to the reduced highest occupied molecular orbital of SSIP complex structure than that of free TFSI-. As a result, the oxidation voltage can achieve as high as 5.35 V when the ether group/Li is optimized at 10/1 in the HVPEE, enabling the LiFePO4//Li full cells deliver a capacity of 165 mA h g-1 with a capacity retention of 98 % after 200 cycles. Moreover, when the cut-off voltage is 4.5 V, the discharge capacity of the LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2//Li full cell can reach 170 mA h g-1.

RESUMEN

Solid-state polymer electrolytes are outstanding candidates for next-generation lithium metal batteries in the realm of high specific energy densities, high safeties and tight contact with electrodes. However, their applications are still hindered by the limitations that no single polymer is electrochemically stable with the oxidizing high-voltage cathode and the highly reductive Li anode, simultaneously. Herein, a bilayer asymmetric polymer electrolyte (SL-SPE) without accessional interface resistance that using poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as a "bridge" to connect the sulfonyl (OS = O)-contained oxidation-tolerated layer and polyether-derived reduction-tolerated layer (SPE), is proposed and synthesized by sequential two-step UV polymerizations. SL-SPE can provide widened electrochemical stability window up to 5 V, while simultaneously deploying a stable Janus interface property. Eventually, the superior high-voltage (4.4 V) cycling durability can be displayed in LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2|SL-SPE|Li batteries. This finding provides a bran-new idea for designing multifunctional polymer electrolytes in the application of solid-state batteries.

RESUMEN

Earth-abundant transition metal catalysis has emerged as an important alternative to noble transition metal catalysis in hydrogenation reactions. However, there has been no Earth-abundant transition metal catalyzed hydrogenation of thioamides reported so far, presumably due to the poisoning of catalysts by sulfur-containing molecules. Herein, we described the first manganese-catalyzed hydrogenative desulfurization of thioamides to amines or imines. The key to success is the use of MnBr(CO)5 instead of commonly-employed pincer-manganese catalysts, together with simple NEt3 and CuBr. This protocol features excellent selectivity on sole cleavage of the C=S bond of thioamides, in contrast to the only known Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation of thioamides, and unprecedented chemo-selectivity tolerating vulnerable functional groups such as nitrile, ketone, aldehyde, ester, sulfone, nitro, olefin, alkyne and heterocycle, which are usually susceptible to common hydride-type reductive protocols.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Melaleuca alternifolia is a commercially important medicinal tea tree native to Australia. Tea tree oil, the essential oil distilled from its branches and leaves, has broad-spectrum germicidal activity and is highly valued in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Thus, the study of genome, which can provide reference for the investigation of genes involved in terpinen-4-ol biosynthesis, is quite crucial for improving the productivity of Tea tree oil. METHODS AND RESULTS: In our study, the next-generation sequencing was used to investigate the whole genome of Melaleuca alternifolia. About 114 Gb high quality sequence data were obtained and assembled into 1,838,159 scafolds with an N50 length of 1021 bp. The assembled genome size is about 595 Mb, twice of that predicted by flow cytometer (300 Mb) and k-mer analysis (345 Mb). Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analyses indicated that only 11.3% of the conserved single-copy genes were miss. Repetitive regions cover over 40.43% of the genome. A total of 44,369 protein-coding genes were predicted and annotated against Nr, Swissprot, Refseq, COG, KOG, and KEGG database. Among these genes, 32,909 and 16,241 genes were functionally annotated in Nr and KEGG, respectively. Moreover, 29,411 and 14,435 genes were functionally annotated in COG and KOG. Additionally, 457,661 simple sequence repeats and 1109 transcription factors (TFs) form 67 TF families were identified in the assembled genome. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide a draft genome sequencing of M. alternifolia which can act as a reference for the deep sequencing strategies, and are useful for future functional and comparative genomics analyses.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

As a star representative of transition metal sulfides, SnS is viewed as a promising anode-material candidate for sodium ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity and unique layered structure. However, the extremely poor electrical conductivity and severe volume expansion strongly hinder its practical application while achieving a high reversible capacity with long-cyclic stability still remains a grand challenge. Herein, different from the conventional enhancement method of elemental doping, we report a rational strategy to introduce PO43- into the SnS layers using phytic acid as the special phosphorus source. Intriguingly, the presence of PO43- in the form of Sn-O-P covalent bonds can act as a conductive pillar to buffer the volume expansion of SnS while expanding its interlay spacing to allow more Na+ storage, supported by both experimental and theoretical evidences. Profiting from this effect combined with microstructural metrics by loading on high pyridine N-doped reduced graphene oxide, the as-prepared material presented an unprecedented ultra-long cyclic stability even after 10,000 cycles along with high reversible capacity and excellent full-cell performances. The findings herein open up new opportunities for elevating electrochemical performances of metal sulfides and provide inspirations for the fabrication of advanced electrode materials for broad energy use.

RESUMEN

Hypoxia at the solid tumor site is generally related to the unrestricted proliferation and metabolism of cancerous cells, which can cause tumor metastasis and aggravate tumor progression. Besides, hypoxia plays a substantial role in tumor treatment, and it is one of the main reasons that malignant tumors are difficult to cure and have a poor prognosis. On account of the tumor specific hypoxic environment, many hypoxia-associative nanomedicine have been proposed for tumor treatment. Considering the enhanced targeting effect, designing hypoxia-associative nanomedicine can not only minimize the adverse effects of drugs on normal tissues, but also achieve targeted therapy at the lesion site. Mostly, there can be three strategies for the treatment of hypoxic tumor, including improvement of hypoxic environment, hypoxia responsive drug release and hypoxia activated prodrug. The review describes the design principle and applications of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine in recent years, and also explores its development trends in solid tumor treatment. Moreover, this review presents the current limitations of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy and immunotherapy, which may provide a reference for clinic translation of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Almost all genomes have orphan genes, the majority of which are not functionally annotated. There is growing evidence showed that orphan genes may play important roles in the environmental stress response of Physcomitrium patens. We identified PpARDT (ABA-responsive drought tolerance) as a moss-specific and ABA-responsive orphan gene in P. patens. PpARDT is mainly expressed during the gametophytic stage of the life cycle, and the expression was induced by different abiotic stresses. A PpARDT knockout (Ppardt) mutant showed reduced dehydration-rehydration tolerance, and the phenotype could be rescued by exogenous ABA. Meanwhile, transgenic Arabidopsis lines exhibiting heterologous expression of PpARDT were more sensitive to exogenous ABA than wild-type (Col-0) plants and showed enhanced drought tolerance. These indicate that PpARDT confers drought tolerance among land plants potentially by enhancing ABA response. Further, we identified genes encoding abscisic acid receptor PYR/PYL family proteins, and ADP-ribosylation factors (Arf) as hub genes associated with the Ppardt phenotype. Given the lineage-specific characteristics of PpARDT, our results provide insights into the roles of orphan gene in shaping lineage-specific adaptation possibly by recruiting common pre-existed pathway components.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Direct reprogramming, whether in vitro or in vivo, has attracted great attention because of its advantages of convenience, short-term conversion, direct targets, no immune rejection, and potential clinical applications. In addition, due to its independence from the pluripotent state, direct programming minimizes some safety concerns associated with the use of human pluripotent stem cells. However, the significant limitations of reprogrammed cells, such as poor proliferative ability, low efficiency, and immature function, need to be addressed before the clinical application potential can be expanded. Here, we review the recent achievements of direct reprogramming in 2D and 3D systems in vitro and in vivo, covering cells derived from the three germ layers from stem/progenitor cells to terminal cells, such as hepatocytes, pancreatic ß cells, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neurons, and melanocytes. Combining our lab experiences with current work, we summarize the practical and potential issues that need to be solved and the prospects of strategies for addressing the current dilemmas. Through comprehensive analyses, it is concluded that the directions for dealing with efficiency and functionality issues could be the optimization of transcription factors, the upgradation for delivery systems, the regulation of epigenetic factors and pathways, and the improvement of cellular maintenance conditions. Besides, converting cells into the progenitor state firstly and then differentiating them into the desired cell types with chemical compounds may provide an approach to obtaining functional and safe converted cells in batches with a better proliferative ability. With the emergence of more and more direct reprogramming techniques and approaches with both safety and effectiveness, it is bound to bring a new dawn for mechanism research and therapeutic applications for relevant diseases in the future.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Multiple approaches based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have been applied to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) and to predict prognosis or recurrence. However, a comparison of the approaches used in different cohorts and studies is difficult. We aimed to compare multiple approaches for MRD analysis after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). METHODS: Sixty patients with LARC from a multicentre, phase II/III randomized trial were included, with tissue and blood samples collected. For each cfDNA sample, we profiled MRD using 3 approaches: personalized assay targeting tumour-informed mutations, universal panel of genes frequently mutated in colorectal cancer (CRC), and low depth sequencing for copy number alterations (CNAs). FINDINGS: Positive MRD based on post-NAT personalized assay was significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrence (HR = 27.38; log-rank P < 0.0001). MRD analysis based on universal panel (HR = 5.18; log-rank P = 0.00086) and CNAs analysis (HR = 9.24; log-rank P = 0.00017) showed a compromised performance in predicting recurrence. Both the personalized assay and universal panel showed complementary pattern to CNAs analysis in detecting cases with recurrence and the combination of the two types of biomarkers may lead to better performance. INTERPRETATION: The combination of mutation profiling and CNA profiling can improve the detection of MRD, which may help optimize the treatment strategies for patients with LARC. FUNDING: The Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences.

Asunto(s)