Modulating Grain Boundary Networks to Achieve Superior Chemomechanical Coupling Properties in Nickel-Rich Cathode Materials.

To forge ahead with the next generation of power batteries boasting superior energy density, nickel-rich layered oxides are regarded as some of the most promising cathode materials. However, challenges such as microcracks, which are attributed to the elevated nickel content of the materials, have posed impediments to their further development and application. Consequently, this article focuses on the understanding of the materials in the deep delithiation state, dissecting their degradation mechanisms through a dual lens of electrochemical and mechanical properties. The comprehensive analysis reveals that microcracks within the particles exhibit a degree of reversibility. However, with repeated Li+ de-/intercalation, these microcracks progressively propagate and permeate the entire particle, ultimately leading to particle fragmentation. Therefore, this study employs Dy2O3 as an inducer to facilitate the growth of primary crystal grains, reducing the internal porosity of the particles. This effectively enhances the conductivity and lithium-ion diffusion kinetics in deep lithium-ion deintercalation states of nickel-rich cathode materials. The modified material exhibits significant suppression of microcrack formation and growth during cycling, leading to notable improvements in its chemical-mechanical properties. These degradation mechanisms and modification strategies of Ni-rich cathodes offer valuable insights into the development of Ni-rich cathode materials tailored for electric vehicles.

Endogenous promoter-driven sgRNA for monitoring the expression of low-abundance transcripts and lncRNAs.

Detection of endogenous signals and precise control of genetic circuits in the natural context are essential to understand biological processes. However, the tools to process endogenous information are limited. Here we developed a generalizable endogenous transcription-gated switch that releases single-guide RNAs in the presence of an endogenous promoter. When the endogenous transcription-gated switch is coupled with the highly sensitive CRISPR-activator-associated reporter we developed, we can reliably detect the activity of endogenous genes, including genes with very low expression (<0.001 relative to Gapdh; quantitative-PCR analysis). Notably, we could also monitor the transcriptional activity of typically long non-coding RNAs expressed at low levels in living cells using this approach. Together, our method provides a powerful platform to sense the activity of endogenous genetic elements underlying cellular functions.

Tilapia adropin: the localization and regulation of growth hormone gene expression in pituitary cells.

The peptide hormone adropin, encoded by the energy homeostasis-associated (Enho) gene, plays a role in energy homeostasis and the control of vascular function. The aim of this study was to examine the role of adropin in growth hormone (GH) gene expression at the pituitary level in tilapia. As a first step, the antiserum for the tilapia adropin was produced, and its specificity was confirmed by antiserum preabsorption and immunohistochemical staining in the tilapia pituitary. Adropin could be detected immunocytochemically in the proximal pars distalis (PPD) of the tilapia pituitary. In primary cultures of tilapia pituitary cells, tilapia adropin was effective in increasing GH mRNA levels. However, removal of endogenous adropin by immunoneutralization using adropin antiserum inhibited GH gene expression. In parallel experiments, pituitary cells co-treated with ovine pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 38 (oPACAP38) and adropin showed a similar increase level compared to those treated with oPACAP38 alone, whereas insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) not only had an inhibitory effect on basal GH mRNA levels, but also could abolish adropin stimulation of GH gene expression. In pituitary cells pretreated with actinomycin D, the half-life of GH mRNA was enhanced by adropin. Taken together, these findings suggest that adropin may serve as a novel local stimulator for GH gene expression in tilapia pituitary.