Global research progress of gut microbiota and epigenetics: bibliometrics and visualized analysis.

Background: Gut microbiota is an important factor affecting host health. With the further study of the mechanism of gut microbiota, significant progress has been made in the study of the link between gut microbiota and epigenetics. This study visualizes the body of knowledge and research priorities between the gut microbiota and epigenetics through bibliometrics. Methods: Publications related to gut microbiota and epigenetics were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Vosviewer 1.6.17 and CiteSpace 6.1.R2 were used for bibliometric analysis. Results: WoSCC includes 460 articles from 71 countries. The number of publications on gut microbiota and epigenetics has increased each year since 2011. The USA, PEOPLES R CHINA, and ITALY are at the center of this field of research. The University of California System, Harvard University, and the University of London are the main research institutions. Li, X, Yu, Q, Zhang, S X are the top authors in this research field. We found that current research hotspots and frontiers include short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) play an important role in gut microbiota and epigenetic mechanisms, gut microbiota and epigenetics play an important role in host obesity, diet, and metabolism. Gut microbiota and epigenetics are closely related to colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. At the same time, we found that gut microbiota regulates epigenetics through the gut-brain axis and has an impact on psychiatric diseases. Therefore, probiotics can regulate gut microbiota, improve lifestyle, and reduce the occurrence and development of diseases. Conclusion: This is the first comprehensive and in-depth bibliometric study of trends and developments in the field of gut microbiota and epigenetics research. This study helps to guide the direction of research scholars in their current field of study.

Nanoelectrochemistry reveals how presynaptic neurons regulate vesicle release to sustain synaptic plasticity under repetitive stimuli.

Synaptic plasticity is the ability of synapses to modulate synaptic strength in response to dynamic changes within, as well as environmental changes. Although there is a considerable body of knowledge on protein expression and receptor migration in different categories of synaptic plasticity, the contribution and impact of presynaptic vesicle release and neurotransmitter levels towards plasticity remain largely unclear. Herein, nanoelectrochemistry using carbon fiber nanoelectrodes with excellent spatio-temporal resolution was applied for real-time monitoring of presynaptic vesicle release of dopamine inside single synapses of dopaminergic neurons, and exocytotic variations in quantity and kinetics under repetitive electrical stimuli. We found that the presynaptic terminal tends to maintain synaptic strength by rapidly recruiting vesicles, changing the dynamics of exocytosis, and maintaining sufficient neurotransmitter release in following stimuli. Except for small clear synaptic vesicles, dense core vesicles are involved in exocytosis to sustain the neurotransmitter level in later periods of repetitive stimuli. These data indicate that vesicles use a potential regulatory mechanism to establish short-term plasticity, and provide new directions for exploring the synaptic mechanisms in connection and plasticity.

A potential pathway for identifying hypertension among urban residents aged 60+ years in China: the role of health insurance.

Background: Identification is the first step for treatment of hypertension. However, the awareness rate of hypertension was not high globally. This study aimed to examine the potential role of health insurance for early-identifying hypertension among urban older residents in China. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, urban residents aged 60+ years were chosen from Nanjing municipality of China in 2018. The outcome measure was hypertension status ("no hypertension," "diagnosed hypertension" or "un-diagnosed hypertension"). Independent variable was health insurance ("Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance scheme, UEBMI" or "Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance scheme, URBMI"). Logistic regression models were introduced to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to examine the association between health insurance and hypertension. Results: Totally, 19,742 participants completed the study. Among overall, URBMI and UEBMI participants, 47.2% (95%CI = 46.5, 47.9%), 38.4% (95%CI = 37.3, 39.6%) and 52.1% (95%CI = 51.2, 53.0%), separately, were diagnosed with hypertension, while the prevalence of un-diagnosed hypertension was 12.7% (95%CI = 12.2, 13.2%), 18.5% (95%CI = 17.6, 19.4%) and 9.6% (95%CI = 9.1, 10.1%), respectively. For overall participants, those with UEBMI were more likely to have hypertension identified (OR = 1.20; 95%CI = 1.11, 1.29) and at lower odds to experience un-diagnosed hypertension (OR = 0.68; 95%CI = 0.61, 0.76) compared to their counterparts with URBMI after control for potential confounders. Moreover, such associations of health insurance with diagnosed and un-diagnosed hypertension were also observed among participants stratified by age and gender. Conclusion: Favorable health insurance may be a pathway for identifying hypertension among urban older residents in China. This study has important public health implications that hypertension may be identified early through favorable health insurance policies for older residents in China.

Double reverse traction repositor assisted closed reduction and internal fixation versus open reduction and internal fixation for treatment of lateral tibial plateau fractures among the elderly.

BACKGROUND: In elderly tibial plateau fractures (TPFs), the lateral condyles are involved frequently. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and double reverse traction repositor (DRTR) assisted closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) in elderly patients with lateral TPFs. METHODS: From January 2015 to July 2020, we retrospectively reviewed 68 patients treated surgically at our trauma center for lateral TPFs (Schatzker type I-III). 31 patients were eventually assigned to the DRTR assisted CRIF group, whereas 37 patients were assigned to the ORIF group. The primary outcomes included surgical details, radiological assessment, follow-up knee function, and complications. RESULTS: The DRTR assisted CRIF group experienced a 43.6 mL decrease in intraoperative blood loss (161.3 ml vs 204.9 ml, p = 0.033), and the operation duration was 32.1 min shorter than the ORIF group (83.8 min vs 115.9 min, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of widening of the tibia plateau (WTP), depth of articular depression (DAD), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA) immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up. No differences in malreduction (p = 0.566) or reduction loss (p = 0.623) were observed between the groups, and Lysholm and HSS scores were similar between the two groups (83.6 ± 15.8 vs 83.4 ± 5.1, p = 0.934; 89.3 ± 7.8 vs 86.9 ± 6.2, p = 0.172; respectively). However, ORIF was associated with a greater increase in postoperative complications than DRTR assisted CRIF (3.2% vs 27%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Both types of internal fixation provide good radiological outcomes and knee function in the treatment of lateral TPFs in the elderly. However, DRTR assisted CRIF has the advantage of a shorter duration of surgery, less blood loss, and fewer postoperative complications, and appears to be a better treatment option for elderly patients with lateral TPFs.

Extra-articular screw placement strategy in Stoppa approach based on three-dimensional reconstruction model.

The study aimed to explore an extra-articular screw placement strategy in Stoppa approach. Radiographic data of patients who underwent pelvic computed tomography from January 2016 to June 2017 were imported into Materiaise's interactive medical image control system software for three-dimensional reconstruction. Superior and lower margins of acetabulum and ipsilateral pelvic brim could be observed simultaneously through inlet-obturator view. A horizontal line from superior acetabular margin intersected pelvic brim at point "A" and another vertical line from lower margin intersected pelvic brim at point "B" were drawn, respectively. Lengths form sacroiliac joint to "A" (a), "A" to "B" (b), and "B" to pubic symphysis (c) were measured. Patients were divided into four groups depending on gender and side difference of measured hemi-pelvis: male left, male right, female left, and female right. Lengths of adjacent holes (d) and spanning different holes (e) of different plates were also measured. Mean lengths of a, b, c in four groups were 40.94 ± 1.85 mm, 40.09 ± 1.93 mm, 41.78 ± 3.62 mm, and 39.77 ± 2.23 mm (P = 0.078); 40.65 ± 1.58 mm, 41.48 ± 1.64 mm, 40.40 ± 1.96 mm, and 40.66 ± 1.70 mm (P = 0.265); 57.03 ± 3.41 mm, 57.51 ± 3.71 mm, 57.84 ± 4.40 mm, and 59.84 ± 4.35 mm (P = 0.165), respectively. Mean d length of different plates was 12.23 mm. Average lengths spanning 1, 2, 3 and 4 holes were 19.33 mm, 31.58 mm, 43.80 mm, and 55.93 mm. Our data showed that zones a and c could be safely inserted three and four screws. Penetration into hip joint could be avoided when vacant 3-hole drilling was conducted in zone b. Fracture line in zone b could serve as a landmark for screw placement.

AMPK restricts HHV-6A replication by inhibiting glycolysis and mTOR signaling.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a cellular energy sensor regulating metabolic homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the role of AMPK in response to human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) infection. We show that HHV-6A infection significantly downregulates the active phosphorylated state of AMPK in infected T cells. Pharmacological activation of AMPK highly attenuated HHV-6A propagation. Mechanistically, we found that the activation of AMPK by AICAR blocked HHV-6-induced glycolysis by inhibiting glucose metabolism and lactate secretion, as well as decreasing expressions of key glucose transporters and glycolytic enzymes. In addition, mTOR signaling has been inactivated in HHV-6A infected T cells by AICAR treatment. We also showed that HHV-6A infection of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) reduced AMPK activity whereas the activation of AMPK by metformin drastically reduced HHV-6A DNA replication and virions production. Taken together, this study demonstrates that AMPK is a promising antiviral therapeutic target against HHV-6A infection.

MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging as a new technique for detecting non-heme iron in peripheral tissues via caudal vein injection of deferoxamine.

As one of the most common iron-chelating agents, deferoxamine (DFO) rapidly chelates iron in the body. Moreover, it does not compete for the iron characteristic of hemoglobin in the blood cells, which is common in the clinical treatment of iron poisoning. Iron is a trace element necessary to maintain organism normal life activities. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, whereas iron overload can cause elevated levels of cellular oxidative stress and cell damage. As a consequence, detection of the iron content in tissues and blood is of great significance. The traditional techniques for detecting the iron content include inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry, which cannot be used for imaging purposes. Laser ablation-ICP-MS and synchrotron radiation micro-X-ray fluorescence can map the concentration and distribution of iron in tissues. However, these methods can only be used to measure the total iron levels in blood or tissues. In recent years, due to the deepening understanding of iron metabolism, diseases related to iron overload have attracted increasing attention. Therefore, we took advantage of the properties of DFO in terms of chelating iron and investigated different sampling times following DFO injection in the tail vein of mice. We used mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology to detect the DFO and ferrioxamine content in the blood and different tissues to indirectly characterize the non-heme iron content.

Efficient Fermentative Production of d-Alanine and Other d-Amino Acids by Metabolically Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum.

d-Amino acids (d-AAs) have wide applications in industries such as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics due to their unique properties. Currently, the production of d-AAs has relied on chemical synthesis or enzyme catalysts, and it is challenging to produce d-AAs via direct fermentation from glucose. We observed that Corynebacterium glutamicum exhibits a remarkable tolerance to high concentrations of d-Ala, a crucial characteristic for establishing a successful fermentation process. By optimizing meso-diaminopilmelate dehydrogenases in different C. glutamicum strains and successively deleting l-Ala biosynthetic pathways, we developed an efficient d-Ala fermentation system. The d-Ala titer was enhanced through systems metabolic engineering, which involved strengthening glucose assimilation and pyruvate supply, reducing the formation of organic acid byproducts, and attenuating the TCA cycle. During fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor, a significant accumulation of l-Ala was observed in the broth, which was subsequently diminished by introducing an l-amino acid deaminase. Ultimately, the engineered strain DA-11 produced 85 g/L d-Ala with a yield of 0.30 g/g glucose, accompanied by an optical purity exceeding 99%. The fermentation platform has the potential to be extended for the synthesis of other d-AAs, as demonstrated by the production of d-Val and d-Glu.

The causal relationship between gut microbiota and COVID-19: A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

Recent studies have shown that gut microbiota is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the causal impact of the gut microbiota on COVID-19 remains unclear. We performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization. The summary statistics on the gut microbiota from the MiBioGen consortium. Summary statistics for COVID-19 were obtained from the 6th round of the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative genome-wide association study meta-analysis. Inverse variance weighting was used as the main method to test the causal relationship between gut microbiota and COVID-19. Reverse Mendelian randomization analysis was performed. Mendelian randomization analysis showed that Intestinimas.id.2062 was associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19. Bifidobacterium.id.436, LachnospiraceaeUCG010.id.11330, RikenellaceaeRC9gutgroup.id.11191 increase the risk of hospitalized COVID-19. RuminococcaceaeUCG014.id.11371 shows the positive protection on hospitalized COVID-19. There is no causal relationship between gut microbiota and infection with COVID-19. According to the results of reverse Mendelian randomization analysis, no significant causal effect of COVID-19 on gut microbiota was found. The study found that gut microbiota with COVID-19 has a causal relationship. This study provides a basis for the theory of the gut-lung axis. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify the protective effect of probiotics against COVID-19 and the specific protective mechanisms. This study has important implications for gut microbiota as a nondrug intervention for COVID-19.

Maintaining the working state of firefighters by utilizing self-concept clarity as a resource.

The working state of firefighters is important for their own safety as well as that of the general public. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations between self-concept clarity, resilience, work engagement, and job burnout among firefighters, as well as the impacts of self-concept clarity and resilience as resources that can maintain their working state. Based on data from 2,156 firefighters, analysis showed that self-concept clarity was negatively associated with job burnout and positively associated with work engagement. The results also showed that self-concept clarity had a direct effect on job burnout and work engagement, and an indirect effect by improving the firefighters' resilience. Maintaining and improving their self-concept clarity and resilience promises to be an effective strategy for guaranteeing the working state of firefighters.

Nanosensor detection of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species leakage in frustrated phagocytosis of nanofibres.

Exposure to widely used inert fibrous nanomaterials (for example, glass fibres or carbon nanotubes) may result in asbestos-like lung pathologies, becoming an important environmental and health concern. However, the origin of the pathogenesis of such fibres has not yet been clearly established. Here we report an electrochemical nanosensor that is used to monitor and quantitatively characterize the flux and dynamics of reactive species release during the frustrated phagocytosis of glass nanofibres by single macrophages. We show the existence of an intense prolonged release of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by single macrophages near their phagocytic cups. This continued massive leakage of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species damages peripheral cells and eventually translates into chronic inflammation and lung injury, as seen during in vitro co-culture and in vivo experiments.

Inducing preferential growth of the Zn (002) plane by using a multifunctional chelator for achieving highly reversible Zn anodes.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have demonstrated great potential for large-scale energy storage. However, their practical applications have been restricted by fast Zn dendrite growth and severe side reactions at the Zn/electrolyte interface. Herein, sodium gluconate is incorporated into a mild acidic electrolyte as a multifunctional additive to stabilize the Zn anode. Experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that the SG additive can induce planar growth of Zn along its (002) direction, thereby inhibiting Zn dendrite growth. This dendrite inhibition effect is attributed to the preferential adsorption of Zn2+ on the Zn (002) plane, while the Zn (100) and (101) planes are shielded by gluconate ions. Consequently, Zn||Zn symmetric cells with the electrolyte additive exhibit significantly prolonged cycle lives of 2000 h at 1 mA cm-2, 1 mA h cm-2 and 900 h at 5 mA cm-2, 2.5 mA h cm-2. Futhermore, the Zn||NH4V4O10 full cell retains 95% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1 with an average CE of nearly 100%. This work offers a cost-effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of AZIBs.

Transmembrane serine protease 6, a novel target for inhibition of neuronal tumor growth.

Transmembrane serine protease 6 (Tmprss6) has been correlated with the occurrence and progression of tumors, but any specific molecular mechanism linking the enzyme to oncogenesis has remained elusive thus far. In the present study, we found that Tmprss6 markedly inhibited mouse neuroblastoma N2a (neuro-2a) cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice. Tmprss6 inhibits Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation by cleaving the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) co-receptor, hemojuvelin (HJV). Ordinarily, phosphorylated Smad1/5/8 binds to Smad4 for nuclear translocation, which stimulates the expression of hepcidin, ultimately decreasing the export of iron through ferroportin 1 (FPN1). The decrease in cellular iron levels in neuro-2a cells with elevated Tmprss6 expression limited the availability of the metal forribo nucleotide reductase activity, thereby arresting the cell cycle prior to S phase. Interestingly, Smad4 promoted nuclear translocation of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) to activate the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway by binding to ATF3, inducing apoptosis of neuro-2a cells and inhibiting tumor growth. Disruption of ATF3 expression significantly decreased apoptosis in Tmprss6 overexpressed neuro-2a cells. Our study describes a mechanism whereby Tmprss6 regulates the cell cycle and apoptosis. Thus, we propose Tmprss6 as a candidate target for inhibiting neuronal tumor growth.

Anisotropic fluid flows in black phosphorus nanochannels.

With the development of advanced micro/nanoscale technologies, two-dimensional materials have emerged from laboratories and have been applied in practice. To investigate the mechanisms of solid-liquid interactions in potential applications, molecular dynamics simulations are employed to study the flow behavior of n-dodecane (C12) molecules confined in black phosphorus (BP) nanochannels. Under the same external conditions, a significant difference in the velocity profiles of fluid molecules is observed when flowing along the armchair and zigzag directions of the BP walls. The average velocity of C12 molecules flowing along the zigzag direction is 9-fold higher than that along the armchair direction. The friction factor at the interface between C12 molecules and BP nanochannels and the orientations of C12 molecules near the BP walls are analyzed to explain the differences in velocity profiles under various flow directions, external driving forces, and nanochannel widths. The result shows that most C12 molecules are oriented parallel to the flow direction along the zigzag direction, leading to a relatively smaller friction factor hence a higher average velocity. In contrast, along the armchair direction, most C12 molecules are oriented perpendicular to the flow direction, leading to a relatively larger friction factor and thus a lower average velocity. This work provides important insights into understanding the anisotropic liquid flows in nanochannels.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting deep venous thrombosis in patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures: a retrospective cohort study : Predictive model for pelvic/acetabular fractures.

PURPOSE: To construct a novel nomogram model that can predict DVT and avoid unnecessary examination. METHODS: Patients admitted to the hospital with pelvis/acetabular fractures were included between July 2014 and July 2018. The potential predictors associated with DVT were analyzed using Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The predictive nomogram was constructed and internally validated. RESULTS: 230 patients were finally enrolled. There were 149 individuals in the non-DVT group and 81 in the DVT group. Following analysis, we obtained the final nomogram model. The risk factors included age (OR, 1.037; 95% CI, 1.013-1.062; P = 0.002), body mass index (BMI) (OR, 1.253; 95% CI, 1.120-1.403; P < 0.001); instant application of anticoagulant after admission (IAA) (OR, 2.734; 95% CI, 0.847-8.829; P = 0.093), hemoglobin (HGB) (OR, 0.970; 95% CI, 0.954-0.986; P < 0.001), D-Dimer(OR, 1.154; 95% CI, 1.016-1.310; P = 0.027) and fibrinogen (FIB) (OR, 1.286; 95% CI, 1.024-1.616; P = 0.002). The apparent C-statistic was 0.811, and the adjusted C-statistic was 0.777 after internal validations, demonstrating good discrimination. Hosmer and Lemeshow's goodness of fit (GOF) test of the predictive model showed a good calibration for the probability of prediction and observation (χ2 = 3.285, P = 0.915; P > 0.05). The decision curve analysis (DCA) and Clinical impact plot (CIC) demonstrated superior clinical use of the nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: An easy-to-calculate nomogram model for predicting DVT in patients with pelvic-acetabular fractures were developed. It could help clinicians to reduce DVT and avoid unnecessary examinations.

Eggshell Biowaste-Derived Flexible and Self-Cleaning Films for Efficient Subambient Daytime Radiative Cooling.

The management of the abundant eggshell biowaste produced worldwide has become a problematic issue due to the generated odor and microorganisms after direct disposal of the eggshell biowaste in landfills. Herein, we propose a new method to convert the hazardous eggshell biowaste to valuable resources for energy management applications. Eggshell-based films are fabricated by embedding eggshell powders into a polymer matrix to achieve highly efficient subambient daytime radiative cooling. Benefiting from the Mie scattering of the eggshell particles/air pores in the solar spectrum and the strong emission of the eggshell in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) range, the eggshell-based films present a high reflection of 0.96 in the solar spectrum and a high emission of 0.95 in the mid-IR range, with notable average temperature reductions of 4.1 and 11 °C below the ambient temperature during daytime and nighttime, respectively. Moreover, the eggshell-based films exhibit excellent flexibility and self-cleaning properties, which are beneficial for practical long-term outdoor applications. Our proposed design provides a new means for environmentally friendly and sustainable management of eggshell biowaste.

Suppressing Dendrite Growth and Side Reactions via Mechanically Robust Laponite-Based Electrolyte Membranes for Ultrastable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

The development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) faces significant challenges because of water-induced side reactions arising from the high water activity in aqueous electrolytes. Herein, a quasi-solid-state electrolyte membrane with low water activity is designed based on a laponite (LP) nanoclay for separator-free AZIBs. The mechanically robust LP-based membrane can perform simultaneously as a separator and a quasi-solid-state electrolyte to inhibit dendrite growth and water-induced side reactions at the Zn/electrolyte interface. A combination of density functional theory calculations, theoretical analyses, and experiments ascertains that the water activities associated with self-dissociation, byproduct formation, and electrochemical decomposition could be substantially suppressed when the water molecules are absorbed by LP. This could be attributed to the high water adsorption and hydration capabilities of LP nanocrystals, resulting from the strong Coulombic and hydrogen-binding interactions between water and LP. Most importantly, the separator-free AZIBs exhibit high capacity retention rates of 94.10% after 2,000 cycles at 1 A/g and 86.32% after 10,000 cycles at 3 A/g, along with enhanced durability and record-low voltage decay rates over a 60-day storage period. This work provides a fundamental understanding of water activity and demonstrates that LP nanoclay is promising for ultrastable separator-free AZIBs for practical energy storage applications.

Molecular Alignment-Mediated Stick-Slip Poiseuille Flow of Oil in Graphene Nanochannels.

The flow behavior of oil in nanochannels has attracted extensive attention for oil transport applications. In most, if not all, of the prior theoretical simulations, oil molecules were observed to flow steadily in nanochannels under pressure gradients. In this study, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to simulate the Poiseuille flow of oil with three different hydrocarbon chain lengths in graphene nanochannels. Contrary to the conventional perception of steady flows of oil in nanochannels, we find that oil molecules with the longest hydrocarbon chain (i.e., n-dodecane) exhibit notable stick-slip flow behavior. An alternation between the high average velocity of n-dodecane in the slip motion and the low average velocity in the stick motion is observed, with a drastic, abrupt velocity jolt of up to 40 times occurring at the transition in a stick-slip motion. Further statistical analyses show that the stick-slip flow behavior of n-dodecane molecules originates from the molecular alignment change of oil near the graphene wall. The molecular alignment of n-dodecane shows different statistical distributions under stick and slip motion states, leading to significant changes of friction forces and thus notable velocity fluctuations. This work provides new insights into the Poiseuille flow behavior of oil in graphene nanochannels and may offer useful guidelines for other mass transport applications.

GIPC2 is a tumor suppressor gene for acute myeloid leukemia and induces apoptosis of leukemia cells by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Aims: To explore the expression and methylation levels of GIPC2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), discuss the mechanism of GIPC2 in AML and provide new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of AML. Methods: qPCR, western blotting, cell counting kit-8 assay, bisulfite sequencing and other experiments were used in this study. Results: The expression of GIPC2 was found to be downregulated in AML and is mainly affected by DNA promoter methylation. Decitabine can demethylate the promoter region of GIPC2, and GIPC2 expression is upregulated after demethylation. Overexpression of GIPC2 in HL-60 cells can induce apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion: Our findings identify that GIPC2 is associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and may represent a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for the management of AML.

A PVDF/g-C3N4-Based Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Battery.

As one of the most promising candidates for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries and sodium-metal batteries, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and amorphous hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymerized polymer solid electrolytes still suffer from a relatively low room temperature ionic conductivity. To modify the properties of PVDF-HEP copolymer electrolytes, we introduce the graphitic C3N4 (g-C3N4) nanosheets as a novel nanofiller to form g-C3N4 composite solid polymer electrolytes (CSPEs). The analysis shows that the g-C3N4 filler can not only modify the structure in g-C3N4CSPEs by reducing the crystallinity, compared to the PVDF-HFP solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), but also promote a further dissociation with the sodium salt through interaction between the surface atoms of the g-C3N4 and the sodium salt. As a result, enhanced electrical properties such as ionic conductivity, Na+ transference number, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the composite electrolyte can be observed. In particular, a low Na deposition/dissolution overpotential of about 100 mV at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 was found after 160 cycles with the incorporation of g-C3N4. By applying the g-C3N4 CSPEs in the sodium-metal battery with Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, the coin cell battery exhibits a lower polarization voltage at 90 mV, and a stable reversible capacity of 93 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 1 C.