Cultivating High-Performance Flexible All-in-One Supercapacitors With 3D Network Through Continuous Biosynthesis.

Flexible supercapacitors can potentially power next-generation flexible electronics. However, the mechanical and electrochemical stability of flexible supercapacitors under different flexible conditions is limited by the weak bonding between adjacent layers, posing a significant hindrance to their practical applicability. Herein, based on the uninterrupted 3D network during the growth of bacterial cellulose (BC), a flexible all-in-one supercapacitor is cultivated through a continuous biosynthesis process. This strategy ensures the continuity of the 3D network of BC throughout the material, thereby forming a continuous electrode-separator-electrode structure. Benefitting from this bioinspired structure, the all-in-one supercapacitor not only achieves a high areal capacitance (3.79 F cm-2) of electrodes but also demonstrates the integration of high tensile strength (2.15 MPa), high shear strength (more than 54.6 kPa), and high bending resistance, indicating a novel pathway toward high-performance flexible power sources.

A Bioinspired Gradient Design Strategy for Cellulose-Based Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Structural Materials.

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) possesses excellent intrinsic properties, and many CNF-based high-performance structural and functional materials have been developed recently. However, the coordination of the mechanical properties and functionality is still a considerable challenge. Here, a CNF-based structural material is developed by a bioinspired gradient structure design using hollow magnetite nanoparticles and the phosphorylation-modified CNF as building blocks, which simultaneously achieves a superior mechanical performance and electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) ability. Benefiting from the gradient design, the flexural strength of the structural material reached ∼205 MPa. Meanwhile, gradient design improves impedance matching, contributing to the high EMA ability (-59.5 dB) and wide effective absorption width (5.20 GHz). Besides, a low coefficient of thermal expansion and stable storage modulus was demonstrated as the temperature changes. The excellent mechanical, thermal, and EMA performance exhibited great potential for application in stealth equipment and electromagnetic interference protecting electronic packaging materials.

Nacre-Inspired Bacterial Cellulose/Mica Nanopaper with Excellent Mechanical and Electrical Insulating Properties by Biosynthesis.

The exploration of extreme environments has become necessary for understanding and changing nature. However, the development of functional materials suitable for extreme conditions is still insufficient. Herein, a kind of nacre-inspired bacterial cellulose (BC)/synthetic mica (S-Mica) nanopaper with excellent mechanical and electrical insulating properties that has excellent tolerance to extreme conditions is reported. Benefited from the nacre-inspired structure and the 3D network of BC, the nanopaper exhibits excellent mechanical properties, including high tensile strength (375 MPa), outstanding foldability, and bending fatigue resistance. In addition, S-Mica arranged in layers endows the nanopaper with remarkable dielectric strength (145.7 kV mm-1 ) and ultralong corona resistance life. Moreover, the nanopaper is highly resistant to alternating high and low temperatures, UV light, and atomic oxygen, making it an ideal candidate for extreme environment-resistant materials.

An All-Natural Wood-Inspired Aerogel.

The oriented pore structure of wood endows it with a variety of outstanding properties, among which the low thermal conductivity has attracted researchers to develop wood-like aerogels as excellent thermal insulation materials. However, the increasing demands of environmental protection have put forward new and strict requirements for the sustainability of aerogels. Here, we report an all-natural wood-inspired aerogel consisting of all-natural ingredients and develop a method to activate the surface-inert wood particles to construct the aerogel. The obtained wood-inspired aerogel has channel structure similar to that of natural wood, endowing it with superior thermal insulation properties to most existing commercial sponges. In addition, remarkable fire retardancy and complete biodegradability are integrated. With the above outstanding performances, this sustainable wood-inspired aerogel will be an ideal substitute for the existing commercial thermal insulation materials.

Ultrastrong, Thermally Stable, and Food-Safe Seaweed-Based Structural Material for Tableware.

Widely used disposable plastic tableware is usually buried or directly discharged into the natural environment after using, which poses potential threats to the natural environment and human health. To solve this problem, nondegradable plastic tableware needs to be replaced by tableware composed of biodegradable structural materials with both food safety and the excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Here, a food-safe sargassum cellulose nanofiber (SCNF) is extracted from common seaweed in an efficient and low energy consuming way under mild reaction conditions. Then, by assembling the SCNF into a dense bulk material, a strong sargassum cellulose nanofiber structural material (SCNSM) with high strength (283 MPa) and high thermal stability (>160 °C) can be prepared. The SCNSM also possesses good machinability, which can be processed into tableware with different shapes, e.g., knives and forks. The overall performance of the SCNSM-based tableware is better than commercial plastic, wood-based, and poly(lactic acid) tableware, which shows great application potential in the tableware field.

Effect of Wuqinxi on the psychological state and prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin of female college students with subliminal depression / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To observe the effect of dynamic and static combination of Wuqinxi on the psychological state and prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin of female college students with subliminal depression (SD), so as to provide a high quality reference for optimizing their interventional measures.@*Methods@#A total of 72 female college students with SD in their third year of two semesters in the 2021-2022 academic year of Chongqing Second Normal University were randomly divided into a control group, an observation group 1, and an observation group 2. The control group received routine psychological intervention once a week, 20 minutes/time, while the observation group 1 received Wuqinxi exercise twice a day for about 30 minutes on the basis of the control group. The observation group 2 received a combination of dynamic and static Wuqinxi exercise on the basis of the control group, Wuqinxi dynamic exercise combined with Wuqinxi exercise guided imagination training about 20 minutes/time. All three groups received 12 weeks of intervention. Observe the Chinese version of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), Subthreshold Depression Scale (STDS), and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) before and after intervention, and collect serum γ aminobutyric acid (GABA) and plasma adrenocor ticotropic hormone (ACTH), and the concentration of oxyhemoglobin (Oxy Hb) in the prefrontal lobe were detected by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).@*Results@#The results showed that the HAMD-24 and STDS scores of the two groups (11.33±1.29, 53.08±2.31) were lower than those of the control group and observation group 1 (18.27± 2.02 , 73.60±4.05; 15.19±1.92, 64.58±2.69), with statistically significant differences ( F=8.64, 11.85, P <0.05). Observing that the six dimensions of somatization, interpersonal, depression, anxiety, hostility psychoticism in the SCL-90 scale were lower in the two groups than in the other two groups ( F=3.68, 9.83, 10.37, 5.85, 3.05, 7.46, P <0.05). The plasma ACTH levels in the observation group were lower than those in the other two groups, while the peak concentration of Oxy Hb was higher than those in the other two groups ( F =3.27, 6.08, P <0.05). The serum GABA levels were higher than those in the control group, and there was no difference compared to the observation group 1 ( P >0.05).@*Conclusion@#The combination of dynamic and static Wuqinxi training can improve the psychological state of female college students with subthreshold depression, alleviate the depressive symptoms,possibly through increase of prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin.

ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 overexpression correlates with prognosis and immune cell infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

This study investigated the role of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 (ADAM12) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The mRNA expression of ADAM12 was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the protein expression level of ADAM12 in renal clear cell carcinoma cell lines was detected by Western blot analysis. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test, logistic regression analysis, Cox regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to assess the relationship between the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of ccRCC patients and ADAM12 expression. The miRNAs and lncRNAs associated with ADAM12 were predicted, and a ceRNA network was constructed using the Starbase database. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were used to identify relevant pathways. The relationship between ADAM12 and immune infiltration and checkpoints was analyzed using the TIMER and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. The results showed that ADAM12 expression was increased in ccRCC tissues and cells and significantly correlated with patient gender, Tumor stage, Metastasis stage, Node stage, and clinical grade. Survival analysis showed that ccRCC patients with high ADAM12 expression had a low overall survival rate. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that ADAM12 was an independent prognostic factor. Enrichment analysis showed that ADAM12 expression was associated with immune-related pathways. Immune infiltration analysis showed that ADAM12 expression was related to immune cell infiltration, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA4. These results suggest that ADAM12 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ccRCC.

Corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity of procyanidin B2 as a novel environment-friendly inhibitor for Q235 steel in 1 M HCl solution.

Flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosides and tannins with good corrosion inhibition are the main natural components in plants. In this work, procyanidin B2 (PCB2), a natural flavonoid, was firstly isolated from Uncaria laevigata. Corrosion inhibition, chemical reactivity and adsorption of PCB2 on Q235 carbon steel were described by experimental and theoretical studies. The inhibition performance of PCB2 as a green corrosion inhibitor was evaluated by electrochemical and gravimetric tests. The binding active sites and activities thereof on the steel surface were illustrated by quantum chemistry, and the equilibrium configuration was predicted by molecular dynamics simulation. PCB2 exhibits good corrosion inhibition on Q235 steel over a wide temperature range. The electrochemical results show that PCB2 is a mixed inhibitor, and its inhibition efficiency increases with the addition of PCB2 concentration. Moreover, the protective film is formed on the steel and the active corrosion sites are blocked significantly by surface analysis. Additionally, the theoretical calculation proves a strong interaction between PCB2 molecule and carbon steel. Besides, the antimicrobial activity was also preliminarily studied. This suggests that PCB2 exhibits better antimicrobial activity against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. As a novel green corrosion inhibitor and antimicrobial agent, PCB2 is worthy of further exploitation.

Plant Cellulose Nanofiber-Derived Structural Material with High-Density Reversible Interaction Networks for Plastic Substitute.

Ubiquitous petrochemical-based plastics pose a potential threat to ecosystems. In response, bioderived and degradable polymeric materials are being developed, but their mechanical and thermal properties cannot compete with those of existing petrochemical-based plastics, especially those used as structural materials. Herein, we report a biodegradable plant cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-derived polymeric structural material with high-density reversible interaction networks between nanofibers, exhibiting mechanical and thermal properties better than those of existing petrochemical-based plastics. This all-green material has substantially improved flexural strength (∼300 MPa) and modulus (∼16 GPa) compared with those of existing petrochemical-based plastics. Its average thermal expansion coefficient is only 7 × 10-6 K-1, which is more than 10 times lower than those of petrochemical-based plastics, indicating its dimension is almost unchanged when heated, and thus, it has a thermal dimensional stability that is better than those of plastics. As a fully bioderived and degradable material, the all-green material offers a more sustainable high-performance alternative to petrochemical-based plastics.

Sustainable Cellulose-Nanofiber-Based Hydrogels.

Hydrogel materials have many excellent properties and a wide range of applications. Recently, a new type of hydrogel has emerged: cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based hydrogels, which have three-dimensional nanofiber networks and unique physical properties. Because CNFs are abundant, renewable, and biodegradable, they are green and eco-friendly nanoscale building blocks. In addition, CNF-based hydrogel materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties and designable functions by different preparation methods and structure designs, demonstrating huge development potential. In this Perspective, we summarize the recent progress in the development of CNF-based hydrogels and introduce their applications in elastic hydrogels, ionic conduction, water purification, and biomedicine, highlighting future trends and opportunities for the further development of CNF-based hydrogels as emerging materials systems.

Sustainable Double-Network Structural Materials for Electromagnetic Shielding.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with excellent EMI shielding efficiency (SE), lightweight property, and superb mechanical performance are vitally important for modern society, but it is still a challenge to realize these performances simultaneously on one material. Here, we report a sustainable bioinspired double-network structural material with excellent specific strength (146 MPa g-1 cm3) and remarkable EMI SE (100 dB) from cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which demonstrates remarkable and outstanding performance to both typical metal materials and reported polymer composites. In particular, the bioinspired double-network structure design simultaneously achieves an extremely high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, which makes it a lightweight, high shielding efficiency, and sustainable structural material for real-life electromagnetic wave shielding applications.

Bio-Inspired Lotus-Fiber-like Spiral Hydrogel Bacterial Cellulose Fibers.

Hydrogel materials with high water content and good biocompatibility are drawing more and more attention now, especially for biomedical use. However, it still remains a challenge to construct hydrogel fibers with enough strength and toughness for practical applications. Herein, we report a bio-inspired lotus-fiber-mimetic spiral structure hydrogel bacterial cellulose fiber with high strength, high toughness, high stretchability, and energy dissipation, named biomimetic hydrogel fiber (BHF). The spiral-like structure endows BHF with excellent stretchability through plastic deformation and local failure, assisted by the breaking-reforming nature of the hydrogen bonding network among cellulose nanofibers. With the high strength, high stretchability, high energy dissipation, high hydrophilicity, porous structure, and excellent biocompatibility, BHF is a promising hydrogel fiber for biomedicine. The outstanding stretchability and energy dissipation of BHF allow it to absorb energy from the tissue deformation around a wound and effectively protect the wound from rupture, which makes BHF an ideal surgical suture.

mRNA Vaccine Era-Mechanisms, Drug Platform and Clinical Prospection.

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based drugs, notably mRNA vaccines, have been widely proven as a promising treatment strategy in immune therapeutics. The extraordinary advantages associated with mRNA vaccines, including their high efficacy, a relatively low severity of side effects, and low attainment costs, have enabled them to become prevalent in pre-clinical and clinical trials against various infectious diseases and cancers. Recent technological advancements have alleviated some issues that hinder mRNA vaccine development, such as low efficiency that exist in both gene translation and in vivo deliveries. mRNA immunogenicity can also be greatly adjusted as a result of upgraded technologies. In this review, we have summarized details regarding the optimization of mRNA vaccines, and the underlying biological mechanisms of this form of vaccines. Applications of mRNA vaccines in some infectious diseases and cancers are introduced. It also includes our prospections for mRNA vaccine applications in diseases caused by bacterial pathogens, such as tuberculosis. At the same time, some suggestions for future mRNA vaccine development about storage methods, safety concerns, and personalized vaccine synthesis can be found in the context.

Epstein-Barr virus infection is associated with clinical characteristics and poor prognosis of multiple myeloma.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and multiple myeloma (MM) and its impact on clinical characteristics and prognosis. Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 139 MM patients who had been diagnosed and treated from January 2010 to May 2018 and 50 PBMC samples from healthy donors were obtained. PCR was carried out for detection of EBV-DNA. The results indicated a significantly higher EBV-DNA concentration among 139 MM patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the expression of EBV-DNA was positively correlated with the serum free light chain ratio (sFLCR) and progressive disease (PD)/relapse (P<0.05). Especially, in EBV-DNA high-expression MM patients, EBV-DNA concentration for patients with sFLCR ≥100 was higher than that of patients with sFLCR <100. EBV-DNA concentration was higher in patients with disease PD/relapse than those without disease PD/relapse. In univariate analysis, the progress free survival (PFS) was inferior in MM patients with high expression of EBV-DNA, high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and high-risk according to mSMART and International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), stage III according to R-ISS staging, extramedullary lesions, and genetic changes (P<0.05). However, in multivariate analysis, LDH, poor karyotype, R-ISS staging, and mSMART were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Taken together, our studies suggest that an association exists between EBV infection and clinical characteristics of MM patients, and EBV infection appears to have a slight impact on the prognosis of MM. However, the results require further validation in other independent prospective MM cohorts.

Role of miRNA-21 in the diagnosis and prediction of treatment efficacy of primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has a poor prognosis and requires early diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the difference between microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) expression in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with PCNSL, and to discuss the importance of miRNA-21 in its diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation. The research subjects were confirmed as patients with PCNSL with histopathological lesions at The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (Harbin, China) between December 2011 and 2017. Comparisons were drawn between the PCNSL, glioblastoma and the healthy control groups. CSF and plasma specimens were obtained from patients with PCNSL prior to chemotherapy, and CSF specimens were also obtained following chemotherapy. Plasma specimens were taken from patients with glioblastoma and the healthy control group. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, it was revealed that plasma miRNA-21 expression level had a notable diagnostic value in distinguishing PCNSL from glioblastoma, another common neurological tumor. Moreover, miRNA-21 expression levels in the plasma correlated positively with those in the CSF. Therefore, miRNA-21 in the plasma may be used as a novel diagnostic biomarker to distinguish patients with PCNSL from those with glioblastoma, whereas miRNA-21 in the CSF may have potential as a predictor of chemotherapeutic effect in PCNSL.

Transcriptome Changes of Mycobacterium marinum in the Process of Resuscitation From Hypoxia-Induced Dormancy.

Nearly one-third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), which represents a huge disease reservoir for reactivation and a major obstacle for effective control of tuberculosis. During latent infection, M. tb is thought to enter nonreplicative dormant states by virtue of its response to hypoxia and nutrient-deprived conditions. Knowledge of the genetic programs used to facilitate entry into and exit from the nonreplicative dormant states remains incomplete. In this study, we examined the transcriptional changes of Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum), a pathogenic mycobacterial species closely related to M. tb, at different stages of resuscitation from hypoxia-induced dormancy. RNA-seq analyses were performed on M. marinum cultures recovered at multiple time points after resuscitation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at each time period were identified and analyzed. Co-expression networks of transcription factors and DEGs in each period were constructed. In addition, we performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on all genes and obtained 12 distinct gene modules. Collectively, these data provided valuable insight into the transcriptome changes of M. marinum upon resuscitation as well as gene module function of the bacteria during active metabolism and growth.

Long non­coding RNA DLX6­AS1 is associated with malignant progression and promotes proliferation and invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Despite being one of the most prevalent and fatal types of cancer worldwide, the biological details of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated the crucial roles of long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in diverse biological processes including cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to assess the expression profile of distal­less homeobox 6 antisense RNA 1 (DLX6­AS1) in ESCC tissues and its contributions to ESCC cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. The expression of DLX6­AS1 in a series of ESCC samples and paired adjacent noncancerous tissues was evaluated by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were performed to evaluate the roles of DLX6­AS1 in the ESCC cell lines EC109 and KYSE30 transfected with DLX6­AS1 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Compared with the paired adjacent noncancerous tissues, DLX6­AS1 expression was upregulated in the ESCC tissues and significantly associated with differentiation status, Tumor­Node­Metastasis stage, distant metastasis, and lymph node metastasis. Knockdown of DLX6­AS1 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration abilities, and enhanced the apoptotic rate in the two ESCC cell lines. Furthermore, western blot assays revealed that silencing DLX6­AS1 partly influenced the epithelial­mesenchymal transition process in ESCC cells. These results imply that the oncogenic function of DLX6­AS1 may be a novel candidate target for treating human ESCC.

Biochemical characterization of the nuclease StoNurA from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii.

The DNA nuclease gene ST2109 has been cloned from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein StoNurA has been purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that StoNurA exhibited DNA binding and 5'-3' exonuclease activities towards ssDNA and dsDNA. The temperature and pH optima of StoNurA were determined to be 65 °C and 8.0, respectively. The activity of StoNurA was found to be dependent of Mn2+, and its half-life of heat inactivation at 100 °C was 5 min. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that StoNurA could form dimers in solution. Pull-down assays also showed that StoNurA physically interacted with a DNA helicase (StoHerA). Our data suggest that NurA may play a key functional role in the processing of DNA recombinational repair.

Inspiratory muscle training is associated with decreased postoperative pulmonary complications: Evidence from randomized trials.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preoperative inspiratory muscle training was associated with a significant difference in the rate of postoperative pulmonary adverse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiothoracic or upper abdominal surgery using trial sequential analysis to correct for the risk of random errors. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the Excerpta Medica database, PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized controlled trials evaluating inspiratory muscle training before cardiothoracic or upper abdominal surgery. Outcome measures included postoperative pulmonary complications, length of hospital stay, maximum inspiratory pressure, and quality of life. A random-effects model was used to estimate relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used trial sequential analysis to calculate a diversity-adjusted required information size for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Thirteen randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis for a total of 784 patients. Compared with the standard care group, the inspiratory muscle training group exhibited significantly decreased postoperative pulmonary complications (risk ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.47-0.74). Trial sequential analysis indicated that the cumulative Z curve crossed both the conventional boundary and the trial sequential monitoring boundary for benefit. The length of hospital stay was reduced in the inspiratory muscle training group (mean difference, -1.15 days; 95% CI, -2.10 to 0.20), and the maximum inspiratory pressure was significantly improved at the end of the preoperative training (mean difference, 13.66; 95% CI, 3.88-23.44). The quality of life outcome was unavailable in most of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative inspiratory muscle training resulted in significantly improved maximum inspiratory pressure and was associated with decreased postoperative pulmonary complications.