Uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium film on titanium dioxide nanotubes as a skeleton for reversible Na metal anode

To meet the low-cost concept advocated by the sodium metal anode,this paper reports the use of a pulsed electrodeposition technology with ionic liquids as electrolytes to achieve uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium films at around 20 nm on spaced titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))nanotubes(STNA-Mg).First,the sodiophilic magnesium metal coating can effectively reduce the nucleation overpotential of sodium metal.Moreover,three-dimensional STNA can limit the volume expansion during sodium metal plating and stripping to achieve the ultrastable deposition and stripping of sodium metals with a high Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.5%and a small voltage polarization of 5 mV in symmetric Na||Na batteries.In addition,the comparative study of sodium metal deposition behavior of STNA-Mg and STNA-Cu prepared by the same route further confirmed the advantage of magnesium metal to guide sodium metal growth.Finally,the prepared STNA-Mg-Na metal anode and commercial sodium vanadium phosphate cathode were assembled into a full cell,delivering a discharge capacity of 110.2 mAh·g^(-1)with a retention rate of 95.6%after 110 cycles at 1C rate.

2023:A year of accomplishments for the 13 Science Citation Index Expanded-and Emerging Sources Citation Index-indexed Baishideng journals

In 2023,Baishideng Publishing Group(Baishideng)routinely published 47 openaccess journals,including 46 English-language journals and 1 Chinese-language journal.Our successes were accomplished through the collective dedicated efforts of Baishideng staffs,Editorial Board Members,and Peer Reviewers.Among these 47 Baishideng journals,7 are included in the Science Citation Index Expanded(SCIE)and 6 in the Emerging Sources Citation Index(ESCI).With the support of Baishideng authors,company staffs,Editorial Board Members,and Peer Reviewers,the publication work of 2023 is about to be successfully completed.This editorial summarizes the 2023 activities and accomplishments of the 13 SCIEand ESCI-indexed Baishideng journals,outlines the Baishideng publishing policy changes and additions made this year,and highlights the unique advantages of Baishideng journals.

A creatinine-based model for predicting recurrent bleeding after modified percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization in patients with cirrhosis

Background:Patients who survive initial esophagogastric variceal bleeding(EVB)are at an increased risk of recurrent bleeding and death;however,a reliable predictive model is lacking.We aimed to develop a model for rebleeding prediction in patients with EVB after modified percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization(PTVE)with cyanoacrylate.Methods:A total of 122 patients with EVB who underwent PTVE from January 2015 to November 2020 were enrolled.Multivariate logistic analyses were conducted to determine independent risk factors for nomogram construction.The discrimination,calibration,and clinical utility of the nomogram were compared with the Model for End-stage Liver Disease score(MELD)and the Child–Pugh model.Risk stratification was performed according to the nomogram.Results:Rebleeding within 3 months of PTVE occurred in 32 patients(26.2%).Independent rebleeding indicators included prior history of endoscopic therapy,Child–Pugh score,partial splenic embolization,and creatinine level.The nomogram incorporating these four predictors achieved excellent calibration and discriminatory abilities,with a concordance index of 0.85,which was confirmed to be 0.83 through bootstrapping validation.The nomogram demonstrated superior discrimination and clinical applicability than the MELD and Child–Pugh models.As shown in the Kaplan–Meier curves,high-risk patients had a high probability of rebleeding(P<0.001).Conclusions:The creatinine-based nomogram had a superior ability to predict rebleeding after PTVE in patients with EVB.Risk stratification may help identify high-risk patients and lead to the earlier implementation of aggressive treatments and formulation of intensive follow-up plans.

Highly efficient CRISPR-SaKKH tools for plant multiplex cytosine base editing

Base editing, as an expanded clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)-Cas genome editing strategy, permits precise and irreversible nucleotide conversion. SaKKH, an efficient variant of a Cas9 ortholog from Staphylococcus aureus(SaCas9), is important in genome editing because it can edit sites with HHHAAT protospacer adjacent motif(PAM) that the canonical Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9(SpCas9) or its variants(e.g. xCas9, Cas9-NG) cannot. However, several technical parameters of SaKKH involved base editors have not been well defined and this uncertainty limits their application. We developed an effective multiplex cytosine base editor(SaKKHn-pBE) and showed that it recognized NNARRT, NNCRRT, NNGRGT, and NNTRGT PAMs. Based on 27 targets tested, we defined technical parameters of SaKKHn-pBE including the editing window, the preferred sequence context, and the mutation type. The editing efficiency was further improved by modification of the SaKKH sgRNA. These advances can be applied in future research and molecular breeding in rice and other plants.

Protective and Adverse Roles of DDX3X in Different Cell Types in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Progression

Persistent hepatic cellular metabolic stress and liver inflammatory stimuli are key signatures of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).DDX3X is a vital molecule involved in cell fate decisions in both pro-survival stress granule(SG)and pro-death NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome assembly in response to stress signals.However,the role of DDX3X in NASH remains unclear.We characterized the cell type-specific roles of DDX3X in NASH.Human liver tissues from NASH patients and normal control subjects were collected to assess DDX3X expression and distribution.Nutritional steatohepatitis models were constructed by feeding macrophage-specific DDX3X knockout(DDX3^(XΔMφ)),hepatocyte-specific DDX3X knockout(DDX3X^(Δhep)),and wild-type control(DDX3X^(fl/fl))mice a high-fat and high-cholesterol(HFHC)diet,a methionine-and choline-deficient(MCD)diet,and a high-fat/high-iron/high-fructose/high-cholesterol,low-methionine,and choline-deficient(HFHIHFHC-MCD)diet.The study demonstrated that DDX3X was predominantly expressed in macrophages and hepatocytes in control liver tissues,and its expression was down-regulated in patients or mice with NASH.Compared to DDX3X^(fl/fl) littermates,DDX3^(XΔMφ)mice showed improved liver histology in nutritional steatohepatitis models.Loss of macrophage DDX3X inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis,causing anti-inflammatory M2 polarization and alleviating hepatocyte steatohepatitic changes.DDX3X^(Δhep) mice developed marked steatohepatitis in multiple nutritional steatohepatitis models compared to DDX3X^(fl/fl) littermates.DDX3X-deleted hepatocytes showed impaired SG assembly,leading to increased sensitivity and intolerance to metabolic stimulation and resultant steatohepatitis.In conclusion,DDX3X plays opposite roles in different cell types during the progression of NASH.A better understanding of the cell-specific differences in the crosstalk between SG formation and NLRP3 activation is crucial for developing prospective targeted DDX3X inhibitors for the treatment of NASH.

血样采集方法对血清样品中PGE_2、PGF_(2α)检测结果的影响

目的探讨临床血清样品不同放置条件下的放置时间对检测结果的影响。方法随机选取在校研究生女性健康志愿者1例,采集血液50 ml,平均分成16份,分别在离心前后室温放置0.5 h和2 h,离心后在4℃条件下临时存放0.5,8,24,48 h,检测其对血清中PGE_2和PGF_(2α)含量的影响。结果离心前室温放置时间和离心后室温放置时间为0.5 h和2 h时对PGE_2和PGF_(2α)含量无显著影响。4℃临时存放时间为0.5,8,24 h时,PGF_(2α)/PGE_2的值分别为0.899,0.996,1.069,而当4℃临时存放时间达48 h时,该比值为1.337,显著升高(P<0.05)。4℃临时存放时间对PGF_(2α)含量的影响大于PGE_2。结论血样采集后应尽快离心分离血清,之后在4℃临时存放时间不应超过24 h。在实际定量工作中要对血清样品的放置条件和时间加以控制,以提高分析的准确性。

Sodiophilic skeleton based on the packing of hard carbon microspheres for stable sodium metal anode without dead sodium

The propensity of metallic Na dendrites from uneven electrodeposits and the low Coulombic efficiency due to the inevitable existence of "dead sodium" are crucial barriers to realizing the Na metal anode.Herein,we report a multifunctional sodiophilic skeleton based on the packing of hard carbon(HC)microspheres for stable sodium metal electrodeposition without "dead sodium".Firstly,HC is sodiophilic substrate due to the intrinsic heteroatoms or defects which is a favor for the nucleation of Na.Secondly,silver nanoparticles electroplating on HC(Ag-HC)was adopted to boost the Na diffusion and further regulate the uniform Na metal epitaxial deposition due to well compatibility with AIMD simulation.Finally,the packing of HC microspheres provides the inner space for Na plating.Importantly,it was first found by Cryo-TEM that Na metal deposition in nanoscale is achieved by oriented attachment along[110]direction,leading to the formation of polycrystalline Na metal film on Ag-HC.Such epitaxial deposition can efficiently reduce the formation of "dead sodium" as revealed by chromatography tests,allowing the high Coulombic efficiency and good cycling stability robust kinetics.Finally,HC-Ag||Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)full cell with a low negative/positive ratio of 0.6 is firstly achieved and displays good cycling stability.This finding provides a new practical strategy without pre-plating of Na metals and demonstrates a highly reversible polycrystalline Na metal anode toward a high-energy Na-based battery.

Reduction of Efficiency Droop and Modification of Polarization Fields of InGaN-Based Green Light-Emitting Diodes via Mg-Doping in the Barriers

We demonstrate that the Mg-doping in barriers can partially screen the polarization fields of InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes.The photocurrent spectra show that the Mg-doping samples have smaller polarization fields and the blue shift of the peak with increasing current is observed.The reduction of polarization fields can be attributed to the screening of the impurity holes generated by the Mg atoms in the barriers.The efficiency droop is sensitive to the Mg-doping concentration in barriers,while the sample with Mg concentration of 5×10^(19) cm^(-3) exhibits the lowest efficiency degradation of 12.4%at a high injection current.

大型高冰级破冰LNG船结构设计

针对LNG船在极地高冰级要求下的结构设计问题,基于PC规则和俄罗斯规范对某大型极地破冰LNG船完成满足PC3、PC4和Arc7高冰级要求的三套结构设计方案,探讨艏艉双向破冰要求的冰区加强区域划分方法,分析对比PC3、PC4和Arc7三种冰级冰区加强的要求和计算结果,通过有限元直接计算分析模拟冰载荷对船体结构造成的影响并与规范计算的结果进行比较。

Versatile Nucleotides Substitution in Plant Using an Improved Prime Editing System

Dear Editor,Base editors(BEs)based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system,including cytosine base editors and adenine base editors,which can efficiently perform four transition mutations(C·G-to-T·A and A·T-to-G·C),have been well studied and widely used to produce base mutations in a variety of organisms,including in plants such as rice.

Effect of nitrogen on corrosion behaviour of a novel high nitrogen medium-entropy alloy CrCoNiN manufactured by pressurized metallurgy

A novel high nitrogen medium-entropy alloy CrCoNiN, which had higher strength and slightly lower ductility than CrCoNi alloy, was successfully manufactured by pressurized metallurgy.The microstructure and corrosion behaviour were investigated by microscopic, electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that nitrogen existed in the form of Cr2N precipitates and uniformly distributed N atoms, and nitrogen alloying significantly refined the grain size. Besides, nitrogen enriched on the outmost surface of passive film and metal/film interface as ammonia （NH3 and NH4^＋） and CrN, respectively. The significant improvement of corrosion resistance of CrCoNiN was attributed to the lower metastahle pitting susceptibility together with thicker, less defective and more compact passive film.

Discriminated sgRNAs-Based SurroGate System Greatly Enhances the Screening Efficiency of Plant Base-Edited Cells

The development of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated base editing has made genomic modification more efficient. However, selection of genetically modified cells from millions of treated cells, especially plant cells, is still challenging. In this study, an efficient surrogate reporter system based on a defective hygromycin resistance gene was established in rice to enrich base-edited cells. After step-by-step optimization, the Discriminated sgRNAs-based SurroGate system (DisSUGs) was established by artificially differentiating the editing abilities of a wild-type single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting the surrogate reporter gene and an enhanced sgRNA targeting endogenous sites. The DisSUGs enhanced the efficiency of screening base-edited cells by 3- to 5-fold for a PmCDA1-based cytosine-to-tyrosine base editor (PCBE), and 2.5- to 6.5-fold for an adenine base editor (ABE) at endogenous targets. These targets showed editing efficiencies of <25% in the conventional systems. The DisSUGs greatly enhanced the frequency of homozygous substitutions and expanded the activity window slightly for both a PCBE and an ABE. Analyses of the total number of single-nucleotide variants from whole-genome sequencing revealed that, compared with the no-enrichment PCBE strategy, the DisSUGs did not alter the frequency of genome-wide sgRNA-independent off-target mutations, but slightly increased the frequency of target-dependent off-target mutations. Collectively, the DisSUGs developed in this study greatly enhances the efficiency of screening plant base-edited cells and will be a useful system in future applications.

Expanding base editing scope to near-PAMless with engineered CRISPR/Cas9 variants in plants

Dear Editor,Base editors(BEs),including cytosine base editor(CBE)and adenine base editor(ABE),have been widely used to generate irreversible nucleotide substitution in plants and animals.However,their wide applications are largely hindered by the strict NG protospacer adjacent motif(PAM)sequences recognized by Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9(SpCas9)and its engineered variants,such as SpCas9-NG and xCas9(Hua et al.,2019;Ren et al.,2019;Wu et al.,2019;Zhong et al.,2019;Zhang et al.,2020).Most recently,it was reported that three new SpCas9 variants,SpCas9-NRRH,SpCas9-NRTH,and SpCas9-NRCH,could recognize non-G PAMs(NRNH,where R is A or G and H is A,C,or T)in human cells(Miller et al.,2020).Meanwhile,SPRY,another new SpCas9 variant,was developed to greatly expand the editing scope of BEs to nearly PAMless(Walton et al.,2020).In this study,we generated a series of efficient BE toolkits and almost achieved C-to-T mutation without PAM restriction except for NTG PAM,and largely expanded A-to-G mutation scope in stable transformed rice,providing a reference for application in other plants.