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Flexible Al–air batteries have great potential in the field of wearable electronic devices. However, how to reduce the thickness of the battery and improve their applicability in wearable applications is still an unresolved thorny problem. Therefore, this article focuses on the strategies to minimize the thickness of the solid electrolyte for flexible Al–air batteries. In this paper, an innovative aerosol jet printing method is used to prepare the ultrathin neutral electrolyte with a thickness of 18.3–74.5 μm. This study discusses the influence of the thickness and ion concentration on the conductance of the electrolyte in detail. The ultrathin electrolyte has been applied to the flexible Al–air battery, and the battery performance has been explored. The cell pack composed of single cells is light and thin, and can successfully drive small electrical equipment. This study provided new ideas for the preparation of ultrathin electrolyte for flexible energy products.

Gastric cancer (GC), one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, exhibits a rapid metastasis rate and causes high mortality. Diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for GCs are urgently needed. Here we show that Actin-like protein 6 A (ACTL6A), encoding an SWI/SNF subunit, is highly expressed in GCs. ACTL6A is found to be critical for regulating the glutathione (GSH) metabolism pathway because it upregulates γ-glutamyl-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) expression, thereby reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inhibiting ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death driven by the accumulation of lipid-based ROS. Mechanistic studies show that ACTL6A upregulates GCLC as a cotranscription factor with Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) and that the hydrophobic region of ACTL6A plays an important role. Our data highlight the oncogenic role of ACTL6A in GCs and indicate that inhibition of ACTL6A or GCLC could be a potential treatment strategy for GCs. Diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer are in urgent need. Here, the authors 2 find elevated expression of ACTL6A in gastric cancer promotes glutathione synthesis by regulating 3 GCLC expression to suppress ferroptosis.

Hydrogel flexible strain sensors, renowned for their high stretchability, flexibility, and wearable comfort, have been employed in various applications in the field of human motion monitoring. However, the predominant method for fabricating hydrogels is the template method, which is particularly inefficient and costly for hydrogels with complex structural requirements, thereby limiting the development of flexible hydrogel electronic devices. Herein, we propose a novel method that involves using microgels to modify a hydrogel solution, printing the hydrogel ink using an electrohydrodynamic printing device, and subsequently forming the hydrogel under UV illumination. The resulting hydrogel exhibited a high tensile ratio (639.73%), high tensile strength (0.4243 MPa), and an ionic conductivity of 0.2256 S/m, along with excellent electrochemical properties. Moreover, its high linearity and sensitivity enabled the monitoring of a wide range of subtle changes in human movement. This novel approach offers a promising pathway for the development of high-performance, complexly structured hydrogel flexible sensors.

Sweetpotato ( Ipomoea batatas L.), an important food and industrial crop in the world, has a highly heterozygous hexaploid genome, making the development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers challenging. Identifying SNP loci and developing practical SNP markers are crucial for genomic and genetic research on sweetpotato. A restriction site-associated DNA sequencing analysis of 60 sweetpotato accessions in this study yielded about 7.97 million SNPs. Notably, 954 candidate SNPs were obtained from 21,681 high-quality SNPs. Based on their stability and polymorphism, 274 kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers were then developed and uniformly distributed on chromosomes. The 274 KASP markers were used to genotype 93 sweetpotato accessions to evaluate their utility for assessing germplasm and analyzing genetic diversity and population structures. These markers had respective mean values of 0.24, 0.34, 0.31, and 0.25 for minor allele frequency, heterozygosity, gene diversity, and polymorphic information content (PIC). Their genetic pedigree led to the division of all accessions into three primary clusters, which were found to be both interrelated and independent. Finally, 74 KASP markers with PIC values greater than 0.35 were selected as core markers. These markers were used to construct the DNA fingerprints of 93 sweetpotato accessions and were able to differentiate between all accessions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at the development and application of KASP markers in sweetpotato. However, due to sweetpotato’s polyploidy, heterozygosity and the complex genome, the KASP marker conversion rate in this study was relatively low. To improve the KASP marker conversion rate, and accuracies in SNP discovery and marker validation, further studies including more accessions from underrepresented regions are needed in sweetpotato.

Vitamin D may play an important role in the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Vitamin D is regarded as a neuroactive steroid affecting brain development and function. It plays an essential role in myelination, which is important for connectivity in the brain. Studies have shown that decreased vitamin D levels in patients, decreased maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy, and decreased exposure to solar UVB might increase the risk for ASD. In addition, autism symptoms and global functioning may improve after vitamin D supplementation. Here, we sought to aggregate information from previous publications on vitamin D levels and ASD, in order to achieve a higher statistical power and thereby to determine the validity of vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for ASD. For this meta-analysis, 11 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, accounting for a total of 870 ASD patients and 782 healthy controls. Levels of serum 25(OH) D in participants with ASD were significantly lower than controls, suggesting that lower vitamin D level might be a risk factor for ASD.

Background Recently, studies on behavioral interventions for autism have gained popularity. Naturalistic Developmental Behavior Interventions (NDBIs) are among the most effective, evidence-based, and widely used behavior interventions for autism. However, no research has been conducted on which of the several NDBI methods is most effective for parents and children with autism spectrum disorders. Therefore, we conducted a network meta-analysis to compare the specific effects of each type of parental-mediated NDBI on children’s developmental skills and parent fidelity. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), CINAHL, and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to August 30, 2023. A total of 32 randomized controlled trial studies that examined the efficacy of different NDBIs were included. Results Parents of children with ASD who received Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) reported significant improvements in their children’s social skills (SUCRA, 74.1%), language skills (SUCRA, 88.3%), and parenting fidelity (SUCRA, 99.5%). Moreover, parents who received Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) reported significant improvements in their children’s language (SMD = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.79) and motor skills (SMD = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.79). In terms of the efficacy of improving parent fidelity, the results showed that the Improving Parents as Communication Teachers (ImPACT) intervention significantly improved parent fidelity when compared with the treatment-as-usual group (TAU) (SMD = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.39, 1.42) and the parental education intervention (PEI) (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI:0.28, 1.91).There was a difference in parent fidelity among parents who received PRT(SMD = 3.53, 95% CI: 2.26, 4.79) or ESDM(SMD = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.76, 2.09) training compared with PEI. Conclusion In conclusion, this study revealed that parents can achieve high fidelity with the ImPACT intervention, and it can serve as an early first step for children newly diagnosed with ASD. It also showed that parent-mediated ESDM is effective in improving language and motor skills for children with ASD and can be used as part of the second stage of parent training. Parent-mediated PRT can also be used as a third stage of parent training with sufficient training intensity to further improve language, social, and motor skills.

Background There are overlapping effects of screen time and sleep on children’s behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of screen time with behavior problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the probable mediating effects of sleep, in order to provide evidence for the need for clinical identification and intervention. Methods A sample of 358 preschoolers with ASD were included. We investigated the children’s basic characteristics of sex and age, ASD symptoms (ABC, CARS, and ADOS-2), neurodevelopment (GDS-C), sleep habits (CSHQ), and behavior (CBCL). Pearson correlation tests were used to determine the direct correlations among children’s screen time, CBCL, and CSHQ. Linear regression analysis was used to explore whether screen time predicted total score of CBCL. Multi-step linear regression analysis was used to investigate the mediating effect of sleep on the relationship between screen time and total score of CBCL. Results Screen time before bedtime was correlated with CBCL and CSHQ, which indicated that screen time before bedtime was correlated with sleep and behavior in children with ASD. Screen time before bedtime was a predictor of CBCL total score (indicating children’s behavior), and CSHQ total score (indicating children’s sleep habits) played a partial mediating role between screen time before bedtime and children’s behavior. Conclusion Clinicians should support and educate parents of children with ASD, which should focus on managing screen time, especially screen time before bedtime.

Background This study evaluated vitamin A (VA), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) levels in the population with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Jilin Province, China. Furthermore, we examined their links to core symptoms and neurodevelopment, as well as gastrointestinal (GI) comorbidities and sleep disorders. Methods This study included 181 children with autism and 205 typically developing (TD) children. The participants had not taken vitamin/mineral supplements in the prior three months. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure serum VA levels. By using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, Zn and Cu concentrations in plasma were determined. Importantly, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Autism Behavior Checklist were used to measure core ASD symptoms. However, the Griffith Mental Development Scales-Chinese were used to measure neurodevelopment. GI comorbidities and sleep abnormalities were assessed with the 6 Item-Gastrointestinal Severity Index and Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, respectively. Children with ASD with GI issues were grouped according to severity (low GI severity and high GI severity groups). Results (i) The difference in VA, Zn, Cu levels and the Zn/Cu ratio between ASD and TD children is small. But children with ASD had lower VA levels and Zn/Cu ratio, higher Cu levels than TD children. Cu levels in children with ASD were associated with the severity of core symptoms. (ii) Children with ASD were much more likely than their TD counterparts to suffer from GI comorbidities or sleep problems. Furthermore, it was observed that high GI severity was associated with lower levels of VA, whereas low GI severity was associated with higher levels of VA. (iii) The children with ASD who had both lower VA and lower Zn/Cu ratio had more severe scores on the Autism Behavior Checklist, but not on other measures. Conclusion Children with ASD had lower VA and Zn/Cu ratio, and higher Cu levels. Cu levels in children with ASD were weakly correlated with one subscale on social or self-help. ASD children with lower VA levels may face more serious GI comorbidities. Children with ASD combined VA-Zn/Cu lower had more severe core symptoms. Trial registration Registration number: ChiCTR-OPC-17013502. Date of registration: 2017-11-23.

Background NOP2/Sun domain 2 (NSUN2) is one of the important RNA methyltransferases catalyzing 5‐methylcytosine (m5C) formation and participates in many critical bioprocesses. However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of NSUN2‐mediated m5C modification in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. Methods To explore the NSUN2 expression in CRC, fresh tissue samples were collected and Nsun2 knockout mouse was constructed. In vitro and in vivo functional assays were conducted to assess the role of NSUN2. RNA array and bisulfite sequencing were used to investigate the potential targets. The mechanisms of NSUN2 function on SKIL were identified by m5C‐methylated‐RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA stability assays. Additionally, tissue microarray analysis was conducted and patient‐derived tumour xenograft mouse (PDX) models were used to define the potential therapeutic targets. Results NSUN2 was highly expressed in CRC and correlated with poor CRC patient survival. Moreover, silencing NSUN2 suppressed CRC tumourigenesis and progression in Nsun2 knockout mouse models. In vitro and in vivo studies suggested that NSUN2 promoted colorectal cancer cell growth. Mechanistically, SKI‐like proto‐oncogene (SKIL) is positively regulated by NSUN2, and the NSUN2‐SKIL axis is clinically relevant to CRC. NSUN2 induced m5C modification of SKIL and stabilized its mRNA, which was mediated by Y‐box binding protein 1 (YBX1). Elevated SKIL levels increased transcriptional coactivator with PDZ‐binding motif (TAZ) activation. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of NSUN2 in the initiation and progression of CRC via m5C‐YBX1‐dependent stabilization of the SKIL transcript, providing a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for CRC. NSUN2 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer. NSUN2 induces m5C modification of SKIL and promotes the stability of SKIL mRNA. YBX1 might be the m5C reader of SKIL. NSUN2 activates TAZ expression by SKIL.

Background Vitamin D₃ has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent for alleviating tic symptoms in children with chronic tic disorders (CTDs). This study aims to evaluate the comparative efficacy of high-dose and low-dose vitamin D₃ supplementation on tic severity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D levels in children with CTDs. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 83 children aged 4 to 15 years diagnosed with CTDs. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose vitamin D₃ (5,000 IU/day) or low-dose vitamin D₃ (1,000 IU/day) for three months. The primary outcome was tic severity, assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), while secondary outcomes included changes in serum 25(OH)D and calcium levels. Tic severity and biochemical markers were measured at baseline and after the intervention to assess the effects of vitamin D₃ supplementation. Results Both the high-dose and low-dose groups showed significant improvements in tic severity and increases in serum 25(OH)D levels (𝑝 < 0.05). The high-dose group exhibited a significantly greater reduction in tic severity and a more substantial increase in serum 25(OH)D levels compared to the low-dose group (𝑝 < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in serum calcium levels between the group (𝑝 > 0.05). Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative association between increases in serum 25(OH)D levels and reductions in tic severity (𝑡 = -2.816, 𝑝 < 0.05). Conclusion High-dose vitamin D₃ supplementation is more effective than low-dose supplementation in reducing tic severity and increasing serum 25(OH)D levels in children with CTDs. These findings suggest that high-dose vitamin D₃ may serve as a valuable adjunctive therapy for managing CTDs.