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Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) has both dehydrogenase and esterase activity; its dehydrogenase activity is closely related to the metabolism of aldehydes produced under oxidative stress (OS). In this review, we recapitulate the enzyme activity of ALDH2 in combination with its protein structure, summarize and show the main mechanisms of ALDH2 participating in metabolism of aldehydes in vivo as comprehensively as possible; we also integrate the key regulatory mechanisms of ALDH2 participating in a variety of physiological and pathological processes related to OS, including tissue and organ fibrosis, apoptosis, aging, and nerve injury-related diseases. On this basis, the regulatory effects and application prospects of activators, inhibitors, and protein post-translational modifications (PTMs, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, S-nitrosylation, nitration, ubiquitination, and glycosylation) on ALDH2 are discussed and prospected. Herein, we aimed to lay a foundation for further research into the mechanism of ALDH2 in oxidative stress-related disease and provide a basis for better use of the ALDH2 function in research and the clinic.

HighlightsConvincing candidates of flexible (stretchable/compressible) electromagnetic interference shielding nanocomposites are discussed in detail from the views of fabrication, mechanical elasticity and shielding performance.Detailed summary of the relationship between deformation of materials and electromagnetic shielding performance.The future directions and challenges in developing flexible (particularly elastic) shielding nanocomposites are highlighted.With the extensive use of electronic communication technology in integrated circuit systems and wearable devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has increased dramatically. The shortcomings of conventional rigid EMI shielding materials include high brittleness, poor comfort, and unsuitability for conforming and deformable applications. Hitherto, flexible (particularly elastic) nanocomposites have attracted enormous interest due to their excellent deformability. However, the current flexible shielding nanocomposites present low mechanical stability and resilience, relatively poor EMI shielding performance, and limited multifunctionality. Herein, the advances in low-dimensional EMI shielding nanomaterials-based elastomers are outlined and a selection of the most remarkable examples is discussed. And the corresponding modification strategies and deformability performance are summarized. Finally, expectations for this quickly increasing sector are discussed, as well as future challenges.

It has been widely recognized that inflammation, particularly chronic inflammation, can increase the risk of cancer and that the simultaneous treatment of inflammation and cancer may produce excellent therapeutic effects. Berberine, an alkaloid isolated from Rhizoma coptidis, has broad applications, particularly as an antibacterial agent in the clinic with a long history. Over the past decade, many reports have demonstrated that this natural product and its derivatives have high activity against both cancer and inflammation In this review, we sqmmarize the advances in studing berberine and its derivatives as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agents in the digestive system; we also discuss their structure-activity relationship. These data should be useful for the development of this natural product as novel anticancer drugs with anti-inflammation activity.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the major cell type in the arterial vessel wall, have a contractile phenotype that maintains the normal vessel structure and function under physiological conditions. In response to stress or vascular injury, contractile VSMCs can switch to a less differentiated state (synthetic phenotype) to acquire the proliferative, migratory, and synthetic capabilities for tissue reparation. Imbalances in VSMCs phenotypic switching can result in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, in-stent restenosis, aortic aneurysms, and vascular calcification. It is very important to identify the molecular mechanisms regulating VSMCs phenotypic switching to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases with high morbidity and mortality. However, the key molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways participating in VSMCs phenotypic switching have still not been fully elucidated despite long-term efforts by cardiovascular researchers. In this review, we provide an updated summary of the recent studies and systematic knowledge of VSMCs phenotypic switching in atherosclerosis, in-stent restenosis, aortic aneurysms, and vascular calcification, which may help guide future research and provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of related diseases.

Gastric cancer is reported as one of the leading factors resulting in tumor-related death worldwide. However, the therapies to suppress gastric cancer are still limited and the emergence of drug resistance makes it necessary to develop new and effective anticancer drugs and combinational chemotherapy schemes. Liquiritin (LIQ) is a major constituent of Glycyrrhiza Radix, exhibiting various pharmacological activities, including anticancer. In this study, we investigated the role of LIQ in human gastric cancer cells with cisplatin (DDP) resistance. The findings suggested that LIQ, when applied in single therapy, could moderately inhibit the proliferation and migration of DDP-resistant gastric cancer cells, SGC7901/DDP. DDP and LIQ in combination induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest to suppress the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, which were associated with the decrease of cyclin D1, cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and increase of p53 and p21. In addition, LIQ combined with DDP significantly induce apoptosis and autophagy both in vitro and in vivo through enhancing cleavage of caspase-8/-9/-3 and PARP, as well as LC3B and Beclin 1 expression. Significantly, the two drugs, when used in combination, prevented gastric cancer cell xenografts in nude mice in vivo. Together, the results revealed that application of DDP and LIQ in combination possessed a potential value against the growth of human gastric cancer with DDP resistance.

At present, current didactic teaching delivery method help nursing students apply theory to clinical situations in an inefficient way. The flipped classroom (FC), a novel teaching mode emphasizing self-study and critical thinking, has generated interest in nursing education in China. However, there are a gap in the literature and no consistent outcomes of current studies which compared FC and lecture-based learning (LBL), and no systematic review has comprehensively compared theoretical scores as an affected outcome in FC versus LBL modes. In this review, we analyze flipped-learning nursing students' scores, and aim to assess the efficacy and provide a deeper understanding of the FC in nursing education. Following the inclusion criteria, articles were obtained by searching PubMed, Embase and Chinese data, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP database until 3 January 2020. Data were extracted from eligible articles and quality was assessed. A meta-analysis was then performed using a random effects model with a standardized mean value (SMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI).32 studies were included after reviewing 2,439 citations. All studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The FC theoretical knowledge scores in FC were significantly positively affected compared to those of the traditional classroom (SMD = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.64; P < 0.001). In addition, 23 studies reported skill scores, indicating significant difference between the FC mode and LBL mode (SMD = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.23-1.93; P < 0.001). The results of this meta-analysis suggest that compared to the LBL teaching method, the FC mode dose significantly improve Chinese nursing students' theoretical scores. However, the problems of heterogeneity and publication bias in this study need to be remedied high-quality future studies.

Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor Ga 2 O 3 based electronic devices are expected to perform beyond wide bandgap counterparts GaN and SiC. However, the reported power figure-of-merit hardly can exceed, which is far below the projected Ga 2 O 3 material limit. Major obstacles are high breakdown voltage requires low doping material and PN junction termination, contradicting with low specific on-resistance and simultaneous achieving of n- and p-type doping, respectively. In this work, we demonstrate that Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction PN diodes can overcome above challenges. By implementing the holes injection in the Ga 2 O 3 , bipolar transport can induce conductivity modulation and low resistance in a low doping Ga 2 O 3 material. Therefore, breakdown voltage of 8.32 kV, specific on-resistance of 5.24 mΩ⋅cm 2 , power figure-of-merit of 13.2 GW/cm 2 , and turn-on voltage of 1.8 V are achieved. The power figure-of-merit value surpasses the 1-D unipolar limit of GaN and SiC. Those Ga 2 O 3 power diodes demonstrate their great potential for next-generation power electronics applications. The simultaneous achievement of high breakdown voltage and low resistance is a contradictory point because it would require high and low doping simultaneously. Here, Zhou et al. achieve a power figure-of-merit of 13.2 GW/cm2 through hole injection and conductivity modulation effect.

HighlightsA novel interface design of producing interfacial voids is proposed for CsPbIBr2 perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which is free of any extra modification layer.Interfacial voids improve absorption of CsPbIBr2 film, reduce saturation current density, and enlarge built-in potential of the PSCs.The PSC yields a superior efficiency of 10.20% with a record-high photovoltage of 1.338 V.A novel interface design is proposed for carbon-based, all-inorganic CsPbIBr2 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by introducing interfacial voids between TiO2 electron transport layer and CsPbIBr2 absorber. Compared with the general interfacial engineering strategies, this design exempts any extra modification layer in final PSC. More importantly, the interfacial voids produced by thermal decomposition of 2-phenylethylammonium iodide trigger three beneficial effects. First, they promote the light scattering in CsPbIBr2 film and thereby boost absorption ability of the resulting CsPbIBr2 PSCs. Second, they suppress recombination of charge carriers and thus reduce dark saturation current density (J0) of the PSCs. Third, interfacial voids enlarge built-in potential (Vbi) of the PSCs, awarding increased driving force for dissociating photo-generated charge carriers. Consequently, the PSC yields the optimized efficiency of 10.20% coupled with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.338 V. The Voc achieved herein represents the best value among CsPbIBr2 PSCs reported earlier. Meanwhile, the non-encapsulated PSCs exhibit an excellent stability against light, thermal, and humidity stresses, since it remains ~ 97% or ~ 94% of its initial efficiency after being heated at 85 °C for 12 h or stored in ambient atmosphere with relative humidity of 30–40% for 60 days, respectively.

Background Highland barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum ) is a key crop of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, renowned for its nutritional value and exceptional adaptability to high-altitude environments. Induced mutagenesis offers a powerful approach to developing new crop varieties and elucidating the genetic basis of functional traits. Results In this study, nitrogen ion beam implantation was employed to induce mutations in the highland barley cultivar Kunlun 14 (K14), generating 71 novel mutation materials and enriching the genetic resources for barley breeding. Phenotypic trait correlation analysis identified two mutation lines exhibiting significant variations: E8-38 with highly increased 1000-grain weight, and D7-67 displaying a two-row spike phenotype. Comparative transcriptomic analysis was applied to the above two mutation materials. It was revealed that the high 1000-grain weight of E8-38 was driven by synergistic regulation of phytohormone signaling, metabolic pathways, and epigenetic modifications, particularly the upregulation of the cytokinins signaling pathway and starch metabolism genes. In D7-67, the two-rowed spike phenotype was underpinned by the upregulation of VRS1 genes. Adaptive mechanisms to high-altitude environments were investigated, revealing upregulation of PAL and 4CL genes in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, which enhances UV resistance and antioxidant capacity. Additionally, optimization of the photosynthetic pathway may contribute to acclimation under harsh stress conditions. Through PPI analysis, BZIP transcription factors were found to regulate downstream genes, facilitating adaptation to light changes and oxidative stress. Conclusion Nitrogen ion beam implantation was demonstrated to be an efficiency method to introduce mutation on the highland barley, generating a set of mutation materials with a wide range of genetic variations. Through comparative transcriptomic analysis, this study elucidates the molecular basis underlying the 1000-grain weight and spike-type mutants, as well as the adaptive mechanisms enabling highland barley to thrive in high-altitude environments. These findings provide critical insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms driving high-yield and stress-resilient traits in highland barley.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor is widely distributed in the digestive system, cardiovascular system, adipose tissue and central nervous system. Numerous GLP-1 receptor-targeting drugs have been investigated in clinical studies for various indications, including type 2 diabetes and obesity (accounts for 70% of the total studies), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. This review presented fundamental information regarding two categories of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs): peptide-based and small molecule compounds, and elaborated their potential neuroprotective effects by inhibiting neuroinflammation, reducing neuronal apoptosis, and ultimately improving cognitive function in various neurodegenerative diseases. As a new hypoglycemic drug, GLP-1RA has a unique role in reducing the concurrent risk of stroke in T2D patients. Given the infiltration of various peripheral immune cells into brain tissue, particularly in the areas surrounding the infarct lesion, we further investigated the potential immune regulatory mechanisms. GLP-1RA could not only facilitate the M2 polarization of microglia through both direct and indirect pathways, but also modulate the quantity and function of T cell subtypes, including CD4, CD8, and regulatory T cells, resulting into the inhibition of inflammatory responses and the promotion of neuronal regeneration through interleukin-10 secretion. Therefore, we believe that the \"Tregs-microglia-neuron/neural precursor cells\" axis is instrumental in mediating immune suppression and neuroprotection in the context of ischemic stroke. Given the benefits of rapid diffusion, favorable blood-brain barrier permeability and versatile administration routes, these small molecule compounds will be one of the important candidates of GLP-1RA. We look forward to the further clinical evidence of small molecule GLP-1RA intervention in ischemic stroke or T2D complicated by ischemic stroke.