Explore the vast range of titles available.

Aluminum is a naturally abundant, trivalent charge carrier with high theoretical specific capacity and volumetric energy density, rendering aluminum-ion batteries a technology of choice for future large-scale energy storage. However, the frequent collapse of the host structure of the cathode materials and sluggish kinetics of aluminum ion diffusion have thus far hampered the realization of practical battery devices. Here, we synthesize Al x MnO 2 · n H 2 O by an in-situ electrochemical transformation reaction to be used as a cathode material for an aluminum-ion battery with a configuration of Al/Al(OTF) 3 -H 2 O/Al x MnO 2 · n H 2 O. This cell is not only based on aqueous electrolyte chemistry but also delivers a high specific capacity of 467 mAh g −1 and a record high energy density of 481 Wh kg −1 . The high safety of aqueous electrolyte, facile cell assembly and the low cost of materials suggest that this aqueous aluminum-ion battery holds promise for large-scale energy applications. The instability of the host structure of cathode materials and sluggish aluminium ion diffusion are the major challenges facing the Al-ion battery. Here the authors show Al x MnO 2 · n H 2 O as a cathode that allows for reversible Al 3+ (de)intercalation in an aqueous electrolyte and impressive electrochemical performance for a battery device.

The rechargeable aluminum batteries (RAB) have shown great potential for energy storage applications due to their low-cost and superior volumetric capacity. However, the battery performances are far from satisfactory owing to the poor kinetics of electrode reactions, including the solid-state ionic diffusion and interfacial charge transfer. The charge transfer reaction, typically the cation desolvation at the interface (Helmholtz plane), is crucial for determining the interfacial charge transfer, which induces the solvent effect in batteries but has not been explored in RABs. Herein, we provide a comprehensive understanding of solvent effects on interface kinetics and electrochemical performance of RAB by analyzing the desolvation process and charge transfer energy barrier. The pivotal role of solvent effects is confirmed by the successful application of Al(OTF) 3 -H 2 O electrolyte, which displays easy desolvation, low charge transfer resistance, and thus superior Al-ion storage performance over other electrolytes in our studies. In addition, based on the strong correlation between the calculated desolvation energy and charge transfer energy barrier, the calculation of dissociation energy of ion-solvent complex is demonstrated as an efficient index for designing electrolytes. The in-depth understanding of solvent effects provides rational guidance for new electrolyte and RAB design.

Newborn microglia rapidly replenish the whole brain after selective elimination of most microglia (>99%) in adult mice. Previous studies reported that repopulated microglia were largely derived from microglial progenitor cells expressing nestin in the brain. However, the origin of these repopulated microglia has been hotly debated. In this study, we investigated the origin of repopulated microglia by a series of fate-mapping approaches. We first excluded the blood origin of repopulated microglia via parabiosis. With different transgenic mouse lines, we then demonstrated that all repopulated microglia were derived from the proliferation of the few surviving microglia (<1%). Despite a transient pattern of nestin expression in newly forming microglia, none of repopulated microglia were derived from nestin-positive non-microglial cells. In summary, we conclude that repopulated microglia are solely derived from residual microglia rather than de novo progenitors, suggesting the absence of microglial progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Current methods for programmed RNA editing using endogenous ADAR enzymes and engineered ADAR-recruiting RNAs (arRNAs) suffer from low efficiency and bystander off-target editing. Here, we describe LEAPER 2.0, an updated version of LEAPER that uses covalently closed circular arRNAs, termed circ-arRNAs. We demonstrate on average ~3.1-fold higher editing efficiency than their linear counterparts when expressed in cells or delivered as in vitro-transcribed circular RNA oligonucleotides. To lower off-target editing we deleted pairings of uridines with off-target adenosines, which almost completely eliminated bystander off-target adenosine editing. Engineered circ-arRNAs enhanced the efficiency and fidelity of editing endogenous CTNNB1 and mutant TP53 transcripts in cell culture. Delivery of circ-arRNAs using adeno-associated virus in a mouse model of Hurler syndrome corrected the pathogenic point mutation and restored α-L-iduronidase catalytic activity, lowering glycosaminoglycan accumulation in the liver. LEAPER 2.0 provides a new design of arRNA that enables more precise, efficient RNA editing with broad applicability for therapy and basic research. Circular ADAR-recruiting RNAs improve RNA editing in vitro and in a mouse disease model.

Microglia are important immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that undergo turnover throughout the lifespan. If microglial debris is not removed in a timely manner, accumulated debris may influence CNS function. Clearance of microglial debris is crucial for CNS homeostasis. However, underlying mechanisms remain obscure. We here investigate how dead microglia are removed. We find that although microglia can phagocytose microglial debris in vitro, the territory-dependent competition hinders the microglia-to-microglial debris engulfment in vivo. In contrast, microglial debris is mainly phagocytosed by astrocytes in the brain, facilitated by C4b opsonization. The engulfed microglial fragments are then degraded in astrocytes via RUBICON-dependent LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), a form of noncanonical autophagy. Interference with C4b-mediated engulfment and subsequent LAP disrupt the removal and degradation of microglial debris, respectively. Together, we elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of microglial debris removal in mice, extending the knowledge on the maintenance of CNS homeostasis. Microglia are professional phagocytes in the CNS. However, which cells scavenge corpses of microglia is largely neglected. Peng and colleagues found that nonprofessional phagocytes (astrocyte) phagocytose the debris of professional phagocytes (microglia).

Single-atom precious metal catalysts hold the promise of perfect atom utilization, yet control of their activity and stability remains challenging. Here we show that engineering the electronic structure of atomically dispersed Ru 1 on metal supports via compressive strain boosts the kinetically sluggish electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and mitigates the degradation of Ru-based electrocatalysts in an acidic electrolyte. We construct a series of alloy-supported Ru 1 using different PtCu alloys through sequential acid etching and electrochemical leaching, and find a volcano relation between OER activity and the lattice constant of the PtCu alloys. Our best catalyst, Ru 1 –Pt 3 Cu, delivers 90 mV lower overpotential to reach a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , and an order of magnitude longer lifetime over that of commercial RuO 2 . Density functional theory investigations reveal that the compressive strain of the Pt skin shell engineers the electronic structure of the Ru 1 , allowing optimized binding of oxygen species and better resistance to over-oxidation and dissolution. While Ru-based electrocatalysts are among the most active for acidic water oxidation, they suffer from severe deactivation. Now, Yuen Wu, Wei-Xue Li and co-workers report a core–shell Ru 1 –Pt 3 Cu catalyst with surface-dispersed Ru atoms for a highly active and stable oxygen evolution reaction in acid electrolyte.

RIPK1 is a death-domain (DD) containing kinase involved in regulating apoptosis, necroptosis and inflammation. RIPK1 activation is known to be regulated by its DD-mediated interaction and ubiquitination, though underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here we show that K627 in human RIPK1-DD and its equivalent K612 in murine RIPK1-DD is a key ubiquitination site that regulates the overall ubiquitination pattern of RIPK1 and its DD-mediated interactions with other DD-containing proteins. K627R/K612R mutation inhibits the activation of RIPK1 and blocks both apoptosis and necroptosis mediated by TNFR1 signaling. However, Ripk1 K612R/K612R mutation sensitizes cells to necroptosis and caspase-1 activation in response to TLRs signaling. Ripk1 K612R/K612R mice are viable, but develop age-dependent reduction of RIPK1 expression, spontaneous intestinal inflammation and splenomegaly, which can be rescued by antibiotic treatment and partially by Ripk3 deficiency. Furthermore, we show that the interaction of RIPK1 with FADD contributes to suppressing the activation of RIPK3 mediated by TLRs signaling. Our study demonstrates the distinct roles of K612 ubiquitination in mRIPK1/K627 ubiquitination in hRIPK1 in regulating its pro-death kinase activity in response to TNFα and pro-survival activity in response to TLRs signaling. RIPK1 is a critical kinase which mediates necroptosis, apoptosis and inflammation. Regulation of RIPK1 by ubiquitination is being intensively investigated. Here, the authors made knock-in RIPK1-K612R mice and demonstrate that this mutation alters the RIPK1 ubiquitinylation pattern and inhibits its prodeath kinase activity in response to TNFα but sensitizes cell death to TLRs signals.

This article is dedicated to solving the problem of wind speed prediction. A time series analysis method based on the establishment of a differential autoregressive sliding model for simple training and a prediction model to obtain the state is proposed. The Kalman filter method with adaptive weighting coefficients is used to predict the equation, and the experimental results show that the composite algorithm can effectively reduce the prediction error.

Abnormalities in ether lipid metabolism as well as the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps have recently been recognized as detrimental factors affecting tumorigenesis and progression. However, the role of abnormal ether lipid metabolism in colorectal cancer (CRC) evolution has not been reported. Here we show that the lipid metabolism-related gene enoyl-CoA δ-isomerase 2 ( ECI2 ) plays a tumor-suppressor role in CRC and is negatively associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. We mechanistically demonstrate that ECI2 reduces ether lipid-mediated Interleukin 8 (IL-8) expression leading to decreased neutrophil recruitment and neutrophil extracellular traps formation for colorectal cancer suppression. In particular, ECI2 inhibits ether lipid production in CRC cells by inhibiting the peroxisomal localization of alkylglycerone phosphate synthase (AGPS), the rate-limiting enzyme for ether lipid synthesis. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the role of metabolic reprogramming and neutrophil interactions in the progression of CRC, but also provide ideas for identifying potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for CRC. The association between metabolism rewiring and the tumour microenvironment has been shown to be relevant for cancer progression. Here, the authors show that the lipid metabolism-related enzyme ECI2 reduces ether-lipid generation leading to decreased neutrophil recruitment and neutrophil extracellular traps formation for colorectal cancer suppression.

HighlightsA multicomponent Co@CNTs|Ru catalyst has been rationally designed, in which Co nanoparticles are in-situ confined inside CNTs while trace Ru loading is uniformly deposited on their exterior walls.Co and Ru nanoparticles spatially confined by the inner and outer surface of CNTs, respectively, would induce charge redistribution and a synergistic electron coupling.Co@CNTs|Ru catalyst exhibits an unprecedented hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in all pH-range, representing a new record among all the previously reported HER catalysts.Exploring highly active but inexpensive electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of critical importance for hydrogen production from electrochemical water splitting. Herein, we report a multicomponent catalyst with exceptional activity and durability for HER, in which cobalt nanoparticles were in-situ confined inside bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) while ultralow ruthenium loading (~ 2.6 µg per electrode area ~ cm−2) is uniformly deposited on their exterior walls (Co@CNTsǀRu). The atomic-scale structural investigations and theoretical calculations indicate that the confined inner Co and loaded outer Ru would induce charge redistribution and a synergistic electron coupling, not only optimizing the adsorption energy of H intermediates (ΔGH*) but also facilitating the electron/mass transfer. The as-developed Co@CNTsǀRu composite catalyst requires overpotentials of only 10, 32, and 63 mV to afford a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively, representing top-level catalytic activity among all reported HER catalysts. The current work may open a new insight into the rational design of carbon-supported metal catalysts for practical applications.