A Wireless Triboelectric Nanogenerator

A new “wireless” paradigm for harvesting mechanical energy via a 3D‐printed wireless triboelectric nanogenerator (W‐TENG) comprised of an ecofriendly graphene polylactic acid (gPLA) nanocomposite and Teflon is demonstrated. The W‐TENG generates very high output voltages >2 kV with a strong electric field that enables the wireless transmission of harvested energy over a distance of 3 m. The W‐TENG exhibited an instantaneous peak power up to 70 mW that could be wirelessly transmitted for storage into a capacitor obviating the need for hard‐wiring or additional circuitry. Furthermore, the use of W‐TENG for wireless and secure actuation of smart‐home applications such as smart tint windows, temperature sensors, liquid crystal displays, and security alarms either with a single or a specific user‐defined passcode of mechanical pulses (e.g., Fibonacci sequence) is demonstrated. The scalable additive manufacturing approach for gPLA‐based W‐TENGs, along with their high electrical output and unprecedented wireless applications, is poised for revolutionizing the present mechanical energy harvesting technologies.     

On the Balance of Intercalation and Conversion Reactions in Battery Cathodes

A thermodynamic analysis of the driving forces is presented for intercalation and conversion reactions in battery cathodes across a range of possible working ion, transition metal, and anion chemistries. Using this body of results, the importance of polymorph selection as well as chemical composition on the ability of a host cathode to support intercalation reactions is analyzed. It is found that the accessibility of high energy charged polymorphs in oxides generally leads to larger intercalation voltages favoring intercalation reactions, whereas sulfides and selenides tend to favor conversion reactions. Furthermore, it is observed that Cr‐containing cathodes favor intercalation more strongly than those with other transition metals. Finally, it is concluded that two‐electron reduction of transition metals (as is possible with the intercalation of a 2 + ion) will favor conversion reactions in the compositions studied.     

Mesenchymal stromal cell exosome–enhanced regulatory T-cell production through an antigen-presenting cell–mediated pathway

Background aims

The immunomodulatory property of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) exosomes is well documented. On the basis of our previous report that MSC exosomes increased regulatory T-cell (Treg) production in mice with allogenic skin graft but not in ungrafted mice, we hypothesize that an activated immune system is key to exosome-mediated Treg production.

二代测序法深度分析水痘疫苗Oka株病毒基因特征

采用二代测序(next-generation sequencing,NGS)技术,对上海生物制品研究所有限责任公司(简称SIBP)2015-2017这3个年度生产的Oka株水痘疫苗进行深度测序,从分子水平分析疫苗质量的一致性,并与不同厂家疫苗/毒种进行比较,分析它们之间的遗传特征相关性。结果显示,3个年度生产的水痘疫苗中平均有77个位点的疫苗型位点检出频率(proportion of vaccine-type allele,Pv)≥10%,至少在两批疫苗中出现Pv≥10%的位点数共76个,两两之间Pv最大差值<10%,与平均值的最大差值为<5%。共有40个位点的Pv均值≥30%,其中19个位点导致氨基酸残基变异;15个位于ORF62区域。筛选出35个位点,比较5个公司水痘疫苗/毒种的Oka株病毒基因序列,结果显示它们之间存在相关性,同时存在一定的差异。研究表明,SIBP不同年度生产的水痘疫苗Oka株病毒具有良好的分子水平上的一致性,为疫苗质量管理与市场监督提供了方法和基础数据。     

Convolutional neural network‐based malaria diagnosis from focus stack of blood smear images acquired using custom‐built slide scanner

The present paper introduces a focus stacking‐based approach for automated quantitative detection of Plasmodium falciparum malaria from blood smear. For the detection, a custom designed convolutional neural network (CNN) operating on focus stack of images is used. The cell counting problem is addressed as the segmentation problem and we propose a 2‐level segmentation strategy. Use of CNN operating on focus stack for the detection of malaria is first of its kind, and it not only improved the detection accuracy (both in terms of sensitivity [97.06%] and specificity [98.50%]) but also favored the processing on cell patches and avoided the need for hand‐engineered features. The slide images are acquired with a custom‐built portable slide scanner made from low‐cost, off‐the‐shelf components and is suitable for point‐of‐care diagnostics. The proposed approach of employing sophisticated algorithmic processing together with inexpensive instrumentation can potentially benefit clinicians to enable malaria diagnosis.      

Calorie restriction reduces biomarkers of cellular senescence in humans

Calorie restriction (CR) with adequate nutrient intake is a potential geroprotective intervention. To advance this concept in humans, we tested the hypothesis that moderate CR in healthy young-to-middle-aged individuals would reduce circulating biomarkers of cellular senescence, a fundamental mechanism of aging and aging-related conditions. Using plasma specimens from the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE™) phase 2 study, we found that CR significantly reduced the concentrations of several senescence biomarkers at 12 and 24 months compared to an ad libitum diet. Using machine learning, changes in biomarker concentrations emerged as important predictors of the change in HOMA-IR and insulin sensitivity index at 12 and 24 months, and the change in resting metabolic rate residual at 12 months. Finally, using adipose tissue RNA-sequencing data from a subset of participants, we observed a significant reduction in a senescence-focused gene set in response to CR at both 12 and 24 months compared to baseline. Our results advance the understanding of the effects of CR in humans and further support a link between cellular senescence and metabolic health.     

The emerging role of GABA as a transport regulator and physiological signal

While the proposal that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acts a signal in plants is decades old, a signaling mode of action for plant GABA has been unveiled only relatively recently. Here, we review the recent research that demonstrates how GABA regulates anion transport through aluminum-activated malate transporters (ALMTs) and speculation that GABA also targets other proteins. The ALMT family of anion channels modulates multiple physiological processes in plants, with many members still to be characterized, opening up the possibility that GABA has broad regulatory roles in plants. We focus on the role of GABA in regulating pollen tube growth and stomatal pore aperture, and we speculate on its role in long-distance signaling and how it might be involved in cross talk with hormonal signals. We show that in barley (Hordeum vulgare), guard cell opening is regulated by GABA, as it is in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), to regulate water use efficiency, which impacts drought tolerance. We also discuss the links between glutamate and GABA in generating signals in plants, particularly related to pollen tube growth, wounding, and long-distance electrical signaling, and explore potential interactions of GABA signals with hormones, such as abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene. We conclude by postulating that GABA encodes a signal that links plant primary metabolism to physiological status to fine tune plant responses to the environment.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) encodes a plant signal that links primary metabolism to physiological status to fine tune plant responses to the environment.     

Saitohin Q7R polymorphism is associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease susceptibility among caucasian populations: a meta‐analysis

Saitohin (STH) Q7R polymorphism has been reported to influence the individual's susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta‐analysis to explore the association between STH Q7R polymorphism and AD risk. Systematic literature searches were performed in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies published before 31 August 2016. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association using a fixed‐ or random‐effects model. Subgroup analyses, Galbraith plot and sensitivity analyses were also performed. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA Version 12.0. A total of 19 case–control studies from 17 publications with 4387 cases and 3972 controls were included in our meta‐analysis. The results showed that the Q7R polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of AD in a recessive model (RR versus QQ+QR, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.01–1.60, P = 0.040). After excluding the four studies not carried out in caucasians, the overall association was unchanged in all comparison models. Further subgroup analyses stratified by the time of AD onset, and the quality of included studies provided statistical evidence of significant increased risk of AD in RR versus QQ+QR model only in late‐onset subjects (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.07–2.26, P = 0.021) and in studies with high quality (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.01–1.86, P = 0.043). This meta‐analysis suggests that the RR genotype in saitohin Q7R polymorphism may be a human‐specific risk factor for AD, especially among late‐onset AD subjects and caucasian populations.