Deciphering the genetic interactions between Pou4f3, Gfi1, and Rbm24 in maintaining mouse cochlear hair cell survival

Mammals harbor a limited number of sound-receptor hair cells (HCs) that cannot be regenerated after damage. Thus, investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms that maintain HC survival is crucial for preventing hearing impairment. Intriguingly, Pou4f3-/- or Gfi1-/- HCs form initially but then rapidly degenerate, whereas Rbm24-/- HCs degenerate considerably later. However, the transcriptional cascades involving Pou4f3, Gfi1, and Rbm24 remain undescribed. Here, we demonstrate that Rbm24 expression is completely repressed in Pou4f3-/- HCs but unaltered in Gfi1-/- HCs, and further that the expression of both POU4F3 and GFI1 is intact in Rbm24-/- HCs. Moreover, by using in vivo mouse transgenic reporter assays, we identify three Rbm24 enhancers to which POU4F3 binds. Lastly, through in vivo genetic testing of whether Rbm24 restoration alleviates the degeneration of Pou4f3-/- HCs, we show that ectopic Rbm24 alone cannot prevent Pou4f3-/- HCs from degenerating. Collectively, our findings provide new molecular and genetic insights into how HC survival is regulated

A Double-Electrode-Layer Wind-Driven Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Low Frictional Resistance and High Mechanical Energy Conversion Efficiency of 10.3%

As a new technology for harvesting distributed energy, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been widely used in harvesting wind energy. However, the wind-driven TENG (WD-TENG) faces the problems of high frictional resistance and low mechanical energy conversion efficiency. Here, based on optimizing the structure of the wind turbine, a rotational double-electrode-layer WD-TENG (DEL-WD-TENG) is developed. When the rotational speed is less than 400 round per minute (rpm), the dielectric triboelectric layer rubs with the inner electrode layer under its gravity; when the rotational speed is higher than 400 rpm, the dielectric triboelectric layer rubs with the outer electrode layer under the centrifugal force. The double-electrode-layer structure avoids the energy loss caused by other forces except gravity, centrifugal, and electrostatic adsorption, which improves the mechanical energy conversion efficiency and prolongs the working life of the DEL-WD-TENG. The conversion efficiency from mechanical energy to electricity of the DEL-WD-TENG can reach 10.3%. After 7 million cycles, the transferred charge of the DEL-WD-TENG is reduced by about 5.0%, and the mass loss of dielectric triboelectric layer is only 5.6%. The DEL-WD-TENG with low frictional resistance and high energy conversion efficiency has important application prospects in wind energy harvesting and self-powered sensing systems

dbMDEGA: a database for meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes in autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are hereditary, heterogeneous and biologically complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Individual studies on gene expression in ASD cannot provide clear consensus conclusions. Therefore, a systematic review to synthesize the current findings from brain tissues and a search tool to share the meta-analysis results are urgently needed. Methods Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain gene expression profiles in the current reported human ASD expression datasets (with 84 frozen male cortex samples, 17 female cortex samples, 32 cerebellum samples and 4 formalin fixed samples) and knock-out mouse ASD model expression datasets (with 80 collective brain samples). Then, we applied R language software and developed an interactive shared and updated database (dbMDEGA) displaying the results of meta-analysis of data from ASD studies regarding differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brain. Results This database, dbMDEGA ( https://dbmdega.shinyapps.io/dbMDEGA/ ), is a publicly available web-portal for manual annotation and visualization of DEGs in the brain from data from ASD studies. This database uniquely presents meta-analysis values and homologous forest plots of DEGs in brain tissues. Gene entries are annotated with meta-values, statistical values and forest plots of DEGs in brain samples. This database aims to provide searchable meta-analysis results based on the current reported brain gene expression datasets of ASD to help detect candidate genes underlying this disorder. Conclusion This new analytical tool may provide valuable assistance in the discovery of DEGs and the elucidation of the molecular pathogenicity of ASD. This database model may be replicated to study other disorders

The Regulation of O2 Spin State and Direct Oxidation of CO at Room Temperature Using Triboelectric Plasma by Harvesting Mechanical Energy

Oxidation reactions play a critical role in processes involving energy utilization, chemical conversion, and pollutant elimination. However, due to its spin-forbidden nature, the reaction of molecular dioxygen (O2) with a substrate is difficult under mild conditions. Herein, we describe a system that activates O2 via the direct modulation of its spin state by mechanical energy-induced triboelectric corona plasma, enabling the CO oxidation reaction under normal temperature and pressure. Under optimized reaction conditions, the activity was 7.2 μmol h−1, and the energy consumption per mole CO was 4.2 MJ. The results of kinetic isotope effect, colorimetry, and density functional theory calculation studies demonstrated that electrons generated in the triboelectric plasma were directly injected into the antibonding orbital of O2 to form highly reactive negative ions O2−, which effectively promoted the rate-limiting step of O2 dissociation. The barrier of the reaction of O2− ions and CO molecular was 3.4 eV lower than that of O2 and CO molecular. This work provides an effective strategy for using renewable and green mechanical energy to realize spin-forbidden reactions of small molecules

Additional file 1: Table S1. of dbMDEGA: a database for meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes in autism spectrum disorder

Brain samples of cortex included in the meta-analysis. (DOC 93 kb

Additional file 2: Table S2. of dbMDEGA: a database for meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes in autism spectrum disorder

Brain samples of cerebellum included in the meta-analysis. (DOC 52 kb

Recent Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerators: From Technological Progress to Commercial Applications.

Serious climate changes and energy-related environmental problems are currently critical issues in the world. In order to reduce carbon emissions and save our environment, renewable energy harvesting technologies will serve as a key solution in the near future. Among them, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which is one of the most promising mechanical energy harvesters by means of contact electrification phenomenon, are explosively developing due to abundant wasting mechanical energy sources and a number of superior advantages in a wide availability and selection of materials, relatively simple device configurations, and low-cost processing. Significant experimental and theoretical efforts have been achieved toward understanding fundamental behaviors and a wide range of demonstrations since its report in 2012. As a result, considerable technological advancement has been exhibited and it advances the timeline of achievement in the proposed roadmap. Now, the technology has reached the stage of prototype development with verification of performance beyond the lab scale environment toward its commercialization. In this review, distinguished authors in the world worked together to summarize the state of the art in theory, materials, devices, systems, circuits, and applications in TENG fields. The great research achievements of researchers in this field around the world over the past decade are expected to play a major role in coming to fruition of unexpectedly accelerated technological advances over the next decade