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Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by severe inflammation in lung tissue, excessive immune response and impaired lung function. In hospitalized high-risk patients and cases of secondary infection due to surgical contamination, it can lead to higher mortality rates and require immediate intervention. Currently, clinical treatments are limited in symptomatic therapy as mechanical ventilation and corticosteroids, having insufficient efficacy in mitigating the cause of progression to severe illness. Here we report a pulmonary targeting lung-homing nanoliposome (LHN) designed to attenuate excessive Neutrophil Extracellular Trap formation (NETosis) through sivelestat and DNase-1, coupled with an anti-inflammatory effect mediated by 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC), offering a promising intervention for the acute phase of ALI. Through intratracheal delivery, we intend prompt and constant action within the lungs to effectively prevent excessive NETosis. Isolated neutrophils from blood samples of severe ARDS patients demonstrated significant anti-NETosis effects, as well as reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion. Furthermore, in a murine model of LPS-induced ALI, we confirmed improvements in lung histopathology, and early respiratory function. Also, attenuation of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), with notable reductions in NETosis and neutrophil trafficking was investigated. This presents a targeted therapeutic approach that can be applied in early stages of high-risk patients to prevent severe pulmonary disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the high-throughput production of heterogeneous catalysts of RuO2-deposited graphene using a hydrodynamic process for selective alcohol oxidation. The fluid mechanics of a hydrodynamic process based on a Taylor–Couette flow provide a high shear stress field and fast mixing process. The unique fluidic behavior efficiently exfoliates graphite into defect-free graphene sheets dispersed in water solution, in which ionic liquid is used as the stabilizing reagent to prevent the restacking of the graphene sheets. The deposition of RuO2 on a graphene surface is performed using a hydrodynamic process, resulting in the uniform coating of RuO2 nanoparticles. The as synthesized RuO2/IL–graphene catalyst has been applied efficiently for the oxidation of a wide variety of alcohol substrates, including biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) under environmentally benign conditions. The catalyst is mechanically stable and recyclable, confirming its heterogeneous nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymocyte selection-associated high-mobility group box (TOX) is a transcription factor that is crucial for T cell exhaustion during chronic antigenic stimulation, but its role in inflammation is poorly understood. Here, we report that TOX extracellularly mediates drastic inflammation upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by binding to the cell surface receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE). In various diseases, including COVID-19, TOX release was highly detectable in association with disease severity, contributing to lung fibroproliferative acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recombinant TOX-induced blood vessel rupture, similar to a clinical signature in patients experiencing a cytokine storm, further exacerbating respiratory function impairment. In contrast, disruption of TOX function by a neutralizing antibody and genetic removal of RAGE diminished TOX-mediated deleterious effects. Altogether, our results suggest an insight into TOX function as an inflammatory mediator and propose the TOX-RAGE axis as a potential target for treating severe patients with pulmonary infection and mitigating lung fibroproliferative ARDS., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of muscle mass and function for which there is no approved pharmacological treatment. We tested direct efficacy by evaluating grip strength improvement in a sarcopenia mouse model rather than drug screening, which inhibits specific molecular mechanisms. Various physiological functions of ginseng berries are beneficial to the human body. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of steamed ginseng berry powder (SGBP). SGBP administration increased myotube diameter and suppressed the mRNA expression of sarcopenia-inducing molecules. SGBP also reduced the levels of inflammatory transcription factors and cytokines that are known to induce sarcopenia. Oral administration of SGBP improved muscle mass and physical performance in a mouse model of sarcopenia. In summary, our data suggest that SGBP is a novel therapeutic candidate for the amelioration of muscle weakness, including sarcopenia.

The integration of metal oxides and carbon materials provides a great potential for enhancing the high energy and power densities of supercapacitors, but the rational design and scalable fabrication of such composite materials still remain a challenge. Herein, we report a fast, scalable, and one-pot hydrodynamic synthesis for preparing ion conductive and defect-free graphene from graphite and MnO 2 /graphene nanocomposites. The use of this hydrodynamic method using Taylor-Couette flow allows us to efficiently fast shear-exfoliate graphite into large quantities of high-quality graphene sheets. Deposition of MnO 2 on graphene is subsequently performed in a fluidic reactor within 10 min. The prepared MnO 2 /graphene nanocomposite shows outstanding electrochemical performances, such as a high specific capacitance of 679 F/g at 25 mV/s, a high rate capability of 74.7% retention at an extremely high rate of 1000 mV/s, and an excellent cycling characteristic (∼94.7% retention over 20 000 cycles). An asymmetric supercapacitor device is fabricated by assembling an anode of graphene and a cathode of MnO 2 /graphene, which resulted in high energy (35.2 W h/kg) and power (7.4 kW/kg) densities (accounting for the mass of both electrodes and the electrolyte) with a high rate capability and long cycle life.