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Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common idiopathic interstitial lung disease, and it carries a poor prognosis due to the lack of efficient diagnosis and treatments. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IPF. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to fibrosis via EMT-mediated pathways. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising treatment for pulmonary fibrosis and ameliorate lung fibrosis via paracrine effects in animal models. However, the specific mechanisms are not known. We previously reported that MSCs attenuated endothelial injury by modulating ER stress and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). The present investigated whether modulation of ER stress and EMT-related pathways played essential roles in MSC-mediated alleviation of IPF.Methods and results: We constructed a transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced fibrosis model in A549 cells. TGF-β1 induced EMT in A549 cells, and MSC coculture ameliorated EMT, which was characterized by increased E-cadherin and decreased vimentin levels. ER stress participated in TGF-β1-induced EMT in A549 cells, and MSCs inhibited the expression of XBP-1s XBP-1u and BiP, which were upregulated by TGF-β1. Inhibition of ER stress contributed to MSC-mediated amelioration of EMT in A549 cells, in which modulation of the IRE1α-XBP1 branch of the ER stress pathway may play an important role. MSC transplantation alleviated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. MSC treatment decreased the expression of ER stress- and EMT-related genes and proteins, and inhibition of the IRE1α/XBP1 pathway was the most obvious effect.Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that MSCs alleviated EMT by modulating ER stress and blockade of the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway may play a critical role. The current study provides a novel vision for the application of MSCs for IPF treatment and elucidates the mechanism of the preventive effects of MSCs against pulmonary fibrosis.

Engineering pharmaceutical formulations is governed by a number of variables, and the finding of the optimal preparation is intricately linked to the exploration of a multiparametric space through a variety of optimization tasks. As a result, making such optimization activities simpler is a significant undertaking. For the purposes of this study, we suggested a prediction model that was based on least square support vector machine (LSSVM) and whose parameters were optimized using the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO-LSSVM model). Other in silico optimization methods were used and compared, including the LSSVM and the back propagation (BP) neural networks algorithm. PSO-LSSVM demonstrated the highest performance on the test dataset, with the lowest mean square error. In addition, two dosage forms, quercetin solid dispersion and apigenin nanoparticles, were selected as model formulations due to the wide range of formulation compositions and manufacturing factors used in their production. Three different models were used to predict the ideal formulations of two different dosage forms, and in real world, the Taguchi orthogonal design arrays were used to optimize the formulations of each dosage form. It is clear that the predicted performance of two formulations using PSO-LSSVM was both consistent with the outcomes of the Taguchi orthogonal planned experiment, demonstrating the model's good reliability and high usefulness. Together, our PSO-LSSVM prediction model has the potential to accurately predict the best possible formulations, reduce the reliance on experimental effort, accelerate the process of formulation design, and provide a low-cost solution to drug preparation optimization.

A novel three-dimensionally (3D) ordered hierarchically porous polypyrrole (3DOHPPy) is successfully synthesized via a simple chemical polymerization method by using silica colloidal crystals as templates. The 3DOHPPy possesses a large BET specific surface area (118.5 m2 g−1), 3D ordered interconnected macropores (240 nm) and mesopores (2–3 nm) on the macropore walls. The sulfur/3DOHPPy (S/3DOHPPy) composite is prepared by a solution-diffusion route followed by low-temperature heat treatment and studied as a cathode material for the lithium/sulfur (Li/S) battery. The resulting S/3DOHPPy cathode shows a high specific discharge capacity of 751 mAh g−1 even after 100 cycles at 0.1 C and great rate capability. The superior electrochemical property of the S/3DOHPPy composite is ascribed to the unique hierarchical structure of 3DOHPPy with ordered interconnected macropores that benefit enhanced mass transfer and the small mesopores on the macropore walls that can immobilize the sulfur and polysulfides produced during the discharge/charge processes.

A three-dimensional ZnO/graphene/CNT (carbon nanotube) composite was prepared by a one-step sol-gel synthetic technique followed by vacuum-assisted filtration. High resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of highly-dispersed ZnO nanoparticles, uniformly laid on the crumpled graphene sheets and CNT. The as-prepared ZnO/graphene/CNT composite exhibited excellent cyclability and rate capability when used as anode for lithium ion batteries, affording 620 mAh g −1 stable reversible discharge capacity after 100 cycles at 100 mA g −1 . The unique composite structure provided a large surface area and highly conductive network which maintains good electronic contact between particles, suppresses ZnO aggregation during the charge/discharge processes, and accommodates the large volume changes of ZnO upon cycling.

Ultrafine ZnO nanocrystals anchored on graphene were synthesized by a facile and highly efficient in situ sol-gel method. Uniform ZnO nanocrystals with an average size of 9.3 nm were well dispersed on graphene nanosheets forming two-dimensional nanostructured ZnO/Graphene hybrids. Due to the intimate integration and strong synergistic effects between the ZnO nanocrystals and graphene nanosheets these hybrids exhibited a stable electrochemical performance. Along with this the graphene anchoring provides to the system high conductivity and large surface area and buffers the ZnO volume change during cycling. Furthermore, ultrafine ZnO nanocrystals provide a short diffusion path for Li + upon insertion/deinsertion. These structure and property advantages allow the as-prepared ZnO/graphene composite to exhibit a high reversible operation as an anode for lithium batteries with a stable specific discharge capacity of 516 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g −1 and a good rate capability with a discharge capacity of 304 mAhg −1 even at a cycling rate of 1500 mA g −1 .

Highly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by a versatile and scalable sol-gel synthetic technique. High-resolution transmission electronic microscopy (HRTEM) showed that the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles are spherical in shape and exhibit a uniform particle size distribution with the average size of about 7 nm. Electrochemical properties of the resulting ZnO were evaluated by galvanostatic discharge/charge cycling as anode for lithium-ion battery. A reversible capacity of 1652 mAh g−1 was delivered at the initial cycle and a capacity of 318 mAh g−1 was remained after 100 cycles. Furthermore, the system could deliver a reversible capacity of 229 mAh g−1 even at a high current density of 1.5 C. This outstanding electrochemical performance could be attributed to the nano-sized features of highly dispersed ZnO particles allowing for the better accommodation of large strains caused by particle expansion/shrinkage along with providing shorter diffusion paths for Li+ ions upon insertion/deinsertion.

Because the boron (B) concentration in water has an apparent positive correlation with salinity, the B content adsorbed in sediments is often regarded as an important indicator to reconstruct the water salinity in a sedimentary environment. The premise of the quantitative reconstruction of paleosalinity is that the B uptake in sediments is proportional to the B concentration in water; however, the study showed that there is no direct relationship. The B absorption in sediments can be affected by both the content of the clay minerals and the total organic carbon content. The data from testing modern sediments and water samples in the Qinghai Lake show that a higher content in clay minerals is beneficial for B adsorption. Furthermore, the organic carbon from halophiles has a strong effect on the enrichment of B. Therefore, the organic carbon content in sediments should be considered when the paleosalinity of water is reconstructed using its B content. It is also thought that the Adams and Couch formulas are not suitable for reconstructing the salinity of water with a high organic carbon content in sediments because they consider only the effect of clay minerals on the adsorbed B without the contribution of organic carbon.

Hexagonal ZnO nanoplates were synthesizedviasimple one-pot hydrothermal reaction of Zn(CH3COO)2and CO(NH2)2. XRD, SEM, and HRTEM were used to investigate the composition and microstructure of the material. Together with the facile strain relaxation during structure and volume change upon cycling, this plate-like structure of ZnO is favorable for physical and chemical interactions with lithium ions because of its large contact area with the electrolyte, providing more active sites and short diffusion distances. The resulting hexagonal ZnO nanoplates electrode exhibited good cyclability and delivered a reversible discharge capacity of 368 mAh g−1after 100 cycles at 0.1 C.

with the development of low carbon economy, it's urgent to establish a wholesome carbon trading market in China. After analyzing related market rules and taking foreign successful carbon trading markets as an example, this paper tentatively constructs a national carbon trading simulation system. Under this system, users could do actual operations both in cap-and-trade and project trading. Besides, it offers trading figures for trading analyst and management. What's important, with model, it also provides the forecast of future trading prices and volumes, which will help users make right decisions in time. The construction of this system would effectively help users completely understand the process of carbon trading, arouse their interests, guild them in technological innovation, and support enterprises with energy-efficient capability to drive the transformation of the social production mode.