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Ultrathin IrxRu1−x cubic nanocages with precisely controlled atom accuracy of six atomic layers and well-defined {200} facets exhibit significantly low overpotential for the HER and OER in acidic medium.

This study proposes constant-voltage charging as a promising fast-charging protocol and reveals the origin of capacity degradation in constant-voltage charging.

The aim of current study was to exhume the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of oxyresveratrol, a structurally re-constructed resveratrol, for treating liver cancer through bioinformatics investigation and experimentative validation. To start with, the network pharmacology approach and molecular docking technology were used to uncover all candidate targets of oxyresveratrol to treat liver cancer, accompanied with identified anti-liver cancer targets including estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In addition, more pharmacological mechanisms of oxyresveratrol against liver cancer were revealed in details. In experimental verification, the clinical samples of liver cancer showed elevated ESR1, EGFR mRNA expressions. The in-vitro data indicated that intracellular contents of ESR1, EGFR mRNAs in oxyresveratrol-treated liver cancer cells were reduced. Taken together, the bioinformatics and validated findings have highlighted detailed pharmacological targets and molecular mechanisms of oxyresveratrol for treating liver cancer. Following with experimental verification, the identified genes of ESR1, EGFR may function as potential screening anti-liver cancer markers.

This study was designed to understand the pivotal anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) targets and pathways of calycosin through network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. In this study, bioinformatics tools were employed to characterize and identify the pharmacological functions and mechanisms of calycosin for CIRI management. The network pharmacology data identified potential, merged CIRI-associated targets of calycosin including tumor protein p53 (TP53), protein kinase B (AKT1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1). Molecular docking analysis indicated the binding efficacy of calycosin with three of the targets, namely TP53, AKT1, and VEGFA. The biological processes of calycosin for the treatment of CIRI are mainly involved in the improvement of endothelial cell proliferation and growth, inflammatory development, and cellular metabolism. In addition, the anti-CIRI actions of calycosin were primarily through suppression of the toll-like receptor, PI3K-AKT, TNF, MAPK, and VEGF signaling pathways. Taken together, the current bioinformatic findings revealed pivotal targets, biological functions, and pharmacological mechanisms of calycosin for the treatment of CIRI. In conclusion, calycosin, a functional phytoestrogen, can be potentially used for the treatment of CIRI in future clinical trials.

A unique composite cathode structure for Li-ion batteries, designated LT-LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (or LT-NMC111), has been prepared by flame spray pyrolysis and subsequent annealing between 400 and 650 °C. It is composed predominantly of structurally-integrated and partially-disordered lithiated-spinel and layered components, both of which can be broadly described as partially-disordered rock salt constituents. The paper describes the evolution of the LT-NMC111 structure as a function of the synthesis method, annealing temperature, and electrochemical properties in the context of other recently reported “low-temperature” (LT) materials, such as LT-LiCo1−xAlxO2 and LT-LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 or, in spinel notation, LT-Li2Co2–2xAl2xO4 and LT-Li2MnNiO4, respectively.

Flame-spray-pyrolysis (FSP) is a robust and scalable process to synthesize particles at the commodity-scale. FSP has been used to produce the precursor powders which were converted to the layered structure (R3m phase) by a postannealing step in making nickel-rich cathode materials (NCMs). Theoretically, the high flame temperature (normally >1500 K) in FSP can provide adequate energy for the phase conversion from rock-salt to layered structures and potentially enables one-step synthesis. However, the high flame temperature is a critical issue to cause lithium loss and structural degradation, preventing the formation of the layered phase. In this work, guided by the gaseous nucleation theory, we implemented several FSP processes with different solution recipes. The layered phase concentration in the as-burned products can be increased with the solution enthalpies. By adding a rapid quench step to suppress the lithium loss and phase degradation, the layered phase can be further increased. This work contributes new ideas to innovating process regarding the process efficiency and throughput of manufacturing cathode materials at a large scale.

The incorporation of superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers into engineered cementitious composite (ECC) materials can provide high seismic energy dissipation and deformation self-centering capabilities for ECC materials. Whether the SMA fibers can be sufficiently bonded or anchored in the ECC matrix and whether the mechanical properties of the SMA fibers in the ECC matrix can be effectively utilized are the key scientific issues that urgently need to be studied. In order to study the mechanical behavior of SMA fiber embedded in ECC matrix, four groups of semi-dog-bone pullout specimens were fabricated, and the cyclic pullout tests were conducted in this paper. The pullout stress, displacement, and self-centering capability were analyzed, and different influencing factors were discussed. The results show that the knotted ends can provide sufficient anchorage force for SMA fibers, and the maximum pullout stress of SMA fiber can reach 1100 MPa, thus the superelasticity can be effectively stimulated. The SMA fibers show excellent self-centering capability in the test. The minimum residual deformation in the test is only 0.29 mm, and the maximum self-centering ratio can reach 0.93. Increasing bond length can increase the ultimate strain of SMA fibers with knotted ends, but reduce the maximum pullout stress. Increasing fiber diameter can increase both the ultimate strain and the maximum stress of knotted end SMA fibers. While neither bond length nor fiber diameter has significant effect on the self-centering ratio. This paper provides a theoretical basis for further study of the combination of SMA fibers and ECC materials.

The temporal and spatial control of natural systems has aroused great interest for the creation of synthetic mimics. By using boronic ester based dynamic covalent chemistry and coupling it with an internal pH feedback system, we have developed a new chemically fueled reaction network for non-equilibrium supramolecular chiral G-quadruplex hydrogels with programmable lifetimes from minutes, to hours, to days, as well as high transparency and conductivity, excellent injectability, and rapid self-healing properties. The system can be controlled by the kinetically controlled in situ formation and dissociation of dynamic boronic ester bonds between the cis-diol of guanosine (G) and 5-fluorobenzoxaborole (B) in the presence of chemical fuels (KOH and 1,3-propanesultone), thereby leading to a precipitate-solution-gel-precipitate cycle under non-equilibrium conditions. A combined experimental-computational approach showed the underlying mechanism of the non-equilibrium self-assembly involves aggregation and disaggregation of right-handed helical G-quadruplex superstructures. The proposed dynamic boronic ester-based non-equilibrium self-assembly strategy offers a new option to design next-generation adaptive and interactive smart materials.

The current tough and stretchable gels with various integrated functions are mainly based on polymer hydrogels. By introducing a non-covalent supramolecular self-assembled network into a covalently cross-linked polymer network in the presence of eco-friendly and cost-effective deep eutectic solvents (DESs), we developed a new small molecule-based supramolecular-polymer double-network (SP-DN) eutectogel platform. This exciting material exhibits high stretchability and toughness (18 000% areal strain), spontaneous self-healing ability, ultrafast (∼5 s)

Liver injury refers to a pathological condition that causes dysfunction to hepatic parenchymal cells. And diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG) is clinically prescribed for hepatoprotection. To date, detailed information regarding DG against liver injury in molecular mechanisms remains unrevealed totally. In the present study, we applied network pharmacology and molecular docking to decipher substantial genes, biological functions of DG for treating liver injury. Furthermore, preclinical experiments using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-induced liver injury in mice were used to validate the bioinformatic findings. Our results showed that the target network of DG and liver injury predominantly shared 90 genes. Eleven core genes of DG treating liver injury including ALB, TP53, TNF, CASP3, PTGS2, JUN, TLR4, IL10, STAT3, NOS3, FOS. The gene ontology and KEGG enrichment further highlighted their importance in regulation of cell proliferation, regulation of transcription, inflammatory response, regulation of NF-kappaB import into nucleus, regulation of apoptotic process, T cell receptor signaling pathway, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Moreover, DG treatment was found to rescue the PFOA-induced liver injury through the modulation of identified genes including TNF, CASP3, PTGS2, and ALB. Current integrated data from bioinformatics method and experimental validation uncovered that DG exerts potent actions to treat liver injury through regulating core targets associated with inflammation and immunomodulation.

The aim of current study was to exhume the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of oxyresveratrol, a structurally re-constructed resveratrol, for treating liver cancer through bioinformatics investigation and experimentative validation. To start with, the network pharmacology approach and molecular docking technology were used to uncover all candidate targets of oxyresveratrol to treat liver cancer, accompanied with identified anti-liver cancer targets including estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In addition, more pharmacological mechanisms of oxyresveratrol against liver cancer were revealed in details. In experimental verification, the clinical samples of liver cancer showed elevated ESR1, EGFR mRNA expressions. The in-vitro data indicated that intracellular contents of ESR1, EGFR mRNAs in oxyresveratrol-treated liver cancer cells were reduced. Taken together, the bioinformatics and validated findings have highlighted detailed pharmacological targets and molecular mechanisms of oxyresveratrol for treating liver cancer. Following with experimental verification, the identified genes of ESR1, EGFR may function as potential screening anti-liver cancer markers.

Natural melanin is a ubiquitous material that plays critical biofunctional roles in different living organisms. Scientists have dedicated significant efforts to elucidate the biofunctional roles of melanin since its discovery. It has been confirmed that natural melanin possesses a number of intriguing properties such as broadband light absorption, free-radical scavenging ability, redox activity, metal ion chelating, and electronic-ionic conductivity, enabling it to be a versatile functional material in various applications. Natural eumelanin has been the most investigated type of melanin in the past few decades and is discussed in this Review. Here we have comprehensively discussed the latest advances and associated mechanisms in emerging applications of natural eumelanin in different fields such as functional polymers, energy storage, energy conversion, photocatalysis, photothermal therapy, and wastewater treatment considering its bioinspired properties. Important applications developed based on polydopamine, which is a "eumelanin-like" material, will also be presented to give guidelines to further develop natural-melanin-based applications. Authors' perspectives on the challenges and potentials of developing natural-eumelanin-based applications will also be included. This Review provides a clear picture of the natural-eumelanin-based applications and, in turn, accelerates the expansion of the relevant emerging fields.

The incorporation of carbon nanostructures into Al alloys has the potential to further improve the mechanical and electrical properties of these alloys. We report a novel one-step fabrication method of incorporating carbon in aluminum alloys by the application of a high electric current to molten Al metal containing particles of activated carbon at high temperature and under Ar atmosphere. We propose that the mechanism for carbon incorporation is similar to electromigration where the current facilitates ionization of the carbon atoms followed by polymerization of the carbon structures and the formation of graphitic chains and ribbons along preferred directions of the Al lattice. Furthermore, the current induces transformation from amorphous carbon to crystalline graphitic structures that propagate in the metal matrix. The carbon is identified by the C-K edge in electron energy loss spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The stiffness is increased in these samples; hardness, on the other hand, decreases for some samples compared to reference Al alloys with no carbon. The electrical conductivity is superior to that of Al-carbon nanotube composites previously reported. The enhanced properties of Al covetics show potential for naval and aerospace applications and power transmission lines.

Natural melanin is abundant in wide ranges of sources, especially in dark colored animal fibers. Despite the unique features and functionalities, its extensive analyses and applications have greatly been hindered due to its serious self-aggregation. To tackle this issue, this study uses the Stober method to encapsulate the melanin particles extracted from colored alpaca fibers with a thin layer of silica. It was observed that the melanin/silica core-shell particles (MSCPs) with 20 h encapsulation time provided excellent dispersity and optical performance. Different concentrations of MSCPs were then doped in poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) through an in-situ polymerization process to obtain MSCP/PMMA bulk materials. The produced composite materials showed homogeneous appearance, controllable UV absorbance and visible light transmittance. The thermal stability, durability under UV, and mechanical properties of the fabricated composites were examined and the role of melanin on the obtained results was elucidated. It was observed that the PMMA samples with MSCPs showed excellent durability under UV even after 100 h irradiation. Testing the thermal stability and mechanical properties (hardness and elastic modulus) of MSCP/PMMA samples confirmed the positive effect of MSCPs presence in PMMA. These results demonstrated the applicability of natural melanin-based materials and composites in UV-protection related fields.

Melanin/titanium dioxide (TiO2) composite systems are introduced as efficient UV absorbers. Natural melanin particles were extracted from the pigmented alpaca fibers and the spindle-like rutile TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized through a two-step sol-gel method at room temperature. The composites of melanin/TiO2 were prepared via electrostatic attraction force. In order to understand the UV absorption features of melanin and melanin/TiO2 composite systems, the prepared particles were applied to the surface of wool fabrics. Then, the UV protection and photostability of functionalized fabrics were assessed based on photoinduced chemiluminescence (PICL) emission, UV reflectance spectra, photoyellowing and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). It was observed that the photostability of treated fabrics enhanced significantly, implying the generation of less free polymeric radicals in the substrate under UV irradiation. Among different synthesized composites, the proportion of melanin/TiO2 1/4 was the most efficient ratio inducing 80% reduction in the PICL emission peak intensity compared with untreated wool samples. The presence of melanin particles significantly enhanced the UPF values of fabrics where 30% increment was observed for wool samples after treating with melanin/TiO2 1/4 compared with pure TiO2. Having some advantages such as nontoxicity, eco-friendly and feasible synthesis approach, the prepared bio-organic/inorganic composite structures can be of some potential applications in photoprotecting and free radical quenching purposes.

Introduction: Patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain (AL) present with negative Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy (absent or mild heart uptake). On the contrary, patients with cardiac amyloidosis transthyretin (ATTR) present with positive Tc-99m PYP scanning (intensive heart uptake). We present a false positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy (grade 2, the heart-to-contralateral ratio is 1.65) in a patient with AL. Patient concerns: A 42-year-old Chinese man complained of effort intolerance, chest discomfort, and short of breath progressively over 1 year. New York Heart Association Class III. Physical examination showed legs swelling. Laboratory revealed elevated brain natriuretic peptide of 23,031 ng/mL (0–88) and Troponin-T of 273.4 ng/mL (0–14). Diagnosis: Cardiac amyloidosis light chain. Evidences: free light chains (FLCs): decreased serum free kappa/lambda ratio of 0.043 (0.31–1.56). Immunofixation electrophoresis: a positive lambda light chain monoclonal protein. Cardiac biopsy: HE: Ambiguity Congo red strain. Myocardial immunofluorescence: positive lambda light chain. Myocardial immunohistochemistry: positive lambda light chain, negative kappa light chain, and TTR. Interventions: Furosemide 40 mg qd, torasemide 20 mg qd, spirolactone 20 mg qd, potassium chloride 10 mL per 500 mL urine, atorvastatin calcium tablet 20 mg qd, aspirin enteric-coated tablets 100 mg qd during the 2-weeks in-hospital. Outcomes: The patient died 2 months later after discharge. Conclusion: False positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy may rarely presented in patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain. So, the clonal plasma cell process based on the FLCs and immunofixation is a base to rule out AL cardiac amyloidosis when we interpret a positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy.

Tin (Sn)-based materials are one of most promising candidates for rechargeable (Li+ and Na+ ion) batteries because of their high theoretical capacities (993 mAh/g for Li4.4Sn and 847 mAh/g for Na15Sn4) and reasonable working potentials. However, Sn-based anodes suffer from huge volume changes during cycling that hinder the applications in commercialized rechargeable batteries. Unique particle engineering to fabricate Sncore–carbonshell (Sn@C) particles has been shown to address or circumvent these problems. In this work, a distinct core–shell-structured Sn@C anode material has been successfully developed by using a one-step and template-free process (colloidal spray pyrolysis). A comprehensive analysis of chemical reaction kinetics of core–shell particles assists the product design to control the particle composition and structure by tuning the process variables, such as reaction temperature and cosolvent concentration. The unique Sn@C anode delivers a high capacity of 720 mAh/g after 300 cycles at 0.5C f...

Copper is an inexpensive replacement for silver in electronic applications such as solar cell metallization, electromagnetic interference packaging, and printable electronics. However, copper has a...

Melanin, a ubiquitous natural pigment, has attracted much attention in energy and nanotechnology areas in recent years. With the increasing demand for high-quality melanin materials and sustainable experimental environment, this study was conducted to achieve melanin with intact structure through recyclable extraction method using ionic liquid (IL). Melanin extracted from base dissolution and acid isolation (BA) method and acid hydrolysis (AH) method were also used for comparison. SEM and 13C-NMR characterizations indicated that IL treatment has retained the original structure of melanin while other methods caused particle damage to various degrees. In addition, the recycled IL (up to five times) showed good reproducibility, and the performance of extracted melanin at the 5th cycle was well-maintained.

Spray pyrolysis is a scalable process to fabricate functional particles as cathode/anode materials in rechargeable batteries from precursor solutions. However, one prerequisite of spray pyrolysis to achieve uniform particle-to-particle composition and structure is a stable precursor solution, restricting its usage to highly soluble salts. Otherwise, extremely acidic precursors are necessary to ease the uncontrollable hydrolysis of the salts and the subsequent precipitation. Moreover, strong reducing agents such as H2 are also needed for complete solid-state reactions, introducing potential safety concerns. Herein, for the first time, we develop a novel process, colloidal spray pyrolysis (CSP), which can eliminate all the prerequisites simultaneously. Our process can generate particles directly from a multiphase precursor in mild processing conditions through in-situ solid-state reactions. The product structure and composition can be precisely designed based on aerosol dynamics and reaction kinetics. By applying CSP, Sn@C particles with three distinct interior nanostructures have been synthesized and evaluated as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The best performing Sn@C anode delivers 627.9 mAh/g at 2 C with capacity retention of 88.5% after 1500 cycles in LIBs and demonstrates superior rate capability for SIBs. This novel CSP process is promising in preparing electrode materials in LIBs and SIBs for future practical applications.

Summary Recent breakthroughs in aqueous electrolytes made highly safe 3.0 V class aqueous Li-ion batteries possible. However, the formed solid-electrolyte interphase therein still cannot effectively support the desired energy-dense anode and cathode materials. In this work, we report a new class of electrolytes, by hybridizing aqueous with non-aqueous solvents, that inherits the non-flammability and non-toxicity characteristics from aqueous and better electrochemical stability from non-aqueous systems. The secondary interphasial ingredient (alkylcarbonate) introduced by non-aqueous component helps to expand the electrochemical window of the hybridized electrolyte to 4.1 V, which supports the operation of a 3.2 V aqueous Li-ion battery based on Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 and LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 to deliver a high energy density of 165 Wh/kg for >1,000 cycles. The understanding of how a better interphase could be tailored by regulating the inner-Helmholtz interfacial structures of the hybridized electrolyte provides important guidelines for designing future electrolytes and interphases for new battery chemistries.

LncRNAs are increasingly verified to be aberrantly expressed in cancers. The abnormal expression of lncRNAs has turned out to be closely related to tumorigenesis or tumor progression. It has been reported that lncRNA OPI5-AS1 serves as a crucial regulator in tumors. However, the specific function of OIP5-AS1 on the progression of lung adenocarcinoma is still uncertain. In this paper, we mainly elucidated that OIP5-AS1 exerts oncogenic functions in human lung adenocarcinoma through targeting miR-448. We inspected that the expression of OIP5-AS1 was definitely high in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cells, while miR-448 was sluggishly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma. OIP5-AS1 and miR-448 was negatively related to each other, the result was obtained from Pearson correlation analysis. We discovered a fact that OIP5-AS1 could directly sponge miR-448 through using dual luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were restrained after we disrupted the expression of OIP5-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma. We also certified that OIP5-AS1 could sponge and regulate miR-448 to affect cell function in lung adenocarcinoma. MiR-448 could target Bcl-2 and affect the expression of Bcl-2. Then, we discovered that the expression of OIP5-AS1 and Bcl-2 was positively related. So we affirmed that lncRNA OIP5-AS1 modulated the expression of Bcl-2 by targeting miR-448 in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Traditional detection method of data breakpoint in computer communication network has some disadvantages, such as time consuming, etc. Firstly, the data of computer transmission breakpoints are stored based on cloud framework, and the density distribution characteristics of the region are extracted according to the breakpoint data. Then the optimal data breakpoint detection path is selected. Finally, the similarity of each data breakpoint is detected by the computer, so that the detection of data breakpoints is realized by computer. After experiments, the data breakpoint detection is realized, the results show that the designed method can detect data breakpoints accurately, which is time-saving and has a certain significance of popularization.

Artificial photosynthesis uses a catalyst to convert CO2 into valuable hydrocarbon products by cleaving the C=O bond. However, this technology is strongly limited by two issues, namely insufficient catalytic efficiency and complicated catalyst-fabrication processes. Herein, we report the development of a novel spray-drying photocatalyst-engineering process that addresses these two issues. Through one-step spray drying, with a residence time of 1.5 s, nanocomposites composed of tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles and edge-oxidized graphene oxide (eo-GO) sheets were fabricated without post-treatment. These nanocomposites exhibited 28-fold and five-fold enhancements in photocatalytic efficiency during CO2 reduction compared to SnO2 and commercialized TiO2 (P25), respectively, after irradiation with simulated sunlight for 4 h. This scalable approach, based on short residence times and facile equipment setup, promotes the practical application of artificial photosynthesis through the potential mass production of efficient photocatalysts.

Melanin, the main photoreceptor in living organics, is largely abundant in pigmented hair tissues. Its promising properties have been widely studied in order to fully explore the corresponding applications. However, the photodegradating and aggregating natures of melanin, to some extent, restrict the development of this eco-friendly biomaterial. This study is conducted to overcome both disadvantages by a mature method that coating the original melanin nanoparticles with silica as shells. The results revealed that the aggregation of the melanin/silica nanoparticles (MSNP) was decreased obviously by a 5 h coating and appeared a uniformly mono-dispersed solution. The MSNP that coated for 20 h provided an efficient protection on the photodegradation of the melanin with a 50% maintenance of the melanin content compared with 16% of original melanin and 2% of MSNP-5 h.

Cu–Sn powders are promising alternatives to Ag and Au in applications including printed electronics because of their low cost and high oxidation resistance. Further development requires knowledge of the conductivity of their corresponding one- and two-dimensional structures. Herein, CuSny (y = atom ratio of Sn/Cu) wires and films were produced by direct printing. In situ measurements of structural resistivities with variation of the temperature from 2 to 400 K in oxygen-free conditions revealed that CuSn0.1 wires have resistivities comparable to those of Cu wires. Furthermore, CuSn0.1 films exhibited significantly lower resistivity increases after being heated at 573 K in ambient air, compared with Cu films.

A cost-effective, environmentally friendly and industrialized method of using low-grade sources to prepare high-performance anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with high energy density and long cycle life is both appealing and challenging. Herein, we present a low-cost, scalable and controllable approach for preparing unique sub-micrometer core-shell structure nanocrystal-FeSi-embedded Si/SiOx (FSO) anode material directly from a low-grade Fe-Si alloy. The sub-micrometer FSO anode materials are controlled by in-situ reaction of the Fe-Si-O in the Fe-Si alloy according to the phase diagram. The XRD and Rietveld refinement results indicate that when the treatment temperature increase, (i) FeSi phase appears together with Si and FeSi2, and then (ii) Fe3Si phase appears together with Si and FeSi. Most importantly, benefited from the formation of the amorphous SiOx as buffer layer and self-conductive nanocrystal-FeSi as a robust skeleton to mechanically support the large volume change of Si during cycling, the sub-micrometer core-shell structure FSO anode exhibits a high capacity (931.3 mA h g−1) at 50 mA g−1 and a prolonged cycle performance with 86% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1. The full cell with prelithiated FSO as the anode and commercial LiCoO2 as the cathode delivers a high energy density of 467.5 W h kg−1 at the 0.05 C. This work provides a promising route for commercial production of high-performance Si/SiOx-based anode materials in LIBs.

Lithium–sulfur battery (LSB) as one of the most promising energy storage devices suffers from poor conductivity of sulfur and fast capacity decay triggered by the dissolution of polysulfides. In this work, functionalized carbonized mesoporous wood fiber (f-CMWF) is employed as a host to accommodate sulfur for the first time. Natural wood microfiber has unique hierarchical and mesoporous structure, which is well-maintained after carbonization. With such a hierarchical mesoporous structure, a high sulfur loading of 76 wt % is achieved in CMWF electrodes. The pore size of CMWF is tunable by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of a 5 nm Al2O3 coating to form the f-CMWF. Such a thin layer slightly decreases the sulfur loading to 70%, but it remarkably promotes the cyclic stability of sulfur cathode, which delivers an initial capacity of 1115 mAh g–1, and maintains a reversible capacity of 859 mAh g–1 for 450 cycles, corresponding to a slow capacity decay rate of 0.046% per cycle. More importantly, natural wood micro...

Plumbagin (PL) pharmacologically plays the anti-proliferative effects in cancer cells, including effective suppression of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the exact molecular mechanism of PL to treat CRC remains unclear. Using available SwissTargetPrediction and SuperPred databases, the anti-cancer biotargets of PL were identified, and the CRC-diseased targets were obtained through a DisGeNET database. The biological processes, and signaling pathways of PL to treat CRC were identified and visualized. Further, clinical and cell culture data were used to validate some bioinformatic findings. As shown in bioinformatics findings, 64 predictive biotargets of PL to treat CRC were collected, and 7 most important biotargets of tumor protein p53 (TP53), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), E1A-associated protein p300 (EP300), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), nuclear factor kappa p65 protein (RELA), Bcl-2 like protein 1 (BCL2L1) were identified respectively. In addition, top 20 functional biological processes, signaling pathways of PL to treat CRC were screened and prioritized. In human study, CRC samples showed elevated expressions of neoplastic MAPK1, PARP1 mRNAs and reduced EP300 mRNA level. In cell culture study, PL-treated CRC cells resulted in down-regulated MAPK1, PARP1 mRNA expressions and up-regulation of EP300 mRNA level, characterized with suppressed cell proliferation. Taken together, the therapeutic biotargets and molecular mechanisms of PL to treat CRC were screened and identified by using a systematic pharmacology analysis, and some bioinformatic findings were validated in clinical and cell line experiments. Potentially, these hub biotargets may be the biomarkers for CRC detection and treatment.

This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of infliximab against ulcerative colitis (UC).Collection of databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, CBM, and CNKI. This meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials comparing infliximab vs. placebo's, steroids, or immunosuppressants.Searching terms were ('infliximab', OR 'anti-tumor necrosis factor', OR 'tumor necrosis factor', OR 'tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody', OR 'tumor necrosis factor antibody', OR 'IFX') and ('ulcerative colitis' OR 'UC'). Study quality: Independently assessed by two reviewers.Meta-analysis combined the odds ratios (OR).Twenty-two studies (2080 patients) evaluated infliximab therapy in UC, and the patients were randomly assigned into infliximab (1149 cases) and control groups (931 cases). The meta-analysis showed the advantage of infliximab in three endpoints (short/long-term response and long-term remission). The main outcomes considered in this meta-analysis were percentage of response (defined by the authors of each study as partial or complete symptomatic response) and remission (defined by the authors as complete symptomatic response), both at the short-term (the first control performed in the study) and the long-term (the last control performed in the study). Compared to the control group, the infliximab group was significantly more effective (short-term response: OR = 4.01, 95%CI = 3.08-5.23, p 0.00001; long-term response: OR = 3.53, 95%CI = 2.55-4.89, p 0.00001; long-term remission: OR = 2.80, 95%CI = 1.89-4.14, p 0.00001; colectomy (3 months): OR = 0.38, 95%CI = 0.19-0.75, P = 0.005; colectomy (12 months): OR = 0.47, 95%CI = 0.33-0.67, p 0.0001), but there were no significant differences in the short-term remission (OR = 1.88, 95%CI = 0.91-3.86, P = 0.09), and infliximab was notably effective in all the subgroups with different treatment doses (all p 0.00001). In the comparison of differences in adverse effects there was no obvious difference between the two groups (OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.48-1.19, P = 0.23).Infliximab is more effective than placebo's, steroids, or immunosuppressants, while the drug safety between the two groups was not obvious. Further studies are necessary to confirm the long-term efficacy of infliximab in ulcerative colitis.

Background Our present study aimed to unravel the therapeutic biotargets of vitamin C (VC) against cystitis glandularis (CG), and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for VC treating CG. Methods Network pharmacology was used to predict therapeutic targets of VC against CG, and to identify molecular mechanisms. In addition, further human and animal studies were designed to validate the bioinformatic findings through biochemical tests, computerized tomography scans, and immunostaining assays. Results In bioinformatic analyses, pathogenic targets of CG and putative targets of VC were identified, respectively. An interaction network between biological target and functional protein was produced before screening and collecting the key therapeutic targets of VC against CG, biological processes, and signaling pathways. In addition, ingenuity pathway analysis with cloud platform indicated that anti-CG mechanisms of VC were achieved through modulating a cluster of molecular pathways, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway. Meanwhile, 18 core targets of VC against CG were identified, and the most important TNF, interleukin-6 (IL6), and Jun biotargets were obtained, respectively. In further validation in human study, cellular TNF-α, IL6, and c-Jun expressions in patient's CG samples were elevated significantly, accompanied with detectable urinary tract infection. Beneficially, VC-dosed CG mice resulted in downregulated expressions of endogenous TNF-α, IL6, and c-Jun in blood and bladder samples. Conclusion Collectively, these bioinformatic findings and experimentative data uncover the therapeutic targets and biological mechanisms of VC for treating CG, in which the key biomarkers of TNF-α, IL6, and c-Jun may be the potential molecules for treating CG in clinical application.