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Tailoring non-flammable phosphate-based electrolytes with high safety and good Li reversibility are in urgent demand for practical lithium metal batteries. However, phosphate-ester exhibits a poor compatibility with active Li surface and the key to solve this challenge is to build a sustainable solid-electrolyte interphase. Herein, dual-layer crystalline/polymeric solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is designed in phosphate ester/ether mixed electrolyte utilizing lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) as main salt. The coordinated ether in Li solvation sheath will be reduced in Li metal surface, forming alkoxides residue in the early cycling stage, which will further react with DFOB− to form an outer Li2O, inner amorphous polyether SEI layer. Consequently, the flame-retardant electrolyte exhibits a low self-extinguishing time of 6.10 s g−1 and a satisfied Li reversibility of 98.31% in NCM/Cu configuration. The coin-type limited-excess Li/LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NCM811) full cell with negative to positive electrode capacity ratio (N/P) of 1.92 can cycle for more than 140 cycles. Meanwhile, a pouch cell with ∼0.2 Ah capacity, low N/P ratio of ∼2.22 shows a good capacity retention of 87.9% after 60 cycles without Li exhaustion.

Extreme fast charging (XFC), with a recharging time of 15 min, is the key to the mainstream adoption of battery electric vehicles. Lithium metal, in the meantime, has re-emerged as the ultimate anode because of its ultrahigh specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, the low lithium-ion concentration near the lithium electrode surface can result in uncontrolled dendrite growth aggravated by high plating current densities. Here, we reveal the beneficial effects of an adaptively enhanced internal electric field in a constant voltage charging mode in XFC via a molecular understanding of the electrolyte–electrode interfaces. With the same charging time and capacity, the increased electric field stress in dozens of millivolts, compared with that in a constant current mode, can facilitate Li+ migrating toward the negatively charged lithium electrode, mitigating Li+ depletion at the interface and thereby suppressing dendrites. In addition, more NO3– ions are involved in the solvation sheath that is constructed on the lithium electrode surface, leading to the nitride-enriched solid electrolyte interphase and thus favoring lower barriers for Li+ transport. On the basis of these merits, the Li||Li4Ti5O12 battery runs steadily for 550 cycles with charging current peaks up to 27 mA cm–2, and the Li||S full cells exhibit extended life-spans charged within 12 min., We report that the Li dendrite can be inhibited via regulating its electrified interface by using an adaptively enhanced internal electric field in constant voltage charging mode.

Lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), a promising cathode with high compact density around 4.2 g cm−3, delivers only half of its theoretical capacity (137 mAh g−1) due to its low operation voltage at 4.2 V (vs. Li/Li+) under commercial conditions. To improve its practical capacity, higher cut-off voltages are often adopted, which result in severe structure destruction and cause side reactions with electrolyte. The safety concerns of oxygen release further restrict the application of LCO. Here, we achieve stable cycling of LCO at 4.6 V (vs. Li/Li+) through a surface engineering strategy by using lithium-aluminum-phosphate composite coating materials. This strategy prevents direct contact between cathode and electrolyte, reducing the loss of active materials without hindering the lithium ion migration. After calcination, a doping layer (or solid solution) includes phosphorus and aluminum is formed, which helps maintain the surface structure and stabilize the oxygen atoms around particle surface and shows high ion mobility when operated at 4.6 V (vs. Li/Li+). All these benefits synergistically contribute to the stable cycling of LCO at 4.6 V (vs. Li/Li+) with high capacity retentions of 88.6% (30°C) and 78.6% (45°C), respectively, after 200 cycles.

Placental hypoxia has been implicated in pregnancy pathologies such as pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. However, the underlying mechanism by which the trophoblasts respond to hypoxia remains unclear. Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP), an E3 ubiquitin ligase adapter, was previously reported to play important roles in various physiological and pathological processes. This study aims to investigate the expression and biological functions of SPOP after exposure to cobalt chloride (CoCl2 )-mimicked hypoxia conditions using human trophoblast-derived choriocarcinoma cell lines and extravillous cytotrophoblast. These data showed that SPOP protein was directly induced by CoCl2 -mimicked hypoxia and regulated by HIF-1α at the posttranscription level. CoCl2 treatment could dramatically influence the localization of SPOP in trophoblasts, especially the accumulation of SPOP into the nucleus. In addition, both CoCl2 -mimicked hypoxia and induction of endogenous SPOP expression by lentivirus transfection attenuated the migration and invasion abilities of trophoblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SPOP was involved in CoCl2 -induced the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β pathway in placental trophoblasts. Taken together, these data indicate that accumulation of HIF-1α augments the expression of SPOP in trophoblasts, which impairs trophoblastic mobility by targeting the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β pathway. This potentially leads to insufficient uterine spiral artery remodeling and suboptimal placental perfusion, and thus the development of pregnancy-related complication.

Context Salidroside, a compound extracted from Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae), possesses many beneficial pathological effects. Objective To explore the effect of salidroside on ventilator-induced lung endothelial dysfunction in vivo and in vitro. Materials and methods In vivo, male ICR mice were divided into sham, ventilation, salidroside, and ventilation plus salidroside groups. The mice were ventilated for 4 h, salidroside (50 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally before ventilation, dexamethasone (Dex) (5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. In vitro, mouse lung vascular endothelial cells (MLVECs) were treated with salidroside, MMP-9 siRNA, and BAY11-7082 (10 μM), and then exposed to cyclic stretch for 4 h. Afterward, lung tissues and MLVECs were collected for further analysis. Results Salidroside pre-treatment significantly reversed the expression of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) and zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) proteins in cyclic stretch-treated MLVECs (0.46 ± 0.09 vs. 0.80 ± 0.14, 0.49 ± 0.05 vs. 0.88 ± 0.08) and ventilated lung tissues (0.56 ± 0.06 vs. 0.83 ± 0.46, 0.49 ± 0.08 vs. 0.80 ± 0.12). The results further indicated that salidroside inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), whereas knockdown of its expression restored the expression levels of VE-cadherin (0.37 ± 0.08 vs. 0.85 ± 0.74) and ZO-1 (0.48 ± 0.08 vs. 0.81 ± 0.11) in stretched MLVECs. Meanwhile, salidroside inhibited the NF-κB signalling pathway and alleviated lung injury. Conclusions Salidroside protected against stretch-induced endothelial barrier function, improving lung injury after ventilation. Thus, salidroside may be a promising therapeutic agent for patients with MV-induced lung injury.

P2-layered metal oxide cathodes exhibit great promise for use in sodium ion batteries due to their unique two-dimensional tunnel structure, high energy density and high redox potential, etc. However, the inferior structural stability and irreversible phase change of P2-layered cathodes inhibit their development. The best effective strategies to improve their structural stability and sodium storage properties are via the optimization of the P2-layered tunnel structure and morphology by adjusting the Na+ contents, lithium substitution and rational element doping. Herein, the first sub-group element (Cu2+, Ag+ and Au+) doped Na0.5Li0.07Mn0.61Co0.16Ni0.16O2 cathodes were successfully prepared and systematically studied using operando X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Rietveld refinement with corresponding Fourier electron cloud maps and the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT). These data indicate that the lattice parameters (a/b, c and V), energy barrier, and Na+ diffraction coefficient of sub-group element-doped Na0.5Li0.07Mn0.61Co0.16Ni0.16O2 cathodes are gradually improved in line with an increase in the sub-group element radii, which facilitate the kinetics of Na+ migration due to the synergistic effect between the valence and radius. Additionally, the structural stability and sodium storage mechanism of the optimized hybrid Na0.5Li0.07Mn0.6Co0.16Ni0.16Au0.01O2 electrode was revealed via operando XRD.

Diabetic hearts are vulnerable to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), but are insensitive to sevoflurane postconditioning (SPC), activating peroxiredoxins that confer cardioprotection. Previous studies have demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) can suppress oxidative stress of diabetic rats through increasing the expression of silent information regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT1), but whether cardioprotection by SPC can be restored afterward remains unclear. Diabetic rat was subjected to IRI (30 min of ischemia followed by 120 min reperfusion). Postconditioning treatment with sevoflurane was administered for 15 min upon the onset of reperfusion. The diabetic rats were treated with GYY4137 (H2 S donor) 5 days before the experiment. Myocardial infarct size, mitochondrial structure and function, ATP content, activities of complex I-IV, marker of oxidative stress, SIRT1, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NADPH Oxidase-2 (Nox-2) protein expression were detected after reperfusion, and cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography at 24 h after reperfusion. After H2 S activated SIRT1 in the impaired myocardium of diabetic rats, SPC significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream mediator HO-1, thus reduced the expression of Nox-2. In addition, H2 S remarkably increased cytoplasmic and nuclear SIRT1 which was further enhanced by SPC. Furthermore, H2 S combined with SPC reduced the production of reactive oxygen species, increased the content of ATP, and maintained mitochondrial enzyme activity. Finally, myocardial infarct size and myocardium damage were decreased, and cardiac function was improved. Taken together, our study proved that H2 S could restore SPC-induced cardioprotection in diabetic rats by enhancing and promoting SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.

Electro- and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (e-HER and p-HER) are two promising strategies to produce green hydrogen fuel from water. High intrinsic activity, sufficient active sites, fast charge-transfer capacity, and good optoelectronic properties must be taken into consideration simultaneously in pursuit of an ideal bifunctional catalyst. Here, platinum atomic clusters embedded in defects of TiO2 nanocrystals/graphene nanosheets (Pt-T/G) are reported as a bifunctional catalyst for electro- and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (e-HER and p-HER). High activity is delivered due to the charge transfer from the other part of the catalyst to the active center (Pt2-O4-Tix), decreasing the activation energy of the rate-limiting step, which is revealed by synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, photoelectrochemical measurements, and simulated calculations. In regard to e-HER, it outperforms the commercial 20 wt % Pt/C catalyst by a factor of 17.5 on Pt mass basis, allowing for a 93% reduction in Pt loadings. In regard to p-HER, it achieves photocatalytic efficiency (686.8 μmol h-1) without any attenuation in 9 h.

Background Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is characterized by increased proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to a loss of collagen II and proteoglycan in the nucleus pulposus (NP). Although MMP3 has been reported to play a central role in disc degeneration, it is still unknown whether gene therapy targeting MMP3 can inhibit IDD. Objectives To investigate whether lentivirus-mediated MMP3 knockdown is capable of attenuating IDD. More importantly, we also explored whether combined gene therapy that simultaneously antagonizes MMP3 and overexpresses Sox9 can synergistically inhibit IDD and induce augmented matrix reconstitution in the degenerative NP. Material and methods We performed direct injection of lentiviral vectors LV-MMP3-shRNA and/or LV-Sox9 into rabbit lumbar discs. The animals were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 8, 12 and 24 weeks after the operation. We also evaluated the gene expression and synthesis of NP matrix components, including collagen II, aggrecan and proteoglycan. Results The MRI scans showed remarkable needle-puncture-induced progressive IDD in animals injected with PBS or 10^7 viral particles (VP) of the control virus. In contrast, injection of 10^7 VP of LV-MMP3-shRNA or LV-Sox9 substantially inhibited IDD. MMP3 knockdown or Sox9 overexpression stimulated collagen II and aggrecan expression, as well as proteoglycan synthesis. Notably, the injection of a cocktail of LV-MMP3-shRNA and LV-Sox9 (5 × 10^6 VP each) greatly delayed the development of IDD and induced the highest levels of collagen II and proteoglycan production, indicating a synergistic effect in ECM induction. Conclusions Our results suggest that gene therapy targeting MMP3 is an efficient way to delay IDD. Combined gene therapy possesses a stronger capacity to induce matrix components in degenerative NP tissue than single-gene delivery.

A rechargeable Li metal anode coupled with a high-voltage cathode is a promising approach to high-energy-density batteries exceeding 300 Wh kg-1 . Reported here is an advanced dual-additive electrolyte containing a unique solvation structure and it comprises a tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane additive and LiNO3 in a carbonate-based electrolyte. This system generates a robust outer Li2 O solid electrolyte interface and F- and B-containing conformal cathode electrolyte interphase. The resulting stable ion transport kinetics enables excellent cycling of Li/LiNi0.8 Mn0.1 Co0.1 O2 for 140 cycles with 80 % capacity retention under highly challenging conditions (≈295.1 Wh kg-1 at cell-level). The electrolyte also exhibits high cycling stability for a 4.6 V LiCoO2 (160 cycles with 89.8 % capacity retention) cathode and 4.95 V LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 cathode.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are one of the most promising battery technologies to support the fast-expanding electrical vehicle and large-scale energy storage market. Reducing the electrolyte amount is critical for the high specific energy of Li–S batteries in practice. However, using lean electrolytes (that is, with a low Electrolyte to Sulfur (E/S) ratio) always leads to a sluggish sulfur reaction kinetics. Herein, a design strategy based on electrostatic attractions between the cations of ionic liquids and the polysulfide anions is proposed to boost the reaction. The positively charged ionic liquid grafted carbon nanofibers can offer a non-contact coulomb force to attract the polysulfides, accelerate the transport of S species for further strong adsorption and therefore improve the reactant kinetics, especially in a lean electrolyte condition. The electrostatic properties are verified by Zeta potential analysis, Kelvin probe force microscopy test and DFT calculation. As a result, it maintains a high stable discharge capacity of 830 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles (sulfur mass loading: 4.0 mg cm−2; electrolyte/sulfur ratio = 5 μl mg−1) and a capacity up to 845 mAh g−1 with an extremely challenging E/S ratio of 3.5 μl mg−1. This work provides a rational guidance for electrostatic design and a new strategy for the development of lean-electrolyte Li-S batteries.

To prevent counterfeiting, a lot of advanced security technologies have been developed, including luminescent printing. Therefore, the pigments with advanced security features are urgently pursued for luminescence printing-based anti-counterfeiting technology. Here, micron-sized spheres of hexagonal-structured and color-tunable emitting (Y, Tb, Eu, Bi)BO3 have been rapidly synthesized by microwave processing, followed by a proper annealing. Incorporation of Bi3+ greatly enhances the emission intensity of Eu3+ and of Tb3+. Under the excitation at 260 nm, the spheres exhibit UV emission at 330 nm (3P1→1S0 transition of Bi3+), green emission at 546 nm (5D4→7F5 transition of Tb3+) and orange-red emission at 592 nm (5D0→7F1 transition of Eu3+), mainly due to the three energy transfer processes of Bi3+→Tb3+, Bi3+→Eu3+, and Tb3+→Eu3+. However, under the excitation at 230 nm, the Tb3+→Eu3+ energy transfer contributes to the orange-red emission of Eu3+ and the green emission of Tb3+, in the absence of Bi3+ emission. The maximum energy transfer efficiency of Bi3+→ “Eu3+ and Tb3+” and Tb3+→ Eu3+ is 63% and 50% for (Y0.883Tb0.02Eu0.09Bi0.007)BO3. The (Y0.963Tb0.02Eu0.01Bi0.007)BO3 spheres exhibit a distinct excitation-dependent luminescence behavior. Facile switching the excitation wavelength from 260 nm to 230 nm yields emission color changing from orange to green yellow, which possesses the advanced security feature.

Development of a novel fluorescence enhancement probe for detection of Sn2+ in organisms, with high selectivity and sensitivity, is of great interest but remains a great challenge. Herein, an ICT-based fluorescence probe TPPB was rationally developed to act as an ‘enhancement’ luminescent and “naked-eye” indicator for Sn2+ detection. Importantly, spectroscopic studies indicated that TPPB was a fluorescence enhancement sensor for Sn2+ with rapid response, low detection limit (0.116 μM) and excellent binding constant (1.6 × 104 M−1). The mechanism of TPPB response to Sn2+ was further proved by 1H NMR titration, and enhancement calculations. Furthermore, TPPB is applied as a fluorescence probe for imaging in Hela cells, indicated that it can be potentially applied for Sn2+ sensing in biological fields.

Size-tunable graphene oxides (GO) were synthesized as a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) mimic for colorimetric detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) at nanomolar levels via a cascade reaction. A GO-based colorimetric method showed high sensitivity and stability toward OPs, which hold great potential in public health applications.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) tends to be considered low fouling, which has led to its use in a wide variety of applications. Amphiphilic polyols, such as Antifoam 204, are commonly used as surfactants in fermentation processes due to their limited toxicity and low cost, but these polyols in aqueous solutions can unexpectedly swell membranes. Here we examine the interactions of PEG or poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) with amphiphilic substituted norbornene copolymers through swelling in dilute aqueous solution. The effect of molecular mass (Mn) of the polyol (PEG and PPG) in aqueous (1 wt% butanol) solution on the swelling and mechanical properties of a series of poly(alkyl norbornene-co-hexafluoroisopropanol norbornene) is systematically investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. At 10 ppm of PEG, the swelling is less than 20% for all of the copolymers examined and the swelling is independent of PEG Mn. Although PPG at the lowest Mn examined leads to similar swelling to PEG, the swelling induced by PPG increases with Mn to reach a maximum at Mn = 3.1 kg mol-1. Pluronic L121 is similar compositionally to Antifoam 204, but the equilibrium swelling is decreased by nearly a factor of 2, which is attributed to the higher Mn of Pluronic L121. The limited dependence on the alkyl chain in the copolymer suggest that the interactions between the polyol and hexafluoroisopropanol moiety in the copolymer drive the uptake by the membrane through bound water with the unassociated ether in the PPG that increases swelling with increasing Mn, but a finite size effect limits the swelling for sufficiently large polymer additives.

Jun Li,1,* YanXia Ren,1,* SiYuan Li,2 JiaJia Li3 1Endocrinology and Metabolism Department, First Affiliated Hosptital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China; 2Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China; 3Endocrinology and Metabolism Department, Second People’s Hospital of Nanyang, Nanyang, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jun Li Email xjlijun@163.comBackground: The Wnt signaling pathway plays a valuable role in bone metabolism. SOST is a major inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway. The expression of SOST and genetic polymorphism might be associated with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Objective: This study aims to explore whether SOST protein expression and genetic locus rs851056, rs1230399 polymorphism is associated with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with T2DM in Xinjiang.Methods: A total of 136 Xinjiang postmenopausal women were divided into four groups: A (-/-), B (±), C (-/+), and D (+/+) by assessing their OGTT and bone mass. Genetic polymorphisms were determined using the mass ARRAY mass spectrometer.Results: 1) Genotypes and allele frequencies at rs851056 were statistically significant differences in groups B and D patients compared to group A, respectively. 2) Individuals carrying the GG genotype had lower HDL, Ca, and ALP as compared to those carrying the GC/CC genotypes in group C. In contrast, individuals carrying the GG genotype had higher BMD (L1-4) as compared to those carrying the GC/CC genotypes in group D. 3) SOST protein expression levels were higher in groups C and D than in group A. 4). BMD (L1-4) was negatively correlated with SOST protein. 5) Multiple linear regression analysis for BMD-dependent variables showed that the decrease of BMI and TG were risk factors for BMD (L1-4), besides, the decrease of BMI, ALP, and extended years of menopause were all risk factors for BMD (femoral neck).Conclusion: SOST protein expression and genetic locus rs851056, rs1230399 polymorphism are associated with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Xinjiang.Keywords: SOST gene polymorphism, gene mutation, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, bone mineral density, SOST protein

Nanoparticle-functionalized 2D material networks are promising for a wide range of applications, but in situ formation of nanoparticles is commonly challenged by rapid growth. Here, we demonstrate controlled synthesis of small and dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) networks through rapid localized heating with microwaves with low-cost iron nitrate as the precursor. The strong coupling of the microwave radiation with the rGO network rapidly heats the network locally to decompose the iron nitrate and generate iron oxide nanoparticles, while cessation of microwaves leads to rapid cooling to minimize crystal growth. Small changes in the microwave reaction time (

In this paper, we first synthesis three-dimensional jasmine-like Cu@L-aspartic acid(L-ASP) inorganic–organic hybrid nanoflowers to load palladium-platinum nanoparticles (Pd–Pt NPs) as the signal enhancer in order to quantify intracellular speckle-type POZ domain protein. Scanning electron microscope, fourier transform infrared, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to characterize the newly synthesized materials. The newly formed Cu@L-Asp/Pd-PtNPs can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. When different concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein is captured by speckle-type POZ domain protein antibody linked to the surface of Cu@L-Asp/Pd–Pt NPs, the current signal decreases with the increase concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein. After optimization, the speckle-type POZ domain protein immunosensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1–1 ng mL−1 with a low detection limit of 19 fg mL−1. The proposed sensor demonstrates good stability within 28 days, acceptable reproducibility (RSD = 0.52%) and selectivity to the speckle-type POZ domain protein in the presence of possible interfering substances and has potential application for detecting other intracellular macromolecular substances.

Polymer membranes represent a low cost, low energy solution to separating biologically derived chemicals from fermentation. However, the performance of these membranes is commonly limited by fouling caused by biological components, but additives are also included in typical fermentation broths that can interact with the polymer membrane. Here, we examine how a common polyol antifoam agent (Antifoam 204) dramatically swells and plasticizes a high performing biobutanol membrane copolymer of hydroxyhexafluoroisopropyl and n-butyl substituted norbornene. When equilibrated against 1 wt % (aq) butanol, the solvent in the copolymer increases from 40 vol % at 1 ppm of antifoam and >80 vol % at 100 ppm of antifoam. The effect of the antifoam on the properties of the copolymer as determined by QCM-D is much more significant than that of the butanol concentration. Even with 4 wt % butanol (greater than typically viable for biobutanol), the copolymer swells

At present, there are many known sources of methane resources in abandoned mine gobs. Therefore, investigations into the characteristics of airflow spatial distributions in abandoned mine gobs will be helpful in future methane drainage processes. In this study, a physical simulation experiment was first adopted to simulate the formation processes of abandoned gobs based on the geological conditions of the abandoned Yongan Mine in China. Gas injection experiments were then conducted to study the gas concentration distributions and variations in a simulated gob based on the measured gas concentrations at certain sampling points. The results indicate that the abandoned gob comprises a gas enrichment zone (GEZ), gas diversion zone (GDZ), and gas isolation zone (GIZ) from the bottom to the top in the incline edges of the abandoned gob, respectively. However, only the GEZ and GIZ exist in the incline center of the abandoned gob. The gas concentration in the GEZ is observed to be the highest, although the concentration is also found to be relatively high in the GDZ. Moreover, a shielding is found to exist between the boundaries of the GEZ and GDZ, which results in a dramatic decline in concentration in the latter due to its extremely low permeability. The study results were verified by using the methane drainage data from the surface vertical wells in the abandoned Yongan Mine. The field application indicated that the methane extraction flow rate could potentially increase by 1.5 times when the well bottom traversed the GDZ and entered the GEZ, compared to the flow rate when the well bottom was located in the GDZ.

The synthesis of ZnWO4 nanocrystals via hydrothermal reaction was systematically studied in the wide ranges of solution pH (2-11), temperature (up to 180 °C) and reaction duration (up to 24 h), and the course and mechanism of phase/morphology evolution were revealed. With the well-developed ZnWO4 nanorod powder (aspect ratio ∼7–20) as a representative, the effects of subsequent calcination (700 °C, in air and oxygen) on photoluminescent and photocatalytic performances were comparatively analyzed. Detailed characterization of the products was conducted by XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, and FT-IR, Raman, fluorescence and UV–Vis spectroscopies. It was shown that the as-synthesized and calcined ZnWO4 crystallites all exhibited broad excitation (∼225–325 nm, peaked at ∼283 nm; λem = 482 nm) and emission (∼400–700 nm, maxima at ∼ 482 nm; λex = 283 nm) that arise from the 1A1g → 1T1u and 3T1u → 1A1g electronic transitions within the WO6 ligand, respectively. Calcination in air and oxygen improved the integrated emission intensity by ∼1.54 and 1.65 times, respectively. The calcination, however, significantly deteriorated the photocatalytic capability of ZnWO4 toward the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV irradiation. It was shown that ∼93% of the MO molecules were degraded by the as-synthesized ZnWO4 nanorods with 80 min of UV radiation, while the values are only ∼39.1 and 44.4% for the powders calcined in air and oxygen, respectively. The above results were interpreted by considering interaction of the excited electrons with oxygen vacancy defects, electron-hole interaction and UV absorbance of the ZnWO4 products.

BACKGROUND This study was aimed to unveil micro RNA (miRNA) expression profiles in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) rats and explore whether and how dysregulated miRNAs were involved in the initiation and progression of MI/R in a calcium-dependent manner. METHOD AND RESULTS Rat model of MI/R was established and cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal rats cardiomyocytes were induced. Both miRNA and messenger RNA expression profiles were analyzed by Microarray. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, hematoxylin and eosin, Evans blue, and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride were also used in this study. Serum concentrations of myocardial enzymes (phosphocreatine kinase [CK], creatine kinase [CK-MB], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]), cardiomyocytes loadage of Ca2+ , as well as the expression level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) were measured, respectively. Effects of upregulation or downregulation of miR-202-5p or Trpv2 on these indicators were investigated in vivo and in vitro. In MI/R rats and hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced NCMs, miR-202-5p was downregulated, while Trpv2 was upregulated. Trpv2 was a promising target of miR-202-5p and negatively regulated by miR-202-5p. Upregulation of miR-202-5p or downregulation of Trpv2 significantly reduced the serum concentration of myocardial enzymes, as well as cardiomyocyte-produced reactive oxygen species, but inhibition of miR-202-5p or overexpression of Trpv2 brought the worsening situation for these indicators. Besides, upregulation of miR-202-5p upregulation or downregulation of Trpv2 also inhibited Ca2+ overload in cardiomyocytes, accompanied with the increase of SERCA2a and suppression of IP3R. The reduced damage degree and infarct size in myocardial tissue were contrarily worsened by miR-202-5p inhibitor. CONCLUSION Overexpression of miR-202-5p or downregulation of its downstream Trpv2 presented the cardioprotective effects to MI/R rats.

A precise probe that can be applied in a variety of situations, such as both environmental sensor and in vitro imaging, is very attractive and promising. Here, we firstly reported a kind of nitrogen-rich carbon dots (N-CDots) growing during hydrothermal treatment, which emit bright and colorful fluorescence can be utilized as a reliable probe for Ferric ions (Fe3+) detection and bio-imaging. The nitrogen/carbon molar ratio (N/C) in N-CDots is as high as 39.9%. It is the high nitrogen content which provides N-CDots high quantum yield (at excitation wavelength of 365 nm, 400 nm, 440 nm: 34.8%, 27.6%, 22.3%) and thus high sensitivity and bright imaging when detecting Fe3+ and labeling cells, respectively. Regards to Fe3+ detection, the N-CDots show really low detection limit (7.6 nM), high selectivity when 16 kinds of other cationic ions are present and high accuracy to determine the concentration of Fe3+ in tap water. Regards to bio-imaging, the N-CDots showing low toxicity, are successfully loaded into cells and emit colorful florescence in cytoplasm and cytoderm. Furthermore, the N-CDots possess good water dispersibility, excellent photochemical stability and excitation dependent behavior, revealing the big potential for practical applications.

Rational design of artificial protective layers with low resistance, high mechanical strength and good compliance is desirable to suppress dendritic lithium growth, thus realizing the superiority of Li metal anode for high-energy devices such as large electric grids and electrical vehicles. Here, a 2.5 μm-thick lithiated Nafion/LiCl interface (NLI) is fabricated by a simple dip-casting method, in which soft lithiated Nafion polymer can provide a fast ionic pathway as well as comfortable interfacial contact, meanwhile robust LiCl salts act as a mechanical modulus enhancer against severe interface fluctuation and dendrite growth upon cell cycling. Due to its sufficient ionic conductivity and stability, the as-prepared robust-flexible NLI layer enables lithium metal anode to operate at high current density of 8 mA cm−2 in Li/Li symmetrical cells and shows longer lifespan in Li/Cu half cells as well as full cells paired with Li4Ti5O12, LiFePO4, or sulfur cathode. This work proposes a design principle of combining robust inorganic enhancer with flexible polymer matrix to construct stable lithium metal interface and opens a new opportunity to achieve next-generation power-intensive Li metal batteries under safe operation.

A facile and efficient strategy is described in this communication for preparing a molecular catalyst/semiconductor hybrid photoanode by immobilizing a cobalt cubane water oxidation catalyst onto a porous BiVO4 electrode via electrochemical polymerization. With the introduction of Vpa as the anchoring linkage, the poly-1/Vpa/Al2O3/BiVO4 photoanode exhibits high performance as well as stability for photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

In this study, a new, simple, and label-free electrochemical immunosensor was presented for the detection of nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP-22). In order to accurately monitor very small amounts of NMP-22, it was advantageous to use highly efficient nanomaterials as signals. For this reason, we synthesized a chrysanthemum-like nanocomposite (Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs), using Co-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs) as carriers and copper gold nanowires (CuAu NWs) wrapped around their surface, which was applied for modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs possessed outstanding catalytic capabilities, which served as signal materials and simultaneously carried the anti-NMP-22 antibody (Ab). When different concentrations of the NMP-22 antigen (Ag) were specifically attached to the immunosensor, the current responses decreased by varying degrees. The designed biosensor used the principle to establish a linear regression equation and achieve an accurate quantification of NMP-22. After optimization, the NMP-22 sensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1 pg mL-1 to 1 ng mL-1, with a lower detection limit of 33 fg mL-1 (based on S/N = 3). The proposed biosensor demonstrated the advantages of ultra-sensitivity, high specificity and acceptable reproducibility, suggesting that the proposed strategy has the potential for the quantification of NMP-22 in human urine samples. Moreover, the novel nanocomposite Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs are promising materials for electrochemical sensors to detect other biomolecules.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that microRNAs are critical regulators of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). The excessive apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells contribute to the initiation of IDD. However, the precise regulatory role of miRNAs in NP cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation remains largely unknown. MicroRNA-30d (miR-30d) has been reported to be involved in regulating apoptosis and bone homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-30d in regulating apoptosis and the extracellular matrix degradation of NP cells, along with the potential underlying molecular mechanism. Herein, our results showed that miR-30d was significantly increased in degenerative NP tissues compared with normal controls. Functional experiments showed that the inhibition of miR-30d promoted the viability and reduced the apoptosis of NP cells in vitro. Moreover, miR-30d inhibition increased the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan and inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase. In contrast, the overexpression of miR-30d showed the opposite effects. Bioinformatics analysis, the dual-luciferase reporter assay, real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis showed that miR-30d directly targeted the 3′-untranslated region of SRY-related high mobility group box 9 (SOX9) and negatively regulated SOX9 expression. Correlation analysis showed that miR-30d expression was inversely correlated with SOX9 expression in degenerative NP tissues. Moreover, siRNA-mediated silencing of SOX9 expression significantly blocked the protective effects of miR-30d inhibition against NP cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation. Overall, these results demonstrate that the inhibition of miR-30d attenuates the apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation of degenerative human NP cells by up-regulating SOX9, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for IDD.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has reemerged throughout the world in the past ten years and caused huge economic losses to the swine industry. No drugs are available to prevent or treat PEDV infection in piglets. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been shown to reduce diarrhea. However, little is known about its role in PEDV infection. In this study, twenty-four 7-day-old piglets were randomly divided into three treatment groups: control, PEDV, and ZnO+PEDV. Piglets in the ZnO+PEDV group were orally administered with 100 mg/kg·BW ZnO and then inoculated PEDV at a dose of 104.5 TCID50 (50% tissue culture infectious dose) per pig. Growth performance, histologic lesions, viral load, indicators of intestinal damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress were recorded or detected to determine the effect of ZnO on PEDV infection. And the underlying mechanisms were revealed by microarray and proteomic analyses. Results showed that ZnO administration mitigated diarrhea and the reduction of average daily weight gain induced by PEDV infection. ZnO could inhibit PEDV replication in the small intestine and colon. Both villus height and crypt depth were affected by PEDV infection in the duodenum and jejunum, which could be rescued by ZnO administration. Moreover, the activity of catalase was decreased both in plasma and intestine after PEDV infection, while increased in the intestine by ZnO administration. PEDV infection also significantly increased the concentration of H2O2 in jejunal and ileum and decreased the activity of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in plasma, whereas ZnO administration obviously increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase and decreased the concentration of H2O2 in the ileum. The concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in the plasma were all decreased upon ZnO administration. A large number of differentially expressed genes and proteins were identified in the ileum among the three groups by microarray and proteomic analyses. Gene Ontology and Reactome pathway analyses indicated that neutrophil degranulation and nutrient metabolism were the main biological process and pathways in both PEDV infection and ZnO administration. Overall, ZnO administration could improve growth performance, intestinal redox status, morphology, and function and reduce diarrhea in PEDV-infected piglets; ZnO could exert antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects on PEDV-infected piglets probably through regulating neutrophil degranulation. Our findings have important implications in piglet and infant nutrition.

In this paper, we first synthesis three-dimensional(3D) jasmine-like Cu@L-Asp inorganic-organic hybrid nanoflowers to load palladium-platinum nanoparticles as the signal enhancer in order to quantify intracellular speckle-type POZ domain protein (SPOP). Scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was used to characterize the newly synthesized materials. The newly formed Cu@L-Asp/Pd-PtNPs can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. When different concentration of SPOP is captured by SPOP antibody linked to the surface of Cu@L-Asp/Pd-Pt NPs, the current signal decreases with the increase concentration of SPOP. After optimization, the SPOP immunosensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1 pg mL-1-1 ng mL-1. The proposed sensor demonstrates good stability, acceptable reproducibility and excellent selectivity to the SPOP in the presence of possible interfering substances and has great potential application for detecting other intracellular macromolecular substances.

It is formerly conducted that long non-coding RNA growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) is involved in the process of coronary atherosclerosis (AS). The regulatory effects of GAS5 on the microRNA (miR)-194-3p/thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) axis in AS have been insufficiently explored yet. Thereafter, this work is started from GAS5/miR-194-3p/TXNIP axis in AS. AS rats were modeled to obtain their coronary vascular tissues and endothelial cells (ECs), in which GAS5, miR-194-3p, and TXNIP expression were tested. ECs were identified by immunohistochemistry. The mechanism among GAS5, miR-194-3p, and TXNIP was determined. ECs were transfected with inhibited GAS5 or overexpressed miR-194-3p to decipher their functions in proliferation and apoptosis of ECs in AS. Raised GAS5 and TXNIP and degraded miR-194-3p expression levels exhibited in AS. GAS5 bound to miR-194-3p while miR-194-3p targeted TXNIP. Depleting GAS5 or restoring miR-194-3p enhanced proliferation and depressed apoptosis of ECs in AS. This work clearly manifests that inhibited GAS5 facilitates the growth of ECs through miR-194-3p-targeted TXNIP in AS, consolidating the basal reference to the curing for AS.

Chemical modifications used with silk materials can be challenging due to heterogeneous reactions, in part due to the assembly state of the protein chains. Here, we assess factors that determine the efficiency of chemical modifications with silk materials. Unlike other natural macromolecules, silk presents changeable self-assembled or aggregation states in aqueous solution, which affect the chemical reactions based on reactive group distribution or accessibility. To confirm this hypothesis, silk nanofibers in various conformation and aggregation states in solution were exposed to the same reaction conditions. Amorphous silk nanofibers provided improved control for consistent chemical modification outcomes, while silk nanofibers with control of structure could be utilized to generate bifunctional materials through multiple chemical modifications. The results of the chemical modifications demonstrated that control of the conformational transitions of silk nanofibers provided a feasible strategy for developing multifunctional silk materials with improved chemical outcomes.

The industrial application of lithium metal anode requires less side reaction between active lithium and electrolyte, which demands the sustainability of the electrolyte‐induced solid‐electrolyte interface. Here, through a new diluted lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate‐based (LiDFOB) high concentration electrolyte system, it is found that the oxidation behavior of aggregated LiDFOB salt has a great impact on solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and Li reversibility. Under the operation window of Cu/LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 full cells (rather than Li/Cu configuration), a polyether/coordinated borate containing solid‐electrolyte interphase with inner Li2O crystalline can be observed with the increasing concentration of salt, which can be ascribed to the reaction between aggregated electron‐deficient borate species and electron‐rich alkoxide SEI components. The high Li reversibility (99.34%) and near‐theoretical lithium deposition enable the stable cycling of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Li cells (N/P < 2, 350 Wh kg−1) under high cutoff voltage condition of 4.6 V and lean electrolyte condition (E/C ≈ 3.2 g Ah−1)., High‐efficacy and polymeric solid‐electrolyte interphase is in situ formed on lithium metal anode by using a new diluted lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate‐based (LiDFOB) high‐concentration electrolyte. The outer SEI layer is an amorphous polyether/tri‐coordinated borate polymeric organic phase, while the inner layer contains robust Li2O inorganic crystalline. As‐fabricated cells deliver a high Li reversibility of 99.34% and long full‐cell lifetime under ≈350 Wh kg−1.

To elucidate the α-glucosidase (α-GC) inhibitory mechanism of theaflavin-3-gallate (TF-3-G), their interaction mechanism was investigated using spectroscopy and molecular docking analysis. The inhibition ratio of TF-3-G against α-GC was determined to be 92.3%. Steady fluorescence spectroscopy showed that TF-3-G effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of α-GC through static quenching, forming a stable complex through hydrophobic interactions. Formation of the TF-3-G/α-GC complex was also confirmed by resonance light scattering spectroscopy. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the secondary structure of α-GC was changed by TF-3-G. Molecular docking was used to simulate TF-3-G/α-GC complex formation, showing that TF-3-G might be inserted into the hydrophobic region around the active site of ɑ-GC, and bind with the catalytic Asp215 and Asp352 residues. The ɑ-GC inhibitory mechanism of TF-3-G was mainly attributed to the change in ɑ-GC secondary structure caused by the complex formation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: α-Glucosidase (α-GC) can hydrolyze the glycosidic bonds of starch and oligosaccharides in food and release glucose. Therefore, the inhibition of α-GC activity has been used to treat postprandial hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Theaflavin-3-gallate (TF-3-G), a flavonoid found in the fermentation products of black tea, exhibits strong inhibition of α-GC activity. However, the α-GC inhibitory mechanism of TF-3-G is unclear. This study aids understanding of this mechanism, and proposed a possibly basic theory for improving the medicinal value of TF-3-G in diabetes therapy.

The CRISPR RNA-guided endonucleases Cas9, and Cas9-derived adenine/cytosine base editors (ABE/CBE), have been used in both research and therapeutic applications. However, broader use of this gene editing toolbox is hampered by the great variability of efficiency among different target sites. Here we present TRAP-seq, a versatile and scalable approach in which the CRISPR gRNA expression cassette and the corresponding surrogate site are captured by Targeted Reporter Anchored Positional Sequencing in cells. TRAP-seq can faithfully recapitulate the CRISPR gene editing outcomes introduced to the corresponding endogenous genome site and most importantly enables massively parallel quantification of CRISPR gene editing in cells. We demonstrate the utility of this technology for high-throughput quantification of SpCas9 editing efficiency and indel outcomes for 12,000 gRNAs in human embryonic kidney cells. Using this approach, we also showed that TRAP-seq enables high throughput quantification of both ABE and CBE efficiency at 12,000 sites in cells. This rich amount of ABE/CBE outcome data enable us to reveal several novel nucleotide features (e.g. preference of flanking bases, nucleotide motifs, STOP recoding types) affecting base editing efficiency, as well as designing improved machine learning-based prediction tools for designing SpCas9, ABE and CBE gRNAs of high efficiency and accuracy (>70%). We have integrated all the 12,000 CRISPR gene editing outcomes for SpCas9, ABE and CBE into a CRISPR-centered portal: The Human CRISPR Atlas. This study extends our knowledge on CRISPR gene and base editing, and will facilitate the application and development of CRISPR in both research and therapy.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic systems are gaining increasing attention due to their ease of fabrication, optical transparency and mechanical properties. However, the inherent hydrophobicity and chemical inertness of PDMS hinder its wider application in microfluidic systems. There is thus a strong need for methods for surface modification of PDMS-based microfluidic channels. In this work, oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate (OEGMA) and adamantane-containing OEGMA (OEGMA-Ada) were graft copolymerized on PDMS microchannel surfaces using a simple photochemical process to give PDMS-POA. OEGMA was chosen for its resistance to non-specific protein adsorption, and OEGMA-Ada was chosen for its subsequent attachment of mannose with bacteria binding affinity or biotin with avidin binding affinity. β-CD decorated with biotin (CD-B) and/or mannose (CD-M) was attached to the PDMS-POA microchannels via host–guest interactions between the adamantane and β-CD moieties. The data obtained suggest that the functions of the PDMS-POA/CD-B and PDMS-POA/CD-M microchannels with respect to biotin binding and bacterial adhesion were renewable. In addition, the biofunction of the PDMS-POA microchannels could be switched by treatment with SDS to release the CD component followed by treatment with a different β-CD derivative. Different from previous surface modification strategies for PDMS-based microfluidic channels, the combination of visible light-induced grafting and host–guest chemistry provides modified PDMS microchannels with renewable and switchable biofunctions for the detection and measurement of specific proteins and bacteria.

As the impairment of myocardial microenvironments due to coronary microembolization (CME) compromises the treatment effect of percutaneous coronary intervention and leads to adverse prognosis, we hypothesized that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplantation could improve cardiac function in the condition of CME. Low- (2 × 105) and high- (2 × 106) dose rat bone marrow-derived EPCs were transplanted in a model of CME. To develop a CME model, rats were injected with autologous micro-blood-clots into the left ventricle. Echocardiograph was examined before and 1, 7, and 28 days after EPC transplantation; serum cardiac troponin I (cTNI), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and cardiac microRNA expression were examined one day after EPCs transplantation. Heart morphology and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vWF, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression were examined one day after EPC transplantation. After 10 days of culture inductions, BM-EPCs have high purity as confirmed by flow cytometry. Cardiac function reflected by left ventricular ejection fraction significantly decreased after CME treatment and rescued by low-dose EPC. Compared to the sham group, cTNI and vWF serum levels increased significantly after CME treatment and rescued by low-dose EPC and high-dose EPC. Low-dose EPC treatment decreased myocardial necrosis and fibrosis and elevated cardiac expression of VEGF and vWF, while decreasing the cardiac expression of bFGF. Low-dose EPC treatment significantly suppressed cardiac expression of microRNA-19a but significantly enhanced microRNA-21, microRNA-214, and microRNA-486-3p expression. In conclusion, our results indicate that low-dose EPC transplantation may play a proangiogenic, antifibroblast, antifibrosis, and antinecrosis role and enhance cardiac function in a rat model of CME through a microRNA-related pathway.