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In this work, a new type of solid amine sorbent was developed for low concentration CO2 capture at ambient temperature. Polyacrylonitrile(PAN)-poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) porous hollow fibers were firstly prepared by a wet-spinning process. Tetraethylenepentamine(TEPA) was then grafted onto the porous structure of the hollow fibers. The amine modified hollow fibers denoted as TEPA@PAN-PMMA were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) methods. Performance of the TEPA@PAN-PMMA for CO2 capture was evaluated by passing a 0.3% CO2-N2 gas mixture through the porous matrix of the hollow fibers at ambient temperature. The highest CO2 adsorption capacity reached up to 1.50 mmol g−1 for dry feed, and 3.00 mmol g−1 for wet feed, respectively. Cyclic CO2 adsorption-desorption test indicated that the TEPA@PAN-PMMA sorbents are stable and regenerable.

MicroRNA-1290 (miR-1290) has been reported to be involved in many diseases and play a key role during the development process. However, the role of miR-1290 in atherosclerosis (AS) is still unclear. The current study showed that the expressions of miR-1290 were high in serum of patients with hyperlipidemia. The functional role of miR-1290 were then investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Here, we found that miR-1290 expressions were notably enhanced in HUVECs mediated by IL-8. miR-1290 inhibitor repressed monocytic THP-1 cells adhesion to HUVECs by regulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, inhibited proliferation through regulating cyclinD1 and PCNA, and inhibited inflammatory response by regulating IL-1β. Mechanistically, we verified that miR-1290 mimic was able to directly target the 3′-UTR of GSK-3β mRNA using luciferase reporter assay. Knockdown of GSK-3β (si-GSK-3β) promoted HUVECs adhesion and the expression of IL-1β, and partially restore the depression effect of miR-1290 inhibitor on HUVECs adhesion and inflammation. In contrast, si-GSK-3β inhibited the proliferation of HUVECs and the expression of cyclinD1 and PCNA. In summary, our study revealed that miR-1290 promotes IL-8-mediated the adhesion of HUVECs by targeting GSK-3β. However, GSK-3β is not the target protein for miR-1290 to regulate the proliferation of HUVECs. Our findings may provide potential target in atherosclerosis treatment.

Large bone defect repair requires biomaterials that promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis. In present work, a nanoclay (Laponite, XLS)-functionalized 3D bioglass (BG) scaffold with hypoxia mimicking property was prepared by foam replication coupled with UV photopolymerization methods. Our data revealed that the incorporation of XLS can significantly promote the mechanical property of the scaffold and the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) compared to the properties of the neat BG scaffold. Desferoxamine, a hypoxia mimicking agent, encourages bone regeneration via activating hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated angiogenesis. GelMA-DFO immobilization onto BG-XLS scaffold achieved sustained DFO release and inhibited DFO degradation. Furthermore, in vitro data demonstrated increased HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions on human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs). Moreover, BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffolds also significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Most importantly, our in vivo data indicated BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffolds strongly increased bone healing in a critical-sized mouse cranial bone defect model. Therefore, we developed a novel BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffold which can not only induce the expression of VEGF, but also promote osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs to promote endogenous bone regeneration., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights ● A nanoclay-functionalized 3D bioglass scaffolds with hypoxia mimicking ability were developed. ● These scaffolds had the ability to sustain release of DFO and induce VEGF expression in ADSCs. ● Nanoclay together with bioglass promoted the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs in vitro and cranial bone formation in vivo. ● The scaffolds could act as favorable synthetic ECM for large bone defect repair.

Using the mixed powder of TiH2, graphite, aluminum and vanadium as starting materials, porous TiVAlC ceramics were fabricated by the reactive synthesis technology at 1300 °C. The chemical steadiness of porous TiVAlC along with the effects of sintering temperature on the viscous permeability coefficient, strength, porosity, pore size and volume expansion rate of the porous TiVAlC were explored, and the mechanism of pore formation was also revealed. The preparation process includes five steps as follows: (i) the complete decomposition of stearic acid at 500 °C; (ii) the pyrolysis of TiH2 at 700 °C, converting TiH2 into hydrogen and titanium (iii) The solid-liquid chemical reaction of solid vanadium, titanium and molten aluminum at 700 °C, converting the mixture into V–Al and Ti–Al compounds; (iv) At 900–1100 °C, Surplus V and Ti interact with graphite to synthesize carbides of TiVC2, VC, and TiC; (v) Reactive synthesized carbides (TiVC2, VC, and TiC), Ti2AlC, V–Al and Ti–Al compounds that yield porous TiVAlC at 1300 °C.

Biochar has been considered as a potential way to enhance acidophilous plant growth in alkaline soils. However, whether such enhancements are closely linked with biochar pyrolysis temperature and its improvements in rhizospheric soil fertility and microbial activities remains largely unknown. We performed a pot experiment to investigate changes in azalea (Rhododendron) morphology and physiology, as well as its rhizosphere soil chemical and biological properties in a slightly alkaline urban soil under the amendment of biochars that pyrolyzed at three temperatures (i.e., 350, 550 and 700 °C). Our results showed that the effects of biochars on plant growth and soil properties depended on pyrolysis temperature. In comparison with the non-amended control, 350 and 550 °C biochars showed significant promotions on the azalea growth in terms of photosynthetic characteristics, biomass, root morphology, and N and P uptake. Whereas, 700 °C biochar showed an inhibition effect on them. 350 °C biochar decreased soil pH and increased soil available P and K contents and the activities of α-glucosidase, N-β-glucosaminidase, phosphatase and sulfatase. In addition, 350 °C biochar significantly enhanced bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal 18S rRNA gene abundances in the rhizosphere soil of azalea and mycorrhizal infection. Correlation analysis indicated that soil pH, available nutrients and fungal abundance had positive associations with the enhanced plant growth parameters. Therefore, our findings suggest that biochar produced at low temperature could be a feasible strategy for enhancing acidophilous azalea growth and improving urban soil quality.

Summary High-entropy ceramics (HECs) are novel materials with unexpected chemistry. However, HEC-based catalysis or chemistry has rarely been studied before. Herein, porous high-entropy MgAl2O4 (HE-MgAl2O4) (up to denary metals: Mg, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) was prepared (SBET = 139 m2/g). The synthetic chemistry, the tolerance law of different metals, and the thermodynamic rule for crystallization have been well studied. The comparison of binary-, ternary-, quaternary-, quinary-, and denary-MgAl2O4 highlighted the key role of entropy, which forces cations with intrinsic different radii to occupy similar sites of spinel. Interestingly, high entropy naturally endows the HE-MgAl2O4 catalyst with exceptional stability even when operated at high-temperature moisture (350°C) for 24 h. Then, ab initio molecular dynamics studies proved that the thermal stability of HE-MgAl2O4 originated from the entropy stabilization effect and kinetically stabilized structure. Moreover, CH4 oxidation with 10 vol % steam in feeding gas was performed, and the pristine activity was preserved by the HE-MgAl2O4 catalyst over continuous operation (600°C, 100 h).

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is one of the commonly used binders for Si anodes in lithium battery. However, it cannot accommodate huge volume change of the Si anodes during the lithium insertion/delithiation process, which would cause a sharp attenuation of the capacity and cycle performance of the Si-based lithium batteries. Herein, we present a polydopamine (PDA)/PAA composite binder for Si anodes in lithium batteries. This PDA-PAA binder has a three-dimensional network structure and provides a strong adhesion between the active materials and the current collector. When PDA-PAA is used for Si anode, the lithium battery demonstrates a high specific capacity of 2383 mAh g−1 at the 2C with 77.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles.

Fibrosis is a pathological process characterized by abnormal activation of fibroblasts with increased synthesis of extracellular matrix components, including collagens. It may lead to loss of proper tissue architecture and organ function in clinical diseases such as systemic sclerosis and liver fibrosis. Excess accumulation of collagens is considered the primary indicator of fibrosis. Notch signaling has been reported to be involved in the fibrosis of many different organs, including the liver. Our previous study showed that the uterine-specific over-activation of canonical Notch1 signaling in the mouse uterus (Pgrcre/+ Rosa26N1ICD/+ , OEx) results in complete infertility as a consequence of multiple developmental and physiological defects, together with increased collagen accumulation evidenced by Masson's staining. In this study, we further detected expressions of all 44 collagen genes in these Notch1 gain-of-function transgenic mice and found that 18 collagens have been largely affected. In another aspect, using an intrauterine adhesion model (IUA), we mimicked fibrosis in the mouse uterine. The results suggested that Notch receptors were upregulated only 3 days after induction, and most of the fibril-forming collagen began to upregulate 6 days after the surgery. Furthermore, when induced IUA in the N1ICD-OEx mice, the expression of collagens and fibrosis levels were significantly enhanced. At last, as a Notch signaling inhibitor, the γ-secretase inhibitor N-[N-(3,5-difl uorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) pretreatment could alleviate the expression of collagens and the symptoms of fibrosis. These results demonstrate that Notch signaling may play a role in upregulating collagens expression in endometrial fibrosis and might be a potential target of fibrosis therapy in the endometrium.

The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection threatens human health. In this study, we used high-pressure homogenization technology not only to efficiently drive the bacterial membrane to produce artificial vesicles but also to force the fusion protein ClyA-receptor binding domain (RBD) to pass through gaps in the bacterial membrane to increase the contact between ClyA-RBD and the membrane. Therefore, the load of ClyA-RBD on the membrane is substantially increased. Using this technology, we constructed a "ring-like" bacterial biomimetic vesicle (BBV) loaded with polymerized RBD (RBD-BBV). RBD-BBVs injected subcutaneously can accumulate in lymph nodes, promote antigen uptake and processing, and elicit SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. In conclusion, we evaluated the potential of this novel bacterial vesicle as a vaccine delivery system and provided a new idea for the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are serious neurodegenerative diseases. Although their pathogenesis is unclear, the abnormal accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is a pathological feature that exists in almost all patients. Thus far, there is no drug that can cure ALS/FTLD. Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) is a derivative of tetramethylapyrazine, derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Ligusticum chuanxiong, which has been widely proven to have therapeutic effects on models of various neurodegenerative diseases. TBN is currently under clinical investigation for several indications including a Phase II trial of ALS. Here, we explored the therapeutic effect of TBN in an ALS/FTLD mouse model. We injected the TDP-43 M337V virus into the striatum of mice unilaterally and bilaterally, and then administered 30 mg/kg TBN intragastrically to observe changes in behavior and survival rate of mice. The results showed that in mice with unilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN improved motor deficits and cognitive impairment in the early stages of disease progression. In mice with bilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN not only improved motor function but also prolonged survival rate. Moreover, we show that its therapeutic effect may be through activation of the Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β and AMPK/PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathways. In summary, TBN is a promising agent for the treatment of ALS/FTLD.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic endocrine disorder with rapidly increasing prevalence worldwide. Genetic instability leading to metabolic dysfunction plays an important role in T2D susceptibility and progression. Structural alteration in genome, that is, copy number variation (CNV) is emerging as the inherent marker for disease identification. Previous genomic CNV array revealed that protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene was overlapped with a CNV region, however, whether this CNV affected T2D risk remains to be further elucidated. In this study, we first identified divergent distributions of the PTPN22 copy number (CN) between T2D patients and healthy controls in Chinese population (p < 0.01). Risk assessment analysis revealed that the CN gain (OR = 3.28, p < 0.001) was the promising risk factor for T2D. Also, significantly positive correlations of the PTPN22 CNV with fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were demonstrated in T2D patients. Statistical association analysis investigated that the T2D individuals carrying CN gain showed higher plasma glucose and lower insulin levels than those carrying CN normal and loss at 60 min/120 min/180 min during an OGTT test. In addition, the PTPN22 CNV had an effect on total cholesterol, and the CN gain presented higher values than the other two CN types. These results suggested that the CN gain types of the PTPN22 gene accompany with the glycometabolism dysregulation, and finally predispose their carriers to T2D; therefore, the PTPN22 CNV may be a promising biomarker for predicting T2D risk, or a clinical target for T2D diagnosis and therapy.

Aluminum-ion batteries have attracted great attention in virtue of their reliable safety performance and cost-effective raw materials. The sulfur element with a high specific capacity gives great development space for aluminum-sulfur (Al–S) battery. However, the dissolution of sulfur in electrolyte hinders the application of Al–S battery. Carbon materials with porous structure has larger specific surface area for adsorption of sulfur, and the porous carbon for sulfur cathode provides a certain barrier for the shuttle effect during the charge-discharge process. In this work, hollow carbon synthesized by template method is applied to Al–S batteries. It is found that the cave-like porous carbon material provides space for storing sulfur and polysulfides, alleviating the sulfur shuttle effect in Al–S batteries. The specific capacity of the hollow carbon materials for Al–S batteries is 1027 mAh g−1 at the first cycle and the rechargeable specific capacity achieves 378 mAh g−1 after 28 cycle.

In this paper, bis (indol-3-yl) methanes (BIMs) were synthesised and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. All synthesised compounds showed potential α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. Compounds 5 g (IC50: 7.54 ± 1.10 μM), 5e (IC50: 9.00 ± 0.97 μM), and 5 h (IC50: 9.57 ± 0.62 μM) presented strongest inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, that were ∼ 30 times stronger than acarbose. Compounds 5 g (IC50: 32.18 ± 1.66 µM), 5 h (IC50: 31.47 ± 1.42 µM), and 5 s (IC50: 30.91 ± 0.86 µM) showed strongest inhibitory activities towards α-amylase, ∼ 2.5 times stronger than acarbose. The mechanisms and docking simulation of the compounds were also studied. Compounds 5 g and 5 h exhibited bifunctional inhibitory activity against these two enzymes. Furthermore, compounds showed no toxicity against 3T3-L1 cells and HepG2 cells.HighlightsA series of bis (indol-3-yl) methanes (BIMs) were synthesised and evaluated inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and α-amylase.Compound 5g exhibited promising activity (IC50 = 7.54 ± 1.10 μM) against α-glucosidase.Compound 5s exhibited promising activity (IC50 = 30.91 ± 0.86 μM) against α-amylase.In silico studies were performed to confirm the binding interactions of synthetic compounds with the enzyme active site., Graphical Abstract

A novel luminescent Zn(II)-based metal–organic framework with twofold interpenetrating [Zn(DHT)(BPP)]n (GUPT-2) {GUPT = Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, H2DHT = 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, and BPP = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane} was successfully synthesized using the solvothermal method, and displayed a double-interleaved 2D framework. GUPT-2 not only revealed excellent stability in water and multiple organic solvents but also retained its structural integrity at pH values in the range of 3–11. According to electronic structure calculations, electronic transitions in GUPT-2 were governed by the ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) mechanism. GUPT-2 exhibited significant luminescence and selectively detected Fe3+ and Al3+ ions, with limit of detection (LOD) values of 0.446 and 0.269 μM, respectively. The lower LOD values for Fe3+ and Al3+ of GUPT-2 are excellent compared with those of most of reported MOF-based sensors. It is interesting to note that GUPT-2 revealed a prominent luminescence color change from faint yellow to bright green under UV irradiation at 360 nm, with an enhancement in the detection of Al3+ ions. More importantly, the fluorescence enhancement (turn on) and blue shift effects on Al3+ were obvious even in the presence of other interfering ions. These excellent fluorescence properties make GUPT-2 a rare selective luminescent probe in the detection of Fe3+ and Al3+ ions in pure water systems.

Chaetolactam A (1), an unprecedented azaphilone derivative bearing a unique 9-oxa-7-azabicyclo[4.2.1]octan-8-onering system, together with two new compounds, 11-epi-chaetomugilide B (2) and chaetomugilide D (3) was isolated from an endophytic fungus, Chaetomium sp. g1. Notably, extensive NMR data analyses, NMR calculations with DP4 and DP4+ analyses, ECD calculations, and the RDC method were employed to establish the structure of 1. Furthermore, 2 exhibited potent apoptosis induction activity by mediating caspase-3 activation and PARP degradation at 3 μM in HL-60.

Accompanying with diabetes mellitus-induced osteoporosis (DM-OS), diabetic patients show poor peri-implant osteogenesis after implantation for dentition defect. Berberine (BBR), a candidate oral hypoglycemic agent, is a promising agent for treating DM-OS. In this study, BBR was applied on DM rats and high-glucose-cultured bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to investigate its therapeutic mechanism on DM-OS, thus laying a theoretical basis for the future application of BBR in implant restoration. Phenotypes were assessed in the DM rats after 4 w of gavage with BBR. Furthermore, BMSCs were cultured with high glucose and BBR. Cell Counting Kit-8, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (H2 DCF-DA), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and western blot were performed to estimate the cell proliferation, oxidative stress, and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, the DM rats treated with BBR and insulin receptor substrate-1 anti-sense oligonucleotide (IRS-1-ASO) underwent a 4-w implant-healing period and then micro computed tomography (Micro-CT) and histology were performed to verify the mechanism. Results showed that the 4-w administration of BBR markedly improved the glucose metabolism and bone metabolism in the DM rats. in vitro experiments revealed that BBR alleviated high-glucose-inhibited osteogenesis of the BMSCs by upregulating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated IRS-1 signaling. Besides, injection of IRS-1-ASO abolished the BBR promotion of implant osseointegration in the DM rats. In conclusion, targeting ROS-mediated IRS-1 signaling, BBR acted as an efficient agent to advance osseointegration in DM, which indicated that BBR use is a good strategy for future implants restoration in diabetic patients.

The histone H3 lysine 36 methyltransferase SET-domain-containing 2 (SETD2) has been reported to be frequently mutated or deleted in many types of human cancer. However, the role of SETD2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been well documented. In the present study, we found that SETD2 was significantly down-regulated both in LUAD tissues and cell lines. Functionally, the increased expression of SETD2 significantly attenuated the proliferation of cancer cells by affecting the cell cycle, whereas SETD2 deficiency dramatically improved these proliferative abilities of cancer cells. Through conjoint analysis of RNA-seq and ChIP data, we identified a functional target gene of SETD2, CXCL1, and its expression was negatively correlated with that of SETD2. Moreover, SETD2 deletion stimulated cell cycle-related proteins to promote LUAD. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) catalyzed by SETD2 interacted with the promoter of CXCL1 to regulate its transcription and downstream signaling pathways, contributing to tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggested that SETD2 inhibited tumor growth via suppressing CXCL1-mediated activation of cell cycle, indicating that the regulation of H3K36me3 level by targeting SETD2 and/or the administration of downstream CXCL1 might represent a potential therapeutic way for new treatment in LUAD.

Gut microbial metabolism is intimately coupled with host health and disease. Aromatic amino acid (AAA) catabolism by the gut microbiome yields numerous metabolites that may regulate immune, metabolic, and neuronal responses at local and distant sites. Such a chemical dialog between host cells and the gut microbiome is shaped by environmental cues, and may become dysregulated in gastrointestinal and systems diseases. Increasing knowledge of the bacterial pathway and signaling basis may shed additional light on metabolic host-microbiome crosstalk that remains untapped for drug discovery. Here, we update our understanding of microbial AAA metabolism and its impacts on host physiology and disease. We also consider open questions related to therapeutically mining these signaling metabolites and how recent concepts and tools may drive this area forward.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the cause of severe liver disease in many people. The restricted species tropism of HCV hinders the research and development of drugs and vaccines. The Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) is a close relative of primates and can be infected by HCV, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we have characterized the functions of tree shrew MAVS (tMAVS) in response to HCV infection and defined the capacity of HCV replication. HCV was shown to be colocalized with tMAVS in primary tree shrew hepatocytes and cleaved tMAVS at site Cys508 via its NS3/4A protease, with a modulating effect by site Glu506 of tMAVS. The tMAVS cleavage by HCV NS3/4A impaired the IRF3-mediated induction of IFN-β but maintained the activated NF-κB signaling in the tree shrew primary cells. Activation of the tMAVS-dependent NF-κB signaling inversely inhibited HCV replication and might limit the establishment of persistent infection. Overall, our study has revealed an elegant example of the balance between the host defenses and HCV infection via the MAVS-mediated antiviral signaling and has provided an insight into the mechanisms underpinning HCV infection in the Chinese tree shrew.

A poly (acrylic acid-co-N-methylol acrylamide-co-butyl acrylate) copolymer grafted-carboxymethyl cellulose (PA-PN-PBA-g-CMC) binder is synthesized via a free radical copolymerization for Si-based anodes in lithium ion batteries. In this multifunctional polymer binder system, carboxyl-rich poly (acrylic acid) and carboxymethyl cellulose can bond with Si particles and copper current collectors. Additionally, a robust cross-linking network can be obtained through the condensation reaction between hydroxyl and hydroxymethyl groups which are present in carboxymethyl cellulose and N-methylol acrylamide segments, respectively. This network structure helps to keep the integrity of the Si electrode, and thereby significantly improves the cycling performance of the Si anodes (capacity retention rate after 200 cycles is above 90%). The butyl groups in poly (butyl acrylate) segments provide the nonpolar sections in the binder, which help the electrolytes easily wet the electrodes, allowing Li ions to diffuse rapidly in the Si anodes. With this multi-functional binder, the Si-based LIBs perform well in both cycle performance and rate performance.

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death due to late diagnosis with high metastatic frequency. In this study, the impact of tumor secreted exosomes on immune function in the tumor environment was investigated using exosomes isolated from gastric cancer cell lines MKN-28, MKN-45, and SGC-7901. Results show that exosomes derived from all of these cell lines changed the gene expression and cytokine secretion levels of CD8+ T cells. They also block cell cycle progression, induced apoptosis in CD8+ T cells. Image analysis of fluorescent labeled exosomes derived from three cell lines injected systemically into C57BL/6 mice revealed these exosomes primarily localize to the lungs. We further showed exosomes were mainly taken up by natural killer cells and macrophages in the lung. After long-term exposure to inject exosomes from MKN-45 cells, mice developed an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in the lung with increased frequency of effector memory CD4+ T and MDSC, decreased CD8+ T cell and NK frequency. This immune suppressive environment promotes gastric cancer lung metastasis. Lung metastasis sites developed after mice were exposed to exosomes isolated from all three gastric cancer cell lines when the mice were injected with MFC cells. Results suggest that exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells (especially MKN-45 and MKN-28) changed CD8+ T cell gene expression and cytokine secretion patterns to create an immunosuppressive condition for metastatic niche formation in the lung. Overall, this study provides new insights into how gastric cancer derived exosomes modulate the immune response to promote lung tumor metastasis.

Silicon is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries because of its high theoretical capacity, but Si particles are faced with huge volume change during charge/discharge process, causing a rapid capacity degradation. Among various methods designed to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, employing flexible binders is an effective way to sustain the bending of electrodes and the volume change of Si particles. Herein, we develop a polymer binder composed of carboxymethyl cellulose and polydopamine. This polymer composite binder is instrumental in moderating mechanical fracture of the Si anode during cycling, showing excellent adhesion force (10.8 N) and high stretchability (128.7%). The electrochemical properties (80% capacity retention after 150 cycles with an initial capacity of 2303 mAh g−1) of the Si anode show obviously improvement.

Arthrinins E–G (1–3), three new sesquiterpenoids possessing non-isoprenoid botryane skeleton, were isolated from the fermentation of an endophytic fungus named Arthrinium sp. HS66 which colonized in the stems of Isodon xerophilus. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, the structure of 1 was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray diffraction, while those of 2 and 3 were verified through quantum chemical calculation of NMR data and ECD spectra.

Purpose Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers around the world. HCC is less sensitive to conventional cytotoxic agents and easily develops into systemic metastases. However, the molecular mechanisms of the metastasis of HCC are poorly understood and need elucidation. Materials and methods Transwell system of the chemotherapy-challenged and unchallenged HepG2 cells was established. Adhesion assay and scratch-wound assay were utilized to analyze the adhesion and migration of HepG2 cells. iPLA2 and LOX-5 expression were analyzed by Western blot. LTB4 level was analyzed by ELISA. Results Chemotherapeutics are traditionally regarded as a way of killing tumor cells; on the other hand, we proved that the chemotherapeutics-induced tumor cell apoptosis can also change the tumor microenvironment by activating the LOX pathway and subsequently release inflammatory factors such as LTB4 which can stimulate the adhesion and migration of the small number of surviving cells. Berberine can reverse the adhesion and migration of HepG2 cells by inhibiting the expression of LOX-5 and reducing the LTB4 production in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusion Our study sheds light on a novel anti-metastasis strategy that the combination of Berberine and chemotherapy may prevent the chemotherapy-induced metastasis in HCC.

Pestaloamides A and B ( 1 and 2 ), two novel alkaloids featuring an unprecedented spiro[imidazothiazoledione-alkylidenecyclopentenone] scaffold, were obtained from the cultures of an endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. HS30 which inhabited the stems of Isodon xerophilus . Their planar structures and absolute configurations were fully determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallography. In addition, both compounds 1 and 2 showed the latent tumor immunotherapy activity through markedly promoting the cell surface engagement of NKG2D ligands involving MICA/B and ULBP1 in HCT116 cells.

Background Despite the great clinical response to the first-line chemotherapeutics, metastasis still happens among most of the ovarian cancer patients within 2 years. Methods Using multiple human ovarian cancer cell lines, a transwell co-culture system of the carboplatin or VP-16-challenged feeder and receptor cells was established to demonstrate the chemotherapy-exacerbated migration. The migration and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics were determined by wound healing, transwell migration, flow cytometry and sphere formation. mRNA and protein expression were identified by qPCR and western blot. Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the differentially expressed genes. GLI1 expression in tissue samples was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Results Chemotherapy was found to not only kill tumour cells, but also trigger the induction of CSC-like traits and the migration of ovarian cancer cells. EMT markers Vimentin and Snail in receptor cells were upregulated in the microenvironment of chemotherapy-challenged feeder cells. The transcription factor GLI1 was upregulated by chemotherapy in both clinical samples and cell lines. Follow-up functional experiments illustrated that inhibiting GLI1 reversed the chemotherapy-exacerbated CSC-like traits, including CD44 and CD133, as well as prevented the migration of ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions Targeting GLI1 may improve clinical benefits in the chemotherapy-exacerbated metastasis in ovarian cancer treatment.

A considerable challenge in the conversion of carbon dioxide into useful fuels comes from the activation of CO2 to CO2 .- or other intermediates, which often requires precious-metal catalysts, high overpotentials, and/or electrolyte additives (e.g., ionic liquids). We report a microwave heating strategy for synthesizing a transition-metal chalcogenide nanostructure that efficiently catalyzes CO2 electroreduction to carbon monoxide (CO). We found that the cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoneedle arrays exhibit an unprecedented current density of 212 mA cm-2 with 95.5±4.0 % CO Faraday efficiency at -1.2 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE; without iR correction). Experimental and computational studies show that the high-curvature CdS nanostructured catalyst has a pronounced proximity effect which gives rise to large electric field enhancement, which can concentrate alkali-metal cations resulting in the enhanced CO2 electroreduction efficiency.

Metal/silica nanoparticles (NPs) have long been used as antibacterial substitutes; however, fabrication of a degradable carrier for achieving sustained release profile, high bactericidal efficacy, ...

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of the most abundant protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides, exerts excellent neuroprotective effects even though it has low intracephalic exposure. Purpose: The present study aimed to elucidate the apparent contradiction between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Rb1 by studying the mechanisms underlying neuroprotective effects of Rb1 based on regulation of microflora. Methods: A pseudo germ-free (PGF) rat model was established, and neuroprotective effects of Rb1 were compared between conventional and PGF rats. The relative abundances of common probiotics were quantified to reveal the authentic probiotics that dominate in the neuroprotection of Rb1. The expressions of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, including GABAA receptors (α2, β2, and γ2) and GABAB receptors (1b and 2), in the normal, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and I/R+Rb1 rat hippocampus and striatum were assessed to reveal the neuroprotective mechanism of Rb1. Results: The results showed that microbiota plays a key role in neuroprotection of Rb1. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus helveticus (Lac.H) increased 15.26 fold after pretreatment with Rb1. I/R surgery induced effects on infarct size, neurological deficit score, and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were prevented by colonizing the rat gastrointestinal tract with Lac.H (1 × 109 CFU) by gavage 15 d before I/R surgery. Both Rb1 and Lac.H upregulated expression of GABA receptors in I/R rats. Coadministration of a GABAA receptor antagonist significantly attenuated neuroprotective effects of Rb1 and Lac.H. Conclusion: In sum, Rb1 exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating Lac.H and GABA receptors rather than through direct distribution to the target sites. Keywords: Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor, Ginsenoside Rb1, Lactobacillus helveticus, Microbiota, Neuroprotective effects

Both aluminum and sulfur are promising materials for future-generation electrochemical energy storage technology owing to their natural abundance, low cost, and high capacity. However, a rechargeable aluminum–sulfur (Al–S) battery with high energy density suffers from poor reversibility and very short cycle life. Herein, a graphene/CoS2/sulfur composite cathode together with a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated separator are fabricated to improve the room-temperature Al–S battery performance. The rGO coating on the separator along with the composite cathode form a sandwich structure which effectively suppresses the diffusion of polysulfides and decreases the polarization of the battery. As a result, the Al–S battery gives a stable cycle life of 38 cycles with a high discharge capacity range of 676–1145 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1; the performance is greatly improved compared with the bare separator. Electrochemical, spectroscopic, and microscopic analyses illustrate the mechanism of electrochemical reactions in detail. These meaningful studies facilitate a remarkable step forward in the progress of Al–S batteries.

The “shuttle effect” of long-chain polysulfides and the low conductivity of elemental sulfur lead to the inferior cycling stability of lithium–sulfur batteries and imped their practical applications. Herein, Co3O4 nanoflakes with uniform macro pores distribution were synthesized via facile oil bath and calcination methods. Coupled with super P and coated on common polypropylene separators, they were expected to hinder the migration of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and accelerate the redox kinetics of polysulfides. Coin cells assembled with the Co3O4–super P interlayer exhibited a capacity of 760 mA h g−1 at 1 C, maintained 598 mA h g−1 after 350 cycles, and the decay rate of discharge capacity was only about 0.062% per cycle. Such high performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects between polar Co3O4 and conductive super P. The facile fabrication method and high performance make the Co3O4-super P interlayer a feasible material to apply in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Tissue culture experiments were performed to investigate the impacts of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) on the improvement of plant growth and development in a bamboo species (Pleioblastus pygmaeus) under an experimentally controlled condition contaminated with phytotoxic levels of lead (Pb). Fifteen treatments were administered in the primary trial consisting of 50 µM, 250 µM, 500 µM, 1000 µM, or 1500 µM PbSO4 without and with 100 µM or 500 µM SiO2 NPs. The results showed that antioxidant enzyme activity first increased at low levels of Pb and then decreased with increasing concentrations of Pb. The addition of SiO2 NPs increased the capacity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in plants under Pb stress. Additionally, our findings indicated that SiO2 NPs may protect the bamboo plant plasma membrane and preserve the integrity of cells against Pb-induced oxidative stress by reducing the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and soluble protein (SP), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. Regarding impacts on indexes of plant photosynthesis, the results revealed that SiO2 NPs were able to regulate plant growth by increasing chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, which led to increased plant biomass and plant dry weight under Pb toxicity. We conclude that SiO2 NPs improve plant growth (plant biomass) by increasing antioxidant enzyme capacity in bamboo under Pb stress. Our results also revealed that 500 µM SiO2 NPs was much more effective than 100 µM SiO2 NPs at maintaining plant growth under Pb toxicity.

Remote sensing (RS)-assisted estimates of forest carbon stocks are essential for modelling carbon budgets at large scales. Research on the dynamic variations in forest biomass and carbon st...

Many platinum group metal-free inorganic catalysts have demonstrated high intrinsic activity for diverse important electrode reactions, but their practical use often suffers from undesirable structural degradation and hence poor stability, especially in acidic media. We report here an alkali-heating synthesis to achieve phase-mixed cobalt diselenide material with nearly homogeneous distribution of cubic and orthorhombic phases. Using water electroreduction as a model reaction, we observe that the phase-mixed cobalt diselenide reaches the current density of 10 milliamperes per square centimeter at overpotential of mere 124 millivolts in acidic electrolyte. The catalyst shows no sign of deactivation after more than 400 h of continuous operation and the polarization curve is well retained after 50,000 potential cycles. Experimental and computational investigations uncover a boosted covalency between Co and Se atoms resulting from the phase mixture, which substantially enhances the lattice robustness and thereby the material stability. The findings provide promising design strategy for long-lived catalysts in acid through crystal phase engineering., Noble-metal-free catalysts often show stability issues in acidic media due to structural degradation. Here authors show that phase-mixed engineering of cobalt diselenide electrocatalysts can enable greater covalency of Co-Se bonds and improve robustness for catalyzing hydrogen evolution in acid.

The anode oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is known to largely limit the efficiency of electrolyzers owing to its sluggish kinetics. While crystalline metal oxides are promising as OER catalysts, their amorphous phases also show high activities. Efforts to produce amorphous metal oxides have progressed slowly, and how an amorphous structure benefits the catalytic performances remains elusive. Now the first scalable synthesis of amorphous NiFeMo oxide (up to 515 g in one batch) is presented with homogeneous elemental distribution via a facile supersaturated co-precipitation method. In contrast to its crystalline counterpart, amorphous NiFeMo oxide undergoes a faster surface self-reconstruction process during OER, forming a metal oxy(hydroxide) active layer with rich oxygen vacancies, leading to superior OER activity (280 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 m KOH). This opens up the potential of fast, facile, and scale-up production of amorphous metal oxides for high-performance OER catalysts.

Radiation dosage constraints and hypoxia-associated resistance lead to the failure of radiotherapy (RT), especially in hypoxic liver cancer. Therefore, the intricate use of combined strategies for potentiating and complementing RT is especially important. In this work, we fabricated multifunctional Janus-structured gold triangle-mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) as multifunctional platforms to deliver the hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ) for extrinsic radiosensitization, local photothermal therapy, and hypoxia-specific chemotherapy. The subsequent conjugation of folic acid-linked poly(ethylene glycol) provided the Janus nanoplatforms with liver cancer targeting and minimized opsonization properties. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed the combined radiosensitive and photothermal antitumor effects of the Janus nanoplatforms. Importantly, the TPZ-loaded Janus nanoplatforms exhibited pH-responsive release behavior, which effectively improved the cellular internalization and therapeutic efficiency in hypoxic rather than normoxic liver cancer cells. Hypoxia-specific chemotherapy supplemented the ineffectiveness of radio-photothermal therapy in hypoxic tumor tissues, resulting in remarkable tumor growth inhibition without systematic toxicity. Therefore, our Janus nanoplatforms integrated radio-chemo-photothermal therapy in a hypoxia-activated manner, providing an efficient and safe strategy for treating liver cancer.

Lactate plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, invasion and metastasis. Exhausting lactate in tumors holds great promise for the reversal of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we report on a “lactate treatment plant” (i.e., nanofactory) that can dynamically trap pro-tumor lactate and in situ transformation into anti-tumor cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) for a synergistic chemodynamic and metabolic therapy. To this end, lactate oxidase (LOX) was nano-packaged by cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI), assisted by a necessary amount of copper ions (PLNPCu). As a reservoir of LOX, the tailored system can actively trap lactate through the cationic PEI component to promote lactate degradation by two-fold efficiency. More importantly, the byproducts of lactate degradation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), can be transformed into anti-tumor ROS catalyzing by copper ions, mediating an immunogenic cell death (ICD). With the remission of immunosuppressive TME, ICD process effectively initiated the positive immune response in 4T1 tumor model (88% tumor inhibition). This work provides a novel strategy that rationally integrates metabolic therapy and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for combating tumors. Graphical Abstract

The clinical outcomes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemotherapy are unsatisfactory. Water solubility and biosafety of chemo drugs are also major barriers for achieving satisfactory treatment effect. In this study, we have reported a combinational strategy by self-assembly engineering nanodrugs PC NDs, which were composed of paclitaxel (PTX) and curcumin (Cur), for effective and safe TNBC chemotherapy. PC NDs were prepared through reprecipitation method without using any additional carriers. The PC NDs were preferentially taken up by TNBC cells and we also observed pH-related drug release. Compared with free PTX and simple PTX/Cur mixture, PC NDs have shown higher therapeutic efficiency and better prognosis while the metastasis rate was significantly lower than that of either PTX or PTX/Cur mix group. Therefore, the self-assembly engineered PC NDs might be a promising nanodrugs for efficient and safe TNBC chemotherapy.

The dinuclear iron complex [(H2O)-FeIII-(ppq)-O-(ppq)-FeIII-Cl]3+ (FeIII(ppq), ppq = 2-(pyrid-2'-yl)-8-(1″,10″-phenanthrolin-2″-yl)-quinoline) demonstrates a catalytic activity about one order of magnitude higher than the mononuclear iron complex [Cl-FeIII(dpa)-Cl]+ (FeIII(dpa), dpa = N,N-di(1,10-phenanthrolin-2-yl)-N-isopentylamine) for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the mechanism behind such an unusually high activity has remained largely unclear. To solve this puzzle, a decomposition-and-reaction mechanism is proposed for the OER with the dinuclear FeIII(ppq) complex as the initial state of the catalytic agent. In this mechanism, the high-valent dinuclear iron complex first dissociates into two mononuclear moieties, and the oxidized mononuclear iron complexes directly catalyze the formation of an O-O bond through a nitrate attack pathway with nitrate functioning as a cocatalyst. Density functional theory calculations reveal that it is the electron-deficient microenvironment around the iron center that gives rise to the remarkable catalytic activity observed experimentally. Therefore, the outstanding performance of the FeIII(ppq) catalyst can be ascribed to the high reactivity of its mononuclear moieties in a high oxidation state, which is concomitant with the structural stability of the low-valent dinuclear complex. The theoretical insights provided by this study could be useful for the optimization and design of novel iron-based water oxidation catalysts.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a refractory type of breast cancer that does not yet have clinically effective drugs. The aim of this study is to investigate the synergistic effects and mechanisms of resveratrol combined with cisplatin on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 (MDA231) cell viability, migration, and invasion in vivo and in vitro. In vitro, MTS assays showed that resveratrol combined with cisplatin inhibits cell viability as a concentration-dependent manner, and produced synergistic effects (CI &lt, 1). Transwell assay showed that the combined treatment inhibits TGF-β1-induced cell migration and invasion. Immunofluorescence assays confirmed that resveratrol upregulated E-cadherin expression and downregulated vimentin expression. Western blot assay demonstrated that resveratrol combined with cisplatin significantly reduced the expression of fibronectin, vimentin, P-AKT, P-PI3K, P-JNK, P-ERK, Sma2, and Smad3 induced by TGF-β1 (p &lt, 0.05), and increased the expression of E-cadherin (p &lt, 0.05), respectively. In vivo, resveratrol enhanced tumor growth inhibition and reduced body weight loss and kidney function impairment by cisplatin in MDA231 xenografts, and significantly reduced the expressions of P-AKT, P-PI3K, Smad2, Smad3, P-JNK, P-ERK, and NF-κB in tumor tissues (p &lt, 0.05). These results indicated that resveratrol combined with cisplatin inhibits the viability of breast cancer MDA231 cells synergistically, and inhibits MDA231 cells invasion and migration through Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) approach, and resveratrol enhanced anti-tumor effect and reduced side of cisplatin in MDA231 xenografts. The mechanism may be involved in the regulations of PI3K/AKT, JNK, ERK and NF-κB expressions.

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been demonstrated as a promising architecture for efficient, large-scale, flexible and tandem solar cell. To date, unfortunately, most planar PSCs suffer from current-voltage hysteresis, which derives from interface mismatch, surface defects, ion migration, and ferroelectric property et al. Here, we demonstrate a facile strategy to significantly reduce the hysteresis and improve the performance of planar PSCs by doping gallium (Ga) into tin oxide (SnO2) nanocrystal electron-transport layer using low-temperature solution‐processed method. It is revealed that the Ga-doped SnO2 ETL owning better band alignment with the perovskite absorption layer, which is helpful for electron extraction. It is found that gallium doping severely decreases the trap state density in SnO2, leading to a lower recombination rate and negligible hysteresis. With the optimized doping concentration of Ga ions, the champion device achieves a highest PCE of 18.18% and the hysteresis index is reduced from 23.9% to 1.7%.

The research of high-performance flexible supercapacitors is urgent due to the rapid development of wearable and portable electronics. The key challenge is the preparation of flexible electrodes with high areal capacitance since electrodes are the most important part of supercapacitors. Compared to those conventional electrodes loading with typical flexible substrates such as textile, PET, paper et al, free-standing electrodes have many advantages such as more efficient capacity contribution, solidly embedded active materials and thinner thickness. Herein, we have successfully fabricated a novel sandwich-like structure free-standing MoO3-rGO (reduced graphene oxide) composite film electrode for flexible supercapacitors using simple vacuum filtration method followed by HI reduction process. The obtained MoO3-rGO composite film electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance, whose areal specific capacitance reaches 8972 mF·cm-2 (1.5 mA·cm-2). Here, MoO3 provides pseudocapacitance and rGO provides double-layer capacitance. After cycling for 2000 cycles, the capacity retention is 86.7%, showing good cycle stability. Besides, the as-prepared composite film has good flexibility and will not break easily during following bending, rolling, folding or twisting steps. This study has been approved to be an important step for the high-performance electrode design for free-standing flexible supercapacitors.