Pre-oxidized and composite strategy greatly boosts performance of polyacrylonitrile/LLZO nanofibers for lithium-metal batteries

The active cyano-group in polyacrylonitrile has severe passivation of lithium anode under larger current density, which restricts the wide application of polyacrylonitrile(PAN) in lithium metal batteries. Herein, in order to address the excessive passivation of lithium metal by PAN, inspired by the pre-oxidation of carbon fibers, PAN was pre-oxidized at 230 °C, which transformed part of the cyano group into a more chemically stable cyclized structure. The electrochemical and mechanical properties of the composite solid electrolyte were effectively improved by introducing the fast ionic conductor Li6.25La3Zr2Al0.25O12 into PAN by electrospinning. The oxidized PAN-based composite solid electrolyte presents high ionic conductivity (3.05 × 10-3 S·cm-1) and high lithium transference number of 0.79 at 25 °C, further contributing to a high electrochemical window (5.3 V). The solid-state batteries assembled by Li||10 wt%-LLZAO@230-oxy-PAN||NCM523 behave superb electrochemical performance, delivering a high initial discharge capacity of 157 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C. After 100 cycles, the capacity retention was 93.3 %, indicating the electrolyte displays great electrochemical stability. This work provides new insights into the structural design of polymer-based high-voltage batteries.

Association of rs35006907 Polymorphism with Risk of Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Han Chinese Population

Background

Several investigations have demonstrated the association of MTSS1 with left ventricular (LV) structure and function. A recently published study has even revealed that rs35006907 was associated with both MTSS1 expression and the risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Objective

Our study intended to investigate the relationship between rs35006907 and the risk of DCM in the Han Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 529 DCM and 600 healthy controls were recruited. We conducted genotyping for rs35006907 in all participants. Gene association studies were performed to assess the association between rs35006907 and the risk of DCM. A series of functional assays including western blot, realtime PCR and firefly luciferase reporter gene assays were conducted to illuminate the underlying mechanism.

Results

We found that rs35006907-A allele was significantly associated with reduced risk of DCM in additive (p= 0.004; OR=0.78; 95% CI=0.66-0.93) and recessive models (p= 0.0005; OR=0.56; 95%CI=0.41-0.78) when compared with the rs35006907-C allele. There were significant differences in the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between rs35006907-CC/AC and AA genotypes. Furthermore, the variant rs35006907-A allele presented lower reporter gene activity, reduced mRNA and protein expression levels when compared with the C allele.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that rs35006907-C allele increased the risk of DCM in Han Chinese population. Besides, rs35006907-C displayed higher reporter gene activity and increased MTSS1 expression in human samples.

An initiator-free and solvent-free in-situ self-catalyzed crosslinked polymer electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries

Linear polymer (e.g. polyethylene oxide, PEO) based electrolytes have been widely studied due to their flexibility and relatively good contact against electrodes. However, the linear polymers are prone to crystallization at room temperature and melting at moderate temperature, restricting their application in lithium metal batteries. To address these problems, a self-catalyzed crosslinked polymer electrolyte (CPE) was designed and prepared by the reaction of poly (ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether) (PEGDGE) and polyoxypropylenediamine (PPO) with only the bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide lithium salt (LiTFSI) added and with no any initiators. LiTFSI catalyzed the reaction by reducing the activation energy to form a crosslinked network structure, which was identified by calculation, NMR and FTIR. The as-prepared CPE has high resilience and a low glass transition temperature (Tg = -60 °C). Meanwhile, the solvent-free in-situ polymerization technique has been adopted in the assembly of the CPE with electrodes to decrease the interfacial impedance greatly and improve the ionic conductivity to 2.05 × 10^-5 S cm^-1 and 2.55 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at room temperature and 75 °C, respectively. As a result, the in-situ LiFeO₄/CPE/Li battery exhibits outstanding thermal and electrochemical stability at 75 °C. Our work has proposed an initiator-free and solvent-free in-situ self-catalyzed strategy of preparing high performance crosslinked solid polymer electrolytes.

[Mechanism of VPS26 gene promoting implant osseointegration through Wnt/β-catenin pathway in hyperlipidemia rats]

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of VPS26 effect on osteogenesis and adipogenesis differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) in high fat environment, and to explore the effect of VPS26 on implants osseointegration of high fat rats and ectopic osteogenesis in nude mice. Methods: BMSC were cultured under normal osteogenic induction (osteogenic group) and high-fat osteogenic induction (high-fat group).High-fat group was transfected with VPS26 enhancer and inhibitor, and the expression levels of osteogenesis related genes and adipogenesis related genes were examined. Osteogenesis and adipogenesis of BMSC were detected by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and oil red O staining after 7 and 14 days of induction.In osteogenic group,the binding of VPS26 to β-catenin was detected by immunofluorescence staining and immunoprecipitation, and dual luciferase reporter assay (TOP Flash) was used to analyze the TOP/FOP ratio. Eighteen male 12-week hyperlipidemic Wista rats (160-200 g) were implanted with implants, and six in each group were injected with VPS26 overexpression lentivirus (LV-VPS26 group), negative control lentivirus (LV-nc group) and saline (blank control group).Micro-CT analysis , HE and oil red O staining were used to evaluate the osseointegration of the implants and lipid droplets formation of the femur samples. Twenty female 6-week nude mice (30-40 g) were divided into five groups and subcutaneously implanted with osteogenic BMSC non-transfected and transfected LV-VPS26, LV-nc, shVPS26, and shscr lentivirus on the back. Samples were used to observe ectopic osteogenesis. Results: The mRNA expression levels of ALP in the high-fat group BMSC after overexpression of VPS26 (1.56±0.09) were significantly higher than those of the negative control (1.01±0.03) (t=10.09, P<0.001), while those of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) (t=6.44, P<0.001) and fatty acid-binding protein4 (FABP4) (t=10.01, P<0.001) were lower than those of the negative control. Western blotting results showed that compared with the negative control, protein expression of ALP and Runt-related transcription gene 2 was enhanced in the high-fat group BMSC after overexpression of VPS26 while PPAR-γ and FABP4 were inhibited. ALP activity of BMSC in the high-fat group was stronger after overexpression of VPS26, and the formation of lipid droplets was weaker than that in negative control. The results of immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase reporter assays showed co-localization and interaction of VPS26 with β-catenin and a significant 43.10% increase in the TOP/FOP ratio (t=-3.17, P=0.034). VPS26 overexpression enhanced osseointegration and decreased the number of lipid droplets in high-fat rat and enhanced ectopic osteogenesis of nude mice. Conclusions: VPS26 activated osteogenesis differentiation and inhibited adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs through Wnt/β-catenin pathway, promoting osseointegration of high-fat rat implants and ectopic osteogenesis of nude mice.

Application and Research Progress of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Solid-State Electrolytes in Lithium Metal Batteries

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of crystalline porous organic polymers with periodic networks that are constructed from small molecular units via covalent bonds, which have low densities, high porosity, large specific surface area, and ease of functionalization. The one-dimension nanochannels in COFs offer an effective means of transporting lithium ions while maintaining a stable structure over a wide range of temperatures. As a new category of ionic conductors, COFs exhibit unparalleled application potential in solid-state electrolytes. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent applications and research progress for COFs in solid-state electrolytes of lithium metal batteries and discuss the possible development directions in the future. This review is expected to provide theoretical guidance for the design of high-performance solid-state electrolytes.

A high performance composite separator with robust environmental stability for dendrite-free lithium metal batteries

The garnet ceramic Li_6.4La₃Zr_1.4Ta_0.6O₁₂ (LLZTO) modified separators have been proposed to overcome the poor thermal stability and wettability of commercial polyolefin separators. However, the side reaction of LLZTO in the air leads to deterioration of environmental stability of composite separators (PP-LLZTO), which will limit the electrochemical performance of batteries. Herein, the LLZTO with the polydopamine (PDA) coating (LLZTO@PDA) was prepared by solution oxidation, and then applied it to a commercial polyolefin separator to achieve a composite separator (PP-LLZTO@PDA). LLZTO@PDA is stable in the air, and no Li₂CO₃ can be observed on the surface even after 90 days in the air. Besides, LLZTO@PDA coating endows the PP-LLZTO@PDA separator with the tensile strength (up to 103 MPa), good wettability (contact angle 0°) and high ionic conductivity (0.93 mS cm^-1). Consequently, the Li/PP-LLZTO@PDA/Li symmetric cell cycles stably for 600 h without significant dendrites generation, and the assembled Li//LFP cells with PP-LLZTO@PDA-D30 separators deliver a high capacity retention of 91.8% after 200 cycles at 0.1C. This research provides a practical strategy for constructing composite separators with excellent environmental stability and high electrochemical properties.

In Situ Constructing Ultrathin, Robust-Flexible Polymeric Electrolytes with Rapid Interfacial Ion Transport in Lithium Metal Batteries

Safety of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) has been improved by using the solid-state polymer electrolytes, but the performance of LMBs is still troubled by the poor interface of solid electrolytes/electrodes, leading to insufficient interfacial Li⁺ transport. Here, a novel ultrathin, robust-flexible polymeric electrolyte is achieved by in situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane in soft nanofibrous skeleton at room temperature without any extra initiator or plasticizer, leading to the electrolyte with rapid interfacial ion transport. This facilitated Li⁺ transportation is demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulation. Consequently, the as-prepared electrolyte exhibits excellent cycling performance. The results indicate that the electrolyte works well in the LiFePO₄ //Li cell at elevated temperature up to 90 °C, and further matches with the high-voltage LiNi_0.8 Mn_0.1 Co_0.1 O₂ cathode. This study provides an effective approach to constructing a practical polymeric electrolyte for fabrication of safe, high performance LMBs.

Dynamical Ion Association and Transport Properties in PEO-LiTFSI Electrolytes: Effect of Salt Concentration

The association of ions describes the formation of ion species in electrolyte solutions and is strongly related to the salt concentration. However, the discussion of ion species and their transport is ambiguous in some studies on electrolyte materials due to the assumption of ideal solutions. Accordingly, in this work, molecular dynamics simulations are used to study ion association and transport properties of poly(ethylene)oxide (PEO)-lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide electrolytes over a range of salt concentrations (r = [Li]/[EO]) from 0.01 to 0.20. Based on the analysis of the solvation environment and ion species, it is revealed that the distinct ion-ion correlations exist in two different characteristic areas, with a salt concentration of 0.10 as the limit. Below the critical concentration, the dynamic equilibrium between free ions and ion pairs is the most important process affecting the transport properties of electrolytes, but the process may have a minor influence on the applicability of the Nernst-Einstein relation. In concentrated solutions, a large number of ion pairs, triplets, and so forth appear in the electrolytes. The high-order ion clusters, with an average size of 3.95 at r = 0.20, are the main stable structures for transporting Li⁺, but the trapped free ions are the most abundant ion species. Meanwhile, the effect of salt concentrations on the average transport of ion clusters is to increase their average lifetime, but their transport rates remain unchanged. In addition, the coupling dynamics between ions and polymers is also discussed in order to gain a complete insight into the importance of salt concentrations.

Ultrahigh Power Factor of Ternary Composites with Abundant Se Nanowires for Thermoelectric Application

In this work, ultrahigh-performance single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/Se nanowire (NW)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) ternary thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite films are successfully designed by rational design of CNT/Se/PEDOT:PSS ternary nanocomposites. The addition of CNTs apparently improves the electrical conductivity of composite films, resulting in a relatively huge growth of the power factor. The PEDOT:PSS interface layers uniformly attach on both sides of the Se NWs and CNTs effectively, forming a tightly interleaving and interconnected three-dimensional network. As a consequence, a maximum power factor of 863.83 μW/(m·K2) has been achieved for the sample containing 26 wt % CNTs at 434 K. Ultimately, a flexible TE generator prototype consisting of 5-unit freestanding composite film strips is fabricated using the optimized composite films, which can generate a maximum output power of 206.8 nW at a temperature gradient of 44.7 K. Therefore, the present work has a further potential to be used for the flexible polymer/carbon TE nanocomposite films and devices.

Self-Enhancing Gel Polymer Electrolyte by In Situ Construction for Enabling Safe Lithium Metal Battery

Lithium metal battery (LMB) possessing a high theoretical capacity is a promising candidate of advanced energy storage devices. However, its safety and stability are challenged by lithium dendrites and the leakage of liquid electrolyte. Here, a self-enhancing gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is created by in situ polymerizing 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) in the nanofibrous skeleton for enabling safe LMB. The nanofiber membrane possesses a better affinity with poly-DOL (PDOL) than commercial separator for constructing homogeneous GPE with enhanced ion conductivity. Furthermore, polydopamine is introduced on nanofiber membrane to form hydrogen bonding with PDOL and bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide anion, dramatically improving the mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, and transference number of GPE. Besides, molecular dynamic simulation is used to reveal the intrinsic factors of high ionic conductivity and reinforcing effect in the meantime. Consequently, the LiFePO4 //Li batteries using self-enhancing GPE show extraordinary cyclic stability over 800 cycles under high current density of 2 C, with a capacity decay of 0.021% per cycle, effectively suppressing the growth of lithium dendrites. This ingenious strategy is expected to manufacture advanced performance and high safety LMBs and compatible with the current battery production.

Flexible Thermoelectric Films Based on Bi2Te3 Nanosheets and Carbon Nanotube Network with High n-Type Performance

Flexible thermoelectric materials and devices have gained wide attention due to their capability to stably and directly convert body heat or industrial waste heat into electric energy. Many research and synthetic methods of flexible high-performance p-type thermoelectric materials have made great progress. However, their counterpart flexible n-type organic thermoelectric materials are seldom studied due to the complex synthesis of conductive polymer and poor stability of n-type materials. In this work, bismuth tellurium (Bi₂Te₃) nanosheets are in situ grown on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) assisted by poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). A series of flexible SWCNTs@Bi₂Te₃ composite films on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes are obtained by vacuum-assisted filtration. The high electrical conductivity of 253.9 S/cm, and a corresponding power factor (PF) of 57.8 μW/m·K² is obtained at 386 K for SWCNTs@Bi₂Te₃-0.8 film. Moreover, high electrical conductivity retention of 90% can be maintained after a 300-cycle bending test and no obvious attenuation can be detected after being stored in an Ar atmosphere for 9 months, which exhibits good flexibility and excellent stability of the SWCNTs@Bi₂Te₃ composite films. This work shows a convenient method to fabricate n-type and flexible thermoelectric composite film and further promotes the practical application of n-type flexible thermoelectric materials.

Regulator of cullins-1 (ROC1) negatively regulates the Gli2 regulator SUFU to activate the hedgehog pathway in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

The regulator of cullins-1 (ROC1) is an essential subunit in the cullin-RING ligase (CRL) protein complex and has been shown to be critical in bladder cancer cell survival and progression. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of ROC1 action in the malignant progression of bladder cancer.

METHODS

This study utilized ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo nude mouse experiments to assess the underlying mechanisms of ROC1 in bladder cancer cells. The expression of the components of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway was determined by western blot analysis. ROC1 expression in human tumors was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

ROC1 overexpression promoted the growth of bladder cancer cells, whereas knockdown of ROC1 expression had the opposite effect in bladder cancer cells. Mechanistically, ROC1 was able to target suppressor of fused homolog (SUFU) for ubiquitin-dependent degradation, allowing Gli2 release from the SUFU complex to activate the SHH pathway. Furthermore, knockdown of SUFU expression partially rescued the ROC1 knockdown-suppressed SHH activity as well as cancer cell growth inhibition. In ex vivo experiments, tissue microarray analysis of human bladder cancer specimens revealed a positive association of ROC1 expression with the SHH pathway activity.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that dysregulation of the ROC1-SUFU-GLI2 axis plays an important role in bladder cancer progression and that targeting ROC1 expression is warranted in further investigations as a novel strategy for the future control of bladder cancer.

All-in-One MoS2 Nanosheets Tailored by Porous Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Fast and Highly Reversible Sodium Storage

Though being a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), MoS₂ with high theoretical capacity shows poor rate capability and rapid capacity decay, especially involving the conversion of MoS₂ to Mo metal and Na₂S. Here, we report all-in-one MoS₂ nanosheets tailored by porous nitrogen-doped graphene (N-RGO) for the first time to achieve superior structural stability and high cycling reversibility of MoS₂ in SIBs. The all-in-one MoS₂ nanosheets possess desirable structural characteristics by admirably rolling up all good qualities into one, including vertical alignment, an ultrathin layer, vacancy defects, and expanded layer spacing. Thus, the all-in-one MoS₂@N-RGO composite anode exhibits an improvement in the charge transport kinetics and availability of active materials in SIBs, resulting in outstanding cycling and rate performance. More importantly, the restricted growth of all-in-one MoS₂ by the porous N-RGO via a strong coupling effect dramatically improves the cycling reversibility of conversion reaction. Consequently, the all-in-one MoS₂@N-RGO composite anode demonstrates excellent reversible capacity, outstanding rate capability, and superior cycling stability. This study strongly suggests that the all-in-one MoS₂@N-RGO has great potential for practical application in high-performance SIBs.

A highly stretchable dielectric elastomer based on core-shell structured soft polymer-coated liquid-metal nanofillers

Elastomer, poly(n-butyl methacrylate), coated liquid metal (LM) nanodroplets (EGaIn@PBMA) were successfully fabricated via a facile in situ free radical polymerization method. The as-prepared soft nanoparticles can be directly hot-pressed into nanocomposites which not only exhibited ultra-high stretching flexibility (>400%) but also excellent dielectric properties with remarkably suppressed dielectric loss, showing great promise in the flexible energy-storage field.

MiR-21 inhibitor improves locomotor function recovery by inhibiting IL-6R/JAK-STAT pathway-mediated inflammation after spinal cord injury in model of rat

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the function of miRNA-21 and interleukin-6 receptor/Janus Kinase-Signal transducer and activator of transcription (IL-6R/JAK-STAT) pathway in microglia on inflammatory responses after spinal cord injury (SCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study first detected respectively the protein level of inflammatory factor inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by Western blotting after transfection of miR-21 or administration of miR-21 inhibitor in activated microglia cells of rat in vitro. The quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to detect the expression of IL-6R under two different interventions. Next, we established a model of spinal cord injury in rat and inspected miR-21 and IL-6R in SCI rat by qRT-PCR. In addition, the protein levels of iNOS and TNF-α in SCI rat were detected by Western blotting. MiR-21 inhibitor was injected into the injured area of SCI rat to delve into the function of miR-21 down-expression on iNOS and TNF-α expression by Western blot as well as the RNA levels of IL-6R, JAK and STAT3 by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the SCI rat with movement and coordination of hindlimbs was observed by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB scale) after miR-21 down-expression.

RESULTS

Compared with the microglia transfected with miR-21, the execution of inhibitor in microglia effectively relieved the expression of IL-6R and the breakout of iNOS and TNF-α. Meanwhile, the increase of miR-21 was significantly observed in SCI rat along with significant improvement of inflammatory response-related factors including iNOS and TNF-α. After that, we injected SCI rat with miR-21 inhibitor into the spinal cord injury area and found the inhibition of miR-21 decreased the protein levels of iNOS and TNF-α. Simultaneously, down-expression of miR-21 evidently declined the RNA levels of IL-6R, JAK, and STAT3 in SCI rat. Compared with the sham-operated rat, the movement and coordination of hindlimbs of the SCI group displayed dramatic dysfunction. However, miR-21 down-expression elevated the movement and coordination of hindlimbs of the SCI rat than those of the only injury group.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibition of miR-21 can promote the recovery of spinal cord injury by down-regulating IL-6R/JAK-STAT signaling pathway and inhibiting inflammation.

Sdccag3 Promotes Implant Osseointegration during Experimental Hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia adversely affects bone metabolism, often resulting in compromised osseointegration and implant loss. In addition, genetic networks associated with osseointegration have been proposed. Serologically defined colon cancer antigen 3 (Sdccag3) is a novel endosomal protein that functions in actin cytoskeleton remodeling, protein trafficking and secretion, cytokinesis, and apoptosis, but its roles in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and in implant osseointegration under hyperlipidemic conditions have not been uncovered. Here, we performed microarray and RNA sequencing analysis to determine the differential expression of the Sdccag3 gene and related noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and to assess the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MSTRG.97162.4-miR-193a-3p-Sdccag3 coexpression network in bone tissues within the region 0.5 mm around implants in hyperlipidemic rats. In this experiment, we found that Sdccag3 and the previously uncharacterized lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4 were downregulated during hyperlipidemia, while miR-193a-3p was upregulated. Sdccag3 overexpression increased new trabecular formation, the bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) (1.24-fold), and bone-implant combination ratio (BIC%) (1.26-fold). An RNA pulldown experiment revealed that Sdccag3 protein targeted lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4 nucleotides 361 to 389. In addition, lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4 overexpression significantly enhanced Sdccag3 (2.78-fold) expression and increased BV/TV (1.45-fold) and BIC% (1.07-fold) at the bone-implant interface. Taken together, these findings indicate that Sdccag3 overexpression enhances implant osseointegration under hyperlipidemic conditions by binding to lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4. Furthermore, miR-193a-3p overexpression inhibited lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4 (0.63-fold) and Sdccag3 (0.88-fold) expression and induced poor implant osseointegration (BV/TV, 0.86-fold; BIC%, 0.82-fold), while miR-193a-3p downregulation produced the opposite results (lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4, 10.69-fold; Sdccag3, 6.96-fold; BV/TV, 1.20-fold; BIC%, 1.26-fold). Therefore, our findings show that Sdccag3 promotes implant osseointegration, and its related lncRNA-MSTRG.97162.4 and miR-193a-3p play an important role in osseointegration during hyperlipidemia, which might be a promising therapeutic target for improving dental implantation success rates.

Superresilient Hard Carbon Nanofabrics for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Developing supermechanically resilient hard carbon materials that can quickly accommodate sodium ions is highly demanded in fabricating durable anodes for wearable sodium-ion batteries. Here, an interconnected spiral nanofibrous hard carbon fabric with both remarkable resiliency (e.g., recovery rate as high as 1200 mm s^-1 ) and high Young's modulus is reported. The hard carbon nanofabrics are prepared by spinning and then carbonizing the reaction product of polyacrylonitrile and polar molecules (melamine). The resulting unique hard carbon possesses a highly disordered carbonaceous structure with enlarged interlayer spacing contributed from the strong electrostatic repulsion of dense pyrrolic nitrogen atoms. Its excellent resiliency remains after intercalation/deintercalation of sodium ions. The outstanding sodium-storage performance of the derived anode includes excellent gravimetric capacity, high-power capability, and long-term cyclic stability. More significantly, with a high loading mass, the hard carbon anode displays a high-power capacity (1.05 mAh cm^-2 at 2 A g^-1 ) and excellent cyclic stability. This study provides a unique strategy for the design and fabrication of new hard carbon materials for advanced wearable energy storage systems.

An Ultra-microporous Carbon Material Boosting Integrated Capacitance for Cellulose-Based Supercapacitors

A breakthrough in advancing power density and stability of carbon-based supercapacitors is trapped by inefficient pore structures of electrode materials. Herein, an ultra-microporous carbon with ultrahigh integrated capacitance fabricated via one-step carbonization/activation of dense bacterial cellulose (BC) precursor followed by nitrogen/sulfur dual doping is reported. The microporous carbon possesses highly concentrated micropores (~ 2 nm) and a considerable amount of sub-micropores (< 1 nm). The unique porous structure provides high specific surface area (1554 m2 g-1) and packing density (1.18 g cm-3). The synergistic effects from the particular porous structure and optimal doping effectively enhance ion storage and ion/electron transport. As a result, the remarkable specific capacitances, including ultrahigh gravimetric and volumetric capacitances (430 F g-1 and 507 F cm-3 at 0.5 A g-1), and excellent cycling and rate stability even at a high current density of 10 A g-1 (327 F g-1 and 385 F cm-3) are realized. Via compositing the porous carbon and BC skeleton, a robust all-solid-state cellulose-based supercapacitor presents super high areal energy density (~ 0.77 mWh cm-2), volumetric energy density (~ 17.8 W L-1), and excellent cyclic stability.

Enhancing overall properties of epoxy-based composites using polydopamine-coated edge-carboxylated graphene prepared via one-step high-pressure ball milling

Graphene (GN) nanofillers have been widely used to enhance the overall performance of polymer composites due to their various superior properties, which strongly rely on the uniform dispersion and strong interfacial bonding of GN with high-quality polymer matrices. In the present study, the strengthening and functional effects of polydopamine-coated edge-carboxylated graphene (p-ECG) on the mechanical, moisture-barrier and electromagnetic properties of epoxy (EP)-based composites were systematically evaluated. p-ECG was successfully prepared via one-step high-pressure ball milling through the edge-selective functionalization and exfoliation of pristine graphite in the presence of dry ice, followed by synchronous reduction and coating via the mild oxidative polymerization of mussel-inspired dopamine. p-ECG showed prominent advantages of a small sheet size, excellent dispersibility and high chemical reactivity in the EP matrix. Obvious enhancements were achieved in the tensile and flexural properties and moisture-barrier performance of EP composites as well as the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and transverse fiber bundle tensile (TFBT) strength of carbon fiber (CF)/EP composites, which confirmed the excellent dispersion and chemically strengthened interfacial bonding of p-ECG in the EP matrix. More importantly, p-ECG introduced onto the surface of desized CF led to significant enhancement in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capability of CF/EP composites, which was primarily ascribed to the polarization relaxation effect induced by the defects and functional groups in p-ECG as well as the increase in electrical conductivity derived from the "bridging effect" of p-ECG. Specifically, with p-ECG content of 0.5 wt%, the increments in tensile strength, TFBT strength, shielding effectiveness (total, SET) and shielding effectiveness (reflection loss, SER) were as high as 33.3, 34.3, 31.3 and 71.0%, respectively.

[miR-29c-3p targeted dishevelled 2 on osteogenesis differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in high-fat environment]

Objective: To study the different expression of 4 microRNA (miRNA, miR) during the osteogenesis differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) cultured in high-fat or normal environment and to explore the relationship of these miRNAs with disheveled 2 during osteogenesis differentiation. Methods: BMSC were cultured with 2 ml normal osteogenic induction (control group) and high-fat osteogenic induction (high-fat group) respectively. On the 3rd, 5th, 7th,14th, 21st day, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to analyze expression levels of four miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-29c-3p, miR-138-5p and miR-351-5p), mRNA of disheveled 2, osteogenic related factors such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related transcription gene 2 (Runx2). And the protein was detected by Western blotting. After BMSC were transfected by 50 μl 50 nmol/L miRNA mimics/inhibitors/negative controls respectively, BMSC were put on osteogenic induction, on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th day, ALP activity was detected. On the 7th day, ALP staining was to observe the degree of osteogenesis differentiation, and Western blotting was adopted to analyze the expression of dishevelled 2 and other osteogenic related factors, while qPCR was used to analyze the expression of disheveled 2 mRNA. After 293T cells were co-transfected with disheveled 2 wild-type/mutant firefly luciferase reporter plasmid with either negative control (NC) or a mimic of these four miRNAs respectively for 48 h, luciferase activities were measured. Results: On the 21th day, the expressions of miR-21-5p, miR-29c-3p, miR-138-5p and miR-351-5p in high-fat groups were higher by 20%, 60%, 340% and 4 420% respectively than those in control groups (P<0.05). The expression of ALP and Runx2 in BMSC decreased after BMSC transfected miR-21-5p and miR-29c-3p mimics, while increased after transfected miR-21-5p and miR-29c-3p inhibitors. The expression of disheveled 2 decreased by 35% after transfected by miR-29c-3p mimic, while it increased by 269% after transfected by miR-29c-3p inhibitor (P<0.05). Transfection of the miR-29c-3p mimics significantly decreased the luciferase activity of wild-type 3'-UTR compared with NC control (P<0.05). There were no statistical significances among other groups. Conclusions: miRNAs had better expression during osteogenesis differentiation of BMSC in high-fat environment; miR-29c-3p could negatively regulate the osteogenesis differentiation of BMSC by targets on dishevelled 2.

[Identification of the Disease-Associated Genes in Periodontitis Using the Co-expression Network]

The aim of this study was to investigate the disease-associated genes in periodontitis. In the present experiments, the topological analysis of the differential co-expression network was proposed. Using the GSE16134 dataset downloaded from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, a co-expression network was constructed after the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the diseased (242 samples) and healthy (69 samples) gingival tissues from periodontitis patients. The topological properties of the modules obtained from the network as well as an analysis of transcription factors (TFs) were used to determine the disease-associated genes. The gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of these disease related genes. A total of 524 DEGs, including 19 TFs were identified and a co-expression network with 2569 edges was obtained. Among the 7 modules gained in the network, the TFs (ZNF215, ZEN273, NFAT5, TRPS1, MEF2C and FLI1) were considered to be important in periodontitis. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were highly involved in the immune system. The co-expression network analysis and TFs identified in periodontitis may provide opportunities for biomarker development and novel insights into the therapeutics of periodontitis.

DS1/OsEMF1 interacts with OsARF11 to control rice architecture by regulation of brassinosteroid signaling

BACKGROUND

Plant height and leaf angle are important determinants of yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Genes involved in regulating plant height and leaf angle were identified in previous studies; however, there are many remaining unknown factors that affect rice architecture.

RESULTS

In this study, we characterized a dwarf mutant named ds1 with small grain size and decreased leaf angle,selected from an irradiated population of ssp. japonica variety Nanjing35. The ds1 mutant also showed abnormal floral organs. ds1 plants were insensitive to BL treatment and expression of genes related to BR signaling was changed. An F₂ population from a cross between ds1 and indica cultivar 93-11 was used to fine map DS1 and to map-based clone the DS1 allele, which encoded an EMF1-like protein that acted as a transcriptional regulator. DS1 was constitutively expressed in various tissues, and especially highly expressed in young leaves, panicles and seeds. We showed that the DS1 protein interacted with auxin response factor 11 (OsARF11), a major transcriptional regulator of plant height and leaf angle, to co-regulate D61/OsBRI1 expression. These findings provide novel insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms by which DS1 integrates auxin and brassinosteroid signaling in rice.

CONCLUSION

The DS1 gene encoded an EMF1-like protein in rice. The ds1 mutation altered the expression of genes related to BR signaling, and ds1 was insensitive to BL treatment. DS1 interacts with OsARF11 to co-regulate OsBRI1 expression.

Self-Reconstructed Formation of a One-Dimensional Hierarchical Porous Nanostructure Assembled by Ultrathin TiO2 Nanobelts for Fast and Stable Lithium Storage

Owing to their unique structural advantages, TiO₂ hierarchical nanostructures assembled by low-dimensional (LD) building blocks have been extensively used in the energy-storage/-conversion field. However, it is still a big challenge to produce such advanced structures by current synthetic techniques because of the harsh conditions needed to generate primary LD subunits. Herein, a novel one-dimensional (1D) TiO₂ hierarchical porous fibrous nanostructure constructed by TiO₂ nanobelts is synthesized by combining a room-temperature aqueous solution growth mechanism with the electrospinning technology. The nanobelt-constructed 1D hierarchical nanoarchitecture is evolves directly from the amorphous TiO₂/SiO₂ composite fibers in alkaline solutions at ambient conditions without any catalyst and other reactant. Benefiting from the unique structural features such as 1D nanoscale building blocks, large surface area, and numerous interconnected pores, as well as mixed phase anatase-TiO₂(B), the optimum 1D TiO₂ hierarchical porous nanostructure shows a remarkable high-rate performance when tested as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (107 mA h g^-1 at ∼10 A g^-1) and can be used in a hybrid lithium-ion supercapacitor with very stable lithium-storage performance (a capacity retention of ∼80% after 3000 cycles at 2 A g^-1). The current work presents a scalable and cost-effective method for the synthesis of advanced TiO₂ hierarchical materials for high-power and stable energy-storage/-conversion devices.

[Application of plasma sprayed zirconia coating in dental implant: study in implant]

Objective: To investigate the osseointegration of a novel coating-plasma-sprayed zirconia in dental implant. Methods: Zirconia coating on non-thread titanium implant was prepared using plasma spraying, the implant surface morphology, surface roughness and wettability were measured. In vivo, zirconia coated implants were inserted in rabbit tibia and animals were respectively sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after implantation. The bond strength between implant and bone was measured by push-out test. The osseointegration was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro CT and histological analyses. Quantified parameters including removal torque, and bone-implant contact (BIC) percentage were calculated. Results: The surface roughness (1.6 µm) and wettability (54.6°) of zirconia coated implant was more suitable than those of titanium implant (0.6 µm and 74.4°) for osseointegration. At 12 weeks, the push-out value of zirconia coated implant and titanium implant were (64.9±3.0) and (50.4±2.9) N, and BIC value of these two groups were (54.7±3.6)% and (41.5±3.6)%. All these differences had statistical significance. Conclusions: The surface characters of zirconia coated implant were more suitable for osseointegration and present better osseointegration than smooth titanium implant in vivo, especially at early stage.

Duck "beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome" disease complex: Interplay of novel goose parvovirus-related virus and duck circovirus?

As a newly emerged infectious disease, duck "beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome (BADS)" disease has caused huge economic losses to waterfowl industry in China since 2015. Novel goose parvovirus-related virus (NGPV) is believed the main pathogen of BADS disease; however, BADS is rarely reproduced by infecting ducks with NGPV alone. As avian circovirus infection causes clinical symptoms similar to BADS, duck circovirus (DuCV) is suspected the minor pathogen of BADS disease. In this study, an investigation was carried out to determine the coinfection of NGPV and DuCV in duck embryos and in ducks with BADS disease. According to our study, the coinfection of emerging NGPV and DuCV was prevalent in East China (Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui province) and could be vertical transmitted, indicating their cooperative roles in duck BADS disease.

In situ synthesized SnSe nanorods in a SnOx@CNF membrane toward high-performance freestanding and binder-free lithium-ion batteries

A new ternary composite for high-performance and binder-free anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

[Overexpression of TRPV1 after periphery nerve injury attenuates nerve regeneration in rats]

Objective: To observe the effect of the expressive or functional blockage of TRPV1 on nerve regeneration after sciatic trans-section injury. Methods: AMG-517, a kind of TRPV1 inhibitor, was injected into the surrounding area of the ipsilateral lumbar dorsal root ganglia while unilateral sciatic nerve was transected. A total of 24 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: control group, injury only group, injury+ AMG-517 150 μg/kg group, injury+ AMG-517 300 μg/kg group. The injury only group was injected the same volume of medium. The release of CGRP from dorsal-horn of spinal cord, the number of axons at proximal stem of sciatic nerve after transection, and the expression of TRPV1 in dorsal root ganglion were detected using the methods of ELISA, Western blot and semi-thin section (1 μm)- toluidine blue staining 2 weeks after injury. Results: The release of CGRP in lumbar spinal dorsal horn was obviously decreased after AMG-517 treatment, which was the evidence of TRPV1 functional inhibition. CGRP in the control group was 0.15 ng/g, the injury only group 0.17 ng/g, AMG-517 150 μg/kg group 0.09 ng/g, and AMG-517 300 μg/kg group 0.11 ng/g(P<0.01). The number of axons which were myelinated or unmyelinated increased after the TRPV1 was inhibited by AMG-517(P<0.01). In addition, the injection of AMG-517 into surrounding dorsal root ganglion decreased the expression of TRPV1 in dorsal root ganglion(P<0.01). Conclusions: Over expression or activation of TRPV1 after periphery nerve injury has negative effect on nerve regeneration in fact; Inhibiting the over-expression or over-activation of TRPV1 after nerve injury facilitates axonal regeneration and nerve repair.

Porous carbon derived from Ailanthus altissima with unique honeycomb-like microstructure for high-performance supercapacitors

Porous activated carbon was prepared by KOH and urea activation of Ailanthus altissima stems with unique honeycomb-like microstructure for use in supercapacitors.

Activation of chrysocolla flotation by organic chelating agents

Activation of chrysocolla by organic Cu-chelating agents was studied using a series of test and analysis methods, revealing that the performance of these agents was related to their chemical activity and chrysocolla dissolution properties.

Nanoscale heterogeneity in thermoelectrics: the occurrence of phase separation in Fe-doped Ca3Co4O9

The thermoelectricity of Fe doped Ca₃Co₄O₉ is tuned by nanoscale structural heterogeneity, as unveiled by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory.