Enhancing the Structural Stability and Electrochemical Performance of High-Nickel Cathode Materials through Ti Doping with an Exothermic Non-oxide Precursor.

The foreseeable global cobalt (Co) crisis has driven the demand for cathode materials with less Co dependence, where high-nickel layered oxides are a promising solution due to their high energy density and low cost. However, these materials suffer from poor cycling stability and rapid voltage decay due to lattice displacement and nanostrain accumulation. Here, we introduced an exothermic TiN dopant via a scalable coating method to stabilize LiNi0.917Co0.056Mn0.026O2 (NCM92) materials. The exothermic reaction of TiN conversion generates extra heat during the calcination process on the cathode surface, promotes the lithiation process, and tunes the morphology of the cathode material, resulting in compact and conformal smaller particle sizes to provide better particle integration and lithium diffusion coefficient. Moreover, the Ti dopant substitutes the Ni3+ site to generate stronger Ti-O bonding, leading to higher structural stability and extended cycle life. The Ti-doped NCM (NCM92_TiN) shows a remarkable cycling stability of maintaining 80% capacity retention for 400 cycles, while bare NCM92 can only reach 88 cycles. Furthermore, the NCM92_TiN cathodes demonstrate an enhanced rate capability and achieve a discharge capacity of over 168 mAh g-1 at 5C.

Superionic fluoride gate dielectrics with low diffusion barrier for two-dimensional electronics.

Exploration of new dielectrics with a large capacitive coupling is an essential topic in modern electronics when conventional dielectrics suffer from the leakage issue near the breakdown limit. Here, to address this looming challenge, we demonstrate that rare-earth metal fluorides with extremely low ion migration barriers can generally exhibit an excellent capacitive coupling over 20 µF cm-2 (with an equivalent oxide thickness of ~0.15 nm and a large effective dielectric constant near 30) and great compatibility with scalable device manufacturing processes. Such a static dielectric capability of superionic fluorides is exemplified by MoS2 transistors exhibiting high on/off current ratios over 108, ultralow subthreshold swing of 65 mV dec-1 and ultralow leakage current density of ~10-6 A cm-2. Therefore, the fluoride-gated logic inverters can achieve notably higher static voltage gain values (surpassing ~167) compared with a conventional dielectric. Furthermore, the application of fluoride gating enables the demonstration of NAND, NOR, AND and OR logic circuits with low static energy consumption. In particular, the superconductor-insulator transition at the clean-limit Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ can also be realized through fluoride gating. Our findings highlight fluoride dielectrics as a pioneering platform for advanced electronic applications and for tailoring emergent electronic states in condensed matter.

Realizing high-capacity all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries using a low-density inorganic solid-state electrolyte.

Lithium-sulfur all-solid-state batteries using inorganic solid-state electrolytes are considered promising electrochemical energy storage technologies. However, developing positive electrodes with high sulfur content, adequate sulfur utilization, and high mass loading is challenging. Here, to address these concerns, we propose using a liquid-phase-synthesized Li3PS4-2LiBH4 glass-ceramic solid electrolyte with a low density (1.491 g cm-3), small primary particle size (~500 nm) and bulk ionic conductivity of 6.0 mS cm-1 at 25 °C for fabricating lithium-sulfur all-solid-state batteries. When tested in a Swagelok cell configuration with a Li-In negative electrode and a 60 wt% S positive electrode applying an average stack pressure of ~55 MPa, the all-solid-state battery delivered a high discharge capacity of about 1144.6 mAh g-1 at 167.5 mA g-1 and 60 °C. We further demonstrate that the use of the low-density solid electrolyte increases the electrolyte volume ratio in the cathode, reduces inactive bulky sulfur, and improves the content uniformity of the sulfur-based positive electrode, thus providing sufficient ion conduction pathways for battery performance improvement.

Copper Increases the Sensitivity of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells to Tripterine by Inhibiting TMX2-Mediated Unfolded Protein Reaction Activation.

Chemotherapy-induced adaptive resistance is a significant factor that contributes to low therapeutic efficacy in tumor cells. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a key mechanism in the development of drug resistance and serves as a critical reactive system for endoplasmic reticulum stress. Cu(II) can reduce the abundance of 60S ribosomal subunits and inhibit rRNA processing, leading to a decrease in the translation efficiency of the GRP78/BiP mRNA, which serves as a primary sensor for UPR activation. In this study, CuET-Lipid@Cela, composed of CuET and tripterine (Cela), demonstrates a significant synergistic antitumor effect on cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells. RNA-Seq is used to investigate the underlying mechanism, which suggests that the transmembrane protein 2 (TMX2) gene may be crucial in Cu(II) regulation of UPR by inhibiting the activation of GRP78/BiP and PERK/eIF2α. The synergistic antitumor efficacy of CuET-Lipid@Cela via inhibition of TMX2 is also confirmed in a myrAKT/YapS127A plasmid-induced primary CCA mouse model, providing new insights into the reversal of acquired chemotherapy-induced resistance in CCA.

Identification and expression pattern of the sex determination gene fruitless-like in Cherax quadricarinatus.

The fruitless (fru) gene has an important function in the courtship behavior and sex determination pathway of Drosophila melanogaster; however, the fru gene has never been reported in shrimps. In this study, the fruitless-like gene was identified in Cherax quadricarinatus (Cqfru) and is reported here for the first time. A sequence analysis revealed a conserved BTB domain in Cqfru which is the same as fru in D. melanogaster. An analysis of the expression level of Cqfru showed that it was highly expressed in the gastrula stage during embryonic development. Furthermore, in situ hybridization and expression distribution in tissues showed that its sexually dimorphic expression may be focused on the hepatopancreas, brains, and gonads. The gonads, brains, and hepatopancreas of males had a higher expression level of Cqfru than those of females; however, the expression level of the abdominal ganglion was found to be higher in females than in males in this study. The results of an RNA interference treatment showed that a knockdown of Cqfru reduced the expression of the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The characteristic fru gene in shrimps is reported here for the first time, with the results providing basic information for research into the sex-determination mechanism in C. quadricarinatus.

Electric Field Tuning of Interlayer Coupling in Noncentrosymmetric 3R-MoS2 with an Electric Double Layer Interface.

Interlayer coupling in two-dimensional (2D) layered materials plays an important role in controlling their properties. 2H- and 3R-MoS2 with different stacking orders and the resulting interlayer coupling have been recently discovered to have different band structures and a contrast behavior in valley physics. However, the role of carrier doping in interlayer coupling in 2D materials remains elusive. Here, based on the electric double layer interface, we demonstrated the experimental observation of carrier doping-enhanced interlayer coupling in 3R-MoS2. A remarkable tuning of interlayer Raman modes can be observed by changing the stacking sequence and carrier doping near their monolayer limit. The modulated interlayer vibration modes originated from the interlayer coupling show a doping-induced blue shift and are supposed to be associated with the interlayer coupling enhancement, which is further verified using our first-principles calculations. Such an electrical control of interlayer coupling of layered materials in an electrical gating geometry provides a new degree of freedom to modify the physical properties in 2D materials.

Application of spectral CT imaging in evaluating lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancers: initial findings.

BACKGROUND: Traditional computed tomography (CT) can predict the lymph node metastasis of gastric cancers with moderate accuracy; however, investigation of spectral CT imaging in this field is still limited. PURPOSE: To explore the application of spectral CT imaging in evaluating lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with gastric cancers prospectively underwent spectral CT imaging in the arterial phase. The short and long diameters, material concentrations, and CT values were measured and compared between lymph nodes with and without metastasis. The diagnostic performance of the CT index in identifying metastatic lymph nodes was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: A total of 102 lymph nodes (77 metastatic, 25 non-metastatic) were detected on spectral CT imaging with the reference of postoperative pathologic exanimation. The short and long diameters, water/fat concentrations, CT value, and ratio between lymph nodes vs. tumors of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly higher than those of non-metastatic ones (all P < 0.05). With a cut-off of 0.785, the CT ratio of lymph node/tumor on 70-keV monochromatic images yielded an accuracy of 81.4% in differentiating lymph nodes with and without metastasis. CONCLUSION: Spectral CT imaging detects lymph nodes more clearly, and the CT ratio of lymph node/tumor on 70-keV monochromatic images holds great potential in differentiating lymph nodes with and without metastasis, which is more accurate than size measurement.

Hypoxia induced high expression of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) in non-small cell lung cancer and its prognostic effect.

Although associations between thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) and cancers have been recognized, the effects of TXNIP on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prognosis remained to be determined in detail. In addition, while hypoxia is a key characteristic of tumor cell growth microenvironment, the effect of hypoxia on TXNIP expression is controversial. In this study, formaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples of 70 NSCLC patients who underwent resection between January 2010 and December 2011 were obtained. Evaluation of TXNIP and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein expression in FFPE samples was made by immunohistochemistry. By Kaplan-Meier method, patients with high TXNIP expression demonstrated a significantly shorter progression free survival (PFS) compared with those with low TXNIP expression (18.0 months, 95%CI: 11.7, 24.3 versus 23.0 months, 95%CI: 17.6, 28.4, P=0.02). High TXNIP expression level was also identified as an independent prognostic factor by Cox regression analysis (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.46; 95%CI: 1.08, 5.56; P=0.03). Furthermore, TXNIP expression was found to be significantly correlated with HIF- 1α expression (Spearman correlation=0.67, P=0.000). To further confirm correlations, we established a tumor cell hypoxic culture model. Expression of TXNIP was up-regulated in all three NSCLC cell lines (A549, SPC-A1, and H1299) under hypoxic conditions. This study suggests that hypoxia induces increased TXNIP expression in NSCLC and high TXNIP expression could be a poor prognostic marker.

Human adipocytes stimulate invasion of breast cancer MCF-7 cells by secreting IGFBP-2.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A better understanding of the effects of human adipocytes on breast cancer cells may lead to the development of new treatment strategies. We explored the effects of adipocytes on the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: To study the reciprocal effects of adipocytes and cancer cells, we co-cultured human mature adipocytes and breast cancer cells in a system devoid of heterogeneous cell-cell contact. To analyze the factors that were secreted from adipocytes and that affected the invasive abilities of breast cancer cells, we detected different cytokines in various co-culture media. To study the communication of mature adipocytes and breast cancer cells in vivo, we chose 10 metastatic pathologic samples and 10 non-metastatic pathologic samples to do immunostaining. RESULTS: The co-culture media of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and human mature adipocytes increased motility of MCF-7 cells. In addition, MMP-2 was remarkably up-regulated, whereas E-cadherin was down-regulated in these MCF-7 cells. Based on our co-culture medium chip results, we chose four candidate cytokines and tested their influence on metastasis individually. We found that IGFBP-2 enhanced the invasion ability of MCF-7 cells in vitro more prominently than did the other factors. In vivo, metastatic human breast tumors had higher levels of MMP-2 than did non-metastatic tumor tissue, whereas adipocytes around metastatic breast tumors had higher levels of IGFBP-2 than did adipocytes surrounding non-metastatic breast tumors. CONCLUSIONS: IGFBP-2 secreted by mature adipocytes plays a key role in promoting the metastatic ability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor Tadalafil increases Rituximab treatment efficacy in a mouse brain lymphoma model.

The treatment efficacy of Rituximab on lymphoma as an immunotherapeutic approach is confirmed, but this treatment has limited penetration through the brain micro vessels. Such limitation significantly attenuates the efficacy of systemic administration of this antibody on brain lymphomas. We aimed to confirm that Tadalafil, a long-acting phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, could increase microvascular permeability and Rituximab treatment efficacy in brain lymphomas. We established a mouse brain lymphoma model by planting human-derived lymphoma cell line Raji into brain parenchyma of mice using stereotaxic techniques. After 16 days, 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging was performed to confirm the presence of the mass. The mice were observed under near-infrared fluorescence after intravenous injection of fluorescence-labeled Rituximab. Evans Blue was used as probe to detect the microvascular permeability of brain lymphomas after Tadalafil administration. Starting from 4 days after implantation, the mice were administered different treatments. Survival analysis of brain lymphoma-loaded mice was performed. Evans Blue detection showed that Tadalafil administration could increase brain vascular permeability in the tumor-bearing group compared with control mice. Rituximab treatment prolonged the survival time of mice compared with the untreated control group (mean 25.75 vs. 20.8 days, p < 0.05). Tadalafil with Rituximab treatment resulted in the longest survival time (29 days, p < 0.05). Rituximab may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of brain lymphoma. Tadalafil can enhance Rituximab treatment efficacy by improving the microvascular permeability in mice brain lymphoma.

Saturated fatty acids up-regulate COX-2 expression in prostate epithelial cells via toll-like receptor 4/NF-κB signaling.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been implicated in prostate carcinogenesis, and recently it has been confirmed to be a molecular target of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). In the present study, we investigated the effect of stearic acid (SA) and palmitic acid (PA), two of the most abundant SFAs contained in dietary fat, on COX-2 expression in prostate epithelial cells and the signaling transduction pathway involved. First, we demonstrated that both SA and PA increased the mRNA and protein expression of COX-2, and consistently induced the activation of NF-κB in RWPE-1, BPH-1 and PC-3 prostate epithelial cell lines. The effect of SA and PA on COX-2 over-expression and NF-κB activation was in a dose-dependent manner, and PA was more potent than SA at the same concentration. Then, we demonstrated inhibition of NF-κB using its specific inhibitor strikingly attenuated PA-induced COX-2 expression. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was revealed to be expressed on RWPE-1, BPH-1 and PC-3 cell lines by PCR and immunofluorescence staining, and blocking its signaling significantly inhibited PA induced COX-2 over-expression and NF-κB activation. Taken together, we demonstrated that SFAs can up-regulate COX-2 expression in prostate epithelial cells, and this effect was mediated mainly through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

The effect of collagen-binding vascular endothelial growth factor on the remodeling of scarred rat uterus following full-thickness injury.

Serious injuries of uterine which lead to scar formation will finally result in infertility or pregnancy complications. There are few effective methods to treat such damages because of the shortage of native tissues. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important for the formation of new vessels and re-epithelialization of endometrium. Here we produced a collagen-binding VEGF by fusing a collagen-binding domain to the N-terminal of native VEGF. After injection into a rat scarred uterus model (partial of rat uterine horn was excised and left for scar formation) the collagen targeting VEGF promoted remodeling of the scarred uterus including the regeneration of endometrium, muscular cells, and vascularization and improved pregnancy outcomes. Thus, collagen-binding VEGF may be a pragmatic solution for the treatment of severe uterine damages.

Decreased mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells contributes to impaired neovascularization in diabetes.

1. Circulating bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in neovascularization. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the reduction in circulating EPCs in a mouse model of diabetes induced by streptozotocin. 2. Compared with non-diabetic controls, diabetic mice had reduced circulating EPCs (0.59 +/- 0.11 vs 0.94 +/- 0.21%, respectively; P < 0.01) and increased plasma endothelial microparticles (18 642 +/- 6809 vs 5692 +/- 1862/mL, respectively; P < 0.01). In a mouse bone marrow (BM) transplantation model, increased adhesion of transplanted BM cells to aortas of diabetic mice was observed compared with control (900 +/- 194 vs 431 +/- 109 cells/mm(2), respectively; P < 0.01). 3. Following hindlimb ischaemia, diabetic mice exhibited suppressed EPC mobilization, a reduction in the expected increase in capillary density and suppressed restoration of transcutaneous oxygen pressure in the ischaemic tissue. Diabetic mice also showed impaired ischaemia-induced upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha and interleukin-1 beta, an exaggerated increase in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 and a suppressed increase in tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1. On multivariate analysis, VEGF expression was the only independent factor related to circulating EPC count. 4. In conclusion, the data indicate that the decrease in basal circulating EPCs in diabetes may be attributable, in part, to consumptive loss of EPCs due to increased endothelial damage. Impairment of ischaemia-induced EPC mobilization in the diabetic mouse model is associated with altered HIF-1 alpha/VEGF and MMP/TIMP regulation and represents a novel mechanism underlying defective postischaemic neovascularization in diabetes.

Novel method to prepare polystyrene-based monolithic columns for chromatographic and electrophoretic separations by microwave irradiation.

Microwave irradiation can provide a viable alternative to the traditional means such as ultraviolet light and thermal initiation for the preparation of monolithic capillary columns. Polystyrene-based monolithic stationary phases were prepared in situ in fused-silica capillaries and simultaneously in vials. The column permeability, electrophoretic and chromatographic behavior were evaluated using pressure-assisted capillary electrochromatography (pCEC), capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC). With an optimal monolithic material, the largest theoretical plates for preparing the column could be close to 18,000 plates/m for thiourea in the mode of pCEC. Furthermore, the influence of the composition of the porogenic solvents (toluene/isooctane) on the morphology of organic-based monoliths [poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid)] was systematically studied with mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The monoliths which were prepared with a high content of isooctane had a bigger pore size and better permeability, and hence resulted in a faster separation.

Particular distribution and expression pattern of endoglin (CD105) in the liver of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Endoglin (CD105) has been considered a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and widely used as an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in some cancers. Our aim was to evaluate the distribution and expression of CD105 in the liver of patients with HCC, and to discuss whether CD105 may be used as an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in HCC. METHODS: Three parts of liver tissues from each of 64 patients with HCC were collected: tumor tissues (TT), adjacent non-tumor (AT) liver tissues within 2 cm, and tumor free tissues (TF) 5 cm far from the tumor edge. Liver samples from 8 patients without liver diseases served as healthy controls (HC). The distribution and expression of CD105 in tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting analysis, and real-time PCR. HIF-1alpha and VEGF165 protein levels in tissues were analyzed by Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis or ELISA. RESULTS: CD105 was positively stained mostly in a subset of microvessels 'endothelial sprouts' in TT of all patients while CD105 showed diffuse positive staining, predominantly on hepatic sinus endothelial cells in the surrounding of draining veins in TF and AT. The mean score of MVD-CD105 (mean +/- SD/0.74 mm2) was 19.00 +/- 9.08 in HC, 153.12 +/- 53.26 in TF, 191.12 +/- 59.17 in AT, and 85.43 +/- 44.71 in TT, respectively. Using a paired t test, the expression of CD105 in AT and TF was higher than in TT at protein (MVD, p = 0.012 and p = 0.007, respectively) and mRNA levels (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). Moreover, distribution and expression of CD105 protein were consistent with those of HIF-1alpha and VEGF165 protein in liver of patients with HCC. The level of CD105 mRNA correlated with VEGF165 level in TF (r = 0.790, p = 0.002), AT (r = 0.723, p < 0.001), and TT (r = 0.473, p = 0.048), respectively. CONCLUSION: It is demonstrated that CD105 was not only present in neovessels in tumor tissues, but also more abundant in hepatic sinus endothelium in non-tumor tissues with cirrhosis. Therefore, CD105 may not be an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in HCC, especially with cirrhosis.

Validation of endothelial progenitor cells in human umbilical veins and the isolated endothelial cells.

To detect endothelial progenitor cells in human umbilical veins and isolated endothelial cells, the authors examined protein and mRNA expression levels of cell surface markers for endothelial progenitor cells in human umbilical veins before and after trypsin treatment and at different passages of the isolated endothelial cells. CD133(+) (2.14 +/- 0.57 per mm) and KDR(+) (35.74 +/- 8.28 per mm) cells were observed in the intima of umbilical veins. The amounts of CD133(+), KDR(+), CD34(+), and CD105(+) cells decreased in the intima after trypsin treatment, whereas the percent of CD133(+) and KDR(+)cells in the media did not change significantly. Moreover, similar protein and mRNA expression levels of CD133 and KDR were detected in the umbilical veins before and after trypsin treatment. In the isolated cells from umbilical veins, the percent of CD133(+) and CD34(+) cells in P1 was 3.43% +/- 3.85%, which was higher than those in P3 (0.17% +/- 0.21%, p = 0.005) and P6 (0.14% +/- 0.18%, p = .001). The mRNA expression levels of CD133 and CD105 were down-regulated in later passages compared to those in P1, whereas the expression level of KDR was up-regulated in late passages. Thus it is suggested that endothelial progenitor cells reside in the distinct zone (e.g., initma and media) of human umbilical veins, and retain the capacity of differentiation to endothelial cells in vitro.

Lymphoma-like lesion of the uterine cervix: report of 12 cases of a rare entity.

Lymphoma-like lesion of the female genital tract is rare. We report 12 cases of lymphoma-like lesions of the cervix in patients ranging from 27-54 years of age (mean 41). The commonest clinical presentation was post-coital bleeding (8), which was followed by vaginal bleeding (2) and leukorrhagia (4). Grossly, the lesions were either polypoid (8) or ulcerated (4). On histological examination, the lesions were eroded and involved the superficial mucosa 2-12 mm (mean 4 mm) in depth. They comprised sheets of dense populations of predominantly large lymphoid cells admixed with small lymphocytes, plasma cells, and neutrophils. Follicle formation was occasionally seen. Immunostaining revealed the majority of the large cells were B cells (CD20(+), CD79a(+)) with no aberrant CD5 and CD43 expression. The lymphoid cells in the follicle were CD10(+) and bcl6(+) but negative for bcl-2. Cyclin D1 was negative. There was no immunoglobulin light chain restriction and polymerase chain reaction for T cell receptor-gamma chain gene and immunoglobulin heavy chain gene demonstrated polyclonal patterns. In situ hybridization for EBER and high risk HPV 6/11 and 16/18 were negative. All patients were well with one case developing local recurrence in the follow-up period up to 7 years.

[BRG1 expression in prostate carcinoma by application of tissue microarray].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of gene BRG1 in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and adenocarcinoma, and the relationship between gene BRG1 expression and the clinicopathological features of prostate carcinoma. METHODS: Gene BRG1 expression was evaluated in 37 cases of human prostate carcinoma, 13 human prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and 14 human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by using immunohistochemistry (EnVision method) and tissue microarray. RESULTS: The positive rates of BRG1 protein were 81.08% (30/37), 38.46% (5/13) and 14.28% (2/14) in prostate carcinoma, PIN and BPH, respectively, significantly higher in the first group than in the latter two (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in BRG1 gene expression either between PIN and BPH (P > 0.05) or between the groups of the moderate differentiation (the Gleason histologic grading: 5-7) and the lower one (the Gleason histologic grading: 8-10) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: BRG1 may play an important role in the development of prostate carcinoma. Tissue microarray technology, with the advantages of high throughput, conciseness, rapidity, high efficiency, low cost, and nice reproducibility, has significant practical value and broad application prospects in pathology.