A detailed overview of quercetin: implications for cell death and liver fibrosis mechanisms.

Background: Quercetin, a widespread polyphenolic flavonoid, is known for its extensive health benefits and is commonly found in the plant kingdom. The natural occurrence and extraction methods of quercetin are crucial due to its bioactive potential. Purpose: This review aims to comprehensively cover the natural sources of quercetin, its extraction methods, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and its role in various cell death pathways and liver fibrosis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed across several electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang database, and ClinicalTrials.gov, up to 10 February 2024. The search terms employed were "quercetin", "natural sources of quercetin", "quercetin extraction methods", "bioavailability of quercetin", "pharmacokinetics of quercetin", "cell death pathways", "apoptosis", "autophagy", "pyroptosis", "necroptosis", "ferroptosis", "cuproptosis", "liver fibrosis", and "hepatic stellate cells". These keywords were interconnected using AND/OR as necessary. The search focused on studies that detailed the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of quercetin, its role in different cell death pathways, and its effects on liver fibrosis. Results: This review details quercetin's involvement in various cell death pathways, including apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, with particular attention to its regulatory influence on apoptosis and autophagy. It dissects the mechanisms through which quercetin affects these pathways across different cell types and dosages. Moreover, the paper delves into quercetin's effects on liver fibrosis, its interactions with hepatic stellate cells, and its modulation of pertinent signaling cascades. Additionally, it articulates from a physical organic chemistry standpoint the uniqueness of quercetin's structure and its potential for specific actions in the liver. Conclusion: The paper provides a detailed analysis of quercetin, suggesting its significant role in modulating cell death mechanisms and mitigating liver fibrosis, underscoring its therapeutic potential.

An active peptide from yak inhibits hypoxia-induced lung injury via suppressing VEGF/MAPK/inflammatory signaling.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling and inflammation play an important role in the hypoxic-induced lung diseases. Our previous investigations showed that peptide from yak milk residues could alleviate inflammation. In this study, our results suggest that peptide (LV) from yak milk residues peptide had protective effect of lung in the animal models of hypoxic-induced lung injury. LV Gavage could improve pulmonary vascular remodeling in the lung tissues of hypoxic mice. A comprehensive analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics revealed that 5-KETE, 8,9-EET, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1a might be potential targets to prevent lung injury in the hypoxic mice. These metabolites can be regulated by MAPK/VEGF and inflammatory pathways. Our data indicated that LV treatment could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation via Nrf2/NF-κB/MAPK/PHD-2 pathway and protected hypoxic-induced lung epithelial cells injury. Taken together, our results suggest that LV provides a novel therapeutic clue for the prevention of hypoxia-induced lung injury and inflammation-related lung diseases.

Cognitive enhancing effect of rTMS combined with tDCS in patients with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction is one of the common symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been studied separately in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in MDD patients. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of rTMS combined with tDCS as a new therapy to improve neurocognitive impairment in MDD patients. METHODS: In this brief 2-week, double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled trial, a total of 550 patients were screened, and 240 MDD inpatients were randomized into four groups (active rTMS + active tDCS, active rTMS + sham tDCS, sham rTMS + active tDCS, sham rTMS + sham tDCS). Finally, 203 patients completed the study and received 10 treatment sessions over a 2-week period. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was performed to assess patients' cognitive function at baseline and week 2. Also, we applied the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24) to assess patients' depressive symptoms at baseline and week 2. RESULTS: After 10 sessions of treatment, the rTMS combined with the tDCS group showed more significant improvements in the RBANS total score, immediate memory, and visuospatial/constructional index score (all p < 0.05). Moreover, post hoc tests revealed a significant increase in the RBANS total score and Visuospatial/Constructional in the combined treatment group compared to the other three groups but in the immediate memory, the combined treatment group only showed a better improvement than the sham group. The results also showed the RBANS total score increased significantly higher in the active rTMS group compared with the sham group. However, rTMS or tDCS alone was not superior to the sham group in terms of other cognitive performance. In addition, the rTMS combined with the tDCS group showed a greater reduction in HDRS-24 total score and a better depression response rate than the other three groups. CONCLUSIONS: rTMS combined with tDCS treatment is more effective than any single intervention in treating cognitive dysfunction and depressive symptoms in MDD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100052122).

Cobalt Ion-Stabilized VO2 for Aqueous Ammonium Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors.

Aqueous ammonium ion hybrid supercapacitor (A-HSC) is an efficient energy storage device based on nonmetallic ion carriers (NH4+), which combines advantages such as low cost, safety, and sustainability. However, unstable electrode structures are prone to structural collapse in aqueous electrolytes, leading to fast capacitance decay, especially in host materials represented by vanadium-based oxidation. Here, the Co2+ preintercalation strategy is used to stabilize the VO2 tunnel structure and improve the electrochemical stability of the fast NH4+ storage process. In addition, the understanding of the NH4+ storage mechanism has been deepened through ex situ structural characterization and electrochemical analysis. The results indicate that Co2+ preintercalation effectively enhances the conductivity and structural stability of VO2, and inhibits the dissolution of V in aqueous electrolytes. In addition, the charge storage mechanisms of NH4+ intercalation/deintercalation and the reversible formation/fracture of hydrogen bonds were revealed.

Mitochondrial-related hub genes in dermatomyositis: muscle and skin datasets-based identification and in vivo validation.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis (DM), a rare autoimmune disease affecting the skin and muscles. However, the genetic basis underlying dysfunctional mitochondria and the development of DM remains incomplete. Methods: The datasets of DM muscle and skin tissues were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The mitochondrial related genes (MRGs) were retrieved from MitoCarta. DM-related modules in muscle and skin tissues were identified with the analysis of weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA), and then compared with the MRGs to obtain the overlapping mitochondrial related module genes (mito-MGs). Subsequently, differential expression genes (DEGs) obtained from muscle and skin datasets were overlapped with MRGs to identify mitochondrial related DEGs (mito-DEGs). Next, functional enrichment analysis was applied to analyze possible relevant biological pathways. We used the Jvenn online tool to intersect mito-MGs with mito-DEGs to identify hub genes and validate them using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry staining. In addition, we evaluated immune infiltration in muscle and skin tissues of DM patients using the one-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and predicted potential transcription factor (TF) -gene network by NetworkAnalyst. Results: The WGCNA analysis revealed 105 mito-MGs, while the DEG analysis identified 3 mito-DEGs. These genes showed functional enrichment for amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Through the intersection analysis of the mito-MGs from the WGCNA analysis and the mito-DEGs from the DEG set, three DM mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) were identified and validated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry analysis. Additionally, positive correlations were observed between hub genes and immune cell abundance. The TF-hub gene regulatory network revealed significant interactions involving ERG, VDR, and ZFX with CMPK2 and LAP3, as well as SOX2 with LAP3 and IFI27, and AR with IFI27 and CMPK2. Conclusion: The mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) are identified in both muscles and skin tissues from DM patients. These genes may be associated with immune infiltration in DM, providing a new entry point for the pathogenesis of DM.

Ketone bodies promote epididymal white adipose expansion to alleviate liver steatosis in response to a ketogenic diet.

Liver can sense the nutrient status and send signals to other organs to regulate overall metabolic homoeostasis. Herein, we demonstrate that ketone bodies act as signals released from the liver that specifically determine the distribution of excess lipid in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) when exposed to a ketogenic diet (KD). An acute KD can immediately result in excess lipid deposition in the liver. Subsequently, the liver sends the ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) to regulate white adipose expansion, including adipogenesis and lipogenesis, to alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation. When ketone bodies are depleted by deleting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 gene in the liver, the enhanced lipid deposition in eWAT but not in inguinal white adipose tissue is preferentially blocked, while lipid accumulation in liver is not alleviated. Mechanistically, ketone body BHB can significantly decrease lysine acetylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in eWAT, causing enhanced activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, the key adipogenic transcription factor. These observations suggest that the liver senses metabolic stress first and sends a corresponding signal, that is, ketone body BHB, to specifically promote eWAT expansion to adapt to metabolic challenges.

Whole grain germinated brown rice intake modulates the gut microbiota and alleviates hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in high fat diet-fed mice.

Hyperlipidemia is a common clinical disorder of lipid metabolism in modern society and is considered to be one of the major risk factors leading to cardiovascular-related diseases. Germinated brown rice (GBR) is a typical whole grain food. The lipid-lowering effect of GBR has received increasing attention, but its mechanism of action is not fully understood. The gut microbiota has been proposed as a novel target for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of GBR on the gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice. The effect of GBR on hyperlipidemia was evaluated by measuring blood lipid levels and by pathological examination. The gut microbiota was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, and the protein and mRNA expression levels involved in cholesterol metabolism were detected by western blotting and RT-qPCR to find potential correlations. The results showed that GBR supplementation could effectively reduce the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C in the serum and alleviate the excessive accumulation of fat droplets caused by HFD. Moreover, GBR intervention improved HFD-fed gut microbiota disorder via increasing the diversity of the gut microbiota, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and improving gut barrier damage. In addition, GBR could inhibit endogenous cholesterol synthesis and promote cholesterol transport and excretion. These findings suggest that GBR may be a competitive candidate for the development of functional foods to prevent abnormal lipid metabolism.

The abnormal brain activation pattern of adolescents with major depressive disorder based on working memory tasks: A fNIRS study.

OBJECTIVE: Although studies have confirmed that working memory (WM) is impaired among adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), generalizing these neurocognitive impairments to adolescents with MDD would be tenuous. Therefore, separate studies for adolescents with MDD are needed. Relatively little is known about the neural processes associated with WM dysfunction in adolescents with MDD. Thus, we examined whether adolescents with MDD have abnormal brain activation patterns compared to healthy controls (HC) during WM tasks and whether it was possible to distinguish adolescents with MDD and HC based on mean oxy-hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) changes. METHOD: A total of 87 adolescents with MDD and 63 HC were recruited. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was performed to monitor the concentrations of Oxy-Hb in the frontotemporal lobe while participants performed three WM tasks in order to examine WM impairments in adolescents with depression. RESULTS: The mean changes in Oxy-Hb concentrations in the left prefrontal cortex and right prefrontal cortex were higher among HC than among patients during the encoding and maintenance phase under each WM-load task. Machine learning was used to distinguish adolescents with MDD and HC based on Oxy-Hb changes, with a moderate area under the curve of 0.84. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed WM defects in adolescents with MDD compared to HC based on mean Oxy-Hb changes, which can be valuable for distinguishing adolescents with MDD from HC.

3D Magnetic Metal-Organic Frameworks Current Collectors Accelerate the Lithium-Ion Diffusion Rate for Superlong Cyclic Lithium Metal Anode.

Lithium, is the most ideal anode material for lithium-based batteries. However, the overgrowth of lithium dendrites and the low lithium-ion diffusion rate at low temperatures limit the further application of lithium metal anodes. Here, the applied magnetic field is introduced inside the lithium metal anode by using a novel magnetic metal-organic framework as a current collector. The magnetic field can improve the conductivity of this novel current collector, thus accelerating the diffusion of lithium ions in the battery, an advantage that is particularly prominent at low temperatures. In addition, the current collector can stabilize the solid electrolyte interface and inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites, resulting in excellent electrochemical performance. The symmetrical cell at room temperature can exceed 4600 h with a hysteresis voltage of only 9 mV. After 300 cycles at room temperature, the capacity of full cell is still 142 mA h g-1 , and it remains stable for 380 cycles at 5 °C (capacity above 120 mA h g-1 ). The strategy of constructing novel current collector with magnetic field can promote the further application of lithium batteries in extreme conditions such as low temperatures.

The molecular mechanism underlying dermatomyositis related interstitial lung disease: evidence from bioinformatic analysis and in vivo validation.

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that can affect the lungs, causing interstitial lung diseases (ILD). However, the exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying DM-ILD are unknown. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) belongs to the broader spectrum of ILD and evidence shows that common pathologic pathways might lie between IPF and DM-ILD. Methods: We retrieved gene expression profiles of DM and IPF from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and utilized weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to reveal their co-expression modules. We then performed a differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis to identify common DEGs. Enrichment analyses were employed to uncover the hidden biological pathways. Additionally, we conducted protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks analysis, cluster analysis, and successfully found the hub genes, whose levels were further validated in DM-ILD patients. We also examined the relationship between hub genes and immune cell abundance in DM and IPF. Finally, we conducted a common transcription factors (TFs)-genes network by NetworkAnalyst. Results: WGCNA revealed 258 intersecting genes, while DEG analysis identified 66 shared genes in DM and IPF. All of these genes were closely related to extracellular matrix and structure, cell-substrate adhesion, and collagen metabolism. Four hub genes (POSTN, THBS2, COL6A1, and LOXL1) were derived through intersecting the top 30 genes of the WGCNA and DEG sets. They were validated as active transcripts and showed diagnostic values for DM and IPF. However, ssGSEA revealed distinct infiltration patterns in DM and IPF. These four genes all showed a positive correlation with immune cells abundance in DM, but not in IPF. Finally, we identified one possible key transcription factor, MYC, that interact with all four hub genes. Conclusion: Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified common hub genes and shared molecular pathways underlying DM and IPF, which provides valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms of these diseases and offers potential targets for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Surface Adsorption and Proton Chemistry of Ultra-Stabilized Aqueous Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable Zinc (Zn) batteries incorporating MnO2 cathodes possess favorable sustainability properties and are being considered for low-cost, high-safety energy storage. However, unstable electrode structures and unclear charge storage mechanisms limit their development. Here, advanced transmission electron microscopy, electrochemical analysis, and theoretical calculations are utilized to study the working mechanisms of a Zn/MnO2 battery with a Co2+ -stabilized, tunnel-structured α-MnO2 cathode (Cox MnO2 ). It is shown that Co2+ can be pre-intercalated into α-MnO2 and occupy the (2 × 2) tunnel structure, which improves the structural stability of MnO2 , facilitates the proton diffusion and Zn2+ adsorption on the MnO2 surface upon battery cycling. It is further revealed that for the MnO2 cathode, the charge storage reaction proceeds mainly by proton intercalation with the formation of α-Hy Cox MnO2 , and that the anode design (with or without Zn metal) affects the surface adsorption of by-product Zn4 SO4 (OH)6 ·nH2 O on MnO2 surface. This work advances the fundamental understanding of rechargeable Zn batteries and also sheds light on efficient electrode modifications toward performance enhancement.

Treatment of liver fibrosis in hepatolenticular degeneration with traditional Chinese medicine: systematic review of meta-analysis, network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used in the clinical treatment of hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) and liver fibrosis (LF). In the present study, the curative effect was assessed using meta-analysis. The possible mechanism of TCM against LF in HLD was investigated using network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation. Methods: For literature collection, we searched several databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP) and Wan Fang database until February 2023, and the Review Manager 5.3 was used to analyze the data. Network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation were used to explore the mechanism of TCM in treating LF in HLD. Results: The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the addition of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating HLD resulted in a higher total clinical effective rate than western medicine alone [RR 1.25, 95% CI (1.09, 1.44), p = 0.002]. It not only has a better effect on liver protection [Alanine aminotransferase: SMD = -1.20, 95% CI (-1.70, -0.70), p < 0.00001; Aspartate aminotransferase: SMD = -1.41, 95% CI (-2.34, -0.49), p = 0.003; Total bilirubin: SMD = -1.70, 95% CI (-3.36, -0.03), p = 0.05] but also had an excellent therapeutic effect on LF through four indexes [Hyaluronic acid: SMD = -1.15, 95% CI (-1.76, -0.53), p = 0.0003; Procollagen peptide III: SMD = -0.72, 95% CI (-1.29, -0.15), p = 0.01; Collagen IV: SMD = -0.69, 95% CI (-1.21, -0.18), p = 0.008; Laminin: SMD = -0.47, 95% CI (-0.95, 0.01), p = 0.06]. Concurrently, the liver stiffness measurement decreased significantly [SMD = -1.06, 95% CI (-1.77, -0.36), p = 0.003]. The results of network pharmacological experiments and molecular dynamics simulation indicate that the three high-frequency TCMs (Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma-Coptidis Rhizoma-Curcumae Longae Rhizoma, DH-HL-JH) primarily act on the core targets (AKT1, SRC, and JUN) via the core components (rhein, quercetin, stigmasterol, and curcumin), regulate the signal pathway (PI3K-Akt, MAPK, EGFR, and VEGF signaling pathways), and play a role of anti-LF. Conclusion: Meta-analysis indicates that TCM is beneficial in treating HLD patients and improving LF. The present study successfully predicts the effective components and potential targets and pathways involved in treating LF for the three high-frequency CHMs of DH-HL-JH. The findings of the present study are hoped to provide some evidence support for clinical treatment. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022302374.

Mo2C-Loaded Porous Carbon Nanosheets as a Multifunctional Separator Coating for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have emerged as one of the promising next-generation energy storage devices. However, the dissolution and shuttling of polysulfides in the electrolyte leads to a rapid decrease in capacity, severe self-discharge, and poor high-temperature performance. Here, we demonstrate the design and preparation of a Mo2C nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanosheet matrix material (Mo2C/C) and its application in lithium-sulfur battery separator modification. As a polar catalyst, Mo2C/C can effectively adsorb and promote the reversible conversion of lithium polysulfides, suppress the shuttle effect, and improve the electrochemical performance of the battery. The lithium-sulfur battery with the Mo2C/C =-modified separator showed a good rate of performance with high specific capacities of 1470 and 799 mAh g-1 at 0.1 and 2 C, respectively. In addition, the long-cycle performance of only 0.09% decay per cycle for 400 cycles and the stable cycling under high sulfur loading indicate that the Mo2C/C-modified separator holds great promise for the development of high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries.

NPENAS: Neural Predictor Guided Evolution for Neural Architecture Search.

Neural architecture search (NAS) adopts a search strategy to explore the predefined search space to find superior architecture with the minimum searching costs. Bayesian optimization (BO) and evolutionary algorithms (EA) are two commonly used search strategies, but they suffer from being computationally expensive, challenging to implement, and exhibiting inefficient exploration ability. In this article, we propose a neural predictor guided EA to enhance the exploration ability of EA for NAS (NPENAS) and design two kinds of neural predictors. The first predictor is a BO acquisition function for which we design a graph-based uncertainty estimation network as the surrogate model. The second predictor is a graph-based neural network that directly predicts the performance of the input neural architecture. The NPENAS using the two neural predictors are denoted as NPENAS-BO and NPENAS-NP, respectively. In addition, we introduce a new random architecture sampling method to overcome the drawbacks of the existing sampling method. Experimental results on five NAS search spaces indicate that NPENAS-BO and NPENAS-NP outperform most existing NAS algorithms, with NPENAS-NP achieving state-of-the-art performance on four of the five search spaces.

Low Core Losses of Fe-Based Soft Magnetic Composites with an Zn-O-Si Insulating Layer Obtained by Coupling Synergistic Photodecomposition.

The major method used to reduce the magnetic loss of soft magnetic composites (SMCs) is to coat the magnetic powder with an insulating layer, but the permeability is usually sacrificed in the process. In order to achieve a better balance between low losses and high permeability, a novel photodecomposition method was used in this study to create a ZnO insulating layer. The effect of the concentration of diethyl zinc on the formation of a ZnO insulating film by photodecomposition was studied. The ZnO film was best formed with a diethyl zinc n-hexane solution at a concentration of around 0.40 mol/L. Combined with conventional coupling treatment processes, a thin and dense insulating layer was coated on the surface of iron powder in situ. Treating the iron powder before coating by photodecomposition led to a synergistic effect, significantly reduced core loss, and the effective permeability only decreased slightly. An iron-based soft magnetic composite with a loss value of 124 kW/m3 and an effective permeability of 107 was obtained at the frequency of 100 kHz and a magnetic field intensity of 20 mT.

Pulsed Current Boosts the Stability of the Lithium Metal Anode and the Improvement of Lithium-Oxygen Battery Performance.

Lithium-oxygen batteries have received extensive attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity, but problems such as high charging overpotential and poor cycling performance hinder their practical application. Herein, a pulsed current, which merits its relaxation phenomenon, is applied during the charging cycle to address the abovementioned problems. Pulsed charging can not only reduce the charging overpotential, but also control the mass transfer and distribution of lithium ions. As a result, the uniform deposition of lithium ions on the anode surface is realized, the repeated rupture and formation of the solid electrolyte interphase is reduced, and the growth of the lithium dendrites is successfully suppressed, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting lithium metal from excessive consumption. When the pulsed charging duty ratio (Ton/Toff) is 1:1, after 25 cycles, the lithium-oxygen battery anode still presents a relatively flat and dense deposition surface, which is obviously better than the loose and rough surface after normal cycling. In addition, the protective effect of pulsed charging on the lithium metal anodes of lithium-oxygen batteries is also verified by the construction of other lithium-based batteries.

MoP Quantum Dot-Modified N,P-Carbon Nanotubes as a Multifunctional Separator Coating for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have the advantages of high energy density and low cost and are considered promising next-generation energy storage systems, but the shuttle effect and slow sulfur redox kinetics severely limit their practical applications. Herein, MoP quantum dot-modified N,P-doped hollow PPy substrates are adopted as separator modification coatings for LSBs. The MoP quantum dots exhibit excellent chemisorption and catalytic conversion capabilities for polysulfides, while the N,P-doped PPy substrates can provide flexible channels for Li+/electron transport and act as a physical barrier to suppress the shuttle effect. As a result, LSBs assembled with modified separators exhibit excellent rate capability (739 mAh/g at 3 C) and cycle performance (600 mAh/g at 1 C after 600 cycles, 0.052% decay per cycle). Moreover, even under a high sulfur loading of 3.68 mg/cm2, areal capacities of 3.58 and 2.92 mAh/cm2 for the 1st cycle and 110th cycle are achieved. In addition, according to density functional theory calculations, MoP quantum dots have large adsorption energy for S8 and Li2Sn, which further confirms the possibility of lowering the initial nucleation energy barrier of Li2S and helps to improve the kinetics of the subsequent Li2S reaction. This study proposes a novel method for using transition-metal phosphides as catalysts in high-performance LSBs.

Cortical activation and functional connectivity during the verbal fluency task for adolescent-onset depression: A multi-channel NIRS study.

OBJECTIVE: Depression disorder is accompanied by cognitive impairments. However, there is limited research focused on cognitive impairments and their neurological mechanism in adolescents with depression. The purpose of the current study is to illustrate the differences in brain activity patterns between depressed adolescents and healthy controls (HCs). METHOD: A total of 72 adolescents with depression, as well as 74 HCs, were recruited. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor the concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) in the brains of participants while they performed the verbal fluency task (VFT) to examine cognitive impairment in adolescents with depression. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated that adolescents with depression had significantly less cortical activation in the hemodynamic responses of Oxy-Hb at channels mainly located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) than HCs during the 60-s task period (false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected p < 0.05). The mean channel-to-channel connectivity was 0.400 for HCs (SD = 0.149) and 0.303 (SD = 0.138) for adolescents with depression, and the HC group had a higher mean channel-to-channel connectivity strength than the depression group (t = -15.586, p < 0.001). For the patient group, we found significant negative correlations between HAMD scores and mean Oxy-Hb changes in Channel 38 (r = -0.33, p < 0.01), Channel 39 (r = -0.34, p < 0.01), Channel 41 (r = -0.25, p < 0.05), Channel 42 (r = -0.28, p < 0.05), and Channel 44 (r = -0.27, p < 0.05), and these channels were mainly located in areas with little difference between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides neurological evidence about the executive function (EF) in depressed adolescents. Adolescents with depression exhibited an abnormal activation pattern and decreased task-related functional connectivity compared to HCs. The changed Oxy-Hb concentration of PFC during VFT was not sensitive to depression symptoms.

Acupuncture Attenuates Ototoxicity Induced by Gentamicin in Mice.

CONTEXT: Presbycusis is age-related, progressive, and symmetrical hearing loss in both ears. Acupuncture can play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of deafness, but its functional mechanism is still not entirely clear. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to explore acupuncture's protective effects and mechanism of treatment in addressing ototoxicity induced by gentamicin (GM) in aged mice. DESIGN: The research team designed an animal study, and a mouse model of ototoxicity induced by GM was established. SETTING: The study took place in Nanchong Central Hospital, Sichuan, China. ANIMALS: The animals were 48 male, Kunming mice, with sixteen being three months old and 32 being 18 month old. INTERVENTION: The three-month-old mice were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 8) and a GM group (n = 8). The 18-month-old mice were randomly divided into four groups with eight mice each: a positive control group; a negative control group, the GM group; and two intervention groups, the acupuncture + GM group and the drug + GM group. The GM groups were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg daily of GM for 10 consecutive days. The acupuncture + GM group received acupuncture, and the drug + GM group was injected intraperitoneally with Genadol. OUTCOME MEASURES: The effects of GM induction and treatment with acupuncture or a drug on the numbers of auditory cochlear hair cells were evaluated via an auditory test and cell staining. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for gene detection. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) were measured. RESULTS: The aged mice were susceptible to GM ototoxicity. After acupuncture, the threshold of the auditory brainstem response and the number of cochlear hair cells increased significantly. Acupuncture inhibited oxidative stress via the nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway in the mice. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrated that acupuncture can alleviate GM ototoxicity via the NRF2 signaling pathway, providing important support for acupuncture in treatment of GM ototoxicity.