Vanadate-Based Fibrous Electrode Materials for High Performance Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered as attractive energy storage systems with great promise owing to their low cost, environmental friendliness and high safety. Nevertheless, cathode materials with stable structure and rapid diffusion of zinc ions are in great demand for AZIBs. In this work, a new kind of potassium vanadate compound (KV3 O8 ) is synthesized with fibrous morphology as an excellent cathode material for AZIBs, which shows outstanding electrochemical performance. KV3 O8 exhibits a high discharge capacity of 556.4 mAh g-1 at 0.8 A g-1 , and the capacity retention is 81.3% at 6 A g-1 even after a long cycle life of 5000 cycles. The excellent performance of the KV3 O8 cathode is benefited from the structural stability, sufficient active sites, and high conductivity, which is revealed by in situ X-ray diffraction and various other characterizations. This work offers a new design strategy into fabricating high efficiency cathode materials for AZIBs and beyond.

High-performance aqueous rechargeable NiCo//Zn battery with molybdate anion intercalated CoNi-LDH@CP bilayered cathode.

Seeking cathode materials with high areal capacity and excellent cycling tolerance is a key step to develop aqueous rechargeable zinc-based alkaline batteries with high energy density, power density and excellent stability. Here, the bilayered cathode composite (MCN-LDH@CP) of molybdate intercalated cobalt-nickel layered hydroxide nanosheets (MCN-LDH) grown on cobalt phosphate octahydrate microsheet (CP) was prepared by a two-step hydrothermal process. Molybdate intercalation significantly reduces the thickness of cobalt-nickel layered hydroxide, greatly increases its specific surface area, regulates its pore distribution, increases the crystal plane spacing, promotes the diffusion rate of hydroxide in it, and increases its specific capacity. Meanwhile, the bilayered MCN-LDH@CP electrode significantly improved the areal energy density (2.89 mWh/cm2) and peak power density (111.22 mW/cm2) and cycle stability (97.8 % after 7000 cycles) of the CoNi//Zn battery. The excellent stability is mainly due to the fact that the MCN-LDH overlay inhibits the loss of P element of CP and improves the structural stability of the sample. The quasi-solid-state MCN-LDH@CP//Zn battery can still charge a mobile phone even when hammered and pierced, showing excellent safety and reliability. This work opens a new avenue to develop CoNi//Zn batteries with high energy density, power density and excellent tolerance.

Preparation of Carborane-Tailored Covalent Organic Frameworks by a Postsynthetic Modification Strategy as a Barrier to Polysulfide in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have attracted much attention due to their high energy density and theoretical specific capacity. However, the "shuttle effect" of polysulfides limits their application. Herein, we propose a postsynthetic modification (PSM) strategy to synthesize a fibrous carborane-tailored covalent organic framework (PMCB-COF). Benefiting from its amphiphilicity, strong adsorption ability, high specific surface area, and accessible Li+ transport channels, PMCB-COF could serve as a barrier to polysulfide to inhibit the shuttle effect. The cell assembled with PMCB-COF exhibits a high initial capacity of 926 mAh g-1 at 1 C. A Coulombic efficiency of 98% and a fading rate of only 0.039% per cycle are exhibited even after 1500 cycles. So far as we know, PMCB-COF is one of the best materials as a separator of LSBs. This work provides a safe and efficient avenue for tailoring COFs with carborane and might help promote the development of secure, low-cost, and durable rechargeable batteries.

Clinical significance of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases in hepatitis B virus -related hepatocellular carcinoma and underlying mechanism exploration.

The purpose of this research was to explore the diagnostic/prognostic significance and prospective molecular mechanisms of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAP3Ks) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Diagnostic/prognostic significance of MAP3Ks was screened in the GSE1450 data set and validated in the Guangxi cohort. Various bioinformatics tools were used to explore the biological functions of prognosis-related genes. Subsequently, molecular biology assays were used to verify the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of specific gene. MAP3K9 was observed to be differentially expressed in HCC and adjacent tissues with satisfactory diagnostic value. It was discovered in survival analysis that MAP3K13 and MAP3K15 were associated with overall survival (OS) of patients with HBV-related HCC in the GSE1450 data set and the Guangxi cohort. Nomograms were established based on prognosis-related genes and clinical factors for individualized risk assessment. The assays on HCC cells demonstrated that MAP3K13 regulated the death and proliferation of HCC cells by activating the JNK pathway and inducing the expression of apoptosis-related factors. In conclusion, our results suggested that MAP3K9 might serve as a diagnostic biomarker in HBV-related HCC and MAP3K13 and MAP3K15 might serve as useful prognostic biomarkers. Besides, cytological assays prompted that MAP3K13 might impact the prognosis of HCC by regulating the JNK pathway and inducing apoptosis.

USP21 regulates Hippo signaling to promote radioresistance by deubiquitinating FOXM1 in cervical cancer.

The ectopic expression of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 21 (USP21) is common in different types of cancer. However, its relationship with radio-sensitivity in cervical cancer (CC) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to uncover the effect of USP21 on CC radio-resistance and its underlying mechanism. Our results showed that the expression of USP21 was markedly increased in CC tissues of radio-resistant patients and CC cells treated with radiation. Besides, knockdown of USP21 restrained the survival fractions, and facilitated apoptosis of CC cells in the absence or presence of radiation. Additionally, USP21 in combination with FOXM1 regulated the stability and ubiquitination of FOXM1. However, FOXM1 reversed the effects of USP21 knockdown on the radio-resistance of CC cells. Furthermore, FOXM1 knockdown activated the Hippo pathway by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), and FOXM1 knockdown attenuated the radio-resistance of CC cells via inhibiting the Hippo-YAP1 pathway. USP21 activated the Hippo pathway by mediating FOXM1. Knockdown of USP21 enhanced the radio-sensitivity of CC cells in vivo. In summary, USP21 contributed to the radio-resistance of CC cells via FOXM1/Hippo signaling, and may serve as a promising target for radio-sensitizers in the radiotherapy of CC.

Amphiphilic Carborane-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks as Efficient Polysulfide Nano-Trappers for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have been considered as one of the most promising energy storage systems because of their high theoretical energy density. However, the "shuttle effect" caused by polysulfide results in poor cycling stability and low electrochemical properties, which strongly impedes the practical application of LSBs. Herein, a kind of amphiphilic carborane-based covalent organic framework (CB-COF) is synthesized and treated as nano-trappers for polysulfide. The microporous CB-COFs show high-temperature resistance and excellent chemical stability. Both experimental results and theoretical calculation indicate the strong adsorption ability of CB-COF for polysulfides. Such an ability makes CB-COF a candidate separator material for LSBs, which efficiently suppresses the "shuttle effect," leading to a high-rate capacity (314 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles at 2.5 C) and an ultra-long cycling life (after 1000 cycles with a very low decay rate of 0.0395% per cycle at 1 C) of LSBs.

TRPM2-AS Promotes Bladder Cancer by Targeting miR-22-3p and Regulating GINS2 mRNA Expression.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BLCA) refers to the malignancy growth that spreads from the bladder linings to the bladder muscles. However, the impact of miR-22-3p and lncRNA TRPM2-AS on this tumor has generated divergent views in the literature. This research aimed to study the effects of lncRNA TRPM2-AS on BLCA and its interaction with miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA. METHODS: qRT-PCR was employed to measure the expression of TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA in bladder tissues and cells. The subcellular localization of TRPM2-AS in T24 and 5637 cell lines was identified using a cell fractionation system. Luciferase assay, RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay were later performed to validate the direct binding relationship between TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA. Several experiments were conducted to determine the viability, proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of the cell lines. RESULTS: Findings indicated that TRPM2-AS was significantly upregulated in BLCA tissues and cell lines. Apart from that, it was observed that TRPM2-AS knockdown significantly inhibited the viability, proliferation and colony formation of BCLA cells, but it promoted the apoptosis of the BCLA cells. A significant downstream target of TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p was found to show a lower expression level in BLCA tissues and cell lines. However, the inhibition of miR-22-3p considerably enhanced BLCA cell phenotypes. As well as discovering that GINS2 mRNA was a downstream target of miR-22-3p and was significantly upregulated in BLCA, experimental results also indicated that the knockdown of GINS2 suppressed BLCA cell phenotypes. CONCLUSION: This research confirmed that TRPM2-AS could promote BCLA by binding to miR-22-3p to increase GINS2 expression. This novel interactome in BLCA cell lines might provide more insights into BLCA therapy.

Self- and dis-assembly behavior of segmented wormlike nanostructures from an ABC triblock copolymer.

Herein, we described the self-assembly of a triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO), in THF/water at room temperature to form segmented wormlike nanostructures. We found two different formation mechanisms of the segmented wormlike nanostructures from PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO with different molecular weights. Moreover, the dimension of such segmented wormlike nanostructures depends on the stirring rate. Interestingly, these wormlike nanostructures disassembled gradually when increasing the temperature, which is reversible. After cooling to room temperature the segmented wormlike micelles reformed gradually with stirring. Furthermore, neither intense stirring nor ultrasonic vibration could damage the structure of these wormlike nanostructures which proves their stability and potential application as drug delivery vehicles.

Synthetic dimeric-drug phospholipid: a versatile liposomal platform for cancer therapy.

An amphiphilic dimeric-podophyllotoxin (PODO) phospholipid was synthesized to assemble into liposomes as a combination of prodrug and nanocarrier. The results have demonstrated that the cell membrane-like delivery system possessed an improved cellular uptake and favorable antitumor efficacy with reduced side-effects. This strategy provides a new effective platform in drug delivery for cancer chemotherapy.

Viral capsid-like titania for selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides.

Viral capsid-like materials have been recognized as bionanotechnology platforms with great potential in controlled drug release, gene transfer and bioimaging. However, their functions still need to be optimized in aspects such as efficient drug transfer and selective targeting. Herein, we report a simple alternative strategy to fabricate viral capsid-like titania (VCL-TiO2) bearing ordered mesoporous channels and protrusions on its surface. The morphology of the synthesized titania materials matches nearly perfectly the outer surface of a real viral capsid. In particular, the robust VCL-TiO2 exhibits high porosity and a high degree of monodispersity in its particle size which makes it ideal for selectively and efficiently enriching phosphorylated peptides (PPs). Moreover, the microsized VCL-TiO2 could be easily collected and recycled through centrifugation.

RETRACTED: Vascular permeability and hemodynamic effects of ulinastatin on organs affected by shock during early burn injury.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors due to errors in the data. The authors indicated that they expanded the original sample size from 12 to 50, to study blood circulation upon other types of burns. At the same time, they further verified the results reported in this paper. The decrease in blood volume of the experimental group was not significantly slowed compared to the control group as reported. Since that was the basis of this work, this flaw may shatter all resulting hemodynamic data measured by the PICCO method. The authors have been unable to determine the source of the error.

A Functional Comparison of Treatment of Intrinsic Sphincter Deficiency with Muscle-Derived and Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells.

This study investigated the effect of muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and their differences in a rat model. MDSCs and ADSC were isolated from rats (n = 10), examined for their properties, and labeled with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and ß-galactosidase (ß-gal) gene. Rats received bladder-neck and transurethral sphincter injection of EGFP-labeled MDSCs and ß-gal gene-labeled ADSC and injection of D-Hanks as a control (n = 24 each group). At 0, 15, 30, and 60 days after cells injection, urinary voiding function was assessed by urine dynamics detector. The rats were killed to harvest their urethras for tracking of MDSCs and ADSC. Western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect smooth muscle contents. Urodynamic test showed that MDSCs and ADSC improved the function of urination in rats with intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD), and effect of MDSCs-treatment was more pronounced. In addition, histologic analysis showed that the MDSCs and ADSC-treated groups had significantly higher myosin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) content than the control group. Compared with ADSC-treated groups, the MDSCs-treated groups in myosin and α-SMA content showed the tendency of increase. In summary, MDSCs and ADSCs have obvious effects in the treatment and/or prevention of ISD and transplantation of MDSCs is more effective than ADSC. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(10):976-984, 2018.

The effect of a gene associated with retinoid-interferon-induced mortality 19 (GRIM-19) on STAT3-induced gene expression in renal carcinoma.

This study aimed to investigate the exact regulatory mechanisms of retinoid-interferon-induced mortality 19 (GRIM-19) in renal carcinoma. Tumour tissue samples from patients with renal carcinoma (n = 30, there were seven cases of Stage I, eight cases of Stage II, eight cases of Stage III, seven cases of Stage IV) and control subjects were selected from adjacent normal tissue (n = 10). Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to assess the level of GRIM-19, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) and its downstream molecules. CD31 was detected by immunohistochemistry. The MTT assay was used to measure cell proliferation. The amount of apoptosis cells was analysed by Flow cytometry. The results showed that expression of GRIM-19 was decreased in renal carcinoma. However, in tumour tissue, STAT3 and its downstream signalling molecules showed the higher expression compared with control. Overexpression of GRIM-19, inhibited tumour growth apoptosis by mediating activators of STAT3 signal. In addition, interferon-ß and all-trans-retinoic acid inhibited the renal carcinoma cell growth and induced apoptosis, and effect of drug combinations was particularly evident. In conclusion, GRIM-19 expression is associated with hyperactivation of STAT3-induced gene expression in renal carcinoma.

Phytochemical, cytotoxic and chemotaxonomic study on Ajuga forrestii Diels (Labiatae).

A phytochemical investigation of Ajuga forrestii Diels led to the isolation of 14 compounds, including eight neo-clerodane diterpenes (1-8), two phytoecdysteroids (9, 11), one stigmastane sterol (10) and three iridoid glycosides (12-14). The structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods and a comparison of their data with those reported in the literature. This is the first report of compounds 1-14 from A. forrestii. The cytotoxic activities of the aqueous extract of A. forrestii and several compounds have been studied and the chemotaxonomic significance of isolated compounds has also been summarised.

Charge- and Size-Selective Molecular Separation using Ultrathin Cellulose Membranes.

To date, it is still a challenge to prepare high-flux and highselectivity microporous membranes thinner than 20 nm without introducing defects. In this work, we report for the first time the application of cellulose membranes for selective separation of small molecules. A freestanding cellulose membrane as thin as 10 nm has been prepared through regeneration of trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC). The freestanding membrane can be transferred to any desired substrate and shows a normalized flux as high as 700 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 when supported by a porous alumina disc. According to filtration experiments, the membrane exhibits precise size-sieving performances with an estimated pore size between 1.5-3.5 nm depending on the regeneration period and initial TMSC concentration. A perfect discrimination of anionic molecules over neutral species is demonstrated. Moreover, the membrane demonstrates high reproducibility, high scale-up potential, and excellent stability over two months.

MiR-211 is epigenetically regulated by DNMT1 mediated methylation and inhibits EMT of melanoma cells by targeting RAB22A.

MiR-211 has strong inhibitive effects on melanoma cell growth, invasion and metastasis. However, how it is downregulated and whether other genes are involved its downstream regulation in melanoma are not clear. In this study, we firstly verified the expression of miR-211 in melanoma cell lines and observed that its downregulation is associated with increased DNMT1 expression. By performing qRT-PCR and MSP analysis, we confirmed that DNMT1 is negatively correlated with miR-211 expression and can modulate DNA methylation in the promoter region of miR-211. By performing bioinformatics analysis, we found that RAB22A is a possible target of miR-211, which has two broadly conversed binding sites with miR-211 in the 3'UTR. Following dual luciferase assay, qRT-PCR and western blot analysis confirmed the direct binding between miR-211 and RAB22A and the suppressive effect of miR-211 on RAB22A expression. Knockdown of RAB22A increased epithelial properties and impaired mesenchymal properties of the melanoma cells, suggesting that miR-211 modulates epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of melanoma cells via downregulating RAB22A. In summary, the present study firstly demonstrated that DNMT1 mediated promoter methylation is a mechanism of miRNA suppression in melanoma and revealed a new tumor suppressor role of the miR-211 by targeting RAB22A in melanoma. The DNMT1/miR-211/RAB22A axis provides a novel insight into the pathogenesis of melanoma, particularly in the EMT process.

Hollow ZIF-8 Nanoworms from Block Copolymer Templates.

Recently two quite different types of "nano-containers" have been recognized as attractive potential drug carriers; these are wormlike filamenteous micelles ("filomicelles") on the one hand and metal organic frameworks on the other hand. In this work we combine these two concepts. We report for the first time the manufacturing of metal organic framework nanotubes with a hollow core. These worm-like tubes are about 200 nm thick and several µm long. The preparation is simple: we first produce long and flexible filament-shaped micelles by block copolymer self-assembly. These filomicelles serve as templates to grow a very thin layer of interconnected ZIF-8 crystals on their surface. Finally the block copolymer is removed by solvent extraction and the hollow ZIF-8 nanotubes remain. These ZIF-NTs are surprisingly stable and withstand purification by centrifugation. The synthesis method is straightforward and can easily be applied for other metal organic framework materials. The ZIF-8 NTs exhibit high loading capacity for the model anti cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) with a pH-triggered release. Hence, a prolonged circulation in the blood stream and a targeted drug release behavior can be expected.

Self-Assembled Asymmetric Block Copolymer Membranes: Bridging the Gap from Ultra- to Nanofiltration.

The self-assembly of block copolymers is an emerging strategy to produce isoporous ultrafiltration membranes. However, thus far, it has not been possible to bridge the gap from ultra- to nanofiltration and decrease the pore size of self-assembled block copolymer membranes to below 5 nm without post-treatment. It is now reported that the self-assembly of blends of two chemically interacting copolymers can lead to highly porous membranes with pore diameters as small as 1.5 nm. The membrane containing an ultraporous, 60 nm thin separation layer can fully reject solutes with molecular weights of 600 g mol(-1) in aqueous solutions with a water flux that is more than one order of magnitude higher than the permeance of commercial nanofiltration membranes. Simulations of the membrane formation process by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) were used to explain the dramatic observed pore size reduction combined with an increase in water flux.

Self-assembled isoporous block copolymer membranes with tuned pore sizes.

The combination of nonsolvent-induced phase separation and the self-assembly of block copolymers can lead to asymmetric membranes with a thin highly ordered isoporous skin layer. The effective pore size of such membranes is usually larger than 15 nm. We reduced the pore size of these membranes by electroless gold deposition. We demonstrate that the pore sizes can be controlled precisely between 3 and 20 nm leading to a tunable sharp size discrimination in filtration processes. Besides fractionation of nanoparticles and biomaterials, controlled drug delivery is an attractive potential application.