Activating and Stabilizing a Reversible four Electron Redox Reaction of I-/I+ for Aqueous Zn-Iodine Battery.

Low capacity and poor cycle stability greatly inhibit the development of zinc-iodine batteries. Herein, a high-performance Zn-iodine battery has been reached by designing and optimizing both electrode and electrolyte. The Br- is introduced as the activator to trigger I+, and coupled with I+ forming interhalogen to stabilize I+ to achieve a four-electron reaction, which greatly promotes the capacity. And the Ni-Fe-I LDH nanoflowers serve as the confinement host to enable the reactions of I-/I+ occurring in the layer due to the spacious and stable interlayer spacing of Ni-Fe-I LDH, which effectively suppresses the iodine-species shuttle ensuring high cycling stability. As a result, the electrochemical performance is greatly enhanced, especially in specific capacity (as high as 350 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 far higher than two-electron transfer Zn-iodine batteries) and cycling performance (94.6 % capacity retention after 10000 cycles). This strategy provides a new way to realize high capacity and long-term stability of Zn-iodine batteries.

An Ultrathin Inorganic Molecular Crystal Interfacial Layer for Stable Zn Anode.

Zn metal anode suffers from dendrite growth and side reactions during cycling, significantly deteriorating the lifespan of aqueous Zn metal batteries. Herein, we introduced an ultrathin and ultra-flat Sb2 O3 molecular crystal layer to stabilize Zn anode. The in situ optical and atomic force microscopes observations show that such a 10 nm Sb2 O3 thin layer could ensure uniform under-layer Zn deposition with suppressed tip growth effect, while the traditional WO3 layer undergoes an uncontrolled up-layer Zn deposition. The superior regulation capability is attributed to the good electronic-blocking ability and low Zn affinity of the molecular crystal layer, free of dangling bonds. Electrochemical tests exhibit Sb2 O3 layer can significantly improve the cycle life of Zn anode from 72 h to 2800 h, in contrast to the 900 h of much thicker WO3 even in 100 nm. This research opens up the application of inorganic molecular crystals as the interfacial layer of Zn anode.

Turning Waste into Treasure: Regulating the Oxygen Corrosion on Fe Foam for Efficient Electrocatalysis.

Iron corrosion causes a great damage to the economy due to the function attenuation of iron-based devices. However, the corrosion products can be used as active materials for some electrocatalytic reactions, such as oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, the oxygen corrosion on Fe foams (FF) to synthesize effective self-supporting electrocatalysts for OER, leading to "turning waste into treasure," is regulated. A dual chloride aqueous system of "NaCl-NiCl2 " is employed to tailor the structures and OER properties of corrosion layers. The corrosion behaviors identify that Cl- anions serve as accelerators for oxygen corrosion, while Ni2+ cations guarantee the uniform growth of corrosion layers owing to the appeared chemical plating. The synergistic effect of "NaCl-NiCl2 " generates one of the highest OER activities that only an overpotential of 212 mV is required to achieve 100 mA cm-2 in 1.0 m KOH solution. The as-prepared catalyst also exhibits excellent durability over 168 h (one week) at 100 mA cm-2 and promising application for overall water splitting. Specially, a large self-supporting electrode (9 × 10 cm2 ) is successfully synthesized via this cost-effective and easily scale-up approach. By combining with corrosion science, this work provides a significant stepping stone in exploring high-performance OER electrocatalysts.

CREB1-induced miR-1204 promoted malignant phenotype of glioblastoma through targeting NR3C2.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a subclass of brain malignancy with unsatisfactory prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that exert key function on tumorigenesis and tumor development. PURPOSES: The purpose of this work was to unravel the biological behavior and mechanism of miR-1204 in GBM. METHODS: Expressions of miR-1204, NR3C2 and CREB1 were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot. Proliferation and apoptosis of GBM cells were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, caspase-3 activity and TUNEL assays. Molecular interplays were examined by ChIP, RIP, and luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: MiR-1204 level was elevated in GBM cell lines. Functionally, miR-1204 aggravated cell proliferation whereas suppressed cell apoptosis in GBM cells. Mechanistically, cAMP Responsive Element Binding Protein 1 (CREB1) bound to the promoter of miR-1204 and activated the transcription of miR-1204. Furthermore, miR-1204 targeted and inhibited Nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 2 (NR3C2), a tumor suppressor gene in GBM cells. Rescue assays indicated that NR3C2 participated in the regulation of miR-1204 on the malignant phenotype of GBM cells. CONCLUSIONS: We observed for the first time that CREB1-induced miR-1204 promoted malignant phenotype of GBM through targeting NR3C2, indicating that miR-1204 acted as a novel oncogenic miRNA in GBM.

Runt-Related Transcription Factor 1 Regulates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury via NF-κB Signaling.

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), a transcription factor expressed in multiple organs, plays important roles in embryonic development and hematopoiesis. Although RUNX1 is highly expressed in pulmonary tissues, its roles in lung function and homeostasis are unknown. We sought to assess the role of RUNX1 in lung development and inflammation after LPS challenge. Expression of RUNX1 was assessed in the developing and postnatal lung. RUNX1 was conditionally deleted in pulmonary epithelial cells. Pulmonary maturation was evaluated in the developing and postnatal lung, and lung inflammation was investigated in adult mice after LPS challenge. Interactions between RUNX1 and inflammatory signaling via NF-κB-IkB kinase ß were assessed in vitro. RUNX1 was expressed in both mesenchymal and epithelial compartments of the developing and postnatal lung. The RUNX1 gene was efficiently deleted from respiratory epithelial cells producing Runx1∆/∆ mice. Although lung maturation was delayed, Runx1∆/∆ mice survived postnatally and subsequent growth and maturation of the lung proceeded normally. Increased respiratory distress, inflammation, and proinflammatory cytokines were observed in the Runx1-deleted mice after pulmonary LPS exposure. RUNX1 deletion was associated with the activation of NF-κB in respiratory epithelial cells. RUNX1 was required for the suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway via inhibition of IkB kinase ß in in vitro studies. RUNX1 plays a critical role in the lung inflammation after LPS-induced injury.

Building intercalation structure for high ionic conductivity via aliovalent substitution.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which possess robust nanochannels, high flux and allow scalable fabrication, provide new platforms for nanofluids. Highly efficient ionic conductivity can facilitate the application of nanofluidic devices for modern energy conversion and ionic sieving. Herein, we propose a novel strategy of building an intercalation crystal structure with negative surface charge and mobile interlamellar ions via aliovalent substitution to boost ionic conductivity. The Li2xM1-xPS3 (M = Cd, Ni, Fe) crystals obtained by the solid-state reaction exhibit distinct capability of water absorption and apparant variation of interlayer spacing (from 0.67 to 1.20 nm). The assembled membranes show the ultrahigh ionic conductivity of 1.20 S/cm for Li0.5Cd0.75PS3 and 1.01 S/cm for Li0.6Ni0.7PS3. This facile strategy may inspire the research in other 2D materials with higher ionic transport performance for nanofluids.

Social norms and fertility intentions: Evidence from China.

China's low fertility rates are a major concern across all sectors of society. Fertility is a major issue related to economy, society and family development. Based on social norms theory, this paper explores the influence of social norms on individuals' fertility intentions from two perspectives: spatial proximity and social proximity. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, we found that individual's fertility intentions were influenced by social norms; both neighborhood social norms and group social norms had significant effects. The role of social norms in shaping individual fertility intentions varied by gender, hukou, and life course; specifically, men, rural residents, and married individuals were more significantly influenced by social norms. This study improves the theoretical framework of fertility decision making by arguing that in addition to macro and individual factors, social norms have a very important influence on fertility intentions. Our findings suggest that reshaping social norms regarding fertility is essential to enhance fertility rates in China.

Air Pollution and Settlement Intention: Evidence from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey.

This study analyses the effect of air pollution on the settlement intention of migrants in China. In recent years, the willingness of residents to migrate induced by air pollution has received a lot of attention from academics. By matching information from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey from 2015 to 2017 with the air quality index (AQI), we used the Probit model to assess the impact of air pollution on the settlement intentions of migrants with different socioeconomic statuses. First, we demonstrated that air pollution has a significant negative effect on migrants' settlement intention. Second, we found that the effect of air pollution on settlement intention is influenced by individual socioeconomic status; that education level, as an indicator of cognitive ability, affects migrants' motivation to migrate; and that personal income, as an indicator of economic ability, affects the feasibility of their migration. Motivation to migrate and the feasibility of moving determine together the divergence in settlement intention, and those with higher incomes and higher education levels are more likely to leave cities with serious air pollution. Third, the heterogeneous effects suggested that the negative effect of air pollution was greater for older, male, and married migrants. Our findings suggested that air pollution has a variety of effects on the heterogeneous migrants, resulting in changes in the demographic structure of cities.

Dynamic Investigation of Battery Materials via Advanced Visualization: From Particle, Electrode to Cell Level.

Li-ion batteries, the most-popular secondary battery, are typically electrochemical systems controlled by ion-insertion dynamics. The battery dynamics involve mass transport, charge transfer, ion-electron coupled reactions, electrolyte penetration, ion solvation, and interfacial evolution. However, it is difficult for the traditional electrochemical methods to capture the accurate and individual details of the dynamic processes in "black box" batteries; instead, only the net result of multi-factors on the whole scale. Recently, different advanced visualization techniques have been developed, which provide powerful tools to track and monitor the internal real-time dynamic processes, giving intuitive details and fine information at various scales from crystal lattice, single particle, electrode to cell level. Here, the recent progress on the investigation of electrochemical dynamics in battery materials are reviewed, via developed techniques across wide timescales and space-scales, including the dynamic process inside the active particle, kinetics issues at the electrode/electrolyte interface, dynamic inhomogeneity in the electrode, and dynamic transportation at the cell level. Finally, the fundamental principles to improve the battery dynamics are summarized and new technologies for future more stringent conditions are highlighted. In prospect, this review opens sight on the battery interior for a clearer, deeper, and more thorough understanding of the dynamics.

Stabilizing the Halide Solid Electrolyte to Lithium by a ß-Li3N Interfacial Layer.

As a new class of solid electrolytes, halide solid electrolytes have the advantages of high ionic conductivity at room temperature, stability to high-voltage cathodes, and good deformability, but they generally show a problem of being unstable to a lithium anode. Here, we report the use of Li3N as an interface modification layer to improve the interfacial stability of Li2ZrCl6 to the Li anode. We found that commercial Li3N can be easily transformed into an α-phase and a ß-phase by ball-milling and annealing, respectively, in which ß-phase Li3N simultaneously has high room-temperature ionic conductivity and good stability to both Li and Li2ZrCl6, making it a good choice for an artificial interface layer material. After the modification of the ß-Li3N interfacial layer, the interfacial impedance between Li2ZrCl6 and the Li anode decreased from 1929 to ∼400 Ω. At a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2, the overpotential of the Li symmetric cell decreased from 250 to ∼50 mV, which did not show an obvious increase for at least 300 h, indicating that the ß-Li3N interface layer effectively improves the interfacial stability between Li2ZrCl6 and Li.

Unlocking the in situ Li plating dynamics and evolution mediated by diverse metallic substrates in all-solid-state batteries.

The mechanisms of Li deposition behaviors, which overwhelmingly affect battery performances and safety, are far to be understood in solid-state batteries. Here, using in situ micro-nano electrochemical scanning electron microscopy (SEM) manipulation platform, dynamic Li plating behaviors on 10 metallic substrates have been tracked, and the underlying mechanisms for dendrite-free Li plating are elucidated. Distinct Li deposition behaviors on Cu, Ti, Ni, Bi, Cr, In, Ag, Au, Pd, and Al are revealed quantitatively in nucleation densities, growth rates, and anisotropic ratios. For Li alloyable metals, the dynamic Li alloying process before Li growth is visually captured. It is concluded that a good affinity for Li and appropriate lattice compatibility between the substrate and Li are needed to facilitate homogeneous Li plating. Our work not only uncovers the Li plating dynamics, shedding light on the design of solid-state batteries, but also provides a powerful integrated SEM platform for future in-depth investigation of solid-state batteries.

Hierarchical Bimetallic Ni-Co-P Microflowers with Ultrathin Nanosheet Arrays for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction over All pH Values.

Designing efficient nonprecious catalysts with pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance is of importance for boosting water splitting. Herein, a self-template strategy based on Ni-Co-glycerates is developed to prepare bimetallic Ni-Co-P microflowers with ultrathin nanosheet arrays. The highly porous core-shell structure gives rise to affluent mass transfer channels and availably prevents the aggregation of nanosheets, while the ultrathin nanosheets are favorable for producing abundant active sites. Besides, the produced CoP/NiCoP heterostructure in the bimetallic Ni-Co-P catalyst has excellent HER performance in a wide pH range. The as-prepared catalyst shows low potentials of 90, 157, and 121 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 0.5 M H2SO4, 0.5 M PBS, and 1 M KOH solution, respectively. Meanwhile, negligible overpotential decay is achieved in the polarization curves after a long-term stability determination. This work supplies a promising strategy for developing pH-universal HER electrocatalysts based on solid-state metal alkoxides.

Facile self-template fabrication of hierarchical nickel-cobalt phosphide hollow nanoflowers with enhanced hydrogen generation performance.

Developing facile methods to construct hierarchical-structured transition metal phosphides is beneficial for achieving high-efficiency hydrogen evolution catalysts. Herein, a self-template strategy of hydrothermal treatment of solid Ni-Co glycerate nanospheres followed by phosphorization is delivered to synthesize hierarchical NiCoP hollow nanoflowers with ultrathin nanosheet assembly. The microstructure of NiCoP can be availably tailored by adjusting the hydrothermal treatment temperature through affecting the hydrolysis process of Ni-Co glycerate nanospheres and the occurred Kirkendall effect. Benefitting from the promoted exposure of active sites and affluent mass diffusion routes, the HER performance of the NiCoP hollow nanoflowers has been obviously enhanced in contrast with the solid NiCoP nanospheres. The fabricated NiCoP hollow nanoflowers yield the current density of 10 mA cm-2 at small overpotentials of 95 and 127 mV in 0.5 mol L-1 H2SO4 and 1.0 mol L-1 KOH solution, respectively. Moreover, the two-electrode alkaline cell assembled with the NiCoP and Ir/C catalysts exhibits sustainable stability for overall water splitting. The work provides a simple but efficient method to regulate the microstructure of transition metal phosphides, which is helpful for achieving high-performance hydrogen evolution catalysts based on solid-state metal alkoxides.

[Changes and role evaluation of TNF-α and IL-1ß in lung tissues of ARDS mice].

Objective To study the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in the lung tissues of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) mice and their relationships with the severity of lung injury in the mice. Methods A mouse model of ARDS was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The morphological changes of lung tissue was observed by HE staining, and the lung injury score was calculated. Quantitative real-time PCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in lung tissues and ELISA was performed to test the protein levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Results Compared with the control group, the alveolar and interstitial tissue structure of ARDS model mice was impaired and filled with inflammatory cells. The lung injury score of ARDS model mice reached the peak at the third day. The mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in lung tissues of ARDS mice significantly increased, and respectively peaked at 30 minutes and 6 hours after LPS instillation. Simultaneously, the levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in BALF of ARDS mice significantly increased, and the tendency was consistent with mRNA levels in lung tissues. Conclusion LPS-induced lung injury and the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in ARDS mice showed a similar "hump-like" increase over time. The high values of inflammatory mediators appeared before the peak of lung injury, which indicated that these inflammatory cytokines played an important role in the development of ARDS-caused inflammatory injury.

Breast cancer risk in rheumatoid arthritis: an update meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of breast cancer in RA patients remains controversial. Thus we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the impact of RA on breast cancer. METHODS: Published literature was available from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Pooled standardized incidence rate (SIR) was computed by random-effect model analysis. RESULTS: We identified 16 separate studies in the present study, in which the number of patients ranged from 458 to 84,475. We did not find the increased cancer risk in RA patients (SIR=0.86, 95% CI=0.72-1.02). However, subgroup analysis showed that breast cancer risk in RA patients was positively different in Caucasians (SIR=0.82, 95% CI=0.73-0.93) and non-Caucasians (SIR=1.21, 95% CI=1.19-1.23), respectively. In subgroup analysis by style, a reduced incidence was found in hospital-based case subjects (SIR=0.82, 95% CI=0.69-0.97). Similarly, subgroup analysis for adjusted factors indicated that in A3 (age and sex) and A4 (age, sex, and race/ethnicity) the risk was decreased (SIR=0.87, 95% CI=0.76-0.99; SIR=0.63, 95% CI=0.59-0.67). CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis revealed no increased breast cancer risk in RA patients. However, in the subgroup analysis, the risk of breast cancer is increased in non-Caucasians patients with RA while it decreased in Caucasian population, hospital-based case subjects, and A3 group. Such relationship may provide preference for risk of breast cancer in different population.