Reforming the Uniformity of Solid Electrolyte Interphase by Nanoscale Structure Regulation for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

The stability of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries depends on the uniformity of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on lithium metal anodes. Rationally improving SEI uniformity is hindered by poorly understanding the effect of structure and components of SEI on its uniformity. Herein, a bilayer structure of SEI formed by isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) additives in localized high-concentration electrolytes was demonstrated to improve SEI uniformity. In the bilayer SEI, LiNx Oy generated by ISDN occupies top layer and LiF dominates bottom layer next to anode. The uniformity of lithium deposition is remarkably improved with the bilayer SEI, mitigating the consumption rate of active lithium and electrolytes. The cycle life of lithium metal batteries with bilayer SEI is three times as that with common anion-derived SEI under practical conditions. A prototype lithium metal pouch cell of 430 Wh kg-1 undergoes 173 cycles. This work demonstrates the effect of a reasonable structure of SEI on reforming SEI uniformity.

The Crucial Role of Electrode Potential of a Working Anode in Dictating the Structural Evolution of Solid Electrolyte Interphase.

The performance of rechargeable lithium (Li) batteries is highly correlated with the structure of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The properties of a working anode are vital factors in determining the structure of SEI; however, the correspondingly poor understanding hinders the rational regulation of SEI. Herein, the electrode potential and anode material, two critical properties of an anode, in dictating the structural evolution of SEI were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The anode potential is identified as a crucial role in dictating the SEI structure. The anode potential determines the reduction products in the electrolyte, ultimately giving rise to the mosaic and bilayer SEI structure at high and low potential, respectively. In contrast, the anode material does not cause a significant change in the SEI structure. This work discloses the crucial role of electrode potential in dictating SEI structure and provides rational guidance to regulate SEI structure.

Stable Anion-Derived Solid Electrolyte Interphase in Lithium Metal Batteries.

High-energy-density lithium (Li) metal batteries are severely hindered by the dendritic Li deposition dictated by non-uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Despite its unique advantages in improving the uniformity of Li deposition, the current anion-derived SEI is unsatisfactory under practical conditions. Herein regulating the electrolyte structure of anions by anion receptors was proposed to construct stable anion-derived SEI. Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (TPFPB) anion acceptors with electron-deficient boron atoms interact with bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide anions (FSI- ) and decrease the reduction stability of FSI- . Furthermore, the type of aggregate cluster of FSI- in electrolyte changes, FSI- interacting with more Li ions in the presence of TPFPB. Therefore, the decomposition of FSI- to form Li2 S is promoted, improving the stability of anion-derived SEI. In working Li | LiNi0.5 Co0.2 Mn0.3 O2 batteries under practical conditions, the anion-derived SEI with TPFPB undergoes 194 cycles compared with 98 cycles of routine anion-derived SEI. This work inspires a fresh ground to construct stable anion-derived SEI by manipulating the electrolyte structure of anions.

Diprotin A TFA Exerts Neurovascular Protection in Ischemic Cerebral Stroke.

Background: It has been established that the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor Diprotin A TFA can reduce vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin disruption by inhibiting the increase in cleaved ß-catenin in response to hypoxia, thereby protecting the vascular barrier of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In this study, we sought to investigate the possible effect of Diprotin A TFA on the VE barrier after cerebral ischemic stroke in mice. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were divided into five groups, namely, (1) sham, (2) stroke, (3) stroke + dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), (4) stroke + Diprotin A TFA, and (5) stroke + Diprotin A TFA + XAV-939. First, the cerebral ischemia model was established by photothrombotic ischemia, followed by intraperitoneal injection with Diprotin A TFA and XAV-939 at doses of 70 µg/kg and 40 mg/kg 30 min once in the morning and once in the evening for 3 days. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot methods were used to analyze the expression of vascular and blood-brain barrier (BBB)-associated molecular markers in the peri-infarct area. Results: Compared with the vehicle control group, we found that mice injected with Diprotin A TFA exhibited reduced cerebral infarction volume, increased vascular area and length around the brain injury, increased pericyte and basement membrane coverage, upregulated expression of BBB tight junction proteins, and improved their BBB permeability, whereas the group injected with both drug and inhibitor exhibited significantly aggravated vascular injury and BBB permeability. Conclusion: Diprotin A TFA can reduce VE-cadherin disruption by inhibiting ischemia-hypoxia-induced ß-catenin cleavage to protect blood vessels.

Awareness of initiative practice for health in the Chinese population: A questionnaire survey based on a network platform.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the Chinese government issued the Healthy China 2030 plan, which also produced the initiative practice for health (IPFH) concept. However, people's knowledge and awareness of the IPFH are unclear. AIM: To investigate awareness of IPFH in the Chinese population and explore the relevant influential factors. METHODS: An internet-based self-designed questionnaire survey was used to collect respondents' demographic characteristics and awareness of health and the IPFH from March 26 to April 18, 2020. IPFH consciousness was assessed by the scores for different related questions. The Student's t test, the Chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze the differences and influencing factors. RESULTS: A total of 2678 valid questionnaires were collected. Of the respondents, 973 (36.3%) had heard of the IPFH concept. In addition, 89.5% of participants agreed with the view that the IPFH is beneficial to improving quality of life, and over half thought that a regular schedule, a reasonable diet, tobacco and alcohol control, a cheerful mood, specific life goals and plans, taking the initiative to accept health-related education and implement health knowledge, good interpersonal relationships, and regular physical examinations were closely related to the IPFH. The majority of respondents paid attention to their health and usually obtained health-related knowledge via social media and were also willing to promote the IPFH. Most of the participants underestimated the role of hospitals, family doctors, and health managers in promoting the IPFH. Age, monthly income, and medical-related work experience were the influencing factors for IPFH awareness. CONCLUSION: The Chinese population has limited knowledge of the IPFH. People with strong IPFH awareness are older, earn more, and have medical-related work experience.

Protocol for quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance for deciphering electrolyte decomposition reactions in anode-free batteries.

In this protocol, we describe the quantification of electrolytes using nuclear magnetic resonance. We detail the steps involved for battery cycling, sample preparation, instrument operation, and data analysis. The protocol can be used to quantify electrolyte decomposition reactions and the apparent electron transfer numbers of different electrolyte components. The protocol is optimized for lithium-based anode-free batteries but can also be applied to other rechargeable batteries. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhou et al. (2022).1.

Inhibiting intercrystalline reactions of anode with electrolytes for long-cycling lithium batteries.

The life span of lithium batteries as energy storage devices is plagued by irreversible interfacial reactions between reactive anodes and electrolytes. Occurring on polycrystal surface, the reaction process is inevitably affected by the surface microstructure of anodes, of which the understanding is imperative but rarely touched. Here, the effect of grain boundary of lithium metal anodes on the reactions was investigated. The reactions preferentially occur at the grain boundary, resulting in intercrystalline reactions. An aluminum (Al)-based heteroatom-concentrated grain boundary (Al-HCGB), where Al atoms concentrate at grain boundary, was designed to inhibit the intercrystalline reactions. In particular, the scalable preparation of Al-HCGB was demonstrated, with which the cycling performance of a pouch cell (355 Wh kg-1) was significantly improved. This work opens a new avenue to explore the effect of the surface microstructure of anodes on the interfacial reaction process and provides an effective strategy to inhibit reactions between anodes and electrolytes for long-life-span practical lithium batteries.

Network Pharmacology Exploration Reveals Anti-Apoptosis as a Common Therapeutic Mechanism for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treated with Blueberry Leaf Polyphenols.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver. The aim of this study is to elucidate the multi-target mechanism of polyphenols in blueberry leaves (PBL) on NAFLD by network pharmacology and to validate its results via biological experiments. Twenty constituents in PBL were preliminarily determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Subsequently, 141 predicted drug targets and 1226 targets associated with NAFLD were retrieved from public databases, respectively. The herb-compound-target network and the target protein-protein interaction network (PPI) were established through Cytoscape software, and four compounds and 53 corresponding targets were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were performed to explore the biological processes of the predicted genes. The results of cell experiments demonstrated that PBL could significantly improve the viability of the NAFLD cell model, and the protein expressions of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were consistent with the expected mechanism of action of PBL. Those results systematically revealed that the multi-target mechanism of PBL against NAFLD was related to the apoptosis pathway, which could bring deeper reflections into the hepatoprotective effect of PBL.

Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Carotid Atherosclerosis: A Cross-sectional Study in Northern China.

OBJECTIVE: Increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque as manifestations of carotid atherosclerosis have been used as markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are linked to CVD, but the association between MetS and CVD is controversial. METHODS: A total of 8,933 Chinese adults aged 40 years or older from 2010 to 2014 were selected from the Jidong and Kailuan communities. MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. CIMT and carotid plaque were measured using color Doppler ultrasound. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of MetS with carotid plaque and CIMT. RESULTS: MetS was found among 3,461 (3,461/8,933) participants. The odds ratio and 95% confidence internal (CI) for carotid plaques in participants with MetS was 1.16 (1.03-1.30). The risk of carotid plaques increased with the number of MetS components. The average CIMT was higher in participants with MetS (ß = 0.020, 95% CI, 0.014-0.027) and in participants with more MetS components. CONCLUSION: Individuals with MetS are at an increased risk for carotid atherosclerosis compared to those without MetS.

The role of central nervous system on hypoglycemia and the feasibility of the brain theory in traditional Chinese medicine on treatment of diabetes mellitus.

The central nervous system (CNS) plays a key regulatory role in glucose homeostasis. In particular, the brain is important in initiating and coordinating protective counterregulatory responses when blood glucose levels fall. This may due to the metabolic dependency of the CNS on glucose, and protection of food supply to the brain. In healthy subjects, blood glucose is normally maintained within a relatively narrow range. Hypoglycemia in diabetic patients can increase the risk of complications, such as heart disease and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The clinical research finds that the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a positive effect on the treatment of hypoglycemia. Here the authors reviewed the current understanding of sensing and counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia, and discuss combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine and the theory of iatrogenic hypoglycemia in diabetes treatment. Furthermore, the authors clarify the feasibility of treating hypoglycemia on the basis of TCM theory and CNS and have an insight on its clinical practice.