Fabrication of a Highly Efficient Wood-Based Solar Interfacial Evaporator with Self-Desalting and Sterilization Performance.

Solar interfacial evaporation based on wood-derived materials has been considered a promising strategy for desalination and wastewater purification. Herein, we adopted delignified wood (DW) as the water transport substrate and lignosulfonate (LS)-modified narrow-band gap semiconductor nickel disulfide (NiS2) as the light-absorbing agent (LS-NiS2) to fabricate a high-efficiency evaporator (LS-NiS2@DW). On the one hand, the high absorbance (>95%) within a broad wavelength range and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency of LS-NiS2 endow efficient solar energy utilization. On the other hand, the hydrophilicity of DW facilitates water activation, which results in a lower evaporation enthalpy of LS-NiS2@DW (1274.4 kJ kg-1) than that of pure water. By combining LS-NiS2 and DW, LS-NiS2@DW achieved an evaporation rate as high as 2.80 kg m-2 h-1 under one sun irradiation (1 kW m-2), and the evaporation efficiency reached 87.4%. Notably, LS-NiS2@DW exhibits a high evaporation rate (2.42-2.69 kg m-2 h-1) in simulated seawater for 24 h with no salt crystals formed on the surface. Moreover, LS-NiS2@DW shows high antibacterial activity with about 90% reduction in bacterial survival rate. This work could provide new perspectives for the design of a high-efficiency wood-based photothermal evaporator.

Advanced three-dimensional hierarchical porous α-MnO2 nanowires network toward enhanced supercapacitive performance.

Hierarchical α-MnO2 nanowires with oxygen vacancies grown on carbon fiber have been synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method with the assistance of Ti4+ ions. Ti4+ ions play an important role in controlling the morphology and crystalline structure of MnO2. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized MnO2 could be tuned from δ-MnO2 nanosheets to hierarchical α-MnO2 nanowires with the help of Ti4+ ions. Based on its fascinating properties, such as many oxygen vacancies, high specific surface area and the interconnected porous structure, the α-MnO2 electrode delivers a high specific capacitance of 472 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and the rate capability of 57.6% (from 1 to 16A g-1). The assembled symmetric supercapacitor based on α-MnO2 electrode exhibits remarkable performance with a high energy density of 44.5 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 2.0 kW kg-1 and good cyclic stability (92.6% after 10000 cycles). This work will provide a reference for exploring and designing high-performance MnO2 materials.

Short-Term Efficacy of the Transnasal-Transoral Approach to Endoscopic Nasopharyngectomy for Nasopharyngeal Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Nasopharyngeal adenocarcinomas (NPACs) are rare malignant tumors. The treatment of NPACs is usually surgery with resection of normal nasal passage tissues.We introduced an innovative double endoscopic surgery for NPACs patients and evaluated the clinical efficacy of this approach. METHODS: The clinical data of 4 NPACs patients who underwent radical endoscopic nasopharyngectomy using a combined transnasal and transoral approach were analyzed to determine the efficacy of this surgery. The endpoints were en bloc resection and relief of clinical symptoms. RESULTS: All surgeries were successfully performed without any severe postoperative complications or death. Postoperative MRI revealed that en bloc resection was achieved for all patients with NPACs, and they had high quality of life without postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The transnasal-transoral approach to endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma is safe and effective.

Hyperoside attenuates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through targeting Nr4A1 in macrophages.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and a systemic pro-inflammatory response. To date, no medications for NAFLD have been approved by relevant governmental agencies. Emerging evidence indicates that innate immune mechanisms are pivotal drivers of inflammation and other pathological manifestations observed in NAFLD. Hyperoside, a flavonoid compound mainly found in medicinal plants, has many biological effects, but the role of hyperoside in the physiological process of NAFLD is poorly defined. This study demonstrated that hyperoside exerts protective effects against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD and regulates macrophage polarization in an Nr4A1-dependent manner. After 16 weeks on a HFD, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and inflammatory responses were significantly ameliorated in hyperoside-treated HFD-fed wild-type mice, and hyperoside facilitated the polarization of macrophages from the pro-inflammatory M1 to the anti-inflammatory M2 subtype. Nr4A1 was found to be upregulated in hyperoside-treated HFD-fed mice, and hyperoside did not improve HFD-induced NAFLD or regulate macrophage polarization in Nr4A1-deficient mice. In conclusion, hyperoside may have therapeutic potential in preventing the pathological progression of NAFLD.

Pharmacologic Effect of Miao Medicine Illicium simonsii Maxim. on Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats.

OBJECTIVES: To study the pharmacologic effect and mechanism of action of Miao medicine Illicium simonsii Maxim. (ISM) in treating rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Sixty rats were randomly divided to six groups: normal control (normal), collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model (model), CIA + tripterygium glycosides (TG), CIA + ISM high dose oral (ISM-H), CIA + ISM low-dose oral (ISM-L), and CIA + ISM topical application (ISM-T). The treatment doses were selected based on published reports and folk medicine practice. The outcome measurements included paw swelling, joint pathology, organ index, blood count, T helper 17 (Th17) cell count, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level. RESULTS: Compared to the CIA model group, all treatment groups showed a significant reduction in paw swelling, blood vessel pathology, Th17 cell count, and IL-6 levels (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). All treatment groups showed alleviated foot swelling and lower total number of white blood cells, and these effects were observed earlier with oral ISM than topical ISM. The effect of ISM was weaker than that of TG. In addition, less organ damage was observed with topical ISM than oral ISM but better than TG. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, by downregulating Th17 cells, ISM inhibits the production of Il-6, thereby alleviating the proliferation of endothelial and rheumatoid-like cells and leukocytosis in CIA rats, ultimately eliminating foot swelling.

MicroRNA-145 inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and proliferation by targeting ZEB2 through Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

The activation of hepatic stellates cells (HSCs) is well believed to play a pivotal role in the development of liver fibrosis. MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) is known to suppress the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma, and is previously reported to be associated with Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, but its role in the progression of hepatic fibrosis and activation of HSCs remains unknown and is warranted for investigation. In the present study, we found that the expression of miR-145 is significantly down-regulated in vivo in CCl4-induced mice liver fibrosis as well as in transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) induced HSC-T6 cell lines and human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 in vitro. Furthermore, over-expression of miR-145 inhibited TGF-ß1-induced the activation and proliferation of HSC-T6 cells in vitro. Mechanistically, we identified that zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2), a key mediator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, acted as a functional downstream target for miR-145. Interestingly, ZEB2 was shown to be involved in the TGF-ß1-induced HSCs activation by regulating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our results revealed the critical regulatory role of miR-145 in HSCs activation and implied miR-145 as a potential candidate for therapy of hepatic fibrosis by regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin through targeting ZEB2.