Resource utilization of MSWI fly ash supporting TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of sodium isopropyl xanthate: Mechanism and performance evaluation.

The removal of organic pollutants in water environments and the resource utilization of solid waste are two pressing issues around the world. Facing the increasing pollution induced by discharge of mining effluents containing sodium isopropyl xanthate (SIPX), in this work, municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA) was pretreated by hydrothermal method to produce stabilized FA, which was then innovatively used as support for the construction of FA/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposite (FTB) with promoted photocatalytic activity under visible light and natural sunlight. When the content of FA was 20 wt% and the mass ratio of TiO2 to BiOCl was 4:6, a remarkable performance for the optimal FTB (20-FTB-2) was achieved. Characterizations demonstrated that TiO2 and BiOCl uniformly dispersed on FA contributing to high surface area and broad light adsorption of FTB, which exhibits excellent adsorption capacity and light response ability. Build in electric field formed in the interface of TiO2/BiOCl heterojunction revealed by density functional theory calculations accelerated the separation of photoinduced e- and h+, leading to high efficiency for SIPX degradation. The synergetic effect combined with adsorption and photocatalytic degradation endowed 20-FTB-2 superior SIPX removal efficiency over 99% within 30 min under visible light and natural sunlight irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation pathways of SIPX were determined through theoretical calculations and characterizations, and the toxic byproduct CS2 was effectively eliminated through oxidation of •O2-. For 20-FTB-2, reusability of photocatalyst was showed by cycle tests, also the concentrations of main heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Cd) in the liquid phases released during photocatalyst preparation process (< 1 mg/L) and photodegradation process (< 8.5 µg/L) proved the satisfactory stability with low toxicity. This work proposed a novel strategy to develop efficient and stable support-based photocatalysts by utilizing MSWI FA and realize its resource utilization.

Nitroxyl donating and visualization with a coumarin-based fluorescence probe.

Nitroxyl (HNO), the single-electron reduction product of nitric oxide (NO), has attracted great interest in the treatment of congestive heart failure in clinical trials. In this paper, we describe the first coumarin-based compound N-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromene-6-sulfonamide (CD1) as a dualfunctional HNO donor, which can release both an HNO signaling molecule and a fluorescent reporter. Under physiological conditions (pH 7.4 and 37 °C), the CD1 HNO donor can readily decompose with a half-life of ∼90 min. The corresponding stoichiometry HNO from the CD1 donor was confirmed using both Vitamin B12 and phosphine compound traps. In addition to HNO releasing, specifically, the degradation product 2-oxo-2H-chromene-6-sulfinate (CS1) was generated as a fluorescent marker during the decomposition. Therefore, the HNO amount released in situ can be accurately monitored through fluorescence generation. As compared to the CD1 donor, the fluorescence intensity increased by about 4.9-fold. The concentration limit of detection of HNO releasing was determined to be ∼0.13 µM according to the fluorescence generation of CS1 at physiological conditions. Moreover, the bioimaging of the CD1 donor was demonstrated in the cell culture of HeLa cells, where the intracellular fluorescence signals were observed, inferring the site of HNO release. Finally, we anticipate that this novel coumarin-based CD1 donor opens a new platform for exploring the biology of HNO.

Efficient Delivery of Lomitapide using Hybrid Membrane-Coated Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructures for Glioblastoma Therapy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and prevalent primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Traditional chemotherapy has poor therapeutic effects and significant side effects due to drug resistance, the natural blood-brain barrier (BBB), and nonspecific distribution, leading to a lack of clinically effective therapeutic drugs. Here, 1430 small molecule compounds are screened based on a high-throughput drug screening platform and a novel anti-GBM drug, lomitapide (LMP) is obtained. Furthermore, a bionic nanodrug delivery system (RFA NPs) actively targeting GBM is constructed, which mainly consists of tetrahedral DNA nanocages (tFNA NPs) loaded with LMP as the core and a folate-modified erythrocyte-cancer cell-macrophage hybrid membrane (FRUR) as the shell. FRUR camouflage conferred unique features on tFNA NPs, including excellent biocompatibility, improved pharmacokinetic profile, efficient BBB permeability, and tumor targeting ability. The results show that the LMP RFA NPs exhibited superior and specific anti-GBM activities, reduced off-target drug delivery, prolonged lifespan, and has negligible side effects in tumor-bearing mice. This study combines high-throughput drug screening with biomimetic nanodrug delivery system technology to provide a theoretical and practical basis for drug development and the optimization of clinical treatment strategies for GBM treatment.

Role of sodium/iodide symporter overexpression in inhibiting thyroid cancer cell invasion and stem cell maintenance by inhibiting the ß-catenin/LEF-1 pathway.

Background: In thyroid cancers, a reduction in the expression of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) is observed concomitant with a diminution in cancer cell differentiation. The ß-catenin/LEF-1 pathway emerges as a crucial regulatory pathway influencing the functional expression of NIS in human thyroid cancer cells. Further research is required to comprehensively elucidate the role of NIS overexpression in impeding the progression of thyroid cancer cells. Methods: Human papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cell lines, specifically PTC-1 and KTC-1, were subjected to Scratch and Transwell assays, colony formation, and tumor sphere formation tests to investigate invasion and migration, focusing on the impact of NIS overexpression. The assessment involved the use of western blot to analyze the expression levels of ß-catenin, NIS, CD133, SRY-related HMG box2 (Sox2), lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF-1), NANOG, octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A1 (ALDH1A1), and epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0, and the graphs were developed using GraphPad Prism 7 (GraphPad Software, Inc.). Results: Our observations revealed that Nthy-ori-3-1 cell lines exhibited notably higher average expression levels of NIS, yet significantly lower levels of LEF-1 and ß-catenin compared to PTC-1 and KTC-1 cell lines. Furthermore, the overexpression of ß-catenin resulted in reduced binding of LEF-1 to NIF promotion but concurrently increased the expression of NIS. The downregulation of NIS markedly enhanced the expression of ALDH1A1, CD133, OCT4, Nanog, SOX2, and EpCam-all of which are targets within the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Conversely, the upregulation of NIS suppressed the expression of these proteins. Moreover, cells treated with ß-catenin activators demonstrated an increased capability to form more spheroids and displayed heightened aggressiveness. Conversely, the NIS overexpression (OE) group exhibited suppressed abilities in invasion and colony formation. Conclusion: Thyroid cancer cells exhibit diminished expression of NIS, and the invasion and maintenance of stem cells in thyroid cancer cells were hindered by NIS OE through the inhibition of the ß-catenin/LEF-1 pathway. Further research is warranted to comprehensively assess this outcome, which holds promise as a potential targeted treatment for thyroid cancer.

Azobenzene-based colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensor for nitroxyl releasing.

The precise release and characterization of nitroxyl (HNO) gas signaling molecule remain a challenge due to its short lifetime to date. To solve this issue, an azobenzene-based HNO donor (Azo-D1) was proposed as a colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensor for HNO releasing, to release both HNO and an azobenzene fluorescent reporter together. Specifically, the Azo-D1 has an HNO release half-life of ∼68 min under physiological conditions. The characteristic color change from the original orange to the yellow color indicated the decomposition of the donor molecule. In addition, the stoichiometry release of HNO was qualitatively and quantitatively verified through the classical phosphine compound trap. As compared with the donor molecule by itself, the decomposed product demonstrates a maximum fluorescence emission at 424 nm, where the increase of fluorescence intensity by 6.8 times can be applied to infer the real-time concentration of HNO. Moreover, cellular imaging can also be achieved using this Azo-D1 HNO donor through photoexcitation at 405 and 488 nm, where the real-time monitoring of HNO release was achieved without consuming the HNO source. Finally, the Azo-D1 HNO donor would open a new platform in the exploration of the biochemistry and the biology of HNO.

Enhancement of catalytic detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration via magnetic hydroxyapatite-assisted hydrothermal treatment.

The emission of carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) of fly ash (FA) has attracted significant attention. Hydrothermal treatment (HT) has emerged as a practical approach for degrading PAHs during MSWI of FA by utilizing magnetite (Fe3O4) as a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidizing agent. In this study, as an alternative to traditional hydroxyapatite (HAP), eggshell-derived magnetic hydroxyapatite (MHAP) was synthesized and applied in the hydrothermal catalytic degradation of PAHs in MSWI FA in an H2O2 system for the first time. The degradation efficiency of the PAHs is influenced not only by H2O2 but also by the choice of hydroxyapatite. Adding HAP or MHAP during hydrothermal treatment with H2O2 substantially reduced the overall PAH concentration and toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ), superior to that without H2O2. MHAP demonstrated superior catalytic activity compared to HAP in the presence of H2O2 in the hydrothermal system. The hydrothermal detoxification of the PAHs increased with increasing MHAP dosage. By employing 0.5 mol/L H2O2 as the oxidant and 15 wt% MHAP as the catalyst, a total PAH degradation rate of 88.9 % was achieved, with a remarkable TEQ degradation rate of 98.3 %. Notably, the level of 4-6-ring PAHs, particularly benzo(a) pyrene (BaP) and dibenz(a,h)anthracene (DahA), with a TEQ of 1.0, was significantly reduced (by 69.4 % and 46.0 %, respectively). MHAP remained stable during the hydrothermal catalytic process, whereas H2O2 was effectively activated by MHAP and decomposed to produce strongly oxidizing hydroxyl (•OH) under hydrothermal conditions. •OH produced from the decomposition of H2O2 and metals on the surface of MHAP act as catalytically active centers, efficiently converting high-ring PAHs to low-ring PAHs. These findings provide valuable insights and a technological foundation for PAH detoxification in MSWI FA via hydrothermal catalytic oxidation.

Effects of curcumin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A scientific metrogy study.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases encountered in clinical practice. Curcumin can alleviate insulin resistance, inhibit oxidative stress response, reduce inflammation, reduce liver fat deposition, and effectively improve NAFLD through various modalities, inhibiting the progression into cirrhosis and fibrosis. PURPOSE: To explore the current status, hot spots, and developing trends of curcumin in NAFLD treatment through quantitative scientific analysis to serve as a reference for subsequent studies. STUDY DESIGN: A comprehensive analysis of the mechanism of action of curcumin in the treatment of NAFLD and methods to increase curcumin bioavailability using bibliometric analysis and literature review. METHODS: This study used VOSviewer software to analyze the literature related to curcumin treatment of NAFLD in the Web of Science (WOS) core set database. A comprehensive and in-depth review was conducted based on the results of scientific econometric research and literature review. RESULTS: The review observed that curcumin can activate various signaling pathways such as AMPK and NF-κB to inhibit oxidative stress and apoptosis, thereby reflecting its pharmacological effects: lowering lipid, anti-inflammatory, reducing insulin resistance, and anti-fibrosis. These mechanisms improve or even reverse the complex pathological features of lipid metabolism disorders associated with NAFLD. Curcumin also can potentially serve as a primary regulatory target for treating hepatic steatosis using gut microbiota. However, these pharmacological effects of curcumin were limited owing to its low bioavailability. CONCLUSION: This review discusses NAFLD treatment with curcumin, analyzes the reasons for its low bioavailability, and introduces models for studying and methods for improving curcumin bioavailability. As research on NAFLD grows, future research should capture the trend of basic research, pay attention to clinical research, and continuously explore the therapeutic potential of curcumin.

Leveraging an efficient preparation method into magnetic resonance examinations of young children aged 3-6.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the benefits of a multifaceted concept, ANMTE (Appropriate Number of children, appropriate learning Methods, appropriate adaptive Training, and appropriate Encouragement), proposed by our group, in improving the success rate, efficiency and image quality of Magnetic Resonance (MR) examinations for children from 3 to 6 years old. METHOD: In this study, 150 participants were included from July 2019 to January 2023, including 50 non-sedated children in ANMTE group, 50 in the group with sedative, and 50 in the group with routine preparations. ANMTE refers to appropriate number of children, appropriate learning methods, appropriate adaptive training, and appropriate encouragement, developed by our group for MR examinations of children from 3 to 6 years old. Group differences in success rate, efficiency, and image quality were evaluated across the three groups using Kaplan-Meier, Log-rank and Chi-square test, respectively. RESULTS: The rates of successful MR examinations were 44/50 (88 %), 45/50 (90 %), and 36/50 (72 %) for ANMTE group, the group with sedatives and the group with routine preparations, respectively (P = 0.03). Image quality of the 3 groups showed no significant group difference (P = 0.067). In terms of the median duration of MR examinations, ANMTE group was comparable to the group with sedative (both were about 10.0 min), but better than the group with routine preparations (16.5 min) (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the feasibility of our comprehensive nursing method ANMTE in MR examinations of young children, similar to the group with sedative at the success rate and image quality as well as the durations of MR examinations. ANMTE has not only better efficiency but also higher safety as it does not require sedative, which could be promising in clinical routine MR examinations for young children aged 3-6 years old.

A retrospective study on application of fibula/iliac flap surgical techniques to mandibular defects.

This study group consists of a total of 61 patients who underwent fibula flap and iliac flap surgeries to repair mandibular defects. Patients' Quality Of life (QOL) at 6 and 24 months after surgery is investigated and compared by the EORTC-QLQ-H&N and OHIP-14. The base data of the two groups of patients are collected and analysed by the SPSS 20.0 statistical software. Independent sample t test was conducted for EORTC-QLQ-H&N and OHIP-14 scores at two time points in each group. The 61 cases of free flap all survived and the difference in the location of the primary tumor between the two groups is statistically significant. The EORTC-QLQ-H&N showed that the score of speech, diet, social contact, and teeth all went up at 6 months after surgery, but went down dramatically at 24 months after surgery. The OHIP-14 showed that there was significant reduction in functional limitation at 24 months after surgery, with statistical significance (p < 0.05) between the groups of iliac flap (19.16 ± 5.33) and fibula flap (33.77 ± 7.71). Therefore, it is suggested that patients suffering from mandibular defects receive surgery utilizing the iliac flap, while those with a larger range of defects or lesions involving the condyle and chin should receive corrective surgery utilizing the fibular flap.

Research on Resilient Modulus Prediction Model and Equivalence Analysis for Polymer Reinforced Subgrade Soil under Dry-Wet Cycle.

The subgrade soil of asphalt pavement is significantly susceptible to changes in moisture content, and therefore many projects introduce polymer-based reinforcement to ensure soil performance. This paper aims to incorporate a variable representing the dry-wet cycle into the prediction model of resilient modulus of polymer reinforced soil. The polymer adopted is a self-developed subgrade soil solidification material consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyvinyl oxide. The current resilient modulus prediction model is improved, notably involving the effects of the dry-wet cycle. Combined with finite element method (FEM) analysis, the actual stress state of pavement and the coupling effect of dry-wet cycle and vehicle load on the resilient modulus are studied. The deterioration in resilient modulus with the variation in seasonal climate and load response is also investigated. Results show that the deviator stress is negatively correlated with the resilient modulus while the bulk stress has a linearly positive relation. The decreasing rate at low deviator stress is larger than that at the high level. Moreover, the dry-wet cycle can reduce the resilient modulus and the reducing amplitude is the largest at the first dry-wet cycle. FEM analysis shows that the middle position of the subgrade slope has the largest initial resilient modulus with decreasing amplitude in the first year of dry-wet cycles, while the upper position shows a smaller change. The variation in resilient modulus is closely related to the changes in cumulative volumetric water content. Considering that different positions of subgrade bear the external vehicle load, the equivalent resilient modulus is more realistic for guiding the subgrade design.

Dry-Processable Polymer Electrolytes for Solid Manufactured Batteries.

Designing a solid-state electrolyte that satisfies the operating requirements of solid-state batteries is key to solid-state battery applications. The consensus is that solid-state electrolytes need to allow fast ion transport, while providing better interfacial compatibility and mechanical tolerance. Herein, a simple but effective strategy is proposed, combining hard and soft component polymer systems, to exploit a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) with a 3D network via an in situ graft polymerization. The 3D structure is constructed by a hard cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) as the skeleton and a soft polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the filler through a dry-processing method. The reported systems have several advantages, including ease of processing, only requiring using an exceedingly small amount of solvent, light weight (ρ = 1.2 g cm-3), excellent mechanical stability (tensile strength of 9.5 MPa), and high ionic conductivity (3.9 × 10-4 S cm-1, 18 °C) and migration number (tLi+ = 0.8). In particular, the high conductivity is enabled: the efficient Li+ transportation path constructed between CNC-PAN powders and abundant sulfonate radicals and hydroxyl groups on the CNC surface acts as the bridge of Li+ transition. When the CNCs are grafted onto the PAN polymer, the dipole-dipole interaction between the nitrile groups of the PAN and the hydroxyl groups of the CNCs can help to improve the mechanical stability and ionic conductivity of the SPE. Moreover, a tightly formed interface between SPE and LiFePO4 (LFP)/carbon black/SPE cathode can be achieved in an assembled solid-state battery by hot pressing, thus further enhancing the battery's performance.

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS based investigation into the bioactive compounds and molecular mechanisms of Lamiophlomis Herba against hepatic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Lamiophlomis Herba (LH) is a valuable traditional medicinal plant found on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau that promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The main components of LH are iridoid glycosides, phenethyl alcohol glycosides, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. PURPOSE: To investigate the mechanism of the anti-liver fibrosis effects of LH and screen for its bioactive compounds. STUDY DESIGN: Screening LH marker components and validating the LH anti-liver fibrosis mechanism. METHODS: The active ingredients of LH were identified using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and HotMap combined with principal components analysis (PCA) was used to screen for marker components. Network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques were used to predict the potential anti-fibrotic targets of LH. Immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and western blotting were used for experimental validation and mechanistic studies. RESULTS: Fifteen compounds that actively contributed to the cluster were identified as marker compounds. Acteoside, 8-O-acetyl shanzhiside methyl ester (8-O-ASME), Luteolin, Shanzhiside Methyl ester (SME), Loganin, Loganate were the main active components. Network pharmacology and molecular docking studies have shown that LH might improve liver fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which might be related to key targets such as PTGS2, MAPK, EGFR, AKT1, SRC, Fn1, Col3a1, Col1a1, and PC-III. The results of ELISA, RT-PCR and western blot experiments showed that Acteoside, 8-O-ASME, Luteolin, SME, Loganin, Loganate, and the LH group could reduce the levels of fibronectin, Col1a1, Col3a1, α-SMA, Col-Ⅳ, LN, and PC-Ⅲ. CONCLUSION: LH improves liver fibrosis induced by HSC-T6 cells and inhibits the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in hepatocytes, resulting in a decrease in the degree of liver fibrosis and a good anti-liver fibrosis effect.

Highly Efficient Photothermal Icephobic/de-Icing MOF-Based Micro and Nanostructured Surface.

Photothermal materials have gained considerable attention in the field of anti-/de-icing due to its environmental friendliness and energy saving. However, it is always significantly challenging to obtain solar thermal materials with hierarchical structure and simultaneously demonstrate both the ultra-long icing delay ability and the superior photothermal de-icing ability. Here, a photothermal icephobic MOF-based micro and nanostructure surface (MOF-MNS) is presented, which consists of micron groove structure and fluorinated MOF nanowhiskers. The optimal MOF-M250 NS can achieve solar absorption of over 98% and produce a high temperature increment of 65.5 °C under 1-sun illumination. Such superior photothermal-conversion mechanism of MOF-M250 NS is elucidated in depth. In addition, the MOF-M250 NS generates an ultra-long icing delay time of ≈3960 s at -18 °C without solar illumination, achieving the longest delay time, which isn't reported before. Due to its excellent solar-to-heat conversation ability, accumulated ice and frost on MOF-M250 NS can be rapidly melted within 720 s under 1-sun illumination and it also holds a high de-icing rate of 5.8 kg m-2 h-1 . MOF-M250 NS possesses the versatility of mechanical robustness, chemical stability, and low temperature self-cleaning, which can synergistically reinforce the usage of icephobic surfaces in harsh conditions.

Schisandrol A, a bioactive constituent from Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, alleviates drug-induced liver injury by autophagy activation via exosomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bioactive compounds of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (SCF) and their mechanisms of action in the treatment of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), specifically Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced DILI. METHOD: Chemical components in SCF were identified using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method. Active components were then screened using HotMap, combined with SCF efficacy results concerning the prevention and treatment of drug-induced liver injury. Its direct target was elucidated using a comprehensive chemical-pharmacodynamic-exosome approach. RESULT: We identified Schisandrol A, is a lignan component, as a key active compound that improved the symptoms DILI in mouse liver tissue; specifically, reducing oxidative stress and thereby the inflammatory response. To further understand the biological function of miRNAs in mouse liver exosomes, we used TargetScan (v5.0) and Miranda (v3.3a) to predict the target genes of MicroRNAs (miRNAs), where changes in the expression of mmu-let-7 family miRNAs were closely related to autophagy. This revealed differential miRNA target genes that were involved in 20 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, including glycerol phosphate metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, phospholipase D signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and Ras signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Schisandrol A alleviated the symptoms of DILI in mice by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation, whereas, it alleviated DILI by activating autophagy in the exosomes.

Controllable release of nitric oxide from an injectable alginate hydrogel.

Currently, the controlled release of nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in various biomedical applications. However, injectable NO-releasing materials remain an underexplored research field to date. In this study, via the incorporation of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) as an NO donor, a family of NO-releasing injectable hydrogels was synthesized through the in situ cross-linking between sodium alginate and calcium ion induced by D-(+)-gluconate δ-lactone as an initiator. Initially, the organic functional groups and the corresponding morphologies of the resulting injectable hydrogels were characterized by IR and SEM spectroscopies, respectively. The NO release times of hydrogels with different SNAP loading amounts could reach up to 36-47 h. Due to the release of NO, the highest antibacterial rates of these injectable hydrogels against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were up to 95 %, respectively. Furthermore, the matrix of these hydrogels demonstrated great water absorption ability, swelling behavior, and degradation performance. Finally, we expect that these NO-releasing injectable hydrogels could have great potential applications various biomedical material fields.

A Three-Dimensional Fiber-Network-Reinforced Composite Solid-State Electrolyte from Waste Acrylic Fibers for Flexible All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

The large amount of waste chemical fiber textiles that exists has posed pressure on the sustainable development of the natural environment and of society. Therefore, it is of great importance to increase the added value of waste chemical fiber textiles and expand their applications in other fields. Herein, acrylic yarn from waste clothing is used as the raw material to construct a three-dimensional (3D) acrylic-based ceramic composite nanofiber solid electrolyte. The electrochemical properties of batteries based on this solid electrolyte are also investigated. We found that the fabricated composite electrolyte has good performance in lithium ion conduction and electrochemical stability because of its 3D acrylic-based ceramic composite fiber framework. The introduction of this composite electrolyte to a lithium symmetric battery enabled the battery to circulate stably for 2350 h at 50 °C without short-circuiting. In addition, all-solid-state batteries using a LiFePO4 cathode exhibited high reversible capacity. Lastly, a flexible lithium metal pouch battery was able to operate safely and stably under extreme conditions. This work demonstrates a strategy for upcycling waste textiles into ion-conducting polymers for energy storage applications.

MicroRNA-4691-3p inhibits the inflammatory response by targeting STING in human dental pulp cells: A laboratory investigation.

AIM: The regulation of human dental pulp inflammation is not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the effect of miR-4691-3p on the cGAS-STING signalling cascade and its downstream cytokines production in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). METHODOLOGY: Normal dental pulp tissue and pulp tissue with irreversible pulpitis from third molars were collected. HDPCs were isolated from pulp tissue. The expression of STING mRNA and miR-4691-3p was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Bioinformatic computation via TargetScanHuman 8.0 and a luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the targets of miR-4691-3p. A miR-4691-3p mimic and inhibitor were used to upregulate or downregulate miR-4691-3p expression in HDPCs. HDPCs were transfected with c-di-AMP, c-di-GMP, cGAMP, interferon stimulatory DNA (ISD) and bacterial genomic DNA. Immunoblot was performed to detect the phosphorylation of TBK1, p65 and IRF3. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was performed to detect the cytokines including IFN-ß, TNF or IL-6 downstream of cGAS-STING. RESULTS: MiR-4691-3p expression was increased in human dental pulp tissue with irreversible pulpitis. Treatment of HDPCs using recombinant human IFN-ß, TNF or IL-6 also upregulated miR-4691-3p. The bioinformatic prediction and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that STING was a direct target of miR-4691-3p. The miR-4691-3p mimic suppressed STING expression, the phosphorylation of TBK1, p65 and IRF3, and the IFN-ß, TNF or IL-6 production. In contrast, the miR-4691-3p inhibitor enhanced the STING expression, the phosphorylation of TBK1, p65 and IRF3 and the IFN-ß, TNF or IL-6 production. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-4691-3p negatively regulates the cGAS-STING pathway by directly targeting STING. This provides insight to utilize miRNA-dependent regulatory effect to treat endodontic disease as well as STING-dependent systemic inflammatory disease.

[Arrhythmia:innovative understanding from traditional Chinese medicine and treatment by classic herbal formulas].

Arrhythmia, a common and frequently occurring cardiovascular disease, causes a heavy burden on the public health of China. Approximately 20 million patients are suffering from this disease in China and treated by pharmacological and surgical therapies. However, antiarrhythmic drugs can cause arrhythmia and surgical treatment has the risks of failure and recurrence. Therefore, the clinical outcome of arrhythmia remains to be improved. According to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory, arrhythmia is a disease of palpitation induced by 7 conditions: liver depression and Qi stagnation, accumulation of turbid phlegm, fluid retention attacking the heart, fire-heat disturbing the heart, stasis obstruction of heart vessel, cold congealing in heart vessel, and the deficiency of Qi, blood, Yin, and Yang. Therefore, this study concisely proposed 7 TCM syndromes of arrhythmia, including the palpitation due to depression, phlegm, fluid retention, fire, blood stasis, cold, and deficiency. The corresponding treatment strategies were recommended as follows: Chaihu Longgu Muli Decoction for the palpitation due to depression, Wendan Decoction for the palpitation due to phlegm, Linggui Zhugan Decoction for the palpitation due to fluid retention, Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction for the palpitation due to fire, Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction for the palpitation due to blood stasis, and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction for the palpitation due to cold, and Guizhi Gancao Decoction, Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Decoction, Huanglian Ejiao Decoction, Zhigancao Decoction, and Guipi Decoction for the palpitation due to the deficiency of Qi, blood, Yin, and Yang. Multiple formulas should be combined if the patient presents several TCM syndromes simultaneously. According to the principles of the correspondence between formula and syndrome and the treatment with consideration to both pathogenesis and pathology and both herbal nature and pharmacology, this study proposed an integrated treatment model of "pathogenesis-pathology-nature-pharmacology" to enhance the clinical efficacy of classic herbal formulas in the treatment of arrhythmia.

[Research ideas of core formulas-syndromes based on disease-syndrome-treatment combination].

The relationship between disease and syndrome is a research focus in integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. Depending on the focus, the disease-syndrome combination for treatment is manifested as the different treatment methods for the same disease and the same treatment method for different diseases based on the syndrome, and different treatment methods for the same syndrome and the same treatment method for different syndromes based on the disease. The mainstream model is the combination of di-sease identification in modern medicine with syndrome identification and core pathogenesis in traditional Chinese medicine. However, current research on the combination of disease and syndrome and core pathogenesis tends to focus on the heterogeneity between disease and syndrome and the separation of syndrome and treatment. Therefore, the study proposed the research idea and model of core formulas-syndromes(CFS). According to the theory of formula-syndrome correspondence, the research idea of CFS deepens the research on core pathogenesis, which aims to summarize the core formulas and syndromes for diseases. The research fields include diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas, distribution patterns of formulas and syndromes for diseases, the evolution of medicinal-syndrome based on formulas-syndromes, formula combination law based on formulas-syndromes, and the dynamic evolution of formulas-syndromes. Through the summary of ancient classics, clinical experience, and medical records, and with the methods of expert consultation, factor analysis, and clustering analysis, research on the diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas aims to explore the diagnosis information such as the diseases, symptoms, signs, and pathophysiology. The research on the distribution patterns of formulas and syndromes for diseases tends to summarize the specific types of formulas and syndromes for the diseases through literature research and clinical cross-sectional studies based on the establishment of diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas. The research on the evolution of medicinal-syndrome aims to clarify the medicinal-syndrome law through literature and clinical research. The formula combination law refers to the fact that the core prescriptions for a disease often appear in combination with other prescriptions on a regular basis. The dynamic evolution of formulas-syndromes refers to the continuous transformation and change of formulas and syndromes in the process of disease development with changes in time and space. The CFS is conducive to the unification of disease, syndrome and treatment and to the deepening of the research model of disease and syndrome integration.

[TCM understanding and treatment strategy of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction].

Hypertension and its target organ damage have become a major public health problem. Sexual dysfunction is a new problem in the treatment of modern hypertension. Modern pathophysiological studies have shown that hypertension can lead to sexual dysfunction. In addition, three major hypotensive drugs represented by diuretics can also lead to sexual dysfunction. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), hypertension belongs to "vertigo" "headache" "head wind", etc. In the past, the understanding of the TCM pathogenesis of hypertension was mainly from the perspectives of "liver wind" and "Yang hyperactivity". However, based on the in-depth research on ancient and modern literature and medical records and many years of clinical practice, it has been identified that kidney deficiency was the key pathogenesis. Hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction belongs to the category of kidney deficiency syndrome in TCM, especially the deficiency of kidney Yin. Previous studies by other research groups showed that Yin-enriching and kidney-tonifying method could effectively reduce blood pressure, improve sexual dysfunction, reverse risk factors, and protect target organs. This article systematically discussed the TCM understanding, modern pathophysiological mechanism, and the clinical treatment strategy of kidney-tonifying drugs(single drugs and compounds) in the treatment of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction in order to provide a scientific basis for kidney-tonifying method in the treatment of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction.