Aprotic Lithium-Oxygen Batteries Based on Nonsolid Discharge Products.

Aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries are considered to be a promising alternative option to lithium-ion batteries for high gravimetric energy storage devices. However, the sluggish electrochemical kinetics, the passivation, and the structural damage to the cathode caused by the solid discharge products have greatly hindered the practical application of Li-O2 batteries. Herein, the nonsolid-state discharge products of the off-stoichiometric Li1-xO2 in the electrolyte solutions are achieved by iridium (Ir) single-atom-based porous organic polymers (termed as Ir/AP-POP) as a homogeneous, soluble electrocatalyst for Li-O2 batteries. In particular, the numerous atomic active sites act as the main nucleation sites of O2-related discharge reactions, which are favorable to interacting with O2-/LiO2 intermediates in the electrolyte solutions, owing to the highly similar lattice-matching effect between the in situ-formed Ir3Li and LiO2, achieving a nonsolid LiO2 as the final discharge product in the electrolyte solutions for Li-O2 batteries. Consequently, the Li-O2 battery with a soluble Ir/AP-POP electrocatalyst exhibits an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 12.8 mAh, an ultralow overpotential of 0.03 V, and a long cyclic life of 700 h with the carbon cloth cathode. The manipulation of nonsolid discharge products in aprotic Li-O2 batteries breaks the traditional growth mode of Li2O2, bringing Li-O2 batteries closer to being a viable technology.

Stratifying ICIs-responsive tumor microenvironment in HCC: from parsing out immune-hypoxic crosstalk to clinically applicable MRI-radiomics models.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to redefine Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-responsive "hot" TME and develop a corresponding stratification model to maximize ICIs-efficacy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Hypoxic scores were designed, and the relevance to immunotherapy responses were validated in pan-cancers through single cell analysis. Multi-omics analysis using the hypoxic scores and immune infiltrate abundance was performed to redefine the ICIs-responsive TME subtype in HCC patients from TCGA (n = 363) and HCCDB database (n = 228). The immune hypoxic stress index (IHSI) was constructed to stratify the ICIs-responsive TME subtype, with exploring biological mechanism in vitro and in vivo. MRI-radiomics models were built for clinical applicability. RESULTS: The hypoxic scores were lower in the dominant cell-subclusters of responders in pan-cancers. The higher immune infiltrate-normoxic (HIN) subtype was redefined as the ICIs-responsive TME. Stratification of the HIN subtype using IHSI effectively identified ICIs-responders in Melanoma (n = 122) and urological cancer (n = 22). TRAF3IP3, the constituent gene of IHSI, was implicated in ICIs-relevant "immune-hypoxic" crosstalk by stimulating MAVS/IFN-I pathway under normoxic condition. MRI-radiomics models assessing TRAF3IP3 with HIF1A expression (AUC > 0.80) screened ICIs-Responders in HCC cohort (n = 75). CONCLUSION: The hypoxic-immune stratification redefined ICIs-responsive TME and provided MRI-Radiomics models for initial ICIs-responders screening, with IHSI facilitating further identification.

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks-based Electrolytes with Controllable Hydrogen Bonding Networks for Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

The lack of stable solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with high-ionic conductivity and rational design of electrode/electrolyte interfaces remains challenging for solid-state lithium batteries. Here, for the first time, a high-performance solid-state lithium-oxygen battery is developed based on the Li-ion-conducted hydrogen-bonded organic framework (LHOF) electrolyte and the core-shell HOF-DAT@CNT cathode with a few layers of HOF-DAT on surface of carbon nanotubes. Benefiting from the abundant dynamic hydrogen bonding network in LHOF-DAT SSEs, fast Li+ ion transport (2.2 × 10-4 S cm-1), a high Li+ transfer number (0.88), and a wide electrochemical window of 5.05 V are achieved. Symmetric batteries constructed with LHOF-DAT SSEs exhibit a stably cycled duration of over 1400 h, which mainly stems from the jumping sites that promote a uniformly high rate of Li+ flux and the hydrogen-bonding network structure that can relieve the structural changes during Li+ transport. LHOF-DAT SSEs-based Li-O2 batteries exhibit high specific capacity (10335 mAh g-1), and stable cycling life up to 150 cycles. Moreover, the solid-state lithium metal battery with LHOF-DAT SSEs endow good rate capability (128.8 mAh g-1 at 1 C), long-term discharge/charge stability (210 cycles). The design of LHOF-DAT SSEs opens an avenue for the development of novel SSEs-based solid-state lithium batteries.

Reversible Carbon Dioxide/Lithium Oxalate Regulation toward Advanced Aprotic Lithium Carbon Dioxide Battery.

Li-CO2 batteries have received significant attention owing to their advantages of combining greenhouse gas utilization and energy storage. However, the high kinetic barrier between gaseous CO2 and the Li2CO3 product leads to a low operating voltage (<2.5 V) and poor energy efficiency. In addition, the reversibility of Li2CO3 has always been questioned owing to the introduction of more decomposition paths caused by its higher charging plateau. Here, a novel "trinity" Li-CO2 battery system was developed by synergizing CO2, soluble redox mediator (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidoxyl, as TEM RM), and reduced graphene oxide electrode to enable selective conversion of CO2 to Li2C2O4. The designed Li-CO2 battery exhibited an output plateau reaching up to 2.97 V, higher than the equilibrium potential of 2.80 V for Li2CO3, and an ultrahigh round-trip efficiency of 97.1 %. The superior performance of Li-CO2 batteries is attributed to the TEM RM-mediated preferential growth mechanism of Li2C2O4, which enhances the reaction kinetics and rechargeability. Such a unique design enables batteries to cope with sudden CO2-deficient environments, which provides an avenue for the rationally design of CO2 conversion reactions and a feasible guide for next-generation Li-CO2 batteries.

Polyoxometalate Li3 PW12 O40 and Li3 PMo12 O40 Electrolytes for High-energy All-solid-state Lithium Batteries.

Solid-state lithium (Li) batteries promise both high energy density and safety while existing solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) fail to satisfy the rigorous requirements of battery operations. Herein, novel polyoxometalate SSEs, Li3 PW12 O40 and Li3 PMo12 O40 , are synthesized, which exhibit excellent interfacial compatibility with electrodes and chemical stability, overcoming the limitations of conventional SSEs. A high ionic conductivity of 0.89 mS cm-1 and a low activation energy of 0.23 eV are obtained due to the optimized three-dimensional Li+ migration network of Li3 PW12 O40 . Li3 PW12 O40 exhibits a wide window of electrochemical stability that can both accommodate the Li anode and high-voltage cathodes. As a result, all-solid-state Li metal batteries fabricated with Li/Li3 PW12 O40 /LiNi0.5 Co0.2 Mn0.3 O2 display a stable cycling up to 100 cycles with a cutoff voltage of 4.35 V and an areal capacity of more than 4 mAh cm-2 , as well as a cost-competitive SSEs price of $5.68 kg-1 . Moreover, Li3 PMo12 O40 homologous to Li3 PW12 O40 was obtained via isomorphous substitution, which formed a low-resistance interface with Li3 PW12 O40 . Applications of Li3 PW12 O40 and Li3 PMo12 O40 in Li-air batteries further demonstrate that long cycle life (650 cycles) can be achieved. This strategy provides a facile, low-cost strategy to construct efficient and scalable solid polyoxometalate electrolytes for high-energy solid-state Li metal batteries.

Photo-assisted chemical self-rechargeable zinc ion batteries with high charging and discharging efficiency.

Chemically self-recharging zinc ion batteries (ZIBs), which are capable of auto-recharging in ambient air, are promising in self-powered battery systems. Nevertheless, the exclusive reliance on chemical energy from oxygen for ZIBs charging often would bring some obstacles in charging efficiency. Herein, we develop photo-assisted chemically self-recharging aqueous ZIBs with a heterojunction of MoS2/SnO2 cathode, which are favorable to enhancing both the charging and discharging efficiency as well as the chemical self-charging capabilities under illumination. The photo-assisted process promotes the electron transfer from MoS2/SnO2 to oxygen, accelerating the occurrence of the oxidation reaction during chemical self-charging. Furthermore, the electrons within the MoS2/SnO2 cathode exhibit a low transfer impedance under illumination, which is beneficial to reducing the migration barrier of Zn2+ within the cathode and thereby facilitating the uniform inserting of Zn2+ into MoS2/SnO2 cathode during discharging. This photo-assisted chemical self-recharging mechanism enables ZIBs to attain a maximum self-charging potential of 0.95 V within 3 hours, a considerable self-charging capacity of 202.5 mAh g-1 and excellent cycling performance in a self-charging mode. This work not only provides a route for optimizing chemical self-charging energy storage, but also broadens the potential application of aqueous ZIBs.

Polymers with Intrinsic Microporosity as Solid Ion Conductors for Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with high ionic conductivity and superior stability are considered to be a key technology for the safe operation of solid-state lithium batteries. However, current SSEs are incapable of meeting the requirements for practical solid-state lithium batteries. Here we report a general strategy for achieving high-performance SSEs by engineering polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Taking advantage of the interconnected ion pathways generated from the ionizable groups, high ionic conductivity (1.06×10-3  S cm-1 at 25 °C) is achieved for the PIMs-based SSEs. The mechanically strong (50.0 MPa) and non-flammable SSEs combine the two superiorities of outstanding Li+ conductivity and electrochemical stability, which can restrain the dendrite growth and prevent Li symmetric batteries from short-circuiting even after more than 2200 h cycling. Benefiting from the rational design of SSEs, PIMs-based SSEs Li-metal batteries can achieve good cycling performance and superior feasibility in a series of withstand abuse tests including bending, cutting, and penetration. Moreover, the PIMs-based SSEs endow high specific capacity (11307 mAh g-1 ) and long-term discharge/charge stability (247 cycles) for solid-state Li-O2 batteries. The PIMs-based SSEs present a powerful strategy for enabling safe operation of high-energy solid-state batteries.

Intrinsic Stress-strain in Barium Titanate Piezocatalysts Enabling Lithium-Oxygen Batteries with Low Overpotential and Long Life.

Rechargeable lithium-oxygen (Li-O2 ) batteries with high theoretical energy density are considered as promising candidates for portable electronic devices and electric vehicles, whereas their commercial application is hindered due to poor cyclic stability caused by the sluggish kinetics and cathode passivation. Herein, the intrinsic stress originated from the growth and decomposition of the discharge product (lithium peroxide, Li2 O2 ) is employed as a microscopic pressure resource to induce the built-in electric field, further improving the reaction kinetics and interfacial Lithium ion (Li+ ) transport during cycling. Piezopotential caused by the intrinsic stress-strain of solid Li2 O2 is capable of providing the driving force for the separation and transport of carriers, enhancing the Li+ transfer, and thus improving the redox reaction kinetics of Li-O2 batteries. Combined with a variety of in situ characterizations, the catalytic mechanism of barium titanate (BTO), a typical piezoelectric material, was systematically investigated, and the effect of stress-strain transformation on the electrochemical reaction kinetics and Li+ interface transport for the Li-O2 batteries is clearly established. The findings provide deep insight into the surface coupling strategy between intrinsic stress and electric fields to regulate the electrochemical reaction kinetics behavior and enhance the interfacial Li+ transport for battery system.

Selective Aerobic Oxidation of Csp3-H Bonds Catalyzed by Yeast-Derived Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Oxygen Codoped Carbon Materials.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen codoped carbon catalysts were successfully synthesized using dried yeast powder as a pyrolysis precursor. The yeast-derived heteroatom-doped carbon (yeast@C) catalysts exhibited outstanding performance in the oxidation of Csp3-H bonds to ketones and esters, giving excellent product yields (of up to 98% yield) without organic solvents at low O2 pressure (0.1 MPa). The catalytic oxidation protocol exhibited a broad range of substrates (38 examples) with good functional group tolerance, excellent regioselectivity, and synthetic utility. The yeast-derived heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts showed good reusability and stability after recycling six times without any significant loss of activity. Experimental results and DFT calculations proved the important role of N-oxide (N+-O-) on the surface of yeast@C and a reasonable carbon radical mechanism.

Radiomic model for differentiating parotid pleomorphic adenoma from parotid adenolymphoma based on MRI images.

BACKGROUND: Distinguishing parotid pleomorphic adenoma (PPA) from parotid adenolymphoma (PA) is important for precision treatment, but there is a lack of readily available diagnostic methods. In this study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic value of radiomic signatures based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for PPA and PA. METHODS: The clinical characteristic and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 252 cases (126 cases in the training cohort and 76 patients in the validation cohort) in this study. Radiomic features were extracted from MRI scans, including T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) sequences and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) sequences. The radiomic features from three sequences (T1WI, T2WI and T1WI combined with T2WI) were selected using univariate analysis, LASSO correlation and Spearman correlation. Then, we built six quantitative radiomic models using the selected features through two machine learning methods (multivariable logistic regression, MLR, and support vector machine, SVM). The performances of the six radiomic models were assessed and the diagnostic efficacies of the ideal T1-2WI radiomic model and the clinical model were compared. RESULTS: The T1-2WI radiomic model using MLR showed optimal discriminatory ability (accuracy = 0.87 and 0.86, F-1 score = 0.88 and 0.86, sensitivity = 0.90 and 0.88, specificity = 0.82 and 0.80, positive predictive value = 0.86 and 0.84, negative predictive value = 0.86 and 0.84 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively) and its calibration was observed to be good (p > 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the T1-2WI radiomic model was significantly better than that of the clinical model for both the training (0.95 vs. 0.67, p < 0.001) and validation (0.90 vs. 0.68, p = 0.001) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: The T1-2WI radiomic model in our study is complementary to the current knowledge of differential diagnosis for PPA and PA.

[Preparation and properties of thermosensitive in situ gel for ophthalmic formulation containing pearl hydrolyzate].

The study was designed to generate an ophthalmic thermosensitive in situ gel with improved mechanical and mucoadhesive properties that may prolong the retention time to enhance the bioavalability of pearl hydrolyzate. The gene was comprised of poloxamer 407, poloxamer188 and Carbopol 934, which were optimized by central composite design and response surface methodology. The rheological properties, transcorneal permeability, retention time and in vitro release behaviors of the optimal gel formulation were investigated. The gel was Newtonian liquid at 25 ℃ and performed as a semisolid gel with non-Newtonian liquid property with a gelation time of 13 s at 35 ℃. Compared with a conventional eye drops, the ophthalmic in situ gel exhibited a sevenfold increase in retention with a sustained release behavior, which was observed with suitable permeability coefficient at 5.58 cm·s-1. In conclusion, the new gel of pearl hydrolyzate prolonged the release duration of drug, which may decrease the frequency of administration of pearl hydrolyzate.

Activation of NOD1 by DAP contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via multiple signaling pathways.

NOD1 is a member of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors family that participates in many inflammatory processes. Previous studies demonstrated that NOD1 plays an important role in inflammatory cardiovascular diseases. However, its role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unknown. The present study investigate whether NOD1 is involved in the pathogenesis of mouse myocardial I/R injury and the underlying mechanisms. Administration of NOD1 ligand (DAP) significantly enhanced myocardial I/R injury, as demonstrated by increased infarct size, the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, caspase-3 activity, the infiltration of Mac-2- and IL-6-positive cells as compared with untreated heart or cardiomyocytes after I/R injury. In contrast, knockdown of NOD1 by siRNA markedly attenuated mimetic I/R induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro, indicating that NOD1 enhanced myocardial I/R injury partially through direct heart effects. These effects were partially associated with activation of JNK, p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that activation of intracellular sensor NOD1 enhances myocardial I/R injury and may provide novel therapeutic target for ameliorating the ischemic heart diseases.

Spectroscopic Study on the Interaction between Naphthalimide-Polyamine Conjugates and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA).

The effect of a naphthalimide pharmacophore coupled with diverse substituents on the interaction between naphthalimide-polyamine conjugates 1-4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by UV absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). The observed spectral quenching of BSA by the compounds indicated that they could bind to BSA. Furthermore, caloric fluorescent tests revealed that the quenching mechanisms of compounds 1-3 were basically static type, but that of compound 4 was closer to a classical type. The Ksv values at room temperature for compound-BSA complexes-1-BSA, 2-BSA, 3-BSA and 4-BSA were 1.438 × 104, 3.190 × 104, 5.700 × 104 and 4.745 × 105, respectively, compared with the value of MINS, 2.863 × 104 at Ex = 280 nm. The obtained quenching constant, binding constant and thermodynamic parameter suggested that the binding between compounds 1-4 with BSA protein, significantly affected by the substituted groups on the naphthalene backbone, was formed by hydrogen bonds, and other principle forces mainly consisting of charged and hydrophobic interactions. Based on results from the analysis of synchronous three-dimensional fluorescence and CD spectra, we can conclude that the interaction between compounds 1-4 and BSA protein has little impact on the BSA conformation. Calculated results obtained from in silico molecular simulation showed that compound 1 did not prefer either enzymatic drug sites I or II over the other. However, DSII in BSA was more beneficial than DSI for the binding between compounds 2-4 and BSA protein. The binding between compounds 1-3 and BSA was hydrophobic in nature, compared with the electrostatic interaction between compound 4 and BSA.

[Determination of contact angle of pharmaceutical excipients and regulating effect of surfactants on their wettability].

To study the effects of surfactants on wettability of excipients, the contact angles of six types of surfactants on the surface of two common excipients and mixture of three surfactants with excipients were measured using hypsometry method. The results demonstrated that contact angle of water on the surface of excipients was associated with hydrophilcity of excipients. Contact angle was lowered with increase in hydrophilic groups of excipient molecules. The sequence of contact angle from small to large was starch < sodium benzoate < polyvinylpyrrolidone < sodium carboxymethylcellulose < sodium alginate < chitosan < hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose

Accelerated Confined Mass Transfer of MoS2 1D Nanotube in Photo-Assisted Metal-Air Batteries.

Applying solar energy into energy storage battery systems is challenging in achieving green and sustainable development, however, the efficient progress of photo-assisted metal-air batteries is restricted by the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes upon the photocathode. Herein, a 1D-ordered MoS2 nanotube (MoS2-ONT) with confined mass transfer can be used to extend the lifetime of photogenerated carriers, which is capable of overcoming the challenge of rapid recombination of electron and holes. The tubular confined space cannot only promote the orderly separation and migration of charge carriers but also realize the accumulation of charge and the rapid activation of oxygen molecules. The concave surface of MoS2-ONT can improve the carrier separation ability and prolong the carrier lifetime. Meanwhile, the ordered tubular confined space can effectively realize the rapid transfer of charge, ion, and oxygen. Under light irradiation, a fast oxygen reduction reaction kinetics of 70 mW cm-2 for photo-assisted Zn-air battery is achieved, which is the highest value reported for photo-assisted Zn-air batteries. Significantly, the photo-assisted Li-O2 battery based on MoS2-ONT also shows superior rate capability and other exciting battery performance. This work shows the universality of the confined carrier separation strategy in photo-assisted metal-air batteries.

Comparison between solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with cystic changes using computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas (SPN) share similar imaging findings with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with cystic changes (PDAC with cystic changes), which may result in unnecessary surgery. AIM: To investigate the value of computed tomography (CT) in differentiation of SPN from PDAC with cystic changes. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging findings of 32 patients diagnosed with SPN and 14 patients diagnosed with PDAC exhibiting cystic changes, confirmed through pathological diagnosis. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed, including assessment of age, sex, tumor size, shape, margin, density, enhancement pattern, CT values of tumors, CT contrast enhancement ratios, "floating cloud sign," calcification, main pancreatic duct dilatation, pancreatic atrophy, and peripancreatic invasion or distal metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify relevant features to differentiate between SPN and PDAC with cystic changes, and receiver operating characteristic curves were obtained to evaluate the diagnostic performance of each variable and their combination. RESULTS: When compared to PDAC with cystic changes, SPN had a lower age (32 years vs 64 years, P < 0.05) and a slightly larger size (5.41 cm vs 3.90 cm, P < 0.05). SPN had a higher frequency of "floating cloud sign" and peripancreatic invasion or distal metastasis than PDAC with cystic changes (both P < 0.05). No significant difference was found with respect to sex, tumor location, shape, margin, density, main pancreatic duct dilatation, calcification, pancreatic atrophy, enhancement pattern, CT values of tumors, or CT contrast enhancement ratios between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the combination was 0.833 (95% confidence interval: 0.708-0.957) with 78.6% sensitivity, 81.3% specificity, and 80.4% accuracy in differentiation of SPN from PDAC with cystic changes. CONCLUSION: A larger tumor size, "floating cloud sign," and peripancreatic invasion or distal metastasis are useful CT imaging features that are more common in SPN and may help discriminate SPN from PDAC with cystic changes.

Computed tomography-based radiomics diagnostic approach for differential diagnosis between early- and late-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: One of the primary reasons for the dismal survival rates in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is that most patients are usually diagnosed at late stages. There is an urgent unmet clinical need to identify and develop diagnostic methods that could precisely detect PDAC at its earliest stages. AIM: To evaluate the potential value of radiomics analysis in the differentiation of early-stage PDAC from late-stage PDAC. METHODS: A total of 71 patients with pathologically proved PDAC based on surgical resection who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) within 30 d prior to surgery were included in the study. Tumor staging was performed in accordance with the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. Radiomics features were extracted from the region of interest (ROI) for each patient using Analysis Kit software. The most important and predictive radiomics features were selected using Mann-Whitney U test, univariate logistic regression analysis, and minimum redundancy maximum relevance (MRMR) method. Random forest (RF) method was used to construct the radiomics model, and 10-times leave group out cross-validation (LGOCV) method was used to validate the robustness and reproducibility of the model. RESULTS: A total of 792 radiomics features (396 from late arterial phase and 396 from portal venous phase) were extracted from the ROI for each patient using Analysis Kit software. Nine most important and predictive features were selected using Mann-Whitney U test, univariate logistic regression analysis, and MRMR method. RF method was used to construct the radiomics model with the nine most predictive radiomics features, which showed a high discriminative ability with 97.7% accuracy, 97.6% sensitivity, 97.8% specificity, 98.4% positive predictive value, and 96.8% negative predictive value. The radiomics model was proved to be robust and reproducible using 10-times LGOCV method with an average area under the curve of 0.75 by the average performance of the 10 newly built models. CONCLUSION: The radiomics model based on CT could serve as a promising non-invasive method in differential diagnosis between early and late stage PDAC.

Unraveling the Mechanism of Field-Induced Li+ Concentration for Improved Kinetics in Rechargeable Li-CO2 Batteries.

The design of highly efficient electrocatalysts is a promising strategy to improve the electrochemical kinetics of Li-CO2 batteries. However, electrocatalysts usually aim to reduce the energetic barrier for the corresponding electrochemical reactions; little attention has been given to modulating the kinetics that directly determine the local concentration of reaction molecules surrounding catalysts. Herein, we present a systematic study on the role of Li+ reunion on the improvement of reaction kinetics in Li-CO2 batteries with a Cu cone cathode. Specifically, this local, geometry-driven tip effect can enrich the local electron concentration to facilitate Li+ ions diffusion from the bulk electrolyte to the surface of catalyst, leading to boosted catalytic performance. Further studies demonstrate that Cu(II/I) as a solid redox mediator dominates the reversible bulk redox reactions in a Cu cone cathode, which acts as an electron-hole transfer agent and permits the efficient reduction and oxidation of solid Li2CO3, contributing to an accessible theoretical discharge voltage, low charge potential below 3.2 V, impressive rate capability, and a long cycling stability (333 days) for Li-CO2 batteries. The exploitation of the sharp-tip enhancement effect and dynamic creation of catalytic active sites is expected to become routine practice in future mechanistic studies for metal-air batteries.

LncRNA USP2-AS1 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Enhancing YBX1-Mediated HIF1α Protein Translation Under Hypoxia.

Recently, the role of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and development has received increasing attention, but the mechanism underlying lncRNAs-mediated tumor growth in the hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors remains obscure. Using RNA sequencing, 25 hypoxia-related lncRNAs were found to be upregulated in HCC, of which lncRNA USP2-AS1 were significantly increased under hypoxia. We further confirmed that USP2-AS1 was significantly upregulated in liver cancer using FISH assay and that USP2-AS1 was associated with advanced liver cancer and increased tumor size. Furthermore, overexpression of USP2-AS1 under hypoxia dramatically increased HCC proliferation and clone formation, whereas the opposite results were observed after USP2-AS1 knockdown. We also found that overexpression of USP2-AS1 increased migration and invasion of HCC cells, while USP2-AS1 knockdown led to the opposite effect. In addition, USP2-AS1 knockdown can increase the efficacy of lenvatinib in our mice tumor xenograft model. Our findings also suggest that USP2-AS1 could increase the protein level of HIF1α by enhancing YBX1 protein binding to HIF1α mRNA under hypoxia and the therapeutic effect of lenvatinib can be enhanced by combination with HIF1α inhibitors in liver cancer.

MTDH antisense oligonucleotides reshape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to sensitize Hepatocellular Carcinoma to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is an important treatment option for individuals with cancer, but it has certain limitations. Identifying a better target that can overcome tumor immune escape and stimulate T cell activity is critical. This research aimed to delve into the molecular mechanism underlying the immunoregulatory function of metadherin (MTDH), which is a novel and potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). A small interfering RNA library was screened using the luciferase reporter assay and PD-L1 promoter. The Cancer Genome Atlas database and HCC tissues were used to investigate the relationship between MTDH and PD-L1. The association between MTDH and ß-catenin/lymphoid enhancer binding factor (LEF-1) was discovered by co-immunoprecipitation. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was used to investigate the interaction of MTDH with the PD-L1 promoter when LEF-1 expression was silenced. Locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were used to inhibit MTDH. We utilized in vitro co-cultures and in vivo syngeneic tumor development experiments to confirm the effectiveness of MTDH ASO combined with PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). MTDH was demonstrated to be a PD-L1 modulator. MTDH increased PD-L1 expression and upregulated PD-L1 transcriptional activity through ß-catenin/LEF-1 signaling. More importantly, MTDH ASO improved the anti-PD-1 response and increased cytotoxic T-cell infiltration in PD-1 mAb-treated malignancies. MTDH effectively predicts the therapeutic efficacy of ICB therapy. Our results imply that combining MTDH ASO with PD-1 mAb could be a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC. In addition, MTDH is a potential novel biomarker for predicting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.