Surface Lattice Modulation through Chemical Delithiation toward a Stable Nickel-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode.

Nickel-rich layered oxides (NLOs) are considered as one of the most promising cathode materials for next-generation high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), yet their practical applications are currently challenged by the unsatisfactory cyclability and reliability owing to their inherent interfacial and structural instability. Herein, we demonstrate an approach to reverse the unstable nature of NLOs through surface solid reaction, by which the reconstructed surface lattice turns stable and robust against both side reactions and chemophysical breakdown, resulting in improved cycling performance. Specifically, conformal La(OH)3 nanoshells are built with their thicknesses controlled at nanometer accuracy, which act as a Li+ capturer and induce controlled reaction with the NLO surface lattices, thereby transforming the particle crust into an epitaxial layer with localized Ni/Li disordering, where lithium deficiency and nickel stabilization are both achieved by transforming oxidative Ni3+ into stable Ni2+. An optimized balance between surface stabilization and charge transfer is demonstrated by a representative NLO material, namely, LiNi0.83Co0.07Mn0.1O2, whose surface engineering leads to a highly improved capacity retention and excellent rate capability with a strong capability to inhibit the crack of NLO particles. Our study highlights the importance of surface chemistry in determining chemical and structural behaviors and paves a research avenue in controlling the surface lattice for the stabilization of NLOs toward reliable high-energy LIBs.

Blocking Adipor1 enhances radiation sensitivity in Hepatoma Carcinoma Cells.

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of Adipor1 in radiation-induced cell death of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The human HCC cell line MHCC97-H and HepG2 were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression, and flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and cell death. Orthotopic allograft HCC models were established in Rats. LV-Adipor1-RNAi virus were injected into the tumor before radiation. Such parameters as tumor diameter, blood indicators, and liver function index were detected.In vitro results indicated that Adipor1 knockdown enhanced radiation-induced cell death and DNA damage, and inhibited cell cycle arrest at the G2/M and autophagy, leading to increased apoptosis. In vivo experiments showed that Adipor1 knockdown increased radiosensitivity and significantly inhibited liver tumor growth, upregulated the number of red blood cell, platelet count and Hemoglobin content, decreased the content of ALT, AST and ALP. To sum up, Adipor1 blockade enhance therapeutic effects of radiation by inhibiting cell cycle arrest and autophagy, and promoting DNA damage and apoptosis in Hepatoma Carcinoma Cells.

[Eudesmane sesquiterpenes from twigs of Manglietia hookeri].

Chemical constituents from the acetone extract of twigs of Manglietia hookeri were isolated and purified by various column chromatographic methods over silica gel and sephadex LH-20, and preparative TLC. The structures of these compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis, including NMR and MS spectra. Six eudesmane sesquiterpenes were obtained and their structures were identified as trans-eudesmane-4, 11-diol(1), ß-eudesmol(2), (-) -10-epi-5ß-hydroxy-ß-eudesmol (3), epi-carrisone (4), 6-hydroxy-eudesm-4(14) -ene(5) and gynurenol(6). All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Furthermore, the 13C-NMR data of compound 3 were reported for the first time.

Taxonomic study of the genus Assara Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Phycitinae) in NE China, with description of a new species.

Four species of the genus Assara Walker, 1863 are revised from NE China. Among them, Assara yanbianensis Bae & Qi sp. n. is described as new to science and A. terebrella (Zincken, 1818) is newly recorded from China. A key to the NE Chinese species of the genus Assara with illustrations of adults and genitalia are presented.

Association between apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism and the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) remains controversial. The present meta-analysis was performed to derive a precise estimate of the relationship. METHOD(S): We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science data- bases for studies related to the association between the ApoE genotype and the risk of RPL. We estimated the summary odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the association. RESULT(S): Seven studies, including 2,090 RPL cases and 742 control samples, were identified. The results showed a significant association between ApoE E4 mutation and RPL risk (for E4 allele: OR =1.98, 95 %CI =1.14-3.43, P=0.499; for E2E3 vs. E3E3: OR =1.33, 95%CI =1.12-1.42, P=0.008; for E2E4 vs. E3E3: OR =1.26, 95 % CI =1.07-1.49, P=0.005). CONCLUSION(S): The meta-analysis suggests an association between ApoE E4 mutation and increased risk of RPL.

A survey of the genus Sorolopha Lower, 1901 in the northern part of Vietnam (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae, Olethreutinae).

A survey of the genus Sorolopha Lower, 1901 in the northern part of Vietnam revealed the presence of 10 species, including S. cucphuongensis Bae & Le, sp. nov. Most of the species previously were reported by various authors, but S. rubescens Diakonoff, 1973 and S. cyclotoma Lower, 1901 are newly recorded for the country. All species are diagnosed, and figures of the adults and genitalia are provided, along with a key to species of Sorolopha in Vietnam.

Integrated Surface Modulation of Ultrahigh Ni Cathode Materials for Improved Battery Performance.

Ni-rich layered cathodes with ultrahigh nickel content (≥90%), for example LiNi0.9 Co0.1 O2 (NC0.9), are promising for next-generation high-energy Li-ion batteries (LIBs), but face stability issues related to structural degradation and side reactions during the electrochemical process. Here, surface modulation is demonstrated by integrating a Li+ -conductive nanocoating and gradient lattice doping to stabilize the active cathode efficiently for extended cycles. Briefly, a wet-chemistry process is developed to deposit uniform ZrO(OH)2 nanoshells around Ni0.905 Co0.095 (OH)2 (NC0.9-OH) hydroxide precursors, followed by high temperature lithiation to create reinforced products featuring Zr doping in the crust lattice decorated with Li2 ZrO3 nanoparticles on the surface. It is identified that the Zr4+ infiltration reconstructed the surface lattice into favorable characters such as Li+ deficiency and Ni3+ reduction, which are effective to combat side reactions and suppress phase degradation and crack formation. This surface control is able to achieve an optimized balance between surface stabilization and charge transfer, resulting in an extraordinary capacity retention of 96.6% after 100 cycles at 1 C and an excellent rate capability of 148.8 mA h g-1 at 10 C. This study highlights the critical importance of integrated surface modulation for high stability of cathode materials in next-generation LIBs.

[Expression and significance of estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms in blood and villi of missed abortion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences of estrogen receptor α (ERα) gene polymorphism in patients with missed abortion and normal pregnancy and examine the relationship between ERα gene polymorphism and missed abortion. METHODS: A total of 100 cases of missed abortion patients and 102 cases of normal pregnant women were selected as the experimental and control groups. And 2ml blood samples and chorionic villus specimens were collected. The method of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism was employed for ERα gene PvuII and XbaI polymorphism. And the data was analyzed to explore the relationship between ERα gene polymorphism and missed abortion. RESULTS: There was statistic significance in the frequency of ERα gene PvuII enzyme cleavage allele P and p from blood and villi samples between two groups, blood (χ(2) = 5.542, P < 0.05) OR: 1.742, villi (χ(2) = 7.559, P < 0.01), OR: 1.948. Statistic significances existed in the difference of frequency for ERα gene XbαI enzyme cleavage allele X and x from blood and villi samples between two groups, blood (χ(2) = 15.205, P < 0.01), OR:2.519; villi (χ(2) = 13.750, P < 0.01), OR: 2.499. There was a positive correlation of the frequency in ERα gene PvuII and XbαI genotype from blood and villi samples in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: It suggests that ERα gene polymorphism is correlated with the pathogenesis of missed abortion. Alleles P and X may be susceptibility genes.

Precise surface control of cathode materials for stable lithium-ion batteries.

The increasing demand for high-energy Li-ion batteries (LIBs) continues to push the development of electrode materials, particularly cathode materials, towards their capacity limits. Despite the enormous success, the stability and reliability of LIBs are becoming a serious concern due to the much-aggravated side reactions between electrode materials and organic electrolytes. How to stabilize the cathode/electrolyte interface is therefore an imperative and urgent task drawing considerable attention from both academia and industry. An active treatment on the surface of cathode materials, usually by introducing an inert protection layer, to diminish their side reaction with electrolytes turns out to be a reasonable and effective strategy. This Feature Article firstly outlines our synthesis efforts for the construction of a uniform surface nanocoating on various cathode materials. Different wet chemical routes have been designed to facilitate the control of growth kinetics of targeted coating species so that a precise surface coating could be achieved with nanometer accuracy. Furthermore, we showed the possibility to transform the outer coating layer into a surface doping effect through surface solid reaction at high temperature. A detailed discussion on the structure-performance relationship of these surface-controlled cathode materials is introduced to probe the stabilization mechanism. Finally, perspectives on the development tendency of high-energy cathodes for stable LIBs are provided.

A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy and the Involved Mechanisms.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), which can lead to renal failure in diabetic patients. At present, the first-line drugs for DN are mainly the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, and the latest approved aldosterone receptor antagonist finerenone, which delay the progression of DN to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but the therapeutic effect is still not ideal. With a history of thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has rich experience in the treatment of DN. Based on the theory of TCM, the clinical treatment of DN mainly focuses on generating fluid and nourishing blood, nourishing Qi and Yin, detoxifying and detumescent. In recently years, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of TCM prescription, Chinese herbal medicine, and its active components on DN have received extensive attention in new drug development. This paper reviews the research progress of the mechanism of TCM on DN.

Advancing to 4.6 V Review and Prospect in Developing High-Energy-Density LiCoO2 Cathode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Layered LiCoO2 (LCO) is one of the most important cathodes for portable electronic products at present and in the foreseeable future. It becomes a continuous push to increase the cutoff voltage of LCO so that a higher capacity can be achieved, for example, a capacity of 220 mAh g-1 at 4.6 V compared to 175 mAh g-1 at 4.45 V, which is unfortunately accompanied by severe capacity degradation due to the much-aggravated side reactions and irreversible phase transitions. Accordingly, strict control on the LCO becomes essential to combat the inherent instability related to the high voltage challenge for their future applications. This review begins with a discussion on the relationship between the crystal structures and electrochemical properties of LCO as well as the failure mechanisms at 4.6 V. Then, recent advances in control strategies for 4.6 V LCO are summarized with focus on both bulk structure and surface properties. One closes this review by presenting the outlook for future efforts on LCO-based lithium ion batteries (LIBs). It is hoped that this work can draw a clear map on the research status of 4.6 V LCO, and also shed light on the future directions of materials design for high energy LIBs.

Anion Doping for Layered Oxides with a Solid-Solution Reaction for Potassium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

The development of potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) is challenged by the shortage of stable cathode materials capable of reversibly hosting the large-sized K+ (1.38 Å), which is prone to cause severe structural degradation and complex phase evolution during the potassiation/depotassiation process. Here, we identified that anionic doping of the layered oxides for PIBs is effective to combat their capacity fading at high voltage (>4.0 V). Taking P2-type K2/3Mn7/9Ni1/9Ti1/9O17/9F1/9 (KMNTOF) as an example, we showed that the partial substitution of O2- by F- enlarged the interlayer distance of the K2/3Mn7/9Ni1/9Ti1/9O2 (KMNTO), which becomes more favorable for fast K+ transition without violent structural destruction. Meanwhile, based on the experimental data and theoretical results, we identified that the introduction of F- anions effectively increased the redox-active Mn cationic concentration by lowering the average valence of the Mn element, accordingly providing more reversible capacity derived from the Mn3+/4+ redox couple, rather than oxygen redox. This anionic doping strategy enables the KMNTOF cathode to deliver a high reversible capacity of 132.5 mAh g-1 with 0.53 K+ reversible (de)intercalation in the structure. We expect that the discovery provides new insights into structural engineering for pursuing stable cathodes to facilitate the future applications of high-performance PIBs.

The effective expression of xylanase gene in Candida utilis by 18S rDNA targeted homologous recombination in pGLR9K.

In order to test whether 18S rDNA can influence positively xylanase gene effective expression in the yeast of Candida utilis, a targeting vector pGLR9K-XA was constructed by adding an interested gene xynA from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis into the vector pGLR9K which is constructed by ourselves. pGLR9K contains the 18S rDNA, GAP promoter and CYH resistance gene sequence, all of which is from C. utilis. Then the vector pGLR9K-XA was transformed into C. utilis. To test the vector and transformed system, PCR, Southern blot and DNS methods were used. The results showed that xylanase gene can be detected in the chromosome DNA of recombinant C. utilis and the enzyme activity of xylanase is up to 60 IU ml(-1) in the study. It is suggested that this system can be used to express exogenous genes in C. utilis as a bioreactors. This is the first report that xylanase gene was expressed in C. utilis.

Deoxycytidine kinase participates in the regulation of radiation-induced autophagy and apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is a rate limiting enzyme critical for the phosphorylation of endogenous deoxynucleosides and for the anti­tumor activity of many nucleoside analogs. dCK is activated in response to ionizing radiation (IR) and it is required for the G2/M checkpoint induced by IR. However, whether dCK plays a role in radiation-induced autophagy and apoptosis is less clear. In this study, we reported that dCK decreased IR-induced total cell death and apoptosis, and increased IR-induced autophagy in SKBR3 and MDA­MB­231 breast cancer cell lines. A molecular switch exists between apoptosis and autophagy. We further demonstrated that serine 74 phosphorylation was required for the regulation of autophagy. In dCK wild­type (WT) or dCK S74E (mutant) MDA­MB­231 cell models, the expression levels of phospho-Akt, phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phospho-P70S6K significantly decreased following exposure to IR. Moreover, the ratio of Bcl­2/Beclin1 (BECN1) significantly decreased in the S74E mutant cells; however, no change was observed in the ratio of Bcl­2/BAX. Taken together, our findings indicate that phosphorylated and activated dCK inhibits IR-induced total cell death and apoptosis, and promotes IR-induced autophagy through the mTOR pathway and by inhibiting the binding of Bcl­2 protein to BECN1.

A description of three new species of the genus Alienia Fibiger, 2011 from Southeast Asia (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypenodinae: Micronoctuini).

The genus Alienia Fibiger, 2011 of the tribe Micronoctuini of Hypenodinae is revised. Two new species: Alienia fibigeri sp.n. and Alienia cambodiaa sp.n. are described from Cambodia; a new species, Alienia laosa sp.n. from Laos described. A key for identification of Alienia based on male genitalia is present. The adult and genitalia of the new species are illustrated.