In Situ Electrochemical Transformation toward Structure Optimized VEG@MXene Cathode for Enhanced Zinc-Ion Storage.

Vanadium-based derivatives, featuring affordable cost and high theoretical capacity, have gathered widespread interest in the context of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). However, the further application of vanadium-based materials is hindered by the limited electrical conductivity and cycling lifespan. Herein, 1D chain-like structure vanadyl ethylene glycolate (VEG, (VO(CH2 O)2 )), growing on the Ti3 C2 Tx MXene nanosheets, is synthesized via a one-step oil-bath heating process as cathode materials for ZIBs. Benefiting from the hybrid structure with high conductivity and abundant reactive sites, the VEG@MXene cathode exhibits a remarkable specific capacity (360.3 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 ), and impressive capacity retention (up to 85.2% after 3000 cycles at 10 A g-1 ). Mechanism analysis reveals a gradual phase transition from the original VEG on MXene to the stable Zn3 V2 O7 (OH)2 ·2H2 O nanoflakes accompanied by continuous zinc ion intercalation/deintercalation, offering more pathways for zinc ion transport. This work suggests that engineering conductivity-enhanced vanadium-based materials is a rational approach for developing promising cathode materials of ZIBs.

Ultrastable Zinc Anode by Simultaneously Manipulating Solvation Sheath and Inducing Oriented Deposition with PEG Stability Promoter.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are a low-cost and safe energy storage system, but suffer from detrimental side reactions and Zn dendrites due to the strong interactions between Zn2+ and water molecules in the electrolytes, and random Zn2+ deposition on the anode surface. Here, an electrolyte involving a dual-functional additive of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to bypass these issues is reported. The electrolyte can not only tailor the solvation sheath of Zn2+ but also enable favorably oriented deposition of Zn2+ on the anode surface. The dendrite-free Zn anode in Zn//Zn cells is obtained with high Columbic efficiency (98.8%) and long cycling lifespan (1500 h), six times longer than that of electrolyte without PEG at 0.25 mA cm-2 . What is more, the excellent cycling stability of the prepared batteries (Zn//V2 O5 ·1.6 H2 O) suggests that the developed tailoring strategy may propel a promising pathway for stabilizing Zn metal anodes.

Risk factors associated with radiolucent foreign body inhalation in adults: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a serious condition with high morbidity and mortality rates. Although chest radiography is generally the first radiologic modality used in diagnosis, a substantial percentage of foreign bodies are radiolucent in adults with diagnosis challenging. METHODS: Retrospective review of adult patients with FBA diagnosed by flexible electronic bronchoscopy from 2012 to 2022 collecting demographics, history, hospital presentation, radiographic, and operative details. Risk factors associated with radiolucent foreign body inhalation in adults were explored using appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: Between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 2022, 114 adult patients diagnosed with FBA were enrolled. The median age of participants was 65 years (IQR 52-74). Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) examinations identified 28 cases (25%) showing direct visualization of the foreign body (defined as the radiopaque group) and 86 cases (75%) in the radiolucent group. Multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis showed increased odds of radiolucent foreign body inhalation in adults associated with pneumonic patches in MDCT (OR 6.99; 95% CI 1.80-27.22; P = 0.005) and plants/meat foreign bodies (OR 6.17; 95% CI 1.12-33.96; P = 0.04). A witnessed choking history (OR 0.02; 95% CI 0-0.14; P < 0.001) was a protective factor of radiolucent foreign body inhalation in adults. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike radiopaque FBA, in those presenting with a suspected radiolucent foreign body aspiration, the diagnosis is far more challenging. Risk factors such as lacking a choking history, non-resolving pneumonia (pneumonic patches) in MDCT findings, and plants/meat foreign bodies may help in the early diagnosis of radiolucent foreign body inhalation in adults. Further prospective multicenter studies should be conducted to validate the findings.

The 100 most cited articles on pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from 2000 to 2020: a bibliometric analysis.

PURPOSE: The present study attempted to identify 100 most cited articles on pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and characterize them via bibliometric analysis whereby it would provide an insight into the progress and trend in this field. METHODS: Records regarding pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and published between 2000 and 2020 were retrieved in 2021 through the Web of Science to identify the 100 most cited articles. RESULTS: The 100 articles were screened in 17 434 records. The number of citations of the top-cited articles ranged from 151 to 1867. These articles were published in 47 journals among which the Journal of Clinical Oncology produced the most articles (n = 10). The USA contributed most of the articles (n = 44). Articles enrolled came from 58 institutions; the University of California System of the USA came to the top (n = 7). More than half of the articles were clinical studies (n = 55), basic science research reports accounting for a quarter. In clinical topics (n = 73), treatment issues were the most concerned (n = 21), in which more articles focused on targeted inhibitors. Articles about gene mutation were cited most frequently in basic science topics (n = 27). CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric analysis reflected the brief the progress and highlighted current trend in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor research, providing references for further study.

Pt Edge-Doped MoS2 : Activating the Active Sites for Maximized Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Performance.

The demand of clean energy calls for efficient and low-cost hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. Fabricating hybrid catalysts from noble/non-noble catalysts is a practical route to reducing the consumption of noble metals and enhancing catalytic efficiency. Here, 2H-MoS2 is etched and edge-doped with Pt nanoparticles using focused ion beam and photoreduction techniques. Precise comparison of as-prepared samples demonstrates that the enhancement of catalytic performance can be controlled through tuning the catalyst defect length. On this basis, remarkably high performance is obtained by designing a specific defect array that is superior to commercial Pt/C with less Pt loading and higher mass activity. It has been proved by experimentation and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations that the promotion of catalytic activity not only benefits from the synergistic effect of Pt and edge active sites, but also contributes to the increased potential at the edges of the designed defect. This study sheds light on the mechanism of understanding nanoscale edge-doped hybrid catalysts and provides a feasible strategy for the full utilization of noble metals.

A Polymer/Graphene Composite Cathode with Active Carbonyls and Secondary Amine Moieties for High-Performance Aqueous Zn-Organic Batteries Involving Dual-Ion Mechanism.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as one of the most promising alternative technology to lithium-ion batteries on account of their low flammability and cost-benefits. Among various cathode materials in AZIBs, environment-friendly and sustainable organic electrode materials stand out owing to their structural diversity and tunability. However, their limited rate capability and cycle stability remain the obstacles to their further application in AZIBs. Herein, a mixed cathode design strategy including polymerization and carbon materials hybridization is adopted to assemble high-rate and durable AZIBs. Specifically, a polymer/graphene composite cathode with active carbonyls and secondary amine moieties is prepared to construct high-performance aqueous Zn-organic batteries. Furthermore, a hybrid energy storage mechanism involving dual-ion mechanism is confirmed by various ex situ characterization techniques, providing promising battery chemistry. Thus, this work opens up a new path to high performance AZIBs through a rational cathode design.

Precursor-Transformation Strategy Preparation of CuPx Nanodots-Decorated CoP3 Nanowires Hybrid Catalysts for Boosting pH-Universal Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The development of earth-abundant, low cost, and versatile electrocatalysts for producing hydrogen from water electrolysis is still challenging. Herein, based on high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of transition metal phosphides, a CoP3 nanowire decorated with copper phosphides (denoted as CuPx ) nanodots structures synthesized through a simple and easily scalable precursor-transformation strategy is reported as a highly efficient HER catalyst. By decorating with CuPx nanodots, the optimized CoP3 nanowires electrode exhibits excellent catalytic activity and long-term durability for HER in alkaline conditions, achieving a low overpotential of 49.5 mV at a geometrical catalytic current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a small Tafel slope of 58.0 mV dec-1 , while also performing quite well in neutral and acidic media. Moreover, its overall performance exceeds most of the reported state-of-the-art catalysts, especially under high current density of 100 mA cm-2 , demonstrating its potential as a promising versatile pH universal electrocatalyst for efficient water electrolysis. These results indicate that the incorporation of earth-abundant stable element copper can significantly enhance catalytic activity, which widens the application range of copper and provides a new path for design and selection of HER catalysts.

Amorphous Sn/Crystalline SnS2 Nanosheets via In Situ Electrochemical Reduction Methodology for Highly Efficient Ambient N2 Fixation.

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) as a new strategy for synthesizing ammonia has attracted ever-growing attention, due to its renewability, flexibility, and sustainability. However, the lack of efficient electrocatalysts has hampered the development of such reactions. Herein, a series of amorphous Sn/crystalline SnS2 (Sn/SnS2 ) nanosheets by an L-cysteine-based hydrothermal process, followed by in situ electrochemical reduction, are synthesized. The amount of reduced amorphous Sn can be adjusted by selecting electrolytes with different pH values. The optimized Sn/SnS2 catalyst can achieve a high ammonia yield of 23.8 µg h-1 mg-1 , outperforming most reported noble-metal NRR electrocatalysts. According to the electrochemical tests, the conversion of SnS2 to an amorphous Sn phase leads to the substantial increase of its catalytic activity, while the amorphous Sn is identified as the active phase. These results provide a guideline for a rational design of low-cost and highly active Sn-based catalysts thus paving a wider path for NRR.

Surface Tension Components Based Selection of Cosolvents for Efficient Liquid Phase Exfoliation of 2D Materials.

A proper design of direct liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) for 2D materials as graphene, MoS2 , WS2 , h-BN, Bi2 Se3 , MoSe2 , SnS2 , and TaS2 with common cosolvents is carried out based on considering the polar and dispersive components of surface tensions of various cosolvents and 2D materials. It has been found that the exfoliation efficiency is enhanced by matching the ratio of surface tension components of cosolvents to that of the targeted 2D materials, based on which common cosolvents composed of IPA/water, THF/water, and acetone/water can be designed for sufficient LPE process. In this context, the library of low-toxic and low-cost solvents with low boiling points for LPE is infinitely enlarged when extending to common cosolvents. Polymer-based composites reinforced with a series of different 2D materials are compared with each other. It is demonstrated that the incorporation of cosolvents-exfoliated 2D materials can substantially improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polymer matrices. Typically, with the addition of 0.5 wt% of such 2D material as MoS2 nanosheets, the tensile strength and Young's modulus increased up to 74.85% and 136.97%, respectively. The different enhancement effect of 2D materials is corresponded to the intrinsic properties and LPE capacity of 2D materials.

Fibrin sealants for the prevention of postoperative pancreatic fistula following pancreatic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula is one of the most frequent and potentially life-threatening complications following pancreatic resections. Fibrin sealants are introduced to reduce postoperative pancreatic fistula by some surgeons. However, the use of fibrin sealants during pancreatic surgery is controversial. OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety, effectiveness, and potential adverse effects of fibrin sealants for the prevention of postoperative pancreatic fistula following pancreatic surgery. SEARCH METHODS: We searched The Cochrane Library (2015, Issue 7), MEDLINE (1946 to 26 August 2015), EMBASE (1980 to 26 August 2015), Science Citation Index Expanded (1900 to 26 August 2015), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) (1978 to 26 August 2015). SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomized controlled trials that compared fibrin sealant group (fibrin glue or fibrin sealant patch) versus control group (no fibrin sealant or placebo) in people undergoing pancreatic surgery. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently identified the trials for inclusion, collected the data, and assessed the risk of bias. We performed the meta-analyses using Review Manager 5. We calculated the risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous outcomes (or a Peto odds ratio for very rare outcomes), and the mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: We included nine trials involving 1095 participants who were randomized to the fibrin sealant group (N = 550) and the control group (N = 545) after pancreatic surgery. All of the trials were at high risk of bias. There was no evidence of differences in overall postoperative pancreatic fistula (fibrin sealant 29.6%; control 31.0%; RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.21; P = 0.58; nine studies; low-quality evidence), postoperative mortality (3.1% versus 2.1%; Peto OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.59 to 2.82; P = 0.53; eight studies; very low-quality evidence), overall postoperative morbidity (29.6% versus 28.9%; RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.32; P = 0.77; five studies), reoperation rate (8.7% versus 10.7%; RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.21; P = 0.29; five studies), or length of hospital stay (12.9 days versus 13.1 days; MD -0.73 days, 95% CI -2.20 to 0.74; P = 0.331; six studies) between the groups. The proportion of postoperative pancreatic fistula that was clinically significant was not mentioned in most trials. On inclusion of trials that clearly distinguished clinically significant fistulas, there was inadequate evidence to establish the effect of fibrin sealants on clinically significant postoperative pancreatic fistula (9.4% versus 13.4%; RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.21; P = 0.21; three studies). Quality of life and cost effectiveness were not reported in any of the trials. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current available evidence, fibrin sealants do not seem to prevent postoperative pancreatic fistula in people undergoing pancreatic surgery.

Liquid Phase Exfoliation of Two-Dimensional Materials by Directly Probing and Matching Surface Tension Components.

Exfoliation of two-dimensional (2D) materials into mono- or few layers is of significance for both fundamental studies and potential applications. In this report, for the first time surface tension components were directly probed and matched to predict solvents with effective liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) capability for 2D materials such as graphene, h-BN, WS2, MoS2, MoSe2, Bi2Se3, TaS2, and SnS2. Exfoliation efficiency is enhanced when the ratios of the surface tension components of the applied solvent is close to that of the 2D material in question. We enlarged the library of low-toxic and common solvents for LPE. Our study provides distinctive insight into LPE and has pioneered a rational strategy for LPE of 2D materials with high yield.

The impact of various antiplatelet strategies on the incidence of gouty arthritis in hospitalized patients with acute cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVES: 1.To explore the incidence of concurrent gouty arthritis (GA) during hospitalization in patients with different subtypes of acute stroke. 2.To investigate disparities in acute cerebral infarction patients with coexisting GA undergoing various antiplatelet strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from acute stroke patients admitted to the Affiliated Panyu Central Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, from January 2019 to December 2021, underwent screening. The incidence of GA in acute stroke patients of various subtypes were analyzed. Subsequently, we divided cerebral infarction cases into three cohorts based on distinct antiplatelet therapies: the aspirin group, the dual antiplatelet therapy group (DAPT，aspirin plus clopidogrel), and the clopidogrel group. Investigate disparities in acute cerebral infarction patients with coexisting GA undergoing various antiplatelet strategies. RESULTS: A total of 12,381 patients with acute stroke were screened in this study. The incidence of GA in various subtypes of acute stroke was as follows: cerebral infarction (3.56 %, n = 9890), TIA (1.81 %, n = 443), cerebral hemorrhag (0.64 %, n = 1713), and SAH (0.30 %, n = 335). The incidence of GA in patients with ischemic stroke is higher than that of hemorrhagic stroke (χ2 = 49.258, p<0.001). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of GA among three different antiplatelet therapy groups. But there was marginal statistical difference in the incidence of GA between the aspirin group and the DAPT group (P = 0.051), as well as between the clopidogrel group and the DAPT group (P = 0.059). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of GA in patients with ischemic stroke is higher than that of hemorrhagic stroke. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of GA in acute cerebral infarction across various antiplatelet Strategies. The marginal statistical difference in the incidence of GA between the single antiplatelet group and the DAPT group requires further investigation.

Hierarchical Ohmic Contact Interface Engineering for Efficient Hydrazine-Assisted Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Hydrazine oxidation reaction coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an effective strategy to achieve low energy water splitting for hydrogen production. In order to realize the application of hydrazine-assisted HER system, researchers have been focusing on the development of electrocatalysts with integrated dual active sites, while the performance under high current density is still unsatisfying. In this work, hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering is designed and used as a bridge between the NiMo and Ni2 P heterojunction toward industrial current density applications, with the charge transfer impedance greatly eliminated via such a pathway with low energy barrier. As a proof-of-concept, the importance of charge redistribution and energy barrier at the Ohmic contact interface is investigated by significantly reducing the voltage of overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) at high current density. Intriguingly, the NiMo/Ni2 P hierarchical Ohmic contact heterojunction can drive current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm-2 with only 181 and 343 mV cell voltage in the OHzS electrolyzer with high electrocatalytic stability. The proposed hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering paves new avenue for hydrogen production with low energy consumption.

Scalable Customization of Crystallographic Plane Controllable Lithium Metal Anodes for Ultralong-Lasting Lithium Metal Batteries.

A formidable challenge to achieve the practical applications of rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries (RLMBs) is to suppress the uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites. One of the most effective solutions is to fabricate Li metal anodes with specific crystal plane, but still lack of a simple and high-efficient approach. Herein, a facile and controllable way for the scalable customization of polished Li metal anodes with highly preferred (110) and (200) crystallographic orientation (donating as polished Li(110) and polished Li(200), respectively) by regulating the times of accumulative roll bonding, is reported. According to the inherent characteristics of polished Li(110)/Li(200), the influence of Li atomic structure on the electrochemical performance of RLMBs is deeply elucidated by combining theoretical calculations with relative experimental proofs. In particular, a polished Li(110) crystal plane is demonstrated to induce Li+ uniform deposition, promoting the formation of flat and dense Li deposits. Impressively, the polished Li(110)||LiFePO4 full cells exhibit unprecedented cycling stability with 10 000 cycles at 10 C almost without capacity degradation, indicating the great potential application prospect of such textured Li metal. More valuably, this work provides an important reference for low-cost, continued, and large-scale production of Li metal anodes with highly preferred crystal orientation through roll-to-roll manufacturability.

Potential Antioxidative Activity of Homocysteine in Erythrocytes under Oxidative Stress.

Homocysteine is an amino acid containing a free sulfhydryl group, making it probably contribute to the antioxidative capacity in the body. We recently found that plasma total homocysteine (total-Hcy) concentration increased with time when whole blood samples were kept at room temperature. The present study was to elucidate how increased plasma total-Hcy is produced and explore the potential physiological role of homocysteine. Erythrocytes and leukocytes were separated and incubated in vitro; the amount of total-Hcy released by these two kinds of cells was then determined by HPLC-MS. The effects of homocysteine and methionine on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, osmotic fragility, and methemoglobin formation in erythrocytes under oxidative stress were studied. The reducing activities of homocysteine and methionine were tested by ferryl hemoglobin (Hb) decay assay. As a result, it was discovered that erythrocytes metabolized methionine to homocysteine, which was then oxidized within the cells and released to the plasma. Homocysteine and its precursor methionine could significantly decrease Rosup-induced ROS production in erythrocytes and inhibit Rosup-induced erythrocyte's osmotic fragility increase and methemoglobin formation. Homocysteine (but not methionine) was demonstrated to enhance ferryl Hb reduction. In conclusion, erythrocytes metabolize methionine to homocysteine, which contributes to the antioxidative capability under oxidative stress and might be a supplementary protective factor for erythrocytes against ROS damage.

Giant teratoma with isolated intestinal duplication in adult: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: A combination of diseases is a rare phenomenon. Their clinical manifestations can vary, and the diagnosis can be challenging. Intestinal duplication is a rare congenital malformation, whereas retroperitoneal teratoma is a tumor in the retroperitoneal space, derived from the remaining embryonic tissue. There are relatively few clinical findings on adult retroperitoneal benign tumors. It is hard to believe that these two rare diseases can happen to the same person. CASE SUMMARY: A 19-year-old woman complaining of abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting was admitted. Abdominal computed tomography angiography was suggested for invasive teratoma. Intraoperative exploration revealed that the giant teratoma was connected to an isolated intestinal tract in the retroperitoneum. The postoperative pathological examination revealed that mature giant teratoma was present with intestinal duplication. This was a rare intraoperative finding that was successfully treated surgically. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations of intestinal duplication malformation are various, and difficult to diagnose before the operation. The possibility of intestinal replication should be considered when intraperitoneal cystic lesions are present.

Plant Transpiration-Inspired Biomass-Based Device with Underwater Oleophobicity for Efficient General-Purpose Solar-Driven Oily Wastewater Purification.

The remediation of wastewater containing oily pollutants is imperative to mitigate the serious threats posed to the safety of fresh water, human well-being, and the environment. Current membrane separation technologies are severely restricted by their limitations for separating various types of oily pollutants with low sustainability. Herein, by imitating the plant transpiration in nature, we designed a solar-driven device composed of natural biomass sugar cane stem, chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose, and graphite powders to separate versatile oily pollutants from the wastewater. Owing to its superior solar absorption capacity, microchannels for water transportation, and underwater oleophobicity, the resultant evaporator not only exhibited an excellent evaporation rate of 1.41 kg m-2 h-1 but also demonstrated an admirable purification efficiency of 99.9% for oily wastewater. Moreover, the device can maintain a stable evaporation rate and the original structure even in oily wastewater containing strong acid, alkali, or hypersaline components. Therefore, this work provides an effective approach to producing clean water from versatile wastewater.

Anion-Immobilized Gel Polymer Electrolyte with a High Ion Transference Number for High-Performance Lithium/Sodium Metal Batteries.

Due to their high energy density, lithium/sodium metal batteries (LMBs/SMBs) are expected to be the next generation of energy storage systems. However, the further application of alkali metal batteries based on liquid electrolytes is limited due to increasing safety concerns. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), which combine the advantages of the high ionic conductivity of liquid electrolytes and excellent mechanical properties of solid polymer electrolytes, are considered to play an irreplaceable role in the realization of high-performance alkali metal batteries. In this work, a flexible boron-containing GPE (B-GPE) with a cross-linked polymer network structure is prepared by a UV-induced process. The as-prepared B-GPE exhibits good ionic conductivity and has an extremely high ion transference number due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the boron moiety and the facile electrolyte uptake ability of the ethylene oxide chain. Furthermore, a "gentle" electrode/electrolyte contact is designed by a one-step in situ polymerization method, which can enhance ion transport within the electrode and at the electrode/electrolyte interface due to the presence of a continuous polymer phase for ion conduction. Therefore, LMBs and SMBs containing B-GPE are able to effectively inhibit the growth of dendrites while exhibiting excellent cycling stability. These comprehensive results indicate that this novel B-GPE possesses potential applications for high-performance alkali metal batteries.

Aloin Attenuates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice: Possible Role of TGF-ß/Smad Signaling.

Liver fibrosis refers to the excessive buildup of extracellular matrix (ECM) components in liver tissue. It is considered a pathological response to liver damage for which there is no effective treatment. Aloin, an anthraquinone compound isolated from the aloe plant, has shown good pharmacological effects in the treatment of gastric cancer, ulcerative colitis, myocardial hypertrophy, traumatic brain injury, and other diseases; however, its specific impact on liver fibrosis remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a study to explore the mechanisms underlying the potential antifibrotic effect of aloin. We constructed a mouse liver fibrosis model using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) dissolved in olive oil as a modeling drug. Additionally, a cellular model was developed by using transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) as a stimulus applied to hepatic stellate cells. After aloin intervention, serum alanine aminotransferase, hepatic hydroxyproline, and serum aspartate aminotransferase were reduced in mice after aloin intervention compared to CCl4-mediated liver injury without aloin intervention. Aloin relieved the oxidative stress caused by CCl4 via reducing hepatic malondialdehyde in liver tissue and increasing the level of superoxide dismutase. Aloin treatment decreased interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α and increased the expression of IL-10, which inhibited the inflammatory response in liver injury. In addition, aloin inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and reduced the level of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I. In cell and animal experiments, aloin attenuated liver fibrosis, acting through the TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signaling pathway, and mitigated CCl4- and TGF-ß1-induced inflammation. Thus, the findings of this study provided theoretical data support and a new possible treatment strategy for liver fibrosis.

Deciphering the role of LiNO3 additives in Li-S batteries.

The ultrahigh theoretical energy density of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has attracted intensive research interest. However, most of the long-term cycling performance parameters are strongly dependent on the utilization of the electrolyte, which is considered as an indispensable component in Li-S batteries. Over the past few decades, numerous research studies around LiNO3 as an electrolyte additive have been carried out and have been confirmed to significantly upgrade the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries, but the mechanism of performance improvement is still not well-understood. In this minireview, we revisit the controversial issues surrounding LiNO3 based on recent representative studies, provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of LiNO3 in the Li-S battery system, and specifically discuss what the panoramic view of the solid electrolyte interface film formed by LiNO3 on the surface of Li metal anodes looks like. Finally, we present general conclusions and unique insights into the future development of Li-S batteries. This minireview aims to provide a tutorial reference for researchers who are ready to enter or are active in the field of Li-S batteries.