Quasi-solid-state potassium-ion batteries (SSPIBs) are of great potential for commercial use due to the abundant reserves and cost-effectiveness of resources, as well as high safety. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with high ionic conductivity and fast interfacial charge transport are necessary for SSPIBs. Here, the weak electrostatic force between K+ and electronegative functional groups in the ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA) polymer chains, which can promote fast migration of free K+ , is revealed. To further enhance the interfacial reaction kinetics, a multilayered GPE by in situ growth of poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) on ETPTA (PVDF-HFP|ETPTA|PVDF-HFP) is constructed to improve the interface contact and provide sufficient K+ concentration in PVDF-HFP. A high ion transference number (0.92) and a superior ionic conductivity (5.15 × 10-3 S cm-1 ) are achieved. Consequently, the SSPIBs with both intercalation-type (PB) and conversion-type (PTCDA) cathodes show the best battery performance among all reported SSPIBs of the same cathode. These findings demonstrate that potassium-ion batteries have the potential to surpass Li/Na ion batteries in solid-state systems.
The two-dimensional (2D) MXenes with sufficient interlayer spacing are promising cathode materials for aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), yet the electrostatic repulsion effect between the surface negative charges and the active anions (AlCl4 - ) hinders the intercalation of AlCl4 - and is usually ignored. Here, we propose a charge regulation strategy for MXene cathodes to overcome this challenge. By doping N and Co, the zeta potential is gradually transformed from negative (Ti3 C2 Tx ) to near-neutral (Ti3 CNTx ), and finally positive (Ti3 CNTx @Co). Therefore, the electrostatic repulsion force can be greatly weakened between Ti3 CNTx and AlCl4 - , or even formed a strong electrostatic attraction between Ti3 CNTx @Co and AlCl4 - , which can not only accommodate more AlCl4 - ions in the Ti3 CNTx @Co interlayers to increase the capacity, but also solve the stacking and expansion problems. As a result, the optimized Al-MXene battery exhibits an ultrahigh capacity of up to 240â mAh g-1 (2-4â times the capacity of graphite cathode, 60-120â mAh g-1 ) and a potential ultrahigh energy density (432â Wh kg-1 , 2-4â times the value of graphite, 110-220â Wh kg-1 ) based on the mass of cathode materials, comparable to LiFePO4 -based lithium-ion batteries (350-450â Wh kg-1 , based on the mass of LiFePO4 ).
Iron is a necessary trace element in the human body, and it participates in many physiological processes. Disorders of iron metabolism can cause lesions in many tissues and organs, including bone. Recently, iron has gained attention as an independent factor influencing bone metabolism disorders, especially the involvement of iron overload in osteoporosis. The aim of this review was to summarize the findings from clinical and animal model research regarding the involvement of iron in bone metabolism disorders and to elucidate the mechanisms behind iron overload and osteoporosis. Lastly, we aimed to describe the association between bone loss and iron overload. We believe that a reduction in iron accumulation can be used as an alternative treatment to assist in the treatment of osteoporosis, to improve bone mass, and to improve the quality of life of patients.
Iron Overload , Osteoporosis , Animals , Humans , Iron/metabolism , Quality of Life , Iron Overload/complications , Bone and Bones/metabolism , Osteoporosis/drug therapy , Osteoporosis/etiology , Osteoporosis/metabolism
Electrocatalysts with low Pt loading mass to achieve high current density (≥1 A cm-2) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are still extremely challenging due to the limited intrinsic activity and weak stability of catalytic sites. The modulation of the electronic microenvironment of the support-Pt structure is crucial to enhance the intrinsic activity and stability of catalytic sites. Herein, an innovative titanium oxycarbide (TiVCO) solid solution with Ti vacancies (TiV) is proposed as support to anchor sub-nanoscale Pt atomic clusters (Pt ACs) and a stable "TiV-Pt ACs" structure is carefully designed. The electronic microenvironment of "TiV-Pt ACs" is indirectly optimized by an unsaturated C/O site near TiV. Thanks to this, novel "TiV-Pt ACs" structure (Pt@TiVCO) with low Pt loading mass (2.44 wt.%) exhibits excellent HER activity in acidic solution and the mass activity is more than ten times that of commercial 20% Pt/C at the overpotentials of 50 and 100 mV. Particularly, Pt@TiVCO shows amazing stability at high and fluctuating current density of 1-2 A cm-2 for 120 h. This work provides a novel and promising method to develop stable and low-loading Pt-based catalysts adapting to high current density.
Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is a pattern-recognition molecule that plays a crucial role in innate immunity. MBL deficiency correlates with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully defined. Here, we established a CKD model in wild-type (WT) and MBL-deficient (MBL-/-) mice via unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The result showed that MBL deficiency aggravated the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis in CKD mice. Strikingly, the in vivo macrophage depletion investigation revealed that macrophages play an essential role in the MBL-mediated suppression of renal fibrosis. We found that MBL limited the progression of macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition (MMT) in kidney tissues of UUO mice. Further in vitro study showed that MBL-/- macrophages exhibited significantly increased levels of fibrotic-related molecules compared with WT cells upon transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) stimulation. We demonstrated that MBL inhibited the MMT process by suppressing the production of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and activation of Akt signaling. In summary, our study revealed an expected role of MBL on macrophage transition during renal fibrosis, thus offering new insight into the potential of MBL as a therapeutic target for CKD.
Molten salt electrochemistry has been widely used in many fields, especially for metal extraction/refinement. The understanding of mass transfer in molten salts under harsh operation conditions is of great importance to reveal reaction mechanisms and advance fine technologies. It has been generally assumed that natural convection is negligible in stagnant molten salt electrochemistry. Herein, we report an abnormal natural convection in molten LiCl-KCl, with the arising time from 2.37 s at 873 K to 10.13 s at 673 K. Using the concentration correction factor, the derived thickness of the natural convection-diffusion layer (δconv.) was found to be ranging from 128 to 163 µm, much thinner than those in aqueous solutions (â¼200 µm). The simulations showed that the notable natural convection resulted from convection-diffusion layer (CDL) convection dominated over the density-driven convection even at high redox concentrations, implying the severe vibration of molten salt systems. To suppress the intense natural convection, we predicted that the use of microelectrodes (with radii less than 23.2 µm for δconv. = 150 µm) would be a promising tool, regardless of their inferior stabilities in high-temperature molten salts at this stage. These innovative findings offer insights into the impact of natural convection on mass transfer in molten salts that have not been previously revealed.
Al batteries have great potential for renewable energy storage owing to their low cost, high capacity, and safety. High energy density and adaptability to fluctuating electricity are major challenges. Here, a lightweight Al battery for fast storage of fluctuating energy is constructed based on a novel hierarchical porous dendrite-free carbon aerogel film (CAF) anode and an integrated graphite composite carbon aerogel film (GCAF) cathode. A new induced mechanism by the O-containing functional groups on the CAF anode is con-firmed for uniform Al deposition. The GCAF cathode possesses a higher mass utilization ratio due to the extremely high loading mass (9.5-10.0 mg cm-2 ) of graphite materials compared to conventional coated cathodes. Meanwhile, the volume expansion of the GCAF cathode is almost negligible, resulting in better cycling stability. The lightweight CAFâGCAF full battery can adapt well to large and fluctuating current densities owing to its hierarchical porous structure. A large discharge capacity (115.6 mAh g-1 ) after 2000 cycles and a short charge time (7.0 min) at a high current density are obtained. The construction strategy of lightweight Al batteries based on carbon aerogel electrodes can promote the breakthrough of high-energy-density Al batteries adapted to the fast storage of fluctuating renewable energy.
Nearly half of the elements in the periodic table are extracted, refined, or plated using electrodeposition in high-temperature melts. However, operando observations and tuning of the electrodeposition process during realistic electrolysis operations are extremely difficult due to severe reaction conditions and complicated electrolytic cell, which makes the improvement of the process very blind and inefficient. Here, we developed a multipurpose operando high-temperature electrochemical instrument that combines operando Raman microspectroscopy analysis, optical microscopy imaging, and a tunable magnetic field. Subsequently, the electrodeposition of Ti-which is a typical polyvalent metal and generally shows a very complex electrode process-was used to verify the stability of the instrument. The complex multistep cathodic process of Ti in the molten salt at 823 K was systematically analyzed by a multidimensional operando analysis strategy involving multiple experimental studies, theoretical calculations, etc. The regulatory effect and its corresponding scale-span mechanism of the magnetic field on the electrodeposition process of Ti were also elucidated, which would be inaccessible with existing experimental techniques and is significant for the real-time and rational optimization of the process. Overall, this work established a powerful and universal methodology for in-depth analysis of high-temperature electrochemistry.
Graphite has been used in a wide range of applications since the discovery due to its great chemical stability, excellent electrical conductivity, availability, and ease of processing. However, the synthesis of graphite materials still remains energy-intensive as they are usually produced through a high-temperature treatment (>3000°C). Herein, we introduce a molten salt electrochemical approach utilizing carbon dioxide (CO2) or amorphous carbons as raw precursors for graphite synthesis. With the assistance of molten salts, the processes can be conducted at moderate temperatures (700-850°C). The mechanisms of the electrochemical conversion of CO2 and amorphous carbons into graphitic materials are presented. Furthermore, the factors that affect the graphitization degree of the prepared graphitic products, such as molten salt composition, working temperature, cell voltage, additives, and electrodes, are discussed. The energy storage applications of these graphitic carbons in batteries and supercapacitors are also summarized. Moreover, the energy consumption and cost estimation of the processes are reviewed, which provides perspectives on the large-scale synthesis of graphitic carbons using this molten salt electrochemical strategy.
BACKGROUND: Trichomonas vaginalis is a widespread and important sexually transmitted pathogen. Adherence to the surface of the host cell is the precondition for the parasitism and pathogenicity of this parasite. Trichomonas vaginalis adhesion protein 33 (TvAP33) plays a key role in the process of adhesion, but how this protein mediates the adhesion and pathogenicity of T. vaginalis to host cells is unclear. METHODS: The expression of TvAP33 in trophozoites was knocked down by small interfering RNA. VK2/E6E7 cells and mice infected with T. vaginalis were used to evaluate the pathogenicity of T. vaginalis. We constructed a complementary DNA library of VK2/E6E7 cells and screened the protein molecules interacting with TvAP33 by the yeast two-hybrid system. The interaction between TvAP33 and BNIP3 (Bcl-2 interacting protein 3) was analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization. RESULTS: Following knockdown of TvAP33 expression, the number of T. vaginalis trophozoites adhering to VK2/E6E7 cells decreased significantly, and the inhibition of VK2/E6E7 cell proliferation and VK2/E6E7 cell apoptosis and death induced by T. vaginalis were reduced. Animal challenge experiments showed that the pathogenicity of trophozoites decreased following passive immunization with TvAP33 antiserum or blocking of the TvAP33 protein. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that TvAP33 could bind to VK2/E6E7 cells. Eighteen protein molecules interacting with TvAP33 were identified by the yeast two-hybrid system. The interaction between TvAP33 and BNIP3 was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization. When the expression of both TvAP33 and BNIP3 in trophozoites was knocked down by small RNA interference, the number of T. vaginalis adhering to VK2/E6E7 cells and the inhibition of VK2/E6E7 cell proliferation were significantly lower compared to trophozoites with only knockdown of TvAP33 or only BNIP3. Therefore, the interaction of TvAP33 and BNIP3 in the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis infecting host cells is not unique and involves other molecules. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the interaction between TvAP33 and BNIP3 mediated the adhesion and pathogenicity of T. vaginalis to host cells, providing a basis for searching for drug targets for T. vaginalis as well as new ideas for the prevention and treatment of trichomoniasis.
Trichomonas Infections , Trichomonas vaginalis , Animals , Mice , Trichomonas vaginalis/genetics , Virulence , Trophozoites
C2H2 and H2, as important chemical and energy raw materials, can be produced effectively and environmentally friendly by the partial oxidation (POX) of CH4. Simultaneous analysis of intermediate gas compositions in the multiprocess (cracking, recovery, degassing, etc) of POX can regulate product generation and improve production efficiency. To overcome the disadvantage of common gas chromatography, we propose a fluorescence noise eliminating fiber-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (FNEFERS) technique for simultaneous and multiprocess analysis of the POX process, in which the fluorescence noise eliminating (FNE) method can effectively eliminate the horizontal and vertical spatial noise to ensure ppm level limits of detection (LOD). The vibration modes of gas compositions related to each POX process such as cracked gas, synthesis gas, and product acetylene are analyzed. Meanwhile, the composition of three-process intermediate sample gases from Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical Co., Ltd is quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed simultaneously, along with the ppm level LODs (H2: 11.2 ppm, C2H2: 3.1 ppm, CO2: 9.4 ppm, C2H4: 4.8 ppm, CH4: 1.5 ppm, CO: 17.9 ppm, allene: 1.5 ppm, methyl acetylene: 2.6 ppm, 1,3-butadiene: 2.8 ppm) with a laser power of 180 mW, exposure time of 30 s, and accuracy of higher than 95.2%. This study fully demonstrates the ability of FNEFERS to replace gas chromatography to achieve simultaneous and multiprocess analysis of intermediate compositions for C2H2 and H2 production and to monitor other chemical and energy production processes.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a tricky neurodegenerative disease characterized with motor deficits and gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Gut microbiota disturbance is reported to be involved in the clinical phenotypes of PD and its pathogenesis through the brain-gut-microbiota axis. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol that possesses various biological activities in alleviating many diseases, including PD. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of gut microbiota in resveratrol-treated PD mice. A chronic mouse model of PD was generated via the injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and probenecid (MPTP/P) for 5 consecutive weeks. Resveratrol was orally administered once a day (30 mg kg-1 d-1) for a total of 8 weeks. From the 6th week to the 8th week, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed from resveratrol-treated PD mice to PD mice to evaluate the contribution of resveratrol-shaped microbiota in the alleviation of PD. The results showed that FMT from resveratrol-shaped microbiota remarkably alleviated the mice phenotype from PD progression, including increased latency in the rotarod, shortened beam walking time, increased the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and enriched TH-positive fiber density in the striatum. Further experiments revealed that FMT could ameliorate the GI dysfunction by increasing the small intestinal transport rate and the colon length, decreasing the relative abundances of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß) in colon epithelial tissue. The 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that FMT attenuated the gut microbial dysbiosis in PD mice by increasing the abundances of Prevotellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Blautia and Alistipes, lowering the ratio of Fimicutes/Bacteroidetes, and decreasing the abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Akkermansia. Therefore, results in this study demonstrated that gut microbiota played a vital role in the prevention of PD progression, and the shaping of the gut microbiota was the pharmacological mechanism of resveratrol in alleviating the phenotype of Parkinson's disease in PD mice.
Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Neurodegenerative Diseases , Parkinson Disease , Animals , Mice , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Resveratrol/therapeutic use , Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Disease Models, Animal , 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
BACKGROUND: Melanoma, a highly malignant skin cancer, is a hot topic in oncology treatment research. Nowadays, tumor immunotherapy, especially immunotherapy combined with other therapies, has attracted more and more attention. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), a ratelimiting enzyme of the tryptophan metabolism pathway in the urine of dogs with immunosuppression, is highly expressed in melanoma tissue. Additionally, IDO2 significantly inhibits the anti-tumor immunity of the body and has become a novel target of melanoma treatment. Nifuroxazide, as an intestinal antibacterial agent, was found to be able to inhibit Stat3 expression and exert an anti-tumor effect. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effect of a self-designed IDO2-small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered by attenuated Salmonella combined with nifuroxazide on melanoma- bearing mice, as well as determine its underlying mechanism. METHODS: The effect of nifuroxazide on melanoma was detected by flow cytometry, CCK-8 and colony- forming ability assays, respectively, in vitro. The plasmid of siRNA-IDO2 was constructed, and the mice-bearing melanoma model was established. After the treatment, the tumor growth and survival rate were monitored, and the morphological changes of tumor tissue were detected by HE staining. The expression of related proteins was detected by Western blotting, and the expression of CD4 and CD8 positive T cells in tumor tissue was detected by IHC and IF, and the proportion of CD4 and CD8 positive T cells in spleen was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the combination therapy effectively inhibited the phosphorylation of Stat3 and the expression level of IDO2 in melanoma cells, which effectively inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The mechanistic study revealed that, compared with control groups and monotherapy groups, the combination treatment group reduced the atypia of tumor cells, increased the apoptotic rate, enhanced the infiltration of T lymphocytes in tumor tissue and increased the CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleen, suggesting that the mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, the increase of apoptosis and the enhancement of the cellular immunity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, IDO2-siRNA combined with nifuroxazide therapy could serve a significant role in the treatment of melanoma-bearing mice, enhance the tumor immunity and provide an experimental basis for identifying a novel combination method for the treatment of melanoma clinically.
Melanoma , Nitrofurans , Animals , Mice , Dogs , RNA, Small Interfering/genetics , Melanoma/drug therapy , Nitrofurans/pharmacology , Nitrofurans/therapeutic use , Hydroxybenzoates/pharmacology , Hydroxybenzoates/therapeutic use , Cell Line, Tumor
The petroleum coke (PC) has been widely used as raw materials for the preparation of electrodes in aluminium electrolysis and lithium-ion batteries (LIB), during which massive CO2 gases are produced. To meet global CO2 reduction, an environmentally friendly route for utilizing PC is highly required. Here, a simple, scalable, catalyst-free process that can directly convert high-sulfur PC into graphitic nanomaterials under cathodic polarization in molten CaCl2 -LiCl at mild temperatures is proposed. The energy consumption of the proposed process is calculated to be 3 627.08 kWh t-1 , half that of the traditional graphitization process (≈7,825.21 kWh t-1 graphite). When applied as a negative electrode for LIBs, the as-converted graphite materials deliver a competitive specific capacity of ≈360 mAh g-1 (0.2 C) compared with commercial graphite. This approach has great potential to scale up for sustainably converting low-value PC into high-quality graphite for energy storage.
Iron group metals chalcogenides, especially NiS, are promising candidates for K-ion battery anodes due to their high theoretical specific capacity and abundant reserves. However, the practical application of NiS-based anodes is hindered by slow electrochemical kinetics and unstable structure. Herein, a novel structure of Ni3 S2 -Ni hybrid nanosphere with intra-core voids encapsulated by N-doped carbon shells (Ni3 S2 -Ni@NC-AE) is constructed, based on the first electrodeposited NiS nanosphere particles, dopamine coating outer layer, oxygen-free annealing treatment to form Ni3 S2 -Ni core and N-doped carbon shell, and selective etching of the Ni phase to form intra-core void. The electron/K+ transport and K+ storage reaction kinetics are enhanced due to shortened diffusion pathways, increased active sites, generation of built-in electric field, high K+ adsorption energies, and large electronic density of states at Fermi energy level, resulting from the multi-structures synergistic effect of Ni3 S2 -Ni@NC-AE. Simultaneously, the volume expansion is alleviated due to the sufficient buffer space and strong chemical bonding provided by intra-core void and yolk-shell structure. Consequently, the Ni3 S2 -Ni@NC-AE exhibits excellent specific capacity (438 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 up to 150 cycles), outstanding rate performances, and ultra-stable long-cycle performance (176.4 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 up to 5000 cycles) for K-ion storage.
Avermectin is a widely used insecticide, and it is mainly effective against animal parasites and insects. Given its extensive use in agriculture, a large amount of avermectin is accumulated in natural waters. Avermectin is a neurotoxin that affects the autonomous behavior of zebrafish and inhibits neurological responses in invertebrates via GABA-chloride channels. In this study, we used zebrafish as a model organism to explore the lethal teratogenic effects of different avermectin concentrations. We found that 50-µg/L avermectin could cause significant malformation abnormalities during the development of zebrafish heart, changes in heart rate, and significant reduction in hatching rate and body length. Transcriptome data revealed that 499 genes were upregulated and 877 genes were downregulated at 72 h post-fertilization (hpf), whereas 1805 genes were upregulated and 836 genes were downregulated at 120 hpf. According to gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, avermectin affected cardiac circulation and myocardial fiber development. KEGG analysis revealed that avermectin treatment significantly altered the activity of signal pathways associated with cardiac rhythm and vascular smooth muscle contraction. The main target of avermectin was identified as the heart, as it affected heart development and function by altering cardiac-related gene expression that led to a heart defect phenotype. Our findings indicate that developing zebrafish are sensitive to avermectin, which targets the heart.
Cardiotoxicity , Zebrafish , Animals , Cardiotoxicity/metabolism , Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism , Ivermectin/metabolism , Embryonic Development , Embryo, Nonmammalian
A novel magnetic core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2@CdS embedded graphene oxide (GO) composite was prepared for the visible-light-driven photodegradation of high ring number polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The potential application of GO-Fe3O4@SiO2@CdS was evaluated through the photodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene in deionized water, tap water, and lake water, respectively. It was found that GO-Fe3O4@SiO2@CdS could remove 86.4 % of phenanthrene and 93.4 % of pyrene, suggesting its potential for the degradation of high-ring number PAHs. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that pyrene has more active sites attacked by free radicals. The photoelectrochemical measurement and quenching experiments indicate that GO can transfer photoelectrons efficiently, resulting in the crucial radicals (O2-, OH and 1O2). More importantly, the photocatalytic activity kept almost constant during five cycles, confirming the significant anti-photocorrosion of GO-Fe3O4@SiO2@CdS. This work provides some new insights into the removal of PAHs with high-ring numbers in the natural water environment.
Phenanthrenes , Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons , Photolysis , Silicon Dioxide/chemistry , Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/chemistry , Pyrenes , Water/chemistry , Light
Anodic passivation is a key problem to impair the efficiency of in the electrocoagulation (EC) process. Process intensification of EC has attracted increasingly greater attention. In this work, a novel centrifugal electrode reactor was designed and applied in EC process to enhance the treatment of simulated heavy metal wastewater using aluminum anode. Results showed that the removal efficiency of heavy metals was significantly improved by the centrifugal electrodes, compared with the stationary electrodes. Electrochemical behavior of centrifugal electrodes was analyzed by an improved rotating disk electrode system. Anodic polarization behavior of aluminium showed a typical characteristic of dissolution in centrifugal electrodes, rather than passivation in static condition. Anode dissolution was controlled by the diffusion of Cl- ion that was enhanced by centrifugal electrodes. Thus, anode passivation was reduced. In addition, the kinetics analysis indicated that the removal of heavy metals in EC by centrifugal electrodes conformed to Variable-Order-Kinetic (VOK) model based on the Langmuir adsorption.
Metals, Heavy , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Water Purification , Wastewater/analysis , Kinetics , Electrodes , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Electrocoagulation/methods , Aluminum/analysis , Water Purification/methods , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods
Typically, volume expansion of the electrodes after intercalation of active ions is highly undesirable yet inetvitable, and it can significantly reduce the adhesion force between the electrodes and current collectors. Especially in aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), the intercalation of large-sized AlCl4 - can greatly weaken this adhesion force and result in the detachment of the electrodes from the current collectors, which seems an inherent and irreconcilable problem. Here, an interesting concept, the "dead zone", is presented to overcome the above challenge. By incorporating a large number of OH- and COOH- groups onto the surface of MXene film, a rich negative-charge region is formed on its surface. When used as the current collector for AIBs, it shields a tiny area of the positive electrode (adjacent to the current collector side) from AlCl4 - intercalation due to the repulsion force, and a tiny inert layer (dead zone) at the interface of the positive electrode is formed, preventing the electrode from falling off the current collector. This helps to effectively increase the battery's cycle life to as high as 50 000 times. It is believed that the proposed concept can be an important reference for future development of current collectors in rocking chair batteries.
Acute myeloid leukemia is the most prevalent type of leukemia in adults and is prone to relapse and chemoresistance, with a low long-term survival rate. Therefore, the identification of quality biomarkers constitutes an urgent unmet need. High expression of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GALT1) has been observed in several cancer types; however, its function in acute myeloid leukemia has rarely been studied. Therefore, our study obtained gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to analyze the relationship between B4GALT1 and LAML. We compared the expression of B4GALT1 in LAML and healthy samples using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Furthermore, the association between B4GALT1 and survival rates was investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. The nomogram obtained by Cox analysis predicts the effect of B4GALT1 on the prognosis. To assess B4GALT1-related genes' enrichment pathway and function and the correlation between B4GALT1 and immune features, GO/KEGG, protein-protein interaction network, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis were used. In addition, B4GALT1-specific siRNAs were used to verify the effect of B4GALT1 on apoptosis. The results showed that B4GALT1 is overexpressed in LAML and has some reference value in the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of LAML. Moreover, functional enrichment showed that B4GALT1 and its 63 associated genes were closely associated with the negative regulation of the apoptotic signaling pathway. Silencing B4GALT1 significantly promoted apoptosis. In addition, B4GALT1 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration levels of macrophages, regulatory T-cell (Tregs), and Th17 cells; in contrast, B4GALT1 expression was negatively correlated with the infiltration levels of T helper cells, Mast cells, and NK cells. In conclusion, our study shows that B4GALT1 may play a vital role in the occurrence of LAML.
