Precise Design of a 0.8 nm Pore Size in a Separator Interfacial Layer Inspired by a Sieving Effect toward Inhibiting Polysulfide Shuttling and Promoting Li+ Diffusion.

The incomplete blocking of small-sized polysulfides by pore size and the effect on Li+ transport are generally neglected when the size-sieving effect is employed to suppress the shuttling of polysulfides. Herein, ion-selective modified layers with pore sizes equal to, greater than, and less than 0.8 nm, respectively, on the polypropylene separator are fabricated to obtain the preferable pore size for separation of polysulfides and Li+. As a result, the modified layer with a pore size of 0.8 nm can efficiently inhibit the shuttling of polysulfides and simultaneously boost the diffusion of Li+ under the double effect of the size advantage and electrostatic shielding. Consequently, the battery using a separator with a modified layer having a pore size of 0.8 nm possesses a lower capacity attenuation of 0.047% after 1000 cycles at 2.0 C. This work serves as a vital guide for suppressing polysulfide shuttle using ion-selective sieving effects for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Carbon Superstructure-Supported Half-Metallic V2O3 Nanospheres for High-Efficiency Photorechargeable Zinc Ion Batteries.

Photorechargeable zinc ion batteries (PZIBs), which can directly harvest and store solar energy, are promising technologies for the development of a renewable energy society. However, the incompatibility requirement between narrow band gap and wide coverage has raised severe challenges for high-efficiency dual-functional photocathodes. Herein, half-metallic vanadium (III) oxide (V2O3) was first reported as a dual-functional photocathode for PZIBs. Theoretical and experimental results revealed its unique photoelectrical and zinc ion storage properties for capturing and storing solar energy. To this end, a synergistic protective etching strategy was developed to construct carbon superstructure-supported V2O3 nanospheres (V2O3@CSs). The half-metallic characteristics of V2O3, combined with the three-dimensional superstructure assembled by ultrathin carbon nanosheets, established rapid charge transfer networks and robust framework for efficient and stable solar-energy storage. Consequently, the V2O3@CSs photocathode delivered record zinc ion storage properties, including a photo-assisted discharge capacities of 463 mA ⋅ h ⋅ g-1 at 2.0 A ⋅ g-1 and long-term cycling stability over 3000 cycles. Notably, the PZIBs assembled using V2O3@CSs photocathodes could be photorecharged without an external circuit, exhibiting a high photo conversion efficiency (0.354 %) and photorecharge voltage (1.0 V). This study offered a promising direction for the direct capture and storage of solar energy.

O-GlcNAcylation in ischemic diseases.

Protein glycosylation is an extensively studied field, with the most studied forms being oxygen or nitrogen-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc or N-GlcNAc) glycosylation. Particular residues on proteins are targeted by O-GlcNAcylation, which is among the most intricate post-translational modifications. Significantly contributing to an organism's proteome, it influences numerous factors affecting protein stability, function, and subcellular localization. It also modifies the cellular function of target proteins that have crucial responsibilities in controlling pathways related to the central nervous system, cardiovascular homeostasis, and other organ functions. Under conditions of acute stress, changes in the levels of O-GlcNAcylation of these proteins may have a defensive function. Nevertheless, deviant O-GlcNAcylation nullifies this safeguard and stimulates the advancement of several ailments, the prognosis of which relies on the cellular milieu. Hence, this review provides a concise overview of the function and comprehension of O-GlcNAcylation in ischemia diseases, aiming to facilitate the discovery of new therapeutic targets for efficient treatment, particularly in patients with diabetes.

Recent Progress in Improving Rate Performance of Cellulose-Derived Carbon Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Cellulose-derived carbon is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for high-performance anode materials in sodium-ion batteries; however, its poor rate performance at higher current density remains a challenge to achieve high power density sodium-ion batteries. The present review comprehensively elucidates the structural characteristics of cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials, explores the limitations in enhancing rate performance arising from ion diffusion and electronic transfer at the level of cellulose-derived carbon materials, and proposes corresponding strategies to improve rate performance targeted at various precursors of cellulose-based materials. This review also presents an update on recent progress in cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials, with particular focuses on their molecular, crystalline, and aggregation structures. Furthermore, the relationship between storage sodium and rate performance the carbon materials is elucidated through theoretical calculations and characterization analyses. Finally, future perspectives regarding challenges and opportunities in the research field of cellulose-derived carbon anodes are briefly highlighted.

Size Effect for Inhibiting Polysulfides Shuttle in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

It is undeniable that the dissolution of polysulfides is beneficial in speeding up the conversion rate of sulfur in electrochemical reactions. But it also brings the bothersome "shuttle effect". Therefore, if polysulfides can be retained on the cathode side, the efficient utilization of the polysulfides can be guaranteed to achieve the excellent performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. Based on this idea, considerable methods have been developed to inhibit the shuttling of polysulfides. It is necessary to emphasize that no matter which method is used, the solvation mechanism, and existence forms of polysulfides are essential to analyze. Especially, it is important to clarify the sizes of different forms of polysulfides when using the size effect to inhibit the shuttling of polysulfides. In this review, a comprehensive summary and in-depth discussion of the solvation mechanism, the existing forms of polysulfides, and the influencing factors affecting polysulfides species are presented. Meanwhile, the size of diverse polysulfide species is sorted out for the first time. Depending on the size of polysulfides, tactics of using size effect in cathode, separator, and interlayer parts are elaborated. Finally, a design idea of materials pore size is proposed to satisfy the use of size effect to inhibit polysulfides shuttle.

Structural and Functional Properties of Porous Corn Starch Obtained by Treating Raw Starch with AmyM.

Porous starch is attracting considerable attention for its high surface area and shielding ability, properties which are useful in many food applications. In this study, native corn starch with 15, 25, and 45% degrees of hydrolysis (DH-15, DH-25, and DH-45) were prepared using a special raw starch-digesting amylase, AmyM, and their structural and functional properties were evaluated. DH-15, DH-25, and DH-45 exhibited porous surface morphologies, diverse pore size distributions and pore areas, and their adsorptive capacities were significantly enhanced by improved molecular interactions. Structural measures showed that the relative crystallinity decreased as the DH increased, while the depolymerization of starch double helix chains promoted interactions involving disordered chains, followed by chain rearrangement and the formation of sub-microcrystalline structures. In addition, DH-15, DH-25, and DH-45 displayed lower hydrolysis rates, and DH-45 showed a decreased C∞ value of 18.9% with higher resistant starch (RS) content and lower glucose release. Our results indicate that AmyM-mediated hydrolysis is an efficient pathway for the preparation of porous starches with different functionalities which can be used for a range of applications.

Hyperglycemia Aggravates the Cerebral Ischemia Injury via Protein O-GlcNAcylation.

BACKGROUND: At least one-third of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have cerebrovascular abnormalities, micro- and macro-infarctions, and ischemic white matter alterations. Stroke prognosis impacts AD development due to vascular disease. Hyperglycemia can readily produce vascular lesions and atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of cerebral ischemia. Our previous research has demonstrated that protein O-GlcNAcylation, a dynamic and reversible post-translational modification, provides protection against ischemic stroke. However, the role of O-GlcNAcylation in the exacerbation of cerebral ischemia injury due to hyperglycemia remains to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explored the role and underlying mechanism of protein O-GlcNAcylation in the exacerbation of cerebral ischemia injury caused by hyperglycemia. METHODS: High glucose-cultured brain microvascular endothelial (bEnd3) cells were injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation. Cell viability was used as the assay result. Stroke outcomes and hemorrhagic transformation incidence were assessed in mice after middle cerebral artery occlusion under high glucose and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic conditions. Western blot estimated that O-GlcNAcylation influenced apoptosis levels in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: In in vitro analyses showed that Thiamet-G induces upregulation of protein O-GlcNAcylation, which attenuates oxygen-glucose deprivation/R-induce injury in bEnd3 cells cultured under normal glucose conditions, while aggravated it under high glucose conditions. In in vivo analyses, Thiamet-G exacerbated cerebral ischemic injury and induced hemorrhagic transformation, accompanied by increased apoptosis. While blocking protein O-GlcNAcylation with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine alleviated cerebral injury of ischemic stroke in different hyperglycemic mice. CONCLUSION: Overall, our study highlights the crucial role of O-GlcNAcylation in exacerbating cerebral ischemia injury under conditions of hyperglycemia. O-GlcNAcylation could potentially serve as a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke associated with AD.

Bacterial cellulose-derived micro/mesoporous carbon anode materials controlled by poly(methyl methacrylate) for fast sodium ion transport.

An advanced nanostructure with rational micro/mesoporous distribution plays an important role in achieving high electrochemical performance in sodium ion batteries (SIBs), especially the energy storage efficiency in the low-potential region during the charging/discharging processes. Here we propose a method of polymer-blended bacterial cellulose (BC) matrix to tune the micro/mesopores of polymer-BC derived carbon under a mild carbonization temperature. The targeted pore structure and electrochemical performance are optimized by controlling the amount of methyl methacrylate monomers via free-radical polymerization, and carbonized temperature via pyrolysis treatment. The constructed carbon materials display a stable 3D fibrous network with a large specific area and abundant micro/mesopores formed during the pyrolysis of the polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Taking advantage of the constructed pore structure, the optimized carbon anodes derived from BC/PMMA composites show an enhanced Na+ diffusion rate with a high capacity of 380.66 mA h g-1 at 0.03 A g-1. It is interesting that it possesses superior low-potential capacity, and retains 42% of the total capacity even at a high scan rate of 1 mV s-1. The proposed method of polymer-blended on cellulose matrix provides an energy-efficient way to achieve high low-potential capacity under facile processing conditions for fast sodium ion transport in SIBs.

A study of adeno-associated virus in cortical-thalamostriatal pathway.

The cortical-thalamostriatal pathway constitutes the cortico-basal ganglia circuit and plays a critical role in the control of movement. Emerging evidence shows that center median/parafascicular (CM/Pf) neurons are lost in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor deficits and CM/Pf neurons send massive and topographically organized projections to specific regions of the dorsal striatum, but provide only minor inputs to the cerebral cortex. However, anatomical connectivity in the cortical-thalamostriatal pathway are poorly understood at present. In the present study, we used a neural tracing method with adeno-associated virus (AAV) to monitor the cortical-thalamostriatal connectivity in rats. We found that parafascicular nucleus (PF) not only project directly to the striatum but send minor inputs to the cortical regions. It was manifested by green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing fibers observed in dorsolateral striatum (DLS) and the primary motor cortex (M1) after adeno-associated virus serotype 2/9 (AAV2/9)-GFP injection into PF and GFP expressing cells observed in PF after injection AAV2/retro-GFP into M1. And the PF also receive projections from the DLS and it was demonstrated by GFP expressing fibers in PF after AAV2/9-GFP injection into DLS and GFP expressing cells in DLS after injection AAV2/retro-GFP into PF. Histological and behavioral analysis revealed that AAV vector transduction cause damage in neurons on the injection sites and also damage motor activity of rats suggesting caution in clinical application.

Surfactant induced self-assembly to prepare a vanadium nitride/N,S co-doped carbon high-capacitance anode material.

The mechanism of the reaction of melamine (C3H6N6) with ammonium metavanadate and the critical role of the surfactant in this reaction were investigated. The results indicate that the complex is obtained via the reaction of C3H6N6 with VO3- after the elimination of -NH2, and the surfactant can modulate the microstructure. In addition, a vanadium nitride/N,S co-doped carbon material fabricated from the above complex exhibits a specific capacitance of 422.0 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1. This method provides a new route for the synthesis of vanadium nitride/carbon materials.