Spatially Confined in Situ Formed Sodiophilic-Conductive Network for High-Performance Sodium Metal Batteries.

The sodium (Na) metal anode encounters issues such as volume expansion and dendrite growth during cycling. Herein, a novel three-dimensional flexible composite Na metal anode was constructed through the conversion-alloying reaction between Na and ultrafine Sb2S3 nanoparticles encapsulated within the electrospun carbon nanofibers (Sb2S3@CNFs). The formed sodiophilic Na3Sb sites and the high Na+-conducting Na2S matrix, coupled with CNFs, establish a spatially confined "sodiophilic-conductive" network, which effectively reduces the Na nucleation barrier, improves the Na+ diffusion kinetics, and suppresses the volume expansion, thereby inhibiting the Na dendrite growth. Consequently, the Na/Sb2S3@CNFs electrode exhibits a high Coulombic efficiency (99.94%), exceptional lifespan (up to 2800 h) at high current densities (up to 5 mA cm-2), and high areal capacities (up to 5 mAh cm-2) in symmetric cells. The coin-type full cells assembled with a Na3V2(PO4)3/C cathode demonstrate significant enhancement in electrochemical performance. The flexible pouch cell achieves an excellent energy density of 301 Wh kg-1.

Encapsulation of Titanium Disulfide into MOF-Derived N,S-Doped Carbon Nanotablets Toward Suppressed Shuttle Effect and Enhanced Sodium Storage Performance.

Titanium disulfide (TiS2) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity, but it suffers from severe volume variation and shuttle effect of the intermediate polysulfides. To overcome the drawbacks, herein the successful fabrication of TiS2@N,S-codoped C (denoted as TiS2@NSC) through a chemical vapor reaction between Ti-based metal-organic framework (NH2-MIL-125) and carbon disulfide (CS2) is demonstrated. The C─N bonds enhance the electronic/ionic conductivity of the TiS2@NSC electrode, while the C─S bonds provide extra sodium storage capacity, and both polar bonds synergistically suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfides. Consequently, the TiS2@NSC electrode demonstrates outstanding cycling stability and rate performance, delivering reversible capacities of 418/392 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 2/5 A g-1. Ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope analyses reveal that TiS2 undergoes an intercalation-conversion ion storage mechanism with the generation of metallic Ti in a deeper sodiation state, and the pristine hexagonal TiS2 is electrochemically transformed into cubic rock-salt TiS2 as a reversible phase with enhanced reaction kinetics upon sodiation/desodiation cycling. The strategy to encapsulate TiS2 in N,S-codoped porous carbon matrices efficiently realizes superior conductivity and physical/chemical confinement of the soluble polysulfides, which can be generally applied for the rational design of advanced electrodes.

Conformal Conversion of Polyphosphazene@Sb2MoO6 Nanowires to N/S-Doped/Carbon-Coated SbPO4/MoOx for High-performance Lithium Storage.

Alloy-type antimony (Sb) and conversion-type molybdenum (Mo) anodes have attracted extensive attention in the application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity. In this study, Sb2MoO6 nanowires are prepared via a hydrothermal method and assessed their thermal behavior upon heat treatment, observing an intriguing transformation from nanowire to Sb2O3/MoOx nanosheets. To enhance structure stability, the Sb2MoO6 nanowires are successfully coated with a polyphosphazene layer (referred to as PZS@Sb2MoO6), which not only preserved the nanowires form but also yielded N/S co-doped carbon-coated SbPO4/MoOx (NS-C@SbPO4/MoOx) nanowires following annealing in an inert environment. This composite benefits from the stable PO4 3- anion that serve as a buffer against volume expansion and form a Li3PO4 matrix during cycling, both of which substantially bolster ion transport and cycle endurance. Doping with heteroatoms introduces numerous oxygen vacancies, augmenting the number of electrochemically active sites, and carbon integration considerably enhances the electronic conductivity of the electrode and alleviates the volume-change-induced electrode pulverization. Employed as anode materials in LIBs, the NS-C@SbPO4/MoOx electrode exhibits remarkable cycling performance (449.8 mA h g-1 at 1000 mA g-1 over 700 cycles) along with superior rate capability (394.2 mA h g-1 at 2000 mA g-1).

Introducing Hybrid Defects of Silicon Doping and Oxygen Vacancies into MOF-Derived TiO2-X @Carbon Nanotablets Toward High-Performance Sodium-Ion Storage.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), which suffer from the intrinsic sluggish ion transferability and poor conductivity. To overcome these drawbacks, a facile strategy is developed to synergistically engineer the lattice defects (i.e., heteroatom doping and oxygen vacancy generation) and the fine microstructure (i.e., carbon hybridization and porous structure) of TiO2 -based anode, which efficiently enhances the sodium storage performance. Herein, it is successfully realized that the Si-doping into the MIL-125 metal-organic framework structure, which can be easily converted to SiO2 /TiO2-x @C nanotablets by annealing under inert atmosphere. After NaOH etching SiO2 /TiO2-x @C which contains unbonded SiO2 and chemically bonded SiOTi, thus the lattice Si-doped TiO2-x @C (Si-TiO2-x @C) nanotablets with rich Ti3+ /oxygen vacancies and abundant inner pores are developed. When examined as an anode for SIB, the Si-TiO2-x @C exhibits a high sodium storage capacity (285 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 ), excellent long-term cycling, and high-rate performances (190 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 2500 cycles with 95.1% capacity retention). Theoretical calculations indicate that the rich Ti3+ /oxygen vacancies and Si-doping synergistically contribute to a narrowed bandgap and lower sodiation barrier, which thus lead to fast electron/ion transfer coefficients and the predominant pseudocapacitive sodium storage behavior.

Association between psoriasis and lung cancer: two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies reported an association between psoriasis and risk of lung cancer. However, whether psoriasis is causally associated with lung cancer is unclear. METHODS: Genetic summary data of psoriasis were retrieved from two independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic information of lung cancer was retrieved from GWAS of International Lung Cancer Consortium. A set of quality control steps were conducted to select instrumental tools. We performed two independent two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and a meta-analysis based on the two independent MR estimates to assess the causal relationship between psoriasis and lung cancer (LUCA) as well as its subtypes, squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and adenocarcinoma (LUAD). RESULTS: Between-SNP heterogeneity was present for most MR analyses, whereas horizontal pleiotropy was not detected for all MR analyses. Multiplicative random-effect inverse variance weighted (IVW-MRE) method was therefore selected as the primary MR approach. Both IVW-MRE estimates from the two independent MR analyses suggested that there was no significant causal relationship between psoriasis and LUCA as well as its histological subtypes. Sensitivity analyses using other four MR methods gave similar results. Meta-analysis of the two IVW-MRE derived MR estimates yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 1.00 (95% CI 0.95-1.06) for LUCA, 1.01 (95% CI 0.93-1.08) for LUSC, and 0.97 (95% CI 0.90-1.06) for LUAD. CONCLUSION: Our results do not support a genetic association between psoriasis and lung cancer and its subtypes. More population-based and experimental studies are warranted to further dissect the complex correlation between psoriasis and lung cancer.

Oxidative stress-triggered pyroptosis mediates Candida albicans susceptibility in diabetic foot.

An accumulating trend of research demonstrates that diabetic patients are susceptible to skin infections with Candida albicans, but the mechanism still remains unclear. The intense oxidative stress (OS) responses were occurred in the lesion of diabetic mice footpads after C. albicans infection. Localised skin infections would lead to more severe complications while the severity of the condition worsens or the inadequate treatment. Notably, in this study, through the investigation of murine diabetic footpad C. albicans infection model and molecular biotechnology, including histopathological staining, immunofluorescence (IF) staining, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), western blot (WB), flow cytometry (FCM), sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assays, we found that intense OS responses in the footpad tissue not only mediated the activation of NF-κB protein complex, but also triggered downstream pyroptosis and apoptosis through NLRP3 inflammasome, which is one of the potential reasons for the severe condition of infectious skin injuries in diabetic mice. Caspase-1, a classical signal pathway protein in pyroptosis, could promote pore formation on cell membranes and the release of the cytokine after NLRP3 inflammasome activation. With intense immune-inflammatory responses, the organism also stimulates immune organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes to produce negative feedback regulation and generate CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells to rectify the process. Therefore, combined with the results of this work, it is possible to design and screen relevant drugs for NLRP3 inflammasomes as core targets to keep the OS response at a low level in the footpad tissues.

Synergizing Phase and Cavity in CoMoOx Sy Yolk-Shell Anodes to Co-Enhance Capacity and Rate Capability in Sodium Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been recognized as the promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale applications owing to their abundant sodium resource. Currently, one significant challenge for SIBs is to explore feasible anodes with high specific capacity and reversible pulverization-free Na+ insertion/extraction. Herein, a facile co-engineering on polymorph phases and cavity structures is developed based on CoMo-glycerate by scalable solvothermal sulfidation. The optimized strategy enables the construction of CoMoOx Sy with synergized partially sulfidized amorphous phase and yolk-shell confined cavity. When developed as anodes for SIBs, such CoMoOx Sy electrodes deliver a high reversible capacity of 479.4 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and a high rate capacity of 435.2 mA h g-1 even at 2000 mA g-1 , demonstrating superior capacity and rate capability. These are attributed to the unique dual merits of the anodes, that is, the elastic bountiful reaction pathways favored by the sulfidation-induced amorphous phase and the sodiation/desodiation accommodatable space benefits from the yolk-shell cavity. Such yolk-shell nano-battery materials are merited with co-tunable phases and structures, facile scalable fabrication, and excellent capacity and rate capability in sodium storage. This provides an opportunity to develop advanced practical electrochemical sodium storage in the future.

Advanced MoS2 and graphene heterostructures as high-performance anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Layer-structured MoS2 is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of its high storage capacity, abundance in nature, and cost-effectiveness. However, the use of MoS2 is limited by its low electronic conductivity, inferior cycling stability, and poor rate capability. To overcome these drawbacks, liquid-phase exfoliated graphene (LEGr) was used as the support, for which MoS2@LEGr heterostructures with a tunable loading amount of MoS2 were fabricated by a microwave-assisted solvothermal method. LEGr with its exceptional atomic structure not only serves as a robust structural support of MoS2 but also provides rapid electrical and ionic transfer pathways of the electrode material. When MoS2@LEGr heterostructures were applied for SIB anodes, the heterostructures exhibited a considerably enhanced sodium storage performance compared to pure MoS2, including higher sodium storage capacity as well as superior cycling stability and rate capability.

Carbon-Supported Nickel Selenide Hollow Nanowires as Advanced Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Carbon-supported nickel selenide (Ni0.85 Se/C) hollow nanowires are prepared from carbon-coated selenium nanowires via a self-templating hydrothermal method, by first dissolving selenium in the Se/C nanowires in hydrazine, allowing it to diffuse out of the carbon layer, and then reacting with nickel ions into Ni0.85 Se nanoplates on the outer surface of the carbon. Ni0.85 Se/C hollow nanowires are employed as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, and their electrochemical performance is evaluated via the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. It is found that Ni0.85 Se/C hollow nanowires exhibit greatly enhanced cycle stability and rate capability as compared to Ni0.85 Se nanoparticles, with a reversible capacity around 390 mA h g-1 (the theoretical capacity is 416 mA h g-1 ) at the rate of 0.2 C and 97% capacity retention after 100 cycles. When the current rate is raised to 5 C, they still deliver capacity of 219 mA h g-1 . The synthetic methodology introduced here is general and can easily be applied to building similar structures for other metal selenides in the future.

Synthesis of Hierarchical Sb2MoO6 Architectures and Their Electrochemical Behaviors as Anode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries.

We report a facile microwave-hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchical Sb2MoO6 architectures assembled from single-crystalline nanobelts, which are first demonstrated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with superior electrochemical properties. Sb2MoO6 delivers a high initial reversible capacity of ∼1140 mA h/g at 200 mA/g with large initial Coulombic efficiency of ∼89%, and a reversible capacity of ∼878 mA h/g after 100 cycles at 200 mA/g. As a new anode, the electrochemical behaviors are investigated through ex situ TEM and XPS measurements, revealing that the superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the novel hierarchical structures and the synergistic interaction between both the active Sb- and Mo-species, in which the in situ generated Li2O-MoOx serves as matrix and efficiently buffers the volume changes of the Li-Sb alloying-dealloying upon cycling.

Ternary Sn-Ti-O based nanostructures as anodes for lithium ion batteries.

SnO(x) (x = 0, 1, 2) and TiO(2) are widely considered to be potential anode candidates for next generation lithium ion batteries. In terms of the lithium storage mechanisms, TiO(2) anodes operate on the base of the Li ion intercalation-deintercalation, and they typically display long cycling life and high rate capability, arising from the negligible cell volume change during the discharge-charge process, while their performance is limited by low specific capacity and low electronic conductivity. SnO(x) anodes rely on the alloying-dealloying reaction with Li ions, and typically exhibit large specific capacity but poor cycling performance, originating from the extremely large volume change and thus the resultant pulverization problems. Making use of their advantages and minimizing the disadvantages, numerous strategies have been developed in the recent years to design composite nanostructured Sn-Ti-O ternary systems. This Review aims to provide rational understanding on their design and the improvement of electrochemical properties of such systems, including SnO(x) -TiO(2) nanocomposites mixing at nanoscale and nanostructured Sn(x) Ti(1-x) O(2) solid solutions doped at the atomic level, as well as their combinations with carbon-based nanomaterials.

Carbon-Coated Tin-Titanate derived SnO2/TiO2 nanowires as High-Performance anode for Lithium-Ion batteries.

Tin dioxide (SnO2) is a promising alternative material to graphite anode, but the large volume change induced electrode pulverization issue has limited its application in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In contrast, titanium dioxide (TiO2) anode shows high structure stability upon lithium insertion/extraction, but with low specific capacity. To overcome their inherent disadvantages, combination of SnO2 with TiO2 and highly conductive carbon material is an effective way. Herein, we report a facile fabrication method of carbon-coated SnO2/TiO2 nanowires (SnO2/TiO2@C) using tin titanate nanowires as precursor, which are prepared by reacting SnCl2·2H2O with layered sodium titanate (Na2Ti3O7) nanowires in the aqueous solution though the ion exchange between Sn2+ and Na+. After annealing under argon atmosphere, the hydrothermally carbon-coated tin-titanate nanowires decompose, forming a unique hybrid structure, where ultrafine SnO2 nanoparticles are uniformly embedded within the TiO2 substrate with carbon coating. Consequently, the SnO2/TiO2@C nanowires demonstrate excellent lithium storage capacity with high pseudocapacitance contribution, excellent reversible capacity, and long-term cycling stability (673.7/510.5 mAh/g at 0.5/1.0 A/g after 250/800 cycles), owing to the unique hybrid structure, as the well-dispersion of ultra-small SnO2 within TiO2 nanowire substrate with simultaneous carbon coating efficiently suppresses the volume changes of SnO2, provides abundant reactive sites for lithium storage, and enhances the electrical conductivity with shortened ion transport distance.

Enhancing the Lithium Storage Performance of the Nb2O5 Anode via Synergistic Engineering of Phase and Cu Doping.

Nb2O5 has been viewed as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries by virtue of its appropriate redox potential and high theoretical capacity. However, it suffers from poor electric conductivity and low ion diffusivity. Herein, we demonstrate the controllable fabrication of Cu-doped Nb2O5 with orthorhombic (T-Nb2O5) and monoclinic (H-Nb2O5) phases through annealing the solvothermally presynthesized Nb2O5 precursor under different temperatures in air, and the Cu doping amount can be readily controlled by the concentration of the precursor solution, whose effect on the lithium storage behaviors of the Cu-doped Nb2O5 is thoroughly investigated. H-Nb2O5 shows obvious redox peaks (Nb5+/Nb4+ and Nb4+/Nb3+) with much higher capacity and better cycling stability than those for the widely investigated T-Nb2O5. When introducing appropriate Cu doping, the optimized H-Cu0.1-Nb2O5 electrode shows greatly enhanced conductivity and lower diffusion barrier as revealed by the theoretical calculations and electrochemical characterizations, delivering a high reversible capacity of 203.6 mAh g-1 and a high capacity retention of 140.8 mAh g-1 after 5000 cycles at 1 A g-1, with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 91% and a high rate capacity of 144.2 mAh g-1 at 4 A g-1. As a demonstration for full-cell application, the H-Cu0.1-Nb2O5||LiFePO4 cell displays good cycling performance, exhibiting a reversible capacity of 135 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g-1. More importantly, this work offers a new synthesis protocol of the monoclinic Nb2O5 phase with high capacity retention and improved reaction kinetics.

Pesticide residue and dietary intake risk of vegetables grown in Shanghai under modern urban agriculture in 2018-2021.

Shanghai as an international metropolis is representative of modern urban agriculture in China, so it is of great significance to analyse the pesticide residue in vegetables grown in Shanghai. This study investigated the residue of 68 commonly used pesticides (divided into insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and plant growth regulators) in 7028 vegetable samples in Shanghai from 2018 to 2021, and estimated the dietary intake risk of these pesticides. These samples were divided into 6 categories. A total of 29.21% of vegetable samples had pesticide residues, and 0.47% of samples exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the national food safety standard of China. Leafy vegetables had the highest detection rate of pesticide residues (32.9%), multiple detection rate (12.2%), pesticide residue concentration (35.7 mg/kg), and the number of samples exceeding the MRL (30). There were 36 out of 68 pesticides detected in vegetables, and the top 3 were dimethomorph, propamocarb and acetamiprid. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) of these noticeablepesticides were all less than 1, illustrating that there may be no obvious health hazard for residents exposed to the pesticide levels. This study can promote the green development of the pesticide industry and provide important reference data for the monitoring of pesticide residues and their hazards under modern urban agriculture.

Case report: Successful sequential therapy of crizotinb and entrectinib in ROS1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer with brain metastasis in later-settings.

RATIONALE: Crizotinib has been approved in many countries for the treatment of patients with advanced ROS1-rearranged non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Entrectinib is a ROS1 inhibitor that has been designed to effectively penetrate and remain in the central nervous system (CNS) and has been recommended as first-line therapy. Few reports have precisely described sequential crizotinb followed by entrectinib in patients with ROS1 fusion in later settings. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 56-year-old man with a history of occasional smoking visited our hospital with cough, sputum, and shortness of breath. DIAGNOSIS: He was diagnosed with right lung adenocarcinoma (T4N2M1a, stage IV) after image and histological examination, without EGFR or ALK fusion mutation. INTERVENTIONS: He received three prior lines of therapies, including chemotherapy, nivolumab monotherapy, and paclitaxel plus anlotinib, with progression-free survival (PFS) of 5, 2, and 11.5 months, respectively. Then the patient began to have headaches and dizziness, and brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple brain metastases. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the biopsy from neck lymph node identified EZR-ROS1 (1.25% abundance). After 2 months of crizotinib (250 mg daily) plus bevacizumab, all pulmonary and brain lesions decreased, but a small liver lesion was discovered. As treatment went on for another 4 months, the liver lesion continued to grow while other lesions kept decreased or stable state. NGS analysis on the peripheral blood found the disappearance of EZR-ROS1 fusion and a new NTRK2 mutation (c.5C>T, p.Ser2Leu, 0.34% abundance) without other targetable molecular alteration. He received entrectinib (600 mg daily) plus bevacizumab and achieved a partial response. After 7 months of therapy, examination revealed progression of brain lesions. OUTCOMES: The patient had a total PFS of 13 months from sequential crizotinib and entrectinib therapy. LESSONS: A ROS1-rearranged NSCLC with CNS metastases responded to sequential tyrosine kinase inhibitors treatment of crizotinb followed by entrectinib. This report has potential implications in guiding decisions for the treatment after crizotinib resistance.

Rational design of hollow Ti2Nb10O29 nanospheres towards High-Performance pseudocapacitive Lithium-Ion storage.

Ti2Nb10O29, as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), possesses excellent structural stability during lithiation/delithiation cycling and higher theoretical capacity. However, Ti2Nb10O29 faces some challenges, such as insufficient ion diffusion coefficient and poor electronic conductivity. To overcome these problems, this study investigates the effect of applying nanostructure engineering on Ti2Nb10O29 and the lithium storage behaviors. We successfully synthesized hollow Ti2Nb10O29 nanospheres (h-TNO NSs) via solvothermal method using phenolic resin nanospheres as the template. The effects of using a template or not and the annealing atmospheres on the microstructures of the as-prepared Ti2Nb10O29 are investigated. Different nanostructures (porous Ti2Nb10O29 nanoaggregates (p-TNO NAs) without a template and core-shelled Ti2Nb10O29@C nanospheres (cs-TNO@C NSs)) were formed through annealing in Ar. When examined as anodes for LIBs, the h-TNO NSs electrode with hollow spherical structure displayed a better lithium storage performance. Compared to its counterparts, p-TNO NAs and cs-TNO@C NSs, h-TNO NSs electrode exhibited a higher reversible capacity of 282.5 mAh g-1 at 1C, capacity retention of 79.5% (i.e., 224.6 mAh g-1) after 200 cycles, and a higher rate capacity of 173.1 mAh g-1 at 10C after 600 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance of h-TNO NSs is attributed to the novel structure. The hollow nanospheres with cavities and thin shells not only exposed more active sites and improved ion diffusion, but also buffered the volume variation upon cycling and facilitated electrolyte penetration. This consequently enhanced the lithium storage performance of the electrode and its high pseudocapacitive contribution (90% at 1.0 mV s-1).

Polyphosphazene-derived P/S/N-doping and carbon-coating of yolk-shelled CoMoO4 nanospheres towards enhanced pseudocapacitive lithium storage.

Transition metal oxides as potentialanodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) possess high theoretical capacity but suffer from large volume expansion and poor conductivity. To overcome these drawbacks, we designed and fabricated polyphosphazene-coated yolk-shelled CoMoO4 nanospheres, in which polyphosphazene with abundant C/P/S/N species was readily converted into carbon shells and provided P/S/N dopants. This resulted in the formation of P/S/N co-doped carbon-coated yolk-shelled CoMoO4 nanospheres (PSN-C@CoMoO4). The PSN-C@CoMoO4 electrode exhibits superior cycle stability of 439.2 mA h g-1at 1000 mA g-1after 500 cycles and rate capability of 470.1 mA h g-1at 2000 mA g-1. The electrochemical and structural analyses reveal that PSN-C@CoMoO4 with yolk-shell structure, coated with carbon and doped with heteroatom not only greatly enhances the charge transfer rate and reaction kinetics, but also efficiently buffers the volume variation upon lithiation/delithiation cycling. Importantly, the use of polyphosphazene as coating/doping agent can be a general strategy for developing advanced electrode materials.

A Small Molecule Inhibitor of Erg251 Makes Fluconazole Fungicidal by Inhibiting the Synthesis of the 14α-Methylsterols.

Fluconazole (FLC) is widely used to prevent and treat invasive fungal infections. However, FLC is a fungistatic agent, allowing clinical FLC-susceptible isolates to tolerate FLC. Making FLC fungicidal in combination with adjuvants is a promising strategy to avoid FLC resistance and eliminate the persistence and recurrence of fungal infections. Here, we identify a new small molecule compound, CZ66, that can make FLC fungicidal. The mechanism of action of CZ66 is targeting the C-4 sterol methyl oxidase, encoded by the ERG251 gene, resulting in decreased content of sterols with the 14α-methyl group and ultimately eliminating FLC tolerance of Candida albicans. CZ66 most likely interacts with Erg251 through residues Glu195, Gly206, and Arg241. Establishing Erg251 as a synergistic lethal target protein of FLC should direct research to identify specific small molecule inhibitors of 14α-methylsterol synthesis and open the way to abolishing fungal FLC tolerance. IMPORTANCE Fluconazole (FLC) tolerance increases the frequency of acquired FLC resistance, and a high FLC tolerance level is associated with persistent candidemia. Multiple functional proteins, such as calcineurin, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), and ADP ribosylation factor, are essential for the survival of C. albicans exposed to FLC, but how these factors increase the fungicidal activity of FLC remains to be determined. In this study, we found that 14α-methylsterols replace ergosterol to allow C. albicans to survive FLC, but Erg251 inactivated by CZ66 results in loss of 14α-methylsterol synthesis and cell death of C. albicans treated with FLC. Establishing Erg251 as a synergistic lethal target protein of FLC should direct research to identify specific small molecule inhibitors of 14α-methylsterol synthesis and open the way to abolishing fungal FLC tolerance.

Building Fast Ion-Conducting Pathways on 3D Metallic Scaffolds for High-Performance Sodium Metal Anodes.

Building 3D electron-conducting scaffolds has been proven to be an effective way to alleviate severe dendritic growth and infinite volume change of sodium (Na) metal anodes. However, the electroplated Na metal cannot completely fill these scaffolds, especially at high current densities. Herein, we revealed that the uniform Na plating on 3D scaffolds is strongly related with the surface Na+ conductivity. As a proof of concept, we synthesized NiF2 hollow nanobowls grown on nickel foam (NiF2@NF) to realize homogeneous Na plating on the 3D scaffold. The NiF2 can be electrochemically converted to a NaF-enriched SEI layer, which significantly reduces the diffusion barrier for Na+ ions. The NaF-enriched SEI layer generated along the Ni backbones creates 3D interconnected ion-conducting pathways and allows for the rapid Na+ transfer throughout the entire 3D scaffold to enable densely filled and dendrite-free Na metal anodes. As a result, symmetric cells composed of identical Na/NiF2@NF electrodes show durable cycle life with an exceedingly stable voltage profile and small hysteresis, particularly at a high current density of 10 mA cm-2 or a large areal capacity of 10 mAh cm-2. Moreover, the full cell assembled with a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode exhibits a superior capacity retention of 97.8% at a high current of 5C after 300 cycles.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted ultrasonic synthesis of SnO nanosheets and their use as conformal templates for tin dioxide nanostructures.

Single crystalline SnO nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been prepared by an ultrasonic aqueous synthesis in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone, which hinders the spontaneous formation of the truncated bipyramidal SnO microcrystals and exfoliate them into layer-by-layer hierarchical structures and further into separate SnO nanosheets. The SnO nanosheets have been used as conformal sacrificial templates converted into polycrystalline SnO(2), as well as layered SnO/SnO(2) nanostructures, by calcination in air. The concept of fabrication of two-dimensional tin oxide nanostructures demonstrated here may be relevant for the crystal design of layered materials, in general.