The wet‐chemical processability of sulfide solid electrolytes (SEs) provides intriguing opportunities for all‐solid‐state batteries. Thus far, sulfide SEs are wet‐prepared either from solid ...precursors suspended in solvents (suspension synthesis) or from homogeneous solutions using SEs (solution process) with restricted composition spaces. Here, a universal solution synthesis method for preparing sulfide SEs from precursors, not only Li2S, P2S5, LiCl, and Na2S, but also metal sulfides (e.g., GeS2 and SnS2), fully dissolved in an alkahest: a mixture solvent of 1,2‐ethylenediamine (EDA) and 1,2‐ethanedithiol (EDT) (or ethanethiol). Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that the exceptional dissolving power of EDA–EDT toward GeS2 is due to the nucleophilicity of the thiolate anions that is strong enough to dissociate the GeS bonds. Solution‐synthesized Li10GeP2S12, Li6PS5Cl, and Na11Sn2PS12 exhibit high ionic conductivities (0.74, 1.3, and 0.10 mS cm−1 at 30 °C, respectively), and their application for all‐solid‐state batteries is successfully demonstrated.
The universal solution synthesis of sulfide solid electrolytes is first demonstrated. The alkahest solvent, 1,2‐ethylenediamine–1,2‐ethanedithiol, fully dissolves not only Li2S (or Na2S), P2S5, and LiCl, but also metal sulfides (e.g., GeS2 and SnS2), forming homogeneous solid electrolyte solutions. Solution‐synthesized Li10GeP2S12, Li6PS5Cl, and Na11Sn2PS12 exhibit high ionic conductivities, and their applicability to all‐solid‐state batteries is successfully demonstrated.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
For mass production of all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries (ASLBs) employing highly Li+ conductive and mechanically sinterable sulfide solid electrolytes (SEs), the wet‐slurry process is ...imperative. Unfortunately, the poor chemical stability of sulfide SEs severely restrict available candidates for solvents and in turn polymeric binders. Moreover, the binders interrupt Li+‐ionic contacts at interfaces, resulting in the below par electrochemical performance. In this work, a new scalable slurry fabrication protocol for sheet‐type ASLB electrodes made of Li+‐conductive polymeric binders is reported. The use of intermediate‐polarity solvent (e.g., dibromomethane) for the slurry allows for accommodating Li6PS5Cl and solvate‐ionic‐liquid‐based polymeric binders (NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI, NBR: nitrile−butadiene rubber, G3: triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, LiTFSI: lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide) together without suffering from undesirable side reactions or phase separation. The LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 and Li4Ti5O12 electrodes employing NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI show high capacities of 174 and 160 mA h g−1 at 30 °C, respectively, which are far superior to those using conventional NBR (144 and 76 mA h g−1). Moreover, high areal capacity of 7.4 mA h cm−2 is highlighted for the LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 electrodes with ultrahigh mass loading of 45 mg cm−2. The facilitated Li+‐ionic contacts at interfaces paved by NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI are evidenced by the complementary analysis from electrochemical and 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance measurements.
A new slurry‐fabricable solvate ionic liquid (SIL)‐based Li+‐conductive polymeric binder for all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries is developed. Sheet‐type electrodes are tailored from a slurry using solvent with intermediate polarity (e.g., dibromomethane) which enables the accommodation of sulfide solid electrolytes and SIL together without suffering from any side reactions or phase separation. The resulting electrodes significantly outperform those made of conventional insulating binders.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and objectives
With the interest in increasing resistant starch (RS) of cooked rice, lowering its digestibility has been attempted but not established yet. Herein, we aimed to develop a ...simple cost‐effective method to prepare RS‐enriched cooked rice. Various combinations of rice types, cooking methods, and additives were investigated to increase the RS content.
Findings
The high‐amylose cultivar (~28% amylose), retort‐type cooking (121°C, 30 min, 15 psi), and brown rice resulted in higher RS content than that of normal rice, conventional cooking, and white rice, respectively. The effect of various food additives in soaking water on additional RS formation was marginal except for citric acid or soybean oil.
Conclusions
The method for producing RS‐enriched cooked rice was successfully established using high‐amylose brown rice via soaking in 30–40 mg/ml citric acid solution, retort‐type cooking, and drying. Its high RS content is likely due to collective effects from starch retrogradation, amylose‐lipid complex, restricted starch swelling/gelatinization by bran layer and non‐starch dietary fiber, and chemical cross‐linking.
Significance and novelty
A simple cost‐effective method was developed resulting in the highest RS content reported to date for intact cooked rice (7.60%), which can be consumed as‐is or as a rice product ingredient requiring low glycemic index properties.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Our study analyzed the occurrence frequency and distribution of seedable clouds around the Korean Peninsula in order to better secure water resources. Cloud products from the Communication, Ocean, ...and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), including cloud fraction, cloud top height, cloud top temperature, cloud phase, cloud top pressure, cloud optical thickness, and rainfall intensity, were used. Daytime hourly data between 0900 and 1800 local standard time (LST) observed from December 2016 to November 2019 was used. Seedable clouds occurring within this period were evaluated based on seasonal cloud phases, occurrence frequency, and cloud characteristics according to land, sea, and cloud type. These clouds exhibited varying average occurrence frequencies in different seasons. Sc (stratocumulus) clouds exhibited the highest occurrence frequency for all seasons, with an average of 63%, followed by Cu (cumulus) at 15%, As (altostratus) at 13%, and Ac (altocumulus) at 6%. We determined that low-level clouds primarily occurred around the Korean Peninsula, and the occurrence frequency of stratiform clouds was highest for water phase seedable clouds, while the occurrence frequency of cumuliform clouds was highest for ice phase seedable clouds. We believe that precipitation enhancement experiments could be suitable for western and eastern seas around the Korean Peninsula as well as for mountainous regions on land.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are well-known epigenetic regulators with therapeutic potential in various diseases. Recent studies have shown that HDACis are involved in immune-mediated ...anti-cancer effects and may modulate the activity of immunotherapy agents. CG-745, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has shown anti-cancer effects in pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, the exact role of CG-745 within the immune system is largely unknown. In this study, we have shown that CG-745 induces microenvironment changes promoting anti-cancer effect of anti-PD-1 antibody in syngeneic mouse models. Specifically, CG-745 induces or extends IL-2 and IFN-γ expression with or without additional stimulation, and increases proliferation of cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, while inhibiting proliferation of regulatory T cells. The analysis of immune cell distribution in the tumor microenvironment and spleen reveals that CG-745 suppresses M2 macrophage polarization and decreases the myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Recent advances in immunotherapy highlight the anti-cancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitor despite a relatively limited clinical benefit in the subset of patients. Our results indicate that CG-745 enables the synergistic effects of the immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy in various cancers by suppressing tumor microenvironment.
Fusobacteria are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and are amplified during colorectal carcinogenesis. Compared to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of carcinogenesis, serrated neoplasm has ...distinct clinical features and a different molecular background. We aimed to compare the gut microbiome between tubular adenoma (TA) and sessile serrated adenoma/polyp (SSA/P). Patients with TA, SSA/P, or CRC were recruited. Three pieces of colorectal mucosal tissue were obtained from each patient by endoscopic biopsy. 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) were performed. Among 26 enrolled patients, 8, 10, and 8 had TA, SSA/P, and CRC, respectively. The relative abundance of Fusobacteria did not differ significantly between the TA and SSA/P groups (4.3% and 1.9%, P = 0.739) but was higher in the CRC group (33.8%) than in the TA or SSA/P group, respectively (TA vs. CRC, P = 0.002, false discovery rate FDR = 0.023; SSA/P vs. CRC, P < 0.001, FDR = 0.001). PICRUSt revealed that most functions in the TA metagenome were similar to those in the SSA/P metagenome. The gut microbiome, including relative abundance of Fusobacteria, did not differ between TA and SSA/P, suggesting that Fusobacteria may contribute to both the serrated pathway and the adenoma-carcinoma sequence.
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Intestinal epithelial cells are adapted in mucosal hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factors in these cells can fortify barrier integrity to support mucosal tissue healing. Here we investigated whether ...hypoxia-related pathways could be proposed as potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory bowel disease. We developed a novel hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, CG-598 which stabilized HIF-1α in the gut tissue. Treatment of CG-598 did not affect extra-intestinal organs or cause any significant adverse effects such as erythropoiesis. In the experimental murine colitis model, CG-598 ameliorated intestinal inflammation with reduction of inflammatory lesions and pro-inflammatory cytokines. CG-598 treatment fortified barrier function by increasing the expression of intestinal trefoil factor, CD73, E-cadherin and mucin. Also, IL-10 and IL-22 were induced from lamina propria CD4
T-cells. The effectiveness of CG-598 was comparable to other immunosuppressive therapeutics such as TNF-blockers or JAK inhibitors. These results suggest that CG-598 could be a promising therapeutic candidate to treat inflammatory bowel disease.
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has significantly advanced regenerative medicine research by enabling genome editing in stem cells. Due to their desirable properties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have ...recently emerged as highly promising therapeutic agents, which properties include differentiation ability and cytokine production. While CRISPR-Cas9 technology is applied to develop MSC-based therapeutics, MSCs exhibit inefficient genome editing, and susceptibility to plasmid DNA. In this study, we compared and optimized plasmid DNA and RNP approaches for efficient genome engineering in MSCs. The RNP-mediated approach enabled genome editing with high indel frequency and low cytotoxicity in MSCs. By utilizing Cas9 RNPs, we successfully generated B2M-knockout MSCs, which reduced T-cell differentiation, and improved MSC survival. Furthermore, this approach enhanced the immunomodulatory effect of IFN-r priming. These findings indicate that the RNP-mediated engineering of MSC genomes can achieve high efficiency, and engineered MSCs offer potential as a promising therapeutic strategy. BMB Reports 2024; 57(1): 60-65.
Skeletal muscle atrophy is one of the major symptoms of cancer cachexia. Garlic (
), one of the world's most commonly used and versatile herbs, has been employed for the prevention and treatment of ...diverse diseases for centuries. In the present study, we found that ajoene, a sulfur compound found in crushed garlic, exhibits protective effects against muscle atrophy. Using CT26 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice, we demonstrate in vivo that ajoene extract alleviated muscle degradation by decreasing not only myokines secretion but also janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) and SMADs/forkhead box (FoxO) signaling pathways, thereby suppressing muscle-specific E3 ligases. In mouse skeletal myoblasts, Z-ajoene enhanced myogenesis as evidenced by increased expression of myogenic markers via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. In mature myotubes, Z-ajoene protected against muscle protein degradation induced by conditioned media from CT26 colon carcinoma cells, by suppressing expression of muscle specific E3 ligases and nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation which contribute to muscle atrophy. Moreover, Z-ajoene treatment improved myofiber formation via stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. These findings suggest that ajoene extract and Z-ajoene can attenuate skeletal muscle atrophy induced by cancer cachexia through suppressing inflammatory responses and the muscle wasting as well as by promoting muscle protein synthesis.
Argyrodite‐type Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) has attracted much attention as a solid electrolyte for all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) because of its high ionic conductivity and good mechanical flexibility. ...LPSCl, however, has challenges of translating research into practical applications, such as irreversible electrochemical degradation at the interface between LPSCl and cathode materials. Even for Li‐ion batteries (LIBs), liquid electrolytes have the same issue as electrolyte decomposition due to interfacial instability. Nonetheless, current LIBs are successfully commercialized because functional electrolyte additives give rise to the formation of stable cathode‐electrolyte interphase (CEI) and solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers, leading to supplementing the interfacial stability between electrolyte and electrode. Herein, inspired by the role of electrolyte additives for LIBs, trimethylsilyl compounds are introduced as solid electrolyte additives for improving the interfacial stability between sulfide‐based solid electrolytes and cathode materials. 2‐(Trimethylsilyl)ethanethiol (TMS‐SH), a solid electrolyte additive, is oxidatively decomposed during charge, forming a stable CEI layer. As a result, the CEI layer derived from TMS‐SH suppresses the interfacial degradation between LPSCl and LiCoO2, thereby leading to the excellent electrochemical performance of Li | LPSCl | LiCoO2, such as superior cycle life over 2000 cycles (85.0% of capacity retention after 2000 cycles).
Trimethylsilyl compounds, such as 2‐(trimethylsilyl)ethanethiol (TMS‐SH), are introduced as solid electrolyte additives for improving the interfacial stability between sulfide‐based solid electrolytes and cathode materials. The CEI layer derived from TMS‐SH suppresses the interfacial degradation between LPSCl and LiCoO2, thereby leading to the excellent electrochemical performance of Li | LPSCl | LiCoO2, such as superior cycle life over 2000 cycles (85.0 % of capacity retention after 2000 cycles).
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