Two‐dimensional (2D) layered materials demonstrate prominent advantage in regulating lithium plating/stripping behavior by confining lithium diffusion/plating within interlayer gaps. However, ...achieving effective interlayer confined lithium diffusion/plating without compromising the stability of bulk‐structural and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) remains a considerable challenge. This paper presents an electrochemical scissor and lithium zipper‐driven protocol for realizing interlayer confined lithium plating with pretty‐low strain and volume change. In this protocol, lithium serves as a “zipper” to reunite the adjacent MXene back to MAX‐like phase to markedly enhance the structural stability, and a lithium halide‐rich SEI is formed by electrochemically removing the terminals of halogenated MXenes to maintain the stability and rapid lithium ions diffusion of SEI. When the Ti3C2I2 serves as the host for lithium plating, the average coulomb efficiency exceeds 97.0 % after 320 lithium plating/stripping cycles in conventional ester electrolyte. Furthermore, a full cell comprising of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 and Ti3C2I2@Li exhibits a capacity retention rate of 73.4 % after 200 cycles even under high cathode mass‐loading (20 mg cm−2) and a low negative/positive capacity ratio of 1.4. Our findings advance the understanding of interlayer confined lithium plating in 2D layered materials and provide a new direction in regulating lithium and other metal plating/stripping behaviors.
A novel “electrochemical scissor” and “Li zipper”‐driven interlayer Li plating protocol in 2D layered transition metal carbides (MXenes) is proposed, where lithium serves as a “zipper” to reunite the adjacent MXene back to MAX‐like phase to markedly enhance the bulk phase‐structural stability, and a Li halide‐rich SEI is formed by “electrochemical scissor” removing the terminals of MXenes to maintain the stability and high Li+ diffusivity of SEI.
•Designing of BC-based superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic membrane.•A simple blending of BC nanofibers with SiO2-MPs and coated with PDA.•Membrane showed oil/water separation with high ...efficiency and a high flux rate.•Membrane also exhibited potential for oil-in-water emulsion separation.•It showed recyclability, anti-fouling properties and stability in harsh conditions.
The oil/water (o/w) separation is a global challenge because of the increasing water contamination by oil spill accidents, and oil-containing wastewater produced by food, textile, and petrochemical industries. In this study, we have developed bacterial cellulose (BC) based superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic (SUS) membrane for o/w separation. The membrane was designed through a facile method by blending BC nanofibers with silica microparticles (SiO2-MPs), which was further modified by bio-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coatings. The composite membrane exhibited SiO2-MPs dependent o/w separation with a high separation efficiency of >99.9 % and a high flux rate of ∼10,660 Lm−2 h-1 while applying a small negative pressure (0.3−0.5 bar). The membrane with different content of SiO2-MPs also showed the potential to separate oil-in-water emulsion with the highest oil rejection of 98.2 % and the highest flux rate of ∼1250 Lm−2 h-1 on an ultra-low pressure <0.1 bar. Moreover, the membrane showed antifouling properties, recyclability, and stability in harsh conditions.
Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) are not only associated with asthma but also lead to asthmatic airway inflammation and remodeling. Inhibition of AAMs is an alternative therapeutic strategy ...for treating asthma. In this study we investigated whether emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone), isolated from the rhizome of Rheum palmatum, alleviated asthmatic airway inflammation and reduced AAM polarization in a murine asthma model. Mice were sensitized with a triple allergen mix containing dust mite, ragweed and aspergillus (DRA). In mice with DRA-induced asthma, asthmatic inflammation was significantly enhanced. Intraperitoneal injection of emodin (20 mg·kg
·d
, ip) 1 h prior to DRA challenge on days 12-14 significantly decreased pulmonary eosinophil and lymphocyte infiltration, mucus secretion and serum IgE production, as well as IL-4 and IL-5 production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In response to emodin treatment, activated markers of AAM Ym-1, Fizz-1 and arginase-1 in the lung tissues were remarkably decreased. In mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) in vitro, emodin (2-50 μmol/L) dose-dependently inhibited IL-4-induced AAM polarization and STAT6 phosphorylation. Collectively, our results suggest that emodin effectively ameliorates asthmatic airway inflammation and AAM polarization, and it may therefore become a potential agent for the treatment of asthma.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) has numerous excellent properties but the absence of antibacterial activity restricts its applications in biomedical field. Therefore, in order to introduce the antibacterial ...characteristics into BC; herein, a facile method for incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) is presented. BC films were first immersed in zinc nitrate solution, followed by treating with NaOH solution, the BC loaded ZnO nanocomposite films were dried by a sheet former instrument at 80 °C for 20 min. The obtained BC/ZnO nanocomposites were characterized by different techniques. XRD results showed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO-NPs while FE-SEM results displayed the particle size of ZnO-NPs was ranging from 70 to 100 nm. Thermogravimetric study revealed the thermal stability of nanocomposite films. The nanocomposite exhibited photocatalytic activity and revealed 91% degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV-irradiation within 2 h. Moreover, the nanocomposites demonstrated significant UV-blocking properties and showed antibacterial activities against tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. This work provides a simple and novel method for the synthesis of BC/ZnO nanocomposite as a functional biomaterial.
•Facile method was used to incorporate ZnO nanoparticles to bacterial cellulose.•BC/ZnO nanocomposite films were investigated for antibacterial properties.•Nanocomposite also showed photocatalytic activity.•The nanocomposite films could be used for antibacterial applications.
•Compound sophorae decoction is effective for the treatment of UC.•Compound sophorae decoction ameliorates symptoms in DSS-induced mice colitis.•Compound sophorae decoction regulates the balance ...between Th17 and Treg cells in the UC mouse model.
Compound sophorae decoction, a Chinese medicinal formulae composed of six Chinese herbs, is effective for the clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). Some of its effective monomers had been proven to have suppressive effect on UC models. The aim of this study is to further explore the mechanism whether compound sophorae decoction ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mice colitis by regulating the balance between T helper (Th) 17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells.
Experimental model of UC, established by drinking water with DSS, was treated with compound sophorae decoction and mesalazine. The stool, activity, body weight of the mice, colon length and colon histopathology were observed to evaluate severity of colitis. The concentration of cytokines in colonic tissues were detected by ELISA. The expression of phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65, STAT3 and phosphorylated STAT3 in colonic tissues were determined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The percentage of Th17 and Treg cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of transcription factor ROR-γt and FOXP3 in colon tissues were detected by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.
The aqueous extract of compound sophorae decoction was able to improve the symptoms and pathological damage of mice. The body weight of mice were increased and DAI were significantly decreased; ulcers were slighter than DSS group. The administration of compound sophorae decoction reduced the level of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and phospho-NF-κB p65, and also decreased the proportions of Th17 cells in spleen and MLNs and the expression of ROR-γt, IL-17A, STAT3, IL-6 in colonic tissues; while the percentage of Treg cells in spleen and MLNs and the expression of FOXP3, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, IL-10 in colonic tissues were upregulated.
Overall, this study suggested that compound sophorae decoction significantly improves the symptoms and the pathological damage of mice with colitis and influences the immune function by regulating Th17/Treg cell balance in DSS-induced colitis in mice.
The presence of pesticide residues in cowpea raises serious health concerns. In this study, a novel, sensitive, high-performance method was developed to simultaneously analyze the residues of 35 ...pesticides in cowpea samples from growing areas in the Hainan province of China, from November 2018 to June 2021. The method employs modified QuEChERS sample pretreatment coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of quantification of the 35 pesticides in the cowpea matrix ranged from 1.0 to 8.0 μg/kg. Twenty-seven of the 35 pesticides were detected, twelve of which are banned for use on legumes in China. Residues for ten pesticides in 17.1% of the samples exceeded their MRLs, with the highest exceedance of 380% observed in difenoconazole. Moreover, 80.8% of the samples contained one or more pesticide residues, with the most frequently detected pesticide being chlorfenapyr with a detection rate of 46.3%. In addition, the pesticide triazophos was detected through different years and regions. Notably, the chronic dietary exposure risk (%ADI) of the detected pesticides, evaluated from the national estimated acceptable daily intake, was lower than 100% in Chinese people of different age groups.
Hypocotyl elongation is dramatically influenced by environmental factors and phytohormones. Indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) plays a prominent role in hypocotyl elongation, whereas abscisic acid (ABA) is ...regarded as an inhibitor through repressing IAA synthesis and signalling. However, the regulatory role of ABA in local IAA deactivation remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we confirmed the antagonistic interplay of ABA and IAA during the hypocotyl elongation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seedlings. We identified an IAA oxidase enzyme DIOXYGENASE FOR AUXIN OXIDATION2 (SlDAO2), and its expression was induced by both external and internal ABA signals in tomato hypocotyls. Moreover, the overexpression of SlDAO2 led to a reduced sensitivity to IAA, and the knockout of SlDAO2 alleviated the inhibitory effect of ABA on hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, an ABA‐responsive regulatory SlAREB1/SlABI3‐1/SlABI5 cascade was identified to act upstream of SlDAO2 and to precisely control its expression. SlAREB1 directly bound to the ABRE present in the SlDAO2 promoter to activate SlDAO2 expression, and SlABI3‐1 enhanced while SlABI5 inhibited the activation ability of SlAREB1 by directly interacting with SlAREB1. Our findings revealed that ABA might induce local IAA oxidation and deactivation via SlDAO2 to modulate IAA homoeostasis and thereby repress hypocotyl elongation in tomato.
Summary statement
We found that ABA regulates expression of IAA oxidase gene SlDAO2 via the AREB1/ABI3‐1/ABI5 transcription factor cascade, and thereby modulating IAA homeostasis and inhibiting hypocotyl elongation in tomato seedlings.
Steam curing, a common way of curing precast concrete, can greatly improve its 1-day strength. However, the thermal effect of prolonged high-temperature curing can negatively impact the concrete's ...performance, thus compromising production of precast products in cold regions. Fly ash (FA) is used as a supplementary cementitious material to improve part of the properties of concrete. In this paper, we investigated the effect of FA (10~30%) on the compressive strength and microstructure of manufactured sand concrete at the steam curing and later stages. Specifically, we analyzed the behavior of FA in the constant temperature phase under steam curing. Results indicated that the pozzolanic reaction of FA started to occur at 24 h of constant temperature curing. Early hydration under steam curing produces a large amount of Ca(OH)
, causing the pozzolanic reaction of FA to occur significantly earlier, and the high pH value of the solution and the fibrous mesh structure of the FA surface promote the pozzolanic reaction. The addition of 30% FA to manufactured sand concrete causes a significant reduction in early strength under steam curing, which is not beneficial to the formwork removal and tensioning of precast members. Notably, manufactured sand concrete with 20% FA under steam curing had the highest late strength. The filling effect of FA and the additional gel produced by the pozzolanic reaction would result in the reduction in large pore content, refinement of pore size, improvement of microstructural compactness, and increase in gel system strength. Therefore, the addition of 20% FA to the manufactured sand concrete can improve the long-term strength, which is beneficial to the production of precast beams in cold regions.
Isoalantolactone (IAL) is a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from roots of Inula helenium L and has shown anti-inflammatory effects. In this study we investigated the therapeutic effects of IAL on ...acute lung injury (ALI) and elucidated the mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammation potential in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/mL) drastically stimulated production of inflammatory mediators such as NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), which was dose-dependently suppressed by pretreatment with IAL (2.5, 5, 10, 20 μM). We further revealed that IAL suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB, ERK, and Akt activation. Moreover, the downregulation of non-degradable K63-linked polyubiquitination of TRAF6, an upstream transcription factor of NF-κB, contributed to the anti-inflammatory effects of IAL. ALI was induced in mice by intratracheal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg). Administration of IAL (20 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly suppressed pulmonary pathological changes, neutrophil infiltration, pulmonary permeability, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Our results demonstrate that IAL is a potential therapeutic reagent against inflammation and ALI.
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