Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) is investigated as a conductive film-making additive on an overlithiated layered oxide (OLO) cathode. When the OLO/graphite cell is cycled at high voltage, carbonate-based ...electrolyte without the additive decomposes continuously to form a thick and highly resistant surface film on the cathode. In contrast, TTF added into the electrolyte becomes oxidized before the electrolyte solvents, creating a thinner film on the cathode surface. This film inhibits further electrolyte decomposition through cycling and stabilizes the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte. The cells containing the OLO cathode with TTF-added electrolyte afforded enhanced capacity retention and rate capability, making TTF a prospective electrolyte additive for higher energy density lithium-ion cells.
► 1-Dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G) from ginger inhibits LPS binding to MD-2. ► 1D10G suppresses MyD88- or TRIF-dependent signaling in LPS-activated macrophages. ► 1D10G down-regulates the expression ...of NF-κB-, AP1- or IRF3-target genes. ► MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G.
Myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) is a co-receptor of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) for innate immunity. Here, we delineated a new mechanism of 1-dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G), one of pungent isolates from ginger (Zingiber officinale), in the suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. 1D10G inhibited LPS binding to MD-2 with higher affinity than gingerol and shogaol from dietary ginger. Moreover, 1D10G down-regulated TLR4-mediated expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) or activating protein 1 (AP1)-target genes such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β, as well as those of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3)-target IFN-β gene and IFN-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in LPS-activated macrophages. Taken together, MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G.
The violet-spotted reef lobster Enoplometopus debelius Holthuis, 1983 (Decapoda, Astacidea, Enoplometopidae) is found in the tropical reef areas of the Indo-Pacific region, and is a highly prized and ...very popular species in the aquarium trade industry. The complete mitochondrial genome of E. debelius has 15,641 base pairs consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and a control region of 746 bp. The base composition of E. debelius is 36.4% A, 35.3% T, 18.1% C, 10.3% G, and the species has an AT content of 71.7%. The E. debelius mitogenome was found to have a gene arrangement and transcriptional polarity identical to that of the Homarus americanus mitogenome, a representative of the arthropod ground pattern. Here, we present the complete mitogenome sequence of E. debelius, which is the first in the superfamily Enoplometopoidea. These data will provide a useful molecular resource for the phylogenetic study of the infraorder Astacidea/order Decapoda.
Silicon oxides (SiO x ) have attracted recent attention for their great potential as promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries as a result of their high energy density and excellent cycle ...performance. Despite these advantages, the commercial use of these materials is still impeded by low initial Coulombic efficiency and high production cost associated with a complicated synthesis process. Here, we demonstrate that Si/SiO x nanosphere anode materials show much improved performance enabled by electroconductive black TiO2–x coating in terms of reversible capacity, Coulombic efficiency, and thermal reliability. The resulting anode material exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1200 mAh g–1 with an excellent cycle performance of up to 100 cycles. The introduction of a TiO2–x layer induces further reduction of the Si species in the SiO x matrix phase, thereby increasing the reversible capacity and initial Coulombic efficiency. Besides the improved electrochemical performance, the TiO2–x coating layer plays a key role in improving the thermal reliability of the Si/SiO x nanosphere anode material at the same time. We believe that this multipurpose interfacial engineering approach provides another route toward high-performance Si-based anode materials on a commercial scale.
The enzyme 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD) catalyzes the conversion of progesterone to its inactive form, 20α-hydroxyprogesterone. This enzyme plays a critical role in the regulation of ...luteal function in female mammals. In this study, we conducted the characterization and functional analyses of bovine 20α-HSD from placental and ovarian tissues. The nucleotide sequence of bovine 20α-HSD showed significant homology to that of goats (96%), humans (84%), rabbits (83%), and mice (81%). The mRNA levels increased gradually throughout the estrous cycle, the highest being in the corpus luteum (CL) 1 stage. Northern blot analysis revealed a 1.2 kb mRNA in the bovine placental and ovarian tissues. An antibody specific to bovine 20α-HSD was generated in a rabbit immunized with the purified, recombinant protein. Recombinant 20α-HSD protein produced in mammalian cells had a molecular weight of ∼37 kDa. Bacterially expressed bovine 20α-HSD protein showed enzymatic activity. The expression pattern of the 20α-HSD protein in the pre-parturition placenta and the CL1 stage of the estrous cycle was similar to the level of 20α-HSD mRNA expression. Immunohistochemical analysis also revealed that bovine 20α-HSD protein was intensively localized in the large luteal cells during the late estrous cycle.
Silicon (Si) based materials are highly desirable to replace currently used graphite anode for lithium ion batteries. Nevertheless, its usage is still a big challenge due to poor battery performance ...and scale-up issue. In addition, two-dimensional (2D) architectures, which remain unresolved so far, would give them more interesting and unexpected properties. Herein, we report a facile, cost-effective, and scalable approach to synthesize Si nanocrystals embedded 2D SiO
x
nanofoils for next-generation lithium ion batteries through a solution-evaporation-induced interfacial sol-gel reaction of hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSiO
1.5
, HSQ). The unique nature of the thus-prepared centimeter scale 2D nanofoil with a large surface area enables ultrafast Li
+
insertion and extraction, with a reversible capacity of more than 650 mAh g
−1
, even at a high current density of 50 C (50 A g
−1
). Moreover, the 2D nanostructured Si/SiO
x
nanofoils show excellent cycling performance up to 200 cycles and maintain their initial dimensional stability. This superior performance stems from the peculiar nanoarchitecture of 2D Si/SiO
x
nanofoils, which provides short diffusion paths for lithium ions and abundant free space to effectively accommodate the huge volume changes of Si during cycling.
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