Interleukin (IL)-5 is believed to be a key cytokine in eosinophil inflammatory infiltration in asthma. Previous clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy and safety of mepolizumab, a monoclonal ...antibody against IL-5, in patients with asthma. However, most of these studies were small, the conclusions were inconsistent, and the precise effects are therefore debatable.
A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effect of intravenous infusion of mepolizumab on clinical outcomes in patients with asthma. Trials were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, reviews, and reference lists of relevant articles. The outcome variables analyzed included eosinophil counts in blood and sputum, airways outcome measures, exacerbations, asthma control, and quality of life scores.
Seven studies met final inclusion criteria (total n = 1131). From the pooled analyses, mepolizumab significantly reduced eosinophils in blood (MD -0.29×10(9)/L, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.14×10(9)/L, P = 0.0001) and sputum (MD -6.05%, 95% CI -9.34 to -2.77%, P = 0.0003). Mepolizumab was also associated with significantly decreased exacerbation risk than placebo (OR 0.30, 95%CI 0.13 to 0.67, P = 0.004), and with a significant improvement in the scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) (MD 0.26, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.49, P = 0.03) in patients with eosinophilic asthma. There were no statistical differences between the groups with respect to FEV1, PEF, or histamine PC20 (all P>0.05), and a non-significant trend for improvement in scores on the Juniper Asthma Control Questionnaire (JACQ) (MD -0.21, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.01, P = 0.06) in the mepolizumab group was observed.
Mepolizumab reduces the risk of exacerbations and improves quality of life in patients with eosinophilic asthma, but no significant improvement in lung function outcomes was observed. Further research is required to establish the possible role of anti-IL-5 as a therapy for asthma.
•VO2 nanoflowers are immobilized tightly on reduced grapheme oxide.•VO2 as a catalyst can enhance the reaction kinetics of sodium sulfur batteries.•The rGO/VO2/S electrode exhibits good cycle ...performance.
Developing high energy density room-temperature sodium sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries relies on the design of delicate structure that can be efficiently injected sulfur and enhance the cycle life of electrode active material. Herein, a three dimensional (3D) hierarchical cathode substrate with VO2 nanoflowers as catalyst in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for sulfur cathodes are designed and prepared. In this novel structure, the electronic conductivity of sulfur cathode can be greatly improved due to the high electrical conductivity of rGO substrate. More importantly, the catalytic effect of VO2 accelerates the conversion long-chain NaPSs to Na2S2/Na2S, and enhances the cycle capability, which can be validated by experimental data. As a result, the as-obtained rGO/VO2/S composites achieves an initial reversible capacity of 876.4 mA h g−1 at 0.2C. Moreover, the capacity of 156.1 mA h g−1 is demonstrated after long-cycling term of 1000 cycles at 2C and high cycle stability of only 0.07% capacity decay per cycle is exhibited.
Exercise training exerts protective effects against diabetic nephropathy. This study aimed to investigate whether exercise training could attenuate diabetic renal injury via regulating endogenous ...hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production. First, C57BL/6 mice were allocated into the control, diabetes, exercise, and diabetes + exercise groups. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Treadmill exercise continued for four weeks. Second, mice was allocated into the control, diabetes, H2S and diabetes + H2S groups. H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) was intraperitoneally injected once daily for four weeks. STZ‐induced diabetic mice exhibited glomerular hypertrophy, tissue fibrosis and increased urine albumin levels, urine protein‐ and albumin‐to‐creatinine ratios, which were relieved by exercise training. Diabetic renal injury was associated with apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the enhanced caspase‐3 activity, the increased TdT‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling ‐positive cells and the reduced expression of anti‐apoptotic proteins, all of which were attenuated by exercise training. Exercise training enhanced renal sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression in diabetic mice, accompanied by an inhibition of the p53‐#ediated pro‐apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, exercise training restored the STZ‐mediated downregulation of cystathionine‐β‐synthase (CBS) and cystathionine‐γ‐lyase (CSE) and the reduced renal H2S production. NaHS treatment restored SIRT1 expression, inhibited the p53‐mediated pro‐apoptotic pathway and attenuated diabetes‐associated apoptosis and renal injury. In high glucose‐treated MPC5 podocytes, NaHS treatment inhibited the p53‐mediated pro‐apoptotic pathway and podocyte apoptosis in a SIRT1‐dependent manner. Collectively, exercise training upregulated CBS/CSE expression and enhanced the endogenous H2S production in renal tissues, thereby contributing to the modulation of the SIRT1/p53 apoptosis pathway and improvement of diabetic nephropathy.
The high energy density of room temperature (RT) sodium–sulfur batteries (Na‐S) usually rely on the efficient conversion of polysulfide to sodium sulfide during discharging and sulfur recovery during ...charging, which is the rate‐determining step in the electrochemical reaction process of Na‐S batteries. In this work, a 3D network (Ni‐NCFs) host composed by nitrogen‐doped carbon fibers (NCFs) and Ni hollow spheres is synthesized by electrospinning. In this novel design, each Ni hollow unit not only can buffer the volume fluctuation of S during cycling, but also can improve the conductivity of the cathode along the carbon fibers. Meanwhile, the result reveals that a small amount of Ni is polarized during the sulfur‐loading process forming a polar NiS bond. Furthermore, combining with the nitrogen‐doped carbon fibers, the Ni‐NCFs composite can effectively adsorb soluble polysulfide intermediate, which further facilitates the catalysis of the Ni unit for the redox of sodium polysulfide. In addition, the in situ Raman is employed to supervise the variation of polysulfide during the charging and discharging process. As expected, the freestanding S@Ni‐NCFs cathode exhibits outstanding rate capability and excellent cycle performance.
A network‐like Ni‐NCFs composite (nitrogen‐doped carbon fibers implanted with Ni) with excellent conductivity and catalysis is synthesized as host for Na‐S batteries. Among it, the Ni hollow units both can buffer the volume fluctuation of S and accelerate the redox kinetics of Na2Sx. Benefiting from the structural and compositional advantages, as‐assembled batteries show outstanding rate capability and improved cycling ability.
A new phosphorescent dinuclear cationic iridium(III) complex (Ir1) with a donor–acceptor–π‐bridge–acceptor–donor (DAπAD)‐conjugated oligomer (L1) as a N^N ligand and a triarylboron compound as a ...C^N ligand has been synthesized. The photophysical and excited‐state properties of Ir1 and L1 were investigated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and molecular‐orbital calculations, and they were compared with those of the mononuclear iridium(III) complex Ir(Bpq)2(bpy)+PF6− (Ir0). Compared with Ir0, complex Ir1 shows a more‐intense optical‐absorption capability, especially in the visible‐light region. For example, complex Ir1 shows an intense absorption band that is centered at λ=448 nm with a molar extinction coefficient (ε) of about 104, which is rarely observed for iridium(III) complexes. Complex Ir1 displays highly efficient orange–red phosphorescent emission with an emission wavelength of 606 nm and a quantum efficiency of 0.13 at room temperature. We also investigated the two‐photon‐absorption properties of complexes Ir0, Ir1, and L1. The free ligand (L1) has a relatively small two‐photon absorption cross‐section (δmax=195 GM), but, when complexed with iridium(III) to afford dinuclear complex Ir1, it exhibits a higher two‐photon‐absorption cross‐section than ligand L1 in the near‐infrared region and an intense two‐photon‐excited phosphorescent emission. The maximum two‐photon‐absorption cross‐section of Ir1 is 481 GM, which is also significantly larger than that of Ir0. In addition, because the strong BF interaction between the dimesitylboryl groups and F− ions interrupts the extended π‐conjugation, complex Ir1 can be used as an excellent one‐ and two‐photon‐excited “ON–OFF” phosphorescent probe for F− ions.
Relight my f‐IrIII: A dinuclear iridium(III) complex exhibits strong two‐photon‐induced phosphorescent emission with a relatively large two‐photon absorption cross‐section and can be used as a two‐photon‐excited phosphorescent probe for fluoride.
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The yolk-shell THC@CoSe2 hosts has multilayer defenses system of polysulfide and futher ensure a stable cycle performance for lithium-sulfur batteries.
•The THC@CoSe2 hosts can be ...regarded as a multilayer defenses system for polysulfide.•The hollow structure and porous carbon can store S and alleviate it volume expansion.•The CoSe2 nanosheets can accelerate polysulfide conversion and reduce shuttle effect.
Restraining the shuttle effect and improving the cycling durability of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are the basic premise to realize its large-scale application, while the adsorption and catalytic capacities of the host to polysulfide lithium (Li2Sn, 4 ≤ n ≤ 8) is the key to affect those performances. Therefore, in this work, yolk-shell porous carbon spheres loaded with CoSe2 nanosheets (THC-CoSe2) are synthesized as hosts for Li-S batteries. Due to the unique microstructure, as-constructed S@THC-CoSe2 cathode not only can relieve the volume expansion of active substance, but also offer a “multilayer defensive system” to prevent the outward diffusion of Li2Sn through physical and chemical interactions simultaneously. In addition, the outermost CoSe2 nanosheets with excellent electronic conductivity is able to catalyze the transformation of Li2Sn anchored on its surface, finally accelerating the elimination of soluble intermediates and weakening the shuttle phenomenon. Based on above advantages, the initial discharge capacity of the Li-S battery assembled by S@THC-CoSe2 cathode is as high as 1230.0 mAh g−1 at the current rate of 0.1C, and the capacity attenuation of each cycle is as low as 0.034% in 1000cycles at 1.0C.
•Eighteen anthocyanins were tentatively identified in purple sweet potatoes.•Gallic/ferulic/caffeic acids intensified colour but most unstabilized anthocyanins.•Phenolic acids might increase ...hyperchromic effects due to delocalized π-electrons.•Phenolic acids might interrupt anthocyanin self-stacking and reduce its stability.
The mechanism by which copigments stabilize colour, by protecting anthocyanin chromophores from nucleophilic attack, seems well accepted. This study was to determine effects of gallic/ferulic/caffeic acids on colour intensification and anthocyanin stability. Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to explore molecular interactions. Phenolic acids intensified the colour by 19%∼27%. Colour fading during heating followed first-order reactions with half-lives of 3.66, 9.64, 3.50, and 3.39h, whereas anthocyanin degradation, determined by the pH differential method (or HPLC-PDA), followed second-order reactions with half-lives of 3.29 (3.40), 3.43 (3.39), 2.29 (0.39), and 2.72 (0.32)h alone or with gallic/ferulic/caffeic acids, respectively, suggesting that anthocyanin degradation was faster than the colour fading. The strongest protection of gallic acids might be attributed to the shortest distance (4.37Å) of its aromatic ring to the anthocyanin (AC) panel. Hyperchromic effects induced by phenolic acids were pronounced and they obscured the accelerated anthocyanin degradation due to self-association interruption.
Boron‐based motifs, introduced into π‐conjugated systems in various forms (e.g., triarylboranes, borate dyes, and boron clusters), have attracted much attention owing to their unique electronic and ...structural features. Recently, organoboron groups – mainly triarylboranes and boron clusters (carboranes) – that exhibit highly polarizable σ‐aromatic character and strongly electron‐withdrawing properties have been widely incorporated into phosphorescent IrIII complexes. These organoboron groups make significant contributions to the excited states of such IrIII complexes, allowing tuning of phosphorescence energy and quantum yields. A number of fascinating boron‐functionalized IrIII complexes have been synthesized to date, and some of them have been applied in various fields, including those of organic light‐emitting diodes, chemosensors, and biological probes. This microreview provides a summary of recent research into boron‐functionalized IrIII complexes, emphasizing the impact of organoboron groups on photophysical properties and their optoelectronic applications.
Boron‐functionalized IrIII complexes have recently been attracting much interest because of their electronic and luminescence properties. Many fascinating boron‐functionalized IrIII complexes have been applied in various fields. We review recent research into these boron‐functionalized IrIII complexes, emphasizing the impact of borane groups on their photophysical properties and applications.
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•The cCNTs cathode substrate can facilitate the deposition of MnO2 in rechargeable aqueous Zn/MnO2.•The capacity of Zn/cCNTs-MnO2 is continuously increased during the cycles under 0.1 ...mA cm-2.•The capacity can reach 0.45 mAh cm-2 after 100 cycles and even up to 0.9 mAh cm-2 after 140 cycles.•By changing the current density, the Zn/cCNTs-MnO2 exhibits a capacity self-healing ability.
Rechargeable aqueous Zn/MnO2 batteries show great potential for grid-scale storage due to their low cost, high safety, and energy density, yet suffer from continuous capacity decay during operation. Therefore, this work proposes a capacity self-healing aqueous Zn/MnO2 (Zn/cCNTs-MnO2) battery using carboxyl-modified carbon nanotubes (cCNTs) as the cathode substrate, ZnSO4 + MnSO4 mixed aqueous solution as the electrolyte, and Zn foil as the anode. Based on the controllable electrodeposition reaction of MnO2, the specific capacity of Zn/cCNTs-MnO2 batteries can be achieved or recovered by operating several cycles under a low current density (0.1 mA cm−2). Then, the batteries can stably perform under a high current density (1 mA cm−2). By repeating the above steps, a capacity self-healing usage scheme was established, which can significantly improve the cycling performance of Zn/cCNTs-MnO2 batteries. Moreover, the results of the proposed Zn/cCNTs-MnO2 batteries verify the MnO2 electrodeposition mechanism and introduce a novel method for the development of durable aqueous rechargeable Zn/MnO2 batteries.
Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived hollow cobalt sulfides have attracted extensive attention due to their porous shell that provides rich redox reactions for energy storage. However, their ...ultradispersed structure and the large size of MOF precursors result in relatively low conductivity, stability, and tap density. Therefore, the construction of an array of continuous hollow cages and tailoring of the inner cavity of MOF-derived materials is very effective for enhancing the electrochemical performance. Herein, we in situ assembled small Co-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) on the both sides of negatively charged MnO2 nanosheets to fabricate a hierarchical sandwich-type composite with hollow cobalt sulfide nanocages/graphene-like MnO2. The graphene-like MnO2 nanosheets acted not only as a structure-directing agent to grow a ZIF-67 array but also as a promising electroactive material of electrochemical capacitors to provide capacitance. As an electrode material of supercapacitors, the as-prepared composites exhibit high specific capacitance (1635 F g–1 at 1 A g–1), great rate performance (reaching 1160 F g–1 at 10 A g–1), and excellent cycling stability (80% retention after 5000 cycles). The outstanding electrochemical properties of our designed materials can be attributed to the unique nanostructure that improved electrical conductivity, created more reactive active sites, and increased the diffusion pathway for electrolyte ions.
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