Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted significant attention with respect to renewable energy power generation systems because of the abundant reserves of sodium on earth. However, anode ...materials are presently limited by low energy density, poor rate performance and inferior cycling stability. In recent years, tin disulfide (SnS
2
) with a particular layered structure has been considered as a promising anode material for SIBs due to its high theoretical capacity and low cost. Herein, a nervous-system-like structured SnS
2
/CNTs composite was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The SnS
2
sheets were strung with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form a hierarchical porous structure, which is effective for electrolyte diffusion and electronic transmission. The large distance of the (001) plane (0.5899 nm) of SnS
2
favors Na
+
insertion–extraction dynamics. Benefitting from these structural characteristics, SnS
2
/CNTs electrodes exhibit high specific capacity, excellent rate performance and superior cycling stability. A high charge capacity of 642 mAh·g
−1
was released at 0.2 A·g
−1
, and then, a high reversible capacity of 427 mAh·g
−1
was retained after 100 cycles. Even charged at 2 A·g
−1
, the SnS
2
/CNTs electrode maintained a capacity of 282 mAh·g
−1
. The nervous-system-like structure of the SnS
2
/CNTs composite provides a novel strategy for the development of SIBs with high electrochemical performance.
Graphic abstract
Introducing soft materials with deformability and flexibility into mechanical switches may help to develop new types of soft mechanical switches with special properties such as reconfigurable ...characteristics and parallel computing. However, recently developed soft mechanical switches still have low on/off ratio, slow response time, and insufficient durability. Here, a soft mechanical switch based on liquid metal and a zigzag structure is constructed through strain engineering strategy with high on/off ratio (R/R0 > 107), short response time (~0.2 s), long‐term durability (> 2000 times), and self‐healing performance which is outstanding than the reported ones. With the switch, a mechanical unit is designed and all types of logic gates can be constructed by programming switches. Such multiple switches can also be used to perform parallel computing and achieve intelligent information processing.
A soft mechanical switch with high on/off ratio, short response time, and long‐term durability is developed through strain strategy. Its excellent electromechanical matching characteristics, unique reconfigurability, and parallel computing capabilities endow it with the possibility of application in intelligent information processing. This work can provide new thinking for intelligent mechanical control.
A systematic investigation combined with a Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking approach, was conducted on the metabolites of the deep-sea-derived fungus Samsoniella hepiali W7, ...leading to the isolation of three new fusaric acid derivatives, hepialiamides A–C (1–3) and one novel hybrid polyketide hepialide (4), together with 18 known miscellaneous compounds (5–22). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated through detailed spectroscopic analysis. as well as TD-DFT-based ECD calculation. All isolates were tested for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Under a concentration of 1 µM, compounds 8, 11, 13, 21, and 22 showed potent inhibitory activity against nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 microglia cells, with inhibition rates of 34.2%, 30.7%, 32.9%, 38.6%, and 58.2%, respectively. Of particularly note is compound 22, which exhibited the most remarkable inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 426.2 nM.
Three new polyketides (penidihydrocitrinins A–C, 1–3) and fourteen known compounds (4–17) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived Penicillium citrinum W17. Their structures were elucidated by ...comprehensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD calculations. Compounds 1–17 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoporotic bioactivities. All isolates exhibited significant inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated nitric oxide production in murine brain microglial BV-2 cells in a dose-response manner. Notably, compound 14 displayed the strongest effect with the IC50 value of 4.7 µM. Additionally, compounds 6, 7, and 8 significantly enhanced osteoblast mineralization, which was comparable to that of the positive control, purmorphamine. Furthermore, these three compounds also suppressed osteoclastogenesis in a dose-dependent manner under the concentrations of 2.5 μM, 5.0 μM, and 10 μM.
Gentamicin (GEN) is a kind of aminoglycoside antibiotic with the adverse effect of nephrotoxicity. Currently, no effective measures against the nephrotoxicity have been approved. In the present ...study, epigallocatechin gallate (EG), a useful ingredient in green tea, was used to attenuate its nephrotoxicity. EG was shown to largely attenuate the renal damage and the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the decrease of glutathione (GSH) in GEN-injected rats. In NRK-52E cells, GEN increased the cellular ROS in the early treatment phase and ROS remained continuously high from 1.5 H to 24 H. Moreover, EG alleviated the increase of ROS and MDA and the decrease of GSH caused by GEN. Furthermore, EG activated the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). After the treatment of GEN, the protein level of cleaved-caspase-3, the flow cytometry analysis and the JC-1 staining, the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and SLC7A11, were greatly changed, indicating the occurrence of both apoptosis and ferroptosis, whereas EG can reduce these changes. However, when Nrf2 was knocked down by siRNA, the above protective effects of EG were weakened. In summary, EG attenuated GEN-induced nephrotoxicity by suppressing apoptosis and ferroptosis.
Abstract
Drought stress is a major agricultural problem restricting the growth, development, and productivity of plants. Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) ...significantly influence the plant response to different stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms of CBL–CIPK in the drought stress response of pepper are still unknown. Here, the function of
CaCIPK3
in the regulation of drought stress in pepper (
Capsicum annuum
L.) was explored. Transcriptomic data and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that
CaCIPK3
participates in the response to multiple stresses. Knockdown of
CaCIPK3
in pepper increased the sensitivity to mannitol and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Transient overexpression of
CaCIPK3
improved drought tolerance by enhancing the activities of the antioxidant system and positively regulating jasmonate (JA)-related genes. Ectopic expression of
CaCIPK3
in tomato also improved drought and MeJA resistance. As the CaCIPK3-interacting partner, CaCBL2 positively influenced drought resistance. Additionally, CaWRKY1 and CaWRKY41 directly bound the
CaCIPK3
promoter to influence its expression. This study shows that
CaCIPK3
acts as a positive regulator in drought stress resistance via the CBL–CIPK network to regulate MeJA signaling and the antioxidant defense system.
Butyrolactone I (BTL-I) is a butanolide isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus,
sp. It provides a potential new target for the prevention and treatment of food allergies. This study aimed to ...investigate the metabolic and pharmacokinetic profile of BTL-I in rats. The metabolic profiles were obtained by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. As a result, eleven metabolites were structurally identified, and the proposed metabolic pathways of BTL-I were characterized. The main metabolites were the oxidative and glucuronidative metabolites. In addition, a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method was established for the quantitation of BTL-I in rat plasma (LOQ = 2 ng/mL). The method was fully validated and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of BTL-I in rats after oral administration or intravenous administration. The oral bioavailability was calculated as 6.29%, and the maximum plasma concentrations were 9.85 ± 1.54 ng/mL and 17.97 ± 1.36 ng/mL for intravenous and intragastric dosing groups, respectively.
Three new C10 and C12 aliphatic δ‐lactones (1–3), three new fatty acid methyl esters (4–6), and eight known compounds (7–14) were isolated from the marine Aureobasidium sp. LUO5. Their structures ...were established by detailed analyses of the NMR, HRESIMS, optical rotation, and ECD data. All isolates were tested for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production in LPS‐induced BV‐2 cells. Notably, compound 4 displayed the strongest inhibitory effect with the IC50 value of 120.3 nM.
Two new xanthones (
and
) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus
sp. MCCC 3A00126 along with 34 known compounds (
-
). The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic ...data. The absolute configuration of
was validated by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra. All isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity and ferroptosis inhibitory activities. Compounds
and
exerted potent cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM cells, with IC
values of 5.5 and 3.5 μM, respectively, whereas
,
,
, and
significantly inhibited RSL3-induced ferroptosis, with EC
values of 11.6, 7.2, 11.8, and 2.2 μM, respectively.
Circulating miRNAs are proposed as a biomarker of heart disease. This study evaluated whether circulating miRNAs could be used as a biomarker for childhood dilated cardiomyopathy (CDCM). A total of ...28 participants were enrolled in a discovery set, including patients with CDCM (n = 16) and healthy children (n = 12). The cardiac function of patients with CDCM was characterized by echocardiography and serum miRNA profiles of all participants were assessed by miRNA sequencing. After miRNA profiling, we quantitatively confirmed 148 regulated miRNAs in patients with CDCM compared with healthy subjects, and none were downregulated. Validation of candidate miRNAs was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in other patients with CDCM (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 16). A unique signature comprising mir-142-5p, mir-143-3p, mir-27b-3p, and mir-126-3p differentiated patients with CDCM from healthy subjects. Importantly, we observed an increase in mir-126-3p or let-7g in parallel with a robust decrease in the ejection fraction in patients with CDCM, which could differentiate heart failure patients from non-heart failure patients with CDCM. Moreover, mir-126-3p and let-7g were significantly negatively associated with the left ventricular ejection fraction. This study shows that a signature of four serum miRNAs may be a potential biomarker for diagnosing CDCM and assessing heart failure.