Potassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) in organic electrolytes hold great promise as an electrochemical energy storage technology owing to the abundance of potassium, close redox potential to lithium, and ...similar electrochemistry with lithium system. Although carbon materials have been studied as KIB anodes, investigations on KIB cathodes have been scarcely reported. A comprehensive study on potassium Prussian blue K0.220FeFe(CN)60.805⋅4.01H2O nanoparticles as a potential cathode material is for the first time reported. The cathode exhibits a high discharge voltage of 3.1–3.4 V, a high reversible capacity of 73.2 mAh g−1, and great cyclability at both low and high rates with a very small capacity decay rate of ≈0.09% per cycle. Electrochemical reaction mechanism analysis identifies the carbon‐coordinated FeIII/FeII couple as redox‐active site and proves structural stability of the cathode during charge/discharge. Furthermore, for the first time, a KIB full‐cell is presented by coupling the nanoparticles with commercial carbon materials. The full‐cell delivers a capacity of 68.5 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and retains 93.4% of the capacity after 50 cycles. Considering the low cost and material sustainability as well as the great electrochemical performances, this work may pave the way toward more studies on KIB cathodes and trigger future attention on rechargeable KIBs.
Potassium Prussian blue nanoparticles are reported as a potential cathode material for potassium‐ion batteries. The cathode exhibits high reversible capacity, excellent cyclability, and great rate capability. Electrochemical mechanism analysis reveals the active‐redox site and proves the structural stability during charge/discharge. Pairing with commercially available carbon materials, a potassium‐ion battery full cell is demonstrated for the first time.
•Proposing a comprehensive research method to evaluate the environmental impacts.•Considering the impact of ecological security patterns and red lines.•Proposing a new ecological control pathway from ...the spatial dimension.
The rapid development of the energy and mining industry has supported the industrialization process in China, but it has also caused a series of negative impacts on the ecological environment. As a resource concentration and regional development pivot, evaluating the impact of mineral exploitation on the ecological environment under the scope of urban agglomeration can efficiently mitigate the contradiction between mineral exploitation and ecological environment protection. Therefore, this paper chose 14 urban agglomerations under the nationally planned mining areas as the research object. This paper analyzed the characteristics and spatial distribution of ecological stress in mineral exploitation from multi-aspects, including the ecological base's vulnerability, ecological function, and the stress degree of critical environmental factors. The results of the study show as follows: (1) The distribution of the vulnerability of the ecological base is highly spatial correlated, the Yellow river basin and Yangtze-river basin are clustered with high ecological base vulnerability and low vulnerability urban agglomerations respectively; (2) More than half of the urban agglomerations are stressed by ecological functions, the threats were mainly coming from the water and land resources; (3) Highly stressed cities concentrated in the Yellow-river and Yangtze-river basins, with strong geographical concentration, the impact of mineral exploitation on the ecosystem is profound than water and air environment. (4) Comprehensive stress was the most common type for mineral cities, typically clustered in urban agglomerations with sufficient mineral resources or heavy soil and water loss, presented as a centralized distribution pattern in general. In the end, based on the results, this paper proposed three different control advice for spatial, intensity, and exploitation, respectively, to provide theoretical support and practical solutions for controlling mineral exploitations in urban agglomerations.
•Proposing a comprehensive index system to evaluate the carbon sink potential.•Analyzing the differences in carbon sink potential between urban agglomerations.•Appropriate interventions can increase ...the carbon sink potential of city.
In the context of global warming, effectively reducing carbon emissions is crucial for the sustainable development of human society. Enhancing carbon sink potential offers an efficient and economical method to reduce carbon emissions. Urban agglomerations, as significant sources and carbon sinks, play a pivotal role in optimizing carbon sink potential. This study examines 19 urban agglomerations in China, employing the improved CRITIC method, Dagum's Gini coefficient, and its decomposition, and the spatial convergence model to assess the carbon sink potential level, identify disparities and their origins, and analyze the convergence mechanism within these urban agglomerations. The findings reveal: (1) Driven by policy support and technological progress, China's urban agglomerations have improved carbon sink potential, with low-level areas diminishing and medium- to high-level areas growing consistently. (2) The variation in carbon sink potential across regions primarily stems from differences among urban agglomerations, suggesting that reducing these disparities could further enhance carbon sink potential. (3) There is a trend of convergence in carbon sink potential among urban agglomerations, indicating that disparities are narrowing over time, moving towards long-term equilibrium. This study extends carbon sink research into urban ecosystems, offering comparative analyses across temporal and spatial dimensions. It enriches the current body of research and provides empirical guidance for China and similar developing countries in pursuing an equilibrium between low-carbon development and economic growth.
A covalently tethered polyoxometalate (POM)–pyrene hybrid (Py–SiW11) is utilized for the noncovalent functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The resulting SWNTs/Py–SiW11 ...nanocomposite shows that both SiW11 and pyrene moieties could interact with SWNTs without causing any chemical decomposition. When used as anode material in lithium‐ion batteries, the SWNTs/Py–SiW11 nanocomposite exhibits higher discharge capacities, and better rate capacity and cycling stability than the individual components. When the current density is 0.5 mA cm−2, the nanocomposite exhibits the initial discharge capacity of 1569.8 mAh g−1, and a high discharge capacity of 580 mAh g−1 for up to 100 cycles.
A covalently tethered polyoxometalate (POM)–pyrene hybrid (Py–SiW11) is utilized for the noncovalent functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). When used as anode material in lithium‐ion batteries, the SWNTs/Py‐SiW11 nanocomposite exhibits higher discharge capacities, and better rate capacity and cycling stability than the individual components.
A novel strategy to enhance the cyclability of organic sodium‐ion batteries is developed by applying a selectively permeable membrane to allow the passage of Na ions but block the slightly dissolved ...active molecules and thereby inhibit the further dissolution. After utilization of the membrane, the batteries show highly enhanced cyclability. Such strategy can be potentially extended to many organic materials with low solubilities.
Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, PLB), a naturally occurring naphthoquinone mainly isolated from the plant
L., has been proven to possess anticancer activities towards multiple types ...of cancer. Although there has been an increasing amount of research regarding its anticancer effects, the association between oxidative stress, genotoxicity and the cell cycle arrest induced by PLB still remains unclear. Therefore, it is important to investigate their potential connections and the involvement of DNA damage and the ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM)-p53 signaling pathway in PLB's anticancer mechanism. The present study showed that PLB exposure significantly reduced HCC cell viability and colony formation. In addition, PLB-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, oxidative stress, and DNA damage was detected, which could be almost blocked by NAC pretreatment. PLB could trigger a DNA damage response by activating cell cycle checkpoints such as ATM, checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) and p53. Meanwhile, the key modulator of the G2/M transition factor, Cell Division Cycle 25C (cdc25C), was significantly downregulated in an ROS-dependent manner. Furthermore, pretreatment with ATM and p53 inhibitors (KU55933 and Pifithrin-α) could reduce the occurrence of G2/M cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the activation of the ATM-p53 pathway. Taken together, these results indicate that ROS-mediated oxidative stress plays a key role in PLB-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest mediated by the ATM-p53 pathway.
A novel hierarchical electrode material for Na-ion batteries composed of Sbnanoplates on Ni nanorod arrays is developed to tackle the issues of the rapidcapacity fading and poor rate capability of ...Sb-based materials. The three-dimensional （3D） Sb-Ni nanoarrays as anodes exhibit the synergistic effects ofthe two-dimensional nanoplates and the open and conductive array structureas well as strong structural integrity. Further, their capacitive behavior isconfirmed through a kinetics analysis, which shows that their excellent Na-storageperformance is attributable to their unique nanostructure. When used asbinder-free sodium-ion battery （SIB） anodes, the nanoarrays exhibit a highcapacity retention rate （more than 80% over 200 cycles） at a current density of0.5 A.g-1 and excellent rate capacity （up to 20 A·g^-1）, with their capacity being580 mAh-g-1. Moreover, a P2-Na2/3Nil/3Mn2/302//3D Sb-Ni nanoarrays full celldelivers a highly reversible capacity of 579.8 mAh.g-1 over 200 cycles and an energydensity as high as 100 Wh-kg^-1 This design strategy for ensuring fast and stableNa storage may work with other electrode materials as well.
COVID‐19 is infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and can cause severe multiple organ injury and death. Kidney is one of major target organs of COVID‐19 and acute ...kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill COVID‐19 patients. However, mechanisms through which COVID‐19 causes AKI remain largely unknown and treatment remains unspecific and ineffective. Here, the authors report that normal kidney‐specifically overexpressing SARS‐CoV‐2 N develops AKI, which worsens in mice under ischemic condition. Mechanistically, it is uncovered that SARS‐CoV‐2 N‐induced AKI is Smad3‐dependent as SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein can interact with Smad3 and enhance TGF‐β/Smad3 signaling to cause tubular epithelial cell death and AKI via the G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism. This is further confirmed in Smad3 knockout mice and cells in which deletion of Smad3 protects against SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein‐induced cell death and AKI in vivo and in vitro. Most significantly, it is also found that targeting Smad3 with a Smad3 pharmacological inhibitor is able to inhibit SARS‐CoV‐2 N‐induced AKI. In conclusion, the authors identify that SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein is a key mediator for AKI and induces AKI via the Smad3‐dependent G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism. Targeting Smad3 may represent as a novel therapy for COVID‐19‐asscoaited AKI.
In this article, the authors discover that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) N protein can bind and activate Smad3 to induce kidney cell death and cause acute kidney injury (AKI) via p21‐dependent G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism. Targeting Smad3 with a pharmacological inhibitor SIS3 can inhibit SARS‐CoV‐2 N‐induced AKI.
Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 3 (SIRT3) is a major protective mediator that ameliorates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which are associated with the ...pathogenesis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The present study was aimed to investigate the potential role of SIRT3 in renal tubular EMT both in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, we showed that the expression of SIRT3 was repressed in angiotensin II-induced EMT. SIRT3 deficiency triggered EMT response, while over-expression of SIRT3 attenuated EMT response. In addition, over-expression of SIRT3 repressed AngⅡ-induced excessive production of mitochondrial superoxide, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction evidenced by the maintenance of mitochondrial number and morphology, and the stabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential. In conclusion, these findings identify a protective role of SIRT3 against angiotensin II-induced EMT in the kidney, and suggest SIRT3 upregulation is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.
•The expression of SIRT3 was reduced in Ang II-induced renal tubular EMT.•SIRT3 deficiency induced renal tubular EMT both in vitro and in vivo.•Over-expression of SIRT3 prevented Ang II-induced EMT response.•SIRT3 ameliorated oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in tubular EMT.
PDF
