Ultrasmall, Amorphous VO Intimately Anchored on a Carbon Nanofiber Aerogel Toward High-Rate Zinc-Ion Batteries.

When considered as a cathode candidate for aqueous Zn-ion batteries, VO faces several problems, such as inherently unsuitable structure, fast structural degradation, and sluggish charge transport kinetics. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a VO intimately coupled carbon aerogel by a controllable ion impregnation and solid-state reaction strategy using bacterial cellulose and ammonium metavanadate as raw materials. In this newly designed structure, the carbonized carbon fiber network provides fast ion and electron transport channels.

Hierarchical carbon hollow nanospheres coupled with ultra-small molybdenum carbide as sulfiphilic sulfur hosts for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are an attractive candidate to replace the current state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries due to their promising theoretical capacity of 1675 mA h g and energy density of 2500 W h kg. However, the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle effect and the slow sulfur redox kinetics seriously decrease the utilization of sulfur and deteriorate battery performance. Here, hierarchical carbon hollow nanospheres containing intimately coupled molybdenum carbide nanocrystals were synthesized as a sulfiphilic sulfur host.

Research progress of novel magnetic two-dimensional carbon composites in photocatalytic degradation of pollutants: a review.

With the improvement of economic level and the development of science and technology, the problem of water pollution needs to be solved now. Various water pollutants have a negative impact on nature and restrict its development. In recent years, photocatalysis is considered to be a promising wastewater treatment method.

Transition metal elements-doped SnO for ultrasensitive and rapid ppb-level formaldehyde sensing.

Pristine SnO, Fe-doped SnO and Ni-doped SnO were synthesized using facile hydrothermal method. Analysis based on XRD, TEM and UV-Vis DRS measurements demonstrated the successful insertion of Fe and Ni dopants into SnO crystal. Formaldehyde-detection measurements revealed that transition metal-doped SnO exhibited improved formaldehyde-sensing properties compared with that of pristine SnO.

Recent Advancements on Photothermal Conversion and Antibacterial Applications over MXenes-Based Materials.

Highlights: Fabrication, characterizations and photothermal properties of MXenes are systematically described. Photothermal-derived antibacterial performances and mechanisms of MXenes-based materials are summarized and reviewed. Recent advances in the derivative applications relying on antibacterial properties of MXenes-based materials, including in vitro and in vivo sterilization, solar water evaporation and purification, and flexible antibacterial fabrics, are investigated.

Different toenail onychomycosis due to and in an immunocompetent young adult.

() and () have emerged as a potential pathogen in immunosuppressed hosts; they rarely induce onychomycosis in immunocompetent hosts without assistance from other pathogens. Here we present onychomycosis induced by two strains on different toenails in an immunocompetent young adult. The patient presented with onychomycosis on left and right first toenails due to and , respectively.

Combined Modification of Dual-Phase LiTiO-TiO by Lithium Zirconates to Optimize Rate Capabilities and Cyclability.

The low electrical conductivity and ordinary lithium-ion transfer capability of LiTiO restrict its application to some degree. In this work, dual-phase LiTiO-TiO (LTOT) was modified by composite zirconates of LiZrO, LiZrO (LZO) to boost the rate capabilities and cyclability. When the homogeneous mixture of LiNO, Zr(NO)·5HO and LTOT was roasted at 700 °C for 5 h, the obtained composite achieved a superior reversible capacity of 183.

Paeoniflorin augments systemic Candida albicans infection through inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cell expression in a mouse model.

Paeoniflorin (PF), a Chinese herbal medicine, has been widely used in clinical practice in China because of its dual immunoregulatory effects. A previous study found that PF inhibited the biofilm formation of Candida albicans (C. albicans) in vitro; however, whether PF plays an antifungal role in vivo is still unexplored.

Onychomycosis due to with yellowish black discoloration and periungual inflammation.

Onychomycosis is usually caused by dermatophytes, although also other filamentous and yeast-like fungi are associated with nail invasion. is an environmental genus of ascomycetes exhibiting a certain degree of extremotolerance. We report the first case of onychomycosis in a 46-year-old woman in China caused by .

Chromoblastomycosis due to Fonsecaea monophora misdiagnosed as sporotrichosis and cutaneous tuberculosis in a pulmonary tuberculosis patient.

Chromoblastomycosis is caused by dematiaceous fungi. It develops after inoculation of the organism into the skin. We report a case of chromoblastomycosis in a pulmonary tuberculosis patient without known history of trauma.

Paeoniflorin suppresses IL-6/Stat3 pathway via upregulation of Socs3 in dendritic cells in response to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenze.

Mounting evidence has suggested that inflammation is associated with IL-6/Stat3 pathway in dendritic cells (DCs) and Th17 cells, which are critical for development of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Paeoniflorin (PF) has been clinically proved to be effective in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as ACD. We have previously demonstrated the effect of PF on DCs stimulated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenze (DNCB) and naïve CD4(+)CD45RA(+) T cells for Th17 cell differentiation.

Subcutaneous infection by Ochroconis mirabilis in an immunocompetent patient.

Recently, the taxonomy of Ochroconis (Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina, Venturiales, Sympoventuriaceae) has been revised with the recognition of an additional genus, Verruconis. Ochroconis comprises mesophilic saprobes that occasionally infect vertebrates which mostly are cold-blooded, while Verruconis contains thermophilic species which is a neurotrope in humans and birds. On the basis of molecular data it is noted that only a single Ochroconis species regularly infects immunocompetent human hosts.

Antifungal effects of undecylenic acid on the biofilm formation of Candida albicans.

Undecylenic acid can effectively control skin fungal infection, but the mechanism of its fungal inhibition is unclear. Hyphal growth of Candida albicans (C. albicans) and biofilm formation have been well recognized as important virulence factors for the initiation of skin infection and late development of disseminated infection.

Oral administration of paeoniflorin attenuates allergic contact dermatitis by inhibiting dendritic cell migration and Th1 and Th17 differentiation in a mouse model.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a hapten-specific CD4(+) T-cells mediated inflammatory response of the skin. Its pathomechanism involves 2 phases, an induction phase and an elicitation phase. Langerhans cells (LCs) and dendritic cells (DCs) in the skin play key roles in presenting low molecular weight chemicals (haptens) to the lymph nodes.

Silenced suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) enhances the maturation and antifungal immunity of dendritic cells in response to Candida albicans in vitro.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are known to play an important role in initiating and orchestrating antimicrobial immunity. Given the fact that candidiasis appears often in immunocompromised patients, it seems plausible that DCs hold the key to new antifungal strategies. One possibility to enhance the potency of DC-based immunotherapy is to silence the negative immunoregulatory pathways through the ablation suppressor of cytokine signaling suppressor 1 (SOCS1).

Positive temperature coefficient thermistors based on carbon nanotube/polymer composites.

In order to explore availability of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors in practical application, we prepared carbon nanotube (CNT) filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites by using conventional melt-mixing methods, and investigated their PTC effects in details. The CNT-based thermistors exhibit much larger hold current and higher hold voltage, increasing by 129% in comparison with the commercial carbon black (CB) filled HDPE thermistors. Such high current-bearing and voltage-bearing capacity for the CNT/HDPE thermistors is mainly attributed to high thermal conductivity and heat dissipation of entangled CNT networks.

Interleukin-22 mediates early host defense against Rhizomucor pusilluscan pathogens.

Background: In recent years, the fungal infectious disease zygomycosis has increased in incidence worldwide, especially among the immunodeficient population. Despite the rates of zygomycosis-related death and deformation being very high, the mechanism(s) by which the fungal pathogens cause these severe manifestations remain unknown.

Methods: Using the associated Rhizomucor variabilis species, which can selectively induce cutaneous zygomycosis in otherwise healthy individuals, we investigated the host mechanisms of infection-related responses, including cytokine and chemokine expression as well as contributions of particular T cell subsets.

Ecological surveys of the Cryptococcus species complex in China.

Background: Despite recent reports on the molecular epidemiology of cryptococcal infections in China, clinical isolates have been mostly reported from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients, and environmental isolates from China have rarely been included. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological profile of Cryptococcus (C.) neoformans and C.

Insoluble beta-glucan from the cell wall of Candida albicans induces immune responses of human THP-1 monocytes through Dectin-1.

Background: beta-glucan is the major structure component of Candida albicans (C. albicans) cell wall. It has been demonstrated that Dectin-1 as the principal C-type lectin pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) can recognize fungal beta-glucan and induce immune responses.

[Establishing an experimental guinea pig model of dermatophytosis Using Trichophyton rubrum].

Objective: To construct an animal model infected by Trichophyton rubrum.

Methods: Three different strains of Trichophyton rubrum were separated from clinical specimen for the infection of guinea pigs. Corticosteroids were given before and after the construction of animal model to facilitate the infection.

[Effects of Malassezia isolates on cytokines production associated with melanogenesis by keratinocytes].

Objective: To investigate the co-culture of keratinocytes with Malassezia isolates which cause the pityriasis versicolor with different color and to analyze the changes of cytokines associated with melanogenesis.

Methods: The effects of Malassezia species with different proportions on the growth rate of keratinocytes was assessed with 5 g/L methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). Co-culture of keratinocytes and Malassezia species were performed with isolates from hyer- and hypo-pigmentation areas of pityriasis versicolor.