Activating Redox Kinetics of LiS via Cu, I Co-Doping Toward High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Sulfide-Based Batteries.

All-solid-state lithium sulfide-based batteries (ASSLSBs) have drawn much attention due to their intrinsic safety and excellent performance in overcoming the polysulfide shuttle effect. However, the sluggish kinetics of LiS cathode severely impede commercial utilization. Here, a Cu, I co-doping strategy is employed to activate the kinetics of LiS to construct high-performance ASSLSBs.

Chiral Nanoclusters as Alternative Therapeutic Strategies to Confront the Health Threat from Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens.

(), a drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogen, is listed among the "critical" group of pathogens by the World Health Organization urgently needing efficacious antibiotics in the clinics. Nanomaterials especially silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) due to the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity are tested in antimicrobial therapeutic applications. Pathogens rapidly develop resistance to AgNPs; however, the health threat from antibiotic-resistant pathogens remains challenging.

Integrated omic profiling of the medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus under submerged conditions.

Background: The Inonotus obliquus mushroom, a wondrous fungus boasting edible and medicinal qualities, has been widely used as a folk medicine and shown to have many potential pharmacological secondary metabolites. The purpose of this study was to supply a global landscape of genome-based integrated omic analysis of the fungus under lab-growth conditions.

Results: This study presented a genome with high accuracy and completeness using the Pacbio Sequel II third-generation sequencing method.

Intramolecular Folding of PolyT Oligonucleotides Induced by Cooperative Binding of Silver(I) Ions.

Ag-bridged T-Ag-T was recently discovered in a Ag-DNA nanowire crystal, but it was reported that Ag had little to no affinity to T nucleobases and T-rich oligonucleotides in solution. Therefore, the binding mode for the formation of this type of novel metallo base pair in solution is elusive. Herein, we demonstrate that Ag can interact with polyT oligonucleotides once the concentration of Ag in solution exceeds a threshold value.

Controlled release of iodine from cross-linked cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks for prolonged periodontal pocket therapy.

Effective therapeutic system to periodontitis was designed using cross-linked cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (COF) as carrier for iodine and further suspended in hydroxyethyl cellulose gel as I@COF-HEC hydrogel. Inclusion of iodine within the COF was demonstrated by SR-FTIR spectral and characteristic DSC and TGA changes. Molecular modelling identified the interaction of iodine with both COF central cavity and individual cyclodextrin moieties of COF.

Correlation of Hypoxia-inducible facto-1α and C-reactive protein with disease evaluation in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with ulcerative colitis and correlations of HIF-1α and CRP levels with disease severity.

Methods: A total of 82 patients with confirmed ulcerative colitis were enrolled in this study and according to the disease severity grading, these patients were assigned into three groups: mild group (n=25), moderate group (n=31) and severe group (n=26). And other 30 patients without ulcerative colitis as demonstrated by colonoscopy examination were enrolled in control group in the same period.

Nrf2-induced miR-23a-27a-24-2 cluster modulates damage repair of intestinal mucosa by targeting the Bach1/HO-1 axis in inflammatory bowel diseases.

IBD is an idiopathic, chronic autoimmune disease associated with intense oxidative stress. As a master modulator of oxidative stress, Nrf2 has an important anti-inflammatory role in colitis by activating HO-1 transcription. Meanwhile, HO-1 expression is transcriptionally suppressed by Bach1.

Comparison of different endoscopic resection techniques for submucosal tumors originating from muscularis propria at the esophagogastric junction.

Background: To compare the outcomes of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and submucosal excavation (ESE) for the treatment of submucosal tumors (SMTs) arising from the muscularis propria (MP) at the esophagogastric junction (EGJ).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with SMTs at EGJ who underwent STER and ESE from October 2011 to October 2017 was performed. The outcomes evaluated were operation time, complete resection rate, adverse events, and tumor recurrence.

The effect of solid pancreatic mass lesions on pancreatic duct diameter at endoscopic ultrasound.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of solid pancreatic masses on the pancreatic duct (PD) at the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and the relationship of the location/size of a mass and PD dilation.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent EUS for pancreatic indications from 2011 to 2013 at a single center were retrospectively identified. Those with biopsies that revealed adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas were identified and PD size was ascertained from EUS, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging.

A Prospective Study of Endoscopic Injection Sclerotherapy and Endoscopic Variceal Ligation in the Treatment of Esophageal Varices.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) with endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in the management of esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB).

Patients And Methods: In this prospective study, we compared the EIS and EVL in 124 patients who had endoscopically proved bleeding from esophageal varices. According to different treatment methods, they were randomly divided into the EIS and the EVL groups.

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection for tumors of the esophagogastric junction.

Background: For submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ), submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) is now widely used, and it shows promise in overcoming the limitations of endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the STER technique for treating SMTs of the EGJ originating from the MP layer.

Material And Methods: From October 2011 to February 2014, 20 patients were enrolled for STER surgery.

Splenosis in gastric fundus mimicking gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Splenosis refers to heterotopic autotransplantation and implantation of splenic tissue following splenic trauma or surgery. Splenosis in gastric fundus is rare and difficult to diagnose, since splenosis has similar manifestation with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) under routine endoscopy examination. In this report, we present two quite rare case of splenosis.

Chondrogenesis of synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells in gene-transferred co-culture system.

A co-culture strategy has been developed in this study wherein rabbit synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are co-cultured with growth factor (GF) transfected articular chondrocytes. Toward this end, both SMSCs and early passage rabbit articular chondrocytes that had been adenovirally transduced with transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-beta3) gene were separately encapsulated in alginate beads and co-cultured in the same pool of chondrogenic medium. The chondrocytes act as transfected companion cells (TCCs) providing GF supply to induce chondrogenic differentiation of SMSCs that play the role of therapeutic progenitor cells (TPCs).

A dual-functioning adenoviral vector encoding both transforming growth factor-beta3 and shRNA silencing type I collagen: construction and controlled release for chondrogenesis.

Hyaline articular cartilage degeneration is a common clinical syndrome globally, whereas cell-based therapy has proved to be a good solution to such problems. Given that transforming growth factor (TGF-beta3) is helpful in maintaining chondrocytic phenotype or stimulating chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells, vectors containing TGF-beta3 expression cassette can be delivered to therapeutic cells. One problem involved in the application of therapeutic cells in chondrogenesis is the undesirable production of type I collagen in such cells as chondrocytes and synovial mesenchymal stem cells during ex vivo culture, which undermines the mechanical strength of engineered cartilage.

Engineering osteogenesis and chondrogenesis with gene-enhanced therapeutic cells.

For bone and cartilage regeneration, a direct dose of growth factors or the viral or non-viral vector-mediated delivery of growth factor genes to the site of osteal or chondral wounds has disadvantages. These limitations include the short half-life and instability of the proteins, resulting in low efficacy with the repeated administration of the therapy, and the nonspecific targeting of the therapy that elevates general toxicity and systemic immunogenicity. To address these challenges, the focus of gene therapy for bone and cartilage repair has shifted in recent years to the use of autologous cells, typically osteocytes or chondrocytes, or their progenitors, transfected with therapeutic genes; the cells are cultivated in vitro before in vivo transplantation.

[Pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To explore the role of sinusoidal endothelial cell in the development of liver fibrosis, and to dissect the relationship among hepatic microcirculation disorders, hepatic sinusoidal capilarization and liver fibrosis.

Methods: Liver biopsy was performed in fifty-six patients with chronic hepatitis B. The liver tissues were observed under light microscope and transmitted electronic microscope.

TGF-beta3: A promising growth factor in engineered organogenesis.

Background: Engineered organogenesis is one of the most challenging areas on the cutting edge of regenerative medicine. Growth factors can affect cell proliferation, migration and differentiation profoundly, and thus play a critical role in tissue regeneration. TGF-betas produce a wide range of effects in different cells and tissues.

Gene transfer and living release of transforming growth factor-beta3 for cartilage tissue engineering applications.

Cartilage restoration continues to present a tremendous clinical challenge due to its nonvascular nature. Many studies have demonstrated that chondrogenesis of progenitor cells can be achieved in vitro by manual dose of growth factors; however, it remains a vital difficulty in feeding growth factors to implanted therapeutic cells in vivo. Herein, we constructed recombinant adenovirus encoding human transforming growth factor-beta3 (hTGF-beta3) and practiced it in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells and articular chondrocytes for cartilage regeneration.

RNA extraction from polysaccharide-based cell-laden hydrogel scaffolds.

An effective method for obtaining high-quality RNA from polysaccharide-rich hydrogels would be of great interest to biomaterialists and tissue engineers. Based on the similarities between polysaccharide-based hydrogels and plant tissues, we used a plant-specific RNA extraction kit to extract RNA from mammalian cells encapsulated in hydrogel scaffolds. The results indicate that this method can be reliably used in isolating high-purity RNA from polysaccharide hydrogels.

Effects of heparin on liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of heparin on liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: Fifty-two cases under study were divided into two groups, group A and group B. The two groups were given regular treatment and heparin/low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) treatment respectively.

Hepatic microcirculatory disturbances in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: To document morphological changes in hepatic microcirculation in liver tissue with hepatitis B and the pathogenesis of hepatic microcirculatory disturbances.

Methods: Liver tissue samples were obtained from patients with hepatitis B by liver biopsy. These samples were examined with a light microscope and transmission electron microscope.