Development of a Nano-toughened multifunctional composite hydrogel based on chitosan and its applications in catalytic and flexible sensors.

In this study, we developed a novel composite catalytic hydrogel, which integrates excellent mechanical properties, catalytic activity, and sensing performance. Discarded hydrogel sensors are reused as templates for in-situ generation of metal nanoparticles, and multifunctional hydrogels combining sensing and catalysis are realized. Polyacrylamide (PAM) provides a three-dimensional network structure, while octadecyl methacrylate (SMA) acts as a hydrophobic association center, enhancing the structural stability of the hydrogel.

One-step of ionic liquid-assisted stabilization and dispersion: Exfoliated graphene and its applications in stimuli-responsive conductive hydrogels based on chitosan.

Conductive hydrogels, as novel flexible biosensors, have demonstrated significant potential in areas such as soft robotics, electronic devices, and wearable technology. Graphene is a promising conductive material, but its dispersibility in aqueous solutions exists difficulties. Here, we discover that untreated graphene, after exfoliation by different ionic liquids, can disperse well in aqueous solutions.

Phenanthrene Derivatives from Showed Excellent Antibacterial Activity against Phytopathogenic Bacteria.

extracts showed strong antibacterial activity against selected phytopathogenic bacteria. Bioguided isolation was conducted to obtain 11 phenanthrene derivatives (-), 4 phenylpropanoids (-), a flavonoid (), and a steroid (), including a new phenanthrene derivative (). bioassay results showed that phenanthrene derivatives are the main active components of extracts.

Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Berberine in Gastrointestinal Cancers.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from various types of plants, including those from the Berberidaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Papaveraceae families. It has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders. The medicinal properties of BBR include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, lipid-regulatory, and antidiabetic actions.

Redox Catalytic and Quasi-Solid Sulfur Conversion for High-Capacity Lean Lithium Sulfur Batteries.

The practical deployment of lithium sulfur batteries demands stable cycling of high loading and dense sulfur cathodes under lean electrolyte conditions, which is very difficult to realize. We describe here a strategy of fabricating extremely dense sulfur cathodes, designed by integrating MoS nanoparticles as a multifunctional mediator with a Li-ion conducting binder and a high-performance FeO@N-carbon sulfur host. The MoS nanoparticles have substantially faster Li-ion insertion kinetics compared with sulfur, and the produced LiMoS particles have spontaneous redox reactivity with relevant polysulfide species (such as LiMoS + LiS ↔ LiMoS + LiS, Δ = -84 kJ mol), which deliver a true redox catalytic sulfur conversion mechanism.

LncRNA CDKN2BAS predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes metastasis via the miR-153-5p/ARHGAP18 signaling axis.

Background: Growing evidence shows that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in cancer progression. However, whether lncRNA CDKN2BAS is involved in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis remains unclear.

Methods: Human lncRNA microarray analysis was performed to detect differential expression levels of lncRNAs in metastatic HCC tissues.

CSF glutamate level decreases in heavy smokers and negatively correlates with BDI scores.

Glutamate is involved in mental disorders and nicotine addiction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate levels and mental status in Chinese heavy smokers. Participants comprised 41 non-smokers and 77 heavy smokers (n = 118).

Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Associated with Reductions in the Risk of Extracranial Carotid Artery Stenosis: a Population-based Cohort Study.

The cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics are closely related to the risk of stroke. Extracranial carotid artery stenosis (ECAS) represents an important risk factor for ischemic stroke. The present study aims to explore the longitudinal effect of the baseline CVH metrics on the development of ECAS.

Association between Insomnia and Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Han Population: A Cross-sectional Study.

The association between insomnia and metabolic syndrome remains unclear, especially among different-aged groups. A cross-sectional study with 8017 participants was performed to identify whether insomnia was associated with metabolic syndrome or not. Demographic characteristics, lifestyles and other risk factors were collected using a predesigned, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire, and physical examinations were conducted by certificated community physicians.

Clinical and molecular features of a Han Chinese family with maternally transmitted hypertension.

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were found to be associated with hypertension. We reported here clinical, genetic and molecular characterization of a Han Chinese family with maternally inherited hypertension. Most strikingly, this family exhibited a high penetrance of hypertension.

Improving Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance under Lean Electrolyte through Nanoscale Confinement in Soft Swellable Gels.

Li-S batteries have been extensively studied using rigid carbon as the host for sulfur encapsulation, but improving the properties with a reduced electrolyte amount remains a significant challenge. This is critical for achieving high energy density. Here, we developed a soft PEOLiTFSI polymer swellable gel as a nanoscale reservoir to trap the polysulfides under lean electrolyte conditions.

Ammonium Additives to Dissolve Lithium Sulfide through Hydrogen Binding for High-Energy Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

In rechargeable Li-S batteries, the uncontrollable passivation of electrodes by highly insulating LiS limits sulfur utilization, increases polarization, and decreases cycling stability. Dissolving LiS in organic electrolyte is a facile solution to maintain the active reaction interface between electrolyte and sulfur cathode, and thus address the above issues. Herein, ammonium salts are demonstrated as effective additives to promote the dissolution of LiS to 1.

Highly Reversible Zinc-Ion Intercalation into Chevrel Phase Mo6S8 Nanocubes and Applications for Advanced Zinc-Ion Batteries.

This work describes the synthesis of Chevrel phase Mo6S8 nanocubes and its application as the anode material for rechargeable Zn-ion batteries. Mo6S8 can host Zn(2+) ions reversibly in both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes with specific capacities around 90 mAh/g, and exhibited remarkable intercalation kinetics and cyclic stability. In addition, we assembled full cells by integrating Mo6S8 anodes with zinc-polyiodide (I(-)/I3(-))-based catholytes, and demonstrated that such full cells were also able to deliver outstanding rate performance and cyclic stability.

An effective approach to protect lithium anode and improve cycle performance for Li-S batteries.

Lithium oxalyldifluoroborate (LiODFB) has been investigated as an organic electrolyte additive to improve the cycling performance of Li-S batteries. Cell test results demonstrate that an appropriate amount of LiODFB added into the electrolyte leads to a high Coulombic efficiency. Analyses by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the density functional theory showed that LiODFB promotes the formation of a LiF-rich passivation layer on the lithium metal surface, which not only blocks the polysulfide shuttle, but also stabilizes the lithium surface.

Graphene-based three-dimensional hierarchical sandwich-type architecture for high-performance Li/S batteries.

A multiwalled carbon nanotube/sulfur (MWCNT@S) composite with core-shell structure was successfully embedded into the interlay galleries of graphene sheets (GS) through a facile two-step assembly process. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy images reveal a 3D hierarchical sandwich-type architecture of the composite GS-MWCNT@S. The thickness of the S layer on the MWCNTs is ~20 nm.

Polyethylene-glycol-doped polypyrrole increases the rate performance of the cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Polypyrrole-polyethylene glycol (PPy/PEG)-modified sulfur/aligned carbon nanotubes (PPy/PEG-S/A-CNTs) were synthesized by using an in situ polymerization method. The ratio of PPy to PEG equaled 31.7:1 after polymerization, and the PEG served as a cation dopant in the polymerization and electrochemical reactions.