A Sodium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (NaFSI)-based Multifunctional Electrolyte Stabilizes the Performance of NaNiFeMnO/hard Carbon Sodium-ion Batteries.

A sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (NaFSI)-based multifunctional electrolyte is developed by partially replacing NaPF salt in the electrolyte to improve the wide temperature range working capability of NaNiFeMnO/hard carbon (NNFM111/HC) sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The capacity retention of the SIBs with NaFSI-NaPF dual salt electrolyte increases from 47.2 % to 75.

Automatic lung segmentation in chest X-ray images using improved U-Net.

The automatic segmentation of the lung region for chest X-ray (CXR) can help doctors diagnose many lung diseases. However, extreme lung shape changes and fuzzy lung regions caused by serious lung diseases may incorrectly make the automatic lung segmentation model. We improved the U-Net network by using the pre-training Efficientnet-b4 as the encoder and the Residual block and the LeakyReLU activation function in the decoder.

1,2,3,4-Tetrakis(2-cyanoethoxy)butane (TCEB)-Assisted Construction of Self-Repair Electrode Interface Films to Improve the Performance of 4.5 V Pouch LiCoO/Artificial Graphite Full Cells Operating at 45 °C.

1,2,3,4-Tetrakis(2-cyanoethoxy)butane (TCEB) is first evaluated as a functional electrolyte additive to increase the charge cutoff voltage and energy density of pouch LiCO (LCO)/artificial graphite (AG) lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) at a high temperature of 45 °C. The charge (0.7 C) and discharge (1 C) tests show that TCEB effectively improves the cycle stability of cells under a high charge cutoff voltage of 4.

Effect of low-dose ethanol on NLRP3 inflammasome in diabetes-induced lung injury.

To observe the changes in NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in a rat model of diabetes-induced lung injury, and investigate the effect of low-dose ethanol on the production of NLRP3 inflammasome. The type I diabetic mellitus (DM) rat model was established, and the rats were divided into four groups: normal control group (CON group), low-dose ethanol group (EtOH group), diabetes group (DM group) and DM+EtOH group. The rats were fed for 6 and 12 weeks, respectively.

Correlation of TNF-α and IL-10 gene polymorphisms with primary nephrotic syndrome.

The study explored the correlations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) gene polymorphisms with susceptibility and the condition of primary nephrotic syndrome. A total of 200 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome in Qilu hospital were collected as disease group, and 200 healthy people were selected as control group. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of nucleated cells in the peripheral blood were extracted to detect the gene polymorphisms of TNF-α (rs1799724 and rs1800629) and IL-10 (rs1800872 and rs141219090).

[Effects of activation of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 on inflammasome production in high glucose induced A549 cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of activation of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2(ALDH2) on high glucose-induced inflammasome production in alveolar epithelial A549 cells.

Methods: The alveolar epithelial A549 cells were cultured with 25 mmol/L high glucose complete medium and divided into 4 groups: Control group, ALDH2 agonist 20 μmol/L Alda-1 group, ALDH2 antagonist 60 μmol/L Daidzin group, 20 μmol/L Alda-1 + 60 μmol/L Daidzin group. After the cells treated for 24 h, the cell proliferation activity was measured by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide(MTT) colorimetric assaymethod, and the cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) level were detected by dihydroethidium(DHE) fluorescent staining method, the cell migration ability was performed by cell scratching experiments, the protein expressions of ALDH2 and the core components of inflammasome, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD(ASC) and cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-1(caspase-1) were detected by western blot.

Facile synthesis of g-CN with various morphologies for application in electrochemical detection.

In the present study, g-CN with various morphologies was successfully synthesized a variety of facile methods. The as-prepared products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results obtained using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) showed that when g-CN was applied as an electrochemical sensor, it exhibited excellent sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of heavy metal ions including Pb(ii), Cu(ii) and Hg(ii).

[Activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 alleviates H O -induced injury in cardiomyocytes].

Objective: To investigate the changes of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) expression in H O inducedcardiomyocytes oxidative stress injury.

Methods: Cultured H9C2 cardiomyocytes were exposed to H O -inducedoxidative stress and the effects of the ALDH2 agonist Alda-1 and ALDH2 inhibitor Daidzin were tested on the stress level ofthe exposed cells. MTT colorimetric assay was used to assess the cell viability after the treatments.

Alterations in necroptosis during ALDH2‑mediated protection against high glucose‑induced H9c2 cardiac cell injury.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether necroptosis occurs in high glucose (HG)-induced H9c2 cardiac cell injury and whether the activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) can inhibit necroptosis. H9c2 cardiac cells were treated with 35 mM glucose to establish a HG‑induced cell injury model. Alda‑1 (20 µM), a specific activator of ALDH2 and necrostatin‑1 (Nec‑1, 100 µM), an inhibitor of necroptosis were used to treat H9c2 cardiac cells under HG conditions.

A novel CXCR4 antagonist IgG1 antibody (PF-06747143) for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is highly expressed and associated with poor prognosis in multiple malignancies. Upon engagement by its ligand, CXCL12, CXCR4 triggers intracellular signaling pathways that control trafficking of cells to tissues where the ligand is expressed, such as the bone marrow (BM). In hematologic cancers, CXCR4-driven homing of malignant cells to the BM protective niche is a key mechanism driving disease and therapy resistance.

Plasma levels of amyloid beta and other proinflammatory mediators in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the plasma levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) and select inflammatory mediators in patients with various stages of AMD compared to that of age-matched controls, and discern a relationship to disease severity.

Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from AMD subjects at various stages of disease-early (drusen only), geographic atrophy (GA), neovascular AMD (CNV)-and from controls of similar age without AMD. Samples were analyzed using a commercially available ELISA kit (sixteen cytokines) or LC/MS/MS (Aβ isotypes).

Five new triterpenoidal saponins from the roots of Ilex cornuta and their protective effects against H₂O₂-induced cardiomyocytes injury.

Five new ursane-type triterpenoidal saponins (1-5), together with five known ones (6-10), were isolated from the EtOH extract of the roots of Ilex cornuta. The structures of saponins 1-5 were elucidated as 19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid 3β-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (1), 19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid 3β-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside-6-O-ethyl ester (2), 19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid 3β-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (3), 3β-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4) and 3β-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranoside-6-O-methyl ester]-19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (5), on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (IR, ESI-MS, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and chemical reactions. Protective effects of compounds 1-10 against H₂O₂-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury were tested.

Two new 20α(H)-ursane-type triterpenoids from Ilex cornuta and their cytotoxic activities.

Two new 20α-ursane-type triterpenoids (1-2) were isolated from the roots of Ilex cornuta, along with three known triterpenoids (3-5). The structures of compounds 1-2 were determined as 3β, 23-dihydroxy-20α(H)-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (1), 3β,19α,23-trihydroxy-20α(H)-urs-12-en-28-oic acid 3β-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (2), on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence, including 1D- and 2D-NMR and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analyses. These pure isolates (1-5) were tested for their cytotoxic activities by MTT assay.