N-modified carbon-coated NaTi(PO) as an anode with high capacity and long lifetime for sodium-ion batteries.

NASICON-type NaTi(PO) is recognized as a promising energy storage anode due to its high ionic conductivity and low cost. In this work, N-modified carbon-coated sodium titanium phosphate (NTPGN) composites were prepared by the sol-gel method by using sodium glutamate as a source of nitrogen and partial carbons. The addition of sodium glutamate forms a loose structure of nano-spherical flowers on the surface of sodium titanium phosphate, which shows a higher specific capacity, better rate performance, and excellent cycling performance compared to the carbon-coated titanium phosphate derived only from citric acid.

An overview of the preparation and application of counter electrodes for DSSCs.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are potential products for the next generation of photovoltaic technology, which is one of the research hotspots in photovoltaics. The counter electrode in DSSCs collects electron in the external circuit and catalyzes the reduction of the redox electrolyte and hole transport in the solid electrolyte. Thus, it undoubtedly has an important impact on the photovoltaic performance, long-term stability, and cost of DSSCs.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube network connected MgTi(PO) composites to improve sodium storage performance.

The research on sodium-ion batteries (SIDs) has aroused intensive attention. In this work, the MgTi(PO) (MTP) composite material with NASICON structure has been studied as an anode material in SIDs. The sol-gel method is used to synthesize the MgTi(PO) with a conductive network that can be constructed by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and phenolic resin as the amorphous source of carbon coating.

Thermal Activation of Coal Gangue with Low Al/Si Ratio as Supplementary Cementitious Materials.

To effectively utilize coal gangue (CG) with low Al/Si ratio, the thermal activation method was used. The activated CG, as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), was added into ordinary Portland cement (OPC) to study its physical properties. The XRD results show that CG undergoes a phase transition from kaolinite to metakaolinite during activation.

Interleukin-38 overexpression prevents bleomycin-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of pulmonary disorder with chronic inflammation and excessive collagen deposition, and its etiology is not clear. Interleukin (IL)-38 is a new member of IL-1 family cytokines, but its role in pulmonary fibrosis has not been elucidated. In this study, a lentivirus expressing IL-38 was injected into the nasal cavity of mice with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Interleukin-37 Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mice.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease with chronic inflammation and excessive collagen deposition for which there is no effective treatments. Interleukin (IL)-37 is a newly identified anti-inflammatory cytokine but its role in pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of IL-37 on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

IL-38 alleviates concanavalin A-induced liver injury in mice.

Interleukin (IL)-38 is a poorly characterized cytokine of the IL-1 family with anti-inflammatory activity. The role of IL-38 in liver injury remains unknown. We have investigated the potential effect of hydrodynamic-based gene delivery to express human IL-38 in mice with concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury.

Lentivirus expressing soluble ST2 alleviates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

It has been shown that the expression of ST2, a receptor of interleukin (IL)-33, is elevated in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients and bleomycin-induced mouse models, however its contribution to the development of pulmonary fibrosis has yet to be tested. In the present study, we treated mice by intranasal instillation of lentivirus expressing soluble ST2 and evaluated lung inflammation and fibrosis in the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mouse model. We found that ST2 lentivirus treatment significantly improved survival rate and reduced weight loss compared with controls treated with empty lentivirus.

Role of IL-38 and its related cytokines in inflammation.

Interleukin- (IL-) 38 is a recently discovered cytokine and is the tenth member of the IL-1 cytokine family. IL-38 shares structural features with IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-36Ra. IL-36R is the specific receptor of IL-38, a partial receptor antagonist of IL-36.

Adenovirus expressing IFN-λ1 (IL-29) attenuates allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperreactivity in experimental asthma.

Background: Asthma is thought to result from the generation of T helper type 2 (Th2) responses, leading to bronchial inflammation. IFN-λ1 (also known as IL-29) is a recently described member of the IFN-λ family and has been shown to decrease production of Th2 cytokines in vitro. However, the role and mechanism of IFN-λ1 in asthma remain unknown.