Energy band modulation of Li2O-rGO core-shell as cathode sacrificial additive enables capacity enhancement of hard carbon anode in Li-ion batteries.

Lithium oxides (Li2O) possess a considerable theoretical capacity, rendering them highly promising as cathodic pre-lithiation additives. However, its decomposition voltage exceeds the charging cut-off voltage of most cathode materials, hindering its direct use as a cathode sacrificial additive. Herein, we design a facile and safe method to reduce the decomposition energy of Li2O at room temperature to offset the irreversible capacity loss by using a core-shell structured Li2O-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite (denoted as Li2O-rGO-PEG). The graphene oxide (GO) was heat-treated to remove oxygen functional groups to synthesize rGO, and then reacted with Li2O to form a Li2O-rGO composite. According to the DFT calculations, the density of states at the Fermi level of Li2O-rGO becomes continuous and features a metallic nature, which significantly improves the electrical conductivity of Li2O and facilitates electron conduction that modify the delithiation potential of Li2O. PEG was used to enhance the cohesive force between rGO and Li2O and to protect Li2O from atmospheric contamination. Moreover, in order to demonstrate the excellent pre-lithiation ability of Li2O-rGO-PEG composite, hard carbon (HC) with low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) was used as the anode. In the application of LFP (Li2O)/HC full cell, Li2O was decomposed to Li+ to effectively improve the initial charge capacity from 149.7 to 200 mAh/g and discharge capacity from 104.2 to 147.5 mAh/g, which are 33.6 % and 41.6 % higher than those of the pristine LFP/HC full cell, respectively. The cathode pre-lithiation method proposed in this work is simple and environmentally friendly. The successful utilization of Li2O as a pre-lithiation additive effectively addressed the issue of low initial coulombic efficiency of the HC, indicating excellent prospects for practical applications.

PEO-Based Solid Composite Polymer Electrolyte for High Capacity Retention All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Battery.

The limited ionic conductivity at room temperature and the constrained electrochemical window of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) pose significant obstacles that hinder its broader utilization in high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. The garnet-type material Li6.4 La3 Zr1.4 Ta0.6 O12 (LLZTO) is recognized as a highly promising active filler for enhancing the performance of PEO-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). However, its performance is still limited by its high interfacial resistance. In this study, a novel hybrid filler-designed SPE is employed to achieve excellent electrochemical performance for both the lithium metal anode and the LiFePO4 cathode. The solid composite membrane containing hybrid fillers achieves a maximum ionic conductivity of 1.9 × 10-4 S cm-1 and a Li+ transference number of 0.67 at 40 °C, respectively. Additionally, the Li/Li symmetric cells demonstrate a smooth and stable process for 2000 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2 . Furthermore, the LiFePO4 /Li battery delivers a high-rate capacity of 159.2 mAh g-1 at 1 C, along with a capacity retention of 95.2% after 400 cycles. These results validate that employing a composite of both active and inactive fillers is an effective strategy for achieving superior performance in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs).

Interfacial Plasticization Strategy Enabling a Long-Cycle-Life Solid-State Lithium Metal Battery.

The limited ionic conductivity and unstable interface due to poor solid-solid interface pose significant challenges to the stable cycling of solid-state batteries (SSBs). Herein, an interfacial plasticization strategy is proposed by introducing a succinonitrile (SN)-based plastic curing agent into the polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based composite polymer electrolytes (CPE) interface. The SN at the interface strongly plasticizes the PAN in the CPE, which reduces the crystallinity of the PAN drastically and enables the CPE to obtain a low modulus surface, but it still maintains a high modulus internally. The reduced crystallinity of PAN provides more amorphous regions, which are favorable for Li+ transport. The gradient modulus structure not only ensures intimate interfacial contact but also favors the suppression of Li dendrites growth. Consequently, the interfacial plasticized CPE (SF-CPE) obtains a high ionic conductivity of 4.8 × 10-4 S cm-1 as well as a high Li+ transference number of 0.61. The Li-Li symmetric cell with SF-CPE can cycle for 1000 h at 0.1 mA cm-2, the LiFeO4 (LFP)-Li full-cell demonstrates a high capacity retention of 86.1% after 1000 cycles at 1 C, and the LiCoO2 (LCO)-Li system also exhibits an excellent cycling performance. This work provides a novel strategy for long-life solid-state batteries.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus camrelizumab for locally advanced cervical cancer (NACI study): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced cervical cancer constitutes around 37% of cervical cancer cases globally and has a poor prognosis due to limited therapeutic options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in the neoadjuvant setting could address these challenges. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS: In this single-arm, phase 2 trial, which was done across eight tertiary hospitals in China, we enrolled patients aged 18-70 years with untreated cervical cancer (IB3, IIA2, or IIB/IIIC1r with a tumour diameter ≥4 cm [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2018]) and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Eligible patients underwent one cycle of priming doublet chemotherapy (75-80 mg/m2 cisplatin, intravenously, plus 260 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, intravenously), followed by two cycles of a combination of chemotherapy (cisplatin plus nab-paclitaxel) on day 1 with camrelizumab (200 mg, intravenously) on day 2, with a 3-week interval between treatment cycles. Patients with stable disease or progressive disease received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and patients with a complete response or partial response proceeded to radical surgery. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate, by independent central reviewer according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours, version 1.1. Activity and safety were analysed in patients who received at least one dose of camrelizumab. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04516616, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Dec 1, 2020, and Feb 10, 2023, 85 patients were enrolled and all received at least one dose of camrelizumab. Median age was 51 years (IQR 46-57) and no data on race or ethnicity were collected. At data cutoff (April 30, 2023), median follow-up was 11·0 months (IQR 6·0-14·5). An objective response was noted in 83 (98% [95% CI 92-100]) patients, including 16 (19%) patients who had a complete response and 67 (79%) who had a partial response. The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events during neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy were lymphopenia (21 [25%] of 85), neutropenia (ten [12%]), and leukopenia (seven [8%]). No serious adverse events or treatment-related deaths occurred. INTERPRETATION: Neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy showed promising antitumour activity and a manageable adverse event profile in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. The combination of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with radical surgery holds potential as a novel therapeutic approach for locally advanced cervical cancer. FUNDING: National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China and the National Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Multiomic analysis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma identifies cellular ecosystems with biological and clinical relevance.

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) exhibits a limited response to immune-checkpoint blockade. Here we conducted a multiomic analysis encompassing single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics, combined with genetic and pharmacological perturbations to systematically develop a high-resolution and spatially resolved map of intratumoral expression heterogeneity in CSCC. Three tumor states (epithelial-cytokeratin, epithelial-immune (Epi-Imm) and epithelial senescence), recapitulating different stages of squamous differentiation, showed distinct tumor immune microenvironments. Bidirectional interactions between epithelial-cytokeratin malignant cells and immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts form an immune exclusionary microenvironment through transforming growth factor ß pathway signaling mediated by FABP5. In Epi-Imm tumors, malignant cells interact with natural killer and T cells through interferon signaling. Preliminary analysis of samples from a cervical cancer clinical trial ( NCT04516616 ) demonstrated neoadjuvant chemotherapy induces a state transition to Epi-Imm, which correlates with pathological complete remission following treatment with immune-checkpoint blockade. These findings deepen the understanding of cellular state diversity in CSCC.

Upregulation of oxidative stress by triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) exposure causes antioxidant insult and apoptotic process in Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells.

Triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) is the predominant compound of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), which can elicit a toxicological effect on physiological response and tissue development of fish. In this study, we investigated the effect of TPhP exposure on cell viability, antioxidant capacities, and apoptosis in EPC cells. Current study revealed that TPhP exposure could decrease cell viability and promote intracellular oxidative stress in EPC cells. In addition, high-dose TPhP exposure could facilitate antioxidant insults and cause mitochondrial collapse in a dose-dependent manner, along with increased gene expressions involved in apoptosis and unfolded protein response (UPR). These results indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cytotoxic stress and cell death were involved in antioxidant insults and apoptotic activation in TPhP-exposed fish cells.

Surface modification of garnet fillers with a polymeric sacrificial agent enables compatible interfaces of composite solid-state electrolytes.

The poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based composite solid-state electrolyte (CSE) has garnered attention due to its excellent comprehensive performance. However, challenges persist in the structural design and preparation process of the ceramic-filled CSE, as the PVDF-based matrix is susceptible to alkaline conditions and dehydrofluorination, leading to its incompatibility with ceramic fillers and hindering the preparation of solid-state electrolytes. In this study, the mechanism of dehydrofluorination failure of a PVDF-based polymer in the presence of Li2CO3 on the surface of Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) is analyzed, and an effective strategy is proposed to inhibit the dehydrofluorination failure on the basis of density functional theory (DFT). We introduce a molecule with a small LUMO-HOMO gap as a sacrificial agent, which is able to remove the Li2CO3 impurities. Therefore, the approach of polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a sacrificial agent reduces the degree of dehydrofluorination in the PVDF-based polymer and ensures slurry fluidity, promoting the homogeneous distribution of ceramic fillers in the electrolyte membrane and enhancing compatibility with the polymer. Consequently, the prepared electrolyte membranes exhibit good electrochemical and mechanical properties. The assembled Li-symmetric cell can cycle at 0.1 mA cm-2 for 3500 h. The LiFePO4‖Li cell maintains 91.45% of its initial capacity after 650 cycles at 1C, and the LiCoO2‖Li cell maintains 84.9% of its initial capacity after 160 cycles, demonstrating promising high-voltage performance. This facile modification strategy can effectively improve compatibility issues between the polymer and fillers, which paves the way for the mass production of solid-state electrolytes.

Pan-cancer analyses reveal GTSE1 as a biomarker for the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

G2 and S phase-expressed-1 (GTSE1) has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in many cancer types. However, the knowledge of GTSE1 across 33 cancer types remains scarce, and the mechanisms by which GTSE1 promotes cancer development remain incompletely understood. R language and TIMER2.0 were used to analyze the clinical relevance of GTSE1 across > 10,000 subjects representing 33 cancer types based on the cancer genome atlas databases. The expression of GTSE1 was upregulated in almost all cancer types and hyperactivity of GTSE1 is likely to induce DNA repair response and positively correlates with the tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability which are both promising predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy. GTSE1 was upregulated in TP53 mutation patients. Additionally, GTSE1 also positively correlates with tumor purity and tumor infiltration of immune-suppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Consistently, high expression of GTSE1 is associated with poor patient survival in many cancer types. Conclusion: Our study provides new insights into the diagnostic and prognostic role of GTSE1 in cancers and suggests therapeutic approaches for GTSE1-overexpressing cancers by targeting DNA repair response, and the tumor immune microenvironment.

Gradient fluorinated and hierarchical selective adsorption coating for Zn-Based aqueous battery.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered as one of the most promising large-scale energy storage system due to their high energy density, low cost and inherent safety. However, the notorious dendrite growth and severe side reactions, impede their practical application. Herein, we constructed a multifunctional gradient composite fluorinated coating with insulating ZnF2 outside and Zn/Sn alloy inside. ZnF2 outside and Zn/Sn alloy inside perform their own functions and solve the dendrites and side reactions jointly. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrate that the electronically insulating ZnF2 layer on the surface can regulate the transport of Zn2+ cations, limit the free H2O molecules and improve the dissolution of Zn2+, at the same time, the zincophilicity Zn/Sn alloy inside work as the favorable nucleation sites for Zn atoms and lowers the Zn2+ diffusion energy barrier. As a result, the ZnF2-Sn@Zn electrode in a symmetrical cell exhibits a long cycle life of about 1400 h, as well as 91 % capacity retention after 1400 cycles at 1 A/g in the ZnF2-Sn@Zn//MnO2@CNT full batteries. This work provides a practically promising strategy and new insights for the electrolyte and anode interface design.

Garnet/polymer solid electrolytes for high-performance solid-state lithium metal batteries: The role of amorphous Li2O2.

Solid-state electrolytes have been widely investigated for lithium batteries since they provide a high degree of safety. However, their low ionic conductivity and substantial growth of lithium dendrites hamper their commercial applications. Garnet-type Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) is one of the most promising active fillers to advance the performance of the solid polymer electrolyte. Nevertheless, their performance is still limited due to their large interfacial resistance. Herein, we embedded the amorphous Li2O2 (LO) into LLZTO particles via the quenching process and successfully achieved an interfacial layer of Li2O2 around LLZTO particles (LLZTO@LO). Amorphous Li2O2 acts as a binder and showed an excellent affinity for Li+ ions which promotes their fast transference. Moreover, the stable and dense interfacial Li2O2 layer enhances interfacial contact and suppresses the lithium dendrite growth during the long operation cycling process. The PEO/10LLZTO@2LO solid composite polymer electrolyte (SCPE) showed the highest ionic conductivity of 3.2 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 40 °C as compared to pristine LLZTO-based SCPE. Moreover, the Li│(PEO/10LLZTO@2LO) │Li symmetric cell showed a stable and smooth long lifespan up to 1100 h at 40 °C. Furthermore, the LiFePO4//Li full battery with PEO/10LLZTO@2LO SCPE demonstrated stable cycling performance for 400 cycles. These results constitute a significant step toward the practical application of solid-state lithium metal batteries (SS-LMBs).

Nanoscale control and tri-element co-doping of 4.6 V LiCoO2 with excellent rate capability and long-cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries.

Structural instability at high voltage severely restricts the reversible capacity of the LiCoO2 cathode. Moreover, the main difficulties in achieving high-rate performance of LiCoO2 are the long Li+ diffusion distance and slow Li+ intercalation/extraction during the cycle. Thus, we designed a modification strategy of nanosizing and tri-element co-doping to synergistically enhance the electrochemical performance of LiCoO2 at high voltage (4.6 V). Mg, Al, and Ti co-doping maintains the structural stability and phase transition reversibility, which promotes the cycling performance of LiCoO2. After 100 cycles at 1 C, the capacity retention of the modified LiCoO2 reached 94.3%. In addition, the tri-elemental co-doping increases Li+ interlayer spacing and enhances Li+ diffusivity by tens of times. Simultaneously, nanosize modification decreases Li+ diffusion distance, leading to a significantly enhanced rate capacity of 132 mA h g-1 at 10 C, much better than that of the unmodified LiCoO2 (2 mA h g-1). After 600 cycles at 5 C, the specific capacity remains at 135 mA h g-1 with a capacity retention of 91%. The nanosizing co-doping strategy synchronously enhanced the rate capability and cycling performance of LiCoO2.

Gut-liver immune and redox response in hybrid fish (Carassius cuvieri ♀ × Carassius auratus red var. ♂) after gut infection with Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to fish survival. In this study, we investigated the differential immune and redox response in gut-liver axis of hybrid fish (WR) undergoing gut infection. WR anally intubated with A. hydrophila showed severe midgut injury with decreased length-to-width ratios of villi along with GC hyperplasia and enhanced antioxidant activities, but expression profiles of cytokines, chemokines, antibacterial molecules, redox sensors and tight junction proteins decreased dramatically. In contrast, immune-related gene expressions and antioxidant activities increased significantly in liver of WR following gut infection with A. hydrophila. These results highlighted the differential immune regulation and redox balance in gut-liver axis response to bacterial infection.

Melting lithium alloying to improve the affinity of Cu foil for ultra-thin lithium metal anode.

Before lithium (Li) metal can be formally used as the anode material of Li-ion battery, the key technical defects of Li metal electrode, such as low active Li metal proportion and low mechanical strength, must be solved. Herein, the surface affinity of molten lithium-copper (LiCu) alloy with Cu foil is improved by alloying Cu and Li in a molten state. The surface of Cu foil naturally adsorbs an ultra-thin (∼30 µm) composite Li metal layer. The ultra-thin composite Li metal layer can greatly reduce the amount of inactive Li, and the Cu foil improves the mechanical strength and engineering workability of Li metal anode. In addition, the enhanced Young's modulus facilitates the uniform Li plating/stripping process. As a result, the stable cycle stability of up to 600 h and the average overpotential of 13 mV (area specific capacity is 1 mAh cm-2 and current density is 1 mA cm-2) are achieved. The cycle life is higher than 150 h even though the maximum utilization rate of Li is greater than 50%. The Li metal full battery assembled with the commercial NCM811 cathode shows more stable cycle performance and Coulombic efficiency. Such strategy can effectively pave the way for the practical application of Li metal anode.

A Novel PD-L1-Containing MSLN Targeting Vaccine for Lung Cancer Immunotherapy.

Therapeutic tumor vaccines have become an important breakthrough in the treatment of various solid tumors including lung cancer. Dendritic cells (DCs)-based tumor vaccines targeting tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) play a key role in immunotherapy and immunoprevention. However, the weak immunogenicity of TAAs and low immune response rates are a major challenge faced in the application of therapeutic tumor vaccines. Here, we tested whether targeting an attractive target Mesothelin (MSLN) and PD-L1 immune checkpoint molecule to DCs in vivo would elicit therapeutic antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. We generated specific MSLN fragment combined with PD-L1 and GM-CSF peptide immunogen (MSLN-PDL1-GMCSF) based on the novel anti-PD-L1 vaccination strategy we recently developed for the cancer treatment and prevention. We found that DCs loaded with MSLN-PDL1-GMCSF vaccine elicited much stronger endogenous anti-PD-L1 antibody and T cell responses in immunized mice and that antigen specific CTLs had cytolytic activities against tumor cells expressing both MSLN and PD-L1. We demonstrated that vaccination with MSLN-PDL1-GMCSF potently inhibited the tumor growth of MSLN+ and PD-L1+ lung cancer cells, exhibiting a significant therapeutic anti-tumor potential. Furthermore, PD-1 blockade further improved the synergistic antitumor therapeutic efficacy of MSLN-PDL1-GMCSF vaccine in immunized mice. In summary, our data demonstrated for the first time that this PD-L1-containing MSLN therapeutic vaccine can induce persistent anti-PD-L1 antibody and CTL responses, providing an effective immunotherapeutic strategy for lung cancer immunotherapy by combining MSLN-PDL1-GMCSF vaccine and PD-1 blockade.

Single-cell transcriptomes identifies characteristic features of mouse macrophages in liver Mallory-Denk bodies formation.

Mallory-Denk bodies (MDBs) consist of intracellular aggregates of misfolded proteins in ballooned hepatocytes and serve as important markers of progression in certain liver diseases. Resident hepatic macrophage-mediated inflammation influences the development of chronic liver diseases and cancer. Here, the first systematic study of macrophages heterogeneity in mice was conducted to illustrate the pathogenesis of MDB formation using single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq). Furthermore, we provided transcriptional profiles of macrophages obtained from the fractionation of mouse liver tissues following chronic injury. We equally identified seven discrete macrophage subpopulations, each involved in specific cellular activated pathways such as basal metabolism, immune regulation, angiogenesis, and cell cycle regulation. Among these, a specific macrophage cluster (Cluster4), a subpopulation specifically expressing genes that regulate cell division and the cell cycle, was identified. Interestingly, we found that CCR2 was significantly induced in Cluster2, thereby inducing monocytes to migrate to macrophages to promote MDB pathogenesis. Thus, our study is the first to demonstrate the heterogeneity of macrophages associated with liver MDB formation in mice through single-cell resolution. This serves as the basis for further insights into the pathogenesis of liver MDB formation and molecular mechanisms of chronic liver disease progression.

A Novel Therapeutic Tumor Vaccine Targeting MUC1 in Combination with PD-L1 Elicits Specific Anti-Tumor Immunity in Mice.

Dendritic cells (DCs), as professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), play a key role in the initiation and regulation of humoral and cellular immunity. DC vaccines loaded with different tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been widely used to study their therapeutic effects on cancer. A number of clinical trials have shown that DCs are safe as an antitumor vaccine and can activate certain anti-tumor immune responses; however, the overall clinical efficacy of DC vaccine is not satisfactory, so its efficacy needs to be enhanced. MUC1 is a TAA with great potential, and the immune checkpoint PD-L1 also has great potential for tumor treatment. Both of them are highly expressed on the surface of various tumors. In this study, we generated a novel therapeutic MUC1-Vax tumor vaccine based on the method of PD-L1-Vax vaccine we recently developed; this novel PD-L1-containing MUC1-Vax vaccine demonstrated an elevated persistent anti-PD-L1 antibody production and elicited a much stronger protective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in immunized mice. Furthermore, the MUC1-Vax vaccine exhibited a significant therapeutic anti-tumor effect, which significantly inhibited tumor growth by expressing a high MUC1+ and PD-L1+ level of LLC and Panc02 tumor cells, and prolonged the survival of cancer-bearing animals. Taken together, our study provides a new immunotherapy strategy for improving the cross-presentation ability of therapeutic vaccine, which may be applicable to pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and for targeting other types of solid tumors that highly express MUC1 and PD-L1.

Transcriptome analysis and co-expression network reveal the mechanism linking mitochondrial function to immune regulation in red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var) after Aeromonas hydrophila challenge.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a common pathogen of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila infection was shown to cause tissue damage, trigger physiological changes as well as alter the expression profiles of immune- and metabolic-related genes in immune tissues of red crucian carp (RCC). Transcriptome analysis revealed that acute A. hydrophila infection exerted a profound effect on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation linking metabolic regulation to immune response. In addition, we further identified cellular senescence, apoptosis, necrosis and mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathways as crucial signal pathways in the kidney of RCC subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These findings may have important implications for understanding modulation of immunometabolic response to bacterial infection.

Controllable Edge Epitaxy of Helical GeSe/GeS Heterostructures.

Emerging twistronics based on van der Waals (vdWs) materials has attracted great interest in condensed matter physics. Recently, more neoteric three-dimensional (3D) architectures with interlayer twist are realized in germanium sulfide (GeS) crystals. Here, we further demonstrate a convenient way for tailoring the twist rate of helical GeS crystals via tuning of the growth temperature. Under higher growth temperatures, the twist angles between successive nanoplates of the GeS mesowires (MWs) are statistically smaller, which can be understood by the dynamics of the catalyst during the growth. Moreover, we fabricate self-assembled helical heterostructures by introducing germanium selenide (GeSe) onto helical GeS crystals via edge epitaxy. Besides the helical architecture, the moiré superlattices at the twisted interfaces are also inherited. Compared with GeS MWs, helical GeSe/GeS heterostructures exhibit improved electrical conductivity and photoresponse. These results manifest new opportunities in future electronics and optoelectronics by harnessing 3D twistronics based on vdWs materials.

Zn-doping Effects of Na-rich Na3+xV2-xZnx(PO4)3/C cathodes for Na-Ion Batteries: Lattice distortion induced by doping site and enhanced electrochemical performance.

To tackle the intrinsic inferior conductivity of the sodium ion batteries (SIBs) cathode Na3V2(PO4)3, transitional metal cation doping, and carbon frame design are employed for NASICON structural modification. Herein, a hard carbon skeleton Na3+xV2-xZnx(PO4)3 NASICON structure is proposed resorting to the combination of flimsy hard carbon slices coating and Zn2+ doping along with the introduction of spare Na+. The structural distortion caused by the insertion of Zn2+ and Na+ broadens the transfer channels and increases diffusion routes for Na+. At the same time, the anchoring effect for Na3+xV2-xZnx(PO4)3 nanoparticles brought by external hard carbon layers and pillar effect aroused by Zn2+ provide a stable and firm skeleton, which is conducive to structural stability and reversibility at high current density. Among various doping concentrations, Na3.03V1.97Zn0.03(PO4)3 performs a significantly enhanced rate performance with a reversible capacity up to 60 mAh·g-1 (40C) and ultra-long cycle life of 1000 cycles with a capacity retention of 92.6% at 5C.

Blood cell characterization and transcriptome analysis reveal distinct immune response and host resistance of different ploidy cyprinid fish following Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to survival of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila infection could decrease blood cell numbers, promote blood cell damage as well as alter the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lysozyme (LZM), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in immune-related tissues of red crucian carp (RCC, 2 N = 100) and triploid cyprinid fish (3 N fish, 3 N = 150). In addition, the significant alternation of antioxidant status was observed in PBMCs isolated from RCC and 3 N following LPS stimulation. The core differential expression genes (DEGs) involved in apoptosis, immunity, inflammation and cellular signals were co-expressed differentially in RCC and 3 N following A. hydrophila challenge. NOD-like receptor (NLR) signals appeared to play a critical role in A. hydrophila-infected fish. DEGs of NLR signals in RCCah vs RCCctl were enriched in caspase-1-dependent Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) secretion, interferon (IFN) signals as well as cytokine activation, while DEGs of NLR signals in 3Nah vs 3Nctl were enriched in caspase-1-dependent IL-1ß secretion and antibacterial autophagy. These results highlighted the differential signal regulation of different ploidy cyprinid fish to cope with bacterial infection.