Activation of trace LiNO3 additives by BF3 in high-concentration electrolytes towards stable lithium metal batteries.

The activation of trace LiNO3 additives in high-concentration electrolytes is achieved by BF3 due to its Lewis acidity. This advanced electrolyte can promote the decomposition of LiNO3 into Li3N, attaining enhanced cycle reversibility of lithium anodes, which broadens the application of LiNO3 additives.

RSDB: A rare skin disease database to link drugs with potential drug targets for rare skin diseases.

Rare skin diseases include more than 800 diseases affecting more than 6.8 million patients worldwide. However, only 100 drugs have been developed for treating rare skin diseases in the past 38 years. To investigate potential treatments through drug repurposing for rare skin diseases, it is necessary to have a well-organized database to link all known disease causes, mechanisms, and related information to accelerate the process. Drug repurposing provides less expensive and faster potential options to develop treatments for known diseases. In this work, we designed and constructed a rare skin disease database (RSDB) as a disease-centered information depository to facilitate repurposing drug candidates for rare skin diseases. We collected and integrated associated genes, chemicals, and phenotypes into a network connected by pairwise relationships between different components for rare skin diseases. The RSDB covers 891 rare skin diseases defined by the Orphanet and GARD databases. The organized network for each rare skin disease comprises associated genes, phenotypes, and chemicals with the corresponding connections. The RSDB is available at https://rsdb.cmdm.tw .

Anomalous Redox Features Induced by Strong Covalency in Layered NaTi1-y Vy S2 Cathodes for Na-Ion Batteries.

The rising demand for energy density of cathodes means the need to raise the voltage or capacity of cathodes. Transition metal (TM) doping has been employed to enhance the electrochemical properties in multiple aspects. The redox voltage of doped cathodes usually falls in between the voltage of undoped layered cathodes. However, we found anomalous redox features in NaTi1-y Vy S2 . The first discharge platform potential (2.4 V) is significantly higher than that of undoped NaTiS2 and NaVS2 (both around 2.2 V), and the energy density is raised by 15 %. We speculate that the anomalous voltage is mainly attributed to the strong hybridization in the Ti-V-S system. Ti3+ and V3+ undergo charge transfer and form a more stable Ti (t2g 0 eg 0 ) and V (t2g 3 eg 0 ) electronic configuration. Our results indicate that higher voltage of cathode materials could be achieved by strong TM-ligand covalency, and this conclusion provides possible opportunities to explore high voltage materials for future layered cathodes.

Exosomal Proteins and Lipids as Potential Biomarkers for Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment.

Exosomes participate in cell-cell communication by transferring molecular components between cells. Previous studies have shown that exosomal molecules derived from cancer cells and liquid biopsies can serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The exploration of the molecules transferred by lung cancer-derived exosomes can advance the understanding of exosome-mediated signaling pathways and mechanisms. However, the molecular characterization and functional indications of exosomal proteins and lipids have not been comprehensively organized. This review thoroughly collected data concerning exosomal proteins and lipids from various lung cancer samples, including cancer cell lines and cancer patients. As potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, exosomal proteins and lipids are available for clinical use in lung cancer. Potential therapeutic targets are mentioned for the future development of lung cancer therapy. Molecular functions implying their possible roles in exosome-mediated signaling are also discussed. Finally, we emphasized the importance and value of lung cancer stem cell-derived exosomes in lung cancer therapy. In summary, this review presents a comprehensive description of the protein and lipid composition and function of lung cancer-derived exosomes for lung cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Inhibition of retinal neovascularization by siRNA targeting VEGF(165).

PURPOSE: To investigate whether vector-based vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF)(165) targeted siRNA expression system (pSilencer(siVEGF)) could inhibit VEGF(165) expression in vitro and suppresses retinal neovascularization in the murine model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. METHODS: pSilencer(siVEGF), from which siRNA targeting VEGF(165) could be generated, was constructed and transfected to human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Then the level of VEGF isoforms in cultured cells was measured by RT-PCR and ELISA. Intravitreal injection of pSilencer(siVEGF) was performed in mice with ischemic retinopathy. Retinal neovascularization was evaluated by angiography using fluorescein-labeled dextran and quantitated histologically. The levels of VEGF(164), which is equivalent to human VEGF(165) in murine retinas were determined by RT-PCR and western immunoblotting. RESULTS: Expression of VEGF(165) in cultured cells was greatly curtailed by pSilencer(siVEGF) under both normoxia and hypoxia conditions. However, the other isoforms, VEGF(189) and VEGF(121), were expressed to a similar degree regardless of whether pSilencer(siVEGF) was administered. Based on angiography and histological analysis, retinal neovascularization in the eyes treated with pSilencer(siVEGF) were significantly reduced compared to the control eyes. Furthermore, the VEGF(164) levels in the murine retinas were suppressed by pSilencer(siVEGF). CONCLUSIONS: Retinal neovascularization in the murine model was significantly attenuated by pSilencer(siVEGF) through decreasing VEGF(164) levels in the retinas. pSilencer(siVEGF) seems to be a potential therapeutic tool for ischemic-induced retinal diseases.