Ultraflexible Temperature-Strain Dual-Sensor Based on Chalcogenide Glass-Polymer Film for Human-Machine Interaction.

Skin-like thermoelectric (TE) films with temperature- and strain-sensing functions are highly desirable for human-machine interaction systems and wearable devices. However, current TE films still face challenges in achieving high flexibility and excellent sensing performance simultaneously. Herein, for the first time, a facile roll-to-roll strategy is proposed to fabricate an ultraflexible chalcogenide glass-polytetrafluoroethylene composite film with superior temperature- and strain-sensing performance. The unique reticular network of the composite film endows it with efficient Seebeck effect and flexibility, leading to a high Seebeck coefficient (731 µV/K), rapid temperature response (≈0.7 s), and excellent strain sensitivity (gauge factor = 836). Based on this high-performance composite film, an intelligent robotic hand for action feedback and temperature alarm is fabricated, demonstrating its great potential in human-machine interaction. Such TE film fabrication strategy not only brings new inspiration for wearable inorganic TE devices, but also sets the stage for a wide implementation of multifunctional human-machine interaction systems.

High Seebeck Coefficient Inorganic Ge15Ga10Te75 Core/Polymer Cladding Fibers for Respiration and Body Temperature Monitoring.

Wearable thermal sensors based on thermoelectric (TE) materials with high sensitivity and temperature resolution are extensively used in medical diagnosis, human-machine interfaces, and advanced artificial intelligence. However, their development is greatly limited by the lack of materials with both a high Seebeck coefficient and superior anticrystallization ability. Here, a new inorganic amorphous TE material, Ge15Ga10Te75, with a high Seebeck coefficient of 1109 µV/K is reported. Owing to the large difference between the glass-transition temperature and initial crystallization temperature, Ge15Ga10Te75 strongly inhibits crystallization during fiber fabrication by thermally codrawing a precast rod comprising a Ge15Ga10Te75 core and PP polymer cladding. The temperature difference can be effectively transduced into electrical signals to achieve TE fiber thermal sensing with an accurate temperature resolution of 0.03 K and a fast response time of 4 s. It is important to note that after the 1.5 and 5.5 K temperatures changed repeatedly, the TE properties of the fiber demonstrated high stability. Based on the Seebeck effect and superior flexibility of the fibers, they can be integrated into a mask and wearable fabric for human respiration and body temperature monitoring. The superior thermal sensing performance of the TE fibers together with their natural flexibility and scalable fabrication endow them with promising applications in health-monitoring and intelligent medical systems.

Solution-processed Er3+-Doped GeS2 chalcogenide glass films with NIR photoluminescence towards functional flexibility and integration.

Rare-earth doped chalcogenide films are major components in flexible and integrated photonic and optoelectronic devices for modern communication systems, metrology, and optical sensing. However, it is still challenging to develop a high concentration of rare-earth doping chalcogenide film with a smooth surface to realize efficient photoluminescence (PL). Here, we demonstrate that Er3+-doped GeS2 films are prepared by spin-coating based on a two-step dissolution process. Such a two-step process provides the high solubility of Er3+ in GeS2 films and exhibits efficient emission at ∼1.5 µm crossing the telecommunication C-band. The highest PL emission intensity is obtained in GeS2 films doped with 1.4 mol% of Er3+, and this PL in GeS2 films is reported for the first time. We propose adjustments of annealing parameters for improving the PL characteristics in such materials. Through the control precision of the heating rate and annealing temperature, the smooth surface of GeS2 films enables efficient photo-luminescence. This two-step dissolution-based strategy would pave a new path to design luminescent chalcogenide films for application in flexible and integrated optoelectronics and photonics.

Enhancing interface stability and ionic conductivity in the designed Na3SbP0.4xS4-xOx sulfide solid electrolyte through bridging oxygen.

The all-solid-state sodium battery has emerged as a promising candidate for energy storage. However, the limited electrochemical stability of the solid electrolyte, particularly in the presence of Na metal at the anode, along with low ionic conductivity, hinders its widespread application. In this work, the design of P and O elements in Na3SbS4 solid electrolyte was investigated through a series of structural tests and characterizations. The electrochemical stability was remarkably improved in the Na/Na3SbP0.16S3.6O0.4/Na battery, exhibiting a stability of 260 h under a current of 0.1 mA cm-2. Additionally, the room temperature conductivity of Na3SbP0.16S3.6O0.4 was enhanced to 3.82 mS cm-1, maintaining a value comparable to commercial standards. The proposed design strategy provides an approach for developing sodium ion solid-state batteries with high energy density and long lifespan. The stability of the solid electrolyte interface at the Na | solid electrolyte interface proves critical for the successful assembly of all-solid-state sodium ion batteries.

Halogen Doping Mechanism and Interface Strengthening in the Na3SbS4 Electrolyte via Solid-State Synthesis.

Good-performing sodium solid electrolytes (SSEs) are essential for constructing all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries operating at ambient temperature. Sulfide solid electrolyte, Na3SbS4 (NBS), an excellent SSE with good chemical stability in humid air, can be synthesized with low-cost processing. However, Na3SbS4-based electrolytes with liquid-phase synthesis exhibit conductivities below milli-Siemens per centimeter. Thus, a series of halogen-doped samples formulated as Na3-xSbS4-xMx (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3, M = Cl, Br, and I) were experimentally prepared in this study using the solid-state method to improve the battery performance. X-ray diffraction with refinement analysis and Raman spectroscopy were employed to understand deeply the connection between the crystal structure and conductivity of Na+ ions. In addition, symmetric sodium batteries with Na2.85SbS3.85Br0.15 were tested at room temperature, and pristine Na3SbS4 was used as the control group. The result showed that the symmetric sodium battery assembled with the Na2.85SbS3.85Br0.15 electrolyte can stably cycle for longer than 100 h at a current density of 0.1 mA/cm2. This research provides a method to manufacture novel SSEs by elaborating the effect of halogen doping in NBS.

Designed anion and cation co-doped Na3Sb(WM)xS4 (M = Cl, Br, I) sulfide electrolytes with an improved conductivity and stable interfacial qualities.

The fabrication of all electrolytes from noncombustible ceramic materials offers a superior option for providing safer and higher-capacity batteries to fulfill future energy needs. To achieve a competitive performance with combustible liquid electrolytes used in commercial Li-ion batteries, the creation of ceramic material compositions with a high electrical conductivity is necessary. Here, we report that co-doping with W and halogens results in a superconductivity of 13.78 mS cm-1 in a cubic-phase Na3SbS4 glass ceramic electrolyte. After undergoing high-temperature heat treatments, the W ions in the electrolyte can facilitate the replacement of S atoms with halogens, introducing many Na vacancies. The samples also had a high degree of cycling stability. An excellent glass ceramic electrolyte for Na ion batteries will be constructed for Na3SbW0.25Cl0.25S4.

Superflexible Inorganic Ag2 Te0.6 S0.4 Fiber with High Thermoelectric Performance.

Fiber-based inorganic thermoelectric (TE) devices, owing to the small size, light-weight, flexibility, and high TE performance, are promising for applications in flexible thermoelectrics. Unfortunately, current inorganic TE fibers are strictly constrained by limited mechanical freedom because of the undesirable tensile strain, typically limited to a value of 1.5%, posing a strong obstacle for further application in large-scale wearable systems. Here, a superflexible Ag2 Te0.6 S0.4 inorganic TE fiber is demonstrated that provides a record tensile strain of 21.2%, such that it enables various complex deformations. Importantly, the TE performance of the fiber shows high stability after ≈1000 cycles of bending and releasing processes with a small bending radius of 5 mm. This allows for the integration of the inorganic TE fiber into 3D wearable fabric, yielding a normalized power density of 0.4 µW m-1 K-2 under the temperature difference of 20 K, which is approaching the high-performance Bi2 Te3 -based inorganic TE fabric and is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the organic TE fabrics. These results highlight that the inorganic TE fiber with both superior shape-conformable ability and high TE performance may find potential applications in wearable electronics.

Enhancing the Interfacial Stability of the Li2S-SiS2-P2S5 Solid Electrolyte toward Metallic Lithium Anode by LiI Incorporation.

Chalcogenide solid-state electrolytes (SEs) have been regarded as promising candidates for lithium dendrite suppression due to their high ionic conductivity, suitable mechanical strength, and large Li+ ion transference number. However, the wide applications of SEs in pragmatic all-solid-state batteries are still retarded by their limited interface stability, which leads to lithium dendrite growth and formation of interphase with high resistance. In addition, the interphase evolution mechanism between SEs and metallic Li anodes remains unclear. Herein, this work demonstrates that the interfacial stability of Li2S-SiS2-P2S5 SEs can be effectively enhanced by tuning the interphase through LiI incorporation. This strategy contributes to a high ionic conductivity of the SEs and electronic insulation interphase containing LiI. Thus, the 70(60Li2S-28SiS2-12P2S5)-30 LiI SEs prepared by melt-quenching exhibit a high ionic conductivity of 1.74 mS cm-1 at room temperature and a larger critical current density of 1.65 mA cm-2 at 65 °C. The cycling life of the symmetric Li|SEs|Li cell is up to 200 h without significant resistance growth at 0.1 mA cm-2 at room temperature. This enhanced interface stability is revealed to originate from the in situ-formed LiI within the interphase, which prevents continual SEs degradation and suppresses lithium dendrite growth. This work provides a vital understanding of interphase evolution, which is valuable for designing SEs with long cycling stability.

Expression level comparison of marker genes related to early embryonic development and tumor growth.

In tumor research, the occurrence and origin of tumors are the fundamental problems. In the 1970s, the basic discussion of the developmental biology problem of tumors was proposed, and it was believed that tumorigenesis is closely related to developmental biology. Tumors are abnormal biological structures in organisms, and their biological behavior is very similar to that of the early embryo. Many tumor-related genes also serve regulatory roles in the normal development and differentiation of embryos. However, it remains unclear whether gene expression in early embryos has any similarities with tumor cells. In this study, to compare the similarities and differences in gene expression between early embryos and tumor cells, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was conducted to determine and compare the relative expression levels of nine tumor-related genes in the brain glioma cell line, T98G, and in the early embryo of Spodoptera litura, which is fast-growing, low-cost, easily accessible and easy to observe. The expression of tumor-related genes in early embryos and the similarity of regulatory mechanisms between early embryonic development and tumor growth were explored. In conclusion, tumor growth may be regarded as an abnormal embryogenic activation that happens in the organs of adult individuals.

Metal-Organic Framework Glass Anode with an Exceptional Cycling-Induced Capacity Enhancement for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold great promise as high-energy anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their tunable chemistry, pore structure and abundant reaction sites. However, the pore structure of crystalline MOFs tends to collapse during lithium-ion insertion and extraction, and hence, their electrochemical performances are rather limited. As a critical breakthrough, a MOF glass anode for LIBs has been developed in the present work. In detail, it is fabricated by melt-quenching Cobalt-ZIF-62 (Co(Im)1.75 (bIm)0.25 ) to glass, and then by combining glass with carbon black and binder. The derived anode exhibits high lithium storage capacity (306 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at of 2 A g-1 ), outstanding cycling stability, and superior rate performance compared with the crystalline Cobalt-ZIF-62 and the amorphous one prepared by high-energy ball-milling. Importantly, it is found that the Li-ion storage capacity of the MOF glass anode continuously rises with charge-discharge cycling and even tripled after 1000 cycles. Combined spectroscopic and structural analyses, along with density functional theory calculations, reveal the origin of the cycling-induced enhancement of the performances of the MOF glass anode, that is, the increased distortion and local breakage of the CoN coordination bonds making the Li-ion intercalation sites more accessible.

Artemether Attenuates Aß25-35-Induced Cognitive Impairments by Downregulating Aß, BACE1, mTOR and Tau Proteins.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is clinically characterized as a progressive cognitive impairment and behavioral disorder. Pathological hallmarks of AD include extracellular senile plaques (SPs), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and massive neuronal loss. Although the exact cause of AD is not well understood, a mounting body of evidence has demonstrated that the pathogenesis of AD is associated with oxidative stress, neu-roinflammation, and amyloid beta (Aß) induced neural apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of ß-secretase 1 (BACE1), Aß, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and Tau proteins are closely related to cognitive symptoms in AD. Studies have demonstrated that artemether, an antimalarial drug with acceptable side effects, possesses protective effects against neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Importantly, artemether can easily penetrate the blood brain barrier, thereby representing an ideal drug candidate for AD treatment. METHODS: The effect of artemether on memory protection and the associated molecular mechanisms were investigated in an Aß25-35 induced cognitive impairments rat model. RESULTS: Results of the in vivo study showed that oral administration of artemether significantly attenuated Aß25-35-induced cognitive impairment in rats. Results of the in vitro study revealed that artemether significantly downregulated the endogenous expression of Aß, BACE1, mTOR, and Tau proteins in N2a cells. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of artemether against Aß 25-35-induced cognitive impairments was attributable to the downregulation of the expression of Aß, BACE1, mTOR, and Tau proteins, suggesting the potential of artemether as an effective, neuronal protective, and multi-targeted drug candidate for AD treatment.

The Association of microRNA-34a With High Incidence and Metastasis of Lung Cancer in Gejiu and Xuanwei Yunnan.

The incidence and associated mortality of lung cancer in tin miners in Gejiu County and farmers in Xuanwei Country, Yunnan Province have been very high in the world. Current published literatures on the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer initiation and progression in Gejiu and Xuanwei County are still controversial. Studies confirmed that microRNA-34a (miR-34a) functioned as a vital tumor suppressor in tumorigenesis and progression. However, the role and precise mechanisms of miR-34a and its regulatory gene network in initiation and progression of lung cancer in Gejiu and Xuanwei County, Yunnan Province, have not been elucidated. In the current study, we first found that miR-34a was downregulated in Gejiu lung squamous carcinoma YTMLC-90, Xuanwei lung adenocarcinoma XWLC-05, and other non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, and miR-34a overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as induced cell apoptosis in YTMLC-90 and XWLC-05 cells. Our findings revealed that miR-34a is critical and cannot be considered as the area-specific non-coding RNA in initiation and progression of lung cancer in Gejiu and Xuanwei County. Next we revealed that miR-34a overexpression suppressed lung cancer growth and metastasis partially via increasing PTEN but reducing CDK6 expression that might lead to subsequent inactivation of PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that YY1 functioned as a tumor suppressor gene in initiation and progression of lung cancer in Gejiu and Xuanwei County. In conclusion, our findings in the study confirmed that miR-34a overexpression could simultaneously suppress tumor growth and metastasis and play a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of NSCLC via increasing PTEN and YY1 expression, but decreasing CDK6. Most interestingly, our findings also raised doubts about the current ideas about these area-specific diseases.

Effects and mechanism of microRNA­218 against lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and observed type of cancer in Xuanwei County, Yunnan, South China. Lung cancer in this area is called Xuanwei lung cancer. However, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. To date, a number of studies have shown that microRNA (miR)­218 functions as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of miR­218 and its regulatory gene network in Xuanwei lung cancer have yet to be investigated. The current study identified that the expression levels of miR­218 in XWLC­05 cells were markedly lower compared with those in immortalized lung epithelial BEAS­2B cells. The present study also demonstrated that overexpression of miR­218 could decrease cell proliferation, invasion, viability and migration in Xuanwei lung cancer cell line XWLC­05 and NSCLC cell line NCI­H157. Additionally, the results revealed that overexpression of miR­218 could induce XWLC­05 and NCI­H157 cell apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Finally, the present study demonstrated that overexpression of miR­218 could lead to a significant increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and YY1 transcription factor (YY1), and a decrease in B­cell lymphoma 2 (BCL­2) and BMI1 proto­oncogene, polycomb ring finger (BMI­1) at the mRNA and protein level in XWLC­05 and NCI­H157 cell lines. However, we did not observe any remarkable difference in the roles of miR­218 and miR­218­mediated regulation of BCL­2, BMI­1, PTEN and YY1 expression in the progression of Xuanwei lung cancer. In conclusion, miR­218 could simultaneously suppress cell proliferation and tumor invasiveness and induce cell apoptosis by increasing PTEN and YY1 expression, while decreasing BCL­2 and BMI­1 in Xuanwei lung cancer. The results demonstrated that miR­218 might serve a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of Xuanwei lung cancer and overexpression of miR­218 may be a novel approach for the treatment of Xuanwei lung cancer.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Photophysical Properties and Theoretical Study of a New Iridium(III) Complex Containing 2-phenylbenzothiazole Ligand.

A new bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complex [Ir(dmabt)(2)(bipy)][PF(6)] (3) (dmabt = 4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-N,N-dimethylaniline, bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) has been synthesized and fully characterized. The complex 3 has been determined by X-ray structure analyses which shows that the central iridium(III) ion assumes distorted octahedral geometry. The photoluminescence spectrum exhibits orange emission maximum at 612 nm with quantum yield of 17% at 298 K. The frontier molecular orbital diagrams and the spin-allowed singlet-singlet electronic transitions of 3 have been calculated with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT), and the UV-Vis spectra are discussed based on the theoretical calculations.

Inhibitive effect of artemether on tumor growth and angiogenesis in the rat C6 orthotopic brain gliomas model.

To explore the inhibitive effect of artemether on glioma growth and angiogenesis in brain tumor bearing SD rat. MTT assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of artemether treatment on C6 glioma cells. Forty SD rats which were subcutaneous planted with SD rat C6 glioma cell to establish SD rat orthotopic glioma model were divided resourcefully into 5 groups. each group was 8 rats. Length-path (a mm) and short-path (b mm) of tumor each rat was measured. Tumor volume was calculated using the following formula: V (mm(3)) = a(2)bpi/6. Microvessel density (MVD) in different therapy groups was significantly lower than that in normal saline control group and brain glioma volume in different therapy groups was significantly smaller than that in normal saline control group. There were remarkably inhibitory effects of artmeter on brain glioma growth and angiogenesis in SD rats and the mechanism that artemether inhibited brain glioma growth might be penetrating the blood-brain barrier and inhibiting angiogenesis.

A highly efficient catalytic system for cross-coupling of aryl chlorides and bromides with malononitrile anion by palladium carbene complexes.

Six imidazolium chlorides (1-6) as precursors of 1,3-diaryl substituted N-heterocyclic carbene ligands were synthesized and evaluated in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and bromides with malononitrile in the presence of NaH. Among them, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-triethylphenyl)imidazolium chloride (5) and 1,3-bis(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride (6) are novel. The catalytic system combining Pd(0) with imidazolium salts 4, 5 and 6 with bulky aryl groups in pyridine is found to be superior over others and afforded alpha-arylmalononitriles in high yields when employing a wide variety of substrates.