A panoramic view of Li7P3S11 solid electrolytes synthesis,structural aspects and practical challenges for all-solid-state lithium batteries

The development of an inorganic electrochemical stable solid-state electrolyte is essentially responsible for future state-of-the-art all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). Because of their advantages in safety, working temperature, high energy density, and packaging, ASSLBs can develop an ideal energy storage system for modern electric vehicles (EVs). A solid electrolyte (SE) model must have an economical synthesis approach, exhibit electrochemical and chemical stability, high ionic conductivity, and low interfacial resistance. Owing to its highest conductivity of 17 mS·cm^-1, and deformability, the sulfide-based Li₇P₃S₁₁ solid electrolyte is a promising contender for the high-performance bulk type of ASSLBs. Herein, we present a current glimpse of the progress of synthetic procedures, structural aspects, and ionic conductivity improvement strategies. Structural elucidation and mechanistic approaches have been extensively discussed by using various characterization techniques. The chemical stability of Li₇P₃S₁₁ could be enhanced via oxide doping, and hard and soft acid/base (HSAB) concepts are also discussed. The issues to be undertaken for designing the ideal solid electrolytes, interfacial challenges, and high energy density have been discoursed. This review aims to provide a bird's eye view of the recent development of Li₇P₃S₁₁-based solid-state electrolyte applications and explore the strategies for designing new solid electrolytes with a target-oriented approach to enhance the efficiency of high energy density all-solid-state lithium batteries.     

非贵金属催化5-羟甲基糠醛选择氧化的研究进展

5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）作为一种连接生物质资源和精细化学品工业的多功能平台化合物,因含有醛基、羟甲基而具有非常活泼的化学性质。HMF催化选择氧化在生物质转化过程中具有十分重要的意义,近年来受到研究者们的广泛关注。其氧化产物如2,5-呋喃二甲醛（DFF）和2,5-呋喃二甲酸（FDCA）都是具有高附加值的精细化学品,可用于抗菌剂、医药中间体、合成聚酯等方面。非贵金属催化剂因具备低成本、资源丰富以及环境友好的优势,用于HMF选择氧化的相关报道已逐渐增多。阐述了HMF选择氧化的催化反应机理,着重从非贵金属催化剂的角度出发,对近年来HMF的不同催化氧化体系进行了总结和归纳。最后,展望了HMF选择氧化的研究前景,为构建绿色、高效的催化体系提供思路和参考。     

Insoluble Vascular Amyloid Deposits Trigger Disruption of the Neurovascular Unit in Alzheimer’s Disease Brains

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized histopathologically by intra-neuronal tau-related lesions and by the accumulation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in the brain parenchyma and around cerebral blood vessels. According to the vascular hypothesis of AD, an alteration in the neurovascular unit (NVU) could lead to Aβ vascular accumulation and promote neuronal dysfunction, accelerating neurodegeneration and dementia. To date, the effects of insoluble vascular Aβ deposits on the NVU and the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are unknown. In this study, we analyze different Aβ species and their association with the cells that make up the NVU. We evaluated post-mortem AD brain tissue. Multiple immunofluorescence assays were performed against different species of Aβ and the main elements that constitute the NVU. Our results showed that there are insoluble vascular deposits of both full-length and truncated Aβ species. Besides, insoluble aggregates are associated with a decrease in the phenotype of the cellular components that constitute the NVU and with BBB disruption. This approach could help identify new therapeutic targets against key molecules and receptors in the NVU that can prevent the accumulation of vascular fibrillar Aβ in AD.     

准均匀电场下C5F10O/干燥空气与C5F10O/N2的绝缘特性

SF_6因优异的电气特性广泛应用于电器绝缘设备中,但其产生的温室效应对大气环境具有极大损害。近年来,C_5F_(10)O作为一种环保型SF_6潜在替代气体受到国内外科研工作者的关注。为进一步探究C_5F_(10)O/干燥空气与C_5F_(10)O/N_2的绝缘特性,文中利用气体绝缘性能测试平台,对不同气压、不同C_5F_(10)O分压下的2种混合气体在准均匀电场下进行工频击穿试验。实验结果表明,C_5F_(10)O混合气体绝缘强度随气体压强的增大而增大;提高C_5F_(10)O分压亦可提高两类缓冲气体的绝缘强度,且对N_2绝缘强度提升相对值大于干燥空气。从绝缘强度考虑,适当增大C_5F_(10)O混合气体气压和C_5F_(10)O分压,C_5F_(10)O/干燥空气比C_5F_(10)O/N_2混合气体更具潜力替代室内中低压设备中的SF_6。     

Identification of Tumor Suppressive Genes Regulated by miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

We identified the microRNA (miRNA) expression signature of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues by RNA sequencing, in which 168 miRNAs were significantly upregulated, including both strands of the miR-31 duplex (miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p). The aims of this study were to identify networks of tumor suppressor genes regulated by miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p in HNSCC cells. Our functional assays showed that inhibition of miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p attenuated cancer cell malignant phenotypes (cell proliferation, migration, and invasion), suggesting that they had oncogenic potential in HNSCC cells. Our in silico analysis revealed 146 genes regulated by miR-31 in HNSCC cells. Among these targets, the low expression of seven genes (miR-31-5p targets: CACNB2 and IL34; miR-31-3p targets: CGNL1, CNTN3, GAS7, HOPX, and PBX1) was closely associated with poor prognosis in HNSCC. According to multivariate Cox regression analyses, the expression levels of five of those genes (CACNB2: p = 0.0189; IL34: p = 0.0425; CGNL1: p = 0.0014; CNTN3: p = 0.0304; and GAS7: p = 0.0412) were independent prognostic factors in patients with HNSCC. Our miRNA signature and miRNA-based approach will provide new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HNSCC.     

Evaluation of Floxuridine Oligonucleotide Conjugates Carrying Potential Enhancers of Cellular Uptake

Conjugation of small molecules such as lipids or receptor ligands to anti-cancer drugs has been used to improve their pharmacological properties. In this work, we studied the biological effects of several small-molecule enhancers into a short oligonucleotide made of five floxuridine units. Specifically, we studied adding cholesterol, palmitic acid, polyethyleneglycol (PEG 1000), folic acid and triantennary N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) as potential enhancers of cellular uptake. As expected, all these molecules increased the internalization efficiency with different degrees depending on the cell line. The conjugates showed antiproliferative activity due to their metabolic activation by nuclease degradation generating floxuridine monophosphate. The cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays showed an increase in the anti-cancer activity of the conjugates related to the floxuridine oligomer, but this effect did not correlate with the internalization results. Palmitic and folic acid conjugates provide the highest antiproliferative activity without having the highest internalization results. On the contrary, cholesterol oligomers that were the best-internalized oligomers had poor antiproliferative activity, even worse than the unmodified floxuridine oligomer. Especially relevant is the effect induced by palmitic and folic acid derivatives generating the most active drugs. These results are of special interest for delivering other therapeutic oligonucleotides.     

Molecular Mechanisms of the Deregulation of Muscle Contraction Induced by the R90P Mutation in Tpm3.12 and the Weakening of This Effect by BDM and W7

Point mutations in the genes encoding the skeletal muscle isoforms of tropomyosin can cause a range of muscle diseases. The amino acid substitution of Arg for Pro residue in the 90th position (R90P) in γ-tropomyosin (Tpm3.12) is associated with congenital fiber type disproportion and muscle weakness. The molecular mechanisms underlying muscle dysfunction in this disease remain unclear. Here, we observed that this mutation causes an abnormally high Ca²⁺-sensitivity of myofilaments in vitro and in muscle fibers. To determine the critical conformational changes that myosin, actin, and tropomyosin undergo during the ATPase cycle and the alterations in these changes caused by R90P replacement in Tpm3.12, we used polarized fluorimetry. It was shown that the R90P mutation inhibits the ability of tropomyosin to shift towards the outer domains of actin, which is accompanied by the almost complete depression of troponin’s ability to switch actin monomers off and to reduce the amount of the myosin heads weakly bound to F-actin at a low Ca²⁺. These changes in the behavior of tropomyosin and the troponin–tropomyosin complex, as well as in the balance of strongly and weakly bound myosin heads in the ATPase cycle may underlie the occurrence of both abnormally high Ca²⁺-sensitivity and muscle weakness. BDM, an inhibitor of myosin ATPase activity, and W7, a troponin C antagonist, restore the ability of tropomyosin for Ca²⁺-dependent movement and the ability of the troponin–tropomyosin complex to switch actin monomers off, demonstrating a weakening of the damaging effect of the R90P mutation on muscle contractility.     

硫化物改质对20MnCr5齿轮钢夹杂物和切削性能的影响

 齿轮钢广泛应用于汽车、机械等传动系统,易切削化是提高齿轮加工效率、降低制造成本的主要途径之一。提高钢中硫元素含量是改善齿轮钢切削性能的有效方式,然而过多的硫元素在轧制时会形成条带状MnS,增大钢的各向异性,因此需要对硫化物进行改制处理。分别采用Ca处理和Mg处理两种方式对20MnCr5齿轮钢进行硫化物改质,通过对力学性能、组织形态、夹杂物分布以及切削性能等表征,对比分析不同改制方式对材料的影响。结果表明,Ca处理和Mg处理后试验钢的强度和塑性保持一致,而Mg处理试样的晶粒尺寸较小,因而韧性较高。Ca处理试验钢中MnS夹杂物数量较多,长条状夹杂物比例相对较高;而采用Mg处理可以有效降低钢中夹杂物的数量,夹杂物平均尺寸有所增大,同时小长径比夹杂物数量增多,但是复合氧化物型夹杂物的数量也有所增加。在240~280 m/min条件下进行了干切削试验,结果表明两种试验钢均出现前刀面磨损、后刀面磨损和边界磨损,其中Ca处理试样的刀具磨损较为严重,同时在较高切削速度下出现了积屑瘤和崩角现象,而Mg处理试样则具有更长的刀具使用寿命,对切削速度的敏感性也较低。分析可知,Mg处理后钢中存在较多的大尺寸球状硫化物夹杂物,提高了应力集中效应,更有利于改善切削性能,因而改制效果更好。     

5CrMnMo钢中、小型热锻模具的强韧化热处理

5CrMnMo钢中、小型热锻模具经强韧化工艺处理后与经常规工艺热处理相比，强韧性、疲劳抗力和使用寿命显著提高，且工艺简单，操作方便，质量稳定。