An Air‐Stable and Dendrite‐Free Li Anode for Highly Stable All‐Solid‐State Sulfide‐Based Li Batteries

Li metal is a promising anode material for all‐solid‐state batteries, owing to its high specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, direct contact of Li metal with most solid‐state electrolytes induces severe side reactions that can lead to dendrite formation and short circuits. Moreover, Li metal is unstable when exposed to air, leading to stringent processing requirements. Herein, it is reported that the Li₃PS₄/Li interface in all‐solid‐state batteries can be stabilized by an air‐stable Li_xSiS_y protection layer that is formed in situ on the surface of Li metal through a solution‐based method. Highly stable Li cycling for over 2000 h in symmetrical cells and a lifetime of over 100 cycles can be achieved for an all‐solid‐state LiCoO₂/Li₃PS₄/Li cell. Synchrotron‐based high energy X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy in‐depth analysis demonstrates the distribution of different components within the protection layer. The in situ formation of an electronically insulating Li_xSiS_y protection layer with highly ionic conductivity provides an effective way to prevent Li dendrite formation in high‐energy all‐solid‐state Li metal batteries.     

Pore diameter effects on phase behavior of a gas condensate in graphitic one-and two-dimensional nanopores

The similar molecules [2.2]paracyclophane (22PCP) and 1,1,2,2,9,9,10,10-octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane (8F22PCP) have both generated considerable synthetic interest since they were first prepared. In this work, the nonlinear optical properties of 22PCP, 8F22PCP, and the related Li-doped systems 22PCP-Li and 8F22PCP-Li (which have a Li atom above 22PCP and 8F22PCP, respectively) were investigated. An analysis of natural bond orbital charges showed that there is greater charge transfer from the Li atom to the benzene rings in 8F22PCP-Li than in 22PCP-Li. The variation in the calculated nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) value as a function of the distance from the lower benzene ring towards the upper benzene ring was found to be W-shaped for both 22PCP and 22PCP-Li. Moreover, whereas all of the NICS values of 22PCP and 22PCP-Li were markedly negative, all of the NICS values of 8F22PCP and 8F22PCP-Li were either positive or only moderately negative. Calculations of the electro-optical properties of these systems showed that the first hyperpolarizability of 22PCP-Li was noticeably larger than that of 8F22PCP-Li. According to the two-level model, the larger first hyperpolarizability of 22PCP-Li is due to its smaller transition energy.

     

Biological and computational studies provide insights into Caesalphinia digyna Rottler stems

Caesalpinia digyna (Rottl.) (Family: Fabaceae) is an essential medicinal plant for it's conventional uses against a kind of human disorders. This research aims to investigate the antidiarrheal, antibacterial and antifungal properties of the methanol extract of the stems extracts of the C. digyna (MECD). The in vivo antidiarrheal activity of the stem extracts were evaluated by using castor oil-induced diarrhea, castor oil-induced enteropooling and charcoal induced intestinal transit in mice model. Besides, in vitro antimicrobial potentiality of MECD was investigated by the disc diffusion method. In silico activity of the isolated compounds were performed by Schrödinger-Maestro (Version 11.1) software. In addition, The ADME/T analysis and PASS prediction were implemented by using pass online tools. In the antidiarrheal investigation, the MECD exhibited a notable inhibition rate in all test approaches which were statistically significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.1, p < 0.01). MECD 400 mg/kg showed the maximum antidiarrheal potency in all the test methods. In vitro antimicrobial analysis unveiled that, MECD revealed higher potentiality against almost all pathogens and indicates dose-dependent activity against almost all the bacteria and fungi. In the case of in silico evaluation of anti-diarrheal, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity, all three isolated compounds met the pre-conditions of Lipinski's five rules for drug discovery. Pass predicted study also employed for all compounds. However, The chemical constituents of the C. digyna can be a potent source of anti-diarrheal, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal medicine and further modification and simulation studies are required to establish the effectiveness of bioactive compounds.     

Dynamic Alterations to α-Actinin Accompanying Sarcomere Disassembly and Reassembly during Cardiomyocyte Mitosis

Although mammals are thought to lose their capacity to regenerate heart muscle shortly after birth, embryonic and neonatal cardiomyocytes in mammals are hyperplastic. During proliferation these cells need to selectively disassemble their myofibrils for successful cytokinesis. The mechanism of sarcomere disassembly is, however, not understood. To study this, we performed a series of immunofluorescence studies of multiple sarcomeric proteins in proliferating neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and correlated these observations with biochemical changes at different cell cycle stages. During myocyte mitosis, α-actinin and titin were disassembled as early as prometaphase. α-actinin (representing the sarcomeric Z-disk) disassembly precedes that of titin (M-line), suggesting that titin disassembly occurs secondary to the collapse of the Z-disk. Sarcomere disassembly was concurrent with the dissolution of the nuclear envelope. Inhibitors of several intracellular proteases could not block the disassembly of α-actinin or titin. There was a dramatic increase in both cytosolic (soluble) and sarcomeric α-actinin during mitosis, and cytosolic α-actinin exhibited decreased phosphorylation compared to sarcomeric α-actinin. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) induced the quick reassembly of the sarcomere. Sarcomere dis- and re-assembly in cardiomyocyte mitosis is CDK1-dependent and features dynamic differential post-translational modifications of sarcomeric and cytosolic α-actinin.     

Persistent degenerative changes in thymic organ function revealed by an inducible model of organ regrowth

The thymus is the most rapidly aging tissue in the body, with progressive atrophy beginning as early as birth and not later than adolescence. Latent regenerative potential exists in the atrophic thymus, because certain stimuli can induce quantitative regrowth, but qualitative function of T lymphocytes produced by the regenerated organ has not been fully assessed. Using a genome-wide computational approach, we show that accelerated thymic aging is primarily a function of stromal cells, and that while overall cellularity of the thymus can be restored, many other aspects of thymic function cannot. Medullary islet complexity and tissue-restricted antigen expression decrease with age, representing potential mechanisms for age-related increases in autoimmune disease, but neither of these is restored by induced regrowth, suggesting that new T cells produced by the regrown thymus will probably include more autoreactive cells. Global analysis of stromal gene expression profiles implicates widespread changes in Wnt signaling as the most significant hallmark of degeneration, changes that once again persist even at peak regrowth. Consistent with the permanent nature of age-related molecular changes in stromal cells, induced thymic regrowth is not durable, with the regrown organ returning to an atrophic state within 2 weeks of reaching peak size. Our findings indicate that while quantitative regrowth of the thymus is achievable, the changes associated with aging persist, including potential negative implications for autoimmunity.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> Cry11Ba works synergistically with Cry4Aa but not with Cry11Aa for toxicity against mosquito <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex pipiens</Emphasis> (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae

A 2,175-bp modified gene (cry11Ba-S1) encoding Cry11Ba from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan was designed and the recombinant protein was expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli. The recombinant Cry11Ba was highly toxic against Culex pipiens mosquito larvae, being nine and 17 times more toxic than mosquitocidal Cry4Aa and Cry11Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, respectively. Interestingly, a further increase in the toxicity of the recombinant Cry11Ba was achieved by mixing with Cry4Aa, but not with Cry11Aa. These findings suggested that Cry11Ba worked synergistically with Cry4Aa, but not with Cry11Aa, in exhibiting toxicity against C. pipiens larvae. On the other hand, the amount of Cry toxin bound to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) did not significantly change between individual toxins and the toxin mixtures, suggesting that the increase in toxins binding to BBMVs was not a reason for the observed synergistic effect. It is generally accepted that synergism of toxins is a potentially powerful tool for enhancing insecticidal activity and managing Cry toxin resistance in mosquitoes. The mixture of Cry4Aa and Cry11Ba in order to increase toxicity would be very valuable in terms of mosquito control.     

Two new myrmecophilous species of the genus Scutacarus (Acari: Prostigmata: Scutacaridae) with world keys to related species groups

In a survey on heterostigmatic mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Heterostigmata) associated with insects including ants in northwestern Iran, two new species of myrmecophilous mites of the genus Scutacarus (Acari: Scutacaridae) were found. They are S. shajariani sp. nov. phoretic on Tetramorium sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and S. ebermanni sp. nov. phoretic on Messor sp. The mentioned new species belong to groups of species with reduced setae e and h₂, and no setae 4b, respectively. These two new species are described and illustrated, and world keys are provided for respective species groups.     

Insight into the interaction of antitubercular and anticancer compound clofazimine with human serum albumin: spectroscopy and molecular modelling

The binding of clofazimine to human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by applying optical spectroscopy and molecular docking methods. Fluorescence quenching data revealed that clofazimine binds to protein with binding constant in the order of 10⁴ M^?1, and with the increase in temperature, Stern–Volmer quenching constants gradually decreased indicating quenching mode to be static. The UV–visible spectra showed increase in absorbance upon interaction of HSA with clofazimine which further reveals formation of the drug–albumin complex. Thermodynamic parameters obtained from fluorescence data indicate that the process is exothermic and spontaneous. Forster distance (R_o) obtained from fluorescence resonance energy transfer is found to be 2.05 nm. Clofazimine impelled rise in α-helical structure in HSA as observed from far-UV CD spectra while there are minor alterations in tertiary structure of the protein. Clofazimine interacts strongly with HSA inducing secondary structure in the protein and slight alterations in protein topology as suggested by dynamic light scattering results. Moreover, docking results indicate that clofazimine binds to hydrophobic pocket near to the drug site II in HSA.