MnO₂ Nanosheets Grown on Internal Surface of Macroporous Carbon with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Supercapacitors

Supercapacitor performance is strongly dependent on the utilization rate of electrode materials. In this paper, MnO₂ nanosheets (MONSs) have been grown on the inner surface of macroporous carbon (MPC) for increasing the utilization rate. The MPC is prepared from luffa sponge fibers. The MPC possesses closely arranged straight channels at the micrometer scale, which makes the MONSs be able to grow on the inner surface. Because of sufficient exposure toward electrolyte, the MONSs exhibit high mass specific capacitance at different loadings such as 1332 F/g (150 μg/cm²) and 354 F/g (5690 μg/cm²). Because of the presence of the large pores allowing the electrolyte solution to access easily, the active materials are capable of working at high loadings, obtaining areal specific capacitance as high as 2.9 F/cm². The assembled supercapacitors show a high specific energy of 194 μWh/cm² at the specific power of 4.5 mW/cm². As the luffa sponge is abundant and pollution-free in production, the MONSs/MPC is of high promise for supercapacitor application. The present method to grow the active materials on an inner surface to increase the utilization rate is also valuable for other applications, e.g., catalysis and Li-ion batteries

Bone mesenchymal stem cells transplantation combined with mild hypothermia improves the prognosis of cerebral ischemia in rats - Fig 3

<p>The combination therapy increased the expression of GFAP in ischemic regions A. The expression of GFAP was determined by immunofluorescence. B. The expression of GFAP was measured by western blot. (A: sham-surgery group; B:model group; C:BMSCs group; D:MH group; E:combination therapy group.) Values are expressed as mean± SE. n = 3. *P < 0.05, compared to control; ^#P<0.05, compared with the combined therapy group.</p

The percentage of infarction size of rats.

<p>The percentage of infarction size of rats.</p

The combination therapy increased the expression of VEGF in ischemic regions.

<p>A. The expression of VEGF was determined by immunofluorescence. B. The expression of VEGF was measured by western blot. (A: sham-surgery group; B:model group; C:BMSCs group; D:MH group; E:combination therapy group.) Values are expressed as mean± SE. n = 3. *P < 0.05, compared to control; ^#P<0.05, compared with the combined therapy group.</p

The combination therapy increased angiogenesis in ischemic regions.

<p>Microscopic images of the temporal cortex in coronal sections stained with anti-RECA-1 antibody. The arrows indicate RECA-1 positive microvessels. A. The microvessels (RECA-1 positive structures) were examined within the temporal cortex under × 100 magnification. B. Quantification of microvessels is expressed as microvessel density (number of stained vessels per microscopic field). Data are expressed as mean± S.E. n = 3.</p

Variation tendency of rats mNSS scores.

<p>Neurological functional tests were performed in each group at each time point (n = 6), respectively. The rats mNSS scores in the combination therapy group decreased more obviously than that in the BMSCs group. Values are expressed as mean± SE. *P < 0.05, compared to control; ^#P<0.05, compared with the combined therapy group.</p

The mNSS scores of rats.

<p>The mNSS scores of rats.</p

Bone mesenchymal stem cells transplantation combined with mild hypothermia improves the prognosis of cerebral ischemia in rats

<div><p>Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are used as a great promising choice for the treatment of cerebral ischemia. Herein, we discuss the neuroprotective effects of the combination of BMSCs transplantation and mild hypothermia (MH) in an ischemia-reperfusion rat model. First, BMSCs were isolated using density gradient centrifugation and the adherent screening method, followed by culture, identification and labeling with DAPI. Second, adult male SD rats were divided into 5 groups: sham group (surgery without blockage of middle cerebral artery), model group (middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established 2h prior to reperfusion), BMSCs group (injection of BMSCs via the lateral ventricle 24h after MCAO), MH group (mild hypothermia for 3h immediately after MCAO) and combination therapy group (combination of BMSCs and MH). Finally, the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) test was performed to assess behavioral function at different time points (before MCAO, before transplantation, at day 1, day 5 and day 10 after transplantation). After that, the brain was subjected to TTC staining, and the homing and angiogenesis were evaluated by immumofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Immunofluorescence staining and Western Blot analysis were performed to calculate the percentage of the infarct area and explore glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Our results showed that the combination therapy significantly decreased mNSS scores (P<0.01) and reduced the percentage of the infarct area (P<0.01) than a single treatment. Moreover, the expression of GFAP and VEGF increased significantly in the combination therapy group (at day 5, day 10 after transplantation; at all time points after transplantation, respectively) compared to the single treatment groups. Taken together, it was suggested that the combination of BMSCs transplantation and MH can significantly reduce the percentage of the infarct area and improve functional recovery by promoting homing and angiogenesis, which may be a beneficial treatment for cerebral ischemia.</p></div

Data_Sheet_1_Rapid detection of multidrug resistance in tuberculosis using nanopore-based targeted next-generation sequencing: a multicenter, double-blind study.zip

BackgroundResistance to anti-tuberculous drugs is a major challenge in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). We aimed to evaluate the clinical availability of nanopore-based targeted next-generation sequencing (NanoTNGS) for the diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB).MethodsThis study enrolled 253 patients with suspected DR-TB from six hospitals. The diagnostic efficacy of NanoTNGS for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its susceptibility or resistance to first- and second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs was assessed by comparing conventional phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) and Xpert MTB/RIF assays. NanoTNGS can be performed within 12 hours from DNA extraction to the result delivery.ResultsNanoTNGS showed a remarkable concordance rate of 99.44% (179/180) with the culture assay for identifying the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The sensitivity of NanoTNGS for detecting drug resistance was 93.53% for rifampicin, 89.72% for isoniazid, 85.45% for ethambutol, 74.00% for streptomycin, and 88.89% for fluoroquinolones. Specificities ranged from 83.33% to 100% for all drugs tested. Sensitivity for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis using NanoTNGS increased by 9.73% compared to Xpert MTB/RIF. The most common mutations were S531L (codon in E. coli) in the rpoB gene, S315T in the katG gene, and M306V in the embB gene, conferring resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol, respectively. In addition, mutations in the pncA gene, potentially contributing to pyrazinamide resistance, were detected in 32 patients. Other prevalent variants, including D94G in the gyrA gene and K43R in the rpsL gene, conferred resistance to fluoroquinolones and streptomycin, respectively. Furthermore, the rv0678 R94Q mutation was detected in one sample, indicating potential resistance to bedaquiline.ConclusionNanoTNGS rapidly and accurately identifies resistance or susceptibility to anti-TB drugs, outperforming traditional methods. Clinical implementation of the technique can recognize DR-TB in time and provide guidance for choosing appropriate antituberculosis agents.</p

Additional file 3 of Potential mechanisms of osthole against bladder cancer cells based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation

Additional file 3