Novel N, S co-doped graphene (NSG) was prepared by annealing graphene oxide with thiourea as the single N and S precursor. The NSG electrodes, as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts, show a direct four-electron reaction pathway, high onset potential, high current density and high stability for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severe visual deficits and blindness. Meanwhile, there is convincing evidence implicating oxidative stress, inflammation, and neovascularization in the onset and progression of AMD. Several studies have identified berberine hydrochloride and chrysophanol as potential treatments for ocular diseases based on their antioxidative, antiangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Unfortunately, their poor stability and bioavailability have limited their application. In order to overcome these disadvantages, we prepared a compound liposome system that can entrap these drugs simultaneously using the third polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM G3.0) as a carrier. Results PAMAM G3.0-coated compound liposomes exhibited appreciable cellular permeability in human corneal epithelial cells and enhanced bio-adhesion on rabbit corneal epithelium. Moreover, coated liposomes greatly improved BBH bioavailability. Further, coated liposomes exhibited obviously protective effects in human retinal pigment epithelial cells and rat retinas after photooxidative retinal injury. Finally, administration of P-CBLs showed no sign of side effects on ocular surface structure in rabbits model. Conclusions The PAMAM G3.0-liposome system thus displayed a potential use for treating various ocular diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12951-019-0498-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MoS2 with a similar layered structure to graphene has been widely applied in various areas including lithium ion batteries. However, low conductivity, capacity fading and poor rate performance are still the main challenges for MoS2 anode materials. In this work, for the first time, we prepared nitrogen-doped MoS2 (N-MoS2) nanosheets through a simple two-step method involving the preparation of MoS2 with defects by the hydrothermal method, followed by sintering in a NH3 atmosphere. Our electrochemical characterizations and density functional theory calculations demonstrated that nitrogen doping could enhance the electron conductivity and showed higher specific capacity than pristine MoS2 as anode materials of lithium ion batteries, which can be attributed to the faster transportation of electrons and ions because of nitrogen doping. This work helps us understand the origin of the enhanced performance of N-doped MoS2 in lithium ion batteries.

Currently, exosome-enclosed microRNAs (miRs) in exhaled breath have potential for biomarker discovery in patients with pulmonary diseases. This study was performed to investigate the roles of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes expressing miR-328 in pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Microarray-based analysis was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and regulatory miRs in PF. The miR-target relationship between FAM13A and miR-328 was confirmed. The expression of FAM13A and miR-328 was measured in PF rats, and gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to determine the regulatory effects of FAM13A and miR-328 on PF. In addition, exosomes derived from M2 macrophages were isolated and then cocultured with pulmonary interstitial fibroblasts to identify the role of these exosomes in PF. Furthermore, the effects of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 on pulmonary fibroblast proliferation and the progression of PF were assessed in vivo. miR-328 might perform a vital function in PF by regulating FAM13A. FAM13A expression was downregulated while miR-328 expression was upregulated in rats with PF, and a miR-target relationship between miR-328 and FAM13A was observed. Additionally, miR-328 overexpression and FAM13A silencing each were suggested to promote pulmonary interstitial fibroblast proliferation and the expression of Collagen 1A, Collagen 3A and α-SMA. Then, in vitro experiments demonstrated that M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 contributed to enhanced pulmonary interstitial fibroblast proliferation and promoted PF. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed the promotive effects of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 on the progression of PF. Collectively, the results showed that M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 aggravate PF through the regulation of FAM13A.

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MPT64 is one of the secreted proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Little is known about its role in infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, we demonstrated that MPT64 could dose-dependently inhibit the apoptosis of RAW264.7 macrophages induced by PPD-BCG. Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that the expression of bcl-2 increased in macrophages treated with MPT64 compared with PPD-treated cells. Furthermore, the results provided strong evidence that bcl-2 up-regulation was positively controlled by miRNA-21. Finally, NF-κB was identified as the transcription factor for miRNA-21 using a ChIP assay. It can be concluded from our study that MPT64 could inhibit the apoptosis of RAW264.7 macrophages through the NF-κB-miRNA21-Bcl-2 pathway.

O2 plasma treatment could generate electronegative oxygen functional groups such as –COOH and –OH on the separator to restrain the shuttle effect of polysulfide intermediates in Li–S battery.

No abstract