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Porous MnO/C nanotubes are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method followed by thermal annealing, and possess excellent cyclability and high rate capability as an anode for lithium ion batteries.

Berberine, a plant alkaloid used in Chinese medicine, has broad cell-protective functions in a variety of cell lines. Chondrocyte apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). However, little is known about the effect and underlying mechanism of berberine on OA chondrocytes. Here, we assessed the effects of berberine on cartilage degeneration in interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-stimulated rat chondrocytes and in a rat model of OA. The results of an MTT assay and western blotting analysis showed that berberine attenuated the inhibitory effect of IL-1β on the cell viability and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in rat chondrocytes. Furthermore, berberine activated Akt, which triggered p70S6K/S6 pathway and up-regulated the levels of aggrecan and Col II expression in IL-1β-stimulated rat chondrocytes. In addition, berberine increased the level of proteoglycans in cartilage matrix and the thickness of articular cartilage, with the elevated levels of Col II, p-Akt and p-S6 expression in a rat OA model, as demonstrated by histopathological and immunohistochemistry techniques. The data thus strongly suggest that berberine may ameliorate cartilage degeneration from OA by promoting cell survival and matrix production of chondrocytes, which was partly attributed to the activation of Akt in IL-1β-stimulated articular chondrocytes and in a rat OA model. The resultant chondroprotective effects indicate that berberine merits consideration as a therapeutic agent in OA.

In this work, the Li-rich oxide Li1.23Ni0.09Co0.12Mn0.56O2 was synthesized through a facile route called aqueous solution-evaporation route that is simple and without waste water. The as-prepared Li1.23Ni0.09Co0.12Mn0.56O2 oxide was confirmed to be a layered LiMO2-Li2MnO3 solid solution through ex situ X-ray diffraction (ex situ XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical results showed that the Li-rich oxide Li1.23Ni0.09Co0.12Mn0.56O2 material can deliver a discharge capacity of 250.8 mAhg(-1) in the 1st cycle at 0.1 C and capacity retention of 86.0% in 81 cycles. In situ X-ray diffraction technique (in situ XRD) and ex situ TEM were applied to study structural changes of the Li-rich oxide Li1.23Ni0.09Co0.12Mn0.56O2 material during charge-discharge cycles. The study allowed observing experimentally, for the first time, the existence of β-MnO2 phase that is appeared near 4.54 V in the first charge process, and a phase transformation of the β-MnO2 to layered Li0.9MnO2 is occurred in the initial discharge process by evidence of in situ XRD pattrens and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns at different states of the initial charge and discharge process. The results illustrated also that the variation of the in situ X-ray reflections during charge-discharge cycling are clearly related to the changes of lattice parameters of the as-prepared Li-rich oxide during the charge-discharge cycles.

While silicon is considered one of the most promising anode materials for the next generation of high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), the industrialization of Si anodes is hampered by the anode's large volume change during the charging and discharging process. In comparison to the traditional graphite anode used in LIBs, the Si anode places more stringent demands on the binder, which must maintain intimate contact between the electrode components and the integrity of the ion and electron transport channels when subjected to frequent large volume changes. The purpose of this review is to cover the recent advances in binder design strategies by examining the molecular structure, chemical functionalities, physical and mechanical properties of the binder materials, as well as the working strategies involved. The challenges in the design of the innovative polymer binder for commercializing Si anodes are discussed, as well as the future development direction and application prospects.

Li-rich layered oxide 0.5Li2MnO3·0.5LiNi0.292Co0.375Mn0.333O2 was prepared by an aqueous solution-evaporation route. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) showed that the as-synthesized material was a solid solution consisting of layered α-NaFeO2-type LiMO2 (M = Ni, Co, Mn) and monoclinic Li2MnO3. The superlattice spots in the selected area electron diffraction pattern indicated the ordering of lithium ions with transition metal (TM) ions in TM layers in this Li-rich layered oxide. Electrochemical performance testing showed that the as-synthesized material could deliver an initial discharge capacity of 267.7 mAh/g, with a capacity retention of 88.5% after 33 cycles. A new combination technique, multipotential step in situ XRD (MPS in situ XRD) measurement, was applied for the first time to investigate the Li-rich layered oxide. Using this approach, the relationships between kinetics and structural variations can be obtained simutaneously. In situ XRD results showed that the c parameter decreased from 3.70 to 4.30 V and increased from 4.30 to 4.70 V, whereas the a parameter underwent a decrease above 4.30 V during the first charge process. Below 3.90 V during the first discharge process, a slight decrease in the c parameter was found along with an increase in the a parameter. During the first charge process, the value of the coefficient of diffusion for lithium ions (DLi+) decreased to its mininum at 4.55 V, which might be associated with Ni(2+) migration, as indicated by both Ni occupancy in 3b sites (Ni3b%) in the Li(+) layers and complicated chemical reactions. Remarkably, a lattice distortion might occur within the local domain in the host stucture during the first discharge process, indicated by a slight splitting of the (003) diffraction peak at 3.20 V.

Despite extensive studies on the multifaceted roles of morroniside, the main active constituent of iridoid glycoside from Corni Fructus, the effect of morroniside on osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the influence of morroniside on cultured human OA chondrocytes and a rat experimental model of OA. The results showed that morroniside enhanced the cell viability and the levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression (PCNA), type II collagen and aggrecan in human OA chondrocytes, indicating that morroniside promoted chondrocyte survival and matrix synthesis. Furthermore, different doses of morroniside activated protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in human OA chondrocytes, and in turn, triggered AKT/S6 and ERK/P70S6K/S6 pathway, respectively. The PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 or the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 attenuated the effect of morroniside on human OA chondrocytes, indicating that the activation of AKT and ERK contributed to the regulation of morroniside in human OA chondrocytes. In addition, the intra-articular injection of morroniside elevated the level of proteoglycans in cartilage matrix and the thickness of articular cartilage in a rat experimental model of OA, with the increase of AKT and ERK activation. As a consequence, morroniside has chondroprotective effect on OA chondrocytes, and may have the therapeutic potential for OA treatment.