Graphene-wrapped CoS nanoparticles are synthesized by a solvothermal approach. The product is significantly different from porous CoS microspheres prepared in the absence of graphene under similar preparation conditions. The CoS microspheres and CoS/graphene composite are fabricated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The CoS/graphene composite is found to be better suitable as an anode in terms of higher capacity and better cycling performances. The nanocomposite exhibits an unprecedented high reversible capacity of 1056 mA h/g among all cobalt sulfide-based anode materials. Good cycling performances are also observed at both small and high current rates.
Engineered nanoparticles have emerged as potentially revolutionary drug and gene delivery vectors. Using rod-shaped gold nanoparticles as a model, we studied for the first time the rotational dynamics of nanoparticle vectors on live cell membranes and its impact on the fate of these nanoparticle vectors. The rotational motions of gold nanorods with various surface modifiers were tracked continuously at 200 frames/s under a differential interference contrast microscope. We found that the rotational behaviors of gold nanorod vectors are strongly related to their surface charges. Specific surface functional groups and the availability of receptors on cell membranes also contribute to the rotational dynamics. The study of rotational brownian motion of nanoparticles on cell membranes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of drug delivery and provide guidance in designing surface modification strategies for drug delivery vectors under various circumstances.
Rational use of antibiotic is the key approach to improve the antibiotic performance and tackling of the antimicrobial resistance. The efficacy of antimicrobials are influenced by many factors: (1) bacterial status (susceptibility and resistance, tolerance, persistence, biofilm) and inoculum size; (2) antimicrobial concentrations [mutant selection window (MSW) and sub-inhibitory concentration]; (3) host factors (serum effect and impact on gut micro-biota). Additional understandings regarding the linkage between antimicrobial usages, bacterial status and host response offers us new insights and encourage the struggle for the designing of antimicrobial treatment regimens that reaching better clinical outcome and minimizing the emergence of resistance at the same time.
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