In search for novel cathode materials for lithium, sodium, and potassium ion batteries, organic electrode materials are expected to be the next powerful candidates owing to their high theoretical capacity, facile synthesis, low cost, and structural diversity. However, reports concerning organic compounds are not common compared to those concerning inorganic compounds in both research and commercial applications. New requirements for rechargeable batteries, such as low production cost and natural abundance, also preclude us from focusing on heavy and toxic metals, which still impose cost and resource constraints. Undoubtedly, organic carbonyl compounds featuring multielectron reactions and reaction reversibility are quite suitable for meeting these needs. In this review, an overview of the recent efforts on carbonyl materials containing small molecules and polymers is provided. In addition, some strategies to resolve the main problems, such as the dissolution of active organic chemicals into organic electrolytes, low discharge voltage, and low electronic conductivity, are discussed.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients often exhibit perturbed circadian rhythm with fragmented sleep before disease onset. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of a 40-Hz light flicker on circadian rhythm in an AD mouse model (APP/PS1). Locomotor rhythms recordings were conducted to examine the circadian clock rhythm in APP/PS1 mice. Molecular biology analyses, including western blot and real-time qPCR assays, were conducted to assess the changes in circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK), brain and muscle arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1), and period 2 (PER2). In addition to determining the direct effect of a 40-Hz light flicker on hypothalamic central clock, whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology was employed to record individual neurons of suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) sections. The results reported herein demonstrate that a 40-Hz light flicker relieves circadian rhythm disorders in APP/PS1 mice and returns the expression levels of key players in the central circadian clock, including Clock, Bmal1, and Per2, to baseline. Moreover, the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in SCN neurons is significantly lower in APP/PS1 mice than in the control, and the amplitude of sIPSCs is decreased. Exposure to a 40-Hz light flicker significantly increases the sIPSC frequency in SCN neurons of APP/PS1 mice, with little effect on the amplitude. However, the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) are both unaffected by a 40-Hz light flicker. The data suggest that a 40-Hz light flicker can ameliorate AD-associated circadian rhythm disorders, presenting a new type of therapeutic treatment for rhythm disorders caused by AD.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been observed in aqueous humour (AH) of POAG patients, resulting in an increase in the out-flow resistance of the AH. However, the underlining mechanisms remain elusive. Using established in vivo and in vitro POAG models, we demonstrated that water channel Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is down-regulated in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells upon ET-1 exposure, which causes a series of glaucomatous changes, including actin fibre reorganization, collagen production, extracellular matrix deposition and contractility alteration of TM cells. Ectopic expression of AQP1 can reverse ET-1-induced TM tissue remodelling, which requires the presence of β-catenin. More importantly, we found that ET-1-induced AQP1 suppression is mediated by ATF4, a transcription factor of the unfolded protein response, which binds to the promoter of AQP1 and negatively regulates AQP1 transcription. Thus, we discovered a novel function of ATF4 in controlling the process of TM remodelling in ET-1-induced POAG through transcription suppression of AQP1. Our findings also detail a novel pathological mechanism and a potential therapeutic target for POAG.

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The mechanism and kinetics of the curing reaction of cyanate ester (CE) resin modified with polyethylene glycol were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The relationship of heat flow versus conversion rate was used to evaluate the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the curing reaction of CE. DSC results showed that the addition of PEG decreased the curing temperature of CE effectively when its content was less than 20 wt %. The curing behavior of CE/PEG still complies with the self-catalytic kinetic model proposed by Kamal. The effects of PEG content on the kinetics parameters and conversion rate of the curing reaction were discussed. FTIR results indicated that the -OH groups in PEG participated in the polymeric reaction of CE and formed -O-C (5NH) -O-structure through block copolymerization, which extended the chain length between triazine rings and reduced the density of triazine rings.