Search

Abstract Background Research indicates a positive association between short-term diurnal temperature range (DTR) exposure and hypertension. However, the impact of long-term DTR exposure has not been thoroughly studied in population-based cohort research. Methods This study conducted cross-sectional (including 16,690 participants) and longitudinal analyses (including 9,650 participants) based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Daily temperature data was sourced from the National Scientific Data of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We calculated the moving average of DTR exposure of all the participants in CHARLS with exposure windows of 30-day, 60-day, 180-day, 1-year, and 2-year before the interview month of CHARLS Wave1 (2011). Logistic regression and age-stratified Cox proportional hazards models were employed in our analysis. Results In the cross-sectional study, 6,572 (39.4%) participants had hypertension. We found higher DTR is associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension across different exposure windows. The effect was strongest when the exposure window of DTR was 180-day, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.261 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.124–1.416 [highest tertile DTR vs. lowest tertile DTR]). In the cohort study, 3,020 (31.3%) participants developed hypertension during 83 months of follow-up. A higher level of DTR (hazard ratio (HR): 1.224, 95% CI: 1.077–1.391) was associated with a higher risk of incident hypertension. We found significant interactions between DTR and age (P interaction:

Abstract Background The American Heart Association recently introduced a novel cardiovascular health (CVH) metric, Life's Essential 8 (LE8), for health promotion. However, the relationship between LE8 and cancer mortality risk remains uncertain. Methods We investigated 17,076 participants from US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (US NHANES) and 272,727 participants from UK Biobank, all free of cancer at baseline. The CVH score, based on LE8 metrics, incorporates four health behaviors (diet, physical activity, smoking, and sleep) and four health factors (body mass index, lipid, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Self-reported questionnaires assessed health behaviors. Primary outcomes were mortality rates for total cancer and its subtypes. The association between CVH score (continuous and categorical variable) and outcomes was examined using Cox model with adjustments. Cancer subtypes-related polygenic risk score (PRS) was constructed to evaluate its interactions with CVH on cancer death risk. Results Over 141,526 person-years in US NHANES, 424 cancer-related deaths occurred, and in UK Biobank, 8,872 cancer deaths were documented during 3,690,893 person-years. High CVH was associated with reduced overall cancer mortality compared to low CVH (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.91 in US NHANES; 0.51, 0.46–0.57 in UK Biobank). Each one-standard deviation increase in CVH score was linked to a 19% decrease in cancer mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73–0.91) in US NHANES and a 19% decrease (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.79–0.83) in UK Biobank. Adhering to ideal CVH was linearly associated with decreased risks of death from lung, bladder, liver, kidney, esophageal, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric cancers in UK Biobank. Furthermore, integrating genetic data revealed individuals with low PRS and high CVH exhibited the lowest mortality from eight cancers (HRs ranged from 0.36 to 0.57) compared to those with high PRS and low CVH. No significant modification of the association between CVH and mortality risk for eight cancers by genetic predisposition was observed. Subgroup analyses showed a more pronounced protective association for overall cancer mortality among younger participants and those with lower socio-economic status. Conclusions Maintaining optimal CVH is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of overall cancer mortality. Adherence to ideal CVH correlates linearly with decreased mortality risk across multiple cancer subtypes. Individuals with both ideal CVH and high genetic predisposition demonstrated significant health benefits. These findings support adopting ideal CVH as an intervention strategy to mitigate cancer mortality risk and promote healthy aging.

Abstract Background Artificial sweeteners are widely popular worldwide as substitutes for sugar or caloric sweeteners, but there are still several important unknowns and controversies regarding their associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to extensively assess the association and subgroup variability between artificial sweeteners and CVD and CVD mortality in the UK Biobank cohort, and further investigate the modification effects of genetic susceptibility and the mediation role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This study included 133,285 participants in the UK Biobank who were free of CVD and diabetes at recruitment. Artificial sweetener intake was obtained from repeated 24-hour diet recalls. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs. Genetic predisposition was estimated using the polygenic risk score (PRS). Furthermore, time-dependent mediation was performed. Results In our study, artificial sweetener intake (each teaspoon increase) was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident overall CVD (HR1.012, 95%CI: 1.008,1.017), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 1.001,1.035), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (HR: 1.035, 95%CI: 1.010,1.061), and marginally significantly associated with heart failure (HF) risk (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 0.999,1.038). In stratified analyses, non-whites were at greater risk of incident overall CVD from artificial sweetener. People with no obesity (BMI

Abstract The dynamic compression test of geopolymer concrete (GC) before and after water saturation was carried out by the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). And the effects of water saturation and strain rate on impact toughness of GC were studied. Based on Weibull statistical damage distribution theory, the dynamic constitutive model of GC after water saturation was constructed. The results show that the dynamic peak strain and specific energy absorption of GC have strain rate strengthening effect before or after water saturation. The impact toughness of GC decreases after water saturation. The size distribution of GC fragments has fractal characteristics, and the fractal dimension of GC fragments after water saturation is smaller than that before water saturation. The dynamic constitutive model based on Weibull statistical damage distribution theory can accurately describe the impact mechanical behavior of GC after water saturation, and the model fitting curves are in good agreement with the experimental stress–strain curves.

Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) is a common clinical probiotic that improves ulcerative colitis (UC) by restoring intestinal immune balance. However, the interaction of LA with the gut microbiota and its metabolites in the treatment of UC remains unknown. Therefore, this study seeks to elucidate whether the gut microbiota and its metabolites act as pivotal effectors in LA’s therapeutic mechanisms and how precisely they modulate intestinal immunity. In this study, we verified that LA can obviously ameliorate the disease severity, and regulate intestinal immune disorders in UC mice. Subsequently, antibiotic (ABX)-mediated depletion of the gut microflora demonstrated that the therapeutic efficiency of LA was closely associated with gut microbiota. In addition, the results of metabolomics revealed that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a metabolite of intestinal flora, may be a potential effector molecule mediating therapeutic effects of LA. Indeed, we found that UDCA can improve the macro pathological characteristics of UC mice, and through a comprehensive set of in vivo and in vitro experiments, we discovered that UDCA exerts dual effects on immune regulation. Firstly, it promotes the differentiation of Treg cells, resulting in increased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Secondly, UDCA inhibits the polarization of M1 macrophages, effectively reducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, we found that UDCA regulation of immune response is directly related to the RapGap/PI3K-AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, LA and its metabolite, UDCA, may treat UC by activating the RapGap/PI3K-AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and modulating Treg cells and M1 macrophages. All in all, our findings highlight the potential of microbial metabolites in enhancing probiotic for UC treatment.

Key Clinical Message Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital malformation of lung development in which part of the lung tissue is separated from the normal lung during the embryonic phase and develops separately and receives blood supply from an aberrant systemic artery forming a nonrespiratory mass. In brief, early in embryonic development, certain tissues that should have atrophied and been gradually absorbed are left behind due to impairment of the atrophy process and form anomalous branches of the aorta, which pull parts of the lung tissue, isolating them from normal lung tissue and bronchi, and thus forming separate lung tissue. According to the relationship of the mass to the pleural covering, pulmonary sequestration can be divided into two types, intralobar pulmonary sequestration (ILS) and extralobar pulmonary sequestration (ELS), of which approximately 75% of cases are ILS, but ELS is less common. Symptoms are not obvious in either type, making diagnosis and differential diagnosis more difficult. Here we report a 33‐year‐old patient with only insignificant abdominal distension who was eventually diagnosed with retroperitoneal ELS.

Purpose – This research aims to improve the performance of rail fastener defect inspection method for multi railways, to effectively ensure the safety of railway operation. Design/methodology/approach – Firstly, a fastener region location method based on online learning strategy was proposed, which can locate fastener regions according to the prior knowledge of track image and template matching method. Online learning strategy is used to update the template library dynamically, so that the method not only can locate fastener regions in the track images of multi railways, but also can automatically collect and annotate fastener samples. Secondly, a fastener defect recognition method based on deep convolutional neural network was proposed. The structure of recognition network was designed according to the smaller size and the relatively single content of the fastener region. The data augmentation method based on the sample random sorting strategy is adopted to reduce the impact of the imbalance of sample size on recognition performance. Findings – Test verification of the proposed method is conducted based on the rail fastener datasets of multi railways. Specifically, fastener location module has achieved an average detection rate of 99.36%, and fastener defect recognition module has achieved an average precision of 96.82%. Originality/value – The proposed method can accurately locate fastener regions and identify fastener defect in the track images of different railways, which has high reliability and strong adaptability to multi railways.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to depict the global death burden of atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (AFF) between 1990 and 2019 and predict this burden in the next decade.MethodsWe retrieved annual death data on cases and rates of AFF between 1990 and 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 and projected the trends for 2020–2029 by developing the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.ResultsThe global number of deaths from AFF increased from 117,038.00 in 1990 to 315,336.80 in 2019. This number is projected to reach 404,593.40 by 2029. The age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of AFF have increased significantly in low- to middle-sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, which will surpass that in high SDI regions and reach above 4.60 per 100,000 by 2029. Globally, women have a higher ASMR than men, which is largely attributed to disproportionately higher mortality in women than men in lower SDI regions. Notably, AFF-related premature mortality continues to worsen worldwide. A pandemic of high systolic blood pressure and high body mass index (BMI) largely contributes to AFF-associated death. In particular, low- to middle-SDI regions and younger populations are increasingly affected by the rapidly growing current and future risk of high BMI.ConclusionThe global death burden of AFF in low-income countries and younger generations have not been sufficiently controlled in the past and will continue growing in the future, which is largely attributed to metabolic risks, particularly for high BMI. There is an urgent need to implement effective measures to control AFF-related mortality.

Marine soft clays are prevalent in coastal regions of China, giving rise to engineering challenges such as salt swelling, corrosion, and load bearing in foundations with soft soil. This study is dedicated to enhancing the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced cement-stabilized soft clay (FCSSC) and revealing its strengthening mechanism. Uniaxial compression tests are performed to explore the impact of fiber length, fiber amount, and curing ages on mechanical behavior. The stabilization mechanisms of cement and glass fibers are explored through damage analyses and microscopy. Based on the experimental results, a damage constitutive model is formulated for FCSSC, and its validity is established by comparing fitting curves with testing curves. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the stabilized soil, attributed to the synergistic effects of the cement and glass fibers. The growth rate of the unconfined compressive strength decreased with increasing curing ages. Notably, the fiber length significantly impacted the strength index, with short-chopped fibers playing a crucial role in strength enhancement. The compressive strength exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease with rising fiber content, reaching a maximum between 0.3% and 0.4%. The bridging effect of the glass fibers proved effective in inhibiting compression crack expansion and mitigating structural damage of the soil sample. However, excessive fiber content or length led to improved local porosity, resulting in the deterioration of strength and deformation properties. The stress–strain curves fitted using the proposed damage constitutive model accurately reflected the stress–strain relationship and deformation characteristics of the FCSSC.

Abstract Background High fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) is the leading risk factor contributing to the increase of stroke burden in the past three decades. However, the global distribution of stroke burden specifically attributable to HFPG was not studied in depth. Therefore, we analyzed the HFPG‐attributable burden in stroke and its subtypes in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Methods Detailed data on stroke burden attributable to HFPG were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The numbers and age‐standardized rates of stroke disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), deaths, years lived with disability, and years of life lost between 1990 and 2019 were estimated by age, sex, and region. Results In 2019, the age‐standardized rate of DALYs (ASDR) of HFPG‐attributable stroke was 354.95 per 100 000 population, among which 49.0% was from ischemic stroke, 44.3% from intracerebral hemorrhage, and 6.6% from subarachnoid hemorrhage. The ASDRs of HFPG‐attributable stroke in lower sociodemographic index (SDI) regions surpassed those in higher SDI regions in the past three decades. Generally, the population aged over 50 years old accounted for 92% of stroke DALYs attributable to HFPG, and males are more susceptible to HFPG‐attributable stroke than females across their lifetime. Conclusions Successful key population initiatives targeting HFPG may mitigate the stroke disease burden. Given the soaring population‐attributable fractions of HFPG for stroke burden worldwide, each country should assess its disease burden and determine targeted prevention and control strategies.

Abstract Background Reactive astrocytes are increasingly recognized as crucial regulators of innate immunity in degenerative or damaged central nervous system (CNS). Many proinflammatory mediators have been shown to drive inflammatory cascades of astrocytes through activation of NF-κB, thereby affecting the functional outcome of the insulted CNS. D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT), a newly described cytokine and a close homolog of proinflammatory macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), has been revealed to share receptor and overlapping functional spectrum with MIF, but little is known about its roles in the neuropathological progression of the CNS and relevant regulatory mechanisms. Results D-DT protein levels were significantly elevated within neurons and astrocytes following SCI. Analysis of transcriptome profile revealed that D-DT was able to activate multiple signal pathways of astrocytes, which converged to NF-κB, a hub regulator governing proinflammatory response. Rat D-DT recombinant protein was efficient in inducing the production of inflammatory cytokines from astrocytes through interaction with CD74 receptor. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and NF-κB was observed to be essential for the transduction of D-DT signaling. Administration of D-DT specific inhibitor at lesion sites of the cord resulted in significant attenuation of NF-κB activation and reduction of the inflammatory cytokines following SCI, and accordingly improved the recovery of locomotor functions. Conclusion Collectively, D-DT is a novel proinflammatory mediator of astrocytes following SCI. Insights of its cell-specific expression and relevant proinflammatory mechanisms will provide clues for the control of CNS inflammation.

A bound state in the continuum (BIC) is a wave that coexists with a continuous wave but remains localized. In the terahertz band, BIC can design devices with an ultra-high mass factor (Q factor), which is of great value for terahertz science and technology, so we designed a terahertz BIC metasurface structure composed of metal split ring resonators (SRRs). According to the symmetric protection principle of superlattice mode, the leakage process of BIC states to the far field is studied by changing the gap width of SRR. By introducing multiple SRRs and changing their arrangement, we obtain three superlattice modes and BIC states. The leakage of BIC states into the far field is observed experimentally, which means that observable quasi-BIC patterns are formed. We verify a feasible method that allows for flexible design and implementation of BIC.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders that currently have no cure. HSP type 11 (SPG11-HSP) is a complex form carrying mutations in the SPG11 gene. Neuropathological studies demonstrate that motor deficits in these patients are mainly attributed to axonal degeneration of the corticospinal tract (CST). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive technique that can induce central nervous system plasticity and promote neurological recovery by modulating the excitability of cortical neuronal cells. Although rTMS is expected to be a therapeutic tool for neurodegenerative diseases, no previous studies have applied rTMS to treat motor symptoms in SPG11-HSP. Here, we report a case of SPG11-HSP with lower extremity spasticity and gait instability, which were improved by applying high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS) at the primary motor cortex (M1). Clinical and physiological features were measured throughout the treatment, including the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the timed up and go (TUG) test and the 10-meter walk test time (10 MWT). The structure and excitability of the CST were assessed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), respectively. After treatment, the patient gained 17 points of BBS, along with a gradual decrease in MAS scores of the bilateral lower extremity. In addition, the TUG test and 10 MWT improved to varying degrees. TMS assessment showed increased motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, decreased resting motor threshold (RMT), decreased central motor conduction time (CMCT), and decreased difference in the cortical silent period (CSP) between bilateral hemispheres. Using the DTI technique, we observed increased fractional anisotropy (FA) values and decreased mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) values in the CST. It suggests that applying HF-rTMS over the bilateral leg area of M1 (M1-LEG) is beneficial for SPG11-HSP. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of rTMS to promote neurological recovery from both functional and structural perspectives. It may provide a clinical rationale for using rTMS in the rehabilitation of HSP patients.

BackgroundWhether serum apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is a risk factor for the development of Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been fully established in the general population. Therefore, our study evaluated the correlation between serum ApoB level and CKD to look for an alternative approach for CKD prevention and treatment in the general population.MethodsThere were 146,533 participants in this cross-sectional study. 3,325 participants with more than 2 measurements were enrolled in the retrospective longitudinal study with at least a 3-year follow-up. ApoB was measured by the immunoturbidimetric method in 6 centers. Our study defined CKD as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2. The Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Random Forest algorithm were applied to rank the importance of variables determining the levels of eGFR. We used the logistic regression model to explain the correlation between serum ApoB and CKD. We used the Cox model to detect the correlation between baseline serum ApoB and the subsequent occurrence of CKD.ResultsBased on a cross-sectional study, 66.5% of the participants were males, with a median age of 49 (interquartile range [IQR] 43-55). Compared to the non-CKD group, the CKD group has higher levels of lipid profile and fasting glucose as well as the proportion of hypertension and hyperuricemia. The Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Random Forest algorithm revealed that ApoB has the highest correlation with eGFR decline among lipid profiles. The logistic regression analysis revealed that ApoB had a positive correlation with the prevalence of CKD after fully controlling confounders (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.11). Moreover, baseline ApoB level was correlated with a new-onset CKD in the longitudinal cohort after full adjustment for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% CI: 1.02-2.54). The correlation between ApoB level and the new-onset CKD was consistently observed in all sensitivity analyses.ConclusionSerum ApoB had the strongest correlation with CKD among all lipid variables. Moreover, high serum ApoB levels might precede the occurrence of CKD, suggesting that monitoring and reducing serum ApoB levels may provide an alternative method to prevent and treat CKD.

The structural maintenance of chromosome 4 (SMC4) is a member of the ATPase family of chromosomes. The most widely reported function of SMC4, as well as the remaining subunits of whole condensin complexes, is compression and dissociation of sister chromatids, DNA damage repair, DNA recombination, and pervasive transcription of the genome. Studies have also shown that SMC4 plays an exceedingly essential role in the division cycle of embryonic cells, such as RNA splicing, DNA metabolic process, cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix. On the other hand, SMC4 is also a positive regulator of the inflammatory innate immune response, while excessive innate immune responses not only disrupt immune homeostasis and may lead to autoimmune diseases, but even cancer. To further understand the expression and prognostic value of SMC4 in tumors, we provide an in-depth review of the literature and several bioinformatic databases, for example, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), The Human Protein Atlas and Kaplan Meier plotter tools, illustrating that SMC4 plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of tumors, and high expression of SMC4 seems to consistently predict worse overall survival. In conclusion, we present this review which introduces the structure, biological function of SMC4, and its correlation with the tumor in detail; it might provide new insight into a novel tumor prognostic marker and potential tumor therapeutic target.

Abstract Background The danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are critical contributors to the progressive neuropathology and thereafter affect the functional outcomes following spinal cord injury (SCI). Up to now, the regulatory mechanisms on their inducible production from the living cells remain elusive, aside from their passive release from the necrotic cells. Thrombin is immediately activated by the damaged or stressed central nervous system (CNS), which potently mediates inflammatory astrocytic responses through proteolytic cleavage of protease-activated receptors (PARs). Therefore, SCI-activated thrombin is conceived to induce the production of DAMPs from astrocytes at lesion site. Methods Rat SCI model was established by the cord contusion at T8–T10. The expression of thrombin and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was determined by ELISA and Western blot. The PAR1, PAR3, and PAR4 receptors of thrombin were examined by PCR and immunohistochemistry. Primary astrocytes were isolated and purified from the spinal cord, followed by stimulation with different concentrations of thrombin either for transcriptome sequencing or for analysis of thrombin-mediated expression of MIF and related signal pathways in the presence or absence of various inhibitors. The post-injury locomotor functions were assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale. Results MIF protein levels were significantly elevated in parallel with those of thrombin induced by SCI. Immunostaining demonstrated that PAR1 receptor, together with MIF, was abundantly expressed in astrocytes. By transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatical analysis of thrombin-stimulated primary astrocytes, MIF was identified to be dynamically regulated by the serine protease. Investigation of the underlying mechanism using various inhibitors revealed that thrombin-activated PAR1 was responsible for the MIF production of astrocytes through modulation of JNK/NFκB pathway. Administration of PAR1 inhibitor at lesion sites following SCI significantly reduced the protein levels of MIF and ameliorated functional deficits of rat locomotion. Conclusion SCI-activated thrombin is a robust inducer of MIF production from astrocytes. Exploring the roles of thrombin in promoting the production of DAMPs from astrocytes at lesion site will provide an alternative strategy for the clinical therapy of CNS inflammation.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) will result in the significant elevation of thrombin production at lesion site via either breakage of blood-spinal cord barrier or upregulated expression within nerve cells. Thrombin-induced activation of the protease activated receptors (PARs) evokes various pathological effects that deteriorate the functional outcomes of the injured cord. The cellular consequences of thrombin action on the astrocytes, as well as the underlying mechanism are not fully elucidated by far. In the present study, SCI model of rats was established by contusion, and primary astrocytes were isolated for culture from newborn rats. The expression levels of thrombin and PAR1 receptor at lesion sites of the spinal cord were determined. The primary astrocytes cultured in vitro were stimulated with different concentration of thrombin, and the resultant morphological changes, inflammatory astrocytic responses, as well as PAR1-activated signal pathway of astrocytes were accordingly examined using various agonists or antagonists of the receptor. Thrombin was found to reverse astrocytic stellation, promote proliferation but inhibit migration of astrocytes. Furthermore, the serine protease was shown to facilitate inflammatory response of astrocytes through regulation of MAPKs/NFκB pathway. Our results have provided the morphological evidence of astrocytic reactivity in response to thrombin stimulation and its neuroinflammatory effects following SCI, which will be indicative for the fundamental insights of thrombin-induced neuropathology.

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum XZ01 (BLSL1) is a new strain (isolated from the intestines of healthy people and deposited with the preservation number GDMCC 61618). An exopolysaccharide, S-EPS-1, was successfully isolated from the strain and then systematically investigated for the first time. Some structural features of S-EPS-1 were analyzed by chemical component, HPLC, ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum analyses. These analyses revealed that S-EPS-1 is a neutral heteropolysaccharide with an α-configuration. It contains mainly mannose and glucose, as well as small amounts of rhamnose and galactose. The molecular weight of S-EPS-1 was calculated to be 638 kDa. Several immunoregulatory activity assays indicated that S-EPS-1 could increase proliferation, phagocytosis, and NO production in vitro. In addition, S-EPS-1 could upregulate the expression of cytokines at the mRNA level through TLR4-mediated activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, S-EPS-1 was demonstrated to exhibit antioxidant activity by ABTS+• scavenging, DPPH• scavenging, and ferric-ion reducing power assays. Furthermore, S-EPS-1 can protect cells from oxidative stress and shows no cytotoxicity. These beneficial effects can be partly attributed to its antioxidant ability. Thus, the antioxidant S-EPS-1 may be applied as a functional food in the future.

BackgroundThe relationship between thyroid function parameters and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remains controversial. Additionally, little is known about the relationship between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD in the Chinese population.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 177,540 individuals with thyroid function tests and MAFLD diagnosis from 2010-2018. The association between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD was evaluated on a continuous scale with restricted cubic spline (RCS) models and by the prior-defined centile categories with multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Thyroid function parameters included free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tetra-iodothyronine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Additionally, fully adjusted RCS models stratified by sex, age, and location were studied.ResultsIn the RCS models, the risk of MAFLD increased with higher levels of FT3 when FT3

The authors of Zhang et al. 34:1446–1449 (2021) retracted this article because the initially reported genome assembly of NAFU1 was contaminated. This article was retracted on 28 November 2022, and the correction of the NAFU1 genome assembly at NCBI will be made in the future.Erysiphe necator is an economically important biotrophic fungal pathogen responsible for powdery mildew disease on grapevine. Currently, genome sequences are available for only a few E. necator isolates from the United States. Based on the combination of Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies, we present here the complete genome assembly for an isolate of E. necator, NAFU1, identified in China. We acquired a total of 15.93 Gb of raw reads. These reads were processed into a 61.12-Mb genome assembly containing 73 contigs with an N50 of 2.06 Mb and a maximum length of 6.05 Mb. Combining the results of three gene-prediction modules (i.e., an evidence-based gene modeler [EVidenceModeler], an ab initio gene modeler, and a homology-based gene modeler), we predicted 7,235 protein-coding genes in the assembled genome of E. necator NAFU1. This information will facilitate studies of genome evolution and pathogenicity mechanisms of E. necator and other powdery mildew species through comparative genome sequence analysis and other molecular genetic tools.[Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

BackgroundAlthough laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy (LAH) is widely adopted today, laparoscopic anatomic mesohepatectomy (LAMH) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains technically challenging.MethodsIn this study, 6 patients suffering from solitary liver tumors located in the middle lobe of the liver underwent counterclockwise modular LAMH using combined Glissonean pedicle (Takasaki approach) and hepatic vein-guided approaches. In this process, the Glissonean pedicle approach (Takasaki approach) was first used to transect the liver pedicles of segment right anterior (G58) and segment 4 (G4). Second, the hepatic vein-guided approach was performed along the umbilical fissure vein (UFV) to sever the liver parenchyma from the caudal to cranial direction, and the middle hepatic vein (MHV) and anterior fissure vein (AFV) were then disconnected at the root. Last, the hepatic vein-guided approach was once more performed along the ventral side of the right hepatic vein (RHV) to transect the liver parenchyma from the cranial to anterior direction, and the middle lobe of the liver, including the tumor, was removed completely. The entire process was applied in a counterclockwise fashion, and the exposure or transection sequence was G58, and G4, followed by UFV, MHV, AFV, and finally, the liver parenchyma along the ventral side of RHV.ResultsThe counterclockwise modular LAMH using combined Glissonean pedicle (Takasaki approach) and hepatic vein-guided approaches was feasible in all 6 cases. The median duration of the operation was 275 ± 35.07 min, and the mean estimated blood loss was 283.33 ml. All of the 6 patients recovered smoothly. The Clavien-Dindo Grade I-II complications rate was up to 33.33%, mainly characterized by postoperative pain and a small amount of ascites. No Clavien-Dindo Grade III-V complications occurred, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.83 ± 1.47 days. Follow-up results showed that the average disease-free survival (DFS) was 12.17 months, and the 21-months OS rate, DFS rate and tumor recurrent rate were 100%, 83.33% and 16.67% respectively. ConclusionsCounterclockwise modular LAMH using combined Glissonean pedicle (Takasaki approach) and hepatic vein-guided approaches takes the advantages of the two approaches, is a novel protocol for LAMH. It is thought to be technically feasible for patients with a centrally located solitary HCC. The oncologic feasibility of this technique needs to be investigated based on long-term follow-up. A multicenter, large-scale, more careful study is necessary.

Abstract Background Astrocytes are the predominant glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) that can secrete various cytokines and chemokines mediating neuropathology in response to danger signals. D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT), a newly described cytokine and a close homolog of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) protein, has been revealed to share an overlapping function with MIF in some ways. However, its cellular distribution pattern and mediated astrocyte neuropathological function in the CNS remain unclear. Methods A contusion model of the rat spinal cord was established. The protein levels of D-DT and PGE2 synthesis-related proteinase were assayed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Primary astrocytes were stimulated by different concentrations of D-DT in the presence or absence of various inhibitors to examine relevant signal pathways. The post-injury locomotor functions were assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale. Results D-DT was inducibly expressed within astrocytes and neurons, rather than in microglia following spinal cord contusion. D-DT was able to activate the COX2/PGE2 signal pathway of astrocytes through CD74 receptor, and the intracellular activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was involved in the regulation of D-DT action. The selective inhibitor of D-DT was efficient in attenuating D-DT-induced astrocyte production of PGE2 following spinal cord injury, which contributed to the improvement of locomotor functions. Conclusion Collectively, these data reveal a novel inflammatory activator of astrocytes following spinal cord injury, which might be beneficial for the development of anti-inflammation drug in neuropathological CNS.

China’s ambitious measures for developing a low-carbon economy led to the “double carbon” target initiation. Under this national goal, reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 is desired. This should not come at the cost of economic growth; which means carbon emissions can be reduced while economic growth can be achieved simultaneously. To realise this strategic reform, the first pilot ecological civilisation zone in Fujian Province of China was initiated; its outcome is set to be the responsible case for such initiations aiming at increased low-carbon economy development. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth based on the evidence. Hence, we applied a model that combines the Tapio and Coupled coordination. Combining the Tapio and the coupled coordination models allows us to analyse carbon emissions and economic growth in Fujian Province over 20 years, i.e., 2001–2020. First, we divided the urban-rural integration process into four stages following China’s Five-Year Plan (FYP): T1 (2001–2005), T2 (2006–2010), T3 (2011–2015), and T4 (2016–2020). Second, ArcGIS mapping was used to represent the spatial evolution pattern of low-carbon economic development in Fujian Province. We observed that the low-carbon economy in Fujian Province had reached a point where the economic growth rate has already exceeded its carbon emission growth rate and is currently in a weak decoupling state. In addition, there observed a bifurcation pattern between carbon emissions and economic growth, especially in the coastal cities that are out of balance, whereas the inland cities are being coordinated. Overall, it is observed that the concept of ecological civilisation is crucial for China to achieve the “double carbon goal,” and it is high time to create accelerating measures that guide the integration of urban and rural areas in the future with appropriate infrastructure.

Most existing text detection methods are mainly motivated by deep learning‐based object detection approaches, which may result in serious overlapping between detected text lines, especially in dense text scenarios. It is because text boxes are not commonly overlapped, as different from general objects in natural scenes. Moreover, text detection requires higher localisation accuracy than object detection. To tackle these problems, the authors propose a novel dense text detection network (DTDN) to localise tighter text lines without overlapping. Their main novelties are: (i) propose an intersection‐over‐union overlap loss, which considers correlations between one anchor and GT boxes and measures how many text areas one anchor contains, (ii) propose a novel anchor sample selection strategy, named CMax‐OMin, to select tighter positive samples for training. CMax‐OMin strategy not only considers whether an anchor has the largest overlap with its corresponding GT box (CMax), but also ensures the overlapping between one anchor and other GT boxes as little as possible (OMin). Besides, they train a bounding‐box regressor as post‐processing to further improve text localisation performance. Experiments on scene text benchmark datasets and their proposed dense text dataset demonstrate that the proposed DTDN achieves competitive performance, especially for dense text scenarios.

Background: The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that play a variety of physiological and pathological roles in development, remodeling of tissues and diseases, mainly through degradation of various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Particularly, the MMPs have increasingly been found to mediate neuropathology following spinal cord injury (SCI). Proinflammatory mediators are potent activators of the MMPs. However, how the spinal cord regenerative vertebrates circumvent MMPs-mediated neuropathogenesis following SCI remains unclear. Methods: Following the establishment of gecko tail amputation model, the correlation of MMP-1 (gMMP-1) and MMP-3 (gMMP-3) expression with that of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in gecko (gMIF) was assayed by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Transcriptome sequencing of primary astrocytes was performed to analyze the intracellular signal transduction of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). The effects of MMP-1 and MMP-3 induced by MIF on astrocyte migration were assessed by transwell migration assay. Results: The expression of gMIF significantly increased at lesion site of the injured cord, in parallel with those of gMMP-1 and gMMP-3 in the gecko astrocytes (gAS). Transcriptome sequencing and in vitro cell model revealed that gMIF efficiently promoted the expression of gMMP-1 and gMMP-3 in gAS, which in turn contributed to the migration of gAS. Inhibition of gMIF activity following gecko SCI remarkably attenuated astrocytic expression of the two MMPs, and further influenced gecko tail regeneration. Conclusions: Gecko SCI following tail amputation promoted production of gMIF, which induced the expression of gMMP-1 and gMMP-3 in gAS. The gMIF-mediated gMMP-1 and gMMP-3 expression was involved in gAS migration and successful tail regeneration.

Objective: High systolic blood pressure (HSBP) remains the leading risk factor for mortality worldwide; however, limited data have revealed all-cause and cause-specific burdens attributed to HSBP at global and regional levels. This study aimed to estimate the global burden and priority diseases attributable to HSBP by region, sex, and age.Methods: Based on data and evaluation methods from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019, we estimated trends of age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), the age-standardized rate of disability-adjusted life years (ASDRs), and the age-standardized rate of years lived with disability (ASYRs) attributable to HSBP during 1990-2019. Further, we analyzed cause-specific burdens attributable to HSBP by sex, age, year, and region.Results: Globally, a significant downtrend was found in the ASMR attributed to HSBP while ASYRs did not change substantially during 1990-2019. The majority of HSBP burden has shifted from high-middle sociodemographic index (SDI) regions to lower SDI regions. All-cause and most cause-specific burdens related to HSBP were improved in high SDI regions but the downtrends have stagnated in recent years. Although many cause-specific deaths associated with HSBP declined, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and endocarditis associated deaths were aggravated globally and ischemic heart disease (IHD), atrial fibrillation and flutter, aortic aneurysm (AA), and peripheral artery disease (PAD) associated deaths were on the rise in low/low-middle/middle SDI regions. Additionally, males had higher disease burdens than females. Middle-aged people with CVDs composed the major subgroup affected by HSBP while older people had the highest ASMRs associated with HSBP.Conclusions: This study revealed the global burden and priority diseases attributable to HSBP with wide variation by region, sex, and age, calling for effective and targeted strategies to reduce the prevalence and mortality of HSBP, especially in low/low-middle/middle SDI regions.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Phenotype switch refers to the process in which smooth muscle cells change from contractile type to synthetic type and acquire the ability of proliferation. Phenotypic transformation involves many changes of cell function, such as collagen deposition and fibrosis, which affect the normal erectile function of penis. Aim: To investigate the role of miR-195-5p in regulating the Phenotype switch of the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) cells. Methods: A small mother against decapentaplegic 7(Smad7) virus vector and a miR-195-5p mimics or an si-Smad7 viral vector and a miR-195-5p inhibitor were transfected into CCSM cells. The cells were obtained by primary culture of rat corpus cavernosum smooth muscle tissue. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments, Western blotting, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, transwell experiments, MTT assays, and flow cytometry were used to detect miR-195-5p, Smad7, phenotype switch markers of CCSM cells and related protein expression, as well as changes in cell morphology, migration, proliferation and apoptosis. Main Outcome Measure: To study the regulation of miR-195-5p in CCSM cells by overexpression and silencing strategies. Results: Overexpressed miR-195-5p promoted the transformation of CCSM cells from a contractile type to a synthetic type. Meanwhile, the migration ability and proliferation ability of CCSM cells increased, and the apoptosis rate decreased. The expression-silencing of miR-195-5p gave rise to the opposite effect. The results of the rescue experiment demonstrated that overexpressed Smad7 rescued the inhibitory of the switch of the CCSM cell phenotype from the contractile type to the synthesis type caused by overexpression of miR-195-5p alone. Moreover, the enhancement effect of the migration ability and proliferation ability of CCSM cells was also eliminated, and the apoptosis rate was increased. Silencing miR-195-5p and Smad7 at the same time resulted in the opposite effect. Conclusion: miR-195-5p may regulate the phenotype switch of CCSM cells by targeting Smad7.Zhang J, Zhang X, Zhang J, et al. miR-195-5p Regulates the Phenotype Switch of CCSM Cells by Targeting Smad7. Sex Med 2021;9:100349.

The rational design of cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is vastly desirable for advanced renewable energy conversion and storage systems. Tailoring the composition and architecture of electrocatalysts is a reliable approach for improving their catalytic performance. Herein, we developed hierarchical ultra-thin Co nanosheets coupled with N-doped carbon plate (Co-NS@NCP) as an efficient OER catalyst through a feasible and easily scalable NaCl template method. The rapid dissolution-recrystallization-carbonization synthesis process allows Co nanosheets to self-assemble into plenty of secondary building units and to distribute uniformly on N-doped carbon plate. Benefitting from the vertically aligned Co nanosheet arrays and hierarchical architecture, the obtained Co-NS@NCP possess an extremely high specific surface area up to 446.49 m2 g−1, which provides sufficient exposed active sites, excellent structure stability, and multidimensional mass transfer channels. Thus, the Co-NS@NCP affords remarkable electrocatalytic performance for OER in an alkaline medium with a low overpotential of only 278 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope, as well as robust electrocatalytic stability for long-term electrolysis operation. The present findings here emphasize a rational and promising perspective for designing high-efficiency non-precious electrocatalysts for the OER process and sustainable energy storage and conversion system.

Abstract Storm floods occur frequently and have complex characteristics in arid mountainous areas, which for a long time has been a weak link in flood forecasting. The application of an artificial intelligent model and physically‐based hydrological model has some limitations on flood forecasting in arid mountainous areas with scarce data. In this article, the ANN model and Muskingum‐Cunge method are combined to propose an intelligent networking model for flood forecasting (FFIN model) in arid mountainous areas with scarce data, which BR‐ANN model is used to forecast the flood in the catchment sub‐basin with runoff data, while the General Regression Neural Network model is used to carry out flood parallel forecast in the catchment sub‐basin without runoff data. The Muskingum‐Cunge method is used to connect the sub‐basins and form a confluence network, so as to simulate the flood routing process in river. The verification and comparison results in study area show that the FFIN model has a superior overall forecasting ability. For the forecasting period, the evaluation index Kling‐Gupta efficiency is 0.88, Nash efficiency coefficient is 0.982 and forecasting deviation of flood peak flow is 7.15%. The FFIN model can be effectively applied to flood forecasting in arid mountainous areas with scarce runoff data.

Background. Periampullary tumors (PT) may rarely present as acute pancreatitis (AP) or acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP). Unlike other cases of AP and ARP, these conditions necessitate pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and timely diagnosis is crucial. Materials and Methods. A retrospective review of clinical, radiological, surgical, and pathological data was conducted for patients admitted to the Binzhou Medical University Hospital during the period from January 2010 to December 2017, for AP or ARP caused by PT. All patients included in the study group had undergone PD. The perioperative data for these patients was compared with data for patients with PT but without AP or ARP who underwent PD during the same period (control group). Results. During the study period, 412 patients with AP or ARP were treated; among this group, 15 patients had PT. Compared with controls, patients in the study group were younger in age and had a longer course of disease, more frequent hospitalizations, and more severe derangements in laboratory data (P0.05). Conclusions. Neither AP nor ARP has any adverse impact on the outcomes of PD. However, in the treatment of younger patients suffering from AP or ARP, unexplained pancreatic duct dilation and weight loss should raise the suspicion of PT. EUS and EUS-FNA may be helpful in making the diagnosis.

Background. Intraoperative fluid (IOF) administration plays an important role during major abdominal surgery although increased fluid intake can adversely influence postoperative outcomes. However, the effect of the IOF rate on the outcomes of pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is unclear. Methods. 151 patients, who underwent PD at Binzhou Medical University Hospital between January 2010 and May 2017, were categorized into three groups according to IOF rates (ml/kg/hr): restricted (15, n=28). Results. The overall postoperative morbidity was 56.95%. The incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) was 11.26%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 7.28% with the most common cause being grade C POPF and secondary intra-abdominal infections. The patients in the liberal group had significantly higher incidences of POPF (25%) and respiratory complications (21.43%). The other outcome parameters such as recovery of bowel function, hospital stay, and postoperative daily drainage were similar among the groups. Multivariable analysis confirmed the IOF rate to be most strongly associated with POPF (odds ratio: 5.195, confidence interval: 1.142–23.823, P=0.023) and respiratory complications (odds ratio: 7.302, confidence interval: 0.676–58.231, P=0.025). Conclusions. The IOF rate significantly affects the incidence of POPF and respiratory complications after PD. Careful patient-oriented fluid therapy may help to prevent these complications.

A systematic study of wave theory in thermoviscoelastic soil is essential for engineering applications such as geophysical exploration. In the present work, the influences of flow-independent viscosity of the soil skeleton and the thermal effect on elastic waves are considered, and the propagation behaviors of body waves in thermoviscoelastic saturated soil are investigated. Firstly, the thermoviscoelastic dynamic coupling model of saturated soil were established by employing the Biot model, the generalized thermoelastic theory, and the Kelvin–Voigt linear viscoelastic model. Secondly, the dispersion equations of body waves in thermoviscoelastic saturated soil were theoretically derived with structural symmetry considered. Finally, the variations of wave velocity and the attenuation coefficient of the body waves with the thermophysical parameters are discussed. The results revealed that the enhancement of the relaxation time of soil caused an increase of wave velocity and the attenuation coefficient of P1, P2, and S waves, and a decrease of the wave velocity and attenuation coefficient of the thermal wave. Different ranges of the permeability coefficient and frequency have different effects on the P1, P2, and S waves. The variation of thermal conductivity and the phase-lags of heat flux and temperature gradient only affect the thermal wave.

Background & Aims: Current studies have indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could act as tumor biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis prediction. In this study, we mainly focused on determining the expression of circulating lncRNAs in patients suffering for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), aiming to reveal the potential lncRNA as a fingerprint. Methods: A total 12 lncRNAs were previously proven to be aberrantly expressed in HC tumor tissues. All of the 12 lncRNAs were selected as candidate targets for subsequent circulating lncRNA assay. The candidate lncRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR arranged in training and validation sets. The risk score analysis was employed. Data was presented with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: Circulating PCAT1, MALAT1, and CPS1-IT1 were significantly increased in plasma samples of HC patients in both the training set and validation set. Through ROC analysis, we found that the three plasmatic lncRNAs presented the area under ROC curve value (AUC) as 0.784, 0.860, and 0.677. Further combination with the three factors indicated a higher power (AUC, 0.893; sensitivity, 85.5%; specificity, 93.2%). Conclusion: This was the first time to reveal the potential circulating fingerprints for predicting HC. PCAT1, MALAT1, and CPS1-IT1 may act as novel early diagnosis biomarkers for predicting HC.

Two types of naphthalimide derivatives were synthesized by introducing a carbazole group and an n-butyl, respectively, into the naphthalimide system. The electron-donating ability of two kinds of derivatives was investigated by the electrochemical method. These two types of derivatives were used as initiators for the polymerization of d and l-lactide polymerization. Here, the emission and UV-vis absorption serve as the main focus. Compared with solely donor-initiated polylactide (PLA), the PLA with a donor-acceptor structure has a more efficient phosphorescence emission, of which the longest phosphorescence lifetime is up to 407 ms. The experimental results reveal the existence of charge-transfer states in the donor-acceptor-ended polymer. Due to the role of charge-transfer states, a red phosphorescent polymer was developed. Theoretically, these desirable advantages render synthesized PLAs a potential candidate for bioimaging and anti-counterfeiting.

Hierarchically porous hydroxyapatite (HHA) scaffolds were synthesized by template-assisted sol-gel chemistry. Polyurethane foam and a block copolymer were used as templates for inducing hierarchically porous structures. The HHA scaffolds exhibited open porous structures with large pores of 400–600 µm and nanoscale pores of ~75 nm. In comparison with conventional hydroxyapatite (CHA), HHA scaffolds exhibited significantly higher surface areas and increased protein adsorption for bovine serum albumin and vitronectin. Both the HHA and CHA scaffolds exhibited well in vitro biocompatibility. After 1 day, Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells bound equally well to both HHA and CHA scaffolds, but after 7 days in culture, cell proliferation was significantly greater on the HHA scaffolds (p < 0.01). High surface area and hierarchical porous structure contributed to the selective enhancement of osteoblast proliferation on the HHA scaffolds.

Smart materials responsible to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, solvents, light, redox agents, and mechanical or electric/magnetic field, have drawn considerable attention recently. Herein, we described a novel rhodamine (Rh) mechanophore-based mechanoresponsive micellar hydrogel with excellent mechanochromic and mechanofluorescent properties. We found with astonishment that, due to the favorable activation of rhodamine spirolactam in the presence of water, together with the stress concentration effect, the mechanoresponsive sensitivity of this hydrogel was enhanced significantly. As a result, the stress needed to trigger the mechanochromic property of Rh in the hydrogel was much lower than in its native polymer matrix reported before. The hydrogel based on Rh, therefore, exhibited excellent mechanochromic property even at lower stress. Moreover, due to the reversibility of color on/off, the hydrogel based on Rh could be used as a reusable and erasable material for color printing/writing. Of peculiar importance is that the hydrogel could emit highly bright fluorescence under sufficient stress or strain. This suggested that the stress/strain of hydrogel could be detected quantificationally and effectively by the fluorescence data. We also found that the hydrogel could respond to acid/alkali and exhibited outstanding properties of acidichromism and acidifluorochromism. Up to now, hydrogels with such excellent mechanochromic and mechanofluorescent properties have rarely been reported. Our efforts may be essentially beneficial to the design of the mechanochromic and mechanofluorescent hydrogels with enhanced mechanoresponsive sensitivity, fostering their potential applications in a number of fields such as damage or stress/strain detection.

A waterborne polyurethane-based polymeric dye (WPU-CFBB) was synthesized by anchoring 1, 4-bis(methylamino)anthraquinone (CFBB) to waterborne polyurethane chains. The number molecular weight, glass transition temperature, and average emulsion particle size for the polymeric dye were determined, respectively. This polymeric dye exhibited intriguing optical behaviors. The polymeric dye engendered two new absorption bands centered at about 520 nm and 760 nm if compared with CFBB in UV-vis spectra. The 760 nm peak showed hypsochromic shift with the decrease of average particle sizes. The polymeric dye dramatically demonstrated both hypsochromic and bathochromic effects with increasing temperature. The fluorescence intensity of the polymeric dye was much higher than that of CFBB. It was found that the fluorescence intensities would be enhanced from 20°C to 40°C and then decline from 40°C to 90°C. The fluorescence of the polymeric dye emulsion was very stable and was not sensitive to quenchers.

Colored waterborne polyurethanes have been widely used in paintings, leathers, textiles, and coatings. Here, a series of black waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) with different ratios of black dye, Sudan Black B (SDB), were prepared by step-growth polymerization. WPU emulsions as obtained exhibit low particle sizes and remarkable storage stability at the same time. At different dye loadings, essential structural, statistical and thermal properties are characterized. FTIR (fourier transform infrared) spectra indicate that SDB is covalently linked into waterborne polyurethane chains. All of the WPUs with covalently linked SDB show better color fastness and resistance of thermal migration than those with SDB mixed physically. Besides, WPUs incorporated SDB covalently with different polymeric diols, polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMG), polypropylene glycol (PPG), poly-1, 4-butylene adipate glycol (PBA) and polycaprolactone glycol (PCL), were prepared to obtain different properties to cater to a variety of practical demands. By a spraying method, the black WPUs can be directly used as metal coatings without complex dyeing process by simply mixing coating additive and other waterborne resins, which exhibit excellent coating performance.

Fluorescent and room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials are widely used in bioimaging, chemical sensing, optoelectronics and encryption. Here, a series of single-component dual-emissive waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) with both fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence were synthesized. Dye without halogen atom incorporated into WPUs can only exhibit fluorescence due to poor spin-orbit coupling. When bromine atom is introduced into dye, we found that WPUs can emit both fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence with lifetimes up to milliseconds because of enhanced spin-orbit coupling. Moreover, with an increase in dye concentrations in WPUs, excimers are formed due to the aggregation effect, and may promote communication between singlet and triplet states. At different dye concentrations, structural, thermal, and luminescent properties serve as the main focus.

Three-dimensional V2O5 hollow structures have been prepared through a simple synthesis strategy combining solvothermal treatment and a subsequent thermal annealing. The V2O5 materials are composed of microspheres 2–3 μm in diameter and with a distinct hollow interior. The as-synthesized V2O5 hollow microspheres, when evaluated as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, can deliver a specific capacity as high as 273 mAh·g−1 at 0.2 C. Benefiting from the hollow structures that afford fast electrolyte transport and volume accommodation, the V2O5 cathode also exhibits a superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. The good Li-ion storage performance demonstrates the great potential of this unique V2O5 hollow material as a high-performance cathode for lithium-ion batteries.