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Hypertensive cerebrovascular remodeling involves the enlargement of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which activates volume-regulated Cl−channels (VRCCs). The leucine-rich repeat-containing family 8 A (LRRC8A) has been shown to be the molecular identity of VRCCs. However, its role in vascular remodeling during hypertension is unclear. In this study, we used vascular smooth muscle-specific LRRC8A knockout (CKO) mice and an angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension model. The results showed that cerebrovascular remodeling during hypertension was ameliorated in CKO mice, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition was reduced. Based on the RNA-sequencing analysis of aortic tissues, the level of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-9 and MMP-14, were reduced in CKO mice with hypertension, which was further verified in vivo by qPCR and immunofluorescence analysis. Knockdown of LRRC8A in VSMCs inhibited the Ang II-induced upregulation of collagen I, fibronectin, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and overexpression of LRRC8A had the opposite effect. Further experiments revealed an interaction between with-no-lysine (K)-1 (WNK1), which is a “Cl−-sensitive kinase”, and Forkhead transcription factor O3a (FOXO3a), which is a transcription factor that regulates MMP expression. Ang II induced the phosphorylation of WNK1 and downstream FOXO3a, which then increased the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. This process was inhibited or potentiated when LRRC8A was knocked down or overexpressed, respectively. Overall, these results demonstrate that LRRC8A knockout in vascular smooth muscle protects against cerebrovascular remodeling during hypertension by reducing ECM deposition and inhibiting the WNK1/FOXO3a/MMP signaling pathway, demonstrating that LRRC8A is a potential therapeutic target for vascular remodeling-associated diseases such as stroke.

Crystal (Cry) toxins, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, are widely used as effective biological pesticides in agricultural production. However, insects always quickly evolve adaptations against Cry toxins within a few generations. In this study, we focused on the Cry1Ac protoxin activated by protease. Our results identified PxTrypsin-9as a trypsin gene that plays a key role in Cry1Ac virulence in Plutella xylostellalarvae. In addition, P. xylostellamiR-2b-3p, a member of the micoRNA-2 (miR-2) family, was significantly upregulated by Cry1Ac protoxin and targeted to PxTrypsin-9downregulated its expression. The mRNA level of PxTrypsin-9, regulated by miR-2b-3p, revealed an increased tolerance of P. xylostellalarvae to Cry1Ac at the post-transcriptional level. Considering that miR-2b and trypsin genes are widely distributed in various pest species, our study provides the basis for further investigation of the roles of miRNAs in the regulation of the resistance to Cry1Ac and other insecticides.

It has been established that N-acetyltransferase (murine NAT1 (mNAT1) and human NAT2 (hNAT2)) mediates insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes. Here we show that mNAT1 deficiency leads to a decrease in cellular spermidine—a natural polyamine exhibiting health-protective and anti-ageing effects—but understanding of its mechanism is limited. We identify that mNAT1 and hNAT2 modulate a type of post-translational modification involving acetylated spermidine, which we name acetylhypusination, on receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)—a key regulator of inflammation and cell death. Spermidine supplementation decreases RIPK1-mediated cell death and diabetic phenotypes induced by NAT1 deficiency in vivo. Furthermore, insulin resistance and diabetic kidney disease mediated by vascular pathology in NAT1-deficient mice can be blocked by inhibiting RIPK1. Finally, we demonstrate a decrease in spermidine and activation of RIPK1 in the vascular tissues of human patients with diabetes. Our study suggests a role for vascular pathology in diabetes onset and progression and identifies the inhibition of RIPK1 kinase as a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

As one of the most rapidly expanding materials, hydrogels have gained increasing attention in a variety of fields due to their biocompatibility, degradability and hydrophilic properties, as well as their remarkable adhesion and stretchability to adapt to different surfaces. Hydrogels combined with carbon-based materials possess enhanced properties and new functionalities, in particular, conductive hydrogels have become a new area of research in the field of materials science. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and up-to-date examination of recent developments in the synthesis, properties and applications of conductive hydrogels incorporating several typical carbon nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon dots and carbon nanofibers. We summarize key techniques and mechanisms for synthesizing various composite hydrogels with exceptional properties, and represented applications such as wearable sensors, temperature sensors, supercapacitors and human-computer interaction reported recently. The mechanical, electrical and sensing properties of carbon nanoparticles conductive hydrogels are thoroughly analyzed to disclose the role of carbon nanoparticles in these hydrogels and key factors in the microstructure. Finally, future development of conductive hydrogels based on carbon nanoparticles is discussed including the challenges and possible solutions in terms of microstructure optimization, mechanical and other properties, and promising applications in wearable electronics and multifunctional materials.

In women, ovarian cancer is a common gynecological cancer associated with poor prognosis, reoccurrence and chemoresistance. Scoulerine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, has been reported effective against several carcinomas. Thus, we investigated the impact of scoulerine on ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR3). Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, migration was determined by Boyden Chamber assay, while the invasion was monitored by Boyden Chamber assay using the matrigel. The stemness properties of OVCAR3 cells were observed by tumorsphere assay. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness-related protein markers were monitored by real-time PCR analysis and immunoblotting. Scoulerine inhibits the viability of OVCAR3 cells with the IC50 observed at 10 µmol L–1after 48 h treatment. Scoulerine inhibited the colony-forming ability, migration and invasiveness of OVCAR3 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Scoulerine treatment also drastically reduced the spheroid-forming ability of OVCAR3 cells. The mesenchymal and stemness--related markers like N-cadherin, vimentin, CD-44, Oct-4, Sox-2 and Aldh1A1 were downregulated, whereas the epithelial markers like E-cadherin and CD-24 were upregulated in scoulerine-treated cells. The upstream PI3K/Akt/mTOR-axis was downregulated in scoulerine-treated cells. We concluded that scoulerine successfully perturbs the cancerous properties of OVCAR3 cells by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis. In vivostudies revealed a substantial decrease in tumor mass and volume after scoulerine treatment. Furthermore, scoulerine treatment was found to decrease oxidative stress factors in ovarian cancer mice model. Scoulerine is a potential anticancer agent against ovarian cancer and can be considered as a lead molecule for this malignancy, provided further investigations are performed.

Developing a cost-effective hydrogen (H2) evolution electrocatalyst can effectively solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by excessive fossil fuel use. Herein, we report an innovative synthetic strategy, involving hydrothermal electrodeposition of a NiCoZn film on commercial carbon fiber paper (CFP) and in situ cyclic voltammetric electrodeposition of NiMoP to prepare a heterostructure electrocatalyst (NiMoP/NiCoZn/CFP) with synergistic electrocatalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). To deliver high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm–2, the NiMoP/NiCoZn/CFP electrode only required overpotentials of 230 and 268 mV, respectively, which were considerably superior to those of Pt–C/CFP (457 and 592 mV, respectively). Moreover, this electrode exhibited excellent ultrastability (40 h at 500 mA cm–2or 80 h at 1 A cm–2). The superior electrocatalytic HER activity is attributed to (1) cooperative electronic interactions between NiMoP and NiCoZn in the heterointerface and (2) the complete wettability, which is advantageous for gas formation and desorption and considerably reduces bubble adhesion and reaction resistance. This work provides a rational electrodeposition strategy for constructing heterointerface electrocatalysts for H2production at high current densities.

The extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) of some compounds, challenging our understanding of magnetoresistance, is an interesting topic in condensed-matter and materials physics and future device applications. Here, we reported magnetotransport and magnetic properties of the as-grown and post-annealed TaCo2Te2single crystals. The resistivity evolution with temperature in the two TaCo2Te2single crystals shows a metallic behavior. Below 50 K, the XMR effect for the two crystals is found, and MR values at 3 K under 9 T are about 3.72 × 103% for the as-grown TaCo2Te2and 5.71 × 102% for the annealed samples, larger than that of the previous report. The studies on the Hall effect of the two TaCo2Te2single crystals indicate the multiband feature with high carrier mobilities from a two-band model. Electron and hole concentrations and mobilities of as-grown samples are comparable, while for the annealed sample, the hole concentration and mobility are larger than the electron concentration and mobility. The carrier mobilities for the two TaCo2Te2single crystals have the same order of magnitude, ∼103cm2V–1s–1. The XMR effect may be from high carrier mobilities. Magnetization of the as-grown TaCo2Te2decreases with increasing temperature, and a weaker magnetic transition at ∼150 K is observed. The annealed TaCo2Te2shows no magnetic transition and just a paramagnetic behavior with rising temperature. These results indicate that defects/deficiencies may play an important role in magnetotransport and magnetic properties of the two TaCo2Te2single crystals. These results are helpful in deeply understanding the XMR mechanism and magnetic properties in TaCo2Te2and offer a way to study the magnetic properties of the XMR Co-Te system.

•The lsa(E)-positive Staphylococcus aureusstrains in food exhibited severe antibiotic resistance.•The lsa(E)genes were located on two different types of Sa-MRRlsa(E)including a novel Sa-MRRlsa(E)-IIin ST1 S. aureus.•Sa-MRRlsa(E)were inserted into lctPand crtPgenes.

Data-driven models are emerging as a brand-new approach in Arctic sea ice prediction. In this study, we perform the effectiveness comparison of different machine learning models in predicting the sea ice extent in the whole Arctic Sea and its subregions: the Bering Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Chukchi Sea, the Beaufort Sea, and the Central Arctic Sea. The machine learning models used in this study include Ridge Regression, Lasso Regression, Decision Tree, k-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forests, XGBoost, as well as two stacked learning models. Our research reveals that due to the different features of sea ice evolution in different sea areas, these data-driven models generate significantly different prediction performances for sea ice evolution in different seas. In detail, two stacked learning models performed the best in the whole Arctic Sea, the stacked learning model LR_Random Forests performed the best in the Beaufort Sea, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea, the Random Forests model performed the best in the Central Arctic Sea, and the Decision Tree model performed the best in the East Siberian Sea.

Exploring novel hypergolic fuels for modern space propulsion is highly desired. However, the analysis and understanding of the structure and hypergolic performance at the molecular level are still insufficient. To understand the factors that dictate hypergolicity, we conducted a comparative study on a series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) characterized by the same topology but with varied ligand structures. The ignition delay (ID) time trend was found to be imidazole < triazole < tetrazole, and the rapid ID time was 8 ms. By combining experimental studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we found that propargyl and cyanoborohydride groups that functioned as dual hypergolic triggers contributed to the hypergolicity, and a distinct electronic structure was detrimental to ID time. The structure–performance relationships presented herein can potentially provide some fundamental insights into the field of developing high-performance hypergolic fuels.

Deciphering the precise physical mechanism of interaction between an adsorbed species and a reactive site in heterogeneous catalysis is crucial for predictive design of highly efficient catalysts. Here, using first-principles calculations we identify that the two-dimensional ferromagnetic metal organic framework of Mn2C18H12can serve as a highly efficient single-atom catalyst for spin-triplet O2activation and CO oxidation. The underlying mechanism is via “concerted charge-spin catalysis”, involving a delicate synergetic process of charge transfer, provided by the hosting Mn atom, and spin selection, preserved through active participation of its nearest neighboring Mn atoms for the crucial step of O2activation. The synergetic mechanism is further found to be broadly applicable in O2adsorption on magnetic X2C18H12(X = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) with a well-defined linear scaling dependence between the chemical activity and spin excitation energy. The present findings provide new insights into chemical reactions wherein spin selection plays a vital role.

ABSTRACTThe dysregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) facilitates the tumorigenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study was targeted at determining the functions and mechanism of circ_0000644 in regulating PTC development. Circ_0000644, microRNA-1205 (miR-1205) and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) expressions were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Actinomycin D (ActD) and Ribonuclease R (RNase R) assays were used to verify the circular characteristic of circ_0000644. After circ_0000644 was knocked down, PTC cell growth, migration, invasion and apoptosis were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The regulating relationships among circ_0000644, E2F3 and miR-1205 were confirmed through RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Besides, the regulatory effects of circ_0000644 on the protein level of E2F3 was analyzed via Western blot. In PTC, circ_0000644 was highly expressed, and it was located mainly in the cytoplasm, and it had stable structure. The knockdown of circ_0000644 repressed PTC cell growth, migration, and invasion, and facilitated apoptosis. Circ_0000644 could directly interact with miR-1205 to repress the expression of miR-1205, and it served as a miR-1205 sponge to modulate E2F3 expression in PTC cells. Circ_0000644 up-regulates E2F3 expression via sponging miR-1205 to promote PTC progression.

Hypochlorous acid (HClO) as a high value-added oxidation reagent is produced conventionally by a chlor-alkali electrolysis process, which causes a heavy economic burden and leads to considerable CO2emissions. Herein, we reported the photocatalytic production of HClO by oxidation of chloride (Cl−) in a dilute saline solution close to that of seawater over various dual cocatalyst-loaded WO3powder photocatalysts using visible light as the energy source. The activities were improved more than twice by co-loading of Mn compared to the standard Pt/WO3. A maximum HClO formation rate of 37 μmol h−1(about 2.6 ppm) was achieved when using Pt–Mn dual catalyst loaded WO3, which is effective for inactivation of various bacteria and fungi in drinking water. The photochemical and electrochemical studies revealed that the synergistic effect between Pt and Mn could not only promote the decomposition of H2O2derived from the oxygen reduction reaction, but also increase the selectivity for oxidation of Cl−into HClO. This Pt–Mn dual cocatalyst modification strategy opens up prospects for efficient and economical production of HClO based on visible light energy.

Alternative splicing of protein coding genes plays a profound role in phenotypic variation for many eukaryotic organisms. The development of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics algorithms provides the possibility of genome-wide identification of alternative splicing events in eukaryotes. However, for the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, a destructive pest of rice crops, whole-genome distribution of alternative splicing events and the role of alternative splicing in the phenotypic plasticity of virulence have not previously been estimated. Here, we developed an analysis pipeline to identify alternative splicing events in the genome of N. lugens. Differential expression analysis and functional annotation were performed on datasets related to different virulence phenotypes. In total, 27,880 alternative splicing events corresponding to 9,787 multi-exon genes were detected in N. lugens. Among them, specifically expressed alternative splicing transcripts in the virulent Mudgo population were enriched in metabolic process categories, while transcripts in the avirulent TN1 population were enriched in regulator activity categories. In addition, genes encoding odorant receptor, secreted saliva protein and xenobiotic metabolic P450 monooxygenase showed different splicing patterns between Mudgo population and TN1 population. Host change experiment also revealed that an isoform of a P450 gene could be specially induced by the stimulation of resistant rice variety Mudgo. This research pioneered a genome-wide study of alternative gene splicing in the rice brown planthopper. Differences in alternative splicing between virulent and avirulent populations indicated that alternative splicing might play an important role in the formation of virulence phenotypes in N. lugens.

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens,an important rice insect pest, can enhance its virulence to BPH-resistant rice within as short a span as several generations. Here, we cloned a pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PTL) gene (NlPTL) in N. lugens,and found that its mRNA level was higher in the high virulence population (fed on variety Rathu Heenati, P-RH) than in the low virulence population (fed on variety Taichung Native 1, P-TN1). Knocking down NlPTLcaused BPH individuals to spend more time in non-penetration and the pathway phases and less time feeding on the phloem of rice plants; these changes consequently decreased food intake, lipid content, survival rate, and fecundity in the insects. These findings reveal for the first time that PTL in BPH is involved in its virulence to rice plants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major worldwide crisis. Although respiratory symptoms are a key feature of the disease, many people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 also suffer acute kidney injury, a condition that exacerbates patient mortality and may have to be treated through renal replacement therapy. Much of the focus on hospital capacity during the pandemic has centered on the availability of ventilators. However, supplies for dialysis treatment, including dialysate, have also run dangerously low in hospitals at the epicenter of the pandemic. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop materials that can efficiently and rapidly regenerate dialysate, removing toxins and restoring electrolyte concentrations so that this vital resource remains readily available. In this work, Ti3C2Tx, a two-dimensional transition-metal carbide (MXene) that is known to efficiently adsorb urea, was used to remove creatinine and uric acid from an aqueous solution and dialysate, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 45.7 and 17.0 mg/g, respectively. We systematically analyzed and modeled the adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics, thus determining the rate-limiting step and adsorption mechanism. A fixed-bed column loaded with Ti3C2Txwas designed to further evaluate the adsorption performance under continuous fluid-flow conditions, mirroring conditions of continuous renal replacement therapy modalities. The maximum capacity and 50% breakthrough volume were calculated to further approach the practical application of Ti3C2Txfor removal of uremic toxins. Our findings suggest that Ti3C2Txhas the potential to be used as an efficient sorbent for the regeneration of dialysate, allowing for accelerated dialysate regeneration by removing filtered toxins and leading to more portable dialysis devices.

Recently, room-temperature flexible gas sensors have been widely studied because they can operate without being heated and create low-cost, low-power-consumption devices with long-term stability. Here, by designing the active material composition and structure, we report an electrospun carbon nanofiber (CNF) network grafted by two-dimensional MoS2nanosheets and embedded CoS2nanoparticles, which serves as a flexible gas sensor for various toxic or hazardous gases working at room temperature. In particular, the CNFs/CoS2/MoS2hybrid films exhibit very high selectivity toward NO over other gases including NO2and CH4, with selectivity coefficients (|SNO/SNO2| and |SNO/SCH4|) as high as 43 and 42 (defined as the ratio of responses between two gases). The sensor shows a linear relationship in the gas concentration range of 1–100 ppm and a stable response during repeated bending. Theoretical calculations suggest that MoS2can be selectively n-doped by NO, while CoS2can effectively capture NO molecules, leading to enhanced selectivity and sensitivity. Our large-area flexible sensors made by synergistic design have potential applications in biological and environmental areas for low-cost, selective detection of toxic or targeted gases.

Artificial molecular machines have played an indispensable role in many chemical and biological processes in recent decades. Among all kinds of molecular machines, molecular rotor systems have attracted increasing attention. In this work, we used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the rotational behaviors of on-surface molecular rotors based on porphyrin, which is a species of molecule with wide biological and chemical compatibilities. Moreover, our comparative studies demonstrate that macrocycle metalation, supporting substrate replacement, and functional group substitutions can effectively modify the rotational barrier of porphyrin rotors. We believe that these modification methods can further guide the path to achieve highly controllable on-surface molecular rotor systems in future applications.

Spodoptera frugiperdais a highly destructive migratory pest that threatens various crops globally. Autographa californicamultiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is an effective biocontrol agent against lepidopteran pests. Here, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response to AcMNPV infection in S. frugiperda. RNA-seq and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses identified the Toll, IMD, and apoptosis pathways as primary immune responses. Investigation into AcMNPV-induced apoptosis in the S. frugiperdacell line (Sf9) revealed that the Toll pathway activated the JNK via the TRAF6 (TNF receptor-associated factor 6) adapter. In addition, AcMNPV-induced the differential expression of several host-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs), with significant negative regulatory effects, on S. frugiperdaantiviral immune genes. RNAi and miRNA-mimic mediated silencing of these genes resulted in increased AcMNPV proliferation. Our findings reinforce the potential of AcMNPV as a potent biocontrol agent and further our understanding of developing biotechnology-based targeted pest control agents.

The shield building of the AP1000 nuclear power plant serves as a crucial protective barrier against radioactive substances. However, past research indicates that structures are susceptible to experiencing aftershocks, which may lead to unforeseeable damage and potential radioactive material leakage. To address this issue, a finite element model of the shield building was established with the damage indexes of the tensile and compressive damage selected for further model analysis. According to the fundamental theory of reliability, the traditional incremental dynamic analysis method was used to analyze the seismic fragility of the shield building by inputting mainshock and aftershock sequences with three strength ratios. The results indicate that the seismic fragility of shield building may be underestimated without considering the influence of aftershocks and the damage state presents an upward tendency as the strength ratio increases. However, the cumulative damage caused by aftershocks is unlikely to exceed the initial damage induced by the corresponding mainshock. Overall, the aggravation of the compressive damage is less pronounced than the increase of the tensile damage as the strength ratio increases.

Silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs), by virtue of their tunable structure, accessible surface area and excellent stability, hold great promise as highly efficient catalysts. Herein, we report a new SCAM [Ag12(StBu)6(CF3COO)3(TPyP)]n(denoted as Ag12TPyP) composed of a Ag12chalcogenolate cluster core stabilized by porphyrinic ligands. Ag12TPyP showed superior sulfur mustard simulant (2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, CEES) degradation efficiency and achieved a half lifetime (t1/2) of 1.5 min with 100% selectivity. The experimental results demonstrated that synergistic effects between the silver cluster and photosensitizer ligand promote the efficiency of the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2), which accelerates the decontamination rate. Additionally, benefiting from strong affinity between the silver cluster and CEES, Ag12TPyP exhibits a CEES uptake of 74.2 mg g–1. This work demonstrates that SCAMs offer a new route to the rational design of novel materials for the detoxification of mustard gas.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of regulators in cancer. A lncRNA, MCM3AP-AS1, has been demonstrated as a versatile mediator in many cancers, except papillary thyroid cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the role and mechanism of MCM3AP-AS1 in papillary thyroid cancer. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess the level of MCM3AP-AS1 and miR-211-5p in papillary thyroid cancer tissues and cells. Western blot was used to detect E-cadherin and secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich (SPARC) protein levels. CCK-8, scratch wound assay, and transwell assay were used to evaluate papillary thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. BLAST alignment and luciferase assay were used to explore the interaction among MCM3AP-AS1, mi/r-211, and SPARC. In papillary thyroid cancer, MCM3AP-AS1 was upregulated, while miR-211 was downregulated. MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression promoted papillary thyroid cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further, MCM3AP-AS1 was shown to be negatively correlated with miR-211-5p. We next validated that miR-211-5p overexpression could reverse the promoting role of MCM3AP-AS1 in papillary thyroid cancer, whereby SPARC plays an important regulating role. In vivo, we confirmed the anti-tumor role of MCM3AP-AS1 silencing and the close relation among MCM3AP-AS1, miR-211-5p, and SPARC. MCM3AP-AS1 promotes papillary thyroid cancer by regulating the MCM3AP-AS1/miR-211-5p/SPARC axis, which could potentially be a therapeutic target in papillary thyroid cancer.

The conventional layered-growth modes of atom/small molecule self-assembly on solid surfaces are usually obtained from the “mean field approximation” description of adsorbate–substrate interactions, which neglected the differences in kinetic parameters between different adsorption configurations. Here, through a multiscale computational method, we showed a novel mixed layered self-assembly growth of C60molecules on an oxygen-passivated Fe(001)-p(1 × 1)O substrate through considering differences in kinetic parameters between adsorption configurations in detail. The simulated mixed growth is consistent with the experimental observation (Picone, et al. Appl. Mater. Interfaces2016, 8, 26418) in which regions of large C60islands that have been nucleated coexist with areas of well-separated C60molecules. With a simple general model, the mixed layered-growth mode can be applied for other large molecules’ self-assembly, provided that the multidegrees of freedom in adsorption configurations give distinct growth parameters and the molecule is weakly chemisorbed on the substrate. Our study demonstrates the existence of a novel layered-growth mode, the mixed layered-growth mode, in addition to the conventional layered-growth modes.

Due to a large number of high concrete face rockfill dams (CFRDs) being constructed, the seismic safety is crucially important and seismic performance assessment must be performed for such dams. Fragility analysis is a method of great vitality for seismic performance assessment; it can intuitively forecast the structural effects of different ground motion intensities and provide an effective path for structure safety assessment. However, this method is rarely applied in the field of high earth dam risk analysis. This paper introduces fragility analysis into the field of high CFRD safety assessment and establishes seismic performance assessment methods. PGA, Sa(T1, 5%), PGV and PGD are exploited as the earthquake intensity measure (IMs). Relative settlement ratio of dam crest, cumulative sliding displacement of dam slope stability and a new face-slab destroying index (based on DCR and COD) are regarded as the dam damage measures (DMs). The dividing standards of failure grades of high CFRDs are suggested based on each DM. Fragility function is estimated according to incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and multiple stripes analysis (MSA) methods respectively from a large number of finite element calculations of a certain CFRD, and seismic fragility curves are determined for each DM. Finally, this study analyzes the failure probabilities of the dam under different earthquake intensities and can provide references and bases for the seismic performance design and safety risk assessment of high CFRDs.

Ag@Cr/Ga2O3is one of the most active photocatalysts for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2by H2O; however, the formation rate of CO steadily decreases with increasing photoirradiation time. In this study, the reasons for the decreasing CO evolution were investigated in detail. The formation rate of CO was strongly dependent on the amount of Cr3+in Ag@Cr/Ga2O3. Dissolution of Cr3+during the reaction led to a decrease in the thickness of the Cr(OH)3·xH2O shell. The Cr3+in Ag@Cr/Ga2O3was oxidized to dissolvable Cr6+during the photocatalytic conversion of CO2in a NaHCO3aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. NaHCO3as an additive facilitated the dissolution of Cr3+.

Bone loss is common in clinical practice, such as health assessment of postmenopausal women, treatment of tumor metastasis, side-effects of glucocorticoids, and skeletal manifestations of inflammatory diseases. The imbalance of remodeling between bone resorption and bone formation, the pathophysiological basis of bone loss, increases bone fragility. The treatment of bone loss is mainly carried out from the treatment of osteoporosis. There are various pharmacological therapies for bone loss, which will be introduced in 3 aspects, including antiresorptive agents, anabolic agents and new medications. Each kind of medication has its advantages, shortcomings and side-effects. Antiresorptive agents are widely applied in the treatment of bone loss, but can lead to overall decrease of bone turnover rate. Anabolic agents, mainly PTH, are usually combined with other anti-resorptive drugs, and PTHrP might be a promising pure anabolic agent for osteoporosis. In recent years, some novel therapies have been raised and tested in clinical trials which can be promising choices available for osteoporosis treatment. Future drug targets will mainly come from RANK-RANKL-OPG system and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway., and the pre-existing drugs could be explored in new patterns.

Spin-crossover (SCO) molecules are thought to be ideal systems for molecular spintronics when SCO can be precisely controlled at the single-molecule level. This is demonstrated here in the single-molecule junctions of Fe-porphyrin formed in a scanning tunneling microscope. Experimentally, we find that the junctions feature a zero-bias resonance in molecular conductance associated with the Fe spin center. When mechanically stretching or squeezing the junctions by adjusting the tip height, the line shape of the zero-bias resonance varies reversibly. First-principles calculations reveal that widening the junction gap by 2 Å transforms the macrocyclic core hosting the Fe center from a saddle to a planar conformation. This conformational change shortens the Fe–N bonds by 3%, which changes the Fe spin state from S = 2 to S = 1.

The abnormal expression of chordin-like 1 (CHRDL1) is identified in many cancers, while the effect of CHRDL1 in thyroid cancer (THCA) remains unclear. The University of California Santa Cruz, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer, and Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE33570, GSE33630, and GSE60542) were used for determining the mRNA and methylation expression of CHRDL1 in tumor and normal tissues. Human Protein Atlas was used for exploring the protein expression level of CHRDL1. The genes correlated to CHRDL1 were assessed by cBioPortal database. The prognostic value of CHRDL1 was evaluated through Kaplan–Meier method, cox regression, and nomogram analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene Ontology, and gene set enrichment analysis were used for predicting potential function of CHRDL1. The relationship between CHRDL1 and immune cell infiltration was determined by Pearson method. The downregulated mRNA and protein expressions of CHRDL1 were identified in THCA through the analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and Human Protein Atlas database. The survival analysis showed that the CHRDL1 expression significantly affected disease-free interval (DFI) and progression-free interval, and CHRDL1 was an independent predictor of DFI. Besides, we found that C-C motif chemokine ligand 21 could significantly affect DFI time when it was co-expressed with CHRDL1. Additionally, the function of CHRDL1 was enriched in cell migration, apoptosis, and immune cell receptor. The downregulated expression of CHRDL1 was observed in THCA and caused poor prognosis. CHRDL1 may be involved in signal pathway related to cancer development and immune response, which suggested it could be a potential biomarker.

We apply supramolecular assembly to control the adsorption configuration of Co-porphyrin molecules on Au(111) and Cu(111) surfaces. By means of cryogenic scanning tunneling microscopy, we reveal that the Kondo effect associated with the Co center is absent or present in different supramolecular systems. We perform first-principles calculations to obtain spin-polarized electronic structures and compute the Kondo temperatures using the Anderson impurity model. The switching behavior is traced to varied molecular adsorption heights in different supramolecular structures. These findings unravel that a competition between intermolecular interactions and molecule–substrate interactions subtly regulates the molecular Kondo effect in supramolecular systems.