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With the rapid development of electronic industry, dielectric capacitors are widely used. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based composites have become facilitated dielectric energy storage materials. Improving the performance of PVDF-based composites is hotspot in recent years. In this paper, ZIF-67, a typical metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) material, was selected as the nano fillers to prepare ZIF-67/PVDF nanocomposites, and SiCNWs/PVDF nanocomposites containing silicon carbide nanowires (SiCNWs) with high dielectric constant were controllable prepared as the control. The effects of different types of fillers on the mechanical properties, dielectric properties and energy storage properties of PVDF-based composites were investigated, and the performance between ZIF-67/PVDF and SiCNWs/PVDF was compared. ZIF-67 and SiCNWs affect the crystallization process of PVDF matrix and promote the transformation from α-phase to β-phase, which contributes to improve the mechanical properties and dielectric properties of PVDF-based composites. At the same time, ZIF-67 can improve the breakdown field strength of the ZIF-67/PVDF composites. Finally, 5 wt% ZIF-67/PVDF nanocomposites delivered 0.97 J/cm3 energy storage density (at 130 kV/mm), which was increased by 97.96% compared with the pure PVDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is a common complication in the dialysis population, both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD). We report our exploratory study on the characteristics of intestinal microbiota and nutritional status in PD patients. The nutritional status of our PD patients were evaluated, and their feces were collected for 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 regions amplification and high-throughput sequencing. The characteristics and differences of microbiota between the well-nourished (W) and malnourished (M) groups were compared. We studied the genera and the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within the genus of our patients, initially comparing the malnourished and the well- nourished groups and later on reanalyzing the whole group using these OTUs. At the OTU level, 6 bacteria were significantly correlated with the serum albumin level. The abundances of 2 OTUs (OTU208 Lachnospiraceae_incertae_sedi and OTU4 Bacteroides) were more in W group. Meanwhile, 4 OTUs (OTU225 Akkermansia, OTU87 Megasphaera, OTU31 Peptostreptococcaceae_incertae_sedi and OTU168 Clostridium_sensu_strictu) displayed higher abundance among individuals in M group. Notably, the OTU168 Clostridium_sensu_stricto was the only bacteria that significantly correlated with serum albumin (r = − 0.356, P = 0.05), pre-albumin (r = − 0.399, P = 0.02), and SGA (r = 0.458, P = 0.01). The higher the OTU168 Clostridium_sensu_strictu, the lower serum albumin and pre-albumin and a higher score of SGA signifying a worse nutritional status. Our preliminary findings suggested a relationship between the nutrition status and microbiota in PD patients. Our results provide a basis for further exploration of the interactions between malnutrition and intestinal flora in PD patients with potential interventions using probiotics and prebiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to evaluate the absorption promoting capacity of Maillard Reaction Products (MRPs) produced during the stir-frying process of Hordei Fructus Germinatus on catechin, ferulic acid, quercetin and kaempferol by the ex vivo rat everted gut sac model, in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model and the whole animal model. Moreover, verapamil, EDTA and mannitol were used for determining the transport mechanism of catechin, ferulic acid, quercetin and kaempferol. The tight junction (TJ) proteins including zonula occudens-1(ZO-1) and claudin-1 were chosen to investigate the promoting mechanism of MRPs by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses. The results showed that the MRPs produced during the stir-frying process of Hordei Fructus Germinatus could improve the intestinal absorption of catechin, ferulic acid, quercetin and kaempferol. And the absorption-promoting effect of MRPs was related to chelating effect and the reduced expression of claudin-1 and ZO-1. Our results suggested that MRPs could be promising oral absorption promoters, which might be another processing mechanism of Hordei Fructus Germinatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents Bi 2 O 3 -doped SnO 2 ceramic varistors prepared through conventional ceramic processing in the sintering temperature range of 1290–1320°C. The sample sintered at 1300°C exhibits a breakdown electric field as low as 11.6 V mm - 1 . Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that all the samples have a compact structure, and energy dispersive spectroscopy results for the sample sintered at 1300°C indicate that Bi distributes homogeneously along the grain boundaries and aggregates inhomogeneously on the grain surfaces. With increasing sintering temperature, the grain boundary barrier height remains nearly constant at 0.80 eV. In both the dielectric loss and electric modulus spectra of the sample sintered at 1300°C, obvious relaxations were observed and the activation energies obtained from the respective spectra were 0.33 and 0.15 eV, which are expected to be related to oxygen vacancies and interstitial ions, respectively. Complex impedance spectra are employed to develop a non-typical equivalent circuit model for the Bi 2 O 3 -doped SnO 2 ceramic varistors at low voltage that yields an excellent fit to the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the microstructure and electrical properties of MnO-doped SnO2-Zn2SnO4 ceramic composites prepared through conventional ceramic processing. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that all samples have a compact structure. With increasing MnO content, the grains grow larger and the grain boundaries become unsharp. Energy dispersive spectroscopy results for the sample doped with 0.1 mol% MnO indicate that Mn distributes randomly on the grain surfaces. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibit that all the samples are composed of SnO2 and Zn2SnO4, and the relative intensity of the diffraction peak for Zn2SnO4 increases with increasing MnO content. The relations between the electric field and current density show that all the samples have varistor properties. For the samples doped with 0.2 and 0.3 mol% MnO, the breakdown electric field is so large that it exceeds the measuring range of the instrument, whereas the relative permittivity is as low as about 30 at 100 Hz. In the electric modulus spectra, two sets of relaxation peaks were observed and the corresponding activation energies are enhanced greatly by doping MnO. The effect of MnO on the microstructure and electrical properties indicates that the space charges trapped by oxygen vacancies are the origin of the great permittivity and varistor properties for SnO2-Zn2SnO4 ceramic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:Ginger rhizome is used worldwide as a spicy flavor agent. This study was designed to explore the potential effects of pungent ginger components, 6-, 8-, and 10-gingerol, on human cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes that are responsible for the metabolism of many prescription drugs.Methods:The activities of human CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 were analyzed using Vivid P450 assay kits. The mRNA expression of CYP3A4 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was measured using quantitative real-time PCR assay.Results:All three gingerols potently inhibited CYP2C9 activity, exerted moderate inhibition on CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, and weak inhibion on CYP2D6. 8-Gingerol was the most potent in inhibition of P450 enzymes with IC50 values of 6.8, 12.5, 8.7, and 42.7 μmol/L for CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4, and CYP2D6, respectively. By comparing the effects of gingerols on CYP3A4 with three different fluorescent substrate probes, it was demonstrated that the inhibition of gingerols on CYP3A4 had no substrate-dependence. In HepG2 cells, 8-gingerol and 10-gingerol inhibited, but 6-gingerol induced mRNA expression of CYP3A4.Conclusion:6-, 8-, and 10-gingerol suppress human cytochrome P450 activity, while 8- and 10-gingerol inhibit CYP3A4 expression. The results may have an implication for the use of ginger or ginger products when combined with therapeutic drugs that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate the embryotoxicity of dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the main active metabolite of artemisinin, in zebrafish, and explore the corresponding mechanisms.Methods:The embryos of wild type and TG (flk1:GFP) transgenic zebrafish were exposed to DHA. Developmental phenotypes of the embryos were observed. Development of blood vessels was directly observed in living embryos of TG (flk1:GFP) transgenic zebrafish under fluorescence microscope. The expression of angiogenesis marker genes vegfa, flk1, and flt1 in the embryos was detected using real-time PCR and RNA in situ hybridization assays.Results:Exposure to DHA (1-10 mg/L) dose-dependently caused abnormal zebrafish embryonic phenotypes in the early developmental stage. Furthermore, exposure to DHA (10 mg/L) resulted in more pronounced embryonic angiogenesis in TG (flk1:GFP) zebrafish line. Exposure to DHA (10 mg/L) significantly increased the mRNA expression of vegfa, flk1, and flt1 in the embryos. Knockdown of the flk1 protein partially blocked the effects of DHA on embryogenesis.Conclusion:DHA causes abnormal embryonic phenotypes and promotes angiogenesis in zebrafish early embryonic development, demonstrating the potential embryotoxicity of DHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and good piezoelectric properties, lead-free (NaK)NbO (x = 0.32-0.35) piezoceramics were synthesized by conventional solid state sintering. The x-ray diffraction results show that the lattice parameters of the monoclinic primitive cell peak at x = 0.34. The scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy reveal that the excess sodium may be an important reason for the abnormal growth of the grains larger than 20 μm. All the samples exhibit double-like hysteresis loops and it may also be attributed to the excess Na. Although the salient microstructure was found in the studied range, the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties changed slightly with increasing x from 0.32 to 0.35. The values of piezoelectric coefficient d obtained in this study are as high as about 75 pC/N which is close to that of normally prepared (NaK)NbO ceramics with MPB structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]