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We aimed to examine the association between serum albumin (SAlb) and the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and examine any possible effect modifiers in general hypertensive patients with normal renal function and with no previous cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This is a post-hoc analysis (performed at May, 2018) of 12,621 hypertensive adults with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and SAlb ≥35.0 g/L from the renal sub-study of the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT), conducted from May 2008 to August 2013. The primary outcome was development of CKD, defined as a decrease in eGFR of ≥30% and to a level of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2; or end stage renal disease. The median follow-up duration was 4.4 years. Overall, the association between SAlb levels and risk of the primary outcome followed a U-shape. The risk of CKD development significantly decreased with the increment of SAlb (per g/L: OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.88–0.96) in participants with SAlb <51.4 g/L, and increased with the increment of SAlb (per g/L: OR = 1.06; 95%CI: 1.01–1.11) in participants with SAlb ≥51.4 g/L. Moreover, in participants with SAlb <51.4 g/L, the association between SAlb and CKD development remained significant in participants without proteinuria (per g/L: OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88–0.99). The association between SAlb and CKD development was not significantly modified by age, sex, folic acid treatment, proteinuria, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline and time-averaged SBP during the treatment period (all P -interactions>0.05). There was a U-shaped association between SAlb levels and risk of CKD development among general hypertensive patients with normal renal function and without CVD, with a turning point at about 51.4 g/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from epidemiologic studies on the association of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations with the incident risk of cancer has been inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the prospective relationship of baseline plasma 25(OH)D concentrations with the risk of cancer, and to examine possible effect modifiers. We employed a nested case–control study design, including 231 patients with incident cancer during a median 4.5 years of follow up, and 231 matched controls from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT). The prevalence of plasma 25(OH)D <15, <20 and <30 ng/mL was 23.6%, 47.4% and 85.5%, respectively. Overall, there was an inverse relation between risk of cancer and plasma 25(OH)D. The Odds ratios (95% CI) for participants in the second (15.1 to <20.6 ng/mL), third (20.6 to <26.4 ng/mL) and fourth quartiles (≥26.4 ng/mL) were 0.45 (95% CI: 0.25–0.80), 0.53 (95% CI: 0.27–1.06) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.27–1.10), respectively, compared with those in quartile 1. Conversely, low 25(OH)D (<15.1 ng/mL) concentrations were associated with increased risk of cancer (OR, 2.08; 95% CI: 1.20–3.59) compared to higher concentrations. These associations were consistent across subtypes of cancer. Several potential effect modifiers were identified, including plasma vitamin E concentrations and alcohol intake. Low plasma 25(OH)D concentrations (<15.1 ng/mL) were associated with increased total cancer risk among Chinese hypertensive adults, compared to higher 25(OH)D concentrations. This finding and the possible effect modifiers warrant additional investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes can be used to protect composites from lightning strike due to their high electrical conductivity. A kind of carbon nanotube film was developed to protect composite structures here. Its lightning strike protection effect was studied. Artificial lightning strike tests were conducted on carbon nanotube film protected specimen, traditional surface silver coating protected specimen and pristine specimen in this paper. Coupled thermal-electrical finite element models were established to study the lightning strike protection effect and damage mechanism of two kinds of methods. Numerical results agree well with experimental ones, illustrating the validity of the models. The results show that lightning strike damage in the carbon nanotube film protected laminate is restricted in 5 composite piles and 5 carbon nanotube films close to the lightning strike surface. Whereas lightning strike damage in surface silver coating protected specimen is restricted in coating and 2 composite piles close to the lightning strike surface. Compared with the pristine laminate, damage in the laminate with carbon nanotube films decreases by 77.6% and 68.0% in area and depth respectively, whereas damage in the laminate with surface silver coating decreases by 66.1% and 92.0% correspondingly. The inserted carbon nanotube films can increase the electrical conductivity and conduct the strike current and energy along both depth and in-plane directions quickly, while surface silver coating mainly conducts the energy along in-plane direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the biological performance of hydroxyapatite scaffolds in bone tissue engineering, graphite was used as porogen to create additional micro/nanoporosity to macroporosity, resulting in hierarchical porosity. For maximum imitation of natural bone structures, scaffolds with different porosity features were fabricated using micron/nano-sized graphite. The sintering profile of graphite treated scaffolds was optimised to reduce the influence of shrinkage. To confirm the porosity features, the micro/nanostructures of scaffolds were characterised by scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Considering that hydroxyapatite is resistant to biodegradation in vivo, the degradation rate of scaffolds in modified simulated body fluid was examined. Furthermore, biological evaluations based on myoblasts were carried out to investigate the influence of porosity features on the essential performance such as adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. The results indicate that the scaffolds with dominant microporosity and little nanoporosity formed inside had high potential for clinical applications due to improved performance in bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical, convenient and green method for the synthesis of highly stable and small sized silver nanoparticles with narrow distribution from 2 nm to 30 nm is reported. Silver nitrate was used as silver precursor, and Osmanthus fragrans extract was acted as capping agent as well as reducing agent. The formation of silver nanoparticles was observed by the change of color from colorless to yellow. The as-prepared silver nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopic (FT-IR). The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by its characteristic surface plasmon absorption peak at 400–450 nm in UV–vis spectra. The TEM and SEM images showed that the as-synthesized silver fine spherical particles are distributed uniformly with a narrow distribution from 2 nm to 30 nm. The HRTEM and XRD results demonstrated that the obtained metallic nanoparticles were single crystalline silver nanoparticles. FT-IR data revealed that the silver nanoparticles are coated with Osmanthus fragrans extract. The effects of the silver nitrate and Osmanthus fragrans extract concentrations on the particle size were investigated. The green synthesis method is simple and may be extended to preparation of other noble metal nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrusion freeforming is a facile approach to produce complex 3D structures with controlled architecture and porosity. In this work, a new slurry system, mainly containing hydroxyapatite (HA) and sodium alginate (SA), has been used to fabricate porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds. After cross-linking in 5% calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) solution for 24 h, HA–SA composite scaffolds were sintered at 1000–1300 °C for 2 h. The properties of HA–SA composite scaffolds before and after sintering have been investigated. The new slurry system has greatly improved the quality of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical discharge machining removes electrically conductive material by means of rapid and repetitive spark discharges resulting from local explosion of a dielectric liquid. The electrical discharge machining has been widely used for cutting fine blanking tools which are made of especially hard tool steels. Whereas, its thermal nature causes great concerns regarding surface integrity, which matters a lot to tool life. In the present study, the evolution of surface integrity of the S390 and SKD11 with multi-cutting is comprehensively compared. The result shows that the surface roughness, white layer thickness and surface residual stress decrease with the increase of cutting pass. Compared to the finish trim cut surface of S390 sample, more pinholes and slightly larger craters were produced and the micro cracks could be found on the finish trim cut surface of SKD11 sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microwave sintering was used to process porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds fabricated by the extrusion deposition technique. The effects of microwave sintering on the microstructure, phase composition, degradation, compressive strength and biological properties of the scaffolds were investigated. After rapid sintering, scaffolds with controlled structure, high densification and fine grains were obtained. A significant increase in mechanical strength was observed relative to conventional sintering. The scaffolds (55–60% porosity) microwave sintered at 1200°C for 30min exhibited the highest average compressive strength (45.57MPa). The degradation was determined by immersing the scaffolds in physiological saline and monitoring the Ca2+concentration. The results indicated that the microwave-sintered scaffolds possessed higher solubility than conventionally sintered scaffolds, as it released more Ca2+ at the same temperature. Furthermore, an in vitro MC3T3-E1 cell culturing study showed significant cell adhesion, distribution, and proliferation in the microwave-sintered scaffolds. These results confirm that microwave sintering has a positive effect on the properties of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the advent of the 5G era, the demand for heat dissipation using high thermal conductivity (TC) materials is becoming increasingly urgent. The electrical insulation and thermal stability of dielectric polymer composites are also notable in electrical and electronic applications. Nevertheless, the improvement in TC of dielectric polymer composites is typically accomplished at the expense of electrical insulating capabilities. Herein, we fabricated polyimide (PI) composites with ordered structure by combining electrostatic spinning, vacuum filtration deposition and blade-coating. The modified boron nitride nanosheets (mBN) not only enhanced the interaction between filler and PI matrix, but also reduced the interface thermal resistance. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure, the in-plane TC of prepared composite was 17.44 W/mK at 18.79 vol% mBN content, which is 9.6 times higher than that of pure PI. Moreover, the composites were electrically insulating, with the volume resistivity of about 1013 Ω cm, and exhibited great flexibility, exceptional thermal stability (T HRI ＞ 269 °C), excellent thermal dissipation capability and low dielectric characteristics. In summary, this work offers a novel perspective to design highly thermally conductive composites and these composites have vast application potential in flexible electronic devices or circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a scheme for improving people's health from the perspective of digital infrastructure construction. We used the China Family Panel Studies conducted between 2010 and 2020 and the digital infrastructure construction marked by the Broadband China policy between 2014 and 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment. We adopted the multi-time difference-in-differences method to identify the causal relationship between digital infrastructure and people's health. We found that digital infrastructure construction significantly improved people's health, and the effect was more prominent among young and middle-aged residents and those with less than a university education. Moreover, digital infrastructure construction improved the utilization of medical services, helped residents develop healthy lifestyles, and increased people's health investments. Additionally, digital infrastructure reduced health inequality among people and promoted health equity. The findings could guide future policies to improve people's health and well-being. • Causal relationship between digital infrastructure and public health was examined. • The digital infrastructure policy in China improved public health. • The policy improved access to healthcare services and reduce health inequality. • The findings could guide future policies to improve public health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) can be enhanced by creating continuous proton conduction channels. In this work, PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H nanoparticles (PUNSNPs) were prepared and filled into sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) to fabricate PUNSNPs/SPEEK composite PEMs. To further improve the performance of the PEMs, phosphoric acid (PA) was doped and a continuous nanopore network was formed in PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK porous PEMs due to the dissolution of PUNSNPs. The PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK porous PEMs have high PA uptake ratio (96%–117 %) and dimensional stability thanks to the anchoring effect of the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring on the PVP chains. The acid-base pairing interaction between the chains (residual ligands from PUNSNPs) inside the unique continuous nanopore structure allows PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK = 20 % porous PEMs to have the highest proton conductivity of 0.350 S cm−1 (80 °C/100 % RH). Furthermore, the PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK porous PEMs retained PA up to more than 80 % (80 °C, 40 % RH, 7 days). Similarly, PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK = 20 % porous PEMs immersed in deionized water for 45 days were able to maintain a proton conductivity of more than 83 %. Finally, PA/PUNSNPs/SPEEK porous PEMs have low methanol permeability. Thus, this study provides a new method for the preparation of porous PEMs with a continuous nanopore network structure and excellent performance. We used PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H as a sacrificial template to construct porous PEMs. The formation of nanopores has a limiting effect on the ligands available for proton conduction resulting from the dissolution of PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H. These ligands provide a very significant contribution to the various performances of the porous PEMs. [Display omitted] • PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H nanoparticles has been synthesized by reacting of 1,3-propanesultone with PVP-UiO-66-NH 2 nanoparticles. • PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H nanoparticles can be used as sacrificial templates for the preparation of porous PEMs. • PA/PVP-UiO-66-NH-SO 3 H/SPEEK porous PEMs has a high proton conductivity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioprinting of three-dimensional constructs mimicking natural-like extracellular matrix has revolutionized biomedical technology. Bioprinting technology circumvents various discrepancies associated with current tissue engineering strategies by providing an automated and advanced platform to fabricate various biomaterials through precise deposition of cells and polymers in a premeditated fashion. However, few obstacles associated with development of 3D scaffolds including varied properties of polymers used and viability, controlled distribution, and vascularization, etc. of cells hinder bioprinting of complex structures. Therefore, extensive efforts have been made to explore the potential of various natural polymers (e.g. cellulose, gelatin, alginate, and chitosan, etc.) and synthetic polymers in bioprinting by tuning their printability and cross-linking features, mechanical and thermal properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, etc. This review describes the potential of these polymers to support adhesion and proliferation of viable cells to bioprint cell laden constructs, bone, cartilage, skin, and neural tissues, and blood vessels, etc. for various applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicines. Further, it describes various challenges associated with current bioprinting technology and suggests possible solutions. Although at early stage of development, the potential benefits of bioprinting technology are quite clear and expected to open new gateways in biomedical, pharmaceutics and several other fields in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green, simple and low cost process for production of well dispersed, small size silver nanoparticles with narrow distribution from 3 nm to 15 nm was described. In this method, silver nanoparticles were prepared in aqueous medium by employing wolfberry fruit extract as both reducing and stabilizing agent without utilizing any other capping and reducing agent. The generation of metallic nanoparticles was observed by change of color and the UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The obtained silver nanoparticles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the as-synthesized silver nanoparticles are highly crystalline in nature, spherical in shape. The reaction times, silver nitrate concentrations and wolfberry fruit extract amounts play crucial roles in the synthesis of small silver nanoparticles. The method displayed in this paper offers a very hopeful mean to prepare other noble nanoparticles using renewable materials as reducing and capping agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Chaihuang-Yishen formula (CHYS) is a Chinese herbal formula that has been shown clinically to effectively treat chronic kidney disease including diabetic nephropathy (DN), also known as diabetic kidney disease. Our previous animal studies showed that numerous intrarenal metabolites were associated with the development of DN. In the present work, an integrated metabolomic and lipidomic analysis was used to further examine whether CHYS could attenuate the development of DN by regulating the disordered metabolic pathways. Method Progressive diabetic kidney disease was induced in Wistar rats by uninephrectomy and a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin. Over 20 weeks, one group of animals was treated with CHYS and another group went untreated. Effects of CHYS on metabolomic and lipidomic changes in the renal cortex of diabetic rats were studied using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, ultra-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and tandem MS-based metabolomic and lipidomic. The well-established drug fosinopril was used as positive control throughout the experiment. Results Like fosinopril, treatment with CHYS produced a renoprotective effect against DN. Metabolomic and lipidomic analyses showed that the therapeutic effect of CHYS on DN was significantly associated with inhibition of the elevated organic toxins including several uremic toxins and glucuronides, and normalization of diminished phospholipids, especially sphingomyelins. Conclusion Improved abnormal metabolic and lipidomic disorders, such as accumulation of uremic toxins and glucuronides and phospholipids, may be mechanisms by which treatment of CHYS inhibits DN. Results from this study provide new evidence for the pharmacologic characteristics of CHYS on DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticle (Ag-np) is a new kind of antibacterial agent which is widely used in medical supplies. In this study, a simple approach is described to obtain Ag-doped HA scaffolds. Hydroxyapatite (HA) bone scaffolds with controllable pore size were fabricated by a micro-syringe extrusion system. Sintered HA scaffolds were then immersed in silver reaction hydrosol in order to get Ag-doped HA scaffolds. SEM and EDS shows a uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles on the surface of HA scaffolds. Such Ag-np doped HA scaffolds, displaying a good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ), are likely to prevent bone implant associated bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]