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Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) is one of two mitofusins involved in regulating mitochondrial size, shape and function, including mitophagy, an important cellular mechanism to limit oxidative stress. Reduced expression of Mfn2 has been associated with impaired osteoblast differentiation and function and a reduction in the number of viable osteocytes in bone. We hypothesized that the genetic absence of Mfn2 in these cells would increase their susceptibility to aging-associated metabolic stress, leading to a progressive impairment in skeletal homeostasis over time. Mfn2 was selectively deleted in vivo at three different stages of osteoblast lineage commitment by crossing mice in which the Mfn2 gene was floxed with transgenic mice expressing Cre under the control of the promoter for Osterix (OSX), collagen1a1, or DMP1 (Dentin Matrix Acidic Phosphoprotein 1). Mice in which Mfn2 was deleted using DMP1-cre demonstrated a progressive and dramatic decline in bone mineral density (BMD) beginning at 10 weeks of age (n = 5 for each sex and each genotype from age 10 to 20 weeks). By 15 weeks, there was evidence for a functional decline in muscle performance as assessed using a rotarod apparatus (n = 3; 2 males/ 1 female for each genotype), accompanied by a decline in lean body mass. A marked reduction in trabecular bone mass was evident on bone histomorphometry, and biomechanical testing at 25 weeks (k/o: 2 male/1 female, control 2 male/2 female) revealed severely impaired femur strength. Extensive regional myofiber atrophy and degeneration was observed on skeletal muscle histology. Electron microscopy showed progressive disruption of cellular architecture, with disorganized sarcomeres and a bloated mitochondrial reticulum. There was also evidence of neurodegeneration within the ventral horn and roots of the lumbar spinal cord, which was accompanied by myelin loss and myofiber atrophy. Deletion of Mfn2 using OSX-cre or Col1a1-cre did not result in a musculoskeletal phenotype. Where possible, male and female animals were analyzed separately, but small numbers of animals in each group limited statistical power. For other outcomes, where sex was not considered, small sample sizes might still limit the strength of the observation. Despite known functional overlap of Mfn1 and Mfn2 in some tissues, and their co-expression in bone, muscle and spinal cord, deletion of Mfn2 using the 8 kB DMP1 promoter uncovered an important non-redundant role for Mfn2 in maintaining the neuromuscular/bone axis. • Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) plays a role in mitophagy and in the mitochondrial response to metabolic stress. • Deleting Mfn2 with an 8 kB DMP1-cre transgene caused bone loss, myopathy and neuropathy. • None of these changes were observed when Mfn2 was deleted with Col1a1-cre or OSX-cre. • DMP1-cre deleted Mfn2 in bone, muscle and spinal cord. • Mfn1 is expressed in these 3 tissues, but it didn't compensate for the loss of Mfn2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial reefs (ARs), as an important tool for habitat restoration, play significant impacts on benthic microbial ecosystems. This study utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow simulation to investigate the effects of flow field distribution around ARs on microbial community structure. The results revealed distinct regional distribution patterns of microbial communities affected by different hydrodynamic conditions. Flow velocity and flow regime of water in sediment-water interface shaped the microbial community structure. The diversity and richness in R–HF were significantly decreased compared to other five regions (p < 0.05). At the phyla and OUT levels, most abundant taxa (1>%) showed an enrichment trend in R–HB. However, more than half of differentially abundant taxa were enriched in R–HB, which was significantly correlated with organic matter (OM). Bugbase phenotypic predictions indicated a low abundance of the anaerobic phenotype in R–HF and a high abundance of the biofilm-forming phenotype in R–HB. [Display omitted] • Spatial distribution pattern was observed in the reef groups. • R–HF exhibited significantly reduced in α diversity. • The differentially abundant taxa enriched in the reef groups, especially in R–HB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons associated with dysregulation of iron homeostasis in the brain. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death process that serves as a significant regulatory mechanism in PD. However, its underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. By performing RNA sequencing analysis, we found that the main iron storage protein ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) is differentially expressed in the rat 6-hydroyxdopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD compared with control rats. Our present work demonstrates that FTH1 is involved in iron accumulation and the ferroptosis pathway in this model. Knockdown of FTH1 in PC-12 cells significantly inhibited cell viability and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, FTH1 was found to be involved in ferritinophagy, a selective form of autophagy involving the degradation of ferritin by ferroptosis. Overexpression of FTH1 in PC-12 cells impaired ferritinophagy and downregulated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 expression, ultimately suppressing cell death induced by ferroptosis. Consistent with these findings, the ferritinophagy inhibitors chloroquine and bafilomycin A1 inhibited ferritin degradation and ferroptosis in 6-OHDA-treated PC-12 cells. This entire process was mediated by the cyclic regulation of FTH1 and ferritinophagy. Taken together, these results suggest that FTH1 links ferritinophagy and ferroptosis in the 6-OHDA model of PD, and provide a new perspective and potential for a pharmacological target in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Piezoelectric transducers based on macro fibre composites (MFCs) are widely used for energy harvesting, actuation and sensing because of the high conformability, reliability and strong piezoelectric effect of MFCs. Analytical or numerical modelling of the heterogeneous MFC as a homogenous material with equivalent properties is usually required to predict the performance of the transducers. However, the equivalent properties reported in the literature are not suitable for this purpose. This work proposes an equal power-output method to numerically evaluate the equivalent properties of d 31 type MFCs for piezoelectric transducer modelling. Taking energy harvesting application as a study case, it departs from the traditional method by applying electric assumptions that ensure the equal voltage, electric charge, and thus equal power output between the heterogeneous and homogeneous MFCs. The equivalent properties were characterised through the finite element (FE) analysis of the MFC's representative volume element (RVE), which is the minimum periodic unit in the MFC and takes account all the constitutes. The validity of these equivalent properties for energy harvesting transducer modelling was verified by FE modelling as well as experimental testing. The application of the equivalent properties for actuation and sensing transducer modelling was analysed and validated. FE modelling results showed that a homogeneous RVE with the equivalent properties accurately simulated the energy harvesting and actuation behaviours of the heterogeneous RVE. The simulated power output of MFC-based strain energy harvesters matched the mean experimental results with a mean error of 2.5%. When used for actuation, the MFC produced a free strain of 0.93 μ ε / V , which is close to the manufacturer specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a coupled piezoelectric-circuit finite element (FE) model for a mechanically plucked piezoelectric energy harvester (Mech-PEH), which uses plastic plectra to pluck piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers. The Mech-PEH was modelled as a piezoelectric cantilever with either a displacement or a force applied at the tip, and a load resistor connected across its electrodes. The FE model was validated with a difference around 2.7% between the simulated and measured energy outputs and able to predict the vibration- and energy-related characteristics of the Mech-KEH. It was used to investigate the effects of the bimorph’s geometric parameters and the plucking frequency on the energy outputs. It is concluded that (1) when the same plucking force is used, the energy output of the Mech-PEH can be increased by reducing the stiffness of the bimorph through reducing its width or thickness, or increasing its length, and (2) a high plucking frequency with a free vibration period is beneficial in improving the energy output. It is pointed out that the bending fatigue strength of the piezoelectric material limits the designed highest energy output, and that when designing bimorph parameters for the Mech-PEH, both the energy output and the expected life time should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a wireless sensor node (WSN) powered by a strain energy harvester (SEH) through an adaptive power management module (PMM) for aircraft structural health monitoring (SHM). The energy distribution in the system, the efficiencies of the whole systems, and the WSN powering capability of the SEH under different strain loadings were studied to understand the developed system performance for practical applications of an autonomous WSN. Experimental results show that the SEH is able to produce up to 3.34 mW under strain loading of 600 μɛ at 10 Hz. The WSN can be powered up through the adaptive PMM at efficiency from 70 to 80% under different test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chitosan-based nanoparticles were prepared for peptide encapsulation. • The loading rate of nanoparticles to antimicrobial peptides was over 80% • Nanoparticles loaded with antimicrobial peptides can prolong the antibacterial time. • Simple operation, non-toxic and harmless, realize the principle of green chemistry. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short polypeptides that are considered to be attractive future alternatives to traditional antibiotics for their wide sources, excellent antimicrobial properties and low drug resistance. However, AMPs are easily degraded, causing unstable antibacterial properties and a short effective time. Nanocarriers with good biocompatibility can improve the stability of AMPs, achieve sustained and stable release, and improve the bioavailability of AMPs. Herein, composite nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by ionic interaction between chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HACC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were used as carriers for AMPs. The loading rate of NPs to AMP was over 80%. The AMP loaded in the particles had a longer antibacterial activity than the free AMP, and the NPs had good cell compatibility. The preparation method of particles is simple, pollution-free, and compound green chemistry concept. Moreover, it is convenient to load into various forms of biomedical materials, which is a promising carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-cadherin is considered to be the key factor in directing cell–cell interactions during mesenchymal condensation, which is essential to osteogenesis. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels are biofunctionalized with an N-cadherin mimetic peptide to mimic the pro-osteogenic niche in the endosteal space to promote the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Results show that the conjugation of the N-cadherin peptide in the HA hydrogels enhances the expression of the osteogenic marker genes in the seeded hMSCs. Furthermore, the biofunctionalized HA hydrogels promote the alkaline phosphatase activity, type I collagen deposition, and matrix mineralization by the seeded hMSCs under both in vitro and in vivo condition. We postulate that the biofunctionalized hydrogels emulates the N-cadherin-mediated homotypic cell–cell adhesion among MSCs and the “orthotypic” interaction between the osteoblasts and MSCs. These findings demonstrate that the biofunctionalized HA hydrogels provide a supportive niche microenvironment for the osteogenesis of hMSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrational triboelectric nanogenerators (V-TENG) can be used to harvest broadband vibration energy due to the nonlinear impact force induced by a stopper. However, V-TENGs with a single stopper have limited bandwidth and surface charge density, which has limited their application in wideband vibration energy harvesting. Herein, a V-TENG with two stoppers and a charge pumping effect is proposed for frequency band broadening and charge density enhancement. The theoretical analysis and experimental validation have indicated the V-TENG with two stoppers could improve the bandwidth by 75% compared with one stopper at a gap distance of 0.5 mm. Moreover, a charge pump can be constructed with two output channels, which has improved surface charge density by about 14 times. With the frequency varying from 18 to 38 Hz, the V-TENG can continually power 400 LEDs and charge a commercial capacitor quickly. This work has shown an encouraging method for enhancing the performance of V-TENGs, which also has great prospects in harvesting wideband vibration energy from machines, cars, ships, and human motions for self-powered electronics. The frequency band broadening mechanism and charge density enhancement technique of the vibrational TENG (V-TENG) were systematically elaborated. The introduction of double-sided stoppers strengthens the nonlinear characteristics of the V-TENG and broadens the frequency band. Furthermore, a high-performance V-TENG based on charge pump (CPV-TENG) is constructed according to the two output channels of the V-TENG. [Display omitted] • Research on the frequency band characteristics of a V-TENG based on two stoppers by theoretical analysis and simulation. • Demonstration of the frequency band broadening features of V-TENG under different conditions by experimental exploration. • A high-performance CPV-TENG based on the charge pump effects is constructed according to two output channels of V-TENG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Photocrosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels provide a conducive 3-D environment that supports the chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The HA macromer concentration in the hydrogels has a significant impact on the chondrogenesis of the encapsulated MSCs due to changes in the physical properties of the hydrogels. Meanwhile, hypoxia has been shown to promote MSC chondrogenesis and suppress subsequent hypertrophy. This study investigates the combinatorial effect of tuning HA macromer concentration (1.5–5%w/v) and hypoxia on MSC chondrogenesis and hypertrophy. To decouple the effect of HA concentration from that of crosslinking density, the HA hydrogel crosslinking density was adjusted by varying the extent of the reaction through the light exposure time while keeping the HA concentration constant (5%w/v at 5 or 15min). It was found that hypoxia had no significant effect on the chondrogenesis and cartilaginous matrix synthesis of hMSCs under all hydrogel conditions. In contrast, the hypoxia-mediated positive or negative regulation of hMSC hypertrophy in HA hydrogels is dependent on the HA concentration but independent of the crosslinking density. Specifically, hypoxia significantly suppressed hMSC hypertrophy and neocartilage calcification in low HA concentration hydrogels, whereas hypoxia substantially enhanced hMSC hypertrophy, leading to elevated tissue calcification in high HA concentration hydrogels irrespective of their crosslinking density. In addition, at a constant high HA concentration, increasing hydrogel crosslinking density promoted hMSC hypertrophy and matrix calcification. To conclude, the findings from this study demonstrate that the effect of hypoxia on hMSC chondrogenesis and hypertrophy is differentially influenced by the encapsulating HA hydrogel properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The cytoskeleton determines cell shape and is involved in cell motility. It also plays a role in differentiation and in modulating specialized cellular functions. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) participates in cytoskeletal remodeling by phosphorylating and inactivating the actin-severing protein, cofilin. Severing F-actin to release G-actin monomers is required for actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Although less well established, LIMK1 may also influence the cell cycle and modulate metalloproteinase activity. Since the role of LIMK1 in bone cell biology has not been reported, the skeletal phenotype of LIMK1−/− mice was examined. LIMK1−/− mice had significantly reduced trabecular bone mass when analyzed by microCT (p<0.01). Histomorphometric analyses demonstrated a 31% reduction in the number of osteoblasts (p=0.0003) and a 23% reduction in osteoid surface (p=0.0005). The number of osteoclasts was no different in control and knock out animals. Consistent with the in vivo findings in osteoblasts, the number of osteoblast colony forming units in LIMK1−/− bone marrow was reduced by nearly 50%. Further, osteoblasts isolated from LIMK1−/− mice showed significantly reduced rates of mineralization in vitro. Osteoclasts from LIMK1−/− mice evidenced more rapid cytoskeletal remodeling in response to treatment with CSF1. In keeping with this latter finding, basal levels of phospho-cofilin were reduced in LIMK1−/− osteoclasts. LIMK1−/− osteoclasts also resorbed dentine slices to a greater extent in vitro and were more active in a pit assay. These data support the hypothesis that LIMK1 is required for normal osteoblast differentiation. In addition, its absence leads to increased cytoskeletal remodeling and bone resorption in osteoclasts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes analytical model results of a cantilever based piezoelectric energy harvesting device (PEHD) with a large tip mass whose centre of gravity is not coincident with its point of attachment to the beam. This model includes both the piezoelectric backward coupling and the dimensions of a large tip mass in the governing equations. This work aims to enable a wide range of PEHD researchers, not only experts but also PEHD designers and analysts to have a model that can be used to evaluate the performance of the designed energy harvesting devices for self- power sensors/sensor networks in structural health monitoring applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a micropump fabricated from low cost materials with specific goal of cost reduction. The micropump does not require any valve flap and comprises one plastic pump polyether–ether–ketone (PEEK) body, one metal diaphragm, and three piezoelectric ceramics to form piezoelectrically actuated diaphragm valves. The valve actuation simplifies micropump structural designs and assembly processes to make the pump attractive for low cost bio-medical drug delivery applications. A detailed optimization design of geometric parameters of the piezoelectrically actuated diaphragm is undertaken by use of 3D finite element method (FEM) to maximize piezoelectric actuation capability and ensure actuation reliability. An optimized geometric dimensional design: the ratio of thicknesses between the piezoelectric ceramics and the metal diaphragm, and the lateral dimension of the piezoelectric ceramic, is obtained through simulations. Based on the optimized design, a good agreement has been reached between simulated and measured strokes of the micropumps. The tested results show that the micropump has a high pump flow rate for air, up to 39ml/min, and for water, up to 1.8ml/min, and is capable of ensuring diaphragm’s maximum stress and strain is within material strength for reliable work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 1954, the term "probiotics" was coined by Ferdinand Vergin in his article. Although there are many clinical reports on the use of pro/synbiotics and other microbial preparations to prevent postoperative infections and related complications in patients with Colorectal cancer (CRC), their effectiveness remains divided. Therefore, we collected relevant high-quality randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies and conducted systematic review and meta-analysis. We electronically searched online databases (the PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Allied and Alternative Medieine (AMED), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Weipu) for literature published until December 2020. These reports were rigorously screened, and the data extracted, assessed for risk of bias (ROB), and subjected to meta-analysis and subgroup analysis. Postoperative infections were the main criteria for outcomes. Nineteen high-quality articles were included, involving 1975 patients. Compared with the control group, the pro/synbiotics group had reduced total postoperative infections ((odds ratio)OR = 0.28, 95% (confidence interval)CI: 0.20; 0.39, p < 0.0001), which included surgical site infections (SSI) (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.31; 0.58, p < 0.0001) and non-surgical site infections (non-SSI) (OR = 0.28 95% CI: 0.20; 0.39, p < 0.0001).What is more, in aspects of inflammatory factors, intestinal dysbiosis, non-infectious complications, and systemic symptoms, the treatment group was better than the control group. However, there were no differences in perineal infections (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.13; 1.50, p = 0.1933), celiac infections (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.11; 2.66, p = 0.4471), or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) incidence (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.31; 1.30, p = 0.2139), etc. There were no differences in intervention (probiotics or synbiotics), strain type (multistrain or non-multistrain probiotics), and intervention time (administration preoperatively or pre-and-postoperatively). Pro/synbiotics can effectively prevent postoperative infections and related complications in patients with CRC. The strain type and intervention time did not affect the treatment effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The recently prevalent variants of concerns (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 belong to Omicron variants which display increased transmissibility and evade from immune protection generated by vaccines and/or natural infections. Better immunization strategies should be explored to induce broader immune responses against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we used inactivated vaccines derived from ancestral (Wu), Delta (Del) and Omicron (Omi) strains to immunize mice with homologous booster (3 × Wu, 3 × Del and 3 × Omi) or heterologous sequential booster (Wu/Del/Omi and Omi/Wu/Del) to evaluate their responses against two pre-Omicron (Wu and Del) and four Omicron variants. Even though neutralization responses against Wu and Del variants were similar in heterologous and homologous immunization groups, heterologous immunization groups induced significantly stronger neutralizing antibody against BA.1 (4.1–11 folds higher) and BA.2 (4.7–14.2 folds higher) than those of homologous immunization groups. While homologous immunization only induced strong neutralizing responses to either pre-Omicron variants (Wu and Del) in 3 × Wu and 3 × Del groups or to Omicron variants (BA.1 and BA.2) in 3 × Omi group, heterologous immunization groups induced strong and broader neutralizing responses to both pre-Omicron (Wu, Del) and Omicron variants (BA.1 and BA.2). Homologous and heterologous immunization groups elicited similar antigen-specific T cell (IFN-γ+) and B cell responses. Compared with homologous immunization, heterologous immunization could induce stronger plasma cell responses, which have the potential to generate broader and stronger neutralizing antibodies. However, neither heterologous nor homologous immunization groups induced strong neutralizing antibody against variants with bigger genetic deviation, such as BA.4/5 or BF.7, only weak neutralizing responses were induced. Surveillance on SARS-CoV2 variants evolution and immunization strategy are needed to explore better vaccines with broader and stronger neutralizing antibodies against post pandemic COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates new ways to integrate piezoelectric energy harvesting elements onto carbon-fibre composite structures, using a new bonding technique with a vacuum bag system and co-curing process, for fabrication onto airframe structures. Dynamic mechanical vibration tests were performed to characterise the energy harvested by the various integration methods across a range of different vibration frequencies and applied mechanical input loadings. An analytical model was also introduced to predict the power harvested under the mechanical vibrations as a benchmark to evaluate the proposed methods. The developed co-curing showed a high efficiency for energy harvesting at a range of low frequencies, where the co-curing method offered a maximum improvement of 14.3% compared to the mechanical bonding approach at a frequency of 10 Hz. Furthermore, co-curing exhibited potential at high frequency by performing the sweep test between frequencies of 1 and 100 Hz. Therefore, this research work offers potential integration technology for energy harvesting in complicated airframe structures in aerospace applications, to obtain the power required for environmental or structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) arises from the malignant mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Natural killer (NK) cells are fundamental immune cells shaping the anti-HNSCC response. Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of NK cell activity is crucial for understanding anti-HNSCC immunity. In this study, we characterized the expression and function of HLA-B-associated transcript 3 (Bat3) in NK cells in a mouse HNSCC model. We found that Bat3 expression was down-regulated in HNSCC-infiltrating NK cells. SCC VII, the mouse HNSCC cell line used in this model, induced Bat3 downregulation through direct cell-to-cell contact. By applying lentivirus-mediated silencing of Bat3, we discovered that Bat3 knockdown impaired the tumoricidal effect of NK cells on SCC VII cells and Hepa1-6RAE1, a genetically modified liver cancer cell line. Furthermore, Bat3 knockdown resulted in a significant decrease in perforin, granzyme B, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α in NK cells upon co-culture with SCC VII cells. Further investigations revealed that Bat3 knockdown promoted the binding of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing-3 (Tim-3) to Fyn and thus activated the Tim-3 signaling. Blockade of Tim-3 with a neutralizing Tim-3 antibody counteracted the effect of Bat3 knockdown on NK cell cytotoxicity. Taken together, our data suggest that HNSCC might down-regulate Bat3 expression to augment Tim-3 signaling and ultimately suppress the tumoricidal activity of NK cells. This study unveils a novel mechanism by which HNSCC evades NK cell killing, and sheds light on designing novel anti-HNSCC immunotherapy targeting Bat3 and Tim-3 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium based dual-ion batteries (SDIBs) recently garnered considerable interest for stationary energy storage due to their decent energy and power densities with low cost. However, the limiting factors in the application of SDIBs are their unsatisfactory cyclability and capability. Here, a flexible and free-standing Cl−-doped PPy/rGO film (Cl-PPy/rGO) was prepared and directly used as cathode electrodes in SDIBs. The Cl-PPy/rGO possesses a robust sandwich structure and consists of 3D rGO conductive network with dispersive Cl-PPy nanoparticles, which can facilitate electron and ion diffusion. Benefiting from the sandwich structure and the π-π interaction between PPy and rGO, the Cl-PPy/rGO shows superior electrochemical performances in SDIBs with sodium metal anode, especially high capacity (422 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1) and long-cycling stability (74% of capacity retention at 500 mA g−1 after 1000 cycles), as well as exhibiting remarkable reversible capacity (183.4 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1) for SDIBs with hard carbon anode. The ion storage mechanism of Cl-PPy/rGO was revealed by combination studies of cyclic voltammetry, ex-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This study not only provides a simple strategy to fabricate high performance cathode for SDIBs but reveals the ion storage mechanism of redox-active polymers. [Display omitted] • A free-standing Cl−-doped PPy/rGO film with 3D sandwich structure was prepared. • The free-standing Cl−-doped PPy/rGO film can be directly used as working electrodes. • The Cl−-doped PPy/rGO film is presented as a high-performance cathode for SDIBs. • The reaction mechanism is based on reversible doping/dedoping of anions (ClO 4 −). • The Cl− doping can promote charge transfer and redox reaction to improve capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Traditional impedance match for piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) is inaccurate. • Analysed internal impedance network and dual power peaks of strongly coupled PEHs. • Developed modelling method for strongly coupled and pre-stressed PEHs with circuit. • The model predicts the internal impedance and maximum power against frequency. • Power increases with accuracy of impedance matching and coupling. Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are usually connected to a load resistor R L matching to the impedance of their internal capacitance C P T to characterise the power generation during transducer design and optimisation. For strongly-coupled PEHs operating near resonance, this simple RC matching method underestimates the power output and fails to characterise the dual power peaks but is still often used in both simulation and experiment. This study analysed the internal impedance network and the power output characteristics of PEHs. Based on the analysis, a finite element model (FEM) for strongly coupled PEHs was developed for the first time and applied to a pre-stressed piezoelectric stack energy harvester (PSEH). A stationary analysis was first performed to simulate the pre-stressed state of the PSEH. The FEM then analysed the internal impedance of the pre-stressed PSEH, which was used as the optimal load resistance to simulate the electric power output. The simulated internal impedance and electric power output of the PSEH were validated by the experiment with good agreement. The FEM developed precisely predicted the electric power output, including the two identical power peaks, of the strongly coupled PSEH operating near resonance and outside resonance. In contrast, the FEM with the traditional RC matching showed only one power peak and significantly underestimated the power output near resonance, although it was still valid outside resonance. The developed FEM was also able to predict the effects of the static pre-stress and coupling efficiency figure of merit on the PSEH. The coupling efficiency figure of merit was found to increase the power output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Magnetic rolling pendulum with low mechanical loss and strong nonlinear behaviours. • Normalised mechanical loss <30% of those reported in the literature. • Consecutive primary and subharmonic resonance when excitation ≥5 m/s2. • 1-mW-bandwidth up to 9.7 Hz with linear resonance frequency of 4.6 Hz. • Subharmonic resonance contributes up to 2/3 of the bandwidth. Nonlinear systems may exhibit secondary resonances, which can provide an additional and thus broadened bandwidth for energy harvesting. However, the secondary resonances of nonlinear energy harvesters reported in the literature suffer from low-power output and limited bandwidth. This work proposes a novel magnetic rolling pendulum (MRP) with a large bandwidth and high power output in both primary and secondary resonances for energy harvesting. The MRP employs the rolling motion of a magnetically levitated permanent magnet with minimal mechanical damping. A prototype was fabricated and characterised. An analytical model combined with finite element analysis was developed and validated by experiment. Both experiment and simulation show that the MRP has a linear resonance frequency of 4.6 Hz and peak power of 3.7 mW. It exhibits strong nonlinear behaviours and broadband characteristics with excitation amplitude as low as 2 m/s2 in the primary resonance. As the excitation amplitude is larger than 5 m/s2, the secondary resonance (1/2 order subharmonics) is excited. The responses of the MRP at the subharmonic resonance take the same form as the primary resonance in terms of displacement and power outputs. This helps the subharmonic resonance to produce the same power level as the primary resonance but with a larger bandwidth. When excited at 14 m/s2, the MRP shows 1-mW-bandwidth of 9.7 Hz, 2/3 of which is attributed to the subharmonic resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels have been widely used as the carrier material of therapeutic cell and drugs for articular cartilage repair. We previously demonstrated a unique host-guest macromer (HGM) approach to prepare mechanically resilient, self-healing and injectable supramolecular gelatin hydrogels free of chemical crosslinking. In this work, we show that compared with conventional hydrogels our supramolecular gelatin hydrogels mediate more sustained release of small molecular (kartogenin) and proteinaceous (TGF-β1) chondrogenic agents, leading to enhanced chondrogenesis of the encapsulated human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, the supramolecular nature of our hydrogels allows injection of the pre-fabricated hydrogels containing the encapsulated hBMSCs and chondrogenic agents, and our data show that the injection process has little negative impact on the viability and chondrogenesis of the encapsulated cells and subsequent neocartilage development. Furthermore, the stem cell-laden supramolecular hydrogels administered via injection through a needle effectively promote the regeneration of both hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone in the rat osteochondral defect model. These results demonstrate that our supramolecular HGM hydrogels are promising delivery biomaterials of therapeutic agents and cells for cartilage repair via minimally invasive procedures. This unique capability of injecting cell-laden hydrogels to target sites will greatly facilitate stem cell therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrandrine (TET) was approved by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for the treatment of silicosis. However, patients can’t use this effective drug chronically due to side effects such as hypersomnia, asthenia, etc . The purpose of this study is to develop an UPLC–MS/MS method to quantify TET and its major metabolite and apply the method in a single dose human pharmacokinetic study. A Restek UItra BiPh column (100 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) was used with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water as the mobile phases. The mass analysis was performed in a Waters Xevo TQ mass spectrometer via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with positive scan mode. A one-step protein precipitation by acetonitrile was used to extract the analytes from blood sample. The method showed linearity in the concentration ranges of 2.05–1050.00 ng/mL for TET and 1.27–650.00 ng/mL for berbamine. The intra/inter-day precisions were less 15% for these two analytes. The extraction recoveries of these two analytes were from 75.6% to 107.8% and the matrix effects ranged from 92.4% to 110.4%. The stabilities of these compounds in plasma were evaluated by analyzing three different concentrations following storage at 25 °C for 6 h, and −80 °C for 30 days. All the samples displayed less than 15.0% variations. The validated method was applied to PK study in human and the PK parameters of TET and berbamine were determined. In conclusion, a robust and sensitive LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated. In addition, the results of human PK experiment showed that TET and berbamine could be accumulated and more study is needed to establish a reasonable dose segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous progress made in wearable energy harvesting technology is delivering sophisticated devices with increasing power outputs, which are possible to provide sustainable energy supply for body sensors to achieve energy-autonomous wireless sensing systems. This paper reports the development and characterisation of a wearable energy harvesting powered wireless sensing system with system-level strategies to address the challenges in energy harvesting, power conditioning, wireless sensing and their integration into a system. The system comprises four parts: (1) a magnetically plucked wearable knee-joint energy harvester (Mag-WKEH) to scavenge energy from knee-joint motions during human walking, (2) a power management module (PMM) with a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) function, (3) an energy-aware interface (EAI) for dealing with the mismatch between the energy generated and demanded, and (4) an energy-aware wireless sensor node (WSN) for data sensing and transmitting. Experiments were performed with a human subject wearing the system and walking on a treadmill at different speeds. The experimental results showed that as the walking speed increased from 3 to 7 km/h, the power output of the Mag-WKEH increased from 1.9 ± 0.12 to 4.5 ± 0.35 mW, and the generated power was able to power the WSN to work at duty cycles from 6.6 ± 0.36% to 13 ± 0.5% with an active time of 2.0 ± 0.1s. In each active time, the WSN was able to sample 482 readings with an interval of 10 ms from the sensors and transmit all data to a base station at a distance of 4 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact, springless, easy-to-process kirigami-inspired TENG (KI-TENG) is developed. The frequency responses of the KI-TENG under the influence of mass, acceleration, and initial distance are investigated in detail to optimize its structural design. Moreover, the TENG coupled with the kirigami structure could collect ultra-wide-band vibration energy and as a sensor measuring acceleration. [Display omitted] • A compact and springless kirigami-inspired TENG (KI-TENG) is developed. • The frequency response characteristics of the KI-TENG are investigated. • The KI-TENG can harvest ultra-wide-band vibration energy from 2 to 49 Hz. • The output of the KI-TENG at different vibration tilt angles is explored. • The KI-TENG can effectively monitor acceleration changes from 1 to 9 m/s2. Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs) based on spring-assisted structures play a central role in scavenging vibrational energy that is widely available in the natural environment. However, they suffer from difficulties in adjusting the stiffness and bonding the springs to the triboelectric layer. Here, a kirigami-inspired TENG (KI-TENG) with a kirigami structure is demonstrated, which can be used as an ultra-wide-band vibrational energy harvester and self-powered acceleration sensor. The triboelectric layer of the KI-TENG can be easily processed into the kirigami structure with one or two-degree-of-freedom by laser cutting technology. The frequency responses of the KI-TENG under the influence of mass, acceleration, and initial distance are investigated in detail to optimize the structural design. With optimized structural parameters, the KI-TENG can not only harvest broadband vibration energy from 2 to 49 Hz in vertical vibration state but also obtain high output performance over a wide frequency range in horizontal vibration state. Moreover, the KI-TENG can be used as a sensor measuring acceleration from 1 to 9 m/s2. This work demonstrates a compact TENG coupled with the kirigami structure for energy harvesting and active sensing, which has great prospects in intelligent plants, artificial intelligence, and the internet age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For radiation detection, the imaging system should have a large field of view (FOV) and high detection efficiency because it has to be used in a radiation environment where the quantity and direction of radioactive sources are unknown. A panorama coded-aperture gamma camera optimized for use in complex nuclear environment has been developed and evaluated with an angular resolution of 3.5°. Typical gamma cameras have the limited field of view ranging from 10° to 60° in both horizontal and vertical direction. The system presented in this paper extends the field of view to 360° in the horizontal direction and 60° in the vertical direction. The partial encoding of coded aperture imaging is mitigated by convolving the data of diverse adjacent modules with a partial transmission function. The experimental feasibility of measuring multiple sources in the 360° horizontal field of view was demonstrated with a panoramic image. The results showed that the system could clearly identify the direction of multiple radiation sources in an unknown extended radiation environment. The system can help to simplify the clean up and decommissioning of nuclear sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation therapy offers limited clinical benefits for patients with pancreatic cancer, partly as a result of the predominantly immunosuppressive microenvironment characteristic of this specific type of cancer. A large number of abnormal blood vessels and high-density fibrous matrices in pancreatic cancer will lead to hypoxia within tumor tissue and hinder immune cell infiltration. We used low-dose X-ray irradiation, also known as low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT), to normalize the blood vessels in pancreatic cancer, while simultaneously administering an inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to reduce pancreatic cancer fibrosis. We found that this treatment successfully reduced pancreatic cancer hypoxia, increased immune cell infiltration, and increased sensitivity to radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer. [Display omitted] • Induction of vascular normalization using low-dose radiation. • Modify the immune microenvironment of PDAC by combining low-dose radiation and interfibrillar improvement drug FAK inhibitor. • Reversal of the immunosuppressive microenvironment improves the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer to radiation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A depth discrimination method is devised based on a multirow linear array detector for push-broom Compton scatter imaging. Two or more rows of detector modules are placed at different positions towards a sample. An improved parallel-hole collimator is fixed in front of the modules to restrict their fields of view. The depth information could be indicated by comparing the signal differences. In addition, an available detector and several related simulations using GEANT4 are given to support the method well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Tissue-specific responses to ammonium stress exist between leaves and roots of Z. marina. • Nitrogen assimilation in leaves is more susceptible to inhibition by ammonium toxicity than roots. • The capacity for ammonium detoxification and scavenging is more effective in roots than leaves. Coastal eutrophication has resulted in the rapid loss and deterioration of seagrass beds worldwide. The high concentration of ammonium in eutrophic aquatic environments has been invoked as the main cause. In this study, leaves and roots of the seagrass Zostera marina were treated with simulated eutrophic seawater with elevated ammonium concentrations. The tolerance to ammonium stress and mechanism of nitrogen metabolism detoxification in different tissues were investigated. The results showed that high ammonium stress significantly affected the growth of leaves and had a negative effect on photosynthesis. The root activity of Z. marina was not inhibited at ammonium concentrations of ≤100 mg/L, indicating that the roots exhibited tolerance to ammonium stress. Increasing ammonium concentrations led to a higher increase of ammonium and free amino acid (FAA) contents in leaves than in roots. However, nitrogen storage decreased in Z. marina leaves after high ammonium treatments. The enzyme activity and gene expression of glutamine synthetase (GS) in roots were significantly higher than in the leaves even under ammonium stress. Meanwhile, ammonium stress increased the enzyme activities and gene expression of glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in roots, which suggested that the roots had a strong ability to assimilate ammonium under ammonium stress. In contrast, although the GOGAT and GDH activity and gene expression in the leaves were initially increased, they significantly decreased when the ammonium concentration exceeded 100 mg/L. These results indicated that the concentration of 100 mg/L might be a threshold marking a transition from tolerance to toxicity for the leaves. Our study demonstrates that Z. marina leaves could be prone to higher damage than roots because the mechanism of ammonium assimilation in leaves is more susceptible to ammonium toxicity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Traction return current is a promising source for railway energy harvesting. • A magnetic core partially enclosing the rail track can increase the power output. • The optimal design should trade effective permeability against eddy current loss. • Nonlinear magnetization and magnetic saturation leads to increased optimal load. • The harvester produced average power of 5.05 W under a rail current of 520 A. Alternating magnetic fields generated by AC traction return currents in rail tracks are an untapped energy source that can be scavenged by a magnetic field energy harvester (MFEH) to power wireless condition monitoring sensors. This paper reports the first comprehensive study on the design, optimisation and experimental testing of such MFEH. The magnetic core has been specially designed with two flux collectors partially enclosing the rail track to increase the power output. An electromagnetic-circuit coupled finite element model (FEM) has been developed to optimise the design under the influence of eddy current loss in the rail track, which has not been investigated before. The simulation reveals that an optimal design should trade off the effective permeability against the eddy current loss, instead of purely maximising the effective permeability as in previous studies. The effects of the various design parameters on the performance of the MFEH have been investigated to obtain an optimised design. An optimised design has been prototyped and tested under a section of current-carrying rail track. The experimental results showed good agreements with simulations. Experimental results show that nonlinear magnetization and magnetic saturation has negatively affected the power generation but the effect can be minimised by increasing the load resistance. The MFEH has produced average power of 5.05, 3.5 and 1.6 W, when placed at 48, 95, 190 mm from the rail track carrying 520 A at 50 Hz, respectively. The power generated has a significant potential for powering wireless sensors for a range of railway monitoring applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]