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Cryptorchidism-caused adult infertility is a common component of idiopathic reasons for male infertility. Retinoic acid (RA) has a vital effect on the spermatogenesis process. Here, we found that the expression of c-Kit, Stra8, and Sycp3 could be up-regulated via the activation of retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) after RA supplementation in neonatal cryptorchid infertile rats. We also demonstrated that the protein expression of PI3K, p-Akt/pan-Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR was higher in cryptorchid than in normal testes, and could be suppressed with RA in vivo. After RA treatment in infertile cryptorchid testis in vivo, the levels of the autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin1 increased and those of P62 decreased. Biotin tracer indicated that the permeability of blood-testis barrier (BTB) in cryptorchid rats decreased after RA administration. Additionally, after blocking the RARα with AR7 (an RARα antagonist) in testicle culture in vitro, we observed that compared with normal testes, the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and the autophagy pathway was increased and decreased, respectively, which were coincident with cryptorchisd testes in vivo. Additionally, the appropriate concentrations of RA treatment could depress the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and improve the autophagy pathway. The results confirmed that RA can rehabilitate BTB function and drive key protein levels in spermatogonial differentiation through depressing the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway via RARα.

Accelerating angiogenesis of diabetic wounds is crucial to promoting wound healing. Currently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenesis-related bioactive molecule, is widely used in clinic to enhance wound angiogenesis, but it faces problems of inactivation and low utilization due to harsh microenvironment. Here, we developed a novel reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging hydrogel aimed to polarize macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, inducing efficient angiogenesis in diabetic wounds. This composite hydrogel with good biosafety and mechanical properties showed sustainable release of bioactive VEGF. Importantly, it could significantly reduce ROS level and rapidly improve wound microenvironment, which ensured the activity of VEGF in vitro and in vivo and successful healing eventually. At the same time, the composite hydrogel exhibited excellent antibacterial properties. In vivo results confirmed good anti-inflammatory, stimulated vascularization and accelerated wound healing attributed to the novel ROS-scavenging hydrogel, which might serve as a promising wound dressing in diabetic wound healing.

To assess the accuracy of contralateral testis hypertrophy for predicting the fate of nonpalpable testis in Chinese boys at different ages.The data of patients who presented with unilateral impalpable testis and who underwent laparoscopy at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2018 were reviewed. The boys were divided into four groups: age-matched volunteers with no testicular abnormalities represented the control group (group I), boys with palpable undescended testis (group II), boys with nonpalpable testis (NPT)/viable testis (VT) (group III), and boys with NPT/non-viable testis (NVT) group (group IV). Scrotal testes were prospectively measured by ultrasonography for volume and size, and diagnostic laparoscopy was performed to determine the state of the cryptorchid testis.The mean contralateral testicular volume and length in the boys with an absent testis was 0.78mL and 17mm compared with 0.67mL and 15mm in the boys with a testis present and 0.63mL and 15mm in the controls, respectively (P0.05). The predictive accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for an absent testis were 64.9%, 75%, and 49%, respectively, for volume and 64.2%, 56.3%, and 76.4%, respectively for length at the optimal cutoff value of 0.65mL volume and 16.55mm length. Contralateral testis volume was the most accurate in predicting monorchism in 0-2-year-olds (sensitivity: 75%, specificity: 70%, accuracy: 73.1%) and the contralateral testicular length was most accurate for 4-6-years-old (sensitivity: 68.6%; specificity: 77.8%; accuracy: 72.2%). We also included 29 patients with bilateral undescended testis (UDT) and with unilateral nonpalpable. Cutoff values for testicular volume and length were 0.6mL (sensitivity: 81.8%, specificity: 88.9%, accuracy: 86.2%) and 13.5mm (sensitivity: 63.6%, specificity: 77.8%, accuracy: 77.8%).The present results exclusively obtained from laparoscopic exploration suggest that a testis volume of0.65mL or a testis length of16.55mm could predict monarchism with an accuracy of about 65%. In younger patients aged 0-2 years and 4-6 years, the overall predictive accuracy increases to about 73% but laparoscopic exploration is still required.

In this work, magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterostructure nanoparticles were prepared via a novel solution combustion and gel calcination process. The glutaraldehyde was cross-linked on Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterostructure nanoparticles decorated silica. The prepared samples were characterized by TEM, EDS, XRD, VSM, SEM, XPS, TGA/DSC, BET measurement, Raman spectroscopy, Zeta potential, HR-TEM and FT-IR. The penicillin G acylase (PGA) was covalently immobilized on magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4@SiO2-CHO nanocomposites via the Schiff's reaction. Variations in the observed activities as a function of immobilization time and PGA concentration have been discussed, when immobilization time and concentration of PGA were 18 h and 0.2 mg·mL−1, the activity of immobilized PGA presented optimal values of 77.8 U·L−1 and 66.2 U·L−1. The effects of pH and temperature on enzyme activity were also evaluated, the activity of PGA at the temperature of 45 °C with buffer pH of 8 arrived at the highest lever. After 12 cycles of repetitive uses, the immobilized PGA still retained around 67% of initial activity. The research results indicated that PGA immobilized on magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4@SiO2-CHO nanocomposites showed excellent thermal stability, pH stability, and reusability compared with free enzyme.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy, safety, and treatment-related outcomes between percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PtRFA) and partial hepatectomy (PH) for small primary liver cancer meeting the Milan criteria.A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. A priori protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database, and a literature search of all relevant studies published on PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science database, and Science Direct until July 2019 was performed. Only randomized controlled trials published in English were eligible for inclusion.Of the 385 identified articles, only five randomized controlled trials involving 761 adult patients with small liver cancer were included in the final analysis. The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year, 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival between PtRFA and PH did not reach significant difference (P-value0.05). The long-term recurrence rate was higher and the recurrence-free survival was lower in patients treated with PtRFA compared with those treated with PH (P-value0.05), but short-term (1-year) comparisons did not reach statistical significance. With regard to treatment-related complications, serious adverse event risks, analgesics needs, hospital stay and costs, PtRFA had significant superiority compared with PH.The overall treatment effects of PtRFA are comparable to PH for small liver cancer. Though patients with PtRFA have a higher long-term recurrence rate, these patients share less complications, few serious adverse event risks, less analgesics needs, shorter hospital stay, and lower costs. PtRFA may be recommended as the preferred treatment of solitary liver tumors3cm in diameter.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a critical nuclear transcription factor for adaptation to hypoxia. HIF-1α, the regulatable subunit of HIF-1, is a cytoprotective factor that regulates various physiological activities. We used rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and the rat hepatocyte cell line BRL to examine the effects of methylmercury (MeHg). Treatment with MeHg led to time- and concentration-dependent toxicity in both lines with statistically cytotoxic effects at 5 μM and 10 μM in PC12 and BRL, respectively, at 0.5 hours. The protein level of HIF-1α was significantly decreased at 2.5 and 5 μM MeHg in PC12 and BRL cells, respectively. Furthermore, MeHg reduced the protein levels of the HIF-1α target proteins glucose transporter-1, vascular endothelial growth factor–A and erythropoietin. Overexpression of HIF-1α significantly attenuated MeHg-induced toxicity in both cell types. Notably, cobalt chloride, a pharmacological inducer of HIF-1α, significantly attenuated MeHg-induced toxicity in BRL cells but not in PC12 cells. An inhibitor of prolyl hydroxylase (PHD), 3, 4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), and the proteasomes inhibitor MG132 antagonized the toxicity of MeHg in both cell lines. However, 2-Methoxyestradiol, a HIF-1α inhibitor, significantly increased MeHg-induced toxicity in both cell lines. These data establish that (a) neuronal PC12 cells are more sensitive to MeHg than non-neuronal BRL cells (b) HIF-1α plays a similar role in MeHg-induced toxicity in both cell lines and (c) upregulation of HIF-1α by different methods offers greater cytoprotection against the toxicity of MeHg in PC2 and BRL cell lines.

We use K 4 − to denote the graph obtained from K 4 by removing an edge, and use T K 5 to denote a subdivision of K 5 . Let G be a 5-connected nonplanar graph and { x 1 , x 2 , y 1 , y 2 } ⊆ V ( G ) such that G [ { x 1 , x 2 , y 1 , y 2 } ] ≅ K 4 − with y 1 y 2 ∉ E ( G ) . Let w 1 , w 2 , w 3 ∈ N ( y 2 ) − { x 1 , x 2 } be distinct. We show that G contains a T K 5 in which y 2 is not a branch vertex, or G − y 2 contains K 4 − , or G has a special 5-separation, or G − { y 2 v : v ∉ { w 1 , w 2 , w 3 , x 1 , x 2 } } contains T K 5 . This result will be used to prove the Kelmans-Seymour conjecture that every 5-connected nonplanar graph contains T K 5 .

Cryptorchidism is a common disorder in children and may cause infertility in adults. The BTB is essential for maintaining the microenvironment necessary for normal spermatogenesis. This study investigated whether retinoic acid (RA) may regulate the proteins that are essential for integrity of the BTB in cryptorchidism. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were administrated flutamide during late pregnancy to induce a model of cryptorchidism in male offspring. The concentrations of RA and BTB tight and gap junction protein levels were significantly lower in untreated cryptorchid pups compared with normal pups, but almost normal in cryptorchid pups given RA. Studies in vitro corroborated these findings. The sperm quality of RA-treated model pups was better compared with the untreated model. RA treatment may have therapeutic potential to restore retinoic acid and proteins associated with integrity of the BTB in cryptorchid testis.

Composites consisting of porous Fe3O4 nanorods grown on carbon nanotubes coated with carbon film were obtained through a facile method. According to its relative permittivity and permeability, the microwave absorption abilities of such composites were examined. Impedance matching was optimized by carbon nanotubes addition to produce a strong absorption ability and corresponding effective frequency bandwidth. Porous Fe3O4 and amorphous carbon film provided greater polarization and dipole centers which improved microwave absorption abilities. The minimum reflection loss (RL) of such composites reached −37.50 dB at 2.0 mm thickness, while, a minimum RL of −35.70 dB and corresponding frequency bandwidth of 3.06 GHz was also obtained at 1.5 mm thickness. These results revealed that such composites presented superior absorption performance and could be very useful in the microwave absorption field.

Long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) from automobile exhaust impairs spermatogenesis through oxidative stress injury, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. To investigate the toxic mechanism of PM2.5-induced spermatogenesis impairment, we focused on the MAPK signaling pathway. We also examined the effects of treatment with vitamins C and E on spermatogenic function. Male SD rats were divided randomly into three groups: control (0.9% sterilized saline), PM2.5 exposure (20 mg/kg.b.w.), and PM2.5 exposure (20 mg/kg.b.w.) with vitamin intervention (vitamin C, 100 mg/kg.b.w.; vitamin E, 50 mg/kg.b.w.). Male rats showed a marked decline in fertility and decreased sperm quality after PM2.5 exposure. The expression of SOD and Nrf2 was significantly decreased, and that of MDA was increased markedly. The expression of blood–testis barrier–associated proteins, such as ZO-1, occludin, connexin 43, and β-catenin, was significantly decreased, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was downregulated, and the cleaved caspase-3 level was increased. Phosphorylation of MAPKs, including ERKs, JNKs, and p38, was upregulated. Treatment with vitamins C and E reversed the damage induced by PM2.5 exposure. These results suggest that PM2.5 from automobile exhaust disrupted spermatogenesis via ROS-mediated MAPK pathways, and that a combined vitamin C and E intervention effectively mitigated toxicity in the male reproductive system.

Zeolite synthesis in contemporary chemical industries is predominantly conducted using organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs), which are chronically hazardous to humans and the environment. It is a growing trend to develop an eco-friendly and nuisanceless OSDA for zeolite synthesis. Herein, choline is employed as a non-toxic and green OSDA to synthesize high silica Y zeolite with SiO2/Al2O3 ratios of 6.5–6.8. The prepared Y zeolite samples exhibited outstanding (hydro)thermal stability at ultrahigh temperature owing to the higher SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. The XRF, SEM, 29Si-NMR and 13Na+ results suggested that choline plays a structure-directing role in the synthesis of Y zeolite, while the feed molar fraction of Na+ is a crucial determinant for the framework SiO2/Al2O3 ratio and the crystal morphology.

ZnO with various nanostructures is widely investigated for high photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalysis performances due to its abundant and inert semiconducting properties with elevated electronic mobility and variable morphologies. Because the solar energy conversion efficiencies could possibly be further enhanced by the introduction of nanophotonic structures with larger surface ratios, high-quality ZnO inverse opals (IOs) were achieved by ALD method using O3 as the oxidant. The intrinsic UV emission peaks and PEC currents of ZnO IOs produced by O3 atomic layer deposition (ALD) method were much improved when compared to those made by H2O ALD and electrodeposition. ALD at higher temperatures (240 °C) can further enhance the crystalline quality and PEC performances. The optimal ALD thickness and filling fraction obtained by controlling ALD cycles, as well as the optimal photonic stop band position obtained by colloidal crystals with different sphere diameters were also discussed. It was found that conformally coated samples with TiO2 protection layers by ALD method using titanium tetrachloride as a precursor enhanced the photochemical stability of ZnO IOs. The photocorrosion was further reduced by inserting ALD Al2O3 inside the TiO2 protection layers. Heterostructured photonic crystals with double-layer IO structures with different pore periodicities were also developed for enhancing the PEC performances.

Through the simple liquid exfoliation method, WS2 QDs show excellent fluorescent properties. DA could form thin on the surface of WS2 QDs through the polymerization effect, leading to quenching of fluorescence. The sensing system is highly selective for DA and the limit of detection is 3.3 μM. These results indicate that WS2 QDs are potentially applicable in optical imaging, catalysis and fluorescence sensing. The strategy might be suitable for the detection of other catecholamine.

In this work, we have successfully developed an advanced asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on hierarchical graphene sheets@NiO (GN@NiO) core-shell nanosheets as positive electrode and 3D drilled graphene sheets (DGNs) hydrogel as negative electrode for the first time. The anode materials were synthesized by an efficient chemical bath deposition method followed by thermal annealing, and the resulting GN@NiO electrode shows an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 1092 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 . Additionally, the cathode materials were fabricated via a two-step process: chemical reduction at a low temperature and cost-effective cobalt catalyzed gasification strategy. Thanks to the mesoporous hydrogel structure, the porous DGNs electrode displays a specific capacitance up to 268 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 and the value is higher than that of major carbon-based materials. The optimized GN@NiO//DGNs ASC device provides a specific capacitance of 122.5 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 and an maximum energy density of 43.2 Wh kg −1 and even retains 19.5 Wh kg −1 at 20,000 W kg −1 , in addition, an excellent cycling stability with 95.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at 6 A g −1 . Our ASC device has great prospect for high energy density storage systems applications and expands the design space for graphene-based materials used in supercapacitors. Keywords : graphene; nickel oxide; porous hydrogel; hierarchical core-shell structure; asymmetric supercapacitor.

Broadband optical absorbers are significant for applications in solar energy harvesting, thermal emitters, and infrared detection. Broadband solar absorbers should have the advantages of broad solar spectrum utilization, good thermal stability, easy large-area fabrication, polarization independence, and insensitivity to incident angle. In this work, the ultra-broadband absorption of metallic truncated nanocones in the ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectral region is reported. The average absorptivity in the wavelength range of 100–2500 nm is 96.11%, and greater than 96% absorptivity can be continuously maintained in the range of 160–1470 nm. The results of a finite-difference time-domain simulation using air mass 1.5 show that the metallic truncated nanocones have an average solar absorptivity of 94.22% between 280 and 2500 nm. The absorptivity in the wide oblique angle range of 0–70° along all polarizations is higher than 80%. The effect of the geometric parameters of the metallic truncated nanocones on broadband absorption is discussed. The interaction of local surface plasmonic resonance, Fabry-Perot cavity resonance, and magnetic polarization resonance in the truncated nanocones leads to the high absorption performance. The feasibility of fabricating the truncated nanocones was verified using self-assembled monolayer colloidal crystal-assisted ultraviolet light lithography followed by atomic layer deposition of platinum. The average absorptivity of 74.82% presented from photoresist and platinum arrays is close to that of the simulated data.

The instability and poor conductivity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are the main factors limiting its application in supercapacitors. In this paper, inspired by the bionic concept of plant conduction tissue, a unique hierarchical structure with Ni Co layered double hydroxide linked by carbon nanotubes (CNTs/Ni Co LDH) was designed and synthesized for the first time. Among them, the introduction of CNTs can not only transport electrons and ions into the interior of materials, but also can play a role in the connection when the materials break, just like lotus root silk. Furthermore, the phase transition from MOF to LDH can enhance the redox activity of the materials and thus improve the coulomb efficiency. When used as an electrode material, CNTs/Ni Co LDH composites had a superior specific capacitance of 1628 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, and had an enhanced rate capability. The assembled hybrid supercapacitor exhibited a competitive energy density of 38.89 Wh kg−1 at power density of 800 W kg−1, and had a remarkable cyclic stability with a specific capacitance retention of 99.379% for 10,000 cycles at 5 A g−1. This bionic concept of plant conducting tissues can provide a new way to optimize the electrochemical performance of pure MOFs or metal hydroxide materials.

A simple cobalt catalyzed gasification strategy to synthesize drilled graphene sheets (DGNs) is performed, and 3D DGNs hydrogel is prepared at a relatively low temperature. Due to mesopore hydrogel structure that increases the charge transfer efficiency by providing pathways for ionic into the overlaps of DGNs hydrogel and hole density displays controllably, the resulting DGNs hydrogel electrode provides excellent rate capability with an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 264.1 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 compared to a value of 187.8 F g −1 for graphene sheets (GNs) pole. DGNs hydrogel expands the design space for developing high-performance energy storage devices.

Bottom-up and top-down methods can be combined to create well-designed two-dimensional rod arrays for use in optoelectronics. Toward this end, the bottom-up material growth should follow the exact input of the top-down surface patterning, for example, the growth morphologies should integrally match to the geometries of the patterning. Through the repeated use of appropriate amounts of sodium citrate and polyethylenimine, ZnO rod arrays, in which each rod integrally matched with restriction holes in the surfaces, were formed even when the diameters of restriction holes were much larger than the original habit diameters of the ZnO rods. The diameters and lengths of the ZnO rods were varied by adjusting the diameters of photoresist holes, the concentrations of precursors in solution, and the reaction time. This method was successfully extended the diameter of integrally matching growth of ZnO rods to micrometer scale. The effects of the restriction diameters, the concentration of adjuvants, and the crystallinity of the seeds on integrally matching growth of ZnO rods are discussed. The photoluminescence spectra and crystallinities of the ZnO rods produced in different environments were characterized, revealing that a smaller photoresist aperture improved crystallization quality. The photoluminescence spectra of ZnO rods with different growth times and adjuvant concentrations were also explored. Fibrous ZnO/Cu2O heterostructures were successfully synthesized via the growth of ZnO rods. The electrical properties of ZnO/Cu2O and ZnO rods/Si heterojunctions were investigated, and the crystallinities of the ZnO rods were shown to change based on the different synthesis conditions used. This method for the integrally matching growth of ZnO using photoresist patterns was also generalized to ZnO tubes and rings, which individually match to single restriction hole.

Hypospadias is the second most common congenital malformation in males. Although the aetiology of hypospadias is not clear, it is generally thought to be affected by both genetic and environmental endocrine-disrupting factors that affect the development of the urethra, leading to deformity.To investigate the difference in expression of the transcription factor Mafb in hypospadias and normal penile tissues and to assess whether it is related to the occurrence of hypospadias.Penile tissue was obtained from children with hypospadias who underwent surgical repair at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Patients diagnosed with undescended testicles, intersex status or endocrine abnormalities were excluded from the study. Twenty-five cases with hypospadias (average 3.5 years old) and 15 cases with circumcisions (as control) (average 5 years old) were included in this study. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Immunochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Mafb.Mafb mRNA expressions in the prepuce of cases with hypospadias was significantly reduced compared with that in the controls [(1.179 ± 0.1275), (0.6652 ± 0.07506), p 0.05)]. Hypospadias cases also showed decreased Mafb protein expression in the preputial subcutaneous mesenchymal cell layer. Mafb protein levels were significantly decreased in those with hypospadias compared with controls [(1.932 ± 0.1139), (1.006 ± 0.03312), p 0.05]. However, no such differences were found in Mafb expression between subjects with mild and severe hypospadias.Compared to the normal foreskin, expression of the Mafb gene was down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels, which was consistent with our RNA-seq sequencing results in Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)-induced hypospadias rats. This study is the first to report abnormal expression of Mafb in the preputial tissue of hypospadias cases. An in-depth study of the relationship between Mafb and cell proliferation, apoptosis, and urethra development may reveal the pathogenesis of hypospadias.Expression of the Mafb gene and protein in the foreskin of children with hypospadias is lower than that in normal foreskin. We postulate that such abnormal expression of the Mafb gene may be related to the occurrence of hypospadias and that this abnormal expression may affect the development of the urethra during the embryonic period.

This study introduces a mesoporous magnetic nano-system for the delivery of apigenin (API). A targeted therapeutic drug delivery system was prepared based on Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA nanocomposites. Magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles were first prepared via the rapid-combustion process. The effects of solvent type, solvent volume, calcination temperature, and calcination time on the crystal size and magnetism of the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles were investigated. The mesoporous silica shell was deposited on the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles using an improved Stober method. HA was exploited as the targeting ligand. The specific surface area of the Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2 nanocomposites was 369.6 m2/g, which is 19 times higher than that of the magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticle cores. Drug release properties from the Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA nanocomposites were studied, and the result showed that API-loaded nano-system had sustained release effect. Prussian blue staining and electrochemical performance variation showed that an external magnetic field facilitated cell uptake of Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA nanocomposites. MTT assays showed that the cell inhibition effect of API-Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA was stronger than that of free API at the same drug dose under a magnetic field and Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA nanocomposites showed good biocompatibility. Fluorescence imaging, flow cytometry, western blot, reactive oxygen species (ROS), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) kits verified that the enhanced therapeutic action was due to the promotion of apoptosis, lipid peroxidation, and ferroptosis. The magnetic nano-system (Fe2O3/Fe3O4@mSiO2-HA) showed good magnetic targeting and active hyaluronic acid targeting, and has the potential to provide a targeted delivery platform for many antitumor drugs.

Agricultural modernization is a key measure for China to promote the quality and efficiency of agricultural production in the new period. It aims to strengthen the basic status of agriculture's national economy and advocate a sustainable path plan for rural revitalization. Systematic analyses of the spatio-temporal evolution, spatial correlation characteristics, and external driving mechanisms of China's agricultural production efficiency is the scientific basis for the layout of agricultural space, the schedules formulation of agricultural modernization, and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategic goals. Based on the data sets of agricultural production, natural conditions, and socio-economic development at the municipal level in China from 2000 to 2015, the basic characteristics of agricultural production in China were explored using stochastic frontier analysis, spatial correlation analysis, and driving mechanism analysis. The results showed that: (1) The agricultural production efficiency has been reduced from 0.715 to 0.648, which has continued to maintain a steady decline, while the agricultural production efficiency has gradually become spatially heterogeneous and presents a significant ‘striped’ distribution. (2) The Moran's I of agricultural production efficiency increased from 0.4834 to 0.4908, and the spatial positive correlation clustering characteristics of H–H and L-L were relatively stable. (3) Differentiation of natural and socio-economic factors affects agricultural production efficiency. Natural conditions such as the diversity index and NDVI, and socio-economic factors such as the proportion of cropland and the proportion of GDP have become the dominant factors determining the agricultural production efficiency.

In this letter, the gold nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots were applied to the modification of glassy carbon electrode for the detection of catechol. The synergist cooperation between gold nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots can increase specific surface area and enhance electronic and catalytic properties of glassy carbon electrode. The detection limit of catechol is 0.869 μmol/L, demonstrating the superior detection efficiency of the gold nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots co-modified glassy carbon electrode as a new sensing platform.

[3-Aminopropyl]trimethoxysilane-modified titania nanotubes decorated with Au nanoparticles (APTMS/(TNTs-Au)) nanocomposites were synthesized using a deposition-precipitation process. The results showed that Au nanoparticles (NPs) in the metallic state were firmly adhered to the surface of the anatase TNTs. APTMS/(TNTs-Au) exhibited great photocatalytic activities which were evaluated from the degradation rate of methylene blue aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. 3D finite-difference time domain simulation was performed to estimate the electromagnetic field distribution at the interface between TNTs and Au NPs. The visible photocatalytic activity of APTMS/(TNTs-Au) was largely attributed to the surface plasmon absorption of metallic Au NPs, which generated and transferred hot electrons to the CB of TNTs. In addition, the hot electrons on the surface of TNTs also suppressed the radiative electron–hole recombination and consequently enhanced the photocatalytic activity.

Objective To present our treatment experience of buried penis, which has no consensus therapeutic technique for all cases of buried penis, by using a new technique for the repair of this condition, in which the approach is through the ventral penile root. Materials and methods We performed a retrospective review of 153 patients (median age: 6.5 years) who underwent repair of a buried penis between March 2005 and March 2013. The technique involves the creation of a wedge-shaped cut of the ventral penile skin, followed by fixation of the subcutaneous penile skin at the base of the degloved penis to the Buck fascia at the 2- and 10-o'clock positions. The ventral outer preputial skin is split down the midline, and the dorsal inner preputial skin is cut with oblique incision. Results All patients were followed for an average of 12 months after repair. Other than 2 cases (1.3%) of trapped penis with a ring of scar tissue, which required subsequent excision, there were no complications and the cosmetic appearance was satisfactory. Conclusion The described ventral penile approach is a simple and effective procedure with good cosmetic outcomes and few complications.

Defect-introduced graphene sheets with hole structure were fabricated utilizing a facile and scalable Cobalt catalyzed gasification strategy. The holes unleash the Li insertion potential by providing pathways for Li into the overlaps and wrinkles of graphene sheets. As a consequence, the advanced anode material exhibits first reversible specific capacity as high as 1009 mAh g−1 and can reach 898 mAh g−1, 667 mAh g−1, 453 mAh g−1 at current densities of 300 mA g−1, 500 mA g−1 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively. As far as we know, the defect-introduced graphene sheets are firstly fabricated as anode in lithium-ion batteries.

Reactive power control of doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) has been a heated topic in transient stability control of power systems in recent years. By using a new online supplementary learning control (OSLC) approach based on the theory of approximate dynamic programming (ADP), this paper develops an optimal and adaptive design method for the supplementary reactive power control of DFIGs to improve transient stability of power systems. To augment the reactive power command of the rotor-side converter (RSC), a supplementary controller is designed to reduce voltage sag at the common coupling point during a fault, and to mitigate active power oscillation of the wind farm after a fault. As a result, the transient stability of both DFIGs and the power system is enhanced. For the supplementary controller design, an action dependent cost function is introduced to make the OSLC model-free and completely data-driven. Furthermore, a least-squares based policy iteration algorithm is employed to train the supplementary controller with convergence and stability guarantee. By using such techniques, the supplementary reactive power controller can be trained directly from data measurements, and therefore, can adapt to system or external changes without an explicit offline system identification process. Simulations carried out in Power System Computer Aided Design/ Electro Magnetic Transient in DC System (PSCAD/EMTDC) show that the OSLC based supplementary reactive power controller can significantly improve the transient performance of the wind farm and enhance the transient stability of the power system after sever faults.

A robust one-step protocol is provided to prepare the nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide/Mn3O4 (rGO/Mn3O4) as electrodes for a symmetric supercapacitor, inheriting the superb faradic capacity of manganese oxides, excellent electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability of graphene nanomaterial. KMnO4 is utilized as the precursor of cube-shaped Mn3O4 particle in the one-step reduction process with Na2SO3 as the reductant, while rGO is reduced from graphene oxide in the same procedure, simultaneously. As a result, the as-prepared rGO/Mn3O4 composite exhibits enhanced electrochemical properties when fabricated as a supercapacitor device, reaching a high specific capacitance of 243 F/g at 0.5 A/g, and 82.3% capacitance retention remained after 1000 cycles at a current density of 5 A/g. As a symmetric supercapacitor device, the energy density reaches 27.92 Wh/kg at the power density of 277.78 W/kg.

The core shell structure of Cobalt@carbon nano rod/reduced graphene oxide (Co@CNR/rGO) is facilely synthesized with a one-pot hydrothermal process. Nitrogen is also introduced into the carbonaceous materials during the synthesis process. Calcination is added to graphitize the carbonaceous material, and simultaneously crystallize the Co particles. To assemble an electrode, the calcined Co@N-CNR/rGO material is uniformly loaded onto a collector of nickel foam by electrophoretic deposition. The specific capacitance is measured to be as high as 3233.3 F g-1at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. Three-dimensional rGO aerogels with desirable rate ability and cyclic stability are self-assembled with a hydrothermal reduction process from graphene oxide. Practically, the calcined Co@N-CNR/rGO and 3D rGO aerogel are utilized as cathode and anode to fabricate an asymmetric supercapacitor device, respectively. The operating voltage window of the device is increased to 1.5 V, and the energy density reached 31.8 Whkg−1 at a power density of 302 W kg-1, and 11.2 Whkg−1 at 45,000 W kg-1, respectively. The cyclic galvanostatic charge discharge stability is also measured and showed 99.2% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1.

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) derived from automobile exhaust can lead to serious male spermatogenesis dysfunction, but its specific molecular mechanism is unclear. In this experiment, we focused on the blood-testis barriers (BTB) and explored the intracellular mechanisms underlying the fertility toxicity of PM2.5 originating from automobile exhaust in the primary cultured Sertoli cells(SCs) of rats. After PM2.5 exposure, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased apoptosis of SCs were detected. The expression of the BTB related proteins including ZO-1, Occludin, N-cadherin and β-catenin were significantly decreased and the spatial arrangement of F-actin was completely disordered through Immunofluorescence and Western blots tests. The phosphorylation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal regulatory kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were upregulated and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2) -like 2-related factor (Nrf2) was downregulated respectively. However, combined utilization of vitamin C and E were observed to prevent the increase of ROS generation, reduce celluar apoptosis, increase the expression of BTB related proteins, reconstructed the spatial arrangement of F-actin as well as improved the Nrf2 expression and attenuated the phosphorylation of the MAPK kinases and cleaved caspase-3 levels. Furthermore, ERK inhibitor (SCH772984), JNK inhibitor (SP600125) and p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) obviously up-regulated BTB-related proteins expression as well as activated Nrf2 expression at varying degrees, indicating that ROS-MAPKs-Nrf2 is involved in the signaling pathway that leads to PM2.5-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction. These findings indicate that PM2.5 derived from automobile exhaust causes oxidative stress, which in turn causes cellular apoptosis of SCs and damage of the blood-testis barrier, resulting male spermatogenesis dysfunction, in which ROS-MAPK-Nrf-2 pathways may play a key role.

In this study, Co nanoparticles coated with N-doped carbon films (Co@C) were fabricated using the facile one-pot method. Further, the microwave absorption performance of Co@C prepared at different calcination temperatures was evaluated. When calcinating at 700 °C, the reflection loss values of Co@C are lower than −20 dB with a thickness of 1.5–5.5 mm. The Co particles show enhanced resonation loss with the in situ growth of Co@C on the graphene oxide surface. The presence of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) can prevent agglomeration and reduce the loading content with excellent microwave absorption performance. As expected, the minimum reflection loss of Co@C/RGO reached −44.14 dB when the loading content was only 15% in a paraffin matrix. The considerable microwave absorption performance of this composite can be attributed to the enhanced impedance matching and large interface contact as well as dipolar polarization induced by RGO. This Co@C/RGO composite exhibiting enhanced microwave ability is considered to be an excellent candidate for developing lightweight microwave-absorbing materials.

Alkyl-substituted imidazolium-based ionic liquid as a novel type of organic structure-directing agent (SDA) was employed to synthesize high-silica Y zeolite with a SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio of approximately 6.20–6.40. The XRD, SEM, BET and 27 Al NMR characterizations showed that the products synthesized with the ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide were highly crystalline pure phase Y zeolite. Moreover, the TG, TOC, XRF and 13 C NMR results suggested that 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cations were trapped within the pores of the faujasite structure and played the role of structure-directing agents. 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cations can partially replace the sodium cations to balance the negative charges of the zeolite framework, which facilitated the formation of a high SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio faujasite structure.

A composite of graphene nanosheets (GNS) decorated with manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles and interconnected by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been synthesized through a facile chemical method. SEM results suggest a homogeneous distribution of MnO2 nanoparticles (50–80 nm in size) on graphene nanosheets and excellent interconnectivity by CNTs. The MnO2/GNS/CNTs electrode exhibits excellent rate capability and significantly improved cycling stability (95% capability retained after 1000 cycles), and a high capacitance of 240 F g−1 is obtained for nanoscale MnO2. In addition, the method for the synthesis of MnO2/GNS/CNTs composites is simple and can be easily scaled up to real industrial manufacturing.

This study analyses the formation of polypyrrole/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PPy/MWCNT) composite materials using chemical oxidation with varying amounts of MWCNTs added. The samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy, a four-probe method, and infrared thermal imaging using electromagnetic parameters. According to the test results, it is seen that the formation of PPy with the addition of MWCNTs can affect the material’s infrared properties and increase the material’s microwave return losses (up to −19 dB). This production procedure can also make the peak frequency of the microwave return losses adjustable, and the composite’s infrared and microwave performance becomes compatible and adjustable.

The illegal food additives including ractopamine and melamine throw a serious threat to human health. In this paper, the ractopamine and melamine were first used to form the nanochain structure of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with a convenient and inexpensive method. The fabricated nanochain structure consisting of several AuNPs was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy. A new longitudinal surface plasma resonance, which could be adjusted from visible to near infrared range, was observed in absorption spectra due to the aggregation of AuNPs. This could be well explained by Finite Different Time Domain algorithm theoretically. As confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, the complex formed by hydrogen-bonding interaction between melamine and ractopamine could effectively promote the aggregation of AuNPs that was useful to develop the sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of ractopamine. Hence, the plasmonic coupling phenomenon of gold nanochain could be applied in bio-assay for ractopamine through the change of solution's color and optical absorption band with naked eye or absorption spectra. The linear range was broadened to (1.23 × 10(-7)M, 1.11 × 10(-6)M) and the limit of detection was extended to 4.10 × 10(-8)M (S/N=3). More importantly, this time-saving method will be promising in rapid and selective detection of β-agonist for clinical applications.

Reduced graphene oxide/gold nanoparticle was synthesized and characterized extensively. The nano-composites were employed as effective substrate for the investigation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity of rhodamine 6G. Rhodamine 6G absorbing on the nano-composites provided much stronger Raman signals than absorbing on pure gold nanoparticles. Raman signals containing both graphene and rhodamine 6G peaks were observed. Afterwards, we found the enhanced Raman scattering originated from the chemical mechanism and the increased scattering cross section. These findings would provide a new insight on better understanding of chemical-enhanced Raman mechanism and open up a new way of the graphene–metallic nanoparticle substrate applications.

In this Letter, the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used as an enhanced material for selective detection of ractopamine and metaproterenol with electrochemical methods. The morphology and size of gold nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and absorption spectrum. Meanwhile, the electrical properties of modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of ractopamine and metaproterenol were well explained by PM3 calculated method and cyclic voltammetry. Importantly, the ractopamine and metaproterenol were effectively detected. The detection range has been broadened to (10−9–10−5 M) and the detection time has been shortened to a few minutes.

To investigate the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2 in human hypospadiac tissue compared with that in normal penile tissue.Penile skin tissue specimens obtained at surgery during hypospadias repair or during elective circumcision were divided into 3 groups according to the position of the urethral meatus: children with mild hypospadias (n=16), severe hypospadias (n=16), and normal controls (n=16). The expression of total and phosphorylated JNK1 and JNK2 at the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels were assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunochemistry, and Western blot analysis.JNK1 messenger ribonucleic acid expression and JNK1 and JNK2 phosphorylated protein levels increased significantly in subjects with mild or severe hypospadias compared with the controls (P.05). JNK2 phosphorylated protein levels increased significantly in those with severe hypospadias compared with those with mild hypospadias (P.05). Those with hypospadias had increased phosphorylation protein expression of JNK1/2 in the mesenchymal cell layers of the preputial subcutaneous mesenchymal cell layer.Our findings suggest that JNK upregulation might contribute to the development of hypospadias and might associated with mesenchymal cell migration in the process of external male genitalia defect development.

The fabrication of photonic crystal heterostructures is important for the applications in the fields of integrated photonic crystal chips, multi-frequency optical Bragg filters or mirrors. However, multiple steps of self-assembly process of microspheres are always employed in the fabrication of photonic crystal heterostructures, which may produce lattice mismatches of colloidal crystals. Therefore, photonic crystal heterostructures fabricated by using colloidal crystal template with single kind of microspheres were investigated in this paper. A colloidal crystal template with uniform periodicity was firstly formed by monodispersed polystyrene microsphere. Then ZnO was electrodeposited into the interstices of the template. The thickness of ZnO was controlled to be less than the thickness of the template by varying the deposition time. After the TiO2 precursor was filled into the top voids in the template, the polystyrene colloidal crystal template was removed and photonic crystal heterostructures fabricated by ZnO and TiO2 were formed. Both the dielectric constant and the periodicity of the two parts of the heterostructures are different due to the shrinkage of the sol–gel process. The ZnO/TiO2 heterostructures have a broad photonic stop band which is the superposition of photonic stop bands of ZnO inverse opals and TiO2 inverse opals.

In this paper, 850V breakdown voltage LDMOS fabricated on Simbond SOI wafer are reported. Simbond SOI wafers with 1.5@mm top silicon, 3@mm buried oxide layer, and n-type heavy doped handle wafers are used. In order to achieve uniform lateral electric field and shorten the vertical impact ionization integration path simultaneously, an optimized 60@mm drift region implant mask is designed to realize a linearly graded doping profile, and silicon thickness in the drift region is reduced from 1.5@mm to about 0.26@mm by thick field oxide process. CMOS compatible SOI LDMOS processes are designed and implemented successfully. Off-state breakdown voltage of SOI LDMOS can reach 850V, and the specific on-resistance is 56@Wmm^2. Experimental results also show the thickness of the top silicon in the drift region has a good uniformity. The performance of SOI LDMOS indicated that Simbond SOI wafers are good choice for thin film high voltage devices.

Herein we report a study of the doping of the poly(2-methoxy-5-(30,70-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4- phenylenevinylene) (MDMO-PPV), poly (3-oc tylthiophene) (P3OT), to the organic photovoltaic devices based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and graphene derivative bulk heterojunction structure (BHJ). The addition of the donor polymers to P3HT:Graphene BJT solar cells resulted in a more broad absorption range. The interrelationships between UV–vis absorption, fill factor (FF), energy conversion efficiency (ECE) and current density have been simulated. Dependency of the open-circuit voltage ( V oc) was based on different doped donors, which is due to the band structure of BHJ where the energy level difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the co-donors and the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the solution-processable functionalized graphene oxide (SPFGO) as acceptor was increased. The investigation indicated that the ECE of the co-donors:SPFGO BHJ solar devices with moderate doped donor amount can be influenced by the change of molecular packing structure, which can be interpreted in terms of incorporating doped donor. The XRD investigation of the complex donors/graphene BHJ solar device showed a well-organized intraplane structure with lamellae oriented normal to the substrate. In addition, The SEM investigation indicated the surface roughness morphology of the hybrid active layer film.

A system of distinct representatives (SDR) of a family F=(A"1,...,A"n) is a sequence (x"1,...,x"n) of n distinct elements with x"i@?A"i for 1@?i@?n. Let N(F) denote the number of SDRs of a family F; two SDRs are considered distinct if they are different in at least one component. For a nonnegative integer t, a family F=(A"1,...,A"n) is called a (t,n)-family if the union of any k>=1 sets in the family contains at least k+t elements. The famous Hall's theorem says that N(F)>=1 if and only if F is a (0,n)-family. Denote by M(t,n) the minimum number of SDRs in a (t,n)-family. The problem of determining M(t,n) and those families containing exactly M(t,n) SDRs was first raised by Chang [G.J. Chang, On the number of SDR of a (t,n)-family, European J. Combin. 10 (1989) 231-234]. He solved the cases when 0@?t@?2 and gave a conjecture for t>=3. In this paper, we solve the conjecture.

Background/Purpose Ginsenosides have many biomedical efficacies, such as anti-aging, antioxidation, and anti-inflammatory activities. Compound K (CK), one of the major metabolites of ginsenosides, mediates the antimetastatic and anti-allergic activities of the ginsenosides. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of CK on level of type I collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 activity, and protein level in ultraviolet (UV)A-irradiated fibroblasts. Methods Fibroblasts were cultured with and without CK (0.01 μM, 0.1 μM or 1 μM) for 2 hours. Cells were sham-irradiated and irradiated with 50 kJ/m2, 100 kJ/m2 or 200 kJ/m2 UVA, and incubated in serumfree Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, with or without CK for 24 hours. MMP-1 activity in the supernatants and protein levels in the cells were assessed by zymography and western blotting, respectively. Level of type I collagen was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results MMP-1 activity and protein level were increased by UVA, which was downregulated by CK. Production of type I collagen was inhibited in UVA-irradiated fibroblasts, which was upregulated by CK. Conclusion CK is a potential agent for the prevention and treatment of skin photo-aging.

Solution-processable functionalized graphene (SPFGraphene) and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes(f-MWCNTs) are introduced for heterojunction solar cell. The performance of the device has improved by the incorporation of both SPFGraphene and f-MWCNTs. The open-circuit voltage ( V oc ), short-circuit current density ( J sc ), fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency ( η ) were 0.67 V, 4.7 mA/cm 2 , 32%, and 1.05%, respectively. Here, we expect that SPFGraphene acts as exciton dissociation and provide percolation paths for electron transfer, whereas f-MWCNTs provide efficient hole transportation. SPFGraphene and f-MWCNTs incorporation yields better carrier mobility, easy exciton splitting, and suppression of charge recombination, thereby improving photovoltaic action.