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To study the metal ion chelating agent (DL‐malic acid) inhibiting oxidation characteristics of residual coal in goaf, the microscopic thermal transformation characteristics of the treated coal samples were obtained using apparent morphology, infrared spectroscopy, free radical testing, and thermal analysis. The results demonstrate that after the addition of malic acid, the sphericity and roundness of the coal samples decrease, and the small fractured particles accumulate in the pores of the oxidized coal samples and, thereby, reduce the number of coal–oxygen contact sites. The addition of 10% malic acid promotes the conversion of functional groups (FG) and free radicals in pre‐oxidized coal, inhibits the catalytic effect of metal ions, generates more active sites, and increases the total heat release during the combustion process. There are strong endothermic points in the malic acid‐treated coal samples, and the free water evaporation blocked by small particles in the holes delays the initial heat release temperature of the coal samples. Pre‐oxidation can promote changes in the valence state of metal ions in coal, increase the adhesion between broken pre‐oxidized coal particles via malic acid chelation, and lose the catalytic effect of metal ions; this inhibits the process of oxidative re‐ignition of coal samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects arteries and is the main cause of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic plaque formation is usually asymptomatic and does not manifest until the occurrence of clinical events. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerotic plaques is particularly important. Here, a series of NIR‐II fluorescent dyes (RBT‐NH) are developed for three photoresponsive NO prodrugs (RBT‐NO), which can be controllably triggered by 808 nm laser to release NO and turn on the NIR‐II emission in the clinical medicine "therapeutic window". Notably, RBT3‐NO is selected for its exhibited high NO releasing efficiency and superior fluorescence signal enhancement. Subsequently, a platelet‐mimicking nano‐prodrug system (RBT3‐NO‐PEG@PM) is constructed by DSPE‐mPEG5k and platelet membrane (PM) for effectively targeted diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis in mice. The results indicate that this platelet‐mimicking NO nano‐prodrug system can reduce the accumulation of lipids at the sites of atherosclerotic plaques, improve the inflammatory response at the lesion sites, and promote endothelial cell migration, thereby slowing the progression of plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is the most significant accretionary orogenic belt since the Phanerozoic and the most ideal site for studying continental growth evolution processes. A 460‐km‐long high‐resolution crustal‐scale seismic reflection study was conducted across the eastern CAOB in North‐Central China to constrain the closure mode and location of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean, that is, the previous ocean of the CAOB. The resultant seismic reflection profile revealed opposite‐dipping reflectors in the northern and southern parts of the profile, which converge at the profile center to form an inverted U‐shaped reflector pattern near the crust–mantle transition zone beneath the Solonker Suture. The dipping reflectors represent bidirectional fossil subduction zones sloping to the north and south, and the convergence reflector pattern represents the ocean closure location. Integration of these results with available geological data facilitated model construction whereby Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure was accomplished by divergent subduction of the Paleo‐Asian oceanic plate, with northward subduction beneath the southern margin of the Mongolian Block and southward subduction beneath the northern margin of the North China Craton. The oceanic lithosphere contracted and deformed, yielding the observed inverted U‐shaped reflector pattern, representing Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure. This subsurface location lies beneath the Solonker Suture surface exposure, suggesting that this suture marks the ocean closure location, rather than the previously proposed Hegenshan–Heihe Suture to the north or Xar Moron Suture to the south. Our study suggests that divergently dipping subduction and associated accretion and magmatism may constitute the primary continental growth mode for accretionary‐type orogens. Plain Language Summary: The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is Earth's largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogenic belt, but its tectonic history remains uncertain, including the Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure location and mode. Here, we present a 460‐km‐long crustal‐scale seismic reflection survey across the eastern CAOB. According to the generated seismic profile, near‐symmetrical north‐ and south‐dipping reflectors occur in the crust–mantle transition zone, which are interpreted combined with published geological data to reveal that the Paleo‐Asian oceanic plate underwent divergent subduction beneath the South Mongolian Block and North China Craton. The inferred Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure location, the Solonker Suture, is identified by converging seismic reflectors in the central part of the profile. During oceanic subduction, newly formed accretionary complexes experienced soft collision with preexisting continental fragments. Therefore, we suggest that the eastern CAOB mainly comprises Paleozoic accretionary complexes with incorporated Precambrian fragments. We consider that divergently dipping oceanic subduction and associated accretion and magmatism constitute the main mode of CAOB continental growth and possibly of accretionary orogenic belts in general. Key Points: A crustal‐scale seismic profile reveals that the Paleo‐Asian Ocean was closed by double‐dipping subduction in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic BeltThe closure location of the ocean occurs between the Xar Moron and Hegenshan–Heihe sutures and extends eastward to central SongliaoOceanic double‐dipping subduction–accretion and magmatism are important mechanisms for accretionary orogens [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and humidity (TH) post‐treatment is a relatively mild way to change the silk fibroin (SF) secondary structure. Here, urease is immobilized in SF scaffold (SFS) by TH post‐treatment, and the effects of annealing on the immobilized urease activity are examined. Fourier transform infrared indicates that the SFS secondary structure started to transform when the scaffold is annealed at 35 °C with 100% relative humidity for 20 min. The higher the temperature, the lower the treatment time is required to change SFS structure. Compared to methanol annealing, TH post‐treatment maintains the original form of the sample, and the scaffold shows better water‐binding abilities. The maximum recovery ratio of immobilized urease is 98.4 ± 7.0%, which is obtained after the scaffold is postprocessed at 35 °C for 60 min, and the relative recovery ratio of the urease activity is still as high as 80.6 ± 12.1% after repeatedly measuring 10 times. In addition, the relative recovery ratio of urease is not significantly decrease within 4 weeks of storage. Therefore, TH annealing is a relatively mild and effective way to immobilize urease in SFS. The urease‐immobilized SFS with hydrophilic properties and prolonged enzyme activity may be used for peritoneal dialysate regeneration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is regularly observed in patients postsurgery due to the usage of anesthetics, including Sevoflurane. Research has confirmed the participation of oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation in the pathogenesis of POCD. Recently, the potential therapeutic function of miR‐190a‐3p against cognitive dysfunction has been reported. However, its role and mechanism in POCD are unclear. Our study will focus on the protective property and mechanism of miR‐190a‐3p on POCD to seek potential biomarkers and treatment targets for POCD. The animal model of POCD was constructed by the injection of Sevoflurane, followed by the administration of mimic negative control and miR‐190a‐3p. MiR‐190a‐3p was found to be downregulated in POCD rats. Declined time to explore the platform, swimming distance, and times that rats crossed the platform were observed in POCD rats, accompanied by increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, elevated malondialdehyde levels, repressed superoxide dismutase activity, and decreased levels of reduced glutathione, all of which were dramatically reversed by miR‐190a‐3p. Furthermore, the downregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) and activation of toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor‐κB signaling were observed in POCD rats, which were greatly rescued by miR‐190a‐3p. Lastly, the Nrf2 luciferase activity and Nrf2 levels in HT22 cells were extremely improved by miR‐190a‐3p. Collectively, miR‐190a‐3p alleviated Sevoflurane‐induced POCD in rats by repressing OS and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have inspired the potential for widespread use in energy storage owing to the advantages of abundant resources and low cost. Benefiting from the layered structure, 2D‐layered materials enable fast interlayer transport of sodium ions and thus are considered promising candidates as anodes for SIBs. Herein, a strategy of adjusting crystal orientation is proposed via a solvothermal method to improve sodium‐ion transport at the edge of the interlayers in 2D‐layered materials. By introducing surfactants and templates, the 2D‐layered V5S8 nanosheets are controlled to align the interlayer diffusion channels vertically to the surface, which promotes the fast transport of Na+ at the edge of the interlayers as revealed by experimental methods and ab initio calculations. Benefiting from the aligned crystal orientation and rGO coating, the vertical‐V5S8@rGO hybrid delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 350.6 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 15 A g−1. This work provides a strategy for the structural design of 2D‐layered anode materials by adjusting crystal orientation, which demonstrates the promise for applications in fast‐charging alkaline‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational utilization of the rich light‐bio‐matter interplay taking place in single‐cell analysis represents a new technological direction in the field. The light‐fueled operation is expected to achieve advanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) single‐cell analysis with unknown possibilities. Here, a PEC nanoreactor capable of single‐cell sampling and near zero‐background Faradaic detection of intracellular microRNA (miR) is devised by the construction of a small reaction chamber accommodating the target‐triggered hybridization chain reaction for binding the metallointercalator of [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ as the signal reporter. Light stimulation of the dsDNA/metallointercalator adduct will induce the generation of photocurrents, underpinning a zero‐biased and near zero‐background PEC method toward Faradaic detection of non‐electrogenic miR at the single‐cell level. Using this nanotool, lower miR concentration in the near‐nucleus region than that in the main cytosol was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries capable of operating at rate and temperature extremes are highly desirable, but elusive due to the dynamics and thermodynamics limitations. Herein, a strategy of electrode–electrolyte interfacial chemistry modulation is proposed. The commercial hard carbon demonstrates superior rate performance with 212 mAh g−1 at an ultra‐high current density of 5 A g−1 in the electrolyte with weak ion solvation/desolvation, which is much higher than those in common electrolytes (nearly no capacity in carbonate‐based electrolytes). Even at −20 °C, a high capacity of 175 mAh g−1 (74 % of its room‐temperature capacity) can be maintained at 2 A g−1. Such an electrode retains 90 % of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles. As proven, weak ion solvation/desolvation of tetrahydrofuran greatly facilitates fast‐ion diffusion at the SEI/electrolyte interface and homogeneous SEI with well‐distributed NaF and organic components ensures fast Na+ diffusion through the SEI layer and a stable interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and humidity (TH) are highly important factors that can control the secondary structure and characterization of silk fibroin (SF) biomaterials. In this study, the water stability, secondary structure, mechanical properties, surface morphology, and degradation of silk fibroin films (SFFs) with post‐processing in different TH were investigated. Fourier transform infrared indicated that the SFF secondary structure did not change under low‐relative humidity (RH) despite temperatures up to 180°C, while it transformed at 40°C with 100% RH in 10 min. A film with a higher tensile strength (42.1 ± 8.2 MPa) could be obtained after post‐processing at 90°C/100% RH for 10 min. While a film with higher ductility (elongation at break: 198.8 ± 31.8%) was generated after post‐processing at 40°C/100% RH for 10 min. Scanning electron microscope showed that the film presented a network structure of nanoparticles in series under certain TH post‐treatment. Enzymatic hydrolysis proved that the SFFs containing a higher content of silk II structure degraded more slowly. Therefore, TH post‐treatment is a relatively mild way to change the secondary structure and properties of SFFs, which can be widely used in loading drugs and maintaining the activity of drugs in SF biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal monolayer AlN (h‐mAlN) is an indirect wide‐gap semiconductor and is attractive for use in optoelectronic devices. Herein, first‐principles calculations are performed to study the electronic, vibrational, elastic, and piezoelectric properties of H and F‐functionalized AlN sheets. The results indicate that the H‐/F‐functionalized (FAlNH) and fully H‐functionalized (HAlNH) sheets are thermodynamically and dynamically stable. FAlNH is a direct bandgap material while HAlNH is still an indirect one. The F(H) atoms in F(H)AlNH bonded with Al act as electron acceptors whereas the H atoms bonded with N are electron donors. Some vibrational modes of these two functionalized systems differ significantly although their structures are similar. Functionalization with the H and F atoms reduces the elastic constants considerably and alters the mechanical performances of both systems. The in‐plane piezoelectric constants of the FAlNH (HAlNH) sheet increase (decrease) surprisingly to about three times (one‐third) that of h‐mAlN. However, the work functions of both systems are enhanced notably. The study provides useful information for modulating the intrinsic properties of h‐mAlN for possible applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New tools for single‐cell interrogation enable deeper understanding of cellular heterogeneity and associated cellular behaviors and functions. Information of RNA expression in single cell could contribute to our knowledge of the genetic regulatory circuits and molecular mechanism of disease development. Although significant progresses have been made for intracellular RNA analysis, existing methods have a trade‐off between operational complexity and practical feasibility. We address this challenge by combining the ionic current rectification property of nanopipette reactor with duplex‐specific nuclease‐assisted hybridization chain reaction for signal amplification to realize a simple and practical intracellular nanosensor with minimal invasiveness, which enables single‐cell collection and electrochemical detection of intracellular RNA with cell‐context preservation. Systematic studies on differentiation of oncogenic miR‐10b expression levels in non‐malignant breast cells, metastatic breast cancer cells as well as non‐metastatic breast cancer cells were then realized by this nanotool accompanied by assessment of different drugs effects. This work has unveiled the ability of electrochemistry to probe intracellular RNA and opened new opportunities to study the gene expression and heterogeneous complexity under physiological conditions down to single‐cell level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of linear molecules (G1, G2 and G3) containing a long alkyl (decane) bispyridinium ethylene and an imidazole moiety bearing aliphatic substituents at the imidazole nitrogen were synthesized as an axle. Mixing cucurbituril (Q[7]) and these axle molecules in aqueous solution led to the spontaneous formation of Q[7]‐wheeled [3]pseudorotaxanes, [4]pseudorotaxanes and [5]pseudorotaxanes, which were studied by 1H NMR, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and DLS. These Q[7]‐based pseudorotaxanes could be manipulated by controlling the amount of Q[7]. For G1 and G2 systems, increasing the amount of Q[7] altered the host‐guest interaction from a dumbbell‐shaped structure ([3]pseudorotaxanes) to a [4]pseudorotaxane structure. For the G3 system, increasing the amount of Q[7] changed the dumbbell‐shaped structure into a [5]pseudorotaxane structure. This indicated that the alkyl chain attached to the imidazole nitrogen could also influence the mode of pseudorotaxanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the effects of acupoint application therapy (AAT) with TianGui Powder (TGP) on the expressions of the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) and Smad‐2/3 signaling pathway in ovariectomized osteoporosis rats. Methods: Sixty rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group (group A), model group (group B), TGP group (group C), and Western medicine group (group D). Group A had only the corresponding amount of adipose tissue around the ovary removed; rats in the other groups had bilateral ovariectomies. After 1 week, groups A and B were given 1 mL/100 mg normal saline solution by gavage, group C was treated with AAT with TGP on ShenQue acupoint (0.2 piece/rat, 6 h/time, 1 time/d) and group D was given calcium carbonate vitamin D3 (36 mg/kg/d) and alfacalcidol (0.05 μg/kg/d) tablet suspension. In this study, the bone mineral density (BMD) , the levels of BALP, TRAP‐5b, and BGP in serum and the changes in bone histomorphology was detected. For acquiring lumbar experimental data, the expression of TGF‐β1, Smad‐2/3 proteins and mRNA of TGF‐β1and Smad‐2/3 were assessed. After 12 weeks, the data were collected for analysis. Results: Compared with group A, the bone trabecula was thinner and significantly reduced in other groups. The result of BMD improved significantly in both groups C and D compared to group B after intervention (P < 0.05). In contrast, compared to group B, the levels of BALP, TRAP‐5b, and BGP significantly declined in both groups C and D. In group C, the results of protein expressions in TGF‐β1, Smad‐2/3 were 2.870 ± 0.270, 1.552 ± 0.111, and 1.420 ± 0.079, respectively. In groups C and D, those indications significantly declined compared to group B (P < 0.01). In group C, the level of mRNA expressions of TGF‐β1, Smad‐2/3 were 1.872 ± 0.177, 1.672 ± 0.086, and 1.790 ± 0.136, respectively. Compared with group B, those indications had significant difference in groups C and D (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupoint application therapy with TGP could significantly improve the BMD. The TGF‐β1 and Smad‐2/3 signaling pathway could be a therapeutic target of TGP in postmenopausal osteoporosis rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal microglia cells contribute to vascular angiogenesis and vasculopathy induced by relative hypoxia. However, its concrete molecular mechanisms in shaping retinal angiogenesis have not been elucidated. Basigin, being involved in tumour neovasculogenesis, is explored to exert positive effects on retinal angiogenesis induced by microglia. Therefore, we set out to investigate the expression of basigin using a well-characterized mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, which recapitulated hypoxia-induced aberrant neovessel growth. Our results elucidate that basigin is overexpressed in microglia, which accumulating in retinal angiogenic sprouts. In vitro, conditioned media from microglia BV2 under hypoxia treatment increase migration and tube formation of retinal capillary endothelia cells, compared with media from normoxic condition. The angiogenic capacity of BV2 is inhibited after basigin knockdown by small interfering RNAs. A new molecular mechanism for high angiogenic capacity, whereby microglia cells release basigin via up-regulation of PI3K-AKT and IGF-1 pathway to induce angiogenesis is unveiled. Collectively, our results demonstrate that basigin from hypoxic microglia plays a pivotal pro-angiogenic role, providing new insights into microglia-promoting retinal angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, laser perturbation two-dimensional correlation Raman spectroscopy was explored as a rapid and reliable determination method for the assessment of bovine colostrum products and their analogue, namely, milk powder. Compared with the traditional instrumental analytical methods, such as chromatography, Raman spectroscopy measurements can be realized easily without the need of sample preparation. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy can enhance the spectral resolution and provide more useful information of samples. Laser perturbation technique is a new way, which has been developed in this work; additionally, only few minutes (<5 min) are in demand of the whole experiment process for one sample. Correlation coefficient method was employed to quantitatively analyze the similarities between bovine colostrum products and the other brands of milk powder that include bovine colostrum products containing some milk powder based on the developed two-dimensional correlation Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the correlation coefficients between each bovine colostrum product with their mean value could reach 0.991 ± 0.003, which indicated that there were high similarities between these products. Under the same experimental conditions, the correlation coefficients between the bovine colostrum product (mean) and the other brands of milk powder that include bovine colostrum products containing some milk powder were located in the range of 0.596-0.761, far below the 0.991 ± 0.003. Hence, these results clearly demonstrated the utility of the laser perturbation two-dimensional correlation Raman spectroscopy combined with correlation coefficient as a rapid method for quality control of bovine colostrum products. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives Micro RNA-9 is frequently dysregulated in many human carcinoma types, including gastric cancer (GC). Previous studies demonstrated that the expression of TNFAIP8 in GC is correlated with tumour occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis and prognosis. However, till now, the relationship between Micro RNA-9 and TNFAIP8 in GC has not been reported. Materials and methods Levels of miR-9 and TNFAIP8 expression in GC tissues and in human GC cell lines were studied using qualitative real-time PCR ( qRT- PCR) and Western blotting. Cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 and clone formation assays. A dual-luciferase reporter system was used to confirm the target gene of miR-9. Results We found that the expression level of Micro RNA-9 in GC tissues and cell lines was significantly lower than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues and human immortalized gastric epithelial cell (GES) line, respectively. In addition, overexpression of Micro RNA-9 markedly inhibited GC cell proliferation in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Further experiments revealed that TNFAIP8 was a direct and functional target of Micro RNA-9 in GC and overexpression of Micro RNA-9 obviously down-regulated the expression of TNFAIP8, which was involved in the gastric carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Conclusion Our results suggested that Micro RNA-9- TNFAIP8 might represent a promising diagnostic biomarker for GC patients and could be a potential therapeutic target in the prevention and treatment of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, more and more research has shown that the lung is an organ of regenerative potential, with several types of stem/progenitor cells undergoing proliferation and differentiation after lung injury and participating the injury repair process. Mouse lung multipotent stem cells (MLSCs) have extensive self-renewal ability in culture and could differentiate into endothelial and lung epithelial (alveolar epithelial type 1, 2, and Clara) cells in vitro. But the research of MLSCs was limited due to its rarity. In this study, we introduced a novel microfluidic magnetic activated cell sorting system in the isolation of MLSCs. The sorted MLSCs had better viability and purity. They were identified by colony formation efficiency and differentiation ability and they have self-renewal and differentiation capacities, highlighting their stem cell properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the changing of idiopathic membranous nephropathy ( iMN) in China. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed renal disease spectrum of 6049 patients who underwent renal biopsy at Peking University First Hospital from January 2003 to December 2012. The patients were grouped into two periods at a 5-year interval: 2003-2007 (period 1) and 2008-2012 (period 2). Results Among 6049 renal biopsied patients, 3831 (63.3%) patients were diagnosed as primary glomerular disease ( PGD). The proportion of nephrotic syndrome ( NS) in PGD was significantly higher in period 2 than that in period 1 (1016/2214 [55.0%] vs 682/1617 [42.2%], P = 0.022). The proportion of iMN in PGD increased from 16.8% (217/1617) in period 1 to 29.35% (646/2214) in period 2 in all groups of age ( P < 0.001). There was no significant difference of clinical characteristics including age, gender, hypertension, serum cholesterol and proteinuria between the two periods ( P > 0.05). However, in young patients with iMN (14-44 years old), the percentage of renal histopathology stage I and stage II of iMN in PGDs was significantly higher in period 2 than that in period 1 (101/1240 [8.15%] vs 210/1340 [15.7%], P < 0.001). Conclusion Our study suggests that the frequency of iMN in PGD in our referral diagnostic centre has doubled over the past 10 years. The increase of adult iMN is mainly due to the increase of early stages of iMN in young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Polyaniline nano-fibers with thorn surface morphology (T-PANI) were synthesized by one-step polymerization with adding additional aniline at later stage of chemical oxidation synthesis. In order to investigate the morphology role in determining electrochemical performance, the nano-fibers PANI without thorn (PANI) was synthesized by the same polymerization process but at different time to add additional aniline. Material structures were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, and electrochemical performance was tested through cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The data showed that the specific capacitance of T-PANI was 443 F g−1 at 5 mA cm−2, which was much more than that of PANI (338 F g−1 at 5 mA cm−2). The solution resistance, charge transfer resistance, and diffuse resistance of T-PANI were also lower than these of PANI. The results indicate that the thorn surface structure plays an important role in determining the electrochemical performance of polyaniline, which attribute to the improvements in pore size, pore distribution, special surface area, and conductivity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review mainly introduces the types of silk hydrogels, their processing methods, and applications. There are various methods for hydrogel preparation, and many new processes are being developed for various applications. Silk hydrogels can be used in cartilage tissue engineering, drug release materials, 3D scaffolds for cells, and artificial skin, among other applications because of their porous structure and high porosity and the large surface area for growth, migration, adhesion and proliferation of cells that the hydrogels provide. All of these advantages have made silk hydrogels increasingly attractive. In addition, silk hydrogels have wide prospects for application in the field of biomedical materials. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:630-640, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), we investigated the in situ crystallization kinetics of non-nucleated and nucleating-agent-treated isotactic polypropylene ( iPP) under continuous oscillatory shear during the entire crystallization process, and then compared the DMA results with those measured using differential scanning calorimetry under conventional quiescent crystallization. Our analyses, based on the Avrami equation, show that continuous oscillatory shear accelerated crystallization of non-nucleated iPP, but interfered with crystallization for nucleating-agent-treated iPP. Our results indicate that, for the present nucleating agent, its accelerating effect on crystallization cannot coexist with the accelerating effect of shear on crystallization. We attributed this difference to the disruptive effect of shear on growth and the different nucleation models of non-nucleated and nucleating-agent-treated iPP. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41685. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a coatable circular polarizer which can be used for anti-reflection of flexible OLED. The fabricated coatable circular polarizer exhibits advantages of low cost, simple process and thin thickness of 3μm which can be a big help to improve the curvature radius of the flexible OLED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although oral leukoplakia (OL) is the best-known potentially malignant disorder, the risk of OL malignant transformation is difficult to assess. ATP-binding cassette, G2 subfamily (ABCG2) and BMI-1 are stem cell markers that have been found to be associated with head and neck tumorigenesis. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the usefulness of ABCG2 and BMI-1 in predicting OL transformation.Methods: In a retrospective cohort of 135 patients with OL from the study institution who had a mean follow-up of 5.5 years, 32 developed cancer between 1985 and 2008. The expression of ABCG2 and BMI-1 was determined using immunohistochemistry in samples from these patients, and included untransformed OL (n = 103) and malignant-transformed OL (n = 32). The association between protein expression and clinicopathological parameters and transformation was analyzed.Results: Expression of ABCG2 and BMI-1 was observed in 58 (43.0%) and 44 (32.6%) of 135 patients, respectively. The correlation between ABCG2 and BMI-1 expression was significant (P = .024). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 37.9% of patients with ABCG2 positivity developed cancer compared with 13.0% of patients with ABCG2 negativity (P = .014, log-rank test). Approximately 40.9% of patients with BMI-1 positivity developed cancer compared with 15.4% of patients with BMI-1 negativity (P = .029, log-rank test). Multivariate analysis revealed that ABCG2 and BMI-1 expression was associated with a 3.24-fold (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.31-7.98; P = .011) and 4.03-fold (95% CI, 1.59-10.26; P = .003) increased the risk of transformation, respectively.Conclusions: ABCG2 and BMI-1 expression was found to be associated with the development of oral cancer in a large cohort of patients with OL for whom long-term follow-up was available, which suggests that ABCG2 and BMI-1 may be used as predictors of OL transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology and ultrastructure of the venom apparatus of the endoparasitoid wasp, Opius caricivorae Fischer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), were observed using light and electron microscopes. The venom apparatus consists of one venom reservoir and several gland filaments. The gland filaments join together at the end of the reservoir and consist of an outer single layer of secretory cells, a layer of degenerated epidermal cells, and an inner intima that encloses the lumen. The secretory cells are organelle rich, with abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and vacuole, in which vesicular organelles secrete the components of venom. The reservoir consists of a muscular sheath, secretory cells, and squamous cells. The intima has an unevenly thickened chitinous coat. The vesicular organelles of the reservoir secretory cells differ from those of the gland filament: the microvilli being much longer and radiating in all directions. The venom reservoir not only serves to store but also secretes the venom. Virus-like particles were discovered in the secretory cells of the gland filaments. The structural features of venom apparatus of this species are discussed in a biological context. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemistry, Hybridization Chain Reaction, Nanopipette, RNA, Single Cell Analysis Keywords: Electrochemistry; Hybridization Chain Reaction; Nanopipette; RNA; Single Cell Analysis EN Electrochemistry Hybridization Chain Reaction Nanopipette RNA Single Cell Analysis 1 1 1 06/05/21 20210607 NES 210607 B Single-Cell Analysis b A duplex-specific nuclease-assisted nanopipette was fabricated in the Research Article on page 13244 by Wei-Wei Zhao, Jing-Juan Xu et al. for tracking the drug-induced variation of miR-10b levels at single-cell level. [Extracted from the article]

ZrBeSi is the prototype of the ZrBeSi‐type of crystals, but its fundamental properties have not been well studied till now. In this work, a systematic study on the electronic, elastic, and vibrational properties of ZrBeSi under zero and high pressures has been performed by first‐principles calculation. Calculated electronic properties indicate that ZrBeSi is metallic dictated mainly by the Zr 4d state. Its metallicity weakens as the pressure increases. Studies reveal that sp2 hybridization exists in the Be atoms and their 2p orbitals accept electrons from the Zr atoms, leading them to have an unusual negative valency. Calculated elastic properties imply that ZrBeSi is mechanically stable but anisotropic up to 175 GPa. It has a bulk modulus of 144.4 (142.5) GPa deduced from the third‐order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state (elastic constants) at 0 GPa. Its elastic moduli and elastic anisotropy increase with the rising pressure. Group theory analysis unveils that there are six infrared‐active and four Raman‐active modes at the Brillouin zone center of ZrBeSi. The vibrational patterns of these modes are presented and discussed. Studies further reveal that the frequencies of these modes increase with the rising pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed‐dimensional (0D, 1D, and 3D) heterostructures based on 2D layered materials have been proven as a promising candidate for future nanoelectronics and optoelectronics applications. In this work, it is demonstrated that 1D atomic chain based Se nanoplates (NPs) can be epitaxially grown on monolayer ReS2 by a chemical transport reaction, thereby creating an interesting mixed‐dimensional Se/ReS2 heterostructure. A unique epitaxial relationship is observed with the (110) planes of the Se NPs parallel to the corresponding ReS2 (010) planes. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the Se NPs could conjugate with underlying monolayer ReS2 via strong chemical hybridization at heterointerface, which is expected to originate from the intrinsic defects of ReS2. Remarkably, photodetectors based on Se/ReS2 heterostructures exhibit ultrahigh detectivity of up to 8 × 1012 Jones, and also show a fast response time of less than 10 ms. These results illustrate the great advantage of directly integrated 1D Se based nanostructure on planar semiconducting ReS2 films for optoelectronic applications. It opens up a feasible way to obtain mixed‐dimensional heterostructures with atomic interfacial contact by epitaxial growth. 1D atomic chain based Se nanoplates (NPs) are epitaxially grown on monolayer ReS2 to form an interesting mixed‐dimensional Se/ReS2 heterostructure. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the Se NPs are chemically hybridized with underlying monolayer ReS2 through intrinsic defects in ReS2. Photodetectors based on Se/ReS2 heterostructures exhibit ultrahigh detectivity and fast response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]