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With increasing ecological and environmental concerns, tin (Sn)‐based perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are competitive candidates for future displays because of their environmental friendliness, excellent photoelectric properties, and low‐cost solution‐processed fabrication. Nonetheless, their electroluminescence (EL) performance still lags behind that of lead (Pb)‐based PeLEDs due to the fast crystallization rate of Sn‐based perovskite films and undesired oxidation from Sn2+ to Sn4+, leading to poor film morphology and coverage, as well as high density defects. Here, we propose a ligand engineering strategy to construct high‐quality phenethylammonium tin iodide (PEA2SnI4) perovskite films by using L‐glutathione reduced (GSH) as surface ligands toward efficient pure red PEA2SnI4‐based PeLEDs. We show that the hydrogen‐bond and coordinate interactions between GSH and PEA2SnI4 effectively reduce the crystallization rate of the perovskites and suppress the oxidation of Sn2+ and formation of defects. The improved pure red perovskite films not only show excellent uniformity, density, and coverage but also exhibit enhanced optical properties and stability. Finally, state‐of‐the‐art pure red PeLEDs achieve a record external quantum efficiency of 9.32 % in the field of PEA2SnI4‐based devices. This work demonstrates that ligand engineering represents a feasible route to enhance the EL performance of Sn‐based PeLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, and I) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have great application prospects in many fields due to their excellent photoelectric properties. However, CsPbX3 NCs are extremely sensitive to water, heat, light, and oxygen, which leads to dramatic photoluminescence quenching and seriously restricts their future commercial applications. Herein, a novel, simple one‐step solution strategy for synthesizing high‐quality CsPbBr3 NCs was reported. By the combination of the hot‐injection process with the mesoporous template confinement effect of the KIT‐6 matrix, the space‐confined growth of NCs was precisely achieved. The CsPbBr3 NCs encapsulated by KIT‐6 (CsPbBr3@KIT‐6 composite) exhibited a uniform size, a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of up to 82%, and a narrow full width at half‐maximum (FWHM) of 24 nm. Most importantly, CsPbBr3@KIT‐6 powder composites had dramatically enhanced light, thermal and water stability in comparison with colloidal CsPbBr3 NCs due to the dual protection of organic ligands and matrix templates. Ultimately, a white light‐emitting diode (LED) device was successfully fabricated by encapsulating a mixture of green‐emitting CsPbBr3@KIT‐6 composite and red‐emitting K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor onto a blue‐emitting InGaN LED chip. A color coordinate of (0.327, 0.337) and a wide color gamut of 128% NTSC well demonstrate their potential applications in lighting and display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic‐rich shale in the upper Permian Dalong Formation in Southern Anhui Province is not only regarded as a high‐quality hydrocarbon source rock, but one of the potential targets for shale oil and gas exploration in Southern China. Organic matter types in such a setting remain a subject of debate. The major point of controversy is whether they are dominated by oil‐prone types or gas‐prone types. A total of 20 rock samples collected from Gangdi‐1 well were conducted for analysis of organic geochemistry. Results show that Dalong Formation shale extracts exhibit a wide range of C12‐C35n‐alkanes and acyclic isoprenoids. The chromatograms display an unimodal distribution with carbon peak in the range of nC18‐nC22 and low quantities of long‐chain (nC25+) n‐alkanes. Relatively high ratios of nC21‐/nC22+ and C27/C29 regular steranes demonstrate that organic matter is mainly originated from lower aquatic organisms and followed by higher plants in a local area. This is also supported by the variations of the δ13C values of C13‐C26n‐alkanes for the target samples being in the range of 3.0‰–5.6‰ offset, which is slightly higher than the corresponding value (1.6‰) of n‐alkanes from a single source. All these pieces of information decipher that the organic matter in Dalong Formation shale may be dominated by type I and followed by type II1. Moreover, the maturity proxies according to both organic petrography (Ro and Tmax) and biomarkers such as ratios of C29 20 S/(20 S + 20R) and C29 ββ/(αα + ββ) together indicate that organic matter in Dalong Formation shale is in a mature stage of hydrocarbon generation. Furthermore, a cross‐plot of total organic carbon versus total sulphur as well as Pr/Ph ratio and Pr/nC17‐Ph/nC18 diagram elucidates that Dalong Formation shales were mainly formed in a marine reducing environment. Finally, two depositional models of organic matter enrichment are proposed. The abundant lower aquatic organisms with few terrestrial detrital inputs and the reducing water environment together promote organic matter accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione (GSH) is generally used as an effective and sensitive tumor marker because its abnormal levels are associated with high free radical level in tumor. In this work, GSH could be easily detected by a kind of designed Eu‐based metal–organic frameworks (Eu‐MOFs, named Eu(DTBA)) fluorescent sensor. Due to the "antenna effect" of 4,4′‐dithiobenzoic acid (4,4′‐DTBA) ligands on Eu3+, Eu(DTBA) emits the strong characteristic red light of Eu3+ under ultraviolet excitation. Moreover, the emission intensity strongly depends on GSH concentrations. Thus, Eu(DTBA) can serve as a turn‐off fluorescent switch of GSH because its framework structure can easily be destroyed by GSH that leads to the fluorescence quenching. Remarkably, during sensing GSH, Eu(DTBA) has shown many appealing performances, such as broad a response window (0–20 mM), fast response (3 min), high sensitivity (LOD = 0.35 µM), and excellent anti‐interference ability. The real bioimaging application has demonstrated that the reported Eu(DTBA) can be used as an excellent bioimaging agent to successfully distinguish tumor cells from normal cells in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acridone as a new kind of visible light photocatalyst has been developed to catalyze metal free atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The photocatalyst possess low excited state potential as can undergo an oxidative quenching pathway to initiate ATRP of vinyl monomers. Kinetic study and light on/off reaction demonstrate the "living"/controlled nature of the polymerization by light. Block copolymers can be achieved by using PMMA as macroinitiator to reinitiate polymerization of other vinyl monomers, which shows highly preserved Br chain‐end functionality in the synthesized polymers. Moreover, the polymerization can be conducted under air atmosphere as most photocatalysts need anaerobic condition, which may give inspiration of further application of this kind of photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) nanocomposites with poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and graphene oxide (GO) are fabricated by melt blending. A dual‐continuous network structure is obtained via adding reactive compatibilizer and nanofillers, which not only dramatically reduce the conductivity percolation threshold of nanocomposites but also improve its mechanical properties. The compatibility of PBAT and PPC is improved owing to the partial thermally reduced GO (PrGO) with the residual oxygen‐containing functional groups on its surface. The epoxy groups of the reactive compatibilizer (Jc‐ADR) react with the terminal groups of polymers to increase the interfacial adhesion. The characterization analysis by morphology, rheology, mechanics, DMA, and conductivity indicates that the formation of the dual‐continuous network is attributed to the synergistic effect of PrGO and Jc‐ADR. Furthermore, a remarkable enhancement in barrier properties is obtained with the addition of PrGO. Compared with PBAT/PPC blends, the water vapor permeability (WVP) decreases by nearly 1 order of magnitude after adding 1.0 wt% PrGO. This will offer a possibility for the development application of PBAT and PPC in a barrier and antistatic packaging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instability phenomena in film blowing of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)/poly(butylene succinate‐co‐butylene adipate)(PBSA)/ethylene‐methyl acrylate‐glycidyl methacrylate random terpolymer(AX8900) blends with a high PBSA content was due to low crystallization temperature of PBSA. As a polymeric nucleating agent, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) was added to achieve a higher crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity in PBSA/PBS blends (mPBSA). The initial nonisothermal crystallization temperature increased from 34.2 °C (pure PBSA) to 57.1 °C (mPBSA), leading to a significant improvement for film blowing stability of PPC/mPBSA/AX8900 films. High mPBSA content films were successfully prepared. SEM microphotographs showed that films containing mPBSA have flatter surfaces. PPC/mPBSA/AX8900 films exhibited 105% greater elongation at break in the transverse direction as well as improved tensile strength and water vapor barrier properties, which has great potential application as green packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two bio‐based organic photocatalysts have been prepared for visible light‐induced atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Renewable and abundant cellulose grafted with organic dyes is chosen as the photocatalyst to initiate polymerization via the reductive quenching process. Kinetic study and light on/off reaction demonstrate the "living"/controlled nature of the polymerization by light. Block copolymers can be achieved by using the PMMA as a macroinitiator to reinitiate the polymerization of other vinyl monomers, which shows highly preserved Br chain‐end functionality in the synthesized polymers. Moreover, the bio‐based catalyst can be recycled to catalyze polymerization in a controlled manner for three times. This strategy provides a metal‐free recyclable catalytic platform for visible light‐induced ATRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the structure and electronic properties of Ti‐doped LiCoO2 have been studied systematically using the first‐principles projector augmented wave (PAW) method based on density functional theory (DFT). The structure is distorted due to the presence of Co2+ after Ti doping. When the concentration of dopant Ti is less than 5.6%, the volume change of unit cell is independent of the Ti‐doped concentration, but at higher dopant Ti concentration, the volume of unit cell increases with increase of dopant Ti concentration. Meanwhile, it is also found that the Li‐ion diffusion rate and electronic conductivity are improved, and the concentration of dopant Ti has little effect on the redox potential. These results can promote Ti‐doped layered Li transition metal oxide cathode materials' studies and improve layered Li transition metal oxide cathode materials design for Li‐ion batteries (LIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild mushrooms are a vital source of income and nutrition for many poor communities and of value to recreational foragers. Literature relating to the edibility of mushroom species continues to expand, driven by an increasing demand for wild mushrooms, a wider interest in foraging, and the study of traditional foods. Although numerous case reports have been published on edible mushrooms, doubt and confusion persist regarding which species are safe and suitable to consume. Case reports often differ, and the evidence supporting the stated properties of mushrooms can be incomplete or ambiguous. The need for greater clarity on edible species is further underlined by increases in mushroom‐related poisonings. We propose a system for categorizing mushroom species and assigning a final edibility status. Using this system, we reviewed 2,786 mushroom species from 99 countries, accessing 9,783 case reports, from over 1,100 sources. We identified 2,189 edible species, of which 2,006 can be consumed safely, and a further 183 species which required some form of pretreatment prior to safe consumption or were associated with allergic reactions by some. We identified 471 species of uncertain edibility because of missing or incomplete evidence of consumption, and 76 unconfirmed species because of unresolved, differing opinions on edibility and toxicity. This is the most comprehensive list of edible mushrooms available to date, demonstrating the huge number of mushrooms species consumed. Our review highlights the need for further information on uncertain and clash species, and the need to present evidence in a clear, unambiguous, and consistent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity generators by driving movement of liquid droplet or flow on the surface of nanocarbon materials represent an emerging means to harvest energy from nature and environment, which have widely potential applications in the fields of sensors, biomedicine, energy conversion, and so on. Herein, a tubular electricity generator with magnetic droplet encapsulated in a continuous graphene tube is developed. The droplet in tubular electricity generators can be easily driven by magnetic force, during which a potential difference ranging from 196 to 419 mV can be realized by tuning the salt species in the droplet. The value of the generated potential difference is among the highest range, compared with other electricity generators reported previously. In addition, in‐series connecting effect could be achieved with multi‐droplet encapsulated in one single electricity generator, resulting in multifold output voltage of device with one droplet. The work provides a powerful strategy to build electricity generator with high output voltage and easy manipulation, and the tubular devices are promising to be used for biomedical and/or wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we synthesized a series of novel carbon dots (CDs) by using phenylenediamines (three isomers: o‐phenylenediamine, m‐phenylenediamine, and p‐phenylenediamine) as starting materials via facile solvothermal approach. As‐prepared CDs could emit bright blue, green, yellow, orange, and red light with relatively high PLQY, individually. Optical properties could be controlled by simply varying reaction parameters. The luminescent mechanism was investigated and analyzed in detail. Finally, the blue‐emitting CDs and green‐emitting CDs showed many appealing properties, such as high sensitivity (limit of detection = 4.52 and 3.50 nmol/L), quick response (<2 minutes), broad response window (0‐70 nmol/L), and excellent selectivity for detecting Cr6+ and Al3+ cations, respectively. Thus, they have potential to be developed as the corresponding optical probes. While as‐prepared orange‐emitting CDs could be applied as a bio‐imaging reagent due to its long‐wavelength emission, relatively high PLQY, low toxicity, excellent water solubility, and good biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lectin receptor‐like kinases (LecRKs) play important roles in the responses to adverse environment stress. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone involved in plant growth, development and adverse environmental stress responses. Although some studies of ABA response LecRK genes have been reported, the molecular mechanisms of LecRKs regulation of downstream pathways under ABA induction are not well understood. The present study showed that LecRK‐VI.4 responded to ABA and negatively regulated stomatal closure. Here, a quantitative phosphoproteomics approach based on mass spectrometry was employed to study the roles of LecRK‐VI.4 in the ABA signaling pathway. Metal oxide affinity beads and C18 chromatography were used for phosphopeptide enrichment and separation. The isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation were used for profiling the phosphoproteome of mutant lecrk‐vi.4‐1 and wild‐type Col‐0 Arabidopsis under normal growth conditions or ABA treatments. In total, 475 unique phosphopeptides were quantified, including 81 phosphopeptides related to LecRK‐VI.4 regulation. Gene ontology, protein–protein interaction and motif analysis were performed. The bioinformatics data showed that phosphorylated proteins regulated by LecRK‐VI.4 had close relations with factors of stomatal function, which included aquaporin activity, H+ pump activity and the Ca2+ concentration in the cytoplasm. These data have expanded our understanding of how LecRK‐VI.4 regulates ABA‐mediated stomatal movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of high‐quality Cu‐doped Zn–In–S nanocrystals (d‐NCs) were prepared by a conventional hot injection process. The full‐visible spectrum emission from 480 to 648 nm can be easily achieved by adjusting the Cu doping concentration in the Zn–In–S system, but not by varying the ratio of In/Zn in the alloyed host material. After wrapping the ZnS shell around the Zn–In–S:Cu d‐NCs core, the resultant Zn–In–S:Cu/ZnS core/shell d‐NCs not only exhibited an enhanced prominent photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) up to 65% but also possessed the excellent thermal, photochemical stability, and longer PL lifetime. Furthermore, high color rendition white light was generated from a single color converter Zn–In–S:Cu/ZnS core/shell NCs‐assisted white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). Under operation of 38 mA forward bias current, the fabricated white LEDs emitted bright natural white light with a luminous efficiency of 62 lm/W, and the correlated color temperature of 5658 K. Simultaneously, the good color stability was accompanied by the CIE color coordinates of (0.3287, 0.3527) under different forward bias currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal diabetes related neural tube defects (NTDs) are a result of oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism behind the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we report that high glucose exposure‐induced epigenetic changes influence histone H4 acetylation and neuroepithelial cell proliferation. We also show that the acetyltransferase inhibitor C646 can prevent high glucose induced changes in histone H4 acetylation and neuroepithelial cell proliferation. Methods: By using LC‐MS/MS as an unbiased approach, we screened the histone acetylation profile in an E9 neuroepithelial cell line (NE‐4C) under high glucose exposure. We further explored the mechanism in cells in vitro and in maternal diabetes‐induced mouse embryos in vivo. Results: We identified 35 core histone acetylation marks in normal E9 neuroepithelial cells, whereas high glucose exposure resulted in novel acetylation sites on H4K31 and H4K44. Acetylation levels of embryonic development associated H4K5/K8/K12/K16 increased in neuroepithelial cells exposed to high glucose in vitro and in brain tissue from maternal diabetes induced exencephalic embryos in vivo. Further, mRNA level of histone acetyltransferase CBP encoded gene Crebbp was significantly increased both in vitro and in vivo. The addition of C646, a selective inhibitor for CBP/p300, significantly rescued increase of H4K5/K8/K12/K16 acetylation levels and H3S10pi‐labeled neuroepithelial cell proliferation induced by high glucose exposure. Conclusion: Our data provide complementary insights for potential mechanisms of maternal diabetes induced NTDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (T1 WI and T2 WI), diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and DCE-MRI (dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI) at 3.0T for differentiation of cervical cancer and benign cervical lesions.Materials and Methods: A cohort of 75 cervical cancer patients, 26 cervical leiomyoma patients, 22 patients with cervical polyps consecutively underwent pelvic MRI scanning on a 3T MR unit. Two radiologists independently evaluated images at three imaging settings; routine MRI alone, DWI combined with routine MRI (DWI+routine MRI), and DCE-MRI. The apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated from b 0, 600 s/mm(2) and b 0, 1000 s/mm(2).Results: DWI+routine MRI was significantly better than routine MRI and obtained high accuracy (0.95); the diagnostic performance was not significantly different between DWI+routine MRI and DCE-MRI. Reader agreement was excellent for both DWI+routine MRI (κ, 0.90) and DCE-MRI (κ, 0.92). The ADCs of cervical cancer were significantly lower than those of benign cervical lesions at both ADC maps (P = 0.0001). The diagnostic accuracy was not different at both ADC maps (P = 0.375).Conclusion: For differentiation of cervical cancer and benign cervical lesions, unenhanced MRI with combined diffusion-weighted and routine MRI (DWI+routine MRI) at 3T can provide accurate information and may be preferable to DCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I672 --> 57.2 --> Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a common congenital disorder resulting from failed neural tube formation, the precursor of the brain and spinal cord. The complex etiology of NTDs involve both genetic and environmental factors, thus investigating gene‐environment interactions is critical to understanding how NTDs occur or how NTDs may be prevented. For example, iron deficiency is among the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in pregnancy and there is evidence that iron deficiency can increase the risk of NTDs. Folic acid (FA) fortification in grain was implemented in the US in 1998 and now in many countries for the purpose of prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs). In 2017, the US Preventive Services Task Force further recommended the consumption of FA‐containing multivitamin/minerals (MVM) for women of childbearing age. Despite the great benefit of FA on NTD prevention, NTDs remain a serious risk. Our studies focus on mouse models of NTDs and I will discuss two projects. First, the benefits of MVM supplementation are emphasized, but a comparison between MVM supplementation and FA alone on neural tube closure and organ development has not been evaluated, particularly in the context of genetic mutations that lead to NTDs. Using a set of NTD models we have compared MMV to FA supplementation. MVM supplementation shows better improvement than FA alone in the penetrance of spinal and cranial NTDs. We are also using human iPSCs to generate organoids that assume a shape similar to the human spinal neural tube, and display neural tube characteristics, for example apical constriction and interkinetic nuclear migration. Subjecting the organoids to various molecular perturbations, such as Rho‐kinase inhibitor‐induced defects in apical constriction, we have found that both MVM and FA largely prevents this molecular deficit. The goal is to use the mouse NTD model and organoid system to better understand how FA/MVM act to prevent NTDs. Second, we are striving to move beyond the relatively non‐specific recommendations of FA/MVM supplementation to more personalized therapies that take into account the molecular underpinning of the NTD. For example, Iron homeostasis is not only controlled by the concentration of iron in diet, but by proteins responsible for its cellular uptake and metabolism. Sorting nexin 3 (Snx3) is known to regulate recycling of the transferrin receptor (TFRC), a mechanism necessary for cellular uptake of iron, and when Snx3 is knocked out in mice, embryos develop cranial NTDs. We hypothesize that in Snx3 mutants, mistrafficking of TFRC results in disrupted iron homeostasis which contributes to the failure of NT closure. Our current studies are evaluating whether intracellular iron levels are altered in Snx3 mutants and whether maternal diets supplemented with iron can prevent NTDs in the Snx3 background. The hope is that by taking into account the biological process that is disrupted, more tailored therapies can be envisioned to better prevent NTDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphors can convert near ultraviolet light with lower sensitivity to the solar cell to yellow-green light at which the solar cell has higher sensitivity and exhibit the excellent luminescent property of long persistence. Therefore, in this study, the authors firstly synthesized the fine SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphors and then produced SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+/SiO2 composite films as spectral shifters to understand the effects of SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphor on photoelectric conversion efficiencies of a crystalline silicon photovoltaic module. Under one sun illumination, the composite film containing an appropriate amount of SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphor enhances the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the cell through spectral down-shifting as compared to the bare glass substrate, and the maximum achieves 11.12%. In contrast, the commercial SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphor composite film is not effective for improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency because of the relatively lower visible light transmittance of film caused by the large aggregates. After one sun illumination for 1 min, the light source was turned off, and the cell containing the synthesized SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphor still shows an efficiency of 1.16% in the dark due to the irradiation by the long persistent light from SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+, which provides a possibility to fulfill the operation of solar cells even in the dark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A nanocomposite (NC) hydrogel crosslinked by inorganic Laponite XLG was successfully synthesized via in situ free radical polymerization of monomers N,N-diethylacrylamide and (2-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Polymerization was carried out at room temperature due to the accelerating effect of DMAEMA. The as-prepared hydrogels displayed controlled transformation in optical transmittance and volume in response to small diversification of environmental factors, such as temperature and pH. The compressive strength of swollen D6:1G6 hydrogels was as high as 2219 kPa while compressive strain was 95%. Cyclic compression measurement exhibited good elastic properties of NC hydrogels. This work provides a facile method for fabricating stimuli-responsive hydrogels with superior mechanical property. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 876-884 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A robust and coarse surface mesh was fabricated by introducing a hydrogel coating with interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure on stainless steel mesh. The IPN hydrogel was prepared by crosslinking polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) followed by condensation reaction of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glutaraldehyde (GA) at room temperature. As a result, the roughness of modified mesh was enhanced obviously and oil droplet underwater showed a larger contact angle. The hydrogel-coated surface showed an underwater superoleophobicity with an oil contact angle of 153.92 ± 1.08°. Besides, stable wettability was observed. The mesh can selectively separate oil from water with a high separation efficiency of above 99.8%. This work provides a facile method to strengthen the coating and enhance the efficiency of oil-water separation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41949. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique is an attractive method to make functional multilayer thin films and has been applied to fabricate a wide range of materials. LBL materials could improve optical transmittance and mechanical properties if the film components were covalently bonded. Covalently bonded nanocomposite multilayer films were prepared by employing hydrophilic aliphatic polyisocyanate (HAPI) as the reactive component, to react with Laponite and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). FT-IR spectra suggested that HAPI reacted with Laponite and PVA at ambient temperature rapidly. Ellipsometry measurement showed that the film thickness was in linear growth. The influences of HAPI on the optical, mechanical and thermal properties of the films were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, tensile stress measurement, DSC and TGA. The obtained results showed that the optical transmittance and mechanical strength were enhanced when the film components were covalently bonded by HAPI. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 545-551 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural scaffold material, which has numerous applications in biomedical sciences. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant activity of chitosan scaffold material was investigated by the chemiluminescence signal generated from the hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenging assay. The scavenging mechanism was also discussed. The results indicated that the free radical scavenging ability of chitosan scaffold material significantly depends on the chitosan concentration and shows interesting kinetic change. Within the experimental concentration range, the optimal concentration of chitosan was 0.2 mg/mL. The molecular weight of chitosan also attributed to the free radical scavenging ability. Comparison between chitosan and its derivative found that carboxymethyl chitosan possessed higher scavenging ability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 911-916, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The layer-by-layer assembly technique is a method that widely used in the preparation of nanostructured multilayer ultrathin films. We fabricated a hydrogel nanocomposite film by alternating the deposition of a core-shell poly[(dimethylimino)(2-hydroxy-1,3-propanedily) chloride] (PDMIHPC)-laponite solution and poly(acrylic acid). The growth of the deposition procedure was proven by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The surface morphology of the films was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The films could reversibly load and release methylene blue (MB) dye, which was used as an indicator. It took about 4.5 h to reach loading equilibrium at pH 9.0. The loading capacity of the film for MB was as large as 4.48 μg/cm2 per bilayer because of the introduction of the core-shell PDMIHPC-laponite as a film component. Nearly 90% of MB was released at pH 3.0 or in a 300 m M NaCl solution within 2.5 h. The loading and release processes were greatly influenced by the ionic strength and pH value of the MB solution. The hydrogel nanocomposite film showed good pH-triggered loading-release reversibility and suggested potential applications in controlled drug-delivery systems and smart materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39352. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reddish-orange-emitting SnO2:Eu3+ phosphor for field emission displays ( FEDs) was successfully synthesized via a homogeneous precipitation route using urea as a precipitant. The influences of the dopant concentration of Eu3+ and calcination temperature on optical properties were investigated. The low-voltage field emission properties of the FED device prepared using the synthesized SnO2:Eu3+ phosphors were reported. Under the UV light, SnO2:Eu3+ phosphors display the strong orange-red emission peaked at 587, 591, and 597 nm due to the 5 D0→7 F1 magnetic dipole transition of Eu3+. The phosphor doped with 1.0 mol% Eu3+ possesses the highest photoluminescent ( PL) intensity. Under the low-voltage excitation of 300 V, the fabricated FED device exhibits the bright orange-red emission, high-voltage brightness saturation, and high color purity, which has a potential application in low-voltage full color FEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a low-cost yellow-emitting Y3Al5- xB xO12- xN x: Ce3+ phosphor with an enhanced luminescent intensity and excellent thermal stability for white light-emitting diodes ( LEDs). It was synthesized by a simple gas-pressure sintering ( GPS) process. The effect of B3+- N3− incorporation on the optical properties of Y3Al5O12: Ce3+ phosphor was investigated. The addition of appropriate amounts of boron nitride (BN) leads to a marked increase in photoluminescent intensity and a slight shift of its emission spectra toward the blue region, which is assigned to the improved crystallinity and increased particle size. Especially, the prepared oxynitride phosphor does not exhibit any thermal quenching under high temperature, and the emission intensity at 250°C even increases up to 175% of that measured at 20°C. Finally, the white LED flat lamp with luminous efficiency as high as 101 lm/W, color rendering index of 72, and correlated color temperature of about 6600 K is successfully realized by using YAG: Ce3+ phosphor doped with 0.5 molar ratio BN, which is acceptable and promising for general indoor illuminations to replace fluorescent or incandescent lamps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated the characterization of quaternary chitosan derivative [O-(2-hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (O-HTCC)] nanoparticle system. Particular focus is given to the preparation of O-HTCC nanoparticles using an ionic gelation method. Results of the study showed that O-HTCC nanoparticles have exhibited lower burst release and that they are affected by the bovine serum albumin (BSA) concentration.

Eu2+-doped AlN-polytypoids (8H, 15R, 12H, and 21R) were successfully synthesized by nitrogen-gas-pressure sintering. The phosphors show intense blue emissions under the electron beam excitation. All the polytypoid phosphors exhibit relatively a smaller degradation in luminance and a higher thermal stability in comparison to the oxide counterparts. Among the polytypoids, 12H has no luminance saturation, and shows a brightness of 40 cd/m2 at 3 kV and 100 μA. These results indicate that Eu2+-doped AlN-polytypoids could also be used as blue phosphors for FEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the structure and electronic properties of Ti‐doped LiCoO2 have been studied systematically using the first‐principles projector augmented wave (PAW) method based on density functional theory (DFT). The structure is distorted due to the presence of Co2+ after Ti doping. When the concentration of dopant Ti is less than 5.6%, the volume change of unit cell is independent of the Ti‐doped concentration, but at higher dopant Ti concentration, the volume of unit cell increases with increase of dopant Ti concentration. Meanwhile, it is also found that the Li‐ion diffusion rate and electronic conductivity are improved, and the concentration of dopant Ti has little effect on the redox potential. These results can promote Ti‐doped layered Li transition metal oxide cathode materials' studies and improve layered Li transition metal oxide cathode materials design for Li‐ion batteries (LIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Accurate preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) is vital for personalised hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) management. We developed a multitask deep learning model to predict MVI and RFS using preoperative MRI scans., Methods: Utilising a retrospective dataset of 725 HCC patients from seven institutions, we developed and validated a multitask deep learning model focused on predicting MVI and RFS. The model employs a transformer architecture to extract critical features from preoperative MRI scans. It was trained on a set of 234 patients and internally validated on a set of 58 patients. External validation was performed using three independent sets (n = 212, 111, 110)., Results: The multitask deep learning model yielded high MVI prediction accuracy, with AUC values of 0.918 for the training set and 0.800 for the internal test set. In external test sets, AUC values were 0.837, 0.815 and 0.800. Radiologists' sensitivity and inter-rater agreement for MVI prediction improved significantly when integrated with the model. For RFS, the model achieved C-index values of 0.763 in the training set and ranged between 0.628 and 0.728 in external test sets. Notably, PA-TACE improved RFS only in patients predicted to have high MVI risk and low survival scores (p < .001)., Conclusions: Our deep learning model allows accurate MVI and survival prediction in HCC patients. Prospective studies are warranted to assess the clinical utility of this model in guiding personalised treatment in conjunction with clinical criteria., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Catalase is an antioxidative enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) produced by superoxide dismutase from highly reactive superoxide (O 2 - ) to water and oxygen molecules. Although recent findings demonstrate that catalase, autophagy and the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signalling pathway are centrally involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), the interplay between the three has not been fully characterized. Thus, the mechanism responsible for catalase-mediated protection against heart injury in diabetic mice was investigated in this study, as well as the role of NF-κB-p65 in the regulation of autophagic flux was investigated in this study. Western blot analysis revealed that catalase inhibited NF-κB activity and decreased LC3-II (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3) and beclin-1 (Atg6) expression. Furthermore, up-regulation of autophagy was detrimental for cardiac function in diabetic mice. Catalase overexpression reduced the level of NF-κB subunit in the nucleus, where it initiates autophagy through activation of the key autophagy gene BECN1. To evaluate the role of the NF-κB pathway in diabetes-induced autophagy, Bay11-7082, an NF-κB inhibitor, was injected into diabetic mice, which suppressed NF-κB and attenuated diabetes-induced autophagy and myocardial apoptosis. In agreement with the in vivo results, Bay11-7082 also inhibited high-glucose-induced activation of NF-κB and the up-regulation of LC3-II and beclin-1 expression in H9c2 cells. In addition, high-glucose-induced activation of autophagic flux and apoptosis were largely attenuated by p65 siRNA, suggesting that catalase ameliorates diabetes-induced autophagy, at least in part by increasing the activity of the NF-κB pathway and p65-mediated transcription of BECN1., (© 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.)