Search

A novel strategy was developed to fabricate FeNx-doped carbon quantum dots (Fe-N-CQDs) to detect Cu2+ ions selectively as a fluorescence probe. The Fe-N-CQDs were synthesized by an efficient electrolysis of a carbon cloth electrode, which was coated with monoatomic iron-anchored nitrogen-doped carbon (Fe-N-C). The obtained Fe-N-CQDs emitted blue fluorescence and possessed a quantum yield (QY) of 7.5%. An extremely wide linear relationship between the Cu2+ concentration and the fluorescence intensity was obtained in the range from 100 nM to 1000 nM (R2 = 0.997), and the detection limit was calculated as 59 nM. Moreover, the Fe-N-CQDs demonstrated wide range pH compatibility between 2 and 13 due to the coordination between pyridine nitrogen and Fe3+, which dramatically reduced the affection of the protonation and deprotonation process between H+ and Fe-N-CQDs. It is notable that the Fe-N-CQDs exhibited a rapid response in Cu2+ detection, where stable quenching can be completed in 7 s. The mechanism of excellent selective detection of Cu2+ was revealed by energy level simulation that the LUMO level of Fe-N-CQDs (−4.37 eV) was close to the redox potential of Cu2+, thus facilitating the electron transport from Fe-N-CQDs to Cu2+.

A method for glycosides detection in tobacco leaves by heart cutting Rp/Rp two dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was established. Three glycosides were determined, including 3-oxo-7,8-dihydro-α-ionol-β-D-glucopyranoside, 3-oxo-α-ionol-β-D-glucopyranoside and 3-hydroxy-β-dihydro-damascone-β-D-glucopyranoside. Only extraction and filtration were required in sample pretreatment. The RSDs of intra day and inter day were in the range of 1.0%~3.2% and 2.8%~8.4%, respectively, which showed good reproducibility. Since sample pretreatment was very simple, the method was quite suitable for daily detection. Different types of tobacco were determined, including Virginian type tobacco, Burley tobacco, oriental tobacco and sun cured tobacco. The results revealed that glycosides in flue cured and fresh Virginian type tobacco were significantly higher than other types, which agreed well with previous reported articles. 157 kinds of Virginian type tobacco samples from different regions were monitored and investigated. Among the factors, which influenced contents of glucosides in Virginian type tobacco, sugar was no longer the major one, catabolite of carotenoids (C13 isoprenol glucosides) and temperature were also considered an important factor in our study.

Nitride coatings have been generally applied on light alloys like titanium and aluminium to promote their multiple performances, including hardness, thermal stability and wear resistance. In this work, TiAlSiN/TiN multilayered (ML) coating and TiAlSiN single-layer (SL) coating were deposited on TC18 (Ti5Al5Mo5V1CrFe) alloy by Multi-arc ion plating technique. The microstructure and chemical composition of the coatings were evaluated by SEM, XRD and XPS. Additionally, hardness, adhesion and wear resistance were measured through nanoindentation, scratch spectrometer and ball-on-disk tribometer. The results present that both ML and SL coating contain three main phases of TiN, Al2O3 and Si3N4. Nevertheless, the adhesion of ML coating is 62.4 N, compared to that of the SL coating is 51.8 N. The parameter H3/E2 as an indication of plastic deformation to evaluate wear resistance shows that the ML coating has high hardness and high toughness concurrently. The tribological study indicated that the wear rate of the ML coated specimen was 1/7 of the SL coated counterpart.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), urinary iodine concentration (UIC), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and complications and to establish a model to predict T2DM in the general population. A total of 567 adults (389 T2DM patients and 178 controls) were enrolled, and the levels of 25(OH)D, iodine, and blood biochemical parameters were measured. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed an inverse correlation between 25(OH)D level, UIC, and T2DM risk. Low 25(OH)D level was a risk factor for developing T2DM (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 1.90–2.63; P = 0.043) after adjustment for multiple risk factors. 25(OH)D level and UIC were inversely correlated with short-term and long-term glucose levels. 25(OH)D deficiency was also associated with a high incidence of T2DM complicated with thyroid dysfunction. A prediction model based on 25(OH)D, iodine status, and other risk factors was established and recommended to screen high-risk T2DM in the general population and provide early screening and timely treatment for them.

Purpose: A simple, sensitive and specific HPLC–MS/MS method was established to analysis the pharmacokinetics of CB1107 in mouses. Methods: A simple, selective, and sensitive high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method has been developed and validated for quantitative determination of CB1107 in rat serum.Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Extend C18 Rapid Resolution HD column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm). The column temperature was maintained at 35℃ and at flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Injection volume was 20 μL. The mobile phases consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water (mobile phase A)and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (mobile phase B), and total run time was 30min. MS-MS detection was performed in the selected monitoring mode of electrospray positive ionization reaction. Results: The pharmacokinetic characteristics of CB1107 in mice belong to the two-compartment model.When the doses were 400 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg, corresponding area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) respectively were 20.011±1.24 mg/h/L, 26.778±2.19 mg/h/L, 38.82±1.44 mg/h/L, suggesting that CB1107 have a good absorption in the body.And the AUC of three doses are proportional, indicating that CB1107 conforms to linear pharmacokinetics in vivo. Conclusion: This method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics at three different doses of CB1107 after oral administration in mouses. In this study, the bioactivity mechanism of CB1107, by the pharmacokinetic investigation of CB1107 in vivo.

Sodium alginate beads were used as a carrier to immobilize a previously reported extracellular xylanase from Bacillus subtilis Lucky9 expressed in Escherichia coli. The optimal pH and the activity of the immobilized enzyme were increased at optimal temperature compared with the free enzyme. Our results suggest that the immobilized xylanase has potential applications in the biobleaching industry., In the paper industry, chlorine is often used to treat the pulp for bleaching. After pulping, a large amount of xylan is present in the fiber. Xylanase can be used to degrade xylan in an eco‐friendly process called biobleaching, which can help minimize the usage of chlorine in the delignification process. However, a bottleneck in the adoption of biobleaching is the cost of xylanase and the requirement that xylanase be active and stable at extreme conditions. Here, we investigated whether using sodium alginate beads to immobilize an extracellular xylanase from Bacillus subtilis (Lucky9) can reduce the potential cost of enzyme usage. The optimal pH and the activity of the immobilized enzyme were increased at optimal temperature compared with the free enzyme. In addition, immobilized xylanase was shown to be more stable than free xylanase. The results of this study suggest that the immobilized xylanase has potential applications in the biobleaching industry.

Indium (In) inclusions have been found in 〈100〉 indium phosphide (InP) single crystals grown in In-rich melt by the liquid-encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) method. Two kinds of In inclusions with different morphologies, one is lath-like and the other is polyhedral, have been observed. Most of the In inclusions are lath-like and their long sides are always parallel to the $$[0\overline{1}1]$$ or $$[0{\overline{1}}{\overline{1}}]$$ orientation. In (100) InP wafers, these inclusions mainly distribute in two regions viz., center of the wafer and annular belt at a certain distance from the center. These special distributions of In inclusions in InP crystals were found in our experiments for the first time. In order to clarify the cause of the special distributions of In inclusions, numerical simulations have been carried out on the melt convection in the process of InP crystal growth. The results show that the rotations of crystal and crucible significantly affect the number and direction of convection cells in the melt, which have a great influence on the enrichment and distribution of excess In at the solid–liquid interface. Different melt convections modify the radial distributions of excess In atoms near the solid–liquid interface and result in different radial distributions of In inclusions in the crystals.

A novel ionic liquid immobilized on a magnetic polymer microsphere catalyst is reported in this paper. The obtained core-shell-shell catalyst consisted of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as the core, catalytic inert St-co-DVB as the intermediate protective layer, and cross-linked polyaryl imidazole ionic liquids as the active catalytic layer located at the outermost [Im[OH]/MNPs@P(St-DVB)@P(VBC-DVB)]. This catalyst exhibited a high ion-exchange rate (64.65%), high saturation magnetic strength, and excellent acid and alkali corrosion resistance. In the catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde and ethyl cyanoacetate, the conversion of benzaldehyde maintained at 92.1% during six times reuse. Optimizing the materials of the protective layer and regulating the thickness of the inert protective layer decreased the corrosion ratio of MNPs in acidic media from 44.82 to 0.44%. Adjusting the thickness of the catalytic layer realized excellent catalytic activity (97%) and high magnetic response performance. In summary, introducing an inert protective layer to the structure of ionic liquids immobilized on the magnetic polymer microsphere catalyst, regulating its thickness, and optimizing its structure achieved a catalyst with high activity, excellent stability, and easy magnetic separation.

The Ti3C2/TiO2 nanowires photocatalyst is synthesized by in situ growth through a facile hydrothermal method and mild chemical processes for the first time. The Ti3C2/TiO2-0.7 exhibits high photocatalytic activity for selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes under visible light irradiation. The 92% benzyl alcohol conversion and almost 99% selectivity is observed for the Ti3C2/TiO2-0.7 photocatalyst, higher than that of P25 and TiO2 nanowires. Results reveal that the photocatalytic activity of this photocatalyst is mainly attributed to the introduction of Ti3C2, which results in the narrowed energy band gap by altering the position of CB and VB of TiO2 and the enhanced light-harvesting ability. In our design, a Schottky barrier is established between Ti3C2 and TiO2 nanowires to improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. Significantly, the feasible reaction mechanism of Ti3C2/TiO2 nanowires photocatalyst under visible light is proposed.

Here, we report the use of two high-spin pro-quinoid benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c′]bisthiadiazole (BBT) polymers for high-performance solution-processable polymer thermoelectrics. Sequential solution-phase do...

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), being the most popular conductive polymer, has been doped with various additives with the aim of improving its thermoelectric performance. Among all additives, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been widely used for various treatments. In this work, we designed and synthesized a series of aliphatic- and aromatic-substituted sulfoxides as dopants to improve the thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS. It was found that the substituents in the sulfoxides played a vital role in controlling the thermoelectric properties. Sulfoxides with relatively longer alkyl chains and large phenyl groups increased the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS to more than 200 S cm−1 compared to the pristine PEDOT:PSS film. The sulfoxide with 4-nitrophenyl substituents, however, led to negligible changes in electrical conductivity but increased the Seebeck coefficient from 22 to 56 μV K−1. In contrast, the sulfoxide with 4-hydroxyphenyl substituents remarkably improved both the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, leading to a power factor of up to 69 μW m−1 K−2, much higher than that of the PEDOT:PSS film which was obtained by simply mixing with DMSO. Several simulation methods were used to evaluate various interactions between sulfoxides, PEDOT, and PSS to elucidate the mechanisms, revealing that the sulfoxide with 4-hydroxyphenyl groups exhibited additional interaction with the PSS phase, while the sulfoxide with 4-nitrophenyl groups showed strong interaction with the PEDOT phase instead and hence disrupted electrical conductivity. Our findings would uncover the mechanism of electrical conductivity enhancement, providing a general strategy for designing promising alternative additives for PEDOT:PSS treatment and eventually achieving better thermoelectric properties.

Biodegradable three-dimensional crimped fibers were prepared by the side-by-side composite spinning of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and low-melting point PLA (LM-PLA). The structural variation of the PLA/LM-PLA composite fibers during dry and wet heat treatment was explored systematically. It is shown that crystallization and disorientation were two key factors for the formation of the three-dimensional crimped structure of PLA/LM-PLA side-by-side composite fibers (SSCF). The wet heat-treated fiber has better crimp performance and fluffiness, and the crimp number, crimp ratio and crimp elasticity ratio of the treated PLA/LM-PLA SSCF with good comprehensive properties are 21 per 25 mm, 31.9% and 81.6%, which are similar to those of industrialized PET/PTT three-dimensional crimped fibers. The results of this study shed light on the development of novel three-dimensional crimped fibers with biodegradability.

ObjectiveThis study investigatesthe nuciferine capacity to regulate the liver’s lipid metabolism regarding steatosis and injury in STZ-induced diabetic rats.Materials and MethodsThe rats were randomly divided into groups control, diabetic and nuciferine 200 mg/kg/ day treatment. After 4 days of STZ injection, the nuciferine group was treated and administered via oral gavages for 4 weeks. At the end of experiment, blood, liver, myocardial and muscular samples were collected.ResultsNuciferine-treated significantly increased the body weight from 339.4g to 367.8g, but significantly decreased the food and water intake compared with diabetic rats. Also, the nuciferine-treated rats had significantly decreased TC, TG, and FFAs in the liver compared with the diabetic group, especially the serum markers of blood glucose. These were associated with the gene expression related to lipogenesis which was significantly down-regulated; the gene expression involved in lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation was significantly up-regulated. Discussion andConclusionThe data provide evidence that nuciferine supplementation could protect the liver by regulating lipid metabolism gene expression resulting in decreasing the steatosis and injury in diabetic rat. Thus, nuciferine could be developed as a diabetic adjuvant food additive in future.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are both complicated endocrine disorders resulting from an interaction between multiple predisposing genes and environmental triggers, while diet and exercise have key influence on metabolic disorders. Previous reports demonstrated that 2-aminoadipic acid (2-AAA), an intermediate metabolite of lysine metabolism, could modulate insulin secretion and predict T2D, suggesting the role of 2-AAA in glycolipid metabolism. Here, we showed that treatment of diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice with 2-AAA significantly reduced body weight, decreased fat accumulation and lowered fasting glucose. Furthermore, Dhtkd1−/− mice, in which the substrate of DHTKD1 2-AAA increased to a significant high level, were resistant to DIO and obesity-related insulin resistance. Further study showed that 2-AAA induced higher energy expenditure due to increased adipocyte thermogenesis via upregulating PGC1α and UCP1 mediated by β3AR activation, and stimulated lipolysis depending on enhanced expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) through activating β3AR signaling. Moreover, 2-AAA could alleviate the diabetic symptoms of db/db mice. Our data showed that 2-AAA played an important role in regulating glycolipid metabolism independent of diet and exercise, implying that improving the level of 2-AAA in vivo could be developed as a strategy in the treatment of obesity or diabetes.

Background Iodine plays an important role in pregnancy. How to maintain adequate iodine intake amongst pregnant women in each trimester of pregnancy to prevent adverse birth outcomes in central China is a challenge for clinical practice. Methods 870 pregnant women and their infants were enrolled in the study. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Maternal and newborn information were obtained during follow-up. Multinomial logistic regression models were established. Results Median UIC of pregnant women was 172 ± 135 μg/L which is currently considered to be sufficient. Multivitamin supplements containing iodine, iodized salt intake and frequent milk intake were significantly associated with higher UIC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that multivitamin supplements containing iodine and milk consumption were risk factors for more than adequate iodine (UIC ≥ 250 μg/L). Iodine-rich diet was significantly related to heavier birthweight, larger head circumference and longer femur length of the newborns while more than adequate iodine intake (UIC ≥ 250 μg/L) was a risk factor for macrosomia. Logistic regression models based on potential risk factors involving iodine containing supplements and iodine-rich diet were established to predict and screen pregnant women with high risk of more than adequate iodine intake among local pregnant women in different trimesters and guide them to supplement iodine reasonably to prevent the risk. Conclusions Multivitamin supplements containing iodine and milk consumption were risk factors for maternal UIC ≥ 250 μg/L which was a risk factor for macrosomia. Iodine monitoring models were established to provide guidance for pregnant women to reduce the risk of more than adequate iodine intake, thereby contributing to reduce the risk of having a macrosomia.

The toxic effects of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) on the marine alga Skeletonema costatum were studied, including the population dynamics, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, pigment content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and morphology. High doses (200–600 μg L−1) of BDE-47 significantly suppressed the population growth of S. costatum, with a 96 h EC50 value of 293 μg L−1. Photosynthetic parameters (Fv/Fm, rETRmax and ΦPSⅡ) of photosystem II (PSII) were significantly inhibited with increasing BDE-47 concentrations. The chlorophyll c (chl c) concentration was also inhibited by exposure to BDE-47. In contrast, chl a and carotenoid concentrations were elevated after exposure to high concentrations of BDE-47 for 72 and 96 h. The SOD activity was generally higher at concentrations of 100–600 μg L−1 than those of the control when the exposure time was less than 48 h. With increasing time, the SOD activity generally decreased, and significantly higher SOD activity only occurred in the treatment with high doses of BDE-47. High MDA contents occurred after exposure for 96 h in all BDE-47 treatments. With increasing BDE-47 concentrations, drastic deformation of the silicious valve and detachment of the strutted processes were found. In addition, drastic decreases in the BDE-47 concentration in culture medium indicated the bioaccumulation of BDE-47 by S. costatum. Our results revealed multiple responses of S. costatum to BDE-47 exposure, and indicated the potential risk of BDE-47 in the East China Sea based on these responses.

The widespread occurrence of tire particles (TPs) in soils has attracted considerable attention due to their potential threats. The assemblage of bacteria and associated antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) on TPs is yet largely unknown, especially under the stress of soil pollutants. In the present study, TPs were incubated in soils with or without the stress of heavy metal (Cu2+) or/and antibiotic (tetracycline), and bacterial community and ARG profile on TPs and in soils were explored using high-throughput sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR. Results indicated that bacterial community structure on TPs was significantly different from the surrounding soils, with a lower diversity, and significantly shifted by heavy metal and antibiotic exposure. Additionally, a diverse set of ARGs were detected on TPs, and their abundances were significantly increased under the stress of heavy metal and antibiotic, revealing a strong synergistic effect. Moreover, a good fit was observed for the correlation between bacterial community and ARG profile on TPs. Taken together, this study, for the first time, demonstrates that TPs can provide a novel niche for soil bacteria and soil resistome, and heavy metal and antibiotic exposure may potentially increase the abundance of ARGs on TPs, threatening soil ecosystems and human health.

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Sodium-selenium (Na-Se)battery has been emerging as a new rechargeable energy storage system with high capacity, low cost and high rate capability. However, the shuttling of polyselenides from the cathode to the anode causes dramatic capacity decay, severely impeding their practical applications. Herein, we report a combinational strategy of nitrogen and sulphur dual-doped hierarchical porous carbon with interconnected conductive polyaniline (PANI)coating to incorporate Se as stable cathodes (i-PANI@NSHPC/Se)for Na-Se batteries. Ex situ characterizations and density functional theory (DFT)calculations demonstrate that the i-PANI@NSHPC/Se cathode can provide both physical diffusion barrier and strong chemical affinity for polyselenides. In addition, the interconnected conductive polyaniline network enhances the conductivity for electrons and ions. With this strategy, the i-PANI@NSHPC/Se cathode delivered a high reversible capacity of 617 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.2C with a low capacity decay rate of 0.013% per cycle and an excellent rate capability at 20 C. Importantly, stable cycling performances were achieved with high capacities at different Se areal mass loadings (1.2, 2.3, 3.5 mg cm−2). This work could provide an efficient approach for developing Na-Se batteries with high active material mass loading, high rate capacity and long cycle life.

Under-liquid dual superlyophobic polymer membranes are fabricated by coating thin-film composites, achieving efficient separation of arbitrary oil/water mixtures and emulsions., Surfaces with under-liquid dual superlyophobicity have garnered tremendous interest because of their promising applications, but their unexplored underlying nature restricts the designed construction of such surfaces. Herein, we coated the thin-film composites with different terminal groups over the electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membranes, which afforded the membranes excellent stability in organic solvents, as well as modulated under-liquid wetting behaviors. Among them, the representative under-liquid dual superlyophobic 4-cyan-Ph-terminated membrane could realize highly efficient separation of all types of oil/water mixtures and even emulsions. Moreover, we found that the under-liquid wetting behaviors could be classified in terms of the intrinsic water contact angle (θw). By comparing the total interfacial energy, we proved that the under-liquid dual lyophobic surfaces were thermodynamically metastable. On this basis, we could predict the θw of rough surfaces with the under-liquid dual lyophobicity in a given oil–water–solid system (e.g., 47.3–89.1° in cyclohexane–water–solid system, R = 2). This work provides a design principle for the fabrication of under-liquid dual superlyophobic surfaces, which will open potential applications in diverse fields in terms of such smart surfaces.

Carbon-based materials have always been a hot issue of research as important electrode materials for supercapacitors. Their capacitance characteristics depend on specific surface area, pore size distribution, and chemical composition etc. In this report, we utilize sodium citrate as a carbon source and melamine and urea as nitrogen sources. We prepared two types of nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbons using a simple and environmentally friendly method for supercapacitors in an aqueous solution containing 6 mol/L KOH. The results show, when melamine was used as a nitrogen source, benefit from a larger BET surface area of 819.5463 m2/g, and higher nitrogen content 4.14% show a higher specific capacitance characteristics 383F g−1 at 0.3A g−1 and high capacity retention of 99.6% after 10,000 cycles compared with the product of urea as a nitrogen source.

Cave 222Rn has been a major health issue and subject of scientific debate for decades. While the basics of natural ventilation physics are well understood, it is difficult to make blind predictions of 222Rn concentrations in a given cave due to the complexity of cave systems. In-situ continuous observation is necessary to improve our ability to quantify radiation dose exposure and reduce radiation hazard to cave users, and trace the air exchange patterns occurring in caves. In this study, continuous monitoring using a RAD7 radon detector revealed high 222Rn concentrations and large fluctuations in 222Rn concentration in a small karst cave in southwest China, Shawan Cave. From August 2016 to July 2017, the average annual concentration was 47,419 Bqm−3 and ranged between 3720 and 123,000 Bqm−3, with lower values during summer than other seasons. Taking Shawan Cave as a case study, we suggest a framework to evaluate the potential dose exposure, allowing cave users to minimize risk of exposure to hazardous levels of 222Rn. Furthermore, we comparing results from this study with other studies in 35 caves worldwide, and conclude that there are three patterns of seasonal 222Rn variation. They were classified into five types of ventilation mode based on diversity of cave locations, geometry and connectivity of bed rock fracture networks, together with temperature differences between outside atmosphere and cave air.

Background Squalene is currently used widely in the food, cosmetics, and medicine industries. It could also replace petroleum as a raw material for fuels. Microbial fermentation processes for squalene production have been emerging over recent years. In this study, to study the squalene-producing potential of Escherichia coli (E. coli), we employed several increasing strategies for systematic metabolic engineering. These include the expression of human truncated squalene synthase, the overexpression of rate-limiting enzymes in isoprenoid pathway, the modification of isoprenoid-feeding module and the blocking of menaquinone pathway. Results Herein, human truncated squalene synthase was engineered in Escherichia coli to create a squalene-producing bacterial strain. To increase squalene yield, we employed several metabolic engineering strategies. A fivefold squalene titer increase was achieved by expressing rate-limiting enzymes (IDI, DXS, and FPS) involved in the isoprenoid pathway. Pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase (UdhA) was then expressed to improve the cellular NADPH/NADP+ ratio, resulting in a 59% increase in squalene titer. The Embden–Meyerhof pathway (EMP) was replaced with the Entner–Doudoroff pathway (EDP) and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to feed the isoprenoid pathway, along with the overexpression of zwf and pgl genes which encode rate-limiting enzymes in the EDP and PPP, leading to a 104% squalene content increase. Based on the blocking of menaquinone pathway, a further 17.7% increase in squalene content was achieved. Squalene content reached a final 28.5 mg/g DCW and 52.1 mg/L. Conclusions This study provided novel strategies for improving squalene yield and demonstrated the potential of producing squalene by E. coli.

Objective: Despite the potential therapeutic approaches of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in orthopaedic, their applications are hampered by harsh oxidative stress conditions after transplantation. In this study, the anti- apoptotic and anti-oxidative properties of lithospermic acid (LSA) on BMSCs exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated. Methods: In the present study, we used H2O2 to induce oxidative injury on BMSCs. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay were performed. The expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-Akt, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were measured by Western blotting. Results: LSA can significantly reduce H2O2-induced chromatin condensation and intracellular ROS levels, enhance the activity of SOD. Moreover, it can alleviate H2O2-induced apoptosis by up- regulating Bcl-2 and p-Akt, down-regulating Bax, which was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that pretreatment with LSA could attenuate oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in BMSCs, which may be related with anti-oxidant properties and partly via modulating PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting that pharmacologically manipulating BMSCs with LSA could be a promising drug to increase cell survival for BMSCs transplantation in musculoskeletal disorders of orthopaedic. Keywords: Oxidative stress, Lithospermic acid, Apoptosis, BMSCs, PI3K/Akt

Dielectric composites with high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength have great potential in microelectronic packaging. However, conventional composites with excellent thermal conductivity generally possess high electrical conductivity which raises short-circuit problems and unsatisfactory mechanical properties which limits their applications. In this work, dielectric composites with superior thermal and mechanical performance are obtained by fabricating a new type of fillers with three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure. Specially speaking, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are grown on the surface of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and then utilized as fillers in epoxy resin (BNNS/CNT/Epoxy). The thermal, mechanical and dielectric properties of as-prepared composites are investigated in details. It is shown that the cross-plane thermal conductivity enhancement of the novel composite is as high as 615% compared with the pure epoxy, higher than that of BNNS/Epoxy (380%). Meanwhile, the BNNS/CNT/Epoxy remains a high electrical resistivity of more than 1 Mohm·cm, which is important to avoid short-circuit in electronics. The tensile strength of the composite increases nearly 4 times with the increase of CVD time. These experimental results indicate that the fabricated BNNS/CNT has great potential for reinforcement of composites with wide applications.

Kissra, is traditionally prepared by fermenting sorghum seed flour and then baking it into bread sheets. In this study, bambara groundnut seed flour (BGF) was incorporated at 10%, 20% and 30% into kissra bread. Chemical composition, in vitro protein digestibility, protein quality, fatty acids and DPPH radical scavenging activity of fortified kissra were studied and compared with sorghum-based kissra (control). Protein, fat and energy of the control steadily increased (P

Facile yet rational design of efficient electrocatalyst toward triiodide reduction reaction is a persistent challenge for the practical application of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Here we propose a protocol for fabricating atomic N-coordinated cobalt sites (Co-Nx-C) within nanomesh graphene frameworks (Co-NMG). The as-synthesized Co-NMG combines the features of atomically dispersed active sites and interconnected mesoporous structure with high porosity, which makes these active sites fully exposed and accessible while facilitating the mass transport of reactants. As a result, the Co-NMG electrocatalysts with substantial active sites and desired porous architectures exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and long-term electrochemical stability. Electrochemical measurements and DFT calculations reveal that the catalytic sites toward the reduction of triiodide mainly derive from the abundant topological defects, nitrogen dopants, and especially the atomic Co-Nx-C moieties. Furthermore, with Co-NMG as counter electrodes (CEs), the DSSCs display a power conversion efficiency of 9.06%, which is higher than that of Pt CEs (7.71%). This work not only provides a promising CE material for DSSC to address the issues associated with Pt catalyst, but also opens up new avenues for developing nanocarbon based catalysts with desired features for other energy-related applications.

Waste incineration is a process of full combustion reaction between waste and oxygen at high temperature. It is a new problem whether the special natural environmental conditions of Tibet Plateau, such as low air pressure, low oxygen content and low temperature, will affect the waste incineration in the plateau area. In this work, the influence of different parameters on MSW incineration efficiency and flue gas emission were investigated. The results showed that the temperatures exhibited a significant impact on the flue gas emission. Under the lower temperature, CO was determined to be the main pollutant. With the increase of temperature, NOx became the main pollutant. The optimal temperature range of flue gas emission was between 800ºC to 900ºC. A slight negative pressure in incinerator was benefit for incineration system safety and flue gas emissions. The optimal range was -50Pa to 0Pa. Lower oxygen content (3%-6%) in the incinerator affected the incineration efficiency and flue gas emission. Meanwhile, the high oxygen content had no obvious impact on the flue gas emission, but the cost increased and the service life of the incinerator was affected. The optimal oxygen content in the incinerator was controlled at 6%-8%. Furthermore, the air temperatures, pressures and oxygen content in the natural environment had no significant effect on MSW incineration process. Increasing the air volume would bring about the increase of N 2 in the incinerator. This work provides the basic data support for MSW incineration technology in plateau area.

Membrane fouling is a challenge for the development of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. Synergistic alkaline cleaning and membrane material modification is a promising membrane fouling control method. Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA)/graphene oxide (GO) UF blend membranes with different GO contents were prepared via non-solvent–induced phase separation. The structure, filtration properties, and alkali resistance performance of the PMIA/GO membranes were different from those of PMIA membranes because GO contains several polar oxygen-containing functional groups. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the prepared PMIA/GO membranes presented large and tunnel-like microvoids which conferred excellent water permeability. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that GO was successfully incorporated in the membranes and remained in the membranes after cleaning. The dynamic contact angle (DCA) analysis results demonstrated that the PMIA/GO membranes possessed remarkable hydrophilicity. Moreover, the separation performance of all membranes for bovine serum albumin (BSA) exceeded 93.50%, and the PMIA/GO-2 membrane with a GO content of 0.1 wt% presented the best reversible and irreversible anti-fouling capability of all prepared membranes. The as-prepared UF membranes can be used for protein contamination treatment, particularly for ovalbumin (OVA) separation, and can be used under alkaline conditions. Moreover, the membranes could be reused. The alkali resistance of the membranes was systematically evaluated and its mechanism was analysed in detail, and PMIA was confirmed as a promising UF membrane material.

Highlights A surface engineering strategy was proposed to design hierarchically porous structure on fibrous carbon cathodes with O/N heteroatom functional groups.High-energy and anti-self-discharge Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSs) were realized.ZHS electrochemistry was investigated and new insights were provided. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-021-00625-3., Aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSs) are increasingly being studied as a novel electrochemical energy storage system with prominent electrochemical performance, high safety and low cost. Herein, high-energy and anti-self-discharge ZHSs are realized based on the fibrous carbon cathodes with hierarchically porous surface and O/N heteroatom functional groups. Hierarchically porous surface of the fabricated free-standing fibrous carbon cathodes not only provides abundant active sites for divalent ion storage, but also optimizes ion transport kinetics. Consequently, the cathodes show a high gravimetric capacity of 156 mAh g−1, superior rate capability (79 mAh g−1 with a very short charge/discharge time of 14 s) and exceptional cycling stability. Meanwhile, hierarchical pore structure and suitable surface functional groups of the cathodes endow ZHSs with a high energy density of 127 Wh kg−1, a high power density of 15.3 kW kg−1 and good anti-self-discharge performance. Mechanism investigation reveals that ZHS electrochemistry involves cation adsorption/desorption and Zn4SO4(OH)6·5H2O formation/dissolution at low voltage and anion adsorption/desorption at high voltage on carbon cathodes. The roles of these reactions in energy storage of ZHSs are elucidated. This work not only paves a way for high-performance cathode materials of ZHSs, but also provides a deeper understanding of ZHS electrochemistry. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-021-00625-3.

In the process of electrodeposition, the magnetic field would generate the magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) effect, which affects the flow and mass transfer of hydrogen evolution. Thus, the performance of electrodeposition coatings will be affected. In this work, Ni/nano-Al 2 O 3 coatings prepared by brush plating with magnetic fields were studied. The results show that the magnetic field indeed influences the morphology, texture and wears resistance. The morphology of Ni/Al 2 O 3 coating is smooth and uniform; the (200) plane of Ni/Al 2 O 3 coating is preferentially oriented in the same direction of a magnetic field; the wear resistance of Ni/Al 2 O 3 composite coatings increases due to the uniform distribution of Al 2 O 3 particles; and the wear mechanism of coating belongs to adhesive wear. The optimal intensity of magnetic field for Ni/Al 2 O 3 composite coatings to obtain a good performance is 0.1 T.

Necroptosis, a newly discovered form of programmed cell death that combines the features of apoptosis and necrosis, is important in various physiological and pathological disorders. However, the role of necroptosis on intestinal injury during sepsis has been rarely evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the presence of necroptosis in intestinal injury, and its contribution to intestinal injury in a piglet model challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Firstly, a typical cell necrotic phenomenon was observed in jejunum of LPS-challenged pigs by transmission electron microscope. Protein expression of necroptosis signals including receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIP) 1, RIP3, and phosphorylated mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), mitochondrial proteins including phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), and cytoplasmic high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were time-independently increased in jejunum of LPS-challenged piglets, which was accompanied by the impairment of jejunal morphology, and digestive and barrier function indicated by lower activities of jejunal disaccharidases and protein expression of jejunal tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were also dynamically induced in serum and jejunum of piglets after LPS challenge. Moreover, pretreatment with necrostatin-1 (Nec-1), an specific inhibitor of necroptosis, inhibited necroptosis indicated by decreased necrotic ultrastructural changes and decreased protein expression of RIP1, RIP3, and phosphorylated MLKL as well as PGAM5, DRP1, and cytoplasmic HMGB1. Nec-1 pretreatment reduced jejunal morphological injury, and improved digestive and barrier function. Nec-1 pretreatment also decreased the levels of serum and jejunal pro-inflammatory cytokines and the numbers of jejunal macrophages and monocytes. These findings indicate for the first time that necroptosis is present and contributes to LPS-induced intestinal injury. Nec-1 may have a preventive effect on intestinal injury during sepsis.

Ulcerative colitis is one kind of colonic mucosa damage, shows high number of inflammatory epithelial cells. Dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) induce a milder onset of colitis or a more aggressive response. It may damage the protective effects on intestinal barrier. In this study, we investigated the damaging of colon crypts, evaluated the smooth muscle tension beneath corrupted crypts in DSS exposed mice.Methodsfemale specific-pathogen-free BALB/C mice (n=16) are randomly divided as: group A: control mice (n=4); group B: DSS-mice (colitis, 5% DSS in drink water, days 1 to 7, n = 12). The DSS is replaced every 2 days. On day 8, mice colons are excised from the colon-cecal junction to the anus. The distal colon segment is longitude incision and aberrant crypt area are determined by methylene blue staining method. The smooth muscle strip is separated and prepared for passive tension tests. The rest segment is fixed with 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin. Histological scores are evaluated in hematoxylin-eosin staining section: crypt damage (none = 0, basal 1/3 damaged = 1, basal 2/3 damaged = 2, only the surface epithelium is intact = 3, and entire crypt and epithelium are lost = 4). The smooth muscle passive tension beneath the aberrant crypt area in DSS-mice are tested and compared with the preparations from control mice.ResultsIn DSS uptake mice, the inflammation in large intestine mucosa damaged crypts with architectural distortions on day 7 (n=7). In crypts damage area, the smooth muscle passive tension and relative myogenic spontaneous contraction parameters are significantly reduced under the high preload conditions. The maximum rate of change of velocity of spontaneous contraction was noticeable attenuated.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that low dosage DSS water drink result in corrupted colonic crypts. The corrupted crypts damage the large intestinal epithelium barrier, affect the smooth muscle functions, which declined in myogenic spontaneous contraction under the preload. This further may reduce the peristalsis in large intestine.

Recent experiments on the flow of helium-4 fluid through nanopores with tunable pore radius provide a platform for studying the quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) superfluid behaviors. In the extreme 1D limit, the helium atoms are localized by disordered small variations in the substrate potential provided by the pore walls. In the limit of wide pore radius, a solid layer of helium-4 is expected to coat the pore walls smoothing out the substrate potential, and superfluidity is observed in the central region. Building on earlier quantum Monte Carlo results, we propose a scenario for this crossover using a shell model of coupled Luttinger liquids. We find that a small radius pore will always localize the helium atoms, but above a critical radius, a single 1D channel flows through the pore and can be described by Luttinger liquid theory., 11 pages, 2 figures

In this paper, the GaN-based MIS-HEMTs with Si3N4 single-layer passivation, Al2O3/SiNx bilayer passivation, and ZrO2/SiNx bilayer passivation are demonstrated. High-k dielectrics are adopted as the passivation layer on MIS-HEMTs to suppress the shallow traps on the GaN surface. Besides, high permittivity dielectrics passivated MIS-HEMTs also show an improved breakdown voltage characteristic, and that is explained by 2-D simulation analysis. The fabricated devices with high-k dielectrics/SiNx bilayer passivation exhibit higher power properties than the devices with plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition-SiNx single layer passivation, including smaller current collapse and higher breakdown voltage. The Al2O3/SiNx passivated MIS-HEMTs exhibit a breakdown voltage of 1092 V, and the dynamic Ron is only 1.14 times the static Ron after off-state VDS stress of 150 V. On the other hand, the ZrO2/SiNx passivated MIS-HEMTs exhibit a higher breakdown voltage of 1207 V, and the dynamic Ron is 1.25 times the static Ron after off-state VDS stress of 150 V.

Yunfei Ma,1 Guangda Li,2 Mingwei Yu,1 Kexin Cao,1 Qiwei Li,1 Xu Sun,3 Guowang Yang,1 Xiaomin Wang1 1Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Graduates, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaomin Wang; Guowang YangBeijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 10-52176508; +86 10-52177301Email wangxiaomin_bhtcm@126.com; yangguowang_bhtcm@126.comObjective: To systematically explore the pharmacological mechanism of Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR) against lung cancer (LC).Methods: A network pharmacology approach, which involves active ingredients and target forecast, network construction, gene ontology and pathway enrichment, was employed in this research. In addition, the effect of Baicalein (BAI) in RPR on A549 cells was researched in vitro and in vivo.Results: A total of 159 targets of the 29 active components in RPR were procured by pharmacokinetic parameters. The network analysis showed that β-sitosterol, baicalein, (+)-catechin, ellagic acid, stigmasterol, (2R, 3R)-4-methoxyl-distylin were the main ingredients and JUN, VEGFA, BCL2 were the hub targets of RPR in the treatment of LC. The functional enrichment analysis showed that RPR likely was useful to LC by regulating numerous pathways including Pathways in cancer, MAPK signaling pathway and so on. MTT results showed that 100μM, 200μM, 400μM of BAI had a time and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on A549 cells proliferation; Wound healing and transwell assays showed that 100μM, 200μM, 400μM of BAI could significantly restrain the migration and invasion of A549 cells; Flow cytometry assay results showed that 100μM, 200μM, 400μM of BAI could induce apoptosis of A549 cells. In vivo, BAI (50, 100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumor growth and promoted apoptosis of tumor cells compared with the control group.Conclusion: BAI in RPR may exert anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of LC cells, and inducing the apoptosis of LC cells.Keywords: network pharmacology, radix paeoniae rubra, lung neoplasms, baicalein

Aim: To investigate the association of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in terms of risk, severity, and outcomes. Prediction models were established to screen high-risk patients and predict prognosis of AIS patients. Methods: We enrolled in this study 355 AIS patients and 171 non-AIS controls. AIS was subtyped according to TOAST criteria, and the severity and outcomes of AIS were measured. Blood glucose and lipid profiles including total cholesterol, triglyceride, and lipoproteins were measured in all patients using automatic measure. Lipoprotein subfractions were detected by the Lipoprint LDL system. Results: As compared with the non-AIS control group, the AIS group had higher sdLDL-C levels. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the sdLDL-C level and risk of AIS, especially non-cardioembolic stroke, were positively correlated. The area under the curve of sdLDL-C for AIS risk was 0.665, better than that of other lipids. Additionally, the sdLDL-C level was significantly correlated with AIS severity and bad outcomes. A logistic regression model for assessing the probability of AIS occurrence and a prognostic prediction model were established based on sdLDL-C and other variables. Conclusions: Elevated levels of sdLDL-C were associated with a higher prevalence of AIS, especially in non-cardioembolic stroke subtypes. After adjustment for other risk factors, sdLDL-C was found to be an independent risk factor for AIS. Also, sdLDL-C level was strongly associated with AIS severity and poor functional outcomes. Logistic regression models for AIS risk and prognosis prediction were established to help clinicians provide better prevention for high-risk subjects and monitor their prognosis.

In this study, the estrogenic effect of GL-1, a component of the Ganoderma lucidum, was studied, and the possible mechanism was discussed preliminarily. The binding ability of GL-1 to estrogen receptor was calculated by computer aided simulation. The effects of GL-1 on the proliferation of estrogen sensitive estrogen receptor (ER) (+) MCF-7 cells and estrogen insensitive ER (−) MDA-MB-231 cells were detected by MTT method. The effects of GL-1 on the proliferation of estrogen-induced MCF-7 cells, and the effects of the estrogen receptor inhibitor ICI182780 on the proliferation of GL-1-induced MCF-7 cells were detected by MTT assay. The expression of ERα and ERβ monoclonal antibody were detected by Western blot. The results showed that GL-1 has a good binding ability to estrogen receptor β, and has estrogen-like effect, which might be related to secretion of estrogen and expression of ERβ by binding to ERs.

We develop an ab initio formalism for dipolar electron-phonon interactions (EPI) in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Unlike purely longitudinal Fr\"ohlich model, we show that the out-of-plane dipoles also contribute to the long-wavelength non-analytical behavior of EPI. And the 2D dipolar EPI plays an important role not only in the typical polar material MoS$_2$, but also in graphane and fluorinated graphene. By incorporating this formalism into Wannier-Fourier interpolation, we enable accurate EPI calculations for 2D materials and subsequent intrinsic carrier mobility prediction. The results show that Fr\"ohlich model is inadequate for 2D materials and correct long-wavelength interaction must be included for the reliable prediction., Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures

Dimethylsulfone (DMSO2), a small organic molecule, was observed to induce the alignment of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) via in-situ crystallization in PEDOT:PSS mixture, which was verified by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A chemically stable dopant, DMSO2, remarkably raised the electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS film, which was fabricated from pre-mixed solution of PEDOT:PSS and DMSO2, up to 1080 S/cm, and more importantly, such a PEDOT:PSS film showed a long-term humidity stability and it retained near 90% electric conductivity after 60 days, suggesting DMSO2 is promising for an eco-friendly alternative to replace dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG) and various acids dopants that have been widely employed to dope and post-treat PEDOT:PSS. Pairwise interaction energies and free energy of solvation between PEDOT:PSS and DMSO2 were calculated by first-principles and molecular mechanics, respectively, revealing the mechanism of DMSO2 in enhancing the electrical conductivity.

Background/Aims: Integrin-linked kinase-associated phosphatase (ILKAP), a serine/threonine phosphatase that belongs to the protein phosphatase 2C family, has a role in cell survival and apoptosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is the key transcription factor in the response to oxygen deficiency in mammals. Direct phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of HIF-1α affect its function. The present study investigated the role of ILKAP on HIF-1α dephosphorylation and cell behavior. Methods: HIF-1α was induced by hypoxia. Physical binding between ILKAP and HIF-1α was demonstrated by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. HIF-1α transcriptional activity was investigated using a hypoxia-response element-containing luciferase reporter plasmid. Cell viability was evaluated by a trypan blue dye exclusion assay. ILKAP function was explored by a gain and loss assay with an overexpression plasmid and shRNA infection. Results: ILKAP physically interacted with HIF-1α and induced its dephosphorylation. Both the HIF-1α-p53 interaction and apoptosis relied on ILKAP. Conclusion: The results indicated that the ILKAP directly binds and dephosphorylates HIF-1α and responsible for severe hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis.

The ability to precisely edit individual bases of bacterial genomes would accelerate the investigation of the function of genes. Here we utilized a nickase Cas9-cytidine deaminase fusion protein to direct the conversion of cytosine to thymine within prokaryotic cells, resulting in high mutagenesis frequencies in Escherichia coli and Brucella melitensis. Our study suggests that CRISPR/Cas9-guided base-editing is a viable alternative approach to generate mutant bacterial strains.