Search

Purpose To report the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for management of retinal hemangioblastoma. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Seventeen patients with retinal hemangioblastoma treated with PDT. Methods The medical records of 17 patients with retinal hemangioblastoma treated with PDT were reviewed, and treatment outcomes were assessed. Photodynamic therapy was performed with 6 mg/m2 body surface area of verteporfin infused intravenously over 10 minutes activated by 50 J/cm2 laser light at 689 nm for 83 or 166 seconds. Main Outcome Measures Tumor control, subretinal and intraretinal fluid resolution, and visual outcome. Results Eighteen retinal hemangioblastomas in 17 eyes were treated with PDT. Median patient age was 31 years (mean, 36 years; range, 7–66 years), and median follow-up was 51 months (mean, 61 months; range, 2–144 months). Genetic testing confirmed von Hippel-Lindau disease in 8 of 17 patients (47%). The tumors were unilateral in all patients and unifocal in most patients (n = 13/17 [76%]). The tumor median basal diameter was 3.5 mm (mean, 3.4 mm; range, 1.5–6.0 mm) and median thickness was 2.1 mm (mean, 2.3 mm; range, 1.0–5.0 mm). The tumor location was juxtapapillary in 9 of 18 cases (50%). Associated findings included subretinal fluid (n = 14/17 [82%]) and macular edema (n = 12/17 [71%]). The median number of PDT sessions was 1.5 (mean, 1.8; range, 1.0–4.0). Standard duration of PDT (83 seconds) was used in all cases except 2, in which double duration (166 seconds) was used. Outcomes revealed tumor control in 13 of 18 tumors (72%), partial or complete resolution of subretinal fluid in 10 of 14 eyes (71%), and partial or complete resolution of macular edema in 7 of 12 eyes (58%), and stable or improved visual acuity in 12 of 17 eyes (71%). Photodynamic therapy-related transient exudative response was noted in 4 of 17 eyes (24%). Conclusions Photodynamic therapy is an effective treatment for both juxtapapillary and peripheral retinal hemangioblastomas, providing satisfactory rates of tumor control and visual stabilization and improvement. Patients should be monitored for PDT-related transient exudative response.

With polystyrene nanoparticles being widely used in various applications, there is a great need for deeper knowledge on the safety, fate and biological effects of these particles on both individual living organisms and the whole ecosystems. Due to this, there is a growing interest in performing ecotoxicological studies using model plastic nanoparticles, and consequently it generates an increasing number of published papers describing the negative impact on wildlife caused by such nanoparticles. Polystyrene is the most studied nanosized plastic, therefore this review focuses on research conducted with manufactured polystyrene nanoparticles. The aim of the present article is to provide a critical methodological outline of the existing ecotoxicological studies on the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on aquatic organisms. Going through the published articles, we noted that particle characterization especially in the test medium, can be improved. The analysis also highlights the importance of purifying the polystyrene nanoparticles before studying its toxicity. Furthermore, the size characterization of such nanoparticles is underemphasized, and in future studies, authors should consider including more techniques to achieve this goal. Finally, short-term or direct exposure scenarios do not add the most environmentally relevant knowledge in terms of the toxicity caused by polystyrene nanoparticles.

The clinical efficacy of cisplatin in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is undesirable. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3β (STAT3β), a splice variant of STAT3, restrains STAT3α activity and enhances chemosensitivity in ESCC. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we found that high expression of STAT3β contributes to cisplatin sensitivity and enhances Gasdermin E (GSDME) dependent pyroptosis in ESCC cells after exposure to cisplatin. Mechanistically, STAT3β was located into the mitochondria and its high expression disrupts the activity of the electron transport chain, resulting in an increase of ROS in cisplatin treatment cells. While high levels of ROS caused activation of caspase-3 and GSDME, and induced cell pyroptosis. STAT3β blocked the phosphorylation of STAT3α S727 in mitochondria by interacting with ERK1/2 following cisplatin treatment, disrupting electron transport chain and inducing activation of GSDME. Clinically, high expression of both STAT3β and GSDME was strongly associated with better overall survival and disease-free survival of ESCC patients. Overall, our study reveals that STAT3β sensitizes ESCC cells to cisplatin by disrupting mitochondrial electron transport chain and enhancing pyroptosis, which demonstrates the prognostic significance of STAT3β in ESCC therapy.

Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common tumor worldwide. Aberrant N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification can influence the progress of the CRC. Additionally, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a critical role in CRC and has a close relationship with m6A modification. However, the prognostic potential of m6A-related lncRNAs in CRC patients still remains to be clarified. Methods. We use “limma” R package, “glmnet” R package, and “survival” R package to screen m6A-related-lncRNAs with prognostic potential. Then, we comprehensively analysed and integrated the related lncRNAs in different TNM stages from TCGA database using the LASSO Cox regression. Meanwhile, the relationship between functional enrichment of m6A-related lncRNAs and immune microenvironment in CRC was also investigated using the TCGA database. A prognostic model was constructed and validated to determine the association between m6A-related lncRNAs in different TNM stages and the prognosis of CRC. Result. We demonstrated that three related m6A lncRNAs in different TNM stages were associated with the prognosis of CRC patients. Patients from the TCGA database were classified into the low-risk and the high-risk groups based on the expression of these lncRNAs. The patients in the low-risk group had longer overall survival than the patients in the high-risk group ( P < 0.001 ). We further constructed and validated a prognostic nomogram based on these genes with a C-index of 0.80. The receiver operating characteristic curves confirmed the predictive capacity of the model. Meanwhile, we also found that the low-risk group has the correlation with the dendritic cell (DC). Finally, we discovered the relationship between the m6A regulators and the three lncRNAs. Conclusion. The prognostic model based on three m6A-related lncRNAs exhibits superior predictive performance, providing a novel prognostic model for the clinical evaluation of CRC patients.

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the second most deadly cancer worldwide. Therapies that take advantage of DNA repair defects have been explored in various tumors but not yet systematically in CRC. Here, we found that Diphosphoinositol Pentakisphosphate Kinase 2 (PPIP5K2), an inositol pyrophosphate kinase, was highly expressed in CRC and associated with a poor prognosis of CRC patients. In vitro and in vivo functional studies demonstrated that PPIP5K2 could promote the proliferation and migration ability of CRC cells independent of its inositol pyrophosphate kinase activity. Mechanically, S1006 dephosphorylation of PPIP5K2 could accelerate its dissociation with 14-3-3 in the cytoplasm, resulting in more nuclear distribution. Moreover, DNA damage treatments such as doxorubicin (DOX) or irradiation (IR) could induce nuclear translocation of PPIP5K2, which subsequently promoted homologous recombination (HR) repair by binding and recruiting RPA70 to the DNA damage site as a novel scaffold protein. Importantly, we verified that S1006 dephosphorylation of PPIP5K2 could significantly enhance the DNA repair ability of CRC cells through a series of DNA repair phenotype assays. In conclusion, PPIP5K2 is critical for enhancing the survival of CRC cells via facilitating DNA HR repair. Our findings revealed an unrecognized biological function and mechanism model of PPIP5K2 dependent on S1006 phosphorylation and provided a potential therapeutic target for CRC patients.

Dielectric properties and microstructural evolution of A/B sites co-substituted BaBi4Ti4O15 Aurivillius-type ferroelectric are reported. The non-stoichiometric BaBi4−xTi4−xM′2xO15+δ (M′ = Cu2+, V5+) ceramics exhibits the normal dielectric permittivity (~ 102) and classical plate-like grains. As the potassium and bismuth cations are introduced, giant dielectric permittivity (~ 104) and abnormal growth of grain can be obtained in the non-stoichiometric Ba1−yMyBi3.91Ti3.91(Cu1/3V2/3)0.18O15+δ (M = K+, Bi3+) ceramics. Giant dielectric permittivity together with abnormal growth of grain are dependent significantly on the component of the ceramics. The bimodal grain size model is used to clarify the mechanism of the giant dielectric properties. These results are valuable for developing the applications of Aurivillius oxide in the high-temperature multilayer ceramic capacitor.

Solvothermal reactions of hexakis(4-carboxyphenoxy)cyclotriphospazene (H6L1) with copper ions in DMF/H2O produced one complex, {[Cu6(L1)2(OH)(H2O)3]·guest} n (1), but with copper ions and auxiliary rigid 4,4-bipyridine (bpy) produced another new complex, namely, {[Cu3(L1)(bpy)(H2O)6]·guest} n (2). These complexes had been characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray structural determination. 1 exhibits a 3D anionic structure with the binodal 4,8-connected network with Schlafli symbol {46}2{49·618·8}, consisting of Cu6 clusters and L1 ligands. In contrast, complex 2 possesses a different 3D network with trinodal 3,4,6-c topology with Schlafli symbol {4·62}2{42·66·85·102}{64·8·10}. In these two complexes, the semirigid hexacarboxylate ligands adopt distinct conformations to connect metal ions/clusters, which must be ascribed to the addition of the auxiliary rigid ligand in reaction systems. In addition, gas absorption properties of 1 and 2 including CO2 and N2 were further investigated.

Xiaobing Tian,1,&ast; Yan Li,2,3,&ast; Jie Liu,1,2,4,5,&ast; Qiuxing Lin,1,2,4,5 Qiaoxia Yang,6 Jun Tu,1,2,4,5 Jinghua Wang,1,2,4,5 Jidong Li,2,7 Xianjia Ning1,2,4,5 1Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2Center of Clinical Epidemiology & Evidence-Based Medicine, The Jizhou People’s Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, The Jizhou People’s Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 4Laboratory of Epidemiology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 5Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Neurosurgery, The Jizhou People’s Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xianjia Ning; Jidong Li Email xning@tmu.edu.cn; jd_li_doctor@163.comIntroduction: Isolated impaired glucose tolerance (i–IGT) is a subtype of prediabetes in which an individual demonstrates elevated 2-h post-glucose load glucose levels but normal fasting plasma glucose levels. However, few studies have explored the prevalence and risk factors of i–IGT among adults in rural China. Thus, we aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of i–IGT among adults ≥ 50 years old in a low-income, rural population in China.Materials and Methods: Individuals aged ≥ 50 years with normal fasting plasma glucose levels were included in the final analysis. Fasting and 2-h venous blood samples were collected to assess the selected parameter measurements.Results: A total of 2175 individuals were included in this study. The i–IGT prevalence was 22.9% and significantly higher among females than among males (P< 0.05). Older age [odds ratio (OR), 1.606; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.101– 2.342; P=0.014), hypertension (OR, 1.554; 95% CI, 1.152– 2.019; P=0.004), and central obesity (OR, 1.395; 95% CI, 1.099– 1.771; P=0.006) were associated with i–IGT. Moreover, white blood cell (OR, 1.089; 95% CI, 1.009– 1.175; P=0.029), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR, 1.049; 95% CI, 1.020– 1.078; P=0.001), serum uric acid (OR, 1.0003; 95% CI, 1.001– 1.004; P=0.001), triglyceride (OR, 1.540; 95% CI, 1.105– 2.147; P=0.011), and alanine aminotransferase (OR, 1.012; 95% CI, 1.004– 1.021; P=0.004) levels were also linked to i–IGT in the analyzed population.Conclusion: Health promotion education and a standardized approach to managing body weight, BP, and lipid and uric acid levels would benefit this low-income population in rural China for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.Keywords: impaired glucose tolerance, prevalence, risk factors, normal fasting plasma glucose, epidemiology

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a higher incidence rate of duodenal ulcers. The mucus barrier provides the first line of defense for duodenal mucosal protection. However, it is unknown whether duodenal mucus secretion is affected in PD. In the present study, we used the rats microinjected 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the bilateral substantia nigra to investigate duodenal mucus secretion and potential therapeutic targets in duodenal ulcer in PD. Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, duodenal mucosal incubation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used. The 6-OHDA rats exhibited mucin accumulation and retention in duodenal goblet cells. Mucin granules were unable to fuse with the apical membranes of goblet cells, and the exocytosis ratio of goblet cells was significantly reduced. Moreover, decreased acetylcholine and increased muscarinic receptor 2 (M2R) levels were detected in the duodenal mucosa of 6-OHDA rats. Bilateral vagotomy rats were also characterized by defective duodenal mucus secretion and decreased acetylcholine with increased M2R levels in the duodenal mucosa. Application of the cholinomimetic drug carbachol or blocking M2R with methoctramine significantly promoted mucus secretion by goblet cells and increased MUC2 content in duodenal mucosa-incubated solutions from 6-OHDA and vagotomy rats. We conclude that the reduced acetylcholine and increased M2R contribute to the impaired duodenal mucus secretion of 6-OHDA rats. The study provides new insights into the mechanism of duodenal mucus secretion and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of duodenal ulcers in PD patients.

Simple and reliable mass production of platinum-based alloy catalysts with excellent activity and stability is an enormous challenge for the wide commercialization of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), especially those with ultralow loading of Pt. Herein, an economical, highly durable, and efficient catalyst consisting of structurally ordered intermetallic Pt3Co alloy nanoparticles with ultralow Pt loading (1.4 wt %) supported on hierarchically porous carbon structure (three-dimensional, 3D Pt3Co/C) were synthesized with large-scale production by the NaCl-template-assisted approach. The obtained best sample, 3D Pt3Co/C#1, exhibited mass activities of 11.56 and 0.70 A mgPt-1 for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) in alkaline and acidic electrolytes, which are 60.8 and 6.4 times those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. Furthermore, the 3D Pt3Co/C#1 exhibited excellent stability both in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, with almost no decay of the half-wave potential after 5000 potential cycles. This work proposes a new high-yielding, simple, and environmentally friendly method to fabricate excellent Pt-based alloy electrocatalysts with ultralow loading of Pt, which opens up new hopes for the development of PEMFC.

© The Author(s) 2019. A person's lipid profile is influenced by genetic variants and alcohol consumption, but the contribution of interactions between these exposures has not been studied. We therefore incorporated gene-Alcohol interactions into a multiancestry genome-wide association study of levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. We included 45 studies in stage 1 (genome-wide discovery) and 66 studies in stage 2 (focused follow-up), for a total of 394,584 individuals from 5 ancestry groups. Analyses covered the period July 2014-November 2017. Genetic main effects and interaction effects were jointly assessed by means of a 2- degrees-of-freedom (df) test, and a 1-df test was used to assess the interaction effects alone. Variants at 495 loci were at least suggestively associated (P < 1 × 10?6) with lipid levels in stage 1 and were evaluated in stage 2, followed by combined analyses of stage 1 and stage 2. In the combined analysis of stages 1 and 2, a total of 147 independent loci were associated with lipid levels at P < 5 × 10?8 using 2-df tests, of which 18 were novel. No genome-wide-significant associations were found testing the interaction effect alone. The novel loci included several genes (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5), vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB), and apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide 1 (APOBEC1) complementation factor (A1CF)) that have a putative role in lipid metabolism on the basis of existing evidence from cellular and experimental models. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association Grant

Photosystem I (PSI) is a large protein supercomplex that catalyzes the light-dependent oxidation of plastocyanin (or cytochrome c6 ) and the reduction of ferredoxin. This catalytic reaction is realized by a transmembrane electron transfer chain consisting of primary electron donor (a special chlorophyll (Chl) pair) and electron acceptors A0 , A1 , and three Fe4 S4 clusters, FX , FA , and FB . Here we report the PSI structure from a Chl d-dominated cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina at 3.3 A resolution obtained by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The A. marina PSI exists as a trimer with three identical monomers. Surprisingly, the structure reveals a unique composition of electron transfer chain in which the primary electron acceptor A0 is composed of two pheophytin a rather than Chl a found in any other well-known PSI structures. A novel subunit Psa27 is observed in the A. marina PSI structure. In addition, 77 Chls, 13 α-carotenes, two phylloquinones, three Fe-S clusters, two phosphatidyl glycerols, and one monogalactosyl-diglyceride were identified in each PSI monomer. Our results provide a structural basis for deciphering the mechanism of photosynthesis in a PSI complex with Chl d as the dominating pigments and absorbing far-red light.

One novel spirolactone, aquilarisinolide (1), three new sesquiterpenoids, (2R,4S,5R,7R)-2-hydroxyeremophila-9,11-dien-8-one (2), (1R,4S,5S,7R,11R)-13-hydroxyepidaphnauran-9-en-8-one (3), and (4R,5S,7R,8S,10S,13R)-8,13-dihydroxyrotunda-1,11-dien-3-one (4), together with 13 known compounds (5–17) were isolated from the resinous heartwood of Aquilaria sinensis (Thymelaeaceae). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated based on the analysis of NMR and MS data and theoretical calculations their ECD spectra. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their protective activities against PC12 cell injury induced by corticosterone (CORT) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine ion (MPP+), as well as inhibitory activities against BACE1. Compound 4, 5,6-dihydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (5), daphnauranol B (7), 6-methoxy-2-[2-(3-methyoxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (10), isoagarotetrol (14), and 1-hydroxy-1,5-diphenylpentan-3-one (16) showed significant protective effects on CORT-induced injury in PC12 cells at a concentration of 20 μM (P 14) showed a significant protective effect on MPP+-induced injury in PC12 cells at a concentration of 20 μM (P 4 showed a moderate activity (P Graphic Abstract

A new aerotolerant strain of Clostridium beijerinckii LY-5 was isolated from the pit mud of the Chinese Baijiu-making process for butanol production. Plackett-Burman design and artificial neural network were used to optimize the fermentation medium and a total of 13.54 ± 0.22 g/L butanol and 19.91 ± 0.52 g/L ABE were attained under aerotolerant condition. Moreover, distillers' grain waste (DGW), the main by-product in the Baijiu production process, was utilized as potential substrate for butanol production. DGW was hydrolyzed by α-amylase and glucoamylase and then fermented after a detoxifying process of overliming. Butanol and ABE concentrations were 9.02 ± 0.18 and 9.57 ± 0.19 g/L with the yield of 0.21 and 0.23 g/g sugar, respectively. The higher ratio of butanol to ABE might be caused by the inhibitors in DGW medium affecting the metabolic pathways of C. beijerinckii LY-5 and approximately 1.48 ± 0.04 g/L isopropanol was found at the end of fermentation. This work highlights the feasibility of using DGW as a promising feedstock for butanol production by a new aerotolerant strain of C. beijerinckii LY-5, with benefit to the environment.

Designing shape memory polymers (SMPs) based on thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) is an essential research topic. An efficient SMP is designed with typical sea-island structured ethylene–methacrylic acid copolymer/nitrile–butadiene rubber (EMA/NBR) TPVs in which the heat-control switched phase performed by the EMA phase is related to the shape fixity ability. The results show that the heat-triggered SMPs exhibit surprising shape memory properties (shape fixity >95%, shape recovery >95%, and fast recovery speed

Hyperglycaemia is a major aetiological factor in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Excessive hyperglycaemia increases the levels of reactive carbonyl species (RCS), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the heart and causes derangements in calcium homeostasis, inflammation and immune‐system disorders. Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) plays a key role in excitation–contraction coupling during heart contractions, including rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart. Cardiac inflammation has been indicated in part though interleukin 1 (IL‐1) signals, supporting a role for B and T lymphocytes in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Some of the post‐translational modifications of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) by RCS, ROS and RNS stress are known to affect its gating and Ca2+ sensitivity, which contributes to RyR dysregulation in diabetic cardiomyopathy. RyRs and immune‐related molecules are important signalling species in many physiological and pathophysiological processes in various heart and cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known regarding the mechanistic relationship between RyRs and immune‐related molecules in diabetes, as well as the mechanisms mediating complex communication among cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts and immune cells. This review highlights new findings on the complex cellular communications in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We discuss potential therapeutic applications targeting RyRs and immune‐related molecules in diabetic complications.

The aim of this study was elucidate the inhibitory role of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in liver fibrosis and its possible activation mechanism in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) of mice. We generated a GDF15-neutralizing antibody that can inhibit TGF-β1-induced activation of the TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway in LX-2 cells. All the mice in this study were induced by carbon tetrachloride and thioacetamide. In addition, primary HSCs from mice were isolated from fresh livers using Nycodenz density gradient separation. The severity and extent of liver fibrosis were evaluated by Sirius Red and Masson staining. The effect of GDF15 on the activation of the TGF-β pathway was detected using dual-luciferase reporter and Western blotting assays. The expression of GDF15 in cirrhotic liver tissue was higher than that in normal liver tissue. Blocking GDF15 with a neutralizing antibody resulted in a delay in primary hepatic stellate cell activation and remission of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride or thioacetamide. Meanwhile, TGF-β pathway activation was partly inhibited by a GDF15-neutralizing antibody in primary HSCs. These results indicated that GDF15 plays an important role in regulating HSC activation and liver fibrosis progression. The inhibition of GDF15 attenuates chemical-inducible liver fibrosis and delays hepatic stellate cell activation, and this effect is probably mainly attributed to its regulatory role in TGF-β signalling.

Materials that demonstrate a multichannel controllable color change in response to external stimuli are fascinating for their potential applications in sensoring and displaying devices. Herein we report a FeII spin-crossover (SCO) compound that exhibits both solvatochromism and thermochromism under an ambient environment. This Hofmann-type compound possesses two different pores where the solvent guests can be removed in a two-step process. Because the loss of solvent guests modifies the spin state of magnetic centers, an unusual yellow-red-yellow two-step color change of crystals was detected. Moreover, because of the strong cooperativity of the spin centers, a dramatic red-to-yellow color change of crystals in response to a minute thermal perturbation around 303 K is triggered by an abrupt spin transition of the metal centers. The multichannel controllable dramatic color change demonstrated in the present compound highlights the sensoring and displaying roles of SCO materials.

A double-layer structured cathode has been generated with a layer of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) coated on top of a layer of LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (NCM). With the double-layer structure, the thermal s...

The lithiation reaction is a key step in anionic graft polymerization of polydienes. However, we observed that polymer degradation occurs concurrently with the lithiation process. Herein, alkyllith...

With the popularization of lithium-ion battery propelled electric vehicles, the safety requirements of lithium-ion batteries are under immense scrutiny. Minimizing catastrophic cell failure events ...

Objective To determine the effects of ginsenoside rg3 on the body weight of C57BL/6J obese mice and to investigate its underlying weight loss mechanisms with a focus on white fat browning-related factors. Methods Eight-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 successive weeks to construct the obese model. C57BL/6J male mice were fed a standard chow diet to construct normal control group. After 8 weeks of intervention with ginsenoside rg3, the food intake, body weight, body fat mass, blood sugar, and lipid profiles of the mice in each group were detected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histological morphology of the adipose tissues. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) were applied to detect the gene and protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gama (PPARγ), Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator -1alpha (PGC-1α), PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1). Results Compared to normal control group mice, the body weight, food intake, body fat composition, and blood lipid levels of model group mice increased significantly. After 8 weeks of intervention with ginsenoside rg3, body weight, body fat composition, food intake, and blood lipid profiles decreased. HE staining showed that ginsenoside rg3 can improve white adipocyte hypertrophy to a certain extent. RT-PCR and WB demonstrated that ginsenoside rg3 can increase the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ, PGC-1α, PRDM16, and UCP-1 in the adipose tissues of obese mice. Conclusion The weight reduction effect of ginsenoside rg3 may be related to the promotion of white fat browning.

Electrospinning has been regarded as an efficient technique owing to its scalable operation and ease of fabrication of various nanofibers. In this review, recent progress on the design of electrospun nanofibers and their applications in zinc–air batteries are summarized. The working principles of zinc–air batteries and electrospinning techniques are introduced firstly. Then some recent works for the fabrication of suitable catalysts by electrospinning for zinc–air batteries are discussed systematically, including of the heteroatom-doped carbon-based nanofibers, nonprecious metal-based nanofibers, and their hybrids. Furthermore, membrane separators for zinc–air batteries synthesized by electrospinning are also introduced. Finally, the challenges and perspectives in this field are discussed and presented.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a key role in many efficient and clean energy systems, specifically in fuel cells and metal–air batteries. As a widely used commercial ORR catalyst, Pt/C has the limitations of high price and scarce reserves. Metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) is considered as one of the most promising alternatives to replace noble metal catalysts. However, how to balance the high catalytic activity and stability is still a major challenge. In this study, we report a novel non-noble metal composited catalyst, Fe–N–C@Ti3C2Tx, synthesized by a facile separated pyrolysis strategy. The Fe-doped Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) was converted to Fe–N–C by carbonization firstly, which was then mixed with few-layered Ti3C2Tx and pyrolyzed together to obtain Fe–N–C@Ti3C2Tx composites. This separated pyrolysis strategy can not only ensure the high carbonization temperature required by Fe–N–C for high catalytic activity but also avoid the damage of MXene caused by high pyrolysis temperature. Thus, Fe–N–C@Ti3C2Tx exhibited excellent ORR activity and stability in alkaline solution, including a half-wave potential of 0.887 V vs. RHE, limiting diffusion current density of 6.3 mA cm−2, and even no attenuation after 10 000 cycles in 0.1 M KOH. Meanwhile, it also exhibited surprisingly good performance in acidic solution, with a half-wave potential of 0.777 V vs. RHE, limiting diffusion current density of 5.7 mA cm−2, and only 11 mV attenuation after 10 000 cycles in 0.1 M HClO4. The superior ORR performance of the synthesized Fe–N–C@Ti3C2Tx could be attributed to the strong coupling effect between Fe–N–C and MXene, the reduced intrinsic and charge transfer impedance, and the increased electrochemically active surface area. This work here provides a new strategy for the development of M–N–C based non-noble metal-based catalysts with high activity and stability, and a promising future for applications in fuel cells and metal–air batteries.

In this study, an ether-bridged aromatic carboxylic acid, 2-(2-carboxyphenoxy)terephthalic acid (H3cpta), was applied as the building block for the generation of two new Co(II)-based coordination polymers (CPs) with the chemical formulae of [Co3(μ5-cpta)2(2,2′-bipy)2]n (1, 2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) [Co3(μ3-cpta)2(phen)3(py)3(H2O)3]n (2, phen =1,10-phenanthroline, py = pyridine) by reaction of the Co(NO3)2·6H2O with the H3cpta ligand in the presence of different N-donor co-ligands under the hydrothermal reaction conditions. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study shows that compound 1 features a 2D layered structure which has been reported previously and compound 2 shows a ladder-like 1D network. Furthermore, the treatment effect of compounds 1 and 2 on the rats undergoing gastrointestinal surgery was evaluated. The hemodynamics of the rats was measured after compound 1 or 2 treatment. Besides, the Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale was also performed for the evaluation of rats' cognitive function after the treatment.

Development of liver fibrosis is associated with activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into myofibroblasts (activated HSCs), which produce excessive extracellular matrix. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) exerts protective effects on hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. The current study was to explore the function of PPAR-γ on HSC activation and progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Our study found that HSCs were gradually activated during the progression of methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH, accompanied by decreased PPAR-γ expression and activated TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway in the liver. PPAR-γ agonist was found to inhibit primary HSCs and NIH/3T3 fibroblast activation and reverted their phenotypical morphology induced by TGF-β1 in vitro. In addition to this, PPAR-γ agonist decreased expression of TGF-β1 and phosphorylation of Smad2/3 while increased expression of Smad7. In vivo, rosiglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, inhibited HSC activation and alleviated liver fibrosis and inflammation similarly via inhibiting the activation of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. In parallel, rosiglitazone alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation and peroxidation, beneficial to reverse of NASH. From these findings, it can be concluded that the gradual activation of HSCs is crucial to the progression of NASH and modulating PPAR-γ expression can affect HSC activation via TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and thereby influence hepatic fibrogenesis.

STUDY DESIGN An ex vivo study of the rabbit's vertebral endplate. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the effect of axial compression and distraction on vascular buds and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) expression of the vertebral endplate (VEP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The abnormal load can lead to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), whereas axial distraction can delay this process. The effects of different mechanical loads on the intervertebral disc (IVD) have been hypothesized to be related to changes in the vascular buds of the VEP; moreover, the process that might involve the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) within the VEP. METHODS Rabbit spinal segments (n = 40) were harvested and randomly classified into four groups: Control group, no stress was applied; Group A, a constant compressive load applied; Group B, compression load removed for a fixed time daily on a continuous basis, and substituted with a distraction load for 30 minutes; and Group C, compression removed for 30 minutes for a fixed period daily on a continuous basis. Tissue specimens were collected before the culture (day 0) and on day 14 post-culture of each group for analysis of IVDs' morphology, and protein and mRNA expression of Aggrecan, COL2al, VEGFA, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 of the VEPs. RESULTS Application of axial distraction and dynamic load compression significantly delayed time- and constant compression-mediated VEP changes and IDD. Moreover, the degree of degeneration was associated with loss of vascular buds, as well as the downregulation of VEGFA and its receptor. CONCLUSION The regulation of vascular buds and VEGF expression in the VEP represents one of the mechanisms of axial distraction and dynamic loading.Level of Evidence: N/A.

Chemical additives of magnesium chloride (MaC) and ferrous sulfate (FS) were investigated in sewage sludge composting. A treatment without chemical additive was used as the control group (CK). The effects of MaC and FS on ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O and CH4) emissions were evaluated. The results showed that the addition of MaC and FS promoted the degradation of organic matter and increased the ammonium concentration of the compost product. The maximum pH values decreased from 8.98 (CK) to 8.49 and 8.0 in MaC and FS treatments, respectively. In addition, the NH3 emission for the MaC and FS treatments reduced by 58.3 % and 82.9 %, respectively, whereas the methane (CH4) emission decreased by 22.9 % and 24.9 %, respectively. However, in FS treatment, the carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were higher than those in CK. Furthermore, the FS treatment exhibited lower germination index values (71.4 %) and higher electrical conductivity (6.62 mS/cm). Therefore, MaC is suggested as an additive for reducing greenhouse gas emission and conserving nitrogen during sewage sludge composting.

Spinel oxides have been considered as promising precious metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the poor intrinsic conductivity and moderate electrocatalytic performance hinder their practical applications. Hence, various strategies have been explored and reported in addressing the issues. Herein, an elaborate approach for enhancing the ORR performance of spinel NiCo2O4 is proposed, by combining the decoration of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles on electrospun carbon nanofibers and defect engineering with rich oxygen vacancies on NiCo2O4 nanoparticles through a facilely controlling on calcination circumstance, which could not only increase more active sites and improve the intrinsic catalytic activity, but also render an excellent stability for long-term operation. Thus, the as-prepared hybrid exhibits significantly improved ORR electrocatalytic performance, including a high limited current density of −5.8 mA cm−2, a positively shifting of the onset potential at 0.88 V and half-wave potential at 0.76 V (vs. RHE). The performance of rechargeable Zn-air battery based on the as-prepared catalyst surpasses the one based on Pt/C catalyst significantly. This work can be also applied to other metal oxides based electrocatalysts, and then provided an avenue for the realization of metal-air batteries and fuel cells with high efficient and cost-effective.

Hydrogen storage by spillover in porous carbon material (PCM) has achieved great success in experiments. During the past 20 years, a large number of theoretical works have been performed to explore the hydrogen spillover mechanism, look for high-performance hydrogen storage materials and high-efficiency catalysts. In this paper, we summarize and analyze the results of the past researches, and draw the following conclusions: (1) In PCM surface, the stability of chemisorbed H can be reached through phase nucleation process, which can be initiated in the vicinity of surface impurities or defects. (2) To achieve the 2020 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) target, the PCM material used for hydrogen storage by spillover should have a sp2 carbon ratio greater than 0.43 and a surface area less than 3500 m2/g, which gives us an inspiration for exploring hydrogen spillover materials. (3) Due to a high barrier, the hydrogen spillover almost can not be initiated on pure PCM substrate at room temperature. By introducing the defects or impurities (e.g. holes, carbon bridges, oxygen functional groups, boron atoms and fluorine atoms), the spillover barriers can be reduced to a reasonable range. In addition, hydrogen atoms may also migrate in a gas phase. (4) According to our previous results of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, there is a linear relationship between the reaction temperature and the migration barrier. The optimal barrier for the hydrogen spillover should be in the range of 0.60–0.88 eV. (5) Once the hydrogen atoms are chemically adsorbed on the carbon substrate, it is difficult to diffuse again due to the strong strength of C–H bond. Several theoretical diffusion mechanisms have been proposed. For example, the H atoms in physisorption state can diffuse freely on carbon surfaces with high mobility, using the shuttle gases (e.g. BH−4, H2O, HF and NH3) to make the migration thermodynamically possible and decrease the migration barrier, the H atoms diffuse inside the interlayer space of the bi- and tetralayer graphene, and introducing the impurities on the surface to facilitate the hydrogen diffusion. (6) The H desorption through the directly recombination or the reverse spillover is unlikely to occur at normal temperature. The Eley-Rideal reaction may be the only possible mechanism for desorption of the adsorbed H atoms in carbon substrate. Finally, we have made a prospect for further research works on hydrogen storage by spillover.

Bulking agents are particularly important for sewage sludge composting. In this study, reusable polypropylene packing (RPP) was mixed with sawdust to improve composting. The effect of the mix ratio of sawdust and RPP on the physicochemical characteristics, nitrogen transformation, and emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) as well as differences in the germination index values was detected in a lab-scale composting experiment. The results showed that the unique use of RPP as a bulking agent increased the moisture content over 70%, which resulted in poorer porosity and a less efficient O2 utilization environment and thus suppressed the degradation of organic matter. The highest CH4 9275.8 mg and lowest CO2 202.6 g emissions were detected after 25 days of composting in the treatment with RPP used as a bulking agent. When the mixing ratio of sawdust and RPP was 1:1, the temperature, oxygen supply, and dissolved organic carbon degradation were improved. The NH3, N2O, and CH4 emissions were reduced by 32.2, 18.3, and 90.7% compared with a treatment with RPP as a unique bulking agent. The RPP had no effect on conserving nitrogen during sludge composting; the total nitrogen loss was reduced from 29.3 to 18.2% when sawdust was mixed with RPP in a ratio of 1:1. Therefore, mixing RPP and sawdust in the dry weight ratio of 1:1 (sawdust: RPP) can be potentially used for reducing composting cost and improving the sewage sludge composting by reducing the amount of sawdust mixed and mitigating GHG and NH3 emissions.

Nanodevices based on two-dimensional materials hold great promise for DNA sequencing. Owing to some unique properties, silicene has become a potential alternative to the well-known graphene as a se...

Polyurethane (PU) superfine fiber leathers have been widely used in people's life. However, the flammability brings potential risks to their application. Therefore, more and more attention has been paid to the flame retardant modification of PU leathers. In the 1980s, researchers found that some brominated flame retardants produced dioxins during combustion. In 2007, the EU began implementing the REACH regulation, which restricted the use of certain halogenated flame retardants, so a majority of studies focused on halogen-free flame retardant modification. In addition, the halogen-free flame retardant PU should own a better alkali resistance, because alkali treatment is needed in the forming process of the superfine fiber leather. In this paper, two different halogen-free flame retardants were blended with solvent-based PU. The flame retardant properties and alkali resistance of the flame retardant PU were studied by limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, vertical burning (UL-94) test, and thermogravimetry-infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR). It was found that BY-90 system flame retardant could be uniformly dispersed in the PU matrix. And when its additive volume was 27%, the LOI value of the flame retardant PU was 27.1%, the vertical burning test could reach V-0 level. Moreover, it also had good alkali resistance. The LOI value remained at 26.1% after the alkali treatment at 90 °C for 40 min in the 30g/L NaOH solution.

An aptamer affinity column (AAC) was applied to specific identification and enrichment of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Aptamer was used as a novel recognition element for the target with high affinity and strong specificity. By optimizing the loading of organic solvent, volume of loading and washing conditions of AFB1 in the sample, maximum sample capacity of AFB1 AAC was (334.6 ± 18.2) ng. Meanwhile, the AAC could be reused at least twenty times. The content of AFB1 lotus seeds was analyzed by photo chemical reactor for enhanced high-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection (HPLC-PCD-FLD) combined with the AAC clean-up, with an LOD of 0.05 ng/mL and excellent recoveries in the range of 91.8% to 108.6%. This work provided a new method for the enrichment and purification of trace toxins in complex matrices such as food, agricultural products and traditional Chinese medicines.

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is a new type of polyurethane system, which using water instead of organic solvent as dispersing medium. Because of its non-toxicity and environmental safety, WPU is considered as the development direction of coatings and adhesives. However, the mechanical properties of WPU are worse than that of solvent-based polyurethane, therefore, the modification of WPU has received increasingly attention. Meanwhile numerous evidences demonstrate the excellent properties of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) such as high aspect ratio, low weight and outstanding mechanical strength. Therefore, there is a high expectation for CNFs to be introduced into WPU as reinforcing filler. In this work, a series of CNFs/WPU nanocomposite films were prepared by solution blending. The structure, morphology, thermal behavior and mechanical properties were investigated. SEM results showed that CNFs were evenly dispersed in the WPU matrix. Tensile tests indicated that the modulus and tensile strength of CNFs/WPU nanocomposite films were improved compared with the neat film. While the break elongation of the nanocomposite films decreased with the increase of CNFs content. The synergistic interaction between CNFs and WPU matrix plays an important role in the enhancement of mechanical properties.

The chlorination of hydroxy aza-arenes with bis(trichloromethyl) carbonate (BTC) and SOCl2 has been effectively performed by refluxing with 5 wt % 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as a catalyst. Vari...

Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), a herbal medicine, is commonly used to treat metabolic diseases, while Metformin (MF) is a widely used drug for type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether co-treatment of SB with MF could produce a potential therapeutic effect on high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD)-induced metabolic dysregulation. First, we optimized the dose of SB (100, 200, 400, and 800[Formula: see text]mg/kg) with MF (200[Formula: see text]mg/kg) in HFFD-induced C57BL6J mice. Next, the optimized dose of SB (400[Formula: see text]mg/kg) was co-administered with MF (50, 100, and 200[Formula: see text]mg/kg) in a similar animal model to find the effective combinations of SB and MF. Metabolic markers were determined in serum and tissues using different assays, histology, gene expression, and gut microbial population. The SB and MF co-treatment significantly decreased the body, liver, and VAT weights. The outcome of OGTT was improved, and the fasting insulin, HbA1c, TG, TC, LDL-c, AST, and ALT were decreased, while HDL-c was significantly increased. Histological analyses revealed maintained the integrity of liver, adipose tissue, and intestine prevented lipid accumulation in the liver and intestine and combated neuronal damage in the brain. Importantly, controlled the expression of PPAR[Formula: see text], and IL-6 genes in the liver, and expression of BDNF, Glut1, Glut3, and Glut4 genes in the brain. Treatment-specific gut microbial segregation was observed in the PCA chart. Our findings indicate that SB and MF co-treatment is an effective therapeutic approach for HFFD-induced metabolic dysregulation which is operated through the gut–liver–brain axis.

The development of reversible networks in elastomers provided unique inspiration for the design of advanced polymers with excellent properties. In this paper, we adopted an anionic melting method to introduce carboxylate groups into 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PB), using maleic anhydride as a modifier, and sodium hydride (NaH), calcium hydride (CaH2), and lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) as metallization reagents. Na-Based, Ca-based, and Li/Al-based ionic bond networks were constructed in the covalently crosslinked 1,2-PB. The effects of the electronegativity and valence of the metal ions on the strength and reversible temperature of the ionic network were studied. Payne effect was shown by rheological tests, demonstrating the interactions between the ionic networks and rubber chains. The reforming temperature for these ionic networks was studied by stress-relaxation analysis, and shape memory experiments were performed based on these temperatures. This concept provides novel inspiration for the design of high-performance and temperature-adaptive elastomers.

An aerobic oxidative bromination of anilines and aryl ketones catalyzed by recyclable 2-methylpyridinium nitrate ionic liquid is achieved in water using hydrobromic acid as the bromine source and molecular oxygen as the oxidant. The catalytic system shows good efficiency and atom economy.

A novel visible light driven tourmaline-nitrogen-doped-TiO2 composite (S-N-TiO2) was prepared using a facile impregnation and sol gel method and its photocatalytic reaction scheme with ethylene was proposed. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the presence of TiO2 in the form of anatase phase. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer mapping showed that the TiO2 particles were deposited and dispersed on the surface of tourmaline. Under visible light irradiation, the S-N-TiO2 catalyst containing 4 wt.% tourmaline has higher photocatalytic activity for the oxidation of ethylene than pure TiO2 and N-doped-TiO2 (N-TiO2). This enhanced activity could be not only attributed to the narrowed band gap in visible light driven N-TiO2, but also improved by the spontaneous electric field of tourmaline which was applied to restrain the recombination of the electron–hole pairs. The photogenerated electrons from N-TiO2 were induced by electric field to react with ethylene, and the leaving photogenerated holes also formed the reactive species. The photocatalytic activity of S-N-TiO2 is much affected by synthesis conditions. This novel S-N-TiO2 photocatalyst has a promising perspective in the gas treatment for air pollution control and horticultural product industries.

Fungi are highly survived with exceptional resistance to environmental stress. Conventional fungicides are quite efficient, but the increase in use raises severe environmental problems. In this study, environmentally friendly TiO2-mediated visible-light-responsive photocatalysts, namely N-TiO2, N-T-TiO2, C-TiO2, and Pd-C-TiO2, were used to compare the performance of disinfecting a mold fungi Aspergillus niger. Key parameters, including photocatalyst dosage, the initial fungal concentration, and visible-light intensity, affecting the disinfecting process, was investigated. A new developed Light-responsive Modified Hom's (LMH) kinetic model incorporating visible-light intensity and photocatalyst light-absorption coefficient was firstly used to predict such photocatalytic process in fungal inactivation. Among the photocatalysts, Pd-C-TiO2 showed the highest inactivation performance against fungi, followed by C-TiO2, N-T-TiO2, and N-TiO2. In general, inactivation increased with increasing photocatalyst dosage and light intensity while decreased with increasing initial fungal concentration. For kinetic modeling, the LMH model supports the hypothesis that photocatalyst performance toward visible-light-driven fungal inactivation primarily depends on the light-absorption capacity of the photocatalyst. In conclusion, mold fungi Aspergillus niger are effectively disinfected by TiO2-mediated visible-light-responsive photocatalysts, and such fungal inactivation process could be predicted by LMH kinetic model.