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Background Camrelizumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) has been used as a potential therapy in unresectable advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) along with adjuvant treatment in locally advanced ESCC, exhibiting an acceptable efficacy and safety profile. This pilot study was designed to further investigate the clinical value and tolerance of neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy in locally advanced ESCC. Methods A total of 16 patients with locally advanced ESCC were recruited. Patients received 2 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy including 2 doses of camrelizumab concurrent with 2 cycles of paclitaxel plus carboplatin followed by surgery 4 weeks afterward. Then, the treatment response after neoadjuvant therapy, R0 resection rate, tumor regression grade (TRG), and pathological complete remission (pCR) rate were measured. Besides, adverse events were documented. At last, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Results Generally, objective remission rate (ORR) was 81.3% whereas disease control rate (DCR) was 100% after neoadjuvant therapy. Concerning TRG grade, 31.3, 37.5, 18.8, and 12.5% patients reached TRG0, TRG1, TRG2, and TRG3, respectively. Then, pCR rate and R0 resection rate were 31.3 and 93.8%, respectively. Besides, mean PFS and OS were 18.3 months (95%CI: (16.2–20.5) months) and 19.2 months (95%CI: (17.7–20.7) months), respectively, with a 1-year PFS of 83% and OS of 90.9%. Adverse events included white blood cell decrease (37.5%), neutrophil decrease (31.3%), reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (37.5%), and nausea or vomiting (25.0%), which were relatively mild and manageable. Conclusion Neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy exhibits good efficacy and acceptable tolerance in patients with locally advanced ESCC.

Tough hydrogels with the ability to be repeatedly processed into various shapes as thermoplastics are highly desired in advanced medical devices and tissue engineering. Here, we have developed a kind of versatile supramolecular hydrogel with a network cross-linked by double hydrogen bonds from poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) (PNAGA). The resulting PNAGA-30 hydrogels (30 wt% solid content) are tough, re-processable, and recyclable similar to thermoplastics. The hydrogels in the form of fragments can be easily re-processed into various shapes including sheet, filament, cylinder and other complex shapes by using simple stamping and injection methods. The mechanical properties of the re-programed hydrogels are comparable to the properties of the original hydrogels. The re-processability and robust mechanical properties of the PNAGA hydrogels are promising for practical applications in soft materials, tissue engineering and wearable devices. Furthermore, the PNAGA-30&LiCl ionic hydrogels can be fabricated by simply compositing LiCl into thermoplastic hydrogels. The PNAGA-30&LiCl hydrogels can function as multifunctional strain sensors to monitor large human movements and tiny vibrations, thereby showing great application potential in robotics, biomedical prosthetics, personal healthcare monitoring and so on.

Producing hydrogen through photocatalytic water splitting is a feasible and efficient route for resolving the problems associated with energy and the environment, and great efforts have been devoted to improving solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency. Here, we study an arsenene/g-C3N4 van der Waals heterostructure as a possible photocatalyst for water splitting. Using first principles calculations, we find that the heterostructure is an indirect-gap semiconductor with a type-II band alignment and low exciton binding energy, facilitating the effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Comparing the band edge positions with the redox potentials of water demonstrates that the heterostructure is a potential photocatalyst for water splitting in a neutral environment. Meanwhile, the heterostructure shows significantly enhanced optical absorption beyond the constituent monolayers in both visible and ultraviolet regions. Its STH efficiency limit can reach up to 15.8%, which is quite promising for commercial applications. Thermodynamic analyses for redox reactions suggest facile hydrogen generation on the heterostructure. These extraordinary properties enable the arsenene/g-C3N4 heterostructure to be a promising water-splitting photocatalyst.

Chiral optical materials based on circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have emerged rapidly due to their feasible applications in diverse fields of research. However, limited to the small luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum), real application examples have rarely been reported. Here, we present a complex system, which show intense circularly polarized ultraviolet luminescence (CPUVL) with large glum value, enabling a chiral UV light triggered enantioselective polymerization. By integrating sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion and CPL, both visible-to-UV upconversion emission and upconverted circularly polarized ultraviolet luminescence (UC-CPUVL) were obtained in the systems, built of chiral annihilator R(S)-4,12-biphenyl[2,2]paracyclophane (R-/S-TP), and a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) sensitizer. After dispersing this upconversion system into room-temperature nematic liquid crystal, induced chiral nematic liquid crystal could significantly amplify the glum value (0.19) of UC-CPUVL. Further, the UC-CPUVL emission has been used to trigger the enantioselective photopolymerization of diacetylene. This work paves the way for the further development of functional application of CPL active materials., Chiral functional materials with circularly polarized luminescence can be used in various applications but rarely reported. Here the authors show, a complex system, which show intense circularly polarized ultraviolet luminescence with large glum value, enabling a chiral UV light triggered enantioselective polymerization.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is known to have adverse effects on reproduction in mammals and is pervasive in the aquatic environment. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether long-term exposure to low concentrations of DBP can affect fish reproduction. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos (F0 ) were exposed to low concentrations (4.9, 13.6 and 43.8 μg/L) of DBP from 2 hours post-fertilization until sexual maturation. The results demonstrate that chronic exposure to DBP (43.8 μg/L) impaired the reproductive function of zebrafish, as verified by reduced egg production and modifications to gonadal histology of the treated fish. Plasma 17β-estradiol levels in female zebrafish decreased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner, while testosterone levels in males increased significantly when fish were exposed to 43.8 μg/L DBP. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to examine selected genes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and liver. Hepatic vitellogenin gene transcription was downregulated in both males and females, suggesting that DBP possesses anti-estrogenic activity. The disturbed steroid hormones were accompanied by the significant alterations in gene expression along the HPG axis. Additionally, parental exposure to DBP caused reduced hatching and survival rate as well as decreased growth in the F1 generation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that long-term exposure to low concentrations of DBP in zebrafish could cause reproductive toxicity, implying that DBP could have significant adverse effects on fish populations, particularly in a highly DBP-contaminated aquatic environment.

Studying the fragmentation law and refinement of cubic boron nitride powder under ultra-high pressure is crucial to producing a high-strength, high-density polycrystalline cubic boron nitride. In this paper, brown and black cBN crystalline powders with different micron sizes were selected as initial raw materials for an ultra-high-pressure simulation experiment. Single and mixed particles were extruded under 80MPa low pressure and 5.5GPa ultra-high pressure at ambient temperature for 1 min. The crushing behavior and particle size distribution of cBN powders with different particle sizes and ratios were investigated using a laser particle size analyzer and scanning electron microscopy. Results revealed no particle breakage or deformation at low pressure, and the compaction density was low. However, under ultra-high pressure, the cBN particles showed cracks, plastic deformation, and fragmentation, resulting in crushed fine particles filling in the voids of coarse particles, which led to a higher pressing density. Small-sized or mixed cBN particles with high density ratios were not easily crushed; the coarser the particle size, the more severe the ultra-high-pressure extrusion and crushing. The pressing density also declined, and brown cBN crystal particles with higher impact toughness demonstrated a lower particle breakage rate. The ultra-high-pressure crushing law should be considered and appropriate binders should be selected to improve the sintering performance of PcBN materials; ultra-high-pressure crushing of cBN powder contributes to cBN-cBN and cBN-M-cBN bonds under high temperatures and ultra-high pressure.

Sodium hydrodynamic bearings are parts which are easy to wear in order to improve the wear resistance of the inner wall and prolong the service life. In this paper, high-temperature element W was used as a variable to prepare cobalt-based alloy coatings with different contents of W. By testing the hardness and anti-wear performance of the coatings at high temperature, the microstructure and wear mechanism of the coatings were further analyzed in combination with crystal phase diagram and microscopic morphology diagram. The results show that the coefficient of friction of cobalt-based alloy coating decreases with the increase of W content under high-temperature dry rubbing, while the wear quantity increases with the increase of W content. Under high-temperature oil lubrication, the coefficient of friction of cobalt-based alloy coating is the lowest when the W content is 12%. The wear amount of cobalt-based alloy coating decreases with the increase of W content, and the wear mechanism changes from adhesion wear to abrasive wear with the increase of W content.

Emerging evidence indicates that extracellular vesicle (EV)-encapsulated circRNAs have the potential diagnostic and prognostic values for malignancies. However, the role of circNRIP1 in osteosarcoma remains unclear. We herein investigated the therapeutic potential of circNRIP1 delivered by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell–derived EVs (BMSC-EVs) in osteosarcoma. The expression of circNRIP1 was examined in the clinical tissue samples of osteosarcoma patients, after which the downstream genes of circNRIP1 were bioinformatically predicted. Gain- and loss-of function assays were then performed in osteosarcoma cells with manipulation of circNRIP1 and miR-532-3p expression. EVs isolated from BMSCs were characterized and co-cultured with osteosarcoma cells to examine their effects on cell phenotypes, as reflected by CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Further, a mouse model of tumor xenografts was established for in vivo substantiation. circNRIP1 was upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cells. Overexpression of circNRIP1 promoted the proliferative, migratory, and invasive potential of osteosarcoma cells. Co-culture data showed that BMSC-EVs could transfer circNRIP1 into osteosarcoma cells where it competitively bound to miR-532-3p and weakened miR-532-3p’s binding ability to AKT3. By this mechanism, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was activated and the malignant characteristics of osteosarcoma cells were stimulated. In vivo experimental results unveiled that circNRIP1-overexpressing BMSC-EVs in nude mice resulted in enhanced tumor growth. In conclusion, the BMSC-EV-enclosed circNRIP1 revealed a new molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma, which might provide a novel therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) might increase the risk of childhood diseases by disrupting hormone-mediated processes that are critical for growth and development during childhood, however, the association among the exposure level of EDCs such as Nonylphenol (NP), Bisphenol A (BPA), Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in children and environmental risk factors, as well as hepatic function has not been elaborated. Objectives: This study aimed to discuss this interesting relationship among NP, BPA, DMP concentrations in serum, environmental risk factors, hepatic function of 5- to 14-year-old children in industrial zone, residential zone and suburb in northern district of Guizhou Province, China.Methods: In Zunyi city, 1,006 children participated in cross-sectional health assessments from July to August 2018, and their parents completed identical questionnaires on the environmental risk factors of EDCs exposure to mothers and children. Serum NP, BPA and DMP concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST/ALT, total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL) and indirect bilirubin (IBIL) were detected with automatic biochemical analyzer.Results: The median concentrations of serum NP, BPA, and DMP in the participants were 45.85 ng/mL, 26.31 ng/mL and 31.62 ng/mL, respectively, which were higher than the environmental concentration limits of the U.S. National Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Hair gels used during pregnancy, types of domestic drinking water, nail polish and cosmetics used by children were significantly positive correlated with serum NP concentration (P < 0.05). Gender, feeding pattern, plastic water cup used during pregnancy, hair spray and perfume use for children, duration of children birth, materials for baby bottle or cup and ways to plastic products were significantly positively correlated with serum BPA concentration (P < 0.05). Gender, perms used during pregnancy, hair spray and perfume use for children, using plastic lunch box during pregnancy, duration of children birth, exposure to pesticides, parents’ occupations were significantly positively correlated with serum DMP concentrations (P < 0.05). Serum NP (β = 0.296, P = 0.036) and DMP (β = 0.316, P = 0.026) concentrations and TBIL level were significantly positively correlated. Serum NP concentration and the levels of IBIL (β = 0.382, P = 0.006) are significantly positively correlated. Cosmetics used during pregnancy significantly increased AST level (β = 2.641, P = 0.021）. There was a positive correlation between the frequency of hair spray and perfume use for children and the AST (β = 4.241, P = 0.022).Conclusion: NP, BPA and DMP, which were commonly detected in the serum of children aged 5-14 years old in Zunyi City, Northern Guizhou Province, China, were closely related to the environmental risk factors of exposure environment during pregnancy, infancy and school age. Exposure to NP, BPA and DMP would have negative effects on hepatic function, and these effects showed differences in gender and geographical location. Notably,The relationships were more evident in girls than in boys.

Selenium (Se), which can be both hazardous and beneficial to plants, animals and humans, plays a pivotal role in regulating soil-plant-human ecosystem functions. The biogeochemical behavior of Se and its environmental impact on the soil-plant-human system has received broad attention in the last decades. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of Se biogeochemistry in the soil-plant-human system. The speciation, transformation, bioavailability as well as the beneficial and hazardous effects of Se in the soil-plant-human system are summarized. Several important aspects in Se in the soil-plant-human system are detailed mentioned, including (1) strategies for biofortification in Se-deficient areas and phytoremediation of soil Se in seleniferous areas; (2) factors affecting Se uptake and transport by plants; (3) metabolic pathways of Se in the human body; (4) the interactions between Se and other trace elements in plant and animals, in particular, the detoxification of heavy metals by Se. Important research hotspots of Se biogeochemistry are outlined, including (1) the coupling of soil microbial activity and the Se biogeochemical cycle; (2) the molecular mechanism of Se metabolic in plants and animals; and (3) the application of Se isotopes as a biogeochemical tracer in research. This review provides up-to-date knowledge and guidelines on Se biogeochemistry research.

Ultrafast self-gelling polymeric powder with strong wet bioadhesion can be used as effective tissue sealant., Achieving strong adhesion of bioadhesives on wet tissues remains a challenge and an acute clinical demand because of the interfering interfacial water and limited adhesive-tissue interactions. Here we report a self-gelling and adhesive polyethyleneimine and polyacrylic acid (PEI/PAA) powder, which can absorb interfacial water to form a physically cross-linked hydrogel in situ within 2 seconds due to strong physical interactions between the polymers. Furthermore, the physically cross-linked polymers can diffuse into the substrate polymeric network to enhance wet adhesion. Superficial deposition of PEI/PAA powder can effectively seal damaged porcine stomach and intestine despite excessive mechanical challenges and tissue surface irregularities. We further demonstrate PEI/PAA powder as an effective sealant to enhance the treatment outcomes of gastric perforation in a rat model. The strong wet adhesion, excellent cytocompatibility, adaptability to fit complex sites, and easy synthesis of PEI/PAA powder make it a promising bioadhesive for numerous biomedical applications.

The exotic physicochemical properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) make it widely investigated and applied in photocatalysis. However, its low specific surface area, limited active sites and fast electron-hole pair recombination rate limit its further application. In this work, g-C3N4 nanosheets (CNNs) were fabricated by a simple and convenient gas bubble exfoliation method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that bulk g-C3N4 (b-CN) was exfoliated by the generation and expansion of gas bubbles obtained from the electrolysis of water, which provides essential and dominant driving force to overcome the interlayer van der Waals force of b-CN, and achieve the exfoliation. The thin layer structure of CNNs was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface area of CNNs was about 2.57 times that of b-CN. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of CNNs was proved by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Thus, gas bubble exfoliation is a new strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of b-CN.

A series of nonbridged axially chiral binaphthyl derivatives were synthesized and used as chiral dopants for chiral nematic liquid crystals (N*-LCs). It was found that binaphthyl derivatives substituted at 3,3' positions or 2,2' positions of binaphthyl rings could induce N*-LCs to show opposite circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals, despite having the same configuration. Additionally, a CPL switch could be constructed in these N*-LCs regulated by the applied electric field.

Diversified heterogeneities tend to occur in carbonate gas reservoirs due to different scales and distribution densities of pores, vugs and fractures in reservoirs, and consequently the water invasion laws of gas reservoirs are more different. In this paper, the methods quantitatively describing the matching relationships between pores, vugs and fractures were improved based on full-diameter core digital processing and analysis so as to understand the heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs and its influence on the water invasion laws of gas reservoirs and then predict the water invasion dynamics of gas reservoirs. Firstly, a new method to evaluate the contribution of microfractures to reservoir seepage capacity was established according to the analysis chart of percolation theory. Then, gas–water relative permeability and rock compressibility were measured by conducting gas/water seepage and fluid–solid coupling stress sensitivity experiments under the conditions of actual gas reservoir pressure and temperature. And accordingly the effects of various fractures and caves on the gas invasion laws of gas reservoirs were analyzed. Finally, the method to predict the differentiation characteristics of water invasion influence of the reservoirs with different types of physical properties was developed based on the water invasion characteristics of typical carbonate gas reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin. The following research results were obtained. First, in a broad sense, different types of carbonate reservoirs are classified as a triple continuum. The development of fractures speeds up the appearance of water invasion in gas reservoirs while the uniform development of caves slows down the appearance of water invasion effect. Second, the development of microfractures is a prerequisite for ultra-low porosity reservoirs to possess the ability of medium permeability or high permeability. The water invasion law in this case is obviously different from the channeling along large fractures or the water invasion in the network small fracture development belt. Third, the stress sensitivity of reservoir porosity in aquifer is the main source of formation water invasion energy. This characteristic is more prominent in the early stage of the exploitation of abnormal high pressure gas reservoirs. The research results have been applied to water invasion energy assessment, water invasion performance forecast and water control measure effectiveness prediction in a number of carbonate reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin. And they provide effective technical guidance for water invasion control in complex gas reservoirs and further understanding of water invasion differentiation laws. Keywords: Carbonate gas reservoir, Triple continuum, Matching relationship, Heterogeneous, Seepage, Water invasion characteristics, Difference, Mechanism analysis, Sichuan basin

By blending a chiral acceptor and a sensitizer into a nematic liquid crystal, a chiral nematic liquid crystal showing amplified upconverted circularly polarized luminescence could be obtained., In this work, we demonstrate a room-temperature chiral liquid crystal which shows remarkable photon upconverted circularly polarized luminescence (UC-CPL). Circularly polarized luminescent materials with higher dissymmetry factor (glum) underpin the basis for future applications. Since most chiral organic molecules have only a small glum, it is vital to explore a new pathway to amplify the glum of organic compounds. Here, by dispersing a chiral emitter and a triplet donor into a room-temperature nematic liquid crystal, highly efficient triplet–triplet annihilation-based photon upconversion (TTA-UC) and UC-CPL were observed in the induced chiral nematic liquid crystal (N*LC). Moreover, this system could simultaneously amplify the promoted circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and the upconverted circularly polarized luminescence. The dissymmetry factors glum of CPL and UC-CPL have been amplified by three orders of magnitude and one order of magnitude, respectively.

Background Although previous studies have found that maternal fish intake is associated with fetal growth, the role of freshwater fish intake remains unknown. Objective Our aim was to examine the relationships of freshwater fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake with the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) in Chinese pregnant women. Design This was a prospective analysis of data from the Tongji Birth cohort in Wuhan, China, from 2018 to 2021. Participants/settings This study included 1,701 pregnant women who had completed a food frequency questionnaire dietary assessment during mid-pregnancy. Main outcome measures Intake of fish was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total intake of n-3 PUFAs was the sum of data collected from both dietary and supplemental sources of n-3 PUFAs. Birth information was extracted from medical records. Statistical analyses Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios and 95% CIs. Results The median (interquartile range) intake of freshwater fish and total n-3 PUFAs was 12.1 (4.3 to 26.4) g/d and 68.2 (24.5 to 370.0) mg/d, respectively. Moderate intake of freshwater fish was associated with reduced risk of SGA. Compared with the lowest quintile (0–3.2 g/d), the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for women in the fourth quintile of freshwater fish intake (17.9 to 30.0 g/d) was 0.50 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.96). We found a nonlinear association between freshwater fish intake and SGA risk (Pnonlinearity = .027). However, maternal n-3 PUFAs intake was not significantly associated with SGA risk, either from total intake or from dietary sources alone. Conclusions Moderate freshwater fish intake during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of SGA in a Chinese population. This finding provides supportive evidence for freshwater fish intake during pregnancy, particularly for the inland areas of developing countries.

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), the major active constituent purified from Astragalus membranaceus, was previously reported to have protective effects against cardiac dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of AS-IV on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and explored the potential mechanism by focusing on miRNA-1 (miR-1) at the animal and cellular levels. A series of methods were used, including echocardiography, flow cytometry, ELISA, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, RT-PCR, and western blotting. The results showed that both AS-IV and the miR-1 inhibitor improved cardiac dysfunction, reduced heart injury, inhibited apoptosis and autophagy, and regulated the expression of calcium- and mitochondrial energy metabolism-related proteins in the heart tissue of rats treated with LPS. Importantly, AS-IV downregulated the expression of miR-1 mRNA in heart tissue. All effects of AS-IV were at least partly abolished by miR-1 mimics. In the in vitro study, both AS-IV and the miR-1 inhibitor inhibited apoptosis and autophagy and regulated the expression of calcium- and mitochondrial energy metabolism-related proteins in heart cells treated with LPS. Similarly, AS-IV downregulated the expression of miR-1 mRNA in heart cells. All effects of AS-IV on cells were at least partly abolished by miR-1 mimics. Furthermore, miR-1 mimics exhibited effects similar to LPS both in animal and cellular studies. Taken together, these results suggest that AS-IV protects against LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting calcium-mediated apoptosis and autophagy by targeting miR-1, highlighting a new mechanism for the therapeutic effect of AS-IV on cardiac dysfunction.

Tumor local chemotherapy employing injectable hydrogels reservoirs is a promising platform to achieve precise drug administration. However, balanced injectability, pH-responsiveness and long-term hydrolysis resistance of self-healing hydrogels remains an appealing challenge. Herein, a modular preassembly strategy combining host-guest interactions with dynamic acylhydrazone bonds, was exploited to fabricate injectable cellulose-based hydrogels dressed with outstanding self-healing property, pH-responsiveness and hydrolytic degradation resistance. Attributed to the host-guest interaction between β-cyclodextrin and 1-adamantane, the hydrogels exhibited excellent injectability, self-healing property (healing efficiency of 97.5 %) and rapid recovery ( 30 days) and pH-responsive behavior, endowing the hydrogels with precisely spatio-temporal drug release administration. When used for osteosarcoma therapy, the average tumor weight (25 mg) treated with doxorubicin (DOX) loaded hydrogel was much smaller than DOX group (161 mg) and control group (553mg), demonstrating the DOX-loaded hydrogels achieved high inhibition efficacy against tumor recurrence without obvious long-term toxicity. Funding Information: This work was supported by the Major International (Regional) Joint Research Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (21620102004), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51973166), the Key Research and Development Program of HubeiProvince (2020BCA079), and Hubei Province Scientific and Technical Innovation Key Project (No. 2019ACA136). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no known conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: All Animal experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Wuhan University (No. WP2020-08082).

This paper presents a new method of postweld treatment. The 5154 aluminum alloy was cleaned by Nd:YAG laser after welding. The surface morphology, energy spectrum, friction and wear properties, hardness, and residual stress of the welded joint at different cleaning speeds were studied. The results show that an Nd:YAG laser can effectively remove the welding slag and eliminate the pores in the weld under a certain cleaning speed. When the cleaning speed is in the range of 5.2–20.7 mm/s, laser cleaning can improve the heat-affected zone’s tribological characteristics. Laser cleaning can eliminate the residual stress of the welded joint and improve the welding joint’s strength, which provides a reference for laser cleaning instead of traditional heat treatment.

Graphical abstract, Objectives The current diagnosis and medicines approach in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) does not reflect the heterogeneous characteristics of this disease. This study aims to find a new antiviral combination regimen by investigating the frequency of clinically relevant and objectively identified comorbidities, and the clustering of these clinical syndromes and varying results of treatment with antiviral drugs in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Methods This study recruited 151 severe COVID-19 infection cases diagnosed in our hospital examination and illustrated the clinical potential during a consecutive 25-day medication period. Potential differences in disease severity and clinical characteristics, hematological profile, and current pharmacologic treatments (single agent, double or triple combinations, and the combined antiviral drugs plus Lianhua Qingwen) among comorbidity clusters were explored. Results Although disease severity was comparable among three clusters, it was markedly different in terms of laboratory test status. Coagulable abnormality was mainly present in cluster 1 and cluster 2. Other indicators were normal, except for a significant increase of neutrophils presented in cluster 2. Patients showed the most complicated haematological results in cluster 3, including severe coagulation abnormalities, leukocytosis, neutrophilic granulocytosis, and lymphopenia. Our results for the first time suggest that a quadruple combination therapy (Ribavirin, Lopinavir/ritonavir, Umifenovir, and Lianhua Qingwen) can be considered as a preferred treatment approach to severe COVID-19 patients. After treatment, abnormal coagulation and leukocyte had markedly improved with a better prognosis. Conclusion This study expands the understanding of the co-occurrence of combination therapy in patients with COVID-19, which provides the probability of developing novel combined therapy. Furthermore, explore clinical trials of variable antivirus treatments based on subgroup analyses or on using subgroups in the selection criteria would be the next step.

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an acquired disorder of mucosal damage characterized by the diffuse or local necrosis of the intestine. The suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory action in gastritis, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory diseases. The present study aims to explore the effects of SOCS3 on LPS-induced colonic cell model of NEC, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Methods Expression of SOCS3 in tissue samples of NEC and LPS-induced enterocytes were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to examine the effect of SOCS3 on inflammatory molecules. Co-immunoprecipitation assay were devoted to explore the relation between SOCS3 and TLR4. Results We proved that SOCS3 was expressed at a low level in tissue samples of NEC and LPS-induced enterocytes, and LPS inhibited SOCS3 expression via JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Overexpression of SOCS3 weaken the LPS-induced inflammatory response in FHC and CACO2 cells. Moreover, SOCS3 downregulates proinflammatory cytokines by targeting TLR4, thus mediating the p65 nuclear translocation, and the activation of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3/absent in melanoma-2 (NLRP3/AIM2) inflammasome, ultimately reveals its anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions Taken together, our data revealed that LPS inhibited SOCS3 expression via JAK2/STAT3 pathway, and SOCS3 protects enterocytes against NEC through mediating p65 nuclear translocation and NLRP3/AIM2 inflammasome activation in a TLR4 dependent manner.

Background Maternal iodine status has been suggested to affect birth outcomes. Few studies have focused on its effects on fetal growth during pregnancy. Objective This study aimed to assess maternal iodine status during early pregnancy and further examine the relation between maternal iodine status and fetal growth. Methods A total of 2087 singleton-pregnant women participating in the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study were involved. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and creatinine concentration were measured in spot urine samples collected in early pregnancy (

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies as well as the third leading cause for cancer-related death. Molecular basis of GC are essential and critical for its therapeutic treatment, but still remain poorly understood. T-cell intracellular antigen-1 (TIA1) extensively involves in cancer progression, whereas its role and regulation mechanism in GC have not been revealed. In the present study, we found that TIA-1 protein level was down-regulated in GC tissues and TIA1 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of GC cells. Then, we used bioinformatics to predict miR-487a as the upstream regulator of TIA1 and we also observed an inverse correlation between miR-487a level and TIA-1 protein level in GC tissues. Next, we demonstrated that miR-487a directly targeted TIA1 via binding to its 3′-untranslated region. Furthermore, we investigated the role of miR-487a-TIA1 pathway in the growth of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The repression of TIA-1 by miR-487a promoted cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis in vitro, and the knockdown of miR-487a had the opposite effects. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-487a promoted the development of gastric tumor growth in xenograft mice by targeting TIA-1. These effects could be partially reversed by restoring the expression of TIA-1. Overall, our results reveal that TIA1 is a tumor suppressor gene and is directly regulated by miR-487a in GC, which may offer new therapeutic targets for GC treatment.

To extend the applications of natural products in nanomedicine, novel cellulose-based supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs) were fabricated via a host–guest driven self-assembly strategy here. The adamantane-grafted carboxyethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose and β-cyclodextrin-grafted glycerol ethoxylate were synthesized to self-assemble into the SNPs. Furthermore, doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized β-cyclodextrin was encapsulated into SNPs via an in situ co-assembly process to generate DOX-loaded SNPs (DOX-SNPs). The SNPs exhibited a quasi-spherical morphology with an average diameter of ∼25 nm. The DOX-SNPs with relatively larger diameter possessed a high DOX loading efficiency (∼94 %) and the pH-responsive drug release behaviors, which made them suitable as a drug delivery system. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated the excellent cytocompatibility of SNPs and the efficient inhibition of Hela cell proliferation of DOX-SNPs. Moreover, the DOX-SNPs could effectively enter Hela cells via endocytosis and release DOX under endo/lysosome pH. Thus, this nanocarrier has promising translational potential in cancer therapy and personalized nanomedicine.

To meet the rising demand of injectable hydrogels with self-healing, robustness and biocompatibility for biomedical engineering, the reversible ketoester-type acylhydrazone linkages was used for the fabrication of novel cellulose-based hydrogel. The ketoester-type acylhydrazone bond exchanged rapidly, endowing the hydrogels with highly efficient self-healing performance without any external stimuli under physiological environment, which was hardly achieved with the widely used arylhydrozone bond. The dynamic hydrogels exhibited tunable mechanical property, pH responsiveness, injectability and biocompatibility, demonstrating immense applications prospect for various biomedicines, such as drug and cell delivery. The pH-responsive controlled release of model drug doxorubicin (DOX) loaded in the hydrogel was demonstrated. In addition, benefitting from the excellent biocompatibility and the reversible ketoester-type acylhydrazone bonds, cells were encapsulated in the hydrogels as 3D carrier. The covalent adaptable network intensified injectability of cell-laden hydrogels and improved the long-lasting viability for cell culture, showing great potential in the biomedical field.

Herein we adopt a simple route to prepare silicate phosphor-containing transparent composite film which is able to emit white light on the base of a blue emitting co-polymer matrix poly(styrene- co -glycidyl methacrylate) under excitation of 365 nm. SEM micrographs indicate that the surface treated silicate phosphor particles modified by silane coupling agent and embedded in co-polymer matrix separate from each other with a certain spacing and without agglomeration. More importantly, mutual enhancement in characteristic emission peak of two ingredients is observed. By varying the weigh percentage of silicate phosphor, yellow-to-white photoluminescent color-tuning could be readily accomplished depending on the variation of the intensity ratios between the characteristic yellow emission of silicate phosphor and the blue luminescence of the polymer matrix. And white emission [CIE: (0.354,0.322)] could be obtained from the simultaneous blue and yellow emission (intensity ratios value is 0.93). Simple NUV-based WLEDs were fabricated using prepared silicate phosphor doped composite material, showing T c of 5917 K, CRI of 84.6. When a larger size composite film was simply assembled with COB, large area white lighting device with a certain color reduction came into being. All the results indicate that the of silicate phosphor-containing transparent composite film has practical significance for the packaging of remote phosphor converted white LEDs.

The effects of sodium chloride on hydrate formation depend on its concentrations. NaCl solutions can promote hydrate formation at low concentrations and inhibit it at high concentrations. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the effect of different concentrations of NaCl on hydrate formation. Results implied that the induction time of hydrate in 1 wt% NaCl solution is shorter than that in pure water. The induction phase of hydrate formation in NaCl solution with a mass concentration greater than 1% is longer than that in pure water. The induction time of hydrate prolongs with increasing salt concentration due to the NaCl reducing tetrahedral water molecules in the methane hydration layers and inhibiting methane dissolution. During the hydrate growth phase, some ions are involved in the formation of unstable hydrate cages, while disturbing and destroying the nearby cage structures, retarding the hydrate growth. Besides, ions destroy unstable structures in amorphous hydrates, thereby reducing the empty cage rate. It was found that 1 wt% NaCl promotes hydrate formation for the local accumulation effect of ions on methane. Furthermore, analysis of the methane hydration layers around chloride ion shows that chloride ions facilitate the transformation of methane hydration layers to cage structures, which also have a positive effect on hydrate formation.

OBJECTIVES: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications and results in adverse outcomes for pregnant women and their offspring. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with insulin resistance and implicates in the development of GDM. Zinc, selenium and chromium have been shown to maintain glucose homeostasis via multiple mechanisms, but how these trace elements affect the insulin resistance and ER stress in GDM are largely unknown. METHODS: A GDM rat model was induced by feeding female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats a high-fat (45%) and sucrose (HFS) diet, while zinc (10 mg/kg.bw), selenium (20 ug/kg.bw), chromium (20 ug/kg.bw) were daily supplemented alone or in combination from 6 weeks before mating to the end of lactation period. Maternal metabolic parameters, hepatic ER stress and insulin signaling were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that zinc, selenium and chromium supplementation dramatically alleviated HFS-induced glucose intolerance and oxidative stress during entire experiment period. Hepatic ER stress as well as the unfolded protein response (UPR) was activated in GDM rats, characterized by the up-regulation of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), phosphorylated the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK), and the inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (p-IRE1α). Zinc, selenium and chromium supplementation significantly prevented this activation, by which contributes to the promotion of the phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) related insulin signaling and maintenance of glucose homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc, selenium and chromium supplementation may be a promising way to prevent the development of GDM by alleviating hepatic ER stress. FUNDING SOURCES: This work was financially supported by the Angel Nutritech Nutrition Fund (AF2017003) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, 81373006 and 81973043).

Our study aimed to assess the associations of plasma magnesium with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Chinese adults. We conducted a case-control analysis of 4447 participants: 867 newly diagnosed prediabetes patients, 1475 newly diagnosed T2D patients and 2105 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) individuals. In a subsample of 599 apparently healthy individuals, we measured plasma hs-CRP levels to examine their relation to plasma magnesium. Plasma magnesium and hs-CRP were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Plasma magnesium decreased from NGT to prediabetes to T2D, and was inversely associated with prediabetes and T2D. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the ORs from the lowest to highest quartiles of plasma magnesium were 1, 0.57 (95%CI, 0.44–0.74), 0.49 (0.37–0.65) and 0.51 (0.37–0.70) for prediabetes, and 1, 0.26 (0.20–0.33), 0.15 (0.12–0.20) and 0.15 (0.11–0.20) for T2D. Consistently, plasma magnesium was inversely correlated with plasma hs-CRP in our subsample analysis; the geometric mean hs-CRP concentration for ascending quartiles of plasma magnesium were 1.29 (1.06–1.57), 1.16 (0.95–1.41), 1.00 (0.81–1.22), and 0.71 (0.58–0.88) mg/l. Plasma magnesium was independently and inversely associated with prediabetes and T2D in Chinese adults.

Background: The association of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a microbiota-dependent metabolite from dietary choline and carnitine, with type 2 diabetes was inconsistent.Objective: We evaluated the association of plasma TMAO with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and the potential modification of TMAO-generating enzyme flavin monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) polymorphisms.Design: This was an age- and sex-matched case-control study of 2694 participants: 1346 newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes and 1348 controls. Concentrations of plasma TMAO were measured, and FMO3 E158K polymorphisms (rs2266782) were genotyped.Results: Medians (IQRs) of plasma TMAO concentration were 1.47 μmol/L (0.81-2.20 μmol/L) for controls and 1.77 μmol/L (1.09-2.80 μmol/L) for type 2 diabetes cases. From the lowest to the highest quartiles of plasma TMAO, the multivariable adjusted ORs of type 2 diabetes were 1.00 (reference), 1.38 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.77), 1.64 (95% CI: 1.28, 2.09), and 2.55 (95% CI: 1.99, 3.28) (P-trend < 0.001); each SD of ln-transformed plasma TMAO was associated with a 38% (95% CI: 26%, 51%) increment in ORs of type 2 diabetes. The FMO3 rs2266782 polymorphism was not associated with type 2 diabetes. The positive association between plasma TMAO and type 2 diabetes was consistent in each rs2266782 genotype group, and no significant interaction was observed (P = 0.093).Conclusions: Our results suggested that higher plasma TMAO was associated with increased odds of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and that this association was not modified by the FMO3 rs2266782 polymorphism. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03130894.

This study aimed to determine whether increased carotenoids intake was associated with reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study. The dietary carotenoids intake of 1978 pregnant women was assessed using a researcher-administered FFQ before undertaking an oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used to obtain the effect estimates. Participants in the highest quartile of lycopene intake showed a lower risk of GDM (OR 0·50; 95 % CI 0·29, 0·86;Pfor trend= 0·007) compared with those in the lowest quartile; each 1 mg increase in lycopene consumption was associated with a 5 % (95 % CI 0·91, 0·99;Pfor trend= 0·020) decrease in GDM risk. No significant association was found between α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin intake and GDM risk. Multiple linear regression analysis suggested an inverse association between lycopene intake and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (Pfor trend< 0·001); each 1 mg increase in lycopene intake was associated with 0·005 (95 % CI 0·002, 0·007;Pfor trend< 0·001) mmol/l decrease in FBG. Interaction analysis indicated consistent effect on each age or pre-BMI subgroup; however, a stronger protective effect of lycopene intake against GDM was observed among primigravid women (OR 0·20; 95 % CI 0·07, 0·55 in the highestv. the lowest quartile of intake;Pfor interaction= 0·036). In conclusion, dietary lycopene intake was mainly assumed via reducing FBG to decrease GDM risk, and the protection was relatively increased among primigravid women.

Objective Obesity is now a worldwide disease and is mainly attributable to increased body fat deposition. In a growing number of epidemiological studies, lutein has been revealed to have different degrees of anti-obesity properties, but the potential underlying mechanisms that have been reported are limited. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the protective effects of lutein against excessive lipid accumulation, and we explored the role of SIRT1 and SIRT1-mediated pathways both in abdominal adipose tissue and mature 3T3-L1 cells during lutein administration. Methods In our design, male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed either control or high-fat diets with or without 25 mg/kg·bw/day lutein for 5 weeks. Additionally, differentiated 3T3-L1 cells were incubated with 40 μM lutein or 10 μM Ex527 for 24 h. Results Lutein supplementation decreased the body weight, abdominal fat index ratio, frequency and mean area of larger adipocytes in HE staining induced by the high-fat diet and then activated the expression of SIRT1 and thus upregulated FoxO1, ATGL, and HSL expression and downregulated SREBP-1, FAS, and ACC expression both in abdominal adipose tissue and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. However, coincubation with Ex527 and lutein suppressed the activation of SIRT1 and reversed the expression of FoxO1, ATGL, HSL, SREBP-1, FAS, and ACC in comparison to those in the Lut group. Conclusions Overall, we suggest that the effects of lutein on attenuating excessive lipid accumulation are dependent on the SIRT1-mediated pathway in vivo and in vitro, which indicates that lutein administration may be a potential strategy for preventing excessive lipid accumulation and obesity.

To meet the demands of various therapeutic tasks, injectable hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties and degradability are highly desired. Herein, we developed an injectable chitin hydrogel system with well-manipulated mechanical properties and degradability through dynamic acylhydrazone crosslinking catalyzed by 4-amino-DL-phenylalanine (Phe-NH2). The mechanical properties and degradability of the hydrogels could be easily adjusted by varying the solid content, while their gelation time could be maintained at a constant level (∼130 s) by altering Phe-NH2 content, thereby ensuring the good injectability of hydrogels. Moreover, the chitin hydrogels showed excellent self-healing capacity with a healing efficiency up to 95 %. Owing to their superior biocompatibility and biodegradability, the chitin hydrogels could support the proliferation and multi-potent differentiations of rat bone marrow-derived stem cells, serving as a beneficial 3D scaffold for stem cell encapsulation and delivery. This work provides a promising injectable delivery vehicle of therapeutic drugs or cells for tissue regenerative medicine.

Resveratrol has been found to improve ethanol-induced diabetes. Although pancreatic β-cell senescence-induced β-cell mass loss plays a critical role in the progression of diabetes, the exact mechanism by which resveratrol improves ethanol-triggered β-cell senescence and its role in ethanol-induced diabetes remains unknown. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either control or ethanol liquid diets containing 2.4 g/kg·bw ethanol with or without 100 mg/kg·bw resveratrol for 22 weeks. Resveratrol decreased the ethanol-induced augmentation in senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal)-positive area and attenuated reduction in β-cell mass, which were based on elevated levels of SIRT1 and proliferation marker Ki67 and reduced levels of senescence-associated markers (p-p38MAPK and p16INK4a). Similarly, resveratrol rescued the reduction in NAD+/NADH ratio and SIRT1 and inhibited the upregulation of p-p38MAPK and p16INK4a in ethanol-treated INS-1 cells. Furthermore, supplementation with NAD+ inducer nicotinamide mononucleotide, SIRT1 activator SRT1720 or p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 effectively reversed ethanol-induced β-cell senescence, while supplementation with SIRT1 inhibitor Ex527 or NAD+ inhibitor FK866 abrogated resveratrol-mediated antisenescence effects in INS-1 cells. Together, our results indicate that resveratrol improves ethanol-triggered β-cell senescence and consequently recovers β-cell mass loss by inhibiting p38MAPK/p16 pathway through an NAD+/SIRT1 dependent pathway.

Storing carbon dioxide in the form of hydrates is a meaningful way to reduce carbon emissions, which is of great significance to the replacement of extracted hydrates, the storage and transportation of gases, and the safety of oil and gas pipelines. In this paper, the molecular dynamics simulation was used to study the effects of ethylene oxide (EO) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) on the nucleation of carbon dioxide hydrate. The result shows that both EO and THF can promote the nucleation of carbon dioxide hydrate and shorten the nucleation time. For the same number of molecules, THF has a better promotion of nucleation of CO2 hydrates than EO. It was also found that the addition of THF and EO promoted the formation of sII type cages in the system. The study provides a microcosmic perspective for the enhancement of hydrate nucleation by additives.

Antagonism between selenium (Se) and cadmium (Cd) has been demonstrated in plants. However, a mutual suppression threshold for Se and Cd has not been identified in previous studies using Cd or Se individually. To fill this knowledge gap, we determined the levels of Se and Cd in various tissues of rice under concentration gradients of Se and Cd with different Se application times via hydroponic experiments. The results showed that the application of exogenous Se or Cd reduced the uptake and transport of the other. When the molar ratio of Se/Cd (R (Se/Cd)) was higher than 1, the concentration and transfer factor of Cd (TF-Cd) in all parts of rice simultaneously reached the lowest values. The minimum Se absorption in rice was obtained at R (Cd/Se) greater than 20, while no inhibition threshold was found for Se transport. In addition, approximately 1:1 R (Se/Cd) was observed in roots and the addition of exogenous Cd or Se promoted the enrichment of the other element in roots. These data suggested a mutual inhibition of Se and Cd in their absorption, transportation and accumulation in rice, which might be related to the formation of insoluble Cd–Se complexes in roots. This study provided new insights into a plausible explanation of the interactions between Se and Cd and contributed to the remediation and treatment of combined Se and Cd pollution in farmland systems.

Bilirubin concentrations have been recently reported to be negatively associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We examined the association between bilirubin concentrations and gestational diabetes mellitus. In a prospective cohort study, 2969 pregnant women were recruited prior to 16 weeks of gestation and were followed up until delivery. The value of bilirubin was tested and oral glucose tolerance test was conducted to screen gestational diabetes mellitus. The relationship between serum bilirubin concentration and gestational weeks was studied by two-piecewise linear regression. A subsample of 1135 participants with serum bilirubin test during 16-18 weeks gestation was conducted to research the association between serum bilirubin levels and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus by logistic regression. Gestational diabetes mellitus developed in 8.5 % of the participants (223 of 2969). Two-piecewise linear regression analyses demonstrated that the levels of bilirubin decreased with gestational week up to the turning point 23 and after that point, levels of bilirubin were increased slightly. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the relative risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus was lower in the highest tertile of direct bilirubin than that in the lowest tertile (RR 0.60; 95 % CI, 0.35-0.89). The results suggested that women with higher serum direct bilirubin levels during the second trimester of pregnancy have lower risk for development of gestational diabetes mellitus.

The homodispersed CdS nanoparticles were prepared on Sn-doped indium oxide substrates (ITO) to form smooth and uniform CdS thin films by electrodeposition method from a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution containing cadmium chloride and sulfur. The structure and morphologies of samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The results indicate that DMSO played an important role in formation of CdS nanofilms by affecting the nucleation and growth of the CdS nanoparticles. So, a DMSO-assisted growth process was proposed as a plausible mechanism for the formation of smooth and uniform CdS nanofilms. According to the photoelectrochemical test, the CdS thin film prepared in 30 % DMSO + 70 % H2O system exhibited maximum photocurrent and open circuit potentials. This is because the deposited CdS nanoparticles had better dispersity on ITO, which facilitated the propagation and kinetic separation of photogenerated charges.

Bilayer phosphorene homojunctions have attracted considerable interest owing to their natural bandgap and high carrier mobility. However, very little is known about the valuableness in arrays of bilayer phosphorene homojunctions with different rotated angles. In this work, we have presented angular modulated electronic and optical properties of rotated bilayer phosphorene employing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The angles in the homojunctions of the rotated bilayer phosphorene are set to be 26.02 ° , 71.61 ° , 110.54 ° , 130.39 °, and 149.01 °, respectively, and the homojunctions demonstrate different bandgaps of 0.66 eV, 0.64 eV, 0.63 eV, 0.68 eV, and 0.67 eV, respectively, implying that these homojunctions are good candidates for application in optoelectronics and nanoelectronics. Interestingly, we found that the rotated bilayer phosphorene can greatly enhance the absorption of visible and infrared light, which would provide encouragement on the modeling of the rotated bilayer phosphorene in nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.

High-quality frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) are important for electromagnetic signal absorption/filtration. Usually, they are made from wave-transparent composite materials covered with a thin metal layer. Current machining methods show some disadvantages when performing fabrication on the structure. Based on its flexibility and uncontactable processing characteristics, nanosecond laser etching of aluminum-plated composite materials applied to FSSs was investigated. To observe the influence of the laser light incident angle, etching of a series of square areas with different incident angles was performed. Thereafter, an image processing method, named the image gray variance (IGV), was employed to perform etching quality evaluation analysis. The observed microscopic pictures of experimental samples were consistent with those of the IGV evaluation. The potential reasons that might affect the etching quality were analyzed. Following all the efforts above, an incident angle range of &plusmn, 15&deg, was recommended, and the best etching result was obtained at the incident angle of 10&deg, To observe the influence of the laser pulse overlap and focal spot size on the etched area border uniformity and on the potential damage to the base materials, a theoretical equation was given, and then its prediction of area border edge burrs fluctuation was compared with the experiments. Furthermore, SEM pictures of etched samples were examined. Based on the study, a processing window of the laser pulse overlap and focal spot size was recommended. To conclude, optimal etching results of the FSS materials could be guaranteed by using the right laser operating parameters with the nanosecond laser.

SIRT1 has been proposed to enhance insulin secretion in β-cell through repressing the expression of uncoupling protein2 (UCP2), but whether ethanol-induced β-cell dysfunction is mediated by the disrupted SIRT1-UCP2 axis remains unknown. This study was conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms by which ethanol resulted in β-cell dysfunction and the potential protective effects of resveratrol in this process. INS-1 cells (rat pancreatic β-cell line) were cultured with ethanol in the presence or absence of resveratrol (2.5, 12.5 μmol/L). The results showed that ethanol exposure reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, ATP production and SIRT1 expression but increased UCP2 expression, while supplementation with resveratrol restored the function of INS-1 cell by upregulating SIRT1 and inhibiting UCP2. Moreover, the critical role of SIRT1-UCP2 axis was further supported by the results that SIRT1 activator SRT1720 reversed ethanol-induced impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by decreasing UCP2, while SIRT1 inhibitor Ex527 abolished the beneficial effects of resveratrol. Meanwhile, NAD+ booster nicotinamide mononucleotide also counteracted the deleterious effects of ethanol by increasing SIRT1, suggesting the regulation of SIRT1-UCP2 axis may be associated with cellular NAD+/NADH ratio. In conclusion, our observations imply that ethanol induces impaired insulin secretion from INS-1 cell through disrupting SIRT1-UCP2 axis, while resveratrol may reverse this process by augmenting SIRT1 and inhibiting UCP2.

Cubic boron nitride (cBN) powders with different grain size were used as a starting material, and the pure polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) samples were sintered under the same conditions at 7GPa, 1700 °C, 270 s. Abrasion resistance and compressive strength of sintered pure PcBN samples were tested, and the microstructure was observed and analyzed by SEM, HRTEM, XRD and Raman spectrum. The results show that the particle size of cBN has not only a great influence on microstructure and property of the sintered pure PcBN un-der the same conditions but also influence on the bonding mechanism of the cBN particles. The inner stress of the pure PcBN sintered with the cBN particle size of 10 μm during the high pressure sintering process is about 199–222% higher than that of the sample with the cBN size of 1 μm. The wear ratio and the compressive strength of PcBN samples sintered with 10 μm cBN was increased by 47.7% and 39.7% than that of the sintered sample with 1 μm cBN respectively. The coarser-grained PcBN contains serious deformation and crushing, which can be attributed to the twin boundary and the stacking faults in the samples. As a consequence, the abrasion ratio and compressive strength of the pure PcBN are dramatically increased. It is assumed that self-bonding mechanism generated from plasticity deformation, which is a main bonding mechanism for the high pressure sintering of pure cubic boron nitride.

Polarised phosphorescence has a bright future in backlighting for conventional liquid crystal displays due to its theoretical 100% internal quantum efficiency and low cost. However, there are scarce reports on polarised phosphorescence from metallomesogens. In this contribution, a platinum-based metallomesogen containing a mesogenic biphenyl (Pt1) was prepared and characterised. To further explore the effect of the substituent on mesophase and emission properties, a related complex Pt2 containing a tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety was also synthesised. Both complexes melt at elevated temperatures but thereafter do not appear to crystallise on cooling. Complex Pt1 shows an enantiotropic nematic phase from which a broad emission can be seen when spread as a film; in solution, an intense, sky-blue emission is observed. For Pt2, which shows a monotropic SmA phase, the emission in the condensed phase is suppressed and there is only weak emission in solution. Polarisation-dependent photoluminescence with a polarised ratio of 5.4 was obtained for the aligned film of a Pt1:polyimide mixture. Using Pt1 as an emissive layer, non-doped, polarised organic light-emitting diodes presented a broad emission spectrum in the range of 450-900 nm with a polarised ratio of 1.33 and the highest external quantum efficiency of 1.1%. This research has an important significance for achieving broad-based polarised phosphorescence from platinum complex-based metallomesogens.

Summary Background & aims The Scientific Report of 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended the elimination of dietary cholesterol limits. However, cholesterol intake increases during pregnancy and studies regarding the association between dietary cholesterol and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are limited. We evaluate the association of total dietary cholesterol and different sources of cholesterol intake during pregnancy, with GDM risk and blood glucose levels in a Chinese prospective cohort study. Methods A total of 2124 pregnant women from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort was included. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary cholesterol intake prior to GDM diagnosis. GDM was diagnosed by the 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Cubic-restricted spline function and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between dietary cholesterol intake during pregnancy and GDM. Generalized linear models were conducted to examine the associations of cholesterol intake with fasting blood glucose (FBG), 1-h post-load blood glucose (PBG) and 2-h PBG. Results The average dietary cholesterol intake was 379.1 mg/d, and cholesterol from eggs explained 64.2% of the variability. Total dietary cholesterol intake and cholesterol from eggs rather than other foods, were linearly associated with GDM risk, with adjusted OR for GDM of 2.10 (95%CI: 1.24, 3.58) for total cholesterol intake and 1.83 (95%CI: 1.08, 3.07) for cholesterol from eggs comparing the highest versus lowest quintile. A 100-mg/d increase in total cholesterol and cholesterol from eggs intake were associated with an increased GDM risk by 18% and 16%, respectively. Moreover, higher maternal dietary total cholesterol could increase FBG and 1-h PBG, while cholesterol from eggs increased FBG only. Conclusion Higher dietary cholesterol from eggs intake during pregnancy was associated with greater risk of GDM.

Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) contributes to the pathogenesis of many metabolic disorders. Here, we have analyzed the effect of the EED-nonylphenol (NP) on the promotion of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats fed high sucrose-high fat diet (HSHFD). Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: controls fed a normal diet (C-ND); HSHFD-fed controls (C-HSHFD); and rats fed a HSHFD combined with NP at doses of 0.02 μg/kg/day (NP-L-HSHFD), 0.2 μg/kg/day (NP-M-HSHFD), and 2 μg/kg/day (NP-H-HSHFD). Subchronic exposure to NP coupled with HSHFD increased daily water and food intake (p p p

Brucella spp. impedes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by its outer membrane protein Omp25 in order to promote survival and immune evasion. However, how Omp25 regulates tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) expression in different mammalian macrophages remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms by which Omp25 regulates TNF-α expression and found that Omp25-deficient mutant of B. suis exhibited an enhanced TNF-α expression compared with wild-type (WT) B. suis, whereas ectopic expression of Omp25 suppressed LPS-induced TNF-α production at both protein and mRNA levels in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) and murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. We observed that Omp25 protein as well as WT B. suis upregulated miR-146a, -181a, -181b, and -301a-3p and downregulated TRAF6 and IRAK1 in both PAMs and RAW264.7 cells, but separately upregulates miR-130a-3p in PAMs and miR-351-5p in RAW264.7. The upregulation of miR-146a or miR-351-5p attenuated TNF-α transcription by targeting TRAF6 and IRAK1 at the 3′ untranslated region (UTR), resulting in inhibition of NF-kB pathway, while upregulation of miR-130a-3p, -181a, or -301a-3p correlated temporally with decreased TNF-α by targeting its 3′UTR in PAMs or RAW264.7 cells. In contrast, inhibition of miR-130a-3p, -146a, -181a, and -301a-3p attenuated the inhibitory effects of Omp25 on LPS-induced TNF-α in PAMs, while inhibition of miR-146a, -181a, -301a-3p, and -351-5p attenuated the inhibitory effects of Omp25 in RAW264.7, resulting in an increased TNF-α production and decreased intracellular bacteria in both cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Brucella downregulates TNF-α to promote intracellular survival via Omp25 regulation of different microRNAs in porcine and murine macrophages.

A series of nanocomposites based on the biodegradable plastic, polylactide (PLA), have been prepared by melt-blending with graphene (Gra) and ionic liquid containing phosphonium ([PCMIM]PF6, IL) surface-functionalized graphene (GIL). The morphology, mechanical properties, thermal stability and burning behaviour of the composites were investigated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), tensile test, impact test, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI), UL-94 test and Cone Calorimeter Test (CCT), respectively. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the char residues were explored by FESEM and Raman spectroscopy. It is confirmed that the fire-retardant performance of the PLA/GIL composites was significantly improved compared to PLA/IL and PLA/Gra; the CCT data showed a reduction in heat release rate and total heat released with increase of the char residue from the TGA results. It revealed that the catalytic charring effect of the ionic liquid, the physical isolating effect of graphene, and the combined effect of both the ionic liquid and graphene (forming continuous and compact char layers) were very efficient in improving the flame retarding properties of PLA/GIL nanocomposites.

Lead poisoning is a geochemical disease. On the other hand, lead is highly carcinogenic and exhibits liver and kidney toxicity. This element can also cross the blood-brain barrier, reduce learning and memory ability and damage the structure of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. To further investigate the mechanism of lead neurotoxicity, 4-week-old Kunming mice were used to explore the effects of different concentrations of Pb2+ (0, 2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 mM) for 9 days. In this study, pathological and ultrastructural changes in brain cells of the treated group were related to damages to mitochondria, chromatin and the nucleus. Lead content in blood was tested by atomic absorption spectroscopy, which showed high lead concentrations in the blood with increasing doses of lead. Distribution of lead in nerve cells was analysed by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Data showed the presence of lead in nucleopores, chromatin and nuclear membrane of nerve cells in the treatment groups, whereas lead content increased with increasing doses of lead acetate. Finally, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) mRNA and protein expression levels were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting, which showed a reduction in MAP2 expression with increasing lead doses in the mouse brain. These findings suggest that acute lead poisoning can cause significant dose-dependent toxic effects on mouse brain function and can contribute to better understanding of lead-induced toxicity.