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Purpose The unifying characteristic of dry eye is the loss of tear film homeostasis, and the tear lipid layer is a key component for maintaining film stability. The detection of tear lipid is of great significance for the diagnosis of dry eye. In this study, we explored a new test strip for the detection of tear lipid. Methods The tear lipid test strip was prepared by coating the strip material with hydrophobic nano-silica. We tested its physical properties with iodine vapor chromogenic and cobalt chloride test methods. Its biosafety was evaluated by an ocular irritation test in rabbits. Finally, we established a rabbit meibomian gland dysfunction model and measured both eyes with the tear lipid test strip at the first, third, seventh, 14th, 16th, and 21st day after surgery. Results The tear lipid test strip had fine lipophilicity and hydrophobicity. It can extract lipid from tear, and the tear lipid can be quantified by measuring the length of lipid infiltration. In the ocular irritation test, the test strip had no obvious eye irritation. The length of lipid infiltration between experimental and control rabbit eyes began to show statistical difference since the third day after surgery. Conclusions The novel tear lipid test strip has great lipophilicity, hydrophobicity, and biological safety. It might be effectively applied in diagnosis of dry eye.

Although solid-state lithium (Li)-metal batteries promise both high energy density and safety, existing solid ion conductors fail to satisfy the rigorous requirements of battery operations. Inorganic ion conductors allow fast ion transport, but their rigid and brittle nature prevents good interfacial contact with electrodes. Conversely, polymer ion conductors that are Li-metal-stable usually provide better interfacial compatibility and mechanical tolerance, but typically suffer from inferior ionic conductivity owing to the coupling of the ion transport with the motion of the polymer chains1–3. Here we report a general strategy for achieving high-performance solid polymer ion conductors by engineering of molecular channels. Through the coordination of copper ions (Cu2+) with one-dimensional cellulose nanofibrils, we show that the opening of molecular channels within the normally ion-insulating cellulose enables rapid transport of Li+ ions along the polymer chains. In addition to high Li+ conductivity (1.5 × 10−3 siemens per centimetre at room temperature along the molecular chain direction), the Cu2+-coordinated cellulose ion conductor also exhibits a high transference number (0.78, compared with 0.2–0.5 in other polymers2) and a wide window of electrochemical stability (0–4.5 volts) that can accommodate both the Li-metal anode and high-voltage cathodes. This one-dimensional ion conductor also allows ion percolation in thick LiFePO4 solid-state cathodes for application in batteries with a high energy density. Furthermore, we have verified the universality of this molecular-channel engineering approach with other polymers and cations, achieving similarly high conductivities, with implications that could go beyond safe, high-performance solid-state batteries. By coordinating copper ions with the oxygen-containing groups of cellulose nanofibrils, the molecular spacing in the nanofibrils is increased, allowing fast transport of lithium ions and offering hopes for solid-state batteries.

Herein, a novel liquid crystal microarray (LCM) film with optical regulation ability is first constructed by combining liquid crystals (LC) and the highly ordered microporous structure of inverse opal photonic crystals (IOPhCs). The LCM films are fabricated by infiltrating LC molecules into the LC polymer with the structure of IOPhCs, and their properties are very different from those without the LC. Interestingly, the optical property of LCM films can be controlled by changing the orientation of LC molecules, which varies with the interfacial force. In combination with polarization images, spectral reflection peak, circular dichroism spectra, potential difference, and fluorescence images of LCM films, the mechanism of this change is investigated. It is found that the exposed basic group of single-stranded DNA is the key to the change of the optical property of LC microarrays. Meanwhile, the optical signals of LC microarrays based on the PhCs provide a novel LC signal mode for an LC sensing system (microspectral signal mode), and it can be recorded by a fiber-optic spectrometer, which is a great improvement on LC sensing signals. Therefore, the LC microarray sensing signal can be used for accurate analysis of targets by the change of the reflection peak intensity of PhCs. When the LC molecules are induced by different aptamers, the LC microarray sensing interface can be further used for the determination of different targets, such as cocaine and Hg2+. The research on LCM films is of significant value for the development of LC sensing technology and also shows great application prospects in biochemical sensing fields.

Controlling the morphology of metal–organic frameworks to improve their application in energy storage remains a particular challenge. In this work, hollow porous Co-MOF-74 nanocuboids consisting of nanothorn (

Two-dimensional porous nanosheet material has attracted great attention as a promising electrocatalyst for water splitting. Herein, mesh-like Fe-doped CoP holey nanosheets (Fe–CoP HNSs) is synthesized by a facile phosphorization treatment. The Fe–CoP HNSs catalyst features abundant active sites, short charge and ion transport pathways, and favorable mass transfer kinetics, which are conductive to promote the water splitting reaction. Remarkably, the Fe–CoP HNSs catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity towards hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction with low overpotentials of 79 and 220 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the assembled Fe–CoP HNSs||Fe–CoP HNSs electrolyzer needs a low cell voltage of 1.60 V to deliver 20 mA cm−2, which is higher than many reported transition metal phosphides electrocatalysts. This work sheds light on the fabrication of transition-metal compound electrocatalyst with holey nanosheet structure by element doping for renewable energy production.

The glass-forming ability, crystallization behavior and physical properties of GeS2-Sb2S3-CsX (X = Cl, Br, I) glasses and glass-ceramics (GCs) are systematically studied by various characterization techniques. With the introduction of cesium halides, transparent chalcogenide GCs containing the single nanocrystals of CsX can be obtained in a controlled fashion. The crystallization behavior was investigated in the line of (100-x) (0.5GeS2-0.5Sb2S3)-xCsX glasses. IR-transmitting chalcogenide GCs embedded with CsCl and CsBr nanocrystals of a large crystallinity have been fabricated successfully after thermal treatments, whereas surface crystallization of CsI is dominated in GeS2-Sb2S3–CsI glassy samples. Such distinct crystallization behaviors of CsX crystal phases are compared and discussed with microstructural results. We propose that the ionic diffusion ability of halogen in the GeS2-Sb2S3-CsX glassy network determines the nucleation and crystal growth of CsX. This finding is of guidance meaning for future design of chalcogenide GCs with novel optical functions and microstructures.

Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA‐126 (miR‐126) and vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) in the placental tissues of women with early‐onset preeclampsia (EOPE) and their effects on trophoblast invasion. Materials and Methods The placental tissues of 30 pregnant women with EOPE who delivered in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2019 to May 2020 were selected as the preeclampsia (PE) group, and the placental tissues of 30 healthy pregnant women with normal prenatal examination were selected as the normal group. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize VCAM‐1 in placental tissues，the expression of miR‐126 and VCAM‐1 in placenta tissues of two groups and HTR‐8/SVneo cells transfected with miR‐126 were detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and Western blot, and the correlation between them was analyzed. The invasion ability of cells transfected with miR‐126 was observed by Transwell invasion test. Results Compared with the normal group, the expression of miR‐126 was higher and VCAM‐1 was lower in the placental tissues of the PE group, and the difference were statistically significant (p

N-Ethylcarbazole (NEC) is one of the most promising liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), but its application is limited by sluggish kinetics due to lack of high-efficiency, low-cost catalysts....

Electron donor-acceptor cocrystals are receiving increasing interest because of their many useful optoelectronic properties. While the steady-state properties of many different cocrystals have been characterized, very few studies have addressed how crystal morphology affects the dynamics of charge transfer (CT) exciton formation, migration, and decay, which are often critical to their performance in device structures. Here we show that cocrystallization of a pyrene (Pyr) electron donor with either N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)- or N,N′-bis(3-pentyl)-perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (diisoPDI or C5PDI) electron acceptors, respectively, yields mixed π-stacked Pyr-diisoPDI or Pyr-C5PDI donor-acceptor cocrystals. Femtosecond transient absorption microscopy is used to determine the CT exciton dynamics in these single crystals. Fitting the data to a one-dimensional charge transfer CT exciton diffusion model reveals diffusion constants that are two orders of magnitude higher in the Pyr-diisoPDI cocrystal compared to the Pyr-C5PDI cocrystal. By correlating the cocrystal structures to their distinct excited-state dynamics, the effects of each mixed stacked structure on the exciton dynamics and the mechanisms of CT exciton diffusion are elucidated.

Three square-shape tetranuclear lanthanide complexes: {[Ln4(L)4(CH3O)4]·4CH3OH} (Ln = Gd (1), Tb(2), Dy (3); L = N′-(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzylidene)-6-(hydroxymethyl)picolinohydrazide) were fabricated and structurally characterized. The [Ln4O8] core of complexes 1–3 was held together by four μ2 carbonyl oxygen atoms from the L2− ligands and four μ2 methanol oxygen atoms. Magnetic studies reveal that compound 1 exhibits cryogenic magnetic refrigeration property (−ΔSm = 30.20 J K−1 kg−1), and 3 shows ferromagnetic interactions. Slow magnetic relaxation behaviors are observed in 3. Also, compound 3 exhibits an energy barrier of ΔE/kB = 54.3 K and the preexponential factor τ0 = 4.77 × 10−6 s.

Among various fission products generated in nuclear reactors, xenon and krypton are two important fission gases with high flow, diffusivity, and radioactivity. Moreover, xenon isolated from these products is an expensive industrial resource with wide applications in medicine and lighting, which makes the development of efficient methods for separation of xenon/krypton significant. However, it is usually difficult for xenon/krypton to be adsorbed by chemical adsorbents due to their inert gas properties, and sub-nanoporous adsorbents proven to be workable for the separation of xenon/krypton are still hard to prepare and regulate the pore size. Herein, we report two novel sub-nanoporous covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which were applied to the sieving of xenon/krypton for the first time. The sub-nanoporous COFs were synthesized via aldehyde-amine polycondensation reactions and the subsequent pore size regulation and homogenization process by using a facile, operational, and efficient multiple-site alkylation strategy. Impressively, the as-prepared sub-nanoporous COFs realized the efficient adsorption and sieving of xenon/krypton owing to their slightly larger pore sizes (∼7 A) than the dynamic diameters of xenon/krypton and their larger pore volumes. The maximum adsorption capacity for xenon is up to 85.6 cm3/g, and the xenon/krypton selectivity can reach to 9.7. Moreover, the as-prepared COFs possess good γ-ray irradiation stability, which endows them with great potentials for the sieving of radioactive xenon/krypton in the practical application. The multiple-site alkylation strategy proposed in this study provides a valuable approach for the pore construction and control of the porous materials, especially the sub-nanoporous adsorption materials.

Constructing three-dimensional (3D) structural characteristics on two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is a good approach to effectively improve the permeability and mass transfer rate of the materials and realize the rapid adsorption for guest molecules, while avoiding the high cost and monomer scarcity in preparing 3D COFs. Herein, we report for the first time a series of colyliform crystalline 2D COFs with quasi-three-dimensional (Q-3D) topologies, consisting of unique "stereoscopic" triangular pores, large interlayer spacings and flexible constitutional units which makes the pores elastic and self-adaptable for the guest transmission. The as-prepared QTD-COFs have a faster adsorption rate (2.51 g h-1 ) for iodine than traditional 2D COFs, with an unprecedented maximum adsorption capacity of 6.29 g g-1 . The excellent adsorption performance, as well as the prominent irradiation stability allow the QTD-COFs to be applied for the rapid removal of radioactive iodine.

Liquid metals typically do not intrinsically wet oxide surfaces due to chemical dissimilarity, preventing the formation of well-bonded interfaces in many applications. This paper investigates how the wetting and spreading of liquid silver (Ag) droplets on oxide surfaces can be enhanced via patterned nickel (Ni) particles using multiscale modeling. First, a force field (FF) for an Ag/yttria-stabilized-zirconia system was developed by fitting the interfacial binding energy to density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Then, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using these FF parameters revealed that the good wetting of Ag on Ni caused Ag droplets to be attracted to the Ni particles, promoting spreading. Thus, the optimal hexagonal Ni pattern was shown to enhance the wetting area by 224% compared to a bare oxide surface. Second, an analytical model predicting the maximum possible enhancement in wetting area as a function of the intrinsic wetting angle, size of the Ag droplet, and size of the Ni particles was derived and validated with MD simulations, to generalize this method to other substrates. Both the analytical model and MD results suggested that the ability of Ni patterns to enhance the Ag wetting area becomes more significant as the wettability of substrate becomes worse.

A rational design is reported of Fe-doped cobalt telluride nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube frameworks (Fe-Co1.11 Te2 @NCNTF) by tellurization of Fe-etched ZIF-67 under a mixed H2 /Ar atmosphere. Fe-doping was able to effectively modulate the electronic structure of Co1.11 Te2 , increase the reaction activity, and further improve the electrochemical performance. The optimized electrocatalyst exhibited superior hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances in an alkaline electrolyte with low overpotentials of 107 and 297 mV with a current density of 10 mA cm-2 , in contrast to the undoped Co1.11 Te2 @NCNTF (165 and 360 mV, respectively). The overall water splitting performance only required a voltage of 1.61 V to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2 . Density function theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the Fe-doping not only afforded abundant exposed active sites but also decreased the hydrogen binding free energy. This work provided a feasible way to study non-precious-metal catalysts for an efficient overall water splitting.

The Co(III)-catalyzed redox-neutral annulation of benzamides and acrylamides with vinylene carbonate for the synthesis of isoquinolinones and pyridinones has been developed. This protocol employing inexpensive Co(III) as the catalyst tolerated diverse functional groups and substitution patterns, affording the target products with good to excellent yields. The synthetic utility of this transformation was demonstrated by a three-step synthesis of gusanlung D, 8-oxopseudopalmatine, and oxopalmatine.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted tremendous research attention because of their potential performance in the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction. Also, the three-dimensional (3D) hollow structure can provide additional excellent electrochemical activities. Here, we report for the first time that a carbon-based metallic cobalt pyrite (C@CoS2) hollow tubelike structure (nanotubes) can be achieved by a sulfuration process. This process adopts a simple one-step chemical vapor diffusion-controlled strategy, and the growth of nanotubes can be adjusted by simply changing the gas reaction condition. The obtained C@CoS2 nanotubes have an outstanding electrocatalytic performance. The results show the overpotential (220 mV) and Tafel slope (55.04 mV dec–1) of C@CoS2 nanotubes are much lower than those of C@CoS2 nanorods (slightly higher than the Pt electrode) when the cathode current density is 10 mA cm–2. Additionally, the current density of the C@CoS2 electrode does not decrease much at an overpotential of −250 mV (vs the reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) after a 36 h test, demonstrating a good durability. The hollow structure of the nanotubes plays a key role in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the polyporous carbon materials work for improving the conductivity, and exposed active sites increase the catalytic activity, which together enhance the whole HER activities. The facile strategy may provide an alternative to prepare other multifunctional TMD nanomaterials for water splitting or other electrochemical reactions.

The plasmon-driven chemistry of ferri-/ferrocyanide ions inside surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) active hot spots associated with gold nanoparticle oligomers is studied with continuous wave (CW) pump-probe SERS. By comparing with solution-phase normal Raman spectra, the characteristic spectral variations observed upon 532 nm optical pumping can be attributed to an oxidation process that occurs on the surface species followed by desorption of the oxidized surface species from the gold nanoparticles. Interrogating the plasmon-driven processes over a wide range of temperatures reveals that neither process is purely driven by the thermal effects associated with the optical pumping, and the apparent activation energies of both steps are estimated based on semiquantitative SERS analysis. Our observation identifies a more detailed reaction pathway for this classic model system under considerably simplified reaction conditions, adding to the current mechanistic background for future plasmon-driven chemistry studies and applications.

Aim A high-risk strategy has been implemented for lipid-lowering therapy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events are common among individuals with low cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to determine whether the small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDLC) level can predict carotid atherosclerosis progression and identify high-risk individuals. Methods Baseline sdLDLC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) were measured in 808 participants from the Chinese Multi-provincial Cohort Study, aged 45-74 years. Adjusted relative risk was calculated using a modified Poisson regression model to assess the relationship between sdLDLC and 5-year atherosclerosis progression, as indicated by the progression, incidence, and multi-territorial extent of carotid plaque. Results The 5-year atherosclerosis progression increased significantly with increased sdLDLC. Baseline sdLDLC was significantly associated with the short-term risk of plaque progression after multivariable adjustment, even in participants with low LDLC or a 10-year estimated cardiovascular risk. sdLDLC predicted plaque progression (relative risk 2.05; 95% confidence interval 1.43-2.93) in participants with LDLC ＜130 mg/dL. Furthermore, participants with the highest sdLDLC but intermediate or low cardiovascular risk (accounting for 16% of the cohort) had double the risk of plaque progression, which was comparable to those with the same sdLDLC and high cardiovascular risk, relative to those with the lowest sdLDLC levels and low cardiovascular risk. Conclusions sdLDLC is independently associated with the progression of carotid atherosclerosis, which may provide a basis for clinicians to reclassify individuals believed to be at low cardiovascular risk into the high-risk category, and those with high sdLDLC may benefit from more aggressive cholesterol-lowering treatment.

Background: Triclopyr(Dow-503), whose commercial name was green grass, was an internal absorption and selective novel herbicide, developed by Dow agricultural sciences using the basic structure of 2,4-D. Triclopyr was suitable for preventing broadleaf weeds for removing shrubs, maintaining fireproof lines, raising pine trees and forest areas. Moreover, it could be used in paddy fields to prevent some broad-leaved weeds at the dose of 150-500g/hm. Methods: Two novel Triclopyr derivatives were synthesized based on the structure of commerical herbicide Triclopyr. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR melting point and elemental analysis. The preliminary bioassay were also evaluated. Results: The preliminary bioassay results showed that the title compounds had some herbicidal activities at the dosage of 150 g/hm2.The compound 1 and 2 show the 100% inhibition against three kinds of test weeds. Further test revealed that compound 2 showed the 100% inhibition against the Amaranthus. The safety test for crop revealed that the compound 2 was safe for paddy at the dosage of 150 g/hm2. Conclusion: The two compounds can be used as the leading compounds with certain optimized value.

We report the formation mechanism and compositions of a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on a microporous carbon/sulfur (MC/S) cathode in Li–S batteries using a carbonate-based electrolyte (1 M L...

Background To evaluate the effect of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling surrounding macular holes (MH) for the function of retina by microperimetry-3(MP-3). Methods This is a prospective, cohort study which included patients with MHs who were treated by 23-gauge 3-port pars plana vitrectomy and ILM peeling with air tamponade. Color fundus photography, retinal optical coherence tomography and MP-3 were performed 1 week before, 1 and 4 months after the operation. In MP-3 examination, a customized follow-up pattern with 45 spots in the central 8° visual field was used. The spots corresponding to the retina surrounding macular holes were selected for comparison of pre- and post-operative function. Results We incuded 44 eyes of 44 patients with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 1.06 ± 0.40 (logMAR). All eyes achieved an anatomical success at 4 months. BCVA significantly improved at 1 month (0.53 ± 0.30, P P P P P P Conclusion ILM peeling in normal retina will not decrease the retinal function in a short-term after surgery.

Maintaining energy balance is important to ensure a healthy organism. However, energy partitioning, coordinating the distribution of sufficient energy to different organs and tissues is equally important, but the control of this process is largely unknown. In obesity, an increase in fat mass necessitates the production of additional bone mass to cope with the increase in bodyweight and processes need to be in place to communicate this new weight bearing demand. Here, we investigate the interaction between leptin and NPY, two factors critically involved in the regulation of both energy metabolism and bone mass, in this process. We assessed the co-localization of leptin receptors on NPY neurons using RNAScope followed by a systematic examination of body composition and energy metabolism profiling in male and female mice lacking leptin receptors specifically in NPY neurons (Leprlox/lox;NPYCre/+). The effect of short-term switching between chow and high-fat diet was also examined in these mice. We uncovered that leptin receptor expression is greater on a subpopulation of NPY neurons in the arcuate that do not express AgRP. We further show that Leprlox/lox;NPYCre/+ mice exhibit significantly increased adiposity while bone mass is diminished. These body composition changes occur in the absence of alterations in food intake or energy expenditure, demonstrating a prominent role for leptin signaling in NPY neurons in the control of energy partitioning. Importantly however, when fed a high-fat diet, these mice display a switch in energy partitioning whereby they exhibit a significantly enhanced ability to increase their bone mass to match the increased bodyweight caused by higher caloric intake concurrent with attenuated adiposity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that leptin signaling in NPY neurons is critical for coordinating energy partitioning between fat and bone mass especially during situations of changes in energy balance.

Two new hydrogen storage compounds, NaZn(BH4)3·en and NaZn(BH4)3·2en (en=ethylene diamine) are synthesized by a solution method. They can release 6.4 wt% and 6.3 wt% pure hydrogen below 200 °C, respectively, demonstrating the potential to be used as hydrogen carriers. Additionally, their dehydrogenation products, thermodynamics and kinetics are well characterized and analyzed. Results shows that the stronger Zn-N interactions and the Hδ+–Hδ− interactions are significant for their stability below 100 °C, relatively low decomposition temperatures and elimination of gas impurities.

Background: The effects of keto acid (KA) supplements on Chinese patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of KA supplementation on nutritional status, inflammatory markers, and bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) parameters in a cohort of Chinese patients with MHD without malnutrition. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-center clinical study conducted in 2011 till 2014. Twenty-nine patients with MHD were randomly assigned to a control (n = 14) or a KA (n = 15) group. The control group maintained a dietary protein intake of 0.9 g/kg/day. The KA group received additional KA supplement (0.1 g/kg/day). BIA was used to determine the lean tissue mass, adipose tissue mass, and body cell mass. The patients’ nutritional status, dialysis adequacy, and biochemical parameters were assessed at the ends of the third and sixth months with t test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results: The daily total energy intake for both groups was about 28 kcal/kg/day. After 6 months, the Kt/V (where K is the dialyzer clearance of urea, t is the dialysis time, and V is the volume of the distribution of urea) was 1.33 ± 0.25 in KA group, and 1.34 ± 0.25 in the control group. The median triceps skin-fold thickness in KA group was 12.00 and 9.00 mm in the control group. In addition, the median hand-grip strength in KA group was 21.10 and 25.65 kg in the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the anthropometry parameters, dialysis adequacy, serum calcium and phosphorus levels, inflammatory markers, and amino-acid profiles, or in relation to the parameters determined by BIA. Both groups achieved dialysis adequacy and maintained nutritional status during the study. Conclusions: In this cohort of Chinese patients with MHD, the patients in the control group whose dietary protein intake was 0.9 g/kg/day and total energy intake was 28 kcal/kg/day, maintained well nutritional status during study period. The KA supplement(0.1 g/kg/day) did not improve the essential amino acid/non-essential amino acid ratio, nor did it change the patients’ mineral metabolism, inflammatory parameters, or body compositions. Key words: Chinese; Hemodialysis; Keto acid; Nutrition

The fatty acids in seven species of fish roes were determined by GC-MS in combination with principal component and cluster analyses in order to derive their fatty-acid profiles and fingerprints. Twenty-three common chromatography peaks were identified in the fatty-acid fingerprints of the seven fish roes. A total of 19 typical fatty acids were identified in the fish roes studied. The fatty acid contents of the roes were significantly different, with saturated-fatty-acid contents in the seven roes ranging from 26.69% to 41.81%, and the unsaturated-fatty-acid contents ranging from 57.65% to 72.21%, the total EPA and DHA content (37.20%) is high in E. cypselurus roe, especially. The seven roe species were clearly distinguished according to fatty-acid composition and content by principal component analysis (PCA) and divided into two groups by cluster analysis (CA). PCA of the fatty acid data yielded three significant PCs , which together account for 94% of the total variance; with PC1 contributing 54% of the total.

The syntheses of highly efficient NIR-emitting lanthanide complexes are challenging due to the lack of an effective strategy that can both simultaneously suppress the nonradiative transition caused by high energy oscillators and enhance the sensitization efficiency. Herein, a ditopic rigid Schiff base, N,N′-bis(2-oxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,4-phenylenediamine (H2L), with p-phenylenediamine as a spacer was designed, which self-assembled with the Cd2+ and Ln3+ ions and TTA (2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) forming tetranuclear Cd–Ln complexes, Ln2Cd2L2(TTA)4(OAc)2(CH3OH)2 (Ln = Nd (1), Yb (2) and La (3)). X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that complex 1 adopted a double-stranded tetranuclear structure, in which the two heteronuclear Cd–Nd units were linked together by phenylene, and each Nd(III) ion was nine-coordinated by four oxygen atoms from two L, four oxygen atoms from TTA and one oxygen atom from an acetate anion. The photophysical studies demonstrated that the helicates showed excellent NIR luminescence with the luminescence quantum yields reaching 0.34% for Nd3+ and 2.13% for Yb3+ in CH3CN. The high NIR luminescence quantum yields benefit from the rigid structure of the complexes and the synergistic interactions between two ligands. Additionally, the large π-conjugating system of H2L makes the absorption edge of the complexes extend to the 450 nm blue light region, which makes the complexes suitable for biomedical applications.

Two new crystalline metal phosphites (SCU-9 and SCU-17) were ionothermally prepared using multifunctional protic ionic liquids. SCU-9 has a three-dimensional structure containing both organic templates and organic ligands. SCU-17 is a mixed-valence compound with a layered structure templated by organic cations. This compound is resistant to hydrolysis in boiling water and shows interesting proton-conducting behaviors under 95% relative humidity.

The separation and recovery of key nuclides such as uranium and plutonium from effluents related to nuclear industry is of great significance for alleviating the shortage of nuclear energy resources and protecting the environment and human health. However, the high temperature, strong acidity and radioactivity of the nuclear effluents pose a severe challenge to the separation materials used in such conditions. The diversity of structure, flexibility of design, and excellent physicochemical stability of covalent organic framework materials (COFs) provide the possibility for the directional design and preparation of adsorbents for use under harsh conditions. Herein, three COFs with similar structure, different pore sizes and connecting modules were synthesized. The ingenious structure predesign enables Dp-COF to have three carboxyl groups oriented toward the pore center and laid out in appropriate spatial positions, which builds hydrogen-bonding bridges between carboxycarbonyl and hydroxyl groups, and thus constructs for the first time a unique COF material with a double-ring pore. The inner pore size of the “double-ring” is slightly larger than the diameter of uranyl hydrate, which leads to a size-matching adsorption of uranium by Dp-COF, thus greatly reducing the effect of protonation. Even in the simulated spent fuel reprocessing liquid with pH = 1.0, the adsorption capacity of Dp-COF for uranium can reach 66.3 mg g−1, and the adsorption capacity reaches 317.3 mg g−1 at pH = 4.5, which is very rare among the reported COFs. More excitingly, the removal rate for uranium reaches up to an unprecedented 99.8% due to the size-matching effect, more than any analogous adsorbents. This study not only proposes new ideas for the design and regulation of the microscopic configuration of COF materials, but also provides an alternative approach for the preparation of efficient uranium adsorbents.

Coconut shell biochar and bamboo biochar were added to the bedding courses of permeable pavements to improve nitrogen removal efficiency. This was expected to be particularly effective for innovative permeable pavements that increase evaporation of stored rainwater. The effects of the rainfall intensity and ambient temperature on nitrogen removal were assessed. The NO3−-N removal rate for the pavements with biochar added and the blank controls were 48.6%–54.0% and 10.8%, respectively, at a rainfall intensity of 10 mm/h and temperatures of 22–28 °C. The total nitrogen removal rates for the pavements with biochar added and the blank controls were 52.6%–57.7% and 20%, respectively. Adding coconut shell and bamboo biochar improved denitrification without causing organic matter to be leached. Increasing the rainfall intensity and decreasing the temperature caused less nitrogen to be removed. The total nitrogen balance indicated that the innovative pavements and conventional pavements with the same biochar amendments removed 781.58 and 733.30 mg of nitrogen, respectively, suggesting that adding biochar improved the performances of the innovative pavements more than the conventional pavements. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays of bedding course samples indicated that adding biochar markedly increased the abundances of denitrifying microorganisms. HIGHLIGHTS Adding biochar (3%–6% w/w) to a permeable pavement (PP) bedding course can increase the amount of nitrogen removed obviously.; The innovative PP units with capillary columns performed better than the conventional PP units with the same amounts of biochar added.; Denitrification in the units with biochar added was markedly weakened during heavy rain and at ambient temperatures

Hawthorn, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, has been suggested to have therapeutic effects on cardiovascular disease. However, effective fractions of hawthorn extract in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, together with possible therapeutic mechanisms, remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of four different polar fractions of hawthorn extract on blood stasis model rats, and explore the possible metabolic mechanisms by using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics approach. Evaluation of hemorheology and fibrinogen showed that n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions of hawthorn extract had significant therapeutic effects on blood stasis model rats. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis showed that n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions of hawthorn extract could reverse imbalanced biomarkers in plasma and urine of blood stasis model rats. Additionally, metabolic pathway analysis revealed that plasma biomarkers were responsible for several important pathways, including d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis. Meanwhile, urine biomarkers were responsible for some important pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and lysine degradation. This study demonstrated that n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions of hawthorn extract had significant therapeutic effects on blood stasis model rats, and the underlying mechanisms involved multiple metabolic pathways.

TRIF, an important adaptor downstream of Toll-like receptor signaling, plays a critical role in the innate immune response. In this study, the full-length coding sequence of TRIF from common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) was cloned and characterized. Bioinformatics analysis showed that common carp TRIF exhibited a conserved TIR domain and had the closest relationship with grass carp TRIF. Expression analysis revealed that TRIF was constitutively expressed in the examined tissues of common carp, with the highest expression in the spleen and the lowest expression in the head kidney, and could be upregulated under Aeromonas hydrophila and poly(I:C) stimulation in vivo and under poly(I:C), LPS, PGN, flagellin, and Pam3CSK4 stimulation in vitro. Laser confocal microscopy showed that common carp TRIF colocalized with the Golgi apparatus. A luciferase reporter assay showed that carp TRIF elicited the activity of ifn-1 and nf-κb through the C-terminal domain. Additionally, crystal violet staining and qPCR assays revealed that carp TRIF inhibited the replication of SVCV in epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells. Then, the signaling downstream of carp TRIF was investigated. Coimmunoprecipitation and Western blotting analysis demonstrated that carp TRIF interacted with TBK1 and augmented the expression of TRAF6 and phosphorylation of TBK1. Overexpression of carp TRIF significantly enhanced the expression of interferon-stimulated genes and inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, flow cytometric (FCM) analysis suggested that carp TRIF induced apoptosis through the activation of caspase-8. In summary, our study indicated that TRIF plays an essential role in the innate immune responses of common carp against bacterial and viral infection.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed single-stranded RNA molecules. After derived from precursor mRNA back-splicing, circRNAs play important roles in many biological processes. Recently, it was shown that several circRNAs were enriched in the mammalian brain with unclear functions. The expression of circRtn4 in the mouse brain was increased with the differentiation of primary neurons. In our study, knockdown of circRtn4 inhibited neurite growth, while overexpression of circRtn4 significantly increased neurite length. By dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA antisense purification assay, circRtn4 was identified as a miRNA sponge for miR-24-3p. Moreover, knockdown of miR-24-3p increased neurite length, while overexpression of miR-24-3p significantly inhibited neurite growth. Furthermore, CHD5 was confirmed to be a downstream target gene of miR-24-3p. And CHD5 silence counteracted the positive effect of circRtn4 overexpression on neurite growth. In conclusion, circRtn4 may act as the sponge for miR-24-3p to promote neurite growth by regulating CHD5.

Due to continuous improvements in the beneficiation process, the size of tailings has decreased. In many mines, more than 50% of the total tailings are finer than 74 μm. Ultrafine tailings exhibit a slow settling velocity and uneven settling, which pose new challenges to the safety and stability of tailings dams. In this paper, ultrafine iron tailings from the Makeng Iron Mine in Longyan City, Fujian Province, were used as the research object. A four-factor, three-level orthogonal test method was used to study the sedimentation characteristics of ultrafine tailings with four common curing agent materials, including polyacrylamide, polyaluminum chloride, polyaluminum sulfate, and polyferric sulfate. The results show that when the pulp concentration is 30%, the polyacrylamide is cationic and the molecular weight is 10 million, the optimal content of the flocculant is 3‰, the optimum dose of the polyaluminum chloride with a content of 28 is 0.1‰, the optimum dose of polyaluminum sulfate is 1‰, and the optimum dose of polymeric ferric sulfate is 1‰. When the flocculant is mixed according to the proportion of 2‰ polyacrylamide, 0.05‰ polyaluminum chloride, 1‰ polyaluminum sulfate, and 1.0‰ polyferric sulfate, the sedimentation speed of the ultrafine tailings is fast, and the supernatant liquid is clear. The results of multivariate nonlinear regression analysis of the sedimentation curve show that the primary and secondary factors affecting sedimentation are polyacrylamide > polyaluminum sulfate > polyaluminum chloride > polyferric sulfate. When the optimal ratio is applied, the cohesion (c) of ultrafine tailings increases from 27 kPa to 68.75 kPa and the internal friction angle (φ) increases from 25.53° to 27.53°, which shows that the shear strength improves and the stability of the tailings dam increases. The economic analysis of the composite flocculant with the optimal ratio shows that the flocculant with the optimal proportion has an obvious economic advantage over polyacrylamide alone.

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the difference in acid inhibition function among lansoprazole (LPZ), pantoprazole (PPZ), and their respective stereoisomers following single and multiple intravenous doses in healthy Chinese subjects. Materials and methods The dosage groups were set as follows: 30 mg single and multiple intravenous administrations of LPZ or R-LPZ, 40 mg single and multiple intravenous administrations of PPZ or S-PPZ. Subjects received an intravenous infusion of LPZ, R-LPZ, PPZ, or S-PPZ injection in sterile saline solution (100 mL/h, 60 minutes), respectively. The intragastric pH was sampled every second for 24 hours at baseline and for 24 hours after drug administration. The baseline-adjusted pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters include ΔMean (pH), ΔMedian (pH), ΔTpH≥3 (%), ΔTpH≥4 (%), ΔTpH≥6 (%), and ΔAUECph-tτ1-τ2. The PD parameters were evaluated in different time intervals (0 - 24 hours, 0 - 4 hours and 14 - 24 hours). Results After a single dose, the ΔTpH≥4 (%) of R-LPZ, LPZ, S-PPZ and PPZ was 56.6 ± 19.6, 53.1 ± 23.3, 35.6 ± 24.9 and 26.8 ± 30.2, respectively. The ΔTpH≥6 (%) was 50.7 ± 26.1, 41.4 ± 26.2, 25.4 ± 24.9 and 22.1 ± 27.6, respectively. The ΔAUECph-τ1-τ was 45,564 ± 16,107, 41,798 ± 16,153, 31,914 ± 17,304 and 20,744 ± 21,500, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found with R-LPZ vs. S-PPZ, R-LPZ vs. PPZ, LPZ vs. S-PPZ and LPZ vs. PPZ. The average TpH≥4 of R-LPZ, LPZ, S-PPZ, and PPZ was (47.2 ± 26.1) minutes, (49.6 ± 19.3) minutes, (56.1 ± 23.7) minutes, and (72.1 ± 27.3) minutes, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found with R-LPZ vs. PPZ (p = 0.009) and LPZ vs. PPZ (p = 0.019). After multiple doses, the ΔTpH≥4 (%) of R-LPZ, LPZ, S-PPZ, and PPZ was 71.7 ± 20.2, 63.5 ± 19.4, 59.5 ± 17.8 and 64.0 ± 22.4, respectively. The ΔTpH≥6 (%) was 64.0 ± 22.2, 52.0 ± 19.2, 49.6 ± 20.4 and 50.9 ± 23.8, respectively. The ΔAUECph-τ1-τ was 326,149 ± 94,839, 288,565 ± 93,279, 296,189 ± 83,412 and 300,960 ± 108,057, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in baseline-adjusted PD parameters during all time periods after multiple doses. Conclusion After a single dose, the mean gastric pH inhibition value of R-LPZ was the highest, followed by LPZ, then S-PPZ and PPZ. R-LPZ and LPZ provided significantly better pH control compared with PPZ and S-PPZ in healthy subjects. The onset time of R-LPZ was the fastest and R-LPZ can provide better acid inhibition during sleeping time. After multiple doses, the mean values in all PD parameters of R-LPZ were the highest, the values of LPZ, S-PPZ, and PPZ were similar. However, no significant difference was found in acid inhibition among these four drugs after multiple doses.

Improvements in the quality and fitness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells, through CAR design or manufacturing optimizations, could enhance the therapeutic potential of CAR-T cells. One parameter influencing the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy is the differentiation status of the final product: CAR-T cells that are less-differentiated and less exhausted are more therapeutically effective. In the current study, we demonstrate that CAR-T cells expanded in IL15 (CAR-T/IL15) preserve a less-differentiated stem cell memory (Tscm) phenotype, defined by expression of CD62L+CD45RA+ CCR7+, as compared with cells cultured in IL2 (CAR-T/IL2). CAR-T/IL15 cells exhibited reduced expression of exhaustion markers, higher antiapoptotic properties, and increased proliferative capacity upon antigen challenge. Furthermore, CAR-T/IL15 cells exhibited decreased mTORC1 activity, reduced expression of glycolytic enzymes and improved mitochondrial fitness. CAR-T/IL2 cells cultured in rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor) shared phenotypic features with CAR-T/IL15 cells, suggesting that IL15-mediated reduction of mTORC1 activity is responsible for preserving the Tscm phenotype. CAR-T/IL15 cells promoted superior antitumor responses in vivo in comparison with CAR-T/IL2 cells. Inclusion of cytokines IL7 and/or IL21 in addition to IL15 reduced the beneficial effects of IL15 on CAR-T phenotype and antitumor potency. Our findings show that IL15 preserves the CAR-T cell Tscm phenotype and improves their metabolic fitness, which results in superior in vivo antitumor activity, thus opening an avenue that may improve future adoptive T-cell therapies.

In this study, the effects of heat treatment on the odor and odorous constituents of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens L.) were studied. The component changes after heat treatment were examined by chemical analysis. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odorants were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC–MS/O). The results showed that the heat treatment affected both the chemical components and the odors of bamboo. For untreated sample, totally 23 kinds of key VOCs and 41 kinds of odorants were identified. After heat treatment, both the amounts and intensities of the VOCs and odorants had significant changes because of chemical reactions during heat treatment, such as the thermo-degradation of hemicelluloses and cross-linking of lignin. The components were concentrated between 10 and 33 min in GC-O, which was different from the concentration time in GC–MS. Most of the odors smelled badly to humans and described as cheese, fishy, leather, bug, fat, etc. Comparing with 180 °C treated sample, sample treated at 200 °C underwent severer thermo-degradation process, which generated many small molecular weight compounds, and contributed to more odorants.

The formation and entrainment of double layer oxides (bifilms) in aluminum casting is inevitable due to the high oxidation rate of liquid aluminum and particularly turbulence during the mold filling process. The final mechanical properties of the aluminum castings suffer from these inclusions but neither the formation process nor fracture mechanism is fully understood due to the difficulty of in-situ observation on nano-scale aluminum oxide thin film. To understand the impact of bifilms on the fracture mechanism at different bifilm formation stages and the aging processes, atomic level bifilm slab models were built according to their formation history. ReaxFF reactive forcefield-based molecular dynamics (MD) method was used to simulate the formation and deformation of different types of bifilms. The MD simulations showed that an incomplete “healing” process happened at the oxide/oxide interface during bifilm formation and the fracture occurred at the Al/oxide interface instead of the oxide/oxide interface. When the oxide transformed from amorphous to α-Al2O3 due to aging, the fracture energy increased from 0.43 J/m2 to 0.53 J/m2. With 30% coverage of hydroxyl group surface contamination, the –OH terminated oxide bifilm fractured at the oxide/oxide interface and the corresponding fracture energy dropped to 0.30 J/m2. This is most likely due to the H2 bubbles being trapped in the aluminum oxide bifilm interface. To facilitate multiscale modeling, such as casting process simulation and component durability analysis, the MD predicted oxide bifilms fracture energy and fracture strength were converted to cohesive zone parameters, via a simple size bridging relationship.

A novel family of lanthanide materials with a dinuclear double-stranded helicate structure Ln2L2(DBM)4(OAc)2 [Ln = Sm (1), Eu (2) Gd (3) and Yb (4)] constructed from β-diketonate (DBM = dibenzoylmethanide) and an auxiliary ligand Schiff base (H2L = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)butane-1,6-diamine) was investigated. The structures of isostructural complexes 1–4 were determined by single-crystal and powder X-ray crystallography. The optical properties of these compounds could be enhanced by doping, allowing for doped materials with tunable visible and near-infrared emission. Subsequently, a multifunctional sensor was employed to detect CH3COOH, as well as the poisonous ions Al3+ and Cr2O72−. The notable quenching effect and luminescence-based color change showed that doped materials are promising fluorescence probes for the identification and detection of specific anions, cations and organic small molecules.

A green and facile solvent- and catalyst-free method, without inert gas protection and/or mechanical grinding to synthesize an azine-linked covalent organic framework (ACOF) with high efficiency, was proposed for the first time. Characterization techniques and experimentations show that the as-synthesized ACOF has high crystallinity and superior physical and chemical stability and exhibits good adsorption performance for both radioactive heavy metal U(VI) and ordinary heavy metal Hg(II), with adsorption capacities of 169 mg g−1 for U(VI) and 175 mg g−1 for Hg(II), which makes the ACOF a potential adsorbent material for heavy metal removal and uranium recycling. Tautomerization between the enol-form and keto-form was verified in the structure of the ACOF which can be induced by the adsorption of metal ions and also affect the adsorption properties simultaneously. It was found that tautomerization from the enol-form to keto-form was promoted in the adsorption, which can be ascribed to the better coordination ability of CO in the keto-form towards the target metal ion, while the selectivity of the ACOF towards U(VI) increases with the decreasing solution pH and reaches 96.2% when the pH is 1.5, which is due to the tautomerization from the keto-form to enol-form under acidic conditions and the consequent size-matching effect. The study on tautomerization in solid materials is rarely reported and is of great importance for deep understanding of the relationship between material structures and properties. The synthesis strategy proposed in this paper provides references for the convenient, efficient and green synthesis of COFs.

Reversible hydrogen absorption/desorption, the very fundamental property of metal hydrides (MHs), can be utilized to promote the hydrogen absorption of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). The hydrogen absorption of N-ethylcarbazole (NEC) catalyzed by a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was extremely slow, while the process could be significantly enhanced by simply mixing yttrium trihydride (YH3). The hydrogen absorption performance was similar to that on the noble metal catalyst Ru/Al2O3. Using isotope labelling, we demonstrated that the enhanced hydrogen absorption originated from the reversible hydrogen absorption and desorption property of YH3: the atomic hydrogen in YH3 can be transferred to the activated NEC molecules on Ni/Al2O3; subsequently, the hydrogen vacancy left in YH3 is replenished by H2. Inspired by this mechanism, we observed more general MH-promoted hydrogen absorption of LOHCs on transition metal catalysts. The combination of solid MHs and LOHCs with highly complementary merits provides a new strategy to develop high-performance hydrogen storage materials.

Precise and efficient endocytosis is critical for sustained neurotransmission during continuous neuronal activity. Endocytosis is a prerequisite for maintaining the auditory function. However, the differences between the patterns of endocytosis in cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) remain unclear. Both IHCs and OHCs were obtained from adult C57 mice. Patterns of endocytosis in cells were estimated by analyzing the uptake of FM1-43, a fluorescent. The observations were made using live confocal imaging, fluorescence intensities were calculated statistically. Results revealed the details about following phenomenon, i) sites of entry: the FM1-43 dye was found to enter IHC at the apical area initially, the additional sites of entry were then found at basolateral membrane of the cells, The entry of the dye into OHCs initially appeared to be occurring around whole apical membranes area, which then diffused towards the other membrane surface of the cells, ii) capacity of endocytosis: fluorescence intensity in IHCs showed significantly higher than that of OHCs (P