Search

Chemically exfoliated nanosheets have exhibited great potential for applications in various electronic devices. Solution-based processing strategies such as inkjet printing provide a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and scalable route for the fabrication of flexible devices based on functional inks of two-dimensional nanosheets. In this study, chemically exfoliated high-k perovskite nanosheets (i.e., Ca 2 Nb 3 O 10 and Ca 2 NaNb 4 O 13 ) are well dispersed in appropriate solvents to prepare printable inks, and then, a series of microcapacitors with Ag and graphene electrodes are printed. The resulting microcapacitors, Ag/Ca 2 Nb 3 O 10 /Ag, graphene/Ca 2 Nb 3 O 10 /graphene, and graphene/Ca 2 NaNb 4 O 13 /graphene, demonstrate high capacitance densities of 20, 80, and 150 nF/cm 2 and high dielectric constants of 26, 110, and 200, respectively. Such dielectric enhancement in the microcapacitors with graphene electrodes is possibly attributed to the dielectric/graphene interface. In addition, these microcapacitors also exhibit good insulating performance with a moderate electrical breakdown strength of approximately 1 MV/cm, excellent flexibility, and thermal stability up to 200 ℃. This work demonstrates the potential of high-k perovskite nanosheets for additive manufacturing of flexible high-performance dielectric capacitors., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: As a formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Huoxue Jiangtang Decoction (HJD) has positive effects on diabetes mellitus (DM) through improving of the metabolism of glycolipid and the function of β-cell. Hence, this research aims to explore the potential therapeutic effects of HJD on diabetes and reveal its underlying mechanisms., Methods: Diabetic rat models induced by high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) were included in this study. Following successful modeling, diabetic rats were treated with HJD, and then its therapeutic effects in eight weeks were evaluated. In addition to biochemical indicators, two-bottle preference tests were carried out to examine the rats' preferences for fat and sugar, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to disclose the differences of oral microbiota among groups. Finally, Pearson correlation coefficient was used to explore the correlation between oral microbiota and the preferences for fat and sugar., Results: It was found that HJD significantly improved the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose tolerance, and dyslipidemia. Additionally, HJD contributed to decreasing preferences for fat and sugar in diabetic rats, which plays an important role in food intake. Furthermore, HJD regulated the abundance, distribution, and structure of oral microbiota in diabetic rats, serving as one of the underlying mechanisms of its antidiabetic effects., Conclusion: Taken with other formulas, HJD functions to improve the metabolism of glycolipid and the function of β-cell by inhibiting preferences for fat and sugar, as well as regulating the oral microbiota of diabetic rats. Furthermore, a potential correlation between the oral micro-environment and preferences for fat and sugar in STZ-induced diabetic rats is likely to exist., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Huang et al.)

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key reaction on cathode of rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). However, the lack of protons in alkaline conditions limits the rate of ORR. Herein, an activating water strategy is proposed to promote oxygen electrocatalytic activity by enhancing the proton production from water dissociation. FeP nanoparticles (NPs) are coupled on N-doped wood-derived catalytically active carbon (FeP-NWCC) to associate bifunctional active sites. In alkaline, FeP-NWCC possesses outstanding catalytic activities toward ORR (E 1/2  = 0.86 V) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) (overpotential is 310 mV at 10 mA cm -2 ). The liquid ZABs assembled by FeP-NWCC deliver superior peak power density (144 mW cm -2 ) and cycle stability (over 450 h). The quasi-solid-state ZABs based on FeP-NWCC also display excellent performances. Theoretical calculation illustrates that the superb bifunctional performance of FeP-NWCC results from the elevated dissociation efficiency of water via FeP NPs to assist the oxygen catalytic process. The strategy of activating water provides a new perspective for the design of ORR/OER bifunctional catalysts. This work is a model for the application of forest biomass., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a severe complication characterized by low-grade infectious inflammation and probably associated with specific competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and infiltrating immune cells. Nonetheless, no reliable biomarkers are used for detecting infectious inflammation in DFU. Therefore, it is essential to explore potential biomarkers for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of DFU., Methods: The gene expression profile was retrieved from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and divided into two groups, namely, standard samples and DFU samples. To establish the ceRNA networks, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were utilized to analyze differential expression genes (DEGs). The cell type identification was achieved by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm to screen-specific immune-infiltrating cells associated with DFU., Results: A ceRNA network was constructed with 20 differential expression circRNA (DEcircRNAs), 11 differential expression microRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and 9 differential expression mRNAs (DEmRNAs). Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that DFU was mainly enriched in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and T-cell receptor signaling. In addition, CIBERSORT estimation indicated that CD8 + T cells and Monocytes were significantly related to the expression of IL-6, a DFU-specific infectious inflammation factor., Conclusion: This study identified that some significant ceRNAs (JUNB, GATA3, hsa-circ-0049271 and hsa-circ-0074559) and infiltrating immune cells (CD8 + T cells and monocytes) might be related to DFU infectious inflammation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zeng, Zhang, Fang, Liu, Li, Qu, Chu, Zhao, Liu and Lee.)

Injecting spin currents into antiferromagnets and realizing efficient spin-orbit-torque switching represents a challenging topic. Because of the diminishing magnetic susceptibility, current-induced antiferromagnetic dynamics remain poorly characterized, complicated by spurious effects. Here, by growing a thin film antiferromagnet, α-Fe_{2}O_{3}, along its nonbasal plane orientation, we realize a configuration where the spin-orbit torque from an injected spin current can unambiguously rotate and switch the Néel vector within the tilted easy plane, with an efficiency comparable to that of classical ferrimagnetic insulators. Our study introduces a new platform for quantitatively characterizing switching and oscillation dynamics in antiferromagnets.

Objective: To investigate the effect of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) plus multivariate analysis in evaluating the stability of coronary artery plaque in coronary heart disease (CHD)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on ninety-five patients with CHD admitted to our hospital from February 2020 to February 2021. Patients with CHD were examined by IVUS and assigned to a stable plaque group (n=60) and an unstable plaque group (n=35) according to their characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors affecting the stability of coronary artery plaque., Results: Of 95 patients, 35 cases with unstable plaque were determined by IVUS, with a detection rate of 36.84%; notable differences were found in HDL-C, hs-CRP, and homocysteine (Hcy) between the two groups (P<0.05). The eccentricity index and reconstruction index of the two groups were statistically different (P<0.05). Moreover, 17 cases were diagnosed by IVUS as mild coronary stenosis, 28 cases as moderate stenosis, and 50 cases as severe stenosis. In addition, compared with the stable plaque group, the unstable plaque group yielded a much higher stenosis rate (P<0.05) and a higher level of plaque thickness and plaque area (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed eccentricity index, remodeling index, plaque thickness, and plaque area, stenosis rate, HDL-C, Hcy, and hs-CRP were independent risk factors for unstable plaque (P<0.05)., Conclusion: IVUS plus multivariate analysis can accurately assess plaque stability., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Objective: To evaluate the correlation of galectin-3 (Gal-3) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) with the severity of coronary artery disease and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)., Methods: 130 patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD) by coronary angiography from October 2018 to August 2019 in the Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, were matched into the CHD group, with 68 cases in the mild stenosis (MS) group (degree of stenosis 50%~75%), and 62 cases in the severe stenosis (SS) group (degree of stenosis ≥75%). For comparison, patients with negative results of angiography during the same period (stenosis degree <50%) were assigned to the normal group. Indicators for detection included plasma Gal-3, Lp-PLA2 concentrations, Gensini scores, and MACE events in a 30-day follow-up visit., Results: Remarkably higher plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 concentrations in the CHD group were observed in comparison with the normal group. The SS group obtained a more positive result regarding plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 concentrations and Gensini scores than the MS group (P<0.05). The highest concentration of plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 was detected in the multi-vessel disease (MVD) group, followed by the double-vessel disease (DVD) group, and finally the single-vessel disease (SVD) group. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation of plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 concentrations with Gensini scores (P<0.05). Results of the follow-up visit presented strong relevance between noticeably higher concentrations of the plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 and MACE events (P<0.05). Increased Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 are risk factors for the prognosis of coronary artery disease., Conclusion: Plasma Gal-3 and Lp-PLA2 concentrations in patients with CHD are strongly related to the severity of coronary artery disease and MACE events, which is valuable for assessing the risk of patients in clinical practice., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Antiferromagnets (AFMs) possess great potential in spintronics because of their immunity to external magnetic disturbance, the absence of a stray field or the resonance in the terahertz range 1,2 . The coupling of insulating AFMs to spin-orbit materials 3-7 enables spin transport via AFM magnons. In particular, spin transmission over several micrometres occurs in some AFMs with easy-axis anisotropy 8,9 . Easy-plane AFMs with two orthogonal, linearly polarized magnon eigenmodes own unique advantages for low-energy control of ultrafast magnetic dynamics 2 . However, it is commonly conceived that these magnon modes are less likely to transmit spins because of their vanishing angular momentum 9-11 . Here we report experimental evidence that an easy-plane insulating AFM, an α-Fe 2 O 3 thin film, can efficiently transmit spins over micrometre distances. The spin decay length shows an unconventional temperature dependence that cannot be captured considering solely thermal magnon scatterings. We interpret our observations in terms of an interference of two linearly polarized, propagating magnons in analogy to the birefringence effect in optics. Furthermore, our devices can realize a bi-stable spin-current switch with a 100% on/off ratio under zero remnant magnetic field. These findings provide additional tools for non-volatile, low-field control of spin transport in AFM systems.

The charge-to-spin conversion efficiency is a crucial parameter in determining the performance of many useful spintronic materials. Usually, this conversion efficiency is predetermined by the intrinsic nature of solid-state materials, which cannot be easily modified without invoking chemical or structural changes in the underlying system. Here we report on successful modulation of charge-spin conversion efficiency via the metal-insulator transition in a quintessential strongly correlated electron compound vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ). By employing ferromagnetic resonance driven spin pumping and the inverse spin Hall effect measurement, we find a dramatic change in the spin pumping signal (decrease by > 80%) and charge-spin conversion efficiency (increase by five times) upon insulator to metal transition. The abrupt change in the structural and electrical properties of this material therefore provides useful insights on the spin related physics in a strongly correlated material undergoing a phase transition.

The successful implementation of spin-wave devices requires efficient modulation of spin-wave propagation. Using cobalt/nickel multilayer films, we experimentally demonstrate that nanometer-wide magnetic domain walls can be applied to manipulate the phase and magnitude of coherent spin waves in a nonvolatile manner. We further show that a spin wave can, in turn, be used to change the position of magnetic domain walls by means of the spin-transfer torque effect generated from magnon spin current. This mutual interaction between spin waves and magnetic domain walls opens up the possibility of realizing all-magnon spintronic devices, in which one spin-wave signal can be used to control others by reconfiguring magnetic domain structures., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

In transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis, enantioselectivity strongly depends on the structures of chiral ligands, so the development of new chiral ligands is crucial. Here, an efficient and highly enantioselective palladium-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation has been developed, and a new kind of N-heterocycles, 1H-pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoindol-2(8H)-ones containing a quaternary stereocenter, was prepared in high yields and excellent enantiomeric excess values. The reaction was effectively catalyzed by palladium-diphosphine complexes with numerous functional group tolerance, in which the newly developed axially chiral cyclic diphosphine ligands played key roles in the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the substrates. We believe that the cyclic diphosphine ligands with adjustable dihedral angles will find wide application in asymmetric synthesis., (Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A novel, simple, and practical visible-light-mediated intramolecular α-C(sp 3 )-H imination of tertiary aliphatic amines containing β-O-aryl oximes leading to N-heterocycles has been developed. The reaction was performed well at rt with tolerance of some functional groups. Importantly, the selective C-H functionalization did not require added catalyst, oxidant, additive, acid, and base; visible light was the sole requirement.

To introduce famous TCM doctor JIN Bohua 's experience of peripheral facial paralysis diagnosed and treated by Yifeng (TE 17). Based on holism concept of TCM, Doctor JIN refers to modern medicine and takes Yifeng (TE 17) as the main acupoint for its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. She determines severe degree according to the pressing pain of Yifeng (TE 17) and the significance of positive substances. She inserts the needle at the acupoint to pharynx and larynx, with 60°~80° from skin. The inserting method is to ensure quick qi arrival and safety. Besides, the manipulations are various according to different stage principles.