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• The growth of 4H-SiC using TCS in the temperature range of 1350 °C to 1550 °C was studied. • When the growth temperature was increased to 1450 °C, RMS reached about 0.2 nm. • When the growth temperature was increased to 1400 °C, the epitaxial layer is a single 4H-SiC. • High quality 4H-SiC epitaxial layer can be obtained at 1450 °C. TCS (SiHCl 3) is widely used in the rapid growth of SiC. However, in the study of using TCS to grow 4H-SiC, the growth temperature is mainly concentrated in 1550–1650 °C, and the research on lower growth temperature is lacking. In this study, TCS was used as the silicon precursor and epitaxial layers were grown in the temperature range of 1350–1500 °C. The results show that the single crystal type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer with good quality can be obtained at the growth temperature of 1450 ℃. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on Alq 3 are fabricated. In order to make clear the transport mechanism of carriers in organic light-emitting devices at low temperature, detailed electroluminescence transient response and the current-voltage–luminescence (I–V–L) characteristics under different temperatures in those OLEDs are investigated. It founds that the acceleration of brightness increases with increasing temperature is maximum when the temperature is 200 K and it is mainly affected by the electron transport layer (Alq 3 ). The MoO 3 injection layer and the electroluminescent layer have great influence on the delay time when the temperature is 200 K. Once the temperature is greater than 250 K, the delay time is mainly affected by the MoO 3 injection layer. On the contrary, the fall time is mainly affected by the electroluminescent material. The V f is the average growth rate of fall time when the temperature increases 1 K which represents the accumulation rate of carriers. The difference between V f caused by the MoO 3 injection layer is 0.52 us/K and caused by the electroluminescent material Ir(ppy) 3 is 0.73 us/K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of InSb/In 0.9 Al 0.1 Sb buffer layers on InSb thin films grown on GaAs (0 0 1) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated. The crystal quality and the surface morphology of InSb are characterized by XRD and AFM. The carrier transport property is researched through variable temperature hall test. The sharp interface between InSb/In 0.9 Al 0.1 Sb is demonstrated important for the high quality InSb thin film. We try different superlattice buffer layers by changing ratios, 2–0.5, thickness, 300–450 nm, and periods, 20–50. According to the function of the dislocation density to the absolute temperature below 150 K with different periods of SL buffers, we can find that the number of periods of superlattice is a major factor to decrease the density of threading dislocations. With the 50 periods SL buffer layer, the electron mobility of InSb at the room temperature and liquid nitrogen cooling temperature is ∼63,000 and ∼4600 cm 2 /V s, respectively. We deduce that the interface in the SL structure works as a filter layer to prevent the dislocation propagating to the upper InSb thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired wound healing caused by radiation happens frequently in clinical practice, and the exact mechanisms remain partly unclear. Various countermeasures have been taken to tackle with this issue. Ghrelin was considered as a potent endogenous growth hormone-releasing peptide, and its role in enhancing wound repair and regeneration was firstly investigated in whole-body irradiated (γ-ray) mice in this study. Collagen deposition and neovascularization were mostly discussed. The results demonstrated that ghrelin administration promoted cutaneous wound healing in irradiated mice, followed with reduced average wound closure time, increased spleen index ( SI) and improved haematopoiesis. After isolation and analysis of granulation tissues in combined radiation and wound injury ( CRWI) mice treated with and without ghrelin, a phenomenon of increased DNA, hexosamine, nitrate and nitrite synthesis, elevated collagen content and enhanced neovascularization was observed after ghrelin treatment. Western blotting indicated that ghrelin also increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β ( TGF-β), both responsible for wound healing. However, previous administration of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a ( GHS-R1a) blocker blunted these therapeutic effects of ghrelin on CRWI mice. Our results identify ghrelin as a novel peptide that could be used for radiation-induced impaired wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• H 2 -etched SiC with different wafer orientation and doping are analyzed in detail. • Si-face 4° off-cut wafer boasts obvious terrace step after 1650 °C H 2 treatment. • ∼ 15 % to ∼ 51 % decrement in roughness is realized in C-face 4° off-cut substrate. • Defective graphitic structure is identified after high temperature Ar treatment. H 2 treatment is becoming a valuable method for the in-situ surface preparation of SiC wafer. Then clean interfacial layer can be attained in manufacturing SiC-based devices. However, surface morphology of SiC depends on wafer orientation and doping. Herein, H 2 -etched SiC wafers comprising various crystal planes were analyzed in detail. Formation of faceted etch pits occurs on C- and Si-faces of on-axis substrates. Meanwhile, Si-face of 4° off-cut substrate and the epitaxial layer boasts obvious terrace step after 1650 °C H 2 treatment, indicating the increment of surface roughness. As our study revealed, H 2 treatment is beneficial for achieving smoother surface morphology of C-face than Si-face wafers, as well as realizing ∼15 % to ∼51 % decrement in average roughness in C-face 4° off-cut substrate. Furthermore, defective graphitic structure and SiC crystal are identified after high temperature Ar treatment. The use of these results is expected to gain insights into the decomposition behavior of SiC with different wafer orientation and surface doping. Also, it is meaningful to realize the surface preparation process in power- and nano- electronic device fabrications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal rollover is one of the fundamental limitations that affect the output power and modulation bandwidth of high-speed laser in monolithic laser integrated circuits (ICs). Herein, an 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with p-doping and sub quantum well (sub QW) centers active layer is proposed and investigated. The p-doping and sub QW insert in the offset position of each barrier, which are designed for reducing the thermal rollover and increasing the maximum intrinsic modulation bandwidth of the laser. Numerical simulations show that adding the p-doping and sub QW in active region could reduce the threshold currents (I th), improve the slope efficiency (SE) and delay the thermal rollover in VCSEL. Comparing with previous VCSEL, our proposed VCSEL has excellent high temperature output performance, and the maximum simulation 3-dB bandwidth is 43.9 GHz at 25 °C and 33.1 GHz at 85 °C, respectively. Furthermore, temperature-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation reveal this novel QW has strong radiative recombination rate, which is suitable for designing active region of high-speed and high power lasers. • A composite MQWs with sub QW insert layer and p-type δ -doping has been demonstrated. • Through simulation, the composite MQWs could reduce thermal rollover and increase the maximum intrinsic modulation bandwidth of VCSEL. • The maximum simulation 3 dB bandwidth could reach to 43.9 and 33.1 GHz at 25 ℃ and 85 ℃, respectively. • Through carrier dynamic analysis, this novel MQWs has strong radiative recombination rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The temperature has a great influence on the crystal form of the 4H-SiC C-face epitaxial layer. • The Si source used for the growth of the SiC epitaxial layer is SiHCl 3. • Elevated temperature favors homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC C-face. SiC is an excellent semiconductor material that can be used in power semiconductor devices. It has the advantages of high thermal conductivity, stable chemical properties, and high critical breakdown field strength. The active region of a SiC device is usually in the SiC epitaxial layer, so the growth of high-quality SiC epitaxial layers is extremely valuable. In this paper, we investigate the epitaxial growth of SiC on n -type 4° off-axis SiC (0 0 0–1) substrates. We used a horizontal hot-wall chemical vapor deposition apparatus for rapid epitaxy on SiC substrates, using C 2 H 4 , and SiHCl 3 as precursors and H 2 as carrier gas, respectively, and growing at 1350 °C,1400 °C,1450 °C,1500 °C, 1550 °C, 1600 °C for half an hour to get epitaxial layer. The effect of growth temperature on the surface morphology of SiC (0 0 0 –1) epitaxial layer was analyzed and epitaxial layers is characterized by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and Raman scattering instrument, and the growth rate of epitaxial layer was obtained. It is found that the higher growth temperature is helpful to obtain the epitaxial layer with smooth surface and higher content of 4H-SiC under certain pressure, C/Si molar ratio, and following rate of precursor and carrier gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature affects the polytype of epi-layer on semi-insulating substrates. • Elevated temperature is beneficial for homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC. • The surface morphologies obtained by Si-face and C-face epitaxy are different. • C-face epitaxy enables higher quality epitaxial layers. 4H-SiC has excellent physical and chemical properties such as wide band gap and high electron mobility and can be used in microwave and radio frequency devices. Epitaxial layer on semi-insulating (SI) substrate of 4H-SiC is a key structure for the fabrication of radio frequency devices. However, two-dimensional growth easily occurs during the epitaxy process to form 3C-SiC. Therefore, it is necessary to study the crystal polytype change in the epitaxial layer. This paper studied the effect of temperature on the epitaxial layer during epitaxy on 4H-SiC SI substrates using trichlorosilane and ethylene as source gases. The Si-face and the C-face were respectively selected as the growth planes, and the temperature varied in the range of 1400℃–1600℃. The samples were characterized using optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The surface topography obtained by epitaxial growth was uniform, and the surface roughness of the smooth region was less than 1.0 nm. 3C-SiC was obtained at low temperature, and 4H-SiC was obtained at higher temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colossal magnetic moment up to 16.05 μ B /atom was found in GaN based diluted magnetic semiconductor films, which were fabricated by co-implantation with Cr and Er ions, followed by 800 °C annealing process. No secondary phase was detected in our samples within the detection limit of the high resolution X-ray diffractometer. Several new Raman peaks around 300, 360, 663 and 858 cm −1 are observed in the implanted and annealed samples, which have been explained reasonably. The colossal magnetic moment may come from the 3 d –4 f coupling between Cr and Er ions and/or the interaction between bound magnetic polarons formed in our samples, which can be facilitated by higher electron concentration. Cr and Er ions play a complementary role in determining the magnetic anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly doped p-type ZnTe films grown on GaAs (001) were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using a radio frequency (RF) plasma nitrogen cell, and were characterized by the reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, Hall, Raman and atomic force microscope analysis. We have found that under the optimized undoped growth conditions, it was easy to obtain high-quality single crystalline undoped ZnTe films on GaAs (001) substrate. However, when adding an RF plasma nitrogen cell to doping and applying the similar growth conditions, there was a dramatic impact on the crystalline quality of ZnTe:N films, i.e. instead of high-quality single crystalline films, only highly doped p-type polycrystalline ZnTe:N films with doping levels of more than 1×10 20 cm −3 were obtained. In addition, there existed the evidence of the second phase of Te clusters in the polycrystalline ZnTe:N films for the first time, and through the rapid-thermal-annealing (RTA) treatment at the temperature above 400 °C for 5 min, the Te clusters would disappear and the crystalline quality would be improved significantly. The possible origin of this phenomenon was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Either C or O interstitial is likely to exist in the oxidation process of 4H-SiC. [•] One suboxide is more easily to form and more stable than any others. [•] The experimental results of ADXPS support our theoretical calculations. [•] We do speculations about the formation mechanism of initial 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Effects of doping molybdenum oxide (MoO3) in copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as hole injection layer in OLEDs are studied. A green OLED with structure of ITO/MoO3-doped CuPc/NPB/10-(2-benzothiazolyl)-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-1H,5H, 11H-(1)-benzopyropyrano(6,7,8-i,j) quinolizin-11-one (C545T): tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3)/Alq3/LiF/Al shows the driving voltage of 4.4V, and power efficiency of 4.3lm/W at luminance of 100cd/m2. The charge transfer complex between CuPc and MoO3 plays a decisive role in improving the performance of OLEDs. The AFM characterization shows that the doped film owns a better smooth surface, which is also in good agreement with the electrical performance of OLEDs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A stable organic solar cell with structure of ITO/buffer/donor/acceptor/cathode is presented. A thin layer (5nm) of MoO3-doped CuPc is adopted as the buffer in CuPc/C60 organic heterojunction photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, resulting in two times longer lifetime. The surface morphology of buffer layer plays a decisive role in improving the stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diluted magnetic nonpolar GaN:Cu films have been fabricated by implanting Cu ions into unintentionally doped nonpolar a-plane() GaN films and a subsequent thermal annealing process. The structural, morphological and magnetic characteristics of the samples have been investigated by means of high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The sample shows a clear ferromagnetism behavior at room temperature. It is significantly shown that with a Cu concentration as low as 0.75% the sample exhibits a saturation magnetization about 0.65μB/Cu atom. Moreover, the possible origin of the ferromagnetism for the sample was also discussed briefly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

InGaN/GaN multi-quantum-well blue (461±4 nm) light emitting diodes with higher electroluminescence intensity are obtained by postgrowth thermal annealing at 720 °C in O2-ambient. Based on our first-principle total-energy calculations, we conclude that besides dissociating the Mg–H complex by forming H2O, annealing in O2 has another positive effect on the activation of acceptor Mg in GaN. Mg can be further activated by the formation of an impurity band above the valence band maximum of host GaN from the passivated MgGa–ON complex. Our calculated ionization energy for acceptor Mg in the passivated system is about 30 meV shallower than that in pure GaN, in good agreement with previous experimental measurement. Our model can explain that the enhanced electroluminescence intensity of InGaN/GaN MQWs based on Mg-doped p-type GaN is due to a decrease in the ionization energy of Mg acceptor with the presence of oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 340 °C is the lower limit for qualified InSb surface due to low In migration. • Si act as acceptorsin InSbif more energy providedfor theacceptor levelis deeper. • InSb/InAlSb SLbufferinhibits dopantdiffusing in InSb and enhance the doping level. • Mechanism of p-typeInSb transferringto n-typeis interpretedby theoretical formula. 0.8 to 1 μm Si and Be doped InSb were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope indicate that growth temperature below 340 °C severely results in dislocations and undulating surface. Silicon shows amphoteric doping nature in InSb at higher growth or Si cell temperatures, for the calculation result reveals it needed more energy to take the place of Sb. ECV measurement demonstrates that InSb/In0.9Al0.1Sb superlattice buffer layer can effectively inhibit Be dopant from diffusing to the substrate in the 420 °C InSb, with which both the doping level and crystalline quality are significantly improved. 790–870 °C Be doped InSb transfer from p- to n-type during the Hall measurement temperature increasing from 77 K to 330 K. The transition temperature of each sample is linearly correlated to the Be doping temperature, which is theoretically interpreted by the excitation mechanism and carrier transportation principles inside InSb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Z 1/2 defect typically exist in n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. • Defect concentration uniformity of the epilayer is 5.74%. • Z 1/2 defect is uniformly distributed in 4-inch n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. • Ti center did not appear at the temperature range from 80 K to 500 K. In this paper, Schottky structures were fabricated on the epitaxial wafers and the deep levels of the wafers were measured by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The thickness of the commercial n-type 4°off-axis 4H-SiC (0 0 0 1) epitaxial wafers was 100 μm, with a doping concentration of 2 × 1014 cm−3. Nine sample points were selected along with the direction of [1–100] and [11–20] on the wafer. Through the peak fitting analysis of the test results, the detailed information of deep level defects in the epitaxial layer was obtained. The typical deep level defect Z 1/2 was found, but Ti center did not appear, which indicates that Ti center was not introduced in our technological process. Defect concentration uniformity of the 4-inch 4H-SiC epitaxial wafer is 5.74%. The results demonstrate that although the concentration of Z 1/2 defect differs in different locations, but the difference is so small that Z 1/2 defect concentration can be considered to be evenly distributed across the wafer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests.

Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), especially tropical race 4 (TR4), presents the foremost menace to the global banana production. Extensive efforts have been made to search for efficient biological control agents for disease management. Our previous study showed that Streptomyces sp. XY006 exhibited a strong inhibitory activity against several phytopathogenic fungi, including F. oxysporum . Here, the corresponding antifungal metabolites were purified and determined to be two cyclic lipopeptide homologs, lipopeptin A and lipopeptin B. Combined treatment with lipopeptin complex antagonized Foc TR4 by inhibiting mycelial growth and conidial sporulation, suppressing the synthesis of ergosterol and fatty acids and lowering the production of fusaric acid. Electron microscopy observation showed that lipopeptide treatment induced a severe disruption of the plasma membrane, leading to cell leakage. Lipopeptin A displayed a more pronounced antifungal activity against Foc TR4 than lipopeptin B. In pot experiments, strain XY006 successfully colonized banana plantlets and suppressed the incidence of FWB, with a biocontrol efficacy of up to 87.7%. Additionally, XY006 fermentation culture application improved plant growth parameters and induced peroxidase activity in treated plantlets, suggesting a possible role in induced resistance. Our findings highlight the potential of strain XY006 as a biological agent for FWB, and further research is needed to enhance its efficacy and mode of action in planta ., 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 © 2023 Wang, Du, Chen, Guo, Mao, Wu, Wu, Han, Xie, Zeng, Shan, Wang and Yu.)

The complex formation mechanism and numerous influencing factors of urban waterlogging disasters make the identification of their risk an essential matter. This paper proposes a framework for identifying urban waterlogging risk that combines multi-source data fusion with hydrodynamics (MDF-H). The framework consists of a source data layer, a model parameter layer, and a calculation layer. Using multi-source data fusion technology, we processed urban meteorological information, geographic information, and municipal engineering information in a unified computation-oriented manner to form a deep fusion of a globalized multi-data layer. In conjunction with the hydrological analysis results, the irregular sub-catchment regions are divided and utilized as calculating containers for the localized runoff yield and flow concentration. Four categories of source data, meteorological data, topographic data, urban underlying surface data, and municipal and traffic data, with a total of 12 factors, are considered the model input variables to define a real-time and comprehensive runoff coefficient. The computational layer consists of three calculating levels: total study area, sub-catchment, and grid. The surface runoff inter-regional connectivity is realized at all levels of the urban road network when combined with hydrodynamic theory. A two-level drainage capacity assessment model is proposed based on the drainage pipe volume density. The final result is the extent and depth of waterlogging in the study area, and a real-time waterlogging distribution map is formed. It demonstrates a mathematical study and an effective simulation of the horizontal transition of rainfall into the surface runoff in a large-scale urban area. The proposed method was validated by the sudden rainstorm event in Futian District, Shenzhen, on 11 April 2019. The average accuracy for identifying waterlogging depth was greater than 95%. The MDF-H framework has the advantages of precise prediction, rapid calculation speed, and wide applicability to large-scale regions.

Background: Synovectomy has been introduced into total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the aim of relieving pain and inflammation of the synovium. However, there are no long-term, comparative data to evaluate the effect of synovectomy in TKA. This study was aimed at assessing pain, function, and complications in patients undergoing synovectomy during TKA for osteoarthritis (OA) at long-term follow-up., Methods: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial of 42 consecutive patients who underwent staged bilateral TKA. Patients undergoing the first-side TKA were allocated to receive TKA with or without synovectomy followed by a 3-month washout period and crossover to the other strategy for the opposite-side TKA. The overall efficacy of both strategies was evaluated by determination of blood loss, the Knee Society score (KSS), and knee inflammation conditions during a 3-month postoperative period. The postoperative pain, range of motion (ROM), and complications were sequentially evaluated to compare the two groups until 10 years after surgery., Results: At the 10-year follow-up, both groups had a similarly significantly improved ROM (114.88 ± 9.84° vs. 114.02 ± 9.43°, t  = 0.221, P  = 0.815) and pain relief with no differences between the two groups (1.0 [1.0] vs. 1.0 [1.5], U  = 789.500, P  = 0.613). Similar changes in total blood loss, KSS, and knee inflammation were found in both groups during 3 months postoperatively ( P  > 0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference regarding complications and satisfaction between the two groups ( P  > 0.05)., Conclusions: Synovectomy in conjunction with TKA for primary OA does not seem to provide any benefit regarding postoperative pain, ROM, and satisfaction during a 10-year follow-up. In addition, it may not result in more blood loss and increased incidence of long-term complications. Based on our long-term findings, it should not be performed routinely., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-16008245; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=13334 ., (Copyright © 2023 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Background: Dietary patterns with a high intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) are associated with a reduced risk of various cancers. It is not yet clear where and to what extent a decline in crop productivity caused by climate change may modify the distribution of related cancer burdens through reducing FV consumption in China. To design policies and interventions aimed at improving FV intake, regional monitoring is required on how consumption-changing factors might impact the associated cancer burdens by socio-demographic subpopulations., Methods: A microsimulation study was conducted from a societal perspective to project the effects of cancers associated with inadequate FV intake attributable to climate change. We linked the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade to a health modelling framework for obesity, gastric cancer, lung cancer, and oesophageal cancer in a close-to-reality synthetic population., Results: In the presence of climate constantly change, the relative reduction in FV consumption would induce an additional 9.73 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) nationally over the period 2010-2050 ([CrI]: 7.83-12.13). The climate change-induced cancer burden is projected to disproportionately affect socio-demographic index regions from 0.65 to 5.06 million DALYs., Conclusions: Effects of climate change on FV consumption are anticipated to exacerbate intra-regional inequalities in the associated cancer burdens of China by 2050. By quantitatively analysing the impact of such dietary changes on regional health in light of climate change, our research can inform the design of public health interventions for heterogeneous populations, as health impact assessments based solely on the population as a whole cannot reflect significant differences across subpopulations., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests.

Background and Aims: Interventions that significantly reduce dietary sodium intake are anticipated to decrease gastric cancer (GCa) burden. However, the optimal restriction strategies remain unknown at present. This study aims to understand where and to what extent policies modifying sodium consumption change the distribution of GCa burden, and the effects of potential salt reduction strategies in China., Methods: The synthetic population in this microscopic simulation study is close to reality. We incorporated estimates of dietary patterns and GCa risk into the model of excess salt consumption. These estimates and simulated population were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, Global Burden of Disease Project, and the sixth census of China's National Bureau of Statistics, respectively., Results: In the no intervention scenario, we estimated that disease burdens due to excess sodium intake would be at 472.9 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) nationally between 2010 and 2030 (95% credible interval [CrI]: 371.1-567.7). The GCa burden caused by high sodium is projected to have a disproportionate impact on the central and southern provinces of China (9.2 and 4.5 million DALYs, respectively). Implementing a cooking salt substitute strategy would be expected to avoid a larger portion of GCa burden (about 67.2%, 95% CrI: 66.8%-67.6%) than the salt-restriction spoon program (about 16.7%, 95% CrI: 16.1%-17.4%)., Conclusion: Dietary salt reduction policy is very powerfully effective in reducing the GCa burden overall. It is expected that proposed salt substitutes are more effective than traditional salt-restriction spoons to avoid increased inequality., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests AM, PL, and IH were supported by the Wellcome Trust during this report. All other authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive disease, the main pathogeny of which is podocyte injury inducing glomerular filtration barrier and proteinuria. The occurrence and development of DN could be partly attributed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by mitochondria. However, research on how mitochondrial dysfunction (MtD) ultimately causes DNA damage is poor. Here, we investigated the influence of Klotho deficiency on high glucose (HG)-induced DNA damage in vivo and in vitro . First, we found that the absence of Klotho aggravated diabetic phenotypes indicated by podocyte injury accompanied by elevated urea albumin creatinine ratio (UACR), creatinine and urea nitrogen. Then, we further confirmed that Klotho deficiency could significantly aggravate DNA damage by increasing 8-OHdG and reducing OGG1. Finally, we demonstrated Klotho deficiency may promote MtD to promote 8-OHdG-induced podocyte injury. Therefore, we came to a conclusion that Klotho deficiency may promote diabetes-induced podocytic MtD and aggravate 8-OHdG-induced DNA damage by affecting OOG1., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

The terahertz (THz) metamaterial biosensor has great potential for label-free and rapid specificity testing. Here, we designed two highly sensitive structures to detect the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) of the cancer biomarker in early stages. There was about 29 GHz (500 ng/ml) resonance shift for CEA with an insert grate metamaterial, which was consistent with simulation results. Moreover, the concentration of CEA was gained through the relationship between the cancer marker concentration and frequency shift (Δƒ). Our design and detection methods may provide a potential route for the early warning stages of cancer.

Ketoreductase (KRED)-catalyzed dynamic reductive kinetic resolution (DYRKR) of α-substituted-β-keto arylphosphonates was developed as a generic and stereoselective approach to synthesize chiral α-substituted-β-hydroxy arylphosphonates, with moderate-to-excellent isolated yield (up to 96%), good-to-excellent diastereoselectivity (up to >99 : <1 dr), and excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee) being achieved.

The adhesion molecule L1, which is extensively characterized in the nervous system, is also expressed in dendritic cells (DCs), but its function there has remained elusive. To address this issue, we ablated L1 expression in DCs of conditional knockout mice. L1-deficient DCs were impaired in adhesion to and transmigration through monolayers of either lymphatic or blood vessel endothelial cells, implicating L1 in transendothelial migration of DCs. In agreement with these findings, L1 was expressed in cutaneous DCs that migrated to draining lymph nodes, and its ablation reduced DC trafficking in vivo. Within the skin, L1 was found in Langerhans cells but not in dermal DCs, and L1 deficiency impaired Langerhans cell migration. Under inflammatory conditions, L1 also became expressed in vascular endothelium and enhanced transmigration of DCs, likely through L1 homophilic interactions. Our results implicate L1 in the regulation of DC trafficking and shed light on novel mechanisms underlying transendothelial migration of DCs. These observations might offer novel therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of certain immunological disorders.

Prostate cancer disseminates initially and primarily to regional lymph nodes. However, the nature of interactions between tumor cells and lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) is poorly understood. In the current study, we have isolated prostate LECs and developed a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional in vitro coculture systems and in vivo orthotopic prostate cancer models to investigate the interactions of prostate cancer cells with prostate LECs. In vitro, highly lymph node metastatic prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and LNCaP) and their conditioned medium enhanced prostate LEC tube formation and migration, whereas poorly lymph node metastatic prostate cancer cells (DU145) or normal prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1) or their conditioned medium had no effect. In vivo, the occurrence of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis was observed in PC-3 and LNCaP xenografts but not in DU145 xenografts. Furthermore, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor (VEGFR)-2 is expressed by prostate LECs, and its ligands VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D are up-regulated in highly lymph node metastatic prostate cancer cells. Recombinant VEGF-A and VEGF-C, but not VEGF-C156S, potently promoted prostate LEC tube formation, migration, and proliferation in vitro, indicating that signaling via VEGFR-2 rather than VEGFR-3 is involved in these responses. Consistent with this, blockade of VEGFR-2 significantly reduced tumor-induced activation of LECs. These results show that the interaction of prostate tumor cells with LECs via VEGFR-2 modulates LEC behavior and is related to the ability of tumor cells to form lymph node metastases.

Background: Few data are available examining the significance of prostatic lymphatic vessel density (LVD) to lymph node metastasis in patients with prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of lymphatic vessels in non-carcinomatous prostate tissue, and investigate the relationship between LVD and lymph node status in prostate cancer., Methods: LVD, identified by D2-40 immunostaining, was evaluated in non-carcinomatous prostates (n = 7) and prostate cancer (n = 37). The staining pattern of D2-40 was compared with that of another lymphatic vessel marker, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-3, and a blood vessel endothelial marker, CD34, in adjacent sections., Results: The D2-40 antigen, podoplanin, was expressed exclusively in lymphatic vessels within tumor and normal tissue in all specimens. There was no overlap between cell staining for D2-40 and CD34. Peritumoral LVD and peritumoral lymphatic invasion were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis. VEGF receptor-3 was expressed in a subset of D2-40+ lymphatic vessels., Conclusions: We have demonstrated that peritumoral lymphatic vessels are likely to serve as major conduits for nodal metastasis in prostate cancer using D2-40 to decorate lymphatic endothelium marker podoplanin. Lack of coexpression of podoplanin and VEGF receptor-3 in some lymphatic vessels suggests the heterogeneity of lymphatic endothelial cells in prostate tissue., (Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc)

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia and intestinal lymphatic hypoplasia are 2 causes of protein-losing enteropathy in children and share many common clinical features. For the diagnosis of lymphatic hypoplasia on endoscopic biopsies of the intestine, i.e., based on a negative finding in a small specimen, a very sensitive and specific method for identifying lymphatics is essential. In the present study, lymphatic vessels were labelled using D2-40 immunostaining in mucosal biopsy specimens of the alimentary tract of children in whom no histologic abnormality was noted and of those who had different relatively common pediatric conditions, including inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Using this method, lymphatic vessels were well visualized even in young infants and not destroyed by diseases. The presence of the muscularis mucosae in specimens was important for adequate assessment. In the duodenum and esophagus, lymphatics were observed in every single section; in the stomach, ileum, and colon, they were less regular and several sections were sometimes required. The extreme sensitivity of this method for demonstrating lymphatic vessels in the duodenum makes it ideal for the histologic diagnosis of intestinal lymphatic hypoplasia. In 4 patients who were considered to have this diagnosis based on clinical features, full-thickness intestinal biopsies and electron microscopy, D2-40 immunostaining confirmed the absence or marked paucity of lymphatics.

Purpose: The molecular mechanisms underlying lymph node metastasis are poorly understood, despite the well-established clinical importance of lymph node status in many human cancers. Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D have been implicated in the regulation of tumor lymphangiogenesis and enhancement of lymphatic invasion via activation of VEGF receptor-3. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression pattern of the VEGF-C/VEGF-D/VEGF receptor-3 axis in prostate cancer and its relationship with lymph node metastasis., Experimental Design: The expression pattern of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGF receptor-3 in localized prostate cancer specimens (n = 37) was determined using immunohistochemistry., Results: Widespread, heterogeneous staining for VEGF-C and VEGF-D was observed in all cancer specimens. Intensity of VEGF-C staining was lower in benign prostate epithelium than in adjacent carcinoma, whereas no difference between benign epithelium and carcinoma was observed for VEGF-D staining. VEGF receptor-3 immunostaining was detected in endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels in 18 of 37 tissue samples. The presence of VEGF receptor-3-positive vessels was associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0002), Gleason grade (P < 0.0001), extracapsular extension (P = 0.0382), and surgical margin status (P = 0.0069). In addition, VEGF receptor-3 staining highlighted lymphatic invasion by VEGF-C-positive/VEGF-D-positive carcinoma cells., Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that paracrine activation of lymphatic endothelial cell VEGF receptor-3 by VEGF-C and/or VEGF-D may be involved in lymphatic metastasis. Thus the VEGF-C/VEGF-D/VEGF receptor-3 signaling pathway may provide a target for antilymphangiogenic therapy in prostate cancer.