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Introduction: Adherence to anti-hypertensive drugs, which is sub-optimal despite public health and policy efforts, is essential in controlling high blood pressure. Medicare Advantage plans are gaining popularity, partly due to their managed care designs that held promise to improve chronic disease management. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that hypertensive patients with a managed care plan have higher adherence to antihypertensive drugs than those with a non-managed care plan. Methods: We analyzed medication adherence – measured using proportion of days covered (PDC) over 12 months for antihypertensive drugs – among 174,172 patients with a hypertension diagnosis from the medical and pharmacy claims and benefits data in the 2017-2019 IBM MarketScan Research Database. We fitted separate generalized linear regression models among monotherapy (use of one class of antihypertensive drugs) and polytherapy (combined use of at least two classes of antihypertensive drugs) users and computed postestimation margins with the best-fitted model to compare medication adherence by plan type: 1) Managed Care exclusive provider organization and health management organization (EPO/HMO) plan, 2) Managed Care point-of-service plan, 3) Managed Care preferred provider organization plan, 4) non-Managed Care comprehensive plan, 5) non-Managed Care consumer driven health plan / high deductible health plan. Other patient characteristics included in the analyses were age, age-squared, sex, comorbidities, census region, and their interaction terms. Results: The average PDC among Medicare patients on monotherapy was 0.53 and among those on polytherapy was 0.74. Patients with a managed-care EPO/HMO plan had the highest PDC (0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 0.54 among monotherapy users and 0.73, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.74 among polytherapy users, respectively) and those with a non-managed care comprehensive plan had the lowest PDC (0.42, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.43 among monotherapy users and 0.62, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.63 among polytherapy users, respectively). By census region, patients living in the North Central region with a managed care EPO/HMO plan had the highest average PDC (0.71, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.72 among monotherapy users and 0.85, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.86 among polytherapy users, respectively). Other factors such as age, sex, and number of chronic conditions were significantly associated with PDC. Conclusions: In conclusion, with an increase in the proportion of older adults enrolled in Medicare Advantage insurance, managed care models may play a more important role in influencing adherence to essential drugs such as anti-hypertensive drugs among Medicare beneficiaries. Future research should investigate factors that promote adherence to medications across different managed care plan designs.

Background: Adherence to antihypertensive medication is a key component of hypertension management. Insurance claims data provide an opportunity to examine and monitor patients’ adherence rate to prescribed medications. However, patients may take multiple drugs or drug classes simultaneously to control high blood pressure. Little is known regarding the differences between algorithms used to measure adherence to antihypertensive medications using claims database. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that different algorithms, number of drug classes and observation periods lead to different medication adherence estimates. Methods: Using the 2017-2019 IBM MarketScan Medicare supplement claims database, we conducted retrospective analysis of 107,194 insured members with hypertension diagnosis and were taking anti-hypertensive drugs (e.g., angiotensin II inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers, Antihypertensive combinations, Alpha Blockers, Diuretics). We calculated medication adherence rates using the proportion of days covered (PDC) for 6 months and 12 months among polytherapy users who use more than one antihypertensive drug classes. Three PDC algorithms were used and compared, including (1) number of days covered by at least 1 antihypertensive medication class (“maximum”) in 6 months and 12 months; (2) number of days covered by all antihypertensive medication classes after they are prescribed in 6 months and 12 months (“minimum”); (3) the average number of days covered by each medication class measured separately in 6 months and 12 months (“average”). Results: The proportion of patients who took two, three, or four or more antihypertensive drug classes was 26.96%, 9.44%, and 3.21% for the 6-month observation period, and was 26.73%, 9.37%, and 3.21% for the 12-month observation period. The mean PDC estimate and standard deviation (SD) using the “maximum” algorithm was 89% (0.2) for 6-month and 88% (0.2) for 12-month observation period, respectively. The mean PDC estimate and SD using the “minimum” algorithm was 45% (0.33) and 45% (0.33) for 6- and 12-month observation period, respectively. And the mean PDC estimate and SD using the “average” algorithm was 68% (0.23) and 67% (0.23) for 6- and 12-month observation period, respectively. Conclusions: There is a lack of consensus on the algorithms to measure adherence to anti-hypertensive medications based on pharmacy claims data. The PDC estimates based on the “average” algorithm was less dependent on the number of antihypertensive drug classes, and the 6- and 12-month observation period did not significantly influence PDC estimates.

Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) has extensive application prospect in the fields of optoelectronics and biomedicine, due to its unique physicochemical properties. Therefore, a systematic toxic study is necessary to assess its environmental safety. Herein, BPNSs was prepared by liquid exfoliation procedure, the primary producer Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was used as a test subject. After the exposure for 120 h at 15, 45 and 75 mg/L BPNSs, the cell viabilities were 45.05%, 18.86% and 4.60% for each treatment group, respectively. The extent of lipid peroxidation and peroxidative damage in C. vulgaris was confirmed by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, followed by determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Morphological analysis results (i.e., SEM and TEM) showed that BPNSs adhered to the cell surface and enter the cell to severely damage cell structure. Furthermore, BPNSs were shown to accelerate apoptosis in C. vulgaris by flow cytometry analysis. Finally, GC-MS was used to explore the metabolic regulatory mechanism of C. vulgaris in response to BPNSs stress. The results of this study can provide theoretical support for subsequent studies on the potential enrichment risk of BPNSs in the water environmental food chain.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) home to the bone marrow (BM) via, in part, the interactions with Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM1)(1–3). Once into the BM, HSCs are vetted by perivascular phagocytes to ensure their self-integrity. Here, we show that VCAM1 is also expressed on healthy HSCs and upregulated on leukaemic stem cells (LSCs) where it serves as a quality-control checkpoint for entry into BM by providing ‘don’t-eat-me’ stamping in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I presentation. While haplotype-mismatched HSCs can engraft, Vcam1 deletion, in the setting of haplotype mismatch, leads to impaired haematopoietic recovery due to HSC clearance by mononuclear phagocytes. Mechanistically, VCAM1 ‘don’t-eat-me’ activity is regulated by ß2-microglobulin MHC presentation on HSCs and paired Ig-like receptor-B (PIR-B) on phagocytes. VCAM1 is also used by cancer cells to escape immune detection as its expression is upregulated in multiple cancers, including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), where high expression associates with poor prognosis. In AML, VCAM1 promotes disease progression while VCAM1 inhibition or deletion reduces leukaemia burden and extends survival. These results suggest that VCAM1 engagement regulates a critical immune-checkpoint gate in the BM, and offers an alternative strategy to eliminate cancer cells via modulation of the innate immune tolerance.

Cerebral ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and rapidly increasing annually with no more effective therapeutic measures. Thus, the novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are urgent to be identified for prevention and therapy of ischemic stroke. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a major family of noncoding RNAs with more than 200 nucleotides, have been considered as new targets for modulating pathological process of ischemic stroke. In this review, we summarized that the lncRNA-maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) played a critical role in promotion of neuronal cell death and inhibition of angiogenesis in response to hypoxia or ischemia condition, and further described the challenge of overcrossing blood-brain barrier (BBB) and determination of optimal carrier for delivering lncRNA' drugs into the specific brain regions. In brief, MEG3 will be a potential diagnostic biomarker and drug target in treatment and therapy of ischemic stroke in the future.

Taking Shanghai and Shenzhen A stock listed companies as a sample, this paper uses the event research method to test the effect of financing constraints and stock price crash risk on the cumulative excess return (CAR) of enterprises under the impact of the epidemic situation. The results show that the risk of stock price collapse plays a negative role in the transmission channel of the impact of the new crown epidemic on the enterprise's cumulative excess return, and the financing constraint intensifies the negative effect. Further, the heterogeneity analysis based on firm size and ownership found that in SMEs and non-state-owned enterprises, the effect of increased financing constraints is more significant Is significant. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions from the perspective of relevant regulatory departments and enterprises themselves.

Bacterial invasion and proliferation on various surfaces pose a serious threat to public health worldwide. Conventional antibacterial strategies that mainly rely on bactericides exhibit high bacteria-killing efficiency but might trigger the well-known risk of antibiotic resistance. Here, we report a superhydrophobic mechano-bactericidal surface with photodynamically enhanced antibacterial capability. First, bioinspired nanopillars with polycarbonate as the bulk material were replicated from anodized alumina oxide templates via a simple hot-pressing molding method. Subsequently, a facile bovine serum albumin phase-transition method was used to introduce chlorin e6 onto the nanopillar-patterned surface, which was then perfluorinated to render the surface superhydrophobic. Benefiting from its strong liquid super-repellency and photodynamically enhanced mechano-bactericidal properties, the superhydrophobic nanopillar-patterned surface exhibits 100% antibacterial efficiency after 30 min visible light irradiation (650 nm, 20 mW cm

The digital economy has aroused widespread concern. This paper studies the impact of the digital economy on innovation using a panel threshold model. Taking 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China as the research object, the time span is from 2013 to 2019. The data are from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC), China National Intellectual Property Administration (CAIPA), the China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR), and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)of China. Data analysis is performed with ArcGIS 10.2 and STATA 16 software. The influence mechanism of digital economy on innovation is innovatively analyzed from the aspects of innovation elements, innovation tools, innovation subjects, and innovation environment. A digital economy development level index system is constructed using the entropy method, and the development level of China’s digital economy in time and space is analyzed. On this basis, the nonlinear impact of digital economy on innovation, i.e., the threshold effect, is innovatively studied using the panel threshold model. It is found that China’s digital economy develops rapidly, but there is a serious spatial imbalance, and there are great differences in the different dimensions of the digital economy. At the same time, the impact of digital economy on innovation has a double threshold effect with industrial structure as the threshold variable and a single threshold effect with urbanization level as the threshold variable. Specifically, the promoting effect of digital economy on innovation increases with the optimization of industrial structure or the improvement of urbanization level. This study enriches the theoretical research on the impact of digital economy on innovation, and it has important support and reference value for China’s development of digital economy and improvement of innovation capacity.

This paper is concerned with the Cauchy problem for one-dimensional unipolar Euler-Poisson equations with time-dependent damping, where the time-asymptotically degenerate damping in the form of − μ/(1+t)λ ρu for λ > 0 with μ > 0 plays a crucial role for the structure of solutions. The main issue of the paper is to investigate the critical case with λ = 1. We first prove that, for all cases with λ > 0 and μ > 0 (including the critical case of λ = 1), once the initial data is steep at a point, then the solutions are locally bounded but their derivatives will blow up in finite time, by means of the method of Riemann invariants and the technical convex analysis. Secondly, for the critical case of λ = 1 with μ > 7/3, we prove that there exists a unique global solution, once the initial perturbation around the constant steady-state is sufficiently small. In particular, we derive the algebraic convergence rates of the solution to the constant steady-state, which are piecewise, related to the parameter μ for 7/3 < μ ≤ 3, 3 < μ ≤ 4 and μ > 4. The adopted method of proof in this critical case is the technical time-weighted energy method and the time-weight depends on the parameter μ. Finally, we carry out some numerical simulations in two cases for blow-up and global existence, respectively, which numerically confirm our theoretical results.

Limited literature exists on the characteristics of early gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (GSRCC) within 20 mm. This study aimed to explore this type of cancer from several aspects, to provide guidance for early detection and intervention of GSRCC.We retrospectively collected data from 24 patients diagnosed with early GSRCC ≤20 mm in Beijing Friendship Hospital from 2016 to 2021. According to tumor size, those lesions were divided into three groups: diminutive group (1-5 mm,Treatment strategies for lesions differed according to the size (The location of early signet ring cell carcinoma is not specific, and the diminutive lesions are often flat. Abnormal IP may be the early endoscopic feature of early GSRCC.

A comprehensive evaluation of the effects of cerium on plants is lacking even though cerium is extensively applied to the environment. Here, the effects of cerium on plants were meta-analyzed using a newly developed database consisting of approximately 8500 entries of published data. Cerium affects plants by acting as oxidative stressor causing hormesis, with positive effects at low concentrations and adverse effects at high doses. Production of reactive oxygen species and its linked induction of antioxidant enzymes (e.g. catalase and superoxide dismutase) and non -enzymatic antioxidants (e.g. glutathione) are major mechanisms driving plant response mechanisms. Cerium also affects redox signaling, as indicated by altered GSH/GSSG redox pair, and electrolyte leakage, Ca2+, K+, and K+/Na+, indicating an important role of K+ and Na+ homeostasis in cerium-induced stress and altered mineral (ion) bal-ance. The responses of the plants to cerium are further extended to photosynthesis rate (A), stomatal conductance (g(s)), photosynthetic efficiency of PSII, electron transport rate, and quantum yield of PSII. However, photosynthesis response is regulated not only by physiological controls (e.g. g(s)), but also by biochemical controls, such as via changed Hill reaction and RuBisCO carboxylation. Cerium concentrations < 0.1-25 mg L-1 commonly enhance chlorophyll a and b, g(s), A, and plant biomass, whereas concentrations > 50 mg L-1 suppress such fitness-critical traits at trait-specific concentrations. There was no evidence that cerium enhances yields. Observations were lacking for yield response to low concentrations of cerium, whereas concentrations > 50 mg Kg(-1) suppress yields, in line with the response of chlorophyll a and b. Cerium affects the uptake and tissue concentrations of several micro-and macro-nutrients, including heavy metals. This study enlightens the understanding of some mechanisms underlying plant responses to cerium and provides critical information that can pave the way to reducing the cerium load in the environment and its associated ecological and human health risks.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (n-CeO

BackgroundThe benefits of hypoxia for maintaining the stemness of cultured human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have previously been demonstrated but the mechanisms responsible remain unclear. There is growing evidence to suggest a role for cellular metabolism in the regulation of stem cell fate and self-renewal. This study aimed at exploring changes in glucose metabolism and roles in maintaining EPC stemness under hypoxia.MethodsExtracellular flux analysis, LC-MS/MS and 13C tracing HPLC-QE-MS were used to establish EPC metabolic status. Then inhibitors of glucose metabolism were used to assess the impact of the dependent pathways on cell stemness. The key enzymes of glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and mitochondrial respiration were inhibited, and the cell survival rate, clone formation rate, mRNA expression of stemness markers, Nanog, Oct4, Klf4 and Sox2, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level were compared.ResultsReprogramming of pathways concerned with glucose metabolism was found under hypoxic conditions, including increased rates of flux through glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), together with decreased flux through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and mitochondrial respiration. Use of inhibitors of key enzymes of glycolysis, PPP, TCA cycle and the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) revealed that inhibition of glycolysis or the PPP impaired cell proliferation under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. By contrast, inhibition of pyruvate oxidation, via targeting of the TCA cycle or ETC, increased cell stemness under normoxic conditions. Moreover, promotion of pyruvate oxidation reversed the effect of hypoxia in maintaining cell stemness. Although hypoxia decreased mitochondrial ATP level, total cellular ATP level was unchanged, indicating that energy production does not play a major role in hypoxic effects. ConclusionIn summary, hypoxia-induced reprogramming of pathways involved in glucose metabolism maintained EPC stemness. Artificial manipulation of cell metabolism may be a way to regulate EPC stemness, thereby facilitating in vitro cell expansion.

In this study, we explored the source-sink characteristics of methyl halide (CH

Carbon dots (CDs) with excellent optical properties were encapsulated into two fluorescent metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, [Cd(HL)]·0.8H2O (1) and [Cd3(L)2]·3H2O (2) (H3L = 4-(5-carboxypyridin-2-yl)isophthalic acid). The as-prepared CDs@1 and CDs+2 not only retained the strong fluorescence activity of CDs, but also embedded Eu3+ ions in the hybrids to form dual-emitting Eu3+/CDs@1 and Eu3+/CDs+2. These novel composites emitted strong red light at room temperature and exhibited good fluorescence sensing capabilities for Fe3+ ions, p-nitrotoluene (p-NT) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) in water solutions with detection limits of 0.034 μM, 0.0096 μM, 0.062 μM and 0.0111 μM. These results indicate that 1A and 2A (activated products of Eu3+/CDs@1 and Eu3+/CDs+2) could be regarded as potential dual-functional fluorescent sensors with superior sensitivity and excellent selectivity.

A scandium-based coordination polymer (Sc-CP), Sc(ox)1.5(H2O)2·4H2O (1) (H2ox = oxalic acid), with a two-dimensional (2D) layered structure was prepared by both hydrothermal synthesis and ultrasound-assisted heating methods using glutaric acid as a modulator. Then, the single crystal of 1 as a precursor was transformed into another 2D Sc-CP, Sc(ox)1.5(H2O)2·H2O (2), by increasing the temperature. Due to the difference in hydrogen bond interactions between the host framework and guest water molecules, 2 showed good tolerance to various solvents, while 1 exhibited poor stability even exposed in air. After activation, 2 could be used as a heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst for two classic C–C bond formation reactions, the cyanosilylation reaction and Strecker reaction at room temperature, showing excellent catalytic activity and selectivity.

The solvothermal reaction of Mn(ii) salts and 5-((4'-(tetrazol-5''-yl)benzyl)oxy)isophthalic acid (H3L) affords an Mn(ii) based coordination polymer Mn(H2L)2(H2O)2 (1), which possesses a one-dimensional (1D) chain structure. Using 1 as the precursor, three Mn(ii) metal-organic frameworks, Mn3L2(2,2'-bpy)2·5H2O (2), Mn3L2(H2O)4 (3), and Mn4L2(HL)(H2O)5·0.5H2O (4), with three-dimensional (3D) networks can be obtained by different strategies of crystal transformation. Upon introduction of 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bpy) as the ligand and 2,2'-biquinoline-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid as the structural-directing agent, 1 undergoes irreversible crystal transformation into 2 and 3, respectively, and 1 can be transformed into 4 by increasing the reaction temperature. Interestingly, the irreversible structural transformation of 3 into 2 can be carried out by adding a 2,2'-bpy ligand. Notably, after the removal of coordinated water molecules, 1 and 3 exhibit good catalytic performance for the cyanosilylation reaction even at 0 °C.

Antifogging coatings prepared by highly hydrophilic/superhydrophilic strategies are susceptible to general oil contamination, hence readily losing their activities. Herein, a stimuli-responsive antifogging/oil-repellent coating with a delicate balance between hydrophilic and oleophobic components was prepared via a UV-assisted cross-linking method. Initially, different contents of acrylate monomers, including acrylic acid (AA), 1H,1H,2H,2H-tridecafluoro-n-octyl acrylate (TFOA), and 4-benzoylphenyl acrylate (BPA) were thermally polymerized to obtain a series of terpolymers, poly(AA-co-TFOA-co-BPA). Afterwards, poly(AA-co-TFOA-co-BPA) was covalently tethered to varied substrate surfaces (i.e., glass slides, PC, PET, and PVC) through a UV triggered anchoring of BPA. Benefiting from the delicate balance between hydrophilic poly(AA) and oleophobic poly(TFOA), the resultant coating displays solvent sensitive stimuli-responsive wettability, driven by the encountered liquids with different surface tensions. Therefore, these coatings show excellent anti-fogging ability with ∼90% light transmission, in a wide temperature range from −20 °C to 85 °C, meanwhile, the coatings also display remarkably high oil-repellence with an extremely low sliding angle for low tension liquids. These findings support the development of functional coatings that can highly maintain antifogging performances while effectively avoiding oil contamination in various imaging, medical and analytical applications.

The orthorhombic O and O′ structure phases of ABO3-type perovskites possess the same symmetry and quite different physical properties. In this work, a pressure induced isostructural O′–O phase transition with volume expansion and less distortion in DyFeO3 orthoferrite was experimentally observed and studied by high-pressure x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Up to 35.2 GPa, DyFeO3 crystallizes in an orthorhombic Pbnm symmetry structure. With no change in the symmetry group, distinct O′-phase and O-phase were verified below 13.1 GPa and above 15.1 GPa, respectively. Meanwhile, the lattice becomes less distorted and metrically pseudo-cubic on the high-pressure side. The cell volume expands by a step in the intermediate pressure window accompanied by a decrease in spontaneous strain. It is suggested that FeO6 octahedra are more compressible than DyO12 sites under pressure. This work claimed the physical mechanism underlying phonon dynamics and variation of local structure symmetry of DyFeO3, which can be considered as the basic view for RFeO3 perovskites.

A subset of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, particularly the aged and those with comorbidities, develop the most severe form of the disease, characterized by acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), coincident with experiencing a “cytokine storm.” Here, we demonstrate that cytokines which activate the NF-κB pathway can induce activin A. Patients with elevated activin A, activin B, and FLRG at hospital admission were associated with the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, including the requirement for mechanical ventilation, and all-cause mortality. A prior study showed that activin A could decrease viral load, which indicated there might be a risk to giving COVID-19 patients an inhibitor of activin. To evaluate this, the role for activin A was examined in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, via blockade of activin A signaling. The hamster model demonstrated that use of an anti-activin A antibody did not worsen the disease and there was no evidence for increase in lung viral load and pathology. The study indicates blockade of activin signaling may be beneficial in treating COVID-19 patients experiencing ARDS.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently attracted intensive interest toward a variety of potential applications due to their very high porosity. However, the preparation of MOF films is tedio...

The development of phase change materials (PCMs) with high energy storage density, enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency and good form-stability is essential for practical application in utilization of solar energy. Herein, novel PCM composites (CPPCMs) with extremely high energy storage density and superb solar-thermal conversion performance were fabricated by introducing n-octacosane into three-dimensional (3D) porous cellulose nanofibril (CNF)/polypyrrole (PPy) hybrid aerogels. Due to the strong encapsulation capability of CNF/PPy hybrid aerogels (CPAs), the synthesized PCM composites maintained perfect shape stability above the melting point of n-octacosane. Further investigation showed CPPCMs exhibited extremely high latent heat in the range of 239.4–258.4 J/g and high loading rate of n-octacosane (up to 96%). The melting/cooling cycling test and thermogravimetric analysis indicated the composite PCMs possessed excellent cyclic stability and thermal stability. Moreover, simulated sunlight test showed that the photothermal conversion efficiency of CPPCMs significantly improved with the increased content of polypyrrole in the PCM composites. In conclusion, the obtained PCM composites, which exhibited excellent shape stability, superior solar-heat conversion capability and extremely high energy storage density, showed considerable potential for practical utilization and storage of solar energy.

Using AMA nanosheets and Nafion as raw materials, several AMA-x@Nafion composite membranes were successfully synthesized by polymer solution casting and corresponding mechanical property, proton co...

The Hall-Petch relationship, according to which the strength of a metal increases as the grain size decreases, has been reported to break down at a critical grain size of around 10 to 15 nanometres1,2. As the grain size decreases beyond this point, the dominant mechanism of deformation switches from a dislocation-mediated process to grain boundary sliding, leading to material softening. In one previous approach, stabilization of grain boundaries through relaxation and molybdenum segregation was used to prevent this softening effect in nickel-molybdenum alloys with grain sizes below 10 nanometres3. Here we track in situ the yield stress and deformation texturing of pure nickel samples of various average grain sizes using a diamond anvil cell coupled with radial X-ray diffraction. Our high-pressure experiments reveal continuous strengthening in samples with grain sizes from 200 nanometres down to 3 nanometres, with the strengthening enhanced (rather than reduced) at grain sizes smaller than 20 nanometres. We achieve a yield strength of approximately 4.2 gigapascals in our 3-nanometre-grain-size samples, ten times stronger than that of a commercial nickel material. A maximum flow stress of 10.2 gigapascals is obtained in nickel of grain size 3 nanometres for the pressure range studied here. We see similar patterns of compression strengthening in gold and palladium samples down to the smallest grain sizes. Simulations and transmission electron microscopy reveal that the high strength observed in nickel of grain size 3 nanometres is caused by the superposition of strengthening mechanisms: both partial and full dislocation hardening plus suppression of grain boundary plasticity. These insights contribute to the ongoing search for ultrastrong metals via materials engineering.

The development of organic phase change materials (PCMs) with good shape stability, superior photothermal conversion efficiency, and high thermal conductivity is critical for practical photothermal...

Selenium-containing polysaccharides have potential as an organic selenium dietary supplement, owing to their low toxicity, few side effects, and easy absorption attributes. In this study, we isolated two novel homogeneous selenium-containing polysaccharides from Rosa laevigata Michx fruits (Se-RLFPs). Results from primary structural analysis revealed that Se-RLFPs were α - pyranose, and were both composed of rhamnose, xylose, glucose with an average molecular weight of 24 and 16 KDa, respectively. Selenium contents in Se-RLFP-I and Se-RLFP-II were 16.49 μg/g and 21.61 μg/g, respectively. Results from analysis of antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of the polysaccharides revealed that Se-RLFPs had a radical scavenging effect. Specifically, they effectively protected SH-SY5Y cells from H

The mechanical strengthening of metals is the long-standing challenge and popular topic of materials science in industries and academia. The size dependence of the strength of the nanometals has been attracting a lot of interest. However, characterizing the strength of materials at the lower nanometer scale has been a big challenge because the traditional techniques become no longer effective and reliable, such as nano-indentation, micropillar compression, tensile, etc. The current protocol employs radial diamond-anvil cell (rDAC) X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques to track differential stress changes and determine the strength of ultrafine metals. It is found that ultrafine nickel particles have more significant yield strength than coarser particles, and the size strengthening of nickel continues down to 3 nm. This vital finding immensely depends on effective and reliable characterizing techniques. The rDAC XRD method is expected to play a significant role in studying and exploring nanomaterial mechanics.

Synergetic self-healing anticorrosion behaviors, by forming a self-assembly protective layer and repairing coating passive barrier, exhibit great potential in handling the notorious metal corrosion phenomenon. Herein, we developed a nanofiber-supported anticorrosion coating with synergistic protection effects of both self-healing and active corrosion inhibition, via a facile electrospinning combined coating technique. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber integrated with 2-mecapobenzothiazole-loaded halloysite nanotubes (HNTs-MBT) is directly deposited on the surface of metal substrate, forming an interconnected fiber network framework. The encapsulated corrosion inhibitor MBT can be released by a pH-triggered manner to realize instant corrosion protections. Additionally, coating defects could be repeatedly repaired by continuous polymer fiber upon heat treatment and the anticorrosion efficiency effectively remained, even after three cycles of damage-healing. Moreover, the repaired coating also exhibited durable anticorrosion performance, mainly attributed to the synergetic effects of both thermal-triggered bulk healing and active corrosion inhibition. This type of dual-functional coating provides efficient anticorrosive performances and may show great promise in long-term corrosion protection.

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) accounts 95% of hypopharyngeal cancer, which is characterized by high early metastasis rate and poor prognosis. It is reported that circular RNA is involved in the occurrence and development of cancer; however, the role of circRNA in hypopharyngeal cancer has little been investigated. We performed hypopharyngeal carcinoma circRNA microarray and qRT-PCR verification. The results showed circ_0058106 expression level was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues than in corresponding normal tissues. We found that circ_0058106 upregulation promoted proliferation, migration and invasion of HSCC cells, while knockdown of circ_0058106 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of HSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics predicted circ_0058106 may interact with miR-185-3p. We verified circ_0058106 directly bound miR-185-3p and downregulated miR-185-3p expression by using dual-luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. Moreover, we proved circ_0058106 promoted HSCC cells tumorigenesis and EMT process by regulating Wnt2b/β-catenin/c-Myc pathway via miR-185-3p. In conclusion, our findings firstly confirmed the carcinogenic effect of circ_0058106 in promoting HSCC cells tumorigenesis, metastasis, invasion and EMT process by regulating Wnt2b/β-catenin/c-Myc pathway through sponging miR-185-3p, indicating that circ_0058106 may be a new therapeutic target and prognostic marker for HSCC.

This present study investigated detoxification mechanisms of leguminous forage Trifolium pratense L. (red clover) seedlings upon exposure to Ag ions (Ag+) on an atomic level. Depressed plant growth (maximum inhibition rate: 46.57%) and significantly altered antioxidase/antioxidant substances levels (maximum inhibition rate: 65.45%/55.41%) revealed that the physiological metabolism was disturbed. Notable lesions were observed in both leaf and root cells at 588 μM Ag+ treatment. All differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were remarkably mapped to biological metabolism related pathways. Red clover seedlings were speculated to initially transform and immobilize Ag+ in the culture medium, then transporting and fixing them inside the cell, mainly as unreduced Ag+ bound to oxygen-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, chloride-containing biological molecules. A portion of Ag+ was reduced to Ag0 and aggregated to form crystalline argentiferous nanoparticles. Effective reducing agents such as alcohols, carboxylic acid, and etc, which are capable of coordinating heavy metals to reduce and stabilize them, were assumed to play a role in Ag+ reduction. The research results are of great value to understand the defense and tolerance mechanisms of red clover to Ag+ and explore the main existing forms of Ag+ in vivo and in vitro, which could indicate contamination condition in regional ecological environment such as mining area and its potential effects.