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Abstract A case of damaging behavior in the concrete lining of an operational railway tunnel is studied and presented in this paper. The study focuses on the influence of tunnel structure damaging due to field observed construction deficiency of cavities around surrounding rocks, which is evaluated by means of field observation and numerical analysis. This work demonstrates that the construction deficiency of cavities around surrounding rocks plays an important role in the stability of tunnel structure, which can vary the stress state distribution of tunnel structure even with damaging behavior. Moreover, the implemented numerical analysis also demonstrates that the damaging behavior of tunnel structure induced by the field investigated cavities can be numerically simulated with taking account of the aforementioned cavities in the numerical model, which provides the design basis for appropriately strengthening the damaged tunnel structure. Highlights • A case study of damaging behavior in an operational tunnel structure is presented. • The assumed lightweight elastic material can be adopted for modeling the cavity. • Construction deficiency of cavity has much influence for tunnel structure stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the world an intensified use of desalination for reducing current and future water scarcity is observed. Despite the enormous benefits of desalination processes, improvements are still required in terms of lower desalted water cost, higher productivity, better water quality and enhanced eco-sustainability of the desalination process. Environmentally sensitive concentrate management is today recognized as a significant hurdle to extensive implementation of desalination technologies. Membrane assisted crystallization (MCr) offers a suitable solution for redesigning desalination process through the treatment of brine streams for the production of salts and water. In this work, three different Hyflon/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes were tested in MCr operations. The coating of PVDF membranes with Hyflon allowed increasing membrane surface hydrophobicity. The latter is the membrane essential characteristic when MCr is implemented according direct contact membrane distillation configuration like in the present work. The aim was to analyze the MCr performance in terms of membrane chemical–physical properties and process operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of investigating damages in existing building adjacent to foundation pit in construction, in which the settlement influence of adjacent building induced by constructing foundation pit is demonstrated by means of field observation, numerical analysis and experimental investigation. This study focuses on the principal cause inducing these damages in the existing building. This work demonstrates that the stratum settlement of the existing building during excavating foundation pit are significantly influenced by not only construction task of excavating soils but also that of dewatering soil mass in constructing foundation pit, since the principal constitution of fine sand and medium sand in the sludge can be easily run off with stratum loss during the dewatering task, and the hydraulic connection between the inside and outside of the foundation pit thus can't cut off using underground continuous wall, which can probably produce structural damage of soil mass with stratum settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upstream role of sensory innervation during bone homeostasis is widely underestimated in bone repairing strategies. Herein, a neuromodulation approach is proposed to orchestrate bone defect healing by constructing engineered sensory nerves (eSN) in situ to leverage the adaptation feature of SN during tissue formation. NGF liberated from ECM‐constructed eSN effectively promotes sensory neuron differentiation and enhances CGRP secretion, which lead to improved RAOECs mobility and osteogenic differentiation of BMSC. In turn, such eSN effectively drives ossification in vivo via NGF‐TrkA signaling pathway, which substantially accelerates critical size bone defect healing. More importantly, eSN also adaptively suppresses excessive bone formation and promotes bone remodeling by activating osteoclasts via CGRP‐dependent mechanism when combined with BMP‐2 delivery, which ingeniously alleviates side effects of BMP‐2. In sum, this eSN approach offers a valuable avenue to harness the adaptive role of neural system to optimize bone homeostasis under various clinical scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba(Nb x Sn 1- x )O 3 (BNSO) films were epitaxially grown on (001) oriented MgO substrates with Nb doping content from 0.00 to 0.15 by pulsed laser deposition. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films were investigated in detail by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Hall effect and transmittance spectroscopy. The lowest room temperature resistivity value of 4.81 × 10 −4 Ω cm with carrier concentration and mobility of 6.59 × 10 20 /cm 3 and 19.65 cm 2 /V was observed in the film at x = 0.05, indicating an excellent electrical conductivity. All the BNSO films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The variation of band gap E g with Nb doping content was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect and the occurrence of octahedral tilt distorting. Excellent optical and electrical properties suggest that BNSO films have potential applications in the optoelectronic devices as transparent and conducting oxide material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of low-cost electrode materials with enhanced activity and favorable durability for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) is a great challenge. MoS2 is an effective electrocatalyst with a unique layered structure. In addition, aluminosilica shells can not only provide more hydroxyl groups but also improve the durability of the catalyst as a protective shell. Herein, we have designed a hard-template route to synthesize porous yolk–shell MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres in a NaAlO2 solution. The alkaline solution can directly etch silica (SiO2) hard templates on the surface of MoS2 microspheres and form a porous aluminosilica outer shell. The electrocatalytic results confirm that the MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity for HERs with lower overpotential (104 mV at the current density of −10 mA cm−2) and greater stability than MoS2 microspheres. The superior electrocatalytic activity of MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres is attributed to the unique structure of the yolk@void@shell geometric construction, the protection of the aluminosilica shell, and the greater number of active sites offered by their nanosheet subunits. The design of a unique structure and new protection strategy may set up a new method for preparing other excellent HER electrocatalytic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oxytocin, secreted by oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus, is an endogenous neuropeptide involved in modulating multiple sensory information processing pathways, and its roles in the brain have been associated with prosocial, maternal, and feeding-related behaviors. Visual information is necessary for initiating these behaviors, with the retina consisting of the first stage in the visual system mediating external stimulus perception. Oxytocin has been detected in the mammalian retina; however, the expression and possible function of oxytocin receptors (OxtR) in the retina remain unknown. Here, we explore the role of oxytocin in regulating visual information processing in the retina. Results: We observed that OxtR mRNA and protein are expressed in the mouse retina. With Oxtr-Cre transgenic mice, immunostaining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that OxtRs are mainly expressed in GABAergic amacrine cells (ACs) in both the inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). Further immunoreactivity studies showed that GABAergic OxtR+ neurons are mainly cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons in the INL and are cholinergic and corticotrophin-releasing hormone neurons in the GCL. Surprisingly, a high level of Oxtr mRNAs was detected in retinal dopaminergic neurons, and exogenous oxytocin application activated dopaminergic neurons to elevate the retinal dopamine level. Relying on in vivo electroretinographic recording, we found that activating retinal OxtRs reduced the activity of bipolar cells via OxtRs and dopamine receptors. Conclusions: These data indicate the functional expression of OxtRs in retinal GABAergic ACs, especially dopaminergic ACs, and expand the interactions between oxytocinergic and dopaminergic systems. This study suggests that visual perception, from the first stage of information processing in the retina, is modulated by hypothalamic oxytocin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a long period of time, single iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) or cobalt oxide (Co 2 O 3 ) has been extensively studied for magnetic absorbing materials. Recently, some nanoscale compounds composed of two ferrites have been reported for better electromagnetic absorbing properties because of collectively corporation. However, there are few reports about other magnetic absorbing materials. In addition, morphology control for better absorbing performance remains challenging. Here, the monodispersed, uniform rod-shaped FeCO 3 /CoCO 3 microparticles are successfully synthesized by a facile one-step solvothermal method for the first time. The experimental results show that the reflection loss (RL) value of the paraffin composites with thickness of 2.0 mm is less than −10 dB in the frequency range of 6.72–15.92 GHz and the minimum RL value of −31.86 dB at 12.88 GHz is obtained, which demonstrates that the as-prepared FeCO 3 /CoCO 3 microparticles have excellent magnetic and microwave absorbing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant to be built in China was selected as a case for the dose pre-assessment for marine biota in this study. The concentrations of Cs and Co in organisms (turbot, yellow croaker, swimming crab, abalone, sea cucumber, and sea lettuce), seawater, and bottom sediment sampled on-site were measured by neutron activation analysis, and the site-specific transfer parameters (concentration ratios and distribution coefficients) of Cs and Co were calculated. 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co activity concentrations in the organisms and the sediment at the site were calculated with the site-specific transfer parameters and the anticipated activity concentrations in the liquid effluent of the nuclear power plant. The ERICA tool was used to estimate the dose rates of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co to the selected organisms based on the biological models developed. The total dose rates of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co to the six organisms were all <0.001 μGy h −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of metallic phase molybdenum disulfide (1T-MoS 2) through an implementable method has become a top priority in research due to its excellent electrochemical performance. In this study, 1T-MoS 2 using a facile one-pot hydrothermal method is successfully synthesized by incorporating saccharides. Moreover, a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis mechanism is induced by various saccharides. Glucose, a monosaccharide, not only possesses reducibility but also plays a crucial role in preparation of sulfur vacancies. Maltose is a disaccharide that can hydrolyze into glucose and fructose, both of which exhibit reducibility. On the contrary, dextrin is difficult to break down into fructose or glucose, and faces certain challenges in promoting the formation of 1T-MoS 2. Importantly, 1T-MoS 2 with 76 % purity obtained in our study exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance, demonstrating a high specific capacitance of 228.4 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 and maintaining a cycling stability of 97 % after 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, an asymmetric flexible supercapacitor device is assembled by 1T-MoS 2 and active carbon on carbon cloths, which shows superior flexibility, high power density, and energy density. Notably, this work not only unveils the mechanism by which saccharides influence the synthesis of 1T-MoS 2 but also provides support for the preparation of other metallic members in the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family. [Display omitted] • High-purity 1T-MoS 2 is prepared under assistance of saccharide by hydrothermal. • Different purities of 1T-MoS 2 is obtained after the effect of various saccharides. • M MoS 2 shows a high specific capacitance and excellent cycling stability. • The asymmetric device displays pretty flexibility, high power and energy density. • This method provides a possibility to achieve phase engineering for other TMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs a hydrothermal method combined with a calcination process to prepare Co 3 O 4 microsheets with varying Ni doping concentrations. Microstructural analysis reveals that the obtained samples are single-phase, free from other impurities, and exhibit a unique self-assembled porous micro-nanostructure. The micron-sized secondary aggregates consist of small nanometer-sized particles with many voids. The nanoscale pores between the nanoparticles contribute to the dissipation of incident microwaves. The dielectric and magnetic properties of Co 3 O 4 microplates can be effectively tuned by adjusting the Ni doping concentration. Comparative results indicate that the Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 microsheets with 0.03 mol% Ni exhibit the minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −34.7 dB at 16.56 GHz, with a thickness of just 1.4 mm. Simultaneously, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 4.32 GHz within the frequency range of 13.68–18 GHz. With an absorber thickness of 1.5 mm, the EAB can reach 5.2 GHz from 12.8 to 18 GHz. By adjusting the matching thickness of the absorber in the range of 1.4–4.5 mm, the EAB of Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 can cover multiple frequency bands from 3.6 to 18 GHz. The outstanding microwave absorption performance primarily stems from the unique porous micro-nanostructure and enhanced dielectric and magnetic losses. The results provide an effective component regulating strategy to promote microwave absorption, meanwhile suggest that the low-cost Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 is a promising microwave absorption material. • Micro-nano porous structure Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 has been constructed. • The absorption properties are improved effectively by Ni doping. • Minimum reflection loss of −34.7 dB is obtained at just 1.4 mm. • Effective absorption bandwidth (RL<-10 dB) is up to 5.2 GHz at 1.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging evidence suggest the critical role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in disease development especially in various cancers. However, the oncogenic role of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still largely unknown. Methods: RNA sequencing was performed to identify significantly upregulated circRNAs in paired HCC tissues and non-tumor tissues. CCK-8 assay, colony formation, transwell, and xenograft mouse models were used to investigate the role of circRNAs in HCC proliferation and metastasis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence gene expression. RNA immunoprecipitation, biotin pull-down, RNA pull-down, luciferase reporter assay and western blot were used to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: Hsa_circ_0095868, derived from exon 5 of the MDK gene (named circMDK), was identified as a new oncogenic circRNA that was significantly upregulated in HCC. The upregulation of circMDK was associated with the modification of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and poor survival in HCC patients. Mechanistically, circMDK sponged miR-346 and miR-874-3p to upregulate ATG16L1 (Autophagy Related 16 Like 1), resulting to the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Poly (β-amino esters) (PAEs) were synthesized to assist the delivery of circMDK siRNA (PAE-siRNA), which effectively inhibited tumor progression without obvious adverse effects in four liver tumor models including subcutaneous, metastatic, orthotopic and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Conclusions: CircMDK could serve as a potential tumor biomarker that promotes the progression of HCC via the miR-346/874-3p-ATG16L1 axis. The PAE-based delivery of siRNA improved the stability and efficiency of siRNA targeting circMDK. The PAE-siRNA nanoparticles effectively inhibited HCC proliferation and metastasis in vivo. Our current findings offer a promising nanotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cataluminescence (CTL) reaction detects the presence and concentration of toxic volatile organic compounds by detecting the luminescence intensity of the different components of the gas mixture. In our study, a cataluminescence online sensor system based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres was developed for the low concentration detection of volatile organic compounds. Multi-dimensional CTL test was carried out to analyse the correlation characteristics of heterogeneous analytes among the catalytic activity, selectivity, sensitivity, response/recover time, stability, and photoelectric signals by changing the parameters of wavelength, flow rate, temperature, and response time under the optimal conditions (280 mL/min, 180ºC, and 480 nm). Due to noise interference received by the CTL signal, the weak CTL signal was filtered based on the time-frequency characteristics of the CTL pattern signal power frequency interference and background noise. Next, this study also studied the mechanism action of the cataluminescence sensor based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres for gas detection, including ethyl ether, acetone, chloroform, and formaldehyde. The principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm was adopted to analyse the CTL patterns, after threshold filtering, the total variance was improved from 89.23% to 98.78% and each vapour gave its unique CTL patterns. Moreover, clustering and identification are discussed to analyse the results, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNN), was also discussed. The excellent cluster and recognition ability indicate the feasibility of this CTL sensor for volatile compound determination. • A LaCO 3 OH-microspheres-based cataluminescence sensor was developed for the detection of VOCs firstly. • Multi-dimensional analytes test was carried out among the catalytic activity, selectivity, sensitivity, response/recover time, stability, and photoelectric signals. • Studied the mechanism action of the cataluminescence sensor based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres for gas detection. • The total variance of PCA increased from 89.23% to 98.78% after filtering out the background noise of CTL signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of high theoretical sodium storage capacities and low cost, FeP is a prospective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Nevertheless, poor cycling and rate performance greatly limit the application of FeP in practice. Herein, a facile template-engaged method is employed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP (denoted as YS-Cu-FeP@C) spheres. The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface of yolk-shelled FeP spheres. Aided by the unique compositional and structural advantages, the as-synthesized YS-Cu-FeP@C spheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for SIBs, including excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance (up to 900 cycles at 1 A g−1). This work provides a rational design and synthetic strategy to boost the sodium storage properties of metal phosphide-based electrode materials. • A template method is developed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP spheres. • The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface. • Excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of high theoretical sodium storage capacities and low cost, FeP is a prospective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Nevertheless, poor cycling and rate performance greatly limit the application of FeP in practice. Herein, a facile template-engaged method is employed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP (denoted as YS-Cu-FeP@C) spheres. The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface of yolk-shelled FeP spheres. Aided by the unique compositional and structural advantages, the as-synthesized YS-Cu-FeP@C spheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for SIBs, including excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance (up to 900 cycles at 1 A g−1). This work provides a rational design and synthetic strategy to boost the sodium storage properties of metal phosphide-based electrode materials. • A template method is developed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP spheres. • The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface. • Excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this Letter, under the precondition that the fluid movement satisfies the law of mass conservation, a two-dimensional Hopf–Cole transformation with mass conservation (2D Hopf–Cole transformation) is established. On the basis of 2D Hopf–Cole transformation, three exact solutions of two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations (2D N-S equations) are presented. Some physical properties of the exact solutions of 2D N-S equations are described preliminarily. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Overactive osteoclastogenesis is involved in the inflammatory bone loss and could be target for therapy. Here, we applied transcription factor enrichment analysis using public inflammatory osteolysis datasets and identified Nrf2 as the potential therapeutic target. Additionally, in-silico screening was performed to dig out Nrf2-Keap1 PPI inhibitor and Forsythoside-β was found to be the best-performing PHG compound. We firstly tested the effect of Forsythoside-β in inflammatory osteoporosis models and found it was able to attenuate the bone loss by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and activating Nrf2-signaling in vivo. Forsythoside-β was capable to suppress the differentiation of osteoclast in time and dose-dependent manners in vitro. Further, Forsythoside-β could inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species and induce Nrf2 nuclear-translocation by interrupting Nrf2-Keap1 PPI. Recently, Nrf2 was identified as the epigenetic regulator modulating levels of miRNA in various diseases. We discovered that Forsythoside-β could suppress the expression of mir-214–3p, one of most variable miRNAs during osteoclastogenesis. To clarify the undermining mechanism, by utilizing chip-seq dataset, we found that Nrf2 could bind to promoter of mir-214–3p and further regulate this miRNA. Collectively, Forsythoside-β was able to prevent bone loss through Nrf2-mir-214-3p-Traf3 axis, which could be a promising candidate for treating inflammatory bone loss in the future. [Display omitted] • Virtual molecular docking could be effective to identify Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitor. • Novel role of Nrf2 as the miRNA regulator in osteoclastogenesis. • Potential axis of Nrf2-mir-214-Traf3 for inflammatory bone loss therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent responsible for the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, is an attractive target for antiviral inhibitors due to its indispensable role in viral replication and gene expression of viral proteins. The search of compounds that can effectively inhibit the crucial activity of 3CLpro, which results to interference of the virus life cycle, is now widely pursued. Here, we report that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), is a potent inhibitor of 3CLpro with half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.874 ± 0.005 μM. In the study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 123 cases of COVID-19 patients, and found three effective Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) prescriptions. Multiple strategies were performed to screen potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro from the active ingredients of TCMs, including network pharmacology, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding assay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based inhibition assay. The SPR assay showed good interaction between EGCG and 3CLpro with KD ~6.17 μM, suggesting a relatively high affinity of EGCG with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Our results provide critical insights into the mechanism of action of EGCG as a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) is a promising technique for preparing high-quality heterostructure materials to achieve high electrochemical performance. Moreover, the materials obtained by ESD possesses well-dispersed, bonder-free and easy-control advantages. Herein, we firstly report that 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure material is successfully constructed by few-layer 1T MoS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene through ESD. The construction of heterostructure by high electrostatic fields is able to solve problem of agglomeration of layered materials, improve conductivity and stabilize 1T MoS 2 to realize outstanding electrochemical performance of supercapacitor. As expected, the binder-free 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure displays an excellent specific capacitance (1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2), a high rate performance (45% as current density from 3 to 20 mA cm−2) and long-cycle life (73.8% capacity retention after 7000 cycles at 20 mA cm−2). More interestingly, a simple and efficient route to prepare 2D/2D heterostructure electrode for storing energy can be extended to other materials. [Display omitted] • The few-layer 1T MoS 2 is synthetized by hydrothermal and ultrasonic. • The heterostructure of 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x @NF is prepared by ESD technology. • The heterostructure displays high capacitance of 1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2. • The heterostructures with various concentrations MoS 2 show different performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 2D α-Co(OH) 2 -NS was synthesized via a novel reduction-oxidation strategy. • The thickness of α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is only about 2–3 nm. • The BET surface area of the α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is 237.7 m2/g. • The OER activity is highly depended on the 2D structure. • The overpotential of α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is only 278 mV with a Tafel slope 77 mV/dec. Highly active, durable and cost-effective electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution are critical to storage processes and energy conversion between electricity and chemicals. Here, an excellent OER catalyst of 2D ultrathin α-Co(OH) 2 nanosheets was synthesized via a reduction–oxidation strategy. The 2D ultrathin α-Co(OH) 2 nanosheets could effectively catalyse the OER in alkaline media with an overpotential of only 278 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a relatively small Tafel slope (77 mV/dec) as well as extraordinary stability, much greater than that of the α-Co(OH) 2 nanoflower and no-load Ni foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This AgNO 3 /ionic liquid system employs the lowest level metal loading by far. • This AgNO 3 /ionic liquid system works efficiently under 1 bar of CO 2. • This AgNO 3 /IL system could be recycled and reused for at least 5 times. • The AgNO 3 /IL system green metrics' outperforms all reported Ag-catalyzed cases. • NHC-CO 2 adducts and NHC-Ag complexes were detected during the process. Oxazolidinones and α-hydroxyl ketones are two series of fine chemicals that have been generally utilized in biological, pharmaceutical, and synthetic chemistry. Herein, a AgNO 3 /ionic liquid (IL) catalytic system was developed for the simultaneous synthesis of these compounds through the atom-economical three-component reactions of propargyl alcohols, 2-aminoethanols, and CO 2. Notably, this system behaved excellent catalytic activity with the lowermost metal loading of 0.25 mol%. Meanwhile, it is the first reported metal-catalyzed system that could efficiently work under atmospheric CO 2 pressure and be recycled at least five times. Evaluation of the green metrics proved the AgNO 3 /IL-catalyzed processes to be relatively more sustainable and greener than the other Ag-catalyzed examples. Further mechanistic investigations revealed the derivative active species of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) silver complexes and CO 2 adducts generated during the process. Subsequently, their reactivity in this reaction was assessed for the first time, which was finally identified as beneficial for the catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Little is known on the outcome of tracheal allografts after long-term survival. This study aimed to explore the changes in structure and composition by evaluating the status of the mucosa and cartilage of allografts with long-term survival in dogs. METHODS Eight tracheal allografts that survived for ˃9 months were enrolled in our study. Epithelium, revascularization, monocyte infiltration and fibrosis were evaluated histologically. The fluorescent dye 4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole was used to evaluate the presence of chondrocyte nuclei. Glycosaminoglycan was detected using safranin-O staining and collagen II was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The 8 animals survived from 277 to 783 days. Bronchoscopy demonstrated that 6 allografts showed no stenosis; 2 cases developed slight stenosis, but could maintain airway patency. Histological examination showed that the epithelium covered the surface of the allografts. In comparison to fresh tracheal controls, allografts demonstrated mild monocyte infiltration, evident revascularization and mild fibrosis in the mucosa or submucosa (all P  <   0.05). There were a few viable chondrocytes scattered in the cartilage after long-term survival. Moreover, glycosaminoglycan and collagen II were significantly decreased in the allografts compared with fresh trachea (all P  <   0.05). CONCLUSIONS For tracheal allografts with long-term survival after transplantation, only a few viable chondrocytes were retained, and the extracellular matrix of the cartilage demonstrated degeneration. Despite this, the airway could maintain patency. Notably, the significance of monocyte infiltration in the mucosa or submucosa at different time points warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the energy-efficient communications and user capacity in the cognitive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) symmetric system of underlay mode. The advantage of the improved energy efficiency provided by the orthogonal slot allocation for time division multiple access (TDMA) has a side effect of restricting the number of users accessing the system. To tackle the above problem, this paper proposes a nonorthogonal time resource allocation method with sparse code multiple access (SCMA), which allows one to convert the orthogonal slot units of TDMA into non-orthogonal shared slot units for multiple secondary users (SUs). The method of adding virtual users is adopted, wherein each SU is treated as multiple SUs who occupy a shared unit, to facilitate the packet access. Finally, the greedy algorithm is applied to optimize the time slot allocation of unoccupied shared slot units. The simulation results show that SCMA-based nonorthogonal slot allocation can reduce not only the energy consumption by nearly 40%, but also the average power interference from SUs to primary users by nearly 2 dB if their number is relatively high. Moreover, in the case of satisfying the rate requirement of the users, the system user capacity increased by more than 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 (Ni: 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt% and 8 wt%) porous nanoplates are synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. For the low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 , X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman data show that the Ni ions are successfully incorporated into the Co 3 O 4 lattices. Electrochemical measurements indicate that Co 3 O 4 with low amount of Ni doping possesses remarkably enhanced activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. And especially, 4 wt% Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity with an overpotential of 240 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and 120 mV for HER in 1 M KOH than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. Our study suggests that the low doping would have a great potential in rational design of spinel oxides toward highly efficient electrocatalysis. • The Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates are successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. • This is the first report of low-doped Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates for both OER and HER in alkaline media. • The 4 wt % Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CFO and CCFO electrodes were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). • The composition of products can be easily tuned. • The OER activity highly depends on the Cr doping. • The overpotential of CCFO electrode is 293 mV with a Tafel slope 76 mV/dec. • CCFO electrode shows excellent durability and stability. Traditional powder OER catalysts have many disadvantages such as the extremely complicated electrode preparation process. Herein, squama-like Co 0.95 Cr 0.05 Fe 2 O 4 thin film electrode is directly deposited on flexible Ni foam substrate by a novel method of pulsed laser deposition. Cr doping leads to the electrode highly effective for OER, and the current density is about 2.1 times of that compared with undoped CoFe 2 O 4 thin film at 1.8 V. The Co 0.95 Cr 0.05 Fe 2 O 4 thin film exhibits an overpotential of 293.3 mV at 10 mA/cm2 as well as extraordinary stability, which is far better than that of CoFe 2 O 4 thin film and no-load Ni foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CTL sensor instrument could response to ethyl ether under 180 °C, which was lower than most of the reported CTL reaction temperatures. • The linear detection range was wide, ranging from 10 ppm to 5800 ppm (R = 0.9978, n = 7), and the detection limit was also low (4.3 ppm). • The CTL sensor showed the response time of 4 s and recovery time of 8 s, which was relatively short. • The pattern recognition results showed the analytes could be classified clearly. The low reaction temperature, excellent sensitivity, selectivity, stability and recognition performance indicated this CTL sensor was ideal for gas contaminants detection in confined spaces for the Internet of Things. Gaseous cataluminescence (CTL) sensor instrument was developed for detecting and measuring pernicious gases such as ethyl ether, acetone, n-hexane, chloroform by using aluminum/iron oxides composites. The materials synthesis, apparatus and software, optimal conditions (flow rate, wavelength, temperature and concentration), selectivity and stability were thoroughly studied. The results indicated the CTL sensor instrument could response to ethyl ether under 180 °C, which was lower than most of the reported CTL reaction temperatures. In addition, the results showed that the linear detection range was wide, ranging from 10 ppm to 5800 ppm (R = 0.9978, n = 7), and the detection limit was also low (4.3 ppm). Moreover, for ethyl ether detection, the CTL sensor showed the response time of 4 s and recovery time of 8 s, which was relatively short. The pattern recognition methods included PCA, KPCA were selected for evaluating the recognition performance of this CTL sensor, results showed the analytes could be classified clearly. The low reaction temperature, excellent sensitivity, selectivity, stability and recognition performance indicated this CTL sensor was ideal for gas contaminants detection in confined spaces for the Internet of Things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we performed a single institutional study to evaluate its prevalence, risk factors, prognosis, and potential thromboprophylaxis strategies in a large referral and treatment center.Methods: We studied a total of 143 patients with COVID-19 from January 29, 2020 to February 29, 2020. Demographic and clinical data, laboratory data, including ultrasound scans of the lower extremities, and outcome variables were obtained, and comparisons were made between groups with and without DVT.Results: Of the 143 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (age 63±14 years, 74 [51.7%] men), 66 patients developed lower extremity DVT (46.1%: 23 [34.8%] with proximal DVT and 43 [65.2%] with distal DVT). Compared with patients who did not have DVT, patients with DVT were older and had a lower oxygenation index, a higher rate of cardiac injury, and worse prognosis, including an increased proportion of deaths (23 [34.8%] versus 9 [11.7%]; P=0.001) and a decreased proportion of patients discharged (32 [48.5%] versus 60 [77.9%]; P<0.001). Multivariant analysis showed an association only between CURB-65 (confusion status, urea, respiratory rate, and blood pressure) score 3 to 5 (odds ratio, 6.122; P=0.031), Padua prediction score ≥4 (odds ratio, 4.016; P=0.04), D-dimer >1.0 μg/mL (odds ratio, 5.818; P<0.014), and DVT in this cohort, respectively. The combination of a CURB-65 score 3 to 5, a Padua prediction score ≥4, and D-dimer >1.0 μg/mL has a sensitivity of 88.52% and a specificity of 61.43% for screening for DVT. In the subgroup of patients with a Padua prediction score ≥4 and whose ultrasound scans were performed >72 hours after admission, DVT was present in 18 (34.0%) patients in the subgroup receiving venous thromboembolism prophylaxis versus 35 (66.0%) patients in the nonprophylaxis group (P=0.010).Conclusions: The prevalence of DVT is high and is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism may be protective in patients with a Padua protection score ≥4 after admission. Our data seem to suggest that COVID-19 is probably an additional risk factor for DVT in hospitalized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to overexpress or silence connexin 43 (Cx43) and A‐kinase anchoring protein 95 (AKAP95) in human A549 cells to explore their effects on cyclins and on G1/S conversion when the interrelationship of Cx43, AKAP95, and cyclin E1/E2 changes. Methods: The study mainly used Western blot analysis and Co‐immuno precipitation to detect the target protein in Cx43/AKAP95 over expressed human A549 cells, and the relationship of proteins Cx43, AKAP95 and Cyclin E during G1‐S phase was explored with qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results: The overexpression of Cx43 inhibited the expression of cyclin D1 and E1 by accelerating their degradation and reduced the Cdk2 activity that blocked the DNA transcription activity. However, the overexpression of AKAP95 increased the expression of cyclin D1 and E1 and inhibited their degradation, and enhanced the Cdk2 activity that promoted the DNA transcription activity. Cx43 and AKAP95 competitively bound to cyclin E1/E2, and the competitive binding affected the Cdk2 activity, Rb phosphorylation, DNA transcription activity, and G1/S conversion. Conclusions: This study showed that the expression of ERK1/2, PKA, and PKB increased when BEAS‐2B cells were treated with PDGF‐BB, suggesting that ERK1/2, PKA, and PKB might be involved in the binding of AKAP95 with cyclin E, or the separation of AKAP95 from Cx43 from cyclin E1/E2. The specific mechanism underlying this process still needs further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the expression of A‐kinase anchor protein95 (AKAP95), p‐retinoblastoma (phosphorylated Rb, p‐Rb), cyclin D2, cyclin D3 and cyclin E2 in esophageal cancer tissues and clinicopathological indexes. Method: The protein expression levels of AKAP95, p‐Rb, cyclin D2/3 and cyclin E2 in 40 esophageal cancer tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between them was analyzed. Result: The percentage of p‐Rb (Ser780)‐, cyclin D2‐, cyclin D3‐ and cyclin E2‐positive samples was 62.50%, 70.00%, 67.50% and 60.00%, respectively. Also, the positive expression did not correlate with the histological type, histological differentiation or lymph node metastasis. The expression of AKAP95 and p‐Rb (Ser780), p‐Rb (Ser780) and cyclin D2 and p‐Rb (Ser780) and cyclin D3 in esophageal cancer tissues was found to be correlated (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The expression of AKAP95 and p‐Rb (Ser780), p‐Rb(Ser780) and cyclin D2, and p‐Rb (Ser780) and cyclin D3 in esophageal cancer tissue was correlated, suggesting that these proteins might play a synergistic role in cell‐cycle progression. Cyclin D2/D3 and p‐Rb (Ser780) were correlated whereas cyclin E2 and p‐Rb (Ser780) were not, suggesting that p‐Rb (Ser780) might be highly expressed and the Ser780 site of Rb protein might be phosphorylated in the early stage of the G1 phase. Ser780 was the site in the primary phosphorylation stage of several phosphorylation sites during stepwise phosphorylation (from primary to high phosphorylation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) -confined concrete filled steel tube is formed by the combination of FRP material and a concrete filled steel tube, and it combines the advantages of FRP-confined concrete and a concrete filled steel tube (CFT); however, there is still no effective model to generally describe the complete stress-strain curve of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube. The stress-strain response of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube features the dual characteristics of both FRP confined concrete and steel confined concrete. In this paper, ninety-six test results of FRP confined circular CFT columns under axial compression were collected from different researchers. The steel tube confinement index is taken as an additional key influencing parameter on the strength and deformation, and calculation methods for the ultimate strain, ultimate stress, peak strain and peak stress of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube are established by taking into account the steel tube confinement index. Moreover, the stress-strain model was developed to describe the complete stress-strain curve consisting of the four stages of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube. The proposed model reflects the characteristics of the stress-strain behavior of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube with good accuracy and simplicity. • A large database of 96 test results of the FRP confined CFT columns under axial compression is collected. • The model of the full curve of the FRP confined CFT columns is developed. • The proposed model shows a reasonable prediction of the stress-strain relationship for FRP confined CFT columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The few-layer defective δ-MnO 2 was developed by hydrothermal with CTAB and KMnO 4. • As the current increases by 50-fold, δ-MnO 2 -CTAB shows ultra-high rate-capability. • The kinetics diffusion mechanism of the sample was analyzed by DFT calculations. δ-MnO 2 nanosheets are promising cathode candidates for supercapacitors because of their cost-effective, environmental protection, and high theoretical capacity. Unfortunately, the commercial application of δ-MnO 2 is hindered by the challenging issues of sluggish diffusion kinetic and poor rate-capability. It is urgent to optimize its kinetics behavior to improve the ion diffusion ability and electronic conductivity. Herein, one-step and one-phase synthesis of few-layer defective δ-MnO 2 nanosheets (named δ-MnO 2 -CTAB) has been developed via a redox reaction between cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and KMnO 4 , and the kinetics storage mechanisms are investigated by DFT calculations. The migration barrier energies of Na in the surface or interlayer of δ-MnO 2 (0 0 1) are reduced significantly with the reduction of layer-number (0.32 eV of 3 layers and 0.04 eV of 2 layers), which is conducive to the Na ion diffusion. Moreover, the generation of defects increases the density of states at the Fermi level of δ-MnO 2 , indicating the improvement of electronic conductivity. Therefore, when the current density is increased 50-fold (1 A g−1 to 50 A g−1), the rate-capability of δ-MnO 2 -CTAB is as high as 77%, exhibiting ultra-high rate-capability. This work unveils the kinetics storage mechanisms in few-layer δ-MnO 2 with defects nanosheets for ultra-high rate-capability supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots (BP-QDs) have potential applications in biomedicine. BP-QDs may enter the body through the respiratory tract during grinding and crushing production and processing, causing respiratory toxicity. Ferroptosis is an oxidative, iron-dependent form of cell death. Here, respiratory toxicity of BP-QDs has been validated in mice and human bronchial epithelial cells. After 24 h of exposure to different doses (4–32 μg/mL) of BP-QDs, intracellular lipid peroxidation and iron overload occurred in Beas-2B cells. After 4 times exposures by noninvasive tracheal instillation at four doses [0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 (mg/kg/48h)], all animals were sacrificed, organs were removed, processed for pathological examination and molecular analysis. Iron overload, glutathione (GSH) depletion and lipid peroxidation in the lung tissue of mice in the exposure group. Furthermore, based on the ferroptosis-associated protein and mRNA expression, it was hypothesized that BP-QDs induced ferroptosis through increasing intracellular free iron and polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. By comparing with previous studies, we speculate that primary cells generally are more sensitive to BP-QDs-induced damage than cancer cells. In summary, findings in the present study confirmed that BP-QDs induce ferroptosis via increasing lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation in vitro and in vivo. [Display omitted] • BP-QDs entered by the respiratory tract could cause lung injury. • BP-QDs induced ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. • BP-QDs might induce ferroptosis by altering intracellular iron homeostasis. • BP-QDs might promote the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance microwave absorption materials with tunable electromagnetic properties have long been the goal of researchers. It is still a challenge to achieve broad band absorption and lightweight performance by simply optimizing the chemical composition of absorbers. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) belongs to the two-dimensional transition metal disulfide with a layered structure similar to graphene. In this work, two-dimensional MoS 2 /reduced graphene oxide (MS/RGO) hybrids have been constructed through a convenient self-assembled hydrothermal method, in which MoS 2 ultrathin nanosheets in-situ grow uniformly on the surface of RGO, constructing a unique hierarchical microstructure. Electromagnetic parameter measurements display that the dielectric behaviors of MS/RGO composites are optimized via changing the content of RGO, and meanwhile the superior microwave absorption properties are achieved with the filler-loading ratio of only 20 wt%. The widest effective absorption bandwidths (RL<−10 dB) of 5.68 GHz (12.32–18 GHz) and 6.32 GHz (11.20–17.52 GHz) are observed at a thickness of 2.0 mm for MS/RGO-10 and MS/RGO-15, respectively. When the thickness is raised to 5.0 mm, the reflection loss value of MS/RGO-10 composites reaches the minimum value of − 39.8 dB at 4.96 GHz. The improved performance can be explained by the strong interfacial polarization loss due to abundant heterogeneous interfaces, defect dipole polarization, conduction loss, and multiple reflections and scattering. The results indicate that the light-weight MS/RGO composite is considered as a promising candidate for high-performance microwave absorbers with an adequate absorption bandwidth. • MoS 2 decorated RGO nanosheets have been constructed. • The absorption properties are improved effectively by the addition of RGO. • The sample with 20 wt% powders exhibit excellent absorption performance. • Effective absorption bandwidth (RL<−10 dB) is 6.32 GHz within 2 mm. • Minimum reflection loss of − 39.8 dB is obtained at 4.96 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, monodispersed mesoporous ZnMn 2 O 4 submicrocubes constructed of interconnected nanoparticles have been fabricated by pyrolysis of the Zn 1/3 Mn 2/3 CO 3 precursor obtained through a precipitation reaction in the water–n-pentanol–CTAB–n-hexane microemulsion. The effects of microemulsion composition on the morphology and size of Zn 1/3 Mn 2/3 CO 3 are investigated. The uniform ZnMn 2 O 4 cubes obtained in the optimized microemulsion system have an average edge length of ca. 250 nm, consisting of primary nanoparticles approximately 20–40 nm in size. When served as anode for lithium ion batteries, the mesoporous ZnMn 2 O 4 maintains a large discharge capacity of 1138 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 600 cycles as well as a stable discharge capacity of 597 mA h g−1 at 6 A g−1 after 1000 cycles. The remarkable high-rate and long-cycle performances could be attributed to the small size of secondary/primary particles and robust 3D mesoporous structure, which are favorable for the improvement of electrochemical kinetics and the structural integrity of electrode during cycling. Additionally, this facile synthetic technique may be explored to prepare other submicron-sized metal oxides materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The 3D ZZFO/GF was used as peroxidase mimetics for colorimetric detection of HQ. • 3D GF prevented the aggregation of nanoparticles and provided high surface area. • The ZZFO heterostructures enhanced the catalytic efficiency. • This colorimetric method was successfully applied to detect HQ in local river water. Abstract The 3D ZnO/ZnFe 2 O 4 /graphene foam (ZZFO/GF) was successfully prepared by template method and hydrothermal process as a sensing platform for colorimetric detection of hydroquinone (HQ). It is found that the foam exhibited improved peroxidase-like activity that could quickly catalyze 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H 2 O 2 and produced a blue color, which can be observed by naked eyes. And the HQ was detected by means of fading the color of the oxTMB, which is a sensitive and simple colorimetric method that is rarely used for detection of HQ. Therefore, a simple, sensitive and selective sensing platform was established. A good linear range from 0 to 150 μM and low detection limit of 3.75 μM was achieved. Furthermore, the materials could be easily recollected by applying a magnetic field. This method exhibited practical potential in environmental pollutant analysis and actual detection of HQ in local river water was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Studying the combined effect of GO content and w/c ratio on GO-cement composites. • Exploring the influence of GO on the optimal water/cement ratio. • Studying the governing mechanism for the improvements in GO-cement composites. • Investigating the composition-microstructure-strength relationship for GO-cement. Abstract Aiming to improve the flexural and compressive strength of cement, graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated into the production of cement-based composites in this study. The effects of the GO content and water/cement (w/c) ratio on the mechanical properties and microstructure of GO–cement composites were systematically investigated through experimental tests. Testing results show that with a constant w/c ratio, the flexural and compressive strengths of the developed GO–cement composites increased first and then declined with respect to the increase in GO content. Specifically, the increase in flexural strength was more significant than that in compressive strength, indicating that the addition of GO could help improve the toughness of cement composites. Additionally, a combination of a w/c ratio of 0.35 and a GO content of 0.05 wt% led to both the highest flexural and compressive strengths. The investigation of the composition–microstructure–strength relationship shows that the introduction of GO could help improve the macroscopic properties for the cement-based composites via improving the microstructure of cement hydration products, refining the crystal size, and forming a denser and more uniform network structure. The filling effect, hydration effect and nucleation effect of GO could be optimized with an appropriate combination of w/c ratio and GO content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, novel rice-shaped porous ZnMn2O4 microparticles made of nanoparticles were successfully prepared for the first time by the calcination of Zn0.33Mn0.67CO3 precursors synthesized using a facile triethanolamine-assisted solvothermal method. The effect of solvothermal reaction time on the crystallinity and morphology of Zn0.33Mn0.67CO3 precursors is discussed. The obtained ZnMn2O4 microparticles have lengths of ca. 1.6 μm and widths of ca. 0.9 μm, while the primary nanoparticles are in sizes of ca. 25–70 nm. As a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the ZnMn2O4 microparticles give a large reversible discharge capacity of 892 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, superior cyclability (95% capacity retention after 550 cycles at 2 A g−1), and excellent rate capability (571 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1). The outstanding electrochemical performances of the microparticle materials benefit from the suitable micro-/nanoparticle sizes, hierarchical porous structures, and strong interconnected 3D frameworks, which shorten the path lengths for ionic transport, accommodate volume expansion/contraction, and maintain the structural integrity of electrodes during the cycling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The board application of black phosphorus quantum dots (BP-QDs) increases the risk of inhalation exposure in the manufacturing process. The aim of this study is to explore the toxic effect of BP-QDs on human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas-2B) and lung tissue of Balb/c mice. Methods: The BP-QDs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a Malvern laser particle size analyzer. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and TEM were used to detect cytotoxicity and organelle injury. Damage to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was detected by using the ER-Tracker molecular probe. Rates of apoptosis were detected by AnnexinV/PI staining. Phagocytic acid vesicles were detected using AO staining. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the molecular mechanisms. Results: After treatment with different concentrations of BP-QDs for 24 h, the cell viability decreased, as well as activation of the ER stress and autophagy. Furthermore, the rate of apoptosis was increased. Inhibition of ER stress caused by 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA) was shown to significantly inhibit both apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting that ER stress could be an upstream mediator of both autophagy and apoptosis. BP-QD-induced autophagy can also inhibit the occurrence of apoptosis using molecules related to autophagy including rapamycin (Rapa), 3-methyladenine (3-MA), and bafilomycin A1 (Bafi A1). In general, BP-QDs activate ER stress in Beas-2B cells, which further induces autophagy and apoptosis, and autophagy may be activated as a factor that protects against apoptosis. We also observed strong staining of related proteins of ER stress, autophagy, and apoptosis proteins in mouse lung tissue following intracheal instillation over the course of a week. Conclusion: BP-QD-induced ER stress facilitates autophagy and apoptosis in Beas-2B cells and autophagy may be activated as a protective factor against apoptosis. Under conditions of ER stress induced by BP-QDs, The interplay between autophagy and apoptosis determines cell fate. [Display omitted] • Repeated infusion of BP-QDs for a week resulted in lung injury to mice. • BP-QD-induced ER stress facilitates autophagy and apoptosis in Beas-2B cells. • 4-PBA can partly resist autophagy and apoptosis induced by BP-QDs. • Defective autophagy or dysfunction of autophagic flux promotes cell apoptosis. • Autophagy may be activated as a protective factor against apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study was conducted to investigate the exchange protein directly activated by c AMP ( Epac1), PDE4, and PKC expression in breast cancer tissues, and the correlation between these proteins and AKAP95, Cx43, cyclin D2, and cyclin E1. Methods PV-9000 two-step immunohistochemistry was used to analyze protein expression. Results The positive rate of Epac1 protein expression in breast cancer tissues (58%) was higher than in para-carcinoma tissues (10%) ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the positive rates of PDE4 and PKC expression between breast cancer and para-carcinoma tissues ( P > 0.05). The positive expression rate of PDE4 was higher in the P53 protein positive group compared to the P53 negative group ( P < 0.05). Correlations between Epac1 and cyclin D2, PDE4 and cyclin D2, AKAP95 and PKC, Cx43 and PKC, and cyclin D2 and PKC proteins were observed ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Epac1 expression in breast cancer tissues was increased, suggesting that the protein may be involved in the development of breast cancer. Correlations between Epac1 and cyclin D2, PDE4 and cyclin D2, AKAP95 and PKC, Cx43 and PKC, and cyclin D2 and PKC proteins suggested synergistic effects among these proteins in the development of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and synthesis of ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanorod arrays as promising photocatalysts have been widely reported. However, it remains a challenge to develop a low-temperature, low-cost, and environmentally friendly method to prepare ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanorod arrays over a large area for future device applications. Here, a facile, green, and efficient route is designed to prepare the ZnO@TiO2 nanorod arrays with a highly uniform core-shell structure over a large area on Zn wafer via a vapor-thermal method at relatively low temperature. The growth mechanism is proposed as a layer-by-layer assembly. The photocatalytic decomposition reaction of methylene blue (MB) reveals that the ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanorod arrays have excellent photocatalytic activities when compared with the performance of the ZnO nanorod arrays. The improved photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the core-shell structure, which can effectively reduce the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, significantly increase the optical absorption range, and offer a high density of surface active catalytic sites for the decomposition of organic pollutants. In addition, it is very easy to separate or recover ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanorod array catalysts when they are used in water purification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent and conductive Ta doped BaSnO 3 (BaSn 1−x Ta x O 3 , BSTO) films with x = 0–0.15 were epitaxially grown on MgO single crystalline substrates by a pulsed laser deposition method. The effects of Ta ions incorporation on the microstructure, electrical and optical properties of BSTO films were investigated. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the out-of-plane lattice parameters increase gradually with Ta concentration increasing, and the films are relaxed due to the large lattice mismatch between the films and substrate. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that all the films have smooth surface and low roughness. X-ray photoelectron spectra of BSTO films confirm that the Ta ions are presented in the +5 state. The lowest room-temperature resistivity and the highest carrier concentration and Hall mobility were observed in BSTO film at x = 0.07, with the values of 2.525 mΩcm, 5.024 × 10 20 cm −3 , and 4.921 cm 2 /Vs, respectively. Temperature dependent resistivity behavior shows that the BSTO films with low doping content exhibit metal-semiconductor transition at low temperature. The optical transmittances of all BSTO films are more than 80% in the visible region. The optical band gaps were found to increase from 3.52 to 4.23 eV with the increase of Ta doping content and can be attributed to the Burstein-Moss effect. Thus, the superior electrical and optical properties of Ta doped BaSnO 3 films are comparable to that of La and Sb doped BaSnO 3 films, and have potential applications in the optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emulsification behavior of a crude oil-water system is greatly related to the compositions of a crude oil. However, there was lack of quantitative description on the relationship between emulsification behaviors and crude oil compositions. As the first part of this work which was published recently, full and partial emulsification were found which were dependent upon shear rate and water fraction; For the partial emulsification under high water fraction, the relationship between the emulsified water fraction under flowing conditions and entropy production rate was found to obey a power law equation; Moreover, the critical value of water fraction, the range of shear rate for full emulsification, and the coefficient and power law index were highly dependent on the compositions of crude oil. As a continued study, this paper further investigates quantitatively the relationship between the above-mentioned characteristic parameters of emulsification behaviors and the crude oil compositions. In terms of the mechanism on the emulsification behaviors, the crude oil compositions are classified into four categories, i.e. the content of asphaltenes and resins ( c a+r ), the sum of the concentration of precipitated wax and the content of mechanical impurities ( c w+m ), acid value ( AV ), and the average carbon number of crude oil ( CN oil ). By data regression based on emulsification experiments for eight crude oils, correlations were developed between these emulsification parameters and the oil compositions, helping to understand quantitatively the relationship between emulsification behaviors and crude oil compositions. In addition, the influence of the four compositions was found to be ranked as C N oil > c a + r > A V > c w + m . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a rare system of Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 /MoS 2 composites has been successfully prepared via the sol-gel method and following a facile hydrothermal process, from which the flower-like MoS 2 was evenly anchored on the surface of Z-type Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 microplatelets. It is confirmed that the effective combination of transition metal sulfide MoS 2 and multiferroic Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 hexaferrite greatly optimizes the dielectric behaviors of the composites. Meanwhile, the unique hierarchical structure further enhances the microwave absorption properties. When the mass ratio of Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 to MoS 2 is 1:3 in composites, the smallest reflection loss value is − 39.2 dB at the thickness of 2.0 mm, and note that the adequate absorption bandwidth can reach up to 7.6 GHz (10–17.6 GHz) with 2.2 mm. When the mass ratio is adjusted as 1:5, the optimal reflection loss of the composite reaches − 44.5 dB at 9.28 GHz with a thickness of 3.0 mm. The high-efficiency microwave absorption performance of the composites is attributed to the synergistic effect of dielectric materials and multiferroic materials. The calculation results on delta and attenuation constant display that impedance matching degree and attenuation ability of composites are balanced, which not only reduces the reflection of electromagnetic waves on the absorber surface, but also enhances its consumption. At the same time, the flower-shaped MoS 2 is stacked on the surface of Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 microplatelets which is conductive to the multiple reflections and scattering of electromagnetic waves between layers, greatly promoting the attenuation of electromagnetic waves. This work opens up an updated pathway for the design of magnetic/dielectric microwave absorbers with vigorous absorption and ultra-wideband. • Sr 3 Co 2 Fe 24 O 41 decorated MoS 2 nanosheets have been constructed. • The absorption properties are improved effectively by the addition of MoS 2. • Effective absorption bandwidth (RL<−10 dB) is 7.6 GHz within 2.2 mm. • Minimum reflection loss of − 44.5 dB is obtained at 9.28 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic is a widely existing pollutant in the environment, but the mechanism of occurrence and development of lung cancer by long-term arsenic exposure needs to be elucidated further. How the high and low doses of arsenic induce human bronchial epithelial cell transformation is yet to be elucidated. In the present study, human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to varying high-dose sodium arsenite (NaAsO 2) for the short-term or treated with low dose for long-term. The data showed that both short- and long-term treatment promoted G1/S transition of Beas-2B cells, inducing a significant increase in the expression of AKAP95, cyclin D1, cyclin D2, and cyclin E1. However, silencing AKAP95 by treating cells with siAKAP95 exerted a protective function that inhibited G1/S transition, suggesting a regulatory mechanism of AKAP95 on the cell cycle during cell malignant transformation induced by NaAsO 2. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunctions occurred during NaAsO 2 exposure. Beas-2B cells exposed to low-dose NaAsO 2 for long-term were subcultured for 20 generations, and the exposure time was positively proportional to the growth and migration rate of the cells. The exposed cells were used in a tumor-bearing transplantation experiment (mice), and the results showed that the longer the exposure time, the faster the tumor volume growth rate of As-Beas-2B cells. Tumor tissues were excised for hematoxylin-eosin staining, which showed altered cell morphology and increased volume. [Display omitted] • Exposure to arsenic altered the cell cycle of human bronchial epithelial cells. • AKAP95 mediates cell cycle alterations induced by arsenic. • Arsenic exposure causes mitochondrial dysfunction and damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ba 1-x Gd x )SnO 3 (BGSO) (x = 0–0.15) films were epitaxially grown on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structure analysis was performed using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Transport properties were investigated by Hall effect and temperature dependent resistivity measurement. Results show that the film resistivity decreases systematically with increasing Gd doping concentration. The lowest room-temperature resistivity of 6.18 mΩcm was observed in film at x = 0.07, with the metal-insulator transition at 30 K, which was attributed to the formation of a degenerate band in films. Optical transmission spectra measurement shows that all the BGSO films have high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The band gap variation with the Gd doping concentration was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect. Excellent optical and electrical properties suggest that BGSO films have potential applications in the optoelectronic devices as transparent and conducting oxide material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate lymph node metastasis especially the intrapulmonary node in clinical IA peripheral lung cancer patients to evaluate the indications for lung segmentectomy in lymph node level. Materials and methods Patients ( n = 292) with clinical stage IA peripheral lung cancer received radical lobectomy at our department between October 2013 and July 2014 were enrolled in our study. Lymph nodes were obtained during routine surgical procedures while segmental lymph nodes were dissected from the resected lobe for pathological examination. New classification for pulmonary adenocarcinoma with each histologic component was also analyzed. Results The percentage of patients found to have no lymph node metastasis was 90.4% (264/292). Tumor size on computed tomography and tumor consistency were independent predictors for lymph node metastasis. Tumor with a dominant ground-glass opacity (GGO) component was a good predictor for lymph node metastasis ( p < 0.001). Metastasis was more common in larger tumors ( p < 0.001), but there was non-tumor bearing segment metastasis even in tumor less than 1 cm. Patients with micropapillary or solid component were correlated with lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusions The rate of metastasis to the lymph nodes is very low in clinical stage IA peripheral lung cancer patients. Patients with a dominant GGO component on CT might be the suitable candidates for lung segmentectomy because of almost no lymph node metastasis. Careful selection should be made for the patients with tumor size ≤2 cm who had metastasized nodes in non-tumor bearing segment when considering segmentectomy. If the resected tumor had micropapillary or solid component, the lobectomy might be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband absorption enhancement in metal nanomaterials for high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) is highly desirable in the plasmonic‐enhanced OSCs. Here, a new dual plasmonic device is proposed by strategically designing device structures and managing two types of plasmonic structures (e.g., metal grating and metal nanoparticles (NPs)) in one device to achieve the broadband enhancement with better reproducibility, including (a) selecting Ag grating with 600 nm period as an anode, (b) introducing metal NPs into the electron transport layer (not active layer), and (c) adopting ZnO as the electron transport layer (not TiO2). The device shows broadband absorption enhancement in the range of 350–800 nm due to multiple plasmonic effects. As a result, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.62% has been achieved from the device, which is one of the highest efficiencies in plasmonic OSCs reported for a single junction OSC. Importantly, the as‐proposed dual device in this work shows an excellent reproducibility of high PCE in experiment, which is much more applicable for practical applications. This work demonstrates the significance of rational design of the device structure and plasmonic nanostructures in achieving high‐performance plasmonic OSCs with broadband plasmonic absorption enhancement and reliable reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]