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Observation regarding the SEM and TEM images of the precipitation and growth morphology of topologically close-packed (TCP) phase indicates that the orientation relationships between the TCP phase with different morphologies and the matrix are not that similar. Concerning with this phenomenon, via DFT calculations, the possible interface structures between the σ phase and the matrix γ, as well as the μ phase and the matrix γ have been established and discussed under different orientation relationships. The experimental characterizations and simulated calculations reveal that the orientation relationships between TCP phase and the matrix determine interplanar spacing mismatches and the interface energy of the low index dense arrangement interfaces of the two phases, while the two parameters exert influence on the growth and morphology of TCP phase. The interface energy of the σ/γ interface with (111)γ//(001)σ orientation is small while its interplanar spacing mismatch is large, so the TCP phase under this orientation relationship tend to take planar expansion along interface instead of growing layer by layer parallel to the plane, giving rise to plate-like morphology. However, those of the σ/γ with (110)γ//(1–10)σ and the μ/γ with (110)γ//(111)μ are just the opposite, so the TCP phases under these orientations tend to grow layer by layer instead of expand along plane, forming needle-like or rod-like morphology eventually.

In this work, abandoned chicken eggshell was used as hard biological template to synthesize battery material for the first time. We developed a simple hydrothermal method to form flocculent batt-like δ-MnO2 nanoplatelets balls inside the pores of eggshell. Herein, eggshell was ground and screened into different mesh to prepare MnO2 using the same method for comparison. MnO2 made by similar eggshell-free method served as a contrast. The MnO2 prepared from eggshell between 200 and 400 mesh has a large specific surface area up to 320.9 m2/g and a nanoplatelets ball structure capable of storing large amount of lithium ions. Most importantly, it shows the best electrochemical performances. At a current density of 100 mA/g, it delivered a high initial specific discharge/charge capacity of 2156.6/1008.2 mA h/g. After a short descent, its capacity gradually increased after about 30th cycle, and reached 1024.8/1022.1 mA h/g at the 100th cycle, much higher than that of MnO2 from eggshell-free method and reported by others. Our original preparation method of using eggshell as hard biological template has referential significance of reducing particle size and advancing electrochemical performances for other battery materials.

Jin Ma,1,* Chunxia Yin,1,* Shiyu Ma,2 Huiliang Qiu,1 Chaoyang Zheng,1 Qiuxiong Chen,1 Chunhua Ding,1,3 Weihui Lv1 1Heart Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China; 2Department of Critical-Care Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China; 3Cardiac Department, Aerospace Center Hospital, Peking University Aerospace Clinical College of Medicine, Beijing 100049, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Shensong Yangxin (SSYX) capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used widely to treat cardiac arrhythmia. This study aimed to assess whether SSYX prevents atrial fibrillation (AF) after chronic myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure and to determine the underlying mechanisms.Materials and methods: The study included 45 male Sprague Dawley rats. The rats underwent MI induction or sham surgery. One week after MI induction surgery, we performed serial echocardiography and administered SSYX capsule to some rats that experienced MI. After 4 weeks of treatment, AF inducibility was assessed with transesophageal programmed electrical stimulation technology. Additionally, multielectrode array assessment, histological analysis, and Western blot analysis were performed.Results: AF inducibility was significantly lower in SSYX rats than in MI rats (33.3% vs 73.3%, P

The internal characteristics of the μ phase in Ni-base single crystal superalloys aged at 1100 °C for 1000 h were investigated via spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. There were a large number of planar defects on the (001) plane at the growth tip of the μ phase. HAADF-STEM results show that these planar defects were mainly of two types. 1) A twin structure with a mirror plane of the middle atomic planes of the Zr4Al3 sheet, which was generated by shearing of atoms in the MgCu2 sheet along the [1-10] direction. 2) A mirror-symmetrical stacking fault of two Zr4Al3 sheets, which was formed by the pulling out of a single MgCu2 sheet. The planar defects were mainly caused by coordination of the distortions of the μ phase and the matrix. Segregation of Mo, Cr, and Re elements occurred near stacking faults, rather than twin structures.

First-principles calculations based upon the density functional theory have been carried out to investigate the alloying effects and site occupancies of Re in the C14 XCr2 (X = Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf) ...

Misfit dislocation structures are investigated in a nickel-based single crystal superalloy subjected to 38.8 h creep at 1100 °C and 130 MPa using conventional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The misfit dislocation was identified as an uncommon one with Burgers vector b = a/2 [ 2 ¯ 11 ] , which can be described as inserting (or extracting) one ( 1 1 ¯ 1 ) half plane and one ( 11 1 ¯ ) half plane. This dislocation was decomposed into two partial dislocations b1 and b2, with b1 = a/2 [ 1 ¯ 01 ] and b2 = a/2 [ 1 ¯ 10 ] . Partial dislocations b1 and b2 were arranged in a “V” shape, connected by the antiphase boundary (APB), which could hinder the dislocation motion to achieve the effect of dislocation enhancement.

Objective The study aimed to investigate whether a Shengmai San-derived herbal, Fumai granule (FM), which had a preventive effect on atrial fibrillation (AF) in myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure (HF) rat and to determine the underlying mechanisms. Design and methods MI was induced by a ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. One week after MI surgery, FM was gavaged for 4 weeks. AF inducibility was detected by transesophageal programmed electrical stimulation technology. Multielectrode array measurements, echocardiogram, histology, and western blotting were performed. Results The FM-treated group had lower rates of AF inducibility and shorter AF duration compared to the MI group. FM improved the conduction velocity and homogeneity, decreased left atrial positive fibrosis areas and expression of type I and III collagen, inhibited cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast differential, and increased the expression of connexin 43 and connexin 40 in the left atrium. Conclusions These results suggest that FM reduced the AF inducibility after MI by improving the left atrial conduction function via inhibiting left atrial fibrosis and increasing the expression of connexin, indicating its benefit in preventing the MI-induced vulnerable substrate for AF.

The structural, elastic, electronic properties and Debye temperature of Ni3Ta under different pressures are investigated using the first-principles method based on density functional theory. Our ca...

Objective We undertook a single-center retrospective study to determine the relationship between CD9 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Materials and methods In total, 112 newly diagnosed patients in our center were enrolled in the study. Their clinical information was collected and the patients werefollowed over the course of the study. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD9. Results CD9 expression was more common in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and patients > 40 years old. CD9-positive patients exhibited a higher BCR-ABL fusion gene positive rate and higher neutrophil counts than CD9 negative patients (P= 0.004 and P= 0.004, respectively). Response to induction chemotherapy was not dependent on CD9 expression. CD9-positive patients had a lower 2-year overall survival rate than CD9-negative patients. Conclusion CD9 expression predicts some clinical characteristics and indicates an unfavorable prognosis in ALL patients.

The precipitation and growth morphology of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases in a Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloy during thermal exposure were studied. The alloy was found to develop acicular-shaped coherent μ phase particles along γ directions of the matrix after exposure at 950 °C. P phase precipitates were found to form with increased time and at higher temperatures, and in different morphologies, including acicular shaped particles along γ and γ directions, and plate-like particles in {110}γ planes of the matrix. The different P phase precipitates were found to have different lattice constants and different lattice correspondences with the matrix. The μ phase precipitate was also found to have different lattice correspondences with those reported in the literature. The multiplicity of lattice correspondences for the same TCP phase is attributed to the different lattice parameters, which render the precipitates to have different coherency relationships with the matrix.

1. Temperate forests across Europe and eastern North America have become denser since the 1950s due to less intensive forest management and global environmental changes such as nitrogen deposition and climate warming. Denser tree canopies result in lower light availability at the forest floor. This shade may buffer the effects of nitrogen deposition and climate warming on understorey plant communities. 2. We conducted an innovative in situ field experiment to study the responses of co-occurring soil microbial and understorey plant communities to nitrogen addition, enhanced light availability and experimental warming in a full-factorial design. 3. We determined the effects of multiple environmental drivers and their interactions on the soil microbial and understorey plant communities, and assessed to what extent the soil microbial and understorey plant communities covary. 4. High light led to lower biomass of the soil microbes (analysed by phospholipid fatty acids), but the soil microbial structure, i.e. the ratio of fungal biomass to bacterial biomass, was not affected by light availability. The composition of the soil bacterial community (analysed by high-throughput sequencing) was affected by both light availability and warming (and their interaction), but not by nitrogen addition. Yet, the number of unique operational taxonomic units was higher in plots with nitrogen addition, and there were significant interactive effects of light and nitrogen addition. Light availability also determined the composition of the plant community; no effects of nitrogen addition and warming were observed. The soil bacterial and plant communities were co-structured, and light availability explained a large part of the variance of this co-structure. 5. We provide robust evidence for the key role of light in affecting both the soil microbial and plant communities in forest understoreys. Our results advocate for more multifactor global change experiments that investigate the mechanism underlying the (in) direct effects of light on the plant-soil continuum in forests.

A new non-aqueous Li–CO/CO2 battery with the main discharge products being Li2CO3 and carbon is introduced for the first time. Our findings demonstrate that with the addition of CO, the components and morphology of the discharge products are skillfully tailored, becoming more uniform, with poorer crystallinity and better conductivity. Thanks to these features, the utilization of a cathode in the Li–CO/CO2 battery system is increased and the discharge products are more easily decomposed. These positive effects caused by CO endow the Li–CO/CO2 battery with enhanced electrochemical performances.

Issues with the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reduction hinder the advance of Li O2 batteries for next-generation energy storage. To alleviate these problems, Cu2O nanoparticles with different crystal planes have been synthesized via a simple solution reaction and characterized as a bi-functional catalyst for non-aqueous Li O2 battery. In this work, catalytic behaviour of Cu2O nanoparticles with different crystal planes are initially explored and it is found that the Cu2O nanoparticles exposing {111} crystal planes exhibit the most catalytic performance compared with other crystal planes, which is further confirmed by using first-principles computations. Inspired by selectively catalytic behaviour of crystal plane, porous Cu2O nanoframes exposed with eight {111} crystal planes and higher surface area derives from all-corner-truncated rhombic dodecahedron Cu2O nanoparticles are synthesized, which can act as highly activity three-dimensional cathode in a typical Li O2 battery after being directly combined with carbon nanotubes by electrostatic interaction. Thanks to the excellent catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes-Cu2O nanoframes and unique cathode structure, batteries with this cathode display an enhanced electrochemical performance including superior round-trip efficiency, excellent cycling performance and high specific capacity.

The well-known Stober method has been widely used to synthesize dense silica particles with smooth surface, however, the preparation of silica nanoparticles with rough surface (RS-SiO2 NPs) based on Stober system via a facile one-pot method has not been achieved. Herein, a modified Stober system (i.e., a specific ternary tetraethyloxysilane (TEOS)/ethanol (EtOH)-water (H2O) with a precise molar ratio of 1: 45.8: 124) is used to prepare the primary SiO2 NPs with low-condensed silica shell (LCSS) and unreacted TEOS. Subsequently, via a simple one-step cooling treatment, the RS-SiO2 NPs with spherical morphology (177 nm), large specific surface area (85 m2 g−1) and controllable density were successfully prepared. Various experimental conditions, such as pre-reaction time (reaction time of primary SiO2 NPs at room temperature before cooling treatment), cooling temperature (cooling treatment temperature) and ammonia solution concentration were studied. The results show that the migration rate of the unreacted TEOS in the primary SiO2 NPs plays an important role in the formation of RS-SiO2 NPs. This paper also provides us with a new idea to further understand the formation mechanism of SiO2 particles by the Stober method. The RS-SiO2 NPs loaded with gold nanoparticles can effectively reduce 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol.

A surfactant-free, resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF)-assisted dissolution-regrowth strategy has been reported to prepare hollow silica nanoparticles with various morphologies. RF, as a pore-forming agent, is introduced into a typical stober system (ethanol-water-ammonia) to achieve the purpose of pore-forming and as a nanoplatform. As the reaction progresses, the initially formed RF core gradually dissolves and then slowly deposits on the silica shell formed by the outer layer, resulting in the formation of a hollow structure. The RF deposited in the silica shell is then further removed by calcination in air, and a silica shell layer with a rough surface can be successfully obtained. More importantly, when additional phenolic is added to the reaction system again at the desired time, the hollow nanostructures with open pores can also be prepared. The formation of open channels is mainly attributed to the removal of RF in the SiO2/RF composite shell by calcination. Other experimental parameters such as ethanol-to-water ratio, ammonia concentration, and reaction temperature are also investigated. The internal cavity can be precisely adjusted from 100 to 175 nm, and the thickness of the silica shell can be tuned from 25 to 60 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are employed to characterize the morphology, structure, and evolution process of the resulting hollow silica nanoparticles. A possible mechanism to account for the formation of hollow silica nanoparticles with different morphologies is also proposed. In addition, the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by hollow silica nanoparticles with rough surface and mesoporous structure is also performed, and the results show that hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles are more effective for the immobilization of BSA.

M23C6 carbide is a common precipitate phase present in Ni-based superalloys. The carbide is generally an alloy carbine and often contains more than one metallic element. In this study, the site preference of metallic elements in M23C6 carbide in a Ni-based single crystal was determined by means of aberration-corrected High-Angle Annular Dark Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM) technique and quantitative STEM (QSTEM)-based image simulation method. The carbide was found to contain mostly Cr and Re, with a small amount of Mo. The HAADF-STEM and QSTEM-based simulation analyses indicate that heavy atoms prefer to substitute Cr at 8c sites. Keywords: Ni-based superalloy, Creep, Carbides, Rhenium, Aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM

Seismic, drilling, logging and production performance data were analyzed to study the key geological factors such as reservoir properties and gas/water distribution, which influence the development of the Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao reservoirs in the Moxi block, Anyue gas field, Sichuan Basin, and the development strategies are established. The results indicate that: (1) Four stages of grain shoals developed longitudinally and two main shoals with one trench formed laterally in the development area; (2) Three types of reservoirs are identified, which are reservoir with millimeter sized dissolved vugs, reservoir with solution pores, and reservoir with inter-particle/inter-crystal pores; (3) Low matrix porosity but mid-to-high permeability affected by developed high-dip fractures; and (4) Three gas/water contacts (GWC) can be defined and step down from west to east, with a unique gas/water contact of −4 385 m in the target developing area. Based on geologic characterization, reservoir simulation and case study of similar gas reservoirs, the development strategies are made: to select the main grain shoal area as the prior production area; to locate wells on the structural high to delay edge water breakthrough and prolong stable production; to drill horizontal wells enhancing single well deliverability; to keep reasonable production of wells for improving the production effect. Key words: Anyue gas field, Moxi block, Longwangmiao Formation, carbonate gas reservoir, geological characteristics, development strategies

1. This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Milium effusum L. (Wood Millet) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topic ...

First-principles method based upon the density functional theory has been carried out to investigate the site occupancy behaviours of typical ternary elements Zr, Cr and Mo in the C15 NbCo2 Laves phase. The calculated equilibrium lattice constant of the Nb8Co16 unit cell is in good agreement with the previous experimental results. The calculated results indicate that all the considered ternary elements show the preference to occupy the Co sites, and the site preference of these elements in the Laves phase is in the order of Cr, Mo and Zr. Mo and Cr atoms tend to participate in the formation of the Laves phase, generating Nb7MoCo16, Nb8Co15Mo and Nb8Co15Cr, respectively. Zr atoms are not prone to concentrate in the Laves phase. The partial density of states was also calculated to investigate how atoms interact, and the charge density difference is analysed to reflect the bonding characteristics.

The diffusion behavior of Cr and Re in nickel-based superalloys was explored at an atomic level using the Vienna Ab-inito Simulation Package. To improve the accuracy of the calculation, the PBE + U approach is introduced and relativistic effect is discussed. The relative position and sequence of diffusion between Cr and Re atoms are studied using first-principles calculations. The best relative distance between Cr and Re atoms is a (the lattice constant). Furthermore, there is a sequence of diffusion between Cr and Re atoms. It is easy for a Re atom to diffuse towards a Cr atom, resulting in a small, stable group. However, it is difficult for a Cr atom to diffuse into a region containing a Re atom. Our results were minimally affected by the Coulomb U and relativistic effects. This theoretical study may aid in experimental design.

Tissue kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) play important roles in acute cardiac injury and cardiac remodeling. However, the exact cardiac actions of KLK8 have not been determined. Transgenic rat overexpressing KLK8 was established to examine the role of KLK8 in the heart. Cardiac injury was induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and examined by infarct size measurement and TUNEL staining. The molecular mechanisms were investigated in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CMs). Western blot analysis was used to determine the protein levels. KLK8 protein level was significantly increased in the cardiac ischemic risk area. KLK8 overexpression mitigated I/R-induced cardiac injury, as evidenced by decreased infarct size and apoptosis in cardiac ischemic risk area in vivo. Via in vitro studies, it was found that KLK8 overexpression attenuated the Hypoxia/Reoxygenation (H/R) injury in CMs; both B2R and PAR2 antagonist significantly attenuated KLK8-induced protective actions under H/R injury. Moreover, KLK8 overexpressed CMs showed significant higher phosphorylation levels of Akt, ERK1/2 and PKA under H/R stimulation; B2R antagonist attenuated the phosphorylation levels of Akt and ERK1/2, while PAR2 antagonist attenuated the phosphorylation levels of PKA and ERK1/2. KLK8 protects the heart against I/R-induced cardiac injury, which may represent a new therapeutic target in cardiac medicine.

Temperate forests cover 16% of the global forest area. Within these forests, the understorey is an important biodiversity reservoir that can influence ecosystem processes and functions in multiple ways. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of the relative importance of the understorey for temperate forest functioning. As a result, understoreys are often ignored during assessments of forest functioning and changes thereof under global change. We here compiled studies that quantify the relative importance of the understorey for temperate forest functioning, focussing on litter production, nutrient cycling, evapotranspiration, tree regeneration, pollination and pathogen dynamics. We describe the mechanisms driving understorey functioning and develop a conceptual framework synthesizing possible effects of multiple global change drivers on understorey-mediated forest ecosystem functioning. Our review illustrates that the understorey's contribution to temperate forest functioning is significant but varies depending on the ecosystem function and the environmental context, and more importantly, the characteristics of the overstorey. To predict changes in understorey functioning and its relative importance for temperate forest functioning under global change, we argue that a simultaneous investigation of both overstorey and understorey functional responses to global change will be crucial. Our review shows that such studies are still very scarce, only available for a limited set of ecosystem functions and limited to quantification, providing little data to forecast functional responses to global change.

The soil microbial community is essential for maintaining ecosystem functioning and is intimately linked with the plant community. Yet, little is known on how soil microbial communities in the root zone vary at continental scales within plant species. Here we assess the effects of soil chemistry, large-scale environmental conditions (i.e. temperature, precipitation and nitrogen deposition) and forest land-use history on the soil microbial communities (measured by phospholipid fatty acids) in the root zone of four plant species (Geum urbanum, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis and Stachys sylvatica) in forests along a 1700 km latitudinal gradient in Europe. Soil microbial communities differed significantly among plant species, and soil chemistry was the main determinant of the microbial community composition within each plant species. Influential soil chemical variables for microbial communities were plant species-specific; soil acidity, however, was often an important factor. Large-scale environmental conditions, together with soil chemistry, only explained the microbial community composition in M. effusum and P. nemoralis. Forest land-use history did not affect the soil microbial community composition. Our results underpin the dominant role of soil chemistry in shaping microbial community composition variation within plant species at the continental scale, and provide insights into the composition and functionality of soil microbial communities in forest ecosystems.

Climate change is driving movements of many plants beyond, as well as within, their current distributional ranges. Even migrant plants moving within their current range may experience different plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) because of divergent nonlocal biotic soil conditions. Yet, our understanding to what extent soil biotic conditions can affect the performance of within-range migrant plants is still very limited. We assessed the emergence and growth of migrant forest herbs (Milium effusum and Stachys sylvatica) using soils and seeds collected along a 1,700 km latitudinal gradient across Europe. Soil biota were manipulated through four soil treatments, i.e. unsterilized control soil (PSFUS), sterilized soil (PSFS), sterilized soil inoculated with unsterilized home soil (PSFS+HI) and sterilized soil inoculated with unsterilized foreign soil (PSFS+FI, expected to occur when both plants and soil biota track climate change). Compared to PSFS, PSFUS had negative effects on the growth but not emergence of both species, while PSFS+FI only affected S. sylvatica across all seed provenances. When considering seed origin, seedling emergence and growth responses to nonlocal soils depended on soil biotic conditions. Specifically, the home-away distance effect on seedling emergence differed between the four treatments, and significant responses to chemistry either disappeared (M. effusum) or changed (S. sylvatica) from PSFUS to PSFS. Soil biota emerge as an important driver of the estimated plant migration success. Our results of the effects of soil microorganisms on plant establishment provide relevant information for predictions of the distribution and dynamics of plant species in a changing climate.

Ethanol-water mixing method has been widely used to prepare nanobubbles, however, in dilute ethanol-water solutions, the preparation of monodispersed bulk nanobubbles with high number density has not been achieved. Herein, a controllable bulk mixing (CBM) method is designed to fabricate monodispersed bulk nanobubbles at a low volume ratio of ethanol to water (less than 10:100), which can prepare high-number- density (at around 2 × 109 bubbles/mL) and high-stability bulk nanobubbles. Notably, after 9 days of aging, a considerable number of nanobubbles can still be captured by NTA technology. The formation and influencing parameters of the bulk nanobubbles in this system are also explored. Based on our experimental results, a plausible mechanism of nanobubble nucleation and growth at ethanol/water interfaces is proposed to understand the formation of bulk nanobubbles. A hypothetical model is established and as a result the Laplace pressure of bulk nanobubbles in dilute ethanol-water solutions is obtained. The Laplace pressure given by the surface tension might be less than 0.5 atm.

Development of low-cost and highly active electrocatalysts to boost Li-CO2 battery performances is crucial for energy storage applications and friendly utilization of greenhouse gas (CO2). Cost-effective transition metal oxides (TMO) are considered to be a suitable candidate to improve the activity of CO2 redox reaction, but the further improvement is limited due to their inherent inert electronic structure and poor conductivity. Herein, oxygen vacancies (Vo) are introduced into the NiO nanosheets array vertically grown on the surface of the carbon cloth skeleton (NiO-Vo NAs/CT) by an argon plasma engraving technique. Experiments coupled with theoretical calculations verifies that new electronic states are created near the Fermi level (Ef) leading to up-shift of the d band center with the introduction of Vo. This optimize the adsorbability of carbonaceous species, host material conductivity as well as the deposition behavior of discharge products. As a result, the NiO-Vo NAs/CT cathode-based Li-CO2 battery exhibits enhanced electrochemical performances including excellent round-trip efficiency, high capacity and especially the ultra-long cycle life. This combinational design strategy of Vo engineering and electrochemical performances provides a promising way to develop economic and efficient electrocatalysts for advanced Li-CO2 batteries.

Objective Oxidative stress and apoptosis play critical roles in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF).Nuanxin capsule (NX) is a Chinese medicine that has outstanding protective effects on HF. The present study aimed to elucidate whether NX could protect HF against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Methods In vivo, HF was induced by transverse aortic constriction. NX and Compound C (Comp C) were administered to C57BL/6 J mice for over a 4-week period. Cardiac function was assessed with echocardiography. In vitro, H9c2 cells were exposed to H2O2 in the presence or absence of NX and Compound C. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and mitochondrial function by oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were detected. The expressions of cytochrome c, BAX, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, AMPK and JNK were evaluated by western blotting. Results The results indicated that NX significantly improved cardiac function and enhanced the cell viability, ΔΨm and mitochondrial respiration. Also NX treatment reduced cell cytotoxicity and ROS production. Moreover, NX inhibited mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by upregulating AMPK and downregulating JNK both in vivo and in vitro. The protective effects of NX on cardiac function by reducing oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dependent apoptosis were reversed by Compound C treatment. Conclusions These findings demonstrated that NX effectively improved cardiac function in TAC mice by reducing oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dependent apoptosis by activating AMPK/JNK signaling pathway.

To study the effect of curcumin on fibroblasts in rats with cardiac fibrosis. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=12 in each group): the normal control, isoproterenol (ISO), ISO combined with low-dose curcumin (ISO+Cur-L), and ISO combined with high-dose curcumin (ISO+Cur-H) groups. ISO+Cur-L and ISO+Cur-H groups were treated with curcumin (150 or 300 mg•kg-1•day-1) for 28 days. The primary culture of rat cardiac fibroblast was processed by trypsin digestion method in vitro. The 3rd to 5th generation were used for experiment. Western blot method was used to test the expression of collagen type I/III, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was applied to test the proliferation of fibroblast. Curcumin significantly decreased interstitial and perivascular myocardial collagen deposition and cardiac weight index with reducing protein expression of collagen type I/III in hearts (P

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized through reducing Ag(I) to Ag(0) with sodium citrate. Then a series of Ag/ZnO samples were prepared by loading prepared Ag NPs on ZnO. It is found that the UV emission of the composites has been enhanced. Compared with pure ZnO, the emission peak of Ag-NPs-modified composite has a clear blue shift. Moreover, the photocatalysis performance of the composition is increased significantly possibly due to the synergy effects between ZnO and Ag NPs, comparing with the composites prepared by one pot process.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of a 90W–7Ni–3Fe heavy alloy manufactured using laser melting deposition (LMD) have been investigated with a goal of understanding the LMD process and the relevant strengthening mechanisms. A reference sample prepared using liquid phase sintering (LPS) with similar composition has been used for comparison to isolate effects of the processing rate. The results show that the nearly fully-dense LMD sample consists of two periodically alternating sublayers containing different volume fractions of W particles. Compared to the reference LPS sample, the LMD sample has a higher W content in the binder matrix, a more refined microstructure, a higher dislocation density and a lower contiguity between W particles. Furthermore, the LMD sample has a yield strength of 822 ± 30 MPa, which is about 200 MPa higher than that of the reference LPS sample. This strength difference is quantitatively analyzed based on the microstructural observations. It is shown that the increased fraction of W-matrix interfaces, a higher interface bonding strength and more pronounced constraint effects, resulting from the higher processing temperature and fast cooling of LMD, provide extra strengthening. The present study provides an important basis for optimizing the LMD process for manufacture of high W content tungsten heavy alloys with improved mechanical properties.

Thin walled 90W-7Ni-3Fe tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs) have been prepared by a laser melting deposition (LMD) additive manufacturing technique using different input laser volume energy densities. Detailed investigations on densification and microstructural evolutions of the LMD process have been carried out. The result shows that the sample density increases with increasing input energy density by elimination of “lack of fusion” defects. However, some gas delivered with powders gets trapped in the molten pool due to the fast cooling rate and complex shapes of W particles, resulting in a prevalence of small round pore defects even under high input energy densities. Near full density can be obtained when the energy density reaches 74 J/mm3. The LMD WHAs have two phase microstructures consisting of polygonal or dendritic W particles embedded in a nickel‑iron matrix, which has large sized columnar grains due to epitaxial growth. The polygonal particles are partially dissolved/melted W powder particles. The dendritic particles are newly formed grains due to the reprecipitation of supersaturated W in the nickel‑iron matrix during solidification. The proportion of dendritic particles increases with the increasing input energy density. A microstructure evolution process adapted from traditional liquid phase sintering process containing three stages of rearrangement, solution-reprecipitation, and solid state is proposed for the LMD process.

Hollow silica particles with spherical morphology and controllable diameter (100–250 nm) were successfully prepared by one-step etching process using an ammonia-based etchant under mild etching conditions. First, microporous silica particles with a low degree of condensation were synthesized by modified Stober method using low concentration of ammonia solution. Then, the microporous silica particles were coated with polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDDA). The PDDA-coated particles were treated with an aqueous ammonia solution to obtain hollow silica nanospheres. In this study, the condensation degree of silica particles, PDDA concentration, ammonia etchant concentration, and etching temperature were found to have significant impact on the morphology of hollow silica nanoparticles. Adsorption studies showed that the hollow silica particles could be efficiently used for the immobilization of bovine serum albumin.

In this paper, a series of Gd2.4Y0.6Al5-xMnxO12 (x = 0.0001–0.003) precursor were synthesized by co-precipitation method using ammonium bicarbonate as precipitant and rare earth nitrate as mother salt solution, following calcined at 1500 °C to obtain resultant phosphor. The garnet lattice stability, microstructure, structural characteristics and fluorescence properties were investigated by FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, PL/PLE and fluorescence decay analysis, respectively. The resultant phosphors Gd2.4Y0.6Al5-xMnxO12 (x = 0.0001–0.003) with uniform particle morphology and size display good red emission at ∼677 nm (2E→4A2 transition of Mn4+) under excitation wavelength of 322 nm (4A2→4T1 transition of Mn4+). The quenching concentration of Mn4+ ions were determined to be ∼0.02 at.%, and the quenching mechanism was due to the electric dipole-quadruple interactions. The Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ba2+ and Zn2+ doping can significantly enhance the red emission of Mn4+ ions owing to the charge compensation effect. The Gd2.4Y0.6Al5-xMnxO12 (x = 0.0001–0.003) garnet phosphors with good luminescent properties are expected to be widely used in lighting and display areas.

In this study, porous silica nanoparticles were fabricated in the absence of organic surfactant template at room temperature by a facile one-step dialysis method. By using a dialysis system comprising an ammonia solution as the dialysate, a series of porous silica nanoparticles with a rough surface (e.g., raspberry-like) were obtained by the initiation of a homogeneous ternary tetraethylsilicate-water-ethanol system with different ammonia solution concentrations. The specific surface area and pore volume of porous nanoparticles were regulated by changing the dialysate concentrations. N2 adsorption–desorption measurements revealed that the porous silica nanoparticles owned both mesopores and micropores and exhibited a type IV isotherm, hence, these nanoparticles can be used as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). The Au@MSN nanocomposite can be used as a catalyst for the typical reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by NaBH4 and exhibited excellent catalytic performance.

Danqi soft capsule (DQ) is a traditional Chinese medicine containing Salvia miltiorrhiza and Panax notoginseng; it is safe and efficient in treating ischaemic heart diseases. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether DQ could prevent infarct border zone (IBZ) remodelling and decrease ventricular arrhythmias occurrence in post‐myocardial infarction (MI) stage. MI was induced by a ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. DQ was administered to the post‐MI rats started from 1 week after MI surgery for 4 weeks. The results showed that DQ treatment significantly attenuated tachyarrhythmia induction rates and arrhythmia score in post‐MI rats. In echocardiography, DQ improved left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. Histological assessment revealed that DQ significantly reduced fibrotic areas and myocyte areas, and increased connexin (Cx) 43 positive areas in IBZ. Western blot revealed that DQ treatment significantly reduced the protein expression levels of type I and III collagens, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and Smad3 phosphorylation, while increasing Cx43 amounts. Overall, these findings mainly indicated that DQ intervention regulates interstitial fibrosis, Cx43 expression and myocyte hypertrophy by TGF‐β1/Smad3 pathway in IBZ, inhibits LV remodelling and reduces vulnerability to tachyarrhythmias after MI. This study presents a proof of concept for novel antiarrhythmic strategies in preventing IBZ remodelling, modifying the healed arrhythmogenic substrate and thus reducing susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in the late post‐MI period.

Tongguan capsule is a compound Chinese medicine used to treat ischaemic heart diseases. This study aimed to investigate whether Tongguan capsule‐derived herb (TGD) has a preventive effect on atrial fibrillation (AF) in post‐myocardial infarction (MI) rats and to determine the underlying mechanisms. MI was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. TGD was administered to the post‐MI rats over a 4‐week period. The TGD‐treated rats had lower rates of AF inducibility and shorter AF durations than the MI rats. TGD improved the left atrial (LA) conduction velocity and homogeneity. It reduced the fibrosis‐positive areas and the protein levels of collagen types I and III in the left atrium. In vitro, it inhibited the expression of collagen types I and III by inhibiting the proliferation, migration, differentiation and cytokine secretion of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that TGD reduces susceptibility to AF and improves LA conduction function in rats with post‐MI by inhibiting left atrial fibrosis and modulating CFs. Targeting the CF population may be a novel antiarrhythmic therapeutic approach.

A new non-aqueous Li-CO/CO2 battery with the main discharge products being Li2CO3 and carbon is introduced for the first time. Our findings demonstrate that with the addition of CO, the components and morphology of the discharge products are skillfully tailored, becoming more uniform, with poorer crystallinity and better conductivity. Thanks to these features, the utilization of a cathode in the Li-CO/CO2 battery system is increased and the discharge products are more easily decomposed. These positive effects caused by CO endow the Li-CO/CO2 battery with enhanced electrochemical performances.

Particle irradiation from the fusion plasma will lead to significant changes in W surface morphology. Imagery method and qualitative description are generally used to describe and classify these damage morphologies, which is not conductive to reveal the essential relationship between different damage structures and the influence rules of different irradiation conditions. Based on texture feature analysis, this work provides a classification and characterization method by selecting four feature structures, “hole” structure, “branch” structure, “blister” structure and “groove” structure, to analyze surface SEM images, to conduct a preliminary exploration by using data mining technology. The relationship between different feature structures and the effect significance level of different influence factors, including incident energy, incident flux, total incident fluence and exposure temperature has been obtained from the preliminary application in the research on W surface modification induced by He or D particles. With the increase of sample size and considered factors, this method is expected to provide more valuable reference for the mechanism researches on irradiation damage of material’s surface.

Invasive alien plant effects on ecosystem functions are often difficult to predict across environmental gradients due to the context-dependent interactions between the invader and the recipient communities. Adopting a functional trait-based framework could provide more mechanistic predictions for invasive species' impacts. In this study, we contrast litter decomposition rates among communities with and without the invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera in five regions along a 1600 km long latitudinal gradient in Europe. Across this gradient, four functional traits, namely leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), stem-specific density (SSD), and plant height, are correlated to rates of litter decomposition of standardized rooibos (labile), green tea (recalcitrant), and I. glandulifera litter. Our results show that both invaded and non-invaded plant communities had a higher expression of acquisitive traits (low LDMC and SSD, high SLA) with increasing temperature along the latitudinal gradient, partly explaining the variation in decomposition rates along the gradient. At the same time, invasion shifted community trait composition toward more acquisitive traits across the latitudinal gradient. These trait changes partly explained the increased litter decomposition rates of the labile litter fraction of rooibos and I. glandulifera litter in invaded communities, a shift that was most evident in the warmer study regions. Plant available nitrogen was lower in invaded communities, likely due to high nutrient uptake by I. glandulifera. Meanwhile, the coldest study region was characterized by a reversed effect of invasion on decomposition rates. Here, community traits related to low litter quality and potential allelopathic effects of the invader resulted in reduced litter decomposition rates, suggesting a threshold temperature at which invader effects on litter decomposition turn positive. This study therefore illustrates how functional trait changes toward acquisitive traits can help explain invader-induced changes in ecosystem functions such as increased litter decomposition. © 2018 Helsen et al. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The structure and electronic properties of (1 1 1), [1 0 0](0 1 0) and [1 0 0](0 1 1) edge dislocation cores in pure nickle crystal have been investigated by the first-principles. The dislocation cores are obtained by the relaxation by molecular dynamics (MD). Before the calculation, the lattice constant of nickle perfect crystal was optimised by the MD simulation, attaining the lattice constant of 3.520 A. We found that features of the [1 0 0](0 1 0) edge dislocation are similar to those of the [1 0 0](0 1 1) edge dislocation, but different from those of the (1 1 1) edge dislocation. These results show that the atoms around the dislocation core have less charge, which is caused by the broken bonds.

This study aimed to investigate whether matrine could prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) after myocardial infarction by reducing left atrial fibrosis, and to determine the underlying mechanisms in isolated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Five weeks after MI, matrine-treated rats had lower rates of AF inducibility and shorter AF duration than MI rats. Matrine improved the left atrial conduction velocity and homogeneity. Matrine decreased the fibrosis positive areas and the protein levels of type I collagen and type III collagen in the left atrium. Matrine inhibited CFs differentiation to myofibroblasts and the expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and matrix metalloproteinase 9. In vitro, matrine inhibited the CFs proliferation, migration, differentiation, and secretion ability. These in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated that matrine has the potential to reduce susceptibility to AF after MI due, at least in part, to reduced atrial fibrosis via inhibiting CFs proliferation, migration, differentiation, and secretion ability.

The alloying effects of W, Cr and Re in the [100] (010) edge dislocation cores (EDC) of Ni-based single crystal superalloys are investigated using first-principles based on the density functional theory (DFT). The binding energy, Mulliken orbital population, density of states, charge density and radial distribution functions are discussed, respectively. It is clearly demonstrated that the addition of refractory elements improves the stability of the EDC systems. In addition, they can form tougher bonds with their nearest neighbour (NN) Ni atoms, which enhance the mechanical properties of the Ni-based single crystal superalloys. Through comparative analysis, Cr-doped system has lower binding energy, and Cr atom has evident effect to improve the systemic stability. However, Re atom has the stronger alloying effect in Ni-based single crystal superalloys, much more effectively hindering dislocation motion than W and Cr atoms.

Precipitation of deleterious topologically close-packed (TCP) phases worsens the mechanical behavior of Ni-based single crystal superalloys. It is acknowledged that Ru will inhibit precipitation of TCP phase. In this paper, precipitation behaviors of TCP in alloy with and without Ru have been investigated through experimental characterization means, combined with the first principles calculations. For the first time, the interface structure between precipitated μ phase and matrix γ phase has been established, and stable interfacial termination types in different orientation relationships were obtained. Effects of solute atoms like Ru on interface stability and site substitution behaviors of different solute elements in two phases were further calculated, and compared with precipitation behavior and composition information of TCP phases in two alloys. It is verified that Ru is different with other elements, which can remarkably increase the interfacial energy of μ/γ interface, decrease interface stability, and rise the difficulty of nucleation of μ phase; conversely, W will lower the interfacial energy of μ/γ, making it easier for μ phase to nucleate; the effects of Co and Cr are not that obvious; the effects of Re and Mo on interfacial energy and nucleation of μ phase vary with orientation relationships. Also, Re, Cr, and Ru have larger trends to diffuse from matrix γ to μ phase during growing process of μ phase. The above reasons give rise to blocking effect of Ru on the nucleation of TCP phase, but Ru has trifling influence on inhibition of precipitation growth.