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The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ternary polymer solar cells (PSCs) with non-fullerene has a phenomenal increase in recent years. However, improving the open circuit voltage (Voc) of ternary PSCs with non-fullerene still remains a challenge. Therefore, in this work, machine learning (ML) algorithms are employed, including eXtreme gradient boosting, K-nearest neighbor and random forest, to quantitatively analyze the impact mechanism of Voc in ternary PSCs with the double acceptors from the two aspects of photovoltaic materials. In one aspect of photovoltaic materials, the doping concentration has the greatest impact on Voc in ternary PSCs. Furthermore, the addition of the third component affects the energy offset between the donor and acceptor for increasing Voc in ternary PSCs. More importantly, to obtain the maximum Voc in ternary PSCs with the double acceptors, the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the third component should be around (−5.7 ± 0.1) eV and (−3.6 ± 0.1) eV, respectively. In the other aspect of molecular descriptors and molecular fingerprints in the third component of ternary PSCs with the double acceptors, the hydrogen bond strength and aromatic ring structure of the third component have high impact on the Voc of ternary PSCs. In partial dependence plot, it is clear that when the number of methyl groups is four and the number of carbonyl groups is two in the third component of acceptor, the Voc of ternary PSCs with the double acceptors can be maximized. All of these findings provide valuable insights into the development of materials with high Voc in ternary PSCs for saving time and cost.

Sorafenib acquired drug resistance during the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reduces the efficacy of the drug. The immune escape effect induced by PD-L1 is largely associated with drug resistance of HCC. However, the regulated mechanism of PD-L1 is unclear. This research aimed to clarify the control mechanism of PD-L1. c-Met was found abnormally highly expressed in Huh-7

The champion PCE of the PTB7:PC71BM:SMPV1 ternary organic solar cells with the best SMPV1 doping ratio is predicted by random forest algorithm and verified in experiment.

The effects of the materials' energy levels on the Voc in binary OSCs are analyzed and the energy level matching strategy of materials for high Voc is delivered by machine learning. Experimental results verify the reliability of this machine learning approach.

Background The progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) involves multi-factor, multi-step interactions. It has been reported that the high expression of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors, but the regulation mechamismof IL-6R expression and its function in HCC have not been adequately reported. Methods Western Blot was used to evaluate the phosphorylation of key kinases in JAK2/STAT3 pathway and the protein expression levels of related proliferative molecules, migration molecules and apoptotic molecules. The anti-apoptosis, migration and proliferation abilities of cells of each group were analyzed using JC-1 measures cell apoptosis, EdU method to detect cell apoptosis, clone formation experiment and Transwell. Result The expression of IL-6R in HCC cells (HepG2, Huh7 and SK-Hep1) was higher than that in normal hepatocytes (THLE-2 and THLE-5), and the protein expression of IL-6R was relatively highest in SK-Hep1 and relatively lowest in HepG2. Compared with the HepG2IL − 6 cell line, the protein levels of apoptotic molecules c-Caspase7 and c-Caspase3 were lower, while the protein levels of proliferative molecules p-P70S6K and migration molecules MMP9 and MMP2 were higher, showing stronger anti-apoptosis, proliferation and migration abilities. Compared with SK-Hep1 in SK-Hep1TCZ and SK-Hep1IL − 6R−, the protein levels of apoptotic molecules c-Caspase7 and c-Caspase3 were higher, while the protein levels of proliferative molecules p-P70S6K and migration molecules MMP9 and MMP2 were lower. It showed strong apoptotic ability and low proliferation and migration ability. Interestingly, IL-6 up-regulated the expression of IL-6R by activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. The expression of IL-6R protein was also down-regulated after lentivirus knockdown of STAT3. In subcutaneous tumor-bearing experiments in nude mice, compared with SK-Hep1 group, the up-regulation of IL-6R expression after JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation by IL-6 in SK-Hep1IL − 6 group significantly improved the tumor growth ability. However, the expression of IL-6R protein was down-regulated and the terminal tumor volume was significantly down-regulated in the lentiviral STAT3 knockdown group, which inhibited the tumor growth ability. Conclusions The results showed that IL-6 regulated the transcription of IL-6R through the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby promoting the progression of HCC. The result are expected to provide experimental basis for IL-6R as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a kind of mycotoxin, exerts its cytotoxicity by increasing the oxidative damage of target organs, especially the liver. In vivo and in vitro experiments were carried out to elu...

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inflammation have been identified as carcinogenic agents. This study aims to investigate whether inhibition of trichloroethylene (TCE) associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by curcumin is associated with inflammation and EMT.In the current study, TCE sub-chronic cell model was inducedTCE induces hepatocyte migration, colony formation, and EMTCurcumin has anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects, and inhibits the development of HCC induced by TCE by reversing IL-6/STAT3 mediated EMT.

Limonin is an important bioactive substance in citrus fruits, especially in seeds, which has great potential in cancer prevention and treatment. In order to explore the anticancer activity based on interaction between limonin and NQO1, Human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL‐60) were studied in vitro. We found that limonin could inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of HL‐60 cells, and the effect was positively correlated with its dosage. Western blot results showed that limonin could activate the endogenous apoptosis pathway mediated by mitochondria via up‐regulating pro‐apoptotic proteins (Bax, cytochrome c, Caspase3, and Caspase9) and down‐regulating anti‐apoptotic proteins (Bcl‐2), thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL‐60 cells and promoting apoptosis, which further proved the anticancer activity of limonin from the molecular mechanism. At the same time, limonin down‐regulated the expression of NQO1, indicating that limonin may indirectly act on the apoptosis pathway by regulating the expression activity of antioxidant enzymes in vivo, thus exerting its inhibitory effect on tumor cells, which provides an idea for the molecular mechanism that natural products can indirectly exert their anticancer effect by regulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes., Limonin, a citrus nutrient factor, was used as the subject material, which showed a proliferation inhibitory effect on HL‐60 cells. Mechanism exploration found that this effect was caused by activating the apoptosis pathway through inhibiting NQO1 expression.

Hard carbon is promising anode for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), however, the poor rate capability hinders its development as potential anode. To address this question, we design a sulfur-doped porous hard carbon (S-HC) for PIBs through the combination of structural design and composition adjustment. The as-designed S-HC exhibits a long cycling life with ∼191 mA h/g after 300 cycles at 1 A/g, and an excellent rate capability with ∼100 mA h/g at 5 A/g, which was attributed to its structural characteristics and compositions. The S-HC demonstrates to be promising anode in the future.

Purpose To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of large samples of YAG laser posterior capsulotomy, and to explore the influencing factors of time from cataract surgery to YAG laser capsulotomy (TFCSTLC), so as to provide reference for the occurrence and treatment of real-world posterior capsular opacification (PCO). Methods 1093 patients (1093 eyes) with PCO who underwent YAG laser posterior capsulotomy from 2014 to 2019 in the largest eye center of northwest China were analyzed retrospectively. The gender, age, systemic complications, material, and design of intraocular lens (IOL) and TFCSTLC were recorded. The test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were applied to analyze and compare the average TFCSTLC values under different factors, and the relationship between each factor and TFCSTLC was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results The average TFCSTLC was 19.2 (range, 7.9 ∼ 31.2) months. There were significant statistical differences in TFCSTLC among the implanted single focus versus multifocal IOLs ( P Conclusions TFCSTLC may be affected by many factors in the real world. The YAG laser posterior capsulotomy time was sooner in patients with a history of diabetes mellitus and multifocal IOL implanted.

Multidrug resistance is the main obstacle to curing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) has critical roles in all stages of cancer progression, especially invasion and metastasis, and in resistance to therapy. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) transforms epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells after being stimulated by extracellular factors and is closely related to tumour infiltration and resistance. We used Western blotting, immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining, MTT, colony formation and scratch healing assay to determine ASIC1a levels and its relationship to cell proliferation, migration and invasion. ASIC1a is overexpressed in HCC tissues, and the amount increased in resistant HCC cells. EMT occurred more frequently in drug-resistant cells than in parental cells. Inactivation of ASIC1a inhibited cell migration and invasion and increased the chemosensitivity of cells through EMT. Overexpression of ASIC1a upregulated EMT and increased the cells' proliferation, migration and invasion and induced drug resistance; knocking down ASIC1a with shRNA had the opposite effects. ASIC1a increased cell migration and invasion through EMT by regulating α and β-catenin, vimentin and fibronectin expression via the AKT/GSK-3β/Snail pathway driven by TGFβ/Smad signals. ASIC1a mediates drug resistance of HCC through EMT via the AKT/GSK-3β/Snail pathway.

Background: The main obstacle to the cure of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is multidrug resistance. Acid sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) acts as a critical roles in all stages of cancer progression, especially invasion and metastasis as well as in resistance to therapy. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a phenomenon in which epithelial cells transform into mesenchymal cells after being stimulated by extracellular factors and is closely related to tumor infiltration and resistance. Methods: Western blotting assay, Immunofluorescence (IF) staining, Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, MTT and colony formation assay and scratch healing assay were used to detect the level of ASIC1a and the cell proliferation, migration and invasion capabilities in this research.Results: In this research, we found that the protein of ASIC1a is overexpressed in HCC cancer tissues. In addition, we identified that the levels of ASIC1a are highly expressed in resistant HCC cells. Compared with the parental cells, EMT occurred more frequently in drug-resistant cells. Functional studies demonstrated that inactivation of ASIC1a restrained cell migration and invasion and enhanced the chemosensitivity of cells through EMT. In HCC cells, the overexpression of ASIC1a stimulates the up-regulation of EMT characterization molecular level and proliferation, migration and invasion capabilities and further induces drug resistance, while knocking down ASIC1a with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) has the opposite effect. Further investigations found that ASIC1a increased cell migration and invasion through EMT by regulating α and β-catenin, vimentin and fibronectin expression via AKT/GSK-3β/Snail pathway. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that ASIC1a acts an important assignment in drug resistance of HCC through EMT via AKT/GSK-3β/Snail pathway, thereby lending a latent therapeutic objective and new ideas regarding to HCC.

Low open-circuit photovoltage and poor hole transfer character of semiconductors have limited the development of p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSSCs) owing to the minor energy-gap between the conduction band of NiO and the Nernstian potential of the I3−/I− electrolyte, as well as the low intrinsic hole-conductivity of NiO semiconductor. Hereby, a novel NiO/CuO nanocomposite was well-designed and successfully fabricated as photocathode material of p-DSSCs. Combined with Co2+/Co3+ electrolyte, the devices showed noticeable enhancement of both open-circuit photovoltage and short-circuit photocurrent. Compared to NiO, a deeper valence-band of NiO/CuO resulted in a 140 mV improvement of photovoltage of p-DSSCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indiates an improved hole transport of NiO/CuO nanocomposite due to modified effect by CuO. Charge recombinations are also suppressed to achieve increased charge collection efficiencies and improved photoelectrochemical performance.

Aims This study investigated the mechanism through which fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) protects against angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. Methods Male silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) flox/flox and cardiomyocyte-specific inducible SIRT1 knockout mice (SIRT1-iKO) were generated and treated with Ang II (1.1 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) at the age of 8–12-week-old. FGF21 treatment [2.5 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection] was initiated at the same time as the Ang II infusion. For in vitro studies, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs), H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes and isolated adult mouse cardiomyocytes were treated with Ang II (1 μM) and FGF21 (20 nM) for 24 h with or without SIRT1 silencing. Results FGF21 treatment significantly attenuated Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. SIRT1 knockout abolished the ability of FGF21 to prevent Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis, without affecting the beneficial effects of FGF21 in Ang II-induced hypertension, and did not influence the hypertension itself. FGF21 markedly increased the deacetylase activity of SIRT1 and promoted the interaction of SIRT1 with liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), resulting in decreased acetylation of these SIRT1 target proteins. Consequently, FGF21 promoted the activation of the LKB1 target adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and altered the transcriptional activity of FoxO1 on its downstream target genes catalase (Cat), MnSOD (Sod2), and Bim, resulting in reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Conclusions FGF21 improves cardiac function and alleviates Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy in a SIRT1-dependent manner.

One-dimensional nano-structured materials have attracted attention due to its unique properties afforded such as the across-linked structures and large aspect ratios. In this work, one-dimensional CoSe@N-doped carbon nanofibers (CoSe@NC NFs) are successfully by combining the techniques of electrospinning and annealing. Selenium powder are directly dispersed in the polyacrylonitrile /N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) solution containing cobalt salt to form the product. The performance of these materials was investigated in Li-ion batteries after the annealing at different temperatures. The CoSe@NC nanofibers annealed at 550 °C (CoSe@NC-550) and displayed excellent storage properties, affording a high capacity of 796 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 1 A·g−1 for 100 cycles. Moreover, it is confirmed that the pseudocapacitive contribution of CoSe@NC-550 is up to 72.8% at the scan rate of 1 mV/s through the cyclic voltammetry analysis.

Baicalin is the major component found in Scutellaria baicalensis root, a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine, which exhibits strong anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-tumor activities. The present work was devoted to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of Baicalin against diabetes-induced oxidative damage, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Diabetic mice, induced by streptozotocin (STZ), were treated with intraperitoneal Baicalin injections. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured either in normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mM) or high glucose (HG, 33 mM) medium in the presence or absence of Baicalin for 72 h. We observed an obvious inhibition of hyperglycemia-triggered oxidative damage and inflammation in HUVECs and diabetic aortal vasculature by Baicalin, along with restoration of hyperglycemia-impaired nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) pathway activity. However, the protective effects of Baicalin almost completely abolished in HUVECs transduced with shRNA against Nrf2, but not with nonsense shRNA. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that HG decreased Akt and GSK3B phosphorylation, restrained nuclear export of Fyn and nuclear localization of Nrf2, blunted Nrf2 downstream target genes and subsequently induced oxidative stress in HUVECs. However, those destructive cascades were well prevented by Baicalin in HUVECs. Furthermore, LY294002 and ML385 (inhibitor of PI3K and Nrf2) attenuated Baicalin-mediated Nrf2 activation and the ability of facilitates angiogenesis in vivo and ex vivo. Taken together, the endothelial protective effect of Baicalin under hyperglycemia condition could be partly attributed to its role in downregulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation via the Akt/GSK3B/Fyn-mediated Nrf2 activation.

As a promising material for sodium-ion batteries, molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) affords excellent electrochemical performance owing to its large surface area and the accelerated electron transport within individual layers. However, it suffers from slow reaction kinetics and agglomeration owing to low conductivity and high surface energy. In this work, nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber@MoS2 nanosheets arrays with S-vacancies (NC@MoS2-VS) are developed via a process involving electrospining, hydrothermal and annealing. When served as an anode material for SIBs, this material displays a superior capacity of 495 mAh g−1 over 100 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1, and the pseudocapacitive contribution is up to 74.4% as revealed by the cyclic voltammogram (CV) at 1 mV s−1. The theoretical calculations show that the presence of sulfur vacancies facilitates the adsorption of Na+ and enhances the conductivity of MoS2. This work may pave a new avenue to develop other types of metal sulfides for high-performance SIBs.

The NASICON-type NaTi2(PO4)3 has drawn much attention as anode material for sodium-ion batteries owing to its stable structural characteristics and low cost. Nevertheless, the insulating property of NaTi2(PO4)3 and the high working potential of about 2.1 V vs. Na+/Na lead to its poor cycling stability, low rate performance as well as inferior capacity. In this work, we synthesize the porous NaTi2(PO4)3@C nanocubes by hydrothermal method and a subsequent coating process with using oleic acid as the carbon source. When utilized as the anode for sodium-ion battery in the voltage range between 0.01 V and 3.0 V, The as-synthesized porous NaTi2(PO4)3@C nanocubes deliver a discharge capacity of 201 mAh·g−1 at the current density of 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles. Additionally, the reserved capacity of 140 mAh·g−1 could be achieved at the current density of 1 A g−1 after 1000 cycles.

MoO2@N-doped C nanofibers (MoO2@NC NFs) were synthesized by electrospinning with polyacrylonitrile as carbon source. The in situ formed MoO2 nanocrystals are completely embedded in the carbon nanofibers, which can not only accelerate ion transition, but also act as a buffer to avoid the mechanical degradation of active material due to the volume changes during charge/discharge cycling. When used as the anode material for both Li/Na-ion batteries, the as-synthesized MoO2@NC NFs displayed excellent Li+/Na+ storage properties. As the anode for Li-ion battery, the MoO2@NC NFs display a high discharge capacity of 930 mA h g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 for 100 cycles, and 720 mA h g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 for 600 cycles. Moreover, the discharge capacity of 350 mA h g−1 could be realized at a current density of 100 mA g−1 for 200 cycles for Na-ion battery.

MnO@C nanocomposites are synthesized by annealing MnO microspheres treated with oleic acid as carbon source. The obtained MnO@C nanocomposites exhibit a discharge capacity of 1075 mAh/g for the initial cycle, and show the excellent cycling performance with a discharge capacity of 421 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g. The total specific capacity of MnO@C nanocomposites is higher than those of pure MnO microspheres in our experiments. Owing to the superior electrochemical behavior, the as-obtained MnO@C nanocomposites are potentially applied as next-generation anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Uniform Co3O4–SnO2 nanoboxes have been synthesized successfully by a facile annealing treatment. Their hollow and cubic structure can be retained successfully during calcination. Due to their hollow structure and PN junction, these Co3O4–SnO2 nanobox sensors can detect H2S with high sensitivity at a low temperature of 180 °C. In addition, it was found that the Co3O4–SnO2 nanobox sensors obtained at a higher annealing temperature displayed a higher sensitivity and lower recovery time to H2S in a temperature range of 500 to 700 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to confirm that the changes in resistance and the high sensitivities of the sensors are significantly attributable to the transformation of Co3O4 to CoSx with high conductivity under an H2S atmosphere.

Studies regarding macroautophagic/autophagic regulation in endothelial cells (ECs) under diabetic conditions are very limited. Clinical evidence establishes an endothelial protective effect of metformin, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether metformin exerts its protective role against hyperglycemia-induced endothelial impairment through the autophagy machinery. db/db mice were treated with intravitreal metformin injections. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured either in normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mM) or high glucose (HG, 33 mM) medium in the presence or absence of metformin for 72 h. We observed an obvious inhibition of hyperglycemia-triggered autophagosome synthesis in both the diabetic retinal vasculature and cultured HUVECs by metformin, along with restoration of hyperglycemia-impaired Hedgehog (Hh) pathway activity. Specifically, deletion of ATG7 in retinal vascular ECs of db/db mice and cultured HUVECs indicated a detrimental role of autophagy in hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction. Pretreatment with GANT61, a Hh pathway inhibitor, abolished the metformin-mediated downregulation of autophagy and endothelial protective action. Furthermore, GLI-family (transcription factors of the Hh pathway) knockdown in HUVECs and retinal vasculature revealed that downregulation of hyperglycemia-activated autophagy by the metformin-mediated Hh pathway activation was GLI1 dependent. Mechanistically, GLI1 knockdown-triggered autophagy was related to upregulation of BNIP3, which subsequently disrupted the association of BECN1/Beclin 1 and BCL2. The role of BNIP3 in BECN1 dissociation from BCL2 was further confirmed by BNIP3 overexpression or BNIP3 RNAi. Taken together, the endothelial protective effect of metformin under hyperglycemia conditions could be partly attributed to its role in downregulating autophagy via Hh pathway activation. Abbreviations: 3-MA = 3-methyladenine; 8×GLI BS-FL = 8×GLI-binding site firefly luciferase; AAV = adeno-associated virus; AAV-Cdh5-sh-Atg7 = AAV vectors carrying shRNA against murine Atg7 under control of murine Cdh5 promoter; AAV-Cdh5-sh-Gli1 = AAV vectors carrying shRNA against murine Gli1 under control of murine Cdh5 promoter; AAV-Cdh5-Gli1 = AAV vectors carrying murine Gli1 cDNA under the control of murine Cdh5 core promoter; ACAC = acetyl-CoA carboxylase; Ad-BNIP3 = adenoviruses harboring human BNIP3`; Ad-GLI1 = adenoviruses harboring human GLI1; Ad-sh-ATG7 = adenoviruses harboring shRNA against human ATG7; Ad-sh-BNIP3 = adenoviruses harboring shRNA against human BNIP3; Ad-sh-GLI = adenoviruses harboring shRNA against human GLI; AGEs = advanced glycation end products; ATG = autophagy-related; atg7flox/flox mice = mice bearing an Atg7flox allele, in which exon 14 of the Atg7 gene is flanked by 2 loxP sites; BafA1 = bafilomycin A1; BECN1 = beclin 1; CDH5/VE-cadherin = cadherin 5; CASP3 = caspase 3; CASP8 = caspase 8; CASP9 = caspase 9; ECs = endothelial cells; GAPDH = glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GCL = ganglion cell layer; GFP-LC3B = green fluorescent protein labelled LC3B; HG = high glucose; Hh = Hedgehog; HHIP = hedgehog interacting protein; HUVECs = human umbilical vein endothelial cells; IB4 = isolectin B4; INL = inner nuclear layer; i.p. = intraperitoneal; MAP1LC3/LC3 = microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAN = mannitol; MET = metformin; NG = normal glucose; ONL = outer nuclear layer; p-ACAC = phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase; PECAM1/CD31= platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1; PRKAA1/2 = protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunits alpha 1/2; p-PRKAA1/2 = phosphorylated PRKAA1/2; PTCH1 = patched 1; RAPA = rapamycin; RL = Renilla luciferase; SHH = sonic hedgehog; shRNA = short hairpin RNA; sh-PRKAA1/2 = short hairpin RNA against human PRKAA1/2; scrambled shRNA = the scrambled short hairpin RNA serves as a negative control for the target-specific short hairpin RNA, which has the same nucleotide composition as the input sequence and has no match with any mRNA of the selected organism database; SMO = smoothened, frizzled class receptor; sqRT-PCR = semi-quantitative RT-PCR; TEK/Tie2 = TEK receptor tyrosine kinase; Tek-Cre (+) mice = a mouse strain expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the promoter/enhancer of Tek, in a pan-endothelial fashion; TUNEL = terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end labeling

A Weyl semimetal can be considered as a system composed of two Weyl cones breaking time-reversal symmetry, which exhibits strong anisotropic hyperbolic characteristics. The off diagonal components of the permittivity tensor of a Weyl semimetal produce the Faraday and Kerr effects. In this paper, we investigate the Goos–Hanchen (GH) shifts when a light is reflected from the interface of air and a Weyl semimetal. It is demonstrated that the angular GH shift is still tiny; however, the spatial GH shift can be huge and is very sensitive to change in the incident angle. The spatial GH shift can change from positive to negative with an increase in the incident angle. The spatial GH shifts vary at different distances of two Weyl cones and thicknesses of a Weyl semimetal film. Furthermore, the tunable GH shift can be realized by changing the tilting parameter and Fermi energy. These adjustable and giant GH shifts may find practical applications in optical shift devices and optical sensors.

A three-dimensional flower-shaped iron molybdate microsphere (3D-FIMMS) and a zero-dimensional iron molybdate nanoparticle (0D-IMNP) were successfully synthesized by a rapid and environment friendly microwave irradiation method. The 3D-FIMMS crystal growth was investigated by changing the microwave heating time. The gas sensing performances of various morphologies of iron molybdate were studied. The results showed that 3D-FIMMS sensors exhibited excellent gas sensing properties compared with the 0D-IMNP sensors, in which response value reached 13.5 for 50 ppm H 2 S gas. Meanwhile, the 3D-FIMMS sensors displayed high selectivity to H 2 S. The experimental results indicated an efficient and eco-friendly approach to realize promising sensing performance to H 2 S gas.

V2O5-decorated α-Fe2O3 composite nanorods were synthesized successfully by electrospinning and an environmentally-friendly soak-calcination method. The composite showed high selectivity and stability to diethylamine gas as well as ultra fast response times within 2 s to 100 ppm diethylamine gas.

Baicalin is the major component found in Scutellaria baicalensis root, a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine, which exhibits strong anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-tumor activities. The present work was devoted to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of Baicalin against diabetes-induced oxidative damage, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Diabetic mice, induced by streptozotocin (STZ), were treated with intraperitoneal Baicalin injections. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured either in normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mM) or high glucose (HG, 33 mM) medium in the presence or absence of Baicalin for 72 h. We observed an obvious inhibition of hyperglycemia-triggered oxidative damage and inflammation in HUVECs and diabetic aortal vasculature by Baicalin, along with restoration of hyperglycemia-impaired nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) pathway activity. However, the protective effects of Baicalin almost completely abolished in HUVECs transduced with shRNA against Nrf2, but not with nonsense shRNA. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that HG decreased Akt and GSK3B phosphorylation, restrained nuclear export of Fyn and nuclear localization of Nrf2, blunted Nrf2 downstream target genes, and subsequently induced oxidative stress in HUVECs. However, those destructive cascade, were well prevented by Baicalin in HUVECs. Furthermore, LY294002 and ML385 (inhibitor of PI3K and Nrf2) attenuated Baicalin mediated Nrf2 activation and the ability of facilitates angiogenesis in vivo and ex vivo. Taken together, the endothelial protective effect of Baicalin under hyperglycemia condition could be partly attributed to its role in downregulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation via the Akt/GSK3B/Fyn-mediated Nrf2 activation.

Regarding the shortcomings of the cross-coupling control structure during the start-up of a multi-motor with load—namely, a large synchronization error and a long start-up time—this paper proposes a fuzzy self-adjusting cross-coupling control structure. This structure combines a fuzzy self-adjusting filter and an advanced synchronization compensator. The fuzzy self-adjusting filter adjusts the “softened speed”, a newly established concept, so that each motor follows the trajectory of the softened speed during start-up, thus effectively reducing the synchronization error of the starting process. The advanced synchronization compensator is added to shorten the adjusting time of the motors. In addition, this paper analyzes the synchronization performance of the structure when the steady state is interrupted by a sudden step of load. Finally, this paper establishes an experimental platform for a synchronous speed control system for a permanent magnet synchronous motor, and verifies the effectiveness of the proposed structure and the correctness of the theoretical analysis through performing experiments.

SnSb alloys with high theoretical capacities for lithium-ion batteries always suffer from the quick capacity fading owing to their huge volume change. In this study, SnSb nanoparticles are fixed in the nanochannels of flexible mats composed of graphene, and multichannel porous carbon nanofiber mats which are prepared by electrospinning and subsequent thermal treatment at 700 °C in Ar/H 2 . The flexible mats can be bent for 180 degree without any crack and can be unfolded as usual. As binder-free anodes, the mats with suitable ratio of GO in precursor solution show discharge capacity of 617 mA h/g at 300th cycle at a current density of 100 mA/g, much higher than those similar nanofibers added with more or less GO. The flexible mats can deliver a rate capacity of 369 mA h/g at a current density of 2 A/g, also higher than those similar nanofibers. The electronic tests show that the graphene asrising from GO can linearly improve the conductivity of the mats. The enhanced properties of Sn x Sb-graphene-carbon flexible mats can be attributed to the improved conductivity and mechanical property due to the presence of graphene, the multichannels to accommodate the volume change of Sn x Sb during lithiation/delithiation, and carbon nanofiber mats to provide high-way and diffusion channels for electrons and ions. It is believed that the electrospinning method combined with graphene could be a useful approach to prepare flexible mats for supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells.