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Glutamine, like glucose, is a major nutrient consumed by cancer cells, yet these cells undergo glutamine starvation in the cores of tumors, forcing them to evolve adaptive metabolic responses. Pharmacologically targeting glutamine metabolism or withdrawal has been exploited for therapeutic purposes, but does not always induce cancer cell death. The mechanism by which cancer cells adapt to resist glutamine starvation in cisplatin-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) also remains uncertain. Here, we report the potential metabolic vulnerabilities of A549/DDP (drug-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines) cells, which were more easily killed by the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) during glutamine deprivation than their parental cisplatin-sensitive A549 cells. We demonstrate that phenotype resistance to cisplatin is accompanied by adaptive responses during glutamine deprivation partly via higher levels of autophagic activity and apoptosis resistance characteristics. Moreover, this adaptation could be explained by sustained glucose instead of glutamine-dominant complex II-dependent oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Further investigation revealed that cisplatin-resistant cells sustain OXPHOS partly via iron metabolism reprogramming during glutamine deprivation. This reprogramming might be responsible for mitochondrial iron-sulfur [Fe-S] cluster biogenesis, which has become an “Achilles’ heel,” rendering cancer cells vulnerable to DFO-induced autophagic cell death and apoptosis through c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. Finally, in vivo studies using xenograft mouse models also confirmed the growth-slowing effect of DFO. In summary, we have elucidated the adaptive responses of cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cells, which balanced stability and plasticity to overcome metabolic reprogramming and permitted them to survive under stress induced by chemotherapy or glutamine starvation. In addition, for the first time, we show that suppressing the growth of cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cells via iron chelator-induced autophagic cell death and apoptosis was possible with DFO treatment. These findings provide a solid basis for targeting mitochondria iron metabolism in cisplatin-resistant NSCLC for therapeutic purposes, and it is plausible to consider that DFO facilitates in the improvement of treatment responses in cisplatin-resistant NSCLC patients.

Due to the advantages of narrow energy distribution of plasmonic hot-electrons in Ag and the high density of states in the TiO2 conduction band, an Ag/TiO2 composite is considered to be an ideal combination to construct a plasmonic hot-electron photodetector with high detectivity and a high response speed. In this work, we fabricate a porous Ag/TiO2-Schottky-diode based plasmonic hot-electron photodetector. This detector shows a high detectivity of 9.8 × 1010 cmHz1/2/W and a fast response speed, with a rise and fall time of 112 μs and 24 μs, respectively, under 450 nm light illumination at zero bias voltage. In addition, the height of the Ag/TiO2 Schottky barrier can be decreased by removing the chemisorbed oxygen from the surface of TiO2 with ultraviolet light illumination, and as a result, the responsivity of the Ag/TiO2 plasmonic hot-electron photodetector at 450 nm can increase from 3.4 mA/W to 7.4 mA/W.

The Cu-Ga-S/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) emitting green-to-red light are successfully synthesized by the conventional hot-injection method. In the preparation process, 1-dodecanethiol (DDT) is not only used as the solvent but also the sulfur precursor and ligand. Therefore, all reactants are additives, which can reduce solution contamination. The peak wavelength of Cu-Ga-S/ZnS QDs' emission can be tuned from 520 to 619 nm by changing Cu/Ga stoichiometry. And these quantum dots have narrow full-width at half maximum wavelength of about 75 nm. Furthermore, a white quantum-dot-based light-emitting diode is obtained by depositing the yellow Cu-Ga-S QDs on a blue InGaN chip.

Ga2S3 quantum dots are successfully synthesized by the one-pot method. Compared with Ga2S3 bulk materials, Ga2S3 quantum dots can dramatically enhance the fluorescence performance. The Ga2S3 quantum dots have a quantum efficiency of up to 25.7%. They can emit light from blue to yellow by adjusting the feed Ga/S ratio. Their luminescence might be related to the donor levels and acceptor level caused by defects. These Ga2S3 quantum dots are potential optoelectronic materials and fluorescent probe materials.

LaF3 nanocrystals (NCs) are usually used as good host matrix for down-conversion phosphors owing to their impressive photophysical properties. In this study, Pr3+-activated LaF3 with hollow hexagon nanostructures (HHNs) is achieved by a green and eco-friendly hydrothermal method without any catalyst, template, or surfactant. The pore structure of the LaF3 HHNs is greatly affected by the content of Pr3+ ions and hydrothermal reaction time. The LaF3: Pr3+ NCs excited by 467 nm light show strong emission peaks locating in visible light region (centered at 612 and 635 nm) and the first biological window region (existed in 689 and 721 nm), respectively. The relative photoluminescence (PL) intensity of LaF3: Pr3+ NCs from 20 to 60 °C (biological temperature) decreases slightly and decreases only 20% at 120 °C. The PL emission intensity could reach the maximal value with doping ~ 1.5% Pr3+ ions. Based on the outstanding photophysical properties, LaF3: Pr3+ NCs will be used for both warm white light-emitting diodes and bio-imaging.

In this article, pure and tungsten-doped (W-doped) highly ordered two-dimensional (2D) vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanowire arrays were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal treatment, followed by a self-assembly progress and the in-situ high temperature treatment. The infrared photodetector devices based on monoclinic VO2 (VO2(M)) and W-doped VO2(M) nanowires were comparatively studied . It was found that the device based on W-doped VO2(M) nanowires exhibits a rapid infrared response and an enhanced photoelectric responsivity of 21.4 mA/W under the incident infrared light intensity of 280 mW/cm2, which is nearly two orders of magnitude superior to pure VO2(M) nanowire array. Our experimental results provided a direct and convenient path for design of future high-performance photodetector devices.

Herein, we report an enhanced tunable broadband wavelength-selective lead sulfide (PbS) film detector integrated with Au-nanorod arrays that were obtained by using an ultrathin open-ended porous titanium dioxide membrane (UOP-TM) as a mask. The responsivity of the PbS films with periodic Au-nanorods exhibits a drastic enhancement by up to 125%–175% due to the enhancement of the localized electromagnetic fields around the gold nanorods. Notably, the location of the strongest enhancement peak of photocurrent shifted from 450 to 980 nm as the height of the Au-nanorods increased from 30 to 120 nm. In addition, the responsivity and detectivity of the hybrid PbS film modified with 90 nm Au-nanorod arrays under laser illumination of 980 nm are as high as 944 mA W−1 and 1.72 × 1010 cm Hz1/2 W−1, respectively. These excellent figures-of-merit of the tunable broadband plasma-enhanced PbS films could be a promising candidate in future wavelength-selective photodetector applications.

A high strain sensor composed of elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyaniline (PANI) was fabricated by electrodeposition method for PANI preparation and daubing method for PDMS preparation. This kind of sensor could subject to a large tensile strain (∼50%) and revealed a high gauge factor (54 at 50% strain), which was higher than other sensors reported previously. Also, the sensor displayed a current with a magnitude of mA when applied to 1 V, indicating it didn't need expensive and huge test equipment. Moreover, cyclic strain on the sensor obtained repeatable resistive responses. Its work mechanisms were discussed. The flexible sensor was proved to be useful in sensing strains and other various applications.

A type of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector based on PbTe single-crystalline nanowires was prepared. I–V characteristics of the photodetector in the temperature range of 77–300 K were studied. Little dark current was achieved in MSM PbTe nanowire photodetector at low bias voltages due to the formation of back to back Schottky junctions between the PbTe nanowires and Au electrodes. The influences of light intensity, bias voltage, and temperature on the performance of PbTe nanowire photodetector were investigated. It was found that the photocurrent is linear to light intensity. The photosensitivity of the typical photodetector was about 50% and varied only slightly as a function of bias voltage. Moreover, this photodetector displayed a fast respond compared with nanoparticle photodetector due to the one dimensional structure and the high crystallinity of nanowires.

To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST36) on the ultrastructure and mitochondrial dynamics of skeletal muscle tissue in spleenTwenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal group, model group, ST36 group and non-acupoint group (The ATP content in skeletal muscle tissue of model group was significantly lower than that in the normal group (EA at ST36 can correct the imbalance of mitochondrial fission and fusion in skeletal muscle of rats with spleen qi deficiency, thereby improving the damage of mitochondrial structure and function, and leading to an increase of energy metabolism.

In this paper, we fabricate ordered pore array (OPA) Ag film coated glass with the aid of polystyrene sphere (PS) array templates. This kind of OPA Ag coated glass has optical advantages of visible transparency, blue and near-infrared resistance. The average visible transmittance is 68%, including a transmission peak of 78% located at 570 nm, and low average transmittance of 48% in the blue light region that is not damaging to the eyes. The near-infrared light blocking rate is 67%, among which 40% light is reflected directly, indicating the reflection domination.

Eu2+-activated phosphors are widely applied in lighting and display areas because of their good optical performance. In this paper, an excellent green-emitting zeolite-3A: 1.3 wt% Eu phosphor is prepared by a green and eco-friendly high-thermal reaction method without any reducing atmosphere or agents. Meanwhile, the reducing mechanism from Eu3+ ions to Eu2+ ions is investigated. The experiment results show that the morphology, crystal structure, and luminescent property are affected by sintering temperature. The resulting sample shows the broad excitation band is in the range of 310–450 nm and the peak of the broad emission band is located at 523 nm. Furthermore, zeolite-3A: 1.3 wt% Eu phosphor is encapsulated on a commercial UV-emitting chip to fabricate a purity green light-emitting diode (LED) with the Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates at (0.295, 0.537).

Large scale and highly ordered vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanowire arrays were successfully prepared. The nanowires were arranged parallel in the same direction and formed into a uniform and compact structure by using the improved self-assembly method. The V2O5 nanowire arrays were obtained from the in situ high temperature treatment of VO2(A) nanowire arrays. The as prepared V2O5 nanowire arrays show an excellent light response under visible light irradiation at room temperature. Experimentally, when the incident light intensity is 105 mW cm−2, the arrays exhibit a high responsivity of 160.3 mA W−1, a high detectivity of 6.5 × 108 Jones and a fast response time. These results pave the way for an effective approach to fabricate large-scale ordered semiconductor nanowire arrays and promising photoelectric detectors.

Uniform tellurium nanowires (NWs), nanotubes (NTs) and trifold nanorods (NRs) were synthesized using a facile, environmentally benign solvothermal method with ethylene glycol as solvent, polyvinylpyrrolidone as surfactant and non-hazardous ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. By adjusting the amounts of the surfactant and the reducing agent, Te NWs, NTs and trifold NRs were prepared. The diameter of the Te NWs and NTs are 30–40 nm and 120–150 nm, respectively. A morphology evolution diagram based on different amounts of polyvinylpyrrolidone and ascorbic acid aqueous solution are presented. The effects of temperature are also investigated meticulously. The growth mechanism of the Te NTs and trifold Te NRs are discussed based on the crystallization law. The photoelectrical properties of the Te NWs and trifold Te NRs were measured. The photocurrent and responsivity of the photodetector based on Te NWs are 0.17 mA and 25.8 A W−1, respectively.

Hexagonal Te nanotubes have been synthesized via hydrothermal method. To demonstrate the formation mechanism, the effect of experimental parameters, such as concentration, surfactant, reducing agent, and reaction time, has been investigated. It is found the Te-tubular nanostructure in our experiments is the result of synergistic effect of surfactant, reducing agent, and reaction agent. Further investigation on the photoluminescence (PL) of the Te nanotubes indicates a broad PL peak at about 532 nm (2.33 eV), which is about 6.6 times over its bandgap (0.32 eV). By analyzing the temperature-related Raman spectra, the PL peak has been tentatively ascribed to the surface oxygen-related defect of the Te nanotubes.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Zusanli" (ST 36) on mitochondrial oxidative stress of skeletal muscle in rats with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) based on adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/ peroxlsome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 α (PGC-1 α) signaling, in order to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of CFS.Forty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, CFS model, EA-Zusanli (ST 36) and EA-non-acupoint groups (Compared with the normal group, the grabbing force, and the expression levels of ATP synthase and PGC-1 α proteins and mRNAs were significantly decreased (EA of ST 36 can raise the grabbing force of CFS rats, which may be related to its effects in up-regulating the expression of ATP synthase mRNA, SIRT 1 and PGC-1 α proteins and mRNAs, and p-AMPK/AMPK to reduce mitochondrial oxidative stress reaction and in increasing ATP synthesis.

A number of epidemiological studies have established a link between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). So, nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays an important role in the treatment of AD. However, current PPARγ-targeting drugs such as thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are associated with undesirable side effects. We identified herbal extract with a small molecular, astragaloside IV (AS-IV), as a selective PPARγ natural agonist in nervous cells by developing a PPAR-PPRE pathway regulatory system. Cultured SH-SY5Y cells transfected with pEGFP-N1-BACE1 were treated with AS-IV for 24 h or AS-IV plus the PPAR-γ antagonist GW9662 in vitro. APP/PS1 mice were intragastrically treated with AS-IV or AS-IV plus the GW9662 every 48 h for 3 months. Immunofluorescence, western blotting, and real-time PCR were used to examine the expression of PPARγ and BACE1. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze the distribution of Aβ plaques in the APP/PS1 mouse brain. The levels of Aβ were determined using ELISA kits. AS-IV was shown to be a PPARγ agonist by establishing a high-throughput screening model for PPARγ agonists. The results showed that AS-IV treatment increased activity of PPARγ and inhibited BACE1 in vitro. As a result, Aβ levels decreased significantly. GW9662, which is a PPARγ antagonist, significantly blocked the beneficial role of AS-IV. In vivo, AS-IV treatment increased PPARγ and BACE1 expression and reduced neuritic plaque formation and Aβ levels in the brains of APP/PS1 mice. These effects of AS-IV could be effectively inhibited by GW9662. These results indicate that AS-IV may be a natural PPARγ agonist that suppressed activity of BACE1 and ultimately attenuates generation of Aβ. Therefore, AS-IV may be a promising agent for modulating Aβ-related pathology in AD.

Unidirectional light propagation phenomena are observed in the photonic crystal heterostructures based on anodic alumina membrane when the incident light illuminated from forward and backward directions. Transmittance / reflectance spectra measurements and theoretical calculations show that the origin of this kind of unbalanced reflection is ascribed to the energy loss induced by Rayleigh scattering. Importantly, unidirectional light propagation can be modulated over the whole visible light region by adjusting the combination of different photonic bandgap as well as the view angle. The as-prepared heterostructures may provide potential applications in direction-dependent photonic devices.

Acupuncture was proven beneficial in treating allergic inflammation. We aimed to explore the regulation underlying the effects of acupuncture on Feishu, an acupoint most commonly used in the acupuncture therapy for respiratory diseases, with respect to the system of sympathetic nerve neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach). Male Wistar rats were randomly grouping. No treatment was taken in the normal group. Allergic asthma was induced using ovalbumin on the model, Feishu acupuncture, and sham acupuncture groups; then control or acupuncture treatment lasting for 3 weeks was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the four groups was examined. And pulmonary tissues were subjected to histological analysis with HE staining; besides, immunofluorescent staining, quantitative PCR, and western blot were used to detect synthetase (ChAT) and Ach hydrolase (AchE), and its muscarinic receptors (mAchRs) M1-M3. There was inflammatory infiltration in the lung upon allergic asthma, which was alleviated by the Feishu acupuncture. The eosinophilic granulocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in BALF from the Feishu acupuncture group were all significantly decreased compared with those of the model and sham acupuncture groups. The specific acupuncture on Feishu upon allergic asthma put down the pulmonary expression of ChAT, repaired at the level of gene expression the pulmonary expression of mAchR M1, and restored the pulmonary expression of mAchR M2 (especially in the bronchiolar epithelium) which has a role in inhibiting Ach release; while sham acupuncture had no effect. These results confirmed the therapeutic effects of Feishu acupuncture on allergic asthma, suggesting that the mechanisms may involve suppression of the Ach signal both from its synthesis and during its release.

Although phototransistors for controlling photocurrent with electricity have been studied intensively for several decades, transistors with all-optical inputs that can control the photocurrent with light have not been investigated thus far. In this paper, a plasmonic porous Ag/TiO transistor is fabricated with all-optical inputs. One light input acts as the source to generate a plasmonic-hot-electron photocurrent, while the other gate light changes the current channel by adjusting the height of an Ag/TiO Schottky barrier. As a result, the plasmon-induced photocurrent generated by the source light can be enhanced by several to one hundred times by controlling the gate light. In addition to signal enhancement, the device can also be used for signal modulation and switching., This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No. 2012CB932303), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51701207, 51471162, 51502294, and 51671183), the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams, and the Foundation of Director of Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2016DFY20).

The magnetic nanoparticle (NP) chain has attracted great concern due to its potential applications in magnetic recording, electron nano-devices, micro-mechanical sensors, and drug delivery. Here, we demonstrate the controllable preparation of magnetic Ni NP chains using electrochemical corrosion methods. Ni/Cu multi-segmented nanowires (NW) were prepared by alternately depositing Ni and Cu into the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, then highly uniform Ni NP chains were obtained by immersing Ni/Cu NWs/AAO composite membrane in a 15 wt% NaOH solution for about 50 min. The reaction mechanism is proposed based on electrochemical corrosion, in which Cu serviced as the anode is corroded and Ni serviced as the cathode are retained in the NaOH electrolyte solution. Particle size and separation of the Ni NP chains can be easily adjusted and the smallest particle size and particle spacing reached to 6 nm and 15 nm, respectively. This strategy developed herein can be expected to be general route for the controllable fabrication of metallic NP chains.

Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) is a very important material with various outstanding properties. In this paper, a LiTaO3 microcube has been successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method at 220 °C. The microcube is about 1 μm in diameter. The structure is characterized by FESEM, TEM and Raman investigation, and the results suggest that the microcube is constructed by nanolayers. To clarify the growth mechanism of the layered microcube, a time-dependent FESEM investigation is performed. Further investigation of PL, dielectric and ferroelectric properties indicate that there are lots of oxygen related defects among the layers, which is helpful for increasing the Curie temperature. The LiTaO3 microcubes show application potential to be used as a pyroelectric detector material with high performance.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli"(ST 36) on Ghrelin/cAMP/PKA expression in the jejunum in rats with spleenForty male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:normal group, spleenHE staining showed that the intestinal villi of the model group were swelling, shortening and thickening, with a damaged or broken top-part in the model group, and basically restored to normal after EA treatment. ELISA results showed that the contents of Ghrelin, ATP and cAMP in the jejunum tissue were significantly lower in the model group than in the normal group (EA at ST 36 can improve the morphological changes in the jejunum of spleen

This communication reports an approach to fabricate large-scale ultrathin open-ended porous TiO2 membranes (UOP-TMs) with ordered straight-through pores. Bi nanodot arrays on Si substrates are obtained by using the UOP-TMs as surface patterning masks.

In this paper, we adopted a voltage compensation mode and prepared a porous anodic alumina oxidation template with very uniform pore diameter even when the pore length reaches to 60 μm. This compensation voltage mode can effectively compensate the uneveness of the pore size caused by ion concentration decrease at the bottom of the pores directly involved in the anodic oxidation in the continuously growing process of holes, and the chemical corrosion effect of the pre-formed hole by electrolyte. This very uniform pore diameter alumina oxidation template will be helpful for further studies on the properties related to diameter of nanowires.

One-dimensional noble-metal Ag nanoparticle chains have been prepared by electrodepositing Ag/Bi superlattice nanowires in a porous anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template and following an annealing process in vacuum. It is found that Bi, as a sacrificial metal, can be removed completely after annealing at 450 °C with a vacuum degree of 10(-5) Torr. The regulation of particle size, shape and interparticle spacing of Ag NP chains has been realized by adjusting the segment length of the Ag/Bi superlattice nanowires and the annealing condition. With an extension of the annealing time, it is observed that Ag particles display the transform trend from ellipsoid to sphere. Our findings could inspire further investigation on the design and fabrication of metal nanoparticle chains.

Objective To observe the effects of eye acupuncture on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rats after ischemia-reperfusion injury in order to study the mechanisms of eye acupuncture in improving ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham-operation group, a model group and an eye acupuncture group, with 8 rats in each. The cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model was established by thread occlusion method. Acupuncture at “liver”, “upper-jiao”, “lower-jiao”, and “kidney” was performed for 20 min in the eye acupuncture group immediateness, 12 h and 23.5 h after the reperfusion. After 24 h of the reperfusion, the neurophysical behaviors were evaluated by Zea Longa neurophysical impairment score; the expression of ischemic hippocampus BDNF mRNA was measured by RT-PCR; the expression of ischemic hippocampus BDNF protein was detected by Western blot technique. Results After reperfusion 24 h, compared with the model group, the neurologic impairment score of the eye acupuncture group decreased significantly (P Conclusion The eye acupuncture therapy is beneficial for neurofunctional rehabilitation by promoting the repair of the nerve cell which is induced by increasing hippocampus BDNF expression.

Based on the mechanism of action, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model for the depuration rate constants (k(d)) of 28 PAHs, 8 PBDEs and 28 PCBs in mussels (Elliptio complanata) was constructed by partial least squares (PLS) regression, following the guidelines for development and validation of QSAR models. For the training set of the QSAR model, r(2) = 0.953, the cross-validated regression coefficient (Q(CUM)(2)) was 0.947. The predicted log k(d) values for the validation set were consistent with the observed values, with a standard error (SE) of 0.160 log units and a squared correlation coefficient (Q(EXT)(2)) of 0.892. Comparatively, the developed QSAR model had good robustness, predictive ability and extended applicability domain. The electrophilicity index (omega), molecular polarizability (alpha), the averages of the negative potentials on the molecular surface ((V) over bar (-)(s)) and the balance parameter of surface potential (tau) were the key parameters governing the logk(d) values in the QSAR model, which indicated that the logk(d) value was mainly related to the partition ability, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waals interactions of compounds.

A novel ZnO rod-needle nanostructure with a gold nanoparticle on the tip has been prepared by combining electrochemical deposition and thermal evaporation methods. The morphologies were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It is found that only a single ZnO nanoneedle is located on the top of each ZnO nanorod. The density and length of this ZnO rod-needle nanostructure can be tuned feasibly. An intriguing phenomenon of crystal lattice rotation between ZnO nanoneedle and nanorod segments is observed and explained in detail. The adoption of ZnS as the source plays an important role in the formation of this structure and the rotation of crystal planes.