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Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic intestinal inflammation, resulting in a global healthcare challenge with no real specific medicine. Natural medicines are recognized as a potential clinical alternative therapy, but their applications are limited by poor solubility and low bioavailability. Results In this work, inspired by the natural medicines of ancient China, novel functional carbon dots derived from Magnetite and Medicated Leaven (MML-CDs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and confirmed their ultrasmall nano-size (3.2 ± 0.6 nm) and Fe doped surface structure, thereby with excellent gastrointestinal stability, remarkable capabilities in eliminating ROS, and highly biocompatibility. With no external stimuli, the oral administration of MML-CDs demonstrated obvious alleviation to UC. Further experiments pointed that MML-CDs could improve hemostasis capability, suppress inflammation reactions and oxidative stress, and up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins. Furthermore, MML-CDs also showed well regulation in the dysbiosis of intestinal flora. Conclusion Overall, above evidence reveals that green-synthesized MML-CDs can significantly alleviate intestinal bleeding, inhibit colon inflammation, and repair colonic barrier damage, further regulating intestinal flora and intestinal inflammation microenvironment. Our findings provide an efficient oral administration of MML-CDs as a novel therapy strategy for ulcerative colitis. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is endemic worldwide, seriously affecting the development of the pig industry, but vaccines have limited protective effects against PRRSV transmission. The aim of this study was to identify potential anti-PRRSV drugs. We examined the cytotoxicity of seven compounds formulated based on the mass ratio of glycyrrhizic acid to matrine and calculated their inhibition rates against PRRSV in vitro. The results showed that the seven compounds all had direct killing and therapeutic effects on PRRSV, and the compounds inhibited PRRSV replication in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The compound with the strongest anti-PRRSV effect was selected for subsequent in vivo experiments. Pigs were divided into a control group and a medication group for the in vivo evaluation. The results showed that pigs treated with the 4:1 compound had 100% morbidity after PRRSV challenge, and the mortality rate reached 75% on the 8th day of the virus challenge. These results suggest that this compound has no practical anti-PRRSV effect in vivo and can actually accelerate the death of infected pigs. Next, we further analyzed the pigs that exhibited semiprotective effects following vaccination with the compound to determine whether the compound can synergize with the vaccine in vivo. The results indicated that pigs treated with the compound had higher mortality rates and more severe clinical reactions after PRRSV infection (p

BackgroundDisporopsis, a member of the Liliaceae family and a perennial herb, is predominantly cultivated in southwestern and southeastern China. Its rhizome, referred to as Zhugenqi, serves as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb for the treatment of bone injuries. However, viral diseases have emerged as a significant challenge in the cultivation of Disporopsis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify and characterize viruses present in diseased samples of Disporopsis spp. using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to enhance the understanding of the virome associated with Disporopsis and to inform diagnostic and control strategies for viral diseases in this plant.MethodsDiseased samples of Disporopsis spp. were subjected to HTS and RT-PCR for virus identification. A total of five viruses were detected, including three novel viruses and two known viruses. The novel viruses were provisionally named Disporopsis chlorotic stripe virus (DCSV), Disporopsis pernyi-associated partitivirus (DaPTV), and Disporopsis pernyi-associated lispi-like virus (DaLV). Sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses were performed to confirm the novelty and taxonomic placement of these viruses.ResultsDCSV exhibited polyprotein sequence identities ranging from 47.6% to 83.6% with other potyviruses, with the highest identity (83.6%) shared with Polygonatum kingianum virus 5 (PKgV5). DaLV shared an amino acid sequence identity of 34.59% with maize suscal virus (MSV), and DaPTV shared an identity of 76.18–85.10% with Paris alphapartitivirus (ParAPV). Phylogenetic analyses supported the potential classification of the three novel viruses as new members of their respective genera. Two isolates of polygonatum mosaic-associated virus 1 (PMaV1) were identified in Disporopsis for the first time, showing divergences of 96.33% and 98.86% from existing isolates. RT-PCR analysis of 67 Disporopsis field samples collected from four cities in China revealed that more than half of the samples tested positive for at least one of the five viruses. PMaV1 and DaLV were the most prevalent, detected in 22 and 34 out of the 67 samples, respectively. Other viruses were detected at low rates and/or had limited distribution.ConclusionThis study provides insights into the virome infecting Disporopsis and offers valuable information for the diagnosis and control of viral diseases in this plant. The identification of five viruses, including three potential new members of their respective genera, contributes to the understanding of the viral threats to Disporopsis cultivation.

Fluorescent materials have garnered significant interest in optical display and information storage fields for their vibrant and distinct color presentation. Extensive research has been conducted on carbon-based fluorescent materials owing to their environmental sustainability, versatility, and adjustable optical properties. However, it is difficult to integrate high-resolution fluorescent structure on various wafer-level substrate for abundant optical display and information storage. This study successfully fabricated wafer-level carbon-based fluorescent flexible film with ∼100 μm thick using a standardized “lithography + annealing” process. The sample demonstrates high fluorescence intensity with a peak at 603 nm and fluorescence lifetime of 0.3517 ns. When excited by light of 365 nm, 485 nm, and 525 nm wavelengths, the film displays yellow, green, and red, showcasing exceptional color tuning capability. This flexible film is portable and can be readily integrated with various substrates, offering significant technical and theoretical support for advancing carbon-based optical display and information storage technologies.

Small private online course-based flipped teaching is an innovative hybrid instructional approach that merges online and offline activities, fostering autonomous learning among students prior to class and facilitating the assimilation of knowledge within the confines of the classroom. To determine the effectiveness of the small private online course‐based flipped teaching model on undergraduate nursing students' self-directed learning abilities, we performed a practice version of the small private online course‐based flipped teaching program as a quasi-experiment, specifically designed for the Surgical Nursing course and assessed its effectiveness in students' self-directed learning abilities. To this end, a total of 264 students from the 2019 nursing major cohort were selected. Three classes comprising 131 students were randomly selected as the experimental group, and three other classes, comprising 133 students, were set as the control group. The results revealed no significant differences in the scores of self-directed learning abilities between the experimental and control groups before the experiment. After the experiment, the average scores on each dimension of the self-directed learning abilities improved significantly, and the final score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. The small private online course‐based flipped teaching model can promote undergraduate nursing students’ self-directed learning abilities, owing to its practicality and feasibility for the selected course.

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid with powerful neuroprotective capacity. Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) is associated with oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and ceruloplasmin (CP) are the critical targets for oxidation reactions and iron transport. But the regulatory mechanism between them is still unclear. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in rats and oxygen and glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) model in PC12 cells were applied. Pathological tissue staining and biochemical kit were used to evaluate the effect of chrysin. The relationship between HIF-1α and CP was verified by transcriptomics, qRT-PCR and Western blot. In CIRI, HIF-1α/CP loop was discovered to be the regulatory pathway of ferroptosis. CIRI led to activation and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α, which promoted CP transcription and translation, and downstream ferroptosis. Inhibition of HIF-1α had opposite effect on CP and ferroptosis regulation. Overexpression of CP increased the expression of HIF-1α, nevertheless, inhibited the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α and alleviated CIRI. Silencing CP promoted HIF-1α elevation in nucleus and aggravated CIRI. Mechanistically, chrysin restrained HIF-1α nuclear translocation, thereby inhibiting CP transcription and translation, which in turn reduced downstream HIF-1α expression and mitigated ferroptosis in CIRI. Our results highlight chrysin restrains ferroptosis in CIRI through HIF-1α/CP loop.

Due to current issues of energy-level mismatch and low transport efficiency in commonly used electron transport layers (ETLs), such as TiO2 and SnO2, finding a more effective method to passivate the ETL and perovskite interface has become an urgent matter. In this work, we integrated a new material, the ionic liquid (IL) hexylammonium acetate (HAAc), into the SnO2/perovskite interface to improve performance via the improvement of perovskite quality formed by the two-step method. The IL anions fill oxygen vacancy defects in SnO2, while the IL cations interact chemically with Pb2+ within the perovskite structure, reducing defects and optimizing the morphology of the perovskite film such that the energy levels of the ETL and perovskite become better matched. Consequently, the decrease in non-radiative recombination promotes enhanced electron transport efficiency. Utilizing HAAc, we successfully regulated the morphology and defect states of the perovskite layer, resulting in devices surpassing 24% efficiency. This research breakthrough not only introduces a novel material but also propels the utilization of ILs in enhancing the performance of perovskite photovoltaic systems using two-step synthesis.

Since their introduction in the United States and Europe in 2007, electronic cigarettes (E-Cigs) have become increasingly popular among smokers. Nicotine, a key component in both tobacco and e-cigarettes, can exist in two forms: nicotine-freebase (FBN) and nicotine salts (NS). While nicotine salt is becoming more popular in e-cigarettes, the effect of nicotine salts on reinforcement-related behaviors remains poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the reinforcing effects of nicotine and nicotine salts in animal models of drug self-administration and explore potential mechanisms that may contribute to these differences. The results demonstrated that three nicotine salts (nicotine benzoate, nicotine lactate, and nicotine tartrate) resulted in greater reinforcement-related behaviors in rats compared to nicotine-freebase. Moreover, withdrawal-induced anxiety symptoms were lower in the three nicotine salt groups than in the nicotine-freebase group. The study suggested that differences in the pharmacokinetics of nicotine-freebase and nicotine salts in vivo may explain the observed behavioral differences. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the reinforcing effects of nicotine as well as potential differences between nicotine-freebase and nicotine salts.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a class of transmembrane proteins that can sense a variety of physical/chemical stimuli, participate in the pathological processes of various diseases and have attracted increasing attention from researchers. Recent studies have shown that some TRP channels are involved in the development of pathological scarification (PS) and directly participate in PS fibrosis and re-epithelialization or indirectly activate immune cells to release cytokines and neuropeptides, which is subdivided into immune inflammation, fibrosis, pruritus and mechanical forces increased. This review elaborates on the characteristics of TRP channels, the mechanism of PS and how TRP channels mediate the development of PS, summarizes the important role of TRP channels in the different pathogenesis of PS and proposes that therapeutic strategies targeting TRP will be important for the prevention and treatment of PS. TRP channels are expected to become new targets for PS, which will make further breakthroughs and provide potential pharmacological targets and directions for the in-depth study of PS.

The endothelium-specific inhibition of either of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes impairs endothelial-dependent vasodilatation (EDD), accompanied by decreased nitric oxide bioavailability in both human and mice endothelial cells.

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid compound that has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Cerebral ischemia reperfusion (CIR) is closely connected with increased oxidative stress in the hippocampal CA1 region and homeostasis disorder of transition elements such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). This exploration was conducted to elucidate the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of chrysin based on transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) in rats. Experimentally, sham group, model group, chrysin (50.0 mg/kg) group, Ginaton (21.6 mg/kg) group, Dimethyloxallyl Glycine (DMOG, 20.0 mg/kg) + chrysin group and DMOG group were devised. The rats in each group were performed to behavioral evaluation, histological staining, biochemical kit detection, and molecular biological detection. The results indicated that chrysin restrained oxidative stress and the rise of transition element levels, and regulated transition element transporter levels in tMCAO rats. DMOG activated hypoxia-inducible factor-1 subunit alpha (HIF-1α), reversed the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of chrysin, and increased transition element levels. In a word, our findings emphasize that chrysin plays a critical role in protecting CIR injury via inhibiting HIF-1α against enhancive oxidative stress and raised transition metal levels.

Hypertrophic scars (HSs) develop due to excessive collagen deposition and abnormal fibroblast proliferation during wound healing, significantly impacting patient quality of life. Three dosages of GA ointments were administered to rabbit ear HS models to investigate the potential efficacy and mechanism of gallic acid (GA) on HS. Daily application of ointment was performed on the matrix group, the GA ointment groups, and the silicone gel group for 28 days. (No drug treatment was performed on the skin and model groups as a blank group and vehicle group, and silicone gel ointment was topically administered to the silicone gel group as a positive control group.) Scar specimens were collected for histopathology analysis, RNA sequencing analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis at the first, second, and fourth weeks after the treatment. Low-dose and medium-dose GA effectively suppressed HS formation and markedly decreased fibroblast infiltration levels and scar thickness. Moreover, decreased expression of TRPC3 mRNA and TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, and Smad2/3 protein was observed in the low- and medium-dose GA groups and the silicone gel group. This study provides evidence for the efficacy of GA in treating HS and sheds light on its potential underlying pharmacological mechanisms.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have found widespread use in controlling the crystallization process of perovskites, optimizing the morphology and enhancing the device performance, especially in the one-step method. However, research regarding the effects of ionic liquids on perovskite devices prepared using the two-step method remains relatively scarce. Here, an IL 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate (HMIMBF4) is selected as an additive in the perovskite precursor solution for the fabrication of PSCs using the two-step method. Our study involves a systematic exploration of the precise effects of ILs on the morphology of perovskite thin films, defect density, and photovoltaic performance. IL HMIMBF4 is convincingly shown to possess a robust chemical affinity with perovskite components, thereby establishing a basis for the inhibition of ion migration. Concurrently, ILs play a pivotal role in governing the morphology of perovskite while also facilitating the conversion of lead iodide into the perovskite structure. Benefiting from the regulation of the perovskite morphology and defect states by IL HMIMBF4, the devices with an efficiency exceeding 23% is ultimately achieved. Our research provides a comprehensive comprehension and contributes to advancing the utilization of ILs in two-step photovoltaic devices.

AbstractThe reservoir gas disaster has distinct characteristics and is a key factor that threatens the safe and green mining of coal mines in the costorage area of coal and petroleum resources. In order to solve the problem of prevention and control of reservoir gas disasters in coal mines, the characteristics of oil-bed gas disasters in abandoned oil wells in coal mines were analyzed, and the oil-bed gas disaster mechanism of abandoned oil wells without isolation coal pillars was revealed to study the scope of gas disasters around oil wells under the influence of production. The research shows that: (1) abandoned oil well reservoir gas disasters have the characteristics of high gas pressure, high concentration, large lateral influence area, wide vertical sweep range, and frequent disasters, which seriously threaten the safety and green mining of coal mines; (2) divide the reservoir gas disaster of abandoned oil wells into the high-pressure gas disaster in the well and the disaster in the surrounding oil-bed gas enrichment area; (3) according to the numerical simulation results that the maximum damage depth of the coal seam mining floor is 38.6 m and the seepage height of high-pressure oil-bed gas is 40 m, the safety factor k is introduced, and the reservoir gas sweeping range of the abandoned oil well is determined to be 95.4 m below the coal seam to the surface; (4) the comprehensive prevention and control technical scheme of oil-bed gas for controlling high-pressure oil-bed gas in wells by ground plugging and downhole injection and injection of diluent to control enriched areas was proposed, which successfully solved the problem of safe and efficient exploitation of Shuangma coal mine in Ningdong coalfield by abandoned oil wells. The research results provide effective solutions for the realization of green mining in many coal mines in the costorage area of coal and oil resources in China and have important application value for the prevention and control of dynamic disasters in the costorage area of resources.

Coating products are widely used for the interior decoration of residential property. However, there is growing concern regarding their odor emissions and their impact on indoor air quality (IAQ). Most manufacturers and government agencies set odor intensity limits to control the odor of coating products, including their raw materials. However, it is difficult to determine product performance by means of their odor intensity index. Although evaluating odor intensity requires odor assessors to distinguish between different intensity levels, low consensus and reproducibility represent challenges that are difficult to avoid. As the odor concentration index only requires odor assessors to ascertain whether the odor is felt or not, the reproducibility of the evaluation results is relatively better. Moreover, suitable methodologies for determining odor concentrations in volatile coating product emissions have rarely been reported. Therefore, establishing an evaluation method for odor concentration of coating products and exploring its key influencing factors should bridge this gap. We examined the influence of the airbag material on the recovery rate of typical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using direct injection by GC-MS and established that their adsorption effects were in the order: PET > PVF > PTFE. We then explored the influences of the sample curing and odor emission times on odor concentration. The solvent-based and water-based coatings reached equilibrium after 8 h and 16 h curing, respectively, and after 8 h and 12 h odor emission, respectively. The odor concentrations of real coating samples were measured and compared against their odor intensities. The odor concentration method more accurately and reliably discriminated coating products than the odor intensity approach. Thus, to assist manufacturers in improving coating formulations to reduce the odor impact of coating products, we used headspace gas chromatography to determine the odor substances in water- and solvent-based coatings and analyzed the odor contribution of various volatile compounds using the odor activity value (OAV) method. Butyl acetate, ethylbenzene, and 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate were the key odorants in solvent-based coatings while 1-butanol, ethylbenzene, and butyl acetate were the key odorants in water-based coatings.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a typical pathological response during skin injury, which can lead to pain, itching, and contracture in patients and even affect their physical and mental health. The complexity of the wound healing process leads to the formation of HS affected by many factors. Several treatments are available for HS, whereas some have more adverse reactions and can even cause new injuries with exacerbated scarring. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a rich source, and most botanical drugs have few side effects, providing new ideas and methods for treating HS. This paper reviews the formation process of HS, the therapeutic strategy for HS, the research progress of TCM with its relevant mechanisms in the treatment of HS, and the related new drug delivery system of TCM, aiming to provide ideas for further research of botanical compounds in the treatment of HS, to promote the discovery of more efficient botanical candidates for the clinical treatment of HS, to accelerate the development of the new drug delivery system and the final clinical application, and at the same time, to promote the research on the anti-HS mechanism of multiherbal preparations (Fufang), to continuously improve the quality control and safety and effectiveness of anti-HS botanical drugs in clinical application.

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is one of the fundamental materials applied in the productions of batteries, vanadium-aluminium alloys, biomedicine, catalysis, etc. High purity V2O5 can be prepared from an intermediate product, namely ammonium polyvanadate (APV), using roasting after a drying process. In this paper, microwave heating was used as an alternative drying option for APV, which has advantages including selective heating, high heating efficiency, energy-saving, and environmental protection. The authors investigated the microwave heating characteristics of APV and discussed the effects of microwave power, the mass of APV, and initial water content on the efficiency of microwave drying. The dynamic analysis of the APV microwave drying process was also carried out. Four groups of thin-layer drying dynamic models, namely Modified-Page model, Verma model, Sickmplified-Fick's-diffusion model, and Two-term-exponential model, were fitted with the experimental data. Through comparison, the Modified Page model could better describe the microwave drying process of APV.

The substrate impurities scattering will lead to unstable temperature-sensitive behavior and poor linearity in graphene temperature sensors. And this can be weakened by suspending the graphene structure. Herein, we report a graphene temperature sensing structure, with suspended graphene membranes fabricated on the cavity and non-cavity SiO2/Si substrate, using monolayer, few-layer, and multilayer graphene. The results show that the sensor provides direct electrical readout from temperature to resistance transduction by the nano piezoresistive effect in graphene. And the cavity structure can weaken the substrate impurity scattering and thermal resistance effect, which results in better sensitivity and wide-range temperature sensing. In addition, monolayer graphene is almost no temperature sensitivity. And the few-layer graphene temperature sensitivity, lower than that of the multilayer graphene cavity structure (3.50%/°C), is 1.07%/°C. This work demonstrates that piezoresistive in suspended graphene membranes can effectively enhance the sensitivity and widen the temperature sensor range in NEMS temperature sensors.

A few mode fiber temperature sensor filled with PDMS based on vernier effect is proposed. It uses single mode fiber (SMF), few mode fiber (FMF), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form the SMF-air microcavity-FMF-PDMS-FMF structure. It is to slot the glass capillary tube, place the two FMFs in the slot at a suitable distance, and fill the slot with PDMS multiple times and seal it. The PDMS is used as a sensing microcavity. We insert the SMF from the other end of the glass capillary tube, adjust the distance, fix the SMF and seal the connection. Two end faces of the SMF and the first FMF form an air reference microcavity. Since the refractive index of each medium is different, multiple reflective surfaces are formed to reflect. Because the second FMF is infinitely long, whose right end is beveled, it is considered that the sensor has four reflected beams. When the temperature changes, the length and refractive index of the PDMS microcavity will change, which will cause a change in the interference spectrum of the sensor. And because the vernier effect is formed by the superposition of the two microcavities, the temperature sensitivity can be amplified and the temperature can be measured with high sensitivity. The experimental results show that in the range of 40–56°C, the transmission spectrum of the sensor appears red shift with the increase of temperature, and the temperature sensitivity can reach 3.89nm/°C. The sensor is simple to manufacture, has high sensitivity, and has good application prospects.

Applying microwave heating, in substitution for conventional industrial process heating, renders energy-saving and clean efficient for mineral reduction. In this work, the behavior of low-grade pyrolusite during microwave-assisted heating was systematically investigated, and the phase transformation of pyrolusite during the reduction process was characterized by TG-DTG-DSC and XRD; meanwhile, a model for the reduction mechanism was proposed, with a three-stage reduction process identified. Results indicated that manganese oxide (MnO) powder can be efficiently prepared, and the reduction ratio presented positive relationships with reduction temperature and heating time, obtaining with a high reduction ratio value of 94.4% achieved at 600 °C within a duration time of 40 min. XRD analysis confirmed that the phase transformation during the reduction process followed the conversion sequence as MnO2→Mn2O3→Mn3O4→MnO, and the iron oxides was almost converted to Fe3O4. It was proved that low-grade pyrolusite can be reduced effectively and efficiently to manganese oxide at lower temperature and shorter duration time by microwave heating.

Because of the shortage of natural rutile, synthetic rutile is a widely used substitute welding materials for natural rutile owing to its excellent mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, rutile TiO2 was prepared from oxidation roasting titanium slag, which can be used as special welding materials. The phase microstructure characteristics of the raw materials and the roasted samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis. Results indicated that the contents of sulfur (S) and carbon (C) in titanium slag decreased during oxidation roasting process, and the decreases of sulfur and carbon contents were mainly ascribed to the formation of corresponding oxides. XRD and FT-IR results revealed the formation of rutile TiO2 phase after titanium slag through oxidization roasting; additionally, observed from SEM patterns, the rutile TiO2 phase with a complex short rod-like crystal appeared in the products. Since the contents of sulfur (S), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) element were all below 0.030% in the prepared rutile TiO2 with the recommended roasting approach (roasted at 1100 °C for 120 min), the present work highlights that Panzhihua titanium slag is a potential resource of titanium for the manufacture of high-quality rutile TiO2 applicable for special welding materials industry.

Summary: During atherosclerosis plaque progression, pathological intraplaque angiogenesis leads to plaque rupture accompanied by thrombosis, which is probably the most important cause of arteries complications such as cerebral and myocardial infarction. Even though few treatments are available to mitigate plaque rupture, further investigation is required to develop a robust optimized therapeutic method. In this study using rabbit and mouse atherosclerotic models, sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS)-mediated sonodynamic therapy reduced abnormal angiogenesis and plaque rupture. Briefly, DVDMS is injected to animals, and then the plaque was locally exposed to pulse ultrasound for a few minutes. Furthermore, a small size clinical trial was conducted on patients with atherosclerosis. Notably, a significant reduction of arterial inflammation and angiogenesis was recorded following a short period of DVDMS-mediated sonodynamic therapy treatment. This beneficial outcome was almost equivalent to the therapeutic outcome after 3-month intensive statin treatment. Key Words: apoptosis-induced apoptosis, atherosclerotic plaque, endothelial cell, macrophage, neovascularization, sonodynamic therapy

To address the secondary pollution problem of chemical reduction and the defects of a long bioremediation period for the soil around a chromium (Cr) salt plant in China, calcium polysulfide (CPS) combined with biostimulation (adding nutrient solution with glucose and urea) was used to reduce and stabilize hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in the soil. The results showed that the remediation effect of adding CPS and nutrient solution was better than that of CPS alone for Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. An amount of 2.15% CPS with the Cr(VI) concentration reduced to approximately 330.0 mg/kg was selected as the optimal reducing agent dosage. Following the addition of 11 g/kg glucose and 13 g/kg urea, the degradation rate of Cr(VI) reached over 92% after 3 days, and the water-soluble fraction decreased by 95.6% after 40 days. The stability of the Cr was significantly enhanced. The correlation and regression analyses of Cr speciation indicated that the water-soluble fraction had significant negative correlations with the iron-manganese (Fe-Mn) oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction. There were significant negative correlations between the exchangeable fraction and the carbonate-bound fraction as well as extremely significant positive correlations between the Fe-Mn oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction. It was speculated that both the Fe-Mn oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction were transformed from the water-soluble fraction, and the exchangeable fraction and the carbonate-bound fraction were mutually transformed. This study enables us to acquire more knowledge about the speciation transformation of Cr in soil and provides an efficient, low-cost, and low-risk technology for the remediation of high Cr(VI)-contaminated soil.

In this paper, the effect of temperature on the corrosion behavior and corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plates were investigated by salt-spray corrosion, potential polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, the microstructure of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate after salt-spray corrosion was observed by scanning electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the composition of corrosion product. The results revealed that the corrosion products of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate were Al2O3 and AlOOH. Due to the galvanic corrosion of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate, the cathode underwent oxygen absorption corrosion during the corrosion process; therefore, the presence of moisture and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the corrosive environment had a great influence on the corrosion process. The increasing temperature would evaporate a large amount of moisture, resulting in the corrosion product—aluminum oxide dehydrated and covered the surface of the material in the process of salt-spray corrosion, which played a role in protecting the material. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate first decreased and then increased. In the salt-spray corrosion environment, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate reached the lowest at 45 °C, and its corrosion rate was the fastest, at 0.728 g/m2·h. The electrochemical corrosion occurred in the solution, and the impact was small; however, in addition to the protective corrosion products, the ion mobility in the solution also had a certain influence on the corrosion rate, and the ionic activity increased with the increase of temperature. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate gradually decreased as the temperature increased, and its corrosion resistance was the worst at 50 °C.

Supramolecular oleogel is a soft material with a three-dimensional structure, formed by the self-assembly of low-molecular-weight gelators in oils; it shows broad application prospects in the food industry, environmental protection, medicine, and other fields. Among all the gelators reported, amino-acid-based compounds have been widely used to form organogels and hydrogels because of their biocompatibility, biodegradation, and non-toxicity. In this study, four Nα, Nε-diacyl-l-lysine gelators (i.e., Nα, Nε-dioctanoyl-l-lysine; Nα, Nε-didecanoyl-l-lysine; Nα, Nε-dilauroyl-l-lysine; and Nα, Nε-dimyristoyl-l-lysine) were synthesized and applied to prepare oleogels in four kinds of vegetable oils. Gelation ability is affected not only by the structure of the gelators but also by the composition of the oils. The minimum gel concentration (MGC) increased with the increase in the acyl carbon-chain length of the gelators. The strongest gelation ability was displayed in olive oil for the same gelator. Rheological properties showed that the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the oleogels varied with the carbon-chain length of the gelators and the type of vegetable oil. The microstructure of oleogels is closely related to the carbon-chain length of gelators, regardless of oil type. The highest oil-binding capacity (OBC) was obtained in soybean oil for all four gelators, and Nα, Nε-dimyristoyl-l-lysine showed the best performance for entrapping oils.

Abstract Background At present, many laboratories and hospitals all over the world are attempting and exploring the clinical transformation of this tissue engineered bone graft (TEBG) strategy. Many successful cases of bone tissue engineering (BTE) repair were based on young individuals. But there are little studies about the effectiveness of TEBG strategy in physiological aged individuals. Methods In this research, we studied whether aging factor has influence on the skull repair effect of Fetal-TEBG, at the level of the large animal models. We used the fetal bone marrow stromal cells (Fetal-BMSCs) as the seed cells, combining the decalcified bone matrix (DBM) scaffolds, to repair the skull defects of the aged goats and the young goats. The repair effects on both aged goat and young goat were compared by Micro-CT and histology examination. Results The skull defects of the young goats could be repaired better than that of the aged goats after 6 months by Fetal-TEBG; In the aged goats, although not completely repaired, the defects repaired by Fetal-TEBG was better than that repaired by the Control DBM scaffold. Conclusions Aging factor has impact on the bone repair effect of Fetal-TEBG; and the BTE strategy is still efficacious even in the aged individuals. The improvement of the aged state may promote the repair effect of the BTE in the aged individuals.

Abstract Background Bone tissue engineering is not widely used in clinical treatment. Two main reasons hide behind this: (1) the seed cells are difficult to obtain and (2) the process of tissue engineering bone construction is too complex and its efficiency is still relatively low. It is foreseeable that in the near future, the problem of seed cell sources could be solved completely in tissue engineering bone repair. As for the complex process and low efficiency of tissue engineering bone construction, usually two strategies would be considered: (1) the construction strategy based on injectable bone tissue and (2) the construction strategy based on osteogenic cell sheets. However, the application of injectable bone tissue engineering (iBTE) strategy and osteogenic cell sheet strategy is limited and they could hardly be used directly in repairing defects of large segmental bone, especially load-bearing bone. Methods In this study, we built an osteogenic micro-tissue with simple construction but with a certain structure and composition. Based on this, we established a new iBTE repair strategy—osteogenic micro-tissue in situ repair strategy, mainly targeting at solving the problem of large segmental bone defect. The steps are as follows: (1) Build the biodegradable three-dimensional scaffold based on the size of the defect site with 3D printing rapid prototyping technology. (2) Implant the three-dimensional scaffold into the defect site. This scaffold is considered as the “steel framework” that could provide both mechanical support and space for bone tissue growth. (3) Inject the osteogenic micro-tissue (i.e., the “cell-extracellular matrix” complex), which could be considered as “concrete,” into the three-dimensional scaffold, to promote the bone tissue regeneration in situ. Meanwhile, the digested cells were injected as the compared group in this experiment. After 3 months, the effect of in situ bone defect repair of osteogenic micro-tissue and digested cells was compared. Results It is confirmed that osteogenic micro-tissue could achieve a higher efficiency on cell usage and has a better repair effect than the digested cells. Conclusions Osteogenic micro-tissue repairing strategy would be a more promising clinical strategy to solve the problem of large segmental bone defect.

Phenology is an indicator of crop growth conditions, and is correlated with crop yields. In this study, a phenological approach based on a remote sensing vegetation index was explored to predict the yield in 314 counties within the US Corn Belt, divided into semi-arid and non-semi-arid regions. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data product MOD09Q1 was used to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. According to the NDVI time series, we divided the corn growing season into four growth phases, calculated phenological information metrics (duration and rate) for each growth phase, and obtained the maximum correlation NDVI (Max-R2). Duration and rate represent crop growth days and rate, respectively. Max-R2 is the NDVI value with the most significant correlation with corn yield in the NDVI time series. We built three groups of yield regression models, including univariate models using phenological metrics and Max-R2, and multivariate models using phenological metrics, and multivariate models using phenological metrics combined with Max-R2 in the whole, semi-arid, and non-semi-arid regions, respectively, and compared the performance of these models. The results show that most phenological metrics had a statistically significant (p < 0.05) relationship with corn yield (maximum R2 = 0.44). Models established with phenological metrics realized yield prediction before harvest in the three regions with R2 = 0.64, 0.67, and 0.72. Compared with the univariate Max-R2 models, the accuracy of models built with Max-R2 and phenology metrics improved. Thus, the phenology metrics obtained from MODIS-NDVI accurately reflect the corn characteristics and can be used for large-scale yield prediction. Overall, this study showed that phenology metrics derived from remote sensing vegetation indexes could be used as crop yield prediction variables and provide a reference for data organization and yield prediction with physical crop significance.

A miniaturized double stop-band FSS for WLAN was proposed based on the structure of a ring patch with internal branches and a cross zigzag loaded line. This construction is obtained by using the multilayer connection method to paint the two layers of the patch that we designed on the top and bottom of the dielectric substrate to simulate the designed construction by using HFSS simulation. Analyzing the frequency response characteristics of the FSS indicates that the construction can generate two transmission band gaps at 1.92-2.17 GHz and 4.94-5.99 GHz in the WLAN wave. This construction has stronger polarization stability and angle stability when the incident electromagnetic wave is 0-60². It also has a simple construction, small size, and significant engineering application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]