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To establish a nomogram for predicting central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) based on the preoperative clinical and multimodal ultrasound (US) features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and cervical LNs.Overall, 822 patients with PTC were included in this retrospective study. A thyroid tumor ultrasound model (TTUM) and thyroid tumor and cervical LN ultrasound model (TTCLNUM) were constructed as nomograms to predict the CLNM risk. Areas under the curve (AUCs) evaluated model performance. Calibration and decision curves were applied to assess the accuracy and clinical utility.For the TTUM training and test sets, the AUCs were 0.786 and 0.789 and bias-corrected AUCs were 0.786 and 0.831, respectively. For the TTCLNUM training and test sets, the AUCs were 0.806 and 0.804 and bias-corrected AUCs were 0.807 and 0.827, respectively. Calibration and decision curves for the TTCLNUM nomogram exhibited higher accuracy and clinical practicability. The AUCs were 0.746 and 0.719 and specificities were 0.942 and 0.905 for the training and test sets, respectively, when the US tumor size was ≤ 8.45 mm, while the AUCs were 0.737 and 0.824 and sensitivity were 0.905 and 0.880, respectively, when the US tumor size was8.45 mm.The TTCLNUM nomogram exhibited better predictive performance, especially for the CLNM risk of different PTC tumor sizes. Thus, it serves as a useful clinical tool to supply valuable information for active surveillance and treatment decisions.• Our preoperative noninvasive and intuitive prediction method can improve the accuracy of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) risk assessment and guide clinical treatment in line with current trends toward personalized treatments. • Preoperative clinical and multimodal ultrasound features of primary papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors and cervical LNs were directly used to build an accurate and easy-to-use nomogram for predicting CLNM. • The thyroid tumor and cervical lymph node ultrasound model exhibited better performance for predicting the CLNM of different PTC tumor sizes. It may serve as a useful clinical tool to provide valuable information for active surveillance and treatment decisions.

Objective Fluoride (F)-releasing restoratives typically are either weak mechanically or release only low levels of F ions. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a novel photo-cured nanocomposite with strong mechanical properties and high levels of sustained F ion release via a two-step “co-precipitation + spray-drying” technique to synthesize CaF2 nanoparticles (nCaF2); and (2) investigate the effect of spray-drying treatment after co-precipitation of nCaF2 on mechanical properties and F ion release of composite. Methods Two types of CaF2 particles were synthesized: A co-precipitation method yielded CaF2cp; “co-precipitation + spray-drying” yielded nCaF2cpsd. Composites were fabricated with fillers of: (1) 0% CaF2 + 70% glass; (2) 10% CaF2cp + 60% glass; (3) 15% CaF2cp + 55% glass; (4) 20% CaF2cp + 50% glass; (5) 10% nCaF2cpsd + 60% glass; (6) 15% nCaF2cpsd + 55% glass; and (7) 20% nCaF2cpsd + 50% glass. A commercial F-releasing nanocomposite served as control. Results The nCaF2cpsd had much smaller particle size (median = 32 nm) and narrower distribution (22–57 nm) than CaF2cp (median = 5.25 μm, 162 nm–67 μm). The composite containing nCaF2cpsd had greater flowability, flexural strength, elastic modulus and hardness than CaF2cp composite and commercial control composite. At 84-day immersion in water, the nanocomposites containing 20% nCaF2cpsd had 65 times higher cumulative F release, and 77 times greater long-term F-release rate, than commercial control. Conclusions A novel two-step “co-precipitation + spray-drying” technique of synthesizing nCaF2 was developed. The photo-cured nanocomposite containing 20% nCaF2cpsd possessed strong mechanical properties and excellent long-term F-release ability, and hence is promising for dental restoration applications to inhibit secondary caries.

To improve the stability and sensitivity of pH sensors based on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), we proposed a modified sensing structure by integrating a reference HEMT device. This structural pH sensor exhibits a typical Nernstian behavior with a sensitivity of 54.38 mV/pH, which is higher than the value of 49.43mV/pH derived from the AlGaN/GaN HEMT-based sensor without integrating the reference HEMTs device. Furthermore, the stability of the new structural sensor is enhanced by approximately 19.2% in comparison with that of its traditional counterpart. The improved performances are analyzed using an electrical double-layer model together with an equivalent circuit model, and we find that the new sensor structure has a larger capacitor and exhibits a better rectification effect, hence decreasing the electrical noise and enhancing the stability of the testing signal. Meanwhile, the new sensor structure displays a smaller equivalent resistance and results in a larger available output current, hence exhibiting a higher sensitivity.

The objectives were to: (1) develop a new nanostructured dental adhesive with antibiofilm and remineralization properties using dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) and nanoparticles of calcium fluoride (nCaF2); (2) investigate the effects on dentin bond strength and Streptococcus mutans biofilms. Bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and methacryloyloxy ethyl phthalate formed the adhesive. Biofilm colony-forming units (CFU), metabolic activities, biomass, and acid-production were measured. Adding nCaF2 and DMAHDM into adhesive did not compromise the dentin bond strength (p > 0.1). The nCaF2 + DMAHDM-containing adhesive decreased biofilm CFU by 4 logs, with tenfold reduction in acid-production, compared to control (p

Many chemotherapeutic drugs and photosensitizers suffer from poor solubility, unspecific delivery and uncontrollable release, which severely impede their biomedical applications. Herein, we designed a type of ROS-cleavable hydrophilic diselenide nanoparticles through self-assembling of PEG-modified camptothecin (CPT, a hydrophobic drug) and meso‑tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine (TCPP, a hydrophobic photosensitizer). The TCPP@SeSe-CPT nanomedicine (particle size: 116.5 ± 1.9 nm) has stability for long-time blood circulation. Near-infrared (NIR) laser-triggered generation of ROS from TCPP can efficiently break the ROS-sensitive diselenide bond, which induces the decomposition of TCPP@SeSe-CPT nanomedicine for concurrent release of CPT and TCPP. Moreover, the released amounts of CPT and TCPP can be regulated by adjusting the NIR laser irradiation time. Such NIR-controlled release of CPT and TCPP can give rise to on-demand synergistic chemo-/photodynamic therapeutic effects for maximized tumor growth suppression with minimized side effects. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this work, a ROS-cleavable diselenide nanoparticle was designed and successfully self-assembled with the hydrophobic drug camptothecin and photosensitizer TCPP into a hydrophilic TCPP@SeSe-CPT nanomedicine. Compared with traditional drug delivery systems, TCPP@SeSe-CPT nanomicelles could reduce premature drug release and co-deliver hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs/photosensitizers to tumors, which yielded a NIR-controlled synergistic chemo-/photodynamic therapeutic effect. Since diselenide bond is more sensitive than the traditional disulfide bond, under the 660 nm laser irradiation (300 mW/cm

To comprehensively understand the chemical constituents of the edible mushroom Agrocybe salicacola and their biological functions, a phytochemical separation of the cultural broth of A. salicacola led to the isolation of four new illudane sesquiterpenoids, agrocybins H-K (1-4), along with 10 known analogues (5-14). Compounds 2-4 were racemates of which 2 and 3 were further separated into single enantiomers as 2a/2b and 3a/3b. All new structures with absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of an extensive spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemistry calculations. Compound 1 possesses a new carbon skeleton that might be derived from the protoilludane backbone. Compounds 1, 5, 8, and 9 show a certain degree of cytotoxicity to five human cancer cell lines. Compound 1 shows a mild inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production with an IC50 value of 31.4 μM. It is concluded that A. salicacola is rich in illudin derivatives with potential bioactivity prospects, which would make A. salicacola a good material of medicine and food homology.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of rituximab in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy by using a Meta-analysis of the literature. METHODS: Databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, Weipu, China Biomedical, PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrial.gov were searched. From the establishment of the database to December 31, 2019 on rituximab clinical studies on the treatment of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy. The clinical activity score of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy before and after treatment was used as the main judgment index of curative effect. The retrieved clinical studies were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 statistical software. RESULTS: Six studies were included, two were randomized controlled trials, and four were cohort studies. Meta analysis showed that the application of rituximab in the treatment of moderate to severe thyroid associated ophthalmopathy can significantly reduce the clinical activity score of patients, and has statistical significance \〖SMD=-5.04, 95% CI(-7.08 to -3.01), PCONCLUSION: Rituximab can significantly reduce the clinical activity score of patients with moderate to severe thyroid associated ophthalmopathy, and has a good effect on disease control.

Two skeletally novel tetracyclic diterpenoids, psathyrins A (1) and B (2), have been characterized from cultures of the basidiomycete Psathyrella candolleana. Their structures including absolute co...

Eight previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids, tremutins A-H (1-8), together with three known ones (9-11), were isolated from cultures of the basidiomycetes Irpex lacteus. Structures of the new compounds together with absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffractions and equivalent circulating density calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 possess an unusual 6/7-fused ring system that might be derived from a tremulane framework. Compounds 3-7 and 9-11 are tremulane sesquiterpenoids of which 4 and 5 are the first tremulane examples with a 1,2-epoxy moiety to be reported. Compounds 6, 7, 10, and 11 possess weak activities to several human cancer cell lines. Compound 8 shows a weak inhibitory effect on NO production with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 22.7 μM. Compound 1 inhibits the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proliferation of B lymphocyte cells with an IC50 value of 22.4 μM, while 2 inhibits concanavalin A (Con A)-induced T cell proliferation and LPS-induced B lymphocyte cell proliferation with IC50 values of 16.7 and 13.6 μM, respectively.

The survey on the effect of university students' study visits in this study is based on the statistical and survey data of A University, which involves the statistics of study visits from 2015-2019, and 180 students and teachers' questionnaires from 13 visiting universities were completed. The main findings are that the overall evaluation satisfaction of the effect of study visits reached 97%, among which the recognition of professional knowledge and study ability improvement reached about 70%, and the participating students strengthened their awareness of further study and increased The study proposes to promote the study visits of university students in Xinjiang. The study proposes the main suggestions to promote the improvement of the effect of study visits for college students in Xinjiang universities, which are to moderately increase the difficulty of professional courses in Xinjiang universities, to increase the support for study visits by means of special scholarships, and to actively develop the scope of study visits and exchanges, etc.

In the context of high-quality development of education, vigorously promoting the construction of new agricultural science is the need to serve the national strategy and rural revitalization, and is an inevitable choice for the development of agriculture-related colleges and universities. Exploring a new path of agricultural science construction that is in line with both national policies and local socio-economic development, and cultivating high-quality agricultural talents is a realistic problem that needs to be solved at present. This paper adopts inductive method through interviews with experts from agriculture-related colleges and universities, research institutes, industry enterprises and government authorities, and expert discussion sessions, and proposes that the construction of new agricultural science in Xinjiang needs to adopt such paths as innovative talent cultivation system, innovative talent practice platform, innovative curriculum system, innovative teacher team construction, innovative research platform for rural revitalization, and support for the construction of Xinjiang New Agricultural Science Education Union to achieve high-quality talent cultivation and enhance the ability to serve rural revitalization. This study tries to propose a new construction path for the construction of Xinjiang agricultural science, explore a new track for agriculture-related colleges and universities to serve the needs of rural strategy and shape a new development momentum.

Fungi are widely distributed in the terrestrial environment, freshwater, and marine habitat. Only approximately 100,000 of these have been classified although there are about 5.1 million characteristic fungi all over the world. These eukaryotic microbes produce specialized metabolites and participate in a variety of ecological functions, such as quorum detection, chemical defense, allelopathy, and maintenance of symbiosis. Fungi therefore remain an important resource for the screening and discovery of biologically active natural products. Sesquiterpenoids are arguably the richest natural products from plants and micro-organisms. The rearrangement of the 15 high-ductility carbons gave rise to a large number of different skeletons. At the same time, abundant structural variations lead to a diversification of biological activity. This review examines the isolation, structural determination, bioactivities, and synthesis of sesquiterpenoids that were specially produced by fungi over the past five years (2015–2020).

MET401 is a potent and selective c-Met inhibitor with a novel triazolopyrimidine scaffold. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of MET401 in preclinical species, and to identify the metabolic soft spot and enzyme involved, in order to help medicinal chemists to modify the compound to improve the pharmacokinetic profile. A metabolite identification study was performed in different liver fractions from various species. Chemical inhibition with selective cytochrome P450 (CYP) and molybdenum hydroxylase inhibitors was carried out to identify the enzyme involved. The deuterium substitution strategy was adopted to reduce metabolism. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed in rats to confirm the effect. Although M-2 is a minor metabolite in liver microsomal incubations, it became the predominant metabolite in incubations with liver S9, cytosol, hepatocytes and rat pharmacokinetic study. M-2 was synthesized enzymatically and the structure was identified as a mono-oxidation on the triazolopyrimidine moiety. The M-2 formation was ascribed to aldehyde oxidase (AO)-mediated metabolism based on the following evidence—M-2 production was NADPH independent, pan-CYP inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole and xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol did not inhibit M-2 formation, and AO inhibitors menadione and raloxifene inhibited M-2 formation. The deuterated analog MET763 demonstrated an improved pharmacokinetic profile with lower clearance, longer terminal half-life and double oral exposure compared with MET401 in rats. These results indicate that the main metabolic pathway of MET401 is AO-mediated metabolism, which leads to poor in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles in rodents. The deuterium substitution strategy could be used to reduce AO-mediated metabolism liability.

AlGaN/GaN FinMISHFETs with m-plane sidewall surface channel and various fin widths ( $\text{W}_{\textsf {fin}}$ ) were fabricated and characterized. The investigated devices have much higher current drivability due to the uniform and smooth surface of m-plane than those with the a-plane sidewall surface channel. The AlGaN/GaN FinMISHFETs with $\text{W}_{\textsf {fin}}$ smaller than 36 nm exhibit normally-off operation, high Ion/Ioff ratio of 108, and remarkable subthreshold swing (SS) smaller than 40 mV/decade in the wide current range of at least three orders. Combined with a positive threshold voltage, SS values smaller than 60 mV/decade in a wide current rage of at least three orders are among the world’s best subthreshold characteristics. Furthermore, when $\text{W}_{\textsf {fin}}$ is 31 nm, the off-state drain current is as low as 10–12 A. We show that this sharp switch is due to the simultaneous turn-on of the 2-D electron gas and the m-plane sidewall surface channel. The simulation results are carried out to show the gate-induced variation of the electron concentration within the fin structure, and the assumption of considering gate width as a function of gate bias is also developed to explain the reason for deep sub-60mV/decade in the demonstrated devices.

AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors with fin structures (AlGaN/GaN MIS-FinFETs) were fabricated and characterized by changing fin width and using different dielectric layers. The FinFET with 20 nm-thick SiO2 dielectric layer exhibits a very small subthreshold swing (SS) of 56 mV/decade. However, the threshold voltage of the device is too low to ensure low off-state leakage current (at the gate voltage of 0 V), even though the fin width of the device is reduced to 30 nm, which would not meet the requirement for low standby power consumption. On the other hand, the FinFET with a 10 nm-thick Al2O3 dielectric layer and a much wider fin width of 100 nm shows normally-off operation with a threshold voltage of 0.8 V, SS of 63 mV/dec, and very low off-state current of 1 nA/mm. When the fin width is reduced to 40 nm, the threshold voltage of the FinFET is increased to 2.3 V and the SS is decreased to 52 mV/decade. These excellent switching performances convince us that the FinFETs might be promising either for low voltage logic or for efficient power switching applications. The observed SS values, which are smaller than the theoretical Boltzmann limit (60 mV/decade), can be explained by the concept of the voltage-dependent effective channel width.

Decays in the roots of teeth is prevalent in seniors as people live longer and retain more of their teeth to an old age, especially in patients with periodontal disease and gingival recession. The objectives of this study were to develop a biocompatible nanocomposite with nano-sized calcium fluoride particles (Nano-CaF2), and to investigate for the first time the effects on osteogenic and cementogenic induction of periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) from human donors.Nano-CaF2 particles with a mean particle size of 53 nm were produced via a spray-drying machine.Nano-CaF2 was mingled into the composite at 0%, 10%, 15% and 20% by mass. Flexural strength (160 &plusmn, 10) MPa, elastic modulus (11.0 &plusmn, 0.5) GPa, and hardness (0.58 &plusmn, 0.03) GPa for Nano-CaF2 composite exceeded those of a commercial dental composite (p &lt, 0.05). Calcium (Ca) and fluoride (F) ions were released steadily from the composite. Osteogenic genes were elevated for hPDLSCs growing on 20% Nano-CaF2. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) peaked at 14 days. Collagen type 1 (COL1), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and osteopontin (OPN) peaked at 21 days. Cementogenic genes were also enhanced on 20% Nano-CaF2 composite, promoting cementum adherence protein (CAP), cementum protein 1 (CEMP1) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) expressions (p &lt, 0.05). At 7, 14 and 21 days, the ALP activity of hPDLSCs on 20% Nano-CaF2 composite was 57-fold, 78-fold, and 55-fold greater than those of control, respectively (p &lt, 0.05). Bone mineral secretion by hPDLSCs on 20% Nano-CaF2 composite was 2-fold that of control (p &lt, 0.05). In conclusion, the novel Nano-CaF2 composite was biocompatible and supported hPDLSCs. Nano-CaF2 composite is promising to fill tooth root cavities and release Ca and F ions to enhance osteogenic and cementogenic induction of hPDLSCs and promote periodontium regeneration.

The objectives were to investigate a novel combination of gene-knockout with antimicrobial dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) composite in regulating oral biofilm from a cariogenic state toward a non-cariogenic state. A tri-species biofilm model included cariogenic Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), and non-cariogenic Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) and Streptococcus gordonii (S. gordonii). Biofilm colony-forming-units (CFUs), lactic acid and polysaccharide production were measured. TaqMan real-time-polymerase-chain reaction was used to determine the percentage of each species in biofilm. The rnc gene-knockout for S. mutans with DMAHDM composite reduced biofilm CFU by five logs, compared to control (p &lt, 0.05). Using parent S. mutans, an overwhelming S. mutans percentage of 68.99% and 69.00% existed in biofilms on commercial composite and 0% DMAHDM composite, respectively. In sharp contrast, with a combination of S. mutans rnc knockout and DMAHDM composite, the cariogenic S. mutans percentage in biofilm was reduced to only 6.33%. Meanwhile, the non-cariogenic S. sanguinis + S. gordonii percentage was increased to 93.67%. Therefore, combining rnc-knockout with bioactive and therapeutic dental composite achieved the greatest reduction in S. mutans, and the greatest increase in non-cariogenic species, thereby yielding the least lactic acid-production. This novel method is promising to obtain wide applications to regulate biofilms and inhibit dental caries.

In this work, threshold voltage modulation realized by adjusting fin width and dielectric layer were investigated through MIS-FinFETs. As fin width decreases from 120 to 30 nm, threshold voltage shifts toward positive direction and finally becomes positive value while maintaining SS smaller than 60 mV/dec. The phenomenon of achieving sub-60 mV/dec characteristics were illustrated by simulation and the concept of effective channel length. As for dielectric layer, by 20 nm-thick SiO 2 dielectric layer, device with fin width of 90 nm exhibits a threshold voltage of −0.5 V with SS as small as 50 mV/dec. Even when fin width is 30 nm, drain leakage is still not small enough when VG = 0, which indicates that the gate is not able to totally deplete the fin structure. In order to further increase threshold voltage and enhance the gate controllability, by 10 nm-thick Al 2 O 3 dielectric layer, a threshold voltage of 2 V is achieved when fin width is 40 nm with SS as small as 52 mV/dec due to the higher dielectric constant and thinner thickness of Al 2 O 3 compared with SiO 2 . Therefore, by the modulation of fin width, dielectric layer type, and dielectric thickness, threshold voltage can be carefully designed according to the application requirements while maintaining SS below 60 mV/dec.

Fluoride (F)-releasing restoratives typically are either weak mechanically or release only low levels of F ions. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a novel photo-cured nanocomposite with strong mechanical properties and high levels of sustained F ion release via a two-step "co-precipitation + spray-drying" technique to synthesize CaFTwo types of CaFThe nCaFA novel two-step "co-precipitation + spray-drying" technique of synthesizing nCaF

Two skeletally novel tetracyclic diterpenoids, psathyrins A (

Eight previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids, tremutins A-H (

Spontaneous intramural hematoma of the alimentary canal has rarely been reported. We present two cases in which anticoagulation therapy brings spontaneous intramural hematoma of the alimentary canal. In one case, the lesion was located in the ileum, and the other was located in the ascending colon and distal ileum. Both patients were cured through conservative treatment. We suggest that increased attention should be paid if a patient has acute abdominal pain with a history of oral anticoagulant therapy, and the diagnosis of spontaneous intermural hematoma should be considered.

To support urban sustainable development, cities need innovative green logistics solutions to meet the needs of economic development. Crowdshipping is regarded as a promising sustainable freight solution. This article aims to assess the feasibility of implementing intercity express crowdshipping using private vehicle traveling. The crowdshipping carrier, who drives his or her private vehicle and travels on the intercity route, carries out the express delivery task between the regional cargo center and the dispatch center along the route. The feasibility assessment covers three parts. First, face-to-face interview and stated preference survey are used to investigate the willingness and preferences of express companies and car owners to participate in crowdshipping activities, respectively. Then, it calculates the environmental benefit and economic benefit brought by the crowdshipping mode in comparison with the traditional mode. The results show that the express companies are willing to pay 30 yuan for each car participating in the crowdshipping activities, and there are considerable numbers of car owners to support this crowdshipping activity, and this crowdshipping activity could bring positive impacts on environment as well as corporate economics. It is hoped that the research could enrich the knowledge of the development of green logistics.

The preparation of highly active hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst is of vital importance for the production of ultra-clean fuel. Herein, nanosheet assemblies MOR were employed as support to prepare series of NiW catalyst with different Ni/W ratio (NiW/NS-MOR). After impregnation of Ni and W species and sulfidation, the obtained NiW/NS-MOR catalyst showed an increasing activity in the HDS of the refractory 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene with the rise of the Ni content in the prepared NiW catalysts, and reached the maximum HDS activity at the Ni/W ratio of 0.55. Also, the reaction rate constant and TOF on NiW/NS-MOR-0.55 (11.1 × 10−4 mol g−1 h−1 and 3.3 h−1) were much higher than those on NiW/γ-alumina catalyst (8.1 × 10−4 mol g−1 h−1 and 2.2 h−1). All the prepared supported-NiW catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray powder diffraction, Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction by H2, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Characterization results show that the increase in Ni/W for the prepared catalyst weakened the interaction of the tungstate oxide species with NS-MOR, and then more tungstate oxide species were transformed into stacked and highly active Type II NiWS active phase, improving the HDS activity of the catalyst.

Crystalline TS-1 zeolite nanorod (NTS-1) assemblies were successfully synthesized. NTS-1 possesses a hierarchically porous structure and a large nanoporous surface area. Following impregnation with Co and Mo species and sulfidation, the obtained catalyst (CoMoS2/NTS-1) shows higher activity in the hydrodesulfurization of refractory 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene than the γ-Al2O3, mesoporous zeolite ZSM-5, and Silicalite-1 (MZSM-5 and M-Silicalite-1), as well as binary SiO2–TiO2 supported catalysts. In the absence of mass transfer, the reaction rate constant on CoMoS2/NTS-1 (9.5 × 10−2 μmol∙g−1∙s−1) is much higher than those on CoMoS2/γ-Al2O3, CoMoS2/M-Silicalite-1, CoMoS2/MZSM-5, and CoMoS2/SiO2-TiO2 catalysts (4.2 × 10−2, 7.9 × 10−2, 8.7 × 10−2, and 7.0 × 10−2 μmol∙g−1∙s−1). Characterization results show that the framework Ti species in NTS-1 intensify the interaction of the Mo species with NTS-1, resulting in a sulfided catalyst with a less stacked and shorter MoS2 phase. This exposes more brim sites for hydrogenation, improving the hydrodesulfurization activity of the catalyst.

Objective Composites with remineralizing and antibacterial properties are favorable for caries inhibition. The objectives of this study were to develop a new bioactive nanocomposite with remineralizing and antibiofilm properties by incorporating dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) and nano-calcium fluoride (nCaF2). Methods nCaF2 was produced via a spray-drying method and integrated at 15% mass fraction into composite. DMAHDM was added at 3% mass fraction. Mechanical properties and F and Ca ion releases were assessed. Colony-forming units (CFU), lactic acid and metabolic activity of biofilms on composites were performed. Results The new composites had flexural strengths of (95.28±6.32) MPa and (125.93±7.49) MPa, which were within the ISO recommendations. Biofilm CFU were reduced by 3–4 log (p Conclusions New nanocomposites were developed with good mechanical properties, potent antibacterial activity against salivary biofilms, and high F and Ca ion releases with potential for remineralization. Clinical Significance Novel nanocomposites using nCaF2 and DMAHDM were developed with potent antibacterial and remineralizing effects and high F and Ca ion releases. They are promising to inhibit recurrent caries, promote remineralization, and possess long-term sustainability.

Two different types of GaN-based nanostructure FETs, such as FinFETs and gate-all-around (GAA) nanowire FETs, have been investigated along with discussing their important performances for a possible new application. The GaN-based FinFETs have better electrostatic control compared to conventional planar-type GaN-based HEMTs, which offers great performance improvement such as very low off-state leakage current, high breakdown voltage, high linearity with broad transconductance. Recent investigation demonstrated that an appropriately designed AlGaN/GaN-FinFETs could exhibit low saturation drain voltage and very fast switching characteristics with subthreshold swing of sub-60 mV dec, which indicates that they can be a promising candidate for low voltage/power logic application. GAA GaN nanowire FETs have even better electrostatic control and exhibit excellent device performances showing their potential low voltage/power logic applications. For clear understanding of the device performances, simulation including two models concerning the multi-level trapping effects and the self-heating effects has been conducted, which leads to good agreement with the experimental results. Negative transconductance and offset-like output characteristics, observed in the narrow nanowire devices, have been well explained using the deep trapping effect and the built-in potential at ohmic contact. Scaling of the nanowire FET has been implemented such as channel length, doping concentration, and diameter of nanowire, which helps to predict further improvement of the device performance.

Background: Few studies have focused on peripheral nerve conduction during exposure to microgravity. The −6° head-down tilt (HDT) comprises an experimental model used to simulate the space flight environment. This study investigated nerve conduction characteristics of rhesus monkeys before and after prolonged exposure to HDT. Methods: Six rhesus monkeys (3–4 years old) were tilted backward 6° from the horizontal. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were performed on the median, ulnar, tibial, and fibular motor nerves. Analysis of variance with a randomized block design was conducted to compare the differences in the NCS before and 7, 21, and 42 days after the −6° HDT. Results: The proximal amplitude of the CMAP of the median nerve was significantly decreased at 21 and 42 days of HDT compared with the amplitude before HDT (4.38 ± 2.83 vs. 8.40 ± 2.66 mV, F = 4.85, P = 0.013 and 3.30 ± 2.70 vs. 8.40 ± 2.66 mV, F = 5.93, P = 0.004, respectively). The distal amplitude of the CMAP of the median nerve was significantly decreased at 7, 21, and 42 days of HDT compared with the amplitude before HDT (7.28 ± 1.27 vs. 10.25 ± 3.40 mV, F = 4.03, P = 0.039; 5.05 ± 2.01 vs. 10.25 ± 3.40 mV, F = 6.25, P = 0.04; and 3.95 ± 2.79 vs. 10.25 ± 3.40 mV, F = 7.35, P = 0.01; respectively). The proximal amplitude of the CMAP of the tibial nerve was significantly decreased at 42 days of HDT compared with the amplitude before HDT (6.14 ± 1.94 vs. 11.87 ± 3.19 mV, F = 5.02, P = 0.039). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the compound muscle action potential amplitudes of nerves are decreased under simulated microgravity in rhesus monkeys. Moreover, rhesus monkeys exposed to HDT might be served as an experimental model for the study of NCS under microgravity. Key words: Compound Muscle Action Potential; Head-down Tilt; Microgravity; Nerve Conduction; Nerve Conduction Velocity