Search

Deep models trained by using clean data have achieved tremendous success in fine-grained image classification. Yet, they generally suffer from significant performance degradation when encountering noisy labels. Existing approaches to handle label noise, though proved to be effective for generic object recognition, usually fail on fine-grained data. The reason is that, on fine-grained data, the category difference is subtle and the training sample size is small. Then deep models could easily overfit the noisy labels. To improve the robustness of deep models on noisy data for fine-grained visual categorization, in this paper, we propose a novel learning framework named ProtoSimi. Our method employs an adaptive label correction strategy, ensuring effective learning on limited data. Specifically, our approach considers the criteria of exploring the effectiveness of both global class-prototype and part class-prototype similarities in identifying and correcting labels of samples. We evaluate our method on three standard benchmarks of fine-grained recognition. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the existing label noisy methods by a large margin. In ablation studies, we also verify that our method is non-sensitive to hyper-parameters selection and can be integrated with other FGVC methods to increase the generalization performance.

Objective. To investigate the relationship between quantitative parameters of echocardiography and vascular endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and the predictive value of short-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Methods. From February 2018 to February 2020, 86 CHF patients in our hospital were selected as the observation group, and 46 healthy subjects were selected as the control group during the same period. Quantitative parameters of echocardiography (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular short-axis shortening rate (FS), and ratio of peak flow velocity between early and late mitral valve diastole (E/A)) and endothelial function indexes (endothelin-1 (ET-1)/nitric oxide (NO)) were compared between the two groups. The correlation between quantitative parameters of echocardiography and vascular endothelial function in patients with CHF was analyzed. A logistic regression equation was used to analyze the risk factors of MACE in patients with CHF. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the predictive value of quantitative parameters of echocardiography and NO/ET-1 for the risk of MACE in patients with CHF. Result. LVEF, FS, and NO/ET-1 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while E/A was higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). In CHF patients, LVEF and FS were positively correlated with NO/ET-1, while E/A was negatively correlated with NO/ET-1 ( P < 0.05 ). Logistic regression analysis showed that the decrease of LVEF, FS, NO/ET-1, and E/A were risk factors for MACE ( P < 0.05 ) after adjusting for age, body mass index, and cardiac function grading. The AUC value of short-term MACE predicted by quantitative parameters of echocardiography and NO/ET-1 combined was 0.883, with a corresponding sensitivity of 86.21% and specificity of 73.13%. Conclusion. Quantitative parameters of echocardiography in CHF patients are related to vascular endothelial function, and their combination can effectively predict the risk of MACE in the near future, providing reference for clinical treatment.

Low-valence titanium sulfides (LVTS) have metal-like electrical conductivities and a strong polysulfide binding abilities, which are promising anodes for sodium ion batteries with high capacities and long cycle lifes. However, it is difficult for traditional synthesis methods to synthesize LVTS without impurities. The electric field regulation method possesses the advantages of flexibility and high efficiency, achieving accurate control of the metal reduction process by adjusting the electrolysis potential and reaction time. In this work, we synthesized a series of LVTS (TiS and Ti

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are extremely promising for large-scale energy storage equipment owing to their low cost, high capacity, and safety. However, severe dendrite growth during repeated plating/stripping processes restricts their further development. Herein, a 3D heterogeneous metal protective layer is formed on the Zn surface through a self-assembly chemical reaction. The in situ formed heterogeneous metal layer (HML) possesses a large specific surface area and plenty of micropores, which can not only alleviate the volume expansion during cycles, but also can ensure excellent Zn2+ ion transfer and regulate the uniform stripping/plating of Zn2+ ions. More importantly, the Zn/Sn layer with high conductivity and strong zincophilic can further reduce the nucleation barrier, inhibit dendrite formation, and decrease hydrogen evolution. As a result, Zn/Sn symmetric cells exhibit a long life of more than 900 h at 1 mA h cm−1 with low voltage polarization. More impressively, Zn/Sn-CaV6O16·3H2O full cells demonstrate significantly enhanced cycle stability (800 cycles without capacity attenuation), which is much better than that of bare zinc. This facile and scalable strategy provides a universal design for dendrite-free zinc anodes.

A series of low-valence titanium oxides (TiO and Ti2O) were fabricated by the electric field control approach and their stoichiometric ratios were precisely regulated by adjusting the electrolytic voltage and time. The Na-storage behaviours of the low-valence titanium oxides were investigated for the first time. Compared to conventional TiO2, low-valence titanium oxides undergo conversion reactions with excellent electrochemical performances. The Ti2O electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 515 mA h g−1, outstanding rate capability of 173 mA h g−1 at 20 A g−1 and superior long-term cycling stability over 1800 cycles. Ex situ characterization reveals the reversible transformation of Ti2O to Ti and Na2O during repeated cycling. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the low Ti–O bond energy is in favor of the fracture and recombination of Ti–O bonds, resulting in high capacity through multi-electron conversion reactions. The high conductivity of low-valence titanium oxides is conducive to the rapid transfer of electrons, achieving high electrochemical utilization. In addition, the porous nanostructure generated in situ by chemical conversion reactions could improve Na+ diffusion kinetics and buffer volume changes during sodiation/desodiation processes, thus realizing superior cycling stability and ultrafast charge/discharge ability. Moreover, a full cell coupled with a carbon-coated Na3V2(PO4)3 (Na3V2(PO4)3/C) cathode was assembled, which exhibited a high reversible capacity of 258.4 mA h g−1 and extraordinary cycling performance of 86.5% capacity retention over 100 cycles, demonstrating the potential of low-valence titanium oxides in sodium ion batteries.

Social values of ecosystem services originate from human perceptions of ecosystem services and are defined as non-market values perceived by ecosystem stakeholders. Although it is widely recognized that the information of social value can provide assistance to stakeholders and decision makers in environmental management, this issue has received far less attention. This article uses the Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) method to analyze the assessment of social values of national park ecosystem services by residents with different environmental values and their relationship with surrounding natural resource conditions. According to the preference of the interviewed residents, it was found that the four most important types of social value are biodiversity value, aesthetic value, economic value, and recreation and wellness value. In terms of spatial distribution, the hot spots of social values show a pattern of “two cores and multiple centers”. The “two cores” are the Gutianshan National Nature Reserve and Qianjiangyuan National Forest Park, which are located at the north and south ends of the national park; the “multiple centers” include Kukeng, Xikeng, Xiachuan, Gaotiankeng villages in Changhong Township and Longkeng Village in the Hetian Township. By analyzing the relationship between the four social value types with higher preference and the resource environment (land use and elevation), the article found that social values are closely related to scenic spots, river water surface, reservoir water surface, forested land, tea plantations, and villages, and that they are mostly distributed in the range of 400 m to 600 m above sea level. The distribution of social values in the ecocentric subgroup is larger, covering almost the entire national park area. The transition of the value index is smoother, while the distribution of social values in the anthropocentric subgroup is relatively concentrated in one area.

Aims Previous studies have shown the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with low rates of obesity and ischaemic pathologies. Omega-3 also have anti-inflammatory and plaque-stabilization effects and regulate vasodilation and constriction. However, there are few studies of the role of omega-3 in flow-induced vasodilation involving Ca2+-permeable ion channel TRPV4 in high-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse. Here, we determined whether omega-3 protect against vascular dysfunction induced by a high-fat diet by enhancing TRPV4 activity and subsequently improving flow-mediated vasodilation. Methods and results Flow-mediated vasodilation in second-order mesenteric arteries from mice was measured using a pressure myograph. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration in response to flow and GSK1016790A (a TRPV4 agonist) was measured by Fluo-4 fluorescence. Whole-cell current was measured by patch clamp. Cell membrane tether force was measured by atomic force microscopy. Impairment of flow-mediated vasodilation in arteries and Ca2+ influx in endothelial cells from DIO mice was restored by omega-3 treatment. The improved flow-induced vasodilation was inhibited by the TRPV4 antagonist HC067047 and in TRPV4−/− mice. Omega-3 treatment enhanced endothelial TRPV4 activity and altered cell membrane mechanic property, as indicated by enhanced GSK1016790A-induced Ca2+ influx and whole-cell current and altered membrane mean tether force in endothelial cells from DIO mice. Conclusion Omega-3 improve vascular function by improving flow-induced vasodilation via enhancing TRPV4 activity in the endothelium of obese mice which may be related to improved cell membrane physical property. Activation of TRPV4 in endothelium plays an important role in the protective mechanisms of omega-3 against vascular dysfunction in obesity by improving flow-mediated vasodilation.

A covalent sulfur–carbon (covalent-SC) composite is successfully prepared in situ by a wet-chemical solvothermal method based on the strong interaction between carbon disulfide (CS2) and red phosph...

The insulation of S/Li2S and highly soluble nature of polysulfides largely limit the practical use of Li–S batteries. To overcome these issues, tremendous effort has been made for exploring efficient host materials and new battery construction. Herein, we propose to prepare high conductivity Ti2O by a molten salt electrochemical synthesis method; the synthesized Ti2O is developed to serve as an advanced host and used as a functional separator modification material for the first time. XPS analysis and DFT calculations verified that Ti2O can chemically anchor polysulfides through the abundant surface vacancies, and its high electronic conductivity can further enhance the redox kinetics of intermediate polysulfides. The cells based on the Ti2O–Super P/S cathode exhibit a high sulfur utilization and superb rate capability (553 mA h g−1 at 4C). Moreover, the cells assembled with a host-interlayer integrated electrode (2.5 mg cm−2) could achieve a low decay rate of 0.04% over 500 cycles at 0.5C. A high areal capacity of 6.8 mA h cm−2 can be also achieved even under 7.5 mg cm−2 sulfur loading. Overall, the controllable synthesis and application strategies of Ti2O present a way of regulation and optimization of the electrochemical performance of a Ti-based sulfur host through surface vacancy engineering for advanced Li–S batteries.

Enhanced phosphorus (7.2 wt%) and sulfur (15.7 wt%) co-doped carbon (PSC) is synthesized via a one-step sintering of carbon disulfide and red phosphorus in a vacuum. It is found that S atoms can act as immobilization sites for phosphorus by covalently bonding with P atoms in the form of C–S–P, and thus high-level doping of phosphorus can be realized. Owing to the high-level doping, this co-doped carbon shows enlarged interlayer spacing, improved charge transfer capability and strong adsorption of Na+ ions. When tested as an anode for sodium ion batteries, this PSC delivers a high reversible capacity of 513.8 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1, excellent rate capability of 181.8 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1 and superior cycling stability with a capacity of 290.1 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1.

The most critical obstacle preventing lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) from practical application is the shuttle effect. Herein, we present a zirconium based metal–organic framework (MOF) composite separator which effectively blocks polysulfides from shuttling without hampering the migration of lithium ions owing to the sieving effect of the MOFs. Moreover, owing to the high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1418 m2 g−1 and chemical interactions with zirconium and oxygen on the MOFs, the polysulfides can also be physically and chemically adsorbed on the surface of the MOFs, which further blocks the polysulfides from shuttling through the intergranular channels of the MOF particles. In addition, the wettability of the composite separator with the electrolyte is enhanced owing to the polar functional groups of –COOH and –OH on the MOFs. The battery with a composite separator delivers an initial discharge capacity of 1239 mA h g−1 at 0.2C and 1147.4 mA h g−1 at 0.5C. The reversible capacity is maintained at 964.1 mA h g−1 with an average fading of only 0.08% per cycle at 0.5C. The capacity at the 2C rate with the composite separator is 955.8 mA h g−1, which is far more than that of the pristine separator, which is 289.2 mA h g−1.

As the most prevalent valvular heart disease, calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a major health problem with risk of severe morbidity and mortality in the absence of effective medical treatment beyond surgical or interventional aortic valve replacement. The pathology involved in CAVD is multifactorial, including valvular endothelial cells damage, valvular interstitial cells differentiation, extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation, fibrosis and calcification. Various risk factors for CAVD have been reported, such as age, gender, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity and bicuspid aortic valves. Recently, diabetes mellitus has also been shown to accelerate the progression of CAVD. CAVD patients complicated with diabetes mellitus may benefit from early aortic valve replacement when compared with those without diabetes mellitus. Hence, diabetes mellitus is considered as an independent risk factor for CAVD. Therefore, in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of these two diseases and their relationship may help us find appropriate prevention and therapeutic strategies for CAVD patients complicated with diabetes mellitus.

Nanoengineering of metal electrodes are of great importance for improving the energy density of alkali-ion batteries, which have been deemed one of most effective tools for addressing the poor cycle stability of metallic anodes. However, the practical application of nanostructured electrodes in batteries is still challenged by a lack of efficient, low-cost, and scalable preparation methods. Herein, we propose a facile chemical dealloying approach to the tunable preparation of multidimensional Sb nanostructures. Depending on dealloying reaction kinetics regulated by different solvents, zero-dimensional Sb nanoparticles (Sb-NP), two-dimensional Sb nanosheets (Sb-NS), and three-dimensional nanoporous Sb are controllably prepared via etching Li-Sb alloys in H2O, H2O-EtOH, and EtOH, respectively. Morphological evolution mechanisms of the various Sb nanostructures are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. When applied as anodes for sodium ion batteries (SIBs), the as-prepared Sb-NS electrodes without any chemical modifications exhibit high reversible capacity of 620 mAh g-1 and retain 90.2% of capacity after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1. The excellent Na+ storage performance observed is attributable to the two-dimensional nanostructure, which ensures high degrees of Na+ accessibility, robust structural integrity, and rapid electrode transport. This facile and tunable approach can broaden ways of developing high performance metal electrodes with designed nanostructures for electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications.

Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia which is associated with higher risk of stroke, heart failure and all-cause mortality. Abnormal Ca2+ handling in diabetes mellitus (DM) can cause delayed depolarization involved with increased NCX activity. Complicated mechanisms are involved in atrial remodeling, of which CaMKII may be a key node signal. Therefore, we intend to explore whether CaMKII activation induces atrial electrical remodeling by regulating NCX expression in this study. Main methods Adult male SD rats were used to establish a diabetic rat model, divided into three groups: the control group, DM group and allopurinol group. Hemodynamic and ECG indicators were recorded, after which electrophysiological studies were conducted. The protein expression of CaMKII, p-CaMKII, XO, MnSOD and NCX was measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. H&E and Masson staining were applied for observing myocardial fibrosis. HL-1 cells were cultured for the measurement of ROS generation. Key findings The arrangement of atrial myocytes was disordered and the collagen volume fraction of the atrium tissue was elevated in the DM group compared with the control group, and improved by allopurinol. Higher incidence of inducible AF, reduced conduction velocity and higher conduction inhomogeneity were observed in diabetic rats. These electrophysiological abnormalities were accompanied by higher oxidative stress and protein expression of p-CaMKII and NCX. Allopurinol prevented the development of these abnormal changes. Significance Allopurinol can improve atrial electrical remodeling by inhibiting CaMKII activity and protein expression of NCX. These data indicate xanthine oxidase inhibition can reduce oxidative stress and ameliorate atrial electrical remodeling.

It is demonstrated that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs can directly inhibit the proliferation of reproductive tissue cancer cells, but the poor pharmacokinetic properties still restrict their application in treating hormone-dependent diseases. Modifications in position 6 and 10 of natural GnRH can improve the metabolic stability. In order to study the effect of incorporation Cys6 substitution with C-terminal Pro9-NHEt modification and dimerization of linear peptides on metabolic stability and antiproliferative activity of GnRH analogs, two new GnRH analogs [l-Cys6, desGly10, Pro9-NHEt]-GnRH (1) and [d-Cys6, desGly10, Pro9-NHEt]-GnRH (2), and their corresponding dimer derivatives ([l-Cys6, desGly10, Pro9-NHEt]-GnRH)2 (3) and ([d-Cys6, desGly10, Pro9-NHEt]-GnRH)2 (4) were synthesized. Incubation of these analogs with human serum was carried out to evaluate their metabolic stability, and direct growth inhibitory effect of the two dimer derivatives 3 and 4 on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line was examined by MTT assay. The metabolic stability of dimer derivatives 3 and 4 was remarkably improved in comparison with natural GnRH. The d-Cys6 substituted dimer derivative 4 exhibited higher inhibitory effect (29.6–39.7% growth reduction) on cell growth than its corresponding counterpart 3 (21.8–26.2% growth reduction) at concentration range of 50, 100 and 200 μΜ. The cell growth inhibition of leuprolide was 16.4–27.2% at the tested concentrations. The dimer derivative 4 was the most stable and active GnRH analog in this study and has the potential for future preclinical investigations as promising antitumor drug candidate.

The practical use of the rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is still restricted by poor cycle life and rate performance caused by the shuttle of soluble redox intermediates and low conductivity of S/Li2S. A comprehensive approach is to tune the multi-electron redox reactions and construct reversible chemical bonds with polysulfide intermediates. In this study, RuO2 nano dots (NDs) are proposed to anchor polysulfides, trigger the surface-mediated reduction of polysulfides and to facilitate the formation of Li2S2/Li2S through its catalytic effect for the first time. When serving as the sulfur host, the RuO2 NDs can retard the shuttle of polysulfides, accelerate the redox reaction of polysulfides, and therefore result in improved sulfur utilization and enhanced rate performance. The designed RuO2@NMCs/S ternary electrodes with high sulfur loading of 70 wt% could achieve a low decay rate of 0.07% per cycle for 500 cycles at a 0.5 C-rate. Realized by fast electrode kinetics, the reversible capacity of 634 mA h g−1 is attained at a high C-rate of 5 C. Overall, this strategy sheds new light on the oxide mediators for reversible modulation of electrochemical reactions in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries.

As a special group of two-dimensional layered compounds, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted great attentionfor rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ZIBs). However, the large zinc ion radius, the strong electrostatic interaction with the host material, and the slow dynamics of Zn2+ limit the application of TMDs in rechargeable aqueous ZIBs. Herein, MoS2·nH2O is synthesized through a facile hydrothermal reaction. The unique nanoscale flower structure combined with the introduction of crystal water can reduce the electrostatic interaction between zinc ion and skeleton, promote the diffusion of zinc ion, and effectively accelerate the reaction kinetics. Benefiting from the above advantages, the MoS2·nH2O electrode exhibits a high rate capacity and satisfactory cyclability (88% capacity retention after 800 cycles at 2 A g−1). The excellent performance of MoS2·nH2O proves that the introduction of crystal water is a practical strategy to promote the hydration kinetics of large-size multivalent ions, which may provide a viable and attractive solution for the synthesis of other cathode materials for aqueous ZIBs.

The permeation of dissolved lithium polysulfides across the porous polyolefin-based commercial separator is a major hindrance for using lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs). In this work, the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) with a compact morphology to block polysulfide penetration is prepared using a simple solution-casting method, and the strategy of incorporating poly(ethylene oxide) and nano zirconium dioxide is applied to guarantee electrolyte uptake and Li+ mobility. Superior to the commercial separator with liquid electrolyte, the LSB assembled with additive-free GPE exhibits a high initial capacity of 1429 mA h g−1, coulombic efficiency of 96% at 0.2C and improved rate performance. After 500 cycles at 1C, the LSB could still deliver a capacity of 847.2 mA h g−1, with a low fading rate of 0.05%. The LSB with high sulfur loading (5.2 mg cm−2) could attain a high areal capacity of 4.6 mA h cm−2. Results of scanning electron microscopy suggest that such a hybrid GPE could effectively protect the lithium anode from polysulfide corrosion. Therefore, this novel membrane of hybrid PVDF-based GPE provides a simple and effective method to establish high-performance LSBs.

Six known quassinoids were isolated from the bark of Ailanthus altissima. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1–6 were screened for their antitumor activities evaluated by MTT assay.

Dust storms have a great significance for global mineral aerosol cycle, marine ecosystem, air quality and human health. Dust storm frequency (DSF), often used as a primary index for understanding a regional characteristic of dust storms. However, DSF couldn't describe the frequency and the outbreak areas of a dust storm event (DSE) which was defined as a dust storm occurred at three or more meteorological stations during the same weather process, because a DSE might occur at several meteorological stations and continue for several days. We defined a new index DSE considering the factors including wind speed, wind direction and spatial variation during a dust storm process. To clarify which index of DSF or DSE is better to describe the characteristics of dust storms, we have used the data sets of dust storm from 319 meteorological stations to calculate the frequency of DSE, and the outbreak area and the duration of each DSE in 1978–2007, as well as to compare the differences between DSE and DSF in spatiotemporal distribution in Northern China. The results showed that the high-value locations of occurrence numbers of DSE and DSF were almost overlapped; from 1978 to 2007, the total values of DSE and DSF decreased from 558 to 201 and from 1273 to 467, respectively, but the mean values of outbreak area and duration of DSE have wavily increased since 1991. These implied that the differences existed between DSE and DSF in describing the characteristics of a regional dust storm, and DSE was a better index for a dust storm to identify the fact of occurrence frequency and outbreak area. The implication of this study was that the values of DSE and DSF have a decrease trends with increase of extreme precipitation events and decrease of mean wind speed under the global warming scenarios, but strong dust storms, which is defined as the outbreak area of an event > 105 km 2 here, probably bring greater risk in future.

Transferrin receptors (TfRs) are overexpressed in tumor cells but are scarce in normal tissues, which makes TfR an attractive target for drug treatment of cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of BP9a (CAHLHNRS) as a peptide vector for constructing TfR targeted peptide-drug conjugates and selective drug delivery. Doxorubicin (DOX) was connected to BP9a via a disulfide-intercalating linker to afford a reduction-responsive BP9a-SS-DOX conjugate. By using HepG2 human liver cancer cells and L-O2 normal hepatic cells as TfR over-expressing and low-expressing in vitro models, respectively, TfR mediated cellular uptake of this conjugate was studied by using flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The in vitro cytotoxicities of the conjugate against HepG2 and L-O2 cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay to evaluate its tumorous specificity. Cellular uptake and TfR blockage test results showed that the BP9a-SS-DOX conjugate gained entry into HepG2 cells via endocytosis mediated by TfR and mainly accumulated in cytoplasm. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of this conjugate against HepG2 cells (IC50 6.21 ± 1.12 μM) was approximately one-sixth of that of free DOX (IC50 1.03 ± 0.13 μM). However, its cytotoxic effect on L-O2 cells was obviously reduced compared with that of free DOX. The BP9a-SS-DOX conjugate showed specific antiproliferative activity against HepG2 liver cancer cells. Our study suggests that BP9a has the potential to target chemotherapeutic agents to tumor cells over-expressing TfR and facilitate selective drug delivery.

Improving the sulfur utilization and cycling stability especially under high sulfur loading (>2 mg cm-2) is challenging due to the poor conductivity of sulfur and high soluble nature of polysulfides. Herein, we develop novel self-supporting carbon nanofibers with hierarchical porous structures and Fe/N absorption/nucleation centers (Fe/N-HPCNF) as high performance sulfur hosts via a facile co-spinning method. The highly interior porous carbon fiber structure provides good electrolyte infiltration, stable conductive networks and sufficient surfaces for fast Li+/electron transport and sulfur redox while maintaining high sulfur area loading. In addition, the abundant Fe/N heteroatoms evenly dispersed in the fiber strongly restrain polysulfide diffusion through a chemisorption effect and meanwhile regulate homogeneous sulfur nucleation, enhancing the stability of cathodes. Consequently, S@Fe/N-HPCNF cathodes realize a high initial specific capacity of 1273 mA h g-1 (areal capacity: 4.5 mA h cm-2) and long cycle life over 500 cycles with a high sulfur loading of 3.5 mg cm-2. A stable capacity of 6.6 mA h cm-2 is achieved even under 9 mg cm-2 sulfur. What's more, a pouch cell prototype with an ultrahigh sulfur area density (54 mg cm-2) was assembled and successfully lighted 10 yellow light-emitting diodes (LED), demonstrating the convenient scale-up of our S@Fe/N-HPCNF cathodes.

In this study, a peptide-drug conjugate was designed and synthesized by connecting a transferrin receptor (TfR)-targeted binding peptide analog BP9a (CAHLHNRS) with doxorubicin (DOX) through N-succinimidyl-3-maleimidopropionate (SMP) as the cross-linker. Confocal laser scanning microscopy results indicated that free DOX mainly accumulated in the nuclei of both TfR overexpressed HepG2 hepatoma cells and L-O2 normal liver cells expressing low level of TfR; most of the BP9a-DOX conjugate displayed cytoplasmic location, and its cellular uptake by HepG2 cells was obviously reduced by TfR blockage test. Nevertheless, the cellular uptake of this conjugate by L-O2 cells was much less than that of free DOX. Meanwhile, the BP9a-DOX conjugate exhibited lower in vitro antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells than free DOX, but its cytotoxic effect on L-O2 cells was decreased compared with that of free DOX. These results suggest that BP9a could be applied as a potential TfR-targeted peptide vector for selective drug delivery.

Northern China is the area with the highest incidence of dust storms in the world, which are the main sources of its soil dust emissions. In addition, the region consumes huge amounts of fossil fuels and has serious atmospheric particulate pollution. Existing observation results show that a single dust storm has significant influence on atmospheric particulate pollutant concentrations and precipitation acidity. Proving the influence of dust storms on atmospheric particulate pollution, acid rain, and the acid rain ratio and determining whether there is a causal relationship among them on a longer time scale will help us recognize the impact of dust storms on the atmospheric environment. This paper proves that dust storms are the direct cause of the variations in the number of acid rain days and acid rain ratio, as well as the changes in atmospheric particulate pollution, in spring by using the Granger Causality Test and correlation analysis methods based on 1993 to 2007 data, including the number of days of dust storms, atmospheric particulate pollution, and acid rain. Atmospheric particulate pollution is the direct cause of variations in the number of acid rain days and the acid rain ratio in spring; for the other seasons, additional data combined with atmospheric particulate pollution are needed to explain the causes of the acid rain day and ratio changes.

The Chloranthaceae is a small family with only four genera (Ascarina, Chloranthus, Hedyosmum, Sarcandra), of which nearly 70 species are distributed around the world. Chemical constituents in Chloranthaceae plants, especially sesquiterpenes, have attracted a great deal of attention in recent 5 years. Many characteristic constituents of this family may be responsible for anti-microbial, anti-tumor and other activities. In order to provide information for the future research, the structures and biological activities of the known constituents from the plants of Chloranthaceae have been reviewed in this article.

Oases are of great importance to the sustainable development of economies and societies in desert regions. Thus, it is important to understand how many oases have survived for hundreds and even thousands of years. Oases in Northwest China include nearly all of the types found across the world. Among these oases, the Minqin Oasis, surrounded by mobile sandy deserts, is a stereotypical natural oasis that has been developed for more than 2000 years, making it ideal for a case study. Our investigation indicates that the nebkhas belt at the fringe of the Minqin Oasis, which consists of three sub-belts semi-mobile, semi-fixed and fixed nebkhas from desert to the oasis, plays a key role in its stability. The fractional speed-up ratio (δs) of wind generally fell within the range of −0.15 to −0.55 below the height of 0.6 m. Above the height of 0.6 m, wind velocity in the semi-mobile nebkhas was 5–27% weaker with a maximum reduction of 65% in the other two sub-belts. When wind carrying sand and dust from the desert passes through each sub-belt, its velocity is weakened by vegetation and dunes, and almost all sand and dust is deposited in the nebkha belt incrementally by grain size, ranging from coarse to fine. As such, nebkhas serve as a protection belt and ensure the existence of oases.

Titanium disulfide (TiS2) is investigated as an advanced conversion electrode for sodium (Na)‐ion batteries (NIB) in an ether‐based electrolyte (NaPF6/glyme (DME)). The as‐prepared TiS2 demonstrates a high reversible capacity of 1040 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 with the capacity contribution of 521 mA h g−1 in the voltage region below 1.0 V (vs Na/Na+), remarkable initial coulombic efficiency of 95.9% and superior rate capability of 621 mA h g−1 at 40 A g−1. The high conductivity of the Ti‐based compounds and nanosized particles generated by chemical conversion reactions could minimize the entropic barrier for the reversible conversion, resulting in high reversibility and ultrafast charge/discharge ability of the electrode. Moreover, with its strong ability to adsorb soluble polysulfide intermediates, the as‐prepared TiS2 electrode exhibits superior cycling stability over 9000 cycles, serving as a stable and ultra‐high capacity conversion electrode for NIBs.

A monolayer poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based separator with pendant sulfonate/carboxylate groups and compact morphology is synthesized to suppress the essential lithium polysulfide permeation in lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs). The Li+ transference number is significantly increased to 0.8, much higher than that of a commercial separator (0.43). The polysulfide retention is verified by idle test in a polysulfide-rich electrolyte under the internal electric field of the cell. The LSB with an additive-free electrolyte attains a Coulombic efficiency around 98% and delivered capacity of 804 mA h g–1 at 2.5 A g–1. After 500 cycles, it retains 901 mA h g–1 at 1.5 A g–1 with extra low fading rate of 0.016% per cycle. Overall, this monolayer PVA-based separator provides a facile and effective technique to assemble highly stable LSBs.

Ailanthone is isolated from the bark of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae). The mechanism that underlies the activity of ailanthone on MCF-7 cells was investigated by MTT assay. Breast cancer MCF-7 cells were treated with 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 µg/ml ailanthone for 24, 48 and 72 h. The inhibition of proliferation induced by treatment with ailanthone was assessed by MTT assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in MCF-7 cells with the same doses of ailanthone for 48 h were determined by flow cytometry. Expression of apoptosis-associated genes and proteins were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The results revealed that ailanthone inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation. Flow cytometry assay demonstrated that ailanthone induced apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells. Western blotting and RT-PCR assays demonstrated that upregulation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and Bcl-associated X, and downregulation of anti-apoptotic apoptosis regulator B-cell lymphoma-2 in MCF-7 cells may be associated with the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate the antitumor activity of ailanthone from A. altissima on MCF-7 cells and to attempt to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The present study revealed the presence of ailanthone-mediated antitumor effects, indicating that ailanthone may be a novel phytomedicine with potential use in breast cancer therapy.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of connexin 37 (Cx37) interference on atherosclerotic plaques. Lentiviruses expressing small interfering RNA (siRNA) of Cx37 were constructed, and were shown to significantly knockdown the mRNA and protein expression of Cx37 in vitro. Sixty pigs on a high‑fat diet were randomly divided into three treatment groups of saline, mock or Cx37 siRNA, to induce plaque formation. The Cx37 lentiviral suspension was transfected into the abdominal aortic plaques of pigs. Plaque characteristics were detected by intravascular ultrasound and the expression of Cx37 mRNA was detected by semi‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of Cx37 protein was analyzed by western blot analysis. Two months after lentivirus transfection, Cx37 mRNA levels were decreased by 38% in the Cx37 siRNA group, by 60% in the mock‑siRNA group and by 63% in the saline group (P

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one common clinical acute abdominal disease, for which specific pharmacological or nutritional therapies remain elusive. Lactose, a macronutrient and an inducer of host innate immune responses, possesses immune modulatory functions. The current study aimed to investigate potential modulatory effects of lactose and the interplay between the nutrient and pancreatic immunity during experimentally induced AP in mice. We found that either prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of lactose time-dependently reduced the severity of AP, as evidenced by reduced pancreatic edema, serum amylase levels, and pancreatic myeloperoxidase activities, as well as by histological examination of pancreatic damage. Overall, lactose promoted a regulatory cytokine milieu in the pancreas and reduced infiltration of inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages. On acinar cells, lactose was able to suppress caerulein-induced inflammatory signaling pathways and to suppress chemoattractant tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production. Additionally, lactose acted on pancreas-infiltrated macrophages, increasing interleukin-10 and decreasing tumor necrosis factor alpha production. Notably, lactose treatment reversed AP-associated infiltration of activated neutrophils. Last, the effect of lactose on neutrophil infiltration was mimicked by a galectin-3 antagonist, suggesting a potential endogenous target of lactose. Together, the current study demonstrates an immune regulatory effect of lactose to alleviate AP and suggests its potential as a convenient, value-added therapeutic macronutrient to control AP, and lower the risk of its systemic complications., This study was supported by funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 91642114, 31570915, 81573420, and 31400779, National Young 1000 Talents Plan), Jiangsu Province Recruitment Plan for High-level, Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant nos. JUSRP51613A and JUSRP11866) and free exploration funding from State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology (SKLF-ZZB-201702).

Short cycle life and low Coulombic efficiency, in conjunction with fast self-discharge, render lithium-sulfur batteries impractical for commercial applications. In this work, we demonstrated that a "yolk-shell" structure with a polar silicon dioxide (SiO2) core in a hollow carbon sphere (SiO2@HC) acts as a highly efficient sulfur host. Such nanoarchitecture benefits from both a physical barrier and chemical adsorption via a carbon shell and a polar SiO2 core. Furthermore, the internal void space could buffer the huge volume expansion of active sulfur during lithiation. The resulting SiO2@HC/S composite exhibits a high mass S loading (∼76 wt%), high initial specific capacity of 1200 mA h g-1 at 0.2C, superior rate performance (728 mA h g-1 at 3C), ultraslow capacity decay of 0.056% per cycle at a high rate of 2C and an extraordinary anti-self-discharge feature.