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This letter presents a broadband 3-D-printed circularly polarized (CP) spherical Luneburg lens (LL) with the linearly polarized feed antenna for the X -band. In order to implement spatially continuous varying effective refractive index (RI), the proposed LL is divided to many unit cells and their effective RI is simulated and calculated by effective medium theory. Since the effective RI of unit cells is anisotropic for two orthogonal linearly polarized (LP) waves, the proposed LL is an LP to CP polarizer realized by properly selecting the radius of the LL. The whole structure is fabricated by low cost 3-D-printing (3DP) technic, which is fed by an LP antenna source rotated to a certain angle with respect to the LL around the normal. The measured results indicate that the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), axial ratio, and gain enhancement are lower than 2, less than 2.8 dB, and more than 10 dB at X -band, respectively. The results of measurement agree well with the simulation.

Precise subcellular manipulation remains challenging in quantitative biological studies. After target modification and hierarchical assembly, nanoparticles can be functionalized for intracellular investigation. However, it remains unclear whether nanoparticles themselves can progressively manipulate subcellular processes, especially organellar networks. Mitochondria act as the energetic supply, whose fission dynamics are often modulated by molecular reagents. Here, using different-sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a model, we demonstrated the nanoparticle-driven controllable regulation on mitochondria. Compared with molecular reagents, AuNPs could induce size-dependent mitochondrial fission without detectable cell injury, and this process was reversible along with intracellular AuNPs' clearance. Mechanistically, it was attributed to the AuNPs-induced enhanced organelle interactome between lysosomes and mitochondria. Lysosomal accumulation of AuNPs induced lysosomal swelling and lysosomal motility alterations, promoting mitochondrial fission through the increased "kiss" events during the "kiss-and-run" moving of the lysosome-mitochondria interactome. This study highlights the fundamental understanding to fully explore the intrinsic capability of nanoparticles by engineering their basic properties. Also, it provides practical guidance to investigate the delicate nanolevel regulation on biological processes.

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism in animals. In this study, we examined whether any cross talk exists between glucocorticoids and AMPK in the regulation of the liver bile acid biosynthesis pathway. Dexamethasone treatment decreased the growth performance of broiler chickens. The liver mRNA levels of fatty acid transport protein (FATP-1), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), AMPK alpha 1 subunit (AMPKα1), and glucocorticoid receptor were significantly upregulated in DEX-treated broilers; the gene expression of liver cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) was significantly downregulated. The protein level of liver CYP7A1 was significantly decreased by DEX treatment at both 24 and 72 h, while the protein level of p-AMPK/ t-AMPK stayed unchanged. In the in vitro cultured hepatocytes, compound C pretreatment blocked the increase in CYP7A1 protein level by DEX and significantly suppressed FATP-1, SREBP-1c, FXR, and CYP7A1 gene expression stimulated by DEX. Compound C treatment significantly reduces the protein level of p-AMPK, and the combination of compound C and DEX significantly reduces the protein level of t-AMPK. Thus, glucocorticoids affected liver AMPK and the bile acid synthesis signal pathway, and AMPK might be involved in the glucocorticoid effect of liver bile acid synthesis.

A simple Vivaldi-based omnidirectional antenna for X-band is presented. By placing two Vivaldi antennas in opposite directions, a simple microstrip power divider can excite two antennas simultaneously. In addition, ellipse slot restrains the upward radiated energy and reduces the side lobe. Using different exponential ratios of both sides of tapered radiating slot, metal patch loaded and different sized circle slots guarantee that the direction of maximum radiation is horizontal. The structure of proposed antenna is simple, small and easy to fabricated. The prototype antenna is manufactured and measured. And measured results show good antenna performance and agree well with the simulation.

Hypothalamic neural circuits play a critical role in integrating peripheral signals and conveying information about energy and nutrient status. We detected cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) distribution in the hypothalamus, liver, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum among 7- and 35-day-old broilers. The effects of dexamethasone (DEX) on CB1 gene expression were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the hypothalamus of broilers. In vitro, hypothalamic cells from 17-day-old broiler embryos were incubated with either 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide or DEX (100 nmol/mL) for 1 h. In the in vivo study, 28-day-old broilers were injected with DEX for 24 h or 72 h. Results showed that CB1 was mainly expressed in the hypothalamus, and 72 h DEX treatment increased the expression. One-day treatment of broilers with DEX did not change the hypothalamic CB1 gene expression. Moreover, DEX treatment for 24 h and 72 h increased the mRNA level of hypothalamic AMPKα2 and GR. However, no differences were observed on the gene expression of CB1, GR, and AMPKα2 in hypothalamic cells with DEX-treated for 1 h. In conclusion, CB1 is mainly expressed in the hypothalamus of broilers; 72-h DEX exposure can regulate the CB1 system and AMPK signaling pathway of the broiler hypothalamus.

Immunological adjuvants are essential for successful cancer vaccination. However, traditional adjuvants have some limitations, such as lack of controllability and induction of systemic toxicity, which restrict their broad application. Here, we present a light-activable immunological adjuvant (LIA), which is composed of a hypoxia-responsive amphiphilic dendrimer nanoparticle loaded with chlorin e6. Under irradiation with near-infrared light, the LIA not only induces tumour cell lysis and tumour antigen release, but also promotes the structural transformation of 2-nitroimidazole containing dendrimer to 2-aminoimidazole containing dendrimer which can activate dendritic cells via the Toll-like receptor 7-mediated signaling pathway. The LIA efficiently inhibits both primary and abscopal tumour growth and induces strong antigen-specific immune memory effect to prevent tumour metastasis and recurrence in vivo. Furthermore, LIA localizes the immunological adjuvant effect at the tumour site. We demonstrate this light-activable immunological adjuvant offers a safe and potent platform for in situ cancer vaccination., Immunological adjuvants are a crucial component of cancer vaccines. Here the authors design a light-activable immunological adjuvant, based on hypoxia-responsive amphiphilic dendrimer nanoparticles loaded with a photodynamic agent, promoting anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models.

As an important module of airborne communication systems, the high-frequency (HF) antenna significantly affects the remote communication distance of aircraft. This paper presents a novel planar airborne HF antenna utilizing two-element array of the slotted folded monopoles. In order to conform with stealth aircraft, it is devised to be embedded in a back cavity rather than located on a vertical tail. The simulated results show that its input resistance is bigger than 0.1Ω and its horizontal gain is bigger than -5dB with a good horizontal omnidirectionality within the whole working band, which proves to be a desirable performance. Finally, a scaled model (1:100) is designed, fabricated and tested. A good agreement between measurement and simulation verifies the feasibility of the HF antenna proposed in this paper.

A major impediment in photodynamic therapy (PDT) against hypoxic tumors is that the O2-dependent PDT is seriously limited by the intrinsic hypoxic feature. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is a key transcription factor in tumor development and especially accumulates in hypoxic tumors and has been recognized as a novel therapeutic target. Herein, we developed small molecule HIF-1α inhibitor Doxy and IR780 photosensitizer co-incorporated methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly-(propylene sulfide) (mPEG50-b-PPS45) nanoparticles (NPs/ID) as an ROS-responsive theranostic system designed to enhance PDT efficiency by combining the benefits of anti-HIF-1α therapy and ATP depletion. NPs/ID with reinforced phototherapy response in hypoxic tumors displayed enhanced photocytotoxicity compared to NPs/I that only exhibited the PDT effect. On the other hand, NPs/ID have the capacity to reduce the supply of intracellular ATP and destabilize the intracellular redox homeostasis for enough ROS generation by suppressing the HIF-1α expression, thereby facilitating the therapeutic efficiency of PDT. Significantly, NPs/ID displayed effective tumor targeting and NIR imaging ability and an improved in vivo efficacy in a xenograft MDA-MB-231 mouse tumor model compared with bare PDT. These findings demonstrate that the ROS-responsive theranostic NPs/ID with special anti-HIF-1α and ATP depletion behavior represent an attractive approach for overcoming the problems of PDT in hypoxic tumors.

Pesticide carrier systems are highly desirable in achieving the effective utilization of pesticides and reduction of their loss. In order to increase utilization and enhance pesticide adhesion to harmful targets, adhesive and stimulus-responsive nanocomposites were prepared using graphene oxide (GO) and polydopamine (PDA). The results demonstrated that graphene oxide with a layer of PDA had a high hymexazol-loading capacity. The release curve of hymexazol from the nanocomposite showed that the release was NIR-laser-dependent and pH-dependent. The adhesion-performance investigation demonstrated that Hy-GO@PDA exhibited greater hymexazol persistence than a hymexazol solution after a simulated-rainwash experiment, and it also left more hymexazol residue than a hymexazol solution with a surfactant under high concentrations. Finally, the bioactivity of the prepared hymexazol-loaded nanocomposite was measured against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumebrium Owen, and it showed an inhibition activity similar to that of the hymexazol solution. All of these revealed that GO with a PDA layer could serve as pesticide carrier to solve low-utilization and wash-off problems, especially for water-soluble pesticides.

Nanomedicines (NMs) have emerged as promising agents for cancer treatment because of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Multiple biological barriers prevent NMs from efficiently accumulating at the tumor site and penetrating into the tumor tissue, leading to suboptimal therapeutic efficacy. To address this problem, we grafted tiny CuS nanocrystals (NCs) onto the surface of gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs, ~100 nm) to create transformable nanoparticles, denoted as CuS@GNPs, which can successively cross the biological barriers from intravenous injection to deep tumor zones via enzyme-induced multistage delivery. These transformable CuS@GNPs possess an initial diameter of approximately 120 nm and significantly accumulated at the tumor site after intravenous administration. Upon accumulation at the tumor site, the over-expressed hydrolases in the tumor microenvironment trigger rapid dissociation of the scaffold (GNPs) of CuS@GNPs and attendant release of the CuS NCs for deeper penetration into the tumor tissue. The spatiotemporal multistage delivery behavior of CuS@GNPs within tumor tissue could be tracked in vivo by photoacoustic imaging in a real-time manner. Following the systemic administration of CuS@GNPs, near infrared laser irradiation was further employed and efficient photothermal ablation of tumors was realized in MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice. Taken together, these results indicated that the as-fabricated transformable CuS@GNPs could undergo enzyme-induced multistage delivery for enhanced accumulation at the tumor site and improved penetration into the inner tumor. Furthermore, the transformable CuS@GNPs facilitated efficient photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal ablation to inhibit tumor growth.

Cancer vaccines hold great promise for improved cancer treatment. However, endosomal trapping and low immunogenicity of tumour antigens usually limit the efficiency of vaccination strategies. Here, we present a proton-driven nanotransformer-based vaccine, comprising a polymer–peptide conjugate-based nanotransformer and loaded antigenic peptide. The nanotransformer-based vaccine induces a strong immune response without substantial systemic toxicity. In the acidic endosomal environment, the nanotransformer-based vaccine undergoes a dramatic morphological change from nanospheres (about 100 nanometres in diameter) into nanosheets (several micrometres in length or width), which mechanically disrupts the endosomal membrane and directly delivers the antigenic peptide into the cytoplasm. The re-assembled nanosheets also boost tumour immunity via activation of specific inflammation pathways. The nanotransformer-based vaccine effectively inhibits tumour growth in the B16F10-OVA and human papilloma virus-E6/E7 tumour models in mice. Moreover, combining the nanotransformer-based vaccine with anti-PD-L1 antibodies results in over 83 days of survival and in about half of the mice produces complete tumour regression in the B16F10 model. This proton-driven transformable nanovaccine offers a robust and safe strategy for cancer immunotherapy. A shape-changing pH-responsive cancer vaccine delivers antigenic peptides directly to the cytoplasm and boosts the cellular immune response upon activation of the inflammasome pathway, efficiently inhibiting tumour growth and extending survival in animal tumour models.

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a sensor of cellular energy changes and is involved in the control of food intake. A total of 216 1-d-old broilers were randomly allotted into 3 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 12 broilers in each cage. The dietary treatments included 1) high-energy (HE) diet (3,500 kcal/kg), 2) normal-energy (NE) diet (3,200 kcal/kg), and 3) low-energy (LE) diet (2,900 kcal/kg). The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary energy level on appetite and the central AMPK signal pathway. The results showed that a HE diet increased average daily gain (ADG), whereas a LE diet had the opposite effect (P < 0.05, N = 6). The average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the chickens fed the LE diet was significantly higher than that of the control (P < 0.05, N = 6). Overall, the feed conversion rate gradually decreased with increasing dietary energy level (P < 0.05, N = 6). Moreover, the chickens fed the LE and HE diets demonstrated markedly improved urea content compared with the control group (P < 0.0001, N = 8). The triglyceride (TG) content in the LE group was obviously higher than that in the HE group but showed no change compared with the control (P = 0.0678, N = 8). The abdominal fat rate gradually increased with increased dietary energy level (P = 0.0927, N = 8). The HE group showed downregulated gene expression levels of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), neuropeptide Y (NPY), cholecystokinin (CCK), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the hypothalamus compared with the control group (P < 0.05, N = 8). However, LE treatment significantly increased the mRNA level of AMP-activated protein kinase α2 (AMPKα2) compared with other groups (P = 0.0110, N = 8). In conclusion, a HE diet inhibited appetite and central AMPK signaling. In contrast, a LE diet activated central AMPK and appetite. Overall, the central AMPK signal pathway and appetite were modulated in accordance with the energy level in the diet to regulate nutritional status and maintain energy homeostasis in birds. ispartof: JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE vol:97 issue:11 pages:4488-4495 ispartof: location:United States status: published

New strategies with high antimicrobial efficacy against multidrug-resistant bacteria are urgently desired. Herein, we describe a smart triple-functional nanostructure, namely TRIDENT (Thermo-Responsive-Inspired Drug-Delivery Nano-Transporter), for reliable bacterial eradication. The robust antibacterial effectiveness is attributed to the integrated fluorescence monitoring and synergistic chemo-photothermal killing. We notice that temperature rises generated by near-infrared irradiation did not only melt the nanotransporter via a phase change mechanism, but also irreversibly damaged bacterial membranes to facilitate imipenem permeation, thus interfering with cell wall biosynthesis and eventually leading to rapid bacterial death. Both in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrate that even low doses of imipenem-encapsulated TRIDENT could eradicate clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, whereas imipenem alone had limited effect. Due to rapid recovery of infected sites and good biosafety we envision a universal antimicrobial platform to fight against multidrug-resistant or extremely drug-resistant bacteria., Antibiotic resistance is a major global health challenge. Here, the authors report on a thermoresponsive delivery system for combined photothermal and antibiotic delivery with fluorescent tracking abilities and demonstrate application against antibiotic resistant bacteria in vitro and in vivo.

Unconventional non-conjugated photoluminescent polymers have attracted increasing attention in bioimaging application, however their nonclassical photoluminescence mechanisms remain largely unclear. Herein, an amphiphilic copolymer polyethyleneimine-poly(d,l-lactide) (PEI-PDLLA) was synthesized and the obtained PEI-PDLLA copolymer exhibited intrinsic visible blue luminescence in the solid and concentrated solution states under 365 nm UV light irradiation. Using a computational assay approach, we investigated the unconventional photoluminescence mechanism of PEI-PDLLA. The results revealed that such photoluminescence should be related to the "clustered heteroatom chromophores" formed by through-space electronic interactions of N-heteroatoms in PEI. The copolymers can function as a fluorescent nanoprobe (PEI-PDLLA NPs) via a facile nanoprecipitation method and the self-assembly mechanism of PEI-PDLLA NPs was also investigated in-depth by molecular dynamics simulation. Intriguingly, the PEI-PDLLA NPs exhibited a remarkable excitation-dependent multi-wavelength emission characteristic, which was promising in acquiring a high precision imaging effect. Moreover, in contrast with conventional organic dyes with aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), the fluorescence intensity of the PEI-PDLLA NPs was enhanced with increasing solution concentration. Furthermore, their applications in bioimaging indicated that PEI-PDLLA NPs could be utilized as a lysosome-specific and tumor-targeted nanoprobe with excellent photostability and good biocompatibility.

Ultrasmall nanoparticles provide us with essential alternatives for designing more efficient nanocarriers for drug delivery. However, the fast clearance of ultrasmall nanoparticles limits their application to some extent. One of the most frequently used compound to slow the clearance of nanocarriers and nanodrugs is PEG, which is also approved by FDA. Nonetheless, few reports explored the effect of the PEGylation of ultrasmall nanoparticles on their behavior in vivo. Herein, we investigated the impact of different PEG grafting level of 2 nm core sized gold nanoparticles on their biological behavior in tumor-bearing mice. The results indicate that partial (∼50%) surface PEGylation could prolong the blood circulation and increase the tumor accumulation of ultrasmall nanoparticles to a maximum extent, which guide us to build more profitable small-sized nanocarriers for drug delivery.

Although many attempts have been made to design advanced hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), no clinically viable product has been widely approved, because they do not perform normal blood functions, such as coagulation, hematologic reactions and stability. Additionally, the in vivo oxygenation of hemoglobin-loaded nanoparticles (HbPs) encapsulated with polymers has seldom been proved. Herein, HbPs of approximately 200nm with good stability were successfully fabricated and exhibited oxygen-carrying capacity. The HbPs preserve the biological and structure features of hemoglobin according to UV-vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectral analysis. In vitro, the HbPs showed a viscosity comparable to that of blood with no obvious effects on red blood cell aggregation. At the same time, blood compatibility was characterized in terms of platelet function, clot strength, speed of clot formation, degree of fibrin cross-linking and hemolysis rate. After intravenous administration of HbPs to mice with controlled hemorrhages, blood flow recovery and maintenance of systemic oxygenation were observed.

Aberrant regulation of angiogenesis supply sufficient oxygen and nutrients to exacerbate tumor progression and metastasis. Taking this hallmark of cancer into account, reported here is a self-monitoring and triple-collaborative therapy system by auto-fluorescent polymer nanotheranostics which could be concurrently against angiogenesis and tumor cell growth by combining the benefits of anti-angiogenesis, RNA interfere and photothermal therapy (PTT). Auto-fluorescent amphiphilic polymer polyethyleneimine-polylactide (PEI-PLA) with positive charge can simultaneously load hydrophobic antiangiogenesis agent combretastatin A4 (CA4), NIR dye IR825 and absorb negatively charged heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inhibitor (siRNA against HSP70) to construct self-monitoring nanotheranostics (NPICS). NPICS can effectively restrain the expression of HSP70 to reduce their endurance to the IR825-mediated PTT, leading to an enhanced photocytotoxicity. In a xenograft mouse tumor model, NPICS show an effect of inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and also display a highly synergistic anticancer efficacy with NIR laser irradiation. Significantly, based on its inherent auto-fluorescence, PEI-PLA not only serves as the drug carrier, but also as the self-monitor to real-time track NPICS biodistribution and tumor accumulation via fluorescence imaging. Moreover, IR825 endows NPICS could also be used as photoacoustic (PA) agents for in vivo PA imaging. This nanoplatform shows enormous potentials in cancer theranostics.

The effects of dietary Zinc (Zn) supplementation on the gene expression of appetite regulatory peptides were investigated in Salmonella-infected broiler chickens. Broiler chickens (Arbor Acres, 1 day old) were allocated randomly into 24 pens of 10 birds. The chickens from 12 pens were fed with basal diet and the other with basal diet supplemented with Zn (ZnSO4·H2O, 120 mg/kg). At 5 days of age, the chickens were divided into 4 treatments with 6 pens: basal diet; basal diet and Salmonella challenge; Zn-supplemented diet; Zn-supplemented diet and Salmonella challenge. At 42 days of age, the hypothalamus from 6 chickens per treatment (1 chicken per pen) was individually collected for gene expression determination. Results showed that dietary supplementation of Zn reduced the gene expression of hypothalamic ghrelin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (P

Human serum albumin (HSA)‐based nanomedicines modified with diazirine and loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) and tirapazamine (TPZ) , are fabricated to increase the accumulation efficiency of chemo‐drugs and reinforce their therapeutic efficacy through cascaded synergistic events of aggregation, phototherapy, and bioactivated chemotherapy upon laser irradiation.

The progress in nitrides technology is widely believed to be limited and hampered by the lack of high-quality gallium nitride wafers. Though various epitaxial techniques like epitaxial lateral overgrowth and its derivatives have been used to reduce defect density, there is still plenty of room for the improvement of gallium nitride crystal. Here, we report graphene or hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets can be used to improve the quality of GaN crystal using hydride vapor phase epitaxy methods. These nanosheets were directly deposited on the substrate that is used for the epitaxial growth of GaN crystal. Systematic characterizations of the as-obtained crystal show that quality of GaN crystal is greatly improved. The fabricated light-emitting diodes using the as-obtained GaN crystals emit strong electroluminescence under room illumination. This simple yet effective technique is believed to be applicable in metal-organic chemical vapor deposition systems and will find wide applications on other crystal growth.

In drug delivery, the poor tumor perfusion results in disappointing therapeutic efficacy. Nanomedicines for photodynamic therapy (PDT) greatly need deep tumor penetration due to short lifespan and weak diffusion of the cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). The damage of only shallow cells can easily cause invasiveness and metastasis. Moreover, even if the nanomedicines enter into deeper lesion, the effectiveness of PDT is limited due to the hypoxic microenvironment. Here, a deep penetrating and oxygen self-sufficient PDT nanoparticle is developed for balanced ROS distribution within tumor and efficient cancer therapy. The designed nanoparticles (CNPs/IP) are doubly emulsified (W/O/W) from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(e-caprolactone) copolymers doped with photosensitizer IR780 in the O layer and oxygen depot perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) inside the core, and functionalized with the tumor penetrating peptide Cys-Arg-Gly-Asp-Lys (CRGDK). The CRGDK modification significantly improves penetration depth of CNPs/IP and makes the CNPs/IP arrive at both the periphery and hypoxic interior of tumors where the PFOB releases oxygen, effectively alleviating hypoxia and guaranteeing efficient PDT performance. The improved intratumoral distribution of photosensitizer and adequate oxygen supply augment the sensitivity of tumor cells to PDT and significantly improve PDT efficiency. Such a nanosystem provides a potential platform for improved therapeutic index in anticancer therapy.

In the on-going development of power sources and energy-storage devices, achieving both high power and large energy capacity with a high discharge rate is still a great challenge. In this paper, three dimension assembled graphene–LiFePO4 (G–LFP) composites were prepared by one-step hydrothermal method. LiFePO4 (LFP) particles became smaller and were dispersed uniformly on the graphene sheets after compositing with graphene. Compared to the pristine LFP, the electrochemical properties of the G–LFP are greatly improved, especially the rate capability and the cyclic performance. At 10 C, the G–LFP holds nearly 80 % of the initial capacity and has a flat voltage platform, while for the LFP, its capacity drops down to 65 % and its voltage platform is not noticeable. After 600 cycles at 10 C, the specific capacity of the G–LFP decreases from 135 to 125 mA hg−1 with a capacity loss of 5.1 %, while it drops from 105 to 86 mA hg−1 with a capacity loss of 30 % for the LFP. The reason for the improvement of the electrochemical performances could be ascribed to the introduction of graphene which enhances the conductivity and diminishes the LFP size which improves the diffusion of lithium ions.

A novel, simple, and efficient method for the preparation of the fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (F-BNNSs) and the corresponding magnetic properties is presented. A one-step route is used to exfoliate and fluorinate the BNNSs by ammonium fluoride (NH4F) from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) powder. Through related instrument characterizations and theoretical calculations, we confirm that large-area and few-layer F-BNNSs were successfully produced by this method, which can be attributed to a fluorination-assisted exfoliation mechanism from the bulk h-BN in NH4F. More intriguingly, we initially verified that the as-prepared F-BNNSs exhibit ferromagnetic characteristics, which would have good potential applications in spintronic devices.

For the first time, graphene saturable absorber (SA) is used as the Q -switcher for a 946 nm Nd:YAG laser. Using a 5–7 layer graphene SA with initial transmission of 78% and an output coupler with transmission of 5%, efficient Q -switching operation is realized. When the absorbed pump power is raised to 9.5 W, a maximum output power of 0.9 W is obtained, corresponding to an optical conversion efficiency of 9.5%. The pulse repetition frequency and the pulse width are 225 kHz, 162 ns, respectively, resulting a pulse energy of 4 μJ and a peak power of 24.7 W. With a BiB 3 O 6 (BIBO) crystal as the frequency doubler, 473 nm blue laser is generated. The present research manifests graphene has great potential for short wavelength laser modulation.

Huwentoxin-IV (HWTX-IV), a peptide with 35 amino acid residues, was discovered in the venom of spider Ornithoctonus huwena. The peptide had an inhibitory effect on a tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) sodium channel with highly sensitive to Nav1.7, an attractive target for pain release therapy. In this study we further demonstrated the analgesic effects of HWTX-IV using mouse and rat as an inflammatory pain model and/or a neuropathic pain models. In the both cases, the analgesic effects of the peptide were dose-dependent, and statistically significant. In the inflammatory model, 100 µ g/kg of HWTX-IV produced an efficient reversal of hyperalgesia up to 63.6% after injection of formalin in rats with the efficiency equivalent to that of morphine at 50 µ g/kg, and 200 µg/kg of HWTX-IV produced protective effect up to 55.6% after injection of acetic acid with the efficiency equivalent to that of morphine at 100 µ g/kg. In the spinal nerve model, the peptide produced the longer and higher reversal effect on allodynia than Mexiletine. These results demonstrated that HWTX-IV released efficiently the acute inflammatory pain and chronic neuropathic pain in these animals, suggesting that HWTX-IV was a potential and efficient candidate for further clinical drug development against inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Uniform and well-dispersed Y 2 O 3 :Eu/YVO 4 :Eu composite microspheres were prepared by hydrothermal chemical corrosion Y 2 O 3 :Eu microspheres with Na 3 VO 4 solution. Effects of pH, molar ratio of Na 3 VO 4 to the Y 2 O 3 :Eu precursor ( R ), and reaction time ( t ) on the morphology and the crystal structure of the composite were investigated in detail. The photoluminescence intensity of the products synthesized under the optimum condition was much higher than that of the YVO 4 :Eu nanocrystals prepared by direct hydrothermal method and comparable to that of the bulk YVO 4 :Eu.

The adsorption of Mycobacterium Phlei cells on the surfaces of pyrite and sphalerite was studied as functions of time and pH. The results indicated that a higher amount of cells adsorbing onto pyrite compared with that onto sphalerite under neutral and alkaline conditions, and it was also observed from photographs of scanning electron micrograph. To gain a better insight into the mechanisms of differential adsorption, the functional groups on cell surfaces and the chemical states of each element on mineral surfaces before and after interaction with bacterial cells were investigated. The results showed that many groups presented on cells surface, such as C–O–H, C–O–C, C O, C–N, N–H and P O. The change in state of each element on pyrite and sphalerite surfaces after interaction with bacterial cells revealed that there were chemical reactions between metal ions and S on mineral surface and atoms like N, O, P, etc. on cell surface, and the shifts in binding energy of each element on pyrite surface is larger than that of sphalerite. Possible mechanisms for selective adsorption of bacterial cells onto pyrite and sphalerite were discussed in the latter part of this paper.

Ginger root (Zingiber officinale), star anise (llicium verum) and salvia root (Salvia miltiorrhiza), as medicinal plants, have been reported to play a key role in stimulating digestion and antibacterial, growth promoting and antioxidant effect. However, information is lacking on the effects of the three plants as feed additives on growth performance and antioxidant status of growing pigs. To compare the effects of ginger, star anise and salvia that were processed to particle sizes of 300 μm on growth performance, serum antioxidant status and serum metabolites of growing pigs, twenty-four Laiwu pigs at 70 day old were housed individually in digestion cage (0.8 m x 0.6 m) with one ripple drinker and one hopper type feeder. Pigs were fed a control diet for 7 days before randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 6 replicates (1 pigs/replicate) and then fed the test diets for 35 days. The treatments were: 1) fed corn-soybean meal based diets (CTR); 2) CTR + 10 mg/kg ginger; 3) CTR + 5 g/kg star anise; 4) CTR + 10 g/kg salvia. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured weekly. At d35 of the experiment, blood samples were obtained from 6 pigs per treatment to determine antioxidant enzymatic activities and metabolites in the serum. All pigs had similar ADFI, ADG and FCR. However, supplementations of ginger, star anise and salvia increased concentrations of high density lipoprotein (P < 0.05) and activities of total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.003), glutathione (P < 0.05) and superoxide dismutase (P < 0.001), reduced (P < 0.05) concentrations of total cholesterol in the serum, as compared with that of CTR. Dietary supplementation of ginger, star anise and salvia may improve serum antioxidant status and serum metabolites of growing pigs.

As a biocompatible and low cytotoxic nanomaterial, graphene oxide (GO) has captured tremendous interests in tissue engineering. However, little is known about the behavior of dental stem cells on GO. This study was to evaluate the bioactivity of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) on GO coated titanium (GO-Ti) substrate in vitro as compared to sodium titanate (Na-Ti) substrate. By scanning electron microscope (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis, we investigated the attachment, morphology, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs on these two substrates. When seeded on GO-Ti substrate, PDLSCs exhibited significantly higher proliferation rate, ALP activity and up-regulated gene expression level of osteogenesis-related markers of collagen type I (COL-I), ALP, bone sialoprotein (BSP), runt related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osteocalcin (OCN) compared with those on Na-Ti substrate. Moreover, GO promoted the protein expression of BSP, Runx2 and OCN. These findings suggest that the combination of GO and PDLSCs provides a promising construct for regenerative dentistry.

Herein we report development and validation of the method for evaluating the encapsulation efficiency of a micelle-based nanosystem composed of irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) and an amphiphilic molecule DSPEmPEG2000. The results showed that the centrifugation method can be used for separation of free drug, a critical step in measuring encapsulation efficiency, and the EE of three batches of CPT-11/DSPE-mPEG2000 micelles was 90.0% ± 1.0%. The results also indicated that the conditions used in the process have to be optimized to acquire reliable data.