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Temperature variation at the nanoscale is pivotal for the thermodynamics and kinetics of small entities. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a promising technique for monitoring temperature variations at the nanoscale. A key but ambiguous topic is methods to design a sensitive SERS thermometer. Here, we elucidate that the type of chemical bond of molecular probes and the surface chemical bonding effect are crucial for maximizing the sensitivity of the SERS thermometer, as illustrated by the variable-temperature SERS measurements and quantum chemistry calculations for the frequency-temperature functions of a series of molecules. The sensitivity of the frequency-temperature function follows the sequence of triple bonddouble bondsingle bond, which is available for both aliphatic and aromatic molecules. The surface chemical bonding effect between the SERS substrate and molecular probe substantially increases the sensitivity of the frequency-temperature function. These results provide universally available guidelines for the rational design of a sensitive SERS thermometer by examining the functional groups of molecular probes.

BackgroundResistin is an adipokine also detected higher expression in serum and synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Resistin is known to be related closely to insulin resistance and inflammation. However, the pathogenic role of resistin in KOA remain unclear. Purpose of the study is to investigate whether resistin induces KOA by binding to functional receptor adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) and activating the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signalling pathways in human chondrocytes. MethodsWe enrolled 103 patients with radiographic KOA and 86 healthy participants as controls. The levels of resistin in serum and synovial fluid (SF) were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CAP1 expression in cartilage tissues (21 samples of KOA cartilage and 10 samples of healthy hip cartilage) was measured using immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction ( qRT-PCR ), and western blotting assays. Effects of resistin on chondrocytes and CAP1 were evaluated via qRT-PCR and co-immunoprecipitation . The roles of CAP1, p38-MAPK, and NF-κB signalling pathways in the development of KOA were evaluated via adenovirus-mediated CAP1 short hairpin RNA, qRT-PCR, western blotting, and ELISA. Results Expression of resistin in serum and SF was elevated in severe radiographic KOA. CAP1 levels were higher in KOA cartilage and were positively correlated with resistin expression. Resistin promoted increased expression of CCL3, CCL4, MMP13, and ADAMTS-4 through CAP1 receptor. Resistin also directly bound to CAP1 as confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. CAP1 knockdown in chondrocytes attenuated resistin-induced expression of CCL3, CCL4, MMP13, and ADAMTS-4 and activation of the p38-MAPK and NF-κB signalling pathways . ConclusionsOur study shows that resistin bound to CAP1 and upregulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix-degrading enzymes via p38-MAPK and NF-κB signalling pathways in human chondrocytes.

Two-dimensional SnS emerged as a promising space material, with strong third-order optical nonlinearities maintained upon exposure to 60Co γ-rays at a dose equal to over 45 year accumulation in a typical earth orbit.

The ever-increasing space exploration enterprise calls for novel and high-quality radiation-resistant materials, among which nonlinear optical materials and devices are particularly scarce. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have shown promising potential, but the radiation effects on their nonlinear optical properties remain largely elusive. We previously fabricated 2D bismuthene for mode-locking sub-ns laser; herein, their space adaption was evaluated under a simulated space radiation environment. The as-synthesized thin layers of bismuthene exhibited strong third-order nonlinear optical responses extending into the near-infrared region. Remarkably, when exposed to 60Co γ-rays and electron irradiation, the bismuthene showed only slight degradation in saturable absorption behaviors that were critical for mode-locking in space. Ultrafast spectroscopy was applied to address the radiation effects and damage mechanisms that are difficult to understand by routine techniques. This work offers a new bottom-up approach for preparing 2D bismuthene, and the elucidation of its fundamental excited-state dynamics after radiation also provides a guideline to optimize the material for eventual space applications.

Background Lignocellulose is considered a renewable organic material, but the industrial production of biofuel from lignocellulose is challenging because of the lack of highly active hydrolytic enzymes. The guts of herbivores contain many symbiotic microorganisms that have evolved to hydrolyze plant lignocellulose. Chinese bamboo rats mainly consume high-fiber foods, indicating that some members of the intestinal tract microbiota digest lignocellulose, providing these rats with the energy required for growth. Results Here, we used metagenomics to analyze the diversity and functions of the gut microbiota in Chinese bamboo rats. We identified abundant populations of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, whose main functions involved carbohydrate, amino acid, and nucleic acid metabolism. We also found 587 carbohydrate-active enzyme genes belonging to different families, including 7 carbohydrate esterase families and 21 glycoside hydrolase families. The glycoside hydrolase 3, glycoside hydrolase 1, glycoside hydrolase 43, carbohydrate esterase 4, carbohydrate esterase 1, and carbohydrate esterase 3 families demonstrated outstanding performance. Conclusions The microbes and enzymes identified in our study expand the existing arsenal of proficient degraders and enzymes for lignocellulosic biofuel production. This study also describes a powerful approach for targeting gut microbes and enzymes in numerous industries. How to cite: Bai D, Lin X, Hu Y, et al. Metagenomics approach to identify lignocellulose-degrading enzymes in the gut microbiota of the Chinese bamboo rat cecum. Electron J Biotechnol 2021;50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2020.12.001

To understand the roles of Au(III) (hydro-)oxides in promoting plasmon-mediated photoelectrochemical (PMPEC) water-oxidation, we employed in situ microphotoelectrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ambient-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to elucidate the correlations between the amount of surface Au(III) (hydro-)oxides and the photocurrent of PMPEC water-oxidation on Au. By applying preoxidation potentials, we made surface Au(III) (hydro-)oxides on a plasmonic Au photoanode. According to the charge of reductively stripping surface oxygenated species before and after PMPEC water-oxidation, we found that a negative shift of an onset potential, increase in photocurrent, and much less growth of surface (hydro-)oxides were correlated with each other as a result of the increase in the coverage of Au (III) (hydro-)oxides. These results suggest that the surface Au(III) (hydro-)oxides kinetically promoted water-oxidation by restricting the growth of surface (hydro-)oxides.

Aims Morphological abnormalities are present in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We studied and compared the pelvic anatomy and morphology between the affected hemipelvis with the unaffected side in patients with unilateral Crowe type IV DDH using 3D imaging and analysis. Methods A total of 20 patients with unilateral Crowe-IV DDH were included in the study. The contralateral side was considered normal in all patients. A coordinate system based on the sacral base (SB) in a reconstructed pelvic model was established. The pelvic orientations (tilt, rotation, and obliquity) of the affected side were assessed by establishing a virtual anterior pelvic plane (APP). The bilateral coordinates of the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the centres of hip rotation were established, and parameters concerning size and volume were compared for both sides of the pelvis. Results The ASIS on the dislocated side was located inferiorly and anteriorly compared to the healthy side (coordinates on the y-axis and z-axis; p = 0.001; p = 0.031). The centre of hip rotation on the dislocated side was located inferiorly and medially compared to the healthy side (coordinates on the x-axis and the y-axis; p < 0.001; p = 0.003). The affected hemipelvis tilted anteriorly in the sagittal plane (mean 8.05° (SD 3.57°)), anteriorly rotated in the transverse plane (mean 3.31° (SD 1.41°)), and tilted obliquely and caudally in the coronal plane (mean 2.04° (SD 0.81°)) relative to the healthy hemipelvis. The affected hemipelvis was significantly smaller in the length, width, height, and volume than the healthy counterpart. (p = 0.014; p = 0.009; p = 0.035; p = 0.002). Conclusion Asymmetric abnormalities were identified on the affected hemipelvis in patients with the unilateral Crowe-IV DDH using 3D imaging techniques. Improved understanding of the morphological changes may influence the positioning of the acetabular component at THA. Acetabular component malpositioning errors caused by anterior tilt of the affected hemi pelvis and the abnormal position of the affected side centre of rotation should be considered by orthopaedic surgeons when undertaking THA in patients with Crowe-IV DDH. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(10):1311–1318.

β1,4-GalT1 is a type II membrane glycosyltransferase. It catalyzes the production of lactose in the lactating mammary gland and is supposedly also involved in the galactosylation of terminal GlcNAc of complex-type N-glycans. In-vitro studies of the bovine β4Gal-T1 homolog showed that replacing a single residue of tyrosine with leucine at position 289 alters the donor substrate specificity from UDP-Gal to UDP-N-acetyl-galactosamine (UDP-GalNAc). The effect of this peculiar change in β1,4GalT1 specificity was investigated in-vivo, by generating biallelic Tyr286Leu β1,4GalT1 mice using CRISPR/Cas9 and crossbreeding. Mice bearing this mutation showed no appreciable defects when compared to wild-type mice, with the exception of biallelic female B4GALT1 mutant mice, which were unable to produce milk. The detailed comparison of wild-type and mutant mice derived from liver, kidney, spleen, and intestinal tissues showed only small differences in their N-glycan pattern. Comparable N-glycosylation was also observed in HEK 293 wild-type and knock-out B4GALT1 cells. Remarkably and in contrast to the other analyzed tissue samples, sialylation and galactosylation of serum N-glycans of biallelic Tyr286Leu GalT1 mice almost disappeared completely. These results suggest that β1,4GalT1 plays a special role in the synthesis of serum N-glycans. The herein described Tyr286Leu β1,4GalT1 mutant mouse model may, therefore, prove useful in the investigation of the mechanism which regulates tissue-dependent galactosylation.

Wavefield extrapolation is critical in reverse time migration (RTM). The finite difference method is primarily used to achieve wavefield extrapolation in case of the RTM imaging of tunnels. However, complex tunnel models, including those for karsts and fault fracture zones, are constructed using regular grids with straight curves, which can cause numerical dispersion and reduce the imaging accuracy. In this study, wavefield extrapolation was conducted for tunnel RTM using the finite element method, wherein an unstructured mesh was considered to be the body-fitted partition in a complex model. Further, a Poynting vector calculation equation suitable for the unstructured mesh considered in the finite element method was established to suppress the interference owing to low-frequency noise. The tunnel space was considered during wavefield extrapolation to suppress the mirror artifacts based on the flexibility of mesh generation. Finally, the influence of the survey layouts (one and two sidewalls) on the tunnel imaging results was investigated. The RTM results obtained for a simple tunnel model with an inclined interface demonstrate that the method based on unstructured meshes can effectively suppress the low-frequency noise and mirror artifacts, obtaining clear imaging results. Furthermore, the two-sidewall tunnel survey layout can be used to accurately obtain the real position of the inclined interface ahead of the tunnel face. The complex tunnel numerical modeling and actual data migration results denote the effectiveness of the finite element method in which an unstructured mesh is used.

This study was conducted to evaluate changes to antioxidant systems in the postmortem muscle of three duck breeds and to analyze their relationship with meat quality. Pekin ducks, Muscovy ducks, and Mulard ducks were euthanized at the age of 70 d. The antioxidant enzyme activities and related gene expressions as well as meat quality in muscle tissues were examined. The breed of the duck had a significant effect on the antioxidant capacity of muscle tissues (P Mulard duck > Pekin duck, whereas the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration followed the opposite pattern. During cold storage (0–120 h), a decrease in the GPx, SOD, and T-AOC activities was noted, although MDA concentration increased gradually. The GPx1 and Cu/Zn-SOD gene expression levels in Muscovy duck muscle tissues were significantly higher than those in other breeds at both 0 and 24 h. Correlation analysis showed that higher antioxidant enzyme activity in duck muscle tissues was associated with higher water-holding capacity (WHC) and more stable meat color. Higher antioxidant enzyme activity in duck meat similarly resulted in higher pH values, higher WHC, and more stable meat color. These data indicate that antioxidant enzymes may inhibit lipid oxidation and participate in the regulation of meat quality.

Lu Ding, Yu-Hang Gao, Ye-Ran Li, Yi-Fan Huang, Xin-Yu Wang, Xin Qi Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Chang Chun, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xin QiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Xinmin St 71, Chang Chun, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +8615843073202Fax +86043181875600Email qixindoc@163.comPurpose: This study was to evaluate the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) in female knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients in a Chinese population. The associations between METS-IR and adipokines, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were investigated.Patients and Methods: This study included 4686 women from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and 108 women who underwent arthroplasty of KOA at a university hospital. The clinical data were collected, and adipokines were evaluated. METS-IR was calculated in the KOA patients and compared with the national baseline. Logistic regression analyses were applied to explore the associations of METS-IR with adipokines, ESR, and CRP.Results: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of METS-IR and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in national baseline showed an area under the curve value of 0.851, with sensitivity of 0.777 and specificity of 0.772. The METS-IR of KOA was higher than the national baseline level (40.29 ± 6.98 vs 36.20 ± 8.50, P < 0.01), even after adjusting age. In addition, the METS-IR was higher in patients with KOA who had MetS than in those without metabolic syndrome (nMetS), even after adjusting body mass index (BMI). After adjusting for age and BMI, METS-IR was associated with CRP (OR 1.238, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.088, 1.409, P < 0.01), ESR (OR 1.124, 95% CI 1.008, 1.254, P = 0.036), plasma leptin (OR 1.123, 95% CI 1.052, 1.199, P < 0.01), plasma resistin (OR 1.134, 95% CI 1.011, 1.271, P = 0.031), and plasma adiponectin (OR 0.865, 95% CI 0.771, 0.971, P = 0.014).Conclusion: METS-IR in female KOA was higher than that of the national baseline. The METS-IR was related to adipokine disorder and inflammatory activity. These findings suggest that METS-IR can be used to evaluate the degree of involvement of MetS in KOA.Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, metabolic score for insulin resistance

A new organic small-molecule family comprising tetracyanoquinodimethane-substituted quinoidal dithioalky(SR)terthiophenes (DSTQs) (DSTQ-6 (1); SR = SC6H13, DSTQ-10 (2); SR = SC10H21, DSTQ-14 (3); S...

The rational design and applications of plasmon-mediated chemical reactions (PMCRs) are fundamentally determined by an understanding of photon-electron-molecule interactions. However, the current understanding of the PMCR of plasmon-decayed hot electron-mediated reactions remains implicit, since there has not been a single measurement of both hot-electron transfer and molecular transformation following photon excitation. Therefore, we invented a method called microphotoelectrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (μPEC-SERS) that uses an ultramicroelectrode (UME) whose dimensions match those of the focused laser spot. This system can simultaneously record the photocurrent (∼picoamps) of hot-electron transfer with a high signal-to-noise ratio and the SERS spectra of a molecular reaction in the same electrode area. The responses of the photocurrent and SERS spectra to laser illumination can correlate the surface reaction activated by hot electrons with the SERS spectral changes. A typical PMCR of

Background Coronaviruses can be isolated from bats, civets, pangolins, birds and other wild animals. As an animal-origin pathogen, coronavirus can cross species barrier and cause pandemic in humans. In this study, a deep learning model for early prediction of pandemic risk was proposed based on the sequences of viral genomes. Methods A total of 3257 genomes were downloaded from the Coronavirus Genome Resource Library. We present a deep learning model of cross-species coronavirus infection that combines a bidirectional gated recurrent unit network with a one-dimensional convolution. The genome sequence of animal-origin coronavirus was directly input to extract features and predict pandemic risk. The best performances were explored with the use of pre-trained DNA vector and attention mechanism. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under precision-recall curve (AUPR) were used to evaluate the predictive models. Results The six specific models achieved good performances for the corresponding virus groups (1 for AUROC and 1 for AUPR). The general model with pre-training vector and attention mechanism provided excellent predictions for all virus groups (1 for AUROC and 1 for AUPR) while those without pre-training vector or attention mechanism had obviously reduction of performance (about 5–25%). Re-training experiments showed that the general model has good capabilities of transfer learning (average for six groups: 0.968 for AUROC and 0.942 for AUPR) and should give reasonable prediction for potential pathogen of next pandemic. The artificial negative data with the replacement of the coding region of the spike protein were also predicted correctly (100% accuracy). With the application of the Python programming language, an easy-to-use tool was created to implements our predictor. Conclusions Robust deep learning model with pre-training vector and attention mechanism mastered the features from the whole genomes of animal-origin coronaviruses and could predict the risk of cross-species infection for early warning of next pandemic. Graphical Abstract

Understanding how the conformational change of conjugated molecules with acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) architecture affects their physical and optoelectronic properties is critical for determining their ultimate performance in organic electronic devices. Here, we utilized femtosecond transient absorption, time-resolved upconversion photoluminescence spectroscopy, and tunable femtosecond-stimulated Raman spectroscopy, aided by quantum chemical calculations, to systematically investigate the excited state structural dynamics of the intramolecular charge transfer of the tetramethoxy anthracene-based fluorophore 2,3,6,7-tetramethoxy 9,10-dibenzaldehydeanthracene (AnDA) and its derivative 2,3,6,7-tetramethoxy 9,10-diphenylanthracene (TMDPAn) in chloroform. In the AnDA molecule, the tetramethoxy anthracene and benzaldehyde moieties exhibit a strong ability to donate and withdraw electrons. Upon photoexcitation, AnDA shows intriguing ultrafast fluorescence switch-on and red shift dynamics on charge transfer states, and the temporal evolution of AnDA recorded by ultrafast spectroscopy reveals a dynamic picture of two-step intramolecular charge transfer assisted by ultrafast conformational changes and solvation processes. Removing the aldehyde group from TMDPAn significantly decreases the electron pulling capacity of the phenyl unit and disables charge transfer characteristics.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) including chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and keratan sulfate, except for hyaluronan that is a free polysaccharide, are covalently attached to core proteins to form proteoglycans. More than 50 gene products are involved in the biosynthesis of GAGs. We recently developed a comprehensive glycosylation mapping tool, GlycoMaple, for visualization and estimation of glycan structures based on gene expression profiles. Using this tool, the expression levels of GAG biosynthetic genes were analyzed in various human tissues as well as tumor tissues. In brain and pancreatic tumors, the pathways for biosynthesis of chondroitin and dermatan sulfate were predicted to be upregulated. In breast cancerous tissues, the pathways for biosynthesis of chondroitin and dermatan sulfate were predicted to be up- and down-regulated, respectively, which are consistent with biochemical findings published in the literature. In addition, the expression levels of the chondroitin sulfate-proteoglycan versican and the dermatan sulfate-proteoglycan decorin were up- and down-regulated, respectively. These findings may provide new insight into GAG profiles in various human diseases including cancerous tumors as well as neurodegenerative disease using GlycoMaple analysis.

Ascertaining the function of in-plane intrinsic defects and edge atoms is necessary for developing efficient low-dimensional photocatalysts. We report the wireless photocatalytic CO

Lithium ion capacitors (LICs) are energy storage devices integrating the complementary features of both supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries to simultaneously reach high energy and power densities. One of the major challenges in LIC technology is the kinetic imbalance between the faradaic insertion anode and capacitive cathode. Therefore, the design of electrode materials is crucial to enhance the rate performance of anode and the capacitance of the cathode in LIC devices. In this work, novel LICs were demonstrated with nanostructured cathode and anode. A vertically-aligned carbon nanoflakes (VACNFs) cathode provided high electrochemically active surface area and excellent conductivity, while a metal organic framework (MOF) derived carbonized nickel cobalt oxide (cNiCo2O4) anode ensured fast conversion reactions and remarkable cyclability. Electrochemical characterization of individual electrode confirmed that both electrodes exhibited good electron and ion transport capability. The LICs were fabricated with optimized electrode active materials loading to deliver high energy densities at desired charge/discharge rates. The devices exhibited energy density up to 136.9 W h/kg (at 200 W/kg). At higher power density of 40 kW/kg, under which a full charge-discharge can be finished within 4 s, the LICs could still deliver an energy density of 26.44 W h/kg. The devices also showed a good cycle stability (≈90% capacitance retention after 9000 cycles, under current density of 4 A/g) within the voltage range of 1–4.2 V.

Surface plasmons (SPs) originating from the collective oscillation of conduction electrons in nanostructured metals (Au, Ag, Cu, etc.) can redistribute not only the electromagnetic fields but also the excited carriers (electrons and holes) and heat energy in time and space. Therefore, SPs can engage in a variety of processes, such as molecular spectroscopy and chemical reaction. Recently, plenty of demonstrations have made plasmon-mediated chemical reactions (PMCRs) a very active research field and make it as a promising approach to facilitate light-driven chemical reactions under mild conditions. Concurrently, making use of the same SPs, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with a high surface sensitivity and energy resolution becomes a powerful and commonly used technique for the in situ study of PMCRs. Typically, various effects induced by SPs, including the enhanced electromagnetic field, local heating, excited electrons, and excited holes, can mediate chemical reactions. Herein, we use the para-aminothiophenol (PATP) transformation as an example to elaborate how SERS can be used to study the mechanism of PMCR system combined with theoretical calculations. First, we distinguish the chemical transformation of PATP to 4,4'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) from the chemical enhancement mechanism of SERS through a series of theoretical and in situ SERS studies. Then, we focus on disentangling the photothermal, hot electrons, and "hot holes" effects in the SPs-induced PATP-to-DMAB conversion. Through varying the key reaction parameters, such as the wavelength and intensity of the incident light, using various core-shell plasmonic nanostructures with different charge transfer properties, we extract the key factors that influence the efficiency and mechanism of this reaction. We confidently prove that the transformation of PATP can occur on account of the oxygen activation induced by the hot electrons or because of the action of hot holes in the absence of oxygen and confirm the critical effect of the interface between the plasmonic nanostructure and reactants. The products of these two process are different. Furthermore, we compare the correlation between PMCRs and SERS, discuss different scenario of PMCRs in situ studied by SERS, and provide some suggestions for the SERS investigation on the PMCRs. Finally, we comment on the mechanism studies on how to distinguish the multieffects of SPs and their influence on the PMCRs, as well as on how to power the chemical reaction and regulate the product selectivity in higher efficiencies.

Objective: To evaluate the expression levels of adipokines in the synovium and infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) in osteoarthritis (OA) patients with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: 120 female patients with OA were enrolled, and 60 healthy women matched body mass index, age, and sex, served as controls. Adipokines levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the serum of all participants and synovial fluid (SF) of OA patients. Local expression levels of adipokines in the synovium and IPFP were examined by immunohistochemical analysis. The amount of adipokine proteins was analyzed using Western blot, and adipokine mRNA expressions were determined via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in the non-MetS-OA group than those in controls (7.97 vs. 4.24 ng/ml, p< 0.001), and even higher leptin levels were found in the MetS-OA group (19.05 ng/ml; p< 0.001 for both). Serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in the MetS-OA group than those in controls (8.09 vs. 10.07 μg/ml, respectively; p= 0.001). The synovium and IPFP in the MetS-OA group secreted more leptin and less adiponectin than those in the non-MetS-OA group (Leptin: 5.32 vs. 1.28 in synovium, respectively; p= 0.028; 6.44 vs. 0.88 in IPFP, respectively; p= 0.017. Adiponectin: 1.12 vs. 0.12 in synovium, respectively; p= 0.042; 1.07 vs. 0.09 in IPFP, respectively; p= 0.027). Resistin expression levels in the serum, SF, and articular tissues were similar among the groups. Conclusions: Expressions of adipokines were different in the synovium and IPFP of OA patients with and without MetS.

A graphene oxide paper (GOP) was irradiated with 500 keV proton for total fluence of 2 × 1013 cm−2 to 2 × 1015 cm−2 in a ground-based irradiation simulator. The spacing of layer, surface chemical composition, structural defects, thermal conductivity and electrical property of the GOP before and after irradiation was measured. The results indicated that the spacing of layer decreased after irradiation. The ratio of total carbon atom and total oxygen atom increased from 2.40 to 4.31 as well as the sp2 hybridized carbons obviously increased after 2 × 1015 cm−2 irradiation. The XPS analysis suggested the occurrence of reduction, and the Raman spectra indicated that the defects were produced after proton irradiation. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of GOP decreased, and then increased smoothly as the irradiation fluences were increased, and the electrical property showed the similar trend. The change in the thermal and electrical properties for GOP could be attributed to the defects and the removal of oxygen-containing functional groups, which lead to the phonon conduct path and scattering centers changed under proton irradiation. This study could promote the application of GOP in future space expeditions.

Two diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor-acceptor oligomers with thermal labile 2-methylhexyl-2-oxylcarbonyl (mHoc) groups, mHocPBT and mHocTBT, were synthesized and characterized to study the hydrogen-bonding mediated molecular packing in solid state. The soluble oligomers can be converted to strong intermolecular hydrogen-bonded and pigment-like materials HPBT and HTBT by annealing the casted solid film at a temperature between 180 and 200 °C. The formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding significantly altered the conformation of the molecules, molecular packing structure and related optical properties of the oligomers, with HPBT molecule exhibiting bathochromic shift and HTBT molecule exhibiting hypsochromic shift on UV/Vis spectra. Spin-casted mHocTBT and HTBT films also exhibited interesting morphology and charge transport properties. Even though the single mHocTBT oligomer molecule has a better coplanar molecular conformation as compared with that of HTBT, an enhanced π-π stacking structure and larger crystal grain size rendered HTBT film better charge transport performance.

This letter focuses on the streamer-to-spark transitions generated by microsecond pulsed discharges (±20 kV of amplitude, 150 μs of pulse width) in deionized water to provide a quantitative insight into the underwater breakdown process. The discharge channel during underwater electrical breakdown is generally considered as a homogenous blackbody radiator by the arc model. However, we report an unsymmetrical structure of negative breakdown channel in water which shows great discrepancy from the frequently observed uniform structure. An improved two-stage analytical model is proposed to quantitatively estimate the parameter variations of the discharge channels, e.g. radius, temperature, pressure. The calculated results show that the discrepancy in parameters of different parts of negative discharge channel is tremendous. Specifically, during negative electrical breakdown, the region of discharge channel near ground electrode owns greatest values in characteristic parameters (e.g. T max = 22 300 K, P max = 0.145 GPa and v max = 219 m s−1), which are far above the counterparts of main body of channel. By introducing field ionization and impact ionization mechanisms during the propagation of the streamer, we explain the rapid expansion of positive discharge channel and the regions of negative channel near the needle tip as well as the ground electrode. Besides, the deposited homocharges at the gas–liquid interface weaken the ionizations in main body of negative breakdown channel, and hence causing the formation of the unsymmetrical structure.