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Glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) modified with sulfur‐doped graphene (SG)/carboxylated carbon nanotube (CNT−COOH)/MoS2/yeast composite were prepared for electrochemical detection for lead ions by the simple hydrothermal methods and ultrasonic methods. The combination of SG and CNT−COOH could form a double‐layer carbon structure, providing more active detection sites for detection for lead, which could also contribute to adherence of yeast and MoS2. The SG/CNT−COOH/MoS2/yeast exhibited a high response in detecting low concentrations of lead ions. And then the SG/CNT−COOH/MoS2/yeast was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compared with traditional detection technology, the linear range of the sensor was 10−6∼10−14 g/L. And the lower of detection (LOD) down to 2.61×10−15 g/L was achieved. The sensor showed prospective applications in detection of Pb2+ in real serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long short-term memory (LSTM) is a type of powerful deep neural network that has been widely used in many sequence analysis and modeling applications. However, the large model size problem of LSTM networks make their practical deployment still very challenging, especially for the video recognition tasks that require high-dimensional input data. Aiming to overcome this limitation and fully unlock the potentials of LSTM models, in this paper we propose to perform algorithm and hardware co-design towards high-performance energy-efficient LSTM networks. At algorithm level, we propose to develop fully decomposed hierarchical Tucker (FDHT) structure-based LSTM, namely FDHT-LSTM, which enjoys ultra-low model complexity while still achieving high accuracy. In order to fully reap such attractive algorithmic benefit, we further develop the corresponding customized hardware architecture to support the efficient execution of the proposed FDHT-LSTM model. With the delicate design of memory access scheme, the complicated matrix transformation can be efficiently supported by the underlying hardware without any access conflict in an on-the-fly way. Our evaluation results show that both the proposed ultra-compact FDHT-LSTM models and the corresponding hardware accelerator achieve very high performance. Compared with the state-of-the-art compressed LSTM models, FDHT-LSTM enjoys both order-of-magnitude reduction (more than $1000 \times$ 1000 × ) in model size and significant accuracy improvement (0.6% to 12.7%) across different video recognition datasets. Meanwhile, compared with the state-of-the-art tensor decomposed model-oriented hardware TIE, our proposed FDHT-LSTM architecture achieve $2.5\times$ 2. 5 × , $1.46\times$ 1. 46 × and $2.41\times$ 2. 41 × increase in throughput, area efficiency and energy efficiency, respectively on LSTM-Youtube workload. For LSTM-UCF workload, our proposed design also outperforms TIE with $1.9\times$ 1. 9 × higher throughput, $1.83\times$ 1. 83 × higher energy efficiency and comparable area efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-red (λem ∼ 710 nm) thiolated Ag@Au nanoclusters with a quantum yield of ∼18% were rapidly (∼12 min) prepared in aqueous solutions. The effects of pH and silver ions were demonstrated. The surface modification further resulted in nanoclusters with a quantum yield of ∼38%, the highest value ever reported for water-soluble red Au nanoclusters. This will highly facilitate their applications in sensing, bioimaging, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the research literature analysing the uneven geographical distribution of cultural industries across the global urban system. We begin by discussing the two major conceptual links between cultural industries and urban economies: (1) production processes becoming more flexible and specialised, and (2) the symbolic‐oriented and place‐rooted identities of cultural products. This has provided the backcloth for a wide‐ranging urban‐geographical research agenda exploring cultural industries, and here the focus is on how these industries are unevenly distributed, implemented and shaped across the global urban system. Cultural industries' dependence on a large pool of creative labour, extensive local networks of suppliers, access to tacit knowledge, and synergies based on spatial proximity all strengthen their agglomeration in a limited number of major metropolitan areas. However, the cultural economy also increasingly thrives in a range of smaller and remote cities as these have succeeded integrating into global cultural production networks and/or carved out a niche in increasingly differentiated consumer markets. In addition, because the economic importance of cultural production is expanding rapidly across the globe, we are seeing an increasingly polycentric urban geography with new global cultural centres emerging on the map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using reservoir theory, we investigate the evolution of an atom placed in photon superfluid and study the entanglement properties of two qubits interacting with photon superfluid. It is found that the atomic decay rate in photon superfluid changes periodically with position of the atom and the decay rate can be inhibited compared to that in usual electromagnetic environment without photon superfluid. It is also found that when two atoms are separately immersed in their own local photon-superfluid reservoir, the entanglement sudden death or birth occurs or not only depends on the initial state of the qubits. What is more, we find a possible case that the concurrence between two qubits can remain a constant value by choosing proper values of parameters of the system, which may provide a new way to preserve quantum entanglement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Weisskopf–Wigner theory has been used to investigate the spontaneous emission of a two-level atom placed in a photon superfluid. It is found that the atom decays exponentially. However, the atomic decay rate changes periodically with the position of the atom and it is minimal when the atom is located at the wave nodes. The largest decay rate of the atom in photon superfluid has the same order of magnitude as it is in vacuum of free space. Moreover, the analytical result shows that the decay of an atom in photon superfluid, compared with that in planar cavity without photon superfluid, will be inhibited. The physical origin of atomic decay inhibition is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activin-A and activin-B, members of the TGF-β superfamily, are regulators of reproductive functions, inflammation and wound healing. These dimeric molecules regulate various cellular activities such as proliferation, migration and suvival. Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos exposure related tumor affecting mainly pleura and it usually has a dismal prognosis. Here, we demonstrate that both activin-A and -B are abundantly expressed in mesothelioma tumor tissue as well as in cultured primary and established mesothelioma cells. Migratory and invasive mesothelioma cells were also found to have attenuated activation of the Smad2/3 pathway in response to activins. Migration and invasive growth of the cells in three-dimentional matrix was prevented by inhibition of activin activity using a soluble activin receptor 2B (sActR2B-Fc). This was associated with decreased ERK activity. Furthermore, migration and invasive growth was significantly inhibited by blocking ERK phosphorylation. Mesothelioma tumors are locally invasive and our results clearly suggest that acivins have a tumor-promoting function in mesothelioma through increasing expression and switching from canonical Smad3 pathway to non-canonical ERK pathway signaling. Blocking activin activity offers a new therapeutic approach for inhibition of mesothelioma invasive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fast-slow light conversion can be controlled by an external magnetic field. • The group delay can be stabilized even though the magnons are slightly detuned. • Adjusting the quantity of YIG spheres can alter the frequency of the fast-slow light. In order to simplify the conversion between slow light and fast light, we ameliorate the cavity-magnon coupling system and theoretically analyze the characteristics of group delay of the output field. The system under consideration consists of a microwave cavity and N yttrium iron garnets (YIGs), of which the quantity of YIG spheres is designed to be controlled by an external magnetic field. It is found, most importantly, that the conversion between fast and slow light can be realized by adjusting the number of YIG spheres that the external magnetic field acts on. Significantly, through adjusting the quantity N of magnons, the group delay can be stabilized at a required value even though the magnons are slightly detuned. Moreover, adjusting the quantity of YIG spheres can also alter the frequency corresponding to the fast-slow light effect, signifying that the conversion can be expanded to the frequency domain. Meanwhile, the cavity-magnon coupling strength required to generate the fast-slow light can be also effectively reduced by increasing the quantity of YIG spheres. Furthermore, we find that the cavity-magnon coupling strength and the cavity-field loss rate are complementary in terms of the group delay, which provides a feasible alternative for experimental design. The factors determining the slow-light limit have also been summarized based on their influence on the group delay. Our results have theoretical significance for the improvement of the generation and conversion of the fast-slow light, upgrading and innovating the information technology, especially in the field of all-optical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of atomic dipole momentum and atomic dipole-squeezing effect are investigated inside a Kerr nonlinear blackbody. It is found that in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody, the atomic dipole momentum and its squeezing effect are heavily dependent on the Kerr nonlinear coefficient. It is also found that below a transition temperature T, the dipole momentum and its squeezing effect in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody can vanish much faster with time than those in a normal blackbody. Above T, the Kerr nonlinear blackbody becomes a normal blackbody, and the dynamics of the atomic dipole momentum and its squeezing effect behaves as those in normal blackbody radiation. The physical origin of the sudden-vanishing phenomenon in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermodynamic properties of a Kerr nonlinear blackbody (KNB) are investigated. It is found that below a transition temperature T, the free energy of a KNB radiation is larger than that in a normal blackbody. At the transition from KNB radiation state to a normal blackbody radiation state, the photon system undergoes a first-order phase transition. The thermodynamic system of an atom interacting with a KNB radiation bath is also investigated by using a thermodynamic perturbation theory. It is found that below a transition temperature T, the increment of the free energy of the atom is larger than that in a normal blackbody. Above T, the KNB becomes a normal blackbody, and the properties in a KNB turn to be the same as those in normal blackbody radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseline and disease progression characteristics may predict the risk of skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with bone metastases from various solid tumors. Exploratory analysis of phase III trials compared zoledronic acid with placebo in patients with bone metastases from castration-resistant prostate cancer ( N = 643) and lung cancer or other solid tumors ( N = 773), adjusted for baseline and time-dependent disease parameters. In all models, more than three bone lesions at baseline correlated with the increased SRE risk. Bone and overall disease progression correlated with increased SRE risk. Overall, cancer progression correlated with increased SRE risks and zoledronic acid was associated with reduced SRE risks versus placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We reexamine the atomic spontaneous decay in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody by contrast with our previous paper [M. Yin, Z. Cheng, Phys. Rev. A 78 (2008) 063829]. In the process of deriving the atomic decay rate, we use the temperature-dependent velocity of photons to take the full nonlinearity of a KNB into account. It is found that below a transition temperature , the atomic spontaneous emission in a KNB might be enhanced or inhibited compared with that in a normal blackbody whose interior is filled with a nonabsorbing linear medium. The physical origin of the enhancement and inhibition of spontaneous emission is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a key inflammatory cytokine, plays an important role in atherosclerosis. However, its precise characters in primary stage of the disease remain unclear. To assess the influence of TNF-α on inflammatory factors in aorta and liver in apoE and TNF-α double mutant (AT) mice, a comparative study on early fatty-streak lesion, the mRNA level of target gene in aorta and liver of adolescent AT and apoE-null (apoE−/−) mice were achieved. The characteristics of expression of inflammatory factors, and early fatty-streak lesion relevance were analyzed. The plasma cytokines in 6-week-old AT and apoE−/− mice were also measured. Lipid accumulation in the intima of the aorta existed as early as 3 weeks of age in apoE−/− mice. Fatty-streak lesion was mild in AT mice but prominent in apoE−/− mice, at age of 6 weeks. Furthermore, most interesting findings indicate that mRNA levels of pro-atherosclerotic factors, i.e. IL-1β, IFN-γ, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, GM-CSF and NF-κB (p65) were significantly downregulated in AT mice. Whereas IL-2 and IκB-α were upregulated in aorta of AT mice versus those in apoE−/− mice (p <0.01) and the transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IFN-γ, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1 and GM-CSF, increased with atherogenesis progression. On the other hand, the expression of these inflammatory factors in the liver displayed somewhat similar fashion to those in the aorta. Moreover, the plasma lipids profile in AT mice showed less pro-atherogenic than that of apoE−/− mice. Our data indicated that TNF-α deficiency surely, although not completely, retards fatty-streak lesion formation due to downregulated expression of the pro-atherosclerotic inflammatory factors in the present circumstance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the metal-organic coordination polymers with silver salts and flexible pyridyl-type ligands. Characteristics of polydentate organic ligands; Occurrence of interpenetrating polymeric networks by the rapid growth of network-based crystal engineering; Isolation of synthetic systems leading to metal coordination polymers.

A recent report by Heath et al. reveals that obesity could impair cancer immunogenicity and foster a type I interferon (IFN-I)-deprived tumor microenvironment through saturated fatty acid-mediated stimulator of interferon genes (STING) inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the first step in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis. However, GPAT members and their functions remain poorly understood in Perilla frutescens, a special edible-medicinal plant with its seed oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (mostly α-linolenic acid, ALA). Here, 14 PfGPATs were identified from the P. frutescens genome and classified into three distinct groups according to their phylogenetic relationships. These 14 PfGPAT genes were distributed unevenly across 11 chromosomes. PfGPAT members within the same subfamily had highly conserved gene structures and four signature functional domains, despite considerable variations detected in these conserved motifs between groups. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR combined with dynamic analysis of oil and FA profiles during seed development indicated that PfGPAT9 may play a crucial role in the biosynthesis and accumulation of seed oil and PUFAs. Ex vivo enzymatic assay using the yeast expression system evidenced that PfGPAT9 had a strong GPAT enzyme activity crucial for TAG assembly and also a high substrate preference for oleic acid (OA, C18:1) and ALA (C18:3). Heterogeneous expression of PfGPAT9 significantly increased total oil and UFA (mostly C18:1 and C18:3) levels in both the seeds and leaves of the transgenic tobacco plants. Moreover, these transgenic tobacco lines exhibited no significant negative effect on other agronomic traits, including plant growth and seed germination rate, as well as other morphological and developmental properties. Collectively, our findings provide important insights into understanding PfGPAT functions, demonstrating that PfGPAT9 is the desirable target in metabolic engineering for increasing storage oil enriched with valuable FA profiles in oilseed crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men. PCa is difficult to detect in its early stages, and most patients are diagnosed in the middle to late stages. At present, drug therapy for advanced PCa is still insufficient. Some patients develop drug resistance in the later stage of therapy, which leads to tumor recurrence, metastasis and even treatment failure. Therefore, it is crucial to find new and effective drugs to treat prostate cancer. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of salidroside, an active ingredient in a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on PCa. METHODS: Two human PCa cell lines, PC3 and DU145, were cultured and treated with salidroside. Cell viability and proliferation ability were analyzed through CCK-8 and colony assays, and cell migration ability was detected by Transwell and Scratch assays. RT-PCR and WB were used to detected the expression levels of moleculars related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and AKT signaling pathway. Forthmore, we performed rescue experiments with agonist to verify the affected signaling pathway. RESULTS: Salidroside inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, and migration of PCa cells. Meanwhile, apoptosis of PCa cells was enhanced. Moreover, salidroside inhibited PI3K/AKT pathway in PCa cells. The treatment of AKT agonist 740Y-P abrogated the inhibitory effect of salidroside on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that in PCa cells, salidroside inhibites proliferation and migration and promots apoptosis via inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To monitor the genetic variation of PRRSV, the ORF5 gene of the PRRSV-SN strain found in Suining City, Sichuan Province, was cloned and sequenced. The results showed that the PRRSV-SN strain was a highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) variant strain with the North American (NA) genotype. Homology analysis showed that the ORF5 gene of the PRRSV-SN isolate shared 89.4% (86.5%) nucleotide (amino acid) sequence similarity with the North American strain VR-2332, 98.8% (96%) similarity with JXA1, and 63.8% (57.7%) similarity with the European type representative strain Lelystad virus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PRRSV-SN belongs to the NA genotype and has the same subtype as other highly pathogenic PRRSV strains. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that compared with the VR2332 strain, PRRSV-SN has different degrees of variation in the signal peptide, transmembrane region (TM), primary neutralizing epitope (PNE), non-neutral epitopes and N-glycosylation sites. Antigenicity analysis showed that the PRRSV-SN ORF5 gene products and JXA1 have similar antigenic characteristics, and the antigenic epitopes are mainly located in aa30-39, aa50-60, aa128-141, aa146-155 and aa161-183 regions. In contrast, the antigenic characteristics of PRRSV-SN are quite different from those of the VR2332 strain. The main differences were that the PRRSV-SN strain was significantly narrower than the VR2332 strain in the aa30-39 and the aa50-60 regions but was significantly wider in the aa136-141 region. The results of this study showed that the epidemic strains that cause PRRSV outbreaks in the farm are still mainly JXA1 variants, but due to the more frequent use of live vaccine immunizations, the genes of the PRRSV epidemic strain still show constant variation. Vaccination with live PRRSV should be reduced, and surveillance of PRRSV strains should be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mixing Oak Carbon and graphite in proportion to prepare carbon paste electrode to improve its application in heavy metal detection人. • Study and explain in the change of hydrogen evolution potential of GCE and CILE in ABS. • A portable electrochemical sensing device integrating sampling, analysis and filtration is designed to realize the simultaneous detection of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+. In this study, oak biomass carbon (BC) and BC-Au composite materials were synthesized by the pyrolysis method to construct BC-Au electrode and ionic liquid carbon paste electrode (CILE) composed of BC, graphite and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate(IL) for simultaneous detection of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+. The obtained materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum (Raman). The electrochemical performance of two sensors was studied using square wave voltammetry (SWV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance methods (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The obtained results show that the detection performance of CILE was clearly better than BC-Au in terms of wide linear range(0.5 µM to 6.0 µM for Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+) and high sensitivity(the detection limit toward Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ is 0.09 µM, 0.366 µM and 0.489 µM, respectively). In addition, a portable electrochemical sensing device matched with one-off CILE was constructed, which would enhance the ability for multiple electrochemical detection situations and show prospective applications for the detection of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ in real lakes and cucumber samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three common types of reversible inhibitors, namely competitive, noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibitors, were designed and constructed by using enzymes with different surface charges and gold nanoparticles with different surface ligands and particle sizes. To our knowledge, it is the first time that an uncompetitive nano inhibitor has been discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bisphenol A and its electron-withdrawing derivatives selected for research in biological applications. • Classical biomacromolecule human serum albumin used as biological model. • The affinity effects of bisphenol A derivatives were predicted by multiple methods. • The effect of electron cloud regulation on the bonding strength was analyzed by electron-withdrawing groups. • Providing a new methodology for biosafety studies of bisphenol A derivatives. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental hormone with substantial physiological toxicity to the human body. Three electron-withdrawing derivatives of BPA are synthesized in this study to reduce its toxicity. The interaction mechanism between BPA and its three derivatives with human serum albumin (HSA) is investigated using molecular docking, electrochemistry, circular dichroism spectrum analysis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent tests and time-resolved fluorescence spectra reveal that all four compounds dynamically quench the internal fluorescence of HSA. Based on molecular docking and site competition outcomes, four compounds are primarily bound to site I's active pocket. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that the compounds' interaction with HSA is spontaneous, and introducing weak electron-withdrawing groups changes the action force. Circular dichroism and synchronous fluorescence measurements suggest four compounds impact HSA's structure. The substituents' electron attraction capacity determines their impact. Electrochemical studies examine the effect of electron-absorbing groups on the BPA and HSA binding capacity. Pharmacokinetics showed that nitro-substituted BPA may be a potential superior substitute for BPA. These results indicate crucial practical value, providing theoretical support for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BCAT2-mediated branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism is critical for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) development, especially at an early stage. However, whether a high-BCAA diet promotes PDAC development in vivo , and the underlying mechanism of BCAT2 upregulation, remain undefined. Here, we find that a high-BCAA diet promotes pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) progression in LSL-KrasG12D/+ ; Pdx1-Cre (KC) mice. Moreover, we screened with an available deubiquitylase library which contains 31 members of USP family and identified that USP1 deubiquitylates BCAT2 at the K229 site. Furthermore, BCAA increases USP1 protein at the translational level via the GCN2-eIF2α pathway both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, USP1 inhibition recedes cell proliferation and clone formation in PDAC cells and attenuates pancreas tumor growth in an orthotopic transplanted mice model. Consistently, a positive correlation between USP1 and BCAT2 is found in KC; LSL-KrasG12D/+ ; p53flox/+ ; Pdx1-Cre mice and clinical samples. Thus, a therapeutic targeting USP1-BCAT2-BCAA metabolic axis could be considered as a rational strategy for treatment of PDAC and precisive dietary intervention of BCAA has potentially translational significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-angle beam splitter (BS) with adjustable power ratio based on the superprism effect in a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) slab is proposed. The finite-difference time-domain results show that by appropriately truncating the PC termination, two split beams with a large separation angle can be achieved over a relative bandwidth of 13.7%. The power ratio of the two split beams can be sensitively adjusted by slightly changing the incident angle or insensitively adjusted by changing the position of the light source, while there are almost no changes in their propagation directions. Further calculations reveal that the cylinder radius of PC has wide tolerance for the BS, which is favourable for practical fabrication. As an example, we proposed a sensitive double-throw optical switch with working wavelength range from 1432 to 1644 nm based on the proposed structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is the next device in the roadmap for the realization of fusion energy in China. Based on the current engineering design of CFETR, detailed activation analysis for the major components of CFETR has been performed by using the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP4C and the inventory code FISPACT-2007. The key radiological parameters, such as activity inventory, decay heat, contact dose rate and dominant nuclides, have been obtained and analyzed. Meanwhile, based on the activation analysis results for CFETR and the radioactive waste classification criteria in China, preliminary radioactive waste classification for the major components of CFETR has been completed, and the recommendations to reduce the levels of radioactive waste generated by CFETR in-vessel components have been proposed. The activation analysis and waste classification results for CFETR can be used as data basis and support for shielding design, waste management and disposal, accident analysis, decommissioning strategy, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple pyrolysis, activation and hydrothermal method was utilized to synthesize composite materials (Fe3O4/SFP) of ferroferric oxide and nitrogen self-doped sunflower plate-derived carbon for the simultaneous electrochemical sensing of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The Fe3O4/SFP had synergistic catalytic effect on target molecules, and the oxidation peak potential of AA, DA and UA was well distinguished in the differential pulse voltammetry determination. Under the optimal conditions, the linear response ranges of AA, DA and UA are 3–150 μ M, 5–450 μ M and 15–1200 μ M, respectively. The detection limits of AA, DA and UA (S / N = 3) are 1.0 μ M, 0.4 μ M and 1.48 μ M, respectively, and the sensitivity is 1.87 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (3–20 μ M) and 0.64 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (20–150 μ M) for AA, 3.90 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (5–20 μ M) and 1.21 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (20–450 μ M) for DA and 1.12 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (15–100 μ M) and 0.31 μ A ⋅ μ M − 1 ⋅ cm − 2 (100–1200 μ M) for UA. In addition, satisfactory results have been obtained for the determination of AA, DA and UA in normal human serum, which provides a new research direction for the construction of electrochemical sensors in the future. Nitrogen self-doped sunflower plates derived carbon (SFP) was synthesized by a one-step pyrolysis activation method using waste biomass sunflower plates as precursor. Then the hydrothermal method was utilized to synthesize composite materials (Fe3O4/SFP) of ferroferric oxide and nitrogen self-doped sunflower plates derived carbon for the simultaneous electrochemical sensing of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The Fe3O4/SFP had synergistic catalytic effect on target molecules, the excellent detection results were obtained in the DPV determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines essential for cell proliferation. Overexpression of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in rodent fibroblasts led to aggressive transformants (Amdc-s cells) that had unforeseen high invasive capacity in nude mice, invading rapidly from the subcutaneous injection site into the peritoneal cavity and its organs. In vitro, these cells were much more invasive than Ras-oncogene-transformed fibroblasts, or human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. In immunohistological characterization, Amdc-s-induced tumors showed chaotic neovascularization, with abundant pleomorphic vessel-like structures that had noncontiguous or totally missing laminin (basement membrane) and CD31 (endothelial cell) immunoreactivity. Gene expression and protein analyses of Amdc-s cells showed them to overexpress several pro-angiogenic molecules, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A), and to exhibit profound down-regulation of the anti-angiogenic thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). By reintroduction of TSP-1 into Amdc-s cells, the high invasiveness was efficiently inhibited in vitro. Interestingly, Amdc-s cells showed up-regulation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and also expressed the MET receptor, creating thus an autocrine loop able to regulate VEGF-A and TSP-1 levels. Further, we found Amdc-s cells to express increased amounts of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and the large isoform of tenascin-C (TN-C), which may also contribute to the angiogenic switch and invasiveness. Consequently, Amdc-s cells offer an excellent model to sort out the key molecules of aggressive tumor growth, and thereby help in designing rational, novel anti-vascular and other cancer therapies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using exact diagonalization techniques, the low-lying states of an exciton, and the linear and nonlinear optical absorptions in a disc-like quantum dot are theoretically studied. The numerical results for the typical GaAs material show the so-called quantum size effect. Also, our study is restricted on the transition between the S state (L =0) and the P state (L =1). The optical absorption coefficients are greatly enhanced because of the induced size confinement. Meantime, we find that the total optical absorption coefficient is about two times bigger than that obtained by without considering exciton effects. Additionally, the optical absorption saturation intensity can be controlled by the incident optical intensity I. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Expression characteristics of C-reactive protein (CRP) for the ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios have not been evaluated in the well-qualified experimental atherosclerotic mouse model. This work focused on characteristics of CRP expression in the liver of apolipoprotein E–null (apoE−/−) mice influenced by ω-6/ω-3 PUFA ratios. Methods: Varying ratios of ω-6/ω-3 PUFAs (group 1, 1.28; group 2, 5.03; group 3, 9.98; and group 4, 68.26, respectively) on hepatic and aortic CRP expressions were assessed in male apoE−/− mice fed a diet containing 5% (w/w) experimental fat for 6 wk. Hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ mRNA abundance, hepatic interleukin (IL)-6 protein level, atherosclerotic lesions, and serum cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were examined. Results: As the dietary ratio of ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids ascended, so did the expression of hepatic and aortic CRP and hepatic IL-6 protein. However, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ mRNA level had a tendency to decrease. Serum IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels did not show a statistical difference among the mice fed the four ratios of the ω-6/ω-3 PUFA diet. The group 4 mice developed a significant increase in atherosclerotic lesions compared with the other groups. Conclusion: The results indicated that low ratios of ω-6/ω-3 PUFAs (1.28–9.98) downregulated the hepatic and aortic CRP expressions and reduced aortic en face lesions in apoE−/− mice compared with the high ratio of the ω-6/ω-3 PUFA diet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intelectin (ITLN) is a type of glycan-binding lectin involved in many physiological processes and some human diseases. Here we report a common carp intelectin (cITLN). Like other orthologs , cITLN also contains a conserved fibrinogen-related domain (FReD) and a unique intelectin domain, expresses in all the tissues tested with the highest level in the hindgut, and responds to bacterial challenge in the acute phase. We also expressed cITLN in Escherichia coli (E. coli) system, and the purified recombinant cITLN could neither affect the surface of bacteria nor inhibit the growth of bacteria, but it can agglutinate both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in a calcium-dependent manner. The cITLN's ability of agglutination of gram-positive bacteria is stronger than that of gram-negative bacteria. This is probably because recombinant cITLN could binding peptidoglycan (PGN) with a higher degree to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our results of cITLN provided new insight into the function of intelectin in the intestinal mucosal immunity. • One homologue of intelectin named cITLN with a FReD and a unique intelectin domain was characterized in common carp. • The cITLN is expressed in all tissues we tested and upregulated after challenge of A. hydrophila. • The cITLN can bind to both LPS and PGN. Maybe it's the early step for cITLN to exert its bacterial binding and agglutinating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanodots (Cdots) have aroused widespread concerns in the field of biomedical applications. In order to achieve better implications of behavior of Cdots in the biological environment, an array of spectroscopic, electrochemical and calorimetric techniques were performed to study the interaction of Cdots possessing different charges with human serum albumin (HSA) in physiological condition. Two polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyetherimide (PEI), were applied to passivate the bare Cdots to achieve the Cdots with different surface charge, namely negatively charged PEG Cdots and positively charged PEI Cdots. The fluorescence of HSA was obviously quenched by both Cdots in a charge-independent behavior through a dynamic collision mechanism. Moreover, the association affinity of PEG Cdots or PEI Cdots bound to HSA was very close to each other. In addition, PEG Cdots with diverse content exhibited little effects on the secondary structure of HSA while only high content of PEI Cdots induced obvious conformation perturbation of HSA. The electrostatic forces dominate the association between HSA and PEI Cdots while the association of PEG Cdots to HSA is initiated by hydrophobic and van der Waals forces. Furthermore, the results of isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that both the interaction was driven by favorable entropy and enthalpy, which confirmed that these association processes are thermodynamically spontaneous. Finally, the sites marker competitive experiment showed that the association sites of Cdots with HSA exhibit a charge dependent manner, namely PEG Cdots effectively occupy the site I of HSA while the association sites of PEI Cdots are mainly located in site II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study entanglement of the cavity modes in a double-cavity optomechanical system in strong-coupling regime. The system is consist of two optomechanical systems coupled by a single photon hopping between them. With the radiation pressure of the photon, entanglement of the cavity modes can be generated. The average concurrence of the cavity modes is at least twice larger than that of the mechanical modes. Moreover, when we change the ratio between coupling strength and resonant frequency of mechanical modes, the entanglement in cavity and mechanical modes are influenced differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Hippo pathway is crucial in organ size control, and its dysregulation contributes to tumorigenesis. TAZ is an essential molecule containing a WW domain in Hippo pathway and serves as transcription co-activator to modulate cell proliferation and induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in different human cancers, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In this study, we found that TAZQ233del, a deletion occurred at its transactivation domain, increases phosphorylation at TAZ Ser89, resulting in sequestration of TAZ in cytoplasm and inhibiting its transcriptional activity. Furthermore, ectopic expression of TAZQ233del promotes mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), demonstrating that Q233 is an essential site to control TAZ function. Our results disclose that TAZQ233del plays a major role in regulating malignancy of cancer cells by hijacking Hippo pathway. Highlights • Identification of TAZQ233del in different cancers. • TAZQ233del increases phosphorylation at Ser89. • TAZQ233del enhances its sequestration in cytoplasm. • TAZQ233del promotes mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have been widely applied in the field of biology, drug therapy and cell imaging in the last decade. In order to study the biosafety of AgNCs, GSH-AgNCs and DHLA-AgNCs were synthesized using glutathione (GSH) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) as ligands, and their interactions with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) from abstraction to visualization were studied. The results of spectroscopy, viscometry and molecular docking demonstrated that GSH-AgNCs mainly bound to ctDNA in a groove mode, while DHLA-AgNCs were both groove and intercalation binding. Fluorescence experiments suggested that the quenching mechanism of both AgNCs to the emission of ctDNA-probe were both in static mode, and thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the main forces between GSH-AgNCs and ctDNA were hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, while hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces contributed to the binding of DHLA-AgNCs to ctDNA. The binding strength demonstrated that DHLA-AgNCs bound to ctDNA more strongly than that of GSH-AgNCs. The results of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy reflected small effects of both AgNCs on the structure of ctDNA. This study will support the theoretical foundation for the biosafety of AgNCs and have a guiding significance for the preparation and application of AgNCs. [Display omitted] • The effect of ligand structure on the properties of silver nanoclusters was studied. • The mechanism of the interaction between silver nanoclusters and ctDNA was systematically investigated. • By combining experiments with molecular docking, the experimental results were visualized and credibility was improved. • Providing a new methodology for biosafety studies of ultra-small nanomaterials. • The influence of ligand functional groups on the interaction forces was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel photoelectrochemical aptasensor for the sensitive detection of miRNA‐21 was designed based on the sensitization effect of CdSe quantum dots as a signal amplification strategy. The TiO2NTs/RGO/AuNPs electrode was prepared by the electrodeposition of graphene oxide and Au nanoparticles on TiO2 nanotubes with electrochemical reduction. The electrode was prepared as the matrix of the electrochemical aptasensor. The hairpin DNA strands decorated with CdSe quantum dots were immobilized on the surface of the electrode by Au−S bonds. Because of the card‐type structure of the hairpin DNA (HP‐DNA), the CdSe quantum dots were close to the base electrode, which would lead to the sensitization effect and cause the increase of the photocurrent intensity. When a certain concentration of the miRNA‐21 was added, miRNA‐21 hybridized with the complementary part of the HP‐DNA. At the same time, the hairpin structure of HP‐DNA was broken into a straight chain structure, so the CdSe quantum dots on the end of the DNA would move away from the electrode surface, the sensitization effect would be weakened, and the photocurrent intensity would be decreased. The designed photoelectrochemical aptasensor exhibited a low detection limit of 5.6 fM and a wide linear range from 20 fM to 0.2 nM, and it also showed good specificity, reproducibility and stability. The signal amplification strategy was also expected to provide a significant photoelectrochemical biosensor platform for the sensitive detection of biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) show good efficacy in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in the early stage, while they are no longer recommended due to their side effects. As an important drug delivery carrier, serum albumin (SA) is closely related to the efficacy of drugs. Here, the affinity behaviour of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine with two SA were investigated through the multispectral method of biochemistry and computer simulation. The results showed that the intrinsic emission of both SA was quenched by CQ and HCQ in a spontaneous exothermic entropy reduction static process, which relied mainly on hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. The lower binding constants suggested weak binding between the two drugs and SA, which might lead to differences in efficacy and possibly even to varying side effects. Binding site recognition demonstrated that CQ preferred to bind to the two sites of both SA, while HCQ tended to bind to site I of SA. The results of conformational studies demonstrated that CQ and HCQ could affect the structure of both SA by slightly increasing the α -helix content of SA. Finally, we combine the results from experimental start with molecular simulations to suggest drug modifications to guide the design of drugs. This work has important implications for guiding drug design improvements to select CQ derivatives with fewer side effects for the treatment of COVID-19. [Display omitted] • The binding affinity between chloroquine drugs and two kinds of serum proteins were systematically studied. • The experimental method is combined with molecular docking, and the results prove each other. • Suggestions for chloroquine drug modification were given based on experimental and molecular simulation results. • The affinity effects of chloroquine derivatives were predicted by molecular simulation. • It has guidance for the design of chloroquine derivatives with low side effects in the treatment of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aligned fibrous scaffolds have attracted much interest in bone tissue engineering, because they are supposed to induce osteogenic differentiation. For the first time, aligned silk fibroin nanofibres were loosely packed using a novel wet-collection electrospinning method. Moreover, three-dimensional (3D) culture of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts was established on these fibrous scaffolds. Physicochemical properties of the scaffolds and the behaviour of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts on the scaffolds were analysed and compared with scaffolds obtained using traditional method. Ethanol bath improved the uniformity and alignment of the fibres and increased the thickness and porosity of the scaffolds. Structures of the fibres were well maintained after immediate crosslinking in ethanol. Cells on the wet-collected scaffolds exhibited more ordered arrangement and elongated morphology as well as faster and deeper infiltration. The ordered infiltration resulted in the establishment of the 3D culture of cells, promoting proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the pre-osteoblasts. Thus, the wet-collected aligned scaffolds with improved topographical and physicochemical properties presents significant potential application in bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An enzyme-free glucose electrochemical sensor was constructed based on MnCo-based nanoparticles with hierarchical carbon (Co/MnO@HC), which was derived from solvothermal synthesis of MnCo-MOF-74. • MnCo-MOF-74 was successfully sintered into Co/MnO@HC by high temperature carbonization. • The synergistic catalysis of bimetals is helpful to the development of sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity. • Excellent stability and interfering resistance are demonstrated by Nafion/Co/MnO@HC/GCE. An enzyme-free glucose electrochemical sensor was constructed based on MnCo-based nanoparticles with hierarchical carbon (Co/MnO@HC), which was derived from solvothermal synthesis of MnCo-MOF-74. Detailed characteristics of the as-prepared materials were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM (HRTEM), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) mapping and X-photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Then Co/MnO@HC was dropped onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to fabricate a novel enzyme-free glucose sensor. The performance of the sensor was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry, the results showed that the biosensor has good electrocatalytic activity for glucose in the range of 50–900 μM and 1.9–6.9 mM with a sensitivity of 233.8 μA mM−1 cm−2 and a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 1.31 μM. Further, the constructed Nafion/Co/MnO@HC/GCE has been successfully applied to determine glucose in real serum samples, which exhibited excellent reproducibility, anti-interference and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband and wide-angle high coupling efficiency into elliptical-rod-type photonic crystals (PCs) without modifications to the interface is reported. It is found that high transmission can exist not only in the second band but also in the fourth band due to the unique band structure resulting from the elliptical symmetry of the rods. The relative bandwidths of high transmission for the second and fourth bands reach 18.52% and 7.03%, respectively. Finite-difference time-domain simulations show that more than 96% of power can be efficiently coupled into the PC for wide in-plane incident angles from 0° to 25° over these two high transmittance bands. The physical mechanism for such high transmission is analyzed. The above results hold promise for designing compact and efficient dispersion-based PC devices. As an example, we design a super-collimation-based beam combiner exhibiting high transmittance, broad bandwidth, and wide acceptance angles simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tritium breeding blanket (TBB) is one of the most important components of China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) with functions of tritium breeding, heat generating and nuclear shielding. This paper presents the progress on the neutronics and shielding design of the helium cooled ceramic breeder tritium breeding blanket (HCCB TBB) developed by the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP). Based on the latest profile and layout configuration of CFETR TBB, the preliminary neutronics design, optimization and analysis of HCCB TBB have been completed. After several rounds of neutronics design and optimization, the TBR of HCCB TBB is 1.177, and the value drops to 1.101 considering the influence of auxiliary systems, which can meet the design objectives of CFETR. The total nuclear heating of HCCB TBB is 1402 MW with 1500 MW fusion power. Among all the blanket modules, blanket module #3 is subjected to the strongest neutron irradiation. Meanwhile, the overall shielding analysis for TF coils of CFETR has been performed based on the current design of HCCB TBB, and the preliminary shielding design and optimization for the weak shielding areas such as HCCB TBB, divertor and neutral beam injector (NBI) port have been carried out. After shielding optimization, the fast neutron fluence and nuclear heating of all TF coils are below the design limit. By increasing the number of source neutron histories and using some variance reduction techniques in the MCNP calculation, the relative errors of neutronics and shielding analysis results for HCCB TBB are all less than 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bone metastases are often asymptomatic and are not diagnosed until after the onset of bone pain. However, bone structural integrity may have diminished considerably before pain onset, resulting in increased risk of skeletal-related events. Therefore, we evaluated whether bisphosphonate therapy was differentially beneficial depending on initiation before or after the onset of bone pain. Methods: Exploratory analyses were performed in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer or lung cancer/other solid tumors enrolled in two randomized trials comparing monthly zoledronic acid versus pamidronate (breast cancer) or placebo (lung cancer/other solid tumors). Analyses included proportion of patients with one or more skeletal-related events, time to first skeletal-related event, and skeletal morbidity rate in patients with and without baseline pain. Results: Approximately 80 % of patients reported baseline pain. Similar to overall trial results, zoledronic acid reduced the skeletal morbidity rate in all groups. Although some subsets lacked statistical power, benefits were generally greater in patients without baseline pain. For example, in breast cancer, zoledronic acid increased the 25th quartile of time to first skeletal-related event versus pamidronate by 522 days in patients with no baseline pain (median not reached for either group), but by only 10 days in patients with baseline pain. Similar trends were observed in lung cancer. Conclusions: Benefits from zoledronic acid appeared to be greater if introduced before bone pain onset. Early diagnosis and treatment of bone metastases may delay onset of skeletal-related events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates theoretically the evolutions of the entanglement entropy of a system of two coupled-charge-qubits interacting with an LC-resonator. It is found that when the initial states of the two qubits are prepared in a given superposition excited state, the evolution of the von Neumann entropy of the system depends significantly on the coupling strength between the two Josephson charge qubits. With the variation of the coupling strength, the evolution of the entanglement entropy of the system forms some structures, especially the periodically bistable properties, which are the first discovered for such a system to our knowledge. It is found that the relative entropy entanglement of the system is also sensitive to the variation of the coupling strength between the two charge qubits, some novel 'collective oscillations' of the relative entropy are found for the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study the statistical properties of thermal radiation in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody in which bare photons with opposite wave vectors and helities are bound into pairs and unpaired photons are transformed into a different kind of quasiparticle, the nonpolariton. This paper investigates the statistical properties of the photon blackbody field by using the second-order correlation function, the phase space distribution function, the photon number distribution and the nonclassical depth. The numerical computation and a discussion of the results are present. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To study the effect of mucosal toleration to E-selectin on cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury in rats and associated mechanisms. Methods: Rats were exposed to intranasal administration of E-selectin or PBS every other day for 10 days (single-tolerization group) or on two tolerization schedules separated by 11 days (booster-tolerization group). Control group received middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) only. MCAO was performed 48 h after the last dose of E-selectin or PBS. After 2 h ischemia and 22 h reperfusion, the rats were killed. We examined the regional cerebral blood flow, neurological testing, frequencies of CD4+ T and CD8+ T lymphocytes in blood, plasma SOD activity, infarct volumes, and mRNA expressions of IL-10, TGF-β1, E-selectin, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in the ischemic brain tissues. Results: There were 30.25% (P <0.05) decreases of infarction volumes in the E-selectin booster group accompanied by decreased neurological deficit scores compared with PBS group. Compared with PBS-treated rats, CD8-positive cells were significantly decreased (27.4%, P <0.05), CD4-positive cells tended to increase (P >0.05), SOD activity was obviously increased (P <0.05), mRNA levels of IL-10 were markedly increased (21.0%, P <0.05) and TGF-β1 showed an upward trend (6.2%, P >0.05), mRNA levels of E-selectin were prominently decreased (28.7%, P <0.01) and ICAM-1 and LFA-1 had downward trends (P >0.05) in E-selectin booster animals. Conclusions: Mucosal tolerance to E-selectin after booster tolerization could relieve cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury and induce ischemia tolerance in Wistar rats. The mechanisms may involve decreased frequencies of CD8+ T cells in blood, increased plasma SOD activity, heightened mRNA expression of IL-10 and lowered mRNA expression of E-selectin in the ischemic hemisphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, photocrosslinked alginate hydrogel has been widely studied in bone tissue engineering, owing to its numerous advantages. However, there are still some shortcomings like insufficient mechanical strength and lack of bone induction. To compensate for these deficiencies, in this work, a novel doped strontium (Sr) photocrosslinked methacrylated alginate (Sr-PMA) hydrogel was developed. Photocrosslinked alginate hydrogel fabricated via crosslinking methacrylate-modified alginate under ultraviolet (UV) light was placed into strontium solutions to prepare Sr-PMA gel by chelating reaction. The chemical structures, swelling behaviors, degradation profiles, elastic moduli, Sr2+ ion release and surface morphology of the Sr-PMA hydrogel were characterized, and we found that physical properties of the gels can be tailored by varying concentration of Sr2+ ions. And MC3T3-E1 cell viability, proliferation and mineralization outside the hydrogel were also investigated. Further research on cell survival, multiplication, osteogenic differentiation of the cells encapsulated in Sr-PMA hydrogels were explored. In vitro studies of biological properties revealed that incorporation of Sr2+ into photocrosslinked alginate gels significantly improved osteogenic differentiation capabilities and mineralization via stimulating expression of osteogenesis related genes and proteins of the cells compared to strontium-free photocrosslinked alginate gels. The research demonstrates that the innovative Sr-PMA hydrogels possessing adjustable physical performances, excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic differentiation capabilities could be potentially applied to bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Meanwhile, it also provides a reference for the modification of biological properties of biomaterials. [Display omitted] • Doped strontium photocrosslinked methacrylated alginate (Sr-PMA) was developed. • Photocrosslinking was used in cell encapsulation strategy. • Adjusting Sr2+ ion concentration can tailor mechanical properties of the gels. • Sr-PMA possess adjustable physical performances and excellent osteogenic differentiation capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study on the effect of pathologic fracture on survival in patients with malignant bone disease. The study involved patients with multiple myeloma, breast, prostate or lung cancer. The study found that patients with multiple myeloma had the highest fracture incidence, followed by breast, prostate and lung cancers, respectively. Additionally, in all tumor types except lung, pathologic fracture was associated with a significant increase in risk of death and breast cancer patients had the greatest increased risk.

COVID-19 is a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Early reported symptoms include fever, cough, and respiratory symptoms. There were few reports of digestive symptoms. However, with COVID-19 spreading worldwide, symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain have gained increasing attention. Research has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, is strongly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Whether theoretically or clinically, many studies have suggested a close connection between COVID-19 and the digestive system. In this review, we summarize the digestive symptoms reported in existing research, discuss the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the gastrointestinal tract and liver, and determine the possible mechanisms and aetiology, such as cytokine storm. In-depth exploration of the relationship between COVID-19 and the digestive system is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on biocompatible photocrosslinked organic chemical polymers for applications in biomedicine and tissue engineering has achieved satisfactory results, such as repairing or augmenting tissues. Photocrosslinked alginate gel is one of those polymers. However, there is little information in the literature regarding the preparation of photocrosslinked alginate hydrogels with high cell activity and appropriate mechanical properties by using suitable photoinitiator concentrations and reasonable ultraviolet (UV) exposure times. In this work, photocrosslinked alginate hydrogels formed with different concentrations of photoinitiator or UV exposure times were characterized by testing their mechanical properties and the viability of photoencapsulated osteoblast-like cells. To explore the degree of photocrosslinking of methacrylated alginate, the 1H NMR spectra of the gels were recorded with an NMR spectrometer, and the results showed that methacrylated alginate did not photocrosslink completely at low photoinitiator concentrations or for short UV exposure times. It was also revealed that the swelling behaviour, degradation profiles and elastic moduli of the hydrogel are tuneable by varying the photoinitiator concentration or UV exposure time. In addition, the viability and proliferation of the cells photoencapsulated in the gels gradually decreased with increasing photoinitiator concentration or UV exposure time. However, when the photoinitiator concentration and UV exposure time were controlled within a reasonable range, the cells in the gels maintained their high activity. In summary, the results indicated that the performance of the hydrogels could be tailored by adjusting the concentrations of photoinitiator or UV exposure time. This research may be used to further optimize cell photoencapsulation and photopolymerization strategies of photocrosslinked alginate gels or other biophotopolymers in tissue engineering and biomedicine and provides a theoretical basis for related research and future applications. Image 1 • Varying photoinitiator concentration can alter physical properties of photocrosslinked methacrylated alginate(PMA) gels. • Increasing the ultraviolet(UV) exposure time can improve the mechanical performance of PMA. • Low photoinitiator concentration or short UV exposure time cannot completely crosslink methacrylated alginate. • Altering the photoinitiator concentration or UV exposure time can tailor cell viability in PMA gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]