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Flexible electrodes are widely used in the manufacture of flexible sensors and wearable devices. However, with the development of science and technology and the large-scale utilization of metal resources, the question whether alternative materials can be found to ease the use of metal materials has been raised. Among them, paper-based electrodes have attracted special attention in the industry because of their degradability, low cost and high flexibility. Therefore, a low delay flexible paper-based electrode filled for capacitive sensors is proposed through carbon materials. Different from discussing the influence of single fiber, the paper-based electrode is manufactured by wet process. The effects of different fiber substrates on the physical properties and electrical signal properties of paper-based electrodes were discussed. The results show that the paper-based electrode has high conductivity, which is 18.52 S/cm. And there is a low delay in the process of electrical signal transmission. The phase frequency angle hardly changes at the signal frequency of 1 kHz, and the change of phase frequency angle is only 4.9 ° at the signal frequency of 300 kHz. The thickness of the guided electric paper is about 90 μm. Lower than common paper products. This study shows that the paper-based electrode has the advantages of high conductivity, low hysteresis, light and thin, which provides the possibility to be used as a flexible electrode.

Numerous studies have focused on designing micro/nanostructured surfaces to improve wicking capability for rapid liquid transport in many industrial applications. Although hierarchical surfaces have been demonstrated to enhance wicking capability, the underlying mechanism of liquid transport remains elusive. Here, we report the preferential capillary pumping on hollow hierarchical surfaces with internal nanostructures, which are different from the conventional solid hierarchical surfaces with external nanostructures. Specifically, capillary pumping preferentially occurs in the nanowire bundles instead of the interconnected V-groove on hollow hierarchical surfaces, observed by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy. Theoretical analysis shows that capillary pumping capability is mainly dependent on the nanowire diameter and results in 15.5 times higher capillary climbing velocity in the nanowire bundles than that in the microscale V-groove. Driven by the Laplace pressure difference between nanowire bundles and V-grooves, the preferential capillary pumping is increased with the reduction of the nanowire diameter. Capillary pumping of the nanowire bundles provides a preferential path for rapid liquid flow, leading to 2 times higher wicking capability of the hollow hierarchical surface comparing with the conventional hierarchical surface. The unique mechanism of preferential capillary pumping revealed in this work paves the way for wicking enhancement and provides an insight into the design of wicking surfaces for high-performance capillary evaporation in a broad range of applications.

Flexible power sources are crucial to developing flexible electronic systems; nonetheless, the current poor stretchability and stability of flexible power sources hinder their application in such devices. Accordingly, the stretchability and fatigue stability of flexible power sources are crucial for the practical application of flexible electronic systems. In this work, a flexible electrode with an arc-shaped star concave negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) structure is fabricated through the screen printing process. Using the combination of finite element analysis (FEA) and tensile tests, it is proven that the arc-shaped star concave NPR electrode can effectively reduce the maximum tensile stress and increase the maximum elongation (maximum elongation 140%). Furthermore, the flexible electrodes prepared in this study are assembled into all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs), and their electrochemical properties are tested. The SSC prepared in this study has a high areal capacitance of 243.1 mF cm

Qian Ye, Junying Guo, Yansong Chen, Zhaolei Cui, Yan Chen Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, 350014, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhaolei Cui; Yan ChenDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, No. 420 Fuma Road, Jin’an District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, 350014, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail cuileidizi@163.com; chenyan220422@fjmu.edu.cnObjective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) VCA-IgA antibody, EBV DNA and HSP90α alone or in combinations for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: A total of 113 treatment-naïve patients with NPC and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. Plasma HSP90α and serum EBV VCA IgA antibody were detected using ELISA, and plasma EBV DNA was quantified using qPCR assay. The effectiveness of plasma HSP90α level, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody and plasma EBV DNA was examined in the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of NPC.Results: Higher plasma HSP90α, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody and plasma viral load of EBV DNA were detected in NPC patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). The plasma HSP90α levels, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody titers and plasma viral load of EBV DNA were significantly greater in NPC patients with stages III and IV than in those with stages I and II (P < 0.001), and significantly lower plasma HSP90α levels, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody titers and plasma viral load of EBV DNA were found in the good prognosis group than in the poor prognosis group post-treatment (P < 0.05). The area under representative operating curves (AUCs) of plasma HSP90α, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody and plasma EBV DNA alone and in combination were 0.884, 0.841, 0.934 and 0.954 for the diagnosis of NPC, respectively. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses identified HSP90α as an independent prognostic factor for NPC.Conclusion: The combination of plasma HSP90α, serum EBV VCA IgA antibody and plasma EBV DNA shows high diagnostic performance for NPC, and plasma HSP90α may be a potential marker for diagnosis and prognosis prediction of NPC.Keywords: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, EBV VCA-IgA antibody, EBV DNA, HSP90α, diagnostic performance, prognosis prediction

This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin on breast cancer cells. Lobetyolin was incubated with MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells for 24 h. Glucose uptake and the mRNA expression of GLUT4 ( SLC2A4), HK2 and PKM2 were detected to assess the effect of lobetyolin on glucose metabolism. Glutamine uptake and the mRNA expression of ASCT2 ( SLC1A5), GLS1, GDH and GLUL were measured to assess the effect of lobetyolin on glutamine metabolism. Annexin V/PI double staining and Hoechst 33342 staining were used to investigate the effect of lobetyolin on cell apoptosis. Immunoblot was employed to estimate the effect of lobetyolin on the expression of proliferation-related markers and apoptosis-related markers. SLC1A5 knockdown with specific siRNA was performed to study the role of ASCT2 played in the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin on MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. C-MYC knockdown with specific siRNA was performed to study the role of c-Myc played in lobetyolin-induced ASCT2 down-regulation. Myr-AKT overexpression was performed to investigate the role of AKT/GSK3β signaling played in lobetyolin-induced down-regulation of c-Myc and ASCT2. The results showed that lobetyolin inhibited the proliferation of both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. Lobetyolin disrupted glutamine uptake via down-regulating ASCT2. SLC1A5 knockdown attenuated the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin. C-MYC knockdown attenuated lobetyolin-caused down-regulation of ASCT2 and Myr-AKT overexpression reversed lobetyolin-caused down-regulation of both c-Myc and ASCT2. In conclusion, the present work suggested that lobetyolin exerted anti-cancer effect via ASCT2 down-regulation-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the largest families of transcription factors (TFs) in plants and is responsible for various functions, including regulating development and responses to abiotic/biotic stresses. However, the roles of bZIPs in the regulation of responses to drought stress and salinity stress remain poorly understood in Jatropha curcas L., a biodiesel crop. In the present study, 50 JcbZIP genes were identified and classified into ten groups. Cis-element analysis indicated that JcbZIP genes are associated with abiotic stress. Gene expression patterns and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that four JcbZIP genes (JcbZIPs 34, 36, 49 and 50) are key resistance-related genes under both drought and salinity stress conditions. On the basis of the results of cis-element and phylogenetic analyses, JcbZIP49 and JcbZIP50 are likely involved in responses to drought and salinity stress; moreover, JcbZIP34 and JcbZIP36 might also play important roles in seed development and response to abiotic stress. These findings advance our understanding of the comprehensive characteristics of JcbZIP genes and provide new insights for functional validation in the further.

The development of protein-based in situ forming hydrogel remains a big challenge due to the limited chemical groups in proteins. Keratins are a group of cysteine-rich structural protein found abundant in skin and skin appendant. Recently, our lab has established a disulfide shuffling strategy to prepare keratin hydrogels via oxygen (O2) oxidation. However, such hydrogel still needed to be molded in advance. In this work, inspired by the fact that glucose commonly exists in body fluids, a glucose-triggered in situ forming keratin hydrogel was developed based on the disulfide shuffling strategy via a higher oxidation force of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The hydrogel precursor solution consisted of keratin, cysteine and glucose oxidase (GOD), which could generate H2O2 in an indirect and mild way via GOD-catalyzed oxidation of glucose in body fluids. Our findings demonstrated that the GOD-catalyzed oxidation method not only shortened the gelation time but improved the mechanical strength of the hydrogel by comparison with O2 oxidation and direct addition of H2O2 solution methods, and realized in situ gelation within 3 min on a full-thickness wound bed in normal mice. Moreover, the in situ forming keratin hydrogel was applied as a drug depot for wound repair, and the deferoxamine-loaded one accelerated healing in the full-thickness wounds of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, notably by promoting angiogenesis and neovascularization in wounds. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Studies show that keratin hydrogels possess tissue regeneration capacity, especially in skin wound repair. However, most of the reported keratin hydrogels needed to be molded in advance and cannot fit irregular wound shape. This work describes a glucose-triggered in situ forming keratin hydrogel via a disulfide shuffling strategy under the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide. Of note, the hydrogen peroxide was supplied indirectly by glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of glucose in wound fluids, and this method needed no additional crosslinking agents or chemical modifications on keratins. Our findings showed that this hydrogel realized in situ gelation within 3 min on a full-thickness wound bed and enabled an injectable mode with good filling ability toward irregular wounds. Moreover, this hydrogel could be applied as a drug depot for the treatment of diabetic wounds.

The existence of bio-accumulative lead hinders the commercialization of optoelectronic applications of Pb-based halide perovskites (PVKs). Therefore, researchers are seeking for comparative lead-free PVKs. Owing to the identical electronic configuration with Pb, Bi-based PVKs are proved to be one of the most promising candidates. Because strain is widely existed altering materials’ characteristics, it is crucial to study the influences of strain on the Bi-based PVKs. Our theoretical work investigates the strain influences on two kinds of Bi-based PVKs, i.e., Cs3Bi2Br9, and Cs2BiAgBr6. It is observed that both the tensile and compressive strains effectively change the crystal structures and the bandgaps, i.e., enlargement under tensile strain while shrinkage under compressive strain. Simultanously, the absorption spectra of these PVKs are also discussed. The strain study of Bi-based PVKs will offer guidance to the further development of lead-free PVKs.

Interphase mass transport is important for many industrial applications ranging from multiphase reaction and separation but remains a great challenge in maximizing the interface area and mass-trans...

The toxicity of Pb in conventional perovskites impedes the commercialization of their optoelectronic devices. Therefore, the search for comparable Pb-free perovskites is vital and needs urgent attention. Herein, for the first time, we successfully synthesize the Sn(II)-doped Pb-free zinc-based perovskite variant Cs2ZnCl4. The influence of doping is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Broad bright red emission with a large Stokes shift is observed and attributed to the self-trapped exciton (STE) emission of the doped disphenoidal [SnCl4]2− units in the host matrix, from 3P1 to 1S0. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) shows a peak split at cryogenic temperature, which is ascribed to the Jahn–Teller effect of the 3P1 state. Theoretical study reveals that the impurity states of Sn2+ shrink the bandgap and localize the band edges, and distortion of [SnCl4]2− under excitation ultimately leads to the STE emission. This work is significant for STE emission studies and will pave a way for Pb-free perovskite variants in illumination applications.

Flexible microfluidic chips have good application prospects in situations with easy bending and complex curvature. An important factor affecting the flexible microfluidic chip is its structural complexity. For example, the hybrid chip includes flow channels, mixing chambers, and one-way valves. How to achieve the same function with as few structures as possible has become an important research topic at present. In this paper, a Tesla valve micromixer with unidirectional flow characteristics is presented. A passive laminar flow Tesla valve micromixer is fabricated through 3D printing technology and limonene dissolution method. The main process is as follows: First of all, high impact polystyrene (HIPS) material was employed to make the Tesla valve channel mold. Second, the channel mold was dissolved in the limonene solvent. The mold of Tesla micromixer is made of HIPS material, the mixing experiment displace that the Tesla valve micromixer is characterized by unidirectional flow compared with the common T-shaped planar channel. At the same time, the 5-AAC Tesla valve micromixer can increase the mixing efficiency to 87%. By using four different groove structures and different flow rates of the mixing effect experiment, the conclusion is that the mixing efficiency of the 6-AAC Tesla valve micromixer is up to 0.89 when the flow rate is 2 mL/min. The results manifest that the Tesla valve structure can effectively improve the mixing efficiency.

Lactate dehydrogenase C4 (LDH-C4) as a cancer/testis antigen (CTA) is abnormally expressed in some malignant tumors. However, the expression and clinical significance of LDH-C4 in breast cancer (BC) has not been characterized.We determined LDHC mRNA expression in serum and serum-derived exosomes of BC patients by quantitative RT-PCR. We also evaluated the protein expression of LDH-C4 in BC tissues using high-throughput tissue microarray analysis and immunohistochemistry.Our results showed high mRNA expression level of LDHC in serum and serum-derived exosomes of BC patients. The LDHC level in serum and exosomes could distinguish BC cases from healthy individuals based on their AUCs of 0.9587 and 0.9464, respectively. Besides, the LDHC level in exosomes of BC patients associated with tumor size, and positively correlated with HER2 and Ki-67 expressions (all with P 0.05). Serum and exosomal level of LDHC negatively correlated with medical treatment and positively with the recurrence of BC. Survival analysis showed that LDH-C4 expression negatively correlated with BC prognosis.Serum and exosomal LDHC may be an effective indicator for the diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and monitoring the recurrence of BC. LDH-C4 may act as a biomarker that predicts BC prognosis.

Previous studies have indicated that the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor‑related apoptosis‑inducing ligand (TRAIL)‑induced apoptosis is associated with the expression of death receptors on the cell membrane. However, drug resistance limits the use of TRAIL in cancer therapy. Numerous studies have indicated that death receptors, which induce apoptosis, are upregulated by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. 3‑Bromopyruvate (3‑BP), an anticancer agent, inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis through interfering with glycolysis. In the present study, it was demonstrated that 3‑BP synergistically sensitized breast cancer cells to TRAIL‑induced apoptosis via the upregulation of death receptor 5 (DR5). Furthermore, we found that the protein levels of glucose‑related protein 78 (GRP78) and CCAAT‑enhancer‑binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) increased following treatment with 3‑BP. The expression of Bax (in MCF‑7 cells) and caspase‑3 (in MDA‑MB‑231 cells) increased following co‑treatment with 3‑BP and TRAIL, whereas the expression of the anti‑apoptotic protein Bcl‑2 decreased. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism regulating this effect, the expression of adenosine monophosphate‑activated protein kinase (AMPK), activated by 3‑BP, was determined. It was demonstrated that phosphorylated‑AMPK was upregulated following treatment with 3‑BP. Notably, Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, reversed the effects of 3‑BP. Finally, a synergistic antitumor effect of 3‑BP and TRAIL was observed in MCF‑7 cell xenografts in nude mice. In conclusion, these results indicated that 3‑BP sensitized breast cancer cells to TRAIL via the AMPK‑mediated upregulation of DR5.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a gram-positive bacterium that is an asymptomatic colonizer commonly found in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract of healthy adults. GBS is also the most common cause of life-threatening bacterial infections in newborns and is emerging as a pathogen in immunocompromised and diabetic adults. The GBS cell wall and covalently linked capsular polysaccharides (CPS) are vital to the protection of the bacterial cell and act as virulence factors. GBS-CPS have been successfully used to produce conjugate vaccines for all currently identified GBS serotypes. However, the mechanisms of biosynthesis and assembly of CPS and the other cell wall components remain poorly defined due to their complex surface structures. In this biosynthetic study of the GBS cell wall-CPS complex, glycolipids with varying lengths of glycosyl-chains were discovered. Among those, one of the smallest glycolipids (named GBS Lipid-α) was structurally characterized. Lipid-α is involved in GBS saccharide metabolism and presumably acts as a glycosyl acceptor to elongate the glycosyl chain. GBS Lipid-α was determined to be a 3-monosaccharide 1,2 acyl glycerol with a molecular mass in the range of m/z = 724-808. GBS Lipid-α is highly heterogenic with various acyl groups and glycosyl moieties. This knowledge will pave the way for future studies to elucidate the entire metabolic pathway and genes involved. The Lipid-α pathway may also exist in other bacterial species and has the potential to be a biomarker for future drug development.

Biological gel artificial muscle (BGAM) has a promising future in the field of MEMS. In contrast to the material research of BGAM, relatively little research is conducted on the preparation process method of BGAM. Therefore, a water mist bonding method for the preparation of BGAM is proposed. The main application of the water mist bonding method is to complete the assembly of the electrode membrane with the electrically actuated membrane, and the actuation properties of the BGAM can be further enhanced. In this paper, experiments on mechanical, electrical, and actuation properties are conducted to investigate the effects of the water mist bonding process parameters on BGAM. The comprehensive experimental results revealed that BGAM possessed a more comprehensive optimization effect when the humidification time is 2.5 min: the bond strength reached the highest 0.92 MPa, the internal resistance, and elastic modulus are significantly reduced to 28 Ω and 2.08 MPa, respectively, and the output force response rate reached the highest 0.138 mN s−1. In conclusion, the water mist bonding process proposed does not require complicated equipment, features optimized BGAM actuation performance, and makes up for the lack of process methods for preparing BGAM at this stage.

Vortex generators (VGs) are widely employed to improve the heat transfer performance of tube-fin heat exchangers. In this study, a novel arrangement of VGs with ten triangular VGs deployed around the circular tubes regularly on both sides of fins is proposed. The influences of the fins on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are investigated numerically using the k-epsilon model. The results show that the novel configuration avoids interactive influence between VGs and also diverts the fluid to the near-wake of the tube. With the favour of VGs, the wake regions behind circular tubes are diminished and the mixing between hot and cold fluid is enhanced. The number of the vortices is increased for the arrangement with VGs compared to that without VGs, and the secondary flow is enhanced. Simultaneously, the intensity of secondary flow in the case with VGs is also increased by 27.8%–67.5%. The value of Nu increases with increasing Re, of which the case with VGs is improved by 37.7%–42.2%. The heat transfer is enhanced with aspect ratio decreasing from 3 to 1. When the AR = 1 and the b/L is 0.36, the optimal heat transfer performance can be obtained.

The present study reports a study of water droplets impacting on cold thin water films on a superhydrophilic surface. A thermal infrared imager was used to record the surface temperature distribution after the droplet impact on the liquid films. A ring-shaped high temperature zone was found after impact with the temperature first increasing and then gradually decreasing in the radial direction. Numerical simulations were then used to study the velocity distribution and the droplet motion inside the liquid film. The droplet spreading motion was restricted by liquid in the film for lower We which then reduces the heat transfer in that area and causes the formation of a ring-shaped high temperature distribution. The ring structure shape then changes with the increasing of We. This hot ring becomes wider and the temperature difference between the ring and the impact center decrease with the increasing of We. As We continues to increase, the ring-shaped temperature distribution disappears with the highest temperature at the center and the temperature in radial direction monotonically decreasing from the center to the edge. The initial film thickness also affects the temperature distribution after droplet impact. A thicker film causes the ring-shaped hot region to gradually move inward until it reaches the center and forms a hottest region in the impact center. Thus, the ring-shaped temperature distribution only occurs for lower We and thinner films. The shape and position of the temperature distribution after droplet impact on the cold, thin liquid films can then be precisely controlled by regulating the impact We and the initial film thickness. These results will greatly facilitate the design of precision spraying processes.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effect of lobetyolin on breast cancer cells. Lobetyolin was incubated with MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells for 24 h. Glucose uptake and the mRNA expression of GLUT4 (

Our study focuses on the preschool education stage, taking kindergartens as the main body to explore the dynamic relationship between children’s behavior and the lit environment. And then, we propose interactive lighting design strategies based on children’s cognitive development. Light is closely related to children’s cognitive development, but most of the existing studies on light visual cognition focus on adults. Children’s visual physiological mechanisms and non-visual psychological mechanisms have yet to be fully developed, so current theories on visual and non-visual lighting effects are not applicable directly. We introduce the Swiss psychologist Piaget’s theory of children’s cognitive development to discover the characteristics and preferences of children’s behaviors and activities in different cognitive stages. Then, to tease out the relationship between light and shadow design elements and children’s cognitive development. This paper proposes a phototherapic environment’s construction strategy in kindergarten. This strategy is based on equilibration in the cognitive development theory and includes physiology, intelligence, society, and emotion. This research aims to promote early child development and explore the relationship between children’s growth and environment.

In order to analyze the interaction relationship between heavy metals and other mineral elements during the processes of absorption and translocation by plant grown on heavy metal-contaminated area, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Pb, Ca, Mg, Fe, and K in the medicinal plant Paeonia ostii T. Hong et J. X. Zhang and its rhizospheric soil were determined, which grow around an abandoned copper tailings reservoir in Tongling City, China. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) calculation indicated that Cu and Pb are the main pollution elements in the rhizospheric soil. Moreover, the Cu and Pb concentrations in the cortex moutan of P. ostii exceeded the maximum permissible limits for food product safety. The bioaccumulation factor values of the tested metals in plant roots were found < 0.50, with the exception of Ca (maximum 5.99). The translocation factor values of detected heavy metals Cd and Pb were more than 1.00, which indicated that P. ostii could be considered a potential accumulator plant for Cd and Pb. Significant positive correlations including Cu-Cd, Cu-Zn, Cu-Pb, Cd-Zn, Cd-Fe, Cd-Fe, Zn-Pb, Pb-Fe, Mn-Fe, and Ca-Mg in the cortex moutan and Cu-Zn, Cu-Fe, Zn-Mg, Zn-Fe, and Mn-K in the leaves were observed (P < 0.05). Significant positive correlation between Cu, Zn, Mg, and Fe was also confirmed in the processes of absorption and translocation from the soil to plant (P < 0.05), which evidenced that synergistic element interactions of the essential elements Cu, Zn, Mg, and Fe are a result of the similarity in their ionic radii and octahedral coordination geometry.

The optimization of the electrical system voltage range of a mild hybrid electric vehicle is examined in this research study. The objective is to evaluate and propose the optimized vehicle voltage level for the mild hybrid electric vehicle from both technical and economic aspects. The approach is to evaluate the fuel economy improvement from the mild hybrid electric vehicle of various voltage level for the cost benefit study. The evaluation is conducted from the vehicle system level with discussions of components selection for system optimization. Autonomie, a simulation tool widely used by academic and automotive industry, is used for the vehicle simulation and fuel economy evaluation. The cost analysis is based on the system cost factoring in the component cost based forecasted production volume. The driver for this study is to propose an optimized voltage for the mild hybrid electric vehicle for the vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to standardize the implementation to meet the fuel economy and emission requirements and vehicle power demand. The standardization of the vehicle voltage level can improve design and development efficiency, reusability and reduce cost in developing non-standard voltage levels of the mild hybrid vehicle. The synergy in standardized voltage level for the mild hybrid vehicle can accelerate technology implementation toward mass production to meet regulatory emission and fuel economy requirements.

Supporting Information for measurement setups and some other mentioned results

Halide lead perovskites are considered as one of the most promising optoelectronic materials in decades, but the toxicity and bio-accumulation of lead retard the commercialization. Therefore, seeking suitable lead-free perovskites and their variants are of vital importance. In this work, all-inorganic zinc halide perovskite variant Cs2ZnCl4 crystals with Sb3+ doping are synthesized via hydrothermal method. Transparent millimeter-sized crystals exhibit bright red photoluminescence (PL) under room temperature (RT) on account of self-trapped exciton (STE) emission of Sb3+, from 3P1 to 1S0 states. Temperature-dependent PL and time-resolved PL exhibit bimodality and intensity variations, revealing that Jahn-Teller effect of 3P1 state results two energy minima, and thermal activation may contribute to the spectrum change. Further, DFT calculations are carried out and the influences of Sb3+ doping are revealed. A bandgap reduction is achieved via doping, and the band edges are localized at Sb3+. A combination of experimental and theoretical studies demonstrates well that the soft lattice structure and the 5s2 lone pairs of Sb are vital for the STE emission.

The initial nucleation of ultrafine particle recently attracts more attention as a key factor in visibility degradation during early haze. In this study, we have performed Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation to investigate the particle-induced initial nucleation process during early haze. Our calculation results show that the water molecules aggregate surrounding nuclei to form heterogeneous cluster under a certain RH, the synergistic effect of multiple-bonding interactions makes heterogeneous cluster incline to form and stably exist with lower total energy as well as approximately 3–10 times expansionary volume, the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles would play an important role in affecting the atmospheric visibility. The electron cloud density transferring from the exterior H2O molecule to the interior nuclei in the cluster is characterized by migration effect or nonuniform distribution. The decreasing energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in the heterogeneous cluster would lead to a red-shifted absorption wavelength λmax. It exerts the blue, indigo and violet visible-light absorption of corresponding wavelength for NO, NO2, NO3− and O3 heterogeneous clusters to enhance light extinction, thus contributing to visibility degradation, during early haze periods. It helps to intensify the color-enhancing effect of visible light with longer wavelength, such as red, orange as well as yellow light, to promote the evolution of early haze in clean weather period. This study shows that one of the important mechanisms of atmospheric visibility degradation in haze event is the heterogeneous cluster formation in the size range of about 2–4 nm during initial nucleation stage. Our results highlight that prevention of gas-phase chemical species (NO, NO2 and SO2) emission, and also regulatory controls of the concentrations of NO3−, O3 in atmosphere are necessary to prevent deterioration of the air quality in future.

A droplet jumping intensification device of droplets surrounded by gas has effectively integrated small droplets (d = 0.30–0.60 mm) generated by an electrohydrodynamics system (EHD) and superhydrophobic minichannel to enhance gas absorption or chemical reaction due to the multiple bounces of the droplets. Droplet internal circulation was formed after impact on the superhydrophobic surface in the process of droplet bounce back and forth, with deformation in the superhydrophobic minichannel, which was like a liquid slug moving in the meandering channels. It was shown that the bouncing frequency went up with the decreasing height of the minichannel, meaning that the bouncing movement became stronger in the confined space. The droplet trajectory could be better controlled by the height of the minichannel, droplet size, and impact Weber number, which was investigated experimentally and analytically.

Efficient Dropwise condensation on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) has received extensive attention. However, good heat performance only occurs in two conditions: the presence of non...

Copper mine tailings are often contaminated by a range of heavy metals, which can restrict plant growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of soil contamination by copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) in a deserted copper mine tailings site, as well as the translocation of these heavy metals into the rhizosphere soil and the root, fibril and shoot tissues of a tolerant plant, Celosia argentea. In order of concentration, the heavy metal concentrations in the soils were Cu ≥ Mn > Zn ≥ Cr > Pb > Cd, and the mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in the rhizosphere were 1.8, 1.6, 1.5, and 1.2 times greaterthanin the non-rhizosphere soil, respectively. The concentrations of all examined heavy metals except for Pb were higher than the second-level criterion of the Chinese soil environmental quality standard (CSES) (GB15618-1995) in both soil samples. The pollution load indexes of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cr in the rhizosphere were 28.13, 1.69, 0.148, 8.67, and 1.49, respectively, using the CSES. Cu and Cr were mainly stored in the roots of C. argentea, whileCd, Mn, and Zn accumulated in the shoots. The translocation factors of Zn, Cd, and Mn were greater than 1, and the Cd enrichment factor of the C. argentea shoots was close to 1. This indicates that C. argentea is a hyperaccumulator of Cd, and could be used in the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils.

Droplet impact phenomena and thin liquid film flow are widespread in nature, industrial production and daily life. The spreading characteristics and temperature evolution of the liquid film after droplet impact are the key controlling factors in many industrial heat transfer processes. Constructing a thin micro-nano structured superhydrophilic surface on a metal surface is a promising approach to achieving heat transfer enhancement. Therefore, in this paper, we experimentally investigated the hydraulic characteristics and temperature distribution evolution of water droplet impact on cold superhydrophilic surface using high-speed imaging and infrared thermal imaging techniques. During the droplet spreading on superhydrophilic surface, there is an inertial-force-dominant rapid spreading regime followed by the friction-dominant slow spreading regime. It is observed that a precursor film forms in the radial direction. The results show that the droplet spreading diameter is positively correlated with the We number, increasing as the weber number becomes larger. The spreading diameter decreases as the wall temperature decreases, but the effect of temperature is not obvious compared with that of impact weber number. For temperature evolution, a low temperature center area forms at the impact center and a ring-shaped high temperature zone is observed first for droplet impact on cold superhydrophilic surfaces. Along spreading radial direction, the temperature distribution shows an uphill to downhill curve with its gradient inverted in sign near the high temperature zone. Then the high temperature ring disappears and the liquid film temperature shows a monotonically decreasing trend along the radial direction. The duration time of high temperature ring shortens with the increase of We number and decrease of wall temperature. Meanwhile, in order to reveal the reasons for the formation of special temperature distribution, CFD numerical simulation is adopted to analyze the mechanism of ring-shaped high temperature zone’s formation. CFD numerical simulation demonstrates that the temperature evolution law is in good agreement with the experiment results. The temperature distribution of high temperature ring is caused by uneven distribution of the liquid film thickness due to the superwetting properties of superhydrophilic surface. This work is of great significance for further understanding and provides new sights of the liquid film flow on superhydrophilic surface in heat transfer process. Furthermore, it has certain reference significance for the spray and heat transfer process in engineering practice.

Infrared detection possesses a significantly application prospect in the field of astrophysics. Due to the special natures of deep-space exploring objects, the performance of infrared detector is very demanding. Blocked-impurity-band (BIB) infrared detectors, with advantages of wide spectrum coverage, low noise, high sensitivity, good resistance to cosmic particle radiation etc., have become the state-of-the-art choice for astronomical application internationally. The response of BIB detectors ranges from mid-infrared to far-infrared waveband, and the widespread use of BIB detectors help human beings obtain a series of important scientific achievements in the field of deep-space exploration. The research on BIB infrared detector in China started rather late. Even though big progress has been achieved in recent years, it still lags far behind the advanced level globally. This article reviews the research progress for BIB infrared detectors of China in the past 5 years. The preparation technology, physical property characterization, photoelectric response characteristics of BIB infrared detection material and corresponding devices, and the control of surface plasmon polaritons on the photoelectric response of the detectors are introduced detailly. These provide references and experimental bases for the development of BIB infrared detector in China.

// Zhaolei Cui 1 , Yan Chen 1 , Zhenzhou Xiao 1 , Minhua Hu 1 , Yingying Lin 1 , Yansong Chen 1 , Yuhong Zheng 1 1 Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Biotherapy, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China Correspondence to: Yan Chen, e-mail: yanc2015@163.com Keywords: lncRNA, gastric cancer, biomarker, diagnostic accuracy, meta-analysis Received: November 09, 2015 Accepted: March 10, 2016 Published: March 22, 2016 ABSTRACT Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are highlighted as novel cancer biomarkers with great promise. Herein, we focused on summarizing the overall diagnostic performance of lncRNAs for gastric cancer (GC). Methods: Publications fulfilling the search criteria were selected from the online databases. Study quality was assessed according to the Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy (QUADAS) checklist. The summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve was plotted using a bivariate meta-analysis model. Statistical analysis was performed based on the platforms of STATA 12.0 and Meta-Disc 1.4 software. Results: Fifteen studies with 1252 patients and 1283 matched controls were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for lncRNA expression profile in differentiating GC patients from cancer-free individuals were 0.68 (95%CI: 0.61-0.74) and 0.79 (95%CI: 0.72-0.84), respectively, corresponding to an area under curve (AUC) of 0.80. Moreover, the stratified analyses demonstrated that plasma-based lncRNA profiling harbored higher accuracy than that tissue-based assay (specificity: 0.80 versus 0.75; AUC: 0.84 versus 0.77). Conclusions: LncRNA profiling hallmarks a moderate diagnostic value in the management of GC and that lncRNA expression patterns may potentially be utilized as auxiliary biomarkers in confirming GC.

Mid-infrared (MIR) detection systems are pursuing element detectors with a high operating temperature, fast response speed, and high sensitivity to satisfy the increasing performance requirements that conventional detectors are unlikely to achieve. In this paper, we report a lateral photovoltaic MIR detector (LPVMIRD) based on a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the polar zincblende/rocksalt interface of CdTe/PbTe (111) heterojunctions (HJs). The LPVMIRDs possess identical asymmetric structures and operate without external biased voltage. Following the working principle of the LPVMIRDs, an analytical model is established where device performances are predicted theoretically. The proposed model is also applicable to other HJ systems based on a 2DEG. Furthermore, the LPVMIRDs are developed experimentally, and through infrared photoresponse characterizations, their response is revealed to originate from the intrinsic transition of PbTe caused by the unique energy-band alignment of the HJs. At a wavelength of 3 µm, the highest detectivity of the fabricated LPVMIRDs reaches 1.5 × 10 10 Jones. Moreover, the infrared impulse responses demonstrate an extremely fast response speed. The impressive performance characteristics of the LPVMIRDs are promising for applications in uncooled MIR detection.

In Taylor flow, the low velocity in liquid film around the bubbles limits the mass transfer between the bubble body and liquid phase. To overcome this deficiency, a cross-junction Microchannel with gas Cavities (MGC) is designed and processed. The restricted inert nitrogen in the gas cavities provided partial slip boundaries, which makes it distinctive from the conventional Straight Microchannel (SM). The liquid film thickness and velocity distribution in the liquid film are investigated. It is found that the bubble shape in MGC is more sensitive to the capillary number. A thicker liquid film and a sharper bubble shape can be observed under the same operating conditions. These changes lead to a larger specific surface area (about 110 % of SM) and a remarkable increment of leakage flow rate (132.2–181.1 % of SM). Then, the intensifying mechanism of liquid transport in the liquid film is analyzed by numerical simulation. The results reveal that the slip and radial fluctuation of velocity at the gas cavity interface prominently improved the liquid transport. The high specific surface area and strong renewal ability of liquid film demonstrates a great potential for mass transfer in MGC.

In this paper, a hybrid optical-digital system, consisting of a holographic mask, two Fourier lenses, a CCD detector and a microcomputer, is presented for computing a superposition integral, which is expressed as the integral of input data and impulse response or point-spread -function. In principle, the system can be used for performing an arbitrary linear transform and multiplication of matrices, as well as extracting the features of a pattern. In this system all the spacings between the input, lens, mask and output planes are equal to the focal length of the Fourier lens, The point-spread function is represented by the process of lightwave propagating through the optical system and modulating in the mask. The mask is produced by using computer-generated-hologram techniques. In experimental research, the system is tested by Walsh-Hadamard transform, matrix multiplication and geometric moment integral. The experimental results show that, the measured values of the above integrals are in agreement with the theoretical calculations.

Self-propelled droplet jumping plays a crucial role in numerous applications such as condensation heat transfer, self-cleaning, and water harvesting. Compared to individual droplet jumping, the coalescence-induced droplet jumping in a domino manner has attracted more attention due to its potential for the high performance of droplet mobility and heat transfer. However, there is an apparent gap in the current literature regarding the demonstration of the advantage of this preferred droplet transport in a well-controlled way. In this study, we report the attainment of droplet jumping relay by designing a nanosheet-covered superhydrophobic surface with V-shaped macrogrooves (Groove-SHS). We find that the macrogroove arrays can significantly modify the droplet dynamics in the presence of a non-condensable gas (NCG) by coupling rapid droplet growth and efficient droplet removal by jumping relay. The condensate droplets formed through the NCG diffusion layer on top of the cones and between the grooves serve as more efficient conduits for heat transfer. The droplets with higher mobility formed on the bottom of the grooves can undergo a series of coalescence which results in the preferred droplet jumping relay. Such a droplet jumping relay can induce a considerable vibration for triggering the removal of droplets on top of the cones. The condensation performance of the Groove-SHS is increased by 60% compared to that of the flat superhydrophobic surface due to the synergistic effect of rapid droplet growth and efficient droplet removal facilitated by the integration of the droplet jumping relay. The mechanisms revealed in this work pave the way for dropwise condensation enhancement.

Background Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen immunoglobulin A (EBV VCA-IgA) exerts an important role in the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the pooled diagnostic performance of VCA-IgA for NPC. Methods Literature fulfilling the criteria was searched in PubMed and Embase databases. The quality of the studies was assessed in terms of the Quality Assessment of Diagnosis Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) criteria. The pooled diagnostic parameters were generated using a bivariate meta-analysis model. Statistical analysis was performed based on the platforms of Meta-Disc 1.4 and Stata 12.0 software. The trim and fill adjustment method was applied to further assess the possible effects of publication bias. Result Twenty one studies comprising 2986 NPC patients and 3507 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity of serum VCA-IgA for NPC were 0.83 (95%CI: 0.82 - 0.84) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.87 - 0.89), respectively, accompanied by a pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 49.87 and area under curve (AUC) of 0.9390. Moreover, our stratified analyses suggested that combinations of multiple EBV antigens (sensitivity, specificity, DOR, and AUC of 0.93, 0.95, 331.8, and 0.9850, respectively) yielded higher accuracy than single VCA-IgA test (sensitivity, specificity, DOR and AUC of 0.83, 0.88, 49.87, and 0.9393, respectively). Additionally, the immunoenzyme assay (IEA) seemed to be a better alternative for the analysis of serum VCA-IgA level, with a sensitivity of 0.92, specificity of 0.94, and AUC of 0.9644. Conclusions Serum VCA-IgA hallmarks promising accuracy in the management of NPC and that parallel tests of multiple EBV antigens may be more suitable for NPC serodiagnosis than single VCA-IgA assay. .151122)

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of pretreatment serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) with prognosis in primary breast cancer. A total of 361 patients with grades I–III breast cancer had been followed up from January 2001 to February 2011. Serumal TPS level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate associations between pretreatment TPS level and clinicopathological parameters and patient outcomes. First, at the univariate analysis, the expression of TPS was related with some clinicopathological traditional prognostic factors such as tumor size (P = 0.030), histologic grade (P = 0.001) and lymph node status (P = 0.008). Second, overall survival were significantly shorter among patients with elevated pretreatment serum TPS (P = 0.038). However, finally, multivariate Cox regression indicated that the level of pretreatment serum TPS was not an independent prognostic parameter for overall survival in primarily breast cancer patients (P > 0.05). The expression of pretreatment serum TPS is closely correlated with clinicopathology parameters and overall survival of patients with primarily breast cancer, but its level has no independent prognostic value.

This Part II paper describes the disintegration and dissolution aspects of the qualification of a new hypromellose capsule (HPMC Shell 2). This new capsule does not contain any gelling agent, and is manufactured by a thermal gelation process. Rupture time of the carrageenan-containing capsule (HPMC Shell 1) and HPMC Shell 2, as measured by an improved real-time detection method, showed only slight differences that did not manifest in vivo. The absence of a gelling agent appeared to give HPMC Shell 2 advantages in dissolution in acidic media and in buffers containing potassium ions. Slow drug release of HPMC Shell 1 in 0.1M HCl was attributed to the interaction of carrageenan with drug compounds; whereas the presence of potassium ions, a gelling promoter for carrageenan, caused delay in capsule opening and larger capsule-to-capsule variation. Disintegration and dissolution performances of both hypromellose capsules are comparable in other dissolution media tested. Based on the superior dissolution performances and quality attributes in terms of physical, mechanical and processability that were detailed in Paper I, the new hypromellose capsule was satisfactorily qualified and has since been used in nearly 20 investigational new drug (IND) compounds.

The filamentary composites of Cu–6 wt.% Fe, Cu–6 wt.% Fe–0.05 wt.% RE and Cu–6 wt.% Fe–0.3 wt.% RE were prepared by casting, cold drawing and intermediate heat treatments. The microstructure was observed and the ultimate tensile strength, vickers hardness and electrical conductivity were determined for the composites annealed at different temperatures. The results show that (0.05–0.30) wt.% rare earth elements in Cu–6 wt.% Fe can refine the as-cast microstructure and facilitate the precipitation of secondary Fe particles in the Cu matrix. The filamentary structure of Cu–6 wt.% Fe–0.30 wt.% RE seems to have a higher recrystallized resistance than that of Cu–6 wt.% Fe. With the increase in annealing temperature, the strength and hardness of the composites decrease but the conductivity increases. In particular, there appears a remarkable change of the strength, hardness and conductivity with the annealing temperature over 400 °C. The rare earth elements increase the conductivity of the Cu–6 wt.% Fe composites annealed at different temperatures. The improvement in conductivity from the rare earth elements is more significant for the composites annealed at higher than 400 °C.