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The analysis of microplastics (MP) becomes more difficult for smaller sizes, especially in complex matrices such as sediment of natural waters. In this work, we analyzed MPs in sediment using laser direct infrared (LDIR) imaging, a relatively new technique in environmental MP studies. Sediment samples were spiked with analytical surrogates (polyethylene spheres), and subjected to density separation, wet peroxide oxidation, calcite removal, and filtration. The extracted particles were coated on to a low-emissivity glass slide which was first examined on a stereomicroscope. Six slides (two sediment samples and four different blanks) were further analyzed using an Agilent LDIR system. Approximately 520 and 430 MP/g were found in the two samples, with diameter ranging 20–3384 μm and 84% being smaller than 100 μm. The increase in particle count with decreasing particle sizes followed a power law curve, suggesting that a large portion of the smaller MPs was generated by the breakdown of larger plastic pieces. Major polymers found in this work included polyamide, polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyacetal. Most MPs were fragments, while beads and fiber were also found. In the two sediment samples, 14% and 46% of the total particles, respectively, were composed of non-plastic micro-sized particles, including natural polyamide, cellulose, chitin, rubber, and “unknown”. Challenges, potential biases, and uncertainties are discussed. This work is the first application of LDIR imaging on MPs in natural sediment.

The high peak to average power ratio (PAPR) is the main challenge facing asymmetrically clipped optical (ACO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). We propose a new hybrid technique that incorporates a modified selective mapping (SLM) and companding called low complexity hybrid selective mapping (LCHSLM) for PAPR mitigation in ACO OFDM systems. It is demonstrated through computer simulations that our proposed system significantly reduces the PAPR compared with the conventional SLM or companding alone. In addition, LCHSLM achieves a significant reduction in complexity compared with conventional SLM without bit error rate (BER) degradation.

Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) has a considerable impact on the regulation of plant carbohydrate levels and growth, but the mechanism by which it regulates sugar levels in plants has received little attention. In this study, we found that exogenous IAA altered fructose (Fru), glucose (Glc), and sucrose (Suc) concentrations in shoot tips mainly by regulating MdSUSY1, MdFRK2, MdHxK1 and MdSDH2 transcript levels. Additionally, we used 5-year-old ‘Royal Gala’ apple trees to further verify that these genes play primary roles in regulating sink strength. The results showed that MdSUSY1, MdFRK2, MdHxK1/3 and MdSDH2 might be major contributors to sink strength regulation. Taken together, these results provide new insight into the regulation of the carbohydrate metabolism mechanism, which will be helpful for regulating sink strength and yield.

Various groups of antihypertensive drugs targeting different pathways have been developed; however, the pharmacometabolic responses to these drugs have rarely been compared to elucidate the common pathway of blood pressure regulation. Here, we performed a comparative multi-dimensional pharmacometabolic study on the four major lines of antihypertensive drugs, namely angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics (DIURs), through ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quantum time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Two hundred fifty patients with young-onset hypertension, who were equally divided among five study groups: non-medicated, ACEi, ARB, CCB, and DIUR groups, were recruited. In a metabolome-wide association study conducted through analysis of covariance, 37 molecular features significantly associated with pharmacometabolic responses to antihypertensive drugs were identified. One-third of these features were shared by multiple medications. ACEis, ARBs, and DIURs shared more features than CCB, partially reflecting that ACEis, ARBs, and DIURs affect the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Thirteen molecular features were consistently identified by all four models of the analysis of covariance. A tandem mass spectrometry (or MS/MS) experiment was performed to decipher the chemical structure of these 13 molecular features, including ARB-associated lysophosphatidylcholine (P4135), CCB-associated diacylglycerol(15:0/18:2) (P1175), and DIUR-associated oleamide (P1516). In addition, diacylglycerol(15:0/14:2) (P408) was significantly associated with the pharmacometabolic response to all four antihypertensive drugs. The identified metabolites provide insights into the mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and potential predictive markers of pharmacometabolic responses to antihypertensive drugs.

The unlimited consumption of traditional fossil fuels prompted an urgent need for the new H2 production strategies to provide green and sustainable energy resources. In this context, Co9S8 has emerged as a potent photocatalyst due to its narrow bandgap. Herein, we describe the synthesis of a recyclable lollipop-shaped Co9S8/CdS nanocomposite via direct annealing of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) and CdS, as the template and sulfur source, respectively. The close contact of these two materials promotes the electron transfer and enhances the number of active sites toward the desired redox reaction. The special structure of Co9S8/CdS results in a high photocatalytic H2 production rate of 1852 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible-light illumination, which is ~200 times higher than that of pure ZIF-67 and Co9S8. Therefore, this study provides a new method for the preparation of Co9S8 that concomitantly improves the photocatalytic performance of pure ZIF-67 in the H2 production technology.

Recently, atomically dispersed transition-metal single atom in nitrogen-doped carbon matrix as electrocatalysts has aroused general interest. However, there is no report about vanadium single atom for ORR in the literature. According to d-band center theory for transition-metals, the performance of catalysts is regulated by the electronic structure of the catalytic center which determines the intermediate adsorption kinetics. Indeed, the valence of vanadium is variable, its electron structure could be modulated by an appropriate coordination structure. Here, a novel method is developed to prepare the N and O co-coordinated vanadium single atom (V-N1O4) embedded in the carbon matrix. The catalyst displays a half-wave potential of 865 mV in base solution which surpasses 20% Pt/C, and also shows a high power density of 180 mW/cm2 in Zn-air batteries. DFT calculations reveal that the N and O coordination configuration could regulate the electron structure and geometry of vanadium to boost the electrocatalytic activity.

Purpose Risankizumab is a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that inhibits the p19 subunit of interleukin 23 from interacting with its receptor for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The aim of this Phase I biopharmaceutics bridging study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic comparability, immunogenicity, and tolerability of the risankizumab 90 mg/mL prefilled syringe (PFS) and the risankizumab 150 mg/mL PFS and auto-injector (AI) in healthy subjects. Methods Healthy subjects received one 150-mg dose of risankizumab in 1 of 3 ways (226 subjects randomized 3:3:1 to 3 treatment arms): 150 mg/mL by PFS × 1 SC injection, 90 mg/mL by PFS × 2 SC injections, or 150 mg/mL by AI × 1 SC injection, and were followed up for 140 days after dosing for the collection of pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity, and tolerability data. Findings Risankizumab concentration–time profiles overlapped with comparable pharmacokinetic parameters across all treatment arms, indicating similar pharmacokinetic characteristics. The CIs with both formulations and forms of administration were within the bioequivalence range of 0.80–1.25 across all measures of exposure. The prevalence of treatment-emergent anti-drug antibodies and the percentages of subjects who reported at least 1 treatment-emergent adverse event were comparable across all treatment arms. Implications Bioequivalence was established between risankizumab 150 mg/mL PFS and 90 mg/mL PFS, and between 150 mg/mL PFS and AI, along with comparable immunogenicity profiles across all 3 treatment arms. Risankizumab 150 mg SC delivered by PFS or AI was well tolerated, with comparable safety profiles across all treatment arms, and no new safety risks were identified.

Rice planthoppers, including brown planthopper (BPH) and white-backed planthopper (WBPH), are the most destructive pests in Asian rice cultivation regions. Planthopper resistance genes that have been mapped and characterized advance our understanding of underlying resistance mechanisms and facilitate the breeding of resistant varieties, thereby contributing to an efficient pest management strategy. In this study, a novel resistance gene Bph38 derived from the wild rice species Oryza rufipogon Griff. was found to confer high resistance to BPH and WBPH. Conventional mapping was performed to identify regions associated with BPH and WBPH resistance, and two mapping efforts led to the same region on chromosome 4 flanked by markers RM16563 and RM16763. Bulked-segregant analysis and next-generation sequencing were performed using the same population to detect the resistance gene. Conventional mapping narrowed the region to a 12.3-Mb segment, and fine mapping using BC1F2 recombinants identified a 79-kb segment flanked by markers YM112 and YM190. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying Bph38 in the 9311 (indica) and BR54 (japonica) genetic backgrounds were developed by crossing and backcrossing with marker-assisted selection. The agronomic traits and BPH and WBPH resistance of the NILs were similar to those of the recurrent parents. Mandatory feeding and host-choice tests revealed that Bph38 showed both antibiotic and antixenotic effects in both insects, with stronger effects in indica-background lines. Further fine mapping and characterization of the major gene may result in map-based cloning of the gene and allow its application in breeding insect-resistant rice varieties.

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (Fe0) on carbon materials was successfully synthesized via a simple one-step pyrolysis of coir pith with iron precursor. The Fe0 dispersion over activated carbon (AC) and stability was amended by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The transmission electron microscopy results reveal the homogeneous distribution of Fe0 (~20 nm) on the surface of AC. In addition, the crystal patterns and valence states of Fe0 nanoparticles were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Trichloroethylene (TCE), one common pollutant in the groundwater, was used to understand the catalytic ability of Fe/AC. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model was applied for TCE removal rate. Fe/AC shows 80% TCE removal in 24 h reaction time, due to its porous structure and large surface area. PEG-Fe/AC composite demonstrated 90.4% TCE dechlorination efficiency in 45 min (kobs 0.29 min−1). The enhanced dechlorination was recorded due to perfect PEG and Fe0 ratio, in which PEG restricted the arial oxidation of Fe0. The as-synthesized nanocomposite was further evaluated for its high stability and efficacy by consecutive eight successive TCE removal cycles. This study demonstrates that one-pot synthesized PEG-Fe/AC composite can effectively remove chlorinated compounds in water, which can be beneficial to the future research applications.

Background Low-acuity outpatients constitute the majority of emergency department (ED) patients, and these patients often experience an unpredictable length of stay (LOS). Effective LOS prediction might improve the quality of ED care and reduce ED crowding. Objective The objective of this study was to explore the potential of natural language processing (NLP) of the first ED physicians' clinical notes and to evaluate NLP-based short-term prediction models based on mixed-type clinical data. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at an ED of a tertiary teaching hospital in Taiwan from January 2017 to June 2017. In total, 12,962 low-acuity outpatients were enrolled. Using structured data (e.g., demographic variables and vital signs) and different sections of the first SOAP notes as predictors, we developed six NLP-based prediction models (i.e., term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) and truncated singular value decomposition (SVD)) to predict LOS. The metric for model evaluation is the mean squared error (MSE). Results Of the six NLP-based models, the model using structured data and all the sections of the first SOAP notes processed by the TF-IDF and truncated SVD method performed the best, with an MSE of 3.00 [95% CI: 2.94–3.06]. In addition, ten important topics extracted by the TF-IDF and truncated SVD method had significant effects on the LOS (p Conclusion NLP-based models can be used as an early short-term prediction of LOS and have the potential for mixed-type clinical data analysis. The proposed models would likely aid ED physicians' decision-making processes and improve ED quality of care.

Background Ovarian malignancy is among the most common lethal cancers in gynaecology. It has been considered that nutrition status and inflammation are two essential factors associated with the poor survival rates of patients suffering from multiple tumours. Methods This research included 174 subjects who suffered from FIGO stage I-IV OC and underwent surgeries between May 2008 and March 2013. Results The results showed that FAR, T3–T4 depth, high CA125, stage III-IV and metastasis were highly associated with low overall survival rates. Moreover, higher FCI was markedly correlated with decreased survival in patients with OC. Conclusions The combination of FAR and CA125 could be a new non-invasive marker in blood and probably assist physicians in evaluating the prognosis of patients.

As a promising drug nanocarrier, carbon dots (CDs) have exhibited many excellent properties. However, some properties such as bone targeting and crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) only apply to a certain CD preparation with limited drug loading capacity. Therefore, it is significant to conjugate distinct CDs to centralize many unique properties on the novel drug nanocarrier. Considering that CDs have abundant and tunable surface functionalities, in this study, a direct conjugation was initiated between two distinct CD models, black CDs (B-CDs) and gel-like CDs (G-CDs) via an amidation reaction. As a result of conjugation at a mass ratio of 5:3 (B-CDs to G-CDs) and a two-step purification process, the conjugate, black-gel CDs (B-G CDs) (5:3) inherited functionalities from both CDs and obtained an enhanced thermostability, aqueous stability, red-shifted photoluminescence (PL) emission, and a figure-eight shape with a width and length of 3 and 6 nm, respectively. In addition, the necessity of high surface primary amine ( NH2) content in the CD conjugation was highlighted by replacing G-CDs with other CDs with lower surface NH2 content. Meanwhile, the carboxyl groups ( COOH) on G-CDs were not enough to trigger self-conjugation between G-CDs. Moreover, the drug loading capacity was enhanced by 54.5% from B-CDs to B-G CDs (5:3). Furthermore, when the mass ratio of B-CDs to G-CDs was decreased from 5:30, 5:100 to 5:300, the obtained nanostructures revealed a great potential of CDs as Lego-like building blocks. Also, bioimaging of zebrafish demonstrated that various B-G CDs exhibited properties of both bone targeting and crossing the BBB, which are specific properties of B-CDs and G-CDs, respectively.

Introduction Due to diverse symptoms of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and the high prevalence of SCA3 in China, a more in-depth study of Chinese SCA3 patients in a large cohort is well merited. Methods During the last 10 years, 730 patients and 133 premanifest individuals from 667 SCA3 families genetically confirmed to have SCA3 were enrolled from three leading academic hospitals in China. The clinical profile and genotype-phenotype correlation were analyzed. Results A quadratic equation best explained the relationship between the logarithmically transformed age at onset (AAO) and expanded CAG repeats (expCAGs) (r2 = 0.634, p 10 years. Intriguingly, onset after parturition happened in 10 female patients with the AAO of 26.7 ± 4.3 years and the expCAG of 77.4 ± 1.4 repeats. Five out of 12 patients with subtype V and larger expCAGs (78.8 ± 4.8 repeats) suffered from spastic gait initially, and 10 out of 12 showed no limb ataxia. Nystagmus happened most frequently (10.5%) in premanifest individuals. Conclusion We demonstrated the genotype-phenotype correlation in the largest cohort of SCA3 individuals to date, and interestingly found some new phenomena in Chinese SCA3 individuals.

Summary ADP-ribosylation factor-like 4aa (Arl4aa) is a member of the ADP-ribosylation factor family. It is expressed in hematopoietic tissue during embryonic development, but its function was unknown. Zebrafish arl4aa is preferentially expressed in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (VDA) at 24 and 36 hpf and in caudal hematopoietic tissue at 48 hpf. Morpholino knockdown and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) knockout of arl4aa significantly reduced expression of genes associated with definitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Golgi complex integrity in VDA was disrupted as shown by transmission electron microscopy and immunostaining of Golgi membrane Giantin. Mechanistically, arl4aa knockdown reduced Notch signaling in the VDA and its target gene expression. Protein expression of NICD was also reduced. Effects of arl4aa knockdown on definitive hematopoiesis could be restored by NICD expression. This study identified arl4aa as a factor regulating initiation of definitive HSCs by maintaining the integrity of Golgi complex and, secondarily, maturation of the Notch receptor., Highlights • arl4aa expressed in ventral wall of dorsal aorta and caudal hematopoietic tissue • arl4aa maintained Golgi complex integrity and Notch signaling in definitive HSCs • Deletion of arl4aa perturbed initiation of definitive HSCs, In this study, Anskar Y.H. Leung and colleagues show that arl4aa was expressed in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta and caudal hematopoietic tissue during zebrafish embryo development. Deletion of arl4aa disrupted the integrity of the Golgi complex and Notch signaling and perturbed derivation of definitive hematopoietic stem cells from hemogenic endothelium. arl4aa might emerge as a regulator of embryonic hematopoiesis.

Current ways of managing spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are uneconomical and have significant environmental impacts. Alternative approaches, such as hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), which can utilise their rich organic matter for energy recovery purposes are essential. Here we present, a response surface methodology (RSM) for understanding the combined interactive effects due to the main HTC operating conditions, i.e. reaction temperature and residence time, as well as optimising them to produce hydrochar from SCGs of maximal yield and calorific value. The fuel properties and combustion behaviours of hydrochar were further evaluated to assess its suitability to replace coals for energy applications. Depending on the operating conditions, the atomic carbon content and calorific values of the hydrochar were significantly improved: by 11.2–30.7% and 15.8–44.7% respectively. The highest hydrochar calorific value recorded, 33.5 MJ kg−1, resembled that of anthracite and dry steam coal, generally used in the UK. At optimal conditions of ∼216 °C and 1hr - guided by the RSM - a maximal hydrochar yield of ∼64% and a calorific value of 31.6 MJ kg−1 are feasible. Using this as a benchmark, the 500,000 tonnes of SCGs generated annually in the UK has the potential of replacing 4.4% of the coal used for electricity generation in the country.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is a probiotic for animals. A strain of B. amyloliquefaciens designated amy-1 was isolated from soil, and the exopolysaccharides (EPSs) of the strain were characterized in terms of their effect on glycemic control. The EPSs were composed of mannose, glucose, and galactose, with the major components being polymers larger than 1000 kDa as revealed by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography. The EPSs reduced the elevation of blood glucose in mice on oral glucose tolerance tests. The hypoglycemic effect was still apparent when glucose was administered through intraperitoneal injection. Further investigation revealed that the EPSs stimulated glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion from enteroendocrine cells in vitro and increased plasma GLP-1 level in vivo. Moreover, the EPSs promoted the glucose consumption of a liver cell line and an intestinal epithelial cell line. Therefore, the interaction between EPSs and intestinal tissues at least partially contributed to their hypoglycemic effect. The enhanced glucose uptake of cells was likely mediated by the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and Akt and was independent of insulin receptor substrate and AMP-activated protein kinase. These findings suggest that EPSs likely involve in the hypoglycemic functions of probiotics and are potential new agents for glycemic control.

Objective This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of autophagy in bone metabolism in high-glucose environments and its relationship with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Methods A TLR4 knockout diabetic rat model and MC3T3-E1 with TLR4 silencing by small interfering RNA were used to observe the protective mechanism of TLR4 knockdown or silencing in hyperglycemia-induced bone injury. Results The inhibition of TLR4 expression improved bone metabolism and bone structure; promoted alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) secretion, enhanced bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-2 expression, promoted bone mineralization, and reduced hyperglycemia-induced osteoblast apoptosis. TLR4 knockdown or silencing reduced the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha at the animal and cell levels, inhibited the expression of inflammatory pathway proteins, and downregulated the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3II/LC-1 proteins. The inhibition of autophagic activity enhanced the osteoprotective effect of TLR4 knockdown, improved cell viability, reduced the apoptosis rate of osteoblasts, and promoted the BMP-2 protein level and ALP and OCN secretion. Conversely, the activation of autophagy significantly aggravated osteoblast apoptosis, reduced BMP-2 protein levels, and inhibited ALP and OCN secretion. Conclusion Taken together, the experimental results supported the hypothesis that TLR4 deficiency might alleviate hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis and differentiation suppression in osteoblasts and exert osteoprotective effects via autophagic inhibition.

Background/purpose(s): Enterovirus D68(EV-D68) is an emerging disease that affects mostly children. There have been few relevant investigations to clarify transmission and seroprevalence within daycares and kindergartens. Methods: This prospective cohort study investigated respiratory viral transmission among preschool children in a public kindergarten in Taipei City of Taiwan between September 2006 and June 2008. After children were enrolled, daily monitoring of illness and regular biweekly physical examinations were performed. We performed viral isolation to detect acute EV-D68 infection and neutralization tests to detect specific EV-D68 antibodies and to measure the seroprevalence and seroconversion rates. Results: Among 190 kindergarten attendees aged between two to five years old, nine children had acute EV-D68 infection in September 2007. The clinical manifestations included pharyngitis, cough and other unspecified upper respiratory tract infection. None of the infected children had acute flaccid paralysis or severe respiratory illness. The phylogenetic tree of partial viral protein 3 and viral protein 1 was clustered in clade A1. The EV-D68 seropositive rate increased from 19% (25/130) at the beginning to 67% (83/124) at the end of the study. The seroconversion rate of 49 children with initial seronegative and paired sera was 73% (36/49). Conclusions: A high seroconversion rate (73%) for EV-D68 was found among kindergarten attendees, which indicates preschool-aged children are highly susceptible to EV-D68 infection and that the disease burden may be extremely underestimated. Once EV-D 68 circulates, preventive measures may be advocated, especially within kindergartens or daycares, to reduce transmission and subsequent development of severe cases. Keywords: Enterovirus D68, Kindergarten attendees, Manifestation, Seroconversion

Increasing mitochondrial fusion by intra-tumoral grafting of membrane-fused mitochondria created with Pep-1 conjugation (P-Mito) contributes to breast cancer treatment, but it needs to be validated. Using mitochondrial division inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1, Mdi) to disturb mitochondrial dynamics, we showed that the antitumor action of P-Mito in a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer depends upon mitochondrial fusion and that Mdi treatment alone is ineffective. P-Mito significantly enhanced Doxorubicin (Dox) sensitivity by inducing mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy, and the same efficiency was also achieved with Mdi by inhibiting mitophagy. Cell death was induced via the p53 pathway and AIF nuclear translocation in the case of P-Mito, versus the caspase-dependent pathway for Mdi. Notably, both mitochondrial treatments reduced oxidative stress and blood vessel density of xenograft tumors, especially P-Mito, which was accompanied by inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B activation. Furthermore, through enrichment analysis, four microRNAs in serum microvesicles induced by P-Mito caused expression of predicted targets via the PI3K-Akt pathway, and significantly impacted regulation of nuclear processes and myeloid cell differentiation. Clustering of gene-sets implicated a major steroid catabolic network. This study showed diverse roles of mitochondria in breast cancer and revealed effective adjuvant therapy targeting mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy.

Network selection and influence on aggressive and prosocial behavior have been of great concern, but current research is limited by predominant studies in European-American societies and insufficient consideration on gender networks. Using panel data from 702 seventh grade students in a Chinese society, we show that while results are in general consistent with European-American samples, network processes differ between all ties, male ties, female ties, and cross-gender ties. Furthermore, the prevalence of behavior is often at odds with influence effects in gender networks. This article demonstrates the necessity to distinguish sub-networks within networks.

Visible light communication (VLC) has the potential to supplement the growing demand for wireless connectivity. In order to achieve the full potential of VLC, channel models are required. Discrete channel models based on semi-hidden Markov models (Fritchman model) for indoor VLC using low data rate LEDs are presented. Each channel considered includes background noise and differing types of interference from fluorescent lights and pulse-width modulated (PWM) LEDs, which could be part of an indoor smart lighting system. Models were developed based on experimental error sequences from a VLC system using an on-off keying (OOK) modulation scheme. The error sequences were input into the Baum-Welch algorithm to determine the model parameters by expectation maximisation. Simulated error sequences generated by the models are compared to and, in most cases, perform better than simpler models with a single bit error rate. The models closely approximate the experimental errors sequences in terms of error distribution. The models performed better in channels where there is less interference. It was also found that periodic errors were introduced as a results of the PWM modulated smart lighting LEDs. These models have use for designing error control codes and simulating indoor VLC environments with different types of interference.

The nonlinear optical absorption properties of as-deposited and crystalline Sb2Se3 films were systematically studied by using open-aperture Z-scan technique with femtosecond laser pulses at the wavelength of 800 nm. It is interesting to find that the crystallization leads nonlinear optical absorption to switch from reverse saturable absorption to saturable absorption. A tunable behavior is attributed to the competition between ground state excitation and excited state absorption, which depends critically on the facts of band gap energy and the density of localized defect states in the Sb2Se3 film. A three-level approximate model is proposed to explain the probable electronic transition and its rationality is further confirmed by second harmonic experiments under the same conditions. In particular, it is found that there are two different nonlinear optical absorption mechanisms coexisting in one kind of material with identical chemical composition, and their switching behavior is regulated merely by phase-change after thermal treatment. These special properties of Sb2Se3 thin film imply huge potential applications in the field of innovative nonlinear optical devices.

EAbstract Objective The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of treatment with echinocandins compared with amphotericin B in paediatric patients with invasive candidiasis. Methods PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched up to August 2018. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating echinocandins and amphotericin B in the treatment of paediatric patients with invasive candidiasis were included. The outcomes were clinical responses and adverse effects. Results Five RCTs of 354 patients (191 patients in the echinocandins group and 163 patients in the amphotericin B group) were included in this study. Overall, no significant differences in clinical response were found between echinocandins and amphotericin B (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-2.80; I2 = 39%). Similar results were also observed in the high-risk group (OR, 3.10; 95% CI, 0.10-97.23; I2 = 76%), the low-risk group (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.36-4.62; I2 = 21%) and the neutropenia group (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 0.75-3.26; I2 = 0%). The risk of discontinuing treatment because of adverse effects was significantly lower in the echinocandins group than in the amphotericin B group (OR, 0.30, 95% CI, 0.12-0.76; I2 = 0%). Conclusions There were no differences in efficacy between the echinocandins group and the amphotericin B group in the treatment of invasive candidiasis in paediatric patients. However, the echinocandins group had a significantly lower risk of discontinuing treatment than the amphotericin B group.

Search for simple and economical electrocatalyst for the hydrogen gas evolution reaction (HER), which can resemble to the performance of Pt and other precious metals, is a challenging research interest. In this work, a systematic effect of pre-treatment potential of screen-printed carbon (SPCE) surface on the HER performance in 0.5 M H2SO4 was carried out. A new observation of a low potential HER (onset potential, Eonset = −0.02 V vs. RHE) at a cathodic potential, −0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl on 1 hr pre-treated screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE*, * = pre-treated) was observed. Physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations of the SPCE* by field emission scanning electron-microscope, Raman, IR and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopes reveals specific generation of carboxylic acid functionalized carbon surface and in turn for the enhanced HER on the modified electrode surface. Electrochemical characterization of SPCE* with Fe(CN)63− support the observation. A marked decrement in the peak current and significant increase in the peak-to-peak separation potential response due electrostatic repulsion between the anion sites of Fe(CN)63− and –COO– were noticed. This observation is in parallel with the reduced electrical double layer capacitance value of the SPCE* system. The Eonset and Tafel value (54.7 mV dec−1) obtained here are comparable to those at Pt, MoS2, MoSe2 and superior over the N- and P-doped graphene/carbon electrocatalysts for HER. A prototype HER system was developed and demonstrated for H2 gas production at a rate of 0.0053 μM s−1 (Operating potential = −0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl), which is comparable to that of precious metal and metal compound electrocatalysts based HER performance.

As part of our ongoing search for novel and bioactive natural products in Karst plants, two new sesqui-neolignans, difengpienol A (1) and difengpienol B (2), together with two known analogues (3 and 4), were isolated from the stem bark of Illicium difengpi. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. Difengpienol A (1) possessed a unique 1, 4-dibenzodioxocine moiety. All isolates were evaluated for inhibitory effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages cells. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate inhibitory effects on NO production with IC50 values of 16.9 and 23.8 μM. A biosynthetic pathway was also proposed for 1 and 2.

When photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) couples with electroenzymatic catalysis (EEC), effective utilization of electrons from PEC process for yield of H2O2 plays an important role in the enzymatic catalysis. In the present work, we designed a novel dual-cathode PEC-EEC system for pollutant removal. In this system, BiVO4 photoanode was prepared by electrodeposition for visible light-driven PEC process while carbon cloth was used as the first cathode for electrogeneration of H2O2 and hemin/Cu prepared by electrophoretic deposition acted as the second cathode for enzymatic catalysis. The performances of the constructed dual-cathode PEC-EEC system were evaluated by decoloring Rhodamine B (RhB), which showed high decoloration percentage with acceptable stability and reusability. Further, the system was applied to degradation of tetracycline (TC), indicating that about 93.6% of TC was removed after 2-h treatment. A pathway for TC degradation in such a dual-cathode PEC-EEC system was proposed based on the intermediates determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem (LC-ESI-MS/MS).

A 3D porous anionic MOF, {[(CH3)2NH2][Zn6(μ3-OH)(μ4-O)(NSBPDC)5(H2O)2]·DMF·12H2O}n (Zn-1) (H2NSBPDC = 6-nitro-2,2′-sulfone-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid), has been synthesized and characterized. Zn-1 exhibits a rare 5-connected ‘sqp’ net and contains large 3D intersecting channels modified with functional groups. Notably, Zn-1 can adsorb cationic dyes selectively and effectively, even for large molecules including Rhodamine B and Crystal Violet. The influences of the constant time and initial concentration of MB on the adsorption capacity of Zn-1 have been studied in detail. Furthermore, the kinetic research indicates that the adsorption of MB matches well with the pseudo second-order model. In addition, the material of Zn-1 is reusable, and the adsorbed dye (MB) can be released in saturated DMF/ethanol solution of LiNO3.

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation has not been studied in men perinatally exposed to PCBs and dioxins. Therefore, we examined whether perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) induces sustained methylation changes lasting to early adulthood. We used the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip to assess DNA methylation in whole blood among Yucheng second generation (people perinatal exposed to high PCBs and PCDFs) compared with referents. Thirty male offspring from the Yucheng cohort were randomly selected and matched with 30 male offspring from the Yucheng' neighborhood referents with similar backgrounds. Methylation differences between the Yucheng second generation and non-exposed referents were identified using a P value < 1.06 × 10-7. Differential DNA methylation with epigenome-wide statistical significance was observed for 20 CpGs mapped to 11 genes, and 19 CpGs were correlated with gestational levels of PCBs or PCDF toxic equivalency (PCDF-TEQ) with the same direction of effect. Among the 11 genes, AHRR and CYP1A1 are involved in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway known to mediate dioxin toxicity. MYO1G, FRMD4A, ARL4C, OLFM1, and WWC3 were previously reported to be related to carcinogenesis. This is the first study examining genome-wide DNA methylation among people perinatally exposed to high concentrations of PCBs and PCDFs. We observed novel differential methylation of several genes, indicating that modifications of DNA methylation associated with perinatal PCB and PCDF exposure may persist in exposed offspring for more than 20 years. Furthermore, involvement of several carcinogesis-related genes suggested a potential in utero epigenetic mechanisms.