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Herein, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/silicon nitride (Si3N4)/polyaniline (PANI) ternary composites are prepared. The preparation method involves attaching carboxyl groups to acid‐modified MWCNT surfaces and amino groups to Si3N4 surfaces modified using a silane‐coupling agent. Then they are combined to binary composites using the solvent‐thermal method. Finally, the ternary composites are prepared by coating PANI on the surface of MWCNT/Si3N4 composites in situ polymerization. The morphology and structure of these composites are characterized through X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results show that the reflection loss at 8.8 GHz reaches −42.57 dB when the feeding ratio of MWCNT:Si3N4:PANI is 3:20:40 and the corresponding effective absorption bandwidth reaches 4.06 GHz when the thickness is 3.5 mm. A conductive network with effective electron leaps is formed among MWCNT, Si3N4, and PANI, which increases the conductive loss of the composites. An abundant number of interfaces have formed in the composite materials and promoted dielectric loss. Multiple loss mechanisms and good impedance matching performance endow MWCNT/Si3N4/PANI with excellent microwave absorption performance, and the incorporation of Si3N4 enables the composites to exhibit satisfactory high‐temperature resistance. Thus, these performances render the composites promising materials to address increasing electromagnetic pollution, particularly at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease (SPID) are major causes of secondary infertility. Modified Hongteng Baijiang decoction (MHTBD) has produced positive results in the treatment of patients with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease; however, its role in SPID remains elusive. Therefore, this study clarified the role of MHTBD in SPID pathogenesis. Methods: The main components in MHTBD were analyzed by using liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC/MS). An SPID rat model was established, and the rats were treated with different doses of MHTBD (0.504 g of raw drug/kg, 1.008 g of raw drug/kg, and 2.016 g of raw drug/kg). Endometrial pinopodes were observed via scanning electron microscopy, endometrial thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration were assessed via HE staining, and the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), integrin β3 (ITGB3), and CD31 in the endometrium was detected by using immunohistochemistry. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of LIF, JAK2, p‐JAK2, STAT3, and p‐STAT3 in the endometrium. Moreover, the changes in the gut microbiota were analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: MHTBD improved endometrial receptivity, attenuated endometrial pathologic damage, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased ER and PR expression in the endometrium, and promoted the expression of LIF, p‐JAK2, and p‐STAT3 in the endometrium (p <.05) in SPID rats. Additionally, MHTBD treatment affected the composition of the gut microbiota in SPID rats. Furthermore, MHTBD attenuated endometrial receptivity and pathological damage in SPID rats by promoting the LIF/JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Conclusion: MHTBD attenuates SPID in rats by promoting the LIF/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and improving the composition of the gut microbiota. MHTBD may be a valuable drug for SPID therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of A‐site substitution on phase‐structure evolution and electrocaloric effect (ECE) in filled tungsten bronze ceramics, Sr2–3x/2LaxNaNb4.3Ta0.7O15 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) ceramics are prepared through a two‐step solid‐state reaction method. Rietveld refinement shows that La2O3 addition achieves a partial transition from orthorhombic (Im2a) to tetragonal phase (P4bm). A decrease in phase transition temperature, enhancement in distortion degree, and relaxation behavior are observed with increasing La2O3 content, as demonstrated by dielectric, in situ Raman spectra, and ferroelectric properties. The indirectly measured ECE shows a non‐monotonic variation, with room‐temperature ECE ranging from 0.19, 0.15, 0.23 to finally 0.19 K for x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 compositions, respectively. This evolution trend is explained by an interplay of relaxation and multiphase coexistence. Directly measured ECE is also performed and a positive ECE character with a good temperature stability is observed. This work not only establishes relationships between phase‐structure evolution and ECE in filled Sr2NaNb4.3Ta0.7O15 tungsten bronze ceramics, but also presents its possibility in applications of thermally stable EC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the current literature on the effect of ICU diaries on the quality of life of ICU survivors and their relatives. Design: Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods: We searched the online databases Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI and WanFang from inception to April 2021. Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool and Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to assess the methodological quality. Results: Seven studies were identified. ICU diaries improved the QoL of ICU survivors (SMD 0.79, 95% CI 0.24–1.34), and a small study described no benefit of diaries in improving the QoL of relatives. Conclusion: This meta‐analysis revealed the use of ICU diaries to improve the QoL in survivors, but the ICU diaries do not have a beneficial effect on the QoL in relatives. The evidence summarized in our study is limited and biased, and more research should be carried out to verify it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The existing particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms are only effective in deconvoluting the overlapping peaks in ion mobility spectra with fewer than four component peaks, which limits the applicability of these algorithms. Methods: A high‐performance two‐step particle swarm optimization (TSPSO) algorithm was developed. Compared to the existing PSO algorithms, TSPSO can narrow the search ranges of all coefficients for the overlapping peaks through Gaussian model calculation, and thus can deconvolute various overlapping peaks with high accuracy, even for 30‐component overlapping peaks. In addition, the TSPSO could be further applied to enhance the resolution of the spectra by narrowing the peak widths after the peak deconvolution. Results: Simulated overlapping peaks were first used to evaluate the performance of TSPSO as compared to the dynamic inertia weight particle swarm optimization (DIWPSO) algorithm. The results showed that the profiles of the peaks deconvoluted by using TSPSO were more consistent with the original ones. The fitness values and the standard deviations of the fitness values from TSPSO were also at least an order of magnitude less than those from DIWPSO. By applying TSPSO, the overlapping peaks from both mass spectrometry (MS) and field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) spectra can also be well deconvoluted. In addition, the resolutions of the MS and FAIMS spectra can be effectively enhanced after peak deconvolution. The enhanced spectra matched excellently with the experimental ones acquired at high‐resolution modes. Conclusions: The experiment results convincingly demonstrate that the TSPSO algorithm is capable of both deconvoluting complex overlapping peaks and enhancing the spectrum resolution with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology is seen as one of the useful strategies for the treatment of oily wastewater, but the membrane fouling in the process of membrane filtration seriously may affect some properties and time‐consuming. Hydrophilic membrane surface can reduce membrane fouling. The appropriate design for membrane composition and surface structure can transform membrane surface with expected performance. In this work, hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with micro‐nanostructure are fabricated by in situ synthesis and layer‐by‐layer assembly strategies. A zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) and tannic acid are used to construct microstructure and support hydrophilic groups. The water contact angle and water flux of initial PVDF membrane are 110.67° and 6585.7 L m−2 h−1, respectively, while the optimally modified membrane possesses water contact of 14.5° and water flux of 13641.8 L m−2 h−1. The modified membrane not only owns good underwater oil repellency and oil adhesion resistance but also processes good separation performance for surfactant stable oil‐in‐water emulsion. Furthermore, the modified membranes exhibit constant permeability and underwater oleophobicity in cycling experiments and harsh environments, indicating that the modified coating has stability against shedding of the modified materials. This method supports valuable references for MOF application in the field of oil–water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we proposed a Many‐to‐One Input Network Architecture (MOINA) for the classification of similar structured vehicles (bus, truck and car). The inputs of the architecture are the multiple‐masked region‐of‐interest of the same detected vehicle from Range‐Doppler maps, which are acquired by FMCW radar. The proposed method is trained with a supervised system yielding a classification accuracy of 98%. MOINA shows good classification performance in a practical situation. Besides, the F1‐score of buses, trucks and cars are 98.7%, 98.0% and 97.6%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although semiconductor nanowire (NW) photodetectors are promising building blocks for nanoscale on‐chip optoelectronic integration applications, poor absorption, and strong light polarization dependence due to their inherent anisotropic geometry remain an issue. Here, a polarization‐insensitive photodetector is designed and experimentally demonstrated, which consists of an InP NW embedded in a dual‐split bull's eye (DSBE) plasmonic antenna. The resultant photodetector exhibits a low noise equivalent power of 0.97 pW and a photoresponsivity of 0.96 A W‐1 at 740 nm with an external quantum efficiency of 163%. Importantly, the device exhibits an ultralow polarization dependence characteristic with a polarization degree significantly reduced from 91% down to 6%. The improved performance stems from the intrinsic symmetry of the orthogonal DSBE and the strong surface plasmon coupling, which significantly boosts the optical concentration abilities at all polarization angles as compared to the bare NW photodetector. This NW photodetector‐antenna design provides a pathway for the development of high‐performance nanoscale photodetectors for applications in advanced sensing, imaging, and quantum communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism and the effect of Saponin from Tupistra chinensis Baker (STCB) on the proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. To investigate the inhibitory effect of STCB on the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells, SKOV3 cells were cultured and the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay was used. Flow cytometry was also used to analyze the cell cycle distribution and apoptotic rate. Ki‐67, cyclin D1, cleaved caspase‐3, cleaved caspase‐9, β‐catenin, and c‐Myc protein expressions were detected by western blot. Ovarian cancer cells were treated with STCB and Wnt pathway activator lithium chloride (LiCl). These methods were also used to determine the proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. In STCB‐treated group, the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis rate, the proportion of G0‐G1 phase, and the expression level of cleaved caspase‐3 and 9 of ovarian cancer cells were significantly increased. Similarly, the expression of Ki‐67, cyclin D1, β‐catenin, and c‐Myc were significantly decreased (p <.05). The results also showed that in STCB‐LiCl‐treated group, while the proliferation inhibition rate of ovarian cancer cells, the proportion of G0‐G1 cells, the expression level of cleaved caspase‐3 and 9, and the apoptosis rate (p <.05) were significantly decreased, the expression level of Ki‐67, cyclin D1, β‐catenin, and c‐Myc was significantly increased. STCB induced G0‐G1 phase arrest, inhibited cell proliferation, and promoted apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a very common complication in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery, which has poorly understood pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate potential risk factors for POD. Methods: Elderly patients (aged ≥65 years) scheduled to undergo selective surgery in our hospital were consecutively recruited. Patient characteristics, preoperative laboratory tests and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) levels were compared between patients with or without POD. The risk factors for POD were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of PNI and age for POD. Results: Fifty‐seven of the 163 enrolled patient had suffered POD within postoperative day 7 with an incidence of 35.0%. Multivariate logistic analyses revealed that an advanced age (cut‐off value: 71.5 years, sensitivity: 48.1%, specificity: 75.4%, odds ratio (OR): 3.24, 95% CI: 1.16–8.69, P = 0.026) and lower PNI level (cut‐off value: 47.45, sensitivity: 86.0%, specificity: 51.9%, OR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.25–6.64, P = 0.012) were two independent predictive factors associated with POD. According to the ROC curve analysis, preoperative PNI level was a predictor for POD with an area under the curve of 0.686 (95% CI: 0.604–0.767, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Advanced age and lower preoperative PNI level were significantly associated with POD in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The mechanism of male reproductive toxicity induced by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is poorly understood. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is known to play a critical role in maintaining spermatogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the toxic effects of BaP in Sertoli cells, and to explore the possibility and potential mechanisms of BaP‐induced changes in the level of GJIC, and the relationship between GJIC and BaP‐induced apoptosis. We treated mouse Sertoli cell lines (TM4) with different concentrations (0.1–100 μ m) of BaP for 1–48 hours, and found that GJIC exhibited a dose‐ and time‐dependent downregulation. Treatment with 10 μ m BaP increased apoptosis, intracellular Ca2+ level ([Ca2+]i) and calmodulin (CaM) protein expression, and decreased the protein level of connexin 43 (Cx43) (also known as gap junction α‐1 protein [GJA1]) in TM4 cells. However, BaP had no effect on the phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser279/282, Ser255, Ser368 or Ser262. Downregulation of [Ca2+]i by BAPTA‐AM significantly attenuated the BaP‐induced GJIC suppression, Cx43 protein decrease and CaM protein increase. Interestingly, inhibition of CaM expression by W7 partially recovered BaP‐induced GJIC inhibition, but had no effect on BaP‐induced Cx43 protein decrease. Pretreatment with the GJIC activator retinoic acid significantly mitigated BaP‐induced apoptosis. In conclusion, these results suggest that BaP can decrease GJIC via Ca2+/CaM signaling, and that BaP‐induced GJIC suppression increases apoptosis in TM4 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connexins (Cxs), the subunits of gap junction channels, are involved in many physiological processes. Aberrant control of Cxs and gap junction intercellular communication may contribute to many diseases, including the promotion of cancer. Cd exposure is associated with increased risk of human prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The roles of Cxs in the effects of Cd on the prostate have, however, not been reported previously. In this study, the human prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 was exposed to Cd. A low dose of Cd stimulated cell proliferation along with a lower degree of gap junction intercellular communication and an elevated level of the protein Cx43. Cd exposure increased the levels of intracellular Ca2+ and phosphorylated Cx43 at the Ser368 site. Knockdown of Cx43 using siRNA blocked Cd-induced proliferation and interfered with the Cd-induced changes in the protein levels of cyclin D1 , cyclin B1, p27Kip1 (p27) and p21Waf1/Cip1 (p21). The increase in Cx43 expression induced by Cd was presumably mediated by the androgen receptor, because it was abolished upon treatment with the androgen receptor antagonist, flutamide. Thus, a low dose of Cd promotes cell proliferation in RWPE-1, possibly mediated by Cx43 expression through an effect on cell cycle-associated proteins. Cx43 might be a target for prostatic diseases associated with Cd exposure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban mining offers an efficient supply of resources because of rich mines and low environmental impacts. Location selection and optimization for urban mining facilities is more complicated than for natural mines, given that it may vary according to the urban population, consumption habits, and economic development. China initiated the National Urban Mining Pilot Bases program in 2010 that targeted 50 national urban mining pilot bases, but unfortunately neglected the location planning issue. Twenty-eight bases have already been selected, which are concentrated in the central and eastern areas of China. This article combines the use of analytic hierarchy process, maximal covering location model, and geographical information systems (GIS) software to optimize locations for China's urban mining pilot bases. Primary findings show that, theoretically, 40 urban mining pilot bases can sufficiently provide maximum gross domestic product (GDP) and population coverage service for China. Taking the current 28 bases as a precondition and 50 bases as the remaining policy target, our second optimization results in a list of 22 cities for the location selection of future urban mining pilot bases. In total, the optimized 22 cities, together with the selected 28 bases, can provide a maximum 97.5% of GDP and 95.1% of population coverage in China. This study illustrates the optimization process for urban mining recycling facilities in general and provides policy advice for China in a specific case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's mineral resource consumption has gone through multiple increases since 1980, resulting in the inadequacy of important strategic resources and a high level of external dependence. Some developed countries have already reduced primary resources consumption through urban mining. Can China also break through the bottleneck of the resource shortage and continue its economic and social development through strengthening of urban mining? This article selected copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), and iron (Fe) as case studies and established predictive models for metal demand, recycling, and stock, based on stock analysis, material flow analysis, and a life distribution model, and then analyzed the metabolism of the four resources and compared the environmental effects of three scenarios. The study indicates that the urban mining potential of Cu, Fe, Al, and Pb will attain 8.1, 711.6, 37.0, and 12.1 million tonnes, respectively, in 2040. Compared with 2010, the substitution rate (secondary metals substituting primary metals) of Cu and Fe increase by 25.4% and 59.9%, whereas external dependence decreases by 30.8% and 25.7%. However, substitution is not obvious regarding Al and Pb. The low resource scenario decreases resources use, which will reduce external dependence in the short term, whereas the strengthened recovery scenario increases resource recovery and has a larger effect in reducing external dependence in the long term. So, in line with urban mining in the future, China should change its environment and resource strategy, further strengthen layout and construction of urban mining demonstration bases, and encourage the use of recyclable resources to provide a better foundation for urban mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in normal or inflammatory oral mucosal tissues, such as in oral lichen planus (OLP). Our objectives were to identify, isolate, and characterize MSCs from normal human oral mucosa and OLP lesions, and to evaluate indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) activity in mediating immunomodulation of MSCs from these tissues. Methods: Expressions of MSCs-related markers were examined in isolated cells by flow cytometry. Self-renewal and multilineage differentiations were studied to characterize these MSCs. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IDO, and STRO-1 were assessed by immunofluorescence. MSCs from oral mucosa and OLP or IFN-γ-pretreated MSCs were co-cultured with allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction assays (MLR). Proliferation and apoptosis of MLR or MSCs were detected by CCK8 and the annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit, respectively. IDO expression and activity were measured by real-time PCR, Western blotting, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: Isolated cells from oral mucosa and OLP expressed MSC-related markers STRO-1, CD105, and CD90 but were absent for hematopoietic stem cell markers CD34. Besides, they all showed self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacities. MSCs in OLP presented STRO-1/IDO+ phenotype by immunofluorescence. MSCs and IFN-γ-pretreated MSCs could inhibit lymphocyte proliferation via IDO activity, but not via cell apoptosis. Long-term IFN-γ could also inhibit MSC proliferation via IDO activity. Conclusions: Mesenchymal stem cells can be isolated from human oral mucosa and OLP tissues. Besides self-renewal and multilineage differentiation properties, these cells may participate in immunomodulation mediated by IFN-γ via IDO activity in human OLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT To further understand the relationship between the polymer structure and nonlinear optical (NLO) property, in this article, three fluorene-based triazole functional polymers with different linked chains were designed and controllably prepared by click chemistry method. The structures and properties of these polymers were characterized and evaluated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectra, dynamic state laser light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and NLO analyses. The results exhibited that the target polymers displayed good solubility, high thermal stability, and well NLO properties. The relationships between molecular structures and optical properties were investigated by both theoretical simulation and experimental results. It was found that the rigid conjugated linked chain between triazole and chromophore can effectively enhance the NLO properties of the resultant polymers. The suitable rigid and flexible groups in the triazole polymers will result in good thermal stabilities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40878. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the temperature-dependence of photoluminescence (PL) internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and defect-recombination in InGaN light-emitting diodes. It is found low-temperature PL-IQE is remarkably lower than 100% for some samples, suggesting the existence of residual defect-recombination under low temperature. Theoretical analysis deduces that defect-recombination cannot be frozen out at low temperature, because it follows T1/2 temperature-dependent defect-capture coefficient without defect-activation energy. The empirical formulas describing temperature-dependence of defect-recombination lifetime and PL-IQE are correspondingly revised. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]