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The $p$ -GaN gate technology is commonly implemented to achieve normally OFF gallium nitride (GaN) devices. Nonetheless, the threshold voltage instability under OFF-state stress remains a concern. In this article, the characterization technique of threshold voltage shift is proposed and the $V_{\text {th}}$ shift’s impact on device performance is investigated. Specifically, a fast $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ the measurement circuit is introduced and validated to successfully characterize both the magnitude and the time-constant of the $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ shift. According to the experimental results, the $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ increases by more than 50% within several $\mu \text{s}$ after the high drain voltage is applied. In contrast, the $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ slowly (tens of seconds) gets back to the static value after the stress is removed. Following the characterization, the threshold voltage instability’s impact on the device’s static/switching performance is studied experimentally. A knee point shift is observed at low gate voltage, and the static ON-resistance value remains unchanged. Regarding the switching performance, the turn-ON loss increases by >20% after the high drain voltage stress. The change in turn-ON loss can be reduced when the gate resistance is decreased from 20 to $0~\Omega $ . In terms of the turn-OFF loss, the impact of the $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ shift is negligible. It is concluded that time-dependent threshold voltage shift needs to be considered in $p$ -GaN device’s modeling, and high gate drive voltage together with low gate resistance is recommended to mitigate the $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ instability’s effect on $p$ -GaN high-electron-mobility transistor’s performance.

Herein, the influence of platinum (Pt) catalyst on the interface between SiO 2 nanofiller and addition cure silicone rubber (ALSR) matrix is investigated with different concentrations of Pt catalyst. It is found through various tests that Si–O–Si covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds form at the interface with a moderate amount of Pt catalyst. Based on these observations, a model for the interfacial structure of ALSR/SiO 2 nanocomposites is proposed. In particular, it is demonstrated, without changing the mass fraction and surface modifier of the filler, a more compact interface is obtained by increasing the amount of added Pt catalyst by a few ppm, resulting in a 25% increase of breakdown strength, 10% increase in thermal conductivity, 50% increase in tensile strength, and a 31% increase in the elongation at break.

Online junction temperature $({{T_j}})$ measurement enables robust power converter operations by providing overtemperature protection and condition monitoring of the power devices. For SiC MOSFETs, the real-time ${T_j}$ information is especially critical as limited field data are available regarding the reliability. In this article, utilizing the turn -on delay time as temperature sensitive electrical parameter, an online ${T_j}$ measurement is realized through an intelligent gate drive. Specifically, the turn -on delay time is translated into the pulsewidth of a digital signal through the conditioning/logic circuits. During ${T_j}$ measurements, the adjustable gate resistance circuit is activated to improve the measurement sensitivity beyond 600 ps/°C. Using the high-resolution capture module (300-ps resolution) in the system microcontroller, this pulsewidth is measured and then converted to junction temperature with a resolution of ${T_j}$ measurement method. The switching test results show that the circuit is able to precisely measure ${T_{d,{\rm{on}}}}$ and offers a good linearity/sensitivity for ${T_j}$ estimation. In the continuous operation, the junction temperature of a decapsulated device using an infrared camera and ${T_j}$ obtained from the circuit match well with ${T_{d,{\rm{on}}}}$ is considered for SiC MOSFETs, and an aging compensation scheme is discussed to maintain the measurement accuracy throughout the device's lifetime. It is shown that the proposed circuit provides an accurate real-time ${T_j}$ measurement for SiC MOSFETs, which can be deployed to improve the power converters’ reliability.

S-oxiracetam (S-ORC), a nootropic drug, was used to protect against ischemic stroke by lessening the blood brain barrier dysfunction and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis. However, the potential effects of S-ORC in the recovery of cognitive functions after ischemic stroke and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. In this study, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) in rats was used as the animal model. By using Y-maze test, Morris water maze, triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (dUTp) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical staining and western blot to evaluate the protective effect of S-ORC on cognitive recovery, we were able to confirm that S-ORC ameliorated spatial learning impairment, tissue loss, and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and injury induced by MCAO/R in rats. These cognitive effects were achieved by restoring the normal function of synaptophysin and increasing PSD95 expression in the hippocampus. Furthermore, we found that methyllycaconitine, the antagonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), and LY294002, the inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), were able to block the cognitive effects of S-ORC after MCAO/R in rats. In conclusion, α7nAChR and PI3K are key molecules that mediated the signaling pathway leading to S-ORC-induced cognitive restoration after MCAO/R.

Cardiac endothelium communicates closely with adjacent cardiac cells by multiple cytokines and plays critical roles in regulating fibroblasts proliferation, activation, and collagen synthesis during cardiac fibrosis. E26 transformation-specific (ETS)-related gene (ERG) belongs to the ETS transcriptional factor family and is required for endothelial cells (ECs) homeostasis and cardiac development. This study aims at investigating the potential role and molecular basis of ERG in fibrotic remodeling within the adult heart. We observed that ERG was abundant in murine hearts, especially in cardiac ECs, but decreased during cardiac fibrosis. ERG knockdown within murine hearts caused spontaneously cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction, accompanied by the activation of multiple Smad-dependent and independent pathways. However, the direct silence of ERG in cardiac fibroblasts did not affect the expression of fibrotic markers. Intriguingly, ERG knockdown in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) promoted the secretion of endothelin-1 (ET-1), which subsequently accelerated the proliferation, phenotypic transition, and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts in a paracrine manner. Suppressing ET-1 with either a neutralizing antibody or a receptor blocker abolished ERG knockdown-mediated deleterious effect in vivo and in vitro. This pro-fibrotic effect was also negated by RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-peptide magnetic nanoparticles target delivery of ET-1 small interfering RNA to ECs in mice. More importantly, we proved that endothelial ERG overexpression notably prevented pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis. Collectively, endothelial ERG alleviates cardiac fibrosis via blocking ET-1-dependent paracrine mechanism and it functions as a candidate for treating cardiac fibrosis. • ERG is abundant in murine hearts, especially in cardiac ECs, but decreased during fibrotic remodeling. • ERG knockdown causes spontaneously cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction. • ERG silence in HUVECs promotes the secretion of endothelin-1, which in turn activates cardiac fibroblasts in a paracrine manner. • Endothelial ERG overexpression prevents pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mutagenic and carcinogenic. 16 PAHs as priority pollutants listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency were usually monitored. Therefore, multiple potentially toxic polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are not monitored. In this study, atmospheric particulate matter samples from Beijing were analyzed using atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight (GC × GC-TOF) mass spectrometry. The FT-ICR data detected high molecular weight PAHs, alkylated PAHs (APAHs) and heteroatom PAHs. The GC × GC-TOF data tentatively identified 386 PACs in five categories of identification confidence. Twenty-one spectra in the unknown class were manually resolved. Eighty-two PACs with high identification confidence were proposed for further research. The identities of five PAHs and five APAHs that are currently not regulated were confirmed using available standards and quantified in some samples. Some of these PACs, such as dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (C22H14) and 1-methylpyrene (C17H12), should be of concern because of their contamination levels and the high toxicities of themselves and/or their derivatives. This study highlights the possibility of expanding the traditional lists of PAHs to improve pollution control and risk assessment accuracy.

To enhance the glucaric acid (GA) production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin was employed to reinforce cellular oxygen supplement. Additionally, the pH-free fermentation strategy was engaged to lower the cost brought by base feeding during the acid-accumulated and long-period glucaric acid production. Recombinant yeast Bga-4 was constructed harboring Vitreoscilla hemoglobin on the basis of previous Bga-3. Higher glucose uptake rate, growth rate, and ethanol reuse rate were achieved in Bga-4 in shake-flask fermentation than those in Bga-3. Furthermore, the fed-batch fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor was performed without pH control, resulting in a final glucaric acid titer of 6.38 g/L. Both the GA titer and biomass were enhanced along with the efficiency of ethanol re-utilization in the presence of VHb. Moreover, the absence of base feeding for long-period fermentation reduced production cost, which is meaningful for industrial applications.

LiAl-layered double hydroxide (LiAl-LDH) has been reported as a potential hardening accelerator of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement. Until now, little has been known about the effect of synthesis conditions and post-synthetic treatments of LiAl-LDH on the performance of CSA cement. The present work shows two methods for the synthesis of LiAl-LDH – a solvothermal method and a separate nucleation and aging steps method (SNAS) – and two methods for the post-synthetic treatments of LiAl-LDH, with and without drying process. The effect of the resultant LiAl-LDH on the performance of CSA cement was studied in relation to the strength, hydration process and products. Results indicate that specimens containing LiAl-LDH showed a greatly enhanced performance with regard to setting time and compressive strength at early and later ages. Compared to LiAl-LDH prepared with the solvothermal method, LiAl-LDH from SNAS synthesis is more effective to increase the compressive strength and shorten setting time. Moreover, the post-synthetic treatments affect the performance of LiAl-LDH. LiAl-LDH without a drying process has better dispersion stability, higher compressive strength and a shorter setting time. Owing to the crystal seed effect, LiAl-LDH enhanced the hydration rate and improved the amount of hydration products, resulting in a higher compressive strength.

Nanographenes (NGs) with tunable electronic and magnetic properties have attracted enormous attention in the realm of carbon-based nanoelectronics. In particular, NGs with biradical character at the ground state are promising building units for molecular spintronics. However, most of the biradicaloids are susceptible to oxidation under ambient conditions and photolytic degradation, which hamper their further applications. Herein, we demonstrated the feasibility of tuning the magnetic properties of zigzag-edged NGs in order to enhance their stability via the controlled Diels-Alder reactions of peri-tetracene (4-PA). The unstable 4-PA (y0 =0.72; half-life, t1/2 =3 h) was transformed into the unprecedented benzo-peri-tetracenes (BPTs) by a one-side Diels-Alder reaction, which featured a biradical character at the ground state (y0 =0.60) and exhibited remarkable stability under ambient conditions for several months. In addition, the fully zigzag-edged circumanthracenes (CAs) were achieved by two-fold or stepwise Diels-Alder reactions of 4-PA, in which the magnetic properties could be controlled by employing the corresponding dienophiles. Our work reported herein opens avenues for the synthesis of novel zigzag-edged NGs with tailor-made magnetic properties.

Nanocarbons have emerged as low-cost, efficient and durable nonmetallic catalysts for H2S selective oxidation. However, the most efficient active sites for H2S activation remain elusive, which restricts further development of high-performance catalysts for industrial application. Herein, we report on the synthesis of N-doped carbon nanoflakes with tunable nitrogen dopants and abundant structural defects for H2S selective oxidation. These defect enriched N-doped carbon nanoflakes exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic performance (>740 gsulfur kgcat.−1 h−1), stability (>110 h) and decent tolerance to impurity gas (CO2) and steam toward continuous H2S selective oxidation. Combined advanced characterization, control experiments and theoretical simulation showed that the N species along with defects on N-doped carbon nanoflakes could enhance significantly the catalytic activity, and further confirmed that the pyridinic N was the most active species and the C atoms adjacent to N atoms exhibit strong interaction with HS−. Our study provides predictive guidelines for the rational design of highly efficient and durable carbocatalysts for continuous catalytic oxidative desulfurization.

This study proposed a novel method for the fabrication of non-woven based microfluidic devices with a wax hydrophobic barrier. Current microfluidic devices were fabricated with glass or polymer material, and paper is also widely used for the fabrication of low-cost microfluidic devices. The application of non-woven fabric based microfluidic devices provides a new option of bulk materials for microfluidics. Compared with the glass or polymer material used in microfluidics, non-woven fabric is low-cost, easy to process and disposable. Fluid can penetrate through the non-woven fabric material with capillary force without the requirement of external pumps. As fiber-based material, comparing with paper, non-woven fabric material is more durable with higher mechanical strength, and various types of non-woven fabric material also provide a board choice of surface chemical/physical properties for microfluidic applications. In this study, the hydrophilic non-woven fabric is chosen as the bulk material for microfluidic devices, a wax pattern transfer protocol is also proposed in this study for the deposition of hydrophobic barriers. For a demonstration of the proposed fabrication technique, a microfluidic mixer was also fabricated in this study.

Background: Abnormalities in lipid and glucose metabolism are are constantly occured in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, it can be ameliorated by gentiopicroside (GPS). Considering the key role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (FGFR1/PI3K/AKT) pathway in T2DM, we explore the possible mechanism of GPS on lipid and glucose metabolism through its effects on FGFR1/PI3K/AKT pathway.Methods: Palmitic acid (PA)-induced HepG2 cells and a db/db mice were used to clarify the role and mechanism of polydatin on lipid and glucose metabolism.Results: GPS ameliorated glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice and PA-induced HepG2 cells. Furthermore, GPS activated FGFR1/PI3K/AKT pathway including increased the protein expression of FGFR1 and promoted the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and FoxO1. Additionally, knockdown of FGFR1 reversed the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by GPS.Conclusions: The present study demontrates that GPS ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolism disorders via activation of FGFR1/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Polymers : Molecular Diversity Preservation International 13(7), 1083 (2021). doi:10.3390/polym13071083 special issue: "Special Issue "Recycling and Resource Recovery from Polymers" / Special Issue Editors: Dr. Sheila Devasahayam, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Raman Singh, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Vladimir Strezov, Guest Editor", Published by MDPI, Basel

Oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis play critical roles in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Previous studies indicated that fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 (FNDC5) and its cleaved form, irisin, could preserve mitochondrial function and attenuate oxidative damage as well as cell apoptosis, however, its role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains unknown. Our present study aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of FNDC5 on oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Cardiomyocyte-specific FNDC5 overexpression was achieved using an adeno-associated virus system, and then the mice were exposed to a single intraperitoneal injection of DOX (15 mg/kg) to generate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Herein, we found that FNDC5 expression was downregulated in DOX-treated murine hearts and cardiomyocytes. Fndc5 deficiency resulted in increased oxidative damage and apoptosis in H9C2 cells under basal conditions, imitating the phenotype of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy in vitro, conversely, FNDC5 overexpression or irisin treatment alleviated DOX-induced oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, we identified that FNDC5/Irisin activated AKT/mTOR signaling and decreased DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and moreover, we provided direct evidence that the anti-oxidant effect of FNDC5/Irisin was mediated by the AKT/GSK3β/FYN/Nrf2 axis in an mTOR-independent manner. And we also demonstrated that heat shock protein 20 was responsible for the activation of AKT caused by FNDC5/Irisin. In line with the data in acute model, we also found that FNDC5/Irisin exerted beneficial effects in chronic model of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (5 mg/kg, i.p., once a week for three times, the total cumulative dose is 15 mg/kg) in mice. Based on these findings, we supposed that FNDC5/Irisin was a potential therapeutic agent against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Severe lithium (Li) dendrite growth during the plating/stripping process, which results in low Coulombic efficiency and safety issues, strongly hinders the practical applications of Li metal anodes. Herein, we propose a novel design of three-dimensional (3D) interconnected graphene (IG) framework synthesized with the help of nickel (Ni) microspheres for stable Li metal anodes. The as-prepared IG framework consists of multiple stacks of two-dimensional (2D) graphene layers and plenty of hollow graphene microspheres in between, and thus provides protective layers on the top to suppress lithium dendrites, sufficient surface area to reduce the effective current density, as well as ion channels for fast Li transport, which is confirmed by post-cycle morphology characterization. When Li foil was used as the counter electrode for Li deposition, the assembled coin cell maintained an average Coulombic efficiency of more than 97.5% for 100 cycles at current density of 1 mA cm−2 with a Li loading of 1 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, we achieved stable cycling for more than 300 h at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 with a Li loading of 2 mAh cm−2 when assembled as symmetric cells. This strategy of vertically stacking 2D materials provides a novel approach towards dendrite-free Li metal anodes for the next-generation energy storage systems.

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is a key event in the process of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Our previous study found that rosmarinic acid (RA) could attenuate pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction via cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), however its effect in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains unknown. In the present study, mice were subjected to a single intraperitoneal injection of DOX (15mg/kg) to generate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Histological examination, echocardiography, and molecular markers were used to evaluate the effects of RA. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CMs) and CFs were used to verify the protective effect of RA in vitro. Conditioned medium derived from RA-treated CFs were prepared to illustrate the effect of RA on paracrine interplay between CFs and CMs. We found that RA significantly alleviated DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction in vivo, which, however, had almost negligible beneficial effect on DOX directly induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistically, CFs-derived Fas L was responsible for DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and RA treatment could decrease Fas L expression in CFs and its release to the conditioned medium by suppressing nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) activation and metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) expression, and exerted the anti-apoptotic effect on CMs via CFs. Ionomycin, and activator of NFAT, abrogated RA-mediated protective effect on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. In summary, RA alleviated cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting the expression and release of Fas L in CFs via a paracrine manner, moreover, NFAT as well as MMP7 inhibition were responsible for the suppression of Fas L. RA could be a powerful new therapeutic agent to mitigate cardiomyocyte apoptosis, thereby improving DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Glutamate, the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, can induce biophotonic activity and transmission in mouse brain slices. As a signaling molecule, aspartate is not considered to be an independent neurotransmitter during the long evolution process, which may be just a co-transmitter or neuromodulator. In the view of structure and physiological similarities of aspartate and glutamate, as well as some differences between them, we attempted to investigate whether aspartate could also induce biophotonic activity in mouse brain slices and its effect characteristics. The ultraweak biophoton imaging system (UBIS) was used to carry out a real-time observation of biophoton activity induced by aspartate in mouse brain slices. It was found that the biophotonic emissions induced by aspartate at different concentrations (12.5 mM, 25 mM and 50 mM) presented concentration-dependent effects and 50 mM aspartate could obviously induce biophoton activities with the characteristic changes of initiation, maintenance, washing and reapplication, which were also different from that induced by 50 mM glutamate as reported before. Considering the species differences in excitatory neurotransmitters, these findings indicate that aspartate-induced biophotonic activity may imply the evolutionary differences in the animal brains.

We report a versatile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to dope Ge films with Ga atoms in situ over a wide concentration range spanning from 3 × 1018 to 2.7 × 1020 cm–3. The method introduces a stable and volatile Ga hydride [D2GaN(CH3)2]2 that reacts readily with Ge4H10 to deliver Ga dopants controllably and systematically at complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible ultralow temperatures of ∼360 °C. Thick and monocrystalline layers (1.3 μm) are produced on Si substrates at growth rates approaching 50 nm/min. The doped crystals are fully epitaxial and devoid of misfit defects and Ga precipitates as evidenced by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The Ga contents measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry and the active carrier concentrations determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry (as well as Hall effect measurements in several cases) are in close agreement, indicating near full activation. Photoluminescence spec...

Dietary intake is an important route of human exposure to chlorinated paraffins (CPs). Cup instant noodles are widely popular food and millions packet of instant noodles are consumed every year. To investigate the levels, congener groups, and health risk of SCCPs and MCCPs in each component of cup instant noodles, samples of nine common brands were collected and analyzed by comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The mean concentrations in the noodles were 1.2 × 103 ng/g wet weight (ww) (SCCPs) and 1.2 × 102 ng/g ww (MCCPs), the mean concentrations in the seasoning were 1.4 × 103 ng/g ww (SCCPs) and 1.3 × 102 ng/g ww (MCCPs), and the mean concentrations in the soup were 5.6 × 102 ng/L (SCCPs) and 5.4 × 102 ng/L (MCCPs). The SCCP to MCCP ratio were similar in the soup and soup container, which means CPs in the soup might be migrated from the soup container. Seasoning and noodles from the same brands have similar congener profiles of SCCPs and MCCPs, which may be raised from the manufacturing process or food packaging materials. The dominant SCCP congener groups were C10–11Cl6–7 in noodles and seasoning, and C10,13Cl6–7 in soup. The dominant MCCP congener groups were C14–15Cl6–7 in noodles and seasoning, and C14–15Cl6–7 in soup. A preliminary health risk assessment indicated that the current intakes of SCCPs and MCCPs through cup instant noodles in China did not pose a significant risk to human health.

Background: Understanding the effects of straw return and nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil organic matter (SOM) transformations will help to mitigate climate change and maintain crop production and soil function. A 100-day soil incubation experiment was conducted using a two-factorial design with three fertilization levels and four 13C-labeled maize straw and N addition treatments. The competition and contributions of the bacterial and fungal communities were assessed with relation to straw mineralization.Results: Mineral fertilizer alone and with straw increased straw decomposition by 59% and 55% and SOM mineralization by 27% and 37%, respectively, compared with the unfertilized soil, due to raised β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and cellobiohyrolase activities. Conversely, priming effect was decreased by 59% and 39%, respectively. Priming effect increased with higher N additions and decreased with lower N additions because an improved C:N ratio for microorganisms. Straw additions increased bacterial and fungal abundance by 1.4 and 4.9 times. Fungal diversity decreased with N fertilization because lower C:N ratios increased the bacterial competition. Bacterial abundance decreased but diversity increased with the duration of incubation as bacteria preferred to utilize labile organic compounds abundant in the initial stages. Along with labile organic compounds depletion, fungal abundance was increased. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria bacterial as well as Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota fungi dominated straw and SOM decomposition. Firmicutes were mostly involved in straw and SOM mineralization on day one because of their capacity for labile compound decomposition. Integrated co-occurrence networks revealed that fungal taxa had a stronger correlation with straw decomposition than bacterial groups. Straw and N addition increased the number of negative edges among bacterial taxa but these decreased within fungal groups when compared to trials without straw and N. The ratio for pairwise correlations between abundant fungal taxa, straw, and SOM mineralization (29.9%) was greater than with bacteria (1.2%).Conclusions: Straw with low N additions increased soil C sequestration by decreasing priming effect. Straw alone and with N addition decreased competition for C and N among fungal groups, but increased competition within bacterial taxa. Fungi outcompete bacteria for straw and soil organic matter mineralization in long-term fertilized soils.

In our previous study, ultrafine ettringite was prepared in the presence of citric acid by using a nucleation and aging separation method. Due to the seed effect, ultrafine ettringite enhanced the hydration rate and compressive strength of sulfoaluminat cement-based materials at all ages. However, when the particle size of sulfoaluminat cement-based materials became smaller, ultrafine ettringite retarded the hydration rate of ultrafine sulfoaluminat cement-based materials (USCM). In this paper, ettringite was prepared under different citric acid concentrations and characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TG-DSC, PSD and TOC measurements. The effect of ettringite on the properties of USCM was experimentally studied. Results showed that citric acid can absorb on the surface of ettringite. The average particle size of the citric acid-ettringite composites（CECs）were in the range of 100–300 nm, and increasing the concentration of citric acid in composites lead a smaller size of CECs. When present in the alkaline solution of pH 13, the higher citric acid concentration used in the preparation of CECs, the more amount of tartaric acid released from CECs. CECs retarded the cement hydration, modified the pore structure and enhanced the compressive strength of USCM pastes at all ages due to the synergistic effect of nano crystal nucleus and citric acid released from CECs.

The electrochemical behavior of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) film on Zirlo alloy in 25–300 °C lithium borate buffer solution was evaluated by in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. As the solution temperature rose to a critical value (150 °C), a new relaxation process related to the distinguishable maximum in phase angle vs. frequency curves was observed at medium frequency and became more pronounced with increasing temperature. This relaxation process almost disappeared after a short exposure time under 300 °C. The transition of the relaxation process was closely related to the impedance of PEO film. The new relaxation process was ascribed to the diffusion of corrosion product through the PEO film. In addition, the degradation of the protective properties of PEO film was observed with increasing temperature, which resulted from the enhanced ionic conductivity of doped zirconia under high temperature. Finally, the PEO film hardly changed in morphology and microstructure after in-situ EIS tests at 25–300 °C.

We previously found that polydatin could attenuate renal oxidative stress in diabetic mice and improve renal fibrosis. Recent evidence shows that NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to inflammatory and fibrotic processes in diabetic kidneys. In this study we investigated whether polydatin attenuated renal fibrosis by regulating Nox4 in vitro and in vivo. In high glucose-treated rat glomerular mesangial cells, polydatin significantly decreased the protein levels of Nox4 by promoting its K48-linked polyubiquitination, thus inhibited the production of ROS, and eventually decreasing the expression of fibronectin (FN) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the main factors that exacerbate diabetic renal fibrosis. Overexpression of Nox4 abolished the inhibitory effects of polydatin on FN and ICAM-1 expression. In addition, the expression of Connexin32 (Cx32) was significantly decreased, which was restored by polydatin treatment. Cx32 interacted with Nox4 and reduced its protein levels. Knockdown of Cx32 abolished the inhibitory effects of polydatin on the expression of FN and ICAM-1. In the kidneys of streptozocin-induced diabetic mice, administration of polydatin (100 mg·kg(−1)·d(−1), ig, 6 days a week for 12 weeks) increased Cx32 expression and reduced Nox4 expression, decreased renal oxidative stress levels and the expression of fibrotic factors, eventually attenuating renal injury and fibrosis. In conclusion, polydatin promotes K48-linked polyubiquitination and degradation of Nox4 by restoring Cx32 expression, thereby decreasing renal oxidative stress levels and ultimately ameliorating the pathological progress of diabetic renal fibrosis. Thus, polydatin reduces renal oxidative stress levels and attenuates diabetic renal fibrosis through regulating the Cx32-Nox4 signaling pathway.

High temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber(HTV) and liquid silicone rubber(LSR) are widely used for external insulation of electrical equipments in HVDC converter station. The performance and service life of HTV and LSR materials show some differences, owing to the difference of their components, vulcanization mechanism, molding process, etc. In this paper, one of the key performances of HTV and LSR materials—migration of hydrophobicity was investigated. Besides the comparison of frequently-used HTV and LSR materials, the study found that the best hydrophobicity migration appeared at 60%RH for most samples, which is contradict with the traditional understanding that higher humidity leads to slower migration. In order to analyze the difference of HTV and LSR materials’ hydrophobcity migration in detail, this paper used several microscopic methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Through these microscopic research, it was found that the distribution of pollution is the decisive factor, but not the amount of LMW siloxanes.

Development of multimodal detection technologies for accurate diagnosis of cancer at early stages is in great demand. In this work, we report a novel approach using an aptamer-based dual-functional probe for rapid, sensitive, and specific counting and visualization of MCF-7 cells by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and fluorescence imaging. The probe consists of a recognition unit of aptamer to catch cancer cells specifically, a fluorescent dye (FAM) moiety for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based “off-on” fluorescence imaging as well as gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) tag for both ICP-MS quantification and fluorescence quenching. Due to the signal amplification effect and low spectral interference of Au NPs in ICP-MS, an excellent linearity and sensitivity were achieved. Accordingly, a limit of detection of 81 MCF-7 cells and a relative standard deviation of 5.6% (800 cells, n = 7) were obtained. The dynamic linear range was 2 × 102 to 1.2 × 104 cells, and the recoveries i...

Agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) can activate 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα) and exert cardioprotective effects. A previous study has demonstrated that rosmarinic acid (RA) can activate PPAR-γ, but its effect on cardiac remodeling remains largely unknown. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of RA on cardiac remodeling and to clarify the underlying mechanism. Mice were subjected to aortic banding to generate pressure overload induced cardiac remodeling and then were orally administered RA (100 mg/kg/day) for 7 weeks beginning 1 week after surgery. The morphological examination, echocardiography, and molecular markers were used to evaluate the effects of RA. To ascertain whether the beneficial effect of RA on cardiac fibrosis was mediated by AMPKα, AMPKα2 knockout mice were used. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts were separated and cultured to validate the protective effect of RA in vitro. RA-treated mice exhibited a similar hypertrophic response as mice without RA treatment, but had an attenuated fibrotic response and improved cardiac function after pressure overload. Activated AMPKα was essential for the anti-fibrotic effect of RA via inhibiting the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Smad3 in vivo and in vitro, and AMPKα deficiency abolished RA-mediated protective effects. Small interfering RNA against Ppar-γ (siPpar-γ) and GW9662, a specific antagonist of PPAR-γ, abolished RA-mediated AMPKα phosphorylation and alleviation of fibrotic response in vitro. RA attenuated cardiac fibrosis following long-term pressure overload via AMPKα/Smad3 signaling and PPAR-γ was required for the activation of AMPKα. RA might be a promising therapeutic agent against cardiac fibrosis.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) and filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition (FCVAD) techniques were employed to fabricate a ZrO2/Cr composite coating on pure zirconium. The steam oxidation properties of bare and ZrO2/Cr-coated pure Zr were performed in water vapor environment at 900–1100 °C. Their morphologies, microstructures and phase constituents before and after steam oxidation were analyzed. Meanwhile, their composition depth profiles were measured by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). It was found that the mass gain of ZrO2/Cr-coated Zr was about 22–45% of that of bare Zr after 3600 s steam oxidation at 900–1100 °C, and the PEO and FCVAD composite treatments significantly improved the steam oxidation resistance of Zr. After steam oxidation, the phosphorous element in the outer layer of PEO film from phosphate electrolyte diffused into the residual Cr layer, however, most of the phosphorous in the interior of PEO layer was remained although the phosphorus diffusion in the region was accelerated with the increase of steam temperature. The ZrO2 to Zr3O phase transformation in PEO intermediate layer occurred in high temperature steam. Furthermore, the PEO zirconia interlayer suppressed hydrogen permeation into the Zr substrate during steam oxidation at 900–1100 °C.

A novel magnetic N-doped porous carbon material (MNPC) was obtained by mixing urea, sucrose and Fe3O4@SiO2 and calcinating for carbonization. With g-C3N4 as intermediate template, the synthesized material has large BET surface area of 219.4 m2 g−1 and high nitrogen content of 9.4 wt%. With using MNPC material as sorbent, a new method by coupling magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was established for enrichment and determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in environmental waters. The conditions affecting MSPE were optimized including the effects of pH, sample volume, amount of sorbent usage, adsorption/desorption time and eluent type/concentration/volume. Under the optimized conditions, the developed MSPE-ICPMS method exhibited a good linear dynamic range of more than three orders of magnitude (2–5000 pg mL−1 for Cd(II) and 10–5000 pg mL−1 for Pb(II)) and a low detection limits of 0.49 and 3.1 pg mL−1 for Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively. The relative standard deviations were in the range of 6.9%–7.3% for the target metal ions. The adsorption/desorption kinetics of the developed MSPE procedure was fast, and the total extraction procedure only cost 7 min (5 min for adsorption and 2 min for desorption) for each sample. The sorbent could be used for at least 5 times. The MSPE-ICPMS method has great potential for the determination of trace and even ultra-trace Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the environment waters.

BODIPY-Pyrimidine (BP) is a highly selective, highly active, and highly biocompatible fluorescent drug, which is characterized by its own activity combined with a fluorophore. The combination of pyrimidines with good biological activity and fluorophores to obtain new compounds with both anti-tumor activity and fluorescent targeting probe functions is the focus of this research. In terms of biological activity, in vitro cytotoxicity of the compounds on four human cancer cells (HepG2, HeLa, A-459, and HCT-116) and the human normal cell line L-02 was studied. BP-4 has good antiproliferative activity, and its IC50 values are 19.12 ± 2.29, 13.47 ± 3.80, 18.59 ± 7.42, 14.57 ± 2.44 and 92.48 ± 6.03 μM, respectively. Good biocompatibility with tumor cells can be observed in cell imaging. The anti-tumor mechanism of the compound was further studied by flow cytometry. After BP-2, BP-3 and BP-4 treated HeLa cells, the percentage of apoptotic cells was 19.07%, 22.09% and 27.3%, respectively. The cell cycle study found that, compared with the positive control 5-FU (48.05%), the compounds BP-2, BP-3 and BP-4 all increased the proportion of HeLa cells in the G1 phase, reaching 57.65%, 55.46% and 53.58%, respectively. In vivo bioimaging results show that all three compounds can be targeted and accurately expressed in tumor tissues. In addition, molecular docking analyzes the possible interaction between the compound and the active site of thymidylate synthase.

Loss of submersed macrophytes is a world-wide phenomenon occurring when shallow lakes become eutrophic due to excess nutrient loading. In addition to the well-known effect of phosphorus, nitrogen as a trigger of macrophyte decline has received increasing attention. The precise impact of high nitrogen concentrations is debated, and the role of different candidate factors may well change over the season. In this study, we conducted experiments with Vallisneria natans during the growing season (June–September) in 10 ponds subjected to substantial differences in nitrogen loading (five targeted total nitrogen concentrations: control, 2, 10, 20, and 100 mg L− 1) and compared the results with those obtained in our earlier published study from the low-growth season (December–April). Like in the low-growth season, growth of V. natans in summer declined with increasing ammonium (NH4) concentrations and particularly with increasing phytoplankton chlorophyll a (ChlaPhyt). Accordingly, we propose that shading by phytoplankton might be of key importance for macrophyte decline, affecting also periphyton growth as periphyton chlorophyll a (ChlaPeri) decreased with increasing ChlaPhyt. Free amino acid contents (FAA) of plants tended to increase with increasing NH4 concentrations, while the relationships between FAA with growth indices were all weak, suggesting that FAA might be a useful indicator of the physiological stress of the plants but not of macrophyte growth. Taken together, the results from the two seasons indicate that although a combination of high nitrogen concentrations (ammonium) and shading by phytoplankton may cause severe stress on macrophytes, active growth in the growing season enabled them to partly overcome the stress.

For estimation of root-zone moisture content from EO-1/Hyperion imagery, surface soil moisture was first predicted by hyperspectral reflectance data using partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis. The textures of more than 300 soil samples extracted from a 900 m × 900 m field site located within the Hetao Irrigation District in China were used to parameterize the HYDRUS-1D numerical model. The study area was spatially discretized into 18,000 compartments (30 m × 30 m × 0.02 m), and Monte Carlo simulations were applied to generate 2000 different soil-particle size distributions for each compartment. Soil hydraulic properties for each realization were determined by application of artificial neural network analysis and used to parameterize HYDRUS-1D to simulate averaged soil-moisture contents within the root zone (0-40 cm) and surface (approximately 0-4 cm). Then the link between surface moisture and root zone was established by use of linear regression analysis, resulting in R and RMSE of 0.38 and 0.03, respectively. Kriging and co-kriging with observed surface moisture, and co-kriging with surface moisture obtained from Hyperion imagery were also used to estimate root-zone moisture. Results indicated that PLSR is a powerful tool for soil moisture estimation from hyperspectral data. Furthermore, co-kriging with observed surface moisture had the highest R (0.41) and linear regression model, and HYDRUS Monte Carlo simulations had a lowest RMSE (0.03) among the four methods. In regions that have similar climatic and soil conditions to our study area, a linear regression model with HYDRUS Monte Carlo simulations is a practical method for root-zone moisture estimation before sowing and it can be easily coupled with remote sensing technology.

Epitaxial Ge layers on a Si substrate experience a tensile biaxial stress due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the Ge epilayer and the Si substrate, which can be measured using asymmetric X-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps. This stress depends on temperature and affects the band structure, interband critical points, and optical spectra. This manuscripts reports careful measurements of the temperature dependence of the dielectric function and the interband critical point parameters of bulk Ge and Ge epilayers on Si using spectroscopic ellipsometry from 80 to 780 K and from 0.8 to 6.5 eV. The authors find a temperature-dependent redshift of the E1 and E1 + Δ1 critical points in Ge on Si (relative to bulk Ge). This redshift can be described well with a model based on thermal expansion coefficients, continuum elasticity theory, and the deformation potential theory for interband transitions. The interband transitions leading to E 0 ′ and E2 critical points have lower symmetry and therefore are not affected by the stress.

Purpose The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and protein kinase B (AKT) pathways have emerged as essential intracellular signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells, particularly as regulators of cardiac hypertrophy. Previous studies indicated that arctiin, an active ingredient of biennial dried ripe burdock, could exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities via down-regulating the activation of MAPKs and AKT pathways. However, little is known about its effects on cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore whether arctiin could attenuate cardiac hypertrophy. General methods Arctiin (80 mg/kg) was administered by oral gavage once daily for 3 weeks from 1 week after surgery. Then, the mice were subjected to either chronic pressure overload generated by aortic banding (AB) or sham surgery (control group). Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Findings The results indicated that arctiin attenuated cardiac hypertrophy induced by AB, and suppressed cardiac fibrosis and accumulation of collagen in vivo. Arctiin also inhibit the activation of MAPKs and AKT occurs in response to hypertrophic stimuli. Arctiin attenuated phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy of myocytes in vitro. Conclusions In conclusion, arctiin can improve cardiac function and prevent the development of cardiac hypertrophy by blocking the MAPKs and AKT signaling pathways.

Epitaxial synthesis of Ga(As1–xPx)Ge3 alloys on Si(100) substrates is demonstrated using chemical vapor deposition reactions of [D2GaN(CH3)2]2 with P(GeH3)3 and As(GeH3)3 precursors. These compounds are chosen to promote the formation of GaAsGe3 and GaPGe3 building blocks which interlink to produce the desired crystalline product. Ge-rich (GaP)yGe5–2y analogues have also been grown with tunable Ge contents up to 90% by reactions of P(GeH3)3 with [D2GaN(CH3)2]2 under similar deposition protocols. In both cases, the crystal growth utilized Ge1–xSix buffer layers whose lattice constants were specifically tuned as a function of composition to allow perfect lattice matching with the target epilayers. This approach yielded single-phase materials with excellent crystallinity devoid of mismatch-induced dislocations. The lattice parameters of Ga(As1–xPx)Ge3 interpolated among the Ge, GaAs, and GaP end members, corroborating the Rutherford backscattering measurements of the P/As ratio. A small deviation from the Ve...

This review focuses on magnetic nanomaterials as sorbents for trace elements analysis in environmental and biological samples. The design and preparation of magnetic nanomaterials with specific functional groups for trace elemental analysis are summarized, along with relevant adsorption mechanism. The application of these magnetic sorbents in different operation modes for the quantification of trace elements and their species in environmental and biological samples are discussed. The trend of development in this field is also prospected.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are persistent organic pollutants which are toxic to human. Median-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) have similar toxicity to SCCPs. The productions of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) in China were 1 million tons in 2013 and remained high after that, which may lead to high risks for human exposure to CPs. To investigate temporal trends and health risks of SCCPs and MCCPs in breast milk in China, samples (n = 2020) were collected from urban and rural areas of 11 Chinese provinces in 2017 and mixed into 42 pooled samples. SCCPs and MCCPs were analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography with electron-capture negative-ionization mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ECNI-MS). The MCCP concentrations (median (range)) were 472 (94–1714) and 567 (211–1089) ng g−1 lipid in urban and rural areas, respectively, which showed continuously rapidly increasing during 2007–2017. The SCCP concentrations (median (range)) were 393 (131–808) and 525 (139–1543) ng g−1 lipid in urban and rural areas, respectively. The results showed SCCP levels decreased in urban areas between 2007 and 2017. Significant increases in MCCP/SCCP ratios might arise from extensive manufacturing and use of MCCPs. The median estimated dietary intake via breast milk in urban and rural samples were 1230 and 2510 ng kg−1 d−1, respectively, for SCCPs and 2150 and 1890 ng kg−1 d−1, respectively, for MCCPs. Preliminarily risk assessment showed that SCCPs posed a significant health risk to infants via breastfeeding. The high MCCP levels should also be of concern because of continuous growth and negative effect on infants. Correspondence analysis indicated congeners with higher carbon and chlorine numbers in dietary tend to accumulate in breast milk.

Bare and plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO)-coated ZIRLO alloys were exposed in 300 °C/14 MPa lithium borate solutions, then the distributions of Li, B and H elements in the oxide films were measured by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The PEO film can protect the ZIRLO alloy from the corrosion attack of Li＋. Addition of H3BO3 into the LiOH solution suppressed the diffusion of Li element into oxide film to mitigate the LiOH corrosion for ZIRLO alloy, while LiOH could also inhibit the entrance of B element. The enrichment of H near the oxide film/Zr interface was detected.

Opiate withdrawal/negative reinforcement has been implicated as one of the mechanisms for the progression from impulsive to compulsive drug use. Increase in the intracellular cAMP level and protein kinase A (PKA) activities within the neurocircuitry of addiction has been a leading hypothesis for opiate addiction. This increase requires the phosphorylation of μ‐opioid receptor (MOR) at Tyr 336 by Src after prolonged opiate treatment in vitro . Here, we report that the Src‐mediated MOR phosphorylation at Tyr 336 is a prerequisite for opiate withdrawal in mice. We observed the recruitment of Src in the vicinity of MOR and an increase in phosphorylated Tyr 336 (pY336) levels during naloxone‐precipitated withdrawal. The intracerebroventricular or stereotaxic injection of a Src inhibitor (AZD0530), or Src shRNA viruses attenuated pY336 levels, and several somatic withdrawal signs. This was also observed in Fyn −/− mice. The stereotaxic injection of wild‐type MOR, but not mutant (Y336F) MOR, lentiviruses into the locus coeruleus of MOR −/− mice restored somatic withdrawal jumping. Regulating pY336 levels during withdrawal might be a future target for drug development to prevent opiate addictive behaviors.

Eddy current method has been recently developed to characterize mechanical properties of materials and assess internal hydrogen content of high strength low alloy steels. The application of eddy current testing in evaluating hydrogen embrittlement state of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V ferritic steel has been investigated using tensile test and electrochemical hydrogen charging test. The relationship between the embrittlement index and eddy current signal is well established. It found that there is a good linear relation between the hydrogen-induced plasticity loss and the eddy current signal. This shows eddy current testing is an effective method for evaluating hydrogen embrittlement state of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel.

Ultrathin free-standing electrospun carbon nanofiber web (ECNFW) used for the electrodes of the vanadium flow battery (VFB) has been fabricated by the electrospinning technique followed by the carbonization process in this study to reduce the ohmic polarization of the VFB. The microstructure, surface chemistry and electrochemical performance of ECNFW carbonized at various temperatures from 800 to 1400 °C have been investigated. The results show that ECNFW carbonized at 1100 °C exhibits the highest electrocatalytic activity toward the V2+/V3+ redox reaction, and its electrocatalytic activity decreases along with the increase of carbonization temperature due to the drooping of the surface functional groups. While for the VO2+/VO2+ redox couple, the electrocatalytic activity of ECNFW carbonized above 1100 °C barely changes as the carbonization temperature rises. It indicates that the surface functional groups could function as the reaction sites for the V2+/V3+ redox couple, but have not any catalytic effect for the VO2+/VO2+ redox couple. And the single cell test result suggests that ECNFW carbonized at 1100 °C is a promising material as the VFB electrode and the VFB with ECNFW electrodes obtains a super low internal resistance of 250 mΩ cm2.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AMP­activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) play critical roles in the process of cardiac hypertrophy. Previous studies have demonstrated that piperine activates AMPKα and reduces the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). However, the effect of piperine on cardiac hypertrophy remains completely unknown. Here, we show that piperine-treated mice had similar hypertrophic responses as mice treated with vehicle but exhibited significantly attenuated cardiac fibrosis after pressure overload or isoprenaline (ISO) injection. Piperine inhibited the transformation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) or angiotensin II (Ang II) in vitro. This anti-fibrotic effect was independent of the AMPKα and MAPK pathway. Piperine blocked activation of protein kinase B (AKT) and, downstream, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). The overexpression of constitutively active AKT or the knockdown of GSK3β completely abolished the piperine-mediated protection of cardiac fibroblasts. The cardioprotective effects of piperine were blocked in mice with constitutively active AKT. Pretreatment with GW9662, a specific inhibitor of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), reversed the effect elicited by piperine in vitro. In conclusion, piperine attenuated cardiac fibrosis via the activation of PPAR-γ and the resultant inhibition of AKT/GSK3β., Highlights • Piperine attenuated cardiac fibrosis induced by pressure overload or isoprenaline in mice. • Piperine inhibited the transformation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts via the attenuation of the AKT/GSK3β pathway. • Piperine acted as an agonist of PPAR-γ in cardiac fibroblasts. Cardiac fibrosis plays key roles in the processes of cardiac remodeling and heart failure. The lack of therapy against cardiac fibrosis contributes to the high morbidity and mortality caused by HF. We found that piperine attenuates cardiac fibrosis via the activation of PPAR-γ and the resultant inhibition of AKT/GSK3β. Our study provides evidence for the application of piperine in the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.