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In this study, functionally graded foam made of Inconel 625 superalloy was successfully produced using the template replication method, with open-cell polyurethane foams as a precursor. The products have a similar pore morphology as the templates and adjacent layers were successfully sintered together by particle bonding. Sound absorption experiments on graded metallic foams reveal that the sound absorption at particular frequency ranges can be improved by various permutations of foam layers. For graded foam of two distinct pore sizes, a mathematical equation was proposed to predict the location of the intersection point of the sound absorption curves, thereby aiding in graded foam design. An increase in sound absorption coefficients by resonance-like effects can be introduced before the intersection points by placing the foam layer of smaller pore size nearer to the sound source. The sound absorption performances can be further customized when the thickness proportion of the pore sizes is changed and when the number of distinct pore sizes used is increased. The sound absorption performance at lower frequencies is generally boosted by resonance-like effects when the layer of foam with the largest pore size is placed furthest from the sound source. Given the same composition of foam with a fixed thickness proportion of pore sizes, one can introduce resonance-like effects to improve the sound absorption performance compared to other permutations while possibly satisfying weight requirements in practical applications. This study provides valuable insights and mathematical guidelines in the design and manufacturing of functionally graded metallic foam for specific applications.

The frequent occurrence of coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) poses a serious threat to coal mine production safety. Inhibitor fire extinguishing technology has therefore played an important role in reducing CSC in recent years. Microcapsule material is a combined fire extinguishing material that has shown a good effect in preventing CSC. In this study, microcapsule materials were fabricated with short-chain ammonium polyphosphate as the core material and melamine–formaldehyde resin as the capsule material. The microcapsule materials were uniformly mixed with coal samples according to mass ratios of 1:4, 1:5, and 1:6. The quality change of the microcapsule material during heating was detected from thermogravimetric experiments. The results show that microcapsule material decomposition can be divided into five stages. The ammonium polyphosphate begins to decompose at 151.1 °C and the decomposition rate of the microcapsule material reaches a maximum at 200 °C Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to detect the distribution of functional groups during coal oxidation before and after the addition of different microcapsule ratios. The results show that microcapsule materials can reduce the number of hydroxyl and aliphatic hydrocarbons in coal and enhance the stability of aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenic functional groups. We also performed synchronous thermal analyzer experiments to monitor the temperatures of each characteristic point in the coal oxidation and heating process. The results show that the microcapsule material can reduce the coal mass loss rate, delay the temperature of heat equilibrium by around 100 °C reduce the heat release by more than 4560 J g–1, and increase the maximum temperature of the heat release rate by at least 14 °C. These materials therefore effectively reduce the coal-oxygen composite reaction rate and delay the CSC process.

Novel multicompartment self-assemblies of triblock copolymer polystyrene–polyisoprene–poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-PI-P2VP) for drug delivery are demonstrated. The triblock copolymer assemblies in dilute solutions in a common solvent (tetrahydrofuran) undergo transformations from core-shell-corona micelles to multicompartment micelles by adding P2VP-selective solvent (water). The effects of water content and pH on the assembled structures were systematically investigated. Multicompartment micelles are also obtained by adding a surfactant, 4-biphenylcarboxylic acid, into the solution. Such multicompartment self-assemblies are used as carriers for encapsulation and release of an anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). The drug loading content and drug loading efficiency of DOX were evaluated. The DOX release experiments were performed at 37°C under pH 5.5 and pH 7.4. The DOX release rate was improved as pH decreased from pH 7.4 to 5.0, with 45.6% release of DOX in 32 h.

C20H18N2S2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 7.92140(10) Å, b = 6.08080(10) Å, c = 17.8091(3) Å, β = 90.592(2)°, V = 857.79(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0382, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1051, T = 149.99(10) K. CCDC no.: 2085420

Flexible strain sensor has promising features in successful application of health monitoring, electronic skins and smart robotics, etc. Here, we report an ultrasensitive strain sensor with a novel crack-wrinkle structure (CWS) based on graphite nanoplates (GNPs)/thermoplastic urethane (TPU)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite. The CWS is constructed by pressing and dragging GNP layer on TPU substrate, followed by encapsulating with PDMS as a protective layer. On the basis of the area statistics, the ratio of the crack and wrinkle structures accounts for 31.8% and 9.5%, respectively. When the sensor is stretched, the cracks fracture, the wrinkles could reduce the unrecoverable destruction of cracks, resulting in an excellent recoverability and stability. Based on introduction of the designed CWS in the sensor, the hysteresis effect is limited effectively. The CWS sensor possesses a satisfactory sensitivity (GF = 750 under 24% strain), an ultralow detectable limit (strain = 0.1%) and a short respond time of 90 ms. For the sensing service behaviors, the CWS sensor exhibits an ultrahigh durability (high stability > 2×104 stretching-releasing cycles). The excellent practicality of CWS sensor is demonstrated through various human motion tests, including vigorous exercises of various joint bending, and subtle motions of phonation, facial movements and wrist pulse. The present CWS sensor shows great developing potential in the field of cost-effective, portable and high-performance electronic skins.

This study determined whether accumulated liver and visceral lipid in yellow perch can be alleviated by feeding an appropriate starch source. We compared the growth performance, nutritional composition and health of yellow perch fed a control diet (no added starch) and three diets with corn, potato or wheat starch (200 g/kg diet) to replace an equal proportion of fishmeal in the control diet. Dietary starch led to increased bulk density, hardness and gelatinization levels of feed pellets compared with the control diet. At the end of an 8‐week feeding, all fish fed the test diets had similar growth rates (p > .05). However, the wheat starch diet resulted in significantly enlarged livers and increased accumulation of lipid in the liver, viscera and whole body (p < .05). This diet also caused significantly higher levels of fasting glucose, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities in serum than the control diet. Liver cell diameters were larger, and Kupffer cell numbers were lower in the fish fed the wheat starch than those fed the control diet. Potato or corn starch had less impact on fish health and is considered to be an appropriate carbohydrate sources for yellow perch under the current testing conditions.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. As a platinum-based chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin has been used for over 30 years in NSCLC treatment while its effects are diminished by drug resistance. Therefore, we aimed to study the potential role of UCA1 in the development of chemoresistance against cisplatin. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, western-blot analysis, and immunofluorescence were used to study the involvement of UCA1, miR-495, and NRF2 in chemoresistance against cisplatin. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to determine the effect of cisplatin on cell proliferation. Computational analysis and luciferase assay were carried out to explore the interaction among UCA1, miR-495, and NRF2. The cisplatin-R group exhibited lower levels of UCA1 and NRF2 expression but a higher level of miR-495 expression than the cisplatin-S group. The growth rate and half-maximal inhibitory concentration of cellular dipeptidyl peptidase (cisplatinum) of the cisplatin-R group were much higher than those in the cisplatin-S group. MiR-495 contained a complementary binding site of UCA1, and the luciferase activity of wild-type UCA1 was significantly reduced after the transfection of miR-495 mimics. MiR-495 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of NRF2, and the luciferase activity of wild-type NRF2 3'-UTR was evidently inhibited by miR-495 mimics. Finally, UCA1 and NRF2 expressions in the effective group were much lower than that in the ineffective group, along with a much higher level of miR-495 expression. We suggested for the first time that high expression of UCA1 contributed to the development of chemoresistance to cisplatin through the UCA1/miR-495/NRF2 signaling pathway.

The achievement of favorable pressure sensor integrated with large linear working range, high sensitivity and excellent response durability is still a great challenge for flexible and wearable piezoresistive materials. In this paper, a facile and scalable strategy is proposed to fabricate a porous foam sensor based on carbon black/polydimethylsiloxane (CB/PDMS). CB particles were decorated onto the surface of the cell walls and some particles were embedded into PDMS matrix after the ultrasonication treatment. The density and porosity of the foam are 0.13 g/cm3 and 76.1%, respectively. A very high linear working range (up to 91%), an excellent response stability, a fast response time (45 ms), and a superior durability (>15000 cycles) are achieved synchronously. Here, the large linear sensing range is mainly related to the nice CB conductive network on the cross-linked PDMS foam and the high modulus and elasticity of the composite material, which ensure the homogeneous deformation of the foam under compression. It is worth noting that the response behavior of CB/PDMS foam is maintained well even in water owing to its excellent hydrophobic property (water contact angle up to 149°), indicating that this material can be used as a waterproof piezoresistive sensor. Our CB/PDMS foam is then assembled as a wearable sensor, and it exhibits nice capability of monitoring human body motions, such as the bending of fingers and elbow, walking, jumping and squatting, etc. The porous foam sensor also has a good oil/water separation ability, showing a multifunctional characteristic.

Cerium conversion coatings were obtained by immersing hot-dip galvanized steel (HDG) sheets in a cerous nitrate solution. The surface morphologies were observed with scanning electron microscopy. The composition of the coating were determined with X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the modified cerium conversion coating grows more quickly than that of common cerium conversion coating. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that the corrosion resistance of the modified cerium conversion coating was superior to that of common cerium conversion coating and was comparable to that of the conventional chromate passivation coating.

The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of the Vitellaria paradoxa nutshell as a new medicinal resource for treating diabetes. A total of forty-one compounds were identified by HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS and phytochemical methods in V. paradoxa nutshell methanol extract. Based on HPLC fingerprints, four characteristic constituents were quantified and the origin of twenty-eight V. paradoxa nutshells from seven sub-Saharan countries was compared, which were classified into three groups with chemometric method. Twenty-eight samples contained high total phenolic content, and exhibited moderate-higher antioxidant activity and strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, all fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory action mechanism of four characteristic constituents including protocatechuic acid, 3, 5, 7-trihydroxycoumarin, (2R, 3R)-(+)-taxifolin and quercetin was investigated via molecular docking method, which were all stabilized by hydrogen bonds with α-glucosidase. The study provided an effective approach to waste utilization of V. paradoxa nutshell, which would help to resolve waste environmental pollution and provide a basis for developing potential herbal resource for treating diabetes.

Safflower yellow (SY) is an aqueous extract of natural safflower. Our laboratory has reported protective effects of alleviating memory impairment with SY in a transgentic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The possible beneficial effects of SY on amyloid-β-induced neuroinflammation in dementia remain unclarified. This study we hypothesize that astrocytes and microglia may cause amyloid-β deposition and produce a neuroinflammatory response, aims to explain the role and mechanism of SY in regulating glial activation and reducing Aβ deposition in Aβ1-42 induced rat model. Wistar rats were treated with SY for one month after bilateral hippocampal injection of aggregated Aβ1-42; behavioral tests were performed to demonstrate the amelioration of cognitive function. After that, the contents of iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in AD brain was detected. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to detect the M1 and M2-associated markers to demonstrate the activation of microglia. The conducted experiments have revealed that SY could strengthen spatial learning and memory ability of dementia rats, decrease the contents of iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α and depress the activation of glial cells. Moreover, the SY treatment inhibited the M1 release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (iNOS and CD86), increased the expression of arginase-1, CD206, and YM-1 thereby reduced inflammation in model rats. Thus our results indicated that SY has very important theoretical and clinical value for the research and development of Chinese medicine for the treatment of AD.

LixMnO2 nanowires with controllable morphology and excellent electrochemical performance are synthesized by a hydrothermal method with tunable lithium contents. Both double layer capacitive process and diffusion-controlled Faradaic process play roles in the charging-discharging process. Aqueous Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors are assembled using LixMnO2 nanowires as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode. The hybrid devices deliver high energy density of 88.56 Wh kg−1 and 25.2 Wh kg−1 at the high power density of 151.8 W kg−1 and 2155.8 W kg−1, respectively. The device also shows superb cycling life with capacitance retention of 95.2% after 10,000 cycles and 85.2% after 20,000 cycles.

Carbon black (CB)/polyamide 6 (PA6)/poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) electrically conductive polymer composites were fabricated by embedding conductive CB/electrospun PA6 fibrous mat into PVA matrix. Here, the electrospun PA6 fibrous network was applied as the skeleton to pre-construct conductive channels by decorating CB particles on the surfaces of PA6 fibers; the PVA was used as matrix to protect the pre-produced conductive network. For the strain sensing performances, a very high gauge factor (GF, 9706.9) has been achieved, showing a large sensitivity. Cyclic tension tests display that the conductive fibrous composite shows distinguishing sensing behaviors towards varying tensile strain. The strain sensor also has excellent repeatability and durability during long-term stretching-releasing cycles. This work provides a facile and novel strategy to develop strain sensors combined with high sensitivity and excellent stability for human health detections.

Two amino functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), {[Zn(Py2TTz)(2-NH2-BDC)]·(DMF)}n (1) and {[Cd(Py2TTz)(2-NH2-BDC)]·(DMF)·0.5(H2O)}n (2) (where Py2TTz = 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole, 2-NH2-BDC = 2-amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, and DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), were synthesized and characterized using the primary ligand 2-amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (2-NH2-H2BDC) and the auxiliary ligand 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (Py2TTz). They possess similar 2-fold interpenetrated three-dimensional bipillared-layer framework structures composed of typical binuclear metal nodes, 2-NH2-BDC two-dimensional layers and Py2TTz bipillars. Notably, thiazole nitrogen atoms and pendant -NH2 groups are present in channels in the two frameworks. Given their good chemical stabilities, high thermal stabilities, and exposed nitrogen sites, gas adsorption and catalytic experiments of the two MOFs were performed. The results demonstrate that MOF 2 can selectively adsorb carbon dioxide gas; moreover, the two MOFs can be employed as recyclable heterogeneous catalysts for Knoevenagel condensation reactions under solvent-free conditions.

Three-dimensional (3D) porous N-doped carbon nanoflake structures decorated with in situ formed Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NCNS) have been synthesized for the first time by a feasible salt-assisted polym...

Through a dual-ligand strategy, three mixed ligands metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, {[Zn2(Py2TTz)2(BDC)2]·2(DMF)·0.5(H2O)}n (1), {[Cd2(Py2TTz)2(BDC)2]·2(DMF)}n (2), and {[Co2(Py2TTz)2(BDC)2]·2(DMF)·0.5(H2O)}n (3) (where Py2TTz = 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole, BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, and DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), were synthesized under solvothermal conditions. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the three MOFs possess similar 2-fold interpenetrated three-dimensional framework structures with pcu topology. The fluorescence properties of compounds 1 and 2 were investigated systematically. The results show that compounds 1 and 2 display good fluorescent properties, which can be efficiently quenched by a trace amount of nitroaromatics 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) and antibiotics nitrofurazone (NZF) in water media. The large Ksv value and small limit of detection demonstrate that compounds 1 and 2 can serve as good fluorescent sensors for TNP and NFZ detectio...

The advantages of segregated conductive polymer composites are greatly hampered owing to its limited preparation technology, which seriously relies on hot compression with low efficiency. The plunger type injection molding (PTIM) is employed to fabricate segregated carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/high density polyethylene (HDPE)/ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites in this paper, which lowers the production cycle by 45%, compared with the conventional hot compression. The morphology and conductive properties are investigated in detail. Graceful segregated conductive network and a very low percolation threshold (0.45 vol%) of the polymer composites have both been achieved. The present processing technique with short production cycle provides a fancy idea to realize segregated conductive polymer composite in mass production.

The present trial was conducted to investigate the effects of bile acids on growth performance, digestive enzymes activities, serum biochemical parameters and intestinal microbiota on growth of retarded European eels (Anguilla anguilla) cultured in cement tanks. The trial fish with similar body size (about 140g per fish) cultured in nine cement tanks (fish weight, 681.7±22.7 kg per tank) were randomly divided into three groups and fed diets with bile acids supplementation at a level of 0, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, respectively. The trial period was 15 weeks. Dietary bile acids supplementation improved weight gain rate, feed intake, and activities of protease and lipase in intestine. There were also increases in levels of immunoglobulin and complements as well as activities of alkaline phosphatase (only in 1000 mg/kg bile acids group), acid phosphatase and lysozyme in serum. The levels of blood urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and activities of glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were decreased by dietary bile acids supplementation. There were no significant differences in growth performance or serum biochemical parameters except the lysozyme activity between two bile acids supplementation groups. Dietary bile acids supplementation could increase richness and decrease diversity of the intestinal microbiota with different enriched bacteria at genus level. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that 500 mg/kg bile acids supplementation in the diet of growth retarded European eels cultured in cement tanks could promote growth performance, improve some digestive enzymes activities, and beneficially regulate serum biochemical parameters and intestinal microbiota.

Among different treatments of critical-sized bone defects, bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a fast-developing strategy centering around the fabrication of scaffolds that can stimulate tissue regeneration and provide mechanical support at the same time. This area has seen an extensive application of bioceramics, such as calcium phosphate, for their bioactivity and resemblance to the composition of natural bones. Moreover, recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) have unleashed enormous potential in the fabrication of BTE scaffolds with tailored porous structure as well as desired biological and mechanical properties. Robocasting is an AM technique that has been widely applied to fabricate calcium phosphate scaffolds, but most of these scaffolds do not meet the mechanical requirements for load-bearing BTE scaffolds. In light of this challenge, various approaches have been utilized to mechanically strengthen the scaffolds. In this review, the current state of knowledge and existing research on robocasting of calcium phosphate scaffolds are presented. Applying the Gibson-Ashby model, this review provides a meta-analysis from the published literature of the compressive strength of robocast calcium phosphate scaffolds. Furthermore, this review evaluates different approaches to the mechanical strengthening of robocast calcium phosphate scaffolds. The aim of this review is to provide insightful data and analysis for future research on mechanical strengthening of robocast calcium phosphate scaffolds and ultimately for their clinical applications.

Early postmortem changes in the whole muscle proteome from normal broiler (NB) and woody broiler (WB) breasts at 0 min, 15 min, 4 h, and 24 h after slaughter were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Elongation factor 2, EH domain-containing protein 2, phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1), and T-complex protein 1 subunit gamma were differentially abundant in both NB and WB muscles during the early postmortem storage. Twenty additional proteins were differentially abundant among four postmortem time points in either NB or WB muscles. In the postmortem WB, changes in protein degradation were observed, including the degradation of desmin fragments, ovotransferrin chain A, and troponin I chain I. Additionally, a few glycolytic proteins in the WB might have undergone post-translational modification, including enolase, phosphoglucomutase-1, PGAM1, and pyruvate kinase. These changes in protein biomarkers highlight the impact of WB myopathy on postmortem proteome changes and increase our understanding of the relationship between WB conditions, postmortem biochemistry, and meat quality.

Woody breast (WB) is an emergent broiler myopathy that is macroscopically characterized by hardened areas of the Pectoralis major muscle. Five genetic strains (strains 1–5) of mixed-sex broilers were fed either a control or an amino acid (AA)-reduced diet (20% reduction of digestible lysine, total sulfur AAs, and threonine) for 8 wk. Differences between whole-muscle proteome profiles of normal breast (NB; n = 6 gels) and WB tissue (n = 6 gels) were characterized for (1) broiler strains 1–5 that were fed with a control diet and collected at 0 min; (2) strain 5 (control diet) that were collected at 15 min, 4 h, and 24 h; (3) strain 5 (0 min) that were fed with a control and an AA-reduced diet. Birds that yielded WB were heavier and had a greater pH at death (pH0min) than normal birds. Results indicated that 21 proteins were more abundant (P < 0.05) and 3 proteins were less abundant (P < 0.05) in WB compared with NB. The differentially abundant proteins in each comparison were consistently upregulated or downregulated in WB tissue although the different protein profiles were noticed for each comparison. Strains 2 and 5 had more protein profile differences between WB and NB meat than strains 1, 3, and 4, which potentially indicates a stronger genetic component for strains 2 and 5 with respect to WB formation. The proteins that were more abundant in WB compared to NB are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative stress, cytoskeleton structure, and transport and signaling. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated that regulated pathways in WB were mainly related to carbohydrate metabolism, cellular repair, cellular organization and maintenance, and cell death and survival. The results support the potential causes of WB myopathy, including the presence of hypoxia, oxidative stress, increased apoptosis, misfolded proteins, and inflammation.

The Strain Hardening Modulus method (SH) was proposed to evaluate the Slow Crack Growth (SCG) rank of five different PE resins by comparing the average strain hardening modulus $\overline {\left\langle {{\text{Gp}}} \right\rangle } $. The test result shown that, it could be accurately evaluated when the SCG of PE resins were large different (such as PE 100-RC and PE100), but when the SCG resistance were similar (such as the same grade PE 100 resins), due to the influence of the test accuracy and external factors, the evaluate result were exist offset by comparing $\overline {\left\langle {{\text{Gp}}} \right\rangle } $. Exteriorly, By testing the crystallinity of the five different PE resins and combining the strain hardening modulus to comprehensive evaluated the SCG resistance of the five different PE resins, the evaluated result were more accurate, and it can overcome the difficulty of the SH method in evaluating PE resins with similar SCG.

Aeromonas spp. are prevalent pathogens in farmed eel, which induce highly infectious diseases, such as hemorrhagic septicemia and gill-rot disease. Research on the application of ethanol and water extracts from traditional Chinese herbs in controlling the diseases has increased. However, the exact antibacterial components in majority of these herbs were not well-studied. Four fractions or components were isolated from Terminalia chebula Retz. ethanol extract in our previous study. In the present study, their antibacterial effects on A. hydrophila and A. veronii were assessed using microcalorimetry. The results showed that component III (a single chemical constituent, gallic acid) had the strongest antibacterial effect compared with three other fractions. The inhibitory effect was enhanced as the concentration of component III increased, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations of component III to A. hydrophila and A. veronii were found to be 0.56 mg/ml and 0.74 mg/ml respectively. This is the first study in which the antibacterial component of T. chebula extract on aquatic bacteria growth was screened and determined by microcalorimetry.

Li7P3S11 (LPS) solid electrolyte (SE) can be used as a coating layer for Si anode as the next generation high energy storage anode material for lithium ion battery (LIB). In this paper, a thin LPS SE was designed to coat on the Si nanoparticles surface to form a core-shell structure by a facile liquid-phase in-situ reaction method. The LPS shell can address the volume expansion of silicon anode successfully during lithiation and delithiation processes. Moreover, it leads to enhancement of the electrochemical performance for Si anode with excellent cycling stability and rate ability. The LPS SE coating is expected to be a promising strategy for other lithium-ion batteries anodes.

Aluminum/graphene (Al/G) composites with enhanced heat-dissipation and mechanical properties were prepared by the powder metallurgy (P/M) technique. Graphene was first uniformly coated on the surface of micro-sized aluminum (Al) powders by an in-situ reduction reaction of GO and Al. Al/G bulk composites with uniform graphene dispersion in Al matrix were fabricated by the simple conventional P/M technique. Enhancements of 15.4% in thermal conductivity, 9.1% in specific heat capacity, 21.1% in hardness, and 25.6% in compressive strength were achieved with only 0.3 wt% graphene addition into pure Al.

The versatility of perovskite crystal structure has become the great advantage of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) during their functional applications. Here we report an effective solvothermal method for the controllable synthesis of CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) and their transformation to Cs4PbBr6 NCs. Through solvothermal reaction of a mixture of Cs-oleate and PbBr2 precursors, CsPbBr3 NPLs can be synthesized in mass production. The lateral sizes of CsPbBr3 NPLs can be precisely tuned by varying the solvothermal reaction temperatures and times, while the thickness of NPLs remains constant at ∼4.2 nm, which is in the quantum confinement regime. The fine-tuning of lateral NPL sizes results in precise modulation of their photoluminescence emission. Moreover, an interesting phase transformation from cubic CsPbBr3 NPLs to rhombohedral Cs4PbBr6 NCs, and the reversible transformation from Cs4PbBr6 NCs to CsPbBr3 NPLs can be readily achieved by changing the solvothermal reaction sources. The present s...

Our previous study has shown heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects human lens epithelial cells (LECs) against H2O2-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Nrf2, the major regulator of HO-1, is triggered during the mutual induction of oxidative stress and ER stress. In response to ER stress, unfolded protein response (UPR) serves as a program of transcriptional and translational regulation mechanism with PERK involved. Both Nrf2 and ATF4 are activated as the downstream effect of PERK signaling coordinating the convergence of dual stresses. However, the ways in which Nrf2 interacting with ATF4 regulates deteriorated redox state have not yet been fully explored. Here, the transfected LECs with Nrf2 overexpression illustrated enhanced resistance in morphology and viability upon H2O2 treatment condition. Intracellular ROS accumulation arouses ER stress, initiating PERK dependent UPR and inducing the downstream signal Nrf2 and ATF4 auto-phosphorylation. Further, converging at target promoters, ATF4 facilitates Nrf2 with the expression of ARE-dependent phase II antioxidant and detoxification enzymes. According to either Nrf2 or ATF4 gene modification, our data suggests a novel interaction between Nrf2 and ATF4 under oxidative and ER stress, thus drives specific enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions of antioxidant mechanisms maintaining redox homeostasis. Therapies that restoring Nrf2 or ATF4 expression might help to postpone LECs aging and age-related cataract formation.

Safflower yellow (SY), one of traditional Chinese medicine extracted from safflower, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects on animal models of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's diseases (AD), by inhibiting oxidative injury, neuronal apoptosis and tau hyperphosphorylation. In this study, we investigated whether safflower yellow (SY) can improve cognitive function, decrease Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation and overactivation of astrocytes in AD mouse model. We found that SY treatment significantly ameliorated the learning and memory deficits of APP/PS1 mice. By hematoxylin-eosin staining, we found that the neuronal loss and death in APP/PS1 mice was decreased by SY treatment. Immunohistochemical staining showed that SY treatment dramatically down-regulated Aβ1-42 deposition and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) level in APP/PS1 mice. Biochemical analysis also showed that SY treatment reduced soluble and insoluble Aβ1-42 level in the cortex and soluble Aβ1-42 level in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, we found that SY treatment decreased the expression of proteins related to generation of Aβ, and markedly increased expression of enzymes associated with clearance of Aβ in the brain of APP/PS1 mice. These results indicate that the SY can serve as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of AD.

The potential of segregated conductive polymer composites is greatly hampered due to its poor mechanical strength and brittle nature. In this work, plunger type injection molding (PTIM) is developed to achieve synergistically electrical and mechanical properties on carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/polypropylene (PP)/ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) segregated conductive polymer composite. Morphology observation indicates that the segregated CNTs conductive network was formed along the interfaces between PP and UHMWPE grains. An ultralow percolation threshold of 0.13 vol% is achieved, which is much lower than that of conventional injection molding. The strength of PTIM sample is improved; importantly, more than 10 times of improvement in elongation at break has been achieved compared to the sample obtained from frequently-used compression molding. Stability of the segregated conductive network was evaluated through dynamic strain-sensing behaviors. This paper presents a meaningful strategy towards the improvement of comprehensive performance of segregated conductive polymer composite.

A highly sensitive and stretchable strain sensor is urgently required in wearable applications. Nevertheless, high sensitivity requiring a significant structural variation even at a subtle deformation and large stretchability related to morphological integrity under a large strain are considered as two contradictory performance indicators of strain sensors. It remains a huge challenge to synchronously acquire high sensitivity and wide detection range. Herein, we prepare a strain sensor with nacre-mimetic structure through spaying Ti-O-C covalent bonding crosslinked MXene/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (MGO) solution among the multilayer thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) electrospun mat. The special nacre-mimetic structure and the synergistic motion of different nanosheets endow the MGO/TPU strain sensor (MGTSS) with high sensitivity (GF of 879 within 100% strain, GF of 17782 for a strain of 100%−160%, and 84326 for a strain of 160%−200%), ultra-low detection limit (0.05% strain), large detection range (up to 200% strain), short response time (70 ms) and a favorable sensing stability and durability (5000 stretching/releasing cycles). Moreover, the nacre-mimetic strain sensor can be used for sign language interpretation through monitoring finger gestures, showing great promise for applications in next-generation of wearable flexible electronics devices.

Poor linearity and high hysteresis as two crucial issues of stretchable and flexible strain sensors are urgently needed to be addressed to improve the sensors’ practical applicability. In this work, sacrificial template method coupled with ultrasonication technique are employed to fabricate a carbon black (CB)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foam (CPF) for tensile sensing. The CPF with a robust three-dimensional (3D) electrically conductive network exhibits excellent linearity and wide strain range (70% strain). The fabricated CPF possesses negligible electrical hysteresis of 1.2%, owing to the strong interactions between conductive nanofillers and the PDMS substrate. Low detection limit (0.5% strain), quick responsive time (100 ms), good response stability, excellent durability and reproducibility (>20,100 cycles) are achieved simultaneously. The prepared CPF is then assembled as a wearable sensor and it can monitor wide-range human motions in real-time, showing great potential in diverse practical applications in the near future.

Layered 2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal oxides, black phosphorus, graphitic carbon nitride, hexagonal boron nitride, and MXenes, have attracted intensive attention over the past decades owing to their unique properties and wide applications in electronics, catalysis, energy storage, biomedicine, etc. Further reducing the lateral size of layered 2D materials down to less than 10 nm allows for preparing a new class of nanostructures, namely, nanodots derived from layered materials. Nanodots derived from layered materials not only can exhibit the intriguing properties of nanodots due to the size confinement originating from the ultrasmall size, but also can inherit some unique properties of ultrathin layered 2D materials, making them promising candidates in a wide range of applications, especially in biomedicine and catalysis. Here, a comprehensive summary on the materials categories, advantages, synthesis methods, and potential applications of these nanodots derived from layered materials is provided. Finally, personal insights about the challenges and future directions in this promising research field are also given.

Flexible and wearable strain sensors with multi-functionalities have aroused tremendous attention for various applications in disease diagnostics, environment detection and healthcare monitoring, etc. However, limited electromechanical performance and complicated fabrication process of strain sensors restrict their extensive applications in full-range stimuli monitoring. Herein, we fabricated flexible and wearable strain sensors, consisting of a robust fiber with helical structure and two polyaniline (PANI) layers bridged by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer through in-situ polymerization and ultrasonication. The flexible and wearable sensor possesses wide healthcare monitoring range (0.1%–200% strain), high sensibility especially for subtle deformation, excellent response stability, fast response/recovery time (100 ms/100 ms) and favorable durability. Meanwhile, our conductive PANI-rGO-PANI fiber (CPGPF) is assembled as a wearable sensor with the capability of precisely monitoring human body motions, temperature fluctuation and poisonous gas, indicating a promising multifunctional application in human-machine interaction and environment monitoring.

A novel kind of organic–inorganic hybrid luminescent material has been developed through controllable encapsulation of devise terbium(III) complexes into a porous boron nitride (BN) host. The luminescence of the obtained hybrid materials can be modulated by simply changing the type of ligands in the complexes. Especially, intense green-light-emission has been observed in Tb(acac)3/BN (acac = acetylacetone) and Tb(acac)3phen/BN (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) hybrid materials. A unique synergistic effect between the BN host and Tb complexes has been realized, resulting in efficient energy transfer in the BN-ligands-Tb3+ system. The confinement of terbium complexes into porous BN leads to the hybrid materials demonstrating excellent thermal and photo stabilities. Porous BN host plays an important role for the superior performance of the hybrid materials. The developed organic–inorganic hybrid materials with multifunctional properties are promising for light-emitting applications.

Silicon is considered an exceptionally promising alternative to the most commonly used material, graphite, as an anode for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, as it has high energy density owing to its high theoretical capacity and abundant storage. Here, microsized walnut-like porous silicon/reduced graphene oxide (P-Si/rGO) core–shell composites are successfully prepared via in situ reduction followed by a dealloying process. The composites show specific capacities of more than 2,100 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 1,000 mA·g−1, 1,600 mAh·g−1 at 2,000 mA·g−1, 1,500 mAh·g−1 at 3,000 mA·g−1, 1,200 mAh·g−1 at 4,000 mA·g−1, and 950 mAh·g−1 at 5,000 mA·g−1, and maintain a value of 1,258 mAh·g−1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 1,000 mA·g−1. Their excellent rate performance and cycling stability can be attributed to the unique structural design: 1) The graphene shell dramatically improves the conductivity and stabilizes the solid–electrolyte interface layers; 2) the inner porous structure supplies sufficient space for silicon expansion; 3) the nanostructure of silicon can prevent the pulverization resulting from volume expansion stress. Notably, this in situ reduction method can be applied as a universal formula to coat graphene on almost all types of metals and alloys of various sizes, shapes, and compositions without adding any reagents to afford energy storage materials, graphene-based catalytic materials, graphene-enhanced composites, etc.

The deformation-based micro-surface texturing technique has been widely accepted as an effective method to add function to the surface of materials with the advantages of low equipment cost, easy machine setup and high-mix low-volume production capabilities. In this study, a low-cost deformation-based micro surface texturing process was developed to form single-sided micro-surface texturing on polystyrene petri dishes with local heating in atmospheric environment using soft backing self-alignment mechanism. A nickel mold, having micro-groove surface patterns with height and width of 2 μm and spacing of 6 μm, was produced by photolithography and electroforming. During the texturing process, the nickel mold was heated to a temperature slightly above the T g before pressing down to the workpiece, which was rested on a non-heated flat backing. The effect of different holding time, temperature and force on the surface texture profile of the petri dish, which was rested on different backings, was studied. The result shows that PU rubber soft backing is more suitable to achieve high surface replication fidelity than the rigid backing, yet still maintaining good repeatability. With soft backing, the substrate is able to self-align, allowing homogeneous contact between the mold and the substrate to achieve excellent feature replication without usage of expensive precision alignment tools. Preliminary biological test on the textured petri dishes show that the formed micro surface texture is able to introduce directional growth in the cell culturing process.

We report on the synthesis of novel boron nitride nanoarchitectures through in-situ conversion of porous boron nitride via a metal ion-assisted annealing method. Numerous highly crystallized nanoplates with thickness of ∼20 nm aggregate as building blocks to form the boron nitride nanoarchitecture. The adsorption of low concentration of metal ions, i.e. terbium ions, plays an important role for the in-situ conversion of porous boron nitride microfibers to nanoarchitectures. Owing to their unique microstructure with rough surfaces, the as-prepared boron nitride nanoarchitectures show superhydrophobicity with a high contact angle of 167.9°. Photoluminescence studies indicate that the nanoarchitectures exhibit intense ultraviolet emission from boron nitride nanostructures and green emission from terbium ions. The combination of unique microstructures and properties enables boron nitride nanoarchitectures to be attractive for applications in catalytic support and self-cleaning coatings.

Currently, there is a need to investigate feed additive application strategies, especially those used in conjunction with live coccidiosis vaccines (LCV). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the inclusion strategies of several commercially available feed additives using broilers sprayed with 10× live coccidiosis vaccines (LCV) throughout a 49 d grow-out. All birds received 10× LCV on d of hatch, excluding treatment (Trt) 1, the unmedicated negative control (NC). The positive control (PC; Trt 2), was also unmedicated, but birds were sprayed with 10× LCV. Birds assigned Trts 3 to 8 also received LCV, and diets consisted of the following additives: Virginiamycin (VA) at 20 g/t throughout with Salinomycin (SAL) at 40 g/t from d 14 to 28 (Trt 3); VA at 20 g/t throughout d zero to 49 (Trt 4); a Bacillus subtilis probiotic (PRO) with Bacitracin Methylene Disalicyalte (BMD) at 50 g/t from d zero to 49 (Trt 5); an herb and essential oil blend (EB) from d zero to 49 (Trt 6); BMD at 50 g/t throughout with an increased dose (200 g/t) from d 14 to 28 (Trt 7); and BMD at 50 g/t throughout with SAL (40 g/t) from d 14 to 28 (Trt 8). In general, birds fed Trts 3 and 7 demonstrated increased BW and BW gain when compared to those fed Trt 2 (NC). Birds fed Trt 5 exhibited similar d 49 BW to that of birds fed Trt 3 and 7 — however, better than those fed Trt 2. Of these Trts, birds fed Trt 3 demonstrated at d 17 increased ileal digesta viscosity and reduced lesion scores caused by Eimeria acervulina, although overall scores were low. Gastrointestinal organ measurements and morphology at d 17 were not significantly affected by Trt. Overall, these data suggest that feed additive strategies utilized in Trts 3, 5, and 7 are a viable option with using LCV.

A novel approach, i.e. manipulating the size of incorporated polymer matrix particles, was proposed to tune the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/polypropylene (PP) composites with a segregated microstructure. For the conductive properties of CNTs/PP composites, the percolation threshold decreased from 1.32 vol% to 0.44 vol% when the matrix particle size enlarged from 20 to 1200 µm, showing an inverse correlation effect. The controllable PTC characteristics in resistivity are attributed to the microstructure development of conductive pathways and the heat-induced volume expansion of polymer matrix particles. An extremely high PTC material has also been achieved through this method. The present work provides an effective route to acquire a tunable temperature-resistivity sensor.

The Yushui ore deposit, located in the middle section of the Yong&rsquo, an-Meixian Hercynian depression, is a medium-sized Cu-polymetallic massive sulphide deposit in Eastern Guangdong Province, South China. This deposit is characterized by unusually high copper grade (up to 50&ndash, 60 wt. % Cu). Other metallic elements, such as lead, zinc and silver, are also economically important in the Yushui ore bodies. The aim of this study was to apply N2&ndash, Ar&ndash, He systematics, together with organic gases (light-hydrocarbon tracers), to constrain the origin and evolution of ore-forming fluids. The helium-argon isotopes and trace gas compositions of fluid inclusions trapped within metal sulphide minerals were measured for a number of bonanza ores from the Yushui deposit. The noble gas concentrations in the studied samples vary over one to two orders of magnitude (4He: 2.27&ndash, 160.00 &times, 10&minus, 5 cm3 STP g&minus, 1, 3He: 0.53&ndash, 34.88 &times, 12 cm3 STP g&minus, 40Ar: 6.28&ndash, 37.82 &times, 7 cm3 STP g&minus, 36Ar: 1.25&ndash, 10.40 &times, 9 cm3 STP g&minus, 1). Our data show a narrow range of 3He/4He ratios from 0.006 to 0.056 Ra (~0.026 Ra on average, n = 8), which are considerably lower than the modern atmospheric end-member value, whereas the 40Ar/36Ar ratios (ranging from 333.76 to 501.68, with an average of 397.53) are significantly greater than that of air-saturated water. Most of the bornite samples have somewhat higher 3He/4He ratios of trapped fluids when compared to chalcopyrite. Overall, these He-Ar results are well within the range of crustal reservoir, thus implying a predominantly crustal source (originated from Caledonian basement) for ore-forming solutions, with little contribution from mantle-derived fluids. Analysis of the N2&ndash, He composition in Cu-rich sulphides indicates that the Yushui ore-forming fluids were probably derived from formation water (or basinal hot brines). Moreover, organic gas species identified in sulphide-hosted fluid inclusions are mainly composed of C1&ndash, C4 alkanes, while the concentrations of unsaturated olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons are very low. In particular, most chalcopyrite samples with relatively low 3He/4He ratios (0.006&ndash, 0.016 Ra) and 40Ar*/4He values (0.0002&ndash, 0.0012) are generally characterized by very high CO2/CH4 ratios (~60&ndash, 102). All these suggest that main-stage Cu-Ag metallogenic processes might have not been affected by high-temperature magmatic activities or superimposed by strong metamorphic overprinting, although some chalcopyrite-rich ores appear to be influenced by later stage hydrothermal processes. In summary, neither magmatic input nor convecting seawater has played an important role in the formation of Yushui copper-polymetallic deposit. The massive sulphide ore bodies were products of water&ndash, rock interaction between metal-bearing basinal brines and the host sedimentary strata.

HCl is a dangerous gas product of garbage power plant, which is able to cause corrosion on the heated surface. PVC is the main source of HCl in garbage power plant. The combustion characteristics and dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) play an important role in guiding the anti-corrosion work of garbage power plant. In this paper, TG-FTIR was used to make qualitative and quantitative analysis of chlorine release characteristics in the combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The thermogravimetry of PVC with different mass was systematically studied. The HCl removal efficiency of different mass ratios of CaCO3, CaO, Ca(OH)2 and kaolin under air atmosphere and O2/ CO2 atmosphere was studied. When the mass of PVC was more than 10mg, the weightlessness trend changed. The HCl removal efficiency increased with the proportion of absorbent, and the removal efficiency of Ca(OH)2 was the best. Oxygen had a great influence on the HCl removal efficiency of absorbent. The higher the proportion of oxygen, the higher the dechlorination efficiency.

Background Since several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the development of chemoresistance in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), the aim of this study was to investigate whether antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) was associated with the chemoresistance of NSCLC. Method Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify potential lncRNAs involved in the chemoresistance of NSCLC, while in-silicon analyses and luciferase assays were carried out to explore the regulatory relationship among ANRIL, miR-125a, and aminopeptidase N (APN). Results Ubenimex resistant cells were associated with a high expression of ANRIL, which directly binds to miR-125a. MiR-125a directly targeted APN expression. In addition, miR-125a and ANRIL small interfering RNA inhibited the expression of APN but promoted the expression of beclin-1 and LC3, whereas ANRIL, by competing with miR-125a, promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis. Conclusion The data of this study suggested that, by targeting ANRIL and the APN signaling pathway, miR-125a inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells and promoted their apoptosis, thus attenuating the chemoresistance of NSCLC against Ubenimex.

346 Background: Alterations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are associated with human tumorigenesis and may be as potential biomarkers for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in renal cell carcinoma. However, biologic significance and relevance to TKI targeted therapy in metastatic RCC are unknown. Methods: Genomic data and treatment outcomes were retrospectively collected for patients with metastatic RCC. Tumor and germline DNA were subject to targeted next generation sequencing across 642 genes of interest, including 60 DDR genes. Patients were dichotomized according to underlying DDR gene alteration into (1) DDR gene alterations present (Mut DDR); (2) wildtype (WT) DDR gene alterations present (WT DDR). Association between DDR status and therapeutic benefit was investigated separately for and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Results: Mut DDR were detected in 17/40 patients (42.5%). The most frequently DDR altered genes were TP53. For patients with TKI treatment, Mut DDR status was associated with superior progression free survival (log-rank p = 0.048), but not with superior overall survival (log-rank p = 0.39); after adjusting for International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium risks and extent of prior therapy, the HR for Mut DDR was 2.68 (95% CI: 0.96–7.46; p = 0.059). Conclusions: DDR alterations are recurrent genomic events in patients with advanced RCC and were mostly clonal in this cohort. Dysfunction events in these genes may affect outcome with TKI therapy in adanced RCC, and these hypothesis-generating results deserve further study.