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Vertically aligned nanowire arrays (NWAs) assembled by monocrystalline rough-surface rutile TiO2 nanowires have been prepared by simple solvothermal methods. Compared with smooth-surface TiO2 NWAs, the large specific surface area of rough-surface TiO2 NWAs is more beneficial to dye absorption which is closely related to the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PEC) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The PEC of DSSCs based on the rough-surface TiO2 NWAs we prepared could reach 8.28%. Prolonging the etching treatment time could increase the specific surface area of TiO2 NWAs, but meanwhile the increased photogenerated electron recombination caused by more contact area between photoanode and electrolyte would decrease the PEC of DSSCs. Furthermore, in combination with a light-scattering layer, the performance of the rough-surface rutile TiO2 NWAs based DSSC can be further enhanced, reaching an impressive PCE of 9.39%, which is a remarkable conversion efficiency for DSSCs based on rutile TiO2 NWAs heretofore.

We present a lysosome-targetable and ratiometric fluorescent probe, TJ2, for visually monitoring exogenous and endogenous HOCl in living cells by using a built-in S atom within the π-extended rhodamine fluorophore as a pH-independent recognition site. Based on the oxidation-promoted intramolecular charge transfer processes, TJ2 demonstrates fast ratiometric fluorescence response, excellent selectivity, and high sensitivity (2.3 nM) toward HOCl. Furthermore, TJ2 is highly lysosome-targetable, which could be used for ratiometric monitoring of the levels of HOCl in lysosomes.

The development of new fluorescent dyes has been a continuously interesting topic due to their wide applications in various optoelectronic, analytical and biological fields. In this paper, a novel xanthene dye CzR has been developed by hybridizing of the carbazole and rhodamine skeletons in one molecular. To regulate the optical properties of CzR, its N-methyl derivative MeCzR was prepared by the reaction of CzR with iodomethane. The absorption and emission properties of CzR and MeCzR were investigated in detail. Because the distribution positions of the positive charge within the chromophore are environment-dependent, the optical properties of the dye CzR are strongly pH-dependent. However, the optical properties of MeCzR are stable in water in a wide range of pH. To demonstrate the application of this novel dye, we synthesized the novel Cu2+-selective fluorescent probe MeCzR-Cu. The probe exhibited a specific ability to recognize the Cu2+ ion over other chemically close ions and with a detection limit down to the nanomolar range. Meanwhile, the probe MeCzR-Cu is living cell membrane permeable and can be utilized as a practical vehicle for detecting Cu2+ in complex cellular systems.

The effect of substitution of Hf for Ti and Cu for Ni on microstructure, martensitic transformation behavior, mechanical properties and strain recovery characteristic of quaternary Ti-Ni-Cu-Hf alloys were investigated systematically. The results reveal that the B19→B19′ martensite transformation can be controlled by tailoring the Hf contents in Ti-Ni-Cu alloys. Although the B19 and B19′ martensite coexisted in Ti-Ni-Cu alloys with the minor Hf addition, only one-stage B2→B19′ transformation was observed in heating and cooling process. The transformation temperatures and transformation hysteresis can be adjusted by optimizing the chemical composition. In addition, the superior mechanical properties and shape memory effect can be achieved by tailoring the Hf can Cu contents. The maximum shape memory effect strain of 3.06% could be obtained in Ti47Ni44Cu6Hf3 alloy. And Ti45Ni44Cu6Hf5 alloy showed the largest tensile strength of 770 MPa. The present study provided the theoretical foundation for the potential application of the Ti-Ni-Cu-Hf alloys.

In this work, two small molecular electron acceptors (BT–FPDI and fBT–FPDI) comprising a central bithiophene (BT) bridge and two fused perylene diimide (FPDI) units were designed and synthesized for fullerene-free organic solar cells (OSCs). The molecular geometry of these electron acceptors can be adjusted through a locked conformation via a photocyclization reaction. As expected, BT–FPDI has a highly twisted geometry with the assistance of the quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) configuration of the FPDI unit and modest dihedral angles between FPDI and BT units, while fBT–FPDI shows a relatively planar geometry with symmetrically aligned FPDI wings. When paired with polymer donor PTB7-Th, the intrinsic configuration characteristic of BT–FPDI guaranteed an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.07% with an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.81 V, and a record high short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 17.35 mA cm−2, which is almost the highest Jsc value reported for PDI-based fullerene-free OSCs. However, the optimal device employing fBT–FPDI as an electron acceptor delivered a PCE of only 5.89% with a significantly reduced Jsc of 12.30 mA cm−2. The interesting results show that, unlike traditional PDI molecules, the ring-fusion molecular design did not produce the desired positive effect in FPDI derivatives, and also provide a new insight into the regulation of the molecular geometry based on FPDI acceptors with an intrinsic quasi-2D structure.

A ratiometric near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe L based on chromenylium-cyanine fluorophore with chelate unit NS2O2 for the detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous media has been prepared. The probe L shows high selectivity for Hg2+ ions with immediately fluorescence intensity increasing at 663 nm and decreasing at 728 nm synchronously via a Hg2+-induced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, leading to both “naked-eye” and ratiometric detection of Hg2+ ions in real time. At the same time, the probe exhibits a high sensitivity to Hg2+ in a concentration of ppb range with detection limit of 9.59 nM. Moreover, the probe is cell permeable and low toxic, and can be used in living cells for ratiometric visual monitoring of Hg2+ ions by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) utilizing both singlet and triplet excitons are considered as the most promising third-generation technology for lighting and display. Simultaneously high external quantum efficiency and luminance are highly desirable for these practical applications. However, the severe efficiency roll-off at high luminance that is involved with triplet exciton annihilation is a remaining problem for TADF OLEDs, which is mainly related to the reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) from the triplet to the singlet states. To date, the relationship between the rISC process and molecular design of TADF emitters is still unclear, and a rational molecular design strategy to solve this dilemma has not been established. In this study, we propose an approach to design two TADF emitters, m-2SPAc-PPM and o-2SPAc-PPM, with a sterically crowded configuration and strong spin–vibronic coupling. As expected, o-2SPAc-PPM exhibits a krISC as high as 3.55 × 107 s−1, and a short triplet exciton lifetime of 5.36 μs. As a result, the TADF OLEDs based on o-2SPAc-PPM achieved remarkably high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of up to 24.8% with a brightness as high as 24 200 cd m−2 and a concurrent significantly reduced efficiency roll-off, which fulfills the requirements for practical high luminance.

The ambient stability and processability of organic solar cells (OSCs) are important factors for their commercialization. Herein, we selected four benzo[1,2

Background World Health Organization (WHO) released region-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction charts recently, but the extent to which the charts can apply to Chinese population is unknown. We aimed to validate the WHO CVD risk charts for East Asia, and evaluate their practicability combining with China-PAR (Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China) equations among Chinese adults. Methods The China-PAR cohort with 93,234 participants aged 40–80 years was followed up during 1992–2015, including 29,337 participants from three sub-cohorts with follow-up period of over 10 years. We validated the WHO CVD risk charts using the China-PAR cohort by assessment of the predicted number of events, C index, calibration χ², and calibration plots, further elaborated the concordance between the China-PAR equations and the WHO risk charts. Findings During an average follow-up of 13•64 years, 1849 incident CVD cases were identified from 29,337 participants. Both the laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based charts overestimated CVD events by 59% and 58% in men, and by 72% and 85% in women, respectively. However, 92% of participants identified as high risk by the China-PAR equations could be successfully detected by the laboratory-based charts at the cut-off point of 10%. We also observed that the non-laboratory-based charts demonstrated the poor performance for diabetic population, with high proportion of high-risk individuals (17% for men, 31% for women) would be missed. Interpretation Although the WHO CVD risk charts for East Asia apparently overestimated CVD risk among Chinese population, they could be pragmatic pre-selection tools, as potential supplement to the China-PAR equations. The widespread use of the WHO risk charts along with the China-PAR equations might facilitate the implementation of the risk-based CVD prevention in China. Funding Full funding sources are listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments).

Highlights • Sedentary behavior is associated with higher risks of cancer incidence, cancer mortality and all-cause mortality, as well as earlier onset of cancer and shorter life expectancy, among the Chinese population. • J-shaped dose–response relationships were observed between daily sedentary time and risks of cancer incidence and mortality, and the lowest risks were seen at 6 h/day. • Significant adverse effects of sedentary behavior on cancer incidence and mortality are independent of the level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. • The present study indicates that a reduction in sedentary behavior, in addition to an increase in physical activity, is recommended for the prevention of cancer and mortality., Background Inconsistent results have been reported in developed countries for relationships between sedentary behavior and cancer incidence and mortality, and evidence from the Chinese population is scarce. This study aimed to investigate such relationships in large Chinese population-based prospective cohorts and to explore the joint effect and interaction of sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on these relationships. Methods We included 95,319 Chinese adults without cancer from 3 large cohorts and assessed their sedentary behavior and physical activity with a unified questionnaire. Cancer incidence and mortality were confirmed by interviewing participants or their proxies and checking hospital records and death certificates. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for cancer and mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results During 559,002 person-years of follow-up, 2388 cancer events, 1571 cancer deaths, and 4562 all-cause deaths were recorded. Sedentary behavior was associated with increased risk of developing cancer and deaths in a dose–response manner. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95%CIs) were the following: HR = 1.16, 95%CI: 1.01‒1.33; HR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.04‒1.48; and HR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.04‒1.28 for cancer incidence, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality, respectively, for those having ≥10 h/day of sedentary time compared with those having, Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract

Rationale: Limited cohort studies have evaluated chronic effects of high fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm [PM(2.5)]) exposure on lung cancer. Objectives: To investigate the response pattern of lung cancer associated with high PM(2.5) exposure. Methods: A Chinese cohort of 118,551 participants was followed up from 1992 to 2015. By incorporating PM(2.5) exposure at 1 km spatial resolution generated using the satellite-based model during 2000–2015, we estimated the association between lung cancer and time-weighted average PM(2.5) concentration using Cox proportional hazard models. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 844 incident lung cancer cases were identified during 915,053 person-years of follow-up. Among them, 701 lung cancer deaths occurred later. The exposure–response curves for lung cancer associated with PM(2.5) exposure were nonlinear, with steeper slopes at the higher concentrations. Adjusted for age, sex, geographical region, urbanization, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, work-related physical activity, and body mass index, participants exposed to the second-fifth quintiles of PM(2.5) had higher risk for lung cancer incidence than those exposed to the first quintile, with hazard ratios of 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.88), 1.49 (95% CI, 1.12–1.99), 2.08 (95% CI, 1.42–3.04), and 2.45 (95% CI, 1.83–3.29), respectively. The corresponding hazard ratios for lung cancer mortality were 1.83 (95% CI, 1.33–2.50), 1.80 (95% CI, 1.29–2.53), 2.50 (95% CI, 1.62–3.86), and 2.95 (95% CI, 2.09–4.17), respectively. Conclusions: We provide strong evidence that high PM(2.5) exposure leads to an elevated risk of lung cancer incidence and mortality, highlighting that remarkable public health benefits could be obtained from the improvement of air quality in highly polluted regions.

Strain engineering is an effective means of modulating the optical and electrical properties of two-dimensional materials. The flexoelectric effect caused by inhomogeneous strain exists in most dielectric materials, which breaks the limit of the materials’ non-centrosymmetric structure for piezoelectric effect. However, there is a lack of understanding of the impact on optoelectronic behaviour of monolayer MoS2 photodetector via local flexoelectric effect triggered by biaxial strain. In this paper, we develop a probe tip (Pt)-MoS2-Au asymmetric Schottky barrier photodetector based on conductive atomic force microscopy to investigate the impact of flexoelectric effect on the photoresponse performance. Consequently, when the probe force increases from 24 nN to 720 nN, the photocurrent, responsivity and detectivity increase 28.5 times, 29.6 times and 5.3 times at forward bias under 365 nm light illumination, respectively. These results indicate that local flexoelectric effect plays a critical role to improve the photoresponse performance of photodetector. Our approach suggests a new route to improve the performance of photodetectors by introducing local flexoelectric polarization field, offering the potential for the application of strain modulated photoelectric devices.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that elevated trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) was associated with a higher risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). Little is known about the relationship between dietary intake of choline, which is a major dietary precursor for gut microbiome-derived TMAO, and DM in the general population.ObjectiveThe present study aims to explore the relationship between dietary choline intakes and DM in the United States (US) adult population.DesignCross-sectional data were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 of 8621 individuals aged 20 years or older. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for DM of each quartile category of energy-adjusted choline intakes. The restricted cubic spline model was used for the dose-response analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of choline intake for predicting DM.ResultsA linear dose-response relationship between dietary choline intakes and the odds of DM was found after adjustment for multiple potential confounding factors, p for linear =0.0002. With the lowest quartile category of choline as the reference, the multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CIs of the second, third, and highest quartile categories were 1.22 (0.98, 1.52), 1.26 (1.01, 1.56), and 1.42 (1.15, 1.77), respectively, p for trend =0.0024. Per 100 mg/d increase in energy-adjusted choline resulted in 15% (95% CI: 7%, 22%) higher odds of DM. The ROC analysis identified an energy-adjusted choline of 331.7 mg/d as the optimal cut-off value for predicting DM, with 52.5% sensitivity and 60.7% specificity.ConclusionThis study supports a positive and linear relationship between dietary choline intake and DM in the US adult population. Further studies are warranted to replicate our findings in other populations and elucidate the potential mechanisms.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is believed to play an important role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis and avoiding oxidative damage caused by abnormally raised ROS levels. Highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probes for the detection and imaging of endogenous H2S in living cells over other biological thiols are desirable. Herein, we developed a mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe L, a thioxanthene-benzo[e]indolium derivative, for the discrimination of H2S from other chemically similar biothiols. Based on the nucleophilic addition of H2S and the charged electron-deficient C[double bond, length as m-dash]N double bond within the benzo[e]indolium moiety, the generation of L-HS with a shortened π-conjugated system led to significant spectral changes in the visible region. Importantly, the probe L with mitochondria-targeting ability has been successfully used for imaging the endogenous H2S biosynthesized from Cys and GSH and in cellular antioxidant stress.

Evidence about the response patterns of fruit and vegetable consumption with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality was inconsistent. These associations were examined using a large-scale, population-based Chinese cohort comprising 100,728 participants. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess fruit and vegetable consumption. Outcomes were ascertained by interviewing individuals or their proxies and checking hospital records or death certificates. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). At the 736,668 person-years of follow-up, 3,677 CVD cases and 5,466 deaths were identified. The multivariable-adjusted HRs for CVD across increasing quartiles of total fruit and vegetable consumption were 1 (reference), 0.94 (95%CI=0.85-1.04), 0.89 (95%CI=0.80-0.98), and 0.85 (95% CI=0.11-0.95). Moreover, participants in the highest quartile displayed a 13% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR=0.81; 95% CI=0.80-0.95). A nonlinear dose-response relation was found for CVD, without additional benefits beyond a consumption of 600 g d

The viscosity of lysosomes plays a significant role in modulating biological processes and reflects the status and function of this kind of organelle, e.g., locations, morphologies, and components. Herein, we constructed a novel near-infrared (NIR) lysosome-targeting viscosity probe, Lyso-cy, for monitoring viscosity changes in biological systems. The Lyso-cy probe showed very strong fluorescence emission at around 710 nm in viscous media. The fluorescence intensity of Lyso-cy increased 122-fold from when in water to when in 95% glycerol. Moreover, Lyso-cy proved to be an ideal lysosome-targeting tracer for monitoring fluctuations in the viscosity of a living cell with high spatial and temporal resolution under laser confocal microscopy.

Photocatalytic water splitting into hydrogen is regarded as one of the key solutions to the deterioration of the global environment and energy. Due to the significantly reduced grain boundaries, ZnO nanorods facilitate a fast electron transfer through their smooth tunnels and are well suited as a photocatalyst. However, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of pristine ZnO nanorods is still low due to the high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and the less light absorption. Here, a novel structure about black ZnO nanorods (NRs)/TiO2-X mesoporous spheres (MSs) heterojunction has been prepared and the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance has been explored. The photocatalytic activity test results showed that ZnO NRs/TiO2-X MSs exhibited higher catalytic activity than ZnO NRs for hydrogen production. Compared to the pure ZnO NRs photoanode, the photocurrent of ZnO NRs/TiO2-X MSs heterojunction photoanode could reach 0.41 mA/cm2 in view of the expanding spectral response region and effective inhibition of e&minus, /h+ recombination at the same condition. Using a relatively integrated experimental investigation and mechanism analysis, we scrutinized that after being treated with NaBH4, TiO2 MSs introduce oxygen vacancies expanding the photocatalytic activity of pure TiO2, and improving conductivity and charge transport capabilities through coating on ZnO NRs. More importantly, the results provide a promising approach in the NRs/MSs composite structure serving as photoanodes for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

Rhodamine dyes were widely developed for designing probes due to their excellent photophysical properties and biocompatibility. However, traditional rhodamine dyes still bear major drawbacks of short emission wavelengths (600 nm) and narrow Stokes shifts (30 nm), which limit their biological imaging applications. Herein, we reported a novel mitochondria-targeted fluorescent dye JRQ with near-infrared (NIR) emission wavelength and improved Stokes shift (63 nm) by tuning the donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) character of the rhodamine skeleton. As expected, JRQ exhibited multiple excellent properties and could accumulate in mitochondria, and can therefore be used as a signal reporter for the design of fluorescent probes by taking advantage of the fluorescence controlled mechanism of the ring opening and closing chemical processes of the spirolactone platform. By using JRQ as a precursor, a highly sensitive fluorescent probe JRQN for the fast detection of mitochondrial Cu

Background and objectiveObservational studies suggest that dietary sodium (salt) intake may be associated with body mass index (BMI). However, these findings may be biased by confounding and reverse causality. The present study aimed to apply a bidirectional Mendelian Randomization (MR) framework to determine the causal association between salt added to food (do not include salt used in cooking) and BMI by integrating summary-level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.MethodsWe performed two-sample MR analyses using summary statistics of GWAS. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used to analyze the effect of the preference of salt added to food on BMI. We used maximum likelihood estimation and random effect model as auxiliary verification. A bidirectional MR analysis with BMI as the exposure and salt added to food as the outcome was also performed.ResultsWe identified 74 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were genome-wide significant (P < 5×10-8) for the preference of salt added to food in the UK Biobank (n = 462,630) and were investigated for their association with BMI in a meta-analysis of 322,154 European-descent individuals from GWAS and Metabochip studies. The IVW method estimate indicated that the preference of salt added to food was positively associated with BMI (β = 0.1416, SE = 0.0576, P = 0.0139). Results from maximum likelihood estimation (β = 0.1476, SE = 0.0363, P < 0.0001) and the random effect model (β = 0.1411, SE = 0.0572, P = 0.0137) were consistent with the IVW. Bidirectional MR analyses suggested that BMI was not associated with the preference of salt added to food.ConclusionOur results provided qualitative evidence supporting a causal relationship between salt intake and BMI.

BackgroundPlant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases; however, little is known how the healthiness of the diet may be associated with blood pressure (BP). We aimed to modify three plant -based diet indices: overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy PDI (hPDI), and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) according to country-specific dietary guidelines to enable use across populations with diverse dietary patterns – and assessed their associations with BP.DesignWe used cross-sectional data including 4,680 men and women ages 40–59y in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States from the INTERnational study on MAcro/micronutrients and blood Pressure (INTERMAP). During four visits, eight BP measurements, and four 24-h dietary recalls were collected. Multivariable regression coefficients were estimated, pooled, weighted, and adjusted extensively for lifestyle/dietary confounders.ResultsModified PDI was not associated with BP. Consumption of hPDI higher by 1SD was inversely associated with systolic (-0.82 mm Hg;95% CI:-1.32,-0.49) and diastolic BP (-0.49 mm Hg; 95% CI:-0.91, -0.28). In contrast, consumption of an uPDI was directly associated with systolic (0.77 mm Hg;95% CI:0.30,1.20). Significant associations between hPDI with BP were attenuated with separate adjustment for vegetables and whole grains; associations between uPDI and BP were attenuated after adjustment for refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and meat.ConclusionAn hPDI is associated with lower BP while a uPDI is adversely related to BP. Plant-based diets rich in vegetables and whole grains and limited in refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and total meat may contribute to these associations. In addition to current guidelines, the nutritional quality of consumed plant foods is as important as limiting animal-based components.Trial registration numberThe observational INTERMAP study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00005271.

In this paper, we report a novel near-infrared (NIR) mitochondrion-targeted fluorescent probe, RQS, with an improved Stokes shift (96 nm) for the specific detection of mitochondrial mercury ion (Hg2+) because mitochondrion is one of the main targeted organelles of Hg2+. For the preparation of the probe, a novel asymmetrical fluorescent xanthene dye RQ was first synthesized by tuning the donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) character of the rhodamine skeleton, and then the probe RQS was constructed by the mechanism of mercury-promoted ring-opening reaction. As expected, RQS could be used for the specific detection of Hg2+ with high selectivity, high sensitivity, and a detection limit down to the nanomolar range (2 nM). Importantly, RQS is capable of specifically distributing in mitochondria, and thus detect Hg2+ in real-time and provided a potential tool for studying the cytotoxic mechanisms of Hg2+.

Objective:To explore the association between dietary Na intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a nationally representative sample of the US population.Design:In this cross-sectional study, the associations between Na intake and NAFLD, defined by the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and the fatty liver index (FLI), were assessed through multivariable logistic regression models.Setting:Communities in the USA from 2007 to 2014.Participants:Men and women aged 20 years and older.Results:A total of 11 022 participants were included in the HSI-defined NAFLD analysis, and a subsample of 5320 participants was included in the FLI-defined NAFLD analysis. Compared with the lowest quartile of Na intake, the highest quartile had a multivariate-adjusted OR and 95 % CI of 1·46 (1·29, 1·65) for NAFLD as defined by HSI, and 1·41 (1·18, 1·69) for NAFLD as defined by FLI. This association was, to some degree, attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for several related metabolic parameters, including BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and diabetes.Conclusions:Findings from the current study indicate that dietary Na intake is positively associated with NAFLD in US adults.

Nitric oxide, an important cellular messenger molecule, plays a wide range of physiological roles in neurotransmission, vascular relaxation, platelet activation, and immune response. In this work, we synthesized a selective and sensitive cationic fluorescent probe (ROPD) for monitoring exogenous and endogenous nitric oxide in live cells by grafting a NO-trapper o-phenylenediamine (OPD), via one of the amino groups of OPD, onto a rhodamine fluorophore at the C-3 position. The probe exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity towards NO with fast response in the water phase over a wide pH range. At the same time, the probe ROPD is cell-membrane permeable and can be used for the real-time visualization of exogenous NO in both L929 and HeLa cells, and endogenous NO in stressed RAW 264.7 cells.

Cysteine (Cys) is one of the most important essential biothiols in lysosomes. Highly selective probes for specific detection and imaging of lysosomal Cys over other biological thiols are rare. Herein, we developed a lysosome-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probe SHCy-C based on a novel NIR-emitting thioxanthene-indolium dye. Due to the turn-on fluorescence response elicited by the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) processes before and after the reaction with Cys, probe SHCy-C exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity (16 nM) for the detection of Cys. More importantly, probe SHCy-C is found to precisely target lysosomes and achieves the "turn-on" detection and imaging of endogenous Cys in lysosomes.

Background Results from observational studies regarding associations between fish (including shellfish) intake and cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure (BP) and BMI, are inconsistent. Objective To investigate associations of fish consumption and associated urinary metabolites with BP and BMI in free-living populations. Methods We used cross-sectional data from the International Study of Macro-/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), including 4680 men and women (40–59 y) from Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and United States. Dietary intakes were assessed by four 24-h dietary recalls and BP from 8 measurements. Urinary metabolites (2 timed 24-h urinary samples) associated with fish intake acquired from NMR spectroscopy were identified. Linear models were used to estimate BP and BMI differences across categories of intake and per 2 SD higher intake of fish and its biomarkers. Results No significant associations were observed between fish intake and BP. There was a direct association with fish intake and BMI in the Japanese population sample (P trend = 0.03; fully adjusted model). In Japan, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and taurine, respectively, demonstrated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.81 and 0.78 in discriminating high against low fish intake, whereas homarine (a metabolite found in shellfish muscle) demonstrated an AUC of 0.80 for high/nonshellfish intake. Direct associations were observed between urinary TMAO and BMI for all regions except Japan (P

Eggs are nutrient-dense while also loaded with abundant cholesterol, thus making the public hesitant about their consumption. We conducted the study to investigate if egg consumption is associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. Using the project of Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China, we included 102,136 adults free of CVD and assessed their egg consumption with food-frequency questionnaires. CVD endpoints and all-cause mortality were confirmed during follow-ups by interviewing participants or their proxies and checking hospital records/death certificates. The HRs (95% CIs) were calculated using the cohort-stratified Cox regression models. During 777,163 person-years of follow-up, we identified 4,848 incident CVD and 5,511 deaths. U-shaped associations of egg consumption with incident CVD and all-cause mortality were observed. Compared with consumption of 3–

Since the intracellular pH plays an important role in the physiological and pathological processes, however, the probes that can be used for monitoring pH fluctuation under extreme acidic conditions are currently rare, so it is necessary to construct fluorescent probes for sensing pH less than 4. In this work, we developed a new near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe Cy-SNN for sensing pH fluctuation under extremely acidic conditions. For the preparation of this probe, benzothiozolium moiety was chosen as lysosomal targeting unit and NIR fluorophore, and barbituric acid moiety was fused in the polymethine chain of probe to introduce protonation center. Surprisingly, on the basis of the balance of quaternary ammonium salts and free amines, the pka value of Cy-SNN was calculated as low as 2.96, implying that Cy-SNN can be used in acidic conditions with pH Cy-SNN exhibited highly selective response to H+ over diverse analytes in real-time with dependable reversibility. Importantly, Cy-SNN can be used to specifically target lysosome, providing potential tools for monitoring the function of lysosome in autophagy process.

The detection and quantification of UVA radiation are indispensable for the reason that excess UVA radiation is harmful to skin, eyes, immune system and blood vessels of the human body. This study demonstrates a high-performance and accurate UVA (320–400 nm) detector based on polycrystalline CH3NH3PbCl3/α-Ga2O3 nanorod array hybrid structure, which was fabricated by using facile and low-cost solution processing method. The devices show the maximum responsivity of 8.02 mA/W under zero bias, which is two orders of magnitude larger than bare polycrystalline CH3NH3PbCl3 photodetector, as well as high speed photo-switching. Meanwhile, the detectivity of this self-powered device reaches up to 1.9 × 1011 Jones, which is even superior to most of the reported single-crystal CH3NH3PbCl3 photodetectors. This study reveals the potential in the combination of ultra-wide bandgap inorganic semiconductors with polycrystalline organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites in high performance of photodetector and other optoelectronic devices.

Recently, more attention has been paid to the heterocycles of perylenediimide-based small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) in aiming to improve the efficiency of the corresponding non-fullerene polymer so...

The quasi-uniform three-dimensional super high pressure was employed in the Ni-rich Ni-Ti alloy during aging treatment. Moreover, the effects of aging conditions (temperature, time and pressure) on the precipitation of Ti3Ni4 phase, martensitic transformation behavior and mechanical properties of the alloy were investigated systematically. The results revealed that the applied of super high pressure can provide the nuclear driving force of Ti3Ni4 precipitate and promote the precipitation of Ti3Ni4 phase. Unlike the applied of the uniaxial tensile or compressive stress, no significant preferred orientation of Ti3Ni4 precipitate was observed in the present stress-assisted aged Ni-Ti alloys as a consequence of the quasi-uniform three-dimensional stress. In addition, a certain number of dislocations generated in the aged Ni-Ti alloys due to the applied of super high pressure. However, the variations of the martensitic transformation behavior and mechanical properties are closely related to the evolution of the precipitation of Ti3Ni4 phase with the aging parameters and the generation of internal stress as well as the different thermodynamic state.

The microstructure, martensitic transformation behaviour, mechanical and strain recovery characteristics of the sintered Ti-Ni-Hf alloy composites reinforced by hybrid particles were investigated systematically, which had an instructive significance on the production of larger and complex high temperature shape memory alloy composite parts with the high mechanical and functional performance. The results showed that multiple particles including the in-situ TiB whisker, residual TiB2 phase and the (Ti,Hf)2Ni phase were observed in all samples. The gradually increased TiB2 content resulted in the continuous decrease of the transformation temperature as a result of mechanical and compositional effect. Nevertheless, the transformation temperature (MS) of the Ti-Ni-Hf alloy composite containing 1.5 wt% TiB2 was still above 100 °C, which can meet the requirement of high temperature applications. The hybrid reinforcements enhanced the matrix strength, and without sacrificing severely the compressive strain. In addition, the maximum completely recoverable strain of 6% can be obtained in the present composite.

The rapid solidified Ti-Ni-Zr amorphous ribbon was crystallized to B2 phase and λ1 phase. The phase constitutions of Ti-Ni-Zr alloy ribbon were dependent on the annealing temperatures. The annealed ribbon with the annealing temperature of 773 K and 873 K consisted of B2 parent phase and λ1 phase. When the annealing temperature increased to 973 K, the B19′ martensite can be introduced except from the B2 phase and λ1 phase. With further increasing the annealing temperature to 1073 K, only B19′ martensite and λ1 phase was observed. The transformation temperatures increased successively with the increasing of the annealing temperature, which was closely related to the variation of the phase constituents. The annealed ribbons with the moderate annealing treatment showed the higher transformation temperature and the superior thermal cycling stability.

Two novel narrow bandgap copolymers PIDTFPQ and PIDTFTQ based on bulky indacenodithiophene (IDT) and mono-fluorophenanthrenequinoxaline (FPQ) or mono-fluorodithienobenzoquinoxaline (FTQ), which possess a large fused phenanthrene or benzodithiophene ring on top of pyrazine unit, are designed and synthesized. The optical properties, electrochemical properties, π-π packing behavior, charge carrier transport, morphology and photovoltaic properties of two copolymers were thoroughly investigated via a series of techniques. Owing to the smaller volume of dithienobenzoquinoxaline, PIDTFTQ shows more planar structure. Furthermore, PIDTFTQ presents slightly red-shifted onset absorption and denser π-π stacking. Besides, PIDTFTQ:PC71BM blend film displays higher hole and electron mobilities of 1.46 × 10−4 cm2V−1s−1 and 2.64 × 10−4 cm2V−1s−1 than those of PIDTFPQ/PC71BM blend film. More excitingly, without using any additives or any thermal/solvent annealing, the polymer solar cells based on PIDTFTQ/PC71BM and PIDTFPQ/PC71BM obtained higher Voc of 0.92 V and 0.93 V and promising PCE of 5.54% and 5.00%, respectively. The results show that PIDTFTQ or PIDTFPQ possess a great potential for large area roll-to-roll manufacturing or printing technology for PSCs.

Evidence on the lifetime risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is insufficient; yet, estimating an individuals lifetime risk allows for a comprehensive assessment of ASCVD burden. We developed and validated lifetime risk prediction equations for ASCVD using four large and ongoing prospective cohorts of Chinese, the China-PAR project (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China). Sex-specific equations were developed using two cohorts (as the derivation cohort) of 21,320 participants. Two other independent cohorts with 14,123 and 70,838 participants were used for their external validation, respectively. We evaluated both calibration and discrimination measures for model performance. Furthermore, we estimated ASCVD-free years lost or excess absolute risk attributable to high 10-year risk (≥10.0%) and/or high lifetime risk (≥32.8%). After 12.3 years follow-up of the derivation cohort, 1048 ASCVD events and 1304 non-ASCVD deaths were identified. Our sex-specific equations had good internal validation, with discriminant C statistics of 0.776 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.757-0.794) and 0.801 (95% CI: 0.778-0.825), and calibration χ2 of 9.2 (P = 0.418) and 5.6 (P = 0.777) for men and women, respectively. Good external validation was also demonstrated with predicted rates closely matched to the observed ones. Compared with men having both low 10-year and low lifetime risk, men would develop ASCVD 3.0, 4.6 and 8.6 years earlier if they had high 10-year risk alone, high lifetime risk alone, or both high 10-year and high lifetime risk at the index age of 35 years, respectively. We developed well-performed lifetime risk prediction equations that will help to identify those with the greatest potential to avert ASCVD burden after implementation of innovative clinical and public health interventions in China.

A novel conjugated D–A polymer, PTBFBz, with asymmetrical thieno[2,3-f]benzofuran (TBF) and fluorobenzotriazole (Bz) units was designed and synthesized for the first time. PTBFBz showed the strong absorption with a wide bandgap of 1.89 eV. Power conversion efficiency of nonfullerene polymer solar cells based on PTBFBz:ITIC with thermal and sequential solvent annealing reached up to 8.33%, which is the highest reported value among the asymmetrical TBF-based polymer solar cells. The results demonstrate that the asymmetrical TBF unit can be one of the most promising building blocks in constructing the wide bandgap polymers for highly efficient polymer solar cells.

TiO2-based core–shell structure has gained enormous significance and has developed as a promising candidate in photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices due to its excellent properties. Despite studies, the surface/interface chemistry in these nanostructures has not been fully understood and there is still much room to further improve the performance of related PEC devices. Here, using a closely integrated experimental investigation and mechanism analysis, we scrutinized the intrinsic role of the MgO coating in the photocurrent enhancement of TiO2@MgO core–shell structured UVPDs. We evidenced that after coating with MgO, the photocurrent of UVPDs has been significantly enhanced and the optimal coating time was found to be 45 min. A large responsivity of 365 mA W–1 at 360 nm and a simultaneously excellent on/off ratio of 16 739 are achieved, which have rarely reported previously. In addition, the structure–property relationships are well established in all studied UVPDs through comparing investigations. The super...

BackgroundThe American Heart Association (AHA) developed a simplified assessment tool based on seven ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics, but the relationship between the AHA defined ideal CVH metrics and cardiovascular risk in Chinese population has not been well estimated.MethodsThe baseline survey were conducted among 938 Chinese men and women from four urban and rural population samples in China, aged 35–59 years in 1983–1984. The cohort was followed up for multiple cardiovascular endpoints up to 2005. Cox proportional hazard models were used to test the associations accounting for multiple covariates. Outcomes were collected in 1987–2005 and data analysed in 2017.ResultsDuring a median of 20.3 years follow-up, 68 non-fatal CVD events and 139 deaths (29 CVD deaths) occurred. The multivariable adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for all CVD in the groups with three and 4–7 ideal CVH metrics were 0.59 (95% CI 0.33 to 1.04) and 0.24 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.47), when the group with 0–2 ideal CVH metrics as the reference. Results also showed that participants with 4–7 ideal CVH metrics had a 54% (95% CI 24% to 72%) lower risk of all-cause mortality in comparison with those with 0–2 ideal metrics.ConclusionsThe number of ideal CVH metrics was inversely associated with the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this Chinese general population.

Available data indicate that dietary sodium (as salt) relates directly to blood pressure (BP). Most of these findings are from studies lacking dietary data; hence, it is unclear whether this sodium–BP relationship is modulated by other dietary factors. With control for multiple nondietary factors, but not body mass index, there were direct relations to BP of 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and the urinary sodium/potassium ratio among 4680 men and women 40 to 59 years of age (17 population samples in China, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States) in the INTERMAP (International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure), and among its 2195 American participants, for example, 2 SD higher 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (118.7 mmol) associated with systolic BP 3.7 mm Hg higher. These sodium–BP relations persisted with control for 13 macronutrients, 12 vitamins, 7 minerals, and 18 amino acids, for both sex, older and younger, blacks, Hispanics, whites, and socioeconomic strata. With control for body mass index, sodium–BP—but not sodium/potassium–BP—relations were attenuated. Normal weight and obese participants manifested significant positive relations to BP of urinary sodium; relations were weaker for overweight people. At lower but not higher levels of 24-hour sodium excretion, potassium intake blunted the sodium–BP relation. The adverse association of dietary sodium with BP is minimally attenuated by other dietary constituents; these findings underscore the importance of reducing salt intake for the prevention and control of prehypertension and hypertension. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00005271.

Existing evidence on the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and cardiovascular disease (CVD) was primarily derived from western populations. We aimed to evaluate the benefits of ideal CVH metrics on preventing incident atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) in Chinese population. This study was conducted among 93,987 adults from the China-PAR project (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China) who were followed up until 2015. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CVH metrics for the risk of ASCVD, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and ASCVD death. We further estimated the population-attributable risk percentage (PAR%) of these metrics in relation to each outcome. We observed gradient inverse associations between the number of ideal CVH metrics and ASCVD incidence. Compared with participants having ≤2 ideal CVH metrics, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of ASCVD for those with 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 ideal CVH metrics were 0.83 (0.74–0.93), 0.66 (0.59–0.74), 0.55 (0.48–0.61), 0.44 (0.38–0.50) and 0.24 (0.18–0.31), respectively ( P for trend

The redistribution of the second phases in Ti-Ni-Hf alloy was achieved by the hot-pressed sintering of the rapid solidified alloy powders. The second phases distributed mainly at the surface of the original alloy powder other than the grain boundaries, forming a network structure. The second phase was (Ti,Hf)2Ni phase, when the sintering temperatures were not more than 1100 °C. The (Ti,Hf)2Ni and Hf2Ni phases coexisted at the sintering temperature of 1150 °C. Such a change of the second phases in type and distribution led to the variation of the martensitic transformation temperatures. The martensitic transformation temperatures increased slightly when the sintering temperatures increased from 1000 °C to 1100 °C and then decreased when the sintering temperature was 1150 °C.The sintered Ti-Ni-Hf alloys with a network structure formed by the second phases showed the higher compressive strength and the larger recoverable strain, without significantly sacrificing the compressive strain.

Biomimetic fluorescent nanoprobes capable of emitting near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (λmax ≈ 720 nm) upon excitation of 800 nm light were developed. The key conjugated polymer enabled two-photon absorption and Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) processes within the nanoprobes, which imparted the nanoprobes with ideal NIR-incoming-NIR-outgoing fluorescence features. The cancer cell membrane (CM) coating endowed these nanoprobes with perfect biocompatibility and highly specific targeting ability to homologous tumors. It was believed that CM encapsulation provided an additional protecting layer for the photoactive components residing in the core of nanoprobes for retaining their intrinsic fluorescing ability in the physiological milieu. The long-term structural integrity, excellent photostability (fluorescence decrease