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Background: Studies on the association between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) and diabetes are limited. We aimed to examine the association between uACR and diabetes among adults in the United States, with particular interest in sex differences. Methods: Overall, 5307 participants were included in this study. The exposure variable was uACR, where uACR = urine albumin/urine creatinine. The primary outcome of this study was diabetes, defined as self-reported physician diagnosis of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, or use of glucose-lowering drugs. Results: The average age of the participants in this study was 46.37 ± 17.38 years, 818 (15.41%) had diabetes and the median uACR was 7 mg/g (interquartile range, 4–12 mg/g). There was a significant positive association between uACR and diabetes (per natural log [uACR] increment: OR, 1.81; 95% CI 1.39–2.34). A multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that per unit increment in LguACR, the diabetes prevalence increased 2.26-fold among male participants (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.59–3.21). However, in female participants, we observed that uACR was not related to the prevalence of diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI 0.82–2.01). Our findings showed that there was an interaction between sex and uACR (P for interaction = 0.049). Conclusions: A higher uACR is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes, and sex can modify the relationship between them. Highlights: This study evaluated the relationship between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) and diabetes among adults in the United States of American for the first time, and found that a positive correlation between uACR and diabetes only existed among male participants but not in female participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broken-gap (type-III) two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) offer an ideal platform for interband tunneling devices due to their broken-gap band offset and sharp band edge. Here, we demonstrate an efficient control of energy band alignment in a typical type-III vdWH, which is composed of vertically-stacked molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) and tin diselenide (SnSe2), via both electrostatic and optical modulation. By a single electrostatic gating with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as the dielectric, a variety of electrical transport characteristics including forward rectifying, Zener tunneling, and backward rectifying are realized on the same heterojunction at low gate voltages of ±1 V. In particular, the heterostructure can function as an Esaki tunnel diode with a room-temperature negative differential resistance. This great tunability originates from the atomically-flat and inert surface of h-BN that significantly suppresses the interfacial trap scattering and strain effects. Upon the illumination of an 885 nm laser, the band alignment of heterojunction can be further tuned to facilitate the direct tunneling of photogenerated charge carriers, which leads to a high photocurrent on/off ratio of > 105 and a competitive photodetectivity of 1.03 × 1012 Jones at zero bias. Moreover, the open-circuit voltage of irradiated heterojunction can be switched from positive to negative at opposite gate voltages, revealing a transition from accumulation mode to depletion mode. Our findings not only promise a simple strategy to tailor the bands of type-III vdWHs but also provide an in-depth understanding of interlayer tunneling for future low-power electronic and optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Plasticizers released from vehicle dismantling were systematically characterized; • Dust-containing phthalate plasticizers far exceeded those of non-phthalate; • Elevated levels of DiNP and TOTM were involved with vehicle dismantling activity; • Occupational exposure to plasticizers for workers is currently within safety limit; • The disruption potential of some NPAEs appears to be comparable to that of DEHP; Automotive interiors have been identified as significant sources of various chemicals, yet their occupational hazards for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantlers remain poorly characterized. Herein, eight classes of plasticizers, including 11 phthalates esters (PAEs) and 16 non-phthalates esters (NPAEs), were detected in dust samples from inside and outside ELV dismantling workshops. Moreover, indoor dust from ordinary households and university dormitories was compared. The indoor dust from the ELV dismantling workshops contained the highest concentrations of plasticizers (median: 594 μg/g), followed by ordinary households (296 µg/g), university dormitories (186 µg/g), and outdoor dust (157 µg/g). PAEs remained the dominant plasticizers, averaging 11.7-fold higher than their NPAE alternatives. Specifically, diisononyl phthalate and trioctyl trimellitate were notably elevated in workshop dust, being 15.5 and 4.78 times higher, respectively, than in ordinary household dust, potentially indicating their association with ELV dismantling activities. The estimated daily intake of occupational ELV dismantling workers was up to five times higher than that of the general population. Moreover, certain dominant NPAEs demonstrated nuclear receptor interference abilities comparable to typical PAEs, suggesting potential toxic effects. This study is the first to demonstrate that ELV dismantling activities contribute to the co-emission of PAEs and NPAEs, posing a substantial risk of exposure to workers, which warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) have garnered significant attention in the field of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their versatile capabilities in manipulating the crystallization kinetics, optimizing the morphology, and effectively passivating defects, leading to high-efficiency and long-term stability. While previous studies have mostly focused on individual ILs or different anions and their application in PSCs, the distinctive distribution of cations and anions within ILs underscores the significance of optimizing cationic structures and elucidates the particular role of cations in ILs on device performance. In this work, the implications of juxtaposing ILs incorporating carboxyl-functionalized imidazolium cations against conventional imidazolium-based counterparts on the crystallization kinetics, perovskite film quality, and the photovoltaic performance of perovskite devices. This strategy involving carboxyl-functionalized cations in ILs with a higher affinity to coordinate Pb2+, supported by chemical spectroscopy testing and a quantitative measure of the bond strength via Crystal orbital Hamiltonian group (COHP) calculations. The modified ILs more prominently results in enhancing the degree of PbI 2 conversion into perovskite, slowing down crystallization rates and inducting formation of higher-quality perovskite films. Benefitting from the strong chemical interaction provided carboxyl-functionalized cations and widespread distribution of carboxyl-functionalized cations throughout the perovskite films, accomplishing comprehensive synergistic passivation of defects in perovskite films. This led to the suppression of non-radiative recombination and enhanced carrier transport properties. The incorporation of carboxyl modified ILs with suitable chemical structures resulted in a remarkable enhancement of the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 24.21% in the ILs-treated device, coupled with excellent long-term stability. [Display omitted] • Establishing the connection between structure of ILs and device performance. • The carboxyl-functionalized ILs with a higher affinity to coordinate Pb2+. • The optimized ILs has bestowed PSCs with a PCE of 24.21%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel beads have been explored to be normal platform for nutrition encapsulation and delivery. However, hydrogel beads are naturally denser than water, which make hydrogel beads limite in some floating applications such as gastric floating systems. Here, we designed alginate-based floating beads featuring a core-shell structure, which were composed of a vegetable oil core encapsulated within an alginate network shell, utilizing coaxial co-extrusion microfluidic devices. The shell thickness and core size of the core-shell beads (with the size of 2.80–3.40 mm) can be controlled by simply adjusting the inner phase flow rate (Q in) and outer phase flow rate (Q out). Notably, the fabrication of floating core-shell beads was achievable with Q in ≥ 40 μ L/min and Q out set at 300 μ L/min. The Hen's egg test – chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) test showed the floating core-shell beads were non-irritant, indicating their safety and biocompatibility properties. Given their floating properties and biocompatibility, these floating core-shell beads hold great potential for applications in the fields of gastric-retentive nutrition delivery. Following that, the floating core-shell beads were further encapsuled with pepsin. They displayed possessed satisfactory pepsin activity (90%) even after 15 days, suggesting that floating core-shell beads can protect the enzyme ingredients against damage. Interestingly, the floating core-shell beads exhibited both efficient sustained-release of pepsin and floating ability in simulated gastric solution. This work sheds light on the design and development of controllable floating core-shell hydrogel beads for various floating system applications. [Display omitted] • Alginate-based floating bead with core-shell structure was successfully prepared. • Floating beads were composed a vegetable oil core and a crosslinked alginate shell. • The shell thickness and core size can be adjusting by flow rate. • Floating beads showed possessed satisfactory pepsin activity (90%) after 15 days. • Floating beads exhibited efficient sustained-release of pepsin and floating ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]