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Understanding the transport mechanism is crucial for developing inhibitors that block allergen absorption and transport and prevent allergic reactions. However, the process of how beta-conglycinin, the primary allergen in soybeans, crosses the intestinal mucosal barrier remains unclear. The present study indicated that the transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates by IPEC-J2 monolayers occurred in a time- and quantity-dependent manner. The beta-conglycinin hydrolysates were absorbed into the cytoplasm of IPEC-J2 monolayers, while none were detected in the intercellular spaces. Furthermore, inhibitors such as methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) significantly suppressed the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates. Of particular interest, sodium cromoglycate (SCG) exhibited a quantity-dependent nonlinear suppression model on the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates. In conclusion, beta-conglycinin crossed the IPEC-J2 monolayers through a transcellular pathway, involving both clathrin-mediated and caveolae-dependent endocytosis mechanisms. SCG suppressed the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates by the IPEC-J2 monolayers by a quantity-dependent nonlinear model via clathrin-mediated and caveolae-dependent endocytosis. These findings provide promising targets for both the prevention and treatment of soybean allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM), complicated with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), has been sparsely reported and needs to be investigated further. Methods: Among those with tuberculous meningitis in Haihe Hospital, Tianjin University, 3 patients with venous sinus thrombosis were identified retrospectively. "Tuberculous meningitis" and "cerebral venous thrombosis" were used as keywords, and the retrieved literature was summarized and analyzed. Our data were combined with previously reported case data to describe this new condition. Results: Among 28 patients with a median onset age of 31 years for TBM, 17 were females. The manifestations were fever, headache, and seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) venography showed that the most common site of venous sinus thrombosis involved superior sagittal sinus, left transverse sinus, left sigmoid sinus, cavernous sinus, and straight sinus. The abnormalities found on MRI include hydrocephalus, exudates, hemorrhage, meningeal enhancement, infarction, and tuberculoma. In the acute phase, all patients received standard anti-TB treatment, and 14/28 patients received anticoagulant treatment. The mortality rate of these patients was 17.9%, and 21/28 (75%) became functionally independent. Conclusions: CVT is one of the rare complications of TMB and must be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with TBM who show poor clinical features and/or develop new neurological signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switched linear systems are important in providing a convenient method to represent many practical systems. This paper investigates the performance analysis of switched linear systems under arbitrary switching. Computational algorithms based on square coordinate transformations are presented to obtain the least μ1 measure. Theoretical results showed that sequences of the least μ1 matrix set measure obtained by two different algorithms are convergent and the limit gives an upper bound estimation of the spectral abscissa. A numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The bulk-boundary correspondence is a critical concept in topological quantum materials. For instance, a quantum spin Hall insulator features a bulk insulating gap with gapless helical boundary states protected by the underlying Z 2 topology. However, the bulk-boundary dichotomy and distinction are rarely explored in optical experiments, which can provide unique information about topological charge carriers beyond transport and electronic spectroscopy techniques. Here, we utilize mid-infrared absorption micro-spectroscopy and pump–probe micro-spectroscopy to elucidate the bulk-boundary optical responses of Bi 4 Br 4 , a recently discovered room-temperature quantum spin Hall insulator. Benefiting from the low energy of infrared photons and the high spatial resolution, we unambiguously resolve a strong absorption from the boundary states while the bulk absorption is suppressed by its insulating gap. Moreover, the boundary absorption exhibits strong polarization anisotropy, consistent with the one-dimensional nature of the topological boundary states. Our infrared pump–probe microscopy further measures a substantially increased carrier lifetime for the boundary states, which reaches one nanosecond scale. The nanosecond lifetime is about one to two orders longer than that of most topological materials and can be attributed to the linear dispersion nature of the helical boundary states. Our findings demonstrate the optical bulk-boundary dichotomy in a topological material and provide a proof-of-principal methodology for studying topological optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) assembly on octadecylamine (ODA) modified highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface by heating and ultrasonic treatment has been studied for the first time. We have observed that DNA on the ODA coated HOPG surface underwent dramatic morphological changes as a function of heating and ultrasonic treatment. Ordered DNA firstly changed to random aggregates by heating and then changed to three-dimensional (3D) networks by ultrasonic treatment. This finding points to previously unknown factors that impact graphite–DNA interaction and opens new opportunities to control the deposition of DNA onto graphitic substrates. In this way, we built a cost-effective method to produce large-scale 3D ssDNA networks. All of these studies pave the way to understand the properties of DNA–solid interface, design novel nanomaterials, and improve the sensitivity of DNA biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the correspondence between the important features of the topside weld pool and the penetration state is a key link in penetration control. This article presents a scheme of variable gap welding penetration control based on rough-fuzzy modeling. By utilizing the basic concepts of variable precision rough sets and conditional information entropy, relevant algorithms for attribute reduction and rule extraction in decision information systems are addressed. Raw data for modeling are obtained through current–gap combination experiments, and then rough-set-based knowledge acquisition algorithms are used to generate classification rules for the penetration state. Based on the correspondence between the important features of the topside pool and the penetration state, a fuzzy control model is established. Welding experiments under variable gaps are conducted to examine the proposed control scheme, and the results indicate that the weld has good penetration and meets the requirements of welding specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of nanoporous carbon (NPC) was synthesized using dandelion pappus as a cost-effective carbon source through chemical activation with phosphoric acid. Notably, NPC is first considered to be used as an enhanced electrode material for the analysis of tryptophan (Trp). The high electrical conductivity of nanoporous carbon modified electrode (NPC/GCE) was better demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry using the ferricyanide system as a probe. Furthermore, the NPC/GCE exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward Trp oxidation with a decreased overpotential and improved current response, mainly due to the porous structure and large specific surface of nanoporous carbon. The electrocatalytic oxidation mechanism of Trp at the modified electrode was also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The amperometric response of NPC-based sensor is linear in the 1 μM to 103 μM concentration range and the sensitivity is 171.43 μA mM −1  cm −2 . The proposed sensor was also successfully applied to the determination of Trp in real samples, and the satisfactory recoveries were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islet β-cell dysfunction is a basic pathophysiological characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Appropriate assessment of islet β-cell function is beneficial to better management of T2DM. Protecting islet β-cell function is vital to delay the progress of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the Pancreatic Islet β-cell Expert Panel of the Chinese Diabetes Society and Endocrinology Society of Jiangsu Medical Association organized experts to draft the " Clinical expert consensus on the assessment and protection of pancreatic islet β-cell function in type 2 diabetes mellitus." This consensus suggests that β-cell function can be clinically assessed using blood glucose-based methods or methods that combine blood glucose and endogenous insulin or C-peptide levels. Some measures, including weight loss and early and sustained euglycemia control, could effectively protect islet β-cell function, and some newly developed drugs, such as Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor and Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, could improve islet β-cell function, independent of glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the logical statements and linear inequalities, a new modeling method named bi-switching status modeling (BSM) method is presented to model the dc–dc converters in this paper. Compared with other modeling methods, such as the state-space averaging method and the mixed logical dynamical (MLD) method, first, the BSM method can describe continuous conduction mode and discontinuous conduction mode operations of the dc–dc converters as a unified bi-switching status model. Second, the BSM method is more precise than the state-space averaging method because there is no approximate assumption. Third, the constrains of the operating modes in the BSM method can be simplified as a consolidated inequality, which means that the model obtained by the BSM method is more concise than that obtained by the MLD method. Simulation and available experiments of a buck converter verify the effectiveness of the proposed BSM method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is one of the most attractive materials in future photovoltaics. However, copper could accumulate at the surface of CZTS films causing the combination of carriers and short circuiting of solar cells. One possible solution is sodium doping. In this paper, in order to investigate the role of sodium in CZTS phase distribution and segregation, a series of experimental works were carried out with Na-containing and Na-free samples. From the analyses of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and Raman spectra, sodium was found to accumulate near the surface and interface, where Zn-rich regions were also detected. To explain this phenomenon, we deduced that sodium plays an important role in Zn accumulation and contributes to the surface and interface modifications. Based on this deduction, we conducted a detailed phase reaction process on samples containing a 40 nm NaF layer annealed at various temperatures. The phase evolution route was confirmed and the results gave us a better understanding of the role of sodium in CZTS evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have studied the influence of sodium in CuZnSnS (CZTS) solar cells. The CZTS films were prepared on soda lime glass substrates with and without sodium barrier layers (the glass substrate served as a sodium source). Alternatively, a 40 nm NaF layer was deposited on the metallic precursor using glass substrates with a sodium barrier layer. The SEM showed a bi-layer structure of CZTS films. The bottom layer with small grains became thicker with sodium doping. Using the UV-Raman spectroscopy, ZnS phase was observed both in the surface and interface for the sample prepared with NaF. XPS indicated that sodium was rich on the film surface and at the CZTS/Mo interface. Simultaneously the surface and interface identified to be low concentrations of Cu as well as high concentrations of Zn. The I–V curve under light indicated that the performance could be improved by controlling the amount sodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to assess whether insulin secretion patterns during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) could predict future type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Chinese normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects.Methods: A total of 558 NGT, 419 newly diagnosed impaired glucose tolerance, and 694 newly diagnosed T2D patients were assessed. NGT subjects were grouped based on the time of peak insulin secretion during a 3h- OGTT; at 30min (InsP30), 60min (InsP60), 120min (InsP120), or 180min (InsP180), respectively. NGT subjects were followed up for an average duration of 5.58±1.08years. Beta-cell function was estimated by Stumvoll insulin secretion.Results: The InsP120 and InsP180 groups had lower Stumvoll first-phase insulin secretion levels compared with InsP30. At 5.58±1.08years, 25 (5.39%) NGT subjects had developed T2D. The cumulative incidence rate of diabetes was higher in the InsP120 and InsP180 groups (8.94%), compared with InsP30 (1.48%) (P<0.05). The adjusted relative risk for incident diabetes was 7.30 (95% CI: 1.53-34.72) times higher in the InsP120 and InsP180 groups.Conclusions: NGT subjects with late insulin responses had defective early insulin secretion and were at higher risk of developing diabetes. Insulin secretion patterns could be a useful T2D predictor in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we reported TEM observations of several CdS thin films prepared by close space submission, sputtering, chemical bath deposition and electronic deposition technologies. The CdS layers prepared by close space submission and sputtering methods had larger grains (50–80 nm), while the CdS layers deposited by chemical bath had very small grains with the size of 5–10 nm. Electro deposited CdS yielded more like an epitaxial film. The optical and chemical properties showed good quality of CdS films prepared by all methods. In this work we proposed a suitable CdS multilayer structure to use it as a window layer in thin film solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication of a novel amperometric sensor for tryptophan (Trp) based on a pristine multi-walled carbon nanotube/graphene oxide (pMWCNT/GO) hybrid obtained through the sonication of pMWCNTs in an aqueous solution of GO. The results of transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrate the successful formation and the excellent charge transfer ability of the resulting hybrid. Compared with the commonly used acid-treated MWCNTs and GO, the resulting hybrid exhibits better electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of Trp, which is attributed to the synergistic effect of MWCNTs and GO. The current–time curve reveals that the catalytic oxidation current is linearly dependent on Trp concentration in the range of 50 nM to 4.25 μM with a detection limit of 8 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, the proposed sensor is successfully employed to detect Trp in the real samples with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon regulates glucose homeostasis by controlling glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Exaggerated and dysregulated glucagon secretion can exacerbate hyperglycemia contributing to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, it is important to understand how glucagon receptor (GCGR) activity and signaling is controlled in hepatocytes. To better understand this, we sought to identify proteins that interact with the GCGR to affect ligand-dependent receptor activation. A Flag-tagged human GCGR was recombinantly expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and GCGR complexes were isolated by affinity purification (AP). Complexes were then analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS), and protein-GCGR interactions were validated by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and Western blot. This was followed by studies in primary hepatocytes to assess the effects of each interactor on glucagon-dependent glucose production and intracellular cAMP accumulation, and then in immortalized CHO and liver cell lines to further examine cell signaling. Thirty-three unique interactors were identified from the AP-MS screening of GCGR expressing CHO cells in both glucagon liganded and unliganded states. These studies revealed a particularly robust interaction between GCGR and 5 proteins, further validated by Co-IP, Western blot and qPCR. Overexpression of selected interactors in mouse hepatocytes indicated that two interactors, LDLR and TMED2, significantly enhanced glucagon-stimulated glucose production, while YWHAB inhibited glucose production. This was mirrored with glucagon-stimulated cAMP production, with LDLR and TMED2 enhancing and YWHAB inhibiting cAMP accumulation. To further link these interactors to glucose production, key gluconeogenic genes were assessed. Both LDLR and TMED2 stimulated while YWHAB inhibited PEPCK and G6Pase gene expression. In the present study, we have probed the GCGR interactome and found three novel GCGR interactors that control glucagon-stimulated glucose production by modulating cAMP accumulation and genes that control gluconeogenesis. These interactors may be useful targets to control glucose homeostasis in T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films were prepared by sputtering CIGS quaternary target and subsequent annealing in the 450–550 °C range. For analyses purpose, the films were peeled off from Mo-coated glass and both parts were named as ‘CIGS side’ and ‘Mo side’ respectively. Raman spectroscopy and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to identify crystalline phases and chemical compositions. On the ‘Mo side’, a MoSe x layer was evidenced with increased thickness for higher annealing temperature. On the ‘CIGS side’, XPS highlighted a continuous Ga enrichment and a Cu content decrease with increasing temperature. Na was detected on both Mo and CIGS sides. Its concentration and distribution relied on the temperature. Finally, relationships between interface modifications and annealing temperature were discussed . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(CH3)2Ge=Si: and its derivatives (X2Ge=Si:, X=H, F, Cl, Br, Ph, Ar) are a new species. Their cycloaddition reaction is a new area for the study of silylene chemistry. The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet (CH3)2Ge=Si: and formaldehyde was investigated with the CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31G* method. From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has one dominant pathway. The reaction rule presented is that the two reactants first form a four-membered Ge-heterocyclic silylene through the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction. Because of the 3p unoccupied orbital of Si: atom in the four-membered Ge-heterocyclic silylene and the π orbital of formaldehyde forming a π→p donor-acceptor bond, the four-membered Ge-heterocyclic silylene further combines with formaldehyde to form an intermediate product. The Si: atom in the intermediate product is sp3 hybridized after transition state, and this intermediate isomerizes to a spiro-Si-heterocyclic compound involving Ge via a transition state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, bilayer ZnS/CdS film was prepared as an improved window layer of CdTe solar cell. TEM was used to observe the cross section of the bilayer structure. The total thickness of ZnS/CdS film was about 60nm, which could allow more photons to pass through it and contribute to the photocurrent. Optical properties of the bilayers were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy. Compared with poor transmission of standard CdS film in the short wavelength range of 350–550nm, the transmission of ZnS/CdS was improved and reached above 50%. The ZnS/CdS was annealed with CdCl2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate its chemical properties. A possible diffusion between CdS and ZnS was observed after annealing. The efficiency of standard CdS/CdTe solar cell was 9.53%. The device based on ZnS/CdS window layer had a poor 6% efficiency. With annealing treatment on ZnS/CdS layer, the performance was improved and reached 10.3%. In addition, the homogeneity of solar cell performance was improved using ZnS/CdS window layer. A thin ZnS layer was quite effective to reduce the possible shunt paths and short parts of window layer and consequently contributed to fabrication of a homogeneous CdTe solar cell. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a study of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film growth in the annealing process at temperature range from 120°C to 600°C. Thin films were prepared by sputtering metal precursors and subsequent selenization process. Surface morphologies of thin films were observed by using high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Phases in quaternary systems Cu–In–Ga–Se were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Evolution of crystalline structure in the film surface was studied by Raman spectra. A possible reaction path from metallic precursors to a single CIGS phase was obtained by merging all results of SEM, XRD and Raman. Above 210°C, selenium reacted with Cu and In to form binary selenide. CuSe crystalline platelets were observed clearly in the film surfaces. When temperature was reaching 380°C, Cu2−x Se and InSe reacted with excess Se to form CuInSe2 (CIS) and contributed to the grain growth. Above 410°C, Ga-rich phase was detected in the films. With increased temperature, Ga diffused into CIS crystalline lattices. Finally, at 600°C, a single phase of Cu‐In‐Ga‐Se quaternary system was formed. A large number of triangular and hexagonal structures were observed in the film due to a re-crystalline process at a high annealing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet ClGe=Si: and ethylene has been investigated with the CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31G* method. From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has a dominant reaction pathway. The presented rule of the dominant reaction pathway is that the [2+2] cycloaddition effect of the two reactants leads to the formation of a four-membered Ge -heterocyclic ring silylene. Due to sp hybridization of the Si: atom in the four-membered Ge -heterocyclic ring silylene, the four-membered Ge -heterocyclic ring silylene further reacts with ethylene to form a spiro-Si-heterocyclic ring compound involving Ge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet state dichlorogermylene silylene (ClGe=Si:) and acetaldehyde has been investigated with the MP2/cc-pvtz//MP2/6-31G* method. According to the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has four competitive dominant reaction pathways. The presented rule of this reaction is that the 3 p unoccupied orbital of Si: atom in dimethylgermylene silylene(ClGe=Si:) inserts the π orbital of acetaldehyde from the oxygen side, resulting in the formation of intermediate. In the intermediate and two reactants, two four-membered ring silylenes, with Si and O in the syn-position and opposite orientation, respectively, are generated, as the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction has occurred between the two bonding π orbital in dichlorogermylene silylene and acetaldehyde. Because of the unsaturated property of Si: atom in the two four-membered ring silylenes, they can further react with acetaldehyde to form two silicic bis-heterocyclic compounds. Simultaneity, the drive of ringlet tensility and unsaturated property of Si: atom in the four-membered ring silylene makes it isomerize into a distorted four-membered ring product and a Cl-transfer product and a H-transfer product, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by ‘dry’ (close space sublimation) and ‘wet’ (chemical bath deposition) methods are deposited and analyzed. CdS prepared with close space sublimation (CSS) has better crystal quality, electrical and optical properties than that prepared with chemical bath deposition (CBD). The performance of CdTe solar cell based on the CSS CdS layer has higher efficiency than that based on CBD CdS layer. However, the CSS CdS suffers from the pinholes. And consequently it is necessary to prepare a 150nm thin film for CdTe/CdS solar cell. To improve the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells, a thin multilayer structure of CdS layer (∼80nm) is applied, which is composed of a bottom layer (CSS CdS) and a top layer (CBD CdS). That bi-layer film can allow more photons to pass through it and significantly improve the short circuit current of the CdS/CdTe solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are treated in different ways to improve the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells. It has been found that the open circuit voltage of the CdS/CdTe solar cell increases when the CBD CdS is annealed with CdCl2 before the deposition of CdTe by close spaced sublimation (CSS). A thin CBD CdS (∼80nm) with bi-layer structure can significantly improve the short circuit current of the CdS/CdTe solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are annealed in the oxygen and argon–hydrogen atmosphere respectively. It has been found that the open circuit voltage of the CdS/CdTe solar cell increases when the CBD CdS is annealed with oxygen before the deposition of CdTe by close spaced sublimation (CSS), while the performance of the solar cell decreases when the CBD CdS is annealed with argon–hydrogen. Electronic properties of the CdS films are investigated using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), which indicates that the Fermi level is shifting closer to the conduction band after annealing in the oxygen and consequently a higher open circuit voltage of the solar cell can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The performance of the back contact is one of the major issues of CdTe solar cell research. Standard nitric–phosphoric (NP) acid chemical etching before metallization is widely used to improve contact formation. However, previous studies of this traditional etching method indicated a blocking Schottky barrier at the back contact, and a roll-over phenomenon was found in the J–V curves of the CdTe solar cells. In this work, a new etching solution, i.e. a nitric–acetic (NA) acid was employed. The etching rate was slow and a Te-rich layer was formed on the surface, which was less than 1nm. The CdTe solar cell with this new etching method showed no roll-over phenomenon and displayed a good ohmic back contact performance. XPS analysis demonstrated that the back contact barrier height was close to those of CdTe with standard NP etching. A possible mechanism was presented for the improvement of back contact properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soybean allergen entering the body is the initial step to trigger intestinal allergic response. However, it remains unclear how glycinin, the major soybean allergen, is transported through the intestinal mucosal barrier. The objective of this study was to elucidate the pathway and mechanism of glycinin hydrolysate transport through the intestinal epithelial barrier using IPEC‐J2 cell model. Purified glycinin was digested by in vitro static digestion model. The pathway and mechanism of glycinin hydrolysates transport through intestinal epithelial cells were investigated by cellular transcytosis assay, cellular uptake assay, immunoelectron microscopy and endocytosis inhibition assay. The glycinin hydrolysates were transported across IPEC‐J2 cell monolayers in a time/dose‐dependent manner following the Michaelis equation. Immunoelectron microscopy showed a number of glycinin hydrolysates appeared in the cytoplasm, but no glycinin hydrolysates were observed in the intercellular space of IPEC‐J2 cells. The inhibitors, colchicine, chlorpromazine and methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin, significantly inhibited the cellular uptake of glycinin hydrolysates. The glycinin hydrolysates crossed IPEC‐J2 cell monolayers through the transcellular pathway. Both clathrin‐ and caveolae‐dependent endocytosis were involved in the epithelial uptake of the hydrolysates. These findings provided potential targets for the prevention and treatment of soybean allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision beam pointing is the key indicator for APT (acquisition, pointing and tracking) system in space laser communication. The laser travels inside the optical system and the pointing vector will be affected by an assembly error of the axis and reflectors. In this paper, the model of the optical path pointing error and coaxiality error induced by the assembly error are established; the error distribution is given and a quantitative analysis is performed. The results show that the magnitude of pointing error is affected by the axis assembling error greatly but its distribution is susceptible to the reflector assembly error. Finally, the correction of coaxiality is performed and tested. The experimental results show that the coaxiality error can be greatly improved and the mean value of the coaxiality error of a beacon path and a signal path are 14 and 9.6 µrad, respectively, which meets the requirements. This work can provide guidance for design and assembly of the APT and contribute to the improvement of its pointing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometrical error caused pointing error is an inevitable problem in space satellite laser communication terminals which can affect the pointing accuracy of the APT (acquisition pointing and tracking) system greatly, in order to facilitate the assembling of the APT system and improve the performance of the laser communication system, the geometrical error sensitivity about the APT pointing accuracy is analyzed based on multi-body kinematics method in this paper, the error transformation matrix is derived and the geometrical error is analyzed, the simulation results provide some pointing error distribution regulars which are conductive to assembling. Based on the above research, the geometrical error correction experiment is performed and the pointing accuracy of the APT system is tested, the expectation value of the pointing error can reach 29.9 µrad which is greatly improved. This research can provide technical references for the design and analysis of space laser communication terminals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first successful exfoliation of graphene, the superior physical and chemical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as atomic thickness, strong in-plane bonding energy and weak inter-layer van der Waals (vdW) force have attracted wide attention. Meanwhile, there is a surge of interest in novel physics which is absent in bulk materials. Thus, vertical stacking of 2D materials could be critical to discover such physics and develop novel optoelectronic applications. Although vdW heterostructures have been grown by chemical vapor deposition, the available choices of materials for stacking is limited and the device yield is yet to be improved. Another approach to build vdW heterostructure relies on wet/dry transfer techniques like stacking Lego bricks. Although previous reviews have surveyed various wet transfer techniques, novel dry transfer techniques have been recently been demonstrated, featuring clean and sharp interfaces, which also gets rid of contamination, wrinkles, bubbles formed during wet transfer. This review summarizes the optimized dry transfer methods, which paves the way towards high-quality 2D material heterostructures with optimized interfaces. Such transfer techniques also lead to new physical phenomena while enable novel optoelectronic applications on artificial vdW heterostructures, which are discussed in the last part of this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the influences of Na doping content on the microstructure of CIGS absorption layer and the electrical performance of CIGS solar cell are investigated. It is found that Na is benefit to reducing the thickness of MoSe2 layer which is between the CIGS absorption layer and Mo back contact layer, and decreasing the series resistance and improving the fill-factor of the cell. Besides, Na will influence the distribution of Ga. With the increase of the Na doping, Ga elements tend to accumulate at the back region of the CIGS absorption layer, and form a strong back surface field which reduces the carriers recombination. Those effects contribute to the improvement of the CIGS cells efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-size Bi2Se3 tape electrode (BTE) was prepared by peeling off a 2 × 1 × 0.5 cm high-quality single crystal. The feasibility of using the flexible BTE as an efficient bioplatform to load Au nanoparticles and probe DNA for HIV-1 DNA electrochemical sensing was explored. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the resultant biosensor has a wide linear range from 0.1 fM to 1 pM, a low detection limit of 50 aM, excellent selectivity, reproducibility and stability, and is superior to the pM DNA detection level of Pt-Au, graphene-AuNPs hybrid biosensors. This outstanding performance is attributed to the intrinsic surface state of Bi2Se3 topological insulator in facilitating electron transfer. Therefore, BTE electrochemical biosensor platform has great potential in the application for sensitive detection of DNA biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution imaging has become a development trend and is widely used in military and civil fields. As the carrying equipment of imaging system, the speed stability of tracking turntable is the basis of high-resolution and stable imaging. At present, in the aerospace field, there are high requirements for peak power dissipation and holding torque, so flexible joints such as harmonic gear drive are mostly used to realize the function. The characteristics of flexible load have a great impact on the characteristics of motion control, which is easy to cause mechanical resonance, lead to system instability, and have a great impact on speed stability and position tracking accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the servo system of flexible load. In order to solve the problems of high-precision position control and speed stability at low speed of flexible turntable with uncertain load, on the one hand, we comprehensively consider the advantages and disadvantages of semi-closed-loop and full closed-loop control and design a dual-position loop feedback control system combined with the analysis of dynamic equation to realize speed stability and high-precision position control. On the other hand, according to the requirements of the speed stability at low speed of the turntable, the tracking differentiator (TD) is designed innovatively through the language three-point interpolation subdivision and five-point pre-deduction calculation method. Finally, a dual-position loop LLADRC (language linear active disturbances rejection controller) control method based on harmonic gear drive is studied. By comparing the semi-closed loop, dual-position loop, dual-position loop LADRC (linear active disturbances rejection controller, ADRC), and dual-position loop LLADRC methods through simulation analysis, it can be shown that the double position LLADRC control method is obviously superior to other schemes in terms of rapidity, speed stability at low speed, and position tracking accuracy. The theoretical research is verified by experimental test. When the given speed is 0.1 ° / s , taking the pitch axis as an example, the pitch speed error is 0.0039 ° / s (3σ). When the maximum speed of the given curve is 20 ° / s and the maximum acceleration is 16 ° / s , the position tracking error is 0.0025° (3σ). This control method solves the problems of system instability and low-speed stability in high-precision control of turntable system based on harmonic gear drive and provides a method for high-precision control of high-resolution imaging turntable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a tracking and pointing control system with dual-FSM (fast steering mirror) composite axis is proposed. It is applied to the target-tracking accuracy control in a 3D GISC LiDAR (three-dimensional ghost imaging LiDAR via sparsity constraint) system. The tracking and pointing imaging control system of the dual-FSM 3D GISC LiDAR proposed in this paper is a staring imaging method with multiple measurements, which mainly solves the problem of high-resolution remote-sensing imaging of high-speed moving targets when the technology is transformed into practical applications. In the research of this control system, firstly, we propose a method that combines motion decoupling and sensor decoupling to solve the mechanical coupling problem caused by the noncoaxial sensor installation of the FSM. Secondly, we suppress the inherent mechanical resonance of the FSM in the control system. Thirdly, we propose the optical path design of a dual-FSM 3D GISC LiDAR tracking imaging system to solve the problem of receiving aperture constraint. Finally, after sufficient experimental verification, our method is shown to successfully reduce the coupling from 7% to 0.6%, and the precision tracking bandwidth reaches 300 Hz. Moreover, when the distance between the GISC system and the target is 2.74 km and the target flight speed is 7 m/s, the tracking accuracy of the system is improved from 15.7 μrad (σ) to 2.2 μrad (σ), and at the same time, the system recognizes the target contour clearly. Our research is valuable to put the GISC technology into practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet state Cl2Ge=Si: And acetone has been investigated with density functional theory (DFT). From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has two competitive dominant reaction pathways. The presented rule of the reaction is that the [2+2] cycloaddition effect of the two p-bonds in Cl2Ge=Si: And acetone leads to the formation of two four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylenes (1. Ge and O in the opposite orientation; 2. Ge and O in the syn-position). Because of the 3p unoccupied orbital of the Si: Atom in two four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylenes and the π orbital of acetone forming a π → p donor-acceptor bond, the two four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylenes further combines with acetone to form an intermediate, respectively. Because the Si atom in two intermediates happens sp3 hybridization after transition state, then, two intermediates isomerizes to a spiro-Si-heterocyclic ring compound involving Ge via a transition state, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth bromide (α-Bi4Br4) can demonstrate various exotic topological states, including higher-order topological insulator with hinge states and quantum spin Hall insulator with helical edge states. To date, α-Bi4Br4 nanowires can be obtained by using the exfoliation method from the bulk. However, it is still a great challenge to efficiently prepare α-Bi4Br4 nanowires suitable for potential applications, e.g., saturable absorber in ultrafast pulsed fiber lasers. Here, we report the controllable growth of α-Bi4Br4 thin films consisting of nanowires via molecular beam epitaxy technique. We show that the morphology of the α-Bi4Br4 nanowires depends on the growth temperature and BiBr3 flux. In addition, we also achieve α-Bi4Br4 nanowires on NbSe2 and gold substrates. Furthermore, we performed the saturable absorption property of α-Bi4Br4 thin films with a modulation depth of 21.58% and mode-locking at 1556.4 nm with a pulse width of 375 fs in the pulsed fiber lasers. Those results demonstrate the synthesis of quasi-1D topological material α-Bi4Br4, which is expected to be used for the fundamental research of topological physics and potential applications in optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The computational prediction of peptides that bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules has practical importance for the development of epitope-based vaccines. The performance of the prediction methods depends on the verified peptides. However, the available peptide datasets of most alleles contain significant biases. An investigation to the effect of the peptides in the training dataset on the performance of the generated model indicated that there was a discrepancy between the classification of binders from biological data and classification of binders from super-motif-sharing peptides, which was induced by the non-motif-containing peptides. Most human MHC (called HLA) class I molecules could be assigned to supertypes based on their overlapping peptide-binding specificities, therefore, we proposed a supertype-based method for the modeling of the HLA class I-peptide binding: candidates of peptides binding to alleles in a given supertypes were screened using the super-motifs, and then the peptides binding to specific allele in the supertype were predicted by the model trained on the super-motif-sharing peptides. The efficacy of this supertype-based method was examined in two matrix-based methods and one machine learning method for 20 alleles in HLA supertypes A1, A2, A3, A24, B44 and B7. Evaluations on several benchmark datasets indicated that the supertype-based method achieved remarkable success in improving the prediction of HLA-binding peptides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Using electrochemical biosensors for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments. • Electrode material selection is Bi2Se3 single crystal obtained by mechanical peeling. • The peak current has a linear relationship with the logarithm of DNA concentration. • There is excellent specificity in identifying DNA, RNA, and viruses. • Sensors can clearly distinguish between positive and negative results. In this study, we have designed an electrochemical biosensor based on topological material Bi 2 Se 3 for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Flake-shaped Bi 2 Se 3 was obtained directly from high-quality single crystals using mechanical exfoliation, and the single-stranded DNA was immobilized onto it. Under optimal conditions, the peak current of the differential pulse voltammetry method exhibited a linear relationship with the logarithm of the concentration of target-complementary-stranded DNA, ranging from 1.0 × 10-15 to 1.0 × 10-11 M, with a detection limit of 3.46 × 10-16 M. The topological material Bi 2 Se 3 , with Dirac surface states, enhanced the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio of the electrochemical measurements, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated excellent specificity in recognizing RNA. It can detect complementary RNA by amplifying and transcribing the initial DNA template, with an initial DNA template concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10-18 to 1.0 × 10-15 M. Furthermore, the sensor also effectively distinguished negative and positive results by detecting splitting-synthetic SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus with a concentration of 1 copy/μL input. Our work underscores the immense potential of the electrochemical sensing platform based on the topological material Bi 2 Se 3 in the detection of pathogens during the rapid spread of acute infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturable absorption may be induced at critical pumping power by nonlinear optical effects of nanomaterials, thereby making it possible to generate a high-power ultrafast laser. Recently, Bi4Br4 is theoretically predicted to be a member of topological insulators and is expected to be a promising candidate for saturable absorbers (SAs). We show here that Bi4Br4 features a large modulation depth of 42.3%. The Bi4Br4-based SA enables mode-locking operation at the near-infrared range, as demonstrated here by a 1.5 μm fiber laser with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 90 dB and a pulse duration of 172 fs. Moreover, the robustness of the Bi4Br4-based SA at relatively high power is of particular interest, which can be proved by a laser's stable operation state. The strong optical nonlinearity and robustness provided by Bi4Br4 may arouse a growing upsurge in the innovation of high-power ultrafast photonic devices and further development of photon applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the potential relevance of muscle mass as a variable contributor to BMI in limitations on BMI-based predictions of diabetes remission (DR) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).Research Design and Methods: We evaluated the relationship between muscle mass and BMI in 501 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and overweight or obesity, of whom 186 patients who underwent RYGB were studied for determination of the role of baseline muscle mass and BMI in predicting DR. Muscle mass was assessed by estimated fat-free mass index (eFFMI) and psoas cross-sectional area (CSA).Results: A nonlinear relationship existed between psoas CSA and BMI, whereas psoas CSA showed a highly positive correlation with eFFMI. Baseline psoas CSA and eFFMI were better than BMI for predicting 1- and 5-year DR.Conclusions: The nonlinear relationship between muscle mass and BMI may partially contribute to BMI limitations in predicting DR after RYGB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The need for a unified definition of weight loss (WL) after bariatric surgery has recently been highlighted. We aimed to evaluate the reliability of two clinically common WL indications including percentage of total WL (%TWL) and percentage of excess WL (%EWL) through comparing their performances in predicting metabolic syndrome (MetS) remission 1 year after bariatric surgery. Methods: A total of 430 individuals with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery were enrolled. Participants were evaluated for changes in anthropometric parameters, metabolic indexes, MetS components and medications before and 1 year after surgery. MetS was defined using the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian-Americans. Results: The prevalence of MetS is 92.3% (397) at baseline. One year after bariatric surgery, 337 individuals (84.9%) were in MetS remission. The multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.22) for each 1% increase in %TWL for MetS remission and 1.18 (95% CI 1.11-1.25) for each 5% increase in %EWL. This association with MetS remission remained statistically significant for %TWL after additional adjustment for %EWL (P for trend 0.029), and disappeared for %EWL. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses showed that the %TWL was more predictive than the %EWL (AUC%TWL vs. AUC %EWL, 0.749 vs. 0.700, p=0.023). The Youden index indicated that the optimal %TWL cut-off point to identify MetS remission was 25%. Conclusions: We recommend that good responders to bariatric surgery should be defined as those exhibiting % TWL ≥25%. Clinical Trial Registration: Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of metabolic surgery for obesity: a clinical cohort study; Chinese Clinical Trial Registration:ChiCTR1900028513. Disclosure: Y. Tu: None. Y. Pan: None. J. Han: None. J. Pan: None. Y. Bao: None. H. Yu: None. Funding: National Key Research and Development Project of China (2016YFA0502003); National Natural Science Foundation of China (81670791); Municipal Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (17ZR1421200); Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease (2017ZZ01013) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon antagonism has been reported as a new therapeutic approach to hyperglycaemia. As the 14‐3‐3 protein YWHAB has been identified as a regulator of the glucagon receptor (GCGR) by affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we examined the role of YWHAB in vivo. Ywhab knockout mice display impaired blood glucose homeostasis only under pyruvate stimulation. Deletion of Ywhab in mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs) increases hepatocyte glucose production by magnifying the effect of glucagon. Mechanistic analysis indicates that YWHAB forms a phosphorylation‐dependent complex with GCGR and directly interacts with forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). Together, these results reveal the inhibitory role of YWHAB in glucagon‐mediated hepatic glucose production, which may be a potential target for the control of gluconeogenesis and associated metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a common tuberculosis (TB) comorbidity, is associated with delayed bacillary clearance during anti-TB treatment and unfavorable outcomes. Bedaquiline (BDQ), when used as part of multidrug regimen for multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB), has been shown to be effective and safe although treatment outcome and risks for patients with MDR/XDR-TB and DM are unknown. A multicenter retrospective study was conducted to compared the safety and effectiveness of 24-week BDQ-containing anti-TB treatment for patients with MDR/XDR-TB with and without DM. Methods: The study of patients with MDR/XDR-TB with or without DM (enrolled February 2018–September 2019, 21 Chinese hospitals) was supervised by the New Drug Introduction and Protection Program (NDIP). Of 640 patients with MDR/XDR-TB receiving BDQ-containing anti-TB treatments, two propensity score-matched groups (107 DM/107 non-DM) were compared for cumulative culture conversion rate, time to culture conversion, adverse events, and corrected QT interval. Results: Body mass index was higher in patients with DM than patients without DM (23.29 ± 3.9 vs. 20.5 ± 3.6, P < 0.001); lung cavity prevalence (86.9% vs. 72.9%, P = 0.037) was also higher in patients with DM; the non-DM group had higher hepatitis prevalence (29.0% vs. 15.9%, P = 0.022). No significant intergroup differences were found for sputum culture conversion rate at week 8 (80.0% vs. 81.4%, P = 0.884), at week 24 (95.6% vs. 98.2%, P = 0.629), or for median time to sputum culture conversion [56 days (IQR 28–63) vs. 56 days (IQR 28–84) (P = 0.687)]. Favorable post-24-week treatment outcomes were presented by 90.7% and 93.5% in the DM group and non-DM group, respectively, without significant intergroup differences (P = 0.448). The DM adverse event rate exceeded non-DM rate (77.6% vs. 64.5%, P = 0.035). Conclusion: Despite some differences in baseline characteristics, Chinese patients with MDR/XDR-TB with or without DM had similar sputum culture conversion rates and favorable treatment outcomes post-24-week BDQ-containing anti-TB treatment. Low BMI but not DM is risk factor associated with unfavorable outcome of patients with MDR/XDR-TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-Conglycinin was resistant to gastrointestinal digestion in early weaned piglets. • The resultant digestion-resistant fragments were absorbed into the intestinal mucosa. • These fragments were observed to be absorbed through transcellular pathway. • The absorption occurred in the form of IgE-allergen complex with CD23 as the receptor. To date, it still remains unknown how β-conglycinin, a major soybean allergen, crosses intestinal epithelial barrier to reach immune cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the pathway and molecular mechanism of β-conglycinin absorption and transport across intestinal mucosal epithelium using a β-conglycinin allergic piglet model. Ten-day old piglets were orally sensitized with diets containing 2% and 4% β-conglycinin. The digestion, absorption and transport of β-conglycinin in gastrointestinal tract was investigated. The results showed that β-conglycinin had a certain resistance to gastrointestinal digestion, and the digestion-resistant subunits and fragments were absorbed into the intestinal mucosa and then induced an anaphylaxis in early weaned piglets. The absorption occurred in the form of IgE-allergen immune complex through transcellular pathway with CD23 as the receptor. These results provided important clues for using the pathway and molecule as inhibitor target to prevent and alleviate soybean β-conglycinin allergy in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) structured layered chalcogenide materials play a pivotal role in a wide range of applications owing to their exotic physical properties and flexible architectures. Here, we report on the controllable synthesis of 2D SnSe2 flakes with screw dislocations and fractal structures on mica and graphite substrates using a molecular beam epitaxy technique. Atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the composition and crystal structures of the 2D SnSe2 flakes. We show that 2D SnSe2 flakes with tunable density of screw dislocations and fractal structures can be prepared by adjusting the growth parameters. This work offers new opportunities for engineering 2D materials with unique architectures to develop novel electronic devices and catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) exhibit interesting electronic and optical properties depending on their complex layer stacking and unique architectures. Here, we develop a high-efficiency and low-cost chemical vapor deposition technique to controllably grow 2D MoSe2 flakes with kirigami structures. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the kirigami architectures. Similar kirigami structures can also be extended to WSe2 flakes. This work expands the chemical toolbox for design and fabrication of TMDCs and offers new opportunities for engineering 2D materials with unique three-dimensional architectures and complex layer stacking to develop novel electronic devices and catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The vehicle theodolite has been the trend of the optical shooting range survey. While tracking and imaging of the long-distance dim targets have not been solved perfectly in this field, so this paper presents one active polarization imaging technology to find a way to deal with it. Firstly, we put forward a new active polarization imaging system with the lighting mode of circularly polarized laser and receives the reflected light by the mode of range-gating technique; secondly, deduces the pulse laser beam pointing algorithm; thirdly, describes the extended Kalman filtering algorithm to compensate the delay in the process and the calculation of the polarization angle, the attitude angle of flight target using single station cosine method and the depolarization of the circularly polarized laser. Finally, the result of this active polarization imaging technology which is simulated and analyzed in Simulink shows that the pointing precision can reach 0.0075 degrees. Then the analysis in this paper provide a theoretical basis for the application of the active polarization imaging technology in the field of the optical shooting range survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlight • Wide photoresponse in the visible to near infrared wavelength. • High optical absorption coefficient. • New materials used in the field of infrared detector. Abstract In this work, we prepared BiCuSeO polycrystalline films by evaporating precursors following with selenization treatment. Their optical and photoelectrical properties were investigated from visible to infrared light. Optical absorption spectrum indicated that the absorption coefficient was 104–105 cm−1 from 0.4 μm to 2 μm. Photo induced voltages were clearly detected when the film surfaces were irradiated by the lasers with various wavelengths and powers. The voltage had a linear dependence with the laser illumination intensity, which indicated the main response mechanism of photo-thermal electric effect in the films. All the results suggested that the BiCuSeO film was a potential material for near infrared detector application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bcl2l13 is a member of the Bcl-2 family that has been found to play a central role in regulating apoptosis. Recently Bcl2l13 has been reported to induce mitophagy as a functional mammalian homolog of Atg32. However, the role of Bcl2l13 in adipose tissue has not been investigated yet. In the present study, we found that Bcl2l13 expression was increased in white adipose tissue browning process stimulated by cold exposure or β3-adrenergic agonist CL-316,243 in vivo as well as during brown adipocytes differentiation in vitro. Moreover, Bcl2l13 disruption dramatically inhibited the browning program of preadipocytes, evidenced by reduced Prdm16, Ucp1, Dio2 and Adrb3 expression. Our findings revealed that the inhibition effect of Bcl2l13 disruption on browning program may be independent of altering autophagy activity, but through regulating mitochondrial dynamic and biogenesis, supported by decreased mitochondrial fission/fussion genes, PGC-1α and mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes expression. Taken together, our study uncovered a novel function of Bcl2l13 in adipocytes differentiation and promoting browning program. Highlights • Bcl2l13 expression is induced in Browning of white adipose tissues in Mice. • Knockdown of Bcl2l13 in beige adipocytes represses adipogenesis and thermogenic programing. • Bcl2l13 induces thermogenic programing by regulating mitochondrial dynamic and biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various structures of two-dimensional (2D) WSe2 were controllably grown in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. Using salt as the co-solvent and surfactant, we were able to grow monolayer single-crystalline WSe2 flakes with lateral size of up to 215 μm and monolayer polycrystalline WSe2 with lateral size of a few millimeters on amorphous SiO2 substrates. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectra, photoluminescence spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra measurements disclosed high quality of as-grown 2D WSe2. Moreover, multilayer WSe2 flakes with spiral dislocations and uniform size were also achieved. Our study demonstrates that the salt-assisted CVD technique can be applied for the controllable synthesis of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides with various structures and morphologies, paving the way for developing novel catalysts and electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]