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Heterogeneous electrocatalysis closely relies on the electronic structure of the catalytic materials. The ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition of the materials also involves a change in the state of electrons that could impact the electrocatalytic activity, but such correlation remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity could be regulated as exampled by hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis over two‐dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6. The obvious discontinuity in the overpotential and apparent activation energy values for CuInP2S6 electrode are illustrated during the ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition caused by copper displacement around Tc point (318 K), revealing the ferroelectro‐catalytic effect on thermodynamics and kinetics of electrocatalysis. When loading Pt single atom on the CuInP2S6, the paraelectric phase one showed an improved hydrogen evolution activity with smaller apparent activation energy over the ferroelectric phase counterpart. This is attributed to the copper hopping between two sulfur planes, which alternate between strong and weak H adsorption at the Pt sites to simultaneously promote H+ reactant adsorption and H2 product desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous electrocatalysis closely relies on the electronic structure of the catalytic materials. The ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition of the materials also involves a change in the state of electrons that could impact the electrocatalytic activity, but such correlation remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity could be regulated as exampled by hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis over two‐dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6. The obvious discontinuity in the overpotential and apparent activation energy values for CuInP2S6 electrode are illustrated during the ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition caused by copper displacement around Tc point (318 K), revealing the ferroelectro‐catalytic effect on thermodynamics and kinetics of electrocatalysis. When loading Pt single atom on the CuInP2S6, the paraelectric phase one showed an improved hydrogen evolution activity with smaller apparent activation energy over the ferroelectric phase counterpart. This is attributed to the copper hopping between two sulfur planes, which alternate between strong and weak H adsorption at the Pt sites to simultaneously promote H+ reactant adsorption and H2 product desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis and assessment of ulcerative colitis (UC) poses significant challenges, which may result in inadequate treatment and a poor prognosis for patients. This study aims to identify potential activity biomarkers for UC and investigate the role of infiltrating immune cells in the disease. To perform gene set enrichment analysis, we utilized the cluster profiler and ggplot2 packages. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes was used to analyze degenerate enrichment genes. Significant gene set enrichment was determined using the cluster profiler and ggplot2 packages. Additionally, quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to validate the expression of each marker in the ulcerative colitis model. We identified 651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and further investigated potential UC activity biomarkers. Our analysis revealed that CXCL1 (AUC = 0.710), CYP2R1 (AUC = 0.863), LPCAT1 (AUC = 0.783), and NEU4 (AUC = 0.833) were promising activity markers for the diagnosis of UC. Using rat DSS model, we validated these markers through qRT-PCR, which showed statistically significant differences between UC and normal colon mucosa. Infiltrating immune cell analysis indicated that M1 macrophages, M2 macrophages, activated dendritic cells (DCs), and neutrophils played crucial roles in the occurrence and progression of UC. Moreover, the activity markers exhibited varying degrees of correlation with activated memory CD4 T cells, M0 macrophages, T follicular helper cells, memory B cells, and activated DCs. The potential diagnostic genes for UC activity, such as CXCL1, CYP2R1, LPCAT1, and NEU4, as well as the infiltration of immune cells, may contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the study were to identify whether left renal vein (LRV) entrapment was more prevalent in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) compared with other types of renal diseases, and the association of LRV entrapment with glomerular incidental IgA and galactose-deficient-IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) deposition. A total of 797 patients with biopsy-proven kidney diseases have been screened for LRV entrapment by color Doppler ultrasound, and the prevalence of LRV entrapment in different types of renal diseases were then analyzed. Propensity score matching analysis was used to adjust for age, gender, and body mass index. Immunostaining of Gd-IgA1 with KM55 was performed in paraffin-embedded sections of renal biopsy specimens. LRV entrapment was diagnosed in 47 patients (6%) with several kinds of renal diseases in our cohort. A total of 32 (68%) LRV entrapments were combined with expanded IgAN (idiopathic IgAN and HSPN). The prevalence of LRV entrapment in expanded IgAN was significantly higher than that in non-expanded IgAN (17 vs. 2%, p < 0.001), even after adjustment for age, gender, and body mass index by propensity score matching analysis (13 vs. 2%, p < 0.001). Removing expanded IgAN and LN, glomerular incidental IgA deposition was observed to be significantly more common in patients with LRV entrapment compared with patients without it (43 vs. 9%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, in glomerular diseases with incidental IgA deposits, significantly much larger proportion of patients with LRV entrapment were positive for glomerular Gd-IgA1 in contrast to patients without LRV entrapment (5/5 vs. 5/17, p = 0.01). LRV entrapment coexisted with several kinds of renal diseases, with a significantly higher prevalence in patients with idiopathic IgAN and HSPN. In patients of LN and IgAN-unrelated disease with LRV entrapment, glomerular IgA and Gd-IgA1 deposition was more common compared with patients without LRV entrapment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several long half-life natural and anthropogenic radionuclides, including 137Cs, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, in a 45 cm-long sediment core collected from the east continental shelf of Hainan Island, South China Sea, have been analyzed. The results showed that mean activity of 137Cs, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were 2.03 ± 1.2, 20.4 ± 1.8, 45.7 ± 3.0, and 520.0 ± 20.0 Bq/kg, respectively. Radium equivalent activity and External hazard index imply a low radiation, and the study area could serve as a background reference value for environmental radionuclides in east continental shelf of Hainan Island, South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical relevance of IgM deposition in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) in a large cohort. Results: 217 patients with renal biopsy-proven active LN were enrolled. The associations between glomerular IgM deposition and clinicopathological parameters were further analyzed. IgM deposition was positively correlated with glomerular C1q and C3 deposition moderately (r = 0.436, P < 0.001; r = 0.408, P < 0.001, respectively), and inversely correlated with plasma levels of C3 and CFH mildly (r = − 0.138, P = 0.043; r = − 0.147, P = 0.037, respectively). By multivariate analysis, we found that glomerular IgM deposition independently contributed to glomerular C3 deposition in patients with LN (OR = 2.002, 95% CI 1.295–3.094, P = 0.002). In addition, we also found that patients with IgM 0–2+ had similar plasma CFH levels, but in patients with IgM3+–4+, plasma CFH levels were significantly lower (300.4 ± 155.8 μg/mL vs. 429.9 ± 187.5 μg/mL, P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with high density of glomerular IgM and low levels of CFH had heavier proteinuria, higher serum creatinine and lower plasma C3 levels (5.7 ± 3.1 g/d vs. 4.7 ± 3.5 g/d, P = 0.037; 150.1 ± 121.0 μmol/L vs. 105.6 ± 97.1 μmol/L, P = 0.005; 0.3 ± 0.2 μg/L vs. 0.4 ± 0.2 μg/L, P = 0.04, respectively), comparing with those with low density of glomerular IgM and low levels of CFH. Conclusions: Our results suggested the involvement of glomerular deposited IgM in complement activation and renal injury in LN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to unveil effects of α colony and α plate parameters on tensile properties and impact toughness of Ti-55531 alloy with multilevel lamellar microstructures. Microstructures with different α colony and α plate sizes were prepared using varied heat treatments and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy. Relationships of microstructure and strength, plasticity and impact toughness were discussed. Results indicate that tensile strength increases, while plasticity and impact toughness of the alloy decline with decreasing effective sizes (width/length ratio) of α colony (dc) and α plate (dα) and increasing of volume fraction of α phase. Both dc and dα follow the Hall–Petch principle with strength, and dc was determined to be the critical controlling parameter of strength owing to higher interfacial strengthening effect induced by α colony. However, plasticity is primarily related to dα. Moreover, impact toughness for both dc and dα follows the linear relation, but the coefficient of dα is higher. Furthermore, impact toughness is more dependent on plasticity than strength. Larger α plates lead to more mechanical twins during impacting and result in higher plasticity and impact toughness. Therefore, the impact toughness should depend more on the size of α plates. In order to unveil the influence of α plate size on impact deformation and microcrack initiation behavior of Ti-55531 alloy, the microstructural deformation and crack nucleation characteristics in the impact crack nucleation region were detected by TEM in detail; then, the schematic illustration for microstructural deformation and crack nucleation characteristics was made according to experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible, environment-friendly and economical method to regenerate a graphite anode from discarded lithium-ion batteries is carried out. The regenerated graphite (G-A-T-SGT@C) was obtained after the treatment of scrapped graphite (SGT) via pyrolyzation, acid leaching, graphitization and coating by amorphous carbon. As a result, G-A-T-SGT@C has negligible impurities, smaller specific surface area, reduced pore defects and much higher degree of graphitization compared with SGT, which will enhance the electrochemical performance of G-A-T-SGT@C. Consequently, lithium-ion batteries with the G-A-T-SGT@C anode exhibited a high initial coulombic efficiency of 90.64%, a high specific capacity of 344 mA h g−1 at 0.2C, excellent rate capability and eximious cycling performance for more than 250 cycles at 0.5C, which is also outstanding compared with the performance of lithium-ion batteries using commercial graphite as the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical water splitting offers an economic and sustainable approach for solar energy conversion into hydrogen fuel to mitigate the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, exploring novel semiconductor photocatalysts, which have efficient light absorption and thermodynamically favorable band alignment for water splitting, is crucial. Here, we rationally develop a new photocatalyst of CuInP2S6 nanosheets to generate hydrogen gas under light illumination. The CuInP2S6 nanosheet (with a thickness of around 4–7 nm) photocatalyst exhibits a high hydrogen production rate of 804 μmol g−1 h−1, eight times higher than that of the microsheet counterpart, due to the introduced abundant sulfur vacancies. Experimental characterization and theoretical calculations verify that the prolonged carrier lifetime and optimized band alignment in ultrathin CuInP2S6 nanosheets boost photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This work opens a new avenue for photocatalysis via using novel layered binary metal phosphorous trichalcogenides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of n‐3 high unsaturated fatty acid (n‐3HUFA) levels on the growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities and fatty acid profiles of both subadult and adult Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei). Seven iso‐nitrogenous and iso‐lipidic diets were used, containing n‐3HUFA concentrations of 1.6 (control), 4.8, 7.4, 13.9, 23.9, 29.2 and 34.4 g/kg, respectively. Two 8‐week feeding trials were conducted to determine the dietary n‐3HUFA requirements of L. vannamei with an initial body weight of 4.25 ± 0.00 g (subadults) and 8.50 ± 0.01 g (adults). The results showed that the dietary n‐3HUFA level significantly affected the weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate, the feed conversion ratio and the hepatosomatic index (HSI) (p < 0.05), but did not significantly affect the survival rate (p > 0.05). At appropriate level, dietary n‐3HUFA improved growth performance and HSI of both subadult and adult L. vannamei. Both subadults and adults showed significant differences in body composition (p < 0.05), except for moisture and crude ash (p > 0.05). Cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein significantly decreased with increasing dietary n‐3HUFA both in subadults and adults (p < 0.05); however, triglyceride showed no significant change (p > 0.05). High‐density lipoprotein (HDL) in subadults was significantly affected by dietary n‐3HUFA (p < 0.05), but followed no apparent regularity; HDL significantly changed in adults and showed an upward trend followed by a downward trend (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect on aspartate transaminase (AST) activity in subadults, but AST in adults and alanine transaminase (ALT) in subadults and adults were significantly affected (p < 0.05). Dietary n‐3HUFA significantly affected serum polyphend oxidase, malic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, superoxide dismutase and sodium‐potassium adenosine triphosphatase enzyme activities in gills (p < 0.05). The fatty acid composition of the shrimp tissue was associated with the fatty acid composition of the diet. Dietary n‐3HUFA supplementation significantly improved the contents of tissue ∑HUFA and n‐3HUFA, increased the n‐3/n‐6 ratio in the tail muscle and decreased the contents of tissue polyunsaturated fatty acid and saturated fatty acid (p < 0.05). Based on the WGR, the broken‐line equations indicated that the optimum requirements of dietary n‐3HUFA were determined to be 9.0 and 5.1 g/kg for subadult and adult L. vannamei, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of dietary phosphatidylcholine (PC) at different growth stages of Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) with an initial weight of 0.70 ± 0.00 g (juvenile) and 4.25 ± 0.00 g (subadult) for 8 weeks. Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing PC (0, 1.7, 5.1, 6.8, 10.2 and 13.6 g/kg) were confected using formulated with redfish meal, dehulled soybean meal and peanut meal as protein source, fish oil and corn oil as fat source. The juveniles were reared in 0.3 m3 aquarium at the density of 40 in triplicates, as well as the subadults in 0.5 m3 at the density of 40 in triplicates. Results showed PC level had significant effects on weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio in juvenile and subadult shrimps and hepatosomatic index in juvenile shrimps (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in moisture, whole body protein and crude ash (p > 0.05). Crude fat of juveniles had no significant change (p > 0.05), but subadults increased significantly (p < 0.05). Both juveniles and subadults showed that triglyceride and low‐density lipoprotein presented a downward trend with PC elevating, but high‐density lipoprotein increased gradually. Cholesterol in juveniles presented upward, but downward in subadults (p < 0.05). Dietary PC also significantly reduced the aspartate transaminase in juveniles and alanine transaminase in subadults (p < 0.05). PC supplementation significantly improved the glutathione S‐transferase activity and reduced the content of malondialdehyde in the hepatopancreas (p < 0.05). PC supplementation significantly improved gill filament sodium‐potassium adenosine triphosphatase enzyme of juvenile shrimps (p < 0.05), but subadult shrimps were not influenced (p > 0.05). PC supplementation significantly elevated the content of hepatopancreas eicosapentaenoic acid, highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) and n‐3HUFA (p < 0.05), but the content of linoleic acid significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The broken‐line and quadratic regression model based on WGR showed the optimum dietary PC requirement was 10.3 g/kg and 6.5 g/kg for juveniles and subadults, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The exponentially growing works on 2D materials have resulted in both high scientific interest and huge potential applications in nanocatalysis, optoelectronics, and spintronics. Of especial note is that the newly emerged and promising family of metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (MPX3) contains semiconductors, metals, and insulators with intriguing layered structures and architectures. The bandgaps of the members in this family range from 1.3 to 3.5 eV, significantly enriching the application of 2D materials in the broad wavelength spectrum. In this review, emphasizing their remarkable structural, physicochemical, and magnetic properties, as well as the numerous applications in various fields, the innovative progress on layered MPX3 crystals is summarized. Different from other layered materials, these crystals will advance a fascinating frontier in magnetism and spintronic devices with their especially featured atomic layered nanosheets. Thus, their crystal and electronic structures, along with some related researches in magnetism, are discussed in detail. The assortments of growth methods are then summarized. Considering their potential applications, the prominent utilization of these 2D MPX3 nanoscrystals in catalysis, batteries, and optoelectronics is also discussed. Finally, the outlook of these kinds of layered nanomaterials is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have recently been utilized as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. The metal oxides or hydroxides formed on their surface during the OER process are hypothesized to play an important role. However, their exact role is yet to be elucidated. Here unambiguous justification regarding the active role of oxo(hydroxo) species on O‐Ni(1−x)FexP2 nanosheet with pyrite structure is shown. These O‐Ni(1−x)FexP2 (x = 0.25) nanosheets demonstrate greatly improved OER performance than their corresponding hydroxide and oxide counterparts do. From density function theory (DFT) calculations, it is found that the introduction of iron into the pyrite‐phased NiP2 alters OER steps occurred on the surface. Notably, the partially oxidized surface of O‐Ni(1−x)FexP2 nanosheets is vital to improve the local environment and accelerate the reaction steps. This study sheds light on the OER mechanism of the 3d TMP electrocatalyst and opens up a way to develop efficient and low‐cost electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transition metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (MPX3, X = S, Se) are layered materials possessing high chemical diversity and wide range of applications in a broad wave length spectrum. Theoretical studies reveal that auspicious activity of photocatalytic water splitting can be realized from them. However, experimental efforts have so far been challenged with the synthesis bottleneck. Described herein is the general chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth method and photocatalytic activity of these materials. A novel route to systematically grow MnPX3 nanosheets on flexible carbon fiber substrate is reported. The temperature profile of the CVD process is carefully optimized that confer a facile and successful conversion of oxide precursor to phospho‐trichalcogenide with high crystallinity. Moreover, the obtained manganese‐based phosphorus trichalcogenide nanosheets demonstrate promising activity in sacrificial agent‐free photocatalytic water splitting under simulated solar light (AM 1.5G). This study provides a significant stepping stone in exploring the fascinating world of functional 2D materials and pursuing performance enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D materials, represented by transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), have attracted tremendous research interests in photoelectronic and electronic devices. However, for their relatively small bandgap (<2 eV), the application of traditional TMDs into solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) photodetection is restricted. Here, for the first time, NiPS3 nanosheets are grown via chemical vapor deposition method. The nanosheets thinning to 3.2 nm with the lateral size of dozens of micrometers are acquired. Based on the various nanosheets, a linearity is found between the Raman intensity of specific Ag modes and the thickness, providing a convenient method to determine their layer numbers. Furthermore, a UV photodetector is fabricated using few-layered 2D NiPS3 nanosheets. It shows an ultrafast rise time shorter than 5 ms with an ultralow dark current less than 10 fA. Notably, this UV photodetector demonstrates a high detectivity of 1.22 × 1012 Jones, outperforming some traditional wide-bandgap UV detectors. The wavelength-dependent photoresponsivity measurement allows the direct observation of an admirable cut-off wavelength at 360 nm, which indicates a superior spectral selectivity. The promising photodetector performance, accompanied with the controllable fabrication and transfer process of nanosheet, lays the foundation of applying 2D semiconductors for ultrafast UV light detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For increasing scalability and reducing cost, transition metal dichalcogenides-based electrocatalysts presently have been proposed as substitutes for noble metals to generate hydrogen, but these alternatives usually suffer from inferior performance. Here, a Ravenala leaf-like W xC@WS2 heterostructure is grown via carbonizing WS2 nanotubes, whose outer walls being partially unzipped along with the W x C 'leaf-valves' attached to the inner tubes during the carbonization process. This heterostructure exhibits a catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction with low overpotential of 146 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 61 mV per decade, outperforming the performance of WS2 nanotubes and W xC counterparts under the same condition. Density functional theory calculations are performed to unravel the underlying mechanism, revealing that the charge distribution between W xC and WS2 plays a key role for promoting H atom adsorption and desorption kinetics simultaneously. This work not only provides a potential low-cost alternative for hydrogen generation but should be taken as a guide to optimize the catalyst structure and composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the effect of case management on glycemic control and behavioral outcomes in adults with Type 2 diabetes in China.Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to a 1-year case management (CM) group (n=60) or control group (n=60). Monthly case management visits included identifying individuals' diabetes-related problems, setting goals, planning self-care, and evaluating progress. During a 1-year follow-up, all participants attended visits every 3 months without intervention.Results: In the CM vs. the control group, HbA1c was reduced at 6 months compared to baseline (P=0.034), with trends at 12 and 24 months, and empowerment ability improved (P<0.05). Also in the CM vs. controls, total self-care behaviors, the frequency of exercise, blood glucose testing, and foot care were higher (P<0.001) at 12 months, and the percentage of individuals with HbA1c ≤7.0% was higher (P=0.035) at 24 months.Conclusion: The case management intervention in China was effective at 6 months and, based on trends in HbA1c at 12 and 24 months and results for behavioral outcomes, the intervention shows promise and warrants more research.Practice Implications: A case management approach can enhance behavior change and glycemic control in Chinese with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: Due to the increasing environmental and energy issues, hydrogen, as a clean and non-carbon energy source, has received more and more attention in the past decades. 12 R. Gusmão, Z. Sofer, M. Pumera, Exfoliated layered manganese trichalcogenide phosphite (MnPX 3, X = S, Se) as electrocatalytic van der Waals materials for hydrogen evolution, Adv Funct Mater, 29, 2019, 1805975Gusmão R, Sofer Z, Pumera M, et al.

To address the urgent need for clean and sustainable energy, the rapid development of hydrogen-based technologies has started to revolutionize the use of earth-abundant noble-metal-free catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Like the active sites of hydrogenases, the cation sites of pyrite-type transition-metal dichalcogenides have been suggested to be active in the HER. Herein, we synthesized electrodes based on a Se-enriched NiSe2 nanosheet array and explored the relationship between the anion sites and the improved hydrogen evolution activity through theoretical and experimental studies. The free energy for atomic hydrogen adsorption is much lower on the Se sites (0.13 eV) than on the Ni sites (0.87 eV). Notably, this electrode benefits from remarkable kinetic properties, with a small overpotential of 117 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 32 mV per decade, and excellent stability. Control experiments showed that the efficient conversion of H+ into H2 is due to the presence of an excess of selenium in the NiSe2 nanosheet surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the urgent need for clean and sustainable energy, the rapid development of hydrogen-based technologies has started to revolutionize the use of earth-abundant noble-metal-free catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Like the active sites of hydrogenases, the cation sites of pyrite-type transition-metal dichalcogenides have been suggested to be active in the HER. Herein, we synthesized electrodes based on a Se-enriched NiSe2 nanosheet array and explored the relationship between the anion sites and the improved hydrogen evolution activity through theoretical and experimental studies. The free energy for atomic hydrogen adsorption is much lower on the Se sites (0.13 eV) than on the Ni sites (0.87 eV). Notably, this electrode benefits from remarkable kinetic properties, with a small overpotential of 117 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 32 mV per decade, and excellent stability. Control experiments showed that the efficient conversion of H+ into H2 is due to the presence of an excess of selenium in the NiSe2 nanosheet surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective alternative to noble platinum electrocatalyst, earth abundant and inexpensive layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are investigated for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Compared with binary TMDs, the tunably composed ternary TMDs have hitherto received relatively little attention. Here, few-layered ternary WS2(1− x)Se2 x nanoribbons (NRs) with metallic 1T phases, much more catalytically active in HER, are prepared for the first time. The favorable Δ GHo introduced by the tensile region on the surface, along with the presence of local lattice distortions of the WS2(1− x)Se2 x nanoribbons with metallic 1T phases, greatly promotes the HER process. These ternary NRs achieve the lowest overpotential of ≈0.17 V at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of ≈68 mV dec−1 at a low catalyst loading (≈0.30 ± 0.02 mg cm−2). Notably, the long-term durability suggests the potential of practical applications in acid electrolytes. The results here suggest that the ternary WS2(1− x)Se2 x NRs with 1T phases are prominent alternatives to platinum-based HER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Recent studies have shown that imbalance between tumor-infiltrating interleukin ( IL)-17+ T cells and regulatory T cells ( Tregs) is an important regulator of progression in various cancers, but little is known regarding this imbalance in hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC). This study explored the role of imbalance between IL-17+ T cells and Tregs in the immunopathogenesis of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) infection. Methods Fifty-six of patient-matched tumors and peritumoral surgical specimens from 56 patient with HCC and 136 liver biopsies specimens from 46 patients with CHB, 37 with atypical hyperplasia ( AH), and 53 with HCC were enrolled. The expressions of IL-17, Fox P3, CD4, and CD8 in liver tissue were measured by immunochemistry for the evaluation of liver-infiltrating lymphocytes. Results The density of liver infiltrated Fox P3+ Tregs was increased in a stepwise manner from CHB to AH then HCC, while there was a decreasing trend for the density of IL-17+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. In surgical specimens of less differentiated HCC, the quantity of tumor-infiltrating Fox P3+ Tregs was significantly lower and IL-17+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were significantly higher. Additionally, peritumoral IL-17+ T cells were increased in poorly differentiated HCC. High intratumoral Fox P3+ Tregs with high intratumoral IL-17+ T cells showed a significantly lower overall survival ( OS) and disease-free survival ( DFS) compared with other groups ( OS, P = 0.033; DFS, P = 0.004). High intratumoral Fox P3+ Tregs with high peritumoral IL-17+ T cells showed a significantly lower survival rate compared with other groups ( OS, P < 0.001 and DFS, P < 0.001). Conclusion Our findings suggest that intrahepatic IL-17+ T cells and Fox P3+ Tregs may cooperate to promote the progression of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on speeding protons with metal vacancies. Topics include the Chemours Company, which consists of sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene–based fluoropolymercopolymer, is widely used in practical electrochemical processes; it has a high proton conductivity up to 0.2 S/cm below 80°C; and Qian et al. has reported a new class of proton membranes assembled from two-dimensional layered transition-metal phosphorus trichalcogenide nanosheets in which metal vacancies boost ion conductivity.

Two sediment piston cores (CHX and CHY) collected from Chaohu Lake, east China were tested for 137Cs. It was found that the two 137Cs profiles show very different distribution characteristics, with fallout maxima at CHX and CHY of 21.1 and 51.7 Bq/kg, respectively. The inventories of 137Cs at CHY (2268.1 Bq/m2) is more than five times greater than that of CHX, but the 210Pb inventories at the two sites are very similar. The discrepancy in 137Cs inventory can be explained by differences in grain size distributions. Higher levels of potassium in CHY than CHX samples also support this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Recent studies have focused on regulatory T cells (Tregs) in chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) and hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) and they were also conducted independently of each other. Aims This study tried to characterize Tregs in blood and tumour infiltration, and to explore the correlations between Tregs and the context of chronic hepatitis B in HCC patients. Methods The liver-resident Tregs and CD8+ T cells on core biopsy were investigated using immunohistochemistry staining in individuals ( n = 209) with CHB ( n = 47), HCC ( n = 137) or healthy controls ( n = 25). Circulating Tregs were detected in the above patients with CHB ( n = 27) or HCC ( n = 101) by flow cytometry. Results The number of tumour-infiltrating and circulating FoxP3+ Tregs was significantly high in patients with CHB ( P < 0.001). However, there were fewer intratumoural Tregs in patients with advanced HCC than those in patients with early stage HCC ( P = 0.043); In contrast, the circulating Tregs frequency increased during the progression of HCC ( P = 0.024). Increased tumour-infiltrating and circulating FoxP3+ Tregs were associated with poor overall survival ( P = 0.041, 0.002 respectively) and a shorter time to recurrence ( P = 0.049, 0.002 respectively) in patients with early stage HCC. Tumour-infiltrating Foxp3 + Tregs were related to chronic hepatitis B natural history in HCC ( P = 0.012). Neither tumour-infiltrating CD8+ T cells nor balance of intratumoural Tregs and CD8+ T cells correlated with prognosis of HCC. Conclusions Increased Foxp3+ Tregs may represent a prognostic predictor in patients with early stage HCC. The CHB natural history influenced density of tumour-infiltrating Tregs in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with chronic hepatitis B viruses infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A confirmatory method was developed for the rapid determination of abamectin, ivermectin, doramectin and eprinomectin residues in various food products of animal origin, such as pork muscle, pork liver, fish and milk. Samples were homogenized, extracted and de-proteinized by acetonitrile, cleaned via two-step cleaning procedure using Bond Elut C18 SPE columns and then alumina-N cartridges. All the four avermectin residues in different animal-food products were simultaneously separated and determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS) within 3.5 min. Data acquisition under positive ESI–MS/MS was performed by applying multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for both identification and quantification, and mass spectrometric conditions were optimized to increase selectivity and sensitivity. The matrix-matched calibration curves for different matrices, such as pork muscle, pork liver, fish and milk, were constructed and the interference effect of different sample matrices on the ionization was effectively eliminated. The UPLC–MS/MS method was validated with satisfactory linearity, recovery, precision and stability. Matrix-matched calibration curves of abamectin, ivermectin, doramectin and eprinomectin in four different matrices were linear (r2≥ 0.990, goodness-of-fit coefficients ≤12.8%) in the range 2.5–200 µg kg−1. The limits of detection and quantification for the four avermectins were in the range 0.05–0.68 and 0.17–2.27 µg kg−1, respectively. Recoveries were 62.4–104.5% with good intra- and inter-day precision. The method was rapid, sensitive and reliable, and can be applied to the quantitative analysis of avermectin residues in different animal-food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol exposure frequently induces intestinal and liver injury, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and vitamin C (VC) deficiency. Gut microbiota-targeted therapy is emerging as an important adjuvant method for protecting the body against ethanol-induced injury, particularly probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA). However, the feasibility and efficiency of using synbiotics containing LA and VC against ethanol-induced injury remained largely undetermined. To examine the advantages of LA+VC, their effect was evaluated in an ethanol-fed mouse model. The results suggested that LA+VC restored gut microbiota homeostasis and reinstated the immune balance of colonic T-regulatory cells (CD4+CD45+forkhead box p3+). In addition, intestinal barrier disorders were improved via upregulating tight junction proteins (claudin-2, zona occludens-1 and occludin) and mucus secretion, which prevented the translocation of lipopolysaccharide into circulatory systems and subsequently reduced the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 in liver tissues. In this context, LA+VC treatment reduced the inflammatory response in the liver, which was likely responsible for the improved liver function in ethanol-challenged mice. Collectively, these results indicated that LA+VC treatment significantly protected the intestine and liver from ethanol damage by enhancing intestinal barrier function and reducing systemic inflammation. The present study paved the way for further exploration of synbiotics based on Lactobacillus species and VC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new method based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis has been developed for the identification and quantification of major alkaloids in extracts of Coptis chinensis Franch. The UPLC system consisted of a dual detection system of photodiode array detector (PDA) and positive ion electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) in sequential configuration. The operational parameters of ASE including extraction solvent, extraction temperature, static extraction time and extraction cycles were optimized. UPLC analysis was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column eluted by a mobile phase of acetonitrile spiked with a buffer solution consisting of 0.50% acetic acid and 20mmolL−1 ammonium acetate. A tandem quadrupole spectrometer operating in either full scan mode or in MS/MS mode for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for the identification and quantitative analysis of eight major alkaloids in C. chinensis Franch extracts. The samples were also analyzed on a high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) system to confirm the identification results. Three of the eight major alkaloids, berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine were quantified by UPLC–PDA and UPLC–MS/MS. The results indicated that both UPLC–PDA and UPLC–MS/MS methods were simple, sensitive and reliable for the determination of alkaloids in C. chinensis Franch. Seven Huanglian samples from different locations were analyzed using the established methods. UPLC fingerprints based on the distribution of the eight major alkaloids can serve as a rapid and reliable method for the authentication and quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) technique in semi-preparative scale has been applied to separate and purify salvianolic acids from the water extract of Danshen, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. High efficiency HSCCC separation was achieved on a two-phase solvent system composed of a mixture of n-hexane–ethyl acetate–water–methanol (1.5:5:5:1.5, v/v) by eluting the lower mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1.7ml/min and a revolution of 850rpm. A total of five well separated peaks were obtained in the HSCCC chromatogram, and their purities determined by HPLC-UV absorption. These peaks were characterized by UV–vis spectra and ESI-MS, and the data compared with the reference standards. Salvianolic acid B was positively identified as one of the major peaks. Three of the remaining four peaks were also tentatively identified as rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, and salvianolic acid E, an isomer of salvianolic acid B, all are members of the salvianolic acids group. In a typical run, tens of milligrams of samples can be separated with high efficiency to yield tens of milligrams of purified materials with over 98% purity. HSCCC thus provides a cost-effective alternative to preparative scale HPLC for the semi-preparative scale separation and purification of salvianolic acids in Danshen. With appropriate modifications, the technique should also be applicable to other herbs in general. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs) have attracted a tremendous amount of attention as photodetectors due to their fascinating features, including high potentials in new-generation electronic devices, wide coverage of bandgaps, ability to construct van der Waals heterostructures, extraordinary light–mass interaction, strong mechanical flexibility, and the capability of enabling synthesis of 2D nonlayered materials. Until now, most attention has been focused on the well-known graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). However, a growing number of functional materials (more than 5619) with novel optoelectronic and electronic properties are being re-discovered, thereby widening the horizon of 2D libraries. In addition to showing common features of 2DLMs, these new 2D members may bring new opportunities to their well-known analogues, like wider bandgap coverage, direct bandgaps independence with thickness, higher mechanical flexibility, and new photoresponse phenomena. The impressive results communicated so far testify that they have shown high potentials with photodetections covering THz, IR, visible, and UV ranges with comparable or even higher performances than well-known TMDs. Here, we give a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art photodetections of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene and TMDs. The review is organized as follows: fundamentals of photoresponse first are discussed, followed by detailed photodetections of new 2D members including both layered and non-layered ones. After that, photodiodes and hybrid structures based on these new 2D materials are summarized. Then, the integration of these 2D materials with flexible substrates is reviewed. Finally, we conclude with the current research status of this area and offer our perspectives on future developments. We hope that, through reading this manuscript, readers will quickly have a comprehensive view on this research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinobufagin, a cardiotonic steroid derived from toad venom extracts, exhibits significant anticancer properties by inhibiting Na + /K + -ATPase in cancer cells. It is frequently used in clinical settings to treat advanced-stage cancer patients, improving their quality of life and survival time. However, its long-term use can result in multidrug resistance to other chemotherapy drugs, and the exact mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. Therefore, this study explores the molecular mechanism underlying the anticancer effects of cinobufagin in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), specifically in HepG2 and Huh-7 cells. As determined using transcriptome analysis, cinobufagin-triggered protective autophagy suppressed cell apoptosis in liver cancer HepG2 and Huh-7 cells by inhibiting the phosphoinositide-3-Kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Cinobufagin-inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and generated cell autophagy by upregulating the expression of MAP1 light chain 3 protein II, Beclin1, and autophagy-related protein 12–5. In addition, the autophagy inhibitor MRT68921 improved the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of cinobufagin in the studied cell lines. Overall, this study suggests that combining cinobufagin with an autophagy inhibitor can effectively treat HCC, providing a potential strategy for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries are promising energy storage devices because of their low cost, high safety, and high energy density. However, their performance is plagued by the unsatisfied cyclability due to the dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the Zn anode. Herein, it is demonstrated that the concentrated hybrid aqueous/non‐aqueous ZnCl2 electrolytes constitute a peculiar chemical environment for not only the Zn‐ions but also water molecules. The high concentration of chloride ions substitutes the H2O molecular in the solvation structure of Zn2+, while the acetonitrile further interacts with H2O to decrease its activity. The hybrid electrolytes both inhibit the dendrite formation and HER, enabling an ultrahigh average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9% in the Zn||Cu half‐cell and a highly reversible Zn plating/stripping with a low overpotential of 21 mV. Using this hybrid electrolyte, the Zn||polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) full cell deliveres a high discharge capacity of 110 mAh g−1, a high power density of 9200 W kg−1 at 100 °C and maintains 85% of the capacity for over 6000 cycles at 10 °C. This study provides a deep understanding between the solvation structure and columbic efficiency of Zn anode, thus inspiring the development for stable Zn batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Except for cell-surface receptors, a range of transporters have been exploited as targets for the delivery of novel anti-tumour nanomaterials. Transporters, which are essential for delivering nutrients for the biosynthesis of mammalian cells, are significantly expressed in a range of tumour types; their expression is mostly tissue- and site-specific. The unique functional and expression characteristics of transporters make them ideal targets for mediating the selective delivery of nanomaterials to cancer cells, thus promoting cell accumulation, and enhancing the penetration of nanomaterials into biological barriers before they can specifically target cancer cells. In this review, we discuss the unique function of cancer-related transporters in the initiation and development of tumours, as well as the use of transporter-targeted nanocarriers in tumour-targeting therapy. First, the expression of various transporters in tumorigenesis and development is reviewed; this is followed by a discussion of the latest advances in targeted drug delivery strategies based on transporter nanocarriers. Finally, we review the molecular mechanisms and targeting efficiency of transporter-mediated nanocarriers. This review provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of this discipline and will facilitate the generation of new concepts for the design of highly efficacious and tumour-targeting nanocarriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determine the optimal scoring system for evaluation of 6-week bleeding-related mortality in liver cirrhosis patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB). Prediction effects of six scoring systems, AIMS65 score, Glasgow-Blatchford (GBS) score, full Rockall (FRS) score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), the MELD-Na model and the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score were analyzed in this study. Methods: A total of 202 liver cirrhosis patients with AVB were enrolled between 1 January 2014, and 31 December 2014. All subjects were scored according to AIMS65, GBS, FRS, MELD, MELD-Na and CTP scoring systems on the first day of admission. The primary endpoint of the study was 6-week mortality. The prediction effect of these scoring systems for 6-week mortality was compared by ROC curve and the area under the curve (AUC). Results: The scores of nonsurvival group evaluated by the AIMS65, GBS, FRS, MELD, MELD-Na and CTP (2.6 ± 1.1, 12.9 ± 2.7, 6.6 ± 1.8, 26.9 ± 6.5, 31.6 ± 9.3, 9.6 ± 2.2, respectively) were higher than those of the survival group (1.2 ± 1.1, 10.2 ± 3.4, 5.1 ± 1.6, 21.0 ± 6.4, 22.8 ± 8.2, 7.7 ± 2.0, respectively) (p < .01). The values of AUC and Youden index of AIMS65 and MELD-Na scoring systems [(0.808, 0.453) and (0.781, 0.516), respectively] were superior to those of MELD (0.761, 0.454), CTP (0.748, 0.399), FRS (0.738, 0.358) and GBS scoring systems (0.726, 0.370). Conclusions: AIMS65 and MELD-Na scoring systems are recommended for evaluation of 6-week bleeding-related mortality in liver cirrhosis patients with AVB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that the inhibition of β adrenergic signaling can result in the inhibition of tumor growth. However, the role of propranolol in liver cancer and the underlying mechanism remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the role of propranolol in liver cancer cell lines and provide evidence for further clinical study. Propranolol was added at different concentrations to HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 liver cancer cells and HL‑7702 normal human liver cells. The proliferation of the cell lines was monitored by live‑cell imaging at a range of time intervals. Immunofluorescence using DAPI and Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) staining, Annexin V‑FITC/PI double‑staining flow cytometry, western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to investigate the effect of propranolol on liver cancer cell apoptosis. The proliferation of HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells was inhibited by 40 and 80 μmol/l propranolol. However, the proliferation of HL‑7702 cells was not affected by <160 μmol/l propranolol. Propranolol treatment decreased the expression of adrenergic receptor β‑2 to a greater extent than adrenergic receptor β‑1, and induced apoptosis in the liver cancer cells. The apoptotic rates of HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells increased following treatment with propranolol, while the apoptotic rate of HL‑7702 cells was not affected. Propranolol promoted poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase cleavage and decreased the expression of full‑length caspase‑3 in liver cancer cell lines; it induced S‑phase arrest in HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cell lines, while HL‑7702 cells were arrested at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Thus, it was demonstrated that propranolol inhibited proliferation, promoted apoptosis and induced S‑phase arrest in HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electrocatalytic two-electron water oxidation affords a promising approach for distributed production of H 2 O 2 using electricity. However, it suffers from the trade-off between the selectivity and high production rate of H 2 O 2 due to the lack of suitable electrocatalysts. In this study, single atoms of Ru were controllably introduced into titanium dioxide to produce H 2 O 2 through an electrocatalytic two-electron water oxidation reaction. The adsorption energy values of OH intermediates could be tuned by introducing Ru single atoms, offering superior H 2 O 2 production under high current density. Notably, a Faradaic efficiency of 62.8% with an H 2 O 2 production rate of 24.2 μmol min−1 cm−2 (>400 ppm within 10 min) was achieved at a current density of 120 mA cm−2. Consequently, herein, the possibility of high-yield H 2 O 2 production under high current density was demonstrated and the importance of regulating intermediate adsorption during electrocatalysis was evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable Li-CO2 battery represents a sustainable technology by virtue of CO2 recyclability and energy storage capability. Unfortunately, the sluggish mass transport and electron transfer in bulky high-crystalline discharge product of Li2CO3, severely hinder its practical capacity and rechargeability. Herein, a heterostructure of isolated metalloid Te atomic cluster anchored on N-doped carbon nanosheets is designed (TeAC@NCNS) as a metal-free cathode for Li-CO2 battery. X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis demonstrates that the abundant and dispersed Te active centers can be stabilized by C atoms in form of the covalent bond. The fabricated battery shows an unprecedented full-discharge capacity of28.35 mAh cm-2 at 0.05 mA cm-2 and long-term cycle life of up to 1000 h even at a high cut-off capacity of 1 mAh cm-2. A series of ex situ characterizations combined with theoretical calculations demonstrate that the abundant Te atomic clusters acting as active centers can drive the electron redistribution of carbonate via forming Te-O bonds, giving rise to poor-crystalline Li2CO3 film during the discharge process. Moreover, the efficient electron transfer between the Te centers and intermediate species is energetically beneficial for nucleation and accelerates the decomposition of Li2CO3 on the TeAC@NCNS during the discharge/charge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To develop a noninvasive score model to predict NASH in patients with combined CHB and NAFLD. Objective and Methods. 65 CHB patients with NAFLD were divided into NASH group (34 patients) and non-NASH group (31 patients) according to the NAS score. Biochemical indexes, liver stiffness, and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) were determined. Data in the two groups were compared and subjected to multivariate analysis, to establish a score model for the prediction of NASH. Results. In the NASH group, ALT, TG, fasting blood glucose (FBG), M30 CK-18, CAP, and HBeAg positive ratio were significantly higher than in the non-NASH group (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that CK-18 M30, CAP, FBG, and HBVDNA level were independent predictors of NASH. Therefore, a new model combining CK18 M30, CAP, FBG, and HBVDNA level was established using logistic regression. The AUROC curve predicting NASH was 0.961 (95% CI: 0.920–1.00, cutoff value is 0.218), with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80.6%. Conclusion. A noninvasive score model might be considered for the prediction of NASH in patients with CHB combined with NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio‐inspired machine visions have caused wide attentions due to the higher time/power efficiencies over the conventional architectures. Although bio‐mimic photo‐sensors and neuromorphic computing have been individually demonstrated, a complete monolithic vision system has rarely been studied. Here, a neuromorphic machine vision system (NMVS) integrating front‐end retinomorphic sensors and a back‐end convolutional neural network (CNN) based on a single ferroelectric‐semiconductor‐transistor (FST) device structure is reported. As a photo‐sensor, the FST shows a broadband (275–808 nm) retina‐like light adaption function with a large dynamic range of 20.3 stops, and as a unit of the CNN, the FST's weight can be linearly programmed. In total, the NMVS has a high recognition accuracy of 93.0% on a broadband‐dim‐image classification task, which is 20% higher than that of an incomplete system without the retinomorphic sensors. Because of the monolithic unit, the NVMS shows high feasibility for integrated bio‐inspired machine vision systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was proposed that arresting nuclear donor cells in G0/G1 phase facilitates the development of embryos that are derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Full confluency or serum starvation is commonly used to arrest in vitro cultured somatic cells in G0/G1 phase. However, it is controversial as to whether these two methods have the same efficiency in arresting somatic cells in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, it is unclear whether the cloned embryos have comparable developmental ability after somatic cells are subjected to one of these methods and then used as nuclear donors in SCNT. In the present study, in vitro cultured sheep skin fibroblasts were divided into four groups: (1) cultured to 70–80% confluency (control group), (2) cultured to full confluency, (3) starved in low serum medium for 4 d, or (4) cultured to full confluency and then further starved for 4 d. Flow cytometry was used to assay the percentage of fibroblasts in G0/G1 phase, and cell counting was used to assay the viability of the fibroblasts. Then, real-time reverse transcription PCR was used to determine the levels of expression of several cell cycle-related genes. Subsequently, the four groups of fibroblasts were separately used as nuclear donors in SCNT, and the developmental ability and the quality of the cloned embryos were compared. The results showed that the percentage of fibroblasts in G0/G1 phase, the viability of fibroblasts, and the expression levels of cell cycle-related genes was different among the four groups of fibroblasts. Moreover, the quality of the cloned embryos was comparable after these four groups of fibroblasts were separately used as nuclear donors in SCNT. However, cloned embryos derived from fibroblasts that were cultured to full confluency combined with serum starvation had the highest developmental ability. The results of the present study indicate that there are synergistic effects of full confluency and serum starvation on arresting fibroblasts in G0/G1 phase, and the short-term treatment of nuclear donor cells with these two methods could improve the efficiency of SCNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated which treatment should be applied if primary cervical ripening with a dinoprostone pessary is unsuccessful. We included 281 women who experienced unsuccessful cervical ripening with a dinoprostone pessary and continued on induction of labour (IOL). Of the 281 women recruited, 177 were given a second dose of dinoprostone; 104 women received a balloon catheter. The second dinoprostone pessary was successful in achieving vaginal delivery in 88 of the 177 (48.6%) women, while the balloon catheter was successful in 42 of the 104 women (40.4%); there was no significant difference between the two treatments with regards to successful vaginal delivery. However, of the women who experienced successful vaginal delivery, the delivery rate in the dinoprostone group was significantly higher than that in the balloon catheter group 12, 24, 36, or 48 h after insertion (p =.0094,.0005,.0258,.0483, respectively). The neonatal outcomes, the proportion of maternal infection and postpartum haemorrhage were similar between the two groups. What is already known on this subject? Labour induction is a common procedure in obstetrics in a bid to achieve vaginal delivery in China, because vaginal delivery is more beneficial and associated with a better quality of life as compared to a Caesarean delivery. There is consensus relating to the preferred method of IOL after unsuccessful IOL with a dinoprostone pessary. What do the results of this study add? This is the first study in a Chinese population to compare the dinoprostone pessary and balloon catheter for women with no response to dinoprostone for cervical ripening with a sample size greater than 100. We found that a second dose of dinoprostone can reduce the time from the re-initiation of IOL to vaginal delivery compared with the balloon catheter. Our data also indicated that all other outcomes relating to the mother and infant were similar. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or future research? A second dose of dinoprostone is a superior choice for women who experience unsuccessful IOL with dinoprostone to further accelerate vaginal delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet photodetectors (UV PDs) based on 2D layered materials have attracted much attention because of the great applications in the fields of biology, healthcare, and space science, as well as the unique optical and electrical properties of 2D layered materials. Many UV PDs have been reported. However, high performance UV PDs with high responsivity and ultrafast light response time still need to be explored further. Here, we synthesized layered In4/3P2Se6 nanoflakes via the chemical vapor conversion (CVC) method. The UV PDs based on as-grown In4/3P2Se6 nanoflakes exhibit a very high light switching ratio of up to 6 × 105 at room temperature, which is ascribed to the large photocurrent and an ultralow dark current of ∼80 fA. Meanwhile, an ultrafast rise and a decay time of ∼ 470 μs/440 μs are achieved. The according responsivity, external quantum efficiency, and special detectivity are 4.31 A W−1, 1485.2%, and 6.3 × 1012 Jones, respectively, which are excellent performance among the UV PDs based 2D layered materials. Notably, it has both high responsivity and fast light response time, better than other 2D layered semiconductor photodetectors. Our finding demonstrates In4/3P2Se6 nanoflakes are promising materials for high performance UV PDs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technology in which a somatic nucleus is transferred into the cytoplasm of a matured oocyte – reconstructed embryos have the capacity to develop to term. Why somatic cells can be reprogrammed by oocytes – the answer for this question must exist in the cytoplasm of matured oocytes. In this review, totipotent characters of matured oocytes were discussed, which may confer matured oocytes with the capacity to reprogram somatic nucleus. Moreover, the procedure of SCNT also makes a possibility for somatic nucleus to be reprogrammed by oocytes. Compared with fertilized embryos, embryos derived from SCNT exhibit low developmental ability; the barricades in reprogramming process and their possible reasons were also discussed. This review maybe can benefit the mechanism research of SCNT technology and can make contribution for improving the efficiency of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Preparing positively charged MWNTs with quaternary amine functionalization. [•] Fabricating poly-ABSA/MWNTs composite film modified electrode as voltammetric sensor. [•] Simultaneous determination of methotrexate and calcium folinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The tetra-oxygen path mechanism (t-OPM) on NiFe-LDH catalyst was mainly investigated in two paths. • The OER performance was studied when surface 2O as active sites were under 0 ∼ 6 environment oxygen (O ev) exposure. • Based on the t-OPM, the minimum overpotential for OER process was 0.07 eV on O ev-346 model. • The OER performed of models with 2 ∼ 4 O ev exposure was better than the rest. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with large overpotential is the bottleneck of the whole water electrolysis process. NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) represent one of the potential catalysts for OER in alkaline media. For the LDH, it was well established that both adsorption evolution mechanism and lattice oxygen mechanism could appear at a single site, but Ni-OOOO-Fe species would provide a different O O path mechanism at dual-O sites due to the complexity and diversity of LDH surface. Here, using first-principles study, tetra-oxygen path mechanism (t-OPM) was proposed to investigate the OER performance of NiFe-LDH by considering surface 2O were as active sites (O ac) and other O as environment O (O ev) with different exposed degrees (0–6). It was found that the optimal performance of the NiFe-LDH surface could be achieved when 2 ∼ 4 O ev were exposed under the explored mechanism in different paths (path 1 and path 2) with overpotential η = 0.07 ∼ 0.35 V, and path 1 was slightly better than path 2. At the same time, the solvation effect (SE) was used to study the effect on the OER performance, the results showed that SE had a little influence on the case of 2 ∼ 4 O ev exposed while had a large effect on the other cases. The detailed analysis of the electronic structure showed a smaller difference Δ ε between the energy Fe-3d band center and O ac -2p, which imply the stronger the interaction between them. Thus, the t-OPM was feasible in OER on NiFe-LDH. It was anticipated that our work could provide a fresh perspective on the understanding of the excellent OER performance of LDH in alkaline environment, which was complementary to the traditional mechanism to some extent. [Display omitted] This work focused on the tetra-oxygen path mechanism (t-OPM) in oxygen evolution reaction on NiFe layered double hydroxides with surface 2O as active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at revising the LI-RADS M category (LR-M) criteria to improve the diagnostic performance categories LR-5 and LR-M of the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) Version 2017. We enrolled 264 patients (264 nodules) with a risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The nodules were assigned specific CEUS LI-RADS categories. Washout onset times for all nodules were noted. The diagnostic performance of LR-5 and LR-M was analyzed based on the different early washout criterion for the LR-M category. The positive predictive values in LR-5, LR-4 and LR-3 were 98.6%, 72.2% and 16.7%, respectively, and that for non-HCC malignancies in LR-M was 25.0%. Patients in the LR-M category were reclassified using 45 s as the early washout criterion. LR-5 had higher sensitivity (65.5% vs. 76.2%, p = 0.012) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.80 vs. 0.85, p = 0.001) for HCC diagnosis after reclassification. LR-M also had higher specificity (71.4% vs. 81.3%, p = 0.010) in diagnosing non-HCC malignancies after reclassification. Our findings suggest CEUS LR-5 is effective for HCC diagnosis. The use of 45 s as the time criterion of early washout for LR-M can improve LR-5 and LR-M performance in the diagnosis of HCC and non-HCC malignancies, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) can provide more efficient delivery than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of TMF and TDF for 48 weeks in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: We performed a randomised, double‐blind, non‐inferiority study at 49 sites in China. Patients with CHB were assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA less than 20 IU/mL at week 48. We also assessed safety, particularly bone, renal and metabolic abnormalities. Results: We randomised 1002 eligible patients. The baseline characteristics were well balanced between groups. After a median 48 weeks of treatment, the non‐inferiority criterion was met in all analysis sets. In the HBeAg‐positive population, 50.2% of patients receiving TMF and 53.7% receiving TDF achieved HBV DNA less than 20 IU/mL. In the HBeAg‐negative population, 88.9% and 87.8%, respectively, achieved HBV DNA less than 20 IU/mL in the TMF and TDF groups. Patients receiving TMF had significantly less decrease in bone mineral density at both hip (P < 0.001) and spine (P < 0.001), and a smaller increase in serum creatinine at week 48 (P < 0.05). Other safety results were similar between groups. Conclusion: TMF was non‐inferior to TDF in terms of anti‐HBV efficacy and showed better bone and renal safety. (NCT03903796). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational trophoblastic tumors seriously endanger child productive needs and the health of women in childbearing age. Nanodrug-based therapy mediated by transporters provides a novel strategy for the treatment of trophoblastic tumors. Focusing on the overexpression of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) on the membrane of choriocarcinoma cells (JEG-3), cytarabine (Cy, a substrate of ENT1)-grafted liposomes (Cy-Lipo) were introduced for the targeted delivery of methotrexate (Cy-Lipo@MTX) for choriocarcinoma therapy in this study. ENT1 has a high affinity for Cy-Lipo and can mediate the endocytosis of the designed nanovehicles into JEG-3 cells. The ENT1 protein maintains its transportation function through circulation and regeneration during endocytosis. Therefore, Cy-Lipo-based formulations showed high tumor accumulation and retention in biodistribution studies. More importantly, the designed DSPE-PEG2k-Cy conjugation exhibited a synergistic therapeutic effect on choriocarcinoma. Finally, Cy-Lipo@MTX exerted an extremely powerful anti-choriocarcinoma effect with fewer side effects. This study suggests that the overexpressed ENT1 on choriocarcinoma cells holds great potential as a high-efficiency target for the rational design of active targeting nanotherapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Recycled graphite from the residue can be used as anode for lithium ion batteries. • A simple and efficient method to prepare silicon-graphite composite material. • A series of tests reveal the pore defects can be better combined with silicon. • The first use of recycled graphite to prepare silicon-graphite anode. Recycling graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries has substantial significance in protection of environment as well as in growth of economic. Silicon-graphite composite materials have been extensively studied and expected to replace graphite in commercial lithium-ion batteries, but it is still difficult to reduce the volume expansion of silicon. In this paper, we find that spent graphite is an ideal choice for low cost production of high-performance silicon-graphite composite, because the treated spent graphite (T-SGT) presents a porous structure which can be well combined with silicon and effectively relieve the volume expansion. The carbon coated silicon-treated spent graphite (T-SGT/Si@C) anode exhibits good cycling performance (92.47% capacity retention) over 300 cycles and good rate property (434.1 mAh g−1 at a current density of 500 mA g−1), much better than carbon coated silicon-commercial graphite (CGT/Si@C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we recycled anode graphite of spent lithium‐ion batteries (LiBs) to prepare an ORR electrocatalyst applied in fuel cells. The discarded graphite was used as a carbon carrier and doped with N and Fe via simple pyrolysis with polyaniline and iron salt. Importantly, in comparison with the commercial Pt/C catalyst, the obtained catalyst exhibits better catalytic activity, methanol resistance and durability. Currently, fuel cells and lithium‐ion batteries are served as two major energy sources in vehicles. This work provides a novel guideline for recycling the graphite anode of LiBs and paves a way forward for the application of a superior and low‐cost electrocatalyst in fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]