Search

A multicolor AC-driven light-emitting device by integrating a WSe2 monolayer and AlGaInP–GaInP multiple quantum well (MQW) structures.

In this paper, we present an end-to-end neural solution to model portrait bas-relief from a single photograph, which is cast as a problem of image-to-depth translation. The main challenge is the lack of bas-relief data for network training. To solve this problem, we propose a semi-automatic pipeline to synthesize bas-relief samples. The main idea is to first construct normal maps from photos, and then generate bas-relief samples by reconstructing pixel-wise depths. In total, our synthetic dataset contains 23k pixel-wise photo/bas-relief pairs. Since the process of bas-relief synthesis requires a certain amount of user interactions, we propose end-to-end solutions with various network architectures, and train them on the synthetic data. We select the one that gave the best results through qualitative and quantitative comparisons. Experiments on numerous portrait photos, comparisons with state-of-the-art methods and evaluations by artists have proven the effectiveness and efficiency of the selected network.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used widely, but when operated at a low-voltage direct current (DC), they consume unnecessary power because a converter must be used to convert it to an alternating current (AC). DC flow across devices also causes charge accumulation at a high current density, leading to lowered LED reliability. In contrast, gallium-nitride-based LEDs can be operated without an AC-DC converter being required, potentially leading to greater energy efficiency and reliability. In this study, we developed a multicolor AC-driven light-emitting device by integrating a WSe

To investigate the prevalence of thyroid disorders, iodine nutritional status and relevant risk factors among adults in Chengdu city on the basis of two population-based surveys, one conducted between 2016 and 2017 and the other, between 2019 and 2020, and to provide references for making health-related administrative decisions.Two population-based sampling surveys were conducted. The first one was done between October 2016 and December 2017, using stratified cluster random sampling to select subjects from 2 urban and 2 rural communities in Chengdu. Then, between December 2019 and February 2020, sequential cluster sampling was used to select subjects from communities in the peripheral regions of Longquanyi District, Chengdu. Both surveys covered natural populations of people who were 18 or older and who met the inclusion criteria. In the first survey, questionnaires, physical examination, thyroid ultrasound, and examinations of serum thyroid biochemical markers and urine iodine were performed, while in the second survey, only questionnaire concerning thyroid disorders and physical examination were performed. Statistical analysis of the nutritional status of iodine, the prevalence of thyroid disorders, and potential risk factor was conducted.A total of 1859 subjects were enrolled for the first survey and 16152 for the second. According to the results of the first survey, the median urine iodine concentration was 172.10 μg/L, and the group with adequate or more than adequate iodine accounted for more than 60% of the surveyed population. The prevalence of thyroid disorders was found to be 0.48% for overt hyperthyroidism, 0.43% for subclinical hyperthyroidism, 0.43% for Grave's disease, 1.34% for overt hypothyroidism, 16.62% for subclinical hypothyroidism, 16.73% for positive thyroid antibody, 12.96% for TPOAb positive, 10.06% for TGAb positive, 0.81% for goiter, 14.85% for single nodule, 14.42% for multi-nodules, and 29.26% for thyroid nodules. Excess iodine is a risk factor for subclinical hypothyroidism (The iodine nutritional status of adults in Chengdu in recent years was appropriate. The total prevalence of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis remained stable, while that of thyroid nodule increased in recent years. We should continue with the implementation of the universal salt iodization policy and reinforce efforts in monitoring. Furthermore, we should make an active effort to look into the etiology of thyroid nodules.

Objective: To assess whether a simple predictive model can be composed of risk factors leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in infants of syphilitic mothers during pregnancy, that can predict the APOs of newborns.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 768 pregnant women with syphilis. They were required to complete a questionnaire. We analyzed the data and divided it into a training set and a test set. In the training set, we screened the predictors, constructed a prediction model and evaluated the prediction performance in the test set.Results: Compared with the APOs group, pregnant women in the non-APOs group participated in a longer treatment course. Course, time of the first antenatal care, gestation week at syphilis diagnosis, and gestation age at delivery in weeks were independent predictors of APOs, and they were used to establish the nomogram. The AUCs of the nomogram were 0.771 (95% CI, 0.708-0.834) and 0.733 (95% CI, 0.638-0.828) in the training and testing sets, respectively.Conclusions: Our study investigated the impact of various characteristics of syphilis pregnant women on pregnancy outcomes and established a prediction model of APOs in Suzhou. The incidence of APOs can be reduced by controlling for these risk factors.

Pregnancy is a complex biological process. The establishment and maintenance of foetal-maternal interface are pivotal events. Decidual immune cells and inflammatory cytokines play indispensable roles in the foetal-maternal interface. The disfunction of decidual immune cells leads to adverse pregnancy outcome. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)

Two novel cholestane-type steroidal saponins, melongoside R-S (1-2) and three novel furostanol-type steroidal saponins, melongoside T-V (3-5), together with three known steroidal saponins (6-8) were isolated from the seeds of Solanum melongna L. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis such as HR-ESI-MS, ESI-MS and NMR.

Background Chronic inflammation is now recognized as a causal factor of aging. Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid compound that widely exists in plant species, exerting anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in animal models. The chemotaxis of inflammatory cells and secretion of cytokines are key characters in inflammation response. Methods The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) chromosomal on the migration, inflammatory response, and apoptosis of monocytes were detected. THP-1 cells were used to study the effects of resveratrol treatment on LPS- and HMGB-induced monocytes. We aimed to investigate the effect of Resveratrol on monocyte migration and the expression of a special cytokine named HMGB1 in THP-1 cells. Results Resveratrol obviously inhibited THP-1 migration induced by LPS. LPS increased the expression of HMGB1 and its release in THP-1 cells, which were both decreased by resveratrol. Resveratrol inhibited the activity of NF-κB-p65 and the translocation of NF-κB-p65 from nucleus to cytoplasm induced by LPS. In addition, Resveratrol increased LPS and HMGB1-inhibited monocyte apoptosis. Resveratrol inhibited the LPS-induced HMGB1 secretion and its activation through NF-κB pathway. The THP-1 migration induced by LPS was inhibited by resveratrol. Conclusions Resveratrol may inhibit monocyte migration and induce apoptosis by blocking downstream HMGB1/NF-κB/MCP-1 signaling pathways, thereby reducing systemic inflammation.

Topologically associated domains (TADs) are crucial chromatin structural units. Evidence has illustrated that RNA–chromatin and RNA–RNA spatial interactions, so-called RNA-associated interactions (RAIs), may be associated with TAD-like domains (TLDs). To decode hierarchical TLDs from RAIs, we proposed SuperTLD, a domain detection algorithm incorporating imputation. We applied SuperTLD on four RAI data sets and compared TLDs with the TADs identified from the corresponding Hi-C datasets. The TLDs and TADs share a moderate similarity of hierarchies ≥ 0.5312 and the finest structures ≥ 0.8295. Comparison between boundaries and domains further demonstrated the novelty of TLDs. Enrichment analysis of epigenetic characteristics illustrated that the novel TLDs exhibit an enriched CTCF by 0.6245 fold change and H3 histone marks enriched within domains. GO analysis on the TLD novel boundaries exhibited enriched diverse terms, revealing TLDs’ formation mechanism related closely to gene regulation.

This study investigated the effect of salidroside on phenotypic transformation of rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs) induced by hypoxia. Rat pulmonary arteries were isolated by tissue digestion and PASMCs were cultured. The OD values of cells treated with salidroside at different concentrations for 48 hours were measured by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) to determine the appropriate concentration range of salidroside. The cells were divided into a normal(normoxia) group, a model(hypoxia) group, and three hypoxia + salidroside groups(40, 60, and 80 μg·mL~(-1)). Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of cell contractile markers in each group, such as α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), smooth muscle 22(SM22), and calcium-binding protein(calponin), and synthetic marker vimentin. The expression levels of cell phenotypic markers and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) were detected by Western blot. The proliferation of cells in each group was detected by the 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine(EdU) assay. Cell migration was measured by Transwell assay. As revealed by results, compared with the normal group, the model group showed decreased mRNA and protein expression of contractile phenotypic markers of PASMCs and increased mRNA and protein expression of synthetic markers. Compared with the conditions in the model group, salidroside could down-regulate the mRNA and protein expression of synthetic markers in PASMCs and up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of contractile phenotypic markers. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed potentiated proliferation and migration. Compared with the model group, the hypoxia + salidroside groups showed blunted proliferation and migration of cells after phenotypic transformation. The results suggest that salidroside can inhibit the expression of synthetic markers in PASMCs and promote the expression of contractile markers to inhibit the hypoxia-induced phenotypic transformation of PASMCs. The mechanism of salidroside in inhibiting the proliferation and migration of PASMCs is related to the inhibition of the phenotypic transformation of PASMCs.

Decursin, a coumarin compound isolated from Angelica gigas has been shown to possess multiple anti-tumor activities. But it’s still little known about the effects associated with cervical cancer. T...

Thin gold (Au) films (10 nm) are deposited on different substrates by using a e-beam deposition system. Compared with sapphire and SiO2 surfaces, longer migration length of the Au adatoms is observed on MoS2 surfaces, which helps in the formation of a single-crystal Au film on the MoS2 surface at 200 °C. The results have demonstrated that with the assistance of van der Waals epitaxy growth mode, single-crystal 3D metals can be grown on 2D material surfaces. With the improved crystalline quality and less significant Au grain coalescence on MoS2 surfaces, sheet resistance 2.9 Ω/sq is obtained for the thin 10 nm Au film at 100 °C, which is the lowest value reported in literature. The highly conductive thin metal film is advantageous for the application of backend interconnects for the electronic devices with reduced line widths.

Calligraphy occupies a distinguished position in Chinese traditional culture. For long-term preservation, many calligraphy works have been carved on stones or woods in the form of relief. In this paper, we present a novel solution that enables fast modeling of Chinese calligraphy relief from 2D handwriting image, which benefits from the advances of deep learning. We first construct a relief dataset composed of diverse types of calligraphy fonts and then design a convolutional neural network for height predictions. Through the trained network, one can quickly generate homogeneous type, inhomogeneous type or hybrid style of reliefs. The advantage over previous methods is that our method does not require parameter tuning and is fast in generating calligraphy reliefs from different resolution of inputs. A number of experiments and comparisons prove the effectiveness of our method.

In this study, a broadband and high gain dielectric-rod end-fire antenna are proposed for applications on both the K and Ka bands. By employing the double-ridged waveguide (DRW) feeding structure which is composed of a coaxial line to tapered DRW transition, a parabolic tapered DRW, and a parabolic-tapered flared parallel waveguide section, the impedance bandwidth of this proposed antenna is broadened to 84.5%. The dielectric-rod with the double circular truncated cone structure acted as the main radiator of the proposed antenna is adopted to achieve higher gains and lower side-lobe levels as compared to the traditional circular cone dielectric-rod, while the four-wedges structure inserted in the waveguide is developed as the matching section of the dielectric-rod to further improve the impedance matching. The measured results show that this antenna can be operated in 17.9–44.1 GHz, and the measured gain changes from 9.9 to 15.5 dBi. Moreover, the radiation patterns are demonstrated with observed end-fire characteristic in the overall operating band.

It is a common type of tunnel under-cross the roadbed slope with weak inter-layer. Rainfall infiltration will cause soil softening, matric suction and strength reduction, which seriously threaten the safety of slope and tunnel. This paper presents a case where a tunnel underlying the roadbed slope with weak inter-layer in Guiyang 1# line, China. The seepage calculation model in MIDAS GTS/NX software, considering hydraulic permeability coefficient characteristic curve and soil-water characteristic curve, was used to analyze the stress and deformation of the roadbed slope and tunnel. The results reveal that rainfall infiltration has great influence on the deformation of roadbed slope with weak inter-layer and the force of internal tunnel. Slope displacement increases rapidly in the early stage and decreases in the late stage, but the absolute value of displacement increases continuously and the slope safety factor decreases gradually, which makes the slope in a dangerous state. The force of tunnel lining increases in the early stage and decreases with the recovery of soil strength after rainfall. The control effects of anchor cable and anti-slide pile reinforcement on slope sliding and tunnel stress were studied. And the anchor cable reinforcement measure is more effective on reducing slope slip and tunnel lining structure internal force.

We have demonstrated that with e-beam deposition of a thin Al2O3 layer before atomic layer deposition, a uniform Al2O3 film can be obtained on WSe2/sapphire samples. Device performances are observed for WSe2 top-gate transistors by using oxide stacks as the gate dielectric. By using thermal evaporation, epitaxially grown multilayer antimonene can be prepared on both MoS2 and WSe2 surfaces. With multilayer antimonene as the contact metal, a significant increase in drain currents and ON/OFF ratios is observed for the device, which indicates that high contact resistance between metal/2D material interfaces is a critical issue for 2D devices. The observation of multilayer antimonene grown on different 2D material surfaces has demonstrated less dependence on the substrate lattice constant of the unique van der Waals epitaxy for 2D materials. The results have also demonstrated that stacking 2D materials with different materials plays an important role in the practical applications of 2D devices.

This paper presents a wideband pattern- and polarization-reconfigurable antenna based on bistable composite cylindrical shells. This antenna, which includes seven radiating metal strips, uses bistable anti-symmetric glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite cylindrical shells as the substrate to achieve reconfigurability without the need for redundant structures or semiconductor devices. This bistable GFRP substrate has two stable cylindrical configurations: extended structure and coiled-up structure. Therefore, by transforming the configuration, the radiation patterns of the proposed antenna are changed, and simultaneously, the polarization is switched between left-handed circular polarization (LHCP) and right-handed circular polarization (RHCP). A prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. The measured results indicate that the antenna can operate in the frequency range from 2.3 to 3 GHz in the two configurations. The proposed antenna can be utilized as the payload of a satellite.

Pregnancy is a complex biological process. The establishment and maintenance of foetal–maternal interface are pivotal events. Decidual immune cells and inflammatory cytokines play indispensable roles in the foetal–maternal interface. The disfunction of decidual immune cells leads to adverse pregnancy outcome. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a common inflammatory cytokine, has critical roles in different stages of normal pregnancy process. However, the relationship between the disorder of TNF-αand adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), spontaneous abortion (SA), preterm birth and so on, is still indefinite. In this review, we thoroughly reviewed the effect of TNF-αdisorder on pathological conditions. Moreover, we summarized the reports about the adverse pregnancy outcomes (PE, IUGR, SA and preterm birth) of using anti-TNF-αdrugs (infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab, certolizumab and golimumab) currently in the clinical studies. Overall, IUGR, SA and preterm birth are the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes of anti-TNF-αdrugs. Our review may provide insight for the immunological treatment of pregnancy-related complication, and help practitioners make informed decisions based on the current evidences.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) rely on complex regulatory networks to preserve stemness. Due to the scarcity of HSCs, technical challenges have limited our insights into the interplay between metabolites, transcription, and the epigenome. In this study, we generated low-input metabolomics, transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility, and chromatin immunoprecipitation data , revealing distinct metabolic hubs that are enriched in HSCs and their downstream multipotent progenitors. Mechanistically, we uncover a non-classical retinoic acid (RA) signaling axis that regulates HSC function. We show that HSCs rely on Cyp26b1, an enzyme conventionally considered to limit RA effects in the cell. In contrast to the traditional view, we demonstrate that Cyp26b1 is indispensable for production of the active metabolite 4-oxo-RA. Further, RA receptor beta (Rarb) is required for complete transmission of 4-oxo-RA-mediated signaling to maintain stem cells. Our findings emphasize that a single metabolite controls stem cell fate by instructing epigenetic and transcriptional attributes.

To investigate the molecular mechanism of hsa_circ_0005221 regulating the progression of PCa through the miR-339-5p/STAT5a pathway.Localizations of hsa_circ_0005221 and miR-339-5p in cells were detected by nuclear-cytoplasmic isolation. MiRNA-339-5p was selected as the target miRNA bound to hsa_circ_0005221 by RNA pull-down assay. The binding site of the luciferase reporter gene was predicted by software and the binding capability of miR-339-5p validated by luciferase assay. The expression of hsa_circ_0005221 in the prostatic epithelial and PCa cells was determined by qPCR. The hsa_circ_0005221-overexpressed plasmid and siRNA were transfected into the PCa cells for measurement of their proliferation, invasion and migration abilities and the levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and apoptosis. After knockdown of hsa_circ_0005221 and transfection of miR-339-5p mimics and miR-339-5p inhibitor, the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities of the DU145 and LNCaP cells were detected, and so were the levels of the EMT signature protein, STAT5a and cell apoptosis.The expression of hsa_circ_0005221 was significantly higher in the PCa than in the prostatic epithelial cells. Nuclear-cytoplasmic isolation experiments showed that hsa_circ_0005221 and miR-339-5p were mainly located in the cytoplasm. The proliferation, invasion and migration abilities and EMT were decreased and the apoptosis increased in the DU145 and LNCaP cells with knockdown of hsa_circ_0005221, which was just the reverse in those with overexpressed hsa_circ_0005221. Among the top 5 miRNAs predicted by software, miR-339-5p, miR-17 and miR-520h were shown by pull-down assay to be bound to hsa_circ_0005221, with most obvious changes in miR-339-5p when hsa_circ_0005221 knocked down or overexpressed. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed the binding of hsa_circ_0005221 to miR-339-5p. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0005221 and transfection of miR-339-5p mimics into the DU145 and LNCaP cells significantly reduced the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities of the cells and the N-cad level, increased their apoptosis and E-cad level, and up-regulated the expression of STAT5a, while overexpression of hsa_circ_0005221 and transfection of miR-339-5p mimics induced just the opposite effects.Hsa_circ_0005221 enhances the progression of prostate cancer through the miR-339-5p/STAT5a pathway.

ObjectiveHyperuricemia (HUA) is strongly associated with abnormal glucose metabolism and insulin resistance (IR). However, the precise molecular mechanism of HUA-induced IR is still unclear. Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been shown to induce IR in type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study was designed to clarify the relationship between RBP4 and HUA-induced IR and its potential mechanisms.MethodsPatients with HUA were collected to detect the levels of plasma RBP4 and clinical biochemical indicators. Rats were fed with 10% high yeast and oteracil potassium (300 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection once daily for eight weeks, and gavage with adenine (100 mg/kg) once daily from the fifth week to induce the HUA model. Glucose consumption testing was performed to determine the capacity of glucose intake and consumption in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein level of RBP4 and insulin receptor substrate-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-active protein kinase (IRS/PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway-related proteins.ResultsThe levels of plasma RBP4 in both HUA patients and HUA rat models were significantly higher than that in the control groups. The level of plasma RBP4 was positively correlated with plasma uric acid, creatinine, fasting insulin, IR index, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients with HUA. In HUA rats, the level of plasma RBP4 was positively correlated with plasma uric acid, IR index, and triglycerides. HUA rats also exhibited IR. After inhibition of RBP4 expression, the phosphorylation levels of the IRS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were increased, and IR was significantly improved.ConclusionHUA induced IR both in vitro and in vivo. RBP4 may be involved in HUA-induced IR by inhibiting IRS/PI3K/Akt phosphorylation. Our findings may provide a new insight for the treatment of IR caused by HUA.

5/6 Nephrectomy (PNx) on rat and mouse mimics renal failure after loss of kidney function in human, and it has been widely used in CKD researches. However, existing methods for PNx model construction present high mortality of animals after modeling due to hemorrhage and infection in or after surgery. Here, we report a novel and highly efficient PNx modeling method to simulate conventional 5/6 nephrectomy, which significantly reduced the mortality of animals and simplified the modeling procedures. In this novel modeling method, we directly ligated the upper and lower poles of left kidney after removal the right kidney 1 week later (l-PNx), which leads to necrosis of ligated upper and lower poles of the kidney and mimics the conventional 5/6 nephrectomy (c-PNx). After modeling 4 and 12 weeks, the serum creatinine, BUN and proteinuria levels were strongly increased in both c-PNx and l-PNx model. Importantly, compared with the c-PNx, l-PNx model present more severe renal fibrosis estimated by Masson staining, IHC and western blotting. The results showed that the protein levels of α-SMA were significantly increased in the kidney of c-PNx and l-PNx models, but more increase was found in l-PNx model. It is noteworthy that, compared with c-PNx model, the survival rate of l-PNx model was markedly increased. In summary, we established a novel and efficient 5/6 nephrectomy model, which can mimic conventional 5/6 nephrectomy to construct a renal fibrosis and renal failure mouse model, that is conducive to mechanism and treatment researches of CKD.