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Abstract Background Obesity and the forkhead box O1(FOXO1) affect the survival of breast cancer patients, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of FOXO1 in obesity-associated-breast cancer. Methods We screened 383 breast disease patients from the first affiliated hospital with Nanjing Medical University in 2020. We performed wound healing, transwell, matrigel assays to assess the metastatic ability of cancer cells. We adopted mRNAs sequencing to select the differentially expressed transcripts in breast cancer. We applied immunohistochemistry, western blot, tissue microarrays to assess the level of FOXO1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. We conducted bioinformatic analysis to investigate interactions between FOXO1 and miR-135b. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization, RT-qPCR to confirm the characteristics of circCNIH4. We conducted luciferase reporter assay, rescue experiments to investigate interactions between circCNIH4 and miR-135b. Results Obesity was positively correlated with the incidence and progression of breast cancer. Adipocytes enhanced the migration of breast cancer and attenuated the effects of FOXO1. MiR-135b was a binding gene of FOXO1 and was regulated by circCNIH4. CircCNIH4 exhibited antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Adipocytes might accelerate the progression of breast cancer by modulating FOXO1/miR-135b/ circCNIH4 /EMT axis and regulating copper homeostasis.

Abstract Body heat, a clean and ubiquitous energy source, is promising as a renewable resource to supply wearable electronics. Emerging tough thermogalvanic device could be a sustainable platform to convert body heat energy into electricity for powering wearable electronics if its Carnot-relative efficiency (η r ) reaches ~5%. However, maximizing both the η r and mechanical strength of the device are mutually exclusive. Here, we develop a rational strategy to construct a flexible thermogalvanic armor (FTGA) with a η r over 8% near room temperature, yet preserving mechanical robustness. The key to our design lies in simultaneously realizing the thermosensitive-crystallization and salting-out effect in the elaborately designed ion-transport highway to boost η r and improve mechanical strength. The FTGA achieves an ultrahigh η r of 8.53%, coupling with impressive mechanical toughness of 70.65 MJ m−3 and substantial elongation (~900%) together. Our strategy holds sustainable potential for harvesting body heat and powering wearable electronics without recharging.

β-Ti shape-memory alloys, that show shape-memory effect or superelasticity owing to thermoelastic martensitic transformation, have potential for various applications. Herein, we propose an experimental approach for the efficient and high-throughput discovery of Ti-based shape-memory alloys with new compositions. We employed a diffusion couple composed of Ti–4.5Cr (at%) and Ti–30Al–4.5Cr (at%) alloys, and combined techniques of microstructure characterization and micro-Vickers hardness testing to uncover the surface relief attributable to martensitic transformation, correlating with varying Al concentration. By coupling with the observation of abrupt decline in the Vickers hardness and stress-induced martensitic transformation near the indent, a β-phase Ti alloy with a new composition of Ti–17Al–4.5Cr (at%) was successfully found, and excellent shape-memory effect was demonstrated. The integration of the diffusion couple, hardness test, and microstructural analysis provides a robust framework for the accelerated development of new Ti-based shape-memory alloys.

As two important sensors in the process of unmanned vehicle environment perception, the camera cannot provide the position information of the road target, and the LiDAR point cloud is sparse, which makes it difficult to achieve good results in detection, so that a method was proposed which fuses the information of the two sensors for target detection and localization. YOLOv5s algorithm in deep learning was adopted for target detection, and the external parameters of camera and LIDAR were acquired through joint calibration to convert the coordinates between the sensors, so that the radar point cloud data can be projected into the camera image data, and finally the position information of the detected target was obtained. The real vehicle experiments were conducted. The results show that the algorithm can achieve a detection speed of 27.2 Hz on the unmanned vehicle autopilot platform equipped with TX2 embedded computing platform, and maintain a leakage rate of 12.50%, a maximum recognition distance of 35.32 m, and an average localization accuracy of 0.18 m over a period of time in the detection environment. The fusion of LiDAR and camera can achieve road target detection and localization in embedded system, providing a reference for the construction of environment perception systems on embedded platforms.

Considerable research has been conducted on single-ion conductive polymeric electrolytes with high lithium ion transference numbers. However, low ionic conductivity is a long-standing challenge for lithium metal batteries, hindering the development of extending their cycle life. In this study, we synthesized a novel fluorine-containing single-ion polymeric electrolyte, LiP(VDF-co-MAF)BB (Polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoromethyl acrylate lithium borate polymer; subsequently referred to as PPMBB), exhibiting a room temperature conductivity of 1.03 × 10−3 S/cm. This electrolyte demonstrates a high lithium ion transference number of 0.7901 and an extended electrochemical stability window of 5.5 V. Under a 2 C discharge rate, it manifests a remarkable discharge specific capacity of 146.8 mAh/g. Moreover, even after 364 cycles, the capacity retention remains at 76%. The single-ion polymeric gel electrolyte designed in this work provides a promising strategy for the prolonged cycling performance of lithium metal batteries.

Abstract Harvesting renewable water energy in various formats such as raindrops, waves, and evaporation is one of the key strategies for achieving global carbon neutrality. The recent decade has witnessed rapid advancement of the droplet‐based electricity generator (DEG) with a continuous leap in the instantaneous output power density from 50 W/m2 to several kW/m2. Despite this, further pushing the upper limit of the output performance of DEG is still constrained by low surface charge density and long precharging time. Here, we report a DEG incorporating the Kelvin water dropper (K‐DEG) that can generate an ultrahigh instantaneous power density of 105 W/m2 upon one droplet impinging. In this design, the Kelvin water dropper continuously replenishes the high density of surface charges on DEG, while DEG fully releases these surface charges into electric output. K‐DEG with such a high output can directly light five 6‐W commercial lamps and even charge a cellphone by using falling droplets.

In this paper, a variable-coefficient Davey–Stewartson (vcDS) system is investigated for modeling the evolution of a two-dimensional wave-packet on water of finite depth in inhomogeneous media or nonuniform boundaries, which is where its novelty lies. The Painlevé integrability is tested by the method of Weiss, Tabor, and Carnevale (WTC) with the simplified form of Krustal. The rational solutions are derived by the Hirota bilinear method, where the formulae of the solutions are represented in terms of determinants. Furthermore the fundamental rogue wave solutions are obtained under certain parameter restrains in rational solutions. Finally the physical characteristics of the influences of the coefficient parameters on the solutions are discussed graphically. These rogue wave solutions have comprehensive implications for two-dimensional surface water waves in the ocean.

Summary: Background: Dementia has become a major public health concern worldwide, but comprehensive assessments of dementia burden attributable to high body mass index (BMI) in China have not been done. Methods: We used a temporal-spatial Bayesian hierarchical model to estimated BMI levels based on 1.25 million Chinese. We estimated dementia burden attributable to high BMI by age, sex, year, and socioeconomic development in terms of deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) and assessed the effect of population ageing. Findings: The average age-standardised BMI was 24.58 kg/m2 and 24.15 kg/m2 for men and women in 2018, respectively. 12,901 (95% UI, 10,617–15,420) dementia deaths were attributable to high BMI in China in 2018, with 5417 deaths from man and 7421 deaths from woman. The attributable age-standardised YLL rates for dementia increased 27% from 2005 to 2018. The attributable age-standardised mortality rates increased with human development index. People aged 80 years and older had the highest attributable mortality rate, and the rate decreased with decreasing age. Population ageing was an important component of the increase in dementia death. Interpretation: The rapid increase and large inequality highlighted the urgent need for evidence-based policies and interventions. We therefore call for establishing stronger anti-dementia strategies to promote the healthy ageing. Funding: China National Key Research and Development Program, China National Science & Technology Pillar Program, and National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China.

In recent years, global attention to carbon emissions has increased, becoming one of the main drivers of global climate change. Accurate prediction of carbon emission trends in small and medium-sized countries and scientific regulation of carbon emissions can provide theoretical support and policy references for the effective and rational use of energy and the promotion of the coordinated development of energy, environment, and economy. This paper establishes a grey prediction model using the classical Logistic mathematical model in a determined environment to investigate the carbon emission system. At the same time, we use the basic principle of fractional-order accumulation to establish a grey prediction model with fractional-order Logistic and obtain the parameter estimation and time-response equation of the new model by solving the model through the theory related to fractional-order operators. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to complete the optimization process of the order of the fractional order grey prediction model and obtain the optimal model order. Then, the new model is applied to predict carbon emissions in five medium-emission countries: Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana, Belgium, and Austria. The new model shows better advantages in the validity analysis process, and the simulation results indicate that the new model proposed in this paper has stronger stability and better simulation and prediction accuracy than other comparative models, proving the model’s validity. Finally, the model is used to forecast the carbon emissions of these five countries for the five years of 2021–2025, and the results are analyzed, and relevant policy recommendations are made.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in antimicrobial peptides as innovative antimicrobial agents for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections, particularly in the fields of biofilm control and eradication. In the present study, a novel cationic antimicrobial peptide, named LC-AMP-F1, was derived from the cDNA library of the Lycosa coelestis venom gland. The sequence, physicochemical properties and secondary structure of LC-AMP-F1 were predicted and studied. LC-AMP-F1 was tested for stability, cytotoxicity, drug resistance, antibacterial activity, and antibiofilm activity in vitro compared with melittin, a well-studied antimicrobial peptide. The findings indicated that LC-AMP-F1 exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of various bacteria, including five strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria commonly found in clinical settings. Additionally, LC-AMP-F1 demonstrated effective inhibition of biofilm formation and disruption of mature biofilms. Furthermore, LC-AMP-F1 exhibited favorable stability, minimal hemolytic activity, and low toxicity towards different types of eukaryotic cells. Also, it was found that the combination of LC-AMP-F1 with conventional antibiotics exhibited either synergistic or additive therapeutic benefits. Concerning the antibacterial mechanism, scanning electron microscopy and SYTOX Green staining results showed that LC-AMP-F1 increased cell membrane permeability and swiftly disrupted bacterial cell membranes to exert its antibacterial effects. In summary, the findings and studies facilitated the development and clinical application of novel antimicrobial agents.

Abstract The past several years have witnessed the rapid development in effectively transforming randomly distributed water kinetic energy into electrical energy, especially triggered by the emergence of droplet‐based electricity generators (DEG). Despite this, it still suffers from relatively low average power density, which is also achieved at the cost of long charging time, the time to reach stable and saturated surface charge density either through continuous droplet impingement or precharging. Although the harvested energy per droplet in DEG remains as the dominant metric, ultrahigh instantaneous output and short charging time are equally important in some specialized applications such as instantaneous luminescence. Here, we conduct systematical modeling and optimization to build the link between the hydrodynamic and electrical systems, which enables us to determine ultrahigh instantaneous output and short charging time by tailoring parameters such as dielectric layer thickness, droplet ion concentration, and external load. We envision that this strategy in achieving ultrahigh instantaneous output as well as shortening charging time would provide insights and design routes for water energy harvesting.

Abstract Objective To establish the predicted value of pulmonary function determined by impulse oscillometry (IOS) in children (4–17 years old) in China. Methods A total of 6270 healthy children aged 4–17 years in China were included. The Master Screen IOS pulmonary function device (Jaeger Co, Germany) was used to detect the respiratory impedance (Zrs), resonant frequency (Fres), respiratory system resistance (Rrs) and respiratory system reactance (Xrs) at various oscillation frequencies, and the indices above were analysed. Stepwise multivariate regression was used to establish the regression equation of related parameters of IOS in different sexes, ages, height, and weight. Results The differences in the main IOS parameters between different age stages were statistically significant regardless of sex (P

Razor clams, belonging to the Pharidae and Solenidae families, are ecologically and economically important; however, very little research has been conducted on the Pharidae family. The genus Novaculina is a marine-derived freshwater lineage, and Novaculina chinensis is a rare freshwater species of the Pharidae family. In order to understand the phylogenetic relationships of N. chinensis, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the genus Novaculina, which is 16,262 bp in length and consists of 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). The phylogenetic relationships of 69 Imparidentian mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) indicated that N. chineisis is closely related to Sinonovacula constricta of the order Adapedonta. Our study also found that the Ka/Ks ratios of 12 protein-coding genes in the Pharidae family are lower than one, indicating the occurrence of negative purification selection. Morphological observations of the siphons of N. chinensis, Novaculina myanmarensis, and Novaculina gangetica indicate that N. chinensis may be the ancestral clade of the genus Novaculina, which has not been proposed in previous studies. Our study provides useful molecular information on the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships of Pharidae and also contributes to the conservation and management of the germplasm resources of N. chinensis.

Aphids are one of the most destructive pests in agricultural production. In addition, aphids are able to easily develop resistance to chemical insecticides due to their rapid reproduction and short generation periods. To explore an effective and environmentally friendly aphid control strategy, we isolated and examined a fungus with aphid-parasitizing activity. The strain (YJNfs21.11) was identified as Aspergillus flavus by ITS, 28S, and BenA gene sequence analysis. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the infection hyphae of ‘YJNfs21.11’ colonized and penetrated the aphid epidermal layer and subsequently colonized the body cavity. Field experiments showed that ‘YJNfs21.11’ and its fermentation products exerted considerable control on aphids, with a corrected efficacy of 96.87%. The lipase, protease, and chitinase secreted by fungi help aphid cuticle degradation, thus assisting spores in completing the infection process. Additionally, changes were observed in the mobility and physical signs of aphids, with death occurring within 60 h of infection. Our results demonstrate that A. flavus ‘YJNfs21.11’ exhibits considerable control on Aphis gossypii Glover and Hyalopterus arundimis Fabricius, making it a suitable biological control agent.

The nucleus pulposus is an elastic jelly composed of crisscross fibrous reticular structures, namely, chondrocytes and proteoglycan mucoid matrix. Embryo and adult SC can resist the accumulation of genetic damage and repair them through various DNA repair mechanisms, thus preventing them from spreading to daughter cells. Fresh medullary tissue was fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 4 m. The nucleus pulposus was stained with HE, and its degeneration was observed under light microscope. The average apoptotic index (AI) of 20 denatured nuclei was 50.230, the percentage of Fas-positive cells was 74.255%, and the percentage of Bcl-2-positive cells was 55.370%. The average apoptotic index (AI) was 28.317. The percentage of Fas-positive cells, Fas protein-positive cells, and Bcl-2 protein-positive cells in six normal nuclei was 41.717%, 41.717%, and 27.167%, respectively. The average AI value, Fas protein expression, and Bcl-2 protein expression in the two groups were significantly different (P

IFITMs are a family of highly related interferon-induced transmembrane proteins that interfere with the processes of fusion between viral and cellular membranes and are thus endowed with broad antiviral properties. A number of studies have shown how the antiviral potency of IFITMs is highly dependent on their steady-state levels, their intracellular distribution and a complex pattern of post-translational modifications, parameters that are overall tributary of a number of cellular partners. In an effort to identify additional protein partners involved in the biology of IFITMs, we devised a proteomics-based approach based on the piggyback incorporation of IFITM3 partners into extracellular vesicles. MS analysis of the proteome of vesicles bearing or not bearing IFITM3 identified the NDFIP2 protein adaptor protein as an important regulator of IFITM3 levels. NDFIP2 is a membrane-anchored adaptor protein of the E3 ubiquitin ligases of the NEDD4 family that have already been found to be involved in IFITM3 regulation. We show here that NDFIP2 acts as a recruitment factor for both IFITM3 and NEDD4 and mediates their distribution in lysosomal vesicles. The genetic inactivation and overexpression of NDFIP2 drive, respectively, lower and higher levels of IFITM3 accumulation in the cell, overall suggesting that NDFIP2 locally competes with IFITM3 for NEDD4 binding. Given that NDFIP2 is itself tightly regulated and highly responsive to external cues, our study sheds light on a novel and likely dynamic layer of regulation of IFITM3.

With the access of massive terminals of the Internet of Things (IoT), the low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) applications represented by Long Range Radio (LoRa) will grow extensively in the future. The specific Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) protocol within the LoRa network considers both low power consumption and long-range communication. It can optimize data transmission to achieve low communication latency, ensuring a responsive system and a favorable user experience. However, due to the limited resources in LoRa networks, if certain terminals have heavy traffic loads, it may result in unfair impacts on other terminals, leading to increased data transmission latency and disrupted operations for other terminals. Therefore, effectively optimizing resource allocation in LoRa networks has become a key issue in enhancing LoRa transmission performance. In this paper, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is proposed to minimize network energy consumption under the maximization of user fairness as the optimization goal, which considers the constraints in the system to achieve adaptive resource allocation for spreading factor and transmission power. In addition, an efficient algorithm is proposed to solve this optimization problem by combining the Gurobi mathematical solver and heuristic genetic algorithm. The numerical results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the number of packet collisions, effectively minimize network energy consumption, as well as offering favorable fairness among terminals.

In the intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted MIMO systems, optimizing the passive beamforming of the IRS to maximize spectral efficiency is crucial. However, due to the unit-modulus constraint of the IRS, the design of an optimal passive beamforming solution becomes a challenging task. The feature input of existing schemes often neglects to exploit channel state information (CSI), and all input data are treated equally in the network, which cannot effectively pay attention to the key information and features in the input. Also, these schemes usually have high complexity and computational cost. To address these issues, an effective three-channel data input structure is utilized, and an attention mechanism-assisted unsupervised learning scheme is proposed on this basis, which can better exploit CSI. It can also better exploit CSI by increasing the weight of key information in the input data to enhance the expression and generalization ability of the network. The simulation results show that compared with the existing schemes, the proposed scheme can effectively improve the spectrum efficiency, reduce the computational complexity, and converge quickly.

The grounding network is a significant component of substations, and the corrosion of its ground resistance is predominantly detected using the electromagnetic method. However, the application of electromagnetic methods for detecting corrosion within earthing networks has received relatively limited attention in research. Currently, the prevailing method utilizes electromagnetic techniques to identify the breakage points within the given earthing network. In this study, we propose a corrosion detection method for grounding networks based on the low-frequency electromagnetic method, which measures the resistance value between individual nodes of the network. Specifically, an excitation source signal of a predetermined frequency was transmitted to the measurement segment of the grounding network, which facilitated the direct measurement of the strength of the induced magnetic field above the center of the measuring conductor. The recorded electromagnetic data were subsequently uploaded to the host computer for data processing, and the computer interface was constructed based on a LABVIEW design. By leveraging the relationship between the induced electric potential, current strength, excitation source strength, and additional voltage detection devices, the resistance of the conductor under examination could be determined. Furthermore, the proposed method was tested under suitable conditions, and it demonstrated favorable results. Thus, the proposed method can serve as a foundation for developing electromagnetic testing instruments tailored to the investigated grounding network.

The quality of breast ultrasound images has a significant impact on the accuracy of disease diagnosis. Existing image quality assessment (IQA) methods usually use pixel-level feature statistical methods or end-to-end deep learning methods, which focus on the global image quality but ignore the image quality of the lesion region. However, in clinical practice, doctors’ evaluation of ultrasound image quality relies more on the local area of the lesion, which determines the diagnostic value of ultrasound images. In this study, a global–local integrated IQA framework for breast ultrasound images was proposed to learn doctors’ clinical evaluation standards. In this study, 1285 breast ultrasound images were collected and scored by experienced doctors. After being classified as either images with lesions or images without lesions, they were evaluated using soft-reference IQA or bilinear CNN IQA, respectively. Experiments showed that for ultrasound images with lesions, our proposed soft-reference IQA achieved PLCC 0.8418 with doctors’ annotation, while the existing end-to-end deep learning method that did not consider the local lesion features only achieved PLCC 0.6606. Due to the accuracy improvement for the images with lesions, our proposed global–local integrated IQA framework had better performance in the IQA task than the existing end-to-end deep learning method, with PLCC improving from 0.8306 to 0.8851.

ObjectiveBlue sky has been considered to boost outdoor physical activity and social interaction, ameliorate work pressure and life stress, and enhance people's sense of happiness. However, the direct association between blue sky exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) still lacks epidemiological evidence. In this study, we aimed to quantify their relationship via a nationwide prospective cohort in China.MethodWe extracted the baseline data from the China Hypertension Survey (CHS), by enrolling 22,702 participants aged ≥ 35 years without self-reported medical history of CVD from 14 provinces of China between 2012 and 2015 and followed up from 2018 to 2019. A blue day was marked out with no rain, low cloud cover ≤ climatological mean at each station, and visibility at 2 pm ≥ 21.52 km. We calculated the number of blue days at baseline survey year to evaluate the chronic individual blue day exposure. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to calculate the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR). We implemented subgroup analyses as well to identify potential effect modifications.ResultsA total of 1,096, 993, and 597 incident cases of all-cause mortality, fatal or nonfatal CVD, and stroke occurred during a median follow-up around 5 years, respectively. A 10-day increase in annual blue day exposure was associated with a 3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1–6%) and 7% (95% CI: 5–10%) decreased risk of fatal or nonfatal CVD and stroke, respectively. Compared with those exposed to the worst tertile of blue days at baseline, subjects who exposed to the best tertile had a 32% (95% CI: 19–43%) and 43% (95% CI: 29–55%) lower likelihood of developing fatal or nonfatal CVD and stroke, respectively. Negative consistent exposure–response relationships were generally observed between them in the restricted cubic spline model. In the stratified analyses, the cardioprotective effects of blue sky were stronger for females, rural residents, and individuals residing in heavily contaminated areas.ConclusionThis study indicates that blue sky may serve as an independent environmental protective factor against CVD, and informs future policies on fighting air pollution and protecting the blue sky in China.

Extensive work have been done to harvest untapped water energy in formats of raindrops, flows, waves, and others. However, attaining stable and efficient electricity generation from these low-frequency water kinetic energies at both individual device and large-scale system level remains challenging, partially owing to the difficulty in designing a unit that possesses stable liquid and charge transfer properties, and also can be seamlessly integrated to achieve preferential collective performances without the introduction of tortuous wiring and redundant node connection with external circuit. Here, we report the design of water electricity generators featuring the combination of lubricant layer and transistor-like electrode architecture that endows enhanced electrical performances in different working environments. Such a design is scalable in manufacturing and suitable for facile integration, characterized by significant reduction in the numbers of wiring and nodes and elimination of complex interfacing problems, and represents a significant step toward large-scale, real-life applications.

BackgroundAt present, the association between age at menarche and menopause, reproductive lifespan, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among Chinese postmenopausal women is not clear, and some related researches are contradictory.MethodsA total of 6,198 Chinese postmenopausal women with a mean age of 63.6 years were enrolled at baseline in 2012–2015 and followed up for 5 years. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect relevant information by well-trained interviewers. Physical examination of the participants was performed by trained medical staff. CVD events were observed during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios between reproductive characteristics and CVD events.ResultsAge at menarche was positively associated with CVD events (HR, 1.106; 95%CI, 1.047–1.167). There was a negative association between age at menopause and CVD risk in postmenopausal women with comorbidity (HR, 0.952; 95%CI, 0.909–0.996). Reproductive lifespan was negatively associated with CVD events (HR, 0.938; 95%CI, 0.880–0.999). The CVD risk increased by 10.6% for every 1-year increase in age at menarche. The CVD risk reduced by 6.2% for every 1-year increase in age at menopause in women with comorbidity. The CVD risk reduced by 3.8% for every 1-year increase in reproductive lifespan.ConclusionsBased on the large prospective study with a nationally representative sample, Chinese postmenopausal women with late age at menarche and shorter reproductive lifespan have higher risk of CVD events.

BackgroundThe association between reproductive lifespan and risk of hypertension among postmenopausal women is unclear.MethodsA total of 94,141 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 64.8 years from the China Hypertension Survey were enrolled at baseline from 2012 to 2015. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect relevant information by well-trained interviewers. Blood pressure and physical examination of the participants were performed by trained medical staff. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios for hypertension by years of reproductive lifespan.ResultsThe average years of reproductive lifespan in Chinese women was 34.0 years. Women who were longer in reproductive lifespan were more likely to have older age at recruitment, higher body mass index, larger waist circumference, lower mean systolic blood pressure, and higher mean diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). After adjustments, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for hypertension were 1.035 (0.988–1.085), 1.007 (0.966–1.048), 1.000 (reference), 0.932 (0.899–0.967), and 0.953 (0.909–0.997) for those with reproductive lifespan at ≤ 28, 29–31, 32–34 (reference), 35–37, and ≥ 38 years, respectively, with a significantly inverse association was seen in those with reproductive lifespan at 35–37 and ≥ 38 years. The overall risk of hypertension declined with the increase in reproductive lifespan, and the risk of hypertension was reduced by 1.1% for every 1-year increase in the reproductive lifespan (odds ratio, 0.989; 95% confidence interval, 0985–0.994) per year. The negative association between reproductive lifespan and hypertension was evident among age at recruitment groups, body mass index categories, and education levels, with the strongest association among women aged ≥ 70 years. Positive associations between reproductive lifespan and risk of hypertension were evident among women aged < 60 years, and this association was stronger among current alcohol drinkers.ConclusionBased on the large nationally representative sample, Chinese postmenopausal women with a shorter reproductive lifespan have a higher risk of hypertension.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) plays an important role in the performance of biological wastewater treatment systems. This study investigated the effect of the DO concentration on nutrient removal performance and microbial community structure in side-stream activated sludge hydrolysis (SSH) and conventional anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) processes. The results showed that the change in DO had little effect on the removal performance of chemical oxygen demand (COD), and the removal efficiencies were about 90% for both reactors. Compared with the high DO level (4.1–6.9 mg/L), the A2O and SSH reactors had better nitrogen removal performance at low (0.5–2.2 mg/L) and moderate (2.2–3.9 mg/L) DO levels, with ammonia (NH4+-N) removal efficiencies of 88–89% and 89–91%, respectively, and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies of 74–76% and 75–81%, respectively. Directly reducing the DO concentration from high to low reduced the phosphate removal efficiencies of the A2O and SSH reactors from 80.2% and 86.2% to 63.1% and 70.6%, respectively, while re-elevating the DO concentration to moderate levels significantly improved the phosphate removal efficiencies to 94.6% and 96.0%, respectively. Compared to the A2O reactor, the SSH reactor had more stable and better nutrient removal performance under different DO conditions, partly due to the additional carbon sources produced through the sludge fermentation in the side-stream reactor. The decrease in the DO concentration resulted in a decrease in the relative abundance of Acinetobacter but an increase in the relative abundance of Competibacter, potentially leading to the deterioration in phosphorus removal.

After adipogenic differentiation, key regulators of adipogenesis are stimulated and cells begin to accumulate lipids. To identify specific changes in lipid composition and gene expression patterns during 3T3-L1 cell adipogenesis, we carried out lipidomics and RNA sequencing analysis of undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The analysis revealed significant changes in lipid content and gene expression patterns during adipogenesis. Slc2a4 was up-regulated, which may enhance glucose transport; Gpat3, Agpat2, Lipin1 and Dgat were also up-regulated, potentially to enrich intracellular triacylglycerol (TG). Increased expression levels of Pnpla2, Lipe, Acsl1 and Lpl likely increase intracellular free fatty acids, which can then be used for subsequent synthesis of other lipids, such as sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide (Cer). Enriched intracellular diacylglycerol (DG) can also provide more raw materials for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), ether-PE, and ether-PC, whereas high expression of Pla3 may enhance the formation of lysophophatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE). Therefore, in the process of adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells, a series of genes are activated, resulting in large changes in the contents of various lipid metabolites in the cells, especially TG, DG, SM, Cer, PI, PC, PE, etherPE, etherPC, LPC and LPE. These findings provide a theoretical basis for our understanding the pathophysiology of obesity.

Osteoblast cell injury is a type of degenerative disorder characterized by osteolysis. Levan polysaccharide is an active component of Erwinia herbicola, which shows potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the protective effects of levan on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress injury in osteoblast cells as an in vitro model of osteolysis remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the functions of levan in LPS-triggered inflammation and oxidative stress in osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1). The protective effects of levan on LPS-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in MC3T3-E1 cells were assessed by quantification of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Also, the key signaling pathway of ChemR23 was determined by qPCR analysis. Results showed that levan significantly alleviated LPS-induced deactivation of SOD and CAT activity. Levan also downregulated the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and ChemR23 at mRNA level. These findings indicated that levan may protect MC3T3-E1 cells against LPS-triggered oxidative stress, and inflammation via regulation of ChemR23. This data may provide a potential basis for further clinical investigation of levan in the prevention and treatment of LPS-triggered bone resorption and osteolysis.

Achieving well-controlled directional steering of liquids is of great significance for both fundamental study and practical applications, such as microfluidics, biomedicine, and heat management. Recent advances allow liquids with different surface tensions to select their spreading directions on a same surface composed of macro ratchets with dual reentrant curvatures. Nevertheless, such intriguing directional steering function relies on 3D printed sophisticated structures and additional polishing process to eliminate the inevitable microgrooves-like surface deficiency generated from printing process, which increases the manufacturing complexity and severally hinders practical applications. Herein, we developed a simplified dual-scale structure that enables directional liquid steering via a straightforward 3D printing process without the need of any physical and chemical post-treatment. The dual-scale structure consists of macroscale tilt ratchet equipped with a reentrant tip and microscale grooves that decorated on the whole surface along a specific orientation. Distinct from conventional design requiring the elimination of microgrooves-like surface deficiency, we demonstrated that the microgrooves of dual-scale structure play a key role in delaying or promoting the local flow of liquids, tuning of which could even enable liquids select different spreading pathways. This study provides a new insight for developing surfaces with tunable multi-scale structures, and also advances our fundamental understanding of the interaction between liquid spreading dynamics and surface topography.

Diosgenin, a hydrolysis product from Dioscorea plants, can be used as a precursor of steroid drugs (e.g., progesterone, testosterone, and glucocorticoid). However, traditional acid hydrolysis production wastes water and causes severe environmental pollution. The extraction of diosgenin through microbial transformation is the most green and environmentally friendly method at present. In order to improve the efficiency of the extraction of diosgenin through microbial transformation, we proposed a new method of strain mutagenesis. After mutagenesis, the response surface methodology was used to optimize the solid-state fermentation medium, thereby improving the diosgenin yield. We found that the optimal formulation was 5.5% sucrose, 0.6% NH4H2PO4, and 26.6% wheat bran. The final extraction rate of diosgenin reached 0.439% (the value of diosgenin per g. of starting plant dry material). Compared with 0.338% before optimization, it had increased 1.29 times. Furthermore, two other compounds were isolated from the fermentation products. These were identified as diosgenone (C27H41O3) and yuccagenone (C27H42O3). Traditional diosgenone is obtained through the oxidation of diosgenin with oxalic acid, but the method in this study is directly obtained from Dioscorea rhizome powder. The price of Dioscorea rhizome powder is much lower than diosgenin, thus greatly reducing the cost of obtaining diosgenone. This method provides a basis for subsequent research on other pharmacological compounds.

Myostatin (MSTN) is a protein that negatively regulates growth of skeletal muscle, and inactivation of MSTN improves the mass of skeletal muscle. Our previous work found that MSTN+/− pigs have higher muscle depth and lower fat depth compared to wild type without any developmental problems. Therefore, MSTN-edited pigs are most likely to appear as heterozygotes in the potential future market, but the characteristics of organs in digestive and reproductive system of pigs with MSTN gene editing remains unclear. Here, we investigated the histological of the organs in the digestive system and reproductive system in MSTN gene heterozygotes at adult stages. The length of intestine was further compared between adult heterozygous and wild type pigs. We found no significant differences in histomorphology of organs, including heart, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, testis, epididymis, ovaries, oviducts and uterus, between individuals from two genotypes. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the average length of intestine in adult pigs. Our data provide a reference for further clarifying the applications of MSTN gene edited pigs.

Rapid growth in demand for spectrum resources and technology expansion in wireless communication systems such as satellite communication networks and upcoming 5G networks has led us to investigate the best cognitive radio network scheme towards achievements of energy efficiency in wireless communication networks for cooperative spectrum sensing. In this paper, we introduce a double-deck cluster cooperative relay assistance model in hybrid spectrum sharing for cognitive radio networks. This proposed model enables the attainment of energy efficiency by optimizing cooperative secondary users in their respective cluster groups. According to the design of this model, we apply the power allocation scheme under mathematical analysis based on its power constraints. Normalized energy consumptions and amplifying gains are achieved and assessed for both network scenarios when cognitive relays are used and not used in the network. Simulation results show that there is a good performance on the energy efficiency of our proposed scheme compared to a traditional scheme.

Chronic urticaria (CU) is a debilitating skin disease that lasts for more than 6 weeks with wheals and/or angioedema, including chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU). In China, the prevalence of this disease is high, more than 1%, and on the rise. CU has a major impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients who frequently experience sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety. Nearly one-third of patients with CSU, in China, are resistant to second-generation H1-antihistamines (sgAHs), even at a fourfold dose (second line; off-label). Omalizumab is approved for the treatment of CSU treatment in Europe and shows remarkable efficacy and safety. In China, regulatory approval for the use of omalizumab is pending, and its use in clinical practice varies widely. Consensus on omalizumab CU treatment in China is urgently needed. The aim of this article is to propose a practical omalizumab treatment algorithm for the management of antihistamine-resistant CSU and CIndU in adults and special population including children and adolescents, and pregnant or breast feeding women, to guide daily clinical practice in China. In the development of this consensus, an expert group including mainly dermatologists, allergists, but also pulmonologists, ENTs, immunologists, and pediatricians in Allergic Disease Prevention and Control Committee, Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, reviewed the existing evidence and developed consensus on the use of omalizumab in CU patients from China. The goal of this consensus is to assist clinicians in making rational decisions in the management of refractory CU with omalizumab. The key clinical questions covered by the treatment algorithm are: 1) Omalizumab treatment routine strategy in both CSU and CIndU patients; 2) Recommended dose and treatment duration for different age stratification; 3) Treatment duration for CU patients with other allergic comorbidities; 4) Recommendation on omalizumab stopping strategy.

Previous studies have documented the associations between short-term diurnal temperature range (DTR) exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) via time-series analyses. However, the long-term impacts of DTR through a population-based prospective cohort have not been elucidated thoroughly. This study aimed to quantify the longitudinal association of DTR exposure with all-cause mortality and CVD in a nationwide prospective cohort and, by extension, project future DTR changes across China under climate change. We included 22,702 adults (median age 56.1 years, 53.7% women) free of CVD at baseline from a nationwide cross-sectional study in China during 2012–2015, and examined three health outcomes during a follow-up survey in 2018–2019. We estimated the chronic DTR exposure as baseline annual mean daily maximum minus minimum temperature. The Cox proportional hazards regression was adopted to assess the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). We employed 31 downscaled global climate models under two shared socioeconomic pathways for future projection. During the median follow-up period of ~5 years, 1096 subjects died due to all causes while 993 and 597 individuals developed fatal or nonfatal CVD and fatal or nonfatal stroke, respectively. The cumulative incidence rates of all-cause mortality, CVD, and stroke were 10.49, 9.45, and 5.64 per 1000 person-years, respectively. In the fully adjusted models, the risks for all-cause mortality, CVD, and stroke would increase by 13% (95% CI: 8–18%), 12% (95% CI: 7–18%), and 9% (95% CI: 2–16%) per 1 °C increment in DTR, respectively. Moreover, linear positive associations for the concentration–response curves between DTR and mortality and CVD were observed. We also found significantly greater DTR-related mortality risks among rural residents than their urban counterparts. The DTR changes featured a dipole pattern across China under a warming climate. The southern (northern) China would experience increased (decreased) DTR exposure by the end of 21st century. The present study indicates that chronic DTR exposure can exert long-term impacts on mortality and CVD risks, which may inform future public health policies on DTR-related susceptible population and regions.

The rising incidence and severity of malignant tumors threaten human life and health, and the current lagged diagnosis and single treatment in clinical practice are inadequate for tumor management. Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are nanomaterials with small dimensions (≤3 nm) and few atoms exhibiting unique optoelectronic and physicochemical characteristics, such as fluorescence, photothermal effects, radiosensitization, and biocompatibility. Here, the three primary functions that AuNCs play in practical applications, imaging agents, drug transporters, and therapeutic nanosystems, are characterized. Additionally, the promise and remaining limitations of AuNCs for tumor theranostic and combination therapy are discussed. Finally, it is anticipated that the information presented herein will serve as a supply for researchers in this area, leading to new discoveries and ultimately a more widespread use of AuNCs in pharmaceuticals.

The spider Lycosa sinensis represents a burrowing wolf spider (family Lycosidae) widely distributed in the cotton region of northern China, whose venom is rich in various bioactive peptides. In previous study, we used a combination strategy of peptidomic and transcriptomic analyses to systematically screen and identify potential antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in Lycosa sinensis venom that matched the α-helix structures. In this work, the three peptides (LS-AMP-E1, LS-AMP-F1, and LS-AMP-G1) were subjected to sequence analysis of the physicochemical properties and helical wheel projection, and then six common clinical pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) with multiple drug-resistance were isolated and cultured for the evaluation and analysis of antimicrobial activity of these peptides. The results showed that two peptides (LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1) had different inhibitory activity against six clinical drug-resistant bacteria; they can effectively inhibit the formation of biofilm and have no obvious hemolytic effect. Moreover, both LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1 exhibited varying degrees of synergistic therapeutic effects with traditional antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, and doxycycline), significantly reducing the working concentration of antibiotics and AMPs. In terms of antimicrobial mechanisms, LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1 destroyed the integrity of bacterial cell membranes in a short period of time and completely inhibited bacterial growth within 10 min of action. Meanwhile, high concentrations of Mg2+ effectively reduced the antibacterial activity of LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1. Together, it suggested that the two peptides interact directly on bacterial cell membranes. Taken together, bioinformatic and functional analyses in the present work sheds light on the structure–function relationships of LS-AMPs, and facilitates the discovery and clinical application of novel AMPs.

Abstract Harvesting energy from water, in the form of raindrops, river, and ocean waves, is of considerable importance and has potential applications in self‐powered electronic devices and large‐scale energy needs. Recently, the droplet‐based electricity generator has shown an increase by several orders of magnitude in electrical output, overcoming the drawback of traditional droplet‐based device limited by interfacial effects. Despite this exciting result, the output performance of this novel droplet‐based electricity generator is limited by relatively low frequency of impinging droplets owing to the formation of a continuous liquid film at high impact frequency, which might hinder its practical applications. To overcome this challenge, here, we report the design of a superhydrophobic surface based droplet electricity generator, referred to as SHS‐DEG, which can timely shed water droplets from the surface without the formation of liquid film at high impact frequency, and thereby generating enhanced average electrical output. Moreover, our SHS‐DEG exhibits many distinctive advantages over conventional design including robustness, long‐term durability, and power generation stability even in harsh environments. We envision that the ability to harvest electrical energy from water droplets at high impact frequency has promising applications in various energy‐harvesting systems.

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) cooperative communication technology can combine the advantages of NOMA and cooperative communication, providing high spectrum efficiency and increasing user coverage for next-generation wireless systems. However, the research on NOMA cooperative communication technology is still in a preliminary stage and has mainly concentrated on the scenario of fewer users. This paper focuses on a user-centered NOMA collaboration system in an ultra-dense network, and it constructs a resource allocation optimization problem to meet the demands of each user. Then, this paper decomposes the optimization problem into two subproblems; one is the grouping match among multiple relays and users, and the other is jointly allocating power and subcarrier resources. Accordingly, a dynamic packet matching algorithm based on Gale–Shapley and an iterative algorithm based on the difference of convex functions programing are proposed. Compared with existing schemes, the proposed algorithms can improve system throughput while ensuring the quality of service of users.

Sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication scenarios are complex and diverse. Small-scale fading is a key part of wireless channels and its impact on performance in scenarios with time sensitivity and 6G ultrareliable and low latency communications (URLLC) quality-of-service requirements cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately characterize small-scale fading when designing wireless communication systems. In this paper, we derive approximate closed form expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function and moment-generating function of the postprocessing signal-to-noise ratio following the zero-forcing detector in a cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF mMIMO) system. CF mMIMO system is a nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system that enables users to share all channel uses and can ensure the fairness of the communication quality experienced by different users. Our key contributions include the extension of the κ–μ shadowed fading model to a CF mMIMO system and the proposal of theoretical tools (the derived closed-form expression) to improve its mathematical tractability. By exploiting the statistical characterizations of the arrival and service processes, another important contribution is the exploitation of the upper bound of the queuing delay violation probability (UB-QDVP) over the Mellin transforms of the arrival and service processes in the proposed CF mMIMO system under the κ–μ shadowed fading model. Corroborated by extensive simulations, our analyses validate that the CF mMIMO system outperforms the orthogonal multiple access and power-domain NOMA systems and reveal the relationships among different small-scale fading types, energy efficiency, delay and the UB-QDVP, as well as the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed theoretical tools based on the κ–μ shadowed fading model.

Abstract A pressing challenge in engineering devices with topological insulators (TIs) is that electron transport is dominated by the bulk conductance, and so dissipationless surface states account for only a small fraction of the conductance. Enhancing the surface-to-volume ratio is a common method to enhance the relative contribution of such states. In thin films with reduced thickness, the confinement results in symmetry-breaking and is critical for the experimental observation of topologically protected surface states. We employ micro-Raman and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to examine three different mechanisms of symmetry breaking in Bi2Te3 TI thin films: surface plasmon generation, charge transfer, and application of a periodic strain potential. These mechanisms are facilitated by semiconducting and insulating substrates that modify the electronic and mechanical conditions at the sample surface and alter the long-range interactions between Bi2Te3 and the substrate. We confirm the symmetry breaking in Bi2Te3 via the emergence of the Raman-forbidden $${{\boldsymbol{A}}}_{{\bf{1}}{\boldsymbol{u}}}^{{\bf{2}}}$$ A1u2 mode. Our results suggest that topological surface states can exist at the Bi2Te3/substrate interface, which is in a good agreement with previous theoretical results predicting the tunability of the vertical location of helical surface states in TI/substrate heterostructures.

Sketch-based image retrieval (SBIR) is a challenging task due to the cross-domain gap between sketch queries and natural images. In this paper, we propose a novel edge-guided cross-domain learning network to reduce the domain gap. In particular, edge maps extracted from natural images are introduced as the bridge between two domains, and the inputs from different domains are embedded into a common feature space. An edge guidance module is proposed to fuse natural images and the corresponding edge maps, which guides the network to generate more discriminative features in the domain alignment process. Meanwhile, a shape regression module is proposed to capture the inherent shape similarity between sketches and natural images. By training the proposed network in an end-to-end process, the sketch and natural image domains can be effectively associated, which potentially overcomes the challenge of the common feature learning for two heterogeneous domains. The experimental results on the SBIR dataset demonstrate that the proposed method achieves superior performance compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

Abstract Background Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute contagious immunosuppressive disease which lead to acute bursal injury and immune dysfunction in poultry. It has caused heavy economic losses in the commercial poultry industry for many years in worldwide. Attenuated live vaccine has widely used in poultry showing some promising signs against IBDV infection. But it has defects such as generating enhanced virulence and immunosuppression prohibits. Therefore, the development of mucosal vaccines using the food-grade lactic acid bacterium is necessary. Here, we construct a recombinant Lactococcus co-expressing the major IBDV antigens VP2 and RCK protein of Salmonella enterica to prevent IBD. Results The recombinant fusion protein VP2-RCK was expressed in a soluble and stable form in the cytoplasm of the recombinant Lactococcus lactis. Animal experiments showed that: (1) the survival rates of the injected immunization inactivated recombinant LAB group and oral immunization live recombinant LAB group were 100% and 80%, respectively; (2) ELISA titers of all serum samples from all experimental groups were negative, but high amounts of specific neutralizing antibodies were detected (1:210 to 1:212); and (3) the bursas of the injected immunization inactivated recombinant LAB group did not suffer damage, as confirmed by clinical observation and bursal histopathological examination. Our results indicate that r-L. lactis-OptiVP2-RCK induces a specific neutralizing-antibody-mediated immune response that confers full protection against very-virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) challenge. Conclusion Lactococcus lactis NZ3900 strain and its matching plasmid pNZ8149 could express the recombinant fusion protein VP2-RCK in a soluble form in the cytoplasm. The protective efficacy of r-L. lactis-OptiVP2-RCK (100%) was better than r-L. lactis-OptiVP2 (0%) which prove RCK protein played its unique role. The neutralizing antibodies titers against infectious bursal disease virus via one-time vaccination with inactivated r-L. lactis-OptiVP2-RCK could reach 1:210 to 1:212, but ELISA titers of all serum samples were negative. For this phenomenon, perhaps because of the change of delivery pathway or the spatial structure of fusion protein. We need further study to test these hypotheses.

In animals, myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator that inhibits muscle growth and repair. The decreased level of functional MSTN gene expression can change the amount and proportions of fats in pigs. In this study we determined the lipidomics of subcutaneous fat in MSTN single copy mutant pigs and evaluated the variations in lipid contents of the subcutaneous fat from MSTN+/− and wild type Large White (LW) pigs via ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS). The results showed that the quantities of glycerolipids, sphingolipids, fatty acyls and glycerophospholipids were significantly changed, particularly, the molecular diacylglycerol in glycerolipids, long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, and ceramide non-hydroxy fatty acid-sphingosine in sphingolipids were remarkably increased in the MSTN+/− group. Due to their positive bioavailability demonstrated by previous researches, these three lipids might be beneficial for human health. Further, the results of our study confirm that MSTN participates in the regulation of fat metabolism, and reduced expression of MSTN can ultimately influence the accumulation of lipid contents in the subcutaneous fat of pigs.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a major cause of many spinal diseases characterized mainly by nucleus pulposus degradation. 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP), a new activator of sirtuin-1 (sirt1), has been reported to have anti-oxidative effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of DHP on nucleus pulposus (NP) cells in vitro. NP cells were pretreated with IL-1β to establish a degenerated model, and then treated with DHP alone or DHP combined with selisistat (an inhibitor of sirt1). ROS level was analyzed by flow cytometry. Production of IL-6 and TNF-α were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein expression were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to assess the expression of collagen-II and sirt1. We found that DHP inhibited IL-1β-induced upregulation of ROS, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-3, ADAMTS-5. Besides, DHP remarkably increased the sirt1 and anti-oxidative protein SOD-1 level. Furthermore, DHP significantly protected the IL-1β-induced degradation of collagen-II and aggrecan. However, the inhibitory effect of DHP was obvious abolished by selisistat, suggesting that DHP exerts these effects in NP cells through activating sirt1. Taken together, we found that DHP inhibited the ROS, inflammatory response and ECM degradation through activating Sirt1 in human NP cells.

Proximity effect may induce unconventional superconductivity in the topologically protected surface states of a topological insulator, however experimental evidence remains rare. Here, Charpentier et al. report proximity effect induced superconductivity in nanoscale Josephson junctions and suggest an unconventional p-wave order parameter.

Abstract We theoretically investigate highly tensile-strained Ge nanowires laterally on GaSb. Finite element method has been used to simulate the residual elastic strain in the Ge nanowire. The total energy increment including strain energy, surface energy, and edge energy before and after Ge deposition is calculated in different situations. The result indicates that the Ge nanowire on GaSb is apt to grow along 〈100〉 rather than 〈110〉 in the two situations and prefers to be exposed by {105} facets when deposited a small amount of Ge but to be exposed by {110} when the amount of Ge exceeds a critical value. Furthermore, the conduction band minima in Γ-valley at any position in both situations exhibits lower values than those in L-valley, leading to direct bandgap transition in Ge nanowire. For the valence band, the light hole band maxima at Γ-point is higher than the heavy hole band maxima at any position and even higher than the conduction band minima for the hydrostatic strain more than ∼5.0%, leading to a negative bandgap. In addition, both electron and hole mobility can be enhanced by owing to the decrease of the effective mass under highly tensile strain. The results suggest that biaxially tensile-strained Ge nanowires hold promising properties in device applications.

The structural properties of GeSn thin films with different Sn concentrations and thicknesses grown on Ge (001) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and on Ge-buffered Si (001) wafers by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were analyzed through high resolution X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Two-dimensional reciprocal space maps around the asymmetric (224) reflection were collected by X-ray diffraction for both the whole structures and the GeSn epilayers. The broadenings of the features of the GeSn epilayers with different relaxations in the ω direction, along the ω-2θ direction and parallel to the surface were investigated. The dislocations were identified by transmission electron microscopy. Threading dislocations were found in MBE grown GeSn layers, but not in the CVD grown ones. The point defects and dislocations were two possible reasons for the poor optical properties in the GeSn alloys grown by MBE.

We present electrically injected GaAs/GaAsBi single quantum well laser diodes (LDs) emitting at a record long wavelength of 1141 nm at room temperature grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The LDs have excellent device performances with internal quantum efficiency of 86%, internal loss of 10 cm-1 and transparency current density of 196 A/cm2. The LDs can operate under continuous-wave mode up to 273 K. The characteristic temperature are extracted to be 125 K in the temperature range of 77∼150 K, and reduced to 90 K in the range of 150∼273 K. The temperature coefficient of 0.3 nm/K is extracted in the temperature range of 77∼273 K.