Si/Ag/C Nanohybrids with in Situ Incorporation of Super-Small Silver Nanoparticles: Tiny Amount, Huge Impact.

Silicon (Si) has been regarded as one of the most promising anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its exceptional capacity, appropriate voltage profile, and reliable operation safety. However, poor cyclic stability and moderate rate performance have been critical drawbacks to hamper the practical application of Si-based anodes. It has been one of the central issues to develop new strategies to improve the cyclic and rate performance of the Si-based lithium-ion battery anodes.

Acute effect of multiple ozone metrics on mortality by season in 34 Chinese counties in 2013-2015.

Background: Although numerous multicentre studies have estimated the association between ozone exposure and mortality, there are currently no nationally representative multicentre studies of the ozone-mortality relationship in China.

Objective: To investigate the effect on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific mortality of short-term exposure to ambient ozone, and examine different exposure metrics.

Methods: The effects of short-term exposure to ozone were analysed using various metrics (daily 1-h maximum, daily 8-h maximum and daily average) on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific (circulatory and respiratory) mortality from 2013 to 2015 in 34 counties in 10 cities across China.

Neonatal arrhythmias: diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcome.

Arrhythmias in the neonatal period are not uncommon, and may occur in neonates with a normal heart or in those with structural heart disease. Neonatal arrhythmias are classified as either benign or nonbenign. Benign arrhythmias include sinus arrhythmia, premature atrial contraction, premature ventricular contraction, and junctional rhythm; these arrhythmias have no clinical significance and do not need therapy.

Short-term exposures to PM and cause-specific mortality of cardiovascular health in China.

Background: Many multi-center epidemiological studies have robustly examined the acute health effects of exposure to low concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM) on cardiovascular mortality in developed counties. However, data limitations have resulted in few related studies being conducted in developing counties with high levels of PM exposure. In recent years, people in China with a heavy cardiovascular disease burden have been exposed to particularly high levels of PM.

UV irradiation to mouse skin decreases hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptic protein expression via HPA axis activation.

The skin senses external environment, including ultraviolet light (UV). Hippocampus is a brain region that is responsible for memory and emotion. However, changes in hippocampus by UV irradiation to the skin have not been studied.

The Effect of 4-Octyldecyloxybenzoic Acid on Liquid-Crystalline Polyurethane Composites with Triple-Shape Memory and Self-Healing Properties.

To better understand shape memory materials and self-healing materials, a new series of liquid-crystalline shape memory polyurethane (LC-SMPU) composites, named SMPU-OOBAm, were successfully prepared by incorporating 4-octyldecyloxybenzoic acid (OOBA) into the PEG-based SMPU. The effect of OOBA on the structure, morphology, and properties of the material has been carefully investigated. The results demonstrate that SMPU-OOBAm has liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties, and self-healing properties.

A New Type of Photo-Thermo Staged-Responsive Shape-Memory Polyurethanes Network.

In this paper, we developed a photo-thermo staged-responsive shape-memory polymer network which has a unique ability of being spontaneously photo-responsive deformable and thermo-responsive shape recovery. This new type of shape-memory polyurethane network (A-SMPUs) was successfully synthesized with 4,4-azodibenzoic acid (Azoa), hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI) and polycaprolactone (PCL), followed by chemical cross-linking with glycerol (Gl). The structures, morphology, and shape-memory properties of A-SMPUs have been carefully investigated.

Synthetic lethality between the cohesin subunits and in diverse cancer contexts.

Recent genome analyses have identified recurrent mutations in the cohesin complex in a wide range of human cancers. Here we demonstrate that the most frequently mutated subunit of the cohesin complex, , displays a strong synthetic lethal interaction with its paralog . Mechanistically, STAG1 loss abrogates sister chromatid cohesion in mutated but not in wild-type cells leading to mitotic catastrophe, defective cell division and apoptosis.

The health policy implications of individual adaptive behavior responses to smog pollution in urban China.

Smog pollution is a serious public health issue in urban China, where it is associated with public health through a range of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Despite the negative health impacts of smog pollution, individual adaptive behaviors are poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders the development of effective public policy to support and encourage the adoption of individual adaptive and mitigating behaviors to smog pollution.

Why do authors derive new cardiovascular clinical prediction rules in the presence of existing rules? A mixed methods study.

Background: Researchers should examine existing evidence to determine the need for a new study. It is unknown whether developers evaluate existing evidence to justify new cardiovascular clinical prediction rules (CPRs).

Objective: We aimed to assess whether authors of cardiovascular CPRs cited existing CPRs, why some authors did not cite existing CPRs, and why they thought existing CPRs were insufficient.

The effect of high temperature on cause-specific mortality: A multi-county analysis in China.

Although existing studies have linked high temperature to mortality in a small number of regions, less evidence is available on the variation in the associations between high temperature exposure and cause-specific mortality of multiple regions in China. Our study focused on the use of time series analysis to quantify the association between high temperature and different cause-specific mortalities for susceptible populations for 43 counties in China. Two-stage analyses adopting a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) and a meta-analysis allowed us to obtain county-specific estimates and national-scale pooled estimates of the nonlinear temperature-mortality relationship.

Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in Necrotic Enteritis-infected Fayoumi Chickens using RNA Sequencing.

We identified and evaluated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) in the intestinal mucosa of two Fayoumi chicken lines, M5.1 and M15.2, that are affected by necrotic enteritis (NE); these chicken lines share the same genetic background but have different major histocompatibility complexes.

Association Between Secretoglobin Family 3A Member 2 (SCGB3A2) Gene Polymorphisms and Asthma in a Korean Population.

BACKGROUND Secretoglobin family 3A member 2 (SCGB3A2) plays an important role in secreting lung surfactant protein, which is a downstream target of thyroid transcription factor. MATERIAL AND METHODS We investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SCGB3A2 gene contribute to susceptibility to asthma. To explore this possible association, 2 promoter SNPs (rs6882292, 659 G/A and rs1368408, -112 G/A) and missense SNP (rs151333009, stop codon) were tested in SCGB3A2 gene in 101 asthma patients and 377 healthy control subjects.

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase gene polymorphism (Ser326Cys) and cancer risk: updated meta-analysis.

Genetic polymorphism of human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) has been reported to have a relationship with the risk of the development of various cancers. Many studies have described the influence of Ser326Cys polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene on cancer susceptibility. However, the results have remained inconclusive and controversial.

[Air pollution and adverse birth outcome in China: a comprehensive review].

To summarize the progress in the research of the association between air pollution and adverse birth outcomes in China. A literature retrieval was conducted by using the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, Pubmed, Science Direct, and Web of Science to select relevant research papers published before 30(th), June 2016 in China according to inclusion criteria. Finally, 27 papers were included in analysis.

The determination and application of (87) Sr/(86) Sr ratio in verifying geographical origin of wheat.

As Sr/ Sr ratio plays a significant role in authenticating the geographical origin of foodstuff, it is important to identify where the Sr/ Sr signature in food comes from, and the methods of Sr/ Sr ratio analysis in food and environmental samples. Wheat with three genotypes, soil and groundwater samples were collected from three regions of China during harvest time of 2014. The Sr/ Sr ratios in the samples were determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometer in order to investigate the possible source of Sr/ Sr in wheat, and the concentrations of Rb and Sr in wheat and soils were also detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and combined with Sr/ Sr ratio in order to trace the geographical origin of wheat.

Corneal permeation properties of a charged lipid nanoparticle carrier containing dexamethasone.

Drug delivery carriers can maintain effective therapeutic concentrations in the eye. To this end, we developed lipid nanoparticles (L/NPs) in which the surface was modified with positively charged chitosan, which engaged in hydrogen bonding with the phospholipid membrane. We evaluated in vitro corneal permeability and release characteristics, ocular irritation, and drug dynamics of modified and unmodified L/NPs in aqueous humor.

High aspect ratio silicon nanowires control fibroblast adhesion and cytoskeleton organization.

Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions are essential to the survival and proliferation of most cells, and are responsible for triggering a wide range of biochemical pathways. More recently, the biomechanical role of those interactions was highlighted, showing, for instance, that adhesion forces are essential for cytoskeleton organization. Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) with their small size, high aspect ratio and anisotropic mechanical response represent a useful model to investigate the forces involved in the adhesion processes and their role in cellular development.

Public Perception of Extreme Cold Weather-Related Health Risk in a Cold Area of Northeast China.

Objective: A need exists for public health strategies regarding extreme weather disasters, which in recent years have become more frequent. This study aimed to understand the public's perception of extreme cold and its related health risks, which may provide detailed information for public health preparedness during an extreme cold weather event.

Methods: To evaluate public perceptions of cold-related health risk and to identify vulnerable groups, we collected responses from 891 participants in a face-to-face survey in Harbin, China.

EWS-FLI1 confers exquisite sensitivity to NAMPT inhibition in Ewing sarcoma cells.

Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is the second most common bone cancer in children and adolescents with a high metastatic potential. EwS development is driven by a specific chromosomal translocation resulting in the generation of a chimeric EWS-ETS transcription factor, most frequently EWS-FLI1.Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a key metabolite of energy metabolism involved in cellular redox reactions, DNA repair, and in the maintenance of genomic stability.

Wound healing potential of adipose tissue stem cell extract.

Adipose tissue stem cells (ATSCs) are considered as a promising source in the field of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. In addition to direct cell replacement using stem cells, intercellular molecule exchange by stem cell secretory factors showed beneficial effects by reducing tissue damage and augmentation of endogenous repair. Delayed cutaneous wound healing is implicated in many conditions such as diabetes, aging, stress and alcohol consumption.

An improved method for growing neurons: Comparison with standard protocols.

Background: Since different culturing parameters - such as media composition or cell density - lead to different experimental results, it is important to define the protocol used for neuronal cultures. The vital role of astrocytes in maintaining homeostasis of neurons - both in vivo and in vitro - is well established: the majority of improved culturing conditions for primary dissociated neuronal cultures rely on astrocytes.

New Method: Our culturing protocol is based on a novel serum-free preparation of astrocyte - conditioned medium (ACM).

Distribution and differential expression of microRNAs in the intestinal mucosal layer of necrotic enteritis induced Fayoumi chickens.

Objective: Despite an increasing number of investigations into the pathophysiology of necrotic enteritis (NE) disease, etiology of NE-associated diseases, and gene expression profiling of NE-affected tissues, the microRNA (miRNA) profiles of NE-affected poultry have been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to induce NE disease in the genetically disparate Fayoumi chicken lines, and to perform non-coding RNA sequencing in the intestinal mucosal layer.

Methods: NE disease was induced in the Fayoumi chicken lines (M5.