Disintegrable, transparent and mechanically robust high-performance antimony tin oxide/nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol thermal insulation films.

Polymer-based thermal insulation films are widely utilized to reduce the influence of solar radiation. However, current thermal insulation films face several challenges from poor thermal insulation performance and severe environmental pollution, which are caused by the non-disintegratability of polymer substrates. Here, cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/antimony tin oxide (ATO) hybrid films with and without polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are presented and they can be used as window thermal barrier films and personal thermal management textiles.

Associations of Anxiety with Amyloid, Tau, and Neurodegeneration in Older Adults without Dementia: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: The pathophysiological process of amyloid-β, tau deposition, and neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD) begin in a preclinical phase, while anxiety is associated with an increased risk of AD in preclinical phase.

Objective: To examine the relationships between anxiety and amyloid-β, tau deposition, and neurodegeneration. To test the hypothesis that anxiety could predict clinical progression in the elderly without dementia.

Phototropin2-mediated hypocotyl phototropism is negatively regulated by JAC1 and RPT2 in Arabidopsis.

Hypocotyl phototropism is redundantly mediated by phot1 and phot2, two blue light receptor phototropins, under the intensity of blue light>1 μmol m s. As light intensity increases, phot1 inhibits the phot2-mediated response. To date, only Arabidopsis Root Phototropism2 (RPT2) has been shown to participate in phot1-mediated inhibition of phototropism.

The dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella producing only carbamate toxins may account for the seafood poisonings in Qinhuangdao, China.

An outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning, recorded in April 2016 in Qinhuangdao China, was suspected to be caused by a toxic species in genus Alexandrium. Shortly after the poisoning outbreak, shellfish and net-concentrated phytoplankton samples were collected from the Bohai Sea, and analysed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) were detected in both phytoplankton and shellfish samples, with similar toxin profiles dominated by carbamate toxins.

Comparison on Tensile Characteristics of Plain C-Mn Steel with Ultrafine Grained Ferrite/Cementite Microstructure and Coarse Grained Ferrite/Pearlite Microstructure.

This work investigated the tensile characteristics of plain C-Mn steel with an ultrafine grained ferrite/cementite (UGF/C) microstructure and coarse-grained ferrite/pearlite (CGF/P) microstructure. The tensile tests were performed at temperatures between 77 K and 323 K. The lower yield and the ultimate tensile strengths were significantly increased when the microstructure was changed from the CGF/P to the UGF/C microstructures, but the total elongation and the uniform elongation decreased.

A rapid change in microbial communities of the shale gas drilling fluid from 3548 m depth to the above-ground storage tank.

Despite the growing body of studies on the various fracturing phrases, the research on the differences between subterranean and surface microorganisms at shale gas drilling sites is still limited. Generally, shale gas development and the production process are divided into drilling and fracturing. The distribution of microbial communities in the latter has been paid some attention, but a deficit remains in terms of our understanding of the microbial community in the former, especially for the phase of drilling flowback and drilling flowback surface.

Efficacy and safety of peginterferon alpha monotherapy in Chinese inactive chronic hepatitis B virus carriers.

Background & Aims: The effectiveness and safety of peginterferon alpha (peg-IFN-α) monotherapy in inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers (IHCs) have not been fully evaluated.

Methods: This observational study prospectively enrolled 298 IHCs in China from 2015 to 2019. Participants were given the right to choose to either receive peg-IFN-α monotherapy (treatment group, n = 142) or be monitored without treatment (control group, n = 156) according to their wishes.

AP2-microRNA-26a overexpression reduces visceral fat mass and blood lipids.

Background: MicroRNA-26a (miR-26a) is a key player in tumor suppression and plays important roles in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, its function in adipose tissue is not well defined.

Objective: The study aimed to examine the effect on fat expansion and function of miR-26a in adipose tissue.

Nanoemulsion for Improving the Oral Bioavailability of Hesperetin: Formulation Optimization and Absorption Mechanism.

This study aimed to prepare a nanoemulsion vehicle to improve the oral bioavailability of hesperetin. The pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and the RSM were used to optimize nanoemulsion parameters. Compared with hesperetin suspension, the AUC and C of nanoemulsion were increased by 5.

Maternal Serum Antioxidants in Mid Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Delivery and Small for Gestational Age Birth: Results from a Prospective Pregnancy Cohort.

Preterm delivery (PTD) and poor fetal growth are major contributors to neonatal mortality and morbidity that can extend from birth onward. Although overt maternal nutrient deficiencies are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such deficiencies are rare in developed countries. However, some evidence suggests that even within the normal range, higher levels of antioxidant nutrients are protective against adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Antifibrotic effects of Hypocrellin A combined with LED red light irradiation on keloid fibroblasts by counteracting the TGF-β/Smad/autophagy/apoptosis signalling pathway.

Keloids are characterized by abnormal proliferation of fibroblasts and continuous deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. In the field of dermopathy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) with visible light has been increasingly investigated. The natural photosensitizer Hypocrellin A (HA) was shown to have excellent light induced anticancer, antimicrobial and antiviral activities.

SLAMF1 Promotes Methotrexate Resistance via Activating Autophagy in Choriocarcinoma Cells.

Objective: The acquisition of chemoresistance to methotrexate (MTX) still remains one of the major challenges for choriocarcinoma treatment. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the potential role of Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Family Member 1 (SLAMF1) as a possible regulator of chemoresistance to MTX in choriocarcinoma.

Material And Methods: MTX-resistant JEG3 and JAR sublines (JEG3/MTX, JAR/MTX) were used to study SLAMF1 function.

Progress on the usage of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in marine ecotoxicology: A review.

The rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, is a widely used model species in marine ecotoxicology for evaluating pollutions, toxins, and harmful algae. In this paper, the marine ecotoxicology of Brachionus plicatilis was reviewed, including toxicity measurements of harmful algae species and environmental stresses. In addition, marine pollution involving pesticides, heavy metals, drugs, petroleum, and petrochemicals were addressed.

Potential role of fecal microbiota in patients with constipation.

Background: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for chronic functional constipation (CFC) ineffectively treated by conventional constipation medication.

Methods: Thirty-four patients with CFC underwent FMT treatment (three rounds, gastroscopy). Clinical scales, including the Wexner constipation score as the main index of efficiency, were completed at baseline; after each treatment, and at 2 and 3 months of follow up.

Deficits of Tactile Passive Perception Acuity in Patients With Schizophrenia.

Scarce literature has yet to characterize the tactile discrimination capability as well as the underlying mechanism of tactile deficits in psychotic disorder. In particular, very little is known regarding the tactile perception acuity in schizophrenia. A total of 131 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and 79 healthy control (HC) volunteers were enrolled in the study.

Formate production from CO electroreduction in a salinity-gradient energy intensified microbial electrochemical system.

The electricity production of microbial electrochemical system can be substantially strengthened by coupling with a reverse electrodialysis stack which extracts energy from salinity gradient, therefore provides a possible way for value-added products in cathode without external energy input. Here, a microbial reverse-electrodialysis CO reduction cell (MRECC) was developed and successfully utilized to drive CO-to-formate conversion on a Bi/Cu cathode. Results confirmed the optimal anodic COD load and cathodic CO flow rate to be 1 g NaAc L and 10 mL min.

Synergistic pathogenicity in sequential coinfection with fowl adenovirus type 4 and avian orthoreovirus.

Hydropericardium hepatitis syndrome (HHS) is a fatal disease caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4). Avian viral arthritis is an infectious disease characterized by movement disorders caused by avian orthoreovirus (ARV). In the early 2019, our epidemiologic survey on poultry diseases in eight commercial broiler farms in China showed that FAdV-4 and ARV have a high coinfection rate, accounting for 63 % of all ARV-positive samples.

Targeting STAT3 in Cancer Immunotherapy.

As a point of convergence for numerous oncogenic signaling pathways, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is central in regulating the anti-tumor immune response. STAT3 is broadly hyperactivated both in cancer and non-cancerous cells within the tumor ecosystem and plays important roles in inhibiting the expression of crucial immune activation regulators and promoting the production of immunosuppressive factors. Therefore, targeting the STAT3 signaling pathway has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for numerous cancers.

Resequencing of 1,143 indica rice accessions reveals important genetic variations and different heterosis patterns.

Obtaining genetic variation information from indica rice hybrid parents and identification of loci associated with heterosis are important for hybrid rice breeding. Here, we resequence 1,143 indica accessions mostly selected from the parents of superior hybrid rice cultivars of China, identify genetic variations, and perform kinship analysis. We find different hybrid rice crossing patterns between 3- and 2-line superior hybrid lines.

Diagnosis of Renal Diseases Based on Machine Learning Methods Using Ultrasound Images.

Background: The incidence rate of renal disease is high, which can cause end-stage renal disease. Ultrasound is a commonly used imaging method, including conventional ultrasound, color ultrasound, elastography, etc. Machine learning is a potential method which has been widely used in clinical practices.

[Expressions of HELQ and RAD51C in endometrial stromal sarcoma and their clinical significance].

Objective: To observe the expression of HELQ and RAD51C in normal endometrial and endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) and analyze their correlation with the clinical features of the patients.

Methods: The expressions of HELQ and RAD51C proteins were detected by immunohistochemical staining in normal endometrial tissues (14 cases) and tumor tissues from patients with ESS (37 cases) treated in Hunan Provincial Cancer Hospital from January, 2013 to December, 2016. The correlations of the expressions of the two proteins with the patients'age, FIGO staging, tissue type, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis were analyzed.

Study on dynamic thermal characteristics of thermoelectric radiant cooling panel system through a hybrid method.

Thermoelectric radiant panel system (TERP), requires no hydronic pipes, pumps and chillers and the size is compact in solid form. In this study, the main results include a new system model of TERP and some new findings on the system dynamic characteristics. The new model integrates finite difference method and state-space matrix, which is an integration of great simulation accuracy, high speed, and easy implementation.

Highly Thermally Stable, Green Solvent Disintegrable, and Recyclable Polymer Substrates for Flexible Electronics.

Flexible electronics require its substrate to have adequate thermal stability, but current thermally stable polymer substrates are difficult to be disintegrated and recycled; hence, generate enormous electronic solid waste. Here, a thermally stable and green solvent-disintegrable polymer substrate is developed for flexible electronics to promote their recyclability and reduce solid waste generation. Thanks to the proper design of rigid backbones and rational adjustments of polar and bulky side groups, the polymer substrate exhibits excellent thermal and mechanical properties with thermal decomposition temperature (T ) of 430 °C, upper operating temperature of over 300 °C, coefficient of thermal expansion of 48 ppm K , tensile strength of 103 MPa, and elastic modulus of 2.

[Molecular mechanism of Prunella vulgaris in alleviating autoimmune hepatitis in mice].

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of Prunella vulgaris on autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in mice and explore its mechanism. Methods Forty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group, AIH model group and 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg Prunella vulgaris-treated AIH groups with 8 mice each. AIH mice were established with mouse liver antigen S100 mixed with Freund's complete adjuvant (S100/FCA) by intraperitoneal injection.