The associations between exposure to mixed environmental endocrine disruptors and sex steroid hormones in men: a comparison of different statistical models.

In recent years, worldwide fertility rates have continued to decrease. Humans are frequently exposed to a combination of environmental endocrine disruptors, which can cause male reproductive disorders. The study employed three distinct analytical models to examine the correlation between exposure to a combination of 25 chemicals and sex steroid hormone levels in adult males.

Efficient Energy Transfer Enabled by Dark States in van der Waals Heterostructures.

Dark exciton states show great potential in condensed matter physics and optoelectronics because of their long lifetime and rich distribution in band structures. Therefore, they can theoretically serve as efficient energy reservoirs, providing a platform for future applications. However, their optical-transition-forbidden nature severely limits their experimental exploration and hinders their current application.

Nomogram predicts cervical lymph node metastasis of pathological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Pathological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are important factors in thyroid cancer. Some rare subtypes exhibit extensive lymph node metastasis. These pathological subtypes should receive more attention in clinical practice.

Improving Granulosa Cell Function in Premature Ovarian Failure with Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Exosome-Derived hsa_circ_0002021.

Background: The therapeutic potential of exosomes from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs-Exo) for delivering specific circular RNAs (circRNAs) in treating premature ovarian failure (POF) is not well understood. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of HUMSCs-Exo in delivering hsa_circ_0002021 for POF treatment, focusing on its effects on granulosa cell (GC) senescence and ovarian function.

Methods: Bioinformatic analysis was conducted on circRNA profiles using the GSE97193 dataset from GEO, targeting granulosa cells from varied age groups.

LIPUS regulates the progression of knee osteoarthritis in mice through primary cilia-mediated TRPV4 channels.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease in middle-aged and elderly people. An imbalance in calcium ion homeostasis will contribute to chondrocyte apoptosis and ultimately lead to the progression of OA. Transient receptor potential channel 4 (TRPV4) is involved in the regulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis.

Space-Confined Growth of Ultrathin P-Type GeTe Nanosheets for Broadband Photodetectors.

As p-type phase-change degenerate semiconductors, crystalline and amorphous germanium telluride (GeTe) exhibit metallic and semiconducting properties, respectively. However, the massive structural defects and strong interface scattering in amorphous GeTe films significantly reduce their performance. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) p-type GeTe nanosheets are synthesized via a specially designed space-confined chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, with the thickness of the GeTe nanosheets reduced to 1.

Defect Engineering of 2D Semiconductors for Dual Control of Emission and Carrier Polarity.

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are considered as promising materials in post-Moore technology. However, the low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) and single carrier polarity due to the inevitable defects during material preparation are great obstacles to their practical applications. Here, an extraordinary defect engineering strategy is reported based on first-principles calculations and realize it experimentally on WS monolayers by doping with IIIA atoms.

Ubiquitin Ligase Nrdp1 Controls Autophagy-Associated Acrosome Biogenesis and Mitochondrial Arrangement during Spermiogenesis.

Autophagy is critical to acrosome biogenesis and mitochondrial quality control, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The ubiquitin ligase Nrdp1/RNF41 promotes ubiquitination of the mitophagy-associated Parkin and interacts with the pro-autophagic protein SIP/CacyBP. Here, we report that global deletion of Nrdp1 leads to formation of the round-headed sperm and male infertility by disrupting autophagy.

Lymph node ratio independently associated with postoperative thyroglobulin levels in papillary thyroid cancer.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of the lymph node ratio (LNR) on postoperative thyroglobulin (Tg) levels in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study. The association between clinicopathological variables and postoperative unstimulated Tg (uTg) levels, preablative-stimulated Tg (sTg) levels, and postablative unstimulated Tg levels was analysed.

Lymph node ratio as a tool to stratify patients with N1b papillary thyroid cancer.

Background: The prognostic significance of lymph node ratio (LNR) in N1b papillary thyroid cancer is unclear. Therefore, the impact of LNR on disease-specific mortality (DSM) and overall survival (OS) in patients with N1b papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) needs to be defined.

Methods: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of patients who had undergone thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection.

Sodium Tartrate-Assisted Synthesis of High-Purity NiFeO Nano-Microrods Supported by Porous Ketjenblack Carbon for Efficient Alkaline Oxygen Evolution.

Herein, a simple two-step synthetic method was developed for the synthesis of NiFeO nano-microrods supported on Ketjenblack carbon (NiFeO/KB). A sodium tartrate-assisted hydrothermal method was employed for the synthesis of a NiFe-MOF/KB precursor, which was then pyrolyzed under N at 500 °C to yield NiFeO/KB. Benefiting from the presence of high-valence Ni and Fe, high conductivity, and a large electrochemically active surface area, NiFeO/KB delivered outstanding OER electrocatalytic performance under alkaline conditions, including a very low overpotential of 258 mV (vs RHE) at 10 mA cm, a small Tafel slope of 43.

Nanostructure Engineering and Electronic Modulation of a PtNi Alloy Catalyst for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis in Zinc-Air Batteries.

PtNi nanoalloys have demonstrated electrocatalysis superior to that of benchmark Pt/C catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), yet the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. Herein, a PtNi/NC catalyst comprising PtNi nanoparticles (∼5.2 nm in size) dispersed on N-doped carbon frameworks was prepared using a simple pyrolysis strategy.

A universal growth method for high-quality phase-engineered germanium chalcogenide nanosheets.

Low-dimensional group IV-VI metal chalcogenide-based semiconductors hold great promise for opto-electronic device applications owing to their diverse crystalline phases and intriguing properties related to thermoelectric and ferroelectric effects. Herein, we demonstrate a universal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth method to synthesize stable germanium chalcogenide-based (GeS, GeS, GeSe, GeSe) nanosheets, which increases the library of the p-type semiconductor. The phase transition between different crystalline polytypes can be deterministically controlled by hydrogen concentration in the reaction chamber.

Van der Waals epitaxial growth and optoelectronics of a vertical MoS/WSe p-n junction.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted extensive attention due to their unique electronic and optical properties. In particular, TMDs can be flexibly combined to form diverse vertical van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures without the limitation of lattice matching, which creates vast opportunities for fundamental investigation of novel optoelectronic applications. Here, we report an atomically thin vertical p-n junction WSe/MoS produced by a chemical vapor deposition method.

Design of new drugs for medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is one of the common malignant endocrine tumors, which seriously affects human health. Although surgical resection offers a potentially curative therapeutic option to some MTC patients, most patients do not benefit from it due to the difficulty to access the tumors and tumor metastasis. The survival rate of MTC patients has improved with the recent advances in the research, which has improved our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying MTC and enabled the development and approval of novel targeted drugs.

A Hybrid of the FeN-Fe Heterojunction Supported on N-Doped Carbon Nanobelts and Ketjen Black Carbon as a Robust High-Performance Electrocatalyst.

Herein, an extremely simple l-alanine-assisted pyrolysis method was proposed for the construction of a novel hierarchically porous hybrid of FeN-Fe supported on N-doped carbon nanobelts and Ketjen black carbon (denoted as FeN-Fe@N-C/N-KB). It has been found that the participation of l-alanine in pyrolysis can dramatically increase the total pyridinic-N/graphitic-N content in FeN-Fe@N-C/N-KB, which is peculiarly conducive to the enhancement of ORR performance. The in-site formation of the FeN-Fe heterojunction via the thermal reduction and decomposition of FeN as well as the introduction of cheap KB can significantly improve the ORR performance.

Disruptive Strategy To Fabricate Three-Dimensional Ultrawide Interlayer Porous Carbon Framework-Supported Prussian Blue Nanocubes: A Carrier for NiFe-Layered Double-Hydroxide toward Oxygen Evolution.

We, for the first time, offer a unique and disruptive strategy to prepare N-doped three-dimensional porous carbon framework-supported well-defined Fe[Fe(CN)] nanocubes (indicated as PB@N-PCFs). The carbon frameworks hold an ultrawide interlayer spacing of 0.385-0.

Recent Advances in Self-Supported Semiconductor Heterojunction Nanoarrays as Efficient Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Growth of semiconductor heterojunction nanoarrays directly on conductive substrates represents a promising strategy toward high-performance photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. By controlling the growth conditions, heterojunction nanoarrays with different morphologies and semiconductor components can be fabricated, resulting in greatly enhanced light-absorption properties, stabilities, and PEC activities. Herein, recent progress in the development of self-supported heterostructured semiconductor nanoarrays as efficient photoanode catalysts for water oxidation is reviewed.

Lymph node ratio in lateral neck is an independent risk factor for recurrence-free survival in papillary thyroid cancer patients with positive lymph nodes.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the lymph node ratio on prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer patients with lymph node metastasis.

Methods: Data from papillary thyroid cancer patients with positive nodes who were initially treated at our institution during 2015-2016 were analysed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were adopted to predict prognostic factors.

Electronic Tuning of Core-Shell CoNi Nanoalloy/N-Doped Few-Layer Graphene for Efficient Oxygen Electrocatalysis in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

The discovery of highly efficient, durable, and affordable bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts is of great significance for the commercialization of rechargeable metal-air batteries. Herein, we synthesized uniformly sized CoNi alloy nanoparticles encapsulated with N-doped few-layer graphene (N-FLG) sheets via pyrolysis of a CoNi dual metal-organic framework precursor. The developed CoNi/N-FLG catalyst exhibited excellent oxygen reduction activity (comparable to a commercial 20 wt % Pt/C catalyst) and outstanding oxygen evolution activity (superior to a commercial 20 wt % IrO/C catalyst), thus enabling efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis and stability when applied in prototype rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Experimental and Theoretical Insights into Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution over PtCo Nanoalloys Anchored on a Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Matrix.

The identification of synergistic effect of Pt-based alloys on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires a combination of experimental studies and theoretical calculations. Here, we present the construction of uniform PtCo nanoparticles grown on N-doped carbon frameworks via pyrolyzing Pt and Co ions adsorbed polyaniline, whereby the nanostructure of the nanoalloys can be effectively tuned by controlling the calcination temperature. As-prepared PtCo@NC-900 shows the optimal HER performance in 0.

Photoluminescence Lightening: Extraordinary Oxygen Modulated Dynamics in WS Monolayers.

Transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers exhibit ultrahigh surface sensitivity since they expose all atoms to the surface and thereby influence their optoelectronic properties. Here, we report an intriguing lightening of the photoluminescence (PL) from the edge to the interior over time in the WS monolayers grown by physical vapor deposition method, with the whole monolayer brightened eventually. Comprehensive optical studies reveal that the PL enhancement arises from the p doping induced by oxygen adsorption.