Regioselective super-assembly of Prussian blue analogue

The construction of high-asymmetrical structures demonstrates significant potential in improving the functionality and distinctness of nanomaterials, but remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we develop a one-pot method to fabricate regioselective super-assembly of Prussian blue analogue (PBA) -- a PBA anisotropic structure (PBA-AS) decorated with epitaxial modules--using a step-by-step epitaxial growth on a rapidly self-assembled cubic substrate guided by thiocyanuric acid (TCA) molecules. The epitaxial growth units manifest as diverse geometric shapes, which are predominantly concentrated on the {100}, {111}, or {100}+{111} crystal plane of the cubic substrate. The crystal plane and morphology of epitaxial module can be regulated by changing the TCA concentration and reaction temperature, enabling a high level of controllability over specific assembly sites and structures. To illustrate the advantage of the asymmetrical structure, phosphated PBA-AS demonstrates improved performance in the oxygen evolution reaction compared to simple phosphated PBA nanocube. This method offers valuable insights for designing asymmetrical nanomaterials with intricate architectures and versatile functionalities.

Rapid Construction of Double Crystalline Prussian Blue Analogue Hetero-Superstructure

The controllable construction of complex metal-organic coordination polymers (CPs) merits untold scientific and technological potential, yet remains a grand challenge of one-step construction and modulating simultaneously valence states of metals and topological morphology. Here, a thiocyanuric acid (TCA)-triggered strategy is presented to one-step rapid synthesis a double-crystalline Prussian blue analogue hetero-superstructure (PBA-hs) that comprises a Co3[Fe(CN)6]2 cube overcoated with a KCo[Fe(CN)6] shell, followed by eight self-assembled small cubes on vertices. Unlike common directing surfactants, TCA not only acts as a trigger for the fast growth of KCo[Fe(CN)6] on the Co3[Fe(CN)6]2 phase resulting in a PBA-on-PBA hetero-superstructure, but also serves as a flange-like bridge between them. By combining experiments with simulations, a deprotonation-induced electron transfer (DIET) mechanism is proposed for formation of second phase in PBA-hs, differing from thermally and photo-induced electron transfer processes. To prove utility, the calcined PBA-hs exhibits enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance. This work provides a new method to design of novel CPs for enriching chemistry and material science. This work offers a practical approach to design novel CPs for enriching chemistry and material science.

[Diaphragmatic dysfunction post-COVID-19 infection: report of two cases]

Following the global outbreak of COVID-19, many patients have suffered from multi-system complications and long-term sequelae caused by the virus. Diaphragm dysfunction is an obscure post-COVID-19 symptom. Although a few cases of diaphragm dysfunction caused by COVID-19 infection have been reported abroad, there are no relevant reports in China. Herein, we present two cases of patients with respiratory distress after COVID-19 infection. On admission, dynamic chest radiographs revealed diaphragm dysfunction in these patients. Further investigations including diaphragm ultrasound, neurophysiological examinations, transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements cranial MRI, and antibody testing for autoimmune diseases, were conducted. The final diagnoses were severe myasthenia gravis induced by COVID-19 infection and diaphragmatic nerve and muscle involvement caused by COVID-19 infection. Both patients showed improvement in symptoms after treatment. Therefore, we summarized our case, with a review of the relevant literature to improve the understanding of the disease and to provide clinical evidence for future diagnosis and treatment.

Dipole Effect on Oxygen Evolution Reaction of 2D Janus Single-Atom Catalysts: A Case of Rh Anchored on the P6m2-NP Configurations

Catalytic performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs) relies fundamentally on the electronic nature and local coordination environment of the active site. Here, based on a machine-learning (ML)-aided density functional theory (DFT) method, we reveal that the intrinsic dipole in Janus materials has a significant impact on the catalytic activity of SACs, using 2D γ-phosphorus carbide (γ-PC) as a model system. Specifically, a local dipole around the active site is a key degree to tune the catalytic activity and can be used as an important descriptor with a high feature importance of 17.1% in predicting the difference of adsorption free energy (ΔGO* - ΔGOH*) to assess the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction. As a result, the catalytic performance of SACs can be tuned by an intrinsic dipole, in stark contrast to those external stimuli strategies previously used. These results suggest that dipole engineering and the revolutionary DFT-ML hybrid scheme are novel approaches for designing high-performance catalysts.

[A cross-sectional survey on the types of antiviral treatment plans for patients with chronic hepatitis B]

Objective: To understand the current antiviral treatment status and various clinical types of treatment plans in Xiamen City so as to explore ways to improve and optimize the diagnosis and treatment standards for chronic hepatitis B. Methods: A cross-sectional survey method was used to study the antiviral treatment status and treatment plans for chronic hepatitis B patients who visited and were diagnosed in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology of all tertiary hospitals in Xiamen City at 0:00~23:59 on May 25, 2022. Results: A total of 665 cases were surveyed in this study, with an antiviral treatment rate of 81.2%(540/665). The antiviral treatment rate of patients who accorded with the current guidelines for antiviral treatment indications was 85.8%(507/591). The antiviral treatment rate for 362 outpatients was 72.9%(264/362). Among them, the antiviral treatment rates were 80.1%, 89.3%, and 25.0%(226/282, 25/28, 13/52), respectively, for patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis B cirrhosis, and hepatitis B surface antigen-carrying status. The treatment plan for all outpatient patients was mainly oral nucleos(t)ide analogues, accounting for 59.1%(214/362). The antiviral treatment rate for 303 inpatients was 91.1%(276/303). The various clinical types of antiviral therapy rates among all patients were 70%~95%. The antiviral treatment plan for inpatients was mainly based on pegylated interferon alpha treatment, accounting for 72.6%(220/303). Conclusion: Antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B in Xiamen City can still be strengthened to meet the current demand for expanding antiviral treatment indications. Antiviral treatment rates and various types of treatment plans differ between outpatients and inpatients; thus, further awareness and acceptance of the goal of improving antiviral therapy, especially in outpatients, and the possibility for a clinical cure based on pegylated interferon alpha treatment are needed to maximize the benefit to more patients.

Synergistic effect of composition gradient and morphology on the catalytic activity of amorphous FeCoNi-LDH

The rational design of electrocatalysts with well-designed compositions and structures for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is promising and challenging. Herein, we developed a novel strategy - a one-step double-cation etching sedimentation equilibrium strategy - to synthesize amorphous hollow Fe-Co-Ni layered double hydroxide nanocages with an outer surface of vertically interconnected ultrathin nanosheets (Fe-Co-Ni-LDH), which primarily depends on the in situ etching sedimentation equilibrium of the template interface. This unique vertical nanosheet-shell hierarchical nanostructure possesses enhanced charge transfer, increased active sites, and favorable kinetics during electrolysis, resulting in superb electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Specifically, the Fe-Co-Ni-LDH nanocages exhibited remarkable OER activity in alkaline electrolytes and achieved a current density of 100 mA cm-2 at a low overpotential of 272 mV with excellent stability. This powerful strategy provides a profound molecular-level insight into the control of the morphology and composition of 2D layered materials.

Magnesium Mitigation Behavior in P2-Layered Sodium-Ion Battery Cathode

Heteroatom incorporation can effectively suppress the phase transition of layered sodium-ion battery cathode, but heteroatom behaviors during operating conditions are not completely understood at the atomic scale. Here, density functional theory calculations are combined with experiments to explore the mitigation behavior of Mg dopant and its mechanisms under operating conditions in P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2. The void formed by Na extraction will pump some Mg dopants into Na layers from TM layers, and the collective diffusion of more than one Mg ion most likely occurs when the Mg content is relatively high in the TM layer, finally aggregating to form Mg-enrich regions (i.e., Mg segregation) apart from Ni vacancies. The void-pump-effect-induced Mg segregation effectively suppresses the P2-O2 phase transition owing to the stronger Mg-O electrostatic attraction that enhances the integrate of two adjacent oxygen layers and prevents the crack growth by mitigating the lattice volume variation under high-voltage cycling. Our work provides a fundamental understanding of heteroatom mitigation behavior in layered cathodes at the atomic level for next-generation energy storage technologies.

[Effects and clinical significance of NLRP3 inflammasome activated by IL-17A in CRSwNP]

Objective: To investigate the effects and clinical significance of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activated by interleukin (IL)-17A in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: Patients underwent nasal endoscopic surgery in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2020 to December 2021 were collected, including 28 CRSwNP (including 19 males and 9 females, aged 19 to 67 years), 22 chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and 22 controls. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of IL-17A, NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the three groups, and their correlations were analyzed. The positions of IL-17A, NLRP3 and IL-18 in nasal polys were analyzed by immunofluorescence. Western Blotting and ELISA were employed to detect the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the human nasal epithelial cells after using IL-17A stimulation or IL-17A receptor inhibitor. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 protein expression after IL-17A stimulating human nasal epithelial cells, and after the use of IL-17A receptor inhibitor and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950. The correlations between NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18 and CT scores, nasal endoscopic scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT) 22 scores of CRSwNP patients were analyzed. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The expressions of IL-17A, NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the tissues of CRSwNP patients were significantly higher than those in CRSsNP group(P=0.018,P<0.001,P=0.005, P=0.016) and the control group(all P<0.001). IL-17A was positively correlated with the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18(r ralue was 0.643,0.650,0.629,respectively, all P<0.05). IL-17A, NLRP3, and IL-18 were co-localized in the epithelial propria of polyp tissue. IL-17A stimulated the expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 in human nasal epithelial cells. After the use of IL-17A receptor inhibitor, the expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly down-regulated. After the use of NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, IL-17A was significantly down-regulated to promote the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18. The expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 were positively correlated with CT, nasal endoscopy, VAS, and SNOT22 scores in patients with CRSwNP. Conclusions: IL-17A promotes the release of IL-1β and IL-18 by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and aggravates the severity of the disease in CRSwNP.

Exosomes from circ-Astn1-modified adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells enhance wound healing through miR-138-5p/SIRT1/FOXO1 axis regulation

BACKGROUND

Wound healing impairment is a dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia and its effect on endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is increasing evidence showing that exosomes (Exos) derived from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) exhibit the potential to improve endothelial cell function along with wound healing. However, the potential therapeutic mechanism by which ADSC Exos contribute to wound healing in diabetic mice remains unclear.

AIM

To reveal the potential therapeutic mechanism of ADSC Exos in wound healing in diabetic mice.

METHODS

Exos from ADSCs and fibroblasts were used for high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). ADSC-Exo-mediated healing of full-thickness skin wounds in a diabetic mouse model was investigated. We employed EPCs to investigate the therapeutic function of Exos in cell damage and dysfunction caused by high glucose (HG). We utilized a luciferase reporter (LR) assay to analyze interactions among circular RNA astrotactin 1 (circ-Astn1), sirtuin (SIRT) and miR-138-5p. A diabetic mouse model was used to verify the therapeutic effect of circ-Astn1 on Exo-mediated wound healing.

RESULTS

High-throughput RNA-Seq analysis showed that circ-Astn1 expression was increased in ADSC Exos compared with Exos from fibroblasts. Exos containing high concentrations of circ-Astn1 had enhanced therapeutic effects in restoring EPC function under HG conditions by promoting SIRT1 expression. Circ-Astn1 expression enhanced SIRT1 expression through miR-138-5p adsorption, which was validated by the LR assay along with bioinformatics analyses. Exos containing high concentrations of circ-Astn1 had better therapeutic effects on wound healing in vivo compared to wild-type ADSC Exos. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical investigations suggested that circ-Astn1 enhanced angiopoiesis through Exo treatment of wounded skin as well as by suppressing apoptosis through promotion of SIRT1 and decreased forkhead box O1 expression.

CONCLUSION

Circ-Astn1 promotes the therapeutic effect of ADSC-Exos and thus improves wound healing in diabetes via miR-138-5p absorption and SIRT1 upregulation. Based on our data, we advocate targeting the circ-Astn1/miR-138-5p/SIRT1 axis as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetic ulcers.

A General Strategy for Synthesis of Binary Transition Metal Phosphides Hollow Sandwich Heterostructures

The hollow sandwich core-shell micro-nanomaterials are widely used in materials, chemistry, and medicine, but their fabrication, particularly for transition metal phosphides (TMPs), remains a great challenge. Herein, a general synthesis strategy is presented for binary TMPs hollow sandwich heterostructures with vertically interconnected nanosheets on the inside and outside surfaces of polyhedron FeCoP_x /C, demonstrated by a variety of transition metals (including Co, Fe, Cd, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ni). Density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals the process and universal mechanism of layered double hydroxide (LDH) growth on Prussian blue analog (PBA) surface in detail for the first time, which provides the theoretical foundations for feasibility and rationality of the synthesis strategy. This unique structure exhibits a vertical nanosheet-shell-vertical nanosheet configuration combining the advantages of sandwich, hollow and vertical heterostructures, effectively achieving their synergistic effect. As a proof-of-concept of their applications, the CoNiP_x @FeCoP_x /C@CoNiP_x hollow sandwich polyhedron architectures (representative samples) show excellent catalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. This work provides a general method for constructing hollow-sandwich micro-nanostructures, which provides more ideas and directions for design of micro-nano materials with special geometric topology.

Serum vitamin C levels and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: results from a cross-sectional study and Mendelian randomization analysis

Background and aims

Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, may play a role in the treatment of NAFLD. This research aimed to investigate the association of serum vitamin C levels with the risk of NAFLD and to further examine the causal relationship by Mendelian randomization (MR) method.

Methods

The cross-sectional study selected 5,578 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005-2006 and 2017-2018. The association of serum vitamin C levels with NAFLD risk was evaluated under a multivariable logistic regression model. A two-sample MR study, using genetic data from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of serum vitamin C levels (52,014 individuals) and NAFLD (primary analysis: 1,483 cases /17,781 controls; secondary analysis: 1,908 cases/340,591 controls), was conducted to infer causality between them. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) was applied as the main method of MR analysis. A series of sensitivity analyzes were used to evaluate the pleiotropy.

Results

In the cross-sectional study, results showed that Tertile 3 group (Tertile 3: ≥1.06 mg/dl) had a significantly lower risk (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.48 ~ 0.74, p < 0.001) of NAFLD than Tertile 1 group (Tertile 1: ≤0.69 mg/dl) after full adjustments. In regard to gender, serum vitamin C was protective against NAFLD in both women (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49 ~ 0.80, p < 0.001) and men (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55 ~ 0.97, p = 0.029) but was stronger among women. However, in the IVW of MR analyzes, no causal relationship between serum vitamin C levels and NAFLD risk was observed in the primary analysis (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.47 ~ 1.45, p = 0.502) and secondary analysis (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.53 ~ 1.22, p = 0.308). MR sensitivity analyzes yielded consistent results.

Conclusion

Our MR study did not support a causal association between serum vitamin C levels and NAFLD risk. Further studies with greater cases are warranted to confirm our findings.

Directional Charge Transfer Channels in a Monolithically Integrated Electrode for Photoassisted Overall Water Splitting

Photoelectrocatalytic performance of a system is fundamentally determined by the full absorption of sunlight and high utilization of photoexcited carriers, but efficiency of the latter is largely limited by inefficient charge transfer from the absorber to reactive sites. Here, we propose to construct directional charge transfer channels in a monolithically integrated electrode, taking carbon dots/carbon nitride (CCN) nanotubes and FeOOH/FeCo layered double hydroxide (FFC) nanosheets as a representative, to boost the photoassisted overall water splitting performance. Detailed experimental investigations and DFT calculations demonstrate that the interfacial C-O-Fe bonds between CCN and FFC act as charge transfer channels, facilitating the directional migration of the photogenerated carriers between CCN and FFC surfaces. Moreover, the in situ oxidized Fe/Co species by photogenerated holes trigger lattice oxygen activation, realizing the construction of the Fe-Co dual-site as the catalytic center and efficiently lowering the barrier energy for water oxidation. As a result, the CCN@FFC electrode shows multiple functionalities in photoelectrocatalysis: only a low overpotential of 68 mV, 182 mV, and 1.435 V is required to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 current densities for the photoassisted HER, OER, and overall water splitting, respectively. This directional charge transfer modulation strategy may facilitate the design of highly active and cost-effective multifunctional catalysts for energy conversion and storage.

Phase evolution for oxidizing bismuth selenide

The novel Bi₂O₂Se, produced by the oxidation of the layered Bi₂Se₃, has been considered as one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation electronics owing to its high carrier mobility and air-stability. In this work, by using crystal structure prediction and first-principles calculations, we report the phase transformations from the hexagonal Bi₂Se₃to the monoclinic Bi₂OSe₂, and then to the tetragonal Bi₂O₂Se with the gradual oxidization. Owing to the difference in electronegativity between selenium (Se) and oxygen (O), the oxidation process is accompanied by an increase in bond ionicity. Our results shed light on the phenomena occurring in the interaction between the precursors Bi₂Se₃and O₂and have a potential contribution to the application of optoelectronic devices. The intermediate Bi₂OSe₂with calculated band gap of 1.01 eV, may be a candidate for photovoltaic application in future.

[A meta-analysis on prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma in the middle-aged and elderly chinese population]

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and relevant factors of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) in the middle-aged and elderly (40 years old and above) Chinese population. Methods: Epidemiological literature (of English and/or Chinese language) on prevalence of PACG in China between 2000 and 2022 were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang database. Two researchers conducted the process of document retrieval, inclusion, quality assessment and data extraction independently based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreement was resolved by consensus with a third researcher. The heterogeneity among studies was assessed by using the I² statistics, and a corresponding model was used for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis (gender, age, survey date, place of residence, diagnostic criteria, and temperature zone), as well as sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis, were conducted. Results: Twenty-three studies were included in this research. Among them, eight were of high-quality and fifteen were of middle-quality. In the past 20 years, the PACG prevalence in middle-aged and elderly (40 years and older) Chinese population was 1.35% (95%CI:1.08% to 1.61%). Chinese women (1.40%) were more likely to have PACG than men (0.96%, P<0.01). The PACG prevalence had a positive correlation with age (P<0.01). The prevalence was similar between urban (1.3%) and rural (1.2%, P=0.61) areas. The PACG prevalence from studies in which the diagnostic criteria of PACG requested the symptom of vision or optic nerve damage (1.1%) was lower than that those without such requirement (1.7%, P<0.01). In mid-temperate zone, the prevalence was higher (1.7%, P=0.02). Conclusions: The PACG prevalence in middle-aged and elderly (40 years old and above) Chinese population was 1.35% in the last 20 years. The prevalence of PACG varies across age, regions, and other variations. This risk is higher in the elderly, women, and people in cold regions among Chinese population.

Exosomes from circ-Astn1-modified adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells enhance wound healing through miR-138-5p/SIRT1/FOXO1 axis regulation

BACKGROUND

Wound healing impairment is a dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia and its effect on endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is increasing evidence showing that exosomes (Exos) derived from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) exhibit the potential to improve endothelial cell function along with wound healing. However, the potential therapeutic mechanism by which ADSC Exos contribute to wound healing in diabetic mice remains unclear.

AIM

To reveal the potential therapeutic mechanism of ADSC Exos in wound healing in diabetic mice.

METHODS

Exos from ADSCs and fibroblasts were used for high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). ADSC-Exo-mediated healing of full-thickness skin wounds in a diabetic mouse model was investigated. We employed EPCs to investigate the therapeutic function of Exos in cell damage and dysfunction caused by high glucose (HG). We utilized a luciferase reporter (LR) assay to analyze interactions among circular RNA astrotactin 1 (circ-Astn1), SIRT1 and miR-138-5p. A diabetic mouse model was used to verify the therapeutic effect of circ-Astn1 on Exo-mediated wound healing.

RESULTS

High-throughput RNA-Seq analysis showed that circ-Astn1 expression was increased in ADSC Exos compared with Exos from fibroblasts. Exos containing high concentrations of circ-Astn1 had enhanced therapeutic effects in restoring EPC function under HG conditions by promoting SIRT1 expression. Circ-Astn1 expression enhanced SIRT1 expression through miR-138-5p adsorption, which was validated by the LR assay along with bioinformatics analyses. Exos containing high concentrations of circ-Astn1 had better therapeutic effects on wound healing in vivo compared to wild-type ADSC Exos. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical investigations suggested that circ-Astn1 enhanced angiopoiesis through Exo treatment of wounded skin as well as by suppressing apoptosis through promotion of SIRT1 and decreased forkhead box O1 expression.

CONCLUSION

Circ-Astn1 promotes the therapeutic effect of ADSC-Exos and thus improves wound healing in diabetes via miR-138-5p absorption and SIRT1 upregulation. Based on our data, we advocate targeting the circ-Astn1/miR-138-5p/SIRT1 axis as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetic ulcers.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 promotes Th2 differentiation by regulating microRNA-135b-5p/GATA-3 axis in children with allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) threatens patient survival. CD4⁺ T cells play key roles in AR progression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cell differentiation. Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanism of the lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in AR. Expression levels of MALAT1, microRNA (miR)-135b-5p, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA-3) in the nasal mucosa of AR patients were quantified. CD4⁺ T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and treated with ovalbumin (OVA) and Th2 inducers. After MALAT1 and miR-135b-5p levels changed in CD4⁺ T cells, the proportion of IL-4-expressing cells and the levels of IL-4 and GATA-3 in OVA-induced CD4⁺ T cells were determined. Binding relationships among MALAT1, miR-135b-5p, and GATA-3 were predicted and verified. Rescue experiments were performed to confirm the role of the MALAT1/miR-135b-5p/GATA-3 axis in Th2 differentiation of CD4⁺ T cells. MALAT1, IL-4, and GATA-3 expression was upregulated, whereas miR-135b-5p expression was downregulated, in patients with AR. MALAT1 knockdown or miR-135b-5p overexpression in CD4⁺ T cells notably decreased the proportion of IL-4-expressing cells and downregulated GATA-3 and IL-4 expression in OVA-induced CD4⁺ T cells. MALAT1 and GATA-3 exhibited competitive binding toward miR-135b-5p. MALAT1 facilitated CD4⁺ T cell Th2 differentiation via the miR-135b-5p/GATA-3 axis. MALAT1 facilitated AR development by facilitating CD4⁺ T cell Th2 differentiation via the miR-135b-5p/GATA-3 axis. This study may provide guidance for clinical treatment of AR.

[The expression profile and potential regulatory mechanism of ACE2 in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps]

Objective: To preliminarily analyze the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and to investigate its potential regulatory mechanism in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: Patients underwent nasal endoscopic surgery in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from February 2020 to May 2021 were selected, including 17 males and 6 females, aging from 23 to 66 years old. Expression of ACE2 was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining in controls with non-chronic rhinosinusitis, non-eosinophilic CRSwNP (non-ECRSwNP), and eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRSwNP) tissue, respectively. Correlations between ACE2 and the indicated Th1/Th2-related cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-25, IL-33, TSLP and periostin) were analyzed based on GSE72713 dataset. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed via string database, immune infiltration of GSE72713 dataset was evaluated using cibersort algorithm. ACE2 was comprehensively analyzed by microRNA regulatory network, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and pharmacological analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad 7.0 and SPSS 20.0 software. Results: ACE2 was up-regulated in non-ECRSwNP compared with ECRSwNP. Microarray analysis showed that ACE2 was positively correlated with IFN-γ while inversely correlated with IL-5, IL-13 and periostin significantly. Analysis of immune infiltration suggested that ACE2 expression correlated positively with the number of M1 macrophage while negatively with M2 macrophage. GSEA demonstrated that interferon-related signaling pathways were up-regulated in non-ECRSwNP, and miRNA-200B/miRNA-200C/miRNA-429 pathways targeting ACE2 were enriched in ECRSwNP. Results of pharmacological analysis indicated that ampicillin was able to promote the expression of ACE2 whereas acetaminophen could down regulated the expression of ACE2. Conclusion: Expression pattern of ACE2 is varied in non-ECRSwNP and ECRSwNP, which may be related to the different infiltration of indicated cytokines and different regulatory pathways of miRNA.

Theoretical study of cellulose II nanocrystals with different exposed facets

Derived from the most abundant natural polymer, cellulose nanocrystal materials have attracted attention in recent decades due to their chemical and mechanical properties. However, still unclear is the influence of different exposed facets of the cellulose nanocrystals on the physicochemical properties. Herein, we first designed cellulose II nanocrystals with different exposed facets, the hydroxymethyl conformations distribution, hydrogen bond (HB) analysis, as well as the relative structural stability of these models (including crystal facets {A, B, O} and Type-A models vary in size) are theoretically investigated. The results reveal that the HB network of terminal anhydroglucose depends on the adjacent chain's contact sites in nanocrystals exposed with different facets. Compared to nanocrystals exposed with inclined facet, these exposed with flat facet tend to be the most stable. Therefore, the strategy of tuning exposed crystal facets will guide the design of novel cellulose nanocrystals with various physicochemical properties.

Unraveling the Mechanism of Near-Infrared Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence of TPA-Based Molecules: Effect of Hydrogen Bond Steric Hindrance

A recently synthesized novel molecule (named CAT-1) exhibits intriguing near-infrared (NIR) thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) close to 1000 nm wavelength; however, the mechanism behind these intrinsic properties is not fully understood. Herein, we unravel that the fluorescence emission spectrum with a broad wavelength range (770-950 nm) of CAT-1 is primarily induced by hydrogen bond steric hindrance based on density functional theory and Marcus theory. It is found that the hydrogen bond steric hindrance plays a critical role in inhibiting the twist of the configuration of different excited states, which leads to the minor driving force for fast electron trapping between the excited states, as well as small internal reorganization energy caused by less changed geometric configuration. Furthermore, such steric hindrance will cause a more distorted plane, resulting in a less favorable electron delocalization. A faster reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) rate is then obtained due to the nearly unchanged conformation between excited states caused by steric hindrance, although the spin-orbit coupling is small. Consequently, the NIR TADF with a longer wavelength can be emitted in CAT-1. This work shows that the hydrogen bond steric hindrance can fine-tune the electronic interactions of the donor and acceptor units to control the TADF.

Promoting a Weak Coupling of Monolayer MoSe2 Grown on (100)-Faceted Au Foil

As a two-dimensional semiconductor with many physical properties, including, notably, layer-controlled electronic bandgap and coupled spin-valley degree of freedom, monolayer MoSe₂ is a strong candidate material for next-generation opto- and valley-electronic devices. However, due to substrate effects such as lattice mismatch and dielectric screening, preserving the monolayer's intrinsic properties remains challenging. This issue is generally significant for metallic substrates whose active surfaces are commonly utilized to achieve direct chemical or physical vapor growth of the monolayer films. Here, we demonstrate high-temperature-annealed Au foil with well-defined (100) facets as a weakly interacting substrate for atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of highly crystalline monolayer MoSe₂. Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurements reveal a honeycomb structure of MoSe₂ with a quasi-particle bandgap of 1.96 eV, a value comparable with other weakly interacting systems such as MoSe₂/graphite. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Au(100) surface exhibits the preferred energetics to electronically decouple from MoSe₂, compared with the (110) and (111) crystal planes. This weak coupling is critical for the easy transfer of monolayers to another host substrate. Our study demonstrates a practical means to produce high-quality monolayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides, viable for both fundamental and application studies.

[Research progress on hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen]

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely used antipyretic and analgesic drug that is safe and effective in the therapeutic doses, but overdose may cause hepatotoxicity and even acute liver failure (ALF). Finding reliable biomarkers for APAP toxicity is not only a hot spot of current research, but also a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Clinicians should consider the existence of APAP hepatotoxicity when using APAP treatment, and explain that APAP may have a certain degree of dose dependence. This paper reviews the most promising biomarkers currently being evaluated, and expounds their application in the field of APAP hepatotoxicity, as well as the mechanism of mitochondrial damage and mitochondrial autophagy, thereby contributing to the diagnosis, prognosis, mechanism and research progress of therapeutic targets of APAP hepatotoxicity.

Strain and Electric Field Controllable Schottky Barriers and Contact Types in Graphene-MoTe2 van der Waals Heterostructure

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides with intrinsically passivated surfaces are promising candidates for ultrathin optoelectronic devices that their performance is strongly affected by the contact with the metallic electrodes. Herein, first-principle calculations are used to construct and investigate the electronic and interfacial properties of 2D MoTe2 in contact with a graphene electrode by taking full advantage of them. The obtained results reveal that the electronic properties of graphene and MoTe2 layers are well preserved in heterostructures due to the weak van der Waals interlayer interaction, and the Fermi level moves toward the conduction band minimum of MoTe2 layer thus forming an n type Schottky contact at the interface. More interestingly, the Schottky barrier height and contact types in the graphene-MoTe2 heterostructure can be effectively tuned by biaxial strain and external electric field, which can transform the heterostructure from an n type Schottky contact to a p type one or to Ohmic contact. This work provides a deeper insight look for tuning the contact types and effective strategies to design high performance MoTe2-based Schottky electronic nanodevices.

[Clinical application of self-made drainage tubes in different layers of soft tissue for negative-pressure wound therapy in 33 patients]

From January 2014 to June 2018, 28 patients with different types of deep soft tissue injury or infection were admitted to the Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Medical College of Southeast University; 5 patients were admitted to the Zhengzhou First People's Hospital. There were 24 males and 9 females, aged 18-89 (40±20) years. Disposable suction tubes with holes cut on side walls were used as self-made drainage tubes. The authors placed the self-made drainage tubes on different deep soft tissue layers and wound surfaces after debridement. The effective drainage sections of the wound surface drainage tubes were wrapped with silver ion antimicrobial functional active dressings. Bio-permeable membrane was used to close the operative area. The drainage tubes in the deep layer of wound and wound surface were connected in parallel by a tee and connected to wall-hanging medical negative-pressure suction device to conduct negative-pressure wound treatment at -20.0 to -10.6 kPa. The deep drainage tubes were usually removed or changed 4 or 5 days after surgery.The drainage tubes in the wound surface were synchronously replaced when removing or replacing he drainage tubes in the deep layer of wound. On 4 to 15 days after surgery, the deep drainage tubes were removed. On 8 to 25 days after surgery, the wound surface drainage tubes were removed. Then the treatment was changed to a conventional dressing change until the wounds were completely healed or the wound bed was ready for skin grafts or tissue flaps. The indwelling time of deep drainage tubes in this group of patients was (6.2±2.8) days, and the indwelling time of wound surface drainage tubes was (12.0±3.0) days. The wound healing time was (22±5) days, the hospital stay time was (29±7) days, and wound bacteria were reduced from 6 species and 11 strains before treatment to 3 species and 4 strains after treatment. No adverse events such as wound bleeding, irritative pain, and chronic sinus occurred during treatment. Twenty-three patients were followed up for 13 to 28 months, no treatment-related complications were observed.

Type-II/type-II band alignment to boost spatial charge separation: a case study of g-C3N4 quantum dots/a-TiO2/r-TiO2 for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution

Efficient spatial charge separation and transfer that are critical factors for solar energy conversion primarily depend on the energetic alignment of the band edges at interfaces in heterojunctions. Herein, we first report that constructing a 0D/0D type-II(T-II)/T-II heterojunction is an effective strategy to ingeniously achieve long-range charge separation by taking a ternary heterojunction of TiO2 and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as a proof-of-concept. Incorporating g-C3N4 quantum dots (QCN), as the third component, into the commercial P25 composed of anatase (a-TiO2) and rutile (r-TiO2) can be realized via simply mixing the commercially available Degussa P25 and QCN solution followed by heat treatment. The strong coupling and matching band structures among a-TiO2, r-TiO2 and QCN result in the construction of novel T-II/T-II heterojunctions, which would promote the spatial separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes. Moreover, QCN plays a key role in reinforcing light absorption. Particularly, the unique 0D/0D architecture possesses the advantages of abundant active sites for the photocatalytic reaction. As a result, the optimized QCN/a-TiO2/r-TiO2 heterojunctions exhibit enhanced photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution, especially the hydrogen evolution rate (49.3 μmol h-1) is 11.7 times that of bare P25 under visible light irradiation, and sufficient catalytic stability as evidenced by the recycling experiments. The remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the energy level alignment at interfaces, the dimensionality and component of the heterojunctions. This work provides a stepping stone towards the design of novel heterojunctions for photocatalytic water splitting.

Organic Small Molecule Activates Transition Metal Foam for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Developing low-cost, highly efficient, and durable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for the practical application of electrochemical water splitting. Herein, it is discovered that organic small molecule (hexabromobenzene, HBB) can activate commercial transition metal (Ni, Fe, and NiFe) foam by directly evolving metal nanomeshes embedded in graphene-like films (M-NM@G) through a facile Br-induced solid-phase migration process. Systematic investigations indicate that HBB can conformally generate graphene-like network on bulk metal foam substrate via the cleavage of CBr bonds and the formation of CC linkage. Simultaneously, the cleaved CBr fragments can efficiently extract metal atoms from bulk substrate, in situ producing transition metal nanomeshes embedded in the graphene-like films. As a result, such functional nanostructure can serve as an efficient OER electrocatalyst with a low overpotential and excellent long-term stability. Specifically, the overpotential at 100 mA cm^-2 is only 208 mV for NiFe-NM@G, ranking the top-tier OER electrocatalysts. This work demonstrates an intriguing general strategy for directly transforming bulk transition metals into nanostructured functional electrocatalysts via the interaction with organic small molecules, opening up opportunities for bridging the application of organic small molecules in energy technologies.

Hierarchical Self-assembly of Well-Defined Louver-Like P-Doped Carbon Nitride Nanowire Arrays with Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

Self-assembled nanostructure arrays integrating the advantages of the intrinsic characters of nanostructure as well as the array stability are appealing in advanced materials. However, the precise bottom-up synthesis of nanostructure arrays without templates or substrates is quite challenging because of the general occurrence of homogeneous nucleation and the difficult manipulation of noncovalent interactions. Herein, we first report the precisely manipulated synthesis of well-defined louver-like P-doped carbon nitride nanowire arrays (L-PCN) via a supramolecular self-assembly method by regulating the noncovalent interactions through hydrogen bond. With this strategy, CN nanowires align in the outer frame with the separation and spatial location achieving ultrastability and outstanding photoelectricity properties. Significantly, this self-assembly L-PCN exhibits a superior visible light-driven hydrogen evolution activity of 1872.9 μmol h-1 g-1, rendering a ~ 25.6-fold enhancement compared to bulk CN, and high photostability. Moreover, an apparent quantum efficiency of 6.93% is achieved for hydrogen evolution at 420 ± 15 nm. The experimental results and first-principles calculations demonstrate that the remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity of L-PCN can be attributed to the synergetic effect of structural topology and dopant. These findings suggest that we are able to design particular hierarchical nanostructures with desirable performance using hydrogen-bond engineering.

Interfacial charge modulation: carbon quantum dot implanted carbon nitride double-deck nanoframes for robust visible-light photocatalytic tetracycline degradation

Steering charge kinetics at the interface is essential to improve the photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional (2D) material-based heterostructures. Herein, we developed a novel strategy-simultaneously building two kinds of heterojunctions- to modulate interfacial charge kinetics in polymeric carbon nitride (CN) for improving the photocatalytic activity. Using a simple one-step thermal condensation of carbon quantum dot (CQD)-contained supramolecular precursors formed in water, the controllable CQD embedded CN nanoframes possessed two kinds of heterogeneous interfaces within seamlessly stitched micro-area two-dimensional in-plane and out-of-plane domains. These two kinds of heterojunctions can effectively enhance its intrinsic driving force to accelerate the separation and transfer of charge along different directions. Furthermore, the hollow double-deck porous CN-CQD nanoframes with a high surface area (296.74 m² g^-1) endowed more exposed active sites. The remarkable visible-light photocatalytic activity of hollow porous CN-CQD nanoframes was demonstrated by degrading tetracycline (TC) and rhodamine (RhB) as the models, whose robust degradation rate constant is approximately 11 and 29 times higher than that of pristine CN, respectively. This work provides a novel strategy for the interfacial design of the heterophase junction with atomic precision.

A design rule for two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures with unconventional band alignments

A feasible rule to design unconventional band alignment by inducing the hybridization of band-edge states via interlayer coupling.

Strategy to boost catalytic activity of polymeric carbon nitride: synergistic effect of controllable in situ surface engineering and morphology

Polymeric carbon nitride (CN) is a promising metal-free catalyst plagued by a low intrinsic activity. Herein, a novel strategy based on controllable in situ surface engineering and morphology was developed to synergistically boost the catalytic activity of CN by tuning the hydroxyl groups on its surface and constructing a unique nanostructure. The controllable introduction of hydroxyl groups on CN nanoshells, prepared by the thermal condensation of oxygen-containing supramolecular precursors formed in water, led to spatial separation of the HOMO and LUMO, and effective exciton dissociation, as verified by experiments and ab initio calculations. Furthermore, the hollow hemispherical nanoshell endowed more exposed active sites, optimal mass transport, and dynamic modulations. The optimized hollow hemispherical CN nanoshells exhibited remarkable catalytic activity, with a photoelectrocatalytic OER overpotential of about 330 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2, outperforming state-of-the-art precious-metal catalyst IrO₂. High activity for the visible-light photocatalytic HER and pollutant degradation were also observed. This study proposes that, through rational surface group modification, a polymer material with high catalytic activity can be practically realized, which is promising for the design of efficient metal-free catalysts.

Penta-Graphene as a Potential Gas Sensor for NOx Detection

Two-dimensional (2D) penta-graphene (PG) with unique properties that can even outperform graphene is attracting extensive attention because of its promising application in nanoelectronics. Herein, we investigate the electronic and transport properties of monolayer PG with typical small gas molecules, such as CO, CO₂, NH₃, NO and NO₂, to explore the sensing capabilities of this monolayer by using first-principles and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) calculations. The optimal position and mode of adsorbed molecules are determined, and the important role of charge transfer in adsorption stability and the influence of chemical bond formation on the electronic structure of the adsorption system are explored. It is demonstrated that monolayer PG is most preferred for the NO_x (x = 1, 2) molecules with suitable adsorption strength and apparent charge transfer. Moreover, the current-voltage (I-V) curves of PG display a tremendous reduction of 88% (90%) in current after NO₂ (NO) adsorption. The superior sensing performance of PG rivals or even surpasses that of other 2D materials such as graphene and phosphorene. Such ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity to nitrogen oxides make PG a superior gas sensor that promises wide-ranging applications.

Monolayer Phosphorene-Carbon Nanotube Heterostructures for Photocatalysis: Analysis by Density Functional Theory

One-dimensional (1D)/2D heterostructures have attracted great attention in electronic and optoelectronic fields because of their unique geometrical structures and rich physics. Here, we systematically explore electronic structure and optical performance of single-wall carbon nanotube (CNT)/phosphorene (BP) hybrids by large-scale density functional theory (DFT) computation. The results show that the interfacial interaction between CNT and BP is a weak van der Waals (vdW) force and correlates with tube diameter of CNTs. The CNT/BP hybrids have strong optical absorption compared with that of individual BP and CNT. A diameter-dependent type I or II heterojunction in CNT/BP hybrids is observed. Moreover, CNTs can not only significantly promote photogenerated carrier transfer, but also effectively improve the photocatalytic activities of BP as a co-catalyst. These findings would enrich our understanding of BP-based 1D/2D heterostructures, providing further insight into the design of highly efficient phosphorene-based or CNT-based nanophotocatalysts.

Doping-Induced Hydrogen-Bond Engineering in Polymeric Carbon Nitride To Significantly Boost the Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Performance

Unlike graphene, graphitic carbon nitride (CN) polymer contains a weak hydrogen bond and van der Waals (vdWs) interactions besides a strong covalent bond, which controls its final morphology and functionality. Herein, we propose a novel strategy, hydrogen-bond engineering, to tune hydrogen bonds in polymeric CN through nonmetal codoping. Incorporation of B and P dopants breaks partial hydrogen bonds within the layers and simultaneously weakens the vdWs interaction between neighboring layers, resulting in ultrathin codoped CN nanosheets. The two-dimensional structure of the ultrathin sheet, broken hydrogen bonds, and incorporated dopants endow them with efficient visible light harvesting, improved charge separation, and increased active edge sites that synergistically enhance the photocatalytic activity of doped CN. Specifically, the B/P-codoped CN exhibits an extremely high hydrogen-evolution rate of 10877.40 μmol h^-1 g^-1, much higher than most reported values of CN. This work demonstrates that hydrogen bond engineering is an effective strategy to modify the structure and properties of polymers for various applications.

Performance comparison of the electromagnetic induction transparency effects for two U-shaped resonators having different opening directions

This paper gives the design of electromagnetically induced transparency effect using two U-shaped resonators with different opening directions (same direction and opposite direction). It is revealed that extremely similar transparency effect can be found for the two cases. The reason is that the two structures have the same sizes. However, the change in position of the two U-shaped resonators in the opposite opening has a significant effect on the transparent peak which is mainly reflected in the broadening of the broadband and the frequency shift of the working frequency, while there is almost no change in resonance performance for the same opening. We provide the field distributions for analyzing the causes of these different results. We believe these performance can guide future research.

Doping-induced enhancement of crystallinity in polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets to improve their visible-light photocatalytic activity

Structural defects can greatly inhibit electron transfer in two-dimensional (2D) layered polymeric carbon nitride (CN) unit, seriously lowering its utilization ratio of photogenerated charges during photocatalysis. Herein, we propose a new strategy based on intra-melon hydrogen bonding interactions in 2D CN frameworks to improve the crystallinity of CN. This concept was validated by removing some amino groups and connecting melon using codoped B and F atoms via a simple one-step sodium fluoroborate-assisted thermal treatment. The enhancement in crystallinity effectively promoted exciton dissociation and charge transfer in the CN nanosheets. Furthermore, the B/F dopants also improved the separation of photogenerated carriers by promoting charge capture. The highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity of the crystalline B/F-codoped CN nanosheets was demonstrated by degrading methyl orange, Rhodamine B, colorless phenol and tetracycline hydrochloride as models, where their degradation rate constant was more than 10, 5, 32 and 3 times higher than that of pure CN, respectively. Moreover, the B/F-codoped CN exhibited an excellent photoelectrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), outperforming the precious-metal IrO2 catalyst. The simple and effective strategy proposed herein provides a direct route to engineer high crystallinity in 2D materials for tunable charge carrier separation and migration for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

High-Q Fano Resonance in Terahertz Frequency Based on an Asymmetric Metamaterial Resonator

We propose a planar metamaterial formed by four-strip metallic resonators, which can achieve high-Q Fano resonance in terahertz regime. This terahertz planar metamaterial supports a sharp Fano resonance at 0.81 THz with 25% transmission. The resonance bandwidth of the dip is 0.014 THz with the Q-factor of 58. The interference between the bright mode and dark mode leads to the Fano line shape. This sharp Fano profile is explained by the electromagnetic theory of Fano resonance. Moreover, multiple Fano resonances can be realized by adding more strips into the original structure. As an example, two Fano dips with Q-factors of 61 and 65 can be achieved via a five-strip structure.

Substrate-induced magnetism and topological phase transition in silicene

Silicene has shown great potential for applications as a versatile material in nanoelectronics and is particularly promising as a building block for spintronic applications. Unfortunately, despite its intriguing properties, such as a relatively large spin-orbit interaction, one of the greatest obstacles to the use of silicene as a host material in spintronics is its lack of magnetism or a topological phase transition owing to the silicene-substrate interaction, which influences its fundamental properties and has yet to be fully investigated. Here, we show that when silicene is grown on a CeO2 substrate, an appreciable robust magnetic moment appears in silicene covalently bonded to CeO2 (111), while a topological phase transition from a topological insulator to a band insulator occurs regardless of van der Waals (vdW) interactions or covalent bonding interactions at the interface. The induced magnetism of silicene is due to the breaking of Si-Si π-bonds, which also results in a trivial topological phase. The silicene-substrate interaction, and even weak vdW forces (equivalent to an electric field), can destroy the quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE) in silicene. We propose a viable strategy-the construction of an inverse symmetrical sandwich structure (protective layer/silicene/substrate)-to preserve the quantum spin Hall (QSH) state of silicene in a system with weak vdW interactions. This work takes a critical step towards the fundamental physics and realistic applications of silicene-based spintronic devices.

Mesoporous g-C₃N₄ Nanosheets: Synthesis, Superior Adsorption Capacity and Photocatalytic Activity

Elimination of pollutants from water is one of the greatest challenges in resolving global environmental issues. Herein, we report a high-surface-area mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheet with remarkable high adsorption capacity and photocatalytic performance, which is prepared through directly polycondensation of urea followed by a consecutive one-step thermal exfoliation strategy. This one-pot method to prepare mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheet is facile and rapid in comparison with others. The superior adsorption capacity of the fabricated mesoporous g-C3N4 nanostructures is demonstrated by a model organic pollutant-methylene blue (MB), which is up to 72.2 mg/g, about 6 times as that of the largest value of various g-C3N4 adsorbents reported so far. Moreover, this kind of porous g-C3N4 nanosheet exhibits high photocatalytic activity to MB and phenol degradation. Particularly, the regenerated samples show excellent performance of pollutant removal after consecutive adsorption/degradation cycles. Therefore, this mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheet may be an attractive robust metal-free material with great promise for organic pollutant elimination.

Design of Quad-Band Terahertz Metamaterial Absorber Using a Perforated Rectangular Resonator for Sensing Applications

Quad-band terahertz absorber with single-sized metamaterial design formed by a perforated rectangular resonator on a gold substrate with a dielectric gap in between is investigated. The designed metamaterial structure enables four absorption peaks, of which the first three peaks have large absorption coefficient while the last peak possesses a high Q (quality factor) value of 98.33. The underlying physical mechanisms of these peaks are explored; it is found that their near-field distributions are different. Moreover, the figure of merit (FOM) of the last absorption peak can reach 101.67, which is much higher than that of the first three absorption modes and even absorption bands of other works operated in the terahertz frequency. The designed device with multiple-band absorption and high FOM could provide numerous potential applications in terahertz technology-related fields.

Simultaneous covalent and noncovalent carbon nanotube/Ag3PO4 hybrids: new insights into the origin of enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

Understanding the interfacial interaction is of paramount importance for rationally designing carbon nanomaterial-based hybrids with optimal performance for electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, advanced energy conversion and storage. Here, we firstly reveal that both covalent and noncovalent interactions simultaneously exist in carbon nanotube (CNT)/Ag₃PO₄ hybrids by studying systematically the electronic and optical properties to elucidate the mechanism of their enhanced photocatalytic performance. Metallic CNT(9,0) may chemically or physically interact with the Ag₃PO₄(100) surface depending on its relative orientations, whereas semiconducting CNT(10,0) can only noncovalently functionalize Ag₃PO₄. The C-Ag bond in the covalently bonded hybrid and type-II, staggered, band alignment in noncovalent hybrids lead to a robust separation of photoexcited charge carriers between two constituents, thus enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The small band gap makes the CNT/Ag₃PO₄ hybrids absorb sunlight from the ultraviolet to infrared region. Moreover, CNTs are not only effective sensitizers, but also highly active co-catalysts in hybrids. The results can be rationalized by the available experiments, thereby partly resolving a debate on the interpretation of the experimental results, and paving the way for developing highly efficient carbon-based nanophotocatalysts.

[Effect of peripheral bloodgenomic DNA methylation on the relationship between methyl donor status and risk of breast cancer]

Objective: To explore the effect of peripheral blood genomic DNA methylation on the relationship between methyl donor status and risk of breast cancer. Methods: A case-control study was conducted. Each three hundred breast cancer cases and controls were consecutively recruited. Food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information. Amounts on folate, methionine, choline and betaine intake were calculated. Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction. Peripheral blood genomic DNA methylation was measured by using the Methyl Flash(TM) Methylated DNA Quantification Kit. Pathway analysis was used to examine the effect of genomic DNA methylation on the relations between methyl donor status and risk of breast cancer. Results: The genome DNA methylation rates were 0.46%±0.25% and 0.53%±0.34%, respectively on both cases and controls, with differences statistically significant (P<0.01). Results from the pathway analysis, results showed that methionine consumption was related to genomic DNA methylation (β=0.065, P<0.05) while genomic DNA methylation was related to the risk of breast cancerk (β=-0.027, P<0.05), respectively. Conclusions: The level of peripheral blood genomic DNA methylation in breast cancer cases was significantly lower than that in the controls. Genomic DNA methylation seemed to have played a mediated role between methionine and the risk of breast cancer.

[Value of dual contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the preoperative T staging of rectal carcinoma]

Objective: To explore the value of dual contrast-enhanced ultrasound in preoperative T staging of rectal carcinoma. Methods: Dual contrast-enhanced ultrasound examinations were performed on 72 patients with rectal carcinoma via transrectal infusion and intravenous injection. The accordance of preoperative dual contrast-enhanced ultrasound results and postoperative pathologic results was evaluated retrospectively. Results: The overall accordance rate of preoperative T staging was 73.6% (53/72). And accordance rate was 100.0% (3/3), 100.0% (5/5), 68.4% (13/19), 71.4% (25/35)and 70.0% (7/10) for Tis , T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The consistency was good (κ=0.607, χ(2) =8.363, P<0.01). The accordance rate of middle/lower vs high rectal carcinoma was 68.7% and 85.7%. Conclusion: Dual contrast-enhanced ultrasound can provide reference for preoperative T staging for patients with rectal carcinoma.

Ultra-narrow terahertz perfect light absorber based on surface lattice resonance of a sandwich resonator for sensing applications

Ultra-narrow terahertz perfect light absorber based on surface lattice resonance of sandwich structure model is presented. The large sensing sensitivity and simultaneous ultra-narrow bandwidth lead to an ultra-high FOM (figure of merit) of 385.07.

Hybrid TiO2/graphene derivatives nanocomposites: is functionalized graphene better than pristine graphene for enhanced photocatalytic activity?

Graphene (GR) and its derivatives are generally assumed to be electron shuttles in order to explain the improved photocatalytic activity of their nanocomposites (such as TiO₂/GR).

Dramatically Enhanced Visible Light Response of Monolayer ZrS2 via Non-covalent Modification by Double-Ring Tubular B20 Cluster

The ability to strongly absorb light is central to solar energy conversion. We demonstrate here that the hybrid of monolayer ZrS₂ and double-ring tubular B₂₀ cluster exhibits dramatically enhanced light absorption in the entire visible spectrum. The unique near-gap electronic structure and large built-in potential at the interface will lead to the robust separation of photoexcited charge carriers in the hybrid. Interestingly, some Zr and S atoms, which are catalytically inert in isolated monolayer ZrS₂, turn into catalytic active sites. The dramatically enhanced absorption in the entire visible light makes the ZrS₂/B₂₀ hybrid having great applications in photocatalysis or photodetection.

[Forensic Analysis of 20 Dead Cases Related to Heroin Abuse]

OBJECTIVES

To perform retrospective analysis on 20 dead cases related to heroin abuse, and to provide references for the forensic assessment of correlative cases.

METHODS

Among 20 dead cases related to heroin abuse, general situation, using method of drug, cause of death and result of forensic examination were analyzed by statistical analysis for summarizing the cause of death and pathologic changes.

RESULTS

The dead were mostly young adults, with more male than female. The results of histopathological examinations showed non-specific pathological changes. There were four leading causes of death, including acute poisoning of heroin abuse or leakage （13 cases, 65%）, concurrent diseases caused by heroin abuse （3 cases, 15%）, inspiratory asphyxia caused by taking heroin （2 cases, 10%）, and heroin withdrawal syndrome （2 cases, 10%）.

CONCLUSIONS

The forensic identification on dead related to heroin abuse must base on the comprehensive autopsy, and combine with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of heroin and its metabolites in death and the case information, as well as the scene investigation.