Benzoate Acid-Dependent Lattice Dimension of Co-MOFs and MOF-Derived CoS2@CNTs with Tunable Pore Diameters for Supercapacitors

Herein three novel cobalt metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs) with similar ingredients, [Co(bib)(o-bdc)]_∞ (1), [Co₂(bib)₂(m-bdc)₂]_∞ (2), and {[Co(bib)(p-bdc)(H₂O)](H₂O)_0.5}_∞ (3), have been synthesized from the reaction of cobalt nitrate with 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)benzene (bib) and structure-related aromatic acids (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid = o-bdc, 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid = m-bdc, and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid = p-bdc) by the solvothermal method. It is aimed to perform systematic research on the relationship among the conformation of benzoate acid, lattice dimension of Co-MOF, and pore diameter of MOF-derived carbon composite. Through the precursor strategy, Co-MOFs 1-3 have been utilized to synthesize porous cobalt@carbon nanotube composites (Co@CNTs). After the in situ gas-sulfurization, secondary composites CoS₂@CNTs were successfully obtained, which kept similar morphologies of corresponding Co@CNTs without destroying previous highly dispersed structures. Co-MOFs and two series of composites (Co@CNTs and CoS₂@CNTs) have been well characterized. Topology and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyses elucidate that the bdc^2- ion could control the pore diameters of MOF-derived carbon composites by adjusting the lattice dimension of Co-MOFs. The systematic studies on electrochemical properties demonstrate that (p)-CoS₂@CNT possesses hierarchical morphology, moderate specific surface area, proper pore diameter distribution, and high graphitization, which lead to remarkable specific capacitances (839 F g^-1 at 5 mV s^-1 and 825 F g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1) in 2 M potassium hydroxide solution. In addition, the (p)-CoS₂@CNT electrode exhibits good electrochemical stability and still retains 82.9% of initial specific capacitance at the current density of 1 A g^-1 after 5000 cycles.

[A Study on the establishment of immune thrombocytopenia model induced by anti-platelet GPⅠbα antibodies]

Objective: To establish primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) animal model induced by anti-platelet membrane glycoprotein GPⅠbα antibodies AN51 and R300. Methods: Twenty guinea pigs (6-8 week) were divided into 4 groups. Five guinea pigs in each group were intravenously injected with different doses of AN51 (0.05, 0.1, 0.2 μg/g) and 0.2 μg/g IgG as control. The whole blood was collected from inner angular venous plexus. Platelets number was determined by an automated cell counter and Swiss-Jim method. Then, the similar protocol was used to establish ITP nude mice model by intraperitoneal injection of different concentrations of anti-platelet GPⅠbα antibody R300, respectively. Results: ①Five minutes after intravenous injection of AN51 at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 μg/g, the platelet counts of guinea pigs reduced about 0-5%, 50%-60% and 70%-80% compared to the control group, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01) . ②Six hours after intraperitoneal injection of R300 at 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 μg/g, the platelet counts of nude mice decreased about 20%-30%, 60%-70% and 80%-90% compared to the control group, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01) . The nude mice, injected 0.2 μg/g R300 once a day for 2 weeks, showed typical ITP clinical manifestations including large number of petechiaes or ecchymoses on limbs, head and abdomen. Conclusion: AN51 at 0.2 μg/g and R300 at 0.2 μg/g could establish stable ITP model in guinea pigs and nude mice respectively.

Effects of antrosterol from Antrodia camphorata submerged whole broth on lipid homeostasis, antioxidation, alcohol clearance, and anti-inflammation in livers of chronic-alcohol fed mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Antrodia camphorata is a functional fungus in Taiwan and owns several pharmacological functions. Antrosterol, a bioactive constitute of sterols in edible Antrodia camphorata submerged whole broth, can protect liver from CCl₄ damage via enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotection of antrosterol (named as EK100) against alcohol consumption.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Lieber-DeCarli regular EtOH diet (EtOH liquid diet, 5% (v/v) alcohol) was applied to induce alcoholic liver damage. Mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) Control: control liquid diet; (2) EtOH: EtOH liquid diet; (3) EK100_1X: EtOH liquid diet and 1mg EK100 (Antrosterol)/Kg body weight (bw); (4) EK100_5X: EtOH liquid diet and 5mg EK100/Kg bw; (5) EK100_10X: EtOH liquid diet and 10mg EK100/Kg bw. At the end of experiment, the livers were collected for histo-pathological analyses, RNA and protein extraction, and enzymatic activities.

RESULTS

Antrosterol reduced serum/liver lipids of alcohol-diet fed mice which highly related to upregulated fatty acid β-oxidation and downregulated lipogenesis, and increased fecal lipid/bile-acid outputs. Antrosterol enhanced hepatic antioxidant capabilities in alcohol-diet fed mice while it also lowered serum alcohol level, as well as increased alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and catalase (CAT) activities and decreased CYP2E1 protein expression in livers of alcohol-diet fed mice. Besides, antrosterol lowered hepatic inflammation and fibrosis related gene expressions, as well as serum AST/ALT values and TNF-α/IL-1β contents in alcohol-diet fed mice.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results, hepatoprotection of antrosterol is mostly attributed to its regulations of lipid homeostasis, antioxidant capability, alcohol metabolism, and anti-inflammation.

First-principles study on structural, thermal, mechanical and dynamic stability of T'-MoS2

Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we investigate the structure, stability, optical modes and electronic band gap of a distorted tetragonal MoS₂ monolayer (T'-MoS₂). Our simulated scanning tunnel microscopy (STM) images of T'-MoS₂ are dramatically similar to those STM images which were identified as K _x (H₂O) _y MoS₂ from a previous experimental study. This similarity suggests that T'-MoS₂ might have already been experimentally observed, but due to being unexpected was misidentified. Furthermore, we verify the stability of T'-MoS₂ from the thermal, mechanical and dynamic aspects, by ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, elastic constants evaluation and phonon band structure calculation based on density functional perturbation theory, respectively. In addition, we calculate the eigenfrequencies and eigenvectors of the optical modes of T'-MoS₂ at [Formula: see text] point and distinguish their Raman and infrared activity by pointing out their irreducible representations using group theory. At the same time, we compare the Raman modes of T'-MoS₂ with those of H-MoS₂ and T-MoS₂. Our results provide useful guidance for further experimental identification and characterization of T'-MoS₂.

Controlling the BET Surface Area of Porous Carbon by Using the Cd/C Ratio of a Cd-MOF Precursor and Enhancing the Capacitance by Activation with KOH

Herein, four new cadmium metal-organic frameworks (Cd-MOFs), [Cd(bib)(bdc)]_∞ (1), [Cd(bbib)(bdc)(H₂ O)]_∞ (2), [Cd(bibp)(bdc)]_∞ (3), and [Cd₂ (bbibp)₂ (bdc)₂ (H₂ O)]_∞ (4), have been constructed from the reaction of Cd(NO₃ )₂ ⋅4 H₂ O with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (H₂ bdc) and structure-related bis(imidazole) ligands (1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)benzene (bib), 1,4-bis(benzoimidazol-1-yl)benzene (bbib), 4,4'-bis(imidazol-1-yl)biphenyl (bibp), and 4,4'-bis(benzoimidazol-1-yl)biphenyl (bbibp)) under solvothermal conditions. Cd-MOF 1 shows a 2D (4,4) lattice with parallel interpenetration, whereas 2 displays an interesting 3D interpenetrating dia network, 3 exhibits an unusual 3D interpenetrating dmp network, and 4 presents a 3D self-catenated pillar-layered framework with a Schäfli symbol of [4³ ⋅6³ ]₂ ⋅[4⁶ ⋅6¹⁶ ⋅8⁶ ]. The structural diversity indicates that the backbone of the bis(imidazole) ligand (including the terminal group and spacer) plays a crucial role in the assembly of mixed-ligand frameworks. By using the pore-forming effect of cadmium vapor, for the first time we have utilized these Cd-MOFs as precursors to further prepare porous carbon materials (PCs) in a calcination-thermolysis procedure. These PCs show different porous features that correspond to the topological structures of Cd-MOFs. Significantly, it was found that the specific surface area and capacitance of PCs are tuned by the Cd/C ratio of the MOF. Furthermore, the as-synthesized PCs were processed with KOH to obtain activated porous carbon materials (APCs) with higher specific surface area and porosity, which greatly promoted the energy-storage capacity. After full characterization, we found that APC-bib displays the largest specific surface area (1290 m²  g^-1 ) and total pore volume (1.37 cm³  g^-1 ) of this series of carbon materials. Consequently, APC-bib demonstrates the highest specific capacitance of 164 F g^-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^-1 , and also excellent retention of capacitance (≈89.4 % after 5000 cycles at 1 A g^-1 ). Therefore, APC-bib has great potential as the electrode material in a supercapacitor.

High levels of glucose promote the activation of hepatic stellate cells via the p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathway

The relationship between the p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) signal pathway and high glucose-induced hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation was investigated in this study. Sixty human HSC samples were randomly selected and used in the control (cultured normally), high-glucose (cultured in the presence of high glucose), and blocking (cultured under high-glucose conditions in the presence of the p38-MAPK inhibitor, SB203580) groups. The cells were incubated for 120 h and subsequently analyzed for morphological changes by inverted microscopy and for a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) expression (to determine the degree of HSC activation) by the method of streptavidin-biotin complex and western blot. Phospho-p38-MAPK protein expression was analyzed by western blotting. a-SMA and phospho-p38-MAPK expression was significantly upregulated in HSCs cultured under high-glucose conditions, compared to the HSCs cultured normally (P < 0.01). On the other hand, phospho-p38-MAPK and a-SMA protein levels were significantly lower in the blocking group compared to the high-glucose group (P < 0.01). Based on these results, we concluded that high-glucose levels induce HSC activation mediated by phospho-p38-MAPK. Therefore, blocking the p38-MAPK signal pathway could inhibit this effect.

[Effects of HPA and NF-E2 related factor on smoking related laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective:To further explore the prognostic effects of Heparanase(HPA) and NF-E2 related factor (NRF2) on smoking related laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma,we detect the expression of HPA and NRF2 on smoking related laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients.Method:Continuously collected 84 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in the Ningde Hospital from 2014 to 2015.All patients were divided into three groups according to smoking index:group A (severe smoking patients with laryngeal carcinoma 30 cases),group B(mild to moderate smokers 20 cases) and group C (no smoking in laryngeal carcinoma patients with 34 cases).Antioxidative indices in serum and the expression of HPA and NRF2 in three groups of patients were detected, and to explore their relationship with prognosis and clinical staging of patients.Result:The HPA and NRF2 were highly expressed in the cancer tissues of patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,while the expression of HPA and NRF2 in patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ was low. The expression level of NRF2 in group A was significantly higher than that of group Band group C(P <0.05) as well as the NRF2 expression levels in higher stage patients with laryngeal cancer were higher than those of low stages.The expression of HPA and NRF2 is related to the pathological stage in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients(P <0.05).Conclusion:Compared with non smoking patients, severe smoking patients with laryngeal cancer will face more severe oxidative stress. The expression of HPA and NRF2 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients is related to the pathological stage.

SNP at miR-483-5p-binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of the BSG gene is associated with susceptibility to esophageal cancer in a Chinese population

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a functional variant of the basigin (BSG) gene, caused by a polymorphism (rs11473) at the miR-483-5p binding site, and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the Chinese population. The rs11473 polymorphism was genotyped in 624 esophageal cancer patients and 636 cancer-free age- and gender-matched controls using polymerase chain reaction restriction and direct sequencing. The functional variants resulting from the BSG rs11473 SNP were investigated using a luciferase activity assay and validated by immunoblotting. We discovered that ESCC patients carrying the rs11473 AA genotype or A allele were at a significantly higher risk of esophageal cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 1.560, 95% confidence interval  (CI) = 1.031-2.358, P = 0.037; OR = 1.231, 95%CI = 1.038-1.459, P = 0.017, respectively] than those carrying the GG genotype and G allele. Moreover, the rs11473 polymorphism modifies the binding of miR-483- 5p to basigin, as well as the basigin protein levels in esophageal cancer patients. Our data suggested that the rs11473 polymorphism at the miR- 483-5p binding site in the 3'-UTR of basigin gene may play a key role in the development of esophageal cancer in a Chinese population.

[Physical activity level and its influence factors among residents in one suburb district of Beijing]

OBJECTIVE

To study the physical activity level and its influence factors among residents in one suburb of Beijing, so as to provide specific interventions for different people in different circumstances and to provide reference for health relevant policy-making in the future.

METHODS

In the study, 7 319 subjects aged 18 years or above were involved. The self-designed questionnaires based on Health Belief Model (HBM) had acceptable validity and reliability. The physical activity levels were calculated to classify sufficient or insufficient amount by a thousand-step equivalent greater than or equal to 6 or 10. Multiple variable Logistic regression was used to explore the influence factors of the physical activity among the residents.

RESULTS

The residents' median amount of physical activity in the suburb district of Beijing were 9.1 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (3.8, 20.4). The percentages of the thousand-step equivalent greater than or equal to 6 or 10 were 63.7% and 47.7%, respectively. The median amounts of physical activity from work or household chores, transportation and recreation physical activities were 4.0, 1.0, 0.0 and the components of the total amount of physical activity from those were 61.7%, 18.3% and 20.1%, respectively. There were 8.6% residents whose life did notinvolve moderate or vigorous intensity activities. By using factor analysis, five factors were extracted from the scale based on the HBM; These factors together contributed to 63.7% of the sum of the squared loadings. The differences of physical activity levels on education level, age, gender, self-efficacy, cues, subjective and objective barriers were statistically significant (P<0.05).Those who were female, with older age, lower education level, higher self-efficacy, fewer cues, fewer subjective and objective barriers preferred to do more physical activities.

CONCLUSION

The physical activity levels among the residents in the suburb district of Beijing are moderate and high, and most amount of physical activities from work or household chores. Those who are male and whose ages are from 18 to 29 years and whose education levels are of university or above should be focused on intervention. Specific interventions should be developed for different people in different situations; More attention should be paid to improve the residents' self-efficacy and reduce the subjective and objective barriers of physical activity, and we also should actively advocate people to have more leisure exercise so as to improve the physical activity level among all residents.

miR-124 radiosensitizes human esophageal cancer cell TE-1 by targeting CDK4

Radiotherapy is one of the most important treatments for esophageal cancer, but radioresistance remains a major challenge. Previous studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are involved in human cancers. miR-124 has been widely reported in various cancers and it is intimately involved in proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the miR-124/cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) axis and the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells. In this study, we identified the reduced expression of miR-124 in 18 paired esophageal cancer tissues compared to their matched normal tissues. In order to investigate the physiological role of miR-124 in esophageal cancer, the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and wound healing assay were performed, and the results suggest that miR-124 overexpression decreases tumor growth and aggression. Next, we detected the effects of ectopic miR-124 expression on the apoptosis of an esophageal cancer cell line (TE-1) following radiotherapy. Using the CCK-8 assay and Hoechst 332528 stain, we found that ectopic expression of miR-124 led to a higher percentage of apoptotic cells. Finally, we identified that CDK4 is a direct target of miR-124 in TE-1 cells using target prediction algorithms and a luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, western blot assay confirmed that CDK4 was downregulated during miR-124 transfection. Taken together, we illustrate that the miR-124/CDK4 axis plays an important role in radiation sensitivity of human esophageal cancer cells by targeting CDK4.

[Study on anti-oxidase in smoking-related laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective:To investigate the role of oxidative stress in smoking-related laryngeal squamous carcinoma through detecting the expression of antioxidant enzymes in smoking patients. Method:A total of 138 cases with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma enrolled in the first hospital affiliated the northern he bei college from 2012 to 2015 and forty five volunteers were conducted. All participants were divided into three groups according to smoking index: group A(heavy smoking, 88 cases of laryngeal cancer patients) and group B(no smoking 50 cases of laryngeal cancer patients) and C group(45 heavy smoking volunteers).Catalase(CAT), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px) and malondialdehyde(MDA) and the expression of NRF2 in serum, tissue adjacent to carcinoma, and carcinoma tissues from each groups were measured, respectively. Result:①the expression of the CAT and GSH-px in group A were significantly lower than that of group B(P <0.05), but higher than that of group C(P <0.05); ②the MDA level of group A is significantly higher than group B(P <0.05) and C group(P <0.01);③NRF2 was highly expressed in carcinoma tissues, and the expression level was negatively correlated with degree of carcinoma differentiation (P <0.05). Conclusion:Compared with nonsmoking patients, heavy smoking patients with laryngeal cancer were under more severe oxidative stress. NRF2 expression level in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas was associated with pathological stage.

Improved Mobility and Bias Stability of Thin Film Transistors Using the Double-Layer a-InGaZnO/a-InGaZnO:N Channel

The amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) were demonstrated based on a double-layer channel structure, where the channel is composed of an ultrathin nitro-genated a-IGZO (a-IGZO:N) layer and an undoped a-IGZO layer. The double-layer channel device showed higher saturation mobility and lower threshold-voltage shift (5.74 cm2/Vs, 2.6 V) compared to its single-layer counterpart (0.17 cm2/Vs, 7.23 V). The improvement can be attributed to three aspects: (1) improved carrier transport properties of the channel by the a-IGZO:N layer with high carrier mobility and the a-IGZO layer with high carrier concentration, (2) reduced interfacial trap density between the active channel and the gate insulator, and (3) higher surface flatness of the double-layer channel. Our study reveals key insights into double-layer channel, involving selecting more suitable electrical property for back-channel layer and more suitable interface modification for active layer. Meanwhile, room temperature fabrication amorphous TFTs offer certain advantages on better flexibility and higher uniformity over a large area.

Successive soliton explosions in an ultrafast fiber laser

Soliton explosions, as one of the most fascinating nonlinear phenomena in dissipative systems, have been investigated in different branches of physics, including the ultrafast laser community. Herein, we reported on the soliton dynamics of an ultrafast fiber laser from steady state to soliton explosions, and to huge explosions by simply adjusting the pump power level. In particular, the huge soliton explosions show that the exploding behavior could operate in a sustained, but periodic, mode from one explosion to another, which we term as "successive soliton explosions." The experimental results will prove to be fruitful to the various communities interested in soliton explosions.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists inhibit hepatic stellate cell activation by blocking the p38 MAPK signaling pathway

We investigated the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling during inhibition of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activity. Human HSCs were cultured and morphologically identified. HSC samples were collected and randomly divided into three groups (N = 20 samples per group): a control group treated with high glucose (final concentration 25 mM); a GLP-1R agonist group treated with liraglutide (final concentration 5 mM); and a p38-blocked group treated with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 (final concentration 14 μM). All cells were cultured for 120 h followed by detection of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, a measure of HSC activation) by western blot. p-p38 MAPK and α-SMA expression levels were both significantly lower in HSCs in the GLP-1R agonist and p38-blocked groups compared with the control group (all P < 0.01). GLP-1R agonists may inhibit the activation of HSCs by blocking the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Role of Interlayer Coupling on the Evolution of Band Edges in Few-Layer Phosphorene

Using first-principles calculations, we have investigated the evolution of band edges in few-layer phosphorene as a function of the number of P layers. Our results predict that monolayer phosphorene is an indirect band gap semiconductor and its valence band edge is extremely sensitive to strain. Its band gap could undergo an indirect-to-direct transition under a lattice expansion as small as 1% along the zigzag direction. A semiempirical interlayer coupling model is proposed, which can reproduce the evolution of valence band edges obtained by first-principles calculations well. We conclude that the interlayer coupling plays a dominant role in the evolution of the band edges via decreasing both band gap and carrier effective masses with the increase of phosphorene thickness. Scrutiny of the orbital-decomposed band structure provides a better understanding of the upward shift of the valence band maximum, surpassing that of the conduction band minimum.

Additional chromosomal abnormalities in core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia

Despite sharing a similar genetic abnormality, patients with core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML), which is characterized by the presence of t(8;21) or inv(16)/t(16;16), show heterogeneous survival. Other molecular or cytogenetic factors are supposed to have an impact on the prognosis. We enrolled 24 CBF-AML patients to determine the impact of cytogenetic abnormality, and c-KIT, FLT3, NPM1, and CEBPA mutations on the prognosis. Only three patients had the c-KIT mutation (3/24, 12.5%) and one had the FLT3 mutation. However, over half of the patients (14/24) harbored additional cytogenetic changes, including ten with loss of sexual chromosomes (LOS) [all in the t(8;21) group], and six had additional abnormalities (two cases had both LOS and additional abnormalities). From this small-number study, no association was found between c-KIT mutation and survival and relapse rate. However, additional chromosome abnormalities had a significant association with relapse of the disease (P = 0.027). Stem cell transplant had a trend of benefitting patients after relapse (P = 0.065). This implies that chromosome abnormalities occur in CBF-AML and might take part in the heterogeneous nature of CBF-AML.

Comparison of intra-ocular pressure changes with liquid or flat applanation interfaces in a femtosecond laser platform

Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure and femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) has gained increased popularity. FLACS requires the application of a suction device to stabilize the laser head and focus the laser beam accurately. This may cause a significant escalation in intra-ocular pressure (IOP), which poses potential risks for patients undergoing cataract surgery. In this study we aimed to assess the effect of the Ziemer LDV Z8 femtosecond cataract machine on IOP. We demonstrated through a porcine model that IOP was significantly higher with a flat interface but could be abrogated by reducing surgical compression and vacuum. Pressure was lower with a liquid interface, and further altering angulation of the laser arm could reduce the IOP to 36 mmHg. A pilot series in patients showed comparable pressure rises with the porcine model (30 mmHg). These strategies may improve the safety profile in patients vulnerable to high pressure when employing FLACS with the Ziemer LDV Z8.

Fabrication and photoelectric properties of La-doped p-type ZnO nanofibers and crossed p-n homojunctions by electrospinning

La-doped p-type ZnO nanofibers were successfully synthesized by electrospinning, followed by calcination. The microstructure and morphology of the La-doped ZnO nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The field effect curve of individual nanofibers confirms that the resulting La-doped ZnO fibers are p-type semiconductors. The doping mechanism is discussed. Furthermore, crossed p-n homojunction nanofibers were also prepared based on electrospun La-doped p-type ZnO and n-type pure ZnO fibers. The current-voltage curve shows the typical rectifying characteristic of a p-n homojunction device. The turn-on voltage appears at about 2.5 V under the forward bias and the reverse current is impassable.

Enhanced ultraviolet emission from Au/Ag-nanoparticles@MgO/ZnO heterostructure light-emitting diodes: A combined effect of exciton- and photon- localized surface plasmon couplings

Localized surface plasmon (LSP)-enhanced ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on a Au/MgO/ZnO metal/insulator/semi- conductor heterostructure were fabricated by embedding Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into MgO dielectric layer. A ~6-fold electroluminescence (EL) enhancement was achieved from the Ag-NPs decorated device. Time-resolved spectroscopy studies, as well as analogue simulation and theoretical estimation based on experimental data, reveal that the internal quantum efficiency and light extraction efficiency of the heterojunction LED are increased ~3-fold and ~2-fold, respectively, as a result of the introduction of Ag LSPs. This result indicates that the observed EL enhancement originates from a combined effect of both exciton-LSP coupling and photon-LSP coupling.

TGF-β1 polymorphism 509 C>T is associated with an increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected patients

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), a member of the transforming growth factor beta family, functions as a multi-functional cytokine and plays a key role in cellular growth, proliferation, and differentiation. The 509 C/T polymorphism in the TGF-β1 gene has been implicated in the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; however, little is known regarding the relationship between TGF-β1 gene mutations and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HCV-infected patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the TGF-β1 polymorphisms 509 C>T on the occurrence of HCC in patients chronically infected with HCV in a Chinese Han population. The results showed that HCC patients had a higher frequency of the TGF-β1 -509 TT genotype distribution of the TGF-β1 -509 polymorphism and a lower frequency of the CC genotype. Serum TGF-β1 levels were significantly higher in patients with the TT genotype than in those with the CC genotype. In this study, we confirmed that the TGF-β1 polymorphism 509 C>T is associated with the risk of HCC in HCV-infected patients.

Effect of a pre-microRNA-149 (miR-149) genetic variation on the risk of ischemic stroke in a Chinese Han population

Clinical and experimental data have demonstrated that genetic factors play an important role in determining the susceptibility to ischemic stroke (IS). The present study was performed to clarify the association between the pre-microRNA-149 (miR-149) single nucleotide polymorphism rs71428439 and the risk of IS in the Jiangsu Han population. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were performed to identify the genotypes of the miR-149 single-nucleotide polymorphism rs71428439 in 730 unrelated subjects (IS, 348; healthy controls, 382). Plasma levels of homocysteine were determined using a radioassay kit. Compared to healthy controls, IS patients had a lower frequency of GG genotype distribution of the hsa-mir-149 polymorphism (11.5 vs 16.0%) and a higher frequency of TT (46.6 vs 39.0%). The risk of IS was significantly lower among subjects carrying the GG genotype than subjects carrying the AA genotype (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.603 (0.382- 0.952), P = 0.030) or at least carrying the G allele than patients carrying the A allele (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.769 (0.620-0.954), P = 0.019). Levels of folate were statistically higher in patients with the TT genotype (8.59 ± 7.75 ng/mL) than in those with the CC genotype (6.32 ± 5.97 ng/mL) in IS patients. Our results suggest that the miR- 149 single nucleotide polymorphism rs71428439 influences plasma levels of homocysteine and is associated with IS risk in the Jiangsu Han population.

K2S2O8/I2 promoted syntheses of α-thio-β-dicarbonyl compounds via oxidative C–S coupling reactions under transition metal-free and solvent-free conditions

K₂S₂O₈/I₂ promoted C–S coupling reaction of β-diketone with disulfide has been described. The resulting α-thio-β-diketones compounds were obtained in good to excellent yields.