•Flower-shaped silver nanostructures obtained were used as stable SERS substrates with high SERS activity.•SERS spectroscopy of four different food colorants were analyzed and the characteristic ...bands were identified.•An improved principle component analysis (PCA) was used for four different food colorants detection, at concentrations down to about 10−8M.
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy technology is widely used in materials analysis, environmental monitoring, biomedical, food security and other fields. Flower-shaped silver nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by a simple aqueous phase silver nitrate reduction by ascorbic acid in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) surfactant. The nanoparticles diameters were adjusted from 450 to 1000nm with surface protrusions up to 10–25nm. The flower-shaped silver nanostructures obtained were used as stable SERS substrates with high SERS activity for detecting Rhodamine 6G (R6G), at a concentration of only 10−9mol/L, where the SERS signal is still clear. SERS spectroscopy of four different food colorants (e.g. food blue, tartrazine, sunset yellow, acid red) were analysed and the characteristic bands were identified. An improved principle component analysis (PCA) was used for four different food colorants detection, at concentrations down to about 10−8mol/L. Thus, the LOD of food blue, tartrazine, sunset yellow and acid red are 79.285μg/L, 5.3436μg/L, 45.238μg/L and 50.244μg/L, respectively.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
RATIONALE:Pathological angiogenesis is a critical component of diseases, such as ocular disorders, cancers, and atherosclerosis. It is usually caused by the abnormal activity of biological processes, ...such as cell proliferation, cell motility, immune, or inflammation response. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of these biological processes. However, the role of lncRNA in diabetes mellitus–induced microvascular dysfunction is largely unknown.
OBJECTIVE:To elucidate whether lncRNA-myocardial infarction–associated transcript (MIAT) is involved in diabetes mellitus–induced microvascular dysfunction.
METHODS AND RESULTS:Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated increased expression of lncRNA-MIAT in diabetic retinas and endothelial cells cultured in high glucose medium. Visual electrophysiology examination, TUNEL staining, retinal trypsin digestion, vascular permeability assay, and in vitro studies revealed that MIAT knockdown obviously ameliorated diabetes mellitus–induced retinal microvascular dysfunction in vivo, and inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and in vitro studies revealed that MIAT functioned as a competing endogenous RNA, and formed a feedback loop with vascular endothelial growth factor and miR-150-5p to regulate endothelial cell function.
CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights the involvement of lncRNA-MIAT in pathological angiogenesis and facilitates the development of lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics against neovascular diseases.
Development of special organic materials that are able to absorb light energy in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) is significantly important for treating deep-tissue-buried diseases or ...supplying power to implantable electronic devices. Herein, a narrow bandgap donor–acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymer with thiophene-fused benzodifurandione-based oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (TBDOPV) as acceptor part and 2,2′-bithiophene (DT) as donor part was developed and exploited as a photothermal conversion material with high extinction coefficient and robust photostability in the NIR-II window. According to transient absorption analysis results, the photothermal conversion ability of this polymer is attributed to the fast internal conversion (IC) process. The high photothermal conversion efficiency makes this polymer a promising NIR-II adsorbing antenna to remotely actuate thermo-dependent devices, e.g., high-performance photothermal–electrical and photothermal–mechanical converters.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Hydrologic dynamics, sewage and industries determine the distribution and migration pathways of heavy metals in the natural environments including soils across the urbanized area. In this study, 323 ...stratified soil samples from a brownfield in Jiangsu Province, China, were collected to assess the heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, As and Hg) contaminations. Contamination factor (Cfi), Nemerow pollution index (PIN) and enrichment factor (EFi) were evaluated to assess the heavy metal pollution, while sources of pollution were identified in combination with geo‐statistical, correlations and principal components analysis. Moreover, transport of Ni in soil profiles over the next 30 years was simulated using HYDRUS. The vertical distribution revealed that the soil surface (0–10 cm) had the highest concentration of heavy metal contamination. ICP‐MS measurements showed that the soil in the brownfield was enriched with Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, As and Hg, where Ni was the most severe and prevalent contaminant. The results of source apportionment analysis showed that Ni, Cd, Pb and Cu were mainly derived from building materials and sewage discharge, while As and Hg may come from fossil fuel combustion and agricultural discharges from upstream river catchment. The migration of Ni was largely driven by the combination of hydrological variability including the flow and solute contaminant gradients in soils. Our work highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of hydrology, and sewage discharge in heavy metal dynamics and migration pathways in China's brownfield soil at regional and national scales.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In populations in China, colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can be mainly accessed through organized screening, opportunistic screening, and physical examination. This screening intervention is found ...to be effective but the exact coverage rate is difficult to measure. Based on data from published articles, official websites, and available program reports, the screening coverage rate and related indicators were quantified. A rapid review was then conducted to estimate the overall and the breakdown coverage rates of the sub‐type screening services, by leveraging the numbers of articles and the by‐type median sample sizes. Up to 2020, two central government‐funded and four provincial/municipal‐level organized CRC screening programs have been initiated and included in this analysis. For populations aged 40–74, the estimated coverage rate of organized programs in China was 2.7% in 2020, and the 2‐year cumulative coverage rate in 2019–2020 was 5.3% and the 3‐year cumulative coverage rate in 2018–2020 was 7.7%. The corresponding coverage rates of 50–74‐year‐olds were estimated to be 3.4%, 7.1%, and 10.3%, respectively. Based on the rapid review approach, the overall screening coverage rate for 40–74 years, considering organized screening programs, opportunistic screening, and physical examinations, was then estimated to be 3.0% in China in 2020. However, comparing the findings of this study with the number of health check‐ups reported in the local national health statistics yearbooks suggests that the number of CRC physical examinations may be underestimated in this study. The findings suggest that further efforts are needed to improve population access to CRC screening in China. Furthermore, evidence for access to opportunistic CRC screening and physical examination is limited, and more quantitative investigation is needed.
What's new?
A national screening program for colorectal cancer (CRC) is absent in China. Nonetheless, CRC screening is available via organized programs, such as provincial or municipal programs, and via opportunistic screening and physical examination. Here, the authors derived a reference point for evaluating CRC prevention efforts in China based on estimated screening coverage rates. In 2020, among persons aged 40–74, the overall CRC screening rate was 3.0%. For this same age group, cumulative coverage rates of organize screening from 2019 to 2020 and 2018 to 2020 were 5.3% and 7.7%, respectively. The findings highlight a need for greater CRC screening access in China.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In this study, the sulfur resistance and thermal regeneration of a series of MOx-WO3/TiO2 (denoted as MW/Ti, M = Fe, Mn, Cu, V) catalysts were investigated. After in situ sulfur poisoning, the ...selective catalytic reduction (SCR) activity of the poisoned catalysts was inhibited at low temperatures but was promoted at high temperatures. After thermal regeneration, the FeW/Ti catalyst was more thoroughly regenerated among nonvanadium-based catalysts. To investigate the impacts of sulfur poisoning, characterizations including X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, and SO2 temperature-programmed desorption were applied. It was discovered that different sulfur-containing species blocked the adsorption of NH3/NO to a distinct extent over all of the catalysts, thus affecting the catalytic activity. The effect depends on which are dominant (NO or NH3) during the reaction at different temperatures. The difference in regeneration depends on the formation of sulfate species. The ratio of Mx(SO4)y to NH4HSO4 generated on the catalysts was adopted to assess the possibility of regeneration. The ratios were 0.5, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.7 for VW/Ti, FeW/Ti, CuW/Ti, and MnW/Ti catalysts, respectively. The lower the ratio was, the easier the catalyst could be regenerated. Meanwhile, the sulfate species could be decomposed more easily on the poisoned FeW/Ti catalyst. FeW/Ti is an excellent candidate for low- and medium-temperature NH3-SCR among nonvanadium-based catalysts.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Organic semiconductors for spin‐based devices require long spin relaxation times. Understanding their spin relaxation mechanisms is critical to organic spintronic devices and applications for quantum ...information processing. However, reports on the spin relaxation mechanisms of organic conjugated molecules are rare and the research methods are also limited. Herein, we study the molecular design and spin relaxation mechanisms by systematically varying the structure of a conjugated radical. We found that solid‐state relaxation times of organic materials are largely different from that in solution state. We demonstrate that substitution of a lower gyromagnetic ratio nucleus (e. g. D, Cl) on the para‐position of the aryl rings in the triphenylmethyl (TM) radical can significantly improve their coherence times (Tm). Flexible thin films based on such radicals exhibit ultra‐long spin–lattice relaxation times (T1) up to 35.6(6) μs and Tm up to 1.08(4) μs under ambient conditions, which are among the longest values in films. More importantly, using the TM radical derivative (5CM), we observed room‐temperature quantum coherence and Rabi cycles in thin film for the first time, suggesting that organic conjugated radicals have great potentials for spin‐based information processing.
Long‐lived: The substitution of a lower gyromagnetic ratio nucleus (e. g. D, Cl) on the para‐position of the aryl rings in triphenylmethyl radicals significantly improve their coherence times (Tm), resulting in ultra‐long spin‐lattice relaxation times (T1) and Tm under ambient conditions.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Immobilization of proteins on a solid support is critical with respect to the fabrication and performance of biosensors and biochips. Protein attachment with a preferable orientation can effectively ...avoid its denaturation and keeps its active sites fully exposed to solution, thus maximally preserving the bioaffinity or bioactivity. This review (with 140 refs.) summarises the recent advances in oriented immobilization of proteins with a particular focus on antibodies and enzymes. Following an introduction that describes reasons for oriented immobilization on (nano)surfaces, we summarize (a) methods for (bio)chemical affinity-mediated oriented immobilization (with sections on immunoglobulin G (IgG)-binding protein as the capture ligand, DNA-directed immobilization, aptamer- and peptide-mediated immobilization, affinity ligand and fusion tag-mediated immobilization, material-binding peptide-assisted immobilization); (b) methods for covalent oriented immobilization (with sections on immobilization via cysteine residues or cysteine tags, via carbohydrate moieties; via enzyme fusion or enzymatic catalysis, and via nucleotide binding sites of antibodies); (c) methods based on molecular imprinting techniques; (d) methods for characterization of oriented immobilized proteins; and then make conclusions and give perspectives.
Graphical Abstract
This review summarises recent advances in oriented immobilization of proteins based on strategies via bio−/chemical affinity, covalent bonding, and molecular imprinting techniques. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed.
The laurel family within the Magnoliids has attracted attentions owing to its scents, variable inflorescences, and controversial phylogenetic position. Here, we present a chromosome-level assembly of ...the Litsea cubeba genome, together with low-coverage genomic and transcriptomic data for many other Lauraceae. Phylogenomic analyses show phylogenetic discordance at the position of Magnoliids, suggesting incomplete lineage sorting during the divergence of monocots, eudicots, and Magnoliids. An ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) event occurred just before the divergence of Laurales and Magnoliales; subsequently, independent WGDs occurred almost simultaneously in the three Lauralean lineages. The phylogenetic relationships within Lauraceae correspond to the divergence of inflorescences, as evidenced by the phylogeny of FUWA, a conserved gene involved in determining panicle architecture in Lauraceae. Monoterpene synthases responsible for production of specific volatile compounds in Lauraceae are functionally verified. Our work sheds light on the evolution of the Lauraceae, the genetic basis for floral evolution and specific scents.
PDF
