Abstract Objective This randomized controlled trial examined serum and macular (in vivo measured macular pigment optical density MPOD) responses to supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin in Chinese ...subjects with early age-related macular degeneration. Methods One hundred and eight patients with early age-related macular degeneration older than 50 y were randomized to low lutein (LL; 10 mg/d), high lutein (HL; 20 mg/d), lutein plus zeaxanthin (LZ; each 10 mg/d), or placebo during a 48-wk intervention. Serum concentrations were quantified by C30 high-performance liquid chromatography (at baseline and 4, 12, 24, and 48 wk), and MPOD was measured by analysis of autofluorescence images (at baseline and 24 and 48 wk). Results Serum lutein levels in the LL, LZ, and HL groups increased significantly in the first 4 wk and then increased 4.24-, 4.66-, and 6.23-fold during the trial, respectively (all P < 0.001). The serum lutein level in the HL group was significantly higher than that in the LL or LZ group at 48 wk ( P < 0.05). Similarly, the serum zeaxanthin concentration in the LZ group increased 3.11-fold at 48 wk. MPOD increased smoothly in all treated groups, and the increase from baseline was greatest in the HL group at 24 and 48 wk (both P < 0.05). MPOD and serum lutein levels increased linearly with the dosage and their increasing rates were statistically correlated (all P < 0.05). No notable changes were detected in the placebo group for MPOD and serum concentrations. Conclusion Xanthophyll supplementation significantly increased serum concentrations and MPOD in patients with early age-related macular degeneration, and a higher lutein supplementation (20 mg/d) might be more effective in increasing these two biochemical markers in Chinese patients without significant side effects.
The Indian Cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus, belongs to the family Cuculidae. In this paper, we sequenced and analysized the complete mitochondrial genome of C. micropterus. The complete mitochondrial ...genome of C. micropterus is 17,541 bp in length, which was submitted to the NCBI database under the accession number MZ048030. It contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosome RNA genes, and one non-coding control region. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA is 33.2% for A, 24.2% for T, 29.8% for C, and 12.8% for G, with a GC content of 42.6%. In order to explore the molecular phylogenetics evolution of Cuculidae, the nucleotide sequence data of 13 PCGs of C. micropterus and other 11 Cuculiformes were used for the phylogenetic analysis. The result shows that C. micropterus is closely related to Cuculus canorus bakeri. The study contributes to illuminating the taxonomic status of C. micropterus, and may facilitate further investigation of the evolution of Cuculidae.
A two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) material with out-of-plane ferroelectricity is the key to the miniaturization of vertical-sandwich-type ferroelectric optoelectronic ...devices. However, 2D OIHP ferroelectrics with out-of-plane polarization are still scarce, and effective design strategies are lacking. Herein, we report a novel 2D Dion–Jacobson perovskite ferroelectric semiconductor synthesized by a rigid-to-flexible cationic tailoring strategy, achieving an out-of-plane polarization of 1.7 μC/cm2 and high photoresponse. Integrating out-of-plane ferroelectricity with excellent photoelectric properties affords a promising platform to investigate ferroelectricity-related effects in vertical optoelectronic devices.
The species of
Y. S. Chen & S. R. Yi belongs to the family Asteraceae (Cardueae). The complete chloroplast genome of
was assembled and annotated for the first time in this study. The complete ...chloroplast genome of
was 152,535 bp, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,511 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,632 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,196 bp. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome was 37.7%. The chloroplast genome encoded 131 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete chloroplast sequences revealed that it related closely to
.
Abstract Integrating multiple switching behaviors in a single material is conducive to the development of smart devices, but still faces challenges, especially in finding new types of multiresponsive ...materials. Hybrid metal halides have been becoming promising candidates with the potential to exhibit changes in various physical and chemical properties upon structural phase transitions. Herein, a pair of enantiomers ( R / S ‐3‐OHPD)PbI 3 (1 R /1 S ; 3‐HOPD = 3‐hydroxypiperidine cation) is reported to show multichannel switching behaviors around room temperature triggered by a combined order‐disorder and displacive type phase transition that arouses a large lattice reorganization and shape change of the crystals. Owing to the inherent chiral, noncentrosymmetric, and semiconducting characteristics of the compounds, five other switching behaviors are realized besides the macroscopic deformation, that is, enthalpy, dielectric permittivity, photoluminescence, circularly polarized light excited photoluminescence, and photoelectric response. This study provides an exciting example of phase transition crystals for the development of integrated multifunctional materials.
Background and ObjectivesLaparoscopic single-incision triangulated umbilical surgery (SITUS), which enables the extraction of intraabdominal specimens through a single umbilical incision, has yet to ...be used to perform adrenalectomy. We have modified SITUS to enable extraction of large (>5 cm) adrenal masses with optimal cosmetic outcomes and investigated efficacy and safety. Methods. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data of 16 patients with adrenal tumors >5 cm who had undergone adrenalectomy by SITUS between October 2015 and April 2018. Two C-shaped incisions were made around the umbilicus and sutured centripetally. After extracting the specimen, we evaluated these patients’ operative/postoperative data. Results. SITUS was performed in all 16 patients without conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery. The mean operation time was 75.31 ± 21.54 min (intraperitoneal time 41.94 ± 17.57 min; incision suturing time 33.38 ± 6.34 min). The estimated median blood loss was 57.5 mL (range 30–610 mL). Drainage time and duration of hospital stay were 55.69 ± 12.92 h and 3.94 ± 0.90 d, respectively. After surgery, all incisions were hidden under the umbilicus. Three patients developed keloid diathesis, resulting in enlargement of their scars. Conclusions. SITUS is a safe and feasible procedure for removing large adrenal tumors. In addition to its cosmetic advantages, SITUS facilitates functional recovery, particularly in patients with large adrenal tumors.
Cationic components in the organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) play an important role in the arrangement and tilting of the inorganic part that is responsible for semiconducting, ...luminescent, and photoelectronic properties. Herein, we report two 2D OIHP compounds, (cis-4ACHO)2(H3OBr)PbBr4 (1) and (trans-4ACHO)2(H3OCl)PbBr4 (2) (4ACHO = 4-aminocyclohexanol), showing both photoluminescence (PL) and photodetection (PD) that are tuned by the cis- and trans configurational isomerism of 4ACHO. Crystals of 1 and 2 exhibit similar packing structures but with different crystallographic symmetries. Compound 2 displays a broadband white-light emission with a higher PL efficiency (6.6%) than 1 (2.1%) that emits narrowband blue light while the PD property of 1 is better than 2 with a higher on/off ratio under the same conditions. The PL and PD of the two compounds show a seesaw relationship, which provides a new perspective for understanding the PL and PD properties in OIHPs.
Structural phase transitions in organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites offer the potential for controlling a wide range of physical properties. However, the rational design of phase-transition ...materials remains challenging in the relevant fields. In this study, we synthesized and characterized two one-dimensional (1D) perovskites: (4ATHP)PbI3 (1; 4ATHP = 4-aminotetrahydropyran), featuring face-shared inorganic chains and (4AMTHP)6Pb5I16(H2O)2 (2; 4AMTHP = 4-aminomethyltetrahydropyran), which contains rare mixed face-shared and edge-shared inorganic chains. Interestingly, despite the minor difference in the cation between 1 and 2, solely defined by the length of the terminal group, 2 shows phase-transition properties while 1 does not. Crystal structure analysis and Hirshfeld surface analysis indicate that the phase transition arises from the ordered–disordered change of the cation’s terminal group and the weakening of the interactions between the cation and inorganic skeleton. In addition, compound 2 exhibits rare biaxial negative thermal expansion behavior. These findings provide valuable insights into the expansion of functional phase-transition materials, offering a promising avenue for further design and development.
Materials emitting circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have been intensively studied for their promising applications in various fields. However, developing tunable and responsive CPL materials ...in a wide wavelength range remains a great challenge. Here, a pair of chiral (R,R/S,S-DCDA)3Sb2Cl12 (DCDA = dimethyl-1,2-cyclohexanediamine divalent cation) shows efficient broadband yellow emission with a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of 27.6% with a CPL asymmetry factor of 3 × 10–3. The associated chiroptical activity is attributed to the efficient chiral transfer as well as the self-trapped exciton emission originating from the large distortion of the inorganic blocks. Notably, (R,R/S,S-DCDA)3Sb2Cl12 exhibits a large red-shift emission exceeding 100 nm upon lowering temperature. An excellent linear correlation of the PL wavelength on temperature indicates that the compounds can be used as PL thermometers, which originates from a temperature-dependent linear structural distortion of the SbCl6 emitter. This work inspires the potential utilization of CPL-emitting materials as responsive light sources.
Tringa totanus is declining throughout Europe and performing protection in China. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome using PCR method. It is the first published complete ...mitochondrial genome of T. tetanus, which is a circular molecule of 16,818 bp, and it contains 13 typical vertebrate protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, and two rRNA. The phylogenetic tree was constructed to validate the taxonomic status of T. totanus, exhibiting it a closer relationship to T. glareola.
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