Self‐standing electrodes are the key to realize flexible Li‐ion batteries. However, fabrication of self‐standing cathodes is still a major challenge. In this work, porous LiCoO2 nanosheet arrays are ...grown on Au‐coated stainless steel (Au/SS) substrates via a facile “hydrothermal lithiation” method using Co3O4 nanosheet arrays as the template followed by quick annealing in air. The binder‐free and self‐standing LiCoO2 nanosheet arrays represent the 3D cathode and exhibit superior rate capability and cycling stability. In specific, the LiCoO2 nanosheet array electrode can deliver a high reversible capacity of 104.6 mA h g−1 at 10 C rate and achieve a capacity retention of 81.8% at 0.1 C rate after 1000 cycles. By coupling with Li4Ti5O12 nanosheet arrays as anode, an all‐nanosheet array based LiCoO2//Li4Ti5O12 flexible Li‐ion battery is constructed. Benefiting from the 3D nanoarchitectures for both cathode and anode, the flexible LiCoO2//Li4Ti5O12 battery can deliver large specific reversible capacities of 130.7 mA h g−1 at 0.1 C rate and 85.3 mA h g−1 at 10 C rate (based on the weight of cathode material). The full cell device also exhibits good cycling stability with 80.5% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 0.1 C rate, making it promising for the application in flexible Li‐ion batteries.
This work gives a novel approach to fabricate porous LiCoO2 nanosheet arrays on Au‐coated stainless steel substrates. The trivial transformation on crystal structure is the key to build 3D nanoarray electrode. The all‐nanosheet array based LiCoO2//Li4Ti5O12 full cell exhibits outstanding performance and good flexibility.
Synthetic oligonucleotides are used to regulate gene expression through different mechanisms. Chemical modifications of the backbone of the nucleic acid and/or of the 2' moiety of the ribose can ...increase nuclease stability and/or binding affinity of oligonucleotides to target molecules. Here we report that transfection of 2'-F-modified phosphorothioate oligonucleotides into cells can reduce the levels of P54nrb and PSF proteins through proteasome-mediated degradation. Such deleterious effects of 2'-F-modified oligonucleotides were observed in different cell types from different species, and were independent of oligonucleotide sequence, positions of the 2'-F-modified nucleotides in the oligonucleotides, method of delivery or mechanism of action of the oligonucleotides. Four 2'-F-modified nucleotides were sufficient to cause the protein reduction. P54nrb and PSF belong to Drosophila behavior/human splicing (DBHS) family. The third member of the family, PSPC1, was also reduced by the 2'-F-modified oligonucleotides. Preferential association of 2'-F-modified oligonucleotides with P54nrb was observed, which is partially responsible for the protein reduction. Consistent with the role of DBHS proteins in double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair, elevated DSBs were observed in cells treated with 2'-F-modified oligonucleotides, which contributed to severe impairment in cell proliferation. These results suggest that oligonucleotides with 2'-F modifications can cause non-specific loss of cellular protein(s).
Abstract
Background
This study aimed to assess the predictive value of endometrial blood flow branches on pregnancy outcomes after hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET).
...Methods
This prospective observational study involved 292 reproductive-aged women who underwent endometrial receptivity assessment in a tertiary care academic medical center in southwest China using power Doppler ultrasonography during HRT-FET. Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound was performed on the day of endometrial transformation and the day before embryo transfer. The endometrial blood flow branches of the endometrial and subendometrial regions were compared in the non-pregnant and pregnant groups at the two time points mentioned above.
Results
The endometrial blood flow branches were higher in pregnant patients than in non-pregnant patients on the day of endometrial transformation (P = 0.009) and the day before embryo transfer (P = 0.001). Changes in endometrial blood flow pattern and endometrial blood flow branches at the two time points did not differ among the pregnancy outcome samples. After adjusting for age, antral follicles, and embryos transferred, the endometrial blood flow branches on the day before embryo transfer was the independent factor influencing the chance of clinical pregnancy, with an odds ratio of 3.001 (95% confidence interval: 1.448 − 6.219, P = 0.003).
Conclusions
Endometrial blood flow perfusion during the peri-transplantation period of the HRT-FET cycle is a good indicator of pregnancy outcomes, suggesting that valuation of endometrial branches via power Doppler ultrasound is a simple and effective approach for achieving indicator measurements.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
During myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) transform into myofibroblast (CMT). This study aimed to investigate the crosstalk of Notch1 and transforming growth factor‐β1 ...(TGF‐β1)/Smad3 signaling in the regulation of CMT and myocardial fibrosis.
Methods
Primary CFs were isolated from young rats and treated with TGF‐β1 or adenovirus to overexpress or knockdown Notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) or Smad3.
Results
TGF‐β1 decreased the expression of fibroblast markers but increased the expression of myofibroblast markers in rat CFs. TGF‐β1 increased the proliferation, invasion, and adhesion, and the secretion of collagen I of CFs, and these effects were inhibited by N1ICD overexpression. Moreover, endogenous Smad3 phosphorylation in CFs was enhanced by N1ICD knockdown, whereas TGF‐β1 induced Smad3 phosphorylation was antagonized by the N1ICD overexpression. Conversely, endogenous N1ICD activation in CFs was antagonized by Smad3, whereas TGF‐β1 induced N1ICD inactivation was antagonized by Smad3 knockdown. Coimmunoprecipitation showed that N1ICD interacted with Smad3 and immunostaining revealed the colocalization of N1ICD and Smad3 in the nuclei of CFs. Moreover, we demonstrated the functional antagonism of N1ICD and Smad3 on the phenotypes of CFs. Finally, TGF‐β1/Smad3 signaling promoted whereas Notch signaling inhibited myocardial fibrosis in rat MI model.
Conclusion
Notch signaling inhibits CMT by antagonizing TGF‐β1/Smad3 signaling. Notch signaling activators and TGF‐β1/Smad3 signaling inhibitors could be exploited for therapeutic intervention to inhibit myocardial fibrosis after MI.
N1ICD interacted with Smad3 and immunostaining revealed the colocalization of N1ICD and Smad3 in the nuclei of cardiac fibroblasts.
N1ICD and Smad3 antagonized each other to regulate the phenotypes of cardiac fibroblasts.
TGF‐β1/Smad3 signaling promoted but Notch signaling inhibited myocardial fibrosis in the rat model.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) carry an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia (dysplasia and cancer), whereas the association between PSC and ...the development of colorectal neoplasia in Crohn’s disease (CD) is controversial. A meta-analysis was carried out to compare the risk of this neoplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with and without PSC. A systematic research of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed to identify studies that compared the risk of colorectal neoplasia (dysplasia and cancer) in patients with IBD with and without PSC. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated using the random-effects model by STATA 12.0. A total of 16 studies (four cohort studies, 12 case–control studies; nine prospective studies and seven retrospective studies) were selected for further study. These studies included 13 379 IBD patients, of whom 1022 also had PSC. Patients with IBD and PSC were at an increased risk of colorectal dysplasia and cancer compared with patients with IBD alone OR 3.24; 95% confidence interval (CI)2.14–4.90. This increased risk was present even when the risk of colorectal cancer alone was analysed (OR 3.41; 95% CI2.13–5.48). Data only from patients with UC showed that PSC was associated with an increased risk for the development of colorectal neoplasia and cancer in patients with UC (OR 2.98; 95% CI1.54–5.76) (OR 3.01; 95% CI1.44–6.29), but there were high heterogeneity among studies (I=76.9 and 62.8%, respectively). Heterogeneity of the studies was affected by the study design (prospective or retrospective). The OR of colorectal neoplasia was 2.32 (95% CI0.70–7.70, P=0.133) and that of cancer was 2.91 (95% CI0.84–10.16, P=0.388) for patients with CD and concurrent PSC. Patients with IBD and PSC have a markedly higher risk for the development of colorectal neoplasia than patients with IBD, but not PSC. Stratification by IBD type show that the presence of PSC is associated with an increased risk for the development of colorectal neoplasia in patients with UC; however, there is a nonsignificant association in CD patients. When the risk of colorectal cancer alone is analysed, the conclusion does not change.
Ductile fracture is often considered as the consequences of the accumulation of plastic damage. This paper is concerned with the application of a recently developed damage plasticity theory ...incorporates the pressure sensitivity and the Lode angle dependence into a nonlinear damage rule and the material deterioration. The ductile damaging process is calculated through the so-called “cylindrical decomposition” method. The constitutive equations are discussed and numerically implemented. An experimental and numerical investigation for three-point bending tests is reported for aluminum alloy 2024-T351. Crack initiation and propagation in compact tension specimens are also studied numerically. These simulation results show good agreement with experiments. The present model can successfully predict slant fracture as well as the formation of shear lips.
Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is a sheet metal forming technique which has gained considerable interest in the research community due to its enhanced formability, greater process ...flexibility and reduced forming forces. However, a significant impediment in the industrial adoption of this process is the accurate prediction of fracture during the forming process. This work uses a recently developed fracture model combined with finite element analyses to predict the occurrence of fracture in SPIF of two shapes, a cone and a funnel. Experiments are performed to validate predictions from FEA in terms of forming forces, thinning and fracture depths. In addition to showing excellent predictions, the primary deformation mechanism in SPIF is compared to that in conventional forming process with a larger geometry-specific punch, using the deformation history obtained from FEA. It is found that both through-the-thickness shear and local bending of the sheet around the tool play a role in fracture in the SPIF process. Additionally, it is shown that in-spite of higher shear in SPIF, which should have a retarding effect on damage accumulation, high local bending of the sheet around the SPIF tool causes greater damage accumulation in SPIF than in conventional forming. Analysis of material instability shows that the higher rate of damage causes earlier growth of material instability in SPIF. A new theory, named the ‘noodle’ theory, is proposed to show that the local nature of deformation is primarily responsible for increased formability observed in SPIF, in-spite of greater damage accumulation as compared to conventional forming.
The development of rice (Oryza sativa) seed is closely associated with assimilates storage and plant yield, and is fine controlled by complex regulatory networks. Exhaustive transcriptome analysis of ...developing rice embryo and endosperm will help to characterize the genes possibly involved in the regulation of seed development and provide clues of yield and quality improvement.
Our analysis showed that genes involved in metabolism regulation, hormone response and cellular organization processes are predominantly expressed during rice development. Interestingly, 191 transcription factor (TF)-encoding genes are predominantly expressed in seed and 59 TFs are regulated during seed development, some of which are homologs of seed-specific TFs or regulators of Arabidopsis seed development. Gene co-expression network analysis showed these TFs associated with multiple cellular and metabolism pathways, indicating a complex regulation of rice seed development. Further, by employing a cold-resistant cultivar Hanfeng (HF), genome-wide analyses of seed transcriptome at normal and low temperature reveal that rice seed is sensitive to low temperature at early stage and many genes associated with seed development are down-regulated by low temperature, indicating that the delayed development of rice seed by low temperature is mainly caused by the inhibition of the development-related genes. The transcriptional response of seed and seedling to low temperature is different, and the differential expressions of genes in signaling and metabolism pathways may contribute to the chilling tolerance of HF during seed development.
These results provide informative clues and will significantly improve the understanding of rice seed development regulation and the mechanism of cold response in rice seed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Tuberculosis is a major global public health problem, which also affects economic and social development. China has the second largest burden of tuberculosis in the world. The tuberculosis morbidity ...in Xinjiang is much higher than the national situation; therefore, there is an urgent need for monitoring and predicting tuberculosis morbidity so as to make the control of tuberculosis more effective. Recently, the Box-Jenkins approach, specifically the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, is typically applied to predict the morbidity of infectious diseases; it can take into account changing trends, periodic changes, and random disturbances in time series. Autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) models are the prevalent tools used to deal with time series heteroscedasticity. In this study, based on the data of the tuberculosis morbidity from January 2004 to June 2014 in Xinjiang, we establish the single ARIMA (1, 1, 2) (1, 1, 1)12 model and the combined ARIMA (1, 1, 2) (1, 1, 1)12-ARCH (1) model, which can be used to predict the tuberculosis morbidity successfully in Xinjiang. Comparative analyses show that the combined model is more effective. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish the ARIMA model and ARIMA-ARCH model for prediction and monitoring the monthly morbidity of tuberculosis in Xinjiang. Based on the results of this study, the ARIMA (1, 1, 2) (1, 1, 1)12-ARCH (1) model is suggested to give tuberculosis surveillance by providing estimates on tuberculosis morbidity trends in Xinjiang, China.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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