Flexible thin films of poly(nickel‐ethylenetetrathiolate) prepared by an electrochemical method display promising n‐type thermoelectric properties with the highest ZT value up to 0.3 at room ...temperature. Coexistence of high electrical conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient in this coordination polymer is attributed to its degenerate narrow‐bandgap semiconductor behavior.
Tamm-plasmon-polariton (TPP) has strong light absorption and polarization-independence, shows potential application in the optical biosensors. However, with the weak field confinement of the ...distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), the sensitivity enhancement of TPP biosensors require defect layers or nano-materials with strong light absorption. Herein, we propose a novel TPP biosensor by using one-dimensional topological photonic crystal (1D TPhC) as DBR, the working wavelength is 633 nm, where 1D TPhC is composed by two 1D photonic crystals (1D PhCs) with different topological invariants. The strong field confinement of 1D TPhC is employed to improve the light absorption of TPP, and enhance the susceptibility of the biosensor to the analyte. Since TPP is polarization-independent, it has superior sensing performance in both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization modes. The sensitivity and Figure of Merit (FOM) are 2.6553 × 104 RIU−1 (1.3349 × 104 RIU−1) and 3.1238 × 107 RIU−1deg−1 (6.6745 × 108 RIU−1deg−1) for TM(TE)-polarization mode. The proposed TPP biosensor without defect layer, doesn’t need consider the thickness and position of the sensing medium layer, shows high operational flexibility. Besides, with the protection of the topological edge state, this biosensor has high tolerance to the thickness deviations, which can reduce the requirements on fabrication. It is anticipated that the proposed TPP biosensor has excellent sensing performances, possesses great potentials in environmental monitoring, biological detection, etc.
Over the past decade, the plasmonics of graphene and black phosphorus (BP) were widely recognized as promising media for establishing linear and nonlinear light-matter interactions. Compared to the ...conventional metals, they support significant light-matter interaction of high efficiency and show undispersed optical properties. Furthermore, in contrast to the conventional metals, the plasmonic properties of graphene and BP structure can be tuned by electrical and chemical doping. In this review, a deep attention was paid toward the second- and third-order nonlinear plasmonic modes of graphene and BP. We present a theoretical framework for calculating the lifetime for surface plasmons modes of graphene and BP assisted by the coupled mode theory. The effect of the Fermi energy on the second-order and third-order nonlinear response is studied in detail. We survey the recent advances in nonlinear optics and the applications of graphene and BP-based tunable plasmonic devices such as light modulation devices, switches, biosensors, and other nonlinear photonic devices. Finally, we highlight a few representative current applications of graphene and BP to photonic and optoelectronic devices.
•Arsenite (As3+) is positively associated with GDM.•Arsenate (As5+) shows a negative relationship with GDM.•Synergistic effects are found between arsenic and vitamin B12 on GDM.
Growing evidence ...indicates that arsenic (As) exposure can increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, little is known about As species and GDM and the combined effect of As and one-carbon metabolism (OCM) on GDM.
We aimed to examine the associations between As species and GDM and evaluate the potential interactions of folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine (Hcy) with As species on GDM prevalence.
We measured levels of arsenite (As3+), arsenate (As5+), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and arsenobetaine (AsB) species in urine and folate, vitamin B12, and Hcy in serum from 396 pregnant women in Tianjin, China. The diagnosis of GDM was based on an oral glucose tolerance test. Associations of As species in urine with GDM were evaluated using generalized linear models (GLMs) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Additive interactions of As and OCM with GDM were estimated by determining the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI).
Of the 396 pregnant women, 89 were diagnosed with GDM. Continuous increases in urinary inorganic As were associated with GDM in the GLMs, with adjusted odds ratios of 2.12 (95% CI: 0.96, 4.71) for As3+, and 0.27 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.98) for As5+. The BKMR in estimating the exposure-response functions showed that As3+ and AsB were positively associated with GDM. However, As5+ showed a negative relationship with GDM. Although the additive interactions between As exposure and OCM indicators were not significant, we found that pregnant women with higher urinary As3+ and total As accompanied by lower serum vitamin B12 were more likely to have higher odds of GDM (3.12, 95% CI: 1.32, 7.38 and 3.10, 95% CI: 1.30, 7.38, respectively).
Our data suggest a positive relation between As3+ and GDM but a negative relation between As5+ and GDM. Potential additive interaction of As and OCM with GDM requires further investigation.
A growing body of evidence suggests the deleterious effects of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) on kidney, but little is known on the association between PFASs joint exposure and uric acid.
Serum ...PFASs concentrations were measured in 661 participants recruited from Tianjin, China using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The associations of single PFASs exposure with uric acid levels and hyperuricemia were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression models, respectively. Restricted cubic spline models were established to investigate the dose-response relationships between PFASs concentrations and uric acid levels. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) model with a hierarchical variable selection was performed to assess the joint effect of PFASs on uric acid.
Potassium perfluoro-1-octanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) were the dominated contributors with median concentrations of 16.80 ng/ml and 9.42 ng/ml, respectively. Increased PFOA concentration (per log2-unit) was associated with elevated uric acid level (β = 0.088, 95% CI: 0.033–0.143) and higher risk of hyperuricemia (OR = 1.134, 95% CI: 1.006–1.289). Conversely, the estimated change of uric acid associated with log2-unit increment in perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA) was −0.081 mg/dL (95% CI: -0.154, −0.009). A significant linear dose-response pattern was found between log2-transformed PFOA concentration and uric acid level. BKMR analyses indicated a non-significant overall effect of PFASs mixture on uric acid.
Significant associations between PFOA and PFDA and uric acid, and between PFOA and hyperuricemia were found in the single-pollutant models, but the joint effect of PFASs mixture on uric acid was not observed in the BKMR model, which provided new insights in regulation policies and risk assessment of PFASs.
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•PFOA was positively associated with uric acid level and hyperuricemia.•A linear dose-response relationship of PFOA with uric acid was found.•A negative association of PFDA concentrations and uric acid level was observed.
Environmental arsenic (As) exposure has been associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. Our recent study found that GDM was positively associated with urinary As3+ level while ...negatively correlated to As5+. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between arsenic species and GDM remain largely unknown. In the present study, through the measurement of urinary arsenic species and metabolome analysis in 399 pregnant women, we aimed to identify the metabolic biomarkers that may link arsenic exposure to GDM based on a novel systems epidemiology strategy termed meet-in-metabolite-analysis (MIMA). The metabolomics analysis revealed that 20 and 16 urinary metabolites were relevant to arsenic exposure and GDM, respectively. Among them, 12 metabolites were identified to be both arsenic- and GDM-related, which are mainly involved in purine metabolism, one‑carbon metabolism (OCM) and glycometabolism. Moreover, it was further showed that the regulation of thiosulfate (AOR: 2.52; 95 % CI: 1.33, 4.77) and phosphoroselenoic acid (AOR: 2.35; 95 % CI: 1.31, 4.22) could significantly contribute to the negative association between As5+ and GDM. Considering the biological functions of these metabolites, it is suggested that As5+ may reduce GDM risk by disturbing OCM in the pregnant women. These data will provide novel insights into the mechanism of action of environmental arsenic exposure on GDM incidence from the aspect of metabolism disorder.
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•Environmental arsenic exposure has been associated with GDM risk.•The molecular linkages between arsenic species and GDM remain unclear.•Twelve urinary metabolites were identified to be both arsenic- and GDM-related.•As5+ reduces GDM risk by disturbing one-carbon metabolism in the pregnant women.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in N6AMT1 and AS3MT are associated with arsenic (As) metabolism, and efficient As methylation capacity has been associated with diabetes. However, little is ...known about the gene-As interaction on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
This study aimed to explore the individual and combined effects of N6AMT1 and AS3MT SNPs with As metabolism on GDM.
A cross-sectional study was performed among 385 Chinese pregnant women (86 GDM and 299 Non-GDM). Four SNPs in N6AMT1 (rs1997605 and rs1003671) and AS3MT (rs1046778 and rs11191453) were genotyped. Urinary inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were determined, and the percentages of As species (iAs%, MMA%, and DMA%) were calculated to assess the efficiency of As metabolism.
Pregnant women with N6AMT1 rs1997605 AA genotype had lower iAs% (B: 2.11; 95% CI: 4.08, −0.13) and MMA% (B: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.39, −0.04) than pregnant women with GG genotype. The AS3MT rs1046778 and rs11191453 C alleles were negatively associated with iAs% and MMA% but positively associated with DMA%. Higher urinary MMA% was significantly associated with a lower risk of GDM (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.97). The A allele in N6AMT1 rs1997605 (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.79) was associated with a decreased risk of GDM. The additive interactions between N6AMT1 rs1997605 GG genotypes and lower iAs% (AP: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.99) or higher DMA% (AP: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.99) were statistically significant. Similar additive interactions were also found between N6AMT1 rs1003671 GG genotypes and lower iAs% or higher DMA%.
Genetic variants in N6AMT1 and efficient As metabolism (indicated by lower iAs% and higher DMA%) can interact to influence GDM occurrence synergistically in Chinese pregnant women.
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•N6AMT1 and AS3MT SNPs are associated with urinary arsenic methylation profiles.•Lower arsenic methylation capacity is characterized by greater MMA%.•Greater MMA% is associated with decreased gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk.•N6AMT1 genetic variants are associated with GDM.•Arsenic methylation capacity and N6AMT1 SNPs influence GDM synergistically.
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