Carbon dots (CDs), as a new type of carbon-based nanomaterial, have attracted broad research interest for years, because of their diverse physicochemical properties and favorable attributes like good ...biocompatibility, unique optical properties, low cost, ecofriendliness, abundant functional groups (e.g., amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl), high stability, and electron mobility. In this Outlook, we comprehensively summarize the classification of CDs based on the analysis of their formation mechanism, micro-/nanostructure and property features, and describe their synthetic methods and optical properties including strong absorption, photoluminescence, and phosphorescence. Furthermore, the recent significant advances in diverse applications, including optical (sensor, anticounterfeiting), energy (light-emitting diodes, catalysis, photovoltaics, supercapacitors), and promising biomedicine, are systematically highlighted. Finally, we envisage the key issues to be challenged, future research directions, and perspectives to show a full picture of CDs-based materials.
High levels of cholesterol are generally considered to be associated with atherosclerosis. In the past two decades, however, a number of studies have shown that excess cholesterol accumulation in ...various tissues and organs plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. Here, we summarize the effects of excess cholesterol on disease pathogenesis, including liver diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, pituitary-thyroid axis dysfunction, immune disorders, and COVID-19, while proposing that excess cholesterol-induced toxicity is ubiquitous. We believe this concept will help broaden the appreciation of the toxic effect of excess cholesterol, and thus potentially expand the therapeutic use of cholesterol-lowering medications.
Here, Song et al. present a concept called “cholesterol toxicity,” which stems from the emerging evidence of adverse effects of excess cholesterol in multiple organs. They suggest that excess cholesterol contributes to the pathogenesis of several diseases other than atherosclerosis. This concept potentially expands the therapeutic use of cholesterol-lowering medications.
In recent years, due to the development of computer technology and information technology, web technology has changed the mode of translation at an alarming rate. The rapid development of information ...technology and globalization has increased the demand for translation, especially technical translation, and the use of computer-assisted translation software can greatly improve the quality and efficiency of translation work. The purpose of this article is that under the premise of continuous advancement in computer technology, computer-assisted translation can effectively improve the translation efficiency of translators and the quality of translated text. This article references the practicality of computer translation software as the benchmark and uses computer-aided translation software based on deep learning as the core. At the same time, it introduces the current popular microservice concept to build an electronic computer-assisted translation software based on microservice architecture. Based on the performance of the system, the high availability and scalability of the system are enhanced, so that the entire system can provide stable and efficient computer-assisted translation services for users. At the same time, the usability test method is used to compare and evaluate two common computer-aided translation software, Trados and Wordfast. By observing, recording, and analyzing user behavior and related data, the five attributes of usability can be learned and memorable. The experiments show that the effect of this study on computer-aided software with the help of deep learning knowledge can produce good results, and the robustness and scalability of the software have been enhanced, increasing the competitiveness of the software itself in translation software.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a group of complex compounds generated by nonenzymatic interactions between proteins and reducing sugars or lipids. AGEs accumulate in vivo and activate ...various signaling pathways closely related to the occurrence of various chronic metabolic diseases. In this paper, we describe the process through which AGEs are formed, the classification of AGEs, and biological effects of AGEs on human health. Most importantly, we review recent progress in natural compound-based AGE formation inhibitors. Major classes of natural inhibitors, including polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenoids, vitamins and alkaloids, have been described. Their mechanisms of action have been summarized as scavenging free radicals, chelating metal ions, capturing active carbonyl compounds, protecting protein glycation sites, and lowering blood glucose levels. Although these natural compounds have good antiglycation activity, to date, they are not widely used in the clinic, likely because of their low content levels. However, these natural compounds and their molecular frameworks will play a valuable role in inspiring drug discovery.
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•The formation, classification and biological activity of AGEs are described.•Some natural compounds are good candidates for natural glycation inhibitors.•Seven mechanisms that inhibit the formation of AGEs of natural glycation inhibitors are summarized.•These natural compounds will play a valuable role in inspiring drug discovery.
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•This article summarizes the significant advances achieved in the past few years on synthesis, classification, mechanism and applications of CDs and CDs-based photocatalysts to give a ...thorough summary.•CDs-derived photocatalysts are devided into pure CDs and CDs composite photocatalysts and the photocatalytic efficiencies are compared.•Various kinds of mechanism during photocatalytic process in typical systems are concluded.•Applications in the fields of degradation of organics, water splitting for H2 and O2 evolution, CO2 conversion and photocatalytic chemical reactions are also reviewed to confirm the great potential of CDs-derived photocatalysts for environmental and energy issues.
With the rapid development of science and technology, environmental pollution and energy shortage become more and more prominent. To solve these problems, photocatalytic technology is regarded as one of the most efficient methods, allowing for both pollutant degradation and energy conversion. Compared with traditional group IIVI, IIIV quantum dots (QDs), carbon dots (CDs), as a newly emerging kind of fluorescent carbon-based material, possess many excellent properties, such as high aqueous solubility, low cost, low toxicity, abundant surface functional groups and good biocompatibility. In particular, the unique up-converted photoluminescence (PL) behavior and photo-induced electron transfer ability of CDs provide the new route to achieve efficient metal-free photocatalysts. This article reviews recent progress on CDs utilized for photocatalysis from different perspectives, including the following three parts: classification and synthesis, mechanism of CDs-derived photocatalysts as well as the applications for environmental issues (up-converted PL process) and energy conversion (photo-induced electron transfer process).
The giant planet atmospheres exhibit alternating prograde (eastward) and retrograde (westward) jets of different speeds and widths, with an equatorial jet that is prograde on Jupiter and Saturn and ...retrograde on Uranus and Neptune. The jets are variously thought to be driven by differential radiative heating of the upper atmosphere or by intrinsic heat fluxes emanating from the deep interior. However, existing models cannot account for the different flow configurations on the giant planets in an energetically consistent manner. Here a three-dimensional general circulation model is used to show that the different flow configurations can be reproduced by mechanisms universal across the giant planets if differences in their radiative heating and intrinsic heat fluxes are taken into account. Whether the equatorial jet is prograde or retrograde depends on whether the deep intrinsic heat fluxes are strong enough that convection penetrates into the upper troposphere and generates strong equatorial Rossby waves there. Prograde equatorial jets result if convective Rossby wave generation is strong and low-latitude angular momentum flux divergence owing to baroclinic eddies generated off the equator is sufficiently weak (Jupiter and Saturn). Retrograde equatorial jets result if either convective Rossby wave generation is weak or absent (Uranus) or low-latitude angular momentum flux divergence owing to baroclinic eddies is sufficiently strong (Neptune). The different speeds and widths of the off-equatorial jets depend, among other factors, on the differential radiative heating of the atmosphere and the altitude of the jets, which are vertically sheared. The simulations have closed energy and angular momentum balances that are consistent with observations of the giant planets. They exhibit temperature structures closely resembling those observed and make predictions about as yet unobserved aspects of flow and temperature structures.
Involvement of clear photoluminescence (PL) mechanism in specific chemical structure is at the forefront of carbon dots (CDs). Supramolecular interaction exists in plenty of materials, offering an ...inherent way to administrate the optical and photophysical properties, especially in terms of newly developed polymer carbon dots (PCDs). However, supramolecular-interaction-derived PL regulation is always ignored in the shadow of many kinds of PL factors, and we still have a limited understanding on the distinct chemical structure and mechanism of supramolecular effect in PCDs. Herein, several distinct photoluminescent phenomena of PCDs under aqueous and solid state are reviewed in terms of supramolecular cross-linking, with highly emphasizing the importance of supramolecular cross-link-enhanced emission (SCEE) effects, and the regulated function of supramolecular interaction’s intensity and types between PCDs for special PL behaviors of PCDs. In addition, we categorize the photoluminescent phenomena in PCDs into the following aspects: supramolecular cross-link-enhanced dilute-solution-state emission, concentration-controlled multicolor emission, supramolecular regulation for quenching-resistant solid-state fluorescence, as well as supramolecular cross-link-assisted room-temperature- phosphorescence (RTP) under solid states. Furthermore, the applications of PCDs in light-emitting diodes (LED), solar cells, and anticounterfeiting and data encryption, etc., are presented, based on the distinct supramolecular cross-link-regulated photoluminescent phenomena, especially the solid-state emission. Finally, a brief outlook is given, highlighting the currently existing problems and development direction of supramolecular cross-link-regulated emission in PCDs.
During deep mining, the excavation disturbance stress path is the domination factor for the stability of the surrounding rock mass as well as the ground pressure. One of the important parameters of ...the stress path is the loading or unloading rate of the disturbed rock or coal, which depended on the mining rate. To achieve a well understanding of the mining rate and its effect on the coal behavior, a preliminary case investigation of the mechanical properties of the coal at the various mining rates in both the laboratory scale and field scale was performed. Based on the uniaxial compression test and the digital image correlation (DIC) method, the mechanical behavior of the coal samples, such as the evolution of the strength, surface deformation, crack propagation, and elastic strain energy of the coal under the various loading rates were analyzed. A threshold range of the loading rate has been observed. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and releasable elastic strain energy (Ue) increase with increasing loading rate when the loading rate is below the threshold. Otherwise, the UCS and Ue may decrease with the loading rate. Under the low loading rate (≤0.05 mm/min), the tensile deformation of the original defects could result in crack coalescence, whereas failure of the coal matrix is the key contributor to the crack coalescence under the high loading rate (greater than0.05 mm/min). Afterwards, with the consideration of the bearing capacity (UCS) and energy release of the mining-disturbed coal mass (Ue), a power exponential relationship between the mining rate (MR) in the field and the critical loading rate (vc) in the laboratory was proposed. The application potential of the formulas was then validated against the field monitored data. Finally, based on the critical loading rate, the released strain energy, and the monitored pressure on the roof supports, a reasonable mining rate MR for the Ji15-31030 working face was determined to be approximately 3 m/d.
We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the predictive roles of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer.
A PubMed ...and Web of Science literature search was designed. Random or fixed effect models were adopted to estimate the summary odds ratio (OR). Heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity among studies and to assess the effects of study quality. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot, Egger's test and Begg's test. We included studies where the predictive significance of TILs, and/or TILs subset on the pathologic complete response (pCR) were determined in NAC of breast cancer.
A total of 13 published studies (including 3251 patients) were eligible. In pooled analysis, the detection of higher TILs numbers in pre-treatment biopsy was correlated with better pCR to NAC (OR = 3.93, 95% CI, 3.26-4.73). Moreover, TILs predicted higher pCR rates in triple negative (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.61-3.83), HER2 positive (OR = 5.05, 95% CI: 2.86-8.92) breast cancer, but not in estrogen receptor (ER) positive (OR = 6.21, 95%CI: 0.86-45.15) patients. In multivariate analysis, TILs were still an independent marker for high pCR rate (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.19-1.66). For TILs subset, higher levels of CD8+ and FOXP3+ T-lymphocytes in pre-treatment biopsy respectively predicted better pathological response to NAC (OR = 6.44, 95% CI: 2.52-16.46; OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.05-8.26). Only FOXP3+ lymphocytes in post-NAC breast tissue were a predictive marker for low pCR rate in univariate (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21-0.80) and multivariate (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.13-0.95) analysis.
Higher TILs levels in pre-treatment biopsy indicated higher pCR rates for NAC. TILs subset played different roles in predicting response to NAC.
The zonal flow in Jupiter's upper troposphere is organized into alternating retrograde and prograde jets, with a prograde (superrotating) jet at the equator. Existing models posit as the driver of ...the flow either differential radiative heating of the atmosphere or intrinsic heat fluxes emanating from the deep interior; however, they do not reproduce all large-scale features of Jupiter's jets and thermal structure. Here it is shown that the difficulties in accounting for Jupiter's jets and thermal structure resolve if the effects of differential radiative heating and intrinsic heat fluxes are considered together, and if upper-tropospheric dynamics are linked to a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drag that acts deep in the atmosphere and affects the zonal flow away from but not near the equator. Baroclinic eddies generated by differential radiative heating can account for the off-equatorial jets; meridionally propagating equatorial Rossby waves generated by intrinsic convective heat fluxes can account for the equatorial superrotation. The zonal flow extends deeply into the atmosphere, with its speed changing with depth, away from the equator up to depths at which the MHD drag acts. The theory is supported by simulations with an energetically consistent general circulation model of Jupiter's outer atmosphere. A simulation that incorporates differential radiative heating and intrinsic heat fluxes reproduces Jupiter's observed jets and thermal structure and makes testable predictions about as yet unobserved aspects thereof. A control simulation that incorporates only differential radiative heating but not intrinsic heat fluxes produces off-equatorial jets but no equatorial superrotation; another control simulation that incorporates only intrinsic heat fluxes but not differential radiative heating produces equatorial superrotation but no off-equatorial jets. The proposed mechanisms for the formation of jets and equatorial superrotation likely act in the atmospheres of all giant planets.
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