Ag
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/CNTs/Ni composite thin film electrodes were prepared using electrochemical co-deposition. The surface morphology and structural properties of the electrodes were characterized using ...scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and Raman and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS). SEM showed that spherical Ag
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nanoparticles (average diameter of 20–30 nm) were distributed uniformly on the outermost layer of the composite film when the fabrication process was optimized. The inner layer consisted of a network structure that contained interlaced Ag
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and CNTs. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity and stability of the thin films were investigated by following the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) at a negative bias under visible light irradiation. At an optimum negative bias of − 0.10 V, the efficiency of PEC degradation of RhB was 2.74 times greater than that observed when a Ag
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/Ni thin film was used. Importantly, the Ag
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/CNTs/Ni composite films exhibited a synergistic photoelectric effect and PEC stability, and could be reused five times without any significant decrease in the catalytic activity of the film. A reaction mechanism for the PEC degradation of RhB at negative bias by the Ag
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/CNTs/Ni thin films was proposed.
•Experiments on load exerted by nonstationary ISW on the submerged slender body over a slope are conducted.•The characteristic of the nonstationary ISW is determined by its amplitude and propagation ...positions.•The loads reach the extreme point and action directions change in the pycnocline.•The load’s action time varies with the slender body’s positions.•Oscillation action appears because of the ISW’s distortion and breaking.
Laboratory experiments are performed in a large stratified fluid flume to examine the characteristics of the load on a submerged slender body that is exerted by a nonstationary internal solitary wave (ISW) from its interaction with a gentle slope. The nonstationary ISW over the slope and its load on the body are measured by using multi-channel conductivity-probe arrays and a specially designed force measurement device, respectively, and the body’s vertical and horizontal positions on the load are determined by analyzing the effects of the incident ISW’s amplitude. The experimental results show that the load on the slender body increases as the incident ISW’s amplitude increases; additionally, the effect of oscillations is enhanced because of the ISW’s distortion, breaking and fission. The oscillating action from fission waves becomes dominant as the amplitude reaches a certain value. Additionally, the load is correlated with body’s vertical position relative to the pycnocline. The magnitudes of the vertical and horizontal forces reach a maximum and minimum in the pycnocline, respectively, and the horizontal force in this direction is the opposite above and below the pycnocline. Compared to a case without a slope, the load on the slender body increases because of the nonstationary ISW, and its effect on the maximum force is transferred to the pycnocline. When the body’s horizontal position is located close to the top of the slope, the direction of the horizontal and vertical forces remains consistent, but its acting time becomes longer. In addition, high-frequency actions on the slender body are impacted by nonstationary ISWs near the slope’s top.
In the biofermentation synthesis process of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a variety of impurities can be generated in the fermentation liquor, which could induce the oiling-out phenomenon and then ...affect the process robustness and crystal qualities during the subsequent separation procedure. In this work, the phase diagrams of GABA in the water–ethanol mixtures were constructed in the presence of different concentrations of impurities. It was demonstrated that an increase in the impurity contents could broaden the oiling-out zone in the phase diagram. In addition, oiling-out can seriously inhibit the crystal growth and result in agglomeration of the product. In this study, by controlling the crystallization at a low concentration of impurities, oiling-out and agglomeration of GABA were successfully avoided, and GABA crystals with cuboid shape and good dispersion were prepared.
Water-soluble perylenediimides (PDIs) with high fluorescence intensity, photostability and biocompatibility have been successfully prepared and applied in the biological field. In this tutorial ...review, we briefly focus on the synthetic strategies for the preparation of water-soluble PDIs by incorporating ionic or non-ionic substituents with multiple polar groups into the bay-region, imide- or ortho-positions of PDIs. These ionic/non-ionic substituents can suppress π-π aggregation and shield the inner perylene chromophores, thus contributing to the water solubility which is essential for biological applications. The optical properties, absorption and emission maxima above 500 nm, minimize the autofluorescence background of cells and provide access to imaging in living cells. The biological applications of water-soluble PDIs are discussed from simple (basic) to complex (advanced) processes, including biosensing in vitro studies, imaging and gene/drug delivering in living cells, tissues and the whole body. The promising future of designed multi-functional water-soluble PDIs will be highlighted in this review.
Abstract
Objectives
This study aims to characterize the expression profiles of circRNAs in primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (pSS) and examine the potential of noninvasive circular RNAs (circRNAs) as ...biomarkers of pSS.
Methods
We performed RNA sequencing of minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from four pSS and four non-pSS individuals (subjects undergoing MSG biopsies but not meeting 2012 or 2016 ACR classification criteria for SS). Differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by DESeq2, and confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR in the MSGs as well as in plasma exosomes in 37 pSS and 14 non-pSS subjects. Discriminatory capacity testing using receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the performance of circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for pSS.
Results
Circ-IQGAP2 and circ-ZC3H6 had significantly upregulated expression in the MSGs of pSS patients, and this elevated expression was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR of plasma exosome RNA. The expression of these circRNAs also showed significant correlation with both clinical features, serum IgG level and MSG focus scores. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the indices comprised of both the two circRNAs and clinical features were better able to distinguish pSS from non-pSS subjects with high mean areas under the curve of 0.93 in the MSGs and 0.92 in the plasma exosomes.
Conclusion
This study indicated the potential roles of circ-IQGAP2 and circ-ZC3H6 as noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of pSS.
Aim: To explore whether ultrasound (US) can be employed to identify the underlying characteristics associated with pain in patients with podagra by evaluating the relationship between ultrasound ...findings and clinical pain.Material and methods: Patients with podagra were recruited and grouped into a pain group (G1, 82 patients) and a non pain group (G2, 123 patients). US features were collected and compared. US data were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis and ROC analysis. Interobserver reliability was assessed, too.Results: A total of 205 patients (196 male and 9 female) were enrolled in this study. In multivariate analysis, the thickness of the synovium (OR=1.928, CI=1.074-3.463), CD (color Doppler) signal of the synovium (OR=1.458, CI=1.011-2.103), and CD signal of the tophi (OR=1.576, CI=1.142-2.177) were identified as risk factors for clinical pain. Areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were 0.713, 0.686 and 0.641 for the three indicators, respectively. The best cutoff points were 1 mm for the thickness of the synovium, grade 1 for the CD signal of the synovium and grade 2 for the CD signal of the tophi.Conclusions: Ultrasound can provide valuable information for determining underlying features associated with pain in patients with podagra.
Purpose
To investigate the feasibility of high‐frame‐rate vector flow imaging (HiFR‐VFI) compared to ultrasound color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) for precisely evaluating flow characteristics in the ...carotid bifurcation (CB) of presumed healthy adults.
Methods
Forty‐three volunteers were assessed for flow characteristics and their extensions using HiFR‐VFI and CDFI in CBs. The flow patterns were classified according to the streamlines in HiFR‐VFI and quantitatively measured using an innovative turbulence index (Tur‐value). Interobserver agreement was also assessed.
Results
HiFR‐VFI was consistent with CDFI in detecting laminar and nonlaminar flow in 81.4% of the cases; however, in 18.6% of the cases, only HiFR‐VFI identified the nonlaminar flow. HiFR‐VFI showed a larger extension of complex flow (0.37 ± 0.26 cm2) compared to CDFI (0.22 ± 0.21 cm2; p < 0.05). The flow patterns were classified into four types: 3 type‐I (laminar flow), 35 type‐II (rotational flow), 27 type‐III (reversed flow), and 5 type‐IV (complex flow). The Tur‐value of type‐IV (50.03 ± 14.97)% is larger than type‐III (44.57 ± 8.89)%, type‐II (16.30 ± 8.16)%, and type‐I (1.48 ± 1.43)% (p < 0.05). Two radiologists demonstrated almost perfect interobserver agreement on recognizing the change of streamlines (κ = 0.81, p < 0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficient of the Tur‐value was 0.98.
Conclusion
HiFR‐VFI can reliably characterize complex hemodynamics with quantitative turbulence measurement and may be an auxiliary diagnostic tool for assessing atherosclerotic arterial disease.
HiFR‐VFI can visually detect transient blood flow disturbance and quantitatively analyze the dispersion degree of different flow patterns by using Tur‐value, which can be used as an important complement to conventional Doppler ultrasound. HiFR‐VFI may be an auxiliary diagnostic tool for assessing atherosclerosis arterial disease.
ZIP4 (zinc transporter 4) plays important roles in transporting Cu2+ ions in plants, which may contribute to the maintenance of plant metal homeostasis in growth, plant development and normal ...physiological metabolism. However, ZIP4 transporters have not been described in mulberry and the exact function of ZIP4 transporters in regulating the homeostasis of Cu in mulberry remains unclear. In this study, a new ZIP4 gene (MaZIP4) was isolated and cloned from Morus atropurpurea R. Phylogenetic analysis of amino sequences suggested that the amino-acid sequence of the MaZIP4 protein shows high homology with other ZIP4 proteins of Morus notabilis, Trema orientale, Ziziphus jujube and Cannabis sativa. In addition, a MaZIP4 silenced line was successfully constructed using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). The analysis of MaZIP4 expression by quantitative real-time PCR in mulberry showed that the level of MaZIP4 expression increased with increasing Cu concentration until the Cu concentration reached 800 ppm. Relative to the blank (WT) and the negative controls, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly and rose with increasing Cu concentration in the MaZIP4 silenced line, whereas the soluble protein and proline content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities of these transgenic plants were lower. These results indicated that MaZIP4 may play an important role in the resistance of mulberry to Cu stress.
Ischemic stroke is typified by hypoxia and a cascade of pathophysiological events, including metabolic dysfunction, ionic dysregulation, excitotoxicity, inflammatory infiltration, and oxidative ...stress. These ultimately result in neuronal apoptosis or necrosis with constrained neuroregenerative capabilities. In this study, neural stem cells (NSCs) under conditions of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro and following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in vivo were explored. Transcriptome sequencing revealed a decline in NSC differentiation and neurogenesis after OGD exposure, which was related to cellular senescence. This observation was corroborated by increased senescence markers in the MCAO mouse model, reduction in NSC numbers, and decline in neurogenesis. Importantly, iMSC-sEVs (induced mesenchymal stem cells-small extracellular vesicles) have the therapeutic potential to alleviate NSC senescence and rejuvenate their regenerative capacities both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, iMSC-sEVs contribute to the recovery of cognitive function and synapse loss caused by MCAO.
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