Although phosphorene has attracted much attention in electronics and optoelectronics as a new type of two‐dimensional material, in‐depth investigations and applications have been limited by the ...current synthesis techniques. Herein, a basic N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) liquid exfoliation method is described to produce phosphorene with excellent water stability, controllable size and layer number, as well as in high yield. Phosphorene samples composed of one to four layers exhibit layer‐dependent Raman scattering characteristics thus providing a fast and efficient means for the in situ determination of the thickness (layer number) of phosphorene. The linear and nonlinear ultrafast absorption behavior of the as‐exfoliated phosphorene is investigated systematically by UV–vis–NIR absorption and Z‐scan measurements. By taking advantage of their unique nonlinear absorption, ultrashort pulse generation applicable to optical saturable absorbers is demonstrated. In addition to a unique fabrication technique, our work also reveals the large potential of phosphorene in ultrafast photonics.
A basic N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone liquid exfoliation method is described to produce phosphorene with an excellent water stability, controllable size and layer number, as well as in a high yield. Phosphorene with one to four layers exhibits layer‐dependent Raman scattering characteristics thus providing a fast and efficient means for the in situ determination of the thickness of phosphorene.
Black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) were synthesized using a liquid exfoliation method that combined probe sonication and bath sonication. With a lateral size of approximately 2.6 nm and a ...thickness of about 1.5 nm, the ultrasmall BPQDs exhibited an excellent NIR photothermal performance with a large extinction coefficient of 14.8 Lg−1 cm−1 at 808 nm, a photothermal conversion efficiency of 28.4 %, as well as good photostability. After PEG conjugation, the BPQDs showed enhanced stability in physiological medium, and there was no observable toxicity to different types of cells. NIR photoexcitation of the BPQDs in the presence of C6 and MCF7 cancer cells led to significant cell death, suggesting that the nanoparticles have large potential as photothermal agents.
A liquid exfoliation method based on a combination of probe sonication and bath sonication was adopted to synthesize black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs). These displayed a high extinction coefficient of 14.8 Lg−1 cm−1, a photothermal conversion efficiency of 28.4 %, and good biocompatibility, and can thus be used as highly effective photothermal agents for cancer therapy.
A functionally deficient anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is considered one of the contraindications in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). But there is still a lack of standardized and ...reproducible methods to assess ACL functional integrity in patients with advanced anteromedial osteoarthritis of the knee (AMOA). This study explores the value of passive anterior tibial subluxation (PATS) on axial MRI in evaluating ACL status in this population.
Patients who met UKA indications between November 2017 and September 2020 were included and grouped into "intact" (ACLI) or "deficient" (ACLD) group according to their ACL status during surgery. All participants underwent MRI with a standardized protocol. The measurements of medial and lateral PATS were conducted on axial MRI, and the mean of them was calculated as global PATS. Then the reliability and diagnostic ability of PATS were determined.
A total of 85 patients (45 for ACLI group, 40 for ACLD group) were included after selection. The measurements of PATS showed excellent intra- and inter-observer reliabilities (with an intraclass correlation coefficient of at least 0.986). The global PATS of the ACLI group was significantly lower than that of the ACLD group (- 2.30 ± 1.96 vs. 1.03 ± 1.96 mm, P<0.0001). The diagnostic ability of global PATS was good (area under the curve = 0.897), and a threshold of 1.2 mm had a specificity of 100%, a sensitivity of 55%, and an accuracy of 78.82%.
An axial global PATS of 1.2 mm on MRI is greatly specific for identifying a functionally deficient ACL in patients with advanced AMOA.
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) could damage multiple organs and systems. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that PM2.5 can disrupt dynamic balance of thyroid hormone (TH). ...However, the underlying mechanism by which PM2.5 interferes with TH remains unclear. This study evaluated the role of Gli-similar3 (GLIS3) in the effect of PM2.5 on TH synthesis in mice using a real-ambient exposure system, in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. The PM2.5exposure group (PM) and filtered air group (FA) were placed in the exposure device for four and eight weeks. The results showed that the PM2.5 exposure altered the structure of the thyroid gland. Moreover, after PM2.5 exposure for eight weeks, the exposure level of free thyroxine (FT4) increased and the expression level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) decreased in serum of mice. In addition, PM2.5 exposure significantly increased the expression of proteins related to thyroid hormone synthesis, such as sodium iodide transporter (NIS), thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TG). Next, we found that GLIS3 and thyroid transcription factor Paired box 8 (PAX8) also increased after PM2.5 exposure. In order to further explore the potential molecular mechanism, we carried out transcriptome sequencing. KEGG analysis of the top 10 pathways revealed that the Ras-associated protein 1 (Rap1) signaling pathway could activate transcription factors and is related to thyroid cell survival. Additionally, PM2.5 exposure significantly increased the protein levels of Rap1 and its active form (Rap1 +GTP). We speculate that the active state of Rap1 is believed to be involved in activating the expression of transcription factor GLIS3. In conclusion, PM2.5 exposure induces histological changes in the thyroid gland and thyroid dysfunction in mice. The exposure activates GLIS3 through the Rap1/PI3K/AKT pathway to promote the expression of proteins related to thyroid hormone synthesis, leading to increased dysregulating TH homeostasis.
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•Real-ambient PM2.5 exposure induced thyroid tissue damage and thyroid hormone disorder in mice.•After PM2.5 exposure, the expression of NIS, TPO, and TG were enhanced which related to TH synthesis.•The Transcription factor GLIS3 can be a regulator of abnormal thyroid hormone synthesis after PM2.5 exposure.•Rap1 signaling pathway is involved in regulating GLIS3 expression.
A degradable and antibacterial sodium alginate film containing functional Au-TiO₂ nanocomposites for food packaging was successfully developed. The Au-TiO₂ nanocomposites are synthesized ...hydrothermally and mixed with the alginate solution to form the film by a casting method. The Au-TiO₂ nanocomposites enable the film with excellent visible light absorption and transfer ability with the light absorption rang covering UV⁻visible wavelength (300⁻800 nm) and induce the increase of the film water contact angle from 40° to 74°, which contributes to the film shape stability. Furthermore, compared to the TiO₂ nanoparticle-incorporated film, the antibacterial ability of Au-TiO₂/sodium alginate composite film is improved approximately by 60% and 50% against
and
, respectively, in light conditions. The antibacterial property of the film arises from the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the surface plasmonic resonance of Au nanoparticles. The degradable and antibacterial properties render the composite film of great application potential in food packaging industry.
Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) can mediate fine particulate matter (PM
2.5
) exposure leading to lung injury. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) can regulate CYP450 expression; however, the ...mechanism by which Nrf2
−/−
(KO) regulates
CYP450
expression
via
methylation of its promoter after PM
2.5
exposure remains unclear. Here, Nrf2
−/−
(KO) mice and wild-type (WT) were placed in a PM
2.5
exposure chamber (PM) or a filtered air chamber (FA) for 12 weeks using the real-ambient exposure system. The
CYP2E1
expression trends were opposite between the WT and KO mice following PM
2.5
exposure. After exposure to PM
2.5,
CYP2E1
mRNA and protein levels were increased in WT mice but decreased in KO mice, and CYP1A1 expression was increased after exposure to PM
2.5
in both WT and KO mice. CYP2S1 expression decreased after exposure to PM
2.5
in both the WT and KO groups. We studied the effect of PM
2.5
exposure on
CYP450
promoter methylation and global methylation levels in WT and KO mice. In WT and KO mice in the PM
2.5
exposure chamber, among the methylation sites examined in the
CYP2E1
promoter, the CpG2 methylation level showed an opposite trend with CYP2E1 mRNA expression. The same relationship was evident between CpG3 unit methylation in the
CYP1A1
promoter and CYP1A1 mRNA expression, and between CpG1 unit methylation in the
CYP2S1
promoter and CYP2S1 mRNA expression. This data suggests that methylation of these CpG units regulates the expression of the corresponding gene. After exposure to PM
2.5
, the expression of the DNA methylation markers ten-eleven translocation 3 (TET3) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) was decreased in the WT group but significantly increased in the KO group. In summary, the changes in CYP2E1, CYP1A1, and CYP2S1 expression in the PM
2.5
exposure chamber of WT and Nrf2
−/−
mice might be related to the specific methylation patterns in their promoter CpG units. After exposure to PM
2.5,
Nrf2 might regulate CYP2E1 expression by affecting CpG2 unit methylation and induce DNA demethylation
via
TET3 expression. Our study revealed the underlying mechanism for Nrf2 to regulate epigenetics after lung exposure to PM
2.5
.
Abstract One of the challenges to adopt photothermal ablation clinically is optimization of the agent delivery in vivo . Herein, a cell-mediated delivery and therapy system by employing macrophage ...vehicles to transport 7 nm diameter Au nanorods (sAuNRs) is described. Owing to the small size, the sAuNRs exhibit much higher macrophage uptake and negligible cytotoxicity in comparison with commonly used 14 nm diameter AuNRs to achieve healthy BSA-coated sAuNRs-laden-macrophages. By delivering BSA-coated sAuNRs to the entire tumor after intratumoral injection, the BSA-coated sAuNRs-laden-macrophages show greatly improved photothermal conversion almost everywhere in the tumor, resulting in minimized tumor recurrence rates compared to free BSA-coated sAuNRs. Our findings not only provide a desirable approach to improve the photothermal therapy efficiency by optimizing the intratumoral distribution of the agents, but also expedite clinical application of nanotechnology to cancer treatment.
Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) produced by wheel-rail interaction is now considered to be a critical factor that causes failure. Throughout this work, induced scanning thermography (IST) for detecting ...RCF defects at different depths is investigated. The original thermal sequences could not utilize the features at the heat dissipation stage; thus, a data reconstruction method, including principal component analysis (PCA) and Tucker factorization, was employed to extract the spatial and time patterns. In addition, detectability was evaluated across a range of speed studies. The Tucker-PCA combination algorithms obtained defects with improved quality, showing a clear boundary over the velocity range of 1-4km/h, which dramatically suppressed background noise. A unique gradient response characteristic in the cooling phase was summarized and utilized through experimental verification in order to recognize defect width.
The role and mechanisms of DEP exposure on thyroid injury are not yet clear. This study explores thyroid damage induced by in vivo DEP exposure using a mouse model. This study has observed ...alterations in thyroid follicular architecture, including rupture, colloid overflow, and the formation of voids. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in the expression levels of proteins involved in thyroid hormone synthesis, such as thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin, their trend of change is consistent with the damage to the thyroid structure. Serum levels of triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine were raise. However, the decrease in TSH expression suggests that the function of the HPT axis is unaffected. To delve deeper into the intrinsic mechanisms of thyroid injury, we performed KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, which revealed notable alterations in the cell adhesion signaling pathway. Our immunofluorescence results show that DEP exposure impairs thyroid adhesion, and integrin α3β1 plays an important role. CD151 binds to α3β1, promoting multimolecular complex formation and activating adhesion-dependent small GTPases. Our in vitro model has confirmed the pivotal role of integrin α3β1 in thyroid cell adhesion, which may be mediated by the CD151/α3β1/Rac1 pathway. In summary, exposure to DEP disrupts the structure and function of the thyroid, a process that likely involves the regulation of cell adhesion through the CD151/α3β1/Rac1 pathway, leading to glandular damage.
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•DEP inhalation exposure impairs thyroid adhesion, inducing damage to follicular integrity.•Integrin α3β1 binding upstream CD151 to downstream Rac1 plays a key role in thyroid cell adhesion.•Study used direct and indirect models to probe DEP's thyroid damage mechanisms.
A structure consisting of a low surface energy substrate and low surface tension liquid is designed and prepared by taking advantage of perfluorinated fluid infusion into the porous Teflon membrane. ...This slippery platform allows efficient enrichment and self-assembly of hybrid nanoparticles and the assembled structure can be detached from the membrane. A macroscale superlattice array of Au nanorods doped with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles is obtained by suppressing the outward capillary flow and coffee-ring effect during evaporative self-assembly. In SERS (surface enhanced Raman scattering) detection of environmental pollutants including thiram, diquat and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the removable plasmonic superlattice array with magnetic properties enables rapid separation of analytes from the solution resulting in excellent sensitivity and detection limits down to the nanomolar level. The self-assembly strategy shows great potential in the fabrication of removable 3D plasmonic superlattice arrays for SERS detections.
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