To understand the growth mechanism of pyrolytic graphite on ideal graphite substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the process simulated by molecular dynamics is performed. The simulation ...revealed that only an amorphous graphite-like membrane (a-GLM) can be obtained using the Tersoff potential function. It is revealed that the formation process for the first layer of the a-GLM initiates from the firstly deposited carbon monomers, dimers, and trimers as growth points, on which Y-shaped long chain is formed, and then the network with pores are developed, and finally the graphene-like layer with six-membered dominated rings appears after repair treatment. The following deposition simulation for more deposited carbon atoms indicates that a second layer like-graphene is more prone to superpose onto the microdomains of the first layer like-graphene until the formation of the island-like bumps, and the concave zone around the bumps will be filled by deposited atoms and modified by defect repair. The growth mechanism for pyrolytic graphite prepared by CVD can be deduced by the simulation inspiration. The optimal deposition temperature of 2400 K is acquired by evaluating the integrity of the first deposited graphene film by statistics of five-to-seven-membered carbon ring number. This study can provide theoretical references for the design of the pyrolytic graphite production process.
To understand the growth mechanism of pyrolytic graphite on ideal graphite substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the process simulated by molecular dynamics is performed.
Sn-doped MnNiFeO4 ceramic with negative temperature coefficient (NTC) was prepared through the low-temperature solid-phase reaction route (LTSPR), aiming at improving the sintering behavior and ...modulating the electrical properties. The experimental results of the ceramic powder precursor indicate that the calcination of the ceramic precursors at above ~300 °C is an exothermic process, which contributes to the transition of the ceramic powder from the amorphous phase into the crystal spinel phase; the spinel phase of ceramic powders can be formed initially at ~450 °C and well-formed at ~750 °C. A high densification of ~98% relative densities and evenly distributed grains within an average size of 2~12 μm for the sintered Sn-doped specimen were obtained. The specific resistance and B-value were notably increased from 12.63 KΩ·cm to ~24.65 KΩ·cm, and from 3438 K to ~3779 K, respectively, with the Sn-doping amount. In contrast, the aging rates of the Sn-doped specimen have not changed markedly larger, waving around ~2.7%. The as-designed Sn-doped MnNiFeO4 can be presented as a candidate for some defined NTC requirements.
V6O13 thin films were deposited on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) conductive glass by a concise low-temperature liquid-phase deposition method and through heat treatment. The obtained films were ...directly used as electrodes without adding any other media. The results indicate that the film annealed at 400 °C exhibited an excellent cycling performance, which remained at 82.7% of capacity after 100 cycles. The film annealed at 400 °C with diffusion coefficients of 6.08 × 10−12 cm2·s−1 (Li+ insertion) and 5.46 × 10−12 cm2·s−1 (Li+ extraction) in the V6O13 film electrode. The high diffusion coefficients could be ascribed to the porous morphology composed of ultrathin nanosheets. Moreover, the film endured phase transitions during electrochemical cycling, the V6O13 partially transformed to Li0.6V1.67O3.67, Li3VO4, and VO2 with the insertion of Li+ into the lattice, and Li0.6V1.67O3.67, Li3VO4, and VO2 partially reversibly transformed backwards to V6O13 with the extraction of Li+ from the lattice. The phase transition can be attributed to the unique structure and morphology with enough active sites and ions diffusion channels during cycles. Such findings reveal a bright idea to prepare high-performance cathode materials for LIBs.
Targeting Nrf2 to treat thyroid cancer Gong, Zhongqin; Xue, Lingbin; Li, Huangcan ...
Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy,
April 2024, 2024-Apr, 2024-04-00, 20240401, 2024-04-01, Volume:
173
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Oxidative stress (OS) is recognized as a contributing factor in the development and progression of thyroid cancer. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a pivotal transcription factor ...involved in against OS generated by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). It governs the expression of a wide array of genes implicated in detoxification and antioxidant pathways. However, studies have demonstrated that the sustained activation of Nrf2 can contribute to tumor progression and drug resistance in cancers. The expression of Nrf2 was notably elevated in papillary thyroid cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, indicating that Nrf2 may play an oncogenic role in the development of papillary thyroid cancer. Nrf2 and its downstream targets are involved in the progression of thyroid cancer by impacting the prognosis and ferroptosis. Furthermore, the inhibition of Nrf2 can increase the sensitivity of target therapy in thyroid cancer. Therefore, Nrf2 appears to be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of thyroid cancer. This review summarized current data on Nrf2 expression in thyroid cancer, discussed the function of Nrf2 in thyroid cancer, and analyzed various strategies to inhibit Nrf2.
Display omitted
•The expression of Nrf2 is elevated in papillary thyroid cancer.•Nrf2 may play an oncogenic role in the development of papillary thyroid cancer.•The Inhibition of Nrf2 can increase the sensitivity of target therapy in thyroid cancer.
Although several cross-sectional studies have shown an association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with nodular thyroid disease, related prospective studies are scarce. This study investigated the ...association of MetS with thyroid nodule (TN) incidence in Chinese adults, and explored whether the development of or recovery from MetS is associated with changes in the risk of developing TNs. A total of 4,749 Chinese aged 18-65 years were involved in this 6-year prospective study. The association of MetS with TN prevalence was examined. TN-free individuals at baseline (
= 3,133) were further examined. TN incidence rates in groups with different MetS statuses (MetS-free, MetS-developed, MetS-recovery and MetS-chronic) were analyzed. Of all participants, 18.21 and 31.65% had MetS and TNs, respectively. MetS patients had a higher TN prevalence than the non-MetS group (31.08 vs. 19.81% in males,
< 0.01; 59.52 vs. 39.59% in females,
< 0.01). Sex, age and MetS were independent risk factors for TNs. At a median follow up of 5.94 years, the MetS-chronic group (4.37/100 person-years) had a higher risk of TNs (adjusted incidence rate ratio IRR = 1.288 95% CI 1.014-1.636) compared with the MetS-free group (2.72/100 person-years) in the whole cohort. In males, the MetS-chronic group (3.76/100 person-years) had a higher risk of TNs (adjusted IRR = 1.367 95% CI 1.017-1.835) compared with the MetS-free group (2.31/100 person-years). In females, the risk of TNs was significantly higher in the MetS-chronic (6.44/100 person-years) and MetS-developed (6.31/100 person-years) groups compared with the MetS-free group (3.23/100 person-years).
A high purity Al
2
O
3
ceramic (HPAOC) metallizing strategy was developed via gradient coating process of metallizing pastes with different ratios of Mo to manganese glass (MnG) contents, to improve ...the wettability and reactivity of metallized layer (ML) to the ceramic substrate and the secondary metallizing layer or sealed metals. Self-made HPAOC samples firstly coated by a layer of metallizing paste with a lower proportion of Mo:MnG and superposed a layer of metallizing paste with a higher proportion of Mo:MnG were fired at 1450°C in hydrogen atmosphere. The crystal phase structure, microstructure and element distribution of the metallized samples wer characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. The results of sealing properties show that the tensile sealing strength of as high as 121MPa and the He leakage rate of as low as 4.2 × 10
−11
Pa.m
3
/s can be obtained of the sealed joints of the as-metallized HPAOC and Kovar.
The incidence of thyroid cancer was predominant in women, indicating that the sex hormone may have a role in thyroid cancer development. Generally, the sex hormone exerts its function by binding to ...the correspondent nuclear receptors. Therefore, aberrant of these receptors may be involved in the development of thyroid cancer. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), two main estrogen receptors, have been reported to have an important role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. When the ERα and ERβ genes undergo the alternative RNA splicing, some ERα and ERβ isoforms with incomplete functional domains may be formed. To date, several isoforms of ERα and ERβ have been identified. However, their expression and roles in thyroid cancer are far from clear. In this review, we summarized the expressions and roles of ERα and ERβ isoforms in thyroid cancer, aiming to provide the perspective of modulating the alternative RNA splicing of ERα and ERβ against thyroid cancer.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders and is featured by complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway using sleep. Conflicting reports ...regarding the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cancer incidence are existing in different studies. The aim of this study is to determine whether OSA is independently associated with incidence of all-type cancers by using the meta-analysis. Medline, Embase, PubMed, Ovid, the Cochrane Library database, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched by two independent reviewers until 31 January 2021. Studies that evaluated OSA and the cancer incidence were included. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Twelve studies, involved 184,915 participants, were pooled in this meta-analysis. Fixed-effects model analysis showed that patients with OSA had an increased risk of cancer incidence (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.39–1.66, P < 0.001). The subgroup analysis showed that the pooled RRs of cancer incidence were 1.14 (95% CI: 1.04–1.25, P = 0.006) for mild OSA, 1.36 (95% CI: 1.32–1.92; P < 0.001) for moderate OSA and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.45–1.74; P < 0.001) for severe OSA, respectively. Patients with moderate and severe OSA were identified to have an increased risk of cancer incidence when compared to patients with mild OSA. In addition, patients with severe OSA also showed an increased risk of incident cancer (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.08–1.28, P < 0.001) when compared to patients with moderate OSA. In conclusion, from most updated literatures, our meta-analysis results indicated that OSA was independently associated with incidence of all-type cancers when stratified the severity of OSA. However, further detailed analysis and clinical studies are warranted to decipher the association between OSA and cancer prevalence.
•Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders.•Patients with Obstructive sleep apnea had an increased risk of cancer incidence.•OSA was independently associated with incidence of all-type cancers when stratified the severity of OSA.
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a frequent respiratory disorder with an estimated prevalence of 3-6% in the general population. However, the underlying pathophysiology of OSA remains ...unclear. Recently, proteomic analysis using high-resolution and high-throughput mass spectrometry has been widely used in the field of medical sciences. In the present study, tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic analysis was performed in the serum of patients with OSA. The proteomic analysis revealed a set of differentially expressed proteins that may be associated with the pathophysiology of OSA. The differentially expressed proteins in patients with OSA were enriched in pathways including phagosome and glycan synthesis/degradation, immune response, and the hedgehog signaling pathway, indicating that such functions are key targets of OSA. Moreover, the experimental validation studies revealed that four proteins including ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, and VNN1 were reduced in the serum from patients with moderate and severe OSA, while MAN1A1 and CSPG4 protein levels were elevated in the serum from patients with severe OSA. The protein levels of ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, and VNN1 were inversely correlated with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in the recruited subjects, while the protein level of MAN1A1 was positively correlated with AHI, and no significant correlation was detected between CSPG4 protein and AHI. In summary, the present study for the first time identified differentially expressed proteins in the serum from OSA patients with different severities by using TMT-based proteomic analysis. The functional enrichment studies suggested that several signaling pathways may be associated with the pathophysiology of OSA. The experimental validation results indicated that six proteins including ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, VNN1, CGPG4, and MAN1A1 may play important roles in the pathophysiology of OSA, which requires further mechanistic investigation.
Display omitted
•ZnS/Cu3P photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal-calcination method.•The yield of (2% ZnS/Cu3P) was 729 μmol/g/h, about 17 times than that of ZnS.•Heterojunctions ...following the I-type mechanism were successfully constructed.•Noble metal-free composites for H2 evolution under visible light illumination.•Migration of charge were beneficial to improve the hydrogen production performance.
Developing an efficient and stable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system is a practical strategy to solve the environmental and energy crisis. Herein, a new noble metal-free I-type ZnS/Cu3P composite was successfully prepared by a hydrothermal-calcination way, and its structure and morphology were characterized. The experimental results demonstrated that the photocatalytic performance of pure ZnS nanoparticles is very weak. However, the addition of Cu3P greatly improved the photocatalytic performance. The yield of the best sample (2% ZnS/Cu3P) was 729 μmol/g/h, about 17 times than that of ZnS. Photocurrent, photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that Cu3P greatly enhanced the charge separation process. The improvement of photocatalytic performance of ZnS/Cu3P is mainly due to the addition of Cu3P nanoparticles, which can not only expand the specific surface area and supply for rich reaction sites, but enhance its photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the possible mechanism is proposed to illustrate the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the ZnS/Cu3P nanocomposite. This research also provides a way for the design and synthesis of new noble-metal-free photocatalysts with good hydrogen production activity.