Tortuosity Engineering of Water Channels to Customized Water Supply for Enhancing Hydrogel Solar Evaporation.

Hydrogel as a solar evaporator shows great potential in freshwater production. However, hydrogels often lead to an imbalance between solar energy input and water supply management due to their excessively high saturated water content. Thus, achieving a stable water-energy-balance in hydrogel evaporators remains challenging. Here, by tortuosity engineering designed water transport channels, a seamless high-tortuosity/low-tortuosity/high-tortuosity structured hydrogel (SHLH structure hydrogel) evaporator is developed, which enables the hydrogel with customized water transport rate, leading to the controlled water supply at the evaporator interface. An excellent equilibrium between the photothermal conversion and water supply is established, and the maximum utilization of solar energy is realized, thereby achieving an excellent evaporation rate of 3.64 kg m-2 h-1 under one solar illumination. This tortuosity engineering controlled SHLH structured evaporator provides a novel strategy to attain water-energy-balance and expands new approaches for constructing hydrogel-based evaporators with tailored water transportation capacity.

Foxp1 suppresses cortical angiogenesis and attenuates HIF-1alpha signaling to promote neural progenitor cell maintenance.

Neural progenitor cells within the cerebral cortex undergo a characteristic switch between symmetric self-renewing cell divisions early in development and asymmetric neurogenic divisions later. Yet, the mechanisms controlling this transition remain unclear. Previous work has shown that early but not late neural progenitor cells (NPCs) endogenously express the autism-linked transcription factor Foxp1, and both loss and gain of Foxp1 function can alter NPC activity and fate choices. Here, we show that premature loss of Foxp1 upregulates transcriptional programs regulating angiogenesis, glycolysis, and cellular responses to hypoxia. These changes coincide with a premature destabilization of HIF-1α, an elevation in HIF-1α target genes, including Vegfa in NPCs, and precocious vascular network development. In vitro experiments demonstrate that stabilization of HIF-1α in Foxp1-deficient NPCs rescues the premature differentiation phenotype and restores NPC maintenance. Our data indicate that the endogenous decline in Foxp1 expression activates the HIF-1α transcriptional program leading to changes in the tissue environment adjacent to NPCs, which, in turn, might alter their self-renewal and neurogenic capacities.

Enabling Self-Adaptive Water-Energy-Balance of Photothermal Water Diode Evaporator: Dynamically Maximizing Energy Utilization Under the Ever-Changing Sunlight.

Maintaining a match between input solar energy and required energy by water supply management is key to achieving efficient interfacial solar-driven evaporation (ISDE). In practice, the solar radiation flux is constantly changing throughout the day, so keeping a dynamic water-energy-balance of ISDE is a big challenge. Herein, a photothermal water diode (WD) evaporator concept is proposed by an integrated hydrophilic/hydrophobic Janus absorber to overcome the issue. Due to the unique unidirectional water transport properties induced by asymmetric wettability, a self-adaptive balance between photothermal energy input and water uptake is established, thus realizing the energy matching and utilization maximization. The experimental and simulation results exhibit that with the increase of sunlight intensity, the water supply speed is significantly accelerated due to the dynamic management and self-regulation on water replenishment. Therefore, an excellent evaporation rate of up to 2.14 kg m-2 h-1 with a high efficiency of 93.7% under 1 sun illumination is achieved. This water diode engineering with Janus wettability provides a novel strategy and extends the path for designing solar evaporation systems with diverse water supply properties, which shows great potential in different environmental conditions.

Superhydrophilic Interconnected Biomass-Based Absorbers Toward High-Speed Evaporation for Solar Steam Generation.

Taking abundant and sustainable solar energy as the only energy source, solar-powered interface evaporation has been regarded as a promising method to alleviate the pressure of freshwater shortage. However, the uptake of clean water from brine is constantly accompanied by evaporation of water and condensation of vapor, which inevitably generates salt solid, preventing further continuous and stable evaporation. The most direct method is to fabricate a photothermal material with salt self-resistance by using the reflux of salt ions. Here, a superhydrophilic interconnected biomass carbon absorber (SBCA) is prepared by freeze-drying and carbonization, realizing strong liquid pumping, and self-blocking salt. In combination with superior broadband light absorption (94.91%), high porosity (95.9%), superhydrophilicity, and excellent thermal localization, an evaporation device with excellent evaporation rate (2.45 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 kW m-2) is successfully proposed. In the meantime, the porous skeleton and rapid water transport can enhance the diffusion of salt ions and slow down the rate of salt deposition. As a result, no salt deposition is found on the SBCA surface after continuous irradiation at 1 kW m-2 for 15 h. The design can provide a convenient and low-cost efficient strategy for solar steam generators to address clean water acquisition.

Template-free scalable growth of vertically-aligned MoS2 nanowire array meta-structural films towards robust superlubricity.

Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide exhibits a variety of intriguing behaviors depending on its orientation layers. Therefore, developing a template-free atomic layer orientation controllable growth approach is of great importance. Here, we demonstrate scalable, template-free, well-ordered vertically-oriented MoS2 nanowire arrays (VO-MoS2 NWAs) embedded in an Ag-MoS2 matrix, directly grown on various substrates (Si, Al, and stainless steel) via one-step sputtering. In the meta-structured film, vertically-standing few-layered MoS2 NWAs of almost micron length (∼720 nm) throughout the entire film bulk. While near the surface, MoS2 lamellae are oriented in parallel, which are beneficial for caging the bonds dangling from the basal planes. Owing to the unique T-type topological characteristics, chemically inert Ag@MoS2 nano-scrolls (NSCs) and nano-crystalline Ag (nc-Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) are in situ formed under the sliding shear force. Thus, incommensurate contact between (002) basal planes and nc-Ag NPs is observed. As a result, robust superlubricity (friction coefficient µ = 0.0039) under humid ambient conditions is reached. This study offers an unprecedented strategy for controlling the basal plane orientation of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) via substrate independence, using a one-step solution-free easily scalable process without the need for a template, which promotes the potential applications of 2D TMDCs in solid superlubricity.

Water Activation in Solar-Powered Vapor Generation.

Solar-powered vapor evaporation (SVG), based on the liquid-gas phase conversion concept using solar energy, has been given close attention as a promising technology to address the global water shortage. At molecular level, water molecules escaping from liquid water should overcome the attraction of the molecules on the liquid surface layer to evaporate. For this reason, it is better to reduce the energy required for evaporation by breaking a smaller number of hydrogen bonds or forming weak hydrogen bonds to ensure efficient and convenient vapor production. Many novel evaporator materials and effective water activation strategies have been proposed to stimulate rapid steam production and surpass the theoretical thermal limit. However, an in-depth understanding of the phase/enthalpy change process of water evaporation is unclear. In this review, a summary of theoretical analyses of vaporization enthalpy, general calculations, and characterization methods is provided. Various water activation mechanisms are also outlined to reduce evaporation enthalpy in evaporators. Moreover, unsolved issues associated with water activation are critically discussed to provide a direction for future research. Meanwhile, significant pioneering developments made in SVG are highlighted, hoping to provide a relatively entire chain for more scholars who are just stepping into this field.

Clinical profile and prognosis of elderly patients with left ventricular thrombus after anticoagulation.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary data regarding the clinical characteristics and prognosis of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) in older adults (aged ≥ 65 years old) are lacking. In this study, we characterized elderly patients with LVT (aged ≥ 65 years old) and investigated the long-term prognosis in this highly vulnerable patient population. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2022. Patients with a reported LVT were assessed primarily by transthoracic echocardiography (TEE) and classified into two groups: elderly LVT groups and younger LVT groups. All patients were treated with anticoagulant treatment. Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) was defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, systemic embolism, and rehospitalization for cardiovascular events. Survival analyses were performed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional-hazard model. RESULTS: A total of 315 eligible patients were included. Compared to the younger LVT group (n = 171), the elderly LVT group (n = 144) had a lower proportion of males and lower serum creatinine clearance, as well as a higher level of NT-proBNP, and a higher rate of history of systemic embolism. LVT resolution occurred in 59.7% and 69.0% of patients in the elderly LVT group and younger LVT group, respectively, with no significant difference (adjusted HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.74-1.28; P = 0.836). Yet, elderly patients with LVT, had higher prevalence rates of MACE (adjusted HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.10-2.11; P = 0.012), systemic embolism (adjusted HR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.20-6.59; P = 0.017) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.29-3.74; P = 0.004) compared with younger patients with LVT. After adjusting for mortality in the Fine-Gray model, similar results were observed. Additionally, patients treated with different anticoagulation therapies (DOACs vs. warfarin) achieved a similar improvement in prognosis (P > 0.05) or LVT resolution (P > 0.05) in elderly patients with LVT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results found that elderly patients experiencing LVT have a poor prognosis compared with the younger ones. Clinical prognosis in elderly patients did not significantly differ with the type of anticoagulant used. With aging societies worldwide, further evidence of antithrombotic therapy in elderly individuals with LVT is necessary.

Tuning the Electrical Conductivity of a Flexible Fabric-Based Cu-HHTP Film through a Novel Redox Interaction between the Guest-Host System.

Integration of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and flexible fabrics has been recently considered as a promising strategy applied in wearable electronic devices. We synthesized a flexible fabric-based Cu-HHTP film consisted of Cu2+ ions and 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene (HHTP) via a self-sacrificial template method. The obtained Cu-HHTP film displays an outstanding nanostructured surface and uniformity. Iodine molecules are first introduced into the pores of Cu-HHTP to investigate the influence of guest molecules on electrical conductivity in a 2D guest-host system. After doping, the conductivity of the Cu-HHTP film shows an increased dependent on the doping time, and the maximum value is more than 30 times that of the original MOFs. The enhanced electrical conductivity results from an intriguing redox interaction occurred between the confined iodine molecules and the framework. The organic ligands are oxidized by iodine molecules, and generating new ions allows for subsequent participation in the regulation of the mixed valence bands of copper ions in MOFs, changing the ratio of Cu2+/Cu+, promoting the charge transport of the framework, and then synergistically enhancing the electronic conductivity. This study successfully prepared a flexible fabric-based conductive I2@Cu-HHTP film and presented insights into revealing the behavior of iodine molecules after entering the Cu-HHTP pores, expanding the possibilities of Cu-HHTP used in flexible wearable electronics.

The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Methods: We searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from their inception to 1 April 2022. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx), Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and adverse events were the outcome measures. All studies had at least one of these outcome measures. Mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed in the meta-analysis using the RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Five studies were included in the analysis. The results showed that acupuncture and placebo acupuncture were not significantly different in reducing chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity and functional disability (random-effects estimates; MD: 4.30; 95% CI: -0.85~9.45; P = 0.10; I2 = 74%). Acupuncture was better than placebo acupuncture in reducing pain severity and pain interference with patients' daily function (fixed-effect estimates; MD: -1.14; 95% CI: 1.87 to -0.42; P = 0.002; I2 = 13%). Acupuncture was not significantly different from placebo acupuncture in relieving CIPN symptoms (MD: -0.81; 95% CI: -2.02 to 0.40, P = 0.19). Acupuncture improved quality of life better than placebo acupuncture (MD: 10.10; 95% CI: 12.34 to 17.86, P = 0.01). No severe adverse events were recorded in all five studies. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture may be more effective and safer in reducing pain severity and pain interference with patients' daily function than placebo acupuncture. Additionally, acupuncture may improve the quality of life of patients with CIPN. However, large sample size studies are needed to confirm this conclusion. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=324930, identifier: CRD42022324930.

Adult-onset Niemann-Pick disease type C masquerading as spinocerebellar ataxia.

BACKGROUND: Adult-onset Nieman-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare progressive ataxia caused by lysosomal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol resulting in severe disability and death. The diagnosis of NPC can be challenging as clinical features overlap with other more common hereditary ataxias. This study pursued the molecular genetic basis of adult-onset cerebellar ataxia manifesting in two siblings. A prior diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) based on an ataxia gene panel was questioned when the younger sibling developed similar symptoms but had discordant genetic results. METHODS: Neurologic examination, whole exome sequence (WES), targeted sequence to establish genome phasing, and cytochemical and biochemical studies of fibroblast cultures were employed. RESULTS: The pedigree and neurological examinations suggested a recessive or possibly dominant cerebellar ataxia. WES showed the siblings were both compound heterozygous for two rare variants in the NPC1 gene-one pathogenic, stop gain at p.Arg934Ter (NM_000271.4), and a missense change, p.Pro471Leu (NM_000271.4), of uncertain significance. Filipin staining of fibroblast cultures showed lysosomal cholesterol accumulation and biochemical assay demonstrated impaired cholesterol esterification. CONCLUSIONS: The study established the correct molecular diagnosis of biallelic, adult-onset NPC in a patient initially diagnosed with SCA. Additionally, the p.Pro471Leu variant was identified as likely pathogenic. Inaccurate molecular diagnosis will deprive NPC patients of treatment options. Investigation using WES is justified when a detected expansion size is in the borderline range for pathogenicity.

Prognosis and New Predictors of Early Left-Ventricular Thrombus Following ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: In the current era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), the prognosis of the left ventricular thrombus (LVT) is not well assessed. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, single-center study of 1305 consecutive ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with PPCI. During a mean period of 27 months of follow-up, the major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence of LVT (n = 47) was 3.60%. The independent risk factors of LVT included anterior STEMI, left ventricular (LV) aneurysm, reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF), dilated LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), and delayed door-to-balloon time (DTBT). During follow-up, LVT was an independent risk factor for MACCE [hazard ratio (HR)=3.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.23-3.38; P < 0.01]. Patients with LVT were more likely to have the following complications: heart failure (P < 0.001), embolic events (P = 0.034), and all-cause mortality (P = 0.020). Notably, the regression of LVT was not independently associated with those three adverse events (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the era of PPCI, the presence of early LVT following STEMI was associated with adverse events. Furthermore, the prognosis of patients with LVT did not improve even if the LVT regressed. LVT was likely a generalized indicator of impaired cardiac performance, rather than the cause. This indicated that prophylactic therapy and identifying individuals with a high risk of developing LVT were of substantial importance.

Botulinum Toxin Type A for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) has been proposed as a treatment for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect and safety of BTX-A for treating DPN pain. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles published up to July 7, 2021. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included if they were related to the treatment of DPN pain with BTX-A. The primary outcome was the change in intensity of pain and secondary outcomes were adverse effects and changes in sleep and life quality. RESULTS: A total of four studies, comprising 231 patients, were included in our systematic review. BTX-A treatment induced a greater reduction in the visual analog scale score (mean difference = -2.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-3.06, -1.99], p < 0.001) than did the placebo treatment, with no significant heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 0). BTX-A treatment improved several neuropathy pain scale items (eg, hot sensation, sensitive sensation, unpleasant sensation, deep pain, and surface pain) significantly more than with placebo treatment (p < 0.05 for all). There was no significant difference in adverse effect (relative risk = 1.00, 95% CI [0.97, 1.03], p = 0.89). CONCLUSION: Intradermal BTX-A injection was shown to be effective and safe in relieving DPN pain. Further larger scale and well-designed RCTs are needed.

Universal Strategy to Prepare a Flexible Photothermal Absorber Based on Hierarchical Fe-MOF-74 toward Highly Efficient Solar Interfacial Seawater Desalination.

Solar-driven interfacial steam generation (SDISG), as an emerging green and renewable approach to overcome water shortage, is very suitable for remote locations, developing countries, and disaster zones because it does not require an additional energy supply. However, the traditional metal-based and carbon-based absorbers always suffered from fragility (or rigidity) and the complex preparation process, which dramatically inhibited their transportation and installation in areas with poor infrastructure. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a universal method to fabricate flexible solar evaporators. Herein, a novel solar evaporator that integrates a flexible matrix (Cu mesh or textile) and a hierarchical Fe-MOF-74 photothermal absorber component is perfectly prepared for the rapid and efficient SDISG. Notably, the results show that Fe-MOF-74-based flexible textile matrix composites exhibit outstanding light absorption (83.81%), low thermal conductivity (0.1730 W/m K), super hydrophilic properties (within 50 ms, the contact angle is close to 0°), excellent salt resistance, high evaporation rate (1.35 kg/m2 h), and photothermal conversion efficiency (η is 81.5% under one sun, stable for 30 days). Owing to the flexibility, recyclability, and above-mentioned excellent performance, the prepared hierarchical Fe-MOF-74-based flexible composite systems are more practical for transportation, large-scale production, and stable and efficient applications. As a result, this work offers new insight into the future development of the combination of a MOF-based photothermal absorber and flexible substrates, as well as for the application of interfacial solar seawater desalination, and provides a new reference for other applications.

Highly Dispersed CoNi Alloy Embedded in N-doped Graphitic Carbon for Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Biomass-derived Furfural.

The development of efficient, stable, and cost-effective heterogeneous catalysts for catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of biomass-derived furfural (FAL) is highly desired. Herein, series of N-doped graphitic carbon embedded CoNi bimetallic alloy nanoparticles were fabricated and used for the CTH of FAL to value-added furfuryl alcohol (FOL) with renewable isopropanol as hydrogen donor. Intrinsic catalytic activity examination indicated the catalytic performance of Nix Coy @NGC (x:y=1 : 3, 1 : 1, 3 : 1) nanocatalysts were sensitive to their chemical compositions. The optimal Ni1 Co1 @NGC nanocatalyst with Ni/Co mole ratio of 1 : 1 afforded a largest FOL yield of 89.3% with nearly full conversion of FAL. The synergistic effect enabled by bimetallic alloys and the abundant N-based Lewis base sites and surface Co-N active species were revealed based on systematic structural characterization, responsible for the excellent catalytic efficiency of bimetallic Ni1 Co1 @NGC nanocatalyst for CTH of FAL.

Prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and poor prognostics in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who receive intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) remains controversial. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between the NLR and poor prognosis after IVT. Furthermore, we aimed to determine whether the NLR at admission or post-IVT plays a role in AIS patients who received IVT. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for relevant articles until October 7, 2020. Cohort and case-control studies were included if they were related to the NLR in AIS patients treated with IVT. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were pooled to estimate the relationship between NLR and poor prognosis after IVT. A random effects model was used to calculate the pooled data. RESULTS: Twelve studies, including 3641 patients, met the predefined inclusion criteria. Higher NLRs were associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) (OR = 1.33, 95 % CI = 1.14-1.56, P < 0.001) and a poor 3-month functional outcome (OR = 1.64, 95 % CI = 1.38-1.94, P < 0.001) in AIS patients who received IVT. Subgroup analysis suggested that the NLR at admission rather than post-IVT was associated with a higher risk of HT (OR = 1.33, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.75, P = 0.039). There was no statistically significant difference between higher NLRs and 3-month mortality (OR = 1.14, 95 % CI = 0.97-1.35, P = 0.120). CONCLUSIONS: A high NLR can predict HT and poor 3-month functional outcomes in AIS patients who receive IVT. The NLR at admission rather than the post-IVT NLR was an independent risk factor for an increased risk of HT after IVT.

Value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in the prediction of left ventricular thrombus in anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction with left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The predictors of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) formation are not well defined in the contemporary era, especially in those patients at high risk. We aimed to evaluate whether the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is valuable in the determination of LVT formation in patients with anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. METHODS: The LVT group (n = 46) was identified from anterior STEMI patients with LV dysfunction who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January 2017 to December 2019 at the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University. The no-LVT group (n = 92) were also selected from the same batch of patients and were age- and sex-matched to the patients with LVT. The PLR was determined at admission and was calculated as the ratio of the platelet count to the lymphocyte count using the complete blood count. The presence of LVT was determined by echocardiography. RESULTS: The PLR were significantly higher in patients with LVT than in no-LVT group (p = 0.001). In a receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, using a cut-off value of 118.07 (AUC 0.673, 95% CI: 0.574-0.771, P = 0.001), the PLR could independently predict the occurrence of LVT. Multivariate analysis showed that an increased PLR (OR = 1.011, 95% CI: 1.004-1.018, P = 0.002), the presence of a left ventricular aneurysm (OR = 46.350, 95% CI: 5.659-379.615, P < 0.001) and increased DTBT (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.001-1.009, P = 0.012) were independent predictors of LVT formation. CONCLUSIONS: In acute anterior STEMI patients with LV dysfunction, an increased PLR and DTBT and the presence of an LV aneurysm were independent predictors of LVT formation. A larger prospective study is warranted to evaluate this result. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered (May 4, 2019) on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( ChiCTR-DDD-17011214 ).

Ultra-low friction mechanism of highly sp3-hybridized amorphous carbon controlled by interfacial molecule adsorption.

The friction behaviors of highly sp3-hybridized carbon films, including ultra-nanocrystalline diamond and diamond-like carbon materials, strongly depend on the atmosphere. However, the roles of the corresponding molecules in the interfacial bonding characteristics remain a subject of debate. By means of density functional theory calculations, this study aims to fill a knowledge gap about the correlation between the evolving contact quality induced by the adsorption of molecules, and the friction behavior of highly sp3-bonded carbons. The results prove that gas-solid adsorption is responsible for the diversity in friction coefficients of ultra-nanocrystalline diamond and diamond-like carbons in different atmospheres. This study emphasizes the role of terminal states in friction coefficients, and demonstrates that electron lubrication is another available strategy for hydrogenated diamond-like carbons to achieve ultra-low friction. This conclusion is validated by the ultra-low friction coefficient (∼0.009) of hydrogenated diamond-like carbons in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. These findings provide atomic scale descriptions of the surface passivation mechanisms for ultra-nanocrystalline diamond and diamond-like carbons, which contribute to our understanding of their macro-scale friction behaviors.

Centrosomal protein Dzip1l binds Cby, promotes ciliary bud formation, and acts redundantly with Bromi to regulate ciliogenesis in the mouse.

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based organelle required for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling and consists of a basal body, a ciliary axoneme and a compartment between the first two structures, called the transition zone (TZ). The TZ serves as a gatekeeper to control protein composition in cilia, but less is known about its role in ciliary bud formation. Here, we show that centrosomal protein Dzip1l is required for Hh signaling between Smoothened and Sufu. Dzip1l colocalizes with basal body appendage proteins and Rpgrip1l, a TZ protein. Loss of Dzip1l results in reduced ciliogenesis and dysmorphic cilia in vivo Dzip1l interacts with, and acts upstream of, Cby, an appendage protein, in ciliogenesis. Dzip1l also has overlapping functions with Bromi (Tbc1d32) in ciliogenesis, cilia morphogenesis and neural tube patterning. Loss of Dzip1l arrests ciliogenesis at the stage of ciliary bud formation from the TZ. Consistent with this, Dzip1l mutant cells fail to remove the capping protein Cp110 (Ccp110) from the distal end of mother centrioles and to recruit Rpgrip1l to the TZ. Therefore, Dzip1l promotes ciliary bud formation and is required for the integrity of the TZ.

In situ atomic-scale observation of irradiation induced carbon nanocrystalline formation from dense carbon clusters.

We present a direct observation of the transformation of dense amorphous carbon clusters into diamond nanocrystalline under electron beam irradiation by in situ transmission electron microscopy, where the surrounding carbon matrix did not significantly change. Our findings provide clear and convincing evidence for the diamond nanocrystalline evolving from energetic amorphous carbon sites. Furthermore, graphitization of amorphous carbons usually demands a high temperature combined with high pressure. Hence, graphitization of amorphous carbons at relatively low temperatures is highly desired. Here we offer a useful method for catalyst-free graphitization of amorphous carbons by employing moderate electron beam irradiation, without external heating being applied.

Self-Organization of Amorphous Carbon Nanocapsules into Diamond Nanocrystals Driven by Self-Nanoscopic Excessive Pressure under Moderate Electron Irradiation without External Heating.

Phase transformation between carbon allotropes usually requires high pressures and high temperatures. Thus, the development of low-temperature phase transition approaches between carbon allotropes is highly desired. Herein, novel amorphous carbon nanocapsules are successfully synthesized by pulsed plasma glow discharge. These nanocapsules are comprised of highly strained carbon clusters encapsulated in a fullerene-like carbon matrix, with the formers serving as nucleation sites. These nucleation sites favored the formation of a diamond unit cell driven by the self-nanoscopic local excessive pressure, thereby significantly decreasing the temperature required for its transformation into a diamond nanocrystal. Under moderate electron beam irradiation (10-20 A cm-2 ) without external heating, self-organization of the energetic carbon clusters into diamond nanocrystals is achieved, whereas the surrounding fullerene-like carbon matrix remains nearly unchanged. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the defective rings as the active sites dominate the phase transition of amorphous carbon to diamond nanocrystal. The findings may open a promising route to realize phase transformation between carbon allotropes at a lower temperature.