Stress-induced ordering evolution of 1D segmented heteronanostructures and their chemical post-transformations.

Investigations of one-dimensional segmented heteronanostructures (1D-SHs) have recently attracted much attention due to their potentials for applications resulting from their structure and synergistic effects between compositions and interfaces. Unfortunately, developing a simple, versatile and controlled synthetic method to fabricate 1D-SHs is still a challenge. Here we demonstrate a stress-induced axial ordering mechanism to describe the synthesis of 1D-SHs by a general under-stoichiometric reaction strategy. Using the continuum phase-field simulations, we elaborate a three-stage evolution process of the regular segment alternations. This strategy, accompanied by easy chemical post-transformations, enables to synthesize 25 1D-SHs, including 17 nanowire-nanowire and 8 nanowire-nanotube nanostructures with 13 elements (Ag, Te, Cu, Pt, Pb, Cd, Sb, Se, Bi, Rh, Ir, Ru, Zn) involved. This ordering evolution-driven synthesis will help to investigate the ordering reconstruction and potential applications of 1D-SHs.

Cellular angiofibroma arising from the rectocutaneous fistula in an adult: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Rectocutaneous fistulae are common. The infection originates within the anal glands and subsequently extends into adjacent regions, ultimately resulting in fistula development. Cellular angiofibroma (CAF), also known as an angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumor, is a rare benign soft tissue neoplasm predominantly observed in the scrotum, perineum, and inguinal area in males and in the vulva in females. We describe the first documented case CAF that developed within a rectocutaneous fistula and manifested as a perineal mass. CASE SUMMARY: In the outpatient setting, a 52-year-old male patient presented with a 2-year history of a growing perineal mass, accompanied by throbbing pain and minor scrotal abrasion. Physical examination revealed a soft, well-defined, non-tender mass at the left buttock that extended towards the perineum, without a visible opening. The initial assessment identified a soft tissue tumor, and the laboratory data were within normal ranges. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed swelling of the abscess cavity that was linked to a rectal cutaneous fistula, with a track-like lesion measuring 6 cm × 0.7 cm in the left perineal region and attached to the left rectum. Rectoscope examination found no significant inner orifices. A left medial gluteal incision revealed a thick-walled mass, which was excised along with the extending tract, and curettage was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed CAF diagnosis. The patient achieved total resolution during follow-up assessments and did not require additional hospitalization. CONCLUSION: CT imaging supports perineal lesion diagnosis and management. Perineal angiofibromas, even with a cutaneous fistula, can be excised transperineally.

Adrenal insufficiency following cerebellar intracranial hemorrhage: a case report.

This report presents a case of a previously healthy 58 years-old man who had suffered from persistent weakness and dizziness after a cerebellar intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Endocrine function tests revealed low levels of plasma cortisol (3.05 µg/dL; normal range: 5-25 µg/dL) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (6.0 pg/mL; normal range: 10-60 pg/mL). The subsequent ACTH stimulation test suggested partial or recent hypopituitarism, resulting in adrenal gland atrophy and a subnormal cortisol response. Ultimately, the dizziness was found to be caused by undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency, which was detected when a hypotensive fainting incident occurred during rehabilitation. The symptoms improved significantly with oral prednisone supplementation. Notably, the duration of impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may last as long as a year. This case highlights that adrenal insufficiency can easily be overlooked since its symptoms are similar to those commonly seen with cerebellar stroke alone. Physicians must be aware of the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency in patients with brain insults and conduct the appropriate endocrine tests to clarify the underlying comorbidity.

Negative Association of Serum ß-Cryptoxanthin With Benzene and Its Derivatives.

OBJECTIVE: Benzene is widely recognized as a potential carcinogen. Furthermore, the deficiency of specific nutrients may render individuals more vulnerable to cancer. For instance, ß-cryptoxanthin, which possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, has been identified as one such nutrient. Elevated benzene levels and reduced ß-cryptoxanthin levels are reportedly correlated with an augmented susceptibility to cancer. To date, whether these 2 substances are linked with one another in the above correlation is yet to be determined. METHOD: This study included 1358 participants with data on the serum concentration of ß-cryptoxanthin as well as benzene and its derivatives. The data were sourced from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the noninstitutionalized US population. Headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was used to measure serum benzene and its derivatives, while high-performance liquid chromatography using multiwavelength photodiode-array absorbance detection was employed to quantify serum ß-cryptoxanthin. RESULTS: In this study, male and female participants showed average ß-cryptoxanthin levels of 9.10 ± 6.35 and 9.92 ± 8.95 ug/dL, respectively (p = 0.049). Styrene exhibited the strongest correlation with the change in ß-cryptoxanthin concentration (ß = -3.30, p for trend <0.001) upon comparing highest-quartile participants with those in the lowest quartile, followed by benzene (ß = -2.95, p for trend <0.001), toluene (ß = -2.90, p for trend <0.001), and ethylbenzene (ß = -1.43, p for trend = 0.09). Subgroup analysis by sex displayed a statistically significant negative correlation of ß-cryptoxanthin with benzene, styrene, and toluene in both the unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: The sera of noninstitutionalized US individuals exhibit a negative association of ß-cryptoxanthin levels with benzene and its derivatives. Styrene demonstrates the strongest link with a substantial decline in serum ß-cryptoxanthin levels, followed by benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene.

Extremely fast-charging lithium ion battery enabled by dual-gradient structure design.

Extremely fast-charging lithium-ion batteries are highly desirable to shorten the recharging time for electric vehicles, but it is hampered by the poor rate capability of graphite anodes. Here, we present a previously unreported particle size and electrode porosity dual-gradient structure design in the graphite anode for achieving extremely fast-charging lithium ion battery under strict electrode conditions. We develop a polymer binder-free slurry route to construct this previously unreported type particle size-porosity dual-gradient structure in the practical graphite anode showing the extremely fast-charging capability with 60% of recharge in 10 min. On the basis of dual-gradient graphite anode, we demonstrate extremely fast-charging lithium ion battery realizing 60% recharge in 6 min and high volumetric energy density of 701 Wh liter-1 at the high charging rate of 6 C.

Para-Hydroxybenzyl Alcohol Delays the Progression of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Models of Caenorhabditis elegans through Activating Multiple Cellular Protective Pathways.

The traditional Chinese medicine Gastrodia elata (commonly called "Tianma" in Chinese) has been widely used in the treatment of rheumatism, epilepsy, paralysis, headache, and dizziness. Phenolic compounds, such as gastrodin, para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and vanillin are the main bioactive components isolated from Gastrodia elata. These compounds not only are structurally related but also share similar pharmacological activities, such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, and effects on the treatment of aging-related diseases. Here, we investigated the effect of para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) on neurodegenerative diseases and aging in models of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our results showed that HBA effectively delayed the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease in models of C. elegans. In addition, HBA could increase the average lifespan of N2 worms by more than 25% and significantly improve the age-related physiological functions of worms. Moreover, HBA improved the survival rate of worms under stresses of oxidation, heat, and pathogenic bacteria. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that HBA could activate FOXO/DAF-16 and SKN-1 to regulate antioxidative and xenobiotic metabolism pathway. HBA could also activate HSF-1 to regulate proteostasis maintenance pathway, mitochondrial unfolded stress response, endoplasmic stress response and autophagy pathways. The above results suggest that HBA activated multiple cellular protective pathways to increase stress resistance and protect against aging and aging-related diseases. Overall, our study indicates that HBA is a potential candidate for future development of antiaging pharmaceutical application.

Inositol polyphosphate multikinase IPMK-1 regulates development through IP3/calcium signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK) is a conserved protein that initiates the production of inositol phosphate intracellular messengers and is critical for regulating a variety of cellular processes. Here, we report that the C. elegans IPMK-1, which is homologous to the mammalian inositol polyphosphate multikinase, plays a crucial role in regulating rhythmic behavior and development. The deletion mutant ipmk-1(tm2687) displays a long defecation cycle period and retarded postembryonic growth. The expression of functional ipmk-1::GFP was detected in the pharyngeal muscles, amphid sheath cells, the intestine, excretory (canal) cells, proximal gonad, and spermatheca. The expression of IPMK-1 in the intestine was sufficient for the wild-type phenotype. The IP3-kinase activity of IPMK-1 is required for defecation rhythms and postembryonic development. The defective phenotypes of ipmk-1(tm2687) could be rescued by a loss-of-function mutation in type I inositol 5-phosphatase homolog (IPP-5) and improved by a supplemental Ca2+ in the medium. Our work demonstrates that IPMK-1 and the signaling molecule inositol triphosphate (IP3) pathway modulate rhythmic behaviors and development by dynamically regulating the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ in C. elegans. Advances in understanding the molecular regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis and regulation of organism development may lead to therapeutic strategies that modulate Ca2+ signaling to enhance function and counteract disease processes. Unraveling the physiological role of IPMK and the underlying functional mechanism in C. elegans would contribute to understanding the role of IPMK in other species, especially in mammals, and benefit further research on the involvement of IPMK in disease.

Clinical Relevance of Serum Selenium Levels and Abdominal Aortic Calcification.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient with antioxidative properties, but previous studies have shown that extremely high circulating Se concentrations are associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). To date, it remains unknown whether this association has connections with arterial calcification. A total of 982 participants with both serum Se concentration and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) score data were enrolled from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional study of a noninstitutionalized population in the USA. Serum Se levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-dynamic reaction cell-mass spectrometry. AAC was obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantified by the Kauppila score system. Severe AAC was defined as Kauppila score ≥ 5. Among all participants, the mean serum Se level was 132.89 µg/L. The average AAC score was 1.51, and 11.7% had severe AAC. Compared with those in the lowest quartile of Se (< 121.1 µg/L), the highest quartile subgroup (> 143.1 µg/L) was associated with a higher mean AAC score (ß-coefficient 0.88; 95% CI 0.28, 1.47; p = 0.004) and greater odds of having severe AAC (odds ratio 2.19; 95% CI 1.10, 4.36; p = 0.026) after adjusting for demographic, biochemical, and clinical characteristics. The concentrations of other circulating trace elements showed no statistically significant association with the AAC score. High serum Se levels were independently associated with an increased mean AAC score and aggravated AAC severity among noninstitutionalized US adults. Serum Se might adversely affect the cardiovascular system when the serum Se concentration exceeds 143 µg/L.

Real-Time Visualization of Solid-Phase Ion Migration Kinetics on Nanowire Monolayer.

Ion migration has been recognized as a critical step in determining the performance of numerous devices in chemistry, biology, and material science. However, direct visualization and quantitative investigation of solid-phase ion migration among anisotropic nanostructures have been a challenging task. Here, we report an in-situ ChemTEM method to quantitatively investigate the solid-phase ion migration process among coassembled nanowires (NWs). This complicated process was tracked within a NW and between NWs with an obvious nanogap, which was revealed by both phase field simulation and ab initio modeling theoretical evaluation. A migration "bridge" between neighboring NWs was observed. Furthermore, these new observations could be applied to migration of other metal ions on semiconductor NWs. These findings provide critical insights into the solid-phase ion migration kinetics occurring in nanoscale systems with generality and offer an efficient tool to explore other ion migration processes, which will facilitate fabrication of customized and new heteronanostructures in the future.

Diatomite derived hierarchical hybrid anode for high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Lithium metal based anode with hierarchical structure to enable high rate capability, volume change accommodation, and dendritic suppression is highly desirable for all-solid-state lithium metal battery. However, the fabrication of hierarchical lithium metal based anode is challenging due to the volatility of lithium. Here, we report that natural diatomite can act as an excellent template for constructing hierarchical silicon-lithium based hybrid anode for high performance all-solid-state lithium metal battery. This hybrid anode exhibits stable lithium stripping/plating performance over 1000 h with average overpotential lower than 100 mV without any short circuit. Moreover, all-solid-state full cell using this lithium metal composite anode to couple with lithium iron phosphate cathode shows excellent cycling stability (0.04% capacity decay rate for 500 cycles at 0.5C) and high rate capability (65 mAh g-1 at 5C). The present natural diatomite derived hybrid anode could further promote the fabrication of high performance all-solid-state lithium batteries from sustainable natural resources.

Bio-inspired low-tortuosity carbon host for high-performance lithium-metal anode.

Lithium metal is one of the most promising anode materials for high-energy-density Li batteries. However, low stability caused by dendrite growth and volume change during cycling hinders its practical application. Herein, we report an ingenious design of bio-inspired low-tortuosity carbon with tunable vertical micro-channels to be used as a host to incorporate nanosized Sn/Ni alloy nucleation sites, which can guide Li metal's plating/stripping and meanwhile accommodate the volume change. The pore sizes of the vertical channels of the carbon host can be regulated to investigate the structure-performance correlation. After compositing Li, the bio-inspired carbon host with the smallest pore size (∼14 µm) of vertical channels exhibits the lowest overpotential (∼18 mV at 1 mA cm-2), most stable tripping/plating voltage profiles, and best cycling stability (up to 500 cycles) in symmetrical cells. Notably, the carbon/Li composite anode is more rewarding than Li foil when coupled with LiFePO4 in full cells, exhibiting a much lower polarization effect, better rate capability and higher capacity retention (90.6% after 120 cycles). This novel bio-inspired design of a low-tortuosity carbon host with nanoalloy coatings may open a new avenue for fabricating advanced Li-metal batteries with high performance.

Bioinspired polymeric woods.

Woods provide bioinspiration for engineering materials due to their superior mechanical performance. We demonstrate a novel strategy for large-scale fabrication of a family of bioinspired polymeric woods with similar polyphenol matrix materials, wood-like cellular microstructures, and outstanding comprehensive performance by a self-assembly and thermocuring process of traditional resins. In contrast to natural woods, polymeric woods demonstrate comparable mechanical properties (a compressive yield strength of up to 45 MPa), preferable corrosion resistance to acid with no decrease in mechanical properties, and much better thermal insulation (as low as ~21 mW m-1 K-1) and fire retardancy. These bioinspired polymeric woods even stand out from other engineering materials such as cellular ceramic materials and aerogel-like materials in terms of specific strength and thermal insulation properties. The present strategy provides a new possibility for mass production of a series of high-performance biomimetic engineering materials with hierarchical cellular microstructures and remarkable multifunctionality.

Wood-Inspired High-Performance Ultrathick Bulk Battery Electrodes.

Ultrathick electrode design is a promising strategy to enhance the specific energy of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) without changing the underlying materials chemistry. However, the low Li-ion conductivity caused by ultralong Li-ion transport pathway in traditional random microstructured electrode heavily deteriorates the rate performance of ultrathick electrodes. Herein, inspired by the vertical microchannels in natural wood as the highway for water transport, the microstructures of wood are successfully duplicated into ultrathick bulk LiCoO2 (LCO) cathode via a sol-gel process to achieve the high areal capacity and excellent rate capability. The X-ray-based microtomography demonstrates that the uniform microchannels are built up throughout the whole wood-templated LCO cathode bringing in 1.5 times lower of tortuosity and ≈2 times higher of Li-ion conductivity compared to that of random structured LCO cathode. The fabricated wood-inspired LCO cathode delivers high areal capacity up to 22.7 mAh cm-2 (five times of the existing electrode) and achieves the dynamic stress test at such high areal capacity for the first time. The reported wood-inspired design will open a new avenue to adopt natural hierarchical structures to improve the performance of LIBs.