The effects of antihypertensive drugs on glucose metabolism.

Abnormal glucose metabolism is a common disease of the endocrine system. The effects of drugs on glucose metabolism have been reported frequently in recent years, and since abnormal glucose metabolism increases the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications, metabolic disorders, and infection, clinicians need to pay close attention to these effects. A variety of common drugs can affect glucose metabolism and have different mechanisms of action. Hypertension is a common chronic cardiovascular disease that requires long-term medication. Studies have shown that various antihypertensive drugs also have an impact on glucose metabolism. Among them, α-receptor blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers can improve insulin resistance, while ß-receptor blockers, thiazides and loop diuretics can impair glucose metabolism. The aim of this review was to discuss the mechanisms underlying the effects of various antihypertensive drugs on glucose metabolism in order to provide reference information for rational clinical drug use.

Co-multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions based on luminescent materials.

Optical multiplexing is a pivotal technique for augmenting the capacity of optical data storage (ODS) and increasing the security of anti-counterfeiting. However, due to the dearth of appropriate storage media, optical multiplexing is generally restricted to a single dimension, thus curtailing the encoding capacity. Herein, the co-multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions are proposed for optical encoding based on photoluminescence (PL) and persistent-luminescence (PersL) at four different wavelengths. Each emission color comprises four luminescence modes. The further multiplexing of four wavelengths leads to the maximum encoding capacity of 8 bits at each pixel. The wavelength difference between adjacent peaks is larger than 50 nm. The well-separated emission wavelengths significantly lower the requirements for high-resolution spectrometers. Moreover, the information is unable to be decoded until both PL and PersL spectra are collected, suggesting a substantial improvement in information security and the security level of anti-counterfeiting.

Metal-semiconductor-metal solar-blind ultraviolet photodetector based on Al0.55Ga0.45N/Al0.4Ga0.6N/Al0.65Ga0.35N heterostructures.

We have designed a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) by utilizing Al0.55Ga0.45N/Al0.4Ga0.6N/Al0.65Ga0.35N heterostructures. The interdigital Ni/Au metal stack is deposited on the Al0.55Ga0.45N layer to form Schottky contacts. The AlGaN hetero-epilayers with varying Al content contribute to the formation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) conduction channel and the enhancement of the built-in electric field in the Al0.4Ga0.6N absorption layer. This strong electric field facilitates the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Consequently, the fabricated PD exhibits an ultra-low dark current of 1.6 × 10-11 A and a broad spectral response ranging from 220 to 280 nm, with a peak responsivity of 14.08 A/W at -20 V. Besides, the PD demonstrates an ultrahigh detectivity of 2.28 × 1013 Jones at -5 V. Furthermore, to investigate the underlying physical mechanism of the designed solar-blind UV PD, we have conducted comprehensive two-dimensional device simulations.

Intrinsic- and Rare Earth Ion-Activated Luminescence in NbAlO4 with Wide Structure Channels.

Compounds with ordered and interconnected channels have versatile multifunctional applications in technological fields. In this work, we report the intrinsic- and Eu3+-activated luminescence in NbAlO4 with a wide channel structure. NbAlO4 is an n-type semiconductor with an indirect allowed transition and a band-gap energy of 3.26 eV. The conduction band and valence band are composed of Nb 3d and O 2p states, respectively. Unlike the common niobate oxide Nb2O5, NbAlO4 exhibits efficient self-activated luminescence with good thermal stability even at room temperature. The AlO4 tetrahedron effectively blocks the transfer/dispersion of excitation energy between NbO6 chains in NbAlO4, allowing for effective self-activated luminescence from NbO6 activation centers. Moreover, Eu3+-doped NbAlO4 displayed a bright red luminescence of 5D0 → 7F2 transition at 610 nm. The site-selective excitation and luminescence of Eu3+ ions in a spectroscopic probe were utilized to investigate the doping mechanism. It is evidenced that Eu3+ is doped in the structure channel in NbAlO4 lattices, not in the normal cation sites of Nb5+ or Al3+. The experimental findings are valuable in developing new luminescent materials and improving the understanding of the material's channel structure.

A droplet friction/solar-thermal hybrid power generation device for energy harvesting in both rainy and sunny weathers.

Photovoltaic device is highly dependent on the weather, which is completely ineffective on rainy days. Therefore, it is very significant to design an all-weather power generation system that can utilize a variety of natural energy. This work develops a water droplet friction power generation (WDFG)/solar-thermal power generation (STG) hybrid system. The WDFG consists of two metal electrodes and a candle soot/polymer composite film, which also can be regarded as a capacitor. Thus, the capacitor coupled power generation (C-WDFG) device can achieve a sustainable and stable direct-current (DC) output under continuous dripping without external conversion circuits. A single device can produce an open-circuit voltage of ca.0.52 V and a short-circuit current of ca.0.06 mA, which can be further scaled up through series or parallel connection to drive commercial electronics. Moreover, we demonstrate that the C-WDFG is highly compatible with the thermoelectric device. The excellent photothermal performance of soot/polymer composite film can efficiently convert solar into heat, which is then converted to electricity by the thermoelectric device. Therefore, this C-WDFG/STG hybrid system can work in both rainy and sunny days.

Giant tunneling magnetoresistance in in-plane double-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions based on MXene Cr2C.

The discovery of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials makes it possible to realize in-plane magnetic tunnel junctions. In this study, the transport characteristics of an in-plane double barrier magnetic tunnel junction (IDB-MTJ) based on Cr2C have been studied by density functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function method. The results showed its maximum tunneling magnetoresistance ratio (TMR) value reached 6.58 × 1010. Its minimum TMR value (3.86 × 106) was also comparable to those of conventional field effect transistors (FETs). Due to its giant TMR and unique structural characteristics, the IDB-MTJ based on Cr2C has great potential applications in magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and logic computing.

Carbon phosphide nanoribbons with spatial inversion symmetry: robust generators of pure spin current with a photogalvanic effect.

Our recent work has demonstrated that the spin-dependent photogalvanic effect (PGE) is an ideal way to induce pure spin current in certain centrosymmetric systems (X. Tao, P. Jiang, H. Hao, X. Zheng, L. Zhang and Z. Zeng, Phys. Rev. B, 2020, 102, 081402), and thus the search for appropriate materials or structures is the key to realize it. Here, we theoretically propose a spin optoelectric device with α-phase carbon phosphide nanoribbons (α-CPNRs) to generate pure spin current by PGE using density functional theory simulation. By designing an α-CPNR based device with a centrosymmetric structure, due to the structural inversion symmetry and real space spin polarization antisymmetry of the system, the PGE induced pure spin current without any accompanying charge current can be always obtained, independent of polarization type and polarization angle of the photons. Furthermore, the magnitude of pure spin current can be greatly increased (nearly by an order of magnitude) by applying antiparallel electrical fields in the two leads to tune the spin density and band structure. Furthermore, by applying parallel electrical fields, a fully spin-polarized photocurrent can be produced in this system, suggesting a fantastic scheme to achieve half-metallic transport, another important goal in spintronics. These investigations suggest that the optoelectric devices constructed by α-CPNRs will have great potential in spintronics.

Tunable tunneling magnetoresistance in in-plane double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions based on B vacancy h-NB nanoribbons.

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) have attained new opportunities due to the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials after they were proposed more than forty years ago. Here, an in-plane double barrier magnetic tunnel junction (IDB-MTJ) based on B vacancy h-NB nanoribbons has been proposed firstly, and the transport properties have been studied using density functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function method. Due to its unique structural characteristics, the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio can be tuned and the maximum TMR can reach 1.86 × 105. The potential applications of the IDB-MTJ in magnetic random-access memories and logical computation have also been discussed. We find that the IDB-MTJs have great potential in magnetic random-access memories and logical computation applications.

Quantum transport of short-gate MOSFETs based on monolayer MoSi2N4.

The high carrier mobility, appropriate band gap and good environmental stability of two-dimensional (2D) MoSi2N4 enable it to be an appropriate channel material for transistors with excellent performance. Therefore, we predict the performance of double-gate (DG) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) based on monolayer (ML) MoSi2N4 by ab initio quantum-transport calculations. The results show that the on-state current of the p-type device is remarkable when the gate length is greater than 4 nm, which can meet the high performance requirements of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), 2013 version. Moreover, the gate length can be reduced to 3 nm when an underlap (UL) structure is employed in the MOSFET, and the sub-threshold swing, intrinsic delay time and power consumption also perform well. The calculation results reveal that ML MoSi2N4 will be a promising alternative for transistor channel materials in the post-silicon era.

A capillary electrophoresis method for the determination of soluble monosaccharides in Ginkgo biloba leaves.

A method for the simultaneous determination of six monosaccharides by pre-column derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone and capillary electrophoresis was developed in this work. The derivatization (i.e., reaction temperature, capillary electrophoresis duration, and extraction number) and separation (i.e., pH and buffer concentration) conditions for capillary electrophoresis were optimized. Results showed that the limits of detection under optimal conditions were in the range of 0.036-0.35 mg/L with a mean correlation coefficient >0.99. The recoveries were in the range of 87.3-108.49%, and the relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day variations were in the ranges of 2.2-3.8 and 3.2-5.0%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of six free monosaccharides in three types of Ginkgo biloba leaves.

Graphene-based nano-devices: high spin Seebeck and pure spin photogalvanic effects.

We investigate the magnetic, thermoelectric transport, and photogalvanic effect (PGE) properties of two nano-devices based on sawtooth edged graphene nanoribbons (SGNRs). It is found that a robust spin-semiconducting property exists in SGNRs. When SGNRs are arranged in a configuration, a large spin Seebeck coefficient is obtained, indicating a high Seebeck effect under a temperature difference. In addition, we also propose a new spatial inversion symmetry nano-device, which is constructed by two head to head semi-infinite SGNRs in a configuration. The results show that spin-up and spin-down currents are generated by the PGE with opposite flowing directions and the same magnitude. As a result, only a finite pure spin current arises without an accompanying charge current. More importantly, the pure spin current is robustly induced by photons and is independent of the photon energy, polarization angle and the model of polarization (linear or elliptical polarization), which is attributed to the symmetry of the spatial inversion and anti-symmetry of the spin density inversion. The results presented here provide a useful insight into the real application of both spin caloritronics and photoelectric carbon-based nano-devices.

PPM1H is an independent prognostic biomarker of non-small cell lung cancer.

Protein phosphatase 1H (PPM1H) is the metal-dependent protein phosphatase, however, its role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression remains controversial. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common histological type of lung cancer but the expression and clinical significance of PPM1H in NSCLC is unknown. In our study, we detected the mRNA of PPM1H in 25 pairs of NSCLC tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues with qRT-PCR. Moreover, we investigated PPM1H expression in 474 NSCLC tissues and divided them into subgroups with low and high PPM1H. We further evaluated its correlation with the clinicopathological factors. The correlation between PPM1H and other biomarkers involved in tumor progression including chromosome segregation 1-like protein (CSE1L), p53, and Ki67 was also estimated. In addition, the prognostic significance of PPM1H was investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. The mRNA levels of PPM1H in NSCLCs were significantly higher than those in tumor-adjacent tissues. Patients with low and high PPM1H expression accounted for 54.64% (259/474) and 45.36% (215/474) respectively in all the NSCLCs. PPM1H expression (p=0.012), patients' sex (p=0.009), tumor size (p<0.001), histological grade (p=0.026), T stage (p=0.002), N stage (p<0.001), M stage (p=0.011), and TNM stage (p<0.001) were all associated with the poor prognosis. With multivariate analysis, PPM1H was determined as an independent prognostic factor of NSCLC (HR=1.42, 95% CI=1.14-1.75, p=0.001). Moreover, high PPM1H was significantly with high Ki67 (p=0.022), indicating the oncogenic role of PPM1H. PPM1H is an independent prognostic factor indicating an unfavorable prognosis of NSCLC. Our results indicated that PPM1H was an important supplement of NSCLC molecular profile and detecting PPM1H may help recognize the high-risk patients for further treatment.

Transition metal-containing molecular devices: controllable single-spin negative differential thermoelectric resistance effects under gate voltages.

Based on the non-equilibrium Green function method combined with density functional theory, we investigate the spin-resolved transport through transition metal (TM) (= Cr, Mn, Fe and Ru)-containing molecular devices in the presence of zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) electrodes. The wave-function mismatch for the single-spin component results in a perfect spin-filtering property near the Fermi level. Moreover, we also observe Fano and Breit-Wigner resonance peaks in the transmission spectrum. Under a temperature gradient, the single-spin electric current exhibits a remarkable negative differential thermoelectric resistance (NDTR) in the Ru-complex molecular device, which originates from the Fano asymmetry of the single-spin transmission peak near the Fermi level. A gate voltage allows for a precise control of the single-spin NDTR in the Ru-complex molecular device.

Half-metallic properties, single-spin negative differential resistance, and large single-spin Seebeck effects induced by chemical doping in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons.

Ab initio calculations combining density-functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function are performed to investigate the effects of either single B atom or single N atom dopant in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) with the ferromagnetic state on the spin-dependent transport properties and thermospin performances. A spin-up (spin-down) localized state near the Fermi level can be induced by these dopants, resulting in a half-metallic property with 100% negative (positive) spin polarization at the Fermi level due to the destructive quantum interference effects. In addition, the highly spin-polarized electric current in the low bias-voltage regime and single-spin negative differential resistance in the high bias-voltage regime are also observed in these doped ZGNRs. Moreover, the large spin-up (spin-down) Seebeck coefficient and the very weak spin-down (spin-up) Seebeck effect of the B(N)-doped ZGNRs near the Fermi level are simultaneously achieved, indicating that the spin Seebeck effect is comparable to the corresponding charge Seebeck effect.

Frequency of internet use, economic income, and health of the population-comparative analysis of urban and rural areas based on Chinese General Social Survey.

People's health is one of the important supports for China's economic development. This study uses the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data to empirically test the impact of residents' Internet use frequency and economic income on residents' health level, and analyzes the differences between urban and rural areas. The empirical test results show that, firstly, the frequency of Internet use can promote the health level of residents, and the promotion effect of Internet use frequency on the health level of rural residents is higher than that of urban residents; Secondly, economic income has a positive promoting effect on the health level of the entire sample of residents, but in urban samples, the regression between economic income and residents' health level is not significant. Third, in the heterogeneity test of region, gender and age, it is found that the impact of residents' Internet use frequency and economic income on residents' health level also has urban-rural differences. Based on this, this study suggests that the government can continue to make efforts to further promote the health level of residents by improving the Internet penetration rate, strengthening the use of Internet skills, carrying out Internet professional skills training and promoting the high-quality development of Internet content.

Executives' academic experience and corporate social responsibility: A case study in China.

Fulfilling corporate social responsibility (CSR) is crucial for society's sustainable development. Executives' academic experience significantly affects their awareness of social responsibility, value orientation, professional ability, and network resources. Thus, it is critical in CSR-related corporate decision-making. This paper explores the impact of executives' academic experience on the fulfillment of CSR. It focuses on non-financial, Special treatment enterprises (ST), and ST* enterprises listed in the A-share market from 2012 to 2021. It utilizes a fixed-effects analysis model to examine the relationship between executives' academic experience and CSR fulfillment. The CSR score and executives' academic experience were positively correlated. This paper also explores the intermediary role of compensation incentives and the moderating effect of marketization level. Both compensation incentives and the level of marketization positively moderated the relationship between executives' academic experience and CSR fulfillment. Meanwhile, the robustness results showed that the experimental findings still held after replacing the explained and explanatory variables. This paper contributes to the advancement of the Upper Echelons Theory and provides empirical evidence for the society's sustainable development.

Inhibiting or promoting: Population aging and economic development in China.

Population aging has become a social issue of concern to the whole world, and as the world's most populous country, how to cope with population aging will be a hot issue that all sectors of Chinese society must think about. This paper uses provincial panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2021 to study the relationship between population aging and economic development based on the perspective of health expenditure. The DIFF-GMM model, the fixed effect model (FE), and fixed effect instrumental variable model (FE-IV) are used to test this study. The following two conclusions are drawn from the empirical study: (1) population aging has a significant inhibitory effect on economic development, while health expenditures have a significant promotional effect on economic development; and (2) increased health expenditures help to alleviate the negative impact of population aging on economic development. However, the deepening of population aging will likewise inhibit the positive effect of health expenditure on economic growth. Based on the conclusions of the study, it is recommended that the government and society should continue to increase spending in the field of health protection, encourage and guide residents to carry out self-care, and moderately increase personal health expenditure, to promote economic development with healthy bodies and realize the goal of "Healthy China".

Association of Aldosterone, Renin, and Aldosterone to Renin Ratio with Metabolic Profile in Primary Aldosteronism.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the glycometabolism, fat mass, and lean mass in primary aldosteronism (PA) during disease progression. Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with PA and healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. A flash glucose monitoring system (FGMS) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were used to measure glucose variability and glucose target rate along with fat mass and lean mass. Comparative analysis of FGMS- or DEXA-derived parameters along with correlation analyses between these parameters and PA progression were performed. Results: Increased glucose variability and poor glucose target rate, along with an increased proportion of truncal fat mass, and decreased proportion of appendicular lean mass, were identified in PA group compared to those in HCs. Plasma aldosterone concentration was positively correlated with glucose variability and poor glucose target rate. Plasma renin concentration was positively correlated with the proportion of truncal fat mass and lean mass, and negatively correlated with the proportion of appendicular fat mass. Aldosterone-to-renin ratio was negatively correlated with the proportion of truncal fat mass and lean mass, and positively correlated with the proportion of appendicular fat mass. Conclusion: Patients with PA presented significant differences in glycometabolism, fat mass, and lean mass compared with HCs, and these alterations correlated with PA progression.

Causal effects of gut microbiota on diabetic neuropathy: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: Previous observational studies have suggested an association between gut microbiota and diabetic neuropathy (DN). However, confounding factors and reverse causality make the causal relationship between gut microbiota and DN uncertain. We aimed to investigate the interactive causal relationships between the abundance of gut microbiota and DN. Methods: We conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the causal relationship between gut microbiota and DN. Genomic data on gut microbiota at the genus level were obtained from the MiBioGen Consortium, including 18,340 individuals of European descent. Data on diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) were obtained from the FinnGen Consortium, which included 1,048 cases and 374,434 controls, while data on diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) were also obtained from the FinnGen Consortium, including 111 cases and 374,434 controls. Causal effects were primarily estimated using inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis, supplemented with four validation methods, and additional sensitivity analyses to assess the pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and robustness of instrumental variables. Results: The IVW analysis indicated that Prevotella 9 had a protective effect on DPN (OR = 0.715, 95% CI: 0.521-0.982, P = 0.038), and Bacteroides also showed a protective effect (OR = 0.602, 95% CI: 0.364-0.996, P = 0.048). On the other hand, Ruminococcus 2 had a promoting effect on DPN (OR = 1.449, 95% CI: 1.008-2.083, P = 0.045). Blautia (OR = 0.161, 95% CI: 0.035-0.733, P = 0.018), Clostridium innocuum group (OR = 3.033, 95% CI: 1.379-6.672, P = 0.006), and Howardella (OR = 2.595, 95% CI: 1.074-6.269, P = 0.034) were causally associated with DAN in the IVW analysis, with no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy. Sensitivity analyses showed no significant pleiotropy or heterogeneity. Conclusion: Our study identified a causal relationship between gut microbiota and the increased or decreased risk of diabetic neuropathy. These findings underscore the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach that combines gut microbiota modulation with other therapeutic interventions in the management of diabetic neuropathy.

Uric Acid Metabolic Disorders in Pituitary-Target Gland Axis.

Uric acid (UA) is the end product of purine metabolism in the human, and the imbalance between production and excretion results in the disturbance of serum uric acid (SUA). There is evidence suggesting that pituitary-target gland hormones can affect UA metabolism through regulating the activity of xanthine oxidase and UA transporters. Related endocrine diseases including thyroid dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome, acromegaly and Cushing's syndrome are often accompanied by elevated UA levels. In addition to the direct influence of abnormal hormones, obesity and insulin resistant play a pivotal role. Diabetes insipidus and the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion also present with abnormal SUA levels due to the action of antidiuretic hormone. However, certain evidence within the population is disputed. This review summarized the effects of pituitary-target gland hormones on UA metabolism, and preliminarily described the related mechanisms, offering a theoretical foundation for assessing SUA in endocrine disorders as well as guiding its management.