Host specificity and zoonotic Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes in wild rodents from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and Liaoning Province of China.

Introduction: Wild rodents can serve as reservoirs or carriers of E. bieneusi, thereby enabling parasite transmission to domestic animals and humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of E. bieneusi in wild rodents from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and Liaoning Province of China. Moreover, to evaluate the potential for zoonotic transmission at the genotype level, a genetic analysis of the isolates was performed. Methods: A total of 486 wild rodents were captured from two provinces in China. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the vertebrate cytochrome b (cytb) gene in the fecal DNA of the rodents to detect their species. The genotype of E. bieneusi was determined via PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. The examination of genetic characteristics and zoonotic potential requires the application of similarity and phylogenetic analysis. Results: The infection rates of E. bieneusi in the four identified rodent species were 5.2% for Apodemus agrarius (n = 89), 4.5% for Cricetulus barabensis (n = 96), 11.3% for Mus musculus (n = 106), and 38.5% for Rattus norvegicus (n = 195). Infection was detected at an average rate of 17.4% among 486 rodents. Of the 11 identified genotypes, nine were known: SHR1 (detected in 32 samples), D (30 samples), EbpA (9 samples), PigEbITS7 (8 samples), HNR-IV (6 samples), Type IV (5 samples), HNR-VII (2 samples), HNH7 (1 sample), and HNPL-V (1 sample). Two novel genotypes were also discovered, NMR-I and NMR-II, each comprising one sample. The genotypes were classified into group 1 and group 13 via phylogenetic analysis. Discussion: Based on the initial report, E. bieneusi is highly prevalent and genetically diverse in wild rodents residing in the respective province and region. This indicates that these animals are crucial for the dissemination of E. bieneusi. Zoonotic E. bieneusi-carrying animals present a significant hazard to local inhabitants. Therefore, it is necessary to increase awareness regarding the dangers presented by these rodents and reduce their population to prevent environmental contamination.

Age and sex differences in the effects of short- and long-term exposure to air pollution on endothelial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The effects of air pollution on endothelial function remain unclear across populations. We aimed to use brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) to identify demographic differences in the effects of air pollution exposure on endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: We measured FMD in 850 participants from October 2016 to January 2020. Location-specific concentrations of fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), inhalable particulate matter < 10 µm aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) measured by fixed ambient air monitoring stations were collected for short- and long-term exposure assessment. Multiple linear regression models and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the associations before and after stratification by age and sex. RESULTS: This study eventually included 828 participants [551 (66.5%) younger than 65 years and 553 (66.8%) men]. Each 10 µg/m3 increase in 7-day exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was significantly linearly associated with a 0.07% (ß = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.13 to -0.004) and 0.05% (ß = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.10 to -0.004) decrease in FMD in the fully adjusted model. After full adjustment, long-term exposure to all air pollutants was significantly associated with impaired FMD. Each 10 µg/m3 increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was significantly associated with a -0.18% (95% CI: -0.34 to -0.03) and - 0.23% (95% CI: -0.40 to -0.06) change in FMD, respectively. After stratification, the associations of lower FMD with long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO significantly persisted in men and participants younger than 65 years instead of women or older participants. For short-term exposure, we observed differences consistent with long-term exposure and a stronger effect of 7-day exposure to SO2 in men due to a significant interaction effect. CONCLUSION: Short- and long-term exposure to different air pollutants are strongly associated with decreased endothelial function, and susceptibility to air pollution varies significantly with age and sex.

Associations between waist-to-height ratio and abdominal aortic calcification: A cross-sectional study.

Waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) is a validated biomarker of central obesity that appears to be preferable to other body composition measurements in the evaluation of cardiovascular disease. The goal of this research was to explore the connection between WtHR and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) among adults. On the basis of data from the 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, multivariate logistic regression, sensitivity analysis, as well as smoothed curve fitting were used to evaluate the connection between WtHR and AAC. Subgroup analyses along with interaction tests were done to see if this link was consistent across populations. Among 3079 participants aged >40 years, there was a negative association between WtHR and ACC. Each 1-unit emergence of WtHR was related to a 2% reduction in the probability of severe AAC in the entirely adjusted model (odds ratio = 0.02, 95% confidence interval: [0.00-0.12]). Participants in the highest WtHR quartile were 39% less likely to acquire severe AAC compared with those in the lowest quartile. (odds ratio = 0.61, 95% confidence interval: [0.37-1.00]). This negative association was more pronounced in the diabetes subgroup. We discovered a reversed U-shaped association between WtHR as well as AAC score utilizing a 2-stage linear regression model, with an intersection point of 0.56. WtHR was negatively associated with AAC among US adults.

Association between patent foramen ovale morphology and clinical outcomes following transcatheter closure.

BACKGROUND: Anatomic variations of the patent foramen ovale (PFO) are commonly observed, yet limited research has investigated their impact on clinical outcomes following transcatheter closure. We aimed to explore the association between PFO morphology and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients with cryptogenic stroke who underwent PFO closure were prospectively enrolled at a single center from September 2019 to April 2023. Patients were categorized into simple and complex groups based on PFO morphology. Composite events were compared between the two groups during a median follow-up of 24 months, including all-cause mortality, recurrent stroke, residual moderate or severe shunt, and symptomatic atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: A total of 247 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 41.9 ± 13.0 years and 45.3% males. Ninety-one (36.8%) patients had complex PFO. These individuals were older (45.4 ± 12.5 years vs. 39.9 ± 12.9 years; P = 0.001), more males (56.0% vs. 39.1%; P = 0.010), had longer procedure times (54 ± 32 min vs 46 ± 29 min; P = 0.044), and had a higher rate of using delivery sheath-assisted crossing of the PFO (22.0% vs 12.8%; P = 0.040) than those with simple PFO. The estimated event rates were 27.9% and 11.3% (P = 0.006) in the complex and simple PFO groups, respectively (12.9 events and 5.2 events per 100 person-years; P = 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, device type, and left atrial diameters, complex PFO remained independently associated with composite events (HR 2.10, 95%CI 1.06-4.17, P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with complex PFO may suffer from a higher risk of adverse events following transcatheter PFO closure.

[Afferent baroreflex failure with hyponatremia: A case report].

Afferent baroreflex failure (ABF) is a rare disease. It refers to the clinical syndrome caused by the impairment of the afferent limb of the baroreflex or its central connections at the level of the medulla. The recognized causes include trauma, surgery in related areas (radical neck tumor surgery, carotid endarterectomy), neck radiotherapy, brain stem stroke, tumor growth paraganglioma and hereditary diseases, among which the most common cause is extensive neck surgery or radiotherapy for neck cancer. The main manifestations are fluctuating hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, paroxysmal tachycardia and bradycardia. This case is a young man, whose main feature is blood pressure fluctuation, accom-panied by neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH). After examination, the common causes of hypertension and nOH were ruled out. Combined with the previous neck radiotherapy and neck lymph node dissection, it was considered that the blood pressure regulation was abnormal due to the damage of carotid sinus baroreceptor after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and neck lymph node dissection, which was called ABF. At the same time, the patient was complicated with chronic hyponatremia. Combined with clinical and laboratory examination, the final consideration was caused by syndrome of in- appropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Baroreceptors controlled the secretion of heart rate, blood pressure and antidiuretic hormone through the mandatory "inhibition" signal. We speculate that the carotid sinus baroreceptor was damaged after neck radiotherapy and surgery, which leads to abnormal blood pressure regulation and nOH, while the function of inhibiting ADH secretion was weakened, resulting in higher ADH than normal level and mild hyponatremia. The goal of treating ABF patients was to reduce the frequency and amplitude of sudden changes in blood pressure and heart rate, and to alleviate the onset of symptomatic hypotension. At present, drug treatment is still controversial, and non-drug treatment may alleviate some patients' symptoms, but long-term effective treatment still needs further study. The incidence of ABF is not high, but it may lead to serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and the mechanism involved is extremely complicated, and there are few related studies. The reports of relevant medical records warn that patients undergoing neck radiotherapy or surgery should minimize the da-mage to the baroreceptor in the carotid sinus in order to reduce the adverse prognosis caused by complications.

Effects of different emergent macrophytes on methane flux and rhizosphere microbial communities in wetlands.

Emergent macrophytes are of great importance for the structure and functioning of wetland ecosystems and play a significant role in environmental improvement, element cycling, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, our understanding of how GHG fluxes differ among macrophyte species and its links with the microbial communities remain limited. In this study, we investigated the rhizosphere microbial communities (including total bacteria, methanotrophs, and methanogens) and the GHG fluxes associated with four emergent macrophytes-Phragmites australis, Thalia dealbata, Pontederia cordata, and Zizania latifolia-collected from Xuanwu Lake wetland, China. We observed the highest CH4 flux (FCH4) (9.35 ± 2.52 mg·m-2·h-1) from Z. latifolia zone, followed by P. australis, P. cordata, and T. dealbata zones (5.38 ± 1.63, 2.38 ± 2.91, and 2.02 ± 0.69 mg·m-2·h-1, respectively). Methanogenesis was methylotrophic at all sites, as the 13C-CH4 values were higher than -64 ‰ and the fractionation coefficients were lower than 1.055. We found a positive linear relationship between FCH4 and the methanogen community, in particular the relative abundances of Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina, indicating that the variations in FCH4 among the studied macrophyte-dominated zones might be attributed to the differences in rhizosphere microbial communities. The methane emissions in various macrophyte zones might be due to the higher capacity of methanogenesis compared to methane oxidation which was inhibited by nutrient-rich sediments. Our findings provide insights for selecting specific emergent macrophytes characterized by low FCH4 in wetland ecological restoration.

Minimal Bacterial Cell JCVI-syn3B as a Chassis to Investigate Interactions between Bacteria and Mammalian Cells.

Mycoplasmas are atypical bacteria with small genomes that necessitate colonization of their respective animal or plant hosts as obligate parasites, whether as pathogens, or commensals. Some can grow axenically in specialized complex media yet show only host-cell-dependent growth in cell culture, where they can survive chronically and often through interactions involving surface colonization or internalization. To develop a mycoplasma-based system to identify genes mediating such interactions, we exploited genetically tractable strains of the goat pathogen Mycoplasma mycoides (Mmc) with synthetic designer genomes representing the complete natural organism (minus virulence factors; JCVI-syn1.0) or its reduced counterpart (JCVI-syn3B) containing only those genes supporting axenic growth. By measuring growth of surviving organisms, physical association with cultured human cells (HEK-293T, HeLa), and induction of phagocytosis by human myeloid cells (dHL-60), we determined that JCVI-syn1.0 contained a set of eight genes (MMSYN1-0179 to MMSYN1-0186, dispensable for axenic growth) conferring survival, attachment, and phagocytosis phenotypes. JCVI-syn3B lacked these phenotypes, but insertion of these genes restored cell attachment and phagocytosis, although not survival. These results indicate that JCVI-syn3B may be a powerful living platform to analyze the role of specific gene sets, from any organism, on the interaction with diverse mammalian cells in culture.

Association between triglyceride-glucose index and endothelial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a simple surrogate marker for insulin resistance (IR), has been reported as an independent predictor of arterial structural damage and future cardiovascular events. The association between TyG index and endothelial dysfunction remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between TyG index and endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: Endothelial dysfunction was measured using flow-mediated dilation (FMD). A total of 840 subjects, who voluntarily accepted FMD measurement at the Health Management Department of Xuanwu Hospital from October 2016 to January 2020, were included in this study. TyG index was calculated as Ln [fasting triglyceride (TG)(mg/dL) × fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (mg/dL)/2]. RESULTS: The mean age was 59.92 ± 10.28 years and 559 (66.55%) participants were male. The TyG index was correlated with FMD values (P = 0.022). Each unit increment in TyG index was associated with lower FMD values (ß = -0.330, 95%CI -0.609 to -0.052, P = 0.020) after adjusting for covariates. Age (ß = -0.069, 95%CI -0.088 to -0.051, P < 0.001), female (ß = 0.592, 95%CI 0.172 to1.012, P = 0.006), smoking (ß = -0.430, 95%CI -0.859 to -0.002, P = 0.049) and hypertension (ß = -0.741, 95%CI -1.117 to -0.365, P < 0.001) were also independent predictors for endothelial dysfunction. A significant association between the TyG index and endothelial dysfunction was found only in populations younger than 60 years (ß = -0.843, 95%CI -1.371 to -0.316, P = 0.002), females (ß = -0.612, 95%CI -1.147 to -0.077, P = 0.025), and populations without diabetes mellitus (DM) (ß = -0.594, 95%CI -1.042 to -0.147, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with an elevated TyG index are more likely to have endothelial dysfunction, particularly in populations without DM.

Bone-inspired stress-gaining elastomer enabled by dynamic molecular locking.

The limited capacity of typical materials to resist stress loading, which affects their mechanical performance, is one of the most formidable challenges in materials science. Here, we propose a bone-inspired stress-gaining concept of converting typically destructive stress into a favorable factor to substantially enhance the mechanical properties of elastomers. The concept was realized by a molecular design of dynamic poly(oxime-urethanes) network with mesophase domains. During external loading, the mesophase domains in the condensed state were aligned into more ordered domains, and the dynamic oxime-urethane bonds served as the dynamic molecular locks disassociating and reorganizing to facilitate and fix the mesophase domains. Consequently, the tensile modulus and strength were enhanced by 1744 and 49.3 times after four cycles of mechanical training, respectively. This study creates a molecular concept with stress-gaining properties induced by repeated mechanical stress loading and will inspire a series of innovative materials for diverse applications.

Hybrid Hydrogen Bonding Strategy to Construct Instantaneous Self-Healing Highly Elastic Ionohydrogel for Multi-Functional Electronics.

Gels show great promise for applications in wearable electronics, biomedical devices, and energy storage systems due to their exceptional stretchability and adjustable electrical conductivity. However, the challenge lies in integrating multiple functions like elasticity, instantaneous self-healing, and a wide operating temperature range into a single gel. To address this issue, a hybrid hydrogen bonding strategy to construct gel with these desirable properties is proposed. The intricate network of hybrid strong weak hydrogen bonds within the polymer matrix enables these ionohydrogel to exhibit remarkable instantaneous self-healing, stretching up to five times their original length within seconds. Leveraging these properties, the incorporation of ionic liquids, water, and zinc salts into hybrid hydrogen bond crosslinked network enables conductivity and redox reaction, making it a versatile ionic skin for real-time monitoring of human movements and respiratory. Moreover, the ionohydrogel can be used as electrolyte in the assembly of a zinc-ion battery, ensuring a reliable power supply for wearable electronics, even in extreme conditions (-20 °C and extreme deformations). This ionohydrogel electrolyte simplifies the diverse structural requirements of gels to meet the needs of various electronic applications, offering a new approach for multi-functional electronics.

Utility of the psychomotor vigilance task in screening for obstructive sleep apnoea.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to assess the performance of the PVT in patients with suspected OSA, evaluate its role in population screening for OSA. METHODS: The NoSAS, STOP-Bang, ESS scores and PVT tests were performed after suspected OSA patients' admission, followed by PSG. Then we compared the PVT results, calculated the sensitivity, specificity and ROC curve of PVT, and analyzed the accuracy of STOP-Bang and NoSAS questionnaire combined with PVT in predicting OSA. RESULTS: A total of 308 patients were divided into four groups based on AHI: primary snoring (2.74 ± 1.4 events/h, n = 37); mild OSA (9.96 ± 3.25 events/h, n = 65); moderate OSA (22.41 ± 4.48 events/h, n = 76); and, severe OSA (59.42 ± 18.37 events/h, n = 130). There were significant differences in PVT lapses (p < 0.001) and reaction time (RT, p = 0.03) among the four groups. The PVT lapses and RT were positively correlated with AHI (p < 0.001) and ODI (p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with LSpO2 (p < 0.001). When diagnosing OSA (AHI ≥ 5 events/h), the AUCs of PVT, ESS, STOP-Bang, and NoSAS were 0.679, 0.579, 0.727, and 0.653, respectively; the AUCs of STOP-Bang and NoSAS combined with PVT increased. After combined PVT, the diagnostic specificity of STOP-Bang and NoSAS at nodes with AHI ≥ 5, ≥ 15 and ≥ 30 events/h increased to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: Patients with OSA exhibited impairment in the PVT, and the combination of the PVT and STOP-Bang or NoSAS scores can improve the diagnostic efficacy and specificity for OSA.

Spider-Silk-Inspired Tough, Self-Healing, and Melt-Spinnable Ionogels.

As stretchable conductive materials, ionogels have gained increasing attention. However, it still remains crucial to integrate multiple functions including mechanically robust, room temperature self-healing capacity, facile processing, and recyclability into an ionogel-based device with high potential for applications such as soft robots, electronic skins, and wearable electronics. Herein, inspired by the structure of spider silk, a multilevel hydrogen bonding strategy to effectively produce multi-functional ionogels is proposed with a combination of the desirable properties. The ionogels are synthesized based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), N, N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), and ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMI][TFSI]). The synergistic hydrogen bonding interactions between PNIPAM chains, PDMA chains, and ILs endow the ionogels with improved mechanical strength along with fast self-healing ability at ambient conditions. Furthermore, the synthesized ionogels show great capability for the continuous fabrication of the ionogel-based fibers using the melt-spinning process. The ionogel fibers exhibit spider-silk-like features with hysteresis behavior, indicating their excellent energy dissipation performance. Moreover, an interwoven network of ionogel fibers with strain and thermal sensing performance can accurately sense the location of objects. In addition, the ionogels show great recyclability and processability into different shapes using 3D printing. This work provides a new strategy to design superior ionogels for diverse applications.

Epiphytic microorganisms of submerged macrophytes effectively contribute to nitrogen removal.

Submerged macrophytes play important roles in nutrient cycling and are widely used in ecological restoration to alleviate eutrophication and improve water quality in lakes. Epiphytic microbial communities on leaves of submerged macrophytes might promote nitrogen cycling, but the mechanisms and quantification of their contributions remain unclear. Here, four types of field zones with different nutrient levels and submerged macrophytes, eutrophic + Vallisneria natans (EV), eutrophic + V. natans + Hydrilla verticillata, mesotrophic + V. natans + H. verticillata, and eutrophic without macrophytes were selected to investigate the microbial communities that involved in nitrification and denitrification. The alpha diversity of bacterial community was higher in the phyllosphere than in the water, and that of H. verticillata was higher compared to V. natans. Bacterial community structures differed significantly between the four zones. The highest relative abundance of dominant bacterioplankton genera involved in nitrification and denitrification was observed in the EV zone. Similarly, the alpha diversity of the epiphytic ammonia-oxidizing archaea and nosZI-type denitrifiers were highest in the EV zone. Consist with the diversity patterns, the potential denitrification rates were higher in the phyllosphere than those in the water. Higher potential denitrification rates in the phyllosphere were also found in H. verticillata than those in V. natans. Anammox was not detected in all samples. Nutrient loads, especially nitrogen concentrations were important factors influencing potential nitrification, denitrification rates, and bacterial communities, especially for the epiphytic nosZI-type taxa. Overall, we observed that the phyllosphere harbors more microbes and promotes higher denitrification rates compared to water, and epiphytic bacterial communities are shaped by nitrogen nutrients and macrophyte species, indicating that epiphytic microorganisms of submerged macrophytes can effectively contribute to the N removal in shallow lakes.

Continuous Melt Spinning of Adaptable Covalently Cross-Linked Self-Healing Ionogel Fibers for Multi-Functional Ionotronics.

Stretchable conductive fibers play key roles in electronic textiles, which have substantial improvements in terms of flexibility, breathability, and comfort. Compared to most existing electron-conductive fibers, ion-conductive fibers are usually soft, stretchable, and transparent, leading to increasing attention. However, the integration of desirable functions including high transparency, stretchability, conductivity, solvent resistance, self-healing ability, processability, and recyclability remains a challenge to be addressed. Herein, a new molecular strategy based on dynamic covalent cross-linking networks is developed to enable continuous melt spinning of the ionogel fiber with the aforementioned properties. As a proof of concept, adaptable covalently cross-linked ionogel fibers based on dimethylglyoximeurethane (DOU) groups (DOU-IG fiber) are prepared. The resultant DOU-IG fiber exhibited high transparency (>93%), tensile strength (0.76 MPa), stretchability (784%), and solvent resistance. Owing to the dynamic of DOU groups, the DOU-IG fiber shows high healing performance using near-infrared light. Taking advantage of DOU-IG fibers, multifunctional ionotronics with the integration of several desirable functionalities including sensor, triboelectric nanogenerator, and electroluminescent display are fabricated and used for motion monitoring, energy harvesting, and human-machine interaction. It is believed that these DOU-IG fibers are promising for fabricating the next generation of electronic textiles and other wearable electronics.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and risk factors for insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease featured by insulin resistance (IR) and decreased insulin secretion. Currently, vitamin D deficiency is found in most patients with T2DM, but the relationship between vitamin D and IR in T2DM patients requires further investigation. AIM: To explore the risk factors of IR and the effects of vitamin D supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with T2DM. METHODS: Clinical data of 162 T2DM patients treated in First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January 2019 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the diagnostic criteria of IR, the patients were divided into a resistance group (n = 100) and a non-resistance group (n = 62). Subsequently, patients in the resistance group were subdivided to a conventional group (n = 44) or a joint group (n = 56) according to the treatment regimens. Logistic regression was carried out to analyze the risk factors of IR in T2DM patients. The changes in glucose and lipid metabolism indexes in T2DM patients with vitamin D deficiency were evaluated after the treatment. RESULTS: Notable differences were observed in age and body mass index (BMI) between the resistance group and the non-resistance group (both P < 0.05). The resistance group exhibited a lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) level, as well as notably higher levels of 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2hPG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) than the non-resistance group (all P < 0.0001). Additionally, the resistance group demonstrated a higher triglyceride (TG) level but a lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level than the non-resistance group (all P < 0.0001). The BMI, TG, HDL-C, 25(OH)D3, 2hPG, and HbA1c were found to be risk factors of IR. Moreover, the post-treatment changes in levels of 25(OH)D3, 2hPG, FBG and HbA1c, as well as TG, total cholesterol, and HDL-C in the joint group were more significant than those in the conventional group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with IR exhibit significant abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism parameters compared to the non-insulin resistant group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that 25(OH)D3 is an independent risk factor influencing IR. Supplementation of vitamin D has been shown to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with IR and T2DM.

Nanoscale Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in a Metal Matrix to Boost Thermal and Electrical Conductivity via Facile Ball Milling Techniques.

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal composites have attracted much attention due to their enhanced electrical and thermal performance. How to achieve the scalable fabrication of composites with efficient dispersion of CNTs to boost their performance remains a challenge for their wide realistic applications. Herein, the nanoscale dispersion of CNTs in the Stannum (Sn) matrix to boost thermal and electrical conductivity via facile ball milling techniques was demonstrated. The results revealed that CNTs were tightly attached to metal Sn, resulting in a much lower resistivity than that of bare Sn. The resistivity of Sn with 1 wt.% and 2 wt.% CNTs was 0.087 mΩ·cm and 0.056 mΩ·cm, respectively. The theoretical calculation showed that there was an electronic state near the Fermi level, suggesting its electrical conductivity had been improved to a certain extent. In addition, the thermal conductivity of Sn with 2 wt.% CNTs was 1.255 W·m-1·K-1. Moreover, Young's modulus of the composites with CNTs mass fraction of 10 wt.% had low values (0.933 MPa) under low strain conditions, indicating the composite shows good potential for various applications with different flexible requirements. The good electrical and thermal conductive CNT networks were formed in the metal matrix via facile ball milling techniques. This strategy can provide guidance for designing high-performance metal samples and holds a broad application potential in electronic packaging and other fields.

An up-conversion Ba3In(PO4)3:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphor that enables multi-mode temperature measurements and wide-gamut 'temperature mapping'.

At present, most fluorescent materials that can be used for optical temperature measurement exhibit poor thermochromic performance, which limits their applications. In this study, the phosphor Ba3In(PO4)3:Er/Yb was synthesized with a high doping concentration of Yb3+, and it emitted composition- and temperature-induced wide color gamut up-conversion luminescence from red to green. Four modes of fluorescence thermometry can be realized in the temperature range of 303-603 K, which is based on the ratio of fluorescence intensity between thermally coupled energy levels and non-thermally coupled energy levels, color coordinate shift, and fluorescence decay lifetime, respectively. The highest Sr value obtained was 0.977% K-1. Taking advantage of the fact that temperature can significantly change the luminous color of the phosphor Ba3In(PO4)3:0.02Er3+/0.05Yb3+, we demonstrated 'temperature mapping' on a smooth metal surface with multiple optical encryptions. These results indicate that the Ba3In(PO4)3:Er/Yb phosphor is an excellent fluorescent material for thermal imaging and has great application potential in temperature visualization measurement and optical encryption.

The incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with low and moderate cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular risk models and subclinical atherosclerotic indicators are both recommended for cardiovascular risk stratification. The accordance between the incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis and subjects with low and moderate cardiovascular risk is unclear. HYPOTHESIS: Subjects with low and moderate cardiovascular risk have a lower incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis compared with subjects with high risk. METHODS: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) and brachial flow-mediated dilation (BFMD) were measured in 421 subjects without a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) from October 2016 to January 2020. All subjects were classified into low, moderate, and high risk based on Framingham and China-par risk models respectively. RESULTS: Mean age was 57.05 ± 9.35 years and 248 (58.9%) were male. In subjects with low, moderate, and high risk assessed by Framingham and China-par risk models, the percentage of abnormal BaPWV ( > 1400 cm/s) was 42.9%, 70.1%, 85.7%, and 40.4%, 71.4%, 89.7%, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of abnormal BFMD ( ≤ 7%) was 43.8%, 68.5%, 77.3%, and 44.9%,72.1%, and 76.6%. According to Framingham-based high-risk categories, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity and specificity for BaPWV abnormality were 85.7%, 39.4%, 36.1%, and 87.5%, respectively. For BFMD abnormality, the values were 77.3%, 40.1%, 34.1%, and 81.8%, respectively. According to China-par high-risk categories, the values for BaPWV abnormality were 89.7%, 43.8%, 45.6%, and 89.0%, respectively. For BFMD abnormality, the values were 76.6%, 41.3%, 40.7%, and 77%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age and blood pressure were the independent predictors for subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with low-moderate risk. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-half of subjects with low and moderate risk already have detectable subclinical atherosclerosis, indicating higher cardiovascular risk beyond the traditional stratification.

Effect of DHCR7 for the co-occurrence of hypercholesterolemia and vitamin D deficiency in type 2 diabetes: Perspective of health prevention.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex disease caused by multiple factors, which are often accompanied by the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism and the lack of vitamin D.Over the years, researchers have conducted numerous studies into the pathogenesis and prevention strategies of diabetes. In this study, diabetic SD rats were randomly divided into type 2 diabetes group, vitamin D intervention group, 7-dehydrocholesterole reductase (DHCR7) inhibitor intervention group, simvastatin intervention group, and naive control group. Before and 12 weeks after intervention, liver tissue was extracted to isolate hepatocytes. Compared with naive control group, in the type 2 diabetic group without interference, the expression of DHCR7 increased, the level of 25(OH)D3 decreased, the level of cholesterol increased. In the primary cultured naive and type 2 diabetic hepatocytes, the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and vitamin D metabolism were differently regulated in each of the 5 treatment groups. Overall, DHCR7 is an indicator for type 2 diabetic glycolipid metabolism disorder and vitamin D deficiency. Targeting DHCR7 will help with T2DM therapy.The management model of comprehensive health intervention can timely discover the disease problems of diabetes patients and high-risk groups and reduce the incidence of diabetes.

Mechanically Robust and Room Temperature Self-Healing Ionogel Based on Ionic Liquid Inhibited Reversible Reaction of Disulfide Bonds.

Although highly desired, it is difficult to develop mechanically robust and room temperature self-healing ionic liquid-based gels (ionogels), which are very promising for next-generation stretchable electronic devices. Herein, it is discovered that the ionic liquid significantly reduces the reversible reaction rate of disulfide bonds without altering its thermodynamic equilibrium constant via small molecule model reaction and activation energy evolution of the dissociation of the dynamic network. This inhibitory effect would reduce the dissociated units in the dynamic polymeric network, beneficial for the strength of the ionogel. Furthermore, aromatic disulfide bonds with high reversibility are embedded in the polyurethane to endow the ionogel with superior room temperature self-healing performance. Isocyanates with an asymmetric alicyclic structure are chosen to provide optimal exchange efficiencies for the embedded disulfide bonds relative to aromatic and linear aliphatic. Carbonyl-rich poly(ethylene-glycol-adipate) diols are selected as soft segments to provide sufficient interaction sites for ionic liquids to endow the ionogel with high transparency, stretchability, and elasticity. Finally, a self-healing ionogel with a tensile strength of 1.65 ± 0.08 MPa is successfully developed, which is significantly higher than all the reported transparent room temperature self-healing ionogel and its application in a 3D printed stretchable numeric keyboard is exemplified.