Terahertz photoconductive antenna based on antireflection dielectric metasurface with embedded plasmonic nanodisks: erratum.

This erratum reports corrections in Figs. 5 and 8 of our previous paper [Appl. Opt.60, 7921 (2021)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.431678].

Response process and adaptation mechanism of estuarine benthic microbiota to polyvinyl chloride microplastics with and without phthalates.

This study aimed to explore the response mechanisms of the microbiota in estuarine sediments amended with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics (MPs) with and without phthalates (PAEs) through a 60-day microcosm experiment. The results indicated that addition of MPs increased the porosity of the sediment. However, the sediment porosity decreased with the length of the amendment period. Following amendment with MPs containing PAEs, the sediment PAE content increased over time. The addition of MPs without PAEs increased the relative abundance of the dominant phyla of bacteria (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Planctomycetes) and eukaryotes (Ascomycota, Bacillariophyta, Chordata, and Streptophyta), whereas the relative abundance decreased over time following the addition of MPs containing PAEs. The PAEs released from MPs had greater effects on these phyla than the MPs themselves. The dominant bacteria were more sensitive to MPs than the dominant eukaryotes. After a 60-day amendment with MPs containing PAEs, the bacterial and eukaryotic species numbers were lower by 5.4% and 3.4%, respectively, the relative abundance of certain genes involved in metabolism was lower, and the relative abundance of stress-related genes was higher. These findings provide insight into the microbial response and adaptation mechanisms in estuarine environments polluted with MPs.

Terahertz photoconductive antenna based on antireflection dielectric metasurfaces with embedded plasmonic nanodisks.

By taking advantage of dielectric metasurfaces and plasmonic nanostructures, a terahertz photoconductive antenna (THz-PCA) is proposed and investigated in detail. The designed dielectric metasurfaces can reduce the optical reflection down to 1.4% and accelerate the switching process (electric conductive to resistive) that broadens the THz spectrum emitted from THz-PCA. Simultaneously, the embedded plasmonic nanostructures can realize 11.2 times enhancement in local electric field without affecting the switching process and the damage threshold of the THz-PCA. Simulated results indicate that the proposed THz-PCA is 70.56 times stronger in THz radiation power than that of the traditional THz-PCA. The significant enhancement ensures the proposed THz-PCA has great prospects in promoting THz technology based on the THz-PCA.

Solvothermal Synthesis of Multiple Dihydropyrimidinones at a Time as Inhibitors of Eg5.

Solvothermal synthesis of multiple dihydropyrimidinones at a time has been developed in inexpensive and green bio-based solvent lactic acid without any additional catalysts or additives. By this method, thirty new dihydropyrimidinone derivatives were synthesized in two batches and characterized. All of the compounds were screened by Eg5 motor protein ATPase assay, and the positive compounds were tested against the Caco-2 cell line, HeLa cell line, L929 cell line and T24 cell line in vitro. Among them, compound C9 exhibited the best inhibitory activity against motor protein ATPase with an IC50 value of 30.25 µM and significant cytotoxic activity in the micromolar range against the cells above. The Lineweaver-Burk plot revealed that compound C9 was a mixed-type Eg5 inhibitor. A molecular modeling study using the Discovery Studio program was performed, where compound C9 exhibited good binding interaction with Eg5 motor protein ATPase, and this was consistent with the attained experimental results.

Carrier Engineering in Polarization-Sensitive Black Phosphorus van der Waals Junctions.

van der Waals p-n heterostructures based on p-type black phosphorus (BP) integrated with other two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have shown potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices, including logic rectifiers and polarization-sensitive photodetectors. However, the engineering of carriers transport anisotropy, which is related to the linear dichroism, have not yet been investigated. Here, we demonstrate a novel van der Waals device of orientation-perpendicular BP homojunction based on the anisotropic band structures between the armchair and zigzag directions. The structure exhibits good gate-tunable diode-like rectification characteristics caused by the barrier between the two perpendicular crystal orientations. Moreover, we demonstrate that the unique mechanisms of the polarization-sensitivity properties of this junction are involved with the linear dichroism and the anisotropic carriers transport engineering. These results were verified by the scanning photocurrent images experiments. This work paves the way for 2D anisotropic layered materials for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Black-Phosphorus-Based Orientation-Induced Diodes.

Despite many decades of research of diodes, which are fundamental components of electronic and photoelectronic devices with p-n or Schottky junctions using bulk or 2D materials, stereotyped architectures and complex technological processing (doping and multiple material operations) have limited future development. Here, a novel rectification device, an orientation-induced diode, assembled using only few-layered black phosphorus (BP) is investigated. The key to its realization is to utilize the remarkable anisotropy of BP in low dimensions and change the charge-transport conditions abruptly along the different crystal orientations. Rectification ratios of 6.8, 22, and 115 can be achieved in cruciform BP, cross-stacked BP junctions, and BP junctions stacked with vertical orientations, respectively. The underlying physical processes and mechanisms can be explained using "orientation barrier" band theory. The theoretical results are experimentally confirmed using localized scanning photocurrent imaging. These orientation-induced optoelectronic devices open possibilities for 2D anisotropic materials with a new degree of freedom to improve modulation in diodes.

Upregulation of heat shock protein 32 in Sertoli cells alleviates the impairments caused by heat shock-induced apoptosis in mouse testis.

Heat stress results in apoptosis in testicular germ cells. A small heat shock protein (hsp), hsp32, is induced by heat stress in the testis, but little is known about its definitive function in physiological processes. To clarify the underlying role of hsp32, hsp32 expression and related signals in the heat shock pathway were analysed in mouse testes and Sertoli cells after heat stress in vivo and in vitro; meanwhile, expression of hsp32 was silenced only in the Sertoli cells using three different small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to further verify the functional role of hsp32 in Sertoli cells, and hsp32-derived carbon monoxide (CO) contents in cultured media were analysed to clarify whether hsp32-derived CO involve in the apoptosis regulation mechanisms. The results from the in vivo experiment showed that the high expression levels of hsp32 (P < 0.05) were observed whether chronic, moderate or acute, transient heat exposure. The in vitro experiment showed that acute, transient heat exposure resulted in increases in Sertoli cells apoptosis (P < 0.01), the expression of hsp32 and caspase-3 activity; hsp32-siRNA knockdown of hsp32 expression resulted in upregulated apoptosis (P < 0.01) and caspase-3 activity (P < 0.01) in the Sertoli cells and hyperthermia increases CO (P < 0.01) release by Sertoli cells. The results suggested that upregulating hsp32 in Sertoli cells inhibits caspase-3 activity and alleviates heat-induced impairments in mouse testis; hsp32-derived CO may involve in the regulation mechanism.

Study on the autophagy of prostate cancer PC-3 cells induced by oridonin.

To investigate the mechanism of oridonin (ORI)-induced autophagy in prostate cancer PC-3 cells, PC-3 cells cultured in vitro were treated with ORI, and the inhibitory ratio of ORI on PC-3 cells was assayed by 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide. The ultrastructural changes of the cells were observed under light microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Acridine orange (AO) staining was used to observe the acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs). The level of autophagy-related proteins, MAP1-LC3, was detected by Western Blot, and RT-PCR was used to detect the level of mRNA of beclin 1. After ORI treatment, the proliferation of PC-3 cells was inhibited significantly in a concentration and time-dependent manner. SEM examination revealed cellular shrinkage and disappearance of surface microvilli in ORI-treated cells. Under TEM examination, the nuclei exhibited chromatin condensation and the appearance of a large number of autophagosomes with double-membrane structure in cytoplasm. AO staining showed the existence of AVOs. The expression of LC3 and the mRNA level of beclin 1 was increased by ORI. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine reversed the increase of beclin 1 mRNA. The growth of PC-3 cells was inhibited, and autophagy was induced by ORI, indicating ORI may have a potential antitumor effect.

[Autophagy of prostate cancer PC-3 cells under the induction of oridonin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of oridonin (ORI)-induced autophagy in prostate cancer PC-3 cells. METHODS: The PC-3 cells cultured in vitro were treated with ORI. The inhibitory ratio of oridonin In PC-3 cells was assayed by MTT. The ultrastructural cellular changes were observed under light microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). AO staining was used to observe the acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs). The level of MAP1-LC3 was detected by Western blot and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) used to detect the level of mRNA of beclin 1. RESULTS: After oridonin treatment, the proliferation of PC-3 cells was inhibited significantly in a concentration and time-dependent manner. The SEM examination revealed cellular shrinkage and the disappearance of surface microvilli after ORI treatment. And on the TEM examination, the nuclei exhibited chromatin condensation and the appearance of a large number of autophagosome with double-membrane structure in cytoplasm. AO staining showed the existence of AVOs. Simultaneously, the expressions of autophagy-related proteins, MAP-LC3 and the mRNA level of beclin 1 were elevated by ORI. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA reversed the elevation of beclin 1 mRNA. CONCLUSION: The growth of PC-3 cells is inhibited. And cellular is induced by oridonin with a potential anti-tumor effect.