Large-area single-crystal TMD growth modulated by sapphire substrates.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have recently attracted extensive attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties; however, the preparation of large-area TMD single crystals is still a great challenge. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an effective method to synthesize large-area and high-quality TMD films, in which sapphires as suitable substrates play a crucial role in anchoring the source material, promoting nucleation and modulating epitaxial growth. In this review, we provide an insightful overview of different epitaxial mechanisms and growth behaviors associated with the atomic structure of sapphire surfaces and the growth parameters. First, we summarize three epitaxial growth mechanisms of TMDs on sapphire substrates, namely, van der Waals epitaxy, step-guided epitaxy, and dual-coupling-guided epitaxy. Second, we introduce the effects of polishing, cutting, and annealing processing of the sapphire surface on the TMD growth. Finally, we discuss the influence of other growth parameters, such as temperature, pressure, carrier gas, and substrate position, on the growth kinetics of TMDs. This review might provide deep insights into the controllable growth of large-area single-crystal TMDs on sapphires, which will propel their practical applications in high-performance nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.

Melatonin alleviates insulin resistance through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in ovary granulosa cells of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine gynecological disorder. Insulin resistance (IR) is a major cause of PCOS. Melatonin, a critical endogenous hormone, has beneficial effects on the female reproductive system. This study aims to investigate the molecular effect of melatonin on IR in human ovarian granulosa cells (GCs). Hormone levels of the subjects were determined through clinical examination. The expression levels of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and glucose transporter (GLUT4) in GCs from PCOS patients and a human granulosa cell line (SVOG) were examined using qRT-PCR and western blot. The IR cell model was established by inducing SVOG cells with palmitic acid (PA). IR was detected in GCs of PCOS patients and SVOG by measuring glucose content and glucose uptake. Cell viability and apoptosis levels were detected by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. PI3K/Akt pathway expression in SVOG was assessed by western blot. PCOS patients had higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and LH/follicle-stimulating hormone. PA decreased cell viability, promoted apoptosis, and reduced glucose uptake in SVOG cells. IRS-1 and GLUT4 mRNA and protein expression was downregulated, and glucose uptake capacity was reduced in PCOS GCs and SVOG cells. Melatonin significantly upregulated IRS-1 and GLUT4 expression, downregulated p-IRS-1 (Ser307), and improved glucose uptake in PCOS patients' GCs and SVOG cells. PA decreased PI3K and Akt phosphorylation, whereas melatonin increased p-PI3K and p-Akt levels. Melatonin can reduce IR in GCs and PA-induced SVOG cells via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, providing more evidence for treating polycystic ovary syndrome.

The adhesion energy measured by a stress accumulation-peeling mechanism in the exfoliation of graphite.

The mechanical exfoliation of graphite using tape is one way to obtain high-quality graphene samples. However, the amount of graphene obtained is negligible due to the unclear exfoliation mechanism. In this paper, we present a stress accumulation-peeling mechanism, which can be applied to measure the adhesion energy of graphite. This mechanism is different from a wriggle or a creep. First, we obtained a simple universal formula to measure the adhesion energy Ga = (Fmax-Fmin)/3b, where Fmax and Fmin are the maximum and minimum values, respectively, of the external stretch force in the peeling process, and b is the width of the peeling arm. Second, the reliability of the method was demonstrated by measuring the adhesion energy between polydimethylsiloxane and glass. Using the simple universal formula, the adhesion energies of three graphite slices were determined to be 0.34 ± 0.03, 0.33 ± 0.06 and 0.34 ± 0.02 J m-2. These adhesion energies were consistent with the other measured result of 0.33 J m-2, which was based on the self-retraction phenomenon of graphite. The macroscopic method is very simple and easy to implement. It can be used to measure the adhesion energy of any van der Waals material and any biomaterial with adhesion interaction, as well as prepare excellent 2D material samples by optimizing the experimental conditions.

Long Noncoding RNA FEZF1-AS1 Promotes Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer by Activation of JAK-STAT3 Pathway.

BACKGROUND Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been acknowledged as important regulators in human cancers, including ovarian cancer. Several reports identified lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 as an oncogene in gastric cancer, colorectal carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the function of FEZF1-AS1 in ovarian cancer remains largely unknown. This study was aimed to investigate the role of FEZF1-AS1 in ovarian cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS FEZF1-AS1 expression levels in pairs of ovarian cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis was used to determine the correlation between FEZF1-AS1 expression and prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. The effects of FEZF1-AS1 knockdown on ovarian cancer cell proliferation, cell-cycle, and apoptosis were analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and Fluorescence activated Cell Sorting (FACS) assays. Western blot was utilized to assess the effect of FEZF1-AS1 on the activation of JAK-STAT3 pathway. RESULTS FEZF1-AS1 was overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Consistently, FEZF1-AS1 expression was also upregulated in ovarian cancer cell lines compared with normal cell line. Furthermore, higher expression of FEZF1-AS1 in ovarian cancer patients contributed to poorer prognosis. FEZF1-AS1 knockdown significantly suppressed the proliferation and promoted apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. In mechanism, FEZF1-AS1 regulated activation of JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway by modulating STAT3 phosphorylation. Knockdown of FEZF1-AS1 significantly impaired the phosphorylation of STAT3. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that FEZF1-AS1 exerted an oncogenic role in ovarian cancer via modulating JAK-STAT3 pathway.

Thermal conductivity of suspended few-layer MoS2.

Modifying phonon thermal conductivity in nanomaterials is important not only for fundamental research but also for practical applications. However, the experiments on tailoring thermal conductivity in nanoscale, especially in two-dimensional materials, are rare due to technical challenges. In this work, we demonstrate the in situ thermal conduction measurement of MoS2 and find that its thermal conductivity can be continuously tuned to a required value from crystalline to amorphous limits. The reduction of thermal conductivity is understood from phonon-defect scattering that decreases the phonon transmission coefficient. Beyond a threshold, a sharp drop in thermal conductivity is observed, which is believed to be due to a crystalline-amorphous transition. Our method and results provide guidance for potential applications in thermoelectrics, photoelectronics, and energy harvesting where thermal management is critical with further integration and miniaturization.