Microstructure Evolution at Ni/Fe Interface in Dissimilar Metal Weld between Ferritic Steel and Austenitic Stainless Steel.

The formation and evolution of microstructures at the Ni/Fe interface in dissimilar metal weld (DMW) between ferritic steel and austenitic stainless steel were investigated. Layered martensitic structures were noted at the nickel-based weld metal/12Cr2MoWVTiB steel interface after welding and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The formation of the interfacial martensite layer during welding was clarified and its evolution during PWHT was discussed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), focused ion beam (FIB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission kikuchi diffraction (TKD), phase diagrams, and theoretical analysis. In as-welded DMW, the Ni/Fe interface structures consisted of the BCC quenched martensite layer and the FCC partially mixed zone (PMZ), which was the result of inhomogeneous solid phase transformation due to the chemical composition gradient. During the PWHT process, the BCC interfacial microstructure further evolved to a double-layered structure of tempered martensite and quenched martensite newly formed by local re-austenitization and austenite-martensite transformation. These types of martensitic structures induced inhomogeneous hardness distribution near the Ni/Fe interface, aggravating the mismatch of interfacial mechanical properties, which was a potential factor contributing to the degradation and failure of DMW.

A Stabilized Polyacrylonitrile-Encapsulated Matrix on a Nanolayered Vanadium-Based Cathode Material Facilitating the K-Storage Performance.

Layered vanadium-based metal oxides were regarded as promising cathode materials accounting for suitable K+ transport channels as well as high work potential in K-ion batteries. Nevertheless, because of the large radius of K+ and the rigid structure of inorganic materials, the typical K0.486V2O5 suffers from volume expansion seriously in the repeated charging and discharging processes along with poor ionic and electronic conductivity, consequently determining inevitably poor electrochemical properties. Herein, we proposed a stabilized polymer (PAN) matrix on K0.486V2O5 nanobelts by a liquid-assisted methodology and further electrospinning technology. As a result, a nanocomposite containing a 3D conductive and interconnected mesh structure was thus constructed. By avoiding the full carbonization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with appropriate thermal treatment, the elastic properties of the PAN precursor can be retained, effectively inhibiting the volume effect, and the stabilized PAN-encapsulated matrix can also greatly accelerate transport rates of K+ and electrons at a high rate as well as restrict the decomposition of organic electrolytes and side reactions. This work can supply significant basic scientific value of the polymer surface coating methodology for the far-reaching development of inorganic cathode materials in K-ion batteries.

[Corrigendum] Metformin reverses multidrug resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma Bel­7402/5­fluorouracil cells.

Subsequently to the publication of the above paper, the authors have reviewed its content and the primary data, and have realized that the western blots selected to show the ß­actin experiments featured in Fig. 4A and Fig. 3C were the same blot, albeit with a different exposure time. The control blots correctly presented for Fig. 3C were inadvertently copied into Fig. 4A owing to an error made during the figure compilation process. The revised version of Fig. 4, containing the correct ß­actin blots for Fig. 4A, is shown below. Note that this error did not significantly affect the results or the conclusions reported in this paper, and all the authors agree to this Corrigendum. The authors thank the Editor of Molecular Medicine Reports for allowing them the opportunity to publish this corrigendum, and apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 10: 2891­2897, 2014; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2614].

Silicon nanostructure-doped polymer/nematic liquid crystal composites for low voltage-driven smart windows.

In this work, two silicon nanostructures were doped into polymer/nematic liquid crystal composites to regulate the electric-optical performance. Commercial SiO2nanoparticles and synthesized thiol polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-SH) were chosen as the dopants to afford the silicon nanostructures. SiO2nanoparticles were physically dispersed in the composites and the nanostructure from POSS-SH was implanted into the polymer matrix of the composites via photoinduced thiol-ene crosslinking. Scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the implantation of POSS microstructure into the polymer matrix was conducive to obtaining the uniform porous polymer microstructures in the composites while the introduction of SiO2nanoparticles led to the loose and heterogeneous polymer morphologies. The electric-optical performance test results also demonstrated that the electric-optical performance regulation effect of POSS microstructure was more obvious than that of SiO2nanoparticles. The driving voltage was reduced by almost 80% if the concentration of POSS-SH in the composite was nearly 8 wt% and the sample could be completely driven by the electric field whose voltage was lower than the safe voltage for continuous contact (24 V). This work could provide a creative approach for the regulation of electric-optical performance for polymer/nematic liquid crystal composites and the fabrication of low voltage-driven PDLC films for smart windows.

Downregulation of long noncoding RNA SNHG7 protects against inflammation and apoptosis in Parkinson's disease model by targeting the miR-425-5p/TRAF5/NF-κB axis.

Accumulated evidence has manifested that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the progress of Parkinson's disease (PD). SNHG7, a novel lncRNA, has been found to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, SNHG7 expression and its functional effects on PD remain uncharted. Rotenone (Rot) was adopted to construct PD models in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and SH-SY5Y cells, respectively. The expression levels of caspase 3, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) in SD rat striatum were measured via immunohistochemistry and western blot. Additionally, the expressions of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1ß [IL-1ß], IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α) and oxidative stress factors (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) in the brain tissues were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Moreover, the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF5), I-κB, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), HO-1, Nrf2 were detected via western blot. Bioinformatics was applied to predict the targeting relationship between SNHG7, miR-425-5p, and TRAF5. Dual-luciferase activity assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to verify their interactions. In comparison to healthy donors, SNHG7 was found upregulated while miR-425-5p expression was downregulated in PD patients. Functional experiments confirmed that SNHG7 downregulation or miR-425-5p overexpression attenuated neuronal apoptosis in the Rot-mediated PD model, TH-positive cell loss, and microglial activation by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, SNHG7 served as a competitive endogenous RNA by sponging miR-425-5p and promoted TRAF5 mediated inflammation and oxidative stress. Inhibition of SNHG7 ameliorated neuronal apoptosis in PD through relieving miR-425-5p/TRAF5/NF-κB signaling pathway modulated inflammation and oxidative stress, and similar results were observed in the Rot-mediated rat model of PD.

A Smart Design Strategy for Super-Elastic Hydrogel with Long-Term Moisture, Extreme Temperature Resistance, and Non-Flammability.

Elastic hydrogel is a promising material category for designing biological muscles, repairable building materials, flexible electronic devices, and vulcanized rubber substitutes, which is required to have a long life, good self-healing performance and extreme temperature tolerance. Herein, a super-elastic mineral hydrogel is developed with long-lasting moisture, based on dynamic physical crosslinking between hydrated calcium ion clusters and amide groups of polyacrylamide (PAM). The complex hydrogel exhibits a super stretchability of 13 600% at room temperature, and can maintain the super flexibility in a wide temperature range of -40-50 °C or for a long period of 28 days. Particularly, the soft material cannot be ignited under an open flame at 400-500 °C, because of coupling dual flame retardant mechanisms containing the endothermic effect of liquid water evaporation and the barrier effect of calcium mineral salt on oxygen. In conclusion, the novel complex hydrogel with excellent tensile property, stability in extreme temperature or long operating time, and flame retardancy may become a promising candidate in the fields of agriculture, food, construction, medicine, and machinery.

Geochemical and Geological Characteristics of the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian Shales in the Upper Yangtze Basin, South China: Implication for the Shale Gas Exploration.

Shale gas exploration in the Upper Yangtze Basin has been conducted for over ten years. The successful drillings in the region suggest that well-planned geological survey and reservoir evaluation are indispensable for the success of these drillings. In this study, the shale gas potential of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian mudstones/shales of the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations in the Upper Yangtze Basin was evaluated. First, all of the available geochemical and petrological data from Late Ordovician to Early Silurian mudstones/shales in the region were compiled. Distributional patterns of total organic carbon (TOC) values, thickness, thermal maturity, and burial depth of organic-rich mudstones/shales from the targeted formations were then analyzed. Our results show that TOC values range from 1.20 to 5.12%; R o values range from 1.92 to 2.86%; porosity varies from 0.77 to 9.2%; permeability varies from 0.015 to 1.99 md; the composition of quartz group of mineral component ranges from 18 to 85%, 59% in average; and clay mineral component ranges from 7 to 56%, 31% in average. Finally, based on these comprehensive analysis, three areas with great potential, that is, Luzhou-Xishui, western Chongqing, and Wulong-Shizhu, were selected as targets for further shale gas exploration and exploitation.

Ultra-fast and stable extraction of Li metal from seawater.

Ultra-dense (99.2%) and ultra-stable Li7La3Zr2O12 were synthesized via a spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique, which were applied as solid-state electrolytes in Li metal extraction from seawater. 198 µg cm-2 h-1 of extraction efficiency and 1.0%-3.7% of power comsumption showed their promising potential for Li metal extraction.

Photoinduced Multiple Effects to Enhance Uranium Extraction from Natural Seawater by Black Phosphorus Nanosheets.

Based on the photoinduced photothermal, photoelectric, and photocatalytic effects of black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets, a BP-PAO fiber with enhanced uranium extraction capacity and high antibiofouling activity is fabricated by compositing BP nanosheets into polyacrylamidoxime (PAO). The photothermal effect increases the coordination interaction between UO2 2+ and the functional amidoxime group, and the photoelectric effect produces the surface positive electric field that exhibits electrostatic attraction to the negative [UO2 (CO3 )3 ]4- , which all increase the capacity for uranium adsorption. The photocatalytic effect endows the adsorbent with high antibiofouling activity by producing biotoxic reactive oxygen species. Owing to these three photoinduced effects, the photoinduced BP-PAO fiber shows a high uranium adsorption capacity of 11.76 mg g-1 , which is 1.50 times of the PAO fiber, in bacteria-containing natural seawater.

Efficient Nondoped Pure Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Based on an Anthracene and 9,9-Diphenyl-9,10-dihydroacridine Derivative.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been greatly developed in recent years owing to their abundant advantages for full-color displays and general-purpose lightings. Blue emitters not only provide one of the primary colors of the RGB (red, green and blue) display system to reduce the power consumption of OLEDs, but are able able to generate light of all colors, including blue, green, red, and white by energy transfer processes in devices. However, it remains a challenge to achieve high-performance blue electroluminescence, especially for nondoped devices. In this paper, we report a blue light emitting molecule, DPAC-AnPCN, which consists of 9,9-diphenyl-9,10-dihydroacridine and p-benzonitrile substituted anthracene moieties. The asymmetrically decoration on anthracene with different groups on its 9 and 10 positions combines the merits of the respective constructing units and endows DPAC-AnPCN with pure blue emission, high solid-state efficiency, good thermal stability and appropriate HOMO and LUMO energy levels. Furthermore, DPAC-AnPCN can be applied in a nondoped device to effectively reduce the fabrication complexity and cost. The nondoped device exhibits pure blue electroluminescence (EL) locating at 464 nm with CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.15). Moreover, it maintains high efficiency at relatively high luminescence. The maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) reaches 6.04 % and still remains 5.31 % at the luminance of 1000 cd m-2 showing a very small efficiency roll-off.

Manual aspiration versus chest tube drainage in primary spontaneous pneumothorax without underlying lung diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: Although primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is an extremely frequent pathology, there is still no clear consensus on the treatment for these patients. We performed a strict meta-analysis on the effectiveness of manual aspiration (MA) compared to chest tube drainage (CTD) for the treatment of PSP. METHODS: A literature search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials comparing MA with CTD for the treatment of PSP. Independent reviewers evaluated the methodological quality of the included randomized controlled trials. Statistical heterogeneity among studies was quantitatively evaluated using the I-squared index. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials were included, and a total of 358 subjects were reported on. We found that MA was related to significantly shorter hospital stays [in days; mean difference -1.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.36 to -1.04; P < 0.00001, fixed effect model] compared with CTD. However, no significant differences were found between the 2 treatments for immediate success rate (risk ratio 1.15, 95% CI 0.73-1.81; P = 0.54), 1-year recurrence rate, 1-week success rate, time of recurrence, chest surgery rate or complication rate. Subgroup analysis showed that MA can provide a significantly lower hospitalization rate than CTD with a tube size of >12 Fr or a water seal drainage system. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the currently available literature, MA is advantageous in the treatment of PSP because of shorter hospital stays. The subgroup analysis also indicates that MA can provide a lower hospitalization rate than CTD with a tube size of >12 Fr or a water seal drainage system. However, there are no significant differences between the 2 interventions with respect to immediate success rate, 1-year recurrence rate, 1-week success rate, time of recurrence, chest surgery rate or complication rate.

Preparation of Cyano-Substituted Tetraphenylethylene Derivatives and Their Applications in Solution-Processable OLEDs.

Creation of organic luminescent materials with high solid-state efficiency is of vital importance for their applications in optoelectronic fields. Here, a series of AIE luminogens (AIE gens), (Z)-2,3-bis(4-(9,9-bis(6-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)hexyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)phenyl)-3-phenylacrylonitrile (SFC), and 2,3-bis(4-(9,9-bis(6-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)hexyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)phenyl)fumaronitrile (DFC), utilizing 2,3,3-triphenylacrylonitrile and 2,3-diphenylfumaronitrile as respective centers, are designed and synthesized by Suzuki coupling reactions with high yields. The cis- and trans-isomers of DFC are also successfully obtained. All of them are thermally stable and show good solubility in common organic solvents. They all emit weakly in solution, but become strong emitters when fabricated into solid films. It is found introduction of one additional cyano group in DFC induced a big red-shift in solid-state emission, owing to its high electron-withdrawing ability. The cis- and trans-DFC show similar photophysical and Cyclic voltammogram (CV) behaviors. Non-doped solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using the three compounds as light-emitting layers are fabricated. SFC gives the best device performance with a maximum luminance of 5201 cd m-2, a maximum current efficiency of 3.67 cd A-1 and a maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of 1.37%. Red-shifted EL spectra are observed for cis- and trans-DFC-based device, and the OLED using trans-DFC as active layer exhibits better performance, which might derive from their different conformation in film state.

A GLO10 score for the prediction of prognosis in high grade gliomas.

Gliomas are the most common lethal brain tumours and remain great heterogeneity in terms of histopathology and clinical outcomes. Among them, glioblastomas are the most aggressive tumours that lead to a median of less than one-year survival in patients. Despite the little improvement of in diagnosis and treatments for last decades, there is an urgent need for prognostic markers to distinguish high- and low-risk patients before treatment.Here, we generated a list of genes associated with glioblastoma progressions and then performed a comprehensive statistical modelling strategy to derive a 10-gene (GLO10) score from genome wide expression profiles of a large glioblastoma cohort (n=844). Our study demonstrated that the GLO10 score could successfully distinguish high- and low-risk patients with glioblastomas regardless their traditional pathological factors. Validated in four independent cohorts, the utility of GLO10 score could provide clinicians a robust prognostic prediction tool to assess risk levels upfront treatments.

Tuning the Photocatalytic Activity of Graphitic Carbon Nitride by Plasma-Based Surface Modification.

In this study, we demonstrate that plasma treatment can be a facile and environmentally friendly approach to perform surface modification of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), leading to a remarkable modulation on its photocatalytic activity. The bulk properties of g-CN, including the particle size, structure, composition, and electronic band structures, have no changes after being treated by oxygen or nitrogen plasma; however, its surface composition and specific surface area exhibit remarkable differences corresponding to an oxygen functionalization induced by the plasma post-treatment. The introduced oxygen functional groups play a key role in reducing the recombination rate of the photoexcited charge carries. As a consequence, the oxygen-plasma-treated sample shows a much superior photocatalytic activity, which is about 4.2 times higher than that of the pristine g-CN for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, while the activity of nitrogen-plasma-treated sample exhibits a slight decrease. Furthermore, both of the plasma-treated samples are found to possess impressive photocatalytic stabilities. Our results suggest that plasma treatment could be a conventional strategy to perform surface modification of g-CN in forms of both powders and thin films, which holds broad interest not only for developing g-CN-based high-performance photocatalysts but also for constructing photoelectrochemical cells and photoelectronic devices with improved energy conversion efficiencies.

Investigation on Fluorescence Quenching Mechanism of Perylene Diimide Dyes by Graphene Oxide.

Perylene diimide derivatives were used as probes to investigate the effect of the molecular structures on the fluorescence quenching mechanism in a perylene diimide/graphene oxide system. The electrons transferred from the excited state of dyes to the conductive band of graphene oxide with different concentrations were determined by fluorescence spectra. The results indicated that the quenching efficiency of perylene diimides by graphene oxide was not only dependent on the difference between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level of dyes and the conduction band of the graphene oxide, but also mainly on the difference in the molecular structures.

Core-shell microstructured nanocomposites for synergistic adjustment of environmental temperature and humidity.

The adjustment of temperature and humidity is of great importance in a variety of fields. Composites that can perform both functions are prepared by mixing phase change materials (PCMs) with hygroscopic materials. However, the contact area between the adsorbent and humid air is inevitably decreased in such structures, which reduces the number of mass transfer channels for water vapor. An approach entailing the increase in the mass ratio of the adsorbent is presented here to improve the adsorption capacity. A core-shell CuSO4/polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanomaterial was developed to satisfy the conflicting requirements of temperature control and dehumidification. The results show that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the PEG coating layer was enhanced by a factor of 188 compared with that of the pure PEG powder. The coating layer easily concentrates vapor, providing better adsorption properties for the composite. Furthermore, the volume modification of the CuSO4 matrix was reduced by 80% by the PEG coated layer, a factor that increases the stability of the composite. For the phase change process, the crystallization temperature of the coating layer was adjusted between 37.2 and 46.3 °C by interfacial tension. The core-shell CuSO4/PEG composite reported here provides a new general approach for the simultaneous control of temperature and humidity.

Steady-state equation of water vapor sorption for CaCl2-based chemical sorbents and its application.

Green CaCl2-based chemical sorbent has been widely used in sorption refrigeration, air purification and air desiccation. Methods to improve the sorption rate have been extensively investigated, but the corresponding theoretical formulations have not been reported. In this paper, a sorption system of solid-liquid coexistence is established based on the hypothesis of steady-state sorption. The combination of theoretical analysis and experimental results indicates that the system can be described by steady-state sorption process. The steady-state sorption equation, µ = (η - γT) , was obtained in consideration of humidity, temperature and the surface area. Based on engineering applications and this equation, two methods including an increase of specific surface area and adjustment of the critical relative humidity (γ) for chemical sorbents, have been proposed to increase the sorption rate. The results indicate that the CaCl2/CNTs composite with a large specific surface area can be obtained by coating CaCl2 powder on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The composite reached sorption equilibrium within only 4 h, and the sorption capacity was improved by 75% compared with pure CaCl2 powder. Furthermore, the addition of NaCl powder to saturated CaCl2 solution could significantly lower the solution's γ. The sorption rate was improved by 30% under the same environment.

Metformin enhances radiation response of ECa109 cells through activation of ATM and AMPK.

Metformin is a first-line used agent for type II diabetes with few side effects. The antineoplastic effect of metformin was widely explored recently. Metformin may also be a prospective chemosensitizer or radiosensitizer in cancer treatment. In the present study, we firstly showed that metformin could effectively enhance the anti-proliferation effect of ionizing radiation (IR) on esophageal cancer (EC) cells ECa109. More potent DNA damage was observed by detection of γH2AX foci. Metformin synergistically induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in ECa109 cells with IR. Furthermore, the mechanisms how metformin sensitized ECa109 cells to IR may be targeting the ATM and AMPK/mTOR/HIF-1α pathways. Metformin may be a valuable agent in comprehensive treatment of EC.

Gene expression profile for predicting survival of patients with meningioma.

Current staging methods are inadequate for predicting the overall survival of meningioma. DNA microarray technologies improve the understanding of tumour progression. We analysed genome wide expression profiles of 119 meningioma samples from two previous published DNA microarray studies. The Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to identify overall survival related gene signature. A total of 449 genes (109 upregulated and 340 downregulated) were identified as differentially expressed in meningioma. Among these differentially expressed genes, 37 genes were identified to be related to meningioma overall survival. Our 37-gene signature is closely associated with overall survival among patients with meningioma. This gene expression profile could provide an optimization of the clinical management and development of new therapeutic strategies for meningioma.

Metformin reverses multidrug resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma Bel­7402/5­fluorouracil cells.

Metformin exhibits anti­proliferative effects in tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The present study investigated the ability of metformin to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) in human hepatocellular carcinoma Bel­7402/5­fluorouracil (5­Fu; Bel/Fu) cells. The synergistic anti­proliferative effect of metformin combined with 5­Fu was evaluated using a Cell Counting kit­8 assay. The variation in apoptotic rates and cell cycle distribution were evaluated using a flow cytometric assay and variations in target gene and protein expression were monitored using reverse transcription­polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that metformin had a synergistic anti­proliferative effect with 5­Fu in the Bel/Fu cells. The variations in the number of apoptotic cells and distribution of the cell cycle were consistent with the variability in cell viability. Metformin targeted the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, suppressed the expression of hypoxia­inducible factor­1α (HIF­1α) and transcriptionally downregulated the expression of multidrug resistance protein 1/P­glycoprotein (P­gp) and multidrug resistance­associated protein 1 (MRP1). Collectively, these findings suggested that metformin may target the AMPK/mTOR/HIF­1α/P­gp and MRP1 pathways to reverse MDR in hepatocellular carcinoma.