scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers by "Tongji University published in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) is presented to comprehensively investigate molecular characterization of tumor-immune interactions and provides a user-friendly web interface for dynamic analysis and visualization of these associations, which will be of broad utilities to cancer researchers.
Abstract: Recent clinical successes of cancer immunotherapy necessitate the investigation of the interaction between malignant cells and the host immune system. However, elucidation of complex tumor-immune interactions presents major computational and experimental challenges. Here, we present Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER; cistrome.shinyapps.io/timer) to comprehensively investigate molecular characterization of tumor-immune interactions. Levels of six tumor-infiltrating immune subsets are precalculated for 10,897 tumors from 32 cancer types. TIMER provides 6 major analytic modules that allow users to interactively explore the associations between immune infiltrates and a wide spectrum of factors, including gene expression, clinical outcomes, somatic mutations, and somatic copy number alterations. TIMER provides a user-friendly web interface for dynamic analysis and visualization of these associations, which will be of broad utilities to cancer researchers. Cancer Res; 77(21); e108-10. ©2017 AACR.

3,236 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Beatriz Pelaz1, Christoph Alexiou2, Ramon A. Alvarez-Puebla3, Frauke Alves4, Frauke Alves5, Anne M. Andrews6, Sumaira Ashraf1, Lajos P. Balogh, Laura Ballerini7, Alessandra Bestetti8, Cornelia Brendel1, Susanna Bosi9, Mónica Carril10, Warren C. W. Chan11, Chunying Chen, Xiaodong Chen12, Xiaoyuan Chen13, Zhen Cheng14, Daxiang Cui15, Jianzhong Du16, Christian Dullin4, Alberto Escudero1, Alberto Escudero17, Neus Feliu18, Mingyuan Gao, Michael D. George, Yury Gogotsi19, Arnold Grünweller1, Zhongwei Gu20, Naomi J. Halas21, Norbert Hampp1, Roland K. Hartmann1, Mark C. Hersam22, Patrick Hunziker23, Ji Jian24, Xingyu Jiang, Philipp Jungebluth25, Pranav Kadhiresan11, Kazunori Kataoka26, Ali Khademhosseini27, Jindřich Kopeček28, Nicholas A. Kotov29, Harald F. Krug30, Dong Soo Lee31, Claus-Michael Lehr32, Kam W. Leong33, Xing-Jie Liang34, Mei Ling Lim18, Luis M. Liz-Marzán10, Xiaowei Ma34, Paolo Macchiarini35, Huan Meng6, Helmuth Möhwald5, Paul Mulvaney8, Andre E. Nel6, Shuming Nie36, Peter Nordlander21, Teruo Okano, Jose Oliveira, Tai Hyun Park31, Reginald M. Penner37, Maurizio Prato9, Maurizio Prato10, Víctor F. Puntes38, Vincent M. Rotello39, Amila Samarakoon11, Raymond E. Schaak40, Youqing Shen24, Sebastian Sjöqvist18, Andre G. Skirtach41, Andre G. Skirtach5, Mahmoud Soliman1, Molly M. Stevens42, Hsing-Wen Sung43, Ben Zhong Tang44, Rainer Tietze2, Buddhisha Udugama11, J. Scott VanEpps29, Tanja Weil5, Tanja Weil45, Paul S. Weiss6, Itamar Willner46, Yuzhou Wu47, Yuzhou Wu5, Lily Yang, Zhao Yue1, Qian Zhang1, Qiang Zhang48, Xian-En Zhang, Yuliang Zhao, Xin Zhou, Wolfgang J. Parak1 
14 Mar 2017-ACS Nano
TL;DR: An overview of recent developments in nanomedicine is provided and the current challenges and upcoming opportunities for the field are highlighted and translation to the clinic is highlighted.
Abstract: The design and use of materials in the nanoscale size range for addressing medical and health-related issues continues to receive increasing interest. Research in nanomedicine spans a multitude of areas, including drug delivery, vaccine development, antibacterial, diagnosis and imaging tools, wearable devices, implants, high-throughput screening platforms, etc. using biological, nonbiological, biomimetic, or hybrid materials. Many of these developments are starting to be translated into viable clinical products. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in nanomedicine and highlight the current challenges and upcoming opportunities for the field and translation to the clinic.

926 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of conducting polymer (CP)-based supercapacitors can be found in this article, where the authors summarized recent research progress of conducting polymer-based electrodes for ultracapacitors, including polypyrrole, polyaniline and polythiophene.

895 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive survey of mmWave communications for future mobile networks (5G and beyond) is presented, including an overview of the solution for multiple access and backhauling, followed by the analysis of coverage and connectivity.
Abstract: Millimeter wave (mmWave) communications have recently attracted large research interest, since the huge available bandwidth can potentially lead to the rates of multiple gigabit per second per user Though mmWave can be readily used in stationary scenarios, such as indoor hotspots or backhaul, it is challenging to use mmWave in mobile networks, where the transmitting/receiving nodes may be moving, channels may have a complicated structure, and the coordination among multiple nodes is difficult To fully exploit the high potential rates of mmWave in mobile networks, lots of technical problems must be addressed This paper presents a comprehensive survey of mmWave communications for future mobile networks (5G and beyond) We first summarize the recent channel measurement campaigns and modeling results Then, we discuss in detail recent progresses in multiple input multiple output transceiver design for mmWave communications After that, we provide an overview of the solution for multiple access and backhauling, followed by the analysis of coverage and connectivity Finally, the progresses in the standardization and deployment of mmWave for mobile networks are discussed

887 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a facile two-step solution method to rational design of a novel electrode of hollow NiCo2O4 nanowall arrays on flexible carbon cloth substrate is reported.
Abstract: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising porous precursors for the construction of various functional materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Herein, a facile two-step solution method to rational design of a novel electrode of hollow NiCo2O4 nanowall arrays on flexible carbon cloth substrate is reported. Uniform 2D cobalt-based wall-like MOFs are first synthesized via a solution reaction, and then the 2D solid nanowall arrays are converted into hollow and porous NiCo2O4 nanostructures through an ion-exchange and etching process with an additional annealing treatment. The as-obtained NiCo2O4 nanostructure arrays can provide rich reaction sites and short ion diffusion path. When evaluated as a flexible electrode material for supercapacitor, the as-fabricated NiCo2O4 nanowall electrode shows remarkable electrochemical performance with excellent rate capability and long cycle life. In addition, the hollow NiCo2O4 nanowall electrode exhibits promising electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction. This work provides an example of rational design of hollow nanostructured metal oxide arrays with high electrochemical performance and mechanical flexibility, holding great potential for future flexible multifunctional electronic devices.

792 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Bing Wu1, Xiaohui Chen1
TL;DR: The results show that research framework for integrating the TAM for the adoption and TTF model for utility provides a more comprehensive understanding of the behaviors related to this context.

622 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an up-to-date review of recent research achievements in the pretreatment technologies used for improving biogas production including mechanical (ultrasonic, microwave, electrokinetic and high-pressure homogenization), thermal, chemical (acidic, alkali, ozonation, Fenton and Fe(II)-activated persulfate oxidation), and biological options (temperature-phased anaerobic digestion and microbial electrolysis cell).
Abstract: Sewage sludge management is now becoming a serious issue all over the world. Anaerobic digestion is a simple and well-studied process capable of biologically converting the chemical energy of sewage sludge into methane-rich biogas, as a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels whilst destroying pathogens and removing odors. Hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step because of the sewage sludge complex floc structure (such as extracellular polymeric substances) and hard cell wall. To accelerate the rate-limiting hydrolysis and improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, various pretreatment technologies have been developed. This paper presents an up-to-date review of recent research achievements in the pretreatment technologies used for improving biogas production including mechanical (ultrasonic, microwave, electrokinetic and high-pressure homogenization), thermal, chemical (acidic, alkali, ozonation, Fenton and Fe(II)-activated persulfate oxidation), and biological options (temperature-phased anaerobic digestion and microbial electrolysis cell). The effectiveness and relative worth of each of the studied technologies are summarized and compared in terms of the resulting sludge properties, the digester performance, the environmental benefits and the current state of real-world application. The challenge and technical issues encountered during sludge cotreatment are discussed, and the future research needs in promoting full-scale implementations of those approaches are proposed.

598 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A national comprehensive investigation on the amount of antibiotics used in Chinese aquaculture is still needed, and the risk of antimicrobial resistance in human body, when exposed to antibiotics at sub-inhibitory concentrations, has not been exhaustively considered in the risk assessment.

592 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent progresses of SCFA in regulation of intestinal homeostasis as well as in pathogenesis of IBD are summarized.
Abstract: Gut microbiota has been well recognized in regulation of intestinal homeostasis and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanisms involved are still not completely understood. Further, the components of the microbiota which are critically responsible for such effects are also largely unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that, in addition to pathogen-associated molecular patterns, nutrition and bacterial metabolites might greatly impact the immune response in the gut and beyond. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are metabolized by gut bacteria from otherwise indigestible fiber-rich diets, have been shown to ameliorate diseases in animal models of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and allergic asthma. Although the exact mechanisms for the action of SCFA are still not completely clear, most notable among the SCFA targets is the mammalian G protein-coupled receptor pair of GPR41 and GPR43. In addition to the well-documented inhibition of histone deacetylases activity mainly by butyrate and propionate, which causes anti-inflammatory activities on IEC, macrophages, and dendritic cells, SCFA has recently been implicated in promoting development of Treg cells and possibly other T cells. In addition to animal models, the beneficial effects have also been reported from the clinical studies that used SCFA therapeutically in controlled trial settings in inflammatory disease, in that application of SCFA improved indices of IBD and therapeutic efficacy was demonstrated in acute radiation proctitis. In this review article, we will summarize recent progresses of SCFA in regulation of intestinal homeostasis as well as in pathogenesis of IBD.

561 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Fusobacterium nucleatum increased proliferation and invasive activities of CRC cell lines compared with control cells and levels of F nucleatum DNA and miR21 were increased in tumor tissues compared with non-tumor colon tissues from patients.

555 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Rigorous and innovative methodologies are required for hyperspectral image (HSI) and signal processing and have become a center of attention for researchers worldwide.
Abstract: Recent advances in airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral imaging technology have provided end users with rich spectral, spatial, and temporal information. They have made a plethora of applications feasible for the analysis of large areas of the Earth?s surface. However, a significant number of factors-such as the high dimensions and size of the hyperspectral data, the lack of training samples, mixed pixels, light-scattering mechanisms in the acquisition process, and different atmospheric and geometric distortions-make such data inherently nonlinear and complex, which poses major challenges for existing methodologies to effectively process and analyze the data sets. Hence, rigorous and innovative methodologies are required for hyperspectral image (HSI) and signal processing and have become a center of attention for researchers worldwide.

Proceedings ArticleDOI
Du Mingxiao1, Ma Xiaofeng1, Zhang Zhe, Wang Xiangwei1, Chen Qijun1 
01 Oct 2017
TL;DR: The basic principles and characteristics of the consensus algorithms are reviewed, the performance and application scenarios of different consensus mechanisms are analyzed and technical guidance of selecting a suitable consensus algorithm is given.
Abstract: Blockchain is the basic technology of bitcoin. With the value appreciation and stable operation of bitcoin, blockchain is attracting more and more attention in many areas. Blockchain has the characteristics of decentralization, stability, security, and non-modifiability. It has the potential to change the network architecture. The consensus algorithm plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety and efficiency of blockchain. Using a right algorithm may bring a significant increase to the performance of blockchain application. In this paper, we reviewed the basic principles and characteristics of the consensus algorithms and analyzed the performance and application scenarios of different consensus mechanisms. We also gave a technical guidance of selecting a suitable consensus algorithm and summarized the limitations and future development of blockchain technology.

Journal ArticleDOI
Bing Yan1
TL;DR: A general strategy to functionalize MOF hosts with lanthanide ions, compounds, or other luminescent species (organic dyes or carbon dots) and to assemble types of photofunctional hybrid systems based on lanthanides-functionalized MOFs is proposed.
Abstract: ConspectusMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs) possess an important advantage over other candidate classes for chemosensory materials because of their exceptional structural tunability and properties. Luminescent sensing using MOFs is a simple, intuitive, and convenient method to recognize species, but the method has limitations, such as insufficient chemical selectivity and signal loss. MOFs contain versatile building blocks (linkers or ligands) with special chemical reactivity, and postsynthetic modification (PSM) provides an opportunity to exploit and expand their unique properties. The linkers in most MOFs contain aromatic subunits that can readily display luminescence after ultraviolet or visible (typically blue) excitation, and this is the main luminescent nature of most MOFs. The introduction of photoactive lanthanide ions (Ln3+) into the MOF hosts may produce new luminescent signals at different positions from that of the MOF linker, but this depends on the intramolecular energy transfer (antenna effec...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a dual-horizon peridynamics (DH-PD) formulation is presented, which allows for simulations with dual-Horizon with minimal spurious wave reflection and is shown to be less sensitive to the spatial than the original PD formulation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A critical review of existing studies on the effects of using sea-sand and/or seawater as raw materials of concrete on the properties of the resulting concrete, including its workability, short and long-term strength as well as durability is presented in this paper.

Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2017
TL;DR: This work proposes a structure-aware regression approach that adopts a reparameterized pose representation using bones instead of joints and exploits the joint connection structure to define a compositional loss function that encodes the long range interactions in the pose.
Abstract: Regression based methods are not performing as well as detection based methods for human pose estimation. A central problem is that the structural information in the pose is not well exploited in the previous regression methods. In this work, we propose a structure-aware regression approach. It adopts a reparameterized pose representation using bones instead of joints. It exploits the joint connection structure to define a compositional loss function that encodes the long range interactions in the pose. It is simple, effective, and general for both 2D and 3D pose estimation in a unified setting. Comprehensive evaluation validates the effectiveness of our approach. It significantly advances the state-of-the-art on Human3.6M [20] and is competitive with state-of-the-art results on MPII [3].

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the design and fabrication of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets on flexible carbon cloth (CC@CN@MoS2) as a free-standing anode for high-performance sodium ion batteries was reported.
Abstract: This study reports the design and fabrication of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets@metal organic framework-derived N-doped carbon nanowall array hybrids on flexible carbon cloth (CC@CN@MoS2) as a free-standing anode for high-performance sodium ion batteries. When evaluated as an anode for sodium ion battery, the as-fabricated CC@CN@MoS2 electrode exhibits a high capacity (653.9 mA h g−1 of the second cycle and 619.2 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g−1), excellent rate capability, and long cycling life stability (265 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 1000 cycles). The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the unique 2D hybrid structures, in which the ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets with expanded interlayers can provide shortened ion diffusion paths and favorable Na+ insertion/extraction space, and the porous N-doped carbon nanowall arrays on flexible carbon cloth are able to improve the conductivity and maintain the structural integrity. Moreover, the N-doping-induced defects also make them favorable for the effective storage of sodium ions, which enables the enhanced capacity and rate performance of MoS2.

Journal ArticleDOI
05 Dec 2017-ACS Nano
TL;DR: This Perspective focuses on the physical origins and time evolution of the protein corona, differences in the nanoparticle-protein entity in in vitro and in vivo environments, the role of stealth polymers to minimize the formation of the Protein Corona, relevant computational and theoretical developments.
Abstract: In this Perspective, we reflect on a decade of research on the protein corona and contemplate its broad implications for future science and engineering at the bio–nano interface. Specifically, we focus on the physical origins and time evolution of the protein corona, differences in the nanoparticle–protein entity in in vitro and in vivo environments, the role of stealth polymers to minimize the formation of the protein corona, relevant computational and theoretical developments, and the “biocorona”, a concept extrapolated from the field of nanomedicine. We conclude the Perspective by outlining future directions and opportunities concerning the protein corona in the coming decade.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: New insights are provided into plastic particles' effects on zebrafish larvae, improving the understanding of their environmental risks to the aquatic environment and changing the larvae swimming behavior when co-exposed with EE2.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overpotential of 540 mV at 10 mA cm-2 is attained in an acidic electrolyte and stable for over 30 h, which is the best OER performance in both alkaline and acidic media.
Abstract: The intrinsic catalytic activity at 10 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is currently working out at overpotentials higher than 320 mV. A highly efficient electrocatalyst should possess both active sites and high conductivity; however, the loading of powder catalysts on electrodes may often suffer from the large resistance between catalysts and current collectors. This work reports a class of bulk amorphous NiFeP materials with metallic bonds from the viewpoint of electrode design. The materials reported here perfectly combine high macroscopic conductivity with surface active sites, and can be directly used as the electrodes with active sites toward high OER activity in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes. Specifically, a low overpotential of 219 mV is achieved at the geometric current density 10 mA cm-2 in an alkaline electrolyte, with the Tafel slope of 32 mV dec-1 and intrinsic overpotential of 280 mV. Meanwhile, an overpotential of 540 mV at 10 mA cm-2 is attained in an acidic electrolyte and stable for over 30 h, which is the best OER performance in both alkaline and acidic media. This work provides a different angle for the design of high-performance OER electrocatalysts and facilitates the device applications of electrocatalysts.

Journal ArticleDOI
Yongbao Chen1, Peng Xu1, Yiyi Chu1, Weilin Li1, Wu Yuntao1, Lizhou Ni, Yi Bao, Kun Wang 
TL;DR: In this article, a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model was proposed for short-term load forecasting with the ambient temperature of two hours before a demand response event as input variables.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (aSEI) with a specific set of mechanical characteristics is designed, which encloses Si within a TiO2 shell thinner than 15 nm.
Abstract: Despite active developments, full-cell cycling of Li-battery anodes with >50 wt% Si (a Si-majority anode, SiMA) is rare. The main challenge lies in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which when formed naturally (nSEI), is fragile and cannot tolerate the large volume changes of Si during lithiation/delithiation. An artificial SEI (aSEI) with a specific set of mechanical characteristics is henceforth designed; we enclose Si within a TiO2 shell thinner than 15 nm, which may or may not be completely hermetic at the beginning. In situ TEM experiments show that the TiO2 shell exhibits 5× greater strength than an amorphous carbon shell. Void-padded compartmentalization of Si can survive the huge volume changes and electrolyte ingression, with a self-healing aSEI + nSEI. The half-cell capacity exceeds 990 mA h g−1 after 1500 cycles. To improve the volumetric capacity, we further compress SiMA 3-fold from its tap density (0.4 g cm−3) to 1.4 g cm−3, and then run the full-cell battery tests against a 3 mA h cm−2 LiCoO2 cathode. Despite some TiO2 enclosures being inevitably broken, 2× the volumetric capacity (1100 mA h cm−3) and 2× the gravimetric capacity (762 mA h g−1) of commercial graphite anode is achieved in stable full-cell battery cycling, with a stabilized areal capacity of 1.6 mA h cm−2 at the 100th cycle. The initial lithium loss, characterized by the coulombic inefficiency (CI), is carefully tallied on a logarithmic scale and compared with the actual full-cell capacity loss. It is shown that a strong, non-adherent aSEI, even if partially cracked, facilitates an adaptive self-repair mechanism that enables full-cell cycling of a SiMA, leading to a stabilized coulombic efficiency exceeding 99.9%.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Cistrome database is built, a collection of ChIP-seq and chromatin accessibility data published before January 1, 2016, including 13 366 human and 9953 mouse samples that are expected to become a valuable resource for transcriptional and epigenetic regulation studies.
Abstract: Chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNase I hypersensitivity and transposase-accessibility assays combined with high-throughput sequencing enable the genome-wide study of chromatin dynamics, transcription factor binding and gene regulation Although rapidly accumulating publicly available ChIP-seq, DNase-seq and ATAC-seq data are a valuable resource for the systematic investigation of gene regulation processes, a lack of standardized curation, quality control and analysis procedures have hindered extensive reuse of these data To overcome this challenge, we built the Cistrome database, a collection of ChIP-seq and chromatin accessibility data (DNase-seq and ATAC-seq) published before January 1, 2016, including 13 366 human and 9953 mouse samples All the data have been carefully curated and processed with a streamlined analysis pipeline and evaluated with comprehensive quality control metrics We have also created a user-friendly web server for data query, exploration and visualization The resulting Cistrome DB (Cistrome Data Browser), available online at http://cistromeorg/db, is expected to become a valuable resource for transcriptional and epigenetic regulation studies

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a facile synthesis of π-conjugated quinoxaline-based heteroaromatic molecules (3Q) by condensation of cyclic carbonyl molecules with o-phenylenediamine was reported.
Abstract: Even though organic molecules with well-designed functional groups can be programmed to have high electron density per unit mass, their poor electrical conductivity and low cycle stability limit their applications in batteries. Here we report a facile synthesis of π-conjugated quinoxaline-based heteroaromatic molecules (3Q) by condensation of cyclic carbonyl molecules with o-phenylenediamine. 3Q features a number of electron-deficient pyrazine sites, where multiple redox reactions take place. When hybridized with graphene and coupled with an ether-based electrolyte, an organic cathode based on 3Q molecules displays a discharge capacity of 395 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1 (1C) in the voltage range of 1.2–3.9 V and a nearly 70% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at 8 A g−1. It also exhibits a capacity of 222 mAh g−1 at 20C, which corresponds to 60% of the initial specific capacity. Our results offer evidence that heteroaromatic molecules with multiple redox sites are promising in developing high-energy-density, long-cycle-life organic rechargeable batteries. Organic compounds can be used as electrode materials for Li-ion batteries, but problems such as facile dissolution and low electrical conductivity hinder their application. Here the authors report π-conjugated quinoxaline-based heteroaromatic molecules with multiple redox sites to tackle the problems.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work demonstrates the effectiveness of dense lattice dislocations as a means of lowering κL, but also the importance of engineering both thermal and electronic transport simultaneously when designing high-performance thermoelectrics.
Abstract: Phonon scattering by nanostructures and point defects has become the primary strategy for minimizing the lattice thermal conductivity (κL ) in thermoelectric materials. However, these scatterers are only effective at the extremes of the phonon spectrum. Recently, it has been demonstrated that dislocations are effective at scattering the remaining mid-frequency phonons as well. In this work, by varying the concentration of Na in Pb0.97 Eu0.03 Te, it has been determined that the dominant microstructural features are point defects, lattice dislocations, and nanostructure interfaces. This study reveals that dense lattice dislocations (≈4 × 1012 cm-2 ) are particularly effective at reducing κL . When the dislocation concentration is maximized, one of the lowest κL values reported for PbTe is achieved. Furthermore, due to the band convergence of the alloyed 3% mol. EuTe the electronic performance is enhanced, and a high thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, of ≈2.2 is achieved. This work not only demonstrates the effectiveness of dense lattice dislocations as a means of lowering κL , but also the importance of engineering both thermal and electronic transport simultaneously when designing high-performance thermoelectrics.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The integrated NC-Co3 O4 /CC can be used as an additive-free air cathode for flexible all-solid-state zinc-air batteries, which present high open circuit potential, high capacity, excellent cycling stability and mechanical flexibility, significantly outperforming Pt- and Ir-based zinc- air batteries.
Abstract: Highly active and durable air cathodes to catalyze both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are urgently required for rechargeable metal-air batteries. In this work, an efficient bifunctional oxygen catalyst comprising hollow Co3 O4 nanospheres embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanowall arrays on flexible carbon cloth (NC-Co3 O4 /CC) is reported. The hierarchical structure is facilely derived from a metal-organic framework precursor. A carbon onion coating constrains the Kirkendall effect to promote the conversion of the Co nanoparticles into irregular hollow oxide nanospheres with a fine scale nanograin structure, which enables promising catalytic properties toward both OER and ORR. The integrated NC-Co3 O4 /CC can be used as an additive-free air cathode for flexible all-solid-state zinc-air batteries, which present high open circuit potential (1.44 V), high capacity (387.2 mAh g-1 , based on the total mass of Zn and catalysts), excellent cycling stability and mechanical flexibility, significantly outperforming Pt- and Ir-based zinc-air batteries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The circular RNA circHIPK3 plays a role in diabetic retinopathy by blocking miR-30a function, leading to increased endothelial proliferation and vascular dysfunction, and suggests that circular RNA is a potential target to control diabetic proliferative Retinopathy.
Abstract: Background —The vascular complications of diabetes mellitus are the major causes of morbidity and mortality among people with diabetes. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. In this study, we investigated the role of circRNA in retinal vascular dysfunction induced by diabetes. Methods —Quantitative polymerase chain reactions, Sanger sequencing, and Northern blots were conducted to detect circHIPK3 expression pattern upon diabetes mellitus-related stresses. MTT assays, EdU incorporation assays, transwell migration assays, and matrigel assays were conducted to detect the role of circHIPK3 in retinal endothelial cell function in vitro. Retinal trypsin digestion, vascular permeability assays, and ELISA assays were conducted to detect the role of circHIPK3 in retinal vascular dysfunction in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase activity assays, RNA pull-down assays, and in vitro studies were conducted to reveal the mechanism of circHIPK3-mediated retinal vascular dysfunction. Results —circHIPK3 expression was significantly up-regulated in diabetic retinas and retinal endothelial cells following stressors related to diabetes. circHIPK3 silencing or over-expressing circHIPK3 changed retinal endothelial cell viability, proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. circHIPK3 silencing in vivo alleviated retinal vascular dysfunction, as shown by decreased retinal acellular capillaries, vascular leakage, and inflammation. circHIPK3 acted as an endogenous miR-30a-3p sponge to sequester and inhibit miR-30a-3p activity, which led to increased VEGFC, FZD4, and WNT2 expression. Ectopic expression of miR-30a-3p mimicked the effect of circHIPK3 silencing on vascular endothelial phenotypes in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions —The circular RNA circHIPK3 plays a role in diabetic retinopathy by blocking miR-30a function, leading to increased endothelial proliferation and vascular dysfunction. These data suggest that circular RNA is a potential target to control diabetic proliferative retinopathy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that the transcription factor Tbx18 selectively marks pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in multiple organs of adult mouse and suggests that the plasticity observed in vitro or following transplantation in vivo arises from artificial cell manipulations ex vivo.

Journal ArticleDOI
03 Aug 2017-Gut
TL;DR: The serum bile acid profile, the hepatic gene expression pattern and the gut microbiome composition consistently support an elevated bile acids production in NAFLD, and suggests that future NA FLD intervention may target the components of FXR signalling, including the bile Acid converting gut microbiome.
Abstract: Objective Bile acids are regulators of lipid and glucose metabolism, and modulate inflammation in the liver and other tissues. Primary bile acids such as cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) are produced in the liver, and converted into secondary bile acids such as deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid by gut microbiota. Here we investigated the possible roles of bile acids in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis and the impact of the gut microbiome on bile acid signalling in NAFLD. Design Serum bile acid levels and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), liver gene expression profiles and gut microbiome compositions were determined in patients with NAFLD, high-fat diet-fed rats and their controls. Results Serum concentrations of primary and secondary bile acids were increased in patients with NAFLD. In per cent, the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) antagonistic DCA was increased, while the agonistic CDCA was decreased in NAFLD. Increased mRNA expression for cytochrome P450 7A1, Na + -taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide and paraoxonase 1, no change in mRNA expression for small heterodimer partner and bile salt export pump, and reduced serum FGF19 were evidence of impaired FXR and fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4)-mediated signalling in NAFLD. Taurine and glycine metabolising bacteria were increased in the gut of patients with NAFLD, reflecting increased secondary bile acid production. Similar changes in liver gene expression and the gut microbiome were observed in high-fat diet-fed rats. Conclusions The serum bile acid profile, the hepatic gene expression pattern and the gut microbiome composition consistently support an elevated bile acid production in NAFLD. The increased proportion of FXR antagonistic bile acid explains, at least in part, the suppression of hepatic FXR-mediated and FGFR4-mediated signalling. Our study suggests that future NAFLD intervention may target the components of FXR signalling, including the bile acid converting gut microbiome.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a photo-catalytic performance of α-Fe 2 O 3 anchored to graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet was evaluated in a heterogeneous Fenton system.
Abstract: Novel hybrid nanostructures or nanocomposites are receiving increasing attention due to their newly evolved properties. In this work, α-Fe 2 O 3 anchored to graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet (α-Fe 2 O 3 @GO) was synthesized through a facile hydrolysis process and its photo-catalytic performances and durability in heterogeneous Fenton system were fully evaluated. The decolorization rates of methylene blue in α-Fe 2 O 3 @GO + H 2 O 2 + UV system within a wide pH range were approximately 2.9-fold that of classical Degussa P25 TiO 2 + UV and 2.4-fold that of α-Fe 2 O 3 + H 2 O 2 + UV. This enhanced decolorization of methylene blue (MB) in α-Fe 2 O 3 @GO + H 2 O 2 + UV system were attributed to the unique incorporation of GO into the catalyst which not only mediated the morphology of active sites α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles but also offered high electron conductivity and electrostatic attraction between negatively charged GO with positively charged MB. High efficiencies of degradation were achieved on various surface charged organic pollutants (around 96–100%), such as cationic compounds of MB and rhodamine B (RhB), anionic compound Orange II (OII) and Orange G (OG), neutral compounds of phenol, 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and endocrine disrupting compound 17β-estradiol (E2). The dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for decolorization, such as hydroxyl radicals ( OH) and superoxide anion radicals (O 2 − ) generated by activation of H 2 O 2 on the surface of α-Fe 2 O 3 @GO were detected and quantified by free radical quenching methods. The possible degradation mechanism of MB involved the rupture of phenothiazine ring by desulfurization and the rupture of phenyl ring due to the attack of ROS, which was analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The reduction of MB and its intermediates was consistent with the decreasing trend of the acute toxicity towards luminous bacteria with the increasing irradiation time. The results lay a foundation for highly effective and durable photo-Fenton technologies for organic wastewater within wider pH ranges than the conventional photo-Fenton reaction.