A Highly Controllable Electrochemical Anodization Process to Fabricate Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membranes

Due to the broad applications of porous alumina nanostructures, research on fabrication of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) with nanoporous structure has triggered enormous attention. While fabrication of highly ordered nanoporous AAO with tunable geometric features has been widely reported, it is known that its growth rate can be easily affected by the fluctuation of process conditions such as acid concentration and temperature during electrochemical anodization process. To fabricate AAO with various geometric parameters, particularly, to realize precise control over pore depth for scientific research and commercial applications, a controllable fabrication process is essential. In this work, we revealed a linear correlation between the integrated electric charge flow throughout the circuit in the stable anodization process and the growth thickness of AAO membranes. With this understanding, we developed a facile approach to precisely control the growth process of the membranes. It was found that this approach is applicable in a large voltage range, and it may be extended to anodization of other metal materials such as Ti as well.Hong Kong Research Grant Council [612113]; Hong Kong Innovation Technology Commission [ITS/362/14FP]; Fundamental Research Project of Shenzhen Science & Technology Foundation [JCYJ20130402164725025]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [61574005]; Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions [PAPD]SCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]

Efficient metal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes with significantly improved light extraction on nanophotonic substrates.

Metal halide perovskite has emerged as a promising material for light-emitting diodes. In the past, the performance of devices has been improved mainly by optimizing the active and charge injection layers. However, the large refractive index difference among different materials limits the overall light extraction. Herein, we fabricate efficient methylammonium lead bromide light-emitting diodes on nanophotonic substrates with an optimal device external quantum efficiency of 17.5% which is around twice of the record for the planar device based on this material system. Furthermore, optical modelling shows that a high light extraction efficiency of 73.6% can be achieved as a result of a two-step light extraction process involving nanodome light couplers and nanowire optical antennas on the nanophotonic substrate. These results suggest that utilization of nanophotonic structures can be an effective approach to achieve high performance perovskite light-emitting diodes

Comparing glycemic traits in defining diabetes among rural Chinese older adults

The protocol of MIND-China was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR, www.chictr.org.cn; registration no.: ChiCTR1800017758).Background: We sought to identify the optimal cut-off of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for defining diabetes and to assess the agreements of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting serum glucose (FSG), and HbA1c in defining diabetes among rural older adults in China. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study included 3547 participants (age ≥61 years, 57.8% women) from the Multidomain Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in Rural China from 2018-2019; of these, 3122 had no previously diagnosed diabetes. We identified the optimal cut-off of HbA1c against FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L for defining diabetes by using receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden index. The agreements of FPG, FSG, and HbA1c in defining diabetes were assessed using kappa statistics. Results: Among participants without previously diagnosed diabetes (n = 3122), the optimal HbA1c cut-off for defining diabetes was 6.5% (48 mmol/mol), with the sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 93.7%, and Youden index of 0.825. The correlation coefficients were 0.845 between FPG and FSG, 0.574 between FPG and HbA1c, and 0.529 between FSG and HbA1c in the total sample (n = 3547). The kappa statistic for defining diabetes was 0.962 between FSG and FPG, and 0.812 between HbA1c and FPG. Conclusions: The optimal cut-off of HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes against FPG >7.0 mmol/L is ≥6.5% in Chinese rural-dwelling older adults. The agreement in defining diabetes using FPG, FSG, and HbA1c is nearly perfect. These results have relevant implications for diabetes research and clinical practice among older adults in China. Clinical trial registration: The protocol of MIND-China was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR, www.chictr.org.cn; registration no.: ChiCTR1800017758).Y Du was supported by the major grant from the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Sciences and Technology of China (Grant No.: 2017YFC1310100) and by additional grants from the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grants No.: 81861138008 and 82011530139), the Academic Promotion Program of Shandong First Medical University (2019QL020), and the Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong Province, China (Tsqn201909182). C Qiu received grants from the Swedish Research Council (Grants No.: 2017-05819 and 2020-01574), the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) (Grant No.: CH2019-8320) for the Joint China-Sweden Mobility program, and the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. The funding agency had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, the writing of this manuscript, and in the decision to submit the work for publication.S

Choroid Plexus Volume in Rural Chinese Older Adults: Distribution and Association With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Background The choroid plexus (CP) is involved in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the association of CP with cardiovascular risk factors and cerebral small vessel disease in older adults remains unclear. Methods and Results This population‐based study included 1263 participants (60 years and older) from the MIND‐China (Multimodal Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in Rural China) substudy (2018–2020), of which 111 individuals completed diffusion tensor imaging examination. CP volume was automatically segmented. White matter hyperintensities (WMHs), enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), cerebral microbleeds, and lacunes were assessed following the Standards for Reporting Vascular Changes on Neuroimaging 1. Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity and free water were derived from diffusion tensor imaging images. We used linear regression models to evaluate the association between CP volume and cardiovascular risk factors, WMH volumes, and diffusion tensor imaging metrics, and logistic regression models to examine the association between CP volume and EPVS, cerebral microbleeds, and lacunes. The CP volume increased with age (P<0.001). Men (β coefficient=0.47 [95% CI, 0.29–0.64]) and participants with diabetes (β coefficient=0.16 [95% CI, 0.01–0.31]) had larger CP volumes than women and individuals without diabetes, respectively (P<0.05). Greater CP volume was significantly associated with larger total and periventricular WMH volumes and moderate to severe EPVS in basal ganglia (P<0.05) but not with deep WMHs, EPVS in centrum semiovale, lacunes, or cerebral microbleeds. In the diffusion tensor imaging subsample, enlarged CP was significantly associated with higher peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity and free water of periventricular and deep white matter (P<0.05). Conclusions An enlarged CP is associated with larger global and periventricular WMH volume and higher likelihoods of EPVS in basal ganglia and impaired white matter integrity, suggesting that an enlarged CP may represent a precursor of cerebral small vessel disease

Transcription factor MEF2D regulates aberrant expression of ACSL3 and enhances sorafenib resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis in HCC

BackgroundSorafenib is a first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, acquired resistance often results in a poor prognosis, indicating a need for more effective therapies. Sorafenib induces cell death through an iron-dependent mechanism known as ferroptosis, which is closely associated with the onset and progression of HCC.MethodsThis study investigated the role of ACSL3 in sorafenib resistance and ferroptosis in HCC. The expression of ACSL3 was analyzed in HCC tissues and cell lines. Ferroptosis levels and cell viability were assessed in ACSL3-silenced HCC cells treated with sorafenib. The regulatory relationship between the transcription factor MEF2D and ACSL3 was evaluated using promoter binding assays and gene expression analysis.ResultsACSL3 was aberrantly expressed in HCC and promoted the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to HCC. Elevated ACSL3 expression inhibited ferroptosis and enhanced resistance to sorafenib. The transcription factor MEF2D directly regulated the upregulation of ACSL3 expression. MEF2D bound to the promoter regions of ACSL3 to enhance its transcription and negatively regulate ferroptosis in HCC.ConclusionThis study demonstrated for the first time that MEF2D regulated ACSL3 expression and mediated sorafenib resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis in HCC, providing a potential therapeutic target for improving HCC outcomes

Development and validation of a diagnostic model for cerebral small vessel disease among rural older adults in China

ObjectivesCerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) visible on MRI can be asymptomatic. We sought to develop and validate a model for detecting CSVD in rural older adults.MethodsThis study included 1,192 participants in the MRI sub-study within the Multidomain Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in Rural China. Total sample was randomly divided into training set and validation set. MRI markers of CSVD were assessed following the international criteria, and total CSVD burden was assessed on a scale from 0 to 4. Logistic regression analyses were used to screen risk factors and develop the diagnostic model. A nomogram was used to visualize the model. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plot, and decision curve analysis.ResultsThe model included age, high blood pressure, white blood cell count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and history of cerebral infarction. The AUC was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.67–0.76) in the training set and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.63–0.76) in the validation set. The model showed high coherence between predicted and observed probabilities in both the training and validation sets. The model had higher net benefits than the strategy assuming all participants either at high risk or low risk of CSVD for probability thresholds ranging 50–90% in the training set, and 65–98% in the validation set.ConclusionA model that integrates routine clinical factors could detect CSVD in older adults, with good discrimination and calibration. The model has implication for clinical decision-making

Submarine groundwater discharge in Dongshan Bay, China: A master regulator of nutrients in spring and potential national significance of small bays

Despite over 90% of China’s coastal bays have an area less than 500 km2, the geochemical effects of SGD on those ecosystems are ambiguous. Based on mapping and time-series observations of Ra isotopes and nutrients, a case study of small bays (&lt;500 km2), we revealed that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) predominately regulated the distribution of nutrients and fueled algal growth in Dongshan Bay, China. On the bay-wide scale, the SGD rate was estimated to be 0.048 ± 0.022 m day−1 and contributed over 95% of the nutrients. At the time-series site where the bay-wide highest Ra activities in the bottom water marked an SGD hotspot with an average rate an order of magnitude greater, the maximum chlorophyll concentration co-occurred, suggesting that SGD may support the algal bloom. The ever-most significant positive correlations between 228Ra and nutrients throughout the water column (P&lt; 0.01, R2 &gt; 0.90 except for soluble reactive phosphorus in the surface) suggested the predominance of SGD in controlling nutrient distribution in the bay. Extrapolated to a national scale, the SGD-carried dissolved inorganic nitrogen flux in small bays was twice as much as those in large bays (&gt;2,000 km2). Thus, the SGD-carried nutrients in small bays merit immediate attention in environmental monitoring and management