A neural network model for semi-supervised review aspect identification

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under International Research Centres in Singapore Funding Initiativ

Citrus aurantium

Citrus aurantium is rich in flavonoids, which may prevent osteosarcoma progression, but its related molecular mechanism remains unclear. Flavonoids were extracted from C. aurantium and purified by reparative HPLC. Each fraction was identified by using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Three main components (naringin, naringenin, and hesperetin) were isolated from C. aurantium. Naringenin inhibited the growth of MG-63 cells, whereas naringin and hesperetin had no inhibitory function on cell growth. ROS production was increased in naringin- and hesperetin-treated groups after one day of culture while the level was always lowest in the naringenin-treated group after three days of culture. 95 osteosarcoma patients who underwent surgery were assigned into two groups: naringenin group (NG, received 20 mg naringenin daily, n=47) and control group (CG, received 20 mg placebo daily, n=48). After an average of two-year follow-up, osteosarcoma volumes were smaller in the NG group than in the CG group (P>0.01). The rate of osteosarcoma recurrence was also lower in the NG group than in CG group. ROS levels were lower in the NG group than in the CG group. Thus, naringenin from Citrus aurantium inhibits osteosarcoma progression and local recurrence in the patients who underwent osteosarcoma surgery by improving antioxidant capability

Alkali-metal-adsorbed g-GaN monolayer: ultralow work functions and optical properties

Abstract The electronic and optical properties of alkali-metal-adsorbed graphene-like gallium nitride (g-GaN) have been investigated using density functional theory. The results denote that alkali-metal-adsorbed g-GaN systems are stable compounds, with the most stable adsorption site being the center of the hexagonal ring. In addition, because of charge transfer from the alkali-metal atom to the host, the g-GaN layer shows clear n-type doping behavior. The adsorption of alkali metal atoms on g-GaN occurs via chemisorption. More importantly, the work function of g-GaN is substantially reduced following the adsorption of alkali-metal atoms. Specifically, the Cs-adsorbed g-GaN system shows an ultralow work function of 0.84 eV, which has great potential application in field-emission devices. In addition, the alkali-metal adsorption can lead to an increase in the static dielectric constant and extend the absorption spectrum of g-GaN

A Highly Breathable and Machine-Washable ePTFE-Aided Down-Proof Cotton Fabric

Feather and down textiles are widely used in our daily life, especially in winter. However, they are easily drilled out from the fabric body and are difficult to machine-wash, which thereby blocks their widespread application. In order to solve these issues, a highly anti-drilling, breathable and machine-washable ePTFE-aided down-proof cotton fabric was prepared in this work, which was done by modifying a plain-weave cotton fabric with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) nanofiber membrane via point glue method. The fabrication procedure is simple, scalable and environmentally friendly, which is a prerequisite for large-scale production. The effects of tumble and washing cycles on pore size distribution and the corresponding anti-drilling behavior of the prepared down-proof fabric were systematically investigated. Furthermore, the machine washability, air permeability, thermal insulation and tensile properties of the fabric were studied. The results demonstrated that less than five drilled files escaped from the fabric surface, irrespective of tumble and/or laundering cycles, and it also has the advantages of being lightweight (<83 g/m2), having high breathability, a good thermal insulation rate (≈80%) and can be washed with surfactant by a laundry machine without explosion. Benefiting from the above characteristics, the as-prepared ePTFE-aided down-proof cotton fabric presents its potential application in the field of home textiles

Ecological restoration effects of the Beijing–Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control Project in China since 2000

The Beijing–Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control Project (BTSSCP) has been implemented for more than 20 years (2001–2022), and a scientific, accurate, and complete evaluation of its implementation effect is of great significance for the study of ecosystem evolution. In this study, we present a vegetation–water–soil–environment system comprising the net ecosystem productivity (NEP), water conservation (WC), soil erosion (SE), and habitat quality (HQ) to evaluate the spatiotemporal changes and future trends. The results showed that: (1) In areas with high vegetation coverage, only WC was significantly and negatively correlated with SE (−0.68, p less than 0.01). In areas with low vegetation coverage, NEP, WC, and HQ were all significantly negatively correlated with SE. This indicates that SE is a basic function that affects the performance of other ecological services. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the annual maximum average vegetation coverage increased by about 10 %; the annual average NEP increased by about 60 g C/km2, and the annual average SE decreased by about 500 t/km2. Compared with Phase I (2000–2010), the vegetation condition (coverage, NEP) in summer (July–August) was improved by about 10 %, and SE in winter (December–January) decreased by 3 t/km2 per month in Phase II (2010–2020). (3) In terms of future trends, NEP may continue to increase in the grassland area, especially in the Mu Us Sandland, but it may not change significantly in the forest area. Similarly, SE may continue to decrease in grassland-covered areas, but not in forest-covered areas. Most areas of WC could continue to increase, but the HQ will not change significantly. In general, the ecological restoration effects of the BTSSCP have improved significantly. This paper is intended to provide some key information for the management of ecological projects and regional ecological security

Exploration and functionalization of M1-macrophage extracellular vesicles for effective accumulation in glioblastoma and strong synergistic therapeutic effects

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with an extremely low survival rate. New and effective approaches for treatment are therefore urgently needed. Here, we successfully developed M1-like macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles (M1EVs) that overcome multiple challenges via guidance from two macrophage-related observations in clinical specimens from GBM patients: enrichment of M2 macrophages in GBM; and origination of a majority of infiltrating macrophage from peripheral blood. To maximize the synergistic effect, we further functionalized the membranes of M1EVs with two hydrophobic agents (the chemical excitation source CPPO (C) and the photosensitizer Ce6 (C)) and loaded the hydrophilic hypoxia-activated prodrug AQ4N (A) into the inner core of the M1EVs. After intravenous injection, the inherent nature of M1-derived extracellular vesicles CCA-M1EVs allowed for blood-brain barrier penetration, and modulated the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment via M2-to-M1 polarization, which increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels. Furthermore, the reaction between H2O2 and CPPO produced chemical energy, which could be used for Ce6 activation to generate large amounts of reactive oxygen species to achieve chemiexcited photodynamic therapy (CDT). As this reaction consumed oxygen, the aggravation of tumor hypoxia also led to the conversion of non-toxic AQ4N into toxic AQ4 for chemotherapy. Therefore, CCA-M1EVs achieved synergistic immunomodulation, CDT, and hypoxia-activated chemotherapy in GBM to exert a potent therapeutic effect. Finally, we demonstrated the excellent effect of CCA-M1EVs against GBM in cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models, underscoring the strong potential of our highly flexible M1EVs system to support multi-modal therapies for difficult-to-treat GBM

Shielding Ferritin with a Biomineralized Shell Enables Efficient Modulation of Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Delivery of Diverse Therapeutic Agents

Ferritin (Fn) is considered a promising carrier for targeted delivery to tumors, but the successful application in vivo has not been fully achieved yet. Herein, strong evidence is provided that the Fn receptor is expressed in liver tissues, resulting in an intercept effect in regards to tumor delivery. Building on these observations, a biomineralization technology is rationally designed to shield Fn using a calcium phosphate (CaP) shell, which can improve the delivery performance by reducing Fn interception in the liver while re-exposing it in acidic tumors. Moreover, the selective dissolution of the CaP shell not only neutralizes the acidic microenvironment but also induces the intratumoral immunomodulation and calcification. Upon multiple cell line and patient-derived xenografts, it is demonstrated that the elaboration of the highly flexible Fn@CaP chassis by loading a chemotherapeutic drug into the Fn cavity confers potent antitumor effects, and additionally encapsulating a photosensitizer into the outer shell enables a combined chemo-photothermal therapy for complete suppression of advanced tumors. Altogether, these results support Fn@CaP as a new nanoplatform for efficient modulation of the tumor microenvironment and targeted delivery of diverse therapeutic agents

Remediation Efficiency and Soil Properties of TCE-Contaminated Soil Treated by Thermal Conduction Heating Coupled with Persulfate Oxidation

Less attention was paid to the remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contaminated soil treated by thermal conduction heating (TCH) coupled with chemical oxidization. In this study, the lab-scale remediation experiments of trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated soil by TCH and TCH coupled with persulfate (TCH + PS) were performed to explore the influences of PS usage, temperature, reaction time, and the variation of soil properties. TCE was removed from contaminated soils using TCH with a temperature lower than boiling point, and the removal ratio of TCE reached 78.21% with a reaction time of 6h at 60 °C. In the TCH + PS treatments, the removal ratio increased to 87.60~99.50% when the PS dosage was increased from 7.0 mmol/kg to 17.5 mmol/kg at 60 °C. However, the usage efficiency of PS had no positive relationship with oxidant usage and temperature. The treatment with 14 mmol/kg PS after 3h at 50 °C had the highest PS usage ratio of 3.05. In addition, soil pH and soil organic matter (SOM) did not decrease significantly in the TCH-only treatment, while the content of SOM declined by almost 50% after the TCH + PS treatment. Overall, it was concluded that TCH + PS achieved higher removal efficiency, whereas TCH had less disturbance on soil pH and SOM. As such, the applicability of TCH-only or TCH + PS treatments is site-specific