Structure Evolution of Graphene Oxide during Thermally Driven Phase Transformation: Is the Oxygen Content Really Preserved?

A mild annealing procedure was recently proposed for the scalable enhancement of graphene oxide (GO) properties with the oxygen content preserved, which was demonstrated to be attributed to the thermally driven phase separation. In this work, the structure evolution of GO with mild annealing is closely investigated. It reveals that in addition to phase separation, the transformation of oxygen functionalities also occurs, which leads to the slight reduction of GO membranes and furthers the enhancement of GO properties. These results are further supported by the density functional theory based calculations. The results also show that the amount of chemically bonded oxygen atoms on graphene decreases gradually and we propose that the strongly physisorbed oxygen species constrained in the holes and vacancies on GO lattice might be responsible for the preserved oxygen content during the mild annealing procedure. The present experimental results and calculations indicate that both the diffusion and transformation of oxygen functional groups might play important roles in the scalable enhancement of GO properties

Effect of sulfur on enhancing nitrogen-doping and magnetic properties of carbon nanotubes

Sulfur (S) is introduced as an additive in the growth atmosphere of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the range of 940-1020°C. CNT products with distorted sidewalls can be obtained by S-assisted growth. Moreover, many fascinating CNT structures can also be found in samples grown with S addition, such as bamboo-like CNTs, twisted CNTs, arborization-like CNTs, and bead-like CNTs. Compared with CNTs grown without S, more nitrogen-doping content is achieved in CNTs with S addition, which is beneficial for the properties and applications of nitrogen-doped CNTs. In addition, S can also enhance the encapsulation of ferromagnetic materials and thus improve the soft magnetic properties of CNTs, which is favorable to the applications of CNTs in the electromagnetic wave-absorbing and magnetic data storage areas

Strong, conductive carbon nanotube fibers as efficient hole collectors

We present the photovoltaic properties of heterojunctions made from single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) fibers and n-type silicon wafers. The use of the opaque SWNT fiber allows photo-generated holes to transport along the axis direction of the fiber. The heterojunction solar cells show conversion efficiencies of up to 3.1% (actual) and 10.6% (nominal) at AM1.5 condition. In addition, the use of strong, environmentally benign carbon nanotube fibers provides excellent structural stability of the photovoltaic devices

Immune-Related Biomarkers Improve Performance of Risk Prediction Models for Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ObjectThe prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis faced great challenge due to tumor heterogeneity. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between the immune infiltrate and prognosis. Moreover, we aimed to establish a risk prediction model for survival in HCC patients based on clinicopathological and immune indicators.MethodsIn this study, 316 patients with HCC who underwent radical resection in West China Hospital from 2009 to 2014 were included. Clinicopathological data and pathological specimens were collected. H&E staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed on the pathological tissue sections. The evaluation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density was based on H&E slices, and the assessment of the expressions of CD8, CD68, Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 (TIM-3), Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1), Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1), OX40, CD66b, and Tryptase. was performed on the immunohistochemical slices. A risk prediction model for survival in HCC patients was established by integrating immune-related biomarkers and clinicopathological indicators.ResultsThe Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage; the microvascular invasion status; the density of TILs; the expressing levels of CD66b, OX40, and PD-L1 in the immune cell; CD68; and CD8 were the predictors of patients’ overall survival (OS). The BCLC stage; the density of TILs; and the expressions of OX40, CD68, and CD8 were associated with disease-free survival (DFS). The expressions of CD66b, CD68, OX40, and CD8 had a cumulative effect on prognosis. The area under the curve of the prediction model for OS based on clinicopathological features was improved from 0.62 to 0.74 by adding to CD8, OX40, CD68, CD66b, and TILs, whereas it was improved from 0.59 to 0.73 for the DFS prediction model.ConclusionOur results, if confirmed, indicated that immune-related biomarkers should be taken into account or stratified in survival analysis for HCC

AcMYB1 Interacts With AcbHLH1 to Regulate Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Aglaonema commutatum

Aglaonema commutatum is one of the most popular foliage plants with abundant leaf phenotypes; therefore, anthocyanin coloration is a vital economic trait in A. commutatum. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis and its regulation remain unclear. In this study, AcMYB1 and AcbHLH1, transcription factor genes related to an R2R3-myeloblast (MYB) and a basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH), respectively, were isolated from A. commutatum “Red Valentine” and functionally characterized. AcMYB1 and AcbHLH1 were found to interact by Y2H and BiFC assay. AcMYB1 was grouped into the AN2 subgroup and shared high homology with the known regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Gene expression analysis showed that both AcMYB1 and AcbHLH1 have similar expression patterns to anthocyanin structural genes and correlate with anthocyanin distribution in different tissues of A. commutatum. Light strongly promoted anthocyanin accumulation by upregulating the expression of anthocyanin-related genes in A. commutatum leaves. Ectopic expression of AcMYB1 in tobacco remarkably increased anthocyanin accumulation in both vegetative and reproductive tissues at various developmental stages. These results provide insights into the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in A. commutatum and are useful for breeding new A. commutatum cultivars with enhanced ornamental value

The clinical characteristics of Chinese elderly patients with different durations of type 2 diabetes mellitus

AimsTo explore the clinical characteristics among elderly (aged ≥60 years) patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) of different durations.MethodsClinical characteristics were investigated in 3840 elderly T2DM patients according to their different durations of diabetes (< 1 year, 1~5 years, 5~10 years, and ≥ 10 years). Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests were used to assess the differences among groups for continuous variables. The chi-square and post hoc tests were carried out for dichotomous variables. The logistic regression was adopted to investigate the relationships between various durations of diabetes and the control rates of achieving the control targets for T2DM as well as diabetic vascular complications.ResultsThere were 972, 896, 875 and 1097 patients with a duration of diabetes of <1, 1~5, 5~10 and ≥10 years, respectively. In logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, BMI, smoking and family history of diabetes, elderly T2DM patients with a duration of diabetes of ≥10 years were more likely to reach the comprehensive control targets for TC (ORTC = 1.36, 95% CI =1.14-1.63), LDL-C (ORLDL-C = 1.39, 95% CI =1.17-1.66), TG (ORTG = 1.76, 95% CI =1.46-2.12) and BMI (ORBMI = 1.82, 95% CI =1.52-2.18). Elderly T2DM patients with a duration of diabetes of 1~5 years were more likely to achieve the HbA1c control target (ORHbA1c = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.59-2.31) than elderly T2DM patients with a duration of diabetes of <1 year. Furthermore, in elderly T2DM patients with a duration of diabetes of 5~10 years or ≥ 10 years, the duration of diabetes was positively associated with diabetic macrovascular complications (coronary heart disease and peripheral artery disease). In elderly T2DM patients with a duration of diabetes of over 10 years, the duration of diabetes was associated with diabetes kidney disease (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsIt is worth noting that the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in different durations of diabetes are different