Coexistence of spin glass and ferroelectricity in highly ordered Bi2FeMnO6 epitaxial thin film

Highly ordered Bi2FeMnO6 epitaxial thin films have been successfully grown on SrTiO3 substrate. Both synchrotron X-ray reciprocal space mapping and high resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the alternative alignment of Fe and Mn along [111] direction of Bi2FeMnO6 films. Magnetic and ferroelectric properties of Bi2FeMnO6 films are characterized and analyzed. The room-temperature ferroelectricity is well kept in Bi2FeMnO6 film as expected. However, it is very interesting that Bi2FeMnO6 film exhibits a typical spin-glass behavior and very weak magnetism rather than a ferri/ferromagnetism as generally believed. Our first-principles calculations suggest a spin frustration model for Bi2FeMnO6, which can well explain the intriguing magnetic property of Bi2FeMnO6 film.Comment: Main text: 30 pages and 14 figure

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule aptamer functionalized PLGA-lecithin-curcumin-PEG nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery to human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells

To improve the efficacy of drug delivery, active targeted nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems are gaining considerable attention as they have the potential to reduce side effects, minimize toxicity, and improve efficacy of anticancer treatment. In this work CUR-NPs (curcumin-loaded lipid-polymer-lecithin hybrid nanoparticles) were synthesized and functionalized with ribonucleic acid (RNA) Aptamers (Apts) against epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) for targeted delivery to colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. These CUR-encapsulated bioconjugates (Apt-CUR-NPs) were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, drug encapsulation, stability, and release. The in vitro specific cell binding, cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity of Apt-CUR-NPs were also studied. The Apt-CUR-NP bioconjugates exhibited increased binding to HT29 colon cancer cells and enhancement in cellular uptake when compared to CUR-NPs functionalized with a control Apt (P<0.01). Furthermore, a substantial improvement in cytotoxicity was achieved toward HT29 cells with Apt-CUR-NP bioconjugates. The encapsulation of CUR in Apt-CUR-NPs resulted in the increased bioavailability of delivered CUR over a period of 24 hours compared to that of free CUR in vivo. These results show that the EpCAM Apt-functionalized CUR-NPs enhance the targeting and drug delivery of CUR to colorectal cancer cells. Further development of CUR-encapsulated, nanosized carriers will lead to improved targeted delivery of novel chemotherapeutic agents to colorectal cancer cells

The Research on Development of the Teaching Choral Music in Non-Professional Music Colleges in China

This thesis explores the cultivation of emotional quality in the teaching of choral music in non- professional music colleges in China With the increasing popularity of choral music in China it is important to understand the effectiveness of teaching methods and how students connect emotionally with the genre The research examines the current state of choral music education including the strengths and weaknesses inherent in pedagogical approache

Improved efficacy and reduced toxicity of doxorubicin encapsulated in sulfatide-containing nanoliposome in a glioma model

As a glycosphingolipid that can bind to several extracellular matrix proteins, sulfatide has the potential to become an&nbsp;effective targeting agent for tumors overexpressing tenasin-C in their microenvironment. To overcome the dose-limiting&nbsp;toxicity of doxorubicin (DOX), a sulfatide-containing nanoliposome (SCN) encapsulation approach was employed to&nbsp;improve treatment efficacy and reduce side effects of free DOX. This study analysed in vitro characteristics of sulfatidecontaining&nbsp;nanoliposomal DOX (SCN-DOX) and assessed its cytotoxicity in vitro, as well as biodistribution, therapeutic&nbsp;efficacy, and systemic toxicity in a human glioblastoma U-118MG xenograft model. SCN-DOX was shown to achieve highest&nbsp;drug to lipid ratio (0.5:1) and a remarkable in vitro stability. Moreover, DOX encapsulated in SCN was shown to be delivered&nbsp;into the nuclei and displayed prolonged retention over free DOX in U-118MG cells. This simple two-lipid SCN- DOX nanodrug has favourable pharmacokinetic attributes in terms of prolonged circulation time, reduced volume of distribution and&nbsp;enhanced bioavailability in healthy rats. As a result of the improved biodistribution, an enhanced treatment efficacy of SCNDOX&nbsp;was found in glioma-bearing mice compared to the free drug. Finally, a reduction in the accumulation of DOX in the&nbsp;drug&rsquo;s principal toxicity organs achieved by SCN-DOX led to the diminished systemic toxicity as evident from the plasma&nbsp;biochemical analyses. Thus, SCN has the potential to be an effective and safer nano-carrier for targeted delivery of&nbsp;therapeutic agents to tumors with elevated expression of tenascin-C in their microenvironment

Nodal dynamics, not degree distributions, determine the structural controllability of complex networks

Structural controllability has been proposed as an analytical framework for making predictions regarding the control of complex networks across myriad disciplines in the physical and life sciences (Liu et al., Nature:473(7346):167-173, 2011). Although the integration of control theory and network analysis is important, we argue that the application of the structural controllability framework to most if not all real-world networks leads to the conclusion that a single control input, applied to the power dominating set (PDS), is all that is needed for structural controllability. This result is consistent with the well-known fact that controllability and its dual observability are generic properties of systems. We argue that more important than issues of structural controllability are the questions of whether a system is almost uncontrollable, whether it is almost unobservable, and whether it possesses almost pole-zero cancellations.Comment: 1 Figures, 6 page

Effects of common artificial sweeteners at environmentally relevant concentrations on soil springtails and their gut microbiota

Artificial sweeteners (AS) are extensively utilized as sugar substitutes and have been recognized as emerging environmental contaminants. While the effect of AS on aquatic organisms has garnered recent attention, their effects on soil invertebrates and gut microbial communities remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed springtails (Folsomia candida) to both single and combined treatments of four typical AS (sucralose [SUC], saccharin [SAC], cyclamate [CYC], and acesulfame [ACE]) at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg kg−1 in soil. Following the first-generational exposure, the reproduction of juveniles showed a significant increase under all the AS treatments of 0.1 mg kg−1. The transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of several Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathways (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, amino sugar, and nucleotide sugar metabolism, ribosome, and lysosome) in springtails under all AS treatments. Analysis of gut bacterial microbiota indicated that three AS (SUC, CYC, and ACE) significantly decreased alpha diversity, and all AS treatments increased the abundance of the genus Achromobacter. After the sixth-generational exposure to CYC, weight increased, but reproduction was inhibited. The pathways that changed significantly (e.g., extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, lysosome) were generally similar to those altered in first-generational exposure, but with opposite regulation directions. Furthermore, the effect on the alpha diversity of gut microbiota was contrary to that after first-generational exposure, and more noticeable disturbances in microbiota composition were observed. These findings underscore the ecological risk of AS in soils and improve our understanding of the toxicity effects of AS on living organisms

The Red Supergiant Progenitor of Type II Supernova 2024ggi

We present a detailed analysis of the progenitor and its local environment for the recently discovered type II supernova (SN) 2024ggi at a distance of about 6.7~Mpc, by utilizing the pre-explosion images from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and \textit{Spitzer} Space Telescope. The progenitor is identified as a red, bright variable star, with absolute $F814W$-band magnitudes being $-$6.2 mag in 1995 to $-$7.2 mag in 2003, respectively, consistent with that of a normal red supergiant (RSG) star. Combining with the historical mid-infrared light curves, a pulsational period of about 379~days can be inferred for the progenitor star. Fitting its spectral energy distribution with stellar spectral models yields the stellar parameters of temperature, radius and bolometric luminosity as $T_*=3290_{-27}^{+19}$~K, $R_*=887_{-51}^{+60}$~R$_{\odot}$, and log($L$/L$_{\odot}$)$=4.92_{-0.04}^{+0.05}$, respectively. The above parameters indicate that the progenitor of SN 2024ggi is consistent with the stellar evolutionary track of a solar-metallicity massive star with an initial mass of $13_{-1}^{+1}$~M$_{\odot}$. Moreover, our analysis indicates a relatively low mass loss rate (i.e., $< 3\times10^{-6}$~M$_{\odot}$~yr$^{-1}$) for the progenitor compared to that inferred from the flashed spectra and X-ray detection (i.e., $10^{-2}$$-$$10$$^{-5}$~M$_{\odot}$~yr$^{-1}$), implying a significant enhancement in mass loss within a few years prior to the explosion.Comment: 4 figures, 1 tabl

Codelivery of SH-aspirin and curcumin by mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles enhanced antitumor activity by inducing mitochondrial apoptosis

Natural product curcumin (Cur) and H(2)S-releasing prodrug SH-aspirin (SH-ASA) are potential anticancer agents with diverse mechanisms, but their clinical application prospects are restricted by hydrophobicity and limited efficiency. In this work, we coencapsulated SH-ASA and Cur into methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly (lactide-coglycolide) (mPEG-PLGA) nanoparticles through a modified oil-in-water single-emulsion solvent evaporation process. The prepared SH-ASA/Cur-coloaded mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles had a mean particle size of 122.3±6.8 nm and were monodispersed (polydispersity index =0.179±0.016) in water, with high drug-loading capacity and stability. Intriguingly, by treating with SH-ASA/Cur-coloaded mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles, obvious synergistic anticancer effects on ES-2 and SKOV3 human ovarian carcinoma cells were observed in vitro, and activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was indicated. Our results demonstrated that SH-ASA/Cur-coloaded mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles could have potential clinical advantages for the treatment of ovarian cancer