Synthesis of Flower-Like Cu 2

Flower-like Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoflakes were synthesized by a facile and fast one-pot solution reaction using copper(II) acetate monohydrate, zinc acetate dihydrate, tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate, and thiourea as starting materials. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with an energy dispersion X-ray spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The XRD patterns shown that the as-synthesized particles were kesterite CZTS and Raman scattering analysis and EDS confirmed that kesterite CZTS was the only phase of product. The results of FESEM and TEM show that the as-synthesized particles were flower-like morphology with the average size of 1~2 μm which are composed of 50 nm thick nanoflakes. UV-Vis absorption spectrum revealed CZTS nanoflakes with a direct band gap of 1.52 eV

Associations among multidomain lifestyles, chronic diseases, and dementia in older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study

BackgroundUnhealthy lifestyles and chronic diseases are commonly seen and treatable factors in older adults and are both associated with dementia. However, the synergistic effect of the interaction of lifestyles and chronic diseases on dementia is unknown.MethodsWe determined independent associations of multidomain lifestyles and chronic diseases (cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension) with dementia and examined their synergistic impact on dementia among older adults. The data were drawn from the Hubei Memory and Aging Cohort Study. We created a summary score of six factors for multidomain lifestyles. Dementia was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. Logistic regression and multiple correspondence analyses were used to explore the relationships among multidomain lifestyles, chronic diseases, and dementia. A sensitivity analysis was performed to minimize the interference of reverse causality and potential confounders.ResultsIndependent associations with dementia were found in unhealthy (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.38–2.61) and intermediate healthy lifestyles (OR, 3.29, 2.32–4.68), hypertension (OR, 1.21, 1.01–1.46), diabetes (OR, 1.30, 1.04–1.63), and cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.39, 1.12–1.72). Interactions of diabetes (p = 0.004), hypertension (p = 0.004), and lifestyles were significant, suggesting a combined impact on dementia. Sensitivity analysis supported the strong association among multidomain lifestyles, chronic diseases, and dementia prevalence.ConclusionAn unhealthy lifestyle was associated with a higher prevalence of dementia, regardless of whether the participants had chronic diseases; however, this association was stronger in individuals with chronic diseases. Multidomain lifestyles and chronic diseases may have an enhanced impact on dementia

Heterologous SH3-p85β inhibits influenza A virus replication

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signalling pathway can support the replication of influenza A virus through binding of viral NS1 protein to the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of p85β regulatory subunit of PI3K. Here we investigated the effect of heterologously overexpressed SH3 on the replication of different influenza A virus subtypes/strains, and on the phosphorylation of Akt in the virus-infected cells. We found that heterologous SH3 reduced replication of influenza A viruses at varying degrees in a subtype/strain-dependent manner and SH3 overexpression reduced the induction of the phosphorylation of Akt in the cells infected with PR8(H1N1) and ST364(H3N2), but not with ST1233(H1N1), Ph2246(H9N2), and Qa199(H9N2). Our results suggest that interference with the NS1-p85β interaction by heterologous SH3 can be served as a useful antiviral strategy against influenza A virus infection

Effects of biochar application and nutrient fluctuation on the growth, and cadmium and nutrient uptake of Trifolium repens with different planting densities in Cd-contaminated soils

Biochar has been used to remediate contaminated-soil with heavy metals, however, less is known on how biochar interacts with planting density and nutrient fluctuation to affect the remediation. A pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse to investigate the effects of biochar application (without vs. with 1% biochar, g/g substrate), nutrient fluctuation (constant vs. pulsed) and planting density (1-, 3- and 6-individuals per pot) on the growth, and cadmium (Cd) and nutrient uptake of Trifolium repens population. Our results found that the growth of T. repens population increased significantly with increasing planting density, and the increment decreased with increasing planting density. Both the Cd and nutrient uptake were higher at higher planting density (e.g., 3- and 6-individuals) than at lower planting density (e.g., 1-individual). Biochar application increased the biomass and shoot Cd uptake, but decreased the ratio of root to shoot and root Cd uptake of T. repens population, the effects of which were significantly influenced by planting density. Although nutrient fluctuation had no effect on the growth of T. repens population, but its interaction with planting density had significant effects on Cd uptake in tissues. Overall, the effects of biochar application and nutrient fluctuation on the growth and Cd uptake were both influenced by planting density in the present study. Our findings highlight that biochar application and constant nutrient supply at an appropriate planting density, such as planting density of 3-individuals per pot in the present study, could promote the growth, and Cd and nutrient uptake of T. repens population

Primed 3D injectable microniches enabling low-dosage cell therapy for critical limb ischemia

The promise of cell therapy for repair and restoration of damaged tissues or organs relies on administration of large dose of cells whose healing benefits are still limited and sometimes irreproducible due to uncontrollable cell loss and death at lesion sites. Using a large amount of therapeutic cells increases the costs for cell processing and the risks of side effects. Optimal cell delivery strategies are therefore in urgent need to enhance the specificity, efficacy, and reproducibility of cell therapy leading to minimized cell dosage and side effects. Here, we addressed this unmet need by developing injectable 3D microscale cellular niches (microniches) based on biodegradable gelatin microcryogels (GMs). The microniches are constituted by in vitro priming human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) seeded within GMs resulting in tissue-like ensembles with enriched extracellular matrices and enhanced cell–cell interactions. The primed 3D microniches facilitated cell protection from mechanical insults during injection and in vivo cell retention, survival, and ultimate therapeutic functions in treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in mouse models compared with free cell-based therapy. In particular, 3D microniche-based therapy with 10[superscript 5] hMSCs realized better ischemic limb salvage than treatment with 10[superscript 6] free-injected hMSCs, the minimum dosage with therapeutic effects for treating CLI in literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first convincing demonstration of injectable and primed cell delivery strategy realizing superior therapeutic efficacy for treating CLI with the lowest cell dosage in mouse models. This study offers a widely applicable cell delivery platform technology to boost the healing power of cell regenerative therapy.National Natural Science Foundation (China) (Grant 81171474)National Natural Science Foundation (China) (Grant 51273106)National Natural Science Foundation (China) (Grant 81227901)Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (Grant 157142090)National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant 2011CB707701