Macrophage polarization states in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition primarily affecting large and medium arteries, is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases. Macrophages are key mediators of inflammatory responses. They are involved in all stages of atherosclerosis development and progression, from plaque formation to transition into vulnerable plaques, and are considered important therapeutic targets. Increasing evidence suggests that the modulation of macrophage polarization can effectively control the progression of atherosclerosis. Herein, we explore the role of macrophage polarization in the progression of atherosclerosis and summarize emerging therapies for the regulation of macrophage polarization. Thus, the aim is to inspire new avenues of research in disease mechanisms and clinical prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis

Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene and benzotriazole based small molecule for solution-processed organic solar cells

A&nbsp;novel&nbsp;deep&nbsp;HOMO&nbsp;A1-p-A2-D-A2-p-A1&nbsp;type&nbsp;molecule&nbsp;(D(CATBTzT)BDT),&nbsp;which&nbsp;terminal<br /> electron-withdrawing&nbsp;octyl&nbsp;cyanoacetate&nbsp;group&nbsp;is&nbsp;connected&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b0]dithiophene<br /> (BDT)&nbsp;core&nbsp;through&nbsp;another&nbsp;electron-accepting&nbsp;benzotriazole&nbsp;block,&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;synthesized,<br /> characterized,&nbsp;and&nbsp;employed&nbsp;as&nbsp;electron&nbsp;donor&nbsp;material&nbsp;for&nbsp;small&nbsp;molecule<br /> organic&nbsp;solar&nbsp;cells&nbsp;(SM-OSCs).&nbsp;By&nbsp;simple&nbsp;solution&nbsp;spin-coating&nbsp;fabrication&nbsp;process,&nbsp;D(CATBTzT)<br /> BDT/PC61BM&nbsp;based&nbsp;OSCs&nbsp;exhibit&nbsp;a&nbsp;power&nbsp;conversion&nbsp;efficiency&nbsp;(PCE)&nbsp;of&nbsp;3.61%&nbsp;with&nbsp;a<br /> high&nbsp;open-circuit&nbsp;voltage&nbsp;of&nbsp;0.93&nbsp;V.&nbsp;The&nbsp;D(CATBTzT)BDT&nbsp;based&nbsp;solar&nbsp;cells&nbsp;device&nbsp;also&nbsp;can<br /> show&nbsp;high&nbsp;FF&nbsp;of&nbsp;72%&nbsp;with&nbsp;PCEs&nbsp;of&nbsp;2.31%&nbsp;which&nbsp;is&nbsp;one&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;best&nbsp;FF&nbsp;results&nbsp;for&nbsp;solution-processed<br /> SM-OSCs.<br /

Hyperconjugated side chained benzodithiophene and 4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole based polymer for solar cells

A novel donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymer (P3TBDTDTBT), including hyperconjugated side chained benzodithiophene as a donor and 4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (DTBT) as an acceptor, was designed and synthesized. Due to the introduction of the hyperconjugated side chain, the resultant polymer exhibited good thermal stability with a high decomposition temperature of 437 degrees C, a low band-gap of 1.67 eV with an absorption onset of 742 nm in the solid film, and a deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of -5.26 eV. Finally, the polymer solar cell (PSC) device based on this polymer and [6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) showed the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.57% with an open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of 0.78 V, a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 8.83 mA cm(-2) and a fill factor (FF) of 53%

Bioinspired Mitigation Scheme for Cascading Failures in Farmland Wireless Sensor Networks

Existing mitigation strategies on wireless sensor networks (WSNs) against cascading failures cannot appropriately adapt the particular characteristics of farmland WSNs. Spider web provides a new reference for improving network invulnerability. In this study, a bionic network scheme is built based on symmetric analysis of a series of spider-web vibration transmission trials, which include networking methodology, communication rules, and load capacity model. The basic idea of this scheme is to apply the cascading-failure coping mechanism inspired by spider web into the construction and operation of farmland WSNs. We found that the link backup contributed by a topological structure and communication rules had positive effects on suppressing the spread of cascading failures. The study showed that the damages of cascading failures can be efficiently lowered by regulating the adjustment coefficient of the load capacity model. The difference between the inner-layer node failures and outer-layer node failures for network invulnerability was verified under deliberate attack circumstances. Based on these results, the proposed network scheme can be utilized to enhance the invulnerability performance of farmland WSNs