Enhanced photoelectric properties of PbSnSe thin films via quick oxygen ion-implantation sensitization

Journal of Materials Science - Although chalcogenide materials continue to generate considerable interest due to great potentials for various optoelectronic devices, annealing for a long time in...     

Detection of crowdedness in bus compartments based on ResNet algorithm and video images

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The crowding in bus is an important factor affecting passenger satisfaction and bus dispatching level. However, how to use video images to detect crowding...     

Neoagarooligosaccharide Protects against Hepatic Fibrosis via Inhibition of TGF-β/Smad Signaling Pathway

Hepatic fibrosis occurs when liver tissue becomes scarred from repetitive liver injury and inflammatory responses; it can progress to cirrhosis and eventually to hepatocellular carcinoma. Previously, we reported that neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs), produced by the hydrolysis of agar by β-agarases, have hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen overdose-induced acute liver injury. However, the effect of NAOs on chronic liver injury, including hepatic fibrosis, has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we examined whether NAOs protect against fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. NAOs ameliorated PAI-1, α-SMA, CTGF and fibronectin protein expression and decreased mRNA levels of fibrogenic genes in TGF-β-treated LX-2 cells. Furthermore, downstream of TGF-β, the Smad signaling pathway was inhibited by NAOs in LX-2 cells. Treatment with NAOs diminished the severity of hepatic injury, as evidenced by reduction in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver fibrosis mouse models. Moreover, NAOs markedly blocked histopathological changes and collagen accumulation, as shown by H&E and Sirius red staining, respectively. Finally, NAOs antagonized the CCl₄-induced upregulation of the protein and mRNA levels of fibrogenic genes in the liver. In conclusion, our findings suggest that NAOs may be a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of chronic liver injury via inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.     

用于射频滤波器的LN单晶薄膜XBAR的性能研究

基于铌酸锂(LN)薄膜的横向激发体声波谐振器(XBAR)能够兼具大机电耦合系数(K²)和高谐振频率(f)特性，有望满足5G应用的频段要求。然而，常规LN薄膜单层XBAR结构的温度稳定性较差，频率温度系数(TCF)较低。该文提出一种具有SiO₂温度补偿层的SiO₂/LN双层结构XBAR，并建立了精确分析层状结构XBAR的有限元模型。理论分析表明，该双层结构XBAR上激励的主模式是一阶反对称(A1)兰姆波。通过合理优化结构参数配置，能够获得高谐振频率(f~4.75 GHz)和大机电耦合系数(K²~8%)，同时其温度稳定性也得到显著改善(TCF~-36.1×10^-6/℃)，相较于单层XBAR结构提高了近70×10^-6/℃，这为研制温补型高频、大带宽声学滤波器提供了理论基础。     

Changes in the content and antioxidative activity of β-carotene and its metabolite vitamin A during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and optimisation of HPLC-based detection

The β-Carotene (BC), an important precursor of vitamin A (VA), possesses antioxidant activity but is fat-soluble and has low bioavailability. In previous in-vitro assays evaluating antioxidant and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) free radical scavenging, both BC and VA showed a strong ability to scavenge radicals and protected cells from oxidative stress. Here, we used artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption models to evaluate the bioavailability of the BC during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We observed high absorptive and transfer rates of BC and detected retinol metabolites (Vitamin A). Therefore, BC can be detected in the acidic gastrointestinal environment using HPLC. Optimised method provided better separation of BC and VA in the column, improving the accuracy of the test results.