Atomically thin borophene has recently been synthesized experimentally, significantly enriching the boron chemistry and broadening the family of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Recently, oxides of 2D materials have been widely investigated for next-generation electronic devices. Based on the first-principles calculations, we predict the existence of the superconductivity in honeycomb borophene oxide (B2O), which possesses a high stability and could be potentially prepared by intrinsically incorporating oxygen into the recently synthesized borophene. The mechanical, electronic, phonon properties, as well as electron–phonon coupling of metallic B2O monolayer, have been systematically scrutinized. Within the framework of the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory framework, the B2O monolayer exhibits an intrinsic superconducting feature with a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of ~10.3 K, higher than many 2D borides (0.2–7.8 K). Further, strain can be utilized to tune the superconductivity with the optimal Tc of 14.7 K under a tensile strain of 1%. The superconducting trait mainly originates from the out-of-plane soft-mode vibrations of the system, which are significantly enhanced via the light O atoms’ incorporation compared to other 2D metal-boride superconductors. This strategy would open a door to design 2D superconducting structures via the participation of light elements. We believe our findings greatly bloom the 2D superconducting family and pave the way for future nanoelectronics.

Using the unbiased structure searching CALYPSO techniques and the first-principles calculations, we predicted a phase transition in iron pernitride (FeN 2) at 22 GPa from the hexagonal R-3m structure to an orthorhombic Pnnm structure. Although the Pnnm structure is a well-known marcasite phase of transition-metal pernitrides, to our knowledge, this is the first report about the pressure-induced phase transition to the Pnnm structure in the FeN 2 compound. The dynamically and mechanically stable for the Pnnm phase are evaluated, further confirming this phase transition. By assessing the elastic property of the Pnnm structure, the result indicates that it displays excellent brittle and hardness characters. Viewing it's structure, a dinitrogen unit and a coordinating iron atom characterized by N-sharing six-fold FeN 6 octahedrons are found. Based on the quantum-chemical analysis, the dinitrogen unit was formulated as a quasi-molecular double-bonded N 2 2and a mixed covalent N-N and Fe-N bonding nature was identified in the structure. These structural and covalent bonding characters play a crucial role to its excellent mechanical properties. The present results extend the well-known marcasite phase in other transition-metal pernitrides to the FeN 2 compound and provide a perspective toward the understanding of the synthesis and chemical bonding of N-rich FeN 2 under high pressure.

Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory tract disease in children, is characterized by allergy, recurring airway obstruction and bronchospasm. The aim of the present study was to screen critical differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in asthma in children. Gene expression in different tissues was compared between asthmatic children and healthy control subjects in order to identify DEGs associated with asthma. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed for the DEGs and weighted gene co-expression network analysis methods were used to further determine the functional modules associated with DEGs in different tissue samples. In addition, the gene co-expression network was constructed. Gene Ontology function analysis and pathway analysis were conducted to identify critical DEGs. The results identified numerous DEGs from the different tissue samples, including 1,662 DEGs from nasal-epithelium tissue samples, 572 DEGs from peripheral blood (PB) samples and 146 DEGs from PB mononuclear cells samples. In the PPI network, F-box only protein 6 (FBXO6), histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and amyloid β precursor protein (APP) were hub genes and served an important role in the process of asthma. In addition, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), integrin α-4 (ITGA4), catenin α-1 (CTNNA1), nuclear factor-κB1 (NF-κB1) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) may be critical DEGs involved in the progression of asthma in children. These results suggested that FBXO6, HDAC1 and APP may interact with PCNA, ITGA4, CTNNA1, NF-κB1 and mTOR in the progression of asthma in children.

This is the first and largest prospective, multicenter, active, population-based surveillance study of the epidemiology of Mycoplasma pneumoniae among outpatient children with mild respiratory tract infections (RTIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide measures like strict face mask wearing and restrictions on population movement implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 might also effectively prevent the spread of M. pneumoniae .

Similar to graphene, zero bandgap is found in the recently proposed 2D dumbbell C4N (DB C4N), which limits its applications as electronic devices. Surface adsorption effectively modifies the electronic and magnetic properties of the 2D materials. Herein, the adsorption behaviors of 16 metal atoms adsorbed on the DB C4N, including alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, 3d transition metals (TMs), and precious metals, are investigated using the density functional theory. The electronic and magnetic properties of the adatom–C4N systems are systematically explored by analyzing the adsorption energies, the density of states (DOS), the band structures, the charge transfer, the total magnetic moments, the work function, and the dipole moment. It is revealed that the alkali metals (Li, Na), alkaline‐earth metals (Be, Mg), 3d TMs (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co), and precious metals (Ag, Pt, Au) open the zero bandgap of DB C4N via charge transfer between the adatoms and the DB C4N surface. Moreover, the 3d transition and precious metals adatoms induce magnetism in the monolayer C4N. These results qualify the metal‐adsorbed C4N systems as promising candidates for building outstanding electronic and spintronic devices in the future.

In bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), decreased angiogenesis and alveolarization is associated with pulmonary cell death and inflammation. It is commonly observed in premature infants who required mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy. Since enhanced interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression has been reported in infants with BPD, it was hypothesized that a decrease in IL-6 may enhance lung inflammation and decrease hyperoxia-induced neonatal lung injury in mice. In the current study, newborn wild-type (WT) and IL-6 null mice were treated with 85% O 2 (hyperoxia) or 21% O 2 (normoxia) for 96 h. Although the increased volume and decreased quantity of alveoli was triggered by hyperoxia in WT and IL-6 null mice, transcription and translation of proinflammatory cytokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-10, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor- α ) and pulmonary cell death (caspase stimulation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining) were significantly enhanced in IL-6 null mice compared with WT mice. These results suggest that the crosstalk between inflammation and cell death may be involved in hyperoxia-induced lung injury in BPD. Future treatment approaches for bronchopulmonary dysplasia should be based on the suppression of cytokine expression.

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In this work, three stable two-dimensional beryllium diphosphide (2D-BeP2) structures with the wrinkle and planar monolayers, namely, MoS2-like6m-BeP2 phase (1H-BeP2), Pentagonal42m-BeP2 (Penta-BeP2) and Planar mm2-BeP2 (Planar-BeP2), have been successfully predicted...