Background/Aims: To investigate the effects of peritubular capillary (PTC) loss and hypoxia on the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis in a rat model of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Methods: Female Wistar rats received Caulis aristolochiae manshuriensis (CAM) decoction by gavage for 8 weeks, and were sacrificed at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, respectively, after administration. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and urinary protein were monitored prior to sacrifice. PTC loss and tubulointerstitial hypoxia were assessed by CD34 immunostaining and hypoxia-inducible factor-α subunit 1 (HIF-1α) expression, respectively. Myofibroblasts were assessed by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. The expression of angiogenic factor was assessed by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Results: AAN rats differed from controls by increased BUN, Scr and 24-hour urinary protein excretion rates. There was a progressive loss of PTCs in the AAN model, which was associated with the decreased expression of VEGF. A significant increase in nuclear localization of HIF-1α was seen 16 weeks after treatment with CAM decoction in the context of severe tubulointerstitial damage. Multifocal tubulointerstitial fibrosis was seen in AAN rats at weeks 12 and 16, predominantly in the area of the outer stripe and outer medulla. No significant pathologic changes were found in control rats. Conclusion: Following the reduction of PTCs density and up-regulation of HIF-1α, the tubulointerstitial fibrosis area increased. Ischemia and hypoxia are the important causes of severe tubulointerstitial fibrosis in AAN rats.

No abstract

Lead free double perovskites are highly promising optoelectronic materials, but most of them suffer from low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and poor stability. Herein, a series of lanthanide elements are used to prepare the lead free double perovskite Cs2NaLnX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs), acting as both the main structural ions and the 4f–4f emission centers. The mechanisms for the broadband emission of Cs2NaLnX6 NCs host are carefully studied based on various spectral results combining ultrafast dynamics detection and first‐principles calculation. The broadband emission of the Cs2NaLnX6 NCs originates from the self‐trapped exciton. The Cs2NaLnX6 NCs show remarkable water stability for more than eight months and favorable temperature and light irradiation stability (500 h). The PLQY for these materials is much higher than most of double perovskite materials, especially for Cs2NaEuCl6, which can approach to 70%. The white light emission from a single host material Cs2NaEuTbCl6 (Tb:Eu = 25:1) is obtained and applied to a light‐emitting diode device, with a good CIE (Commission International de L'Eclairage) coordinate of (0.334, 0.326) and color rendering index of 91.2. Overall, the characteristics of lanthanide ions endow the super performance of Cs2NaLnX6 NCs, which is obviously an important choice for future optoelectronic devices.

Herein, we used albumin as the nano carriers for photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6), tirapazaming (TPZ) and Coumarin 6 (C6) loading. The multifunctional BSA-Ce6-C6-TPZ composite could achieve enhanced combined PDT-chemo therapy and PDT monitoring.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

A new method, by directly utilizing original measured data (OMD) of the stress–strain relation in the Marciniak–Kuczynski (M–K) model, was proposed to predict the forming limit curve (FLC) of an aluminum alloy sheet. In the groove zone of the M–K model, by establishing the relations of the equivalent strain increment, the ratio of shear stress to the first principle stress and the ratio of the second principle stress to the first principle stress, the iterative formula was established and solved. The equations of theoretical forming limits were derived in detail by using the OMD of the stress–strain relation. The stretching specimens of aluminum alloy 6016-T4 were tested and the true stress–strain curve of the material was obtained. Based on the numerical simulations of punch-stretch tests, the optimized specimens’ shape and test scheme were determined, and the tests for FLC were carried out. The FLC predicted by the proposed method was more consistent with the experimental results of FLC by comparing the theoretical FLCs based on OMD of the stress–strain relation and of that based on traditional power function. In addition, the influences of anisotropic parameter and groove angle on FLCs were analyzed. Finally, the FLC calculated by the proposed method was applied to analyze sheet formability in the stretch-forming process, and the predicted results of FLC were verified by numerical simulations and experiments. The fracture tendency of the formed parts can be visualized in the forming limit diagram (FLD), which has certain guiding significance for fracture judgment in the sheet-forming process.