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Background: Glutamine is crucial for the activation and efficacy of T cells, and may play a role in regulating the immune environment. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of glutamine in the activation and proliferation of induced regulatory T cells (iTregs). Methods: CD4+CD45RA1T cells were sorted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cultured to analyze iTreg differentiation. Glutamine was then added to the culture system to evaluate the effects of glutamine on iTregs by determining oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), apoptosis, and cytokine secretion. Additionally, a humanized murine graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) model was constructed to confirm the efficacy of glutaminetreated iTregs in vivo. Results: After being cultured in vitro, glutamine significantly enhanced the levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD39, CD69, IL-10, TGF-ß, and Ki67 (CTLA-4, IL-10, TGF-ß are immunosuppressive markers of iTregs) compared with that of the control iTregs (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the growth curve showed that the proliferative ability of glutaminetreated iTregs was better than that of the control iTregs (P < 0.01). Compared with the control iTregs, glutamine supplementation significantly increased oxygen consumption rates and ATP production (P < 0.05), significantly downregulated Annexin V and Caspase 3, and upregulated BCL2 (P < 0.05). However, GPNA significantly reversed the effects of glutamine (P < 0.05). Finally, a xeno-GVHD mouse model was successfully established to confirm that glutamine-treated iTregs increased the mice survival rate, delayed weight loss, and alleviated colon injury. Conclusion: Glutamine supplementation can improve the activity and immunosuppressive action of iTregs, and the possible mechanisms by which this occurs are related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, and OXPHOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (UCS) is a common variant of bladder cancer for which treatment outcomes with novel agents are largely unknown. In this retrospective analysis comparing 40 patients with UCS and 120 patients with pure UC, we found inferior outcomes for UCS patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors or Enfortumab vedotin. This highlights an important unmet clinical need that should be addressed with further studies. Introduction: Urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (UCS) is associated with increased resistance to chemotherapy, but outcomes associated with newer therapies approved in this space over the last 5 to 10 years are less well defined. We investigated clinical outcomes and molecular profiling of patients with UCS treated with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and/or Enfortumab vedotin (EV). Patients and Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of UC patients treated with ICI and/or EV. Objective response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between pure UC (pUC) and UCS using X 2 and log-rank tests, respectively. Prevalence of the most commonly detected somatic alterations were also compared between the 2 histologic subgroups. Results: A total of 160 patients (40 UCS, 120 pUC) were identified for this analysis. Among 151 patients treated with ICI (38 UCS, 113 pUC), UCS patients had a shorter mPFS (1.9 vs. 4.8 months, P < 0.01) and mOS (9.2 vs. 20.7 months, P < 0.01) compared to pUC. Among 37 patients treated with EV (12 UCS, 25 pUC), UCS patients had a lower ORR (17% vs. 70%, P < 0.01) and shorter mPFS (3.4 vs. 15.8 months, P < 0.01). UCS samples were enriched for CDKN2A, CDKN2B, PIK3CA, while pUC samples were enriched for ERBB2 alterations. Conclusion: In this single-center retrospective analysis, patients with UCS had a distinct somatic genomic profile relative to patients with pUC. Patients with UCS also had inferior outcomes to ICIs and EV compared to patients with pUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muscle-derived stem cells ( MI) SCs ) contribute to the repair of injured muscles . However, the myogenicity of MDSCs generated from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) relative to healthy individuals remains unclear. Methods: A human DMD model was established using the stem cells prepared from muscle derived from patients with DMD (DMD-hMDSCs). The expression of myogenic lineage-specific markers in MDSCs was examined with immunofluorescence, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. Results: It was demonstrated that, compared with cells from healthy subjects, DMD-liMDSCs are primed to selfdifferentiate in growth-inducing medium (GM) and robustly differentiate into myotubes in differentiationinducing medium(DM). This feature was termed 'myogenesis activation," and it was speculated that it contributes to the depletion of myogenic progenitors. Furthermore, MI)SCs consistently express pax7, but the timecourse of this expression does not correlate with the expression of the myogenic lineage-specific markers. Conclusions: The myogenesis activation in DMD-hMDSCs demonstrated in this study may provide novel mechanistic insights into DMD pathogenesis and potential therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is very popular because it is characterized by rapidity and accessibility. However, CTA is inferior to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the diagnosis of intracranial artery stenosis or occlusion. DSA is an invasive examination, so we optimized the quality of cephalic CTA images. We used 5000 CTA images to train multi-scale residual denoising generative adversarial network (MRDGAN). And then 71 CTA images with intracranial large arterial stenosis were treated by Super-Resolution based on Generative Adversarial Network (SRGAN), Enhanced Super-Resolution based on Generative Adversarial Network (ESRGAN) and post-trained MRDGAN, respectively. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index measurement (SSIM) of the SRGAN, ESRGAN, MRDGAN and original CTA images were measured respectively. The qualities of MRDGAN and original images were visually assessed using a 4-point scale. The diagnostic coherence of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with MRDGAN and original images was analyzed. The PSNR was significantly higher in the MRDGAN CTA images (35.96 ± 1.51) than in the original (31.51 ± 1.43), SRGAN (25.75 ± 1.18) and ESRGAN (30.36 ± 1.05) CTA images (all P < 0.001). The SSIM was significantly higher in the MRDGAN CTA images (0.95 ± 0.02) than in the SRGAN (0.88 ± 0.03) and ESRGAN (0.90 ± 0.02) CTA images (all P < 0.01). The visual assessment was significantly higher in the MRDGAN CTA images (3.52 ± 0.58) than in the original CTA images (2.39 ± 0.69) (P < 0.05). The diagnostic coherence between MRDGAN and DSA (κ = 0.89) was superior to that between original images and DSA (κ = 0.62). Our MRDGAN can effectively optimize original CTA images and improve its clinical diagnostic value for intracranial large artery stenosis. • SRCTA we proposed, is the first application of super-resolution technology in cephalic CTA images. • SRCTA can generate more high-quality cephalic CTA images than the state-of-the-art models ESRGAN and SRGAN. • SRCTA has excellent diagnostic coherence with DSA in intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Real-time monitoring and electric adjustment of threshing and cleaning multi-parameter. • Identification method for the multi-parameter system based on PSO and WNN. • Optimized multi-parameter automatic control method based on MPC algorithm. The operating environment of grain combine harvesters is complex, and operators' experience is highly required. To meet the demand for high-quality and efficient harvesting in modern agriculture, harvesters must have the ability to control operational performance automatically. The core issue is to achieve multi-parameter cooperative control of the threshing and cleaning devices. The threshing and cleaning devices are located in the same rack space. The interaction mechanism between the internal agricultural material movement, mechanical structure, and airflow field is very complex, and it is a system with characteristics such as time-varying, hysteresis, and multi-parameter coupling. In response to the above challenges, real-time collection and adjustment methods for the main indicators and parameters of the threshing and cleaning devices were studied separately. A field experiment plan for identifying the threshing and cleaning system was designed. Based on the state space model and NARMAX (nonlinear auto-regressive moving average with exogenous input) model as the system structures, a fusion method of PSO (particle swarm optimization) and WNN (wavelet neural network) was proposed to optimize the structural parameters of the two models. Determine the optimal identification model for the threshing and cleaning system through testing. Then, adopt the MPC (model predictive control) method to regulate the multi-parameter of threshing and cleaning. The control process simulation was conducted in Simulink, and the software and hardware of the multi-parameter control system for the threshing and cleaning of the combine harvester were developed. The execution process of the control program was optimized, and field validation was conducted. The system could adjust the performance indicators to near the ideal set values in less than or equal to 3 s (indicator differences ≤ 0.23 %). In addition, the trigger times of the adjustment process were also few in the long-term continuous harvesting operation, which could make the performance indicators meet the requirements in the whole process. This indicated that the modeling and control methods proposed in this paper had good adaptability and stability, and laid the foundations for improving the intelligent level of harvesting machinery and achieving intelligent agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monocular 6D pose estimation of a noncooperative satellite is essential in various on-orbit automatic operations. Nevertheless, the application of this technology still faces challenges, such as heavy model parameters and high latency. In this study, we comprehensively explored the critical components of satellite pose estimation, including landmark description, localisation, and the PnP algorithm, and we introduce a high-precision, real-time, and robust pipeline. Existing methods adopt external convex landmarks, such as 11 landmarks for the SPEED dataset, which are insufficient to describe the geometric structure of the satellite. This study adopted a wireframe-based landmark description, encompassing all visually prominent satellite joints connected directly into the satellite's wireframe model. In addition, unlike most existing methods that rely on heatmap-based landmark localisation, which incurs high computational costs and quantisation errors, we adopt direct coordinate classification for satellite landmark localisation, which is lightweight, fast, and accurate. Experimental results on the SPEED dataset demonstrate that our method outperforms the current state-of-the-art technique, with an accuracy increase of 28% and parameter number decrease of 78%. In particular, our method is very lightweight and robust, and it runs in real-time, making it well-suited for on-orbit real-time satellite pose estimation. • A lightweight monocular satellite pose estimation method is very important for resource-constrained in-orbit platforms. • The three key processes of satellite pose estimation are studied to achieve the balance between accuracy and efficiency. • A High-accuracy, real-time, and robust pipeline for noncooperative satellite pose estimation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tween 80/85 could induce formation of naturally-occurring gold nanoparticles. • Superoxide radicals played a key role in reduction of gold ions to nanoparticles. • Tween 80/85-induced gold nanoparticles showed a high colloidal stability. • Surface coating of Tween 80/85 decreased ecotoxicity of gold nanoparticles. The induced-formation of natural nanoparticles by photosensitive chemicals in aquatic environment may be a ubiquitous process, however, we still know very little on this issue. Here, we reported a potential original pathway for naturally-occurring gold nanoparticles (N-AuNPs) via the reduction of Au ions by photosensitive surfactant Tween 80/85 under light irradiation in the aquatic environment. The heterolytic reaction of hydroxyl groups in Tween 80/85 with the aid of UV light yielded radical anions (Tween 80/85-O•−) and subsequently transferred electrons to oxygen to generate superoxide radicals (O 2 •−), which reduced Au(III) to Au(0). The negatively charged Tween 80/85-O•− could bind to the surface of Au with coordinate bonds to form the surface coating of N-AuNPs. Due to the enhanced negative charge density, the Tween 80/85-induced N-AuNPs showed a higher colloidal stability than other N-AuNPs (induced by humic acid) or engineered AuNPs (E-AuNPs). The surface coating of Tween 80/85 might hinder the attachment and internalization of N-AuNPs into bacterial cells, and bacteria could also extend the utilization range of carbon sources substrates to mitigate the adverse effects of N-AuNPs. Therefore, Tween 80/85-induced N-AuNPs exhibited relative lower ecotoxicity but could stay in water for long periods of time. This study makes us more aware of the role of anthropogenic organic pollutants in the geochemical process of metal elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal change detection (CD) is an increasingly interesting yet highly challenging subject in remote sensing. To facilitate the comparison of multimodal images, some image regression methods transform one image to the domain of the other image, allowing for images comparison in the same domain as in unimodal CD. In this paper, we begin by analyzing the limitations of previous image structure based regression models that only rely on similarity relationships. Then, we highlight the significance of incorporating dissimilarity relationships as a complementary approach to more comprehensively characterize and utilize the image structure. In light of this, we propose a novel method for multimodal CD called Similarity and Dissimilarity induced Image Regression (SDIR). Specifically, SDIR construct a similarity based k-nearest neighbors (KNN) graph and a dissimilarity based k-farthest neighbors (KFN) graph, where the former mainly characterizes the low-frequency information and the latter captures the high-frequency information in spectral domain. Therefore, the proposed SDIR that incorporates similarity (low-frequency) and dissimilarity (high-frequency) relationships enables to achieve better regression performance. After completing the image regression, we utilize a Markovian based fusion segmentation model to combine the change fusion and change extraction processes for improving the final CD accuracy. The proposed method's effectiveness is demonstrated through experiments on six real datasets and compared with eleven advanced and widely used methods, achieving 5.6% improvements in the average Kappa coefficient. The source code is accessible at https://github.com/yulisun/SDIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MW/UV/O 3 is a promising sterilization technology for reclaimed water. • Microwave power and influent turbidity are main influencing factors. • The raw water turbidity should be <8 NTU for the best sterilization efficiency. • The sterilization technology showed a moderate effect on degradation of organics. In recent years, a new water treatment technology based on microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL) has been developed. Hence, we designed an integrated system of microwave/electrodeless discharge ultraviolet/ozone (MW/UV/O 3) for sewage sterilization according to the theoretical study of MDEL. The experiment was designed to test the ability to sterilize Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis by using different process conditions, such as single O 3 , MW/UV and MW/UV/O 3 , aiming to find an optimal process route. The results showed that the bactericidal effect of MW was mainly thermal effect, the bactericidal effect of MW/UV was significantly affected by turbidity, while the bactericidal effect of MW/UV/O 3 was better than single O 3 and MW/UV. In the dynamic test, when the four electrodeless UV lamps were stable, the light intensity reached 3.6 mW/cm2; when the aeration rate was 50 L/min, the generated O 3 content was 0.30 mg/L. With a water flow of 800 L/h and hydraulic retention time of 1.5 min, a sewage sterilization rate of >99.99% was achieved by MW/UV/O 3 system, and other water quality indexes including chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) in effluents was also decreased to some extents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomeres are specific nucleoprotein structures that are located at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes and play crucial roles in genomic stability. Telomere DNA consists of simple repeats of a short G-rich sequence: TTAGGG in mammals and TTTAGGG in most plants. In recent years, the mammalian telomeric G-rich repeats have been shown to form G-quadruplex (G4) structures, which are crucial for modulating telomere functions. Surprisingly, even though plant telomeres are essential for plant growth, development, and environmental adaptions, only few reports exist on plant telomeric G4 DNA (pTG4). Here, using bulk and single-molecule assays, including CD spectroscopy, and single-molecule FRET approaches, we comprehensively characterized the structure and dynamics of a typical plant telomeric sequence, d[GGG(TTTAGGG)3]. We found that this sequence can fold into mixed G4s in potassium, including parallel and antiparallel structures. We also directly detected intermediate dynamic transitions, including G-hairpin, parallel G-triplex, and antiparallel G-triplex structures. Moreover, we observed that pTG4 is unfolded by the AtRecQ2 helicase but not by AtRecQ3. The results of our work shed light on our understanding about the existence, topological structures, stability, intermediates, unwinding, and functions of pTG4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is a broiler welfare issue and economic deficit to the broiler industry. Water atomizing with three-dimensional forced ventilation, a holding treatment after summer transport for broiler, has been proved to significantly improve water holding capacity of fresh meat. However, effectiveness of this treatment on water retention after freeze-thaw needs to be conducted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess whether water atomizing with forced ventilation could increase freeze-thaw meat quality after birds slaughtering. Arbor Acres broiler (n =105), undergoing 32°C ambient temperature transport, was randomly categorized into 3 treatments: 1) T group, which underwent 45-min transport without rest; 2) TR group, which underwent 45-min transport with 1-h rest; and the 3) TWFR group, which underwent 45-min transport followed by 15-min water atomizing with three-dimensional forced ventilation and 45-min rest. All birds were hot-deboned within 30-min postmortem. A total of 105 breast fillets were collected and split into halves, which left part fillets were kept in 4°C and for meat analysis, the other part fillets, marked with T-F, TR-F, and TWFR-F, were frozen (-18°C) for 1 mo and then thawed overnight for meat quality analysis. Regardless of fresh or frozen treatment among 3 groups, TWFR has the highest pH which was more than 6.01 (P, 0.05). The L* value, drip loss, and cooking loss of TWFR were significantly lower compared to T and TR groups in both fresh and frozen breast fillets (P, 0.05). Compared with the T group, the TWFR meat shows closely microscopic structure which means less water loss channel. The impedance amplitude of the fresh meat was significantly higher than that of the frozen-thawing meat (P, 0.05). TWFR-treated meat has significantly higher impedance module than T and TR meat at 50 Hz frequency region, for both fresh or thawed meat. Among 6 treatments, TWFR fresh meat has significantly highest Q (modulus change ratio) value (P, 0.05). These results indicate that TWFR treatment for 15 min after transport can improve meat quality, which may be due to the improved welfare of broilers transported in hot summer months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the feasibility to treat complex internal carotid aneurysms by superficial temporal artery trunk–radial artery–middle cerebral artery (STAT-RA-MCA) bypass combined with balloon occlusion of internal carotid artery. Postoperative clinical symptoms, the patency of bridge vessels (radial artery graft [RAG]), STAT and RAG diameters, RAG flow, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and mean transit time (MTT) were observed in 14 cases. Their correlations were analyzed. Except 1 case, RAG was patent in 13 cases. Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4 in one case and 5 in 13 cases. In the 13 cases with postoperative RAG patency, the mean diameter of STAT increased from 2.1 mm before operation to 3.0 mm on the first day after operation; the mean diameter of RAG was 3.7 mm on the first day after operation. In 3 of the 13 cases, STAT and RAG diameters further increased to 4.0 mm and 4.7 mm, respectively, 3 months after operation. There was a positive correlation between STAT and RAG diameters (P = 0.0005). The STAT (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001) and RAG (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0042) diameters were positively correlated with RAG flow and CBF, but the STAT (r2 = 0.762, P < 0.0001) and RAG (r2 = 0.54, P = 0.0042) diameters were negatively correlated with MTT. STAT-RA-MCA bypass combined with balloon occlusion of internal carotid artery is feasible for the treatment of complex internal carotid aneurysms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop a systematic patent training program using patent analysis and citation analysis techniques applied to patents held by the University of Saskatchewan. The results indicate that the target audience will be researchers in life sciences, and aggregated patent database searching and advanced search techniques should be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines academic and research librarian positions that require foreign language skills. Technical and public services are most likely to require language knowledge, while administrator and system librarian positions are the least likely. Overall, the requirements show a continued rise until the mid-1980s and a declining trend after this point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies examining the comparative efficacy of face-to-face and computer assisted library instruction were reviewed. Differences in study methodology and lack of quality made meta-analysis impossible; however, the two methods appear to be equally effective for teaching basic library skills. More research needs to be done to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study conducted to explore the research material used by agricultural economists for their studies in the U.S. The research is based on the study of the literature of the U.S. Agricultural Economics Journal during 2001 to 2005. The analysis of bibliographical citations provided an insight into the utilization of research materials by the researchers. It was detected that, journals and books are the primary types of materials used by the agricultural economists, whereas government publications and working papers account for the other two major resources for the researchers. The websites are not considered as scholarly resources by the agriculture economists.

Armillaria luteo-virens (A. luteo-virens) is a kind of edible fungus mainly exists in Qinghai-Tibet of China, but at present only very few studies focus on the bioactivities of its polysaccharides. This study aimed to purify and characterize the structure features of a novel intracellular polysaccharide (ALP-A) derived from A. luteo-virens and explore its potential anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. Through systematic separation and purification, we obtained a homogeneous ALP-A with an average molecular weight of 23693Da. Structural analysis indicated that ALP-A was mainly composed of glucose and mannose with a molar ratio of 6.02:1. The repeating unit of ALP-A was →4) -α-D-Glcp-(1→ backbone with α-Glcp-(1→ and α-Manp-(6→ side chains which branched at O-2 position. The anti-tumor assays in vivo suggested that ALP-A could effectively restrain S180 solid tumor growth, protect immune organs and promote the secretion of cytokines (IL2, IL6 and TNF-α) in serum. Besides, in vitro immunomodulatory assays indicated that ALP-A could improve proliferation, phagocytic capacity and raise the level of NO and cytokines in Raw264.7 cells. These results demonstrate that ALP-A which possess potential antitumor and immunomodulatory abilities can be developed as a new functional food. [Display omitted] • Structural analysis indicated that the repeating unit of ALP-A was →4) -α-D-Glcp-(1→ backbone with α-Glcp-(1→ and α-Manp-(6→ side chains which branched at O-2 position. • The anti-tumor assays in vivo suggested that ALP-A could effectively restrain S180 solid tumor growth, protect immune organs and promote the secretion of cytokines. • In vitro immunomodulatory assays indicated that ALP-A could improve proliferation, phagocytic capacity and raise the level of NO and cytokines in Raw264.7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, 41 hybrid compounds containing diaryl-1,5-diazole and morpholine structures acting as dual COX-2/5-LOX inhibitors have been designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated. Most of them showed potent antiproliferative activities and COX-2/5-LOX inhibitory in vitro. Among them, compound A33 displayed the most potency against cancer cell lines (IC 50 = 6.43–10.97 μ M for F10, HeLa, A549 and MCF-7 cells), lower toxicity to non-cancer cells than celecoxib (A33 : IC 50 = 194.01 μ M vs. celecoxib : IC 50 = 97.87 μ M for 293T cells), and excellent inhibitory activities on COX-2 (IC 50 = 0.17 μ M) and 5-LOX (IC 50 = 0.68 μ M). Meanwhile, the molecular modeling study was performed to position compound A33 into COX-2 and 5-LOX active sites to determine the probable binding models. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that compound A33 could block cell cycle in G2 phase and subsequently induced apoptosis of F10 cells. Furthermore, compound A33 could significantly inhibit tumor growth in F10-xenograft mouse model, and pharmacokinetic study of compound A33 indicated that it showed better stability in vivo. In general, compound A33 could be a promising candidate for cancer therapy. Graphical abstract A series of novel dual COX-2/5-LOX inhibitors have been synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity as potential COX-2/5-LOX inhibitors. Compound A33 was the most active. Image 1 Highlights • 41 novel diaryl-1,5-diazoles derivatives bearing morpholine have been synthesized. • Their biological activities were evaluated against cancer. • Compound A33 showed the most potent COX-2/5-LOX inhibition. • Compound A33 sufficiently inhibited tumor growth of F10-Xenograft model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic imaging transducer with a pair of wavelength-matched Bragg gratings (forming a Fabry–Perot cavity) inscribed on a short section of microfiber has been developed. A tunable laser with wavelength that matched to one of selected fringe slopes was used to transmit the acoustic induced wavelength. Interferometric fringes with high finesse in transmission significantly enhanced the sensitivity of the transducer even under very small acoustic perturbations. The performance of this novel transducer was evaluated through the imaging studies of human hairs ( ∼ 98 μ m in diameter). The spatial resolution is 300 μ m. We have demonstrated that the novel transducer developed in this study is a versatile tool for photoacoustic imaging study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a server disease effecting a large population worldwide. The pathophysiological process of ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) plays an important role for heart tissue damage. VO-OHpic, a PTEN inhibitor, has been demonstrated to be cardiac protective in sudden cardiac arrest models, but its role in AMI remains unclear. Methods An isolated AMI model was induced by dissecting the rat heart in a Langendorff system. Cardiac myocytes were extracted and induced ischemia in vitro . VO-OHpic was added into the above systems. The area of infarcted tissue in the heart was measured. Cardiac myocyte apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Activation of Akt and GSK3β was quantified by flow cytometry. IL-10 levels were determined by ELISA. Results VO-OHpic reduced infarcted areas in the isolated heart, and improved cultured cardiac myocyte survival. VO-OHpic induced apoptosis resistance in cardiac myocytes. Akt-GSK3β signaling was activated by VO-OHpic administration. IL-10 levels in the medium were elevated by VO-OHpic. Conclusion VO-OHpic protects heart tissue by apoptosis resistance via activating Akt-GSK3β signaling and increasing IL-10 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied combined spectroscopy techniques to assess rDOM compositional characteristic and investigated its transformation mechanisms during the treatment of mature landfill leachate by ANAMMOX process. A novel rDOM metabolism mechanism was proposed in this study for the first time. A stable, high nitrogen removal rate of 5.95 kg N/m 3 /day and a rDOM conversion efficiency of 51% were achieved in ANAMMOX reactor (AR). In additionally, the initial rDOM removal was closely related to sludge adsorption, with the adsorption force mainly originating from electrostatic interaction and hydrophobicity. As the operating time increased, the removal mechanism of rDOM in the AR changed from adsorption to adsorption-biodegradation and finally stabilized. Furthermore, Anaerolineaceae, associated with the hydrophobic reaction, were the primary degraders for the rDOM and Candidatus Kuenenia dominated the nitrogen consumption. rDOM removal efficiency was suggested to be increased by a moderate enhancement of Anaerolineaceae content in the AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periprosthetic osteolysis and subsequent aseptic loosening are the primary causes of failure following total joint arthroplasty. Wear particle–induced osteogenic impairment is recognized as an important contributing factor in the development of osteolysis, with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress emerging as a pivotal underlying mechanism. Hence, searching for potential therapeutic targets and agents capable of modulating ER stress in osteoblasts is crucial for preventing aseptic loosening. Kaempferol (KAE), a natural flavonol compound, has shown promising osteoprotective effects and anti-ER stress properties in diverse diseases. However, the influence of KAE on ER stress-mediated osteogenic impairment induced by wear particles remains unclear. In this study, we observed that KAE effectively relieved TiAl6V4 particles–induced osteolysis by improving osteogenesis in a mouse calvarial model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that KAE could attenuate ER stress-mediated apoptosis in osteoblasts exposed to TiAl6V4 particles, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, our results revealed that KAE mitigated ER stress-mediated apoptosis by upregulating the IRE1α–XBP1s pathway while concurrently partially inhibiting the IRE1α-regulated RIDD and JNK activation. Collectively, our findings suggest that KAE is a prospective therapeutic agent for treating wear particle–induced osteolysis and highlight the IRE1α–XBP1s pathway as a potential therapeutic target for preventing aseptic loosening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hierarchies of tissue selenium distribution and selenotranscriptomes are thought to critically affect healthspan and longevity.Objective: We determined selenium status and selenotranscriptomes in response to long-term dietary selenium deficiency and age in tissues of male and female mice.Methods: Weanling telomerase RNA component knockout C57BL/6 mice were fed a selenium-deficient (0.03 mg Se/kg) Torula yeast-based AIN-93G diet or a diet supplemented with sodium selenate (0.15 mg Se/kg) until age 18 or 24 mo. Plasma, hearts, kidneys, livers, and testes were collected to assay for selenotranscriptomes, selected selenoproteins, and tissue selenium concentrations. Data were analyzed with the use of 2-factor ANOVA (diet × age) in both sexes.Results: Dietary selenium deficiency decreased (P ≤ 0.05) selenium concentrations (65-72%) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) 3 (82-94%) and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) (17-41%) levels in the plasma of both sexes of mice and mRNA levels (9-68%) of 4, 4, and 12 selenoproteins in the heart, kidney, and liver of males, respectively, and 5, 16, and 14 selenoproteins, respectively, in females. Age increased selenium concentrations and SELENOP levels (27% and 30%, respectively; P ≤ 0.05) in the plasma of males only but decreased (12-46%; P < 0.05) mRNA levels of 1, 5, and 13 selenoproteins in the heart, kidney, and liver of males, respectively, and 6, 5, and 0 selenoproteins, respectively, in females. Among these mRNAs, selenoprotein H (Selenoh), selenoprotein M (Selenom), selenoprotein W (Selenow), methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase 1 (MsrB1), Gpx1, Gpx3, thioredoxin reductase 1 (Txnrd1), Txnrd2, selenoprotein S (Selenos), selenoprotein F (Selenof), and selenoprotein O (Selenoo) responded in parallel to dietary selenium deficiency and age in ≥1 tissue or sex, or both. Dietary selenium deficiency upregulated (40-160%; P ≤ 0.05) iodothyronine deiodinase 2 (Dio2) and selenoprotein N (Selenon) in the kidneys of males. Age upregulated (11-44%; P < 0.05) Selenon in the kidneys of males, selenoprotein K (Selenok) and selenoprotein I (Selenoi) in the kidneys of females, and Selenof and Selenok in the testes.Conclusions: These results illustrate tissue-specific sexual dimorphisms of selenium status and selenotranscriptomes because of dietary selenium deficiency and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic expression patterns of death-receptor adapter proteins TNF-receptor-associated deathdomain protein (TRADD) and Fas-associated deathdomain protein (FADD) in E.tenella-induced host-cell apoptosis. Culture techniques for primary chick embryo cecum epithelial cells, ELISA, hematoxylin-eosin staining, fluorescence quantitative PCR techniques, and Hoechst-Annexin V-PI apoptosis staining were used to detect the apoptosis rates and dynamic expression patterns of TRADD and FADD in E. tenella host cells at 4, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h. The rates of early apoptosis, late apoptosis, and necrosis of E. tenella-infected group (group T0) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) or highly significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those of control group (group C) at 4 h, but higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) at varying degrees than those of the same group at 24 to 120 h. Compared with group C, both the mRNA and protein expression levels of TRADD in the group T0 cells increased highly significantly (P < 0.01) at 4 and 24 h, and significantly (P < 0.05) at 48, 72, and 120 h. Compared with the mRNA expression in the group C cells, that of TRADD in the group T0 cells increased significantly (P < 0.05) at 96 h. Both the mRNA and protein expression of FADD in the group T0 cells displayed no significant difference (P > 0.05) from those in the group C cells at 4 h. However, FADD expression in the group T0 cells were significantly (P < 0.05) or highly significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those in the group C cells at 24 to 120 h. These observations indicate that in the early developmental stages of E. tenella, the host-cell apoptosis rate decreased, and TRADD expression increased. In the middle and later developmental stages of E. tenella, the host-cell apoptosis rate increased and expression of TRADD and FADD increased. The variation trends of TRADD and FADD expression were significantly positively correlated with the change rule of the host-cell apoptosis rate, respectively. These results indicate that TRADD and FADD may play an important role in E. tenella-induced host-cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on dynamics mesh method, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation model of two-stage dry scroll vacuum pump was established. Simulation calculation was carried out under the condition of suction pressure at 10000Pa, 1000Pa and 100Pa,respectively. When suction pressure was 10000Pa, the numerical calculation results were basically in accordance with the experimental pumping speed. When suction pressure decreased to 1000Pa, the simulation error decreased -5.7%. When suction pressure was below 1000Pa, due to the gas regime, the calculational results deviated from the experimental results dramatically. Three-scroll profile was applied to the scroll chamberI connected with the suction port, which improved the pumping speed and compression ratio as well as reducing the fluctuation of suction speed significantly. Gas expanded initially in the chamber and was then compressed by external compression. Gas compression mainly occurred in scroll chamber II connected with the exhaust port. Gas was compressed by changing the compression chamber. The variation of the pressure in compression chamber was greatly affected by gas leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors family of ligand-dependent transcription factors that play a crucial role in regulating cholesterol metabolism and inflammation. Recent studies show that LXR agonists exhibit anti-cancer activities in a variety of cancer cell lines including prostate. To further identify the potential mechanisms of LXRα activation on prostate cancer, we investigated the effect of LXR agonist T0901317 on PC3 prostate cancer cell and in which activity of beta-catenin pathway involved. Methods Prostate cancer PC3 cells were transfected with LXR-a siRNA and treated with LXR activator T0901317. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the LXR-a expression. beta-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-MYC were analyzed by western blot. Cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry and Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell migration was detected by Transwell chambers. Results Data showed that T0901317 significantly inhibited PC3 cell proliferation as well as invasion and increased apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we found that LXRα activation induced the reduction of beta-catenin expression in PC3 cells, and this inhibitory effect could be totally abolished when cells were treated with LXRα. Meanwhile, the expression of beta-catenin target gene cyclin D1 and c-MYC were also decreased. Conclusions This study provided additional evidence that LXR activation inhibited PC-3 prostate cancer cells via suppressing beta-catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of low-viscosity matrine-based DESs for rapid and selective separation of SO 2 from mixed gases. [Display omitted] • Matrine-based deep eutectic solvents were designed and prepared. • Three DESs have lower viscosities (<20 cp) at room temperature. • A fast SO 2 adsorption rate was achieved with less than 3 min. • High SO 2 capacity and excellent SO 2 /N 2 and SO 2 /CO 2 electivity were achieved. Designing excellent liquid absorbents with low viscosity for efficient and selective absorption of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) from flue gas is important but still challenging. Herein, matrine-based binary deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were prepared by mixing matrine (Mat) with three different amides including N -methylformamide (MFA), N -ethylformamide (EFA), and N -methylacetamide (MAA). It is found that the viscosities of these three DESs were lower than 20 cP at room temperature, which is significantly lower than other previous DESs or ILs that have been reported. Moreover, the results of SO 2 capture showed that the absorption rate of SO 2 by the Mat-MFA (1:2) DES was very fast (<3 min) to achieve a relatively large absorption capacity (0.84 g/g at 293.2 K and 1 bar). Mat-MFA (1:2) DES also displayed very high selectivity (576) for the SO 2 /CO 2 (10/90, v/v) mixture, which is higher than most of the liquid absorbents and solid adsorbents currently reported. Furthermore, breakthrough experiments verified the good separation performance of Mat-MFA (1:2) DES in capturing 2% SO 2 in the mixture of SO 2 /N 2 or SO 2 /CO 2 , respectively. The results illustrated that the features of low viscosity, fast absorption rate, and high selectivity of SO 2 capture make the matrine-based DESs have great potential for flue gas desulfurization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photospheric bright points (PBPs) are tiny short-lived brightening phenomena that can be seen within dark inter-granular lanes. In this paper, we develop a new method to identify and track a PBP in a 3D space-time cube. Different from the common-adopted strategy of “identifying-before-tracking”, this algorithm is based on the strategy of “identifying-by-tracking”. This method can identify a PBP when its intensity is still rather weak, and can avoid the discontinuous evolution of PBP caused by the algorithm of Laplacian morphological dilation (LMD) to recognize completely the evolutionary process of a PBP. The statistics on a group of G-band data observed by Hinode/SOT (Solar Optical Telescope) in quiet regions indicate that the average lifetime of isolated PBP is as long as 3 minutes, and the longest lifetime is up to 27 minutes, which means that the lifetime of PBPs is longer than that obtained by the previous LMD algorithm. Furthermore, it is also found that the mean intensity contrast of PBPs is 1.02 times of the mean photospheric intensity, which is weaker than that calculated by the LMD algorithm, and that the intensity of PBP exhibits a periodical oscillation of 2∼3 minute during the whole lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Salvage repair after complex upper limb traumatic injury is surgically challenging due to underlying major arterial impairment with complicating a large-sized soft tissue defect. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using a giant-sized (≥100 cm(2)) flow-through venous flap for reconstruction of dual or multiple forearm, metacarpal, or digital arteries after complex upper limb traumatic injury.Methods: Seven patients were consecutively hospitalized for emergency salvage repair after complex upper limb traumatic injury between March 2012 and May 2014. The forearm and palmar artery defects were repaired using the calf great saphenous vein flap and the volar forearm venous flap, respectively.Results: The flow-through venous flap ranged from 9.5 cm × 12.0 cm to 12.0 cm × 20.0 cm (mean, 158.4 cm(2)) in size. The flaps and affected limbs survived uneventfully in five patients, with one patient experiencing distal flap marginal necrosis and a second patient requiring amputation of the affected limb. Computed tomography angiography showed patent vessels in all patients. The mean total active motion of the repaired fingers was 199.5° versus 258.8° for the contralateral counterpart (77.1%). The sensory return was determined to be S2 in 2 patients, S3 in 3 patients and S3+ in 1 patient. The disability scores for the arm, shoulder, and hand ranged from 4.6-18.2 (mean, 11.3), and the mean Michigan hand outcomes questionnaire score was 7.8 ± 0.9.Conclusions: The flow-through venous flap is an effective and safe treatment alternative for salvage therapy of a ≥100-cm(2) complex upper limb traumatic injury with dual or multiple major arterial impairment. This technique allows simultaneous reconstruction of dual or multiple artery injuries and an extensive soft tissue defect. Serious surgical site infection remains a major safety concern and necessitates radical debridement in complicating cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, UV–vis absorbance, fluorescence, and FT-IR spectroscopy were combined to characterize the components and structure of the water extractable organic nitrogen (WEON) in Lake Erhai sediment. Lake Erhai sediment WEON comprised predominantly high molecular weight WEON, with the fraction with a molecular weight > 1 kDa accounting for 87.7% of the total. It was mainly composed of humic acid-like substances, with fewer simple aromatic proteins. Large amounts of aliphatic and amide compounds were detected by IR in the sediments. There were more polymerizable aromatic rings and carbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and ester compounds in the high molecular weight WEON than in the low molecular weight WEON. Additionally, fluorescence regional integration results implied that the ratio P III + V,n / P I + II + IV,n can be indirectly taken as an indicator for WEON content in Erhai sediments. Furthermore, the composition and structural characteristics of the WEON were found to be closely related with their properties in the sediment. The large amount of aliphatic compounds in the sediment as well as the relatively high humification and aromatic degree in high molecular weight WEON, stabilizes the WEON in Lake Erhai sediment. Compared with other lake sediments of different trophic statues (such as Lake Dianchi, Lake Poyang, Lake Taihu and Lake Donghu), Erhai sediment exhibited a higher degree of humification, which benefited for reducing sediment WEON releasing risk. And it can be regarded as the reason why the nutrient content in Erhai sediment is very high, but its water quality is still good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel FRET-ICT-based probe DMNP was designed for detecting thiophenol. • DMNP has an ultrahigh ETE and clear spacing of two emission peaks. • DMNP achieved the dual colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent strategy. • DMNP has been successfully used for thiophenol detection in real water samples. Thiophenol (PhSH) is widely used in industry, however, it is extremely harmful to the environment and human health due to its high toxicity. In this work, we developed a new FRET-ICT-based ratiometric fluorescent and colorimetric probe (DMNP) for detecting PhSH. DMNP had an ultrahigh energy transfer efficiency (99.7%) and clear spacing of two emission peaks (133 nm). DMNP achieved a fast response to PhSH and exhibited drastic enhancement (over 2100 folds) of the fluorescence intensity ratio upon addition of PhSH. DMNP showed good linear response in the PhSH concentration ranges of 0.5–13 μM and 17.0–22.0 μM. Meanwhile, DMNP could also be applied to monitor PhSH in a variety of real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SEMA-1 is the first benzoselenazolium-based hemicyanine for G-quadruplex detection. • SEMA-1 has potential to detect nucleolar and mitochondrial G-quadruplexes in cells. • Benzoselenazolium-based hemicyanine is a valuable scaffold for probe design. Benzothiazolium and benzoxazolium are common groups for the construction of hemicyanine dyes; however, their isosteric analogue benzoselenazolium have rarely been studied. Here, we report the development of the first benzoselenazolium-based hemicyanine dye for the selective detection of G-quadruplexes. This molecule, SEMA-1 , was validated as a red-emitting and activatable fluorescent probe whose fluorescence would only be activated in the presence of G-quadruplexes in buffer solution. Consistent with this, SEMA-1 was found to accumulate in nucleoli and could be used to detect the high abundance of nucleolar rDNA and rRNA G-quadruplexes in fixed HeLa cells. On the other hand, due to the retained mitochondrial membrane potential in live HeLa cells, SEMA-1 was captured by mitochondria and had the potential to detect the mitochondrial G-quadruplexes. Collectively, this work demonstrates the value of developing G-quadruplex-specific fluorescent probes from novel benzoselenazolium-based hemicyanine scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the heat and mass transfer characteristics of a desiccant-coated fin-tube heat exchanger (DCHE), in which the desiccant was coated on the surface of a conventional fin-tube heat exchanger. It differs from desiccant wheels in which the desiccant is cooled or heated by the fluid inside the tube during the adsorption or desorption process, and from conventional heat exchangers, in which moisture transfer occurs and the latent heat transfer is caused by phase change of the adsorbed moisture. Firstly, the heat and mass-transfer model for the DCHE was presented in this paper, whereupon the influences of air velocity, desiccant temperature and moisture content on the overall mass-transfer coefficient were separately analyzed for desorption and adsorption processes. It emerged that the overall mass-transfer coefficient rose with increasing air velocity. The moisture content of the desiccant significantly impacted on the overall mass-transfer coefficient. Higher desiccant temperature resulted in lower overall mass-transfer coefficient. Finally, the heat transfer model given in this paper was applied to calculate the DCHE heat transfer rate and the values obtained by calculation were observed to correlate well with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin (QE), a natural flavonoid, has many medical beneficial effects. However, its protective effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) induced injury in liver have not been clarified. The aim of the present study is to illustrate the effects of QE on hepatic oxidative injury and inflammation in mice exposed to CCl 4 . ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice were exposed to CCl 4 with or without QE co-administration for one week. Our results showed that QE administration significantly inhibited CCl 4 -induced liver injury. One of the potential mechanisms of QE action was decreasing the oxidative stress, which is consistent with decreasing of lipid peroxidation level and increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities in livers of mice. Furthermore, QE significantly decreased cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression and production of pro-inflammatory markers such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide (NO) in livers of CCl 4 -treated mouse. In the process of exploring the underlying mechanisms of QE action, we found that QE significantly inhibited the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, which in turn inactivated NF-κB and the inflammatory cytokines in livers of the CCl 4 -treated mice. In conclusion, these results suggested that the inhibition of CCl 4 -induced inflammation by QE is due to its anti-oxidant activity and its ability to modulate the TLR2/TLR4 and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates how challenge stressor, a job demand that can bring potential gains for employees, influences voice, a change-oriented behaviour challenging the status quo. Specifically, we develop and test an inverted U-shaped relationship that integrates social exchange theory and the framework of resource allocation. Using data collected from 204 employees in Eastern China, we find that the U-shaped relationship between challenge stressor and voice is only emerged at low levels of leader–member exchange. At high levels of leader–member exchange the relationship between challenge stressor and voice is U-shaped. Furthermore, the interactive effect of challenge stressor and leader–member exchange on voice behaviour is mediated by organisation-based self-esteem. The findings of this study have important implications for stress and voice literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is frequently mutated in colon cancer. However, the potential contribution of loss of PTEN to colon cancer progression remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that PTEN overexpression or knockdown in Lovo colon cancer cells decreased or increased paxillin expression, respectively. Moreover, paxillin reversed PTEN-mediated inhibition of Lovo cell invasion and migration. Overexpression of PTEN in an orthotropic colon cancer nude mice model inhibited tumor formation and progression. In addition, PTEN protein level was negatively correlated with that of paxillin in human colon cancer tissues. Mechanistically, we identified three NF-κB binding sites on paxillin promoter and confirmed that paxillin was a direct transcriptional target of NF-κB. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which PTEN inhibits the progression of colon cancer by inhibiting paxillin expression downstream of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. Thereby, PTEN/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB/paxillin signaling cascade is an attractive therapeutic target for colon cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of oesophageal cancer (OC) varies geographically, with more than 80% of cases and deaths worldwide occurring in developing countries. The aim of this study is to characterize the disease burden of OC in four urban populations in Eastern Africa, which may represent a previously undescribed highincidence area. Data on all cases of OC diagnosed between 2004 and 2008 were obtained from four population-based cancer registries in: Blantyre, Malawi; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kampala, Uganda; and Nairobi, Kenya. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) were calculated for each population, and descriptive statistics for incident cases were determined. In Blantyre, 351 male (59%) and 239 (41%) female cases were reported, with ASRs of 47.2 and 30.3. In Harare, 213 male (61%) and 134 (39%) female cases were reported, with ASRs of 33.4 and 25.3, respectively. In Kampala, 196 male (59%) and 137 female (41%) cases were reported, with ASRs of 36.7 and 24.8. In Nairobi, 323 male (57%) and 239 female (43%) cases were reported, with ASRs of 22.6 and 21.6. Median age at diagnosis was significantly different among the four populations, ranging from 50 years in Blantyre to 65 years in Harare (p < 0.0001). Except in Nairobi, incidence among males was significantly higher than among females (p < 0.01). Squamous cell OC was the predominant histologic subtype at all sites. ASRs at all four sites were remarkably higher than the mean worldwide ASR. Investigation to evaluate potential etiologic effects of dietary, lifestyle, environmental, and other factors impacting the incidence in this region is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the cubic autocatalator kinetics modeling of coupling via diffusion interchange of autocatalyst. By incorporating the effect of two identical cells, each governed by cubic autocatalator kinetics, considering the possibility of the spatiotemporal structures of two dimensional Turing patterns, a new model is proposed. Unlike previous models, the proposed model has two dimensional spatial variation. First, the equations and the local stability are obtained by linearizing about the spatially uniform solutions. It is shown that the necessary condition for the model undergoes bifurcation by using the singular perturbation theory. Next Landau constant and amplitude functions of two dimensional Turing patterns consisting of rhombic arrays of rectangles and hexagonal is obtain by singular perturbations theory. Finally, by the method of computer simulation of the model, we describe two different patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowires with uniform diameters have been synthesized via the rapid sulfide mediated polyol method. The morphology, structure, and properties of as-prepared samples are characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The mechanism of as-prepared Ag nanowires is provided and discussed. Moreover, as-prepared Ag nanowires are used as a Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrate to detect thiram pesticide. The results show that this substrate based on Ag nanowires exhibits high sensitivity and reproducibility for the thiram detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescein derivative 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde fluorescein hydrazone (BMSFH) has been synthesized by reacting fluorescein hydrazide with 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde and was developed as a new colorimetric probe for detection of Cu2+. In the presence of Cu2+ the BMSFH exhibits a rapid color change from colorless to yellow together with an obvious new band appeared at 502nm in the UV-vis absorption spectra. However, other common alkali-, alkaline earth-, transition- and rare earth metal ions induced no or minimal spectral changes. This change is attributed to BMSFH via coordination with Cu2+ in a 1:1 stoichiometry and this binding to Cu2+ is reversible, as indicated by the bleaching of the color when the Cu2+ is extracted with EDTA. Experimental results indicate that the BMSFH can provide a rapid, selective and sensitive response to Cu2+ with a linear dynamic range 3.0-330µmol/L and can be used as a potential Cu2+ colorimetric probe in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel rhodamine derivative 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde rhodamine B hydrazone (BMSRH) has been synthesized by reacting rhodamine B hydrazide with 3-bromo-5-methylsalicylaldehyde and developed as a new colorimetric probe for the selective and sensitive detection of Cu2+. Addition of Cu2+ to the solution of BMSRH results in a rapid color change from colorless to red together with an obvious new band appeared at 552 nm in the UV-vis absorption spectra. This change is attributed to the spirocycle form of BMSRH opened via coordination with Cu2+ in a 1:1 stoichiometry and their association constant is determined as 3.2 × 104 L mol-1. Experimental results indicate that the BMSRH can provide a rapid, selective and sensitive response to Cu2+ with a linear dynamic range 0.667-240 µmol/L. Common interferent ions do not show any interference on the Cu2+ determination. It is anticipated that BMSRH can be a good candidate probe and has potential application for Cu2+ determination. The proposed probe exhibits the following advantages: a quick, simple and facile synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Mg-6Ho-1Zn alloy was successfully prepared, which had a good combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance due to the formation of profuse nano-spaced basal plane stacking faults (SFs). The ultimate tensile strength (UTS), tensile yield strength (TYS) and elongation were 325 MPa, 224 MPa and 17%, respectively. More importantly, the alloy with SFs presented a uniform corrosion behavior in simulated body fluid (SBF) with a low corrosion rate of about 0.5 mm/year, which could avoid rapid reduction in mechanical integrity. The performance of the alloy with SFs could be further improved by optimizing the microstructure. The investigation suggests that the alloys with SFs are promising biodegradable implant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical investigation of the 80% EtOH extract of the aerial plant of Alstonia rupestris afforded four new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, 6,7-epoxy-8-oxo-vincadifformine (1), 11-acetyl-6,7-epoxy-8-oxo-vincadifformine (2), 11-hydroxy-14-chloro-15-hydroxy-vincadifformine (3), and perakine N1,N4-dioxide (4), together with two known compounds, 11-hydroxy-6,7-epoxy-8-oxovincadifformine (5) and vinorine N1,N4-dioxide (6). Structural elucidation of all the compounds was performed by spectral methods such as 1D- and 2D-NMR, IR, UV, and HRESIMS. Alkaloids 1, 2 and 5 showed significant cytotoxicities against all the tested tumor cell lines of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with IC50 value less than 20 μM and antimicrobial activities against two fungi (Alternaria alternata and Phytophthora capsici). Alkaloids 4 and 6 exhibited the activity against bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on cemented carbides with rare earth (RE) additives started in the 1960s. Nevertheless, since then the instability in the quality control has troubled the industry. Our research reveals that a strong long-range migration ability of RE exhibited during the sintering process is the reason behind the instability. It is well established that there is a huge difference (more than 29%) in the atomic radius between La/Ce/Pr/Nd and W and La/Ce/Pr/Nd and Co. For this reason, it is an amazing phenomenon to observe the long-range migration of RE in WC-Co alloys. In the present work, we report the long-range migration phenomena of RE towards the sinter skins (surfaces) during the sintering process, the in situ formation of a layer-structured RE2O2S phase with self-lubricating and high heat-resistance functions on the working surfaces of WC-Co inserts, the mechanism for the formation of the RE containing dispersed phase(s) on the surfaces and the measures on how to promote and get control over the long-range migration behavior to develop self-lubricated function oriented cemented carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the representation of two-digit decimals through studying distance and compatibility effects in magnitude comparison tasks in four experiments. Using number pairs with different leftmost digits, we found both the second digit distance effect and compatibility effect with two-digit integers but only the second digit distance effect with two-digit pure decimals. This suggests that both integers and pure decimals are processed in a compositional manner. In contrast, neither the second digit distance effect nor the compatibility effect was observed in two-digit mixed decimals, thereby showing no evidence for compositional processing of two-digit mixed decimals. However, when the relevance of the rightmost digit processing was increased by adding some decimals pairs with the same leftmost digits, both pure and mixed decimals produced the compatibility effect. Overall, results suggest that the processing of decimals is flexible and depends on the relevance of unique digit positions. This processing mode is different from integer analysis in that two-digit mixed decimals demonstrate parallel compositional processing only when the rightmost digit is relevant. Findings suggest that people probably do not represent decimals by simply ignoring the decimal point and converting them to natural numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-defined amphiphilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PNIPAM-b-PCL) block copolymers have been successfully prepared in two steps. PNIPAMOH is firstly prepared by using 4,4'-azobis(4-cyano-1-pentanol) as bifunctional initiator, and then PNIPAM-b-PCL copolymer is synthesized via a ring-opening polymerization of CL using PNIPAMOH as a macro-initiator in the presence of stannous octoate as a catalyst. The PNIPAM-b-PCL copolymers self-assemble to form spherical micelles of 50-130 nm in diameter, which can be modulated by the chain length of PCL block. The inclusion complexes are fabricated by treating PNIPAM-b-PCL with β-cyclodextrin and they are characterized by infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopies, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymers with stable performance and adjustable structure have attracted the interests of researchers in the field of drug delivery. In this work, the triblock copolymer, P(SBMD-co-PDO)-b-PEG-b-P(SBMD-co-PDO), was successfully synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of 3(S)-sec-butyl-morpholine-2,5-dione (SBMD) and p-dioxanone (PDO) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the initiator. In phosphate buffered solution (PBS), these copolymers could self-assemble into nano-sized micelles that have a hydrophobic P(SBMD-co-PDO) core surrounded by a hydrophilic PEG shell. Because of the strong hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded into the micelles with high loading capacity (LC, up to 28.4%) and encapsulation efficiency (EE, up to 62.5%). The drug-loaded micelles showed sustained-release of DOX along with the hydrolytic degradation of the micelles in PBS. Therefore, these amphiphilic triblock copolymers have potential as drug matrix for controlled release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species play an important role in maintaining the stability of arid ecosystems. Due to low biodiversity, species distribution patterns and richness are infrequently investigated in arid lands. Here, we take the Xinjiang Urgur Autonomous Region (Province), a large area in arid northwest China, as a case to investigate the patterns of woody species diversity and their relationship to environmental factors. At the same time, we aim to evaluate the current protected areas network and improve conservation planning based on woody plant diversity of Xinjiang. In this study, we sampled 133 woody forest species and 220 woody xerophytic species, which are about 10% of the plant species and near 80% of woody species in this region, and modeled current and last glacial maximum (LGM) distributions of these species using the method of species distribution modeling (SDM). Based on the results of SDMs, species richness and LGM refugia were estimated for forest and xerophytic species. Then, we assessed correlations between current species richness and environmental variables as well as glacial refugia. Finally, we applied the digital approach of systematic conservation planning to determine priority areas based on patterns of species diversity. Precipitation variables and glacial refugia have influenced the distribution patterns of woody species diversity for forest and xerophytic species in this province. In our proposed network for biodiversity conservation, high priority areas mostly coincided with zones having low species diversity, and many of these concerned areas fall outside of the ranges of the current existing conservation network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explored strontium titanate ferrite (SrTi1-xFexO3-δ or STFx in short) metal oxide as an effective antibacterial agent and investigated its bactericidal mechanism. The perovskite STFx nanoparticles (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) were successfully synthesized with high energy ball milling approach. The feasibility of utilizing this material for antibacterial application was studied on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the presence of dispersed STF0.8 nanoparticles in water. Excellent bactericidal effect has been observed by killing all the E. coli (~105CFU/mL) within 15min in both light and dark conditions, excluding photocatalysis as the major contributing mean of bactericidal effect. Mechanism study via surface charge characterization, fluorescence microscope observation, inductively coupled plasma measurement and SEM examination has revealed that the positive surface charge, high pH environment, Sr2+ dissociation and nano-size of STF0.8 metal oxide could have collectively contributed to its excellent bactericidal effect. These results have increased the potential to apply STFx in water purification for microorganism destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]