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In the deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) region, nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals must meet stringent requirements, including a large optical band gap and sufficient second harmonic generation (SHG) response. Typically, these criteria are fulfilled by borates, carbonates and nitrates containing π‐conjugated groups. In contrast, sulfates and phosphates, with polarizabilities significantly smaller than those of π‐conjugated groups, struggle to achieve similar performance. Here, we present the discovery of Mg2PO4Cl, a magnesium‐based phosphate, identified from over 10,000 phosphates based on a polar‐axial‐symmetry screening strategy, which exhibits the highest SHG response (5.2×KH2PO4 (KDP)) with phase‐matching ability among non‐π‐conjugated DUV transparent NLO crystals. This compound belongs to the Pna21 space group, with [PO4] units consistently aligned along the 21 screw axis and glide planes throughout its crystal structure. Theoretical calculations attribute its remarkable SHG effect to the orderly arrangement of heteroanionic [MgO5Cl] and [MgO4Cl2] polyhedra alongside isolated [PO4] tetrahedra, supported by Berry phase analysis. Furthermore, a crystallographic structure analysis of phosphates and sulfates with significant SHG effects validates the effectiveness of our screening strategy. These findings offer valuable insights into the origins of NLO effects in non‐π‐conjugated compounds from both a material design and structural chemistry perspective, inspiring future efforts to revitalize DUV phosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) region, nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals must meet stringent requirements, including a large optical band gap and sufficient second harmonic generation (SHG) response. Typically, these criteria are fulfilled by borates, carbonates and nitrates containing π‐conjugated groups. In contrast, sulfates and phosphates, with polarizabilities significantly smaller than those of π‐conjugated groups, struggle to achieve similar performance. Here, we present the discovery of Mg2PO4Cl, a magnesium‐based phosphate, identified from over 10,000 phosphates based on a polar‐axial‐symmetry screening strategy, which exhibits the highest SHG response (5.2×KH2PO4 (KDP)) with phase‐matching ability among non‐π‐conjugated DUV transparent NLO crystals. This compound belongs to the Pna21 space group, with [PO4] units consistently aligned along the 21 screw axis and glide planes throughout its crystal structure. Theoretical calculations attribute its remarkable SHG effect to the orderly arrangement of heteroanionic [MgO5Cl] and [MgO4Cl2] polyhedra alongside isolated [PO4] tetrahedra, supported by Berry phase analysis. Furthermore, a crystallographic structure analysis of phosphates and sulfates with significant SHG effects validates the effectiveness of our screening strategy. These findings offer valuable insights into the origins of NLO effects in non‐π‐conjugated compounds from both a material design and structural chemistry perspective, inspiring future efforts to revitalize DUV phosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion protection of steel bars in alkaline concrete environments poses a common challenge in marine engineering. One approach to mitigate steel bar corrosion is the addition of corrosion inhibitors to the concrete. In alkaline environments, the passivation of rebars occurs through anodic passivation coupled with the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalysis of ORR can expedite anode passivation. To investigate the corrosion inhibition of steel bars in alkaline environments, meso‐tetra(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP), known for its ORR catalytic properties, is selected. TCPP forms adsorption films on the surface of steel bars, facilitating the formation of passivation films. TCPP primarily adsorbs onto active sites on the surface of the passivation film, where lattice iron ions have leached. The adsorbed TCPP accelerates the formation of the passivation film through ORR catalysis, inhibiting the development of passivation film defects and enhancing the integrity and protection of the passivation film. The most significant effect is observed when the concentration of TCPP is 0.5 mmol/L. The physical adsorption of TCPP is primarily determined by the negative charge centers, namely the carboxyl group O and the pyrrole N. However, due to steric hindrance caused by the unrestricted rotation of the carboxyl benzene, the pyrrole N does not play a dominant role in chemical adsorption. Instead, the active site for chemical adsorption is the carboxyl group O. The adsorption process significantly reduces the diffusion coefficient of TCPP molecules, providing a robust and stable adsorption binding. Phthalocyanine molecules without carboxyl benzene groups adopt a planar structure, allowing them to form stable adsorption configurations on the iron surface through flat adsorption. This observation provides guidance for the design of novel metal phthalocyanine molecules. Specifically, the development of metal phthalocyanine molecules with modifying groups that are coplanar with the phthalocyanine ring and possess restricted rotation can achieve flat adsorption, improve coverage rate, and enhance adsorption configuration stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Randomized controlled trials confirm that risks of residual cholesterol and residual inflammation remains in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) even after lipid-lowering therapy. This study aims to investigate the association between dual residual risk of cholesterol and inflammation and all-cause mortality in a real-world population with CVD. Methods: Patients with a CVD history who first took statins between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2017 in the Kailuan Study were selected as study participants. According to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein levels, patients were divided into those with no residual risk, residual inflammatory risk (RIR), residual cholesterol risk (RCR), and residual cholesterol and inflammatory risk (RCIR). Cox proportional hazard model was conducted to determine hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality for RIR, RCR, and RCIR. Stratified analysis was conducted according to good medication adherence and 75% of the percentage LDL-C decline, high SMART 2 risk score, and blood pressure and blood glucose at standard levels. Results: After 6.10 years of follow-up, 377 all-cause deaths occurred in 3509 participants (mean age 63.69 ± 8.41 years, 86.78% men). After adjusting for related risk factors, the HR and (95% confidence interval [CI]) of all-cause mortality in the RIR, RCR, and RCIR was 1.63 (1.05, 2.52), 1.37 (0.98, 1.90), and 1.75 (1.25, 2.46), compared with no residual risk. Similar associations were observed in participants with moderate or low statin compliance, a lower percentage of LDL-C decline, high SMART 2 risk score, uncontrolled blood pressure, and uncontrolled blood glucose, in the RCIR had a 1.66-fold, 2.08-fold, 1.69-fold, 2.04-fold, and 2.05-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality, respectively, than the reference. Conclusion: Risks of residual cholesterol and residual inflammation remain in patients with CVD after receiving statins, and their combined effect significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality. Here, this increased risk was dependent on statin compliance, LDL-C reduction, SMART 2 risk score, and blood pressure and blood glucose control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influence of concrete strength, diameter, cover thickness, anchorage length, and stirrups ratio on the bonding performance of the HSCR rebar in concrete are experimentally investigated. A nonlinear FE model for simulating the bond performance between HSCR and concrete is established and validated, and the influencing parameters are parametrically investigated. Moreover, the applicability of the ultimate bond strength model for HSCR-concrete is comparatively discussed, and a new model is proposed and validated to give relatively accurate prediction. Based on the proposed model, the anchorage reliability analysis is conducted, the influencing parameters as well as their variation on the reliability of bond strength are discussed, and the reliable anchorage length is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the low manufacture cost and easy installation, tubal structures are common utilized as energy absorbers in automotive and other engineering industries. In the present work, four novel reinforced multi-corner columns (RMCs) were investigated using numerical, theoretical, and experimental approaches, results showed that the RMCs had prominent crushing performances compared with other typical multi-cell tubes. Furthermore, the TOPSIS method and multi-objective optimization were conducted to find the best structure and its optimal design parameters, respectively. The optimized column showed excellent crashworthiness capacities and had great potential to be used as energy-absorbing components in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of global climate change, wildfires are becoming increasingly significant within ecosystems. Satellite technology offers a critical perspective for studying fire. The synergy of high-spatial resolution narrow-band imagers and hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders allow for comprehensive observation and long-term global monitoring of fire characteristics and associated atmospheric changes on the pixel scale. This study demonstrates methods to utilize the pixel-scale collocated fire observations from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the IR radiance spectra from the Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), onboard NASA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite, to analyze fire and the atmospheric conditions before, during, and after fires. Two months of satellite observations over the Southwest United States and the Amazonia regions when large fires occurred in the regions of interest (October 2017 and August 2020) are used. Our findings reveal that CrIS has high sensitivity to fire that affects as little as 1% of its field of view (FOV) with FOV total fire radiative power (FRP) larger than 200 MW (MW) at night and 1000 MW during the day. By employing spectral principal component analysis (PCA), the CrIS spectral signature to atmospheric temperature, humidity, and trace gases corresponding to fire characteristics are quantified. This approach highlights that collocated imager and IR sounder data, when paired with PCA, provide a powerful method to effectively identify and monitor wildfires. This technique also allows for the observation of subsequent atmospheric alterations while managing data volume efficiently, ensuring that crucial spectral information is preserved. This methodology advances our ability to understand and respond to the multifaceted impacts of wildfires on both local and global scales, reinforcing the value of integrated satellite observations in environmental science. • CrIS sensitivity to fire is quantified with pixel-scale collocated VIIRS-CrIS data. • CrIS full spectral resolution data displays high sensitivity to fire and emission. • Principal component analysis effectively keeps full spectral signal to fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a critical molecule in the onset and sustainment of inflammatory response, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has a variety of ligands, such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), S100/calcium granule protein, and high-mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1). Recently, an increasing number studies have shown that RAGE ligand binding can initiate the intracellular signal cascade, affect intracellular signal transduction, stimulate the release of cytokines, and play a vital role in the occurrence and development of immune-related diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, other RAGE signaling pathways can play crucial roles in life activities, such as inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Therefore, the strategy of targeted intervention in the RAGE signaling pathway may have significant therapeutic potential, attracting increasing attention. In this paper, through the systematic induction and analysis of RAGE-related signaling pathways and their regulatory mechanisms in immune-related diseases, we provide theoretical clues for the follow-up targeted intervention of RAGE-mediated diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aqua, SNPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership), and JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) satellites carry a combination of hyperspectral infrared sounders (AIRS, Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, and CrIS, Cross-track Infrared Sounder) and high-spatial-resolution narrowband imagers (MODIS, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, and VIIRS, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite). They provide an opportunity to acquire high-quality, long-term cloud data records and are a key component of the existing Program of Record of cloud observations. By matching observations from sounders and imagers across different platforms at the pixel scale, this study evaluates the self-consistency and continuity of cloud retrievals from Aqua and SNPP by multiple algorithms, including the AIRS version 7 retrieval algorithm and the Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Combined Atmospheric Product System (CLIMCAPS) version 2 for sounders and the standard Aqua MODIS collection 6.1 and the NASA MODIS–VIIRS continuity cloud products for imagers. Metrics describing detailed statistical distributions at the sounder field of view (FOV) and the joint histograms of cloud properties are evaluated. These products are found to be highly consistent despite their retrieval from different sensors using different algorithms. Differences between the two sounder cloud products are mainly due to cloud clearing and the treatment of clouds in scenes with unsuccessful atmospheric profile retrievals. The sounder subpixel cloud heterogeneity evaluated using the standard deviation of imager retrievals at the sounder FOV shows good agreement between the standard and continuity products from different satellites. However, the impact of algorithm and instrument differences between MODIS and VIIRS is revealed in cloud top pressure retrievals and in the imager cloud distribution skewness. Our study presents a unique aspect to examine NASA's progress toward building a continuous cloud data record with sufficient quality to investigate clouds' role in global environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy in vivo remains a significant challenge due to the down-regulated expression of the receptors on the surface of tumor cells for compromised active targeting efficiency and cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs)-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) and "accelerated blood clearance" and premature unpackaging of NPs in vivo induced by the poly(ethylene glycol)ylation (PEGylation). Inspired by the repeatedly highlighted prolonged blood circulation property of RBCm-camouflaged NPs, we hypothesis that the prolonged blood circulation property resulting from RBCm coating outperforms the active targeting mechanisms of various targeting ligands for enhanced HCC therapy in vivo. Clarification of this hypothesis is therefore of great significance and urgency to break the afore mentioned bottlenecks that hamper the efficient HCC treatment in vivo. For this purpose, we reported in this study the first identification of a determining factor of nanocarriers for enhanced HCC therapy in vivo by the use of the previously fabricated pectin-doxorubicin nanoparticles (PDC-NPs) as a typical example, i.e., the natural RBCm was used as a stealth coating of PDC-NPs for the fabrication of biomimetic DDSs, PDC@RBC-NPs via hypotonic dialysis and mechanical co-extrusion methods. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo evaluation and comparison of the properties and performance of PDC@RBC-NPs and PDC-NPs were performed in terms of colloidal stability, biosafety, drug release profiles, macrophage escape, anti-HCC effect. The resulting PDC@RBC-NPs outperformed PDC-NPs for HCC therapy in vitro and in vivo. Notably, PDC@RBC-NPs-treated BALB/c nude mice showed a significantly smaller final average tumor volume of 613 mm3 after 16 days than the PDC-NPs-treated group with an average value of 957 mm3. Therefore, the PDC@RBC-NPs developed herein showed great potential for clinical transformations due to the facile preparation and superior therapeutic efficiency against HCC. Most importantly, prolonged blood circulation was identified as a determining factor of nanocarriers instead of active targeting for enhanced HCC therapy in vivo, which could be used to direct the future design and development of advanced DDSs with greater therapeutic efficiency for HCC. [Display omitted] • Biomimetic PDC@RBC-NPs were fabricated by using RBCm as a stealth coating of PDC-NPs. • PDC@RBC-NPs outperformed PDC-NPs for enhanced HCC therapy in vitro and in vivo. • Prolonged blood circulation outperforms active targeting for enhanced HCC in vivo. • The obtained conclusion could promote the generation of DDSs for enhanced HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alveolar echinococcosis is an epidemic disease caused by the parasitism of Echinococcus multilocularis (Em) larvae in the intermediate or final host.Objective: To identify and analyze B-cell and T-cell (Th1, Th2, and Th17) epitopes of the Em antigen protein thrombospondin 3 (TSP3).Methods: The amino acid sequence of TSP3 was obtained, and the secondary structural characteristics of TSP3 were predicted using bioinformatics software to further predict its potential T-cell and B-cell epitopes. The spleen lymphocytes of BALB/c mice, which were immunized with the TSP3 protein, were collected for co-culture with B-cell and T-cell antigen small peptides. The B-cell epitopes and T-cell epitope subtypes Th1, Th2, and Th17 were identified as having good immunogenicity.Results: After identification, it was found that the predominant epitopes of B cells existing in TSP3 were T18-33, T45-55, and T110-122. Furthermore, the predominant epitopes of T cells existing in TSP3 were T33-42, T45-55, T80-90, and T110-122 in the T1 subtype, T45-55, T68-77, and T92-104 in the Th2 subtype, and T53-63 and T80-90 in the Th17 subtype.Conclusions: Six T-cell and eight B-cell dominant epitopes of the TSP3 antigen were revealed; these results may be applied in the development of a dominant epitope vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report two cases of unilateral loss of TceMEP secondary to spinal instrumentation errors and the subsequent recovery of TceMEP responses following prompt intervention. During the period of TceMEP loss, there were no concomitant SSEP changes beyond the threshold criteria. Postoperative physical examination revealed normal strength and motion in the affected extremities in both patients. These cases illustrate that in addition to being a reliable intraoperative diagnostic tool, TceMEP monitoring displays therapeutic usefulness in appraising corrective actions to the existential risk of neurological injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the detection of food freshness and chemical production, live tracking of the concentration of triethylamine gas is both essential and challenging. The NiCo 2 O 4 -ZnO triethylamine gas sensor prepared with two-step hydrothermal method proposed in this study exhibits a response of TEA at the ideal operational temperature of 250 °C and a response/recovery time of 69 s/2 s. Compared to the single ZnO sensor, the response value is increased by a factor of 8.47, the recovery time is reduced to 1/8, and good selectivity (the response for TEA is 4.75 times higher than others), repeatability, and long-term stability (40 days) are demonstrated. Notably, research on fabricating TEA gas sensors by constructing p-n heterojunctions using NiCo 2 O 4 and ZnO composites is currently lacking. The enhancement of the gas-sensitive properties of the composites is the result of a combination of factors such as increased specific surface area (18.18 m2/g−1) and pore size (29.84 nm), the formation of p-n heterojunctions, and the synergistic effect between the two materials. The excellent TEA sensitivity exhibited by the NiCo 2 O 4 -ZnO composites holds considerable practical application potential in triethylamine gas sensors. • There is no such study in the existing literature. • This TEA gas sensor has a high response value and swift recovery time. • This sensor constructs a p-n heterojunction of NiCo 2 O 4 -ZnO composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of water eutrophication and various common remediation methods, such as physical remediation' chemical remediation; bioremediation and compound remediation; were reviewed. The effects of different remediation methods on the treatment of N; P and other pollution factors in eutrophication of water bodies were analyzed; and the advantages and disadvantages of various remediation techniques were summarized. Based on the research progress of water eutrophication remediation technology; it is pointed out that bioremediation and composite remediation should be the main remediation technology, and physical and chemical remediation should be the supplementary remediation technology,and it is suggested that the combination of remediation technology and space technology can more effectively remediation and monitoring of water eutrophication pollution. In addition; remediation technologies such as algae-microbial fuel cells, which only control phosphorus but not nitrogen; have low cost and ideal effect, and are worthy of further study and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aqua, SNPP, and JPSS satellites carry a combination of hyperspectral infrared sounders (AIRS, CrIS) and high-spatial-resolution narrowband imagers (MODIS, VIIRS). They provide an opportunity to acquire high-quality long-term cloud data records and are a key component of the existing Program of Record of cloud observations. By matching observations from sounders and imagers across different platforms at pixel scale, this study evaluates the self-consistency and continuity of cloud retrievals from Aqua and SNPP by multiple algorithms, including the AIRS Version-7 retrieval algorithm and the Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Combined Atmospheric Product System (CLIMCAPS) Version-2 for sounders, and the Standard Aqua-MODIS Collection-6.1 and the NASA MODIS-VIIRS continuity cloud products for imagers. Metrics describing detailed statistical distributions at sounder field of view (FOV) and the joint histograms of cloud properties are evaluated. These products are found highly consistent despite their retrieval from different sensors using different algorithms. Differences between the two sounder cloud products are mainly due to cloud clearing and treatment of clouds in scenes with unsuccessful atmospheric profile retrievals. The sounder subpixel cloud heterogeneity evaluated using the standard deviation of imager retrievals at sounder FOV shows good agreement between the standard and continuity products from different satellites. However, impact of algorithm and instrument differences between MODIS and VIIRS is revealed in cloud top pressure retrievals and in the imager cloud distribution skewness. Our study presents a unique aspect to examine NASA's progress toward building a continuous cloud data record with sufficient quality to investigate clouds' role in global environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppressor of Mek1 (Smek1) is a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 4. Genome‐wide association studies have shown the protective effect of SMEK1 in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the physiological and pathological roles of Smek1 in AD and other tauopathies are largely unclear. Here, the role of Smek1 in preventing neurodegeneration is investigated in tauopathy. Smek1 is downregulated in the aged human brain. Through single‐cell sequencing, a novel neuronal cluster is identified that possesses neurodegenerative characteristics in Smek1−/− mice. Smek1 deficiency caused markedly more severe motor and cognitive impairments in mice, as well as neuronal loss, gliosis, and tau hyperphosphorylation at major glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk3β) sites. Protein‐protein interaction analysis revealed that the Ran‐binding domain (RanBD) in the N‐terminus of Smek1 facilitated binding with kinesin family member 2A (Kif2a). Depletion of Smek1 resulted in cytoplasmic aggregation of Kif2a, axon outgrowth defects, and impaired mitochondrial axonal trafficking. Downregulation of Kif2a markedly attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation and axon outgrowth defects in shSmek1 cells. For the first time, this study demonstrates that Smek1 deficiency progressively induces neurodegeneration by exacerbating tau pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction in an age‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) with cancer occurrence is not well examined, and the impact of common risk factors on the risk of cancer in ASCVD patients is not known. This study aimed to explore the effect and possible causes of ASCVD on cancer risk through a cohort study. A total of 14,665 age- and sex-matched pairs of participants were recruited from the Kailuan cohort (ASCVD vs non-ASCVD). A competing risk model was used to calculate the risk of cancer after ASCVD. A total of 1124 cancers occurred after 5.80 (3.05-9.44) years of follow-up. The ASCVD group had a reduced risk of cancer (hazard ratio 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.85). Also, the risk of cancer in the digestive system, respiratory system, urinary system, and reproductive system was reduced by 17%, 16%, 14%, and 52%, respectively. According to the status of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and body mass index after ASCVD, the risk of overall cancer and digestive system cancer decreased with the increase in the number of ideal indicators (P for trend <.01). With the increase of follow-up time, the risk of cancer and the 5 site-specific cancers gradually decreased. Cancer risk can be reduced by controlling for common risk factors after ASCVD event. This risk reduction is site-specific-, time-, and the number of ideal indicator-dependent. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu receptor (KDELR) family genes play critical roles in a variety of biological processes in different tumors. Our study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the potential roles of KDELRs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, as well as clinical samples, we conducted a series of analyses and validations using R software tools and various online resources. The results showed that KDELR family genes and proteins were highly expressed and associated with a poor prognosis of LUAD. Promoter hypomethylation and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of PCAT6/hsa-miR-326/KDELR1 might be potential causes of aberrant KDELR1 overexpression in LUAD. Three key Transcription factors (TFs) (SPI1, EP300, and MAZ) and a TFs-miRNAs-KDELRs network (involving 11 TFs) might be involved in modulating KDELRs expression abnormalities. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated enrichment of genes highly expressing KDELR1, KDELR2, and KDELR3 in MTORC1_SIGNALING, P53_PATHWAY, and ANGIOGENESIS. Negative correlations between KDELRs expression and CD8 + T cell infiltration, as well as CTLA-4 expression. Our multiple analyses suggested that the KDELRs are important signaling molecules in LUAD. These results provided novel insights for developing prognostic markers and novel therapies of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-centrosymmetric metal chalcogenides such as AgGaS2 and AgGaSe2 are two of the commercial nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals widely used in the infrared (IR) region. Nevertheless, the inherent incompatibility between the wide energy gap (Eg) and large second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency (dij) hinders their high-power laser applications. Recently, the development of salt-inclusion chalcogenides with non-centrosymmetric structures has attracted more and more attention and interest owing to their intensive potential applications originating from their wide Eg, strong dij, ultrahigh laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDTs) and large IR transmission range. In this frontier paper, we review the recent progress of salt-inclusion chalcogenides (including 28 related compounds) as favourable candidates for IR-NLO materials, which can be divided into 3 types according to their chemical compositions and structural characteristics: (i) the [RaXb][GanQ2n] type and its derivatives, (ii) [NaBa4Cl][Ge3S10] and its derivatives, and (iii) the [A3X][MB12(MQ4)3] type. The relationships between the non-centrosymmetric structures and NLO properties of these 3 types of compounds are summarized and briefly remarked. In addition, the present challenges of creating new IR-NLO salt-inclusion chalcogenides and future perspectives in this field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the SU(3) spin–orbit coupled spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates in a two-dimensional harmonic trap. The competition between the SU(3) spin–orbit coupling and the spin-exchange interaction results in a rich variety of lattice configurations. The ground-state phase diagram spanned by the isotropic SU(3) spin–orbit coupling and the spin–spin interaction is presented. Five ground-state phases can be identified on the phase diagram, including the plane wave phase, the stripe phase, the kagome lattice phase, the stripe-honeycomb lattice phase, and the honeycomb hexagonal lattice phase. The system undergoes a sequence of phase transitions from the rectangular lattice phase to the honeycomb hexagonal lattice phase, and to the triangular lattice phase in spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates with anisotrpic SU(3) spin–orbit coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cancer is one of the major malignancies with the worst prognosis among all solid tumor types. It is therefore ponderable to explore prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver cancer. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit B (EIF3B) is closely linked to the transcription initiation of cancer-associated genes. In the present study, EIF3B was indicated to be a potential prognostic biomarker of liver cancer. The mRNA expression level of EIF3B in liver cancer was assessed by analyzing the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the association of EIF3B expression with clinical parameters. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was used for evaluating the diagnostic value of EIF3B. Overall and relapse-free survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves to determine the association between EIF3B expression and survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify the factors affecting overall/relapse-free survival. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify signaling pathways associated with EIF3B in liver cancer. It was revealed that EIF3B was highly expressed in liver cancer tissues and it had a promising diagnostic ability. Furthermore, the survival analysis indicated that patients with high EIF3B expression generally had shorter overall as well as relapse-free survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis suggested that high EIF3B mRNA expression may serve as an independent biomarker for the prognostication of patients with liver cancer. GSEA suggested that MYC-V1 (HALLMARK_MYC_TARGETS_V1 geneset; P=0.009), MYC-V2 (HALLMARK_MYC_TARGETS_V2 geneset; P=0.004) and DNA repair pathways (HALLMARK_DNA_REPAIR geneset; P<0.001) were differentially enriched in high EIF3B expression and low EIF3B expression groups. In conclusion, high EIF3B expression was indicated to be an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the safety and feasibility of endoscopic nasogallbladder drainage (ENGBD) combined with laparoscopic surgery for Mirizzi syndrome type I with acute cholecystitis. Methods. An analysis of 4 patients with type I Mirizzi syndrome with acute cholecystitis admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University. Results. The patients underwent ENGBD, and laparoscopic surgery was evaluated postoperatively. All four patients successfully recovered from this combined surgical approach. Conclusion. The combination of ENGBD and laparoscopic surgery is safe and feasible for the treatment of patients with type I Mirizzi syndrome accompanied by acute cholecystitis. This approach may reduce the traumatic stress on patients and is worthy of widespread implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical anvil clouds have a profound impact on Earth's weather and climate. Their role in Earth's energy balance and hydrologic cycle is heavily modulated by the vertical structure of the microphysical properties for various hydrometeors in these clouds and their dependence on the ambient environmental conditions. Accurate representations of the variability and covariability of such vertical structures are key to both the satellite remote sensing of cloud and precipitation and numerical modeling of weather and climate, which remain a challenge. This study presents a new method to combine vertically resolved observations from CloudSat radar reflectivity and Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation cloud masks with probability distributions of cloud microphysical properties and the ambient atmospheric conditions from detailed in situ measurements on tropical anvils sampled during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration TC4 (Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling) mission. We focus on the microphysical properties of the vertical distribution of ice water content, particle size distributions, and effective sizes for different hydrometeors, including ice particles and supercooled liquid droplets. Results from this method are compared with those from in situ data alone and various CloudSat/Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation cloud retrievals. The sampling limitation of the field experiment and algorithm limitations in the current retrievals is highlighted, especially for the liquid cloud particles, while a generally good agreement with ice cloud microphysical properties is seen from different methods. While the method presented in this study is applied to tropical anvil clouds observed during TC4, it can be readily employed to study a broad range of ice clouds sampled by various field campaigns. Key Points: The vertical structure of ice cloud microphysics is studied by combining field campaign in situ measurements with satellite observationsA generally good agreement with ice cloud microphysical properties below 12 km is seen from in situ observations and satellite retrievalsResults indicate the sampling limitation of the field experiment and algorithm limitations in the satellite retrievals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Make-To-Order (MTO) is a popular production strategy commonly used by manufacturers selling customized products. Dynamic pricing is a popular tactical tool commonly used by sellers to match supply with demand when there is a limited capacity and high demand uncertainty over time. In this article, we consider joint pricing and production scheduling decisions faced by a manufacturer that uses an MTO strategy to sell a number of customized products made from a common base product. At the beginning of each period in a planning horizon, the manufacturer sets the price of the base product, which in turn sets the prices for the customized products accordingly. Given the prices, orders for the products arrive. In each period, together with the pricing decision, the manufacturer needs to make a production scheduling decision for processing accepted orders on a single production line. The manufacturer's objective is to maximize the total revenue of the processed orders minus a scheduling penalty over the planning horizon. Three specific problems with different order acceptance rules and objective functions are studied. In the first problem, the manufacturer has to accept all the incoming orders and treats the total weighted completion time of the orders as a part of the objective function. In the second problem, the manufacturer has to accept all incoming orders, but is allowed to complete some orders after their due dates with tardiness penalties. In the third problem, the manufacturer may reject some incoming orders, but must complete all the accepted orders by their due dates. We show that all these problems are NP-hard, propose optimal pseudo-polynomial-time dynamic programming algorithms and fully-polynomial-time approximation schemes for solving these problems, and conduct computational experiments to show the performance of the proposed algorithms. Furthermore, we derive several managerial insights through computational experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Within the thenar eminence, the median nerve innervates three muscles: abductor pollicis brevis (APB), flexor pollicis brevis (FPB), and opponens pollicis (OP). Of these muscles, APB was often considered as the sole contributor to the thenar compound muscle action potential (CMAP). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate subcomponents of the thenar CMAP from the median nerve innervated muscles. METHODS: Surface and needle CMAPs were recorded in normal human subjects from three recording sites: proximal (site-I), middle (site-II), and distal (site-III) aspects of the thenar eminence when the median nerve was activated at the wrist. RESULTS: In the site-I and -II, both the surface and needle CMAPs shared many similar characteristics although the needle CMAPs were larger (∼ 5 folds) and briefer (∼ 60%, needle/surface duration). In addition, on the surface recording, the CMAP was larger (by ∼ 1.9 mV) when recorded from the site-I comparing to that of the site-II. In the site-III, the surface recordings registered a delayed (by ∼ 3.8 ms) CMAP. The muscle fiber action potential (MFAP) study suggested a predominant FPB contribution in the site-III. CONCLUSION: The optimal recording site for APB derived thenar CMAP is the site-I and for FPB is the site-III. The CMAPs registered by the needle recordings are more robust than the surface ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, for any two orthogonal projections P,Q on a Hilbert space, the characterization of spectrum of anticommutator PQ+QP has been obtained. As a corollary, an alternative proof of the norm formula has been obtained (see Walters S. Anticommutator norm formula for projection operators, arXiv:1604.00699vl [math.FA] 3 Apr 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a simulated simultaneous retrieval of mass mean cloud ice particle effective diameter, ice water content, water vapor, and temperature profiles using a combination of a 94‐GHz cloud radar and multifrequency (118, 183, 240, 310, 380, 664, and 850 GHz) millimeter‐ and submillimeter‐wave radiometers from a space platform. The retrieval capabilities and uncertainties of the combined radar and microwave radiometers are quantified. We show that this combined active and passive remote sensing approach with SmallSat technologies addresses a gap in the current state‐of‐the‐art remote sensing measurements of ice cloud properties, especially deriving vertical profiles of ice cloud particle sizes in the atmosphere together with the ambient thermodynamic conditions. Therefore, this new approach can serve as a plausible candidate for future missions that target cloud and precipitation processes to improve weather forecasts and climate predictions. Key Points: This study presents a simulated ice cloud retrieval by a radar and multifrequency microwave radiometer space platformThis combined active and passive remote sensing approach outperforms current state‐of‐the‐art remote sensing of ice cloud propertiesIt serves as a plausible candidate for future missions that target cloud and precipitation processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The mechanism of rearrangement of curcumol to form orobanone analogues is studied. • Curcumol and four orobanone analogues inhibited HIF-1 transcription under hypoxia. • Compound 6 inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activity in HeLa cells with the IC 50 = 2.4 μM. Abstract In this paper, the mechanism of orobanone analogues formation via aromatization rearrangement of curcumol was minutely explored. Aromatization of curcumol with acetone under acidic condition was selected as the model reaction. The formation of a stable aromatic system was the driving force for this reaction. Based on the model reaction, other four new orobanone analogues were prepared through curcumol reacting with different carbonyl compounds. The results showed that the stability of carbocation, which was generated from the carbonyl compounds, and the steric hindrance were main factors affecting the aromatization. We also synthesized the analogue of aromaticane B using compound 2. In vitro anti-proliferative activity of some derivatives were tested by MTT assay. Two derivatives showed weak anti-tumor effect on two cancer cell lines (HepG2 and MCF7) under normoxia. Four orobanone analogue 2 , 5 , 6 and 9 significantly inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF-1 luciferase reporter activity in HeLa cells with the IC 50 values of 13.6, 6.6, 2.4 and 18.2 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The 5R dynamic pseudo-rigid-body model (5R D-PRBM) is proposed for compliant mechanisms with inflection beams. • The dynamic equation of the 5R D-PRBM is derived based on Lagrangian equation. • Numerical studies on the dynamic performance of inflection beam are presented comparing ADAMS. • An example of compliant parallel-guiding mechanism is presented using the 5R D-PRBM. Abstract A study on the dynamic modeling and performance for compliant mechanisms with inflection beams is presented. Based on the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM), a 5R Dynamic PRBM (5R D-PRBM) is proposed for the flexural beams with inflection points. The dynamic equation of the 5R D-PRBM is derived using Lagrangian equation. Numerical investigations on the dynamic responses of the flexural beam with an inflection point are presented by the 5R D-PRBM. The advantage of the new model is illustrated comparing with ADAMS simulation. An example of compliant parallel-guiding mechanism is presented using the 5R D-PRBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations from multiple sensors on the NASA Aqua satellite are used to estimate the temporal and spatial variability of short-term cloud responses (CR) and cloud feedbacks λ for different cloud types, with respect to the interannual variability within the A-Train era (July 2002–June 2017). Short-term cloud feedbacks by cloud type are investigated both globally and locally by three different definitions in the literature: 1) the global-mean cloud feedback parameter λGG from regressing the global-mean cloud-induced TOA radiation anomaly ΔRG with the global-mean surface temperature change ΔTGS; 2) the local feedback parameter λLL from regressing the local ΔR with the local surface temperature change ΔTS; and 3) the local feedback parameter λGL from regressing global ΔRG with local ΔTS. Observations show significant temporal variability in the magnitudes and spatial patterns in λGG and λGL, whereas λLL remains essentially time invariant for different cloud types. The global-mean net λGG exhibits a gradual transition from negative to positive in the A-Train era due to a less negative λGG from low clouds and an increased positive λGG from high clouds over the warm pool region associated with the 2015/16 strong El Niño event. Strong temporal variability in λGL is intrinsically linked to its dependence on global ΔRG, and the scaling of λGL with surface temperature change patterns to obtain global feedback λGG does not hold. Despite the shortness of the A-Train record, statistically robust signals can be obtained for different cloud types and regions of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the microscopic change law of particle and water flow in the process of the vertical deformation of sand caused by withdrawing and recharging water, a PFC (particle flow code) program was developed to simulate the process of the water withdrawal and recharging of dense sand sample. The water flow was controlled by setting the boundary conditions. The subsidence and rebound of the sand sample, the velocity and displacement fields of particles, and the velocity field of fluid cells were analysed. It is indicated that the sand sample becomes dense and the settlement of the sand sample increases in the process of drainage. The settlement of all particles tends to be stable after a period of time. Particles move randomly at the beginning and subsequently downward. The movement direction of fluid is at random initially as well, and the fluid velocity at the inlet and outlet is greater. In the process of recharging the sand sample rebounds, particles move at random at the beginning and subsequently upward. The fluid cell also moves upward with the increase of fluid velocity. The research study is helpful in understanding the mechanism of ground subsidence from a microscopic point of view and reasonably exploiting and recharging groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Co 3 O 4 anchored on the graphitic carbon nitride ( g -C 3 N 4 ) was fabricated via a facile co-precipitation method with MOFs/ g -C 3 N 4 as precursor. The as-prepared Co 3 O 4 / g -C 3 N 4 composite delivers a high specific capacitance of 780 F g −1 at the current density of 1.25 A g −1 in 2 M KOH solution and the capacitance value retain 80% after 1000 cycles with the current density of 3 A g −1 . The capacitance of Co 3 O 4 / g -C 3 N 4 composite is much greater than the bare Co 3 O 4 with 419 F g −1 at the current density 1.25 A g −1 . The investigation suggests that the excellent performance of capacitance may be assigned to as-prepared Co 3 O 4 / g -C 3 N 4 composite, which could be a potential and outstanding electrode material in electrochemical energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese oxides have been received increasing interest due to their potential application in supercapacitor electrode material. In this paper, a new metal-organic framework Mn(MA)(HO)(ipa) ( 1) (Hipa = isophthalic acid; MA = melamine) was synthesized via hydrothermal reaction; it presents a 3D network structure which can be simplified as an unusual non-interpenetrated pseudo-primitive 6-connected cubic topology. The Mn-MOF was regarded as a precursor to prepare variety of manganese oxides via calcination in different environments. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements were employed to characterize the electrochemical performance of MnO materials in NaSO electrolyte. The results show that the MnO materials reveal excellent long-term cycling stability with enhanced capacitance after charge-discharge cycles. The optimum specific capacitance can be 150 F g with a current density of 1.0 A g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Six new 3D lanthanide‐based organic frameworks with the formula of [Ln2(1,4‐BDC)2(ox)(H2O)4]⋅2H2O (Ln=Tb 1, Dy 2, Gd 3) and [Ln2(1,4‐BDC)2(ox)(H2O)2] (Ln=Ho 4, Er 5, Yb 6; 1,4‐H2BDC=1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate; H2ox=oxalate acid) were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV–vis spectra, powder X‐ray diffraction, and TG‐DTA method, wherein compounds 1 and 4 were structurally characterized. Compounds 1–3 had been found to be isostructural and crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system with space group of P21/c possessing quasi‐square 1D channels wherein lattice water molecules were encapsulated, while the isostructural compounds 4–6 crystallized in triclinic system with P‐1 space group, while their triangular 1D channels are too small to encapsulate any solvent molecules. The significant lanthanide contraction effect is evident from the observed resulting structures of compounds 1–6 which were synthesized under the same reaction conditions. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited characteristic emissions of Tb(III) and Dy(III) ions and the luminescent lifetime of compound 1 was found to be 0.54 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of a questionable species of the genus Alseodaphne led to the discovery of a new genus Alseodaphnopsis H. W. Li & J. Li, gen. nov., separated from Alseodaphne Nees, and a new species Alseodaphnopsis ximengensis H. W. Li & J. Li, sp. nov., endemic to Yunnan province, China. This new species is characterized by having big, axillary, paniculate inflorescences, as well as large, subglobose fruits. Based on DNA sequence data from two gene regions (nuclear ribosomal ITS and LEAFY intron II), we investigate its phylogenetic position within the Persea group. Phylogenies using maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) support the recognition of Alseodaphnopsis as a distinct genus but do not resolve well its relationship within the Persea group. The new genus is circumscribed, eight new combinations for its species are made, and a description and illustration of the new species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 5R pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) is proposed for inflection beams in compliant mechanisms. This new model consists of six rigid links connected by five joints. Four joints with torsional spring are added at the joints to simulate the deflection and a free hinge without spring is used to present the inflection point of the flexural beam. An objective function is established according to relative angular displacement between the two rigid links jointed by the free hinge for finding the optimal characteristic parameters of the 5R PRBM. The spring stiffness coefficients of the 5R PRBM are obtained using a linear regression technique. Numerical examples are presented and the results are shown by comparing with elliptical integral solutions. This new pseudo-rigid-body model behaves as load independent and can be used to predict both the tip locus and inflection position of flexural beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimized production of MBF-HG6, which is a novel salt-tolerant alkaliphilic bioflocculant produced byOceanobacillus polygoniwith its application in tannery wastewater treatment was investigated in this study. It was found the optimal carbon source, nitrogen source, cation, and initial pH of the medium for bioflocculant production were starch, urea, Fe2+, and pH 9.0, respectively. The best stability in the temperature range was from 0 to 80°C and the purified MBF-HG6 contained polysaccharides of 81.53% and proteins of 9.98%. The carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups were determined in bioflocculants, while the optimized bioflocculating activity was observed as 90.25% for the dosages of 6.96mL MBF-HG6, 4.77mL CaCl2(1%, m/v), and 19.24g/L NaCl using response surface methodology. In addition, SS and turbidity removal rates of the tannery wastewater (4g/L MBF-HG6) could, respectively, reach 46.49% and 91.08%, indicating that the great potential was emerged in enhancement of tannery wastewater treatment by MBF-HG6. The optimized production of a novel bioflocculant MBF-HG6 produced byOceanobacillus polygoniand its application in tannery wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bismuth-based polymer, [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O (H 2 pydc=pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, bpe=trans-bis(4-pyridyl) ethylene) has been hydrothermally synthesized. Transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies indicate that the synthesized polymer with efficient charge separation and transportation can be used as a potential photocatalyst. So we use it for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater under visible light. The comparative study on commercial Bi 2 O 3 shows [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O has the higher photocatalytic performance, with the degradation rate of 97% and 2% within 100 min for [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O and commercial Bi 2 O 3 respectively. Additionally, the five cycle reproducibility results of [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O implies that it can be used as a stable photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion inhibitors could significantly reduce the corrosion effect of seawater on carbon steels, which were widely used in seawater cooling systems and seawater desalination systems. The corrosion inhibition properties of 1,3,4‐thiediazole (TD) and 2‐mercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole (MTD) and their relationship with molecular structures were systematically studied by experimental and theoretical methods. TD and MTD were composite corrosion inhibitors with the higher proportion of cathodic corrosion inhibition, and their corrosion inhibition was based on the enlarged resistance of the electrochemical dissolution reaction of the iron. Their coverage on the surface of carbon steel and the negative movement of the potential they caused would promote each other and formed the stable adsorption. The mercaptol extended the distribution range of the negative electrostatic potential of MTD, reduced the spatial steric resistance of coordination and the energy gap of the frontier molecular orbitals, and raised the number of coordination transfer electrons, which made MTD exhibited superior corrosion inhibition performance than TD. The adsorption behavior of MTD was in line with the characteristics of Langmuir adsorption and was the combination of physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. Its adsorption form was laminated adsorption, and it was conducive to the formation of feedback bonds, which led to high stability of adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study further investigated the protective effects of cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 (URB) on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH)-induced cognitive impairment in rats. Spatial learning and memory were assessed with the Morris water maze and by measuring Long-term potentiation. The expression of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP)-2, growth-associated protein-43 (GAP)-43, synaptophysin, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), FAAH, N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D(NAPE-PLD) and monoacyl glycerol lipase (MGL) as well as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway molecules and downstream targets including AKT, phosphorylated (p-)AKT, cyclic AMP response element- binding protein (CREB), p-CREB, Bcl-2-associated death protein (BAD), p-BAD, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, p-GSK-3β, forkhead box protein (FOXO) 3A and p-FOXO3A was determined by western blotting. WIN and URB treatment improved learning and memory performance, effects that were abolished by co-administration of the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002. Moreover, WIN and URB reversed the decreases in MAP-2 and synaptophysin expression resulting from CCH, and stimulated BDNF and CB1 expression as well as CREB, FOXO3A, GSK-3β, and BAD phosphorylation, confirming that WIN and URB mediate neuroprotection by preventing neuronal apoptosis and improving cognition via PI3K/AKT signaling. These findings suggest that WIN and URB are promising agents for therapeutic management of CCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue performance of CFRP reinforced steel crane girders was comparatively studied by experimental research. In addition, the stress concentration behavior and the stress intensity factor were also discussed to analyze the mechanism of CFRP reinforcement. The research confirmed that the reinforcement using CFRP layers can significantly improve the fatigue life of the girder, especially if the fatigue stress amplitude is not too large. It is suggested to arrange U-shaped hoop with over 3 layers at the end of the longitude layers, and aside the stiffeners at midspan. The longitude CFRP layers should fully cover the side faces of the bottom flange to avoid potential fatigue fraction initiation here. Fisher’s provision will significantly underestimate the fatigue life of CFRP reinforced girders because it cannot consider the stress concentration relief aside the stiffeners. The CFRP layers can perfectly restrain the development of fatigue fracture. Thus, the stress intensity factor of CFRP reinforced girders increases much slower with fracture length in comparison with unreinforced girders, especially after the fracture develops into the flange. The increasing of longitude CFRP layers may just give little decrease of the stress intensity factor, but lower fatigue stress amplitude can significantly decrease the stress intensity factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six heterometallic Zn(II) coordination polymers, Zn(H2O)3(FNA) (1), [NH4]2[Zn(H2O)2(FNA)2] (2), [ZnNa2(FNA)2]·3H2O (3), [ZnK2(FNA)2]·H2O (4), [ZnRb2(FNA)2]·2H2O (5) and [ZnMg(FNA)2]·4H2O (6) (H2FNA = 4-nitrobenzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid), were synthesised by introducing different alkali/alkaline earth (AeI/AeII) metals. These complexes exhibit diverse structures with the different AeI/AeIImetals used and distinct ligand coordination modes the ions provide. For1and2, the Zn(II) centres with distorted octahedra are connected by FNA to form 1-D chain structures. The Zn(II) centres in3–6with distorted tetrahedra are linked by FNA to form 2-D anionic grid layers. For3–5, these 2-D anionic grid layers are connected by alkali metal (Na, K and Rb) with the O–AeI–O connectivity to exhibit 3-D framework structures, while6features a 2-D Zn–Mg network. Luminescence properties of1–6have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit the potential to repair a wide variety of injured adult tissues. The migration capability of MSCs is an important determinant of the efficiency of MSC transplant therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly implicated in regulating the migration of MSCs. Herein, we show that the expression of miR-124 was downregulated in rat MSCs (rMSCs) treated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Overexpression of miR-124 significantly reduced the chemotactic migration of rMSCs toward HGF, while inhibition of endogenous miR-124 promoted the chemotactic migration. A further study revealed that miR-124 directly targeted FZD4 and LRP6, which encode a receptor and co-receptor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, respectively, thus reducing the activity of this signaling. Consistently, activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by LiCl and ΔN89β-catenin rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-124 on the chemotactic migration of rMSCs toward HGF, while inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by FH535 abrogated the enhanced chemotactic response achieved by the miR-124 inhibitor. Collectively, our study demonstrates that miR-124 downregulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling via targeting FZD4 and LRP6 and thus suppresses the chemotactic migration of rMSCs toward HGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of viable molecular water oxidation catalysts is an important issue in the conversion of electricity or solar fuel into chemical fuels via water splitting, and copper complexes have become promising candidates for catalyzing water oxidation because of their low cost, well-defined redox properties and relatively high reactivity. Herein, we describe the first tetranuclear Cu(ii)-based water oxidation catalyst: [Cu4(bpy)4(μ2-OH)2(μ3-OH)2(H2O)2]2+. The complex comprises a chair-like Cu4O4 core with aqua and bridging μ-hydroxo ligands, and the multinuclear core is expected to be advantageous for promoting multi-electron transfer. In pH 7.0 phosphate buffer, the complex shows as being hydrolytically stable and a relatively low overpotential of ca. 730 mV is obtained according to a cyclic voltammetry experiment. Bulk electrolysis measurements at 1.80 V vs. a normal hydrogen electrode provided a stable current density of 0.78 mA cm−2 and the current persists for at least 10 h. A Faradaic efficiency of nearly 98% is achieved. Importantly, the electrochemical data support that this tetranuclear complex works as a robust homogeneous water oxidation catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Bi(III) coordination polymer Bi 2 (Hpdc) 2 (pdc) 2 ·2H 2 O (H 2 pdc=pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) was synthesized by hydrothermal method. Solid state thermal decomposition of this complex under 500 °C for 1 h led to the foliated Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticles, which were then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparative study on their photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in polluted water was explored, and the mechanism of these photocatalytic degradation was discussed. These results provided some interesting insights into their photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactions of copper salts, zoledronic acid, and 2,2′-bipyridine/1,10-phenanthroline in aqueous ethanolic solutions afforded four phosphonate oxygen-bridged copper complexes, Cu(bipy)(H4zdn)(HSO4) (1), [Cu2(bipy)2(H2zdn)(H2O)(Cl)]·4H2O (2), [Cu2(phen)2(H2zdn)(H2O)(Cl)]·2.5H2O (3), and [Cu3(bipy)3(H4zdn)(H2zdn)(SO4)]·5H2O (4) (H5zdn = zoledronic acid, bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). The copper centers of1–4have square pyramidal coordination geometries. The Cu(II) ions are coordinated to bipy/phen, zoledronate, and HSO4−/Cl−forming mononuclear units for1, dinuclear for2and3, and trinuclear for4. These building units are further extended into 3-D supramolecular networks via multiple hydrogen bond interactions. Temperature-dependent magnetic properties of2and4suggest weak antiferromagnetic coupling (J = −4.53(8) cm−1for2,J = −1.69(4) cm−1for4). The antitumor activity of2was evaluated against the human lung cancer cell line and indicates effective time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A highly regio- and stereoselective method to construct a broad range of 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes, which proceeds through a sequential reaction involving gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkynediols and sequential semi-pinacol-type 1,2-alkyl migration, was developed. The developed chemistry was applied to the asymmetric total synthesis of the natural product farnesiferol C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of flavone-7-phosphoramidate derivatives were synthesized and tested for their antiproliferative activity in vitro against human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and human normal hepatic cell line L-O2. Compound 8d , 16d and 17d , incorporating the amino acid alanine, exhibited high inhibitory activity on HepG2 cell line with IC 50 values of 9.0 μmol/L, 5.5 μmol/L and 6.6 μmol/L. The introduction of acyl groups played a pivotal role in the selective inhibition toward human hepatoma HepG2 cells, except for compound 8a , 9a and 16b . Compound 8d , 16d and 17d could significantly induce G2/M arrest in HepG2 cells. Specially, Compound 16d could lead early apoptosis in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, self-assembly reactions of copper(II) ions, methoxybenzoate isomers and 2,2′-bipyridine yield two copper-oxygen polynuclear complexes: [Cu(bpy)(2-CHO)]·(2-CHO)·14HO 1, [Cu(bpy)(HO)(OH)]·4(3-CHO)·17HO 2, and a simple mononuclear complex [Cu(bpy)(HO)(4-CHO)] 3. (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, CHO = methoxybenzoate ion). Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reval that compound 1 is a dinuclear copper(II) complex which bridged by three carboxylate groups, and 2 presents a discrete step-like tetra-nuclear copper CuO core. Compound 3 shows a square pyramidal mononuclear geometry. The magnetic susceptibility of complex 1 measured from 2 to 300 K, revealed an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II) ions. Furthermore, the results about IR spectra and thermal analyses were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]