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Wastewater containing phosphorus is often added by industrial activities, which is bad for the environment. In this study, composite biochar (PG-RS700) was prepared from phosphogypsum (PG) and rape straw (RS) for the treatment of phosphate in wastewater. SEM, FTIR, XRD and XPS characterization results showed that PG and RS were successfully combined. When PG-RS700 was dosed at 1.5 g/L and the phosphate solution concentration was 50 mg/L and pH = 8, the phosphate removal rate was 100% and the adsorption capacity was three times higher than the corresponding pure PG and RS. The quasi-secondary kinetic model indicated that the adsorption mechanism was chemisorption, and the maximum adsorption capacity for phosphate in the Langmuir isotherm model was 102.25 mg/g. Through pot experiment, the phosphorus adsorbed material obviously promoted the growth of plants. PG-RS700 can be used as a powerful adsorbent to treat phosphate in water and return it to soil as phosphate fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most serious form of heart disease, and chronic hypoxia is the basic physiological process underlying CHD. Some patients with CHD do not undergo surgery, and thus, they remain susceptible to chronic hypoxia, suggesting that some protective mechanism might exist in CHD patients. However, the mechanism underlying myocardial adaptation to chronic hypoxia remains unclear. Proteomics was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins in cardiomyocytes cultured under hypoxia for different durations. Western blotting assays were used to verify protein expression. A Real-Time Cell Analyzer (RTCA) was used to analyze cell growth. In this study, 3881 proteins were identified by proteomics. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis revealed that proteins were enriched in regulating oxidoreductase activity. Functional similarity cluster analyses showed that chronic hypoxia resulted in proteins enrichment in the mitochondrial metabolic pathway. Further KEGG analyses found that the proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism, the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation were markedly upregulated. Moreover, knockdown of CPT1A or ECI1, which is critical for fatty acid degradation, suppressed the growth of cardiomyocytes under chronic hypoxia. The results of our study revealed that chronic hypoxia activates fatty acid metabolism to maintain the growth of cardiomyocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The stability of stiffened plates has always been an important research issue in bridge engineering. The application of stiffened curved plates (SCPs) in the field of bridge engineering is gradually increasing, but the corresponding research needs to be more comprehensive. Guidelines have yet to be established in bridge design codes for the stability design of SCPs. To study the failure mode and ultimate resistance of SCPs with trapezoidal longitudinal stiffeners under uniaxial compression, six test specimens with a scale ratio of 1:2 were designed in this work, and static loading tests were conducted on three kinds of SCPs with different curvatures. The influence of curvature on the ultimate resistance and failure mode of SCPs was analyzed, and a calculation method for the ultimate resistance of SCPs was discussed. Results showed that the SCPs with trapezoidal longitudinal stiffeners have sufficient overall and local stability. The failure of the SCPs occurred locally in the subpanels between stiffeners, and the ultimate resistance of specimens with different bending radii was insignificantly different. The ultimate compressive resistance calculated following the effective section of the main plate was close to the test results. When the subpanels are locally buckled, the stiffened flat plate calculation method can be used to analyze the ultimate resistance of SCPs, and the calculated results deviate conservatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalysts containing isolated single atoms have attracted much interest due to their good catalytic behavior, bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Here, we report an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst that consists of atomically dispersed single copper sites confined by defective mixed-phased TiO2−x. This synergistic catalyst was produced by introducing Cu2+ to a metal organic framework (MOF) using the Mannich reaction, occurring between the carbonyl group in Cu(acac)2 and the amino group on the skeleton of the MOF. The embedding of single copper atoms was confirmed by atomic-resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Electronic structure modulation of the single copper sites coupling with oxygen vacancies was further established by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Significantly enhanced ORR activity and stability were achieved on this special Cu single site. The promising application of this novel electrocatalyst was demonstrated in a prototype Zn–air battery. This strategy of the stabilization of single-atom active sites by optimization of the atomic and electronic structure on a mixed matrix support sheds light on the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric materials can realize direct conversion between heat and electricity, showing excellent potential for waste heat recovery. Cu2Se is a typical superionic conductor thermoelectric material having extraordinary ZT values, but its superionic feature causes poor service stability and low mobility. Here, we reported a fast preparation method of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis to realize in situ compositing of BiCuSeO and Cu2Se to optimize the service stability. Additionally, using the interface design by introducing graphene in these composites, the carrier mobility could be obviously enhanced, and the strong phonon scatterings could lead to lower lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, the Cu2Se-BiCuSeO-graphene composites presented excellent thermoelectric properties with a ZTmax value of ~2.82 at 1000 K and a ZTave value of ~1.73 from 473 K to 1000 K. This work provides a facile and effective strategy to largely improve the performance of Cu2Se-based thermoelectric materials, which could be further adopted in other thermoelectric systems. Here, the authors devise a synthesis strategy to optimize the stability and thermoelectric performance of Cu2Se-based materials. They obtain a maximum ZT value of ~2.82 at 1000 K on Cu2Se-BiCuSeO-graphene composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a natural experiment of a new metro line in Hong Kong to examine trade-offs between transit-related and non-transit-related physical activity (PA) among 104 older people (aged ≥ 65 years) based on longitudinal accelerometer data that distinguished transit-related and non-transit-related PA. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis compared PA changes between treatment and control groups. We found that new metro stations have trade-off effects between transit and non-transit PA. After opening metro stations, transit-related PA increased by 12 min per day on average, but non-transit-related PA decreased by 18 min per day. In addition, the proportion of time spent in transit-related PA increased by 6%. The results suggested that new metro stations could generate transit-related PA, but it might shift from non-transit-related PA among older people. Our findings revealed trade-off effects of public transit interventions and have significant implications for transport and healthy ageing studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pregabalin supplementation may have some potential in improving pain relief in patients with septorhinoplasty, and this meta-analysis aims to explore the impact of pregabalin supplementation on pain control for septorhinoplasty. Methods: PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched, and we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of pregabalin supplementation on pain control for septorhinoplasty. Results: Six RCTs were finally included in the meta-analysis. Overall, when compared with control intervention for septorhinoplasty, pregabalin intervention showed significantly reduced pain scores at 1 h (SMD − 1.05; 95% CI − 1.85 to − 0.24; P = 0.01), 2 h (SMD − 1.01; 95% CI − 1.83 to − 0.20; P = 0.02), 6 h (SMD − 1.00; 95% CI − 1.47 to − 0.54; P < 0.0001) and 12 h (SMD − 0.69; 95% CI − 1.35 to − 0.02; P = 0.04), as well as rescue analgesics (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.44; P = 0.0002), but had no notable influence on nausea and vomiting (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.30 to 1.46; P = 0.31), or drowsiness (OR 1.22; 95% CI 0.64 to 2.35; P = 0.54). Conclusions: Pregabalin supplementation benefits to pain control after septorhinoplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of different theory for glass tempering process, the "structural theory" with stress relaxation and structural relaxation effects was selected to investigate the tempering of flat glass quantificationally. The geometrical model with small size and non-homogeneous mesh were considered to build the finite element models according to the characteristics of stress field. The tempering process of flat glass with 12 mm thickness was calculated with the verified finite element model. The transient and permanent stress of the central area, edge and corner end of the flat glass are obtained and analyzed. From the calculation results of basic case, the transient tensile stress at the upper surface of the central area, the center point of edge, the edge of edge, the edge of corner were 14.30,18.94, 40.76 and 34.75 MPa, respectively. The transient tensile stress at these points were dangerous to promote the glass to break during the tempering. In addition, the point at the diagonal line of symmetry plane in the thickness direction, which is 14 mm from corner, has the maximum permanent tensile stress about 70.01 MPa in the flat glass after tempering. Thus, it is indicated that the corner is the weakest region in the tempered glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector and coal scientists have been enthusiastic about characterizing and understanding the vertical and lateral depositional systems of thick coal seam. However, there are no detailed studies that provide well-connected insight into the regional depositional characteristics of the thick coal seam in the Lower Indus Basin, SE Pakistan. Therefore, field emission scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy backscattered electron, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray powder diffraction spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and coal facies were adopted to study major and subclassified maceral petrography and coal sequence stratigraphic characteristics; coal depositional models were then established. Preferential depositional systems were identified by low-stand system tracts, high-stand system tracts and transgressive system tracts and are likely to include shallow marine sequences that were propagated by slow to rapid regression. The high contents of telohuminite and detrohuminite indicate highly gelified and non-gelified tissue derived from angiosperms and herbaceous plants, which were the most prevalent. The qualitative analysis of the function group suggests peaks, hence stretching the region band adsorption intensity of the particle. Major identified features of Raman spectra with hidden peak intensities tend to include the oscillation of energy particles due to the carbon crystallinity and high reflectance of mineral surfaces. The extensive lateral depositional analytical models revealed that the thick coal seam was deposited in the upper delta during waterlogged/wet and dry cyclic conditions, which were the most prevalent in the mires. This continuation of wet–dry cyclic conditions moves quickly to humification and gelification. Environmental changes led to the accumulation and transformation of organic matter, which resulted in the formation of thick peat deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the effect of the initial interference and medium pressure, the stress and strain gradient of the radial metal seal lip in the interval control valve change greatly,which is easy to cause plastic deformation.In order to study the contact mechanics behavior of the lip of radial metal seal, the circular arc structure of the radial metal seal lip was proposed. Based on contact mechanics,the circular plane contact model of the axial symmetrical structure for the radial metal seal lip was established.The theoretical relationship of the contact mechanics parameters for the radial metal seal lip structure was obtained,and the verification was carried out based on finite element method.The theoretical solution of the contact mechanics parameters for the radial metal seal lip is in accordance with the numerical solution. The average relative errors of contact width, maximum contact stress, initial interference and average contact stress are 8. 86%,6. 96%,8. 88% and 4. 33% respectively, which meets the engineering design requirements. The research result shows that the maximum contact stress of the radial metal seal lip is directly proportional to the initial interference, the radial thickness and axial thickness of the radial metal seal lip,and inversely proportional to the arc radius of the radial metal seal lip. Therefor, the maximum contact stress of the radial metal seal lip can be increased by increasing the initial interference, the radial thickness and the axial thickness of the radial metal seal lip.This research result provides the theoretical guidance for the design of the radial metal seal in the interval control valve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of diet supplementation with stevia residue extract (SRE) on growth performance, intestinal health, and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets. A total of 144 weaned piglets (body weight 6.8 ± 0.5 kg) were randomly selected and allocated into four treatment groups with six replicates of six pigs/pen. The treatments consisted of a basal diet without SRE or basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg SRE. The results showed that the addition of 200 mg/kg SRE to the diet significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the diarrhea rate of piglets compared with the control group. The supplementation of 400 mg/kg SRE in the diet significantly reduced the piglets' serum MDA content and significantly increased (p < 0.05) the T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-PX activity in the serum. The dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg SRE significantly increased (p < 0.05) the CAT and GSH-PX activity in the liver. Moreover, the supplementation of 400 mg/kg SRE in the diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae (genus) and Roseburia (genus) beneficial bacteria compared to the control group. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that Prevotella (genus) abundance was positively correlated with liver GSH-PX activity and acetic acid content of colon contents. In conclusion, the supplementation of 400 mg/kg SRE to the diet can improve piglet health by regulating antioxidant reduction homeostasis, which may also be associated with an increase in the relative numbers of potentially beneficial bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the analysis and evaluation of line space shape and track geometry of large span suspension-cable cooperation system bridge, the track geometry on bridge is analyzed by means of numerical analysis, virtual midpoint chord measurement and evaluation of train dynamics with reference to a large span bridge. The research conclusions are as follows: (1) The beam surface deformation under the design condition is fitted and line parameters are analyzed, which meet the relevant requirements, and the vertical displacement of the bridge caused by temperature change is prominent. Under the overall cooling condition, the elevation of the mid-span rail surface increases, and the curvature of the vertical curve of the mid-span longitudinal section increases; (2) The measured amplitude of the orbital chord is small, the maximum measured amplitude of the high and low chord is 21. 93mm, and the corresponding vertical acceleration is 0. 199g, which still leaves a certain margin of safety; (3) The evaluation of train behavior dynamics shows that the unbalanced centrifugal acceleration meets the comfort control standard and relevant specifications, and the maximum value of centrifugal acceleration is mainly concentrated near the side span piers. Meanwhile, the maximum value of centrifugal acceleration also exists near the bridge tower, which requires the attention of the operation and maintenance departments; (4) It is necessary to strengthen the research on the influence of track irregularity on train operation, and put forward the control index of static track smoothness suitable for high-speed railway long-span bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, aiming at the application of geological disaster monitoring of transmission lines, by analyzing the data quality and positioning accuracy of Beidou original observation data, the influence of the electromagnetic environment of transmission lines on Beidou satellite monitoring data is obtained. According to the Beidou monitoring data of 500 kV transmission line for 23 days, the analysis results show that: in the case of strong electromagnetic interference/no electromagnetic interference, the difference of data integrity is less than 1%, the difference of multipath effect is less than 0.1 m, the difference of signal-to-noise ratio is less than 0.3 dB Hz, and the difference of cycle hop ratio is less than 150. The relative difference in positioning accuracy is less than 5%. In general, the electromagnetic environment of transmission lines has no significant impact on the data quality and positioning accuracy of Beidou deformation monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis is the main contributor to heart diseases. Human leukocyte antigen F-associated transcript 10 (FAT10), the small ubiquitin-like protein family subtype involved in apoptosis, is expressed in the heart and exhibits cardioprotective functions. This study explored the impact of FAT10 on hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the involved mechanisms. The cardiomyocyte cell line H9C2 was cultivated in hypoxia-inducing conditions (94% N2, 5% CO2, and 1% O2) and the expression of FAT10 in hypoxia-stimulated H9C2 cells was identified. For this, FAT10 overexpression/interference vectors were exposed to transfection into H9C2 cells with/without the PI3K/AKT inhibitor, miltefosine. The results indicated that hypoxia exposure decreased the FAT10 expression, suppressed H9C2 cell growth, disrupted mitochondrial metabolism, and promoted H9C2 cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. However, these impacts were reversed by the FAT10 overexpression. In addition, the inhibition of PI3K/AKT in FAT10-overexpressing cells suppressed cell proliferation, impaired mitochondrial metabolism, and promoted apoptosis and oxidative stress response. The findings demonstrated that FAT10 inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis and energy metabolism in hypoxia-stimulated H9C2 cells through the PI3K/AKT pathway. This finding can be utilized for developing therapeutic targets for treating heart disorders associated with hypoxia-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The M‐to‐N2 π‐backdonation weakens the triple bond of N2 and shall promote the sluggish electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR). By using weak σ‐ and π‐donating graphdiyne (GDY) as a supporting material, herein, a versatile approach is described to stabilize low‐valence metal single atoms (SA) on GDY (M SA/GDY; M = Cr, Mo, W, Mn, and Re). Under the rigorous ENRR protocol, an activity trend of Re SA/GDY > Mo SA/GDY > Cr SA/GDY > W SA/GDY >> Mn SA/GDY (no activity) is delivered. Theoretical calculations reveal that the strong M‐to‐N2 π‐backdonation of Re SA/GDY renders a low energy requirement of +0.39 eV for the reductive hydrogenation of *N2 to *NNH, which is considered as the bottleneck of ENRR. A novel NH3 desorption mechanism through N2 or H2O aided ligand exchange mechanism is proposed to facilitate the NH3 desorption from Re SA/GDY with a low energy input of +0.83 eV for the distal and mix pathways. This study expands the scope of low‐valance SA with boosted π‐backdonation capacity and offers new mechanistic insights for ENRR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst for the acidic corrosive operating conditions is a challenging task. Herein, we report the synthesis of uniform RuO2 clusters with ∼ 2 nm in size via electrochemical leaching of Sr from SrRuO3 ceramic in acid. The RuO2 clusters exhibit ultrahigh OER activity with overpotential of ∼ 160 mV at 10 mA·cmgeo−2 in 1.0 M HClO4 solution for 30-h testing. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurement reveals enlarged Jahn-Teller distortion of RuO octahedra in the RuO2 clusters compared to its bulk counterpart. Density function theory calculations show that the enhanced Jahn-Teller distortion can improve the intrinsic OER activity of RuO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides its well‐known benefits on human health, calcitriol, the hormonally active form of vitamin D3, has been being evaluated in clinical trials as an anticancer agent. However, currently available results are contradictory and not fundamentally deciphered. To the best of our knowledge, hypercalcemia caused by high‐dose calcitriol administration and its low bioavailability limit its anticancer investigations and translations. Here, we show that the one‐step self‐assembly of calcitriol and amphiphilic cholesterol‐based conjugates leads to the formation of a stable minimalist micellar nanosystem. When administered to mice, this nanosystem demonstrates high calcitriol doses in breast tumor cells, significant tumor growth inhibition and antimetastasis capability, as well as good biocompatibility. We further reveal that the underlying molecular antimetastatic mechanisms involve downregulation of proteins facilitating metastasis and upregulation of paxillin, the key protein of focal adhesion, in primary tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopically identifying the site information of doping atoms in a matrix promotes the understanding of transport regulation in thermoelectric bulks, but it is challenging to quantify because of the low doping amount. In this work, we present a systematic site characterization of Mn atoms in a Mn-doped SnTe alloy by utilizing the method of "atom location by channeling enhanced microanalysis." Together with theoretical calculation, we demonstrated that the Mn atoms were doped by replacing the Sn atoms. Our experiment shows the validity of this method for the location determination of foreign impurities in thermoelectric systems made from heavier atoms. It is believed that this technique can be used as a general tool to explore the constitutional information of various thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction volume of beam-resist is a basis unit of beam-lithography, directly determines the critical parameters of beam-lithography. We have visualized the interaction volume at the state-of-the-art sub-10 nm scale by a spot irradiation of sub-nanometer helium ion beam into an approximately free-standing resist. The visualized interaction volume suggests helium ion beam has an excellent capability in nanofabrication. Specifically, helium ion beam-lithography is 1000 times more efficient than electron beam-lithography (EBL), owns a sub-4 nm resolution, can achieve a large pattern aspect ratio (greater than 8), and does not suffer from backscattering effect at a normal exposure dose. Furthermore, the interaction volume has been theoretically studied by considering the spatial distribution of energy deposited in the resist, and eventually lead to a model for pattern prediction and proximity effect corrections. We expect that, our approach to visualize the interaction volume may be applied to study other high resolution lithographic techniques such as x-ray lithography and EBL, and it may open new possibilities in other applications, like beam-imaging, beam-milling, and beam-modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using synthetic zeolite from fly ash to treat high concentration phosphorus wastewater does not only improve the utilization of fly ash as solid waste but also reduce the environmental pressure caused by eutrophication. A synthetic zeolite was prepared from coal fly ash by one-step hydrothermal synthesis and applied for phosphorus adsorption from industrial wastewater (∼8,000 mg-P/L), and its adsorption characteristics and performance were studied. The results indicated that the product was a well-crystallized Na-P1 zeolite with typical morphology of plate- and rod-shaped crystals. Compared with the original fly ash, the specific surface area and average pore volume of the synthetic zeolite were nine and six times larger than the fly ash, reaching 43.817 m2/g and 0.122 cm3/g. The results from phosphorus adsorption onto the synthetic zeolite showed that the synthetic zeolite had good phosphorus adsorption properties. The adsorption process highly conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with the regression coefficient R2 of 0.998. Phosphorus adsorption on the synthetic zeolite was fitted to the Langmuir monolayer adsorption model, and the regression coefficient R2 was 0.989. The maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity was 84.4 mg-P/g-zeolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although phosphate rock has been considered as a potential new rare earth elements (REEs) resource, the recovery of REEs from phosphate rock is impeded by technical challenges and cost issues. This study investigated the effects of operation conditions on the leaching efficiencies of REEs and phosphorus from Zhijin phosphate ore, a large phosphate deposit in China. The leaching process overtime was also studied by chemical analysis, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the REEs from Zhijin phosphate ore were mainly present in fluorapatite and dolomite, and REEs had similar trends of leaching efficiency to those of phosphorus and magnesium. Under the conditions of 25 wt% phosphoric acid concentration in the initial pulp, a weight ratio of liquid to solid of 12 mL/g, a temperature of 60°C, an agitation speed of 220 rpm, and leaching time of 120 min, REEs and phosphorus leaching efficiencies of 97.8% and 99.7% were obtained. Most parts of dissoluble substances were decomposed within 30 min. Chemical analysis, SEM-EDS, and XRD results indicated that leaching efficiencies of minerals in Zhijin phosphate ore increased following the order: quartz, aluminosilicate, pyrite, fluorapatite, dolomite, and calcite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of industrial waste fly ash as an alternative fluxing agent for silica in carbothermal reduction of medium-low-grade phosphate ore was studied in this paper. With a series of single-factor experiments, the reduction rate of phosphate rock under different reaction temperature, reaction time, particle size, carbon excess coefficient, and silicon–calcium molar ratio was investigated with silica and fly ash as fluxing agents. Higher reduction rates were obtained with fly ash fluxing instead of silica. The optimal conditions were derived as: reaction temperature 1,300°C, reaction time 75 min, particle size 48–75 µm, carbon excess coefficient 1.2, and silicon–calcium molar ratio 1.2. The optimized process condition was verified with other two different phosphate rocks and it was proved universally. The apparent kinetics analyses demonstrated that the activation energy of fly ash fluxing is reduced by 31.57 kJ/mol as compared with that of silica. The mechanism of better fluxing effect by fly ash may be ascribed to the fact that the products formed within fly ash increase the amount of liquid phase in the reaction system and promote reduction reaction. Preliminary feasibility about the recycling of industrial waste fly ash in thermal phosphoric acid industry was elucidated in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a facile seed‐assisted strategy for preparing Cu nanoparticles (NPs) with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) capping is presented. Compared to the Cu NPs with deficient PVP protection, the Cu NPs capped with a sufficient amount of PVP remain almost completely as Cu0 species. In contrast, the Cu NPs that are considered PVP deficient form an oxide structure in which the inner layer is face‐centered cubic Cu and the outer layer is, at least in part, made up of Cu2O species. Furthermore, to eliminate CO2 molecule diffusion and simultaneously obtain significant current density (200 mA cm−2) for industrial applications, a flow cell configuration is used for carbon dioxide electro reduction reaction (CO2RR) testing in 0.5 m potassium hydroxide solution. The Cu NPs with zero valence deliver Faradaic efficiencies (FEs) for the CO2 reduction to CH4 of over 70%, with a current density exceeding 200 mA cm−2, outstripping the performances of the majority of the reported CO2 electrocatalysts. Interestingly, the distribution of products catalyzed by the Cu NPs with +1 valence includes multicarbon products (C2+) such as C2H4, C2H5OH, CH3COOH, and C3H7OH with combined FEs of >80%, with current densities of up to 300 mA cm−2. The above results unambiguously establish that surface oxidation of Cu species plays a crucial role in the CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a specific and simple method based on the dual priming oligonucleotide (DPO) system was developed to simultaneously detect transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine rotavirus A (PRV-A), porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV), and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), associated with the major enteric RNA viruses in pigs. The DPO system-based multiplex RT-PCR method simplified the primer design and did not require optimization of the annealing temperature. Specificity analysis revealed that the method could specifically detect TGEV, PEDV, PRV-A, PDCoV, and SADS-CoV without any cross-amplification of other circulating swine viruses. The limit of detection of the method was as low as 103–104 copies/μL plasmid of each virus. The method also had good repeatability, and obvious results were seen in three repeat experiments with an interval of 45 days. This optimized multiplex RT-PCR method was used to evaluate 181 clinical swine samples that were collected from four provinces of China between September 2016 and August 2018. The results showed that the positive detection rates of PEDV, PDCoV, SADS-CoV, PRV-A, and TGEV were 30.94% (56/181), 17.67% (32/181), 11.6% (21/181), 9.39% (17/181), and 0.55% (1/181), respectively. Mixed infection of two or more viruses was also common. The DPO system-based multiplex RT-PCR could be a useful tool for detecting enteric virus infections. This method has the advantages of easy operation, low cost, high detection efficiency, and short running time for early diagnosis in clinical cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential reversibility of aberrant DNA methylation indicates an opportunity for oncotherapy. This study aimed to integrate methylation-driven genes and pretreatment prognostic factors and then construct a new individual prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.Methods: The gene methylation, gene expression dataset and clinical information of HCC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Methylation-driven genes were screened with a Pearson's correlation coefficient less than - 0.3 and a P value less than 0.05. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to construct a risk score model and identify independent prognostic factors from the clinical parameters of HCC patients. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) technique was used to construct a nomogram that might act to predict an individual's OS, and then C-index, ROC curve and calibration plot were used to test the practicability. The correlation between clinical parameters and core methylation-driven genes of HCC patients was explored with Student's t-test.Results: In this study, 44 methylation-driven genes were discovered, and three prognostic signatures (LCAT, RPS6KA6, and C5orf58) were screened to construct a prognostic risk model of HCC patients. Five clinical factors, including T stage, risk score, cancer status, surgical method and new tumor events, were identified from 13 clinical parameters as pretreatment-independent prognostic factors. To avoid overfitting, LASSO analysis was used to construct a nomogram that could be used to calculate the OS in HCC patients. The C-index was superior to that from previous studies (0.75 vs 0.717, 0.676). Furthermore, LCAT was found to be correlated with T stage and new tumor events, and RPS6KA6 was found to be correlated with T stage.Conclusion: We identified novel therapeutic targets and constructed an individual prognostic model that can be used to guide personalized treatment in HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many treatments for breast cancer are available, poor tumour targeting limits the effectiveness of most approaches. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results with monotherapies. The lack of accurate diagnostic and monitoring methods also limit the benefits of cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to design a nanocarrier comprising porous gold nanoshells (PGNSs) co-decorated with methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) and trastuzumab (Herceptin®, HER), a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to human epidermal receptor-2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Furthermore, a derivative of the microtubule-targeting drug maytansine (DM1) was incorporated in the PGNSs. Methods: Prepared PGNSs were coated with mPEG, DM1 and HER via electrostatic interactions and Au–S bonds to yield DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs. SK-BR-3 (high HER2 expression) and MCF-7 (low HER2) breast cancer cells were treated with DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs, and cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of cell viability and apoptosis. The selective uptake of the coated PGNSs by cancer cells and subsequent intracellular accumulation were studied in vitro and in vivo using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and fluorescence imaging. The multimodal imaging feasibility and synergistic chemo-photothermal therapeutic efficacy of the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were investigated in breast cancer tumour-bearing mice. The molecular mechanisms associated with the anti-tumour therapeutic use of the nanoparticles were also elucidated. Result: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs had a size of 78.6 nm and displayed excellent colloidal stability, photothermal conversion ability and redox-sensitive drug release. These DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were taken up selectively by cancer cells in vitro and accumulated at tumour sites in vivo. Moreover, the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enhanced the performance of multimodal computed tomography (CT), photoacoustic (PA) and photothermal (PT) imaging and enabled chemo-thermal combination therapy. The therapeutic mechanism involved the induction of tumour cell apoptosis via the activation of tubulin, caspase-3 and the heat shock protein 70 pathway. M2 macrophage suppression and anti-metastatic functions were also observed. Conclusion: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enabled nanodart-like tumour targeting, visibility by CT, PA and PT imaging in vivo and powerful tumour inhibition mediated by chemo-thermal combination therapy in vivo. In summary, these unique gold nanocarriers appear to have good potential as theranostic nanoagents that can serve both as a probe for enhanced multimodal imaging and as a novel targeted anti-tumour drug delivery system to achieve precision nanomedicine for cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many treatments for breast cancer are available, poor tumour targeting limits the effectiveness of most approaches. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results with monotherapies. The lack of accurate diagnostic and monitoring methods also limit the benefits of cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to design a nanocarrier comprising porous gold nanoshells (PGNSs) co-decorated with methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) and trastuzumab (Herceptin®, HER), a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to human epidermal receptor-2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Furthermore, a derivative of the microtubule-targeting drug maytansine (DM1) was incorporated in the PGNSs. Methods: Prepared PGNSs were coated with mPEG, DM1 and HER via electrostatic interactions and Au–S bonds to yield DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs. SK-BR-3 (high HER2 expression) and MCF-7 (low HER2) breast cancer cells were treated with DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs, and cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of cell viability and apoptosis. The selective uptake of the coated PGNSs by cancer cells and subsequent intracellular accumulation were studied in vitro and in vivo using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and fluorescence imaging. The multimodal imaging feasibility and synergistic chemo-photothermal therapeutic efficacy of the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were investigated in breast cancer tumour-bearing mice. The molecular mechanisms associated with the anti-tumour therapeutic use of the nanoparticles were also elucidated. Result: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs had a size of 78.6 nm and displayed excellent colloidal stability, photothermal conversion ability and redox-sensitive drug release. These DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were taken up selectively by cancer cells in vitro and accumulated at tumour sites in vivo. Moreover, the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enhanced the performance of multimodal computed tomography (CT), photoacoustic (PA) and photothermal (PT) imaging and enabled chemo-thermal combination therapy. The therapeutic mechanism involved the induction of tumour cell apoptosis via the activation of tubulin, caspase-3 and the heat shock protein 70 pathway. M2 macrophage suppression and anti-metastatic functions were also observed. Conclusion: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enabled nanodart-like tumour targeting, visibility by CT, PA and PT imaging in vivo and powerful tumour inhibition mediated by chemo-thermal combination therapy in vivo. In summary, these unique gold nanocarriers appear to have good potential as theranostic nanoagents that can serve both as a probe for enhanced multimodal imaging and as a novel targeted anti-tumour drug delivery system to achieve precision nanomedicine for cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many treatments for breast cancer are available, poor tumour targeting limits the effectiveness of most approaches. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results with monotherapies. The lack of accurate diagnostic and monitoring methods also limit the benefits of cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to design a nanocarrier comprising porous gold nanoshells (PGNSs) co-decorated with methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) and trastuzumab (Herceptin®, HER), a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to human epidermal receptor-2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Furthermore, a derivative of the microtubule-targeting drug maytansine (DM1) was incorporated in the PGNSs. Methods: Prepared PGNSs were coated with mPEG, DM1 and HER via electrostatic interactions and Au–S bonds to yield DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs. SK-BR-3 (high HER2 expression) and MCF-7 (low HER2) breast cancer cells were treated with DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs, and cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of cell viability and apoptosis. The selective uptake of the coated PGNSs by cancer cells and subsequent intracellular accumulation were studied in vitro and in vivo using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and fluorescence imaging. The multimodal imaging feasibility and synergistic chemo-photothermal therapeutic efficacy of the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were investigated in breast cancer tumour-bearing mice. The molecular mechanisms associated with the anti-tumour therapeutic use of the nanoparticles were also elucidated. Result: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs had a size of 78.6 nm and displayed excellent colloidal stability, photothermal conversion ability and redox-sensitive drug release. These DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs were taken up selectively by cancer cells in vitro and accumulated at tumour sites in vivo. Moreover, the DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enhanced the performance of multimodal computed tomography (CT), photoacoustic (PA) and photothermal (PT) imaging and enabled chemo-thermal combination therapy. The therapeutic mechanism involved the induction of tumour cell apoptosis via the activation of tubulin, caspase-3 and the heat shock protein 70 pathway. M2 macrophage suppression and anti-metastatic functions were also observed. Conclusion: The prepared DM1-mPEG/HER-PGNSs enabled nanodart-like tumour targeting, visibility by CT, PA and PT imaging in vivo and powerful tumour inhibition mediated by chemo-thermal combination therapy in vivo. In summary, these unique gold nanocarriers appear to have good potential as theranostic nanoagents that can serve both as a probe for enhanced multimodal imaging and as a novel targeted anti-tumour drug delivery system to achieve precision nanomedicine for cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic study in process mineralogy of REE containing phosphorite in the Zhijin region were shown by chemical analysis, XRD analysis, ICP-OES analysis, MLA analysis and polarizing microscope and others. The experimental result indicated that the rock ore belongs to typical low grade carbonate phosphate ore. Meanwhile, abundant REE elements included that mainly yttrium, lanthanum and neodymium, found in fluorapatite. On the contrary, there were only a few REE elements occurred in gangue minerals like dolomite, calcite and quartz. Finally, the linear variation of REE elements with mineral composition under different fineness revealed the positive correlation relationship between REE elements and fluorapatite. Therefore, if carry out physical ore dressing test, the REE and fluorapatite will enrich together, and select REE can only choose fluorapatite because they interact with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing number of rural–urban migrants in China has made it important to understand the factors contributing to this migration. By using data from a nationally representative survey and multilevel logistic regression, this study examines the extent to which the health of rural–urban migrants influences their settlement intention in the cities chosen as their destinations. It goes beyond past studies by disentangling the complexity of settlement intention into short- and long-term decisions, and by examining the moderating role of social support provided by the host society. The results of regression analysis revealed that physical and mental health play a crucial role in shaping the settlement intention of migrants, but their effects are not always identical in cases of short- and long-term intentions. Migrants consider their mental rather than physical health when reporting short-term settlement intention, and assign greater importance to physical health than mental health when indicating long-term settlement intention. Furthermore, the relationship between migrants' health and their settlement intention is moderated by social support from local residents and the local neighbourhood. These results highlight the importance of reducing health inequality across social groups to allow for inclusive urbanization in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation reports the synthesis and evaluation of a novel and improved diatomite modified with Fe–Mn binary oxide (DT-FeMn) Fenton catalysis for photochemical reactions in aqueous media. The catalyst was prepared by a co-precipitation process and found to be highly efficient for the photocatalytic degradation Rhodamine B (RhB). In comparison with the iron trioxide coating on diatomite (DT-Fe), the nanoparticles on the surface of the DT-FeMn contained multiple active sites. Experimental results indicated that there was a synergy between the Fe and Mn in the Fe–Mn binary oxide, which was the most important factor for the improved catalytic oxidation performance. The stability and reusability of the composite coating of the catalyst were also investigated by comparing the photocatalytic performance and the loss of Fe3+ ions. It was found that the synergy between the components of the Fe–Mn binary oxide coating enhanced the stability of Fe3+ ions, which prevented the loss of the Fe3+ ions. A maximum of 99.1% RhB was degraded after 80 min. This work might provide a novel Fenton material for pollutants removal in the presence of H2O2 to alleviate environmental pollution. Highlights: We synthesized circular pores of honeycomb structure hybrid material, Fe2O3 and MnO2 nanoparticles coated diatomite, which can effectively regulate the morphology of materials, and used to a heterogeneous catalyst for photo-Fenton degradation of organic contaminants. The synergy between Fe2O3 and MnO2 enhanced the catalytic property (for 99.14% decoloration of organic dye) of diatomite-Fe2O3/MnO2 under visible light irradiation. The novel diatomite-Fe2O3/MnO2 showed a new inroad to improve the photocatalytic performance of silicon-based Fenton materials, which was agreed with the journal requirements. Diatomite was used to a novel silicon-based Fenton materials. The synergy between Fe2O3 and MnO2 enhanced the catalytic property, and improved the stability and reusability of the composite coating of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor-mediated active targeting and tumor microenvironment responsive systems from polymeric micelles have been studied for rapid cellular internalization and triggered drug release. Previously we have constructed redox-responsive polymeric micelles composed of vitamin E succinate conjugated hyaluronic acid (HA-ss-TOS), which are able to actively target CD44 proteins and quickly release loaded drugs upon exposure to high levels of glutathione (GSH) in tumor cells. In the present study, we found that despite different cellular internalization mechanisms, micelles showed strong antineoplastic effects on 4T1 and B16F10 cells due to redox responsiveness. HA-ss-TOS-PTX micelles exhibited an excellent tumor targeting ability and prolonged retention time compared to Taxol in vivo. In addition, a superior antitumor effect was achieved compared to PTX-loaded insensitive micelles (HA-TOS-PTX) and Taxol. Our results revealed that PTX-loaded HA-ss-TOS micelles could enhance the antineoplastic efficacy of PTX for breast cancer and melanoma treatment and, thus, deserve further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for an eco-friendly and efficient route to treat the organic pollutants in wastewater. Therefore, we report a facile synthesis of carbon nanotube–magnesium oxide composite (CNTs/MgO) which can efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB). Fabricated CNTs/MgO was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET, XPS, and Raman. The results showed that the carbon nanotubes uniformly entangled on the MgO whiskers and linked to the MgO by Mg–C and C–O bonds. The effects of temperature, pH value, CNTs/MgO dosage, PMS dosage and the ratio of MgO/CNTs on degradation of RhB were conducted to determine the activation performance of CNTs/MgO. The catalytic degradation process was carried out in a wide pH range of 3–9, and 100% of RhB was degraded in 20 min under optimized conditions. Moreover, the efficient degradation performance was attributed to singlet oxygen generated in the PMS&CNTs/MgO system. The excellent activation properties of CNTs/MgO was derived from the enhanced electron transport performance and chemical bonding between MgO and CNTs. In addition, this work provides an innovative design for the development of novel PMS catalysts without transition metal components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied nano-patterning of a two-dimensional (2D) material with an ultrafine helium ion beam considering shape-, size- and damage-control. The study reveals that the crystalline structure plays an important role in shape-control. Instead of commonly circular-shaped nanopores, spot irradiation onto a single layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) gives rise to a rhombus-shaped nanopore, which is well explained by the sub-rhombus crystalline structure of MoS2. Helium ion beams also show promising capability to precisely control size using a delivered dose. However, the size of the nanopores is not linear with the delivered dose, due to the Gaussian distributed intensity profile of the helium ion beam. The intensity profiles are further estimated by considering aperture size, those results could be taken as a significant reference for size-control. In addition, we clarify that most of the damage is a result of re-deposition, thus controlling re-deposition might be a useful way to alleviate the damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of LIM domain-containing protein 1 (LIMD1) on the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin and explore the mechanism. Methods: A549 and H1299 cells were transfected with lentivirus to establish LIMD1-overexpressing cell lines and their respective controls. The protein expression of DNA damage-inducible 45 alpha (GADD45α) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was detected by Western blot. The survival of A549-vec, A549-LIMD1, H1299-vec, and H1299-LIMD1 cells after cisplatin treatment was observed by CCK-8, and the viability was calculated accordingly. Then, SB203580 was used to inhibit the activity of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, after which the survival of A549-vec, A549-LIMD1, H1299-vec, and H1299-LIMD1 cells in response to cisplatin was observed again by CCK-8, and the viability was calculated accordingly. Results: When LIMD1 was overexpressed in A549 and H1299 cells, the levels of GADD45α and p-p38 MAPK were increased, but total p38 MAPK expression showed no significant change. After adding 30 μM cisplatin, the optical density (OD) values of A549-LIMD1 and H1299-LIMD1 cells were significantly lower than those of their respective controls at 24, 48, and 72 h. The viability of A549-LIMD1 and H1299-LIMD1 cells was significantly lower than that of their respective controls at all the times tested (p < 0.05). The Western blot results showed that the expression of apoptotic proteins cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP in cisplatin-treated A549-LIDM1 and H1299-LIMD1 cells was significantly higher than that in their respective control cells. Flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rates of A549-LIMD1 and H1299-LIMD1 cells were significantly higher than those of their respective controls (p < 0.05). SB203580 significantly inhibited the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in lung adenocarcinoma cells; however, neither the OD values nor the viability of A549-LIMD1 cells and H1299-LIMD1 cells showed no significant difference from those of their controls at 24, 48, and 72 h after cisplatin and SB203580 treatment (p > 0.05 for both). Western blot analysis showed that after SB203580 was added, the expression of cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP in A549-LIMD1 and H1299-LIMD1 cells presented no significant difference compared with that in their respective controls. Conclusion: LIMD1 increases the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin by activating the GADD45α/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research studies on the reliability of oil derrick structures have focused on static reliability analysis. Strength degradation with time of oil derrick structures and mechanism failure should also be considered in reliability analysis. In order to address this issue, we propose a new time-dependent reliability analysis method for oil derrick structures in mechanism failure mode and apply it to a tower derrick structure. We used the Monte Carlo finite element method to compute the static failure probability of each derrick component, and steps were employed to determine the main failure mechanisms. The time-dependent failure probabilities of each derrick component in the main failure mechanisms were calculated by the total probability theorem. The time-dependent reliability of a derrick structure system was obtained by considering the system as a series of parallel subsystems. A tower derrick example was used to demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed method. The results revealed that the proposed method is accurate and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent wells equipped with the interval control valve (ICV), which have the potential applications to significantly improve oil production or control the water production of wells and fields, are more and more widely utilized in the oilfields. The radial metal seal of an ICV is intended to isolate the flow of produced fluids between the casing annulus and the well tubing. The contact mechanical behaviors of the radial metal seal are essential to the structural design and reliability of ICVs in the intelligent well. In this paper, the two‐dimensional axisymmetric assembly of the radial metal seal and the closure member is abstracted as a combination of interference fit model and cantilever beam model. Based on that, the related theoretical model, between the radial metal seal's contact stress and its independent variables, has been derived. Next, numerically simulations of contact stress between the radial metal seal and the closure member for different independent variables are conducted by the finite element method (FEM) to validate the theoretical model. It is found that the mean absolute value of relative error between the numerical and theoretical results of the contact stress is approximately 10%. Additionally, the structural parameters of the radial metal seal are proposed with the absolute value of relative error <10%. Furthermore, the value of the contact stress based on the cantilever beam model can be used to calculate an approximation theoretical solution. In summary, the proposed theoretical model provides a foundation for the design, improvement, and selection of radial metal seal under the known oilfield conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In order to have both the surface corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy and the high specific strength characteristics of titanium alloy, titanium alloy TC4, and aluminum alloy 6061 can be used to make aluminum-titanium-aluminum (Al-Ti-Al) three-layer laminated plate by hot rolling. In this paper, the classical laminated plate theory was used to calculate the stiffness, specific stiffness, strength, and specific strength of the laminated plate. The results showed that when the coating rate of titanium alloy TC4 was 0.5, bending specific stiffness and bending specific strength were the minimum, but all other parameters increased with the increase of the coating rate of titanium alloy TC4. Therefore, in actual production, the coating rate of titanium alloy should be avoided being 0.5. Then, the rolling experiments of the Al-Ti-Al laminated plate were carried out with different temperatures, reduction rates, and thickness ratios. Finally, the tensile test and energy spectrum analysis of the laminated plate were carried out. The results showed that, with the increase of rolling temperature, the tensile strength, the extensibility, and the thickness of the diffusion layer increased; if the coating rate of titanium alloy TC4 was between 0.2 and 0.33, the mechanical properties, the bonding strength, and the thickness of the diffusion layer increased with the increase of the coating rate of titanium alloy TC4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly active single-atom catalysts is one of the most significant issues for future renewable energy technologies. Here we present a facile but effective and efficient strategy for synthesizing colloidal Co single-atom catalysts with excellent catalytic activity using a copolymer, poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (ISOBAM-104), as a stabilizing agent. The catalytic activity of the as-prepared colloidal single-atom catalyst for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of KBH4 in an alkaline solution was as high at about 14 300 mL-H2 min−1 g-Co−1, which was even higher than that of its Pt, Pd or Rh counterpart. Such a high catalytic activity of the colloidal catalyst was attributable to the in situ formed and well-stabilized Co single-atoms whose existence was confirmed by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, quantum chemical calculations reveal that ISOBAM-104 has a higher binding energy with the Co catalyst than with the well-known conventional protective agents, including poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone), starch, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate and polyethylene glycol. In addition, the use of as-prepared Co catalysts resulted in a much lowered barrier for the dissociation reaction of BH4− than in the cases of using Pt, Pd and Rh counterpart catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placenta-specific protein 8 (PLAC8) is a conserved protein with a molecular weight of 12.5 kDa. The specific function of this protein has not been fully elucidated, however, PLAC8 has been found to play an important tumor regulatory role in certain types of cancer, including colon, pancreatic and liver cancer. PLAC8 also participates in the regulation of the cell cycle, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and other cellular functions, indicating its potential as a molecular target worth further investigation. The present study investigated the effect of PLAC8 on the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells and their sensitivity to gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). It was found that the inhibition of PLAC8 expression in PC-9 cells resulted in significantly decreased proliferation, whereas overexpression of PLAC8 significantly increased the proliferation (P<0.05) of PC-9 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of PLAC8 expression resulted in decreased activity of the ERK signaling pathway, while PLAC8 overexpression increased activity of this pathway. Inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway with U0126 reversed the effects induced by inhibiting or overexpressing PLAC8 on cell proliferation. In addition, overexpression of PLAC8 significantly decreased the sensitivity of PC-9 cells to gefitinib, and this effect was reversed by U0126. Overall, these results suggest that PLAC8 is involved in the regulation of proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells and impacts their sensitivity to an EGFR-TKI. Thus, PLAC8 is a potential novel target in lung adenocarcinoma for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]