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Tantalum (Ta)/Ti/TiN/Ti/diamond-like carbon (DLC) (referred to as TTTD film) and Ta/Ti/TiN/TiCuN/Ti/DLC (referred to as ultra-thick film) films were designed in this study, and the factors affecting the friction and wear properties of DLC films in sodium bicarbonate and lactic acid solutions were analyzed. Moreover, a thin film with a thickness exceeding 50 microns was prepared. Morphology and tribological and mechanical properties were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, friction and wear testing machine, and nanoindentation instrument, respectively. The results show that the presence of a TiCuN interlayer increases the defects in the DLC film and the roughness of surface, reaching a roughness of 0.19 µm. Compared with the TTTD film, the TiCuN interlayer reduces the hardness and increases the residual stress, which is 0.52 Gpa and −6.08 GPa, respectively. The TTTD film has a smooth and dense surface structure and high hardness, causing it to more easily form boundary lubrication. However, the ultra-thick film has lower hardness and rough surface, which cannot effectively form boundary lubrication. Therefore, the friction coefficient of the ultra-thick film is higher than that of the TTTD film under different working conditions. In sodium bicarbonate solution, a double-hydrolysis reaction is more likely to occur, resulting in a higher friction coefficient than in lactic acid solution. The friction coefficient of the TTTD film has a longer running-in period, which is attributed to the oxides generated by the double-hydrolysis reaction and the precipitated sodium bicarbonate crystals. Finally, it was concluded that the surface quality and the internal bond structure of DLC film have a significant impact on the friction and wear properties. This provides a theoretical basis for the design of multilayer structures.

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The effect of an innovative two-step heat-treatment process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti-TiAl laminate composite fabricated by hot-pack rolling was studied in this paper. After heat treatment, the fracture toughness of the composite was enhanced and the elongation of the composite was almost twice that of the initial one. These changes were due to the dislocations and substructures stored in the Ti-43Al-9V alloy being decreased, the microstructure of the DsTi700 alloy turning to a duplex structure, the acicular α2 phase being precipitated at the interfacial region and the residual stresses stored in interfacial region being eliminated. The precipitation of dual-scale silicides was the main reason for the slightly reduced strength. Compared with the initial composite, the tensile strength of the heat-treated composite at 25° and 700° only reduced by 2.7% and 4%, respectively. The primary annealing temperature had a huge impact on the mechanical properties of the composite. However, with the change in secondary annealing temperature, the mechanical properties of the composite were not changed significantly. After heat treatment at 940–960 °C/2 h/AC + 725–750 °C/6 h/AC, the composite might possess high, comprehensive mechanical properties.

Figures S1-S7

Statistical Data and SNPS

Supplemental Figures S1-S4 + two supp. tables

Cancer treatments often require combinations of molecularly targeted agents to be effective. mTORi (rapamycin) and HDACi (MS-275/entinostat) inhibitors have been shown to be effective in limiting tumor growth, and here we define part of the cooperative action of this drug combination. More than 60 human cancer cell lines responded synergistically (CIin vivo. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(9); 2008–21. ©2017 AACR.

supplementary statistical methods and primer sequences

Background The WRKY transcription factors play significant roles in plant growth, development, and defense responses. However, in cotton, the molecular mechanism of most WRKY proteins and their involvement in Verticillium wilt tolerance are not well understood. Results GhWRKY70 is greatly up-regulated in cotton by Verticillium dahliae. Subcellular localization suggests that GhWRKY70 is only located in the nucleus. Transcriptional activation of GhWRKY70 further demonstrates that GhWRKY70 function as a transcriptional activator. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing GhWRKY70 exhibited better growth performance and higher lignin content, antioxidant enzyme activities and jasmonic acid (JA) levels than wild-type plants after infection with V. dahliae. In addition, the transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in an enhanced expression level of AtAOS1, a gene related to JA synthesis, further leading to a higher JA accumulation compared to the wild type. However, the disease index (DI) values of the VIGS-treated cotton plants with TRV:WRKY70 were also significantly higher than those of the VIGS-treated cotton plants with TRV:00. The chlorophyll and lignin contents of TRV:WRKY70 plants were significantly lower than those of TRV:00 plants. GhAOS1 expression and JA abundance in TRV:WRKY70 plants were decreased. The GhWRKY70 protein was confirmed to bind to the W-box element in the promoter region of GhAOS by yeast one-hybrid assay and transient expression. Conclusion These results indicate that the GhWRKY70 transcription factor is a positive regulator in Verticillium wilt tolerance of cotton, and may promote the production of JA via regulation of GhAOS1 expression.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine-threonine kinase and central regulator of cell growth, differentiation, and survival. mTOR is commonly hyperactivated in a diverse number of cancers and critical roles for mTOR in regulating immune cell differentiation and function have been demonstrated. However, there is little work investigating the roles of mTOR in early B-cell development. Here we demonstrate that conditional disruption of mTOR in developing mouse B cells results in reduced pre-B-cell proliferation and survival, as well as a developmental block at the pre-B-cell stage, with a corresponding lack of peripheral B cells. Upon immunization with NP-CGG antigen, mice with Mtor conditional disruption in early B cells lost their ability to form germinal centers and produce specific antibodies. In competitive BM repopulation assays, donor BM cells from conditional knock-out mice were completely impaired in their ability to reconstitute B cells. Our data reveal the essential role of mTOR in early pre-B-cell development and survival.

Although advice is routinely offered in ordinary conversation, commentators and analysts have treated it as a special or delicate type of action, noticing a number of challenges associated with both providing and receiving it. In this article, I first describe the most basic social-sequential context for giving advice and explicate how the formulations speakers use to offer advice are adapted to the distinct epistemic configurations (and other characteristics) that characterize that context. Drawing on Jefferson and Lee’s (1992) observations regarding ‘troubles tellings’, I argue that speakers typically offer advice when a co-participant reports an insoluble trouble or problem to one who (may or claims to) possess special knowledge about the domain of trouble. I show how this epistemic configuration constitutes a ‘home environment’ for advice-giving (i.e. a place where advice may be relevantly offered) and discuss how speakers vary the design of their advice (e.g. using different grammatical forms) to adapt to the sequential environments that entail different epistemic configurations. Finally, I consider how alternative, contrasting responses to advice manage (e.g. by ratifying or challenging) the epistemic framework set in motion by advice-giving.

Background The transcription factor WRKYs play significant roles in plant growth, development, and defense responses. However, in cotton, the molecular mechanism of most WRKY proteins and their involvement in Verticillium wilt tolerance are not well understood. Results GhWRKY70 was greatly up-regulated in cotton by Verticillium dahliae. Subcellar localization suggested that the GhWRKY70 was only located in the nucleus. Transcriptional activation of GhWRKY70 was further demonstrated that the GhWRKY70 functioned as a transcriptional activator. The transgenic Arabidopsis with GhWRKY70 plants exhibited better growth performance, higher lignin content, antioxidant enzyme activities and Jasmonic acid (JA) levels compared to wild type after infection with V. dahliae. In addition, the transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced expression level of AtAOS1, related JA synthesis gene, further leading to an increase in higher JA accumulation compared to wild type. However, the proportion of disease index (DI) values of the VIGS-treated cotton plants with TRV:WRKY70 plants were also significantly higher than VIGS-treated with TRV:00. Chlorophyll, lignin content and JA level of TRV:WRKY70 plants were significantly lower than that of TRV:00 plants. The GhAOS1 expression and JA abundance in TRV:WRKY70 plants was decreased. The GhWRKY70 protein was confirmed to bind to the W-box element in the promoter region of GhAOS by yeast one-hybrid assay and transient expression. Conclusions These results indicate that the GhWRKY70 transcription factor was a positive regulator in Verticillium wilt tolerance of cotton, and may promote production of JA via regulation of GhAOS1 expression.

oriented PbTiO3 nanoplates with an average aspect ratio of approximately 5 were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The factors that could affect the growth of the PbTiO3 nanoplates, such as the concentration of the mineralizer (KOH) and ratio of Pb2+/Ti4+ in the source materials, were carefully investigated. A modified growth process of the PbTiO3 nanoplates was proposed by a time variation evaluation. Therefore, the typical growth parameters were set to 200 °C/10 h, Pb2+/Ti4+ = 1.25 (Mp25 = 5 mmol and MPb(NO3)2 = 6.25 mmol), and MKOH = 8 mol/L (in 30 ml of DI water) with P25-TiO2 and Pb(NO3)2 as the source materials. Furthermore, the d33 versus applied voltage curve showed good ferroelectric behavior with a maximum d33 value of ~ 165 pm/V, indicating promising potential as seeds for templated grain growth (TGG) of PbTiO3 nanoplates.

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) is a tobamovirus affecting solanaceous crops worldwide. The process of its emergence, however, is poorly understood. Here, Bayesian phylogenetic framework was employed to reconstruct the phylogeography of ToMV in Eurasia. The results showed that the ToMV in Europe, Middle East and East Asia has been evolving at a rate of 4.05 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year (95% credibility interval 2.43 × 10−4 – 5.62 × 10−4). Their most recent common ancestor (MRCA), most probably first appeared in Europe, was dated to around 1757 Common Era. The first introduction of ToMV into Middle East occurred in 1920s, with Europe as the source, while the first introduction of ToMV into East Asia occurred shortly afterwards, with Middle East as the source. From about 1950 onwards, inter-regional migrations of ToMV between Europe, Middle East and East Asia have been common. Overall, these data provide a glimpse into the phylogeographic history of ToMV in Eurasia.

CuO-added 0.96(Na0.5K0.5)(Nb1-x Sbx)-0.04BaTiO3 ceramics with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1 were sintered at 980°C for 6 hours and the effects of antimony on the successive phase transition and the corresponding piezoelectric properties were carefully studied. It was found that with the increasing of x values, the crystal structures varied from orthorhombic-tetragonal polymorphic phase boundary (PPB), orthorhombic-tetragonal-cubic PPB, and finally to the tetragonal-cubic PPB structure. Accordingly, the piezoelectric properties of the specimens were influenced by the varied crystal structures. In particular, the specimen with a tetragonal (88.01%)-cubic (11.99%) PPB structure (x = 0.06) showed a large d 33 of 302 pC/N and a high strain of 0.17% at 4.5kV/mm, revealing its promising potential as the Pb-free piezoelectric actuators.

The quasi-metallic fibers were selected from 1 to 40 pieces and connected in parallel in this study. The giant magneto impedance (GMI) effect of Co-based melt extract fibers in the bundle mode was investigated, and the distribution of the surface circumferential magnetic field on the fibers was also analyzed. Such distribution was induced by the driving current, which gave rise to the circular magnetization process and the GMI effect. The improved GMI effect with much higher field sensitivity was observed in these fiber bundles. Results show that the field sensitivities of the four-fiber and six-fiber bundles reach 19.5 V·m·kA−1 (at 1 MHz) and 30.8 V·m·kA−1 (at 5 MHz). The circumferential magnetic field distributed throughout the fiber’s circumferential surface is rearranged and becomes uneven due to the magnetic interaction among fibers. There are both strengthened and weakened magnetic field parts around these fibers’ surfaces. The strengthened magnetic field improves the circumferential domain magnetization of the surface, resulting in larger GMI effects. However, the weakened parts inhibit the circumferential magnetization process and, therefore, the GMI effect. This also induces greater magnetization damp because of the increased domain interactions under the strong skin effect. The co-effect between the magnetic domains and the circumferential magnetization induces the optimization of the GMI effect in the four-fiber bundles. The observed GMI effect proves that fibers in bundle form can modify the sensitivity of the GMI effect. Moreover, different fiber bundles could be tuned according to the working conditions in order to manipulate the GMI response.

Hybridization has become a powerful toolbox for developing ultrafiltration membranes with superior properties. However, it remains challenging to give full play to the utility of nanofillers because of poor bonding strength between polymers and inorganic nanomaterials. Herein, hydroxyapatite nanotubes (HANTs) were modified via bio-inspired polydopamine (PDA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) co-deposition. Meanwhile, polysulfone with carboxylation degree of 30% (PSF-COOH-30%) was synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reaction and employed as the membrane matrix. The results showed that when 0.3 wt% HANTs@PDA/PEI was incorporated, the pure water flux of the hybrid membrane achieved about 3.2 times that of the unfilled membrane and the rejection rate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA) remained 94.5% and 97.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, the flux recovery ratio for BSA and HA solutions (1 g/L) reached 90.8% and 93.7%, respectively. Specifically, the superiority of UF performance benefited from the synergistic effect of both the carboxylated polymer and the nanofiller. On one hand, the incorporation of HANTs@PDA/PEI promoted the formation of more porous membrane structure and improved the hydrophilicity of the membrane. On the other hand, due to the existence of COOH, the electrostatic repulsion between the membranes and contaminants enhanced the fouling resistance for BSA and HA. Conspicuously, the ease and versatility of co-deposition provide new ideas in the construction of nanohybrid and the favorable improvement renders that appropriate combination of polymer and additive is an effective way for developing future ultrafiltration membranes.

The composite membranes that combine pore-filling with a matrix having precisely assembled sulfonated groups are designed here for use in the applications of direct methanol fuel cells. A porous crystalline poly­(ether ether ketone)/sulfonated poly­(ether ether ketone) blended matrix with continuous pore structures is first fabricated using a phase inversion process. Solvent treatment of the porous matrix is then employed to induce the enrichment of sulfonated groups at the pore surfaces, based on the interaction between the solvent and functional groups in polymer chains. This strategy effectively shortens the proton transport path, accelerating the proton transfer rate. The pores of the matrix are then filled with Nafion ionomers, resulting in a reinforced composite membrane consisting of interconnected hydrophilic domains in a fuel-insulating rigid matrix. A single cell made using the novel composite membrane exhibits a relatively high power density of 91.7 mW/cm2 and an open circuit voltage of 0.67 V at 70 °C using 10 M methanol, significantly higher than a test device made using Nafion 117. This work supplies a simple and highly efficient strategy to address the low proton conductivity that is normally seen in composite membranes made using pore-filling technology.

In recent years, various breakthroughs have been made in tumor immunotherapy that have contributed to prolonging the survival of tumor patients. However, only a subset of patients respond to immunotherapy, which limits its use. One reason for this is that the tumor microenvironment (TME) hinders the migration and infiltration of T cells and affects their continuous functioning, resulting in an exhausted phenotype. Therefore, clarifying the mechanism by which T cells become exhausted is of significance for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy. Several recent studies have shown that mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in the immune surveillance function of T cells. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a key protein that mediates mitochondrial fission and maintains the mitochondrial dynamic network. Drp1 regulates various activities of T cells in vivo by mediating the activation of a series of pathways. In addition, abnormal mitochondrial dynamics were observed in exhausted T cells in the TME. As a potential target for immunotherapy, in this review, we describe in detail how Drp1 regulates various physiological functions of T cells and induces changes in mitochondrial dynamics in the TME, providing a theoretical basis for further research.

Chronic arsenic exposure is a risk factor for human fatty liver disease, and the ERK signaling pathway plays an important role in the regulation of liver lipid metabolism. However, whether ERK plays a role in the progression of arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder and the specific mechanism remain unclear. Here, by constructing a rat model of liver lipid metabolism disorder induced by chronic arsenic exposure, we demonstrated that ERK might regulate arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorders through the PPAR signaling pathway. Arsenic could upregulate the expression of PPAR

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic is a major environmental public health issue worldwide affecting more than 220 million of people. Previous studies have shown the correlation between arsenic poisoning and cellular senescence; however, knowledge regarding the mechanism and effective prevention measures has not been fully studied. First, the associations among the ERK/CEBPB signaling pathway, oxidative stress, and arsenic-induced skin cell senescence were confirmed using the HaCaT cell model. In the arsenic-exposed group, the relative mRNA and protein expressions of ERK/CEBPB signaling pathway indicators (ERK1, ERK2, and CEBPB), cell cycle-related genes (p21, p16INK4a), and the secretion of SASP (IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1, MMP-1, MMP-3, EGF, and VEGF) and the lipid peroxidation product (MDA) were significantly increased in cells ( P < 0.05 ), while the activity of antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT) was significantly decreased ( P < 0.05 ), and an increased number of cells accumulated in the G1 phase ( P < 0.05 ). Further Kaji-ichigoside F1 intervention experiments showed that compared to that in the arsenic-exposed group, the expression level of the activity of antioxidant enzyme was significantly increased in the Kaji-ichigoside F1 intervention group ( P < 0.05 ), but the indicators of ERK/CEBPB signaling pathway, cell cycle-related genes, and SASP were significantly decreased ( P < 0.05 ), and the cell cycle arrest relieved to a certain extent ( P < 0.05 ). Our study provides some limited evidence that the ERK/CEBPB signaling pathway is involved in low-dose arsenic-induced skin cell senescence, through regulating oxidative stress. The second major finding was that Kaji-ichigoside F1 can downregulate the ERK/CEBPB signaling pathway and regulate the balance between oxidation and antioxidation, alleviating arsenic-induced skin cell senescence. This study provides experimental evidence for further understanding of Kaji-ichigoside F1, a natural medicinal plant that may be more effective in preventing and controlling arsenic poisoning.

Chronic arsenic exposure is a risk factor for human fatty liver disease, and the ERK signaling pathway plays an important role in the regulation of liver lipid metabolism. However, whether ERK plays a role in the progression of arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder and the specific mechanism remain unclear. Here, by constructing a rat model of liver lipid metabolism disorder induced by chronic arsenic exposure, we demonstrated that ERK might regulate arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorders through the PPAR signaling pathway. Arsenic could upregulate the expression of PPARγ and CD36 in the rat liver, decrease the expression of PPARα and CPT-1 in the rat liver, increase the organ coefficient of the rat liver, decrease the content of TG in rat serum, and promote fat deposition in the rat liver. In the arsenic-induced rat model of hepatic lipid metabolism disorder, we found that the expression of p-ERK was increased. In order to further explore whether the ERK signaling pathway was involved in arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder, we exposed L-02 cells to different arsenic concentrations, and the results showed that arsenic significantly increased the expression of P-ERK in L-02 cells in a dose-dependent manner. We further treated L-02 cells with ERK inhibitors and found that the expression of TG, PPARα, and CPT-1 in L-02 cells increased, while the expression of P-ERK, PPARγ, and CD36 decreased. In conclusion, ERK may be involved in arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder by regulating the PPAR signaling pathway. These findings are expected to provide a new targeting strategy for arsenic-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder.

The giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect of Co83.2Fe5.2Si8.8B2.8 ribbons at frequencies of

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has gradually become the mainstream material for preparing orthopedic implants due to its similar elastic modulus to human bone, high strength, excellent wear resistance, radiolucency, and biocompatibility. Since the 1990s, PEEK has increasingly been used in orthopedics. Yet, the widespread application of PEEK is limited by its bio-inertness, hydrophobicity, and susceptibility to microbial infections. Further enhancing the osteogenic properties of PEEK-based implants remains a difficult task. This article reviews some modification methods of PEEK in the last five years, including surface modification of PEEK or incorporating materials into the PEEK matrix. For surface modification, PEEK can be modified by chemical treatment, physical treatment, or surface coating with bioactive substances. For PEEK composite material, adding bioactive filler into PEEK through the melting blending method or 3D printing technology can increase the biological activity of PEEK. In addition, some modification methods such as sulfonation treatment of PEEK or grafting antibacterial substances on PEEK can enhance the antibacterial performance of PEEK. These strategies aim to improve the bioactive and antibacterial properties of the modified PEEK. The researchers believe that these modifications could provide valuable guidance on the future design of PEEK orthopedic implants.

The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanism of sodium arsenite (NaAsO2)-induced apoptosis of L-02 human hepatic cells, and how Dictyophora polysaccharide (DIP) protects L-02 cells from arsenic-induced apoptosis. The results revealed that DIP pretreatment inhibited NaAsO2 induced L-02 cells apoptosis by increasing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and decreasing pro-apoptotic Bax expression. Proteomic analysis showed that arsenic treatment disrupted the expression of metabolism and apoptosis associated proteins, including ribosomal proteins (RPs). After pretreatment with DIP, the expression levels of these proteins were reversed or restored. For the first time, it was observed that the significant decrease of cytoplasmic RPs and the increase of mitochondrial RPs were related to human normal cell apoptosis induced by arsenic. This is also the first report that the protective effect of DIP on cells was related to RPs. The results highlight the relationship between RPs and apoptosis, as well as the relationship between RPs and DIP attenuating arsenic-induced apoptosis.

MOF–derived porous carbon is a type of promising catalyst to replace expensive Pt–based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalytic activity for ORR depends closely on pyrolysis conditions. In this work, a Co–doped ZIF–8 material was chosen as a research object. The effect of pyrolysis conditions (temperature, heating rate, two–step heating) on the ORR performance of ZIF–derived carbon catalysts was systematically studied. The Co–ZIF–8 catalyst carbonized at 900 °C exhibits better ORR catalytic activity than that carbonized at 800 °C and 1000 °C. Moreover, a low heating rate can enhance catalytic activity. Two–step pyrolysis is proven to be an effective way to improve the performance of catalysts. Reducing the heating rate in the low–temperature stage is more beneficial to the ORR performance, compared to the heating rate in the high–temperature stage. The results show that the Co–ZIF–8 catalyst exhibits the best performance when the precursor was heated to 350 °C at 2 °C/min, and then heated to 900 °C at 5 °C/min. The optimum Co–ZIF–8 catalyst shows a half–wave potential of 0.82 V and a current density of 5.2 mA·cm−2 in 0.1 M KOH solution. It also exhibits high content of defects and good graphitization. TEM mapping shows that Co and N atoms are highly dispersed in the polyhedral carbon skeleton. However, two–step pyrolysis has no significant effect on the stability of the catalyst.

Hydrogel electrolytes have gained significant attention in the field of flexible supercapacitors for their intrinsic safety, high flexibility, and superior ionic conductivity. However, the water-ri...

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that critically regulates cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Previously, we have implicated Mtor as a plasmacytoma-resistance locus, Pctr2, in mice. Here, we report that administration of the tumor-inducing agent pristane decreases Mtor gene expression to a greater extent in mesenteric lymph nodes of BALB/cAnPt mice than of DBA/2N mice. We identified six allelic variants in the Mtor promoter region in BALB/cAnPt and DBA/2N mice. To determine the effects of these variants on Mtor transcription, we constructed a series of luciferase reporters containing these promoter variants and transfected them into mouse plasmacytoma cells. We could attribute the differences in Mtor promoter activity between the two mouse strains to a C → T change at the −6 position relative to the transcriptional start site Tssr 40273; a T at this position in the BALB promoter creates a consensus binding site for the transcription factor MZF1 (myeloid zinc finger 1). Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNA pulldown assays with ChIP-PCR confirmed that MZF1 binds to the cis-element TGGGGA located in the −6/−1 Mtor promoter region. Of note, MZF1 significantly and differentially down-regulated Mtor promoter activity, with MZF1 overexpression reducing Mtor expression more strongly in BALB mice than in DBA mice. Moreover, MZF1 overexpression reduced Mtor expression in both fibroblasts and mouse plasmacytoma cells, and Mzf1 knockdown increased Mtor expression in BALB3T3 and NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. Our results provide evidence that MZF1 down-regulates Mtor expression in pristane-induced plasmacytomas in mice.

This study investigated the precipitation behaviors and mechanical performance of Ti-15Mo alloy subjected to different treatment conditions. The microstructures were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The tensile properties and resultant fracture surfaces were investigated to determine the relationship between the phase transformation and mechanical performance. The Ti-15Mo alloy had a notable elongation due to no observable precipitation during solution treatment plus quenching (STQ). A high ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was obtained with a considerable amount of ω precipitates transformed during air cooling after solution treatment (ST). The coarse precipitates and additional precipitation free zones in the Ti-15Mo alloy treated with furnace cooling (FC) after ST induced a decrease in UTS. Furthermore, the absence of a continuous grain boundary α phase resulted in a lower strength in the specimen annealed at 600 °C after hot rolling. The alloy iso-aged after STQ exhibited good tensile properties with a UTS of 920 MPa and an elongation of 15%. The texture and variant relationship of the precipitates was analyzed with x-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. The common variants of the β matrix influenced the nucleation of precipitates in the Ti-15Mo alloy annealed after hot rolling, and the precipitates showed an obvious {01-10}α main texture. The variant selection of α precipitates at the grain boundary was caused by the two adjacent β grains in the alloy treated by FC after ST.

Hydrogel electrolytes are attracting increasing interest and have made great progress in flexible supercapacitors (SCs). However, the unsatisfactory ionic conductivities and mechanical properties of traditional hydrogel electrolytes greatly limit their use in the flexible SCs, which is hard to run a long-term operation and repeated-deformation for energy devices. Here a hydrophobic association hydrogel electrolyte (HA-GPE) for flexible supercapacitors was successfully prepared by a facile and effective polymerization process. The stable hydrophobic association physical crosslinking design can disperse external stress effectively, provides HA-GPE robust mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 431.9 kPa, an elongation at break of 1150.2% and a compressive stress of 4.8 MPa, much better than those hydrogel electrolytes recently reported. While methodical molecular design enables abundant ion-conductive amine (–NH2) and ethylene oxide (EO) functional groups distributed in HA-GPE network, together with the interconnected porous network structures, allowing for more efficient Li+ ions transport, bring the ionic conductivity achieves as high as 31.1 mS cm−1 at room temperature, which is 3 times higher than the corresponding liquid electrolyte (10.5 mS cm−1). The flexible supercapacitor using this HA-GPE as the electrolyte and the activated carbon as the electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with the specific capacitance of 130.3 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and capacitance retention of 90.1% after 5000 cycles, superior to that of supercapacitor with liquid electrolyte and commercial separator. Additionally, the device associated with the HA-GPE possesses outstanding electrochemical stability under both bending states and durability test. All these results suggest that the HA hydrogel electrolyte is a promising candidate for portable electronics.

The evolution of microstructure and texture was investigated during deformation and recrystallization processes in pure polycrystalline niobium. Optical microstructure, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electron back-scattered diffraction analyses revealed variant behaviors during deformation and recrystallization; herein, the niobium was compressed under 0.01, 0.1, and 1 s−1 strain rates. As the compressive reduction and strain rate increased, more slips interacted in the deformation process, and the {001} 〈110〉 components became the most important textures in the compressed niobium. For the niobium specimens annealed at 1173 K (900 °C), the (111) [1-10], (111) [0-11], and (010) [1-11] orientations were the main textures. Moreover, the (111) [0-11] and (111) [1-10] orientations became weaker in the annealed niobium as the strain rate increased. The {111} components were the primary textures in the compressed niobium specimen recrystallized at 1323 K (1050 °C). The results showed that the texture intensity decreased and Schmid factors increased in the recrystallized niobium as the strain rate increased. The high Schmid factor also implied that compression under a high strain rate before recrystallization would be optimal for continuous deformation in polycrystalline niobium.

The problem remains unsolved in DMFCs applications that the increase in proton conductivity is usually caused the permeation of methanol. Herein, a novel kind of pore-filling membrane is investigated to meet this challenge. The porous substrate is fabricated from block poly (ether sulphone) with low degree of sulfonation, which form well-developed conductive channels owing to an aggregation of sulfonic acid groups, ensuring low methonal crossover and swelling ratio. The pore structures are achieved by a solution casting method which introduces alpha-cyclodextrin as the porogen. The resulting porous substrate possesses homogeneous opening pore structures. Then, the filling electrolyte, an organic-soluble tetrabutylammonium 4-vinylbenzene sulfonate, is used to fill the substrate and form a crosslinked network inside the pores to ensure high proton conductivity. The pore-filling membrane with block polymers shows higher proton conductivity (0.083 S cm−1 at 80 °C) than that prepared by random polymers (0.072 S cm−1 at 80 °C). Compared with Nafion 117, the composite membrane exhibits higher dimensional stability (6.6%) and methanol resistance (4.0 × 10−7 cm2 s−1). Furthermore, the pore-filling membrane outperforms Nafion 117 with an open circuit voltage of 0.61 V as well as a maximum power density of 46.8 mW/cm2 under 10 M methanol condition.

In this work, hydroxyapatite nanotubes (HANTs) were explored as a novel environment-friendly additive for the fabrication of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. Hydrophilic modification was conducted to the prepared HANTs, which includes the polydopamine (PDA) coating and the following grafting of taurine (TA), a kind of amino acid with -SO3H group. Subsequently, the modified HANTs (HANTs-DA-TA) were mixed with polyethersulfone (PES) to fabricate nanocomposite UF membranes. The prepared membranes were fully characterized, including the porosity, hydrophilicity, membrane morphology, and practical UF capability. The fabricated PES/HANTs-DA-TA membranes exhibited remarkably elevated water flux (up to 439 L m−2 h−1), which was ~2.6 times that of PES membrane (169 L m−2 h−1), whereas the rejection of PES/HANTs-DA-TA membranes was still kept at a high state. The improved flux mainly benefited from the more porous membrane structure, declined skin layer thickness, and the enhanced hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, the PES/HANTs-DA-TA membranes exhibited increased antifouling capability and the highest flux recovery ratio (FRR) reached 77.9% due to the improved surface hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the short rod-like nano hydroxyapatite (HA) was prepared and functionalized the same way as the HANTs-DA-TA. It was found that compared to rod-like HA, the tubular nano HA was more efficient in facilitating the membrane permeation due to the superiority of nanotubular structure. This work reveals that as a novel green additive, the HANTs have great application potential in fabricating water treatment membranes and can be employed for further studies.

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound for cerebral small vessel disease in elderly patients. Methods: Transcranial Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed on 184 elderly patients with cerebral small vessel disease. The relationship of clinical characteristics and TCD ultrasound parameters with severe white matter lesions (WMLs) in MRI were investigated by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. Results: The univariate analysis showed that age, left middle cerebral artery (MCA) mean flow velocity, right MCA mean flow velocity and mean MCA pulsatility index were significantly correlated with severe WMLs (p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only age (odds ratio: 1.21; 95%CI: 1.10–1.36; p < 0.01) and MCA pulsatility index (dominance ratio: 1.13; 95%CI: 1.06–1.80; p = 0.02) were significantly correlated with severe WMLs. The analysis of TCD ultrasound parameters showed that when the cut-off for MCA pulsatility index was 1.04, it could identify severe WMLs. The area under the curve was 0.70 (95%CI: 0.60–0.80). The sensitivity and specificity were 63.0% and 72.0%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 35.4% and 86.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The MCA pulsatility index in TCD ultrasound is significantly correlated with severe WMLs; and TCD ultrasound can guide selective MRI for the detection of WMLs. RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar o valor preditivo do ultrassom de Doppler transcraniano (TCD) para doença de pequenos vasos (SVD) em pacientes idosos. Métodos: ultrassonografia de TCD e ressonância magnética (RM) foram realizadas em 184 idosos portadores de SVD cerebral. As relações das características clínicas e os parâmetros ultrassonográficos do TCD com lesão grave de substância branca (WML) no desempenho da RM foram investigados por análise univariada e análise multivariada. Resultados: A análise univariada mostrou que, a idade, a velocidade média de fluxo (MFV) da artéria média cerebral (MCA) esquerda, a MFV da MCA direita e o índice de pulsatilidade (PI) médio estiveram significativamente relacionados à WML grave (P

Fe81−xGaxB15Nb3Cu1 (x = 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 at%) ribbons were fabricated by using melt-spun method and their crystallization kinetics, magnetic properties and microstructure were investigated. We found that the small quenched-in Fe–Ga clusters were formed in the as-spun ribbons with Ga addition. Besides, proper Ga addition could suppress the precipitation of Fe2B phase. During annealing, addition of Ga could provide Fe–Ga clusters to be nucleation sites for the α-Fe(Ga) phase, and could inhibit the initial grain growth. With the increase of annealing temperature above 475 °C, the crystallization was controlled by both Fe–Ga and Cu clusters, which effectively refined the grain size by facilitating the nucleation and increased the crystallization volume fraction. Consequently, in the ribbon with 6 at% Ga, the grains turned out to be the minimum in the mean size of 8 nm, and the optimal soft magnetic properties with coercivity at 6.8 A/m and saturation magnetization at 167 emu/g were obtained at annealing temperature of 490 °C for 3 min.

As an important joint material, tantalum (Ta) needs to be studied intensively in terms of wear and corrosion resistance. Two films of Ta/Ti/DLC (diamond-like carbon) (referred to as TD film) and Ta/Ti/TiN/Ti/DLC (referred to as TTTD film) were prepared by magnetron sputtering technology, and their electrochemical corrosion performance in lactic acid and sodium bicarbonate solutions was also investigated. The morphology observation, electrochemical corrosion experiment, and static contact angle measurement were carried out using a scanning electron microscope, electrochemical workstation, and a contact angle meter. This paper mainly discusses and analyzes the corrosion influencing factors and corrosion mechanisms of these two films under two different environments. The 20-day immersion experiments show that the TD film in both solutions results in severe surface corrosion due to its loose structure and many internal defects. In contrast, the surface of the TTTD film with a dense structure, a multilayer structure, and a thicker thickness is not corroded under the same conditions. The electrochemical corrosion experiments show that the corrosion resistance of the TD film is worse than that of the Ta substrate, while the TTTD film has the strongest corrosion resistance, improving the corrosion resistance of the Ta substrate. Although the TD film had a higher sp3 content than the TTTD film, it does not provide protection to the Ta substrate due to increased structural defects in the TD film. The results of the contact angle show that the contact angle of the TTTD film is smaller than that of the TD film in both solutions. However, the TTTD film has the lowest roughness and the densest structure, and thus the TTTD film is more resistant to corrosion. It is finally concluded that the surface morphology and internal structure of the films are the main factors affecting corrosion resistance. This provides an important reference for the application of DLC film in weak alkaline and weak acid environments.

Titanium alloys are widely used in marine engineering and other industries. To broaden their application, a novel (α + β) titanium alloy Ti−6Al−3Mo−2Zr−2Fe was studied in this work. A tube with an outer diameter of 60mm, inner diameter of 38 mm, and length of 500 mm was produced by ingot metallurgy and hot extrusion. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the tube were systematically analyzed. The as−extruded Ti−6Al−3Mo−2Zr−2Fe alloy exhibited a typical duplex microstructure. EBSD observation showed that a strong //RD fiber texture of an α phase with a close−packed hexagonal structure was formed in the radial direction. The transformation temperature Tβ was determined to be 880–890 °C. A duplex microstructure with fine α platelets was obtained when the alloy was solution−treated at 850 °C for 1 h and underwent an aging treatment at 550 °C for 6 h. The room−temperature tensile strength and elongation of the aged alloy reached 1081.5 MPa and 6.5%, respectively. The corrosion resistance was tested by open circuit potential and a potentiodynamic polarization curve. The results show that the corrosion resistance of the Ti−6Al−3Mo−2Zr−2Fe alloy was better than that of the commonly used TC4 alloy in both a 3.5% NaCl solution and an acidic solution.

It is known that chronic stress modulates multiple processes in a complex microenvironment, such as angiogenesis and immune function. However, the role of chronic stress inducing tumor angiogenesis and how it contributes to tumor progression are not quite clear. The following study assess psychological state from numerous ambulatory cancer cases (n=332), and chronic stress-related hormone levels were further measured. Here, we show that chronic stress not only causes behavioral changes in human, most importantly attributed to an elevated level of stress-related hormones. To address this, isoprenaline, the agonist of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), was utilized for simulating chronic stress and demonstrating the mechanism of stress in tumor angiogenesis at molecular level both in vivo and in vitro. As suggested by this study, isoprenaline promote VEGF autocrine of HUVECs, which can induce plexinA1 and VEGFR2 expression. Moreover, we show that isoprenaline promoted the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in vitro. The results reveal that, isoprenaline enhances the autocrine of VEGF in HUVECs and up-regulating plexinA1 and VEGFR2 levels, thus activating the phosphorylation of JAK2-STAT3 pathway, the two essential parts during angiogenesis. The present work indicates that, the mechanism of chronic stress in enhancing angiogenesis is probably achieved through activating the plexinA1/VEGFR2-JAK2-STAT3 signal transduction pathway within HUVECs, and this is probably a candidate target for developing a strategy against angiogenesis in cancer.

Novel β-solidifying TiAl alloys have great potential for engineering applications in the aerospace and automotive industries. The introduction of the β0 phase will inevitably affect crack propagation. However, the related mechanism is unclear. In this study, the crack propagation behavior of different β0-containing microstructures was systematically investigated by three-point bending tests. The results show that the coarse γ/α2 lamellar microstructure exhibits better fracture toughness than the fine-grain microstructure because large numbers of γ/α2 lamellar boundaries can effectively hinder crack propagation. The propagation direction depends largely on the orientation of the γ/α2 lamellae. When the angle between the crack propagation direction and the γ/α2 lamellar boundary is small, the crack tends to propagate along γ/α2 lamellae. When the angle is close to 90°, the crack generally propagates by the trans-lamellar mode. Moreover, the crack tends to traverse across the fine β0/γ duplex region due to the low resistance of fine grains in the crack propagation. The transgranular and intergranular modes are the main fracture mechanisms in the microstructure of the fine β0/γ grains. Some shear ligaments can also be identified in the lamellar microstructure and these can consume propagation energy. The enlarged image shows that the crack propagation direction can be changed by the β0 phase, owing to its high hardness. The crack tends to stop at the β0 phase region.

The antitumor effects of methionine enkephalin (MENK), also known as opioid growth factor (OGF), including its inhibitory effects on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), have been established. In this study, we determined the precise mechanism by which MENK suppresses CSCC cell growth. In particular, MENK induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and promoted apoptosis in CSCC cells via the Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway. Moreover, MENK reduced immunosuppression by downregulating the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulating the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages from M2 to M1 in vivo. Furthermore, JAK2/STAT3, an important tumor-promotion and immunosuppression signaling pathway that is involved in MDSC expansion in tumors and macrophage polarization, was inhibited. These findings highlight the potential of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway as a therapeutic target and suggest the clinical application of MENK for CSCC.

In November 2019, stem nematode was found on Codonopsis pilosula in Tanchang county, Gansu province, China. The population of stem nematode was identified on the basis of both molecular and morphological methods. The morphological and morphometric characteristics of this nematode population matched with Ditylenchus destructor Thorne, 1945. The sequences of rDNA-ITS and D2/D3 region of 28S-rRNA similarity with the D. destructor. The pathogenicity results revealed the symptom of dry rot on C. pilosula was caused by this nematode. To our knowledge, this is the first report that D. destructor on C. pilosula in China.

Methionine enkephalin (MENK) has an important role in both neuroendocrine and immune systems. MENK was known as an opioid growth factor (OGF) for its growth regulatory characteristics. OGF interacts with the OGF receptor (OGFr) to inhibit DNA synthesis by upregulating p16 and/or p21, which delays the cell cycle transition from G0/G1 to S phase, and inhibits cell proliferation. In addition, OGF combines with OGFr in immune cells to exert its immunomodulatory activity and regulate immune function. OGF has been studied as an immunomodulator in a variety of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and viral infections, and has been proven to relieve symptoms of certain diseases in animal and in vitro experiments. Also, OGF and OGFr have various anti-tumor molecular mechanisms. OGF can be used as the primary therapy alone or combined with other drugs to treat tumors. This article summarizes the research progress of OGF in immune-related diseases and cancer diseases.

Objective. Depression is a common mental disease with long course and high recurrence rate. Previous studies showed that Puerariae Radix and its extracts have powerful antidepressant effects in recent years. The study proposed an integrated strategy, combining network pharmacology and molecular pharmacology experiment to investigate the mechanisms of the antidepressant active ingredients from Puerariae Radix. Methods. TCMSP database, GeneCards database, Venny 2.1, UniProt database, STRING database, Cytoscape 3.7.2, and Metascape database were used to screen the active chemical components, antidepressant-related genes, and core targets, convert the abbreviated gene names in batch, search and predict the interaction between proteins, and construct the PPI network of Puerariae Radix. KEGG pathway and GO biological process enrichment and biological annotation were used to select antidepressant core gene targets. The MTT method was used to detect the effect of puerarin on the damage of PC12 cells induced by corticosterone. The DCFH-DA probe and ROS assay kit were utilized to detect the production of ROS in PC12 cells. PI/Annexin V was used to detect the apoptotic rate of puerarin on PC12 cells. Western blotting was used to verify the regulation of puerarin on the key targets of AKT1, FOS, CASP3, STAT3, and TNF-α in PC12 cells. Results and Conclusion. Eight main active components, 64 potential antidepressant gene targets, and 15 core antidepressant gene targets were obtained. 35 signaling pathways and 52 biological processes related to antidepressant effect of Puerariae Radix were identified. Puerarin was the active ingredient derived from Puerariae Radix which exhibited the antidepression effect by improving the viability of cell, reducing cell apoptosis, regulating ROS production, increasing protein expressions of AKT1 and FOS, and reducing protein expressions of CASP3, STAT3, and TNF-α. The study revealed the pharmacodynamic material basis and possible antidepressant mechanism of Puerariae Radix and provided new theoretical basis and ideas for antidepressant research.