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[Display omitted] Solar-light driven oxidation of benzylic alcohols over photocatalysts endows significant prospects in value-added organics evolution owing to its facile, inexpensive and sustainable process. However, the unsatisfactory performance of actual photocatalysts due to the inefficient charge separation, low photoredox potential and sluggish surface reaction impedes the practical application of this process. Herein, we developed an innovative Z-Scheme Cs 3 BiBr 9 nanoparticles@porous C 3 N 4 tubes (CBB-NP@P-tube-CN) heterojunction photocatalyst for highly selective benzyl alcohol oxidation. Such composite combining increased photo-oxidation potential, Z-Scheme charge migration route as well as the structural advantages of porous tubular C 3 N 4 ensures the accelerated mass and ions diffusion kinetics, the fast photoinduced carriers dissociation and sufficient photoredox potentials. The CBB-NP@P-tube-CN photocatalyst demonstrates an exceptional performance for selective photo-oxidation of benzylic alcohol into benzaldehyde with 19, 14 and 3 times higher benzylic alcohols conversion rate than those of C 3 N 4 nanotubes, Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 and Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 @bulk C 3 N 4 photocatalysts, respectively. This work offers a sustainable photocatalytic system based on lead-free halide perovskite toward large scale solar-light driven value-added chemicals production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Amino groups showed significant different effects on different reaction pathways. • The dibenzothiophene conversion decreased slightly with the content of amino groups. • A correlation was observed between CO-IR results and the catalyst performance. • The amino groups may affect the adsorption of reacting molecules on Pd particles. • The hydrodesulfurization reactions followed a Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) was studied over a series of Pd catalysts supported on Zr-based metal-organic frameworks, UiO-66 and its amino-functionalized analogues (UiO-66-xNH 2 , where x represents the molar ratio of 2-amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid/1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid) to gain an insight into metal-support interactions. Pd/UiO-66 behaved better than a Pd/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst and a Pd/MCM-41 catalyst. The presence of amino groups showed minor negative influence on the conversion of DBT but significantly affected the activities and selectivities of different reaction pathways. With the increase in the content of amino groups, the direct desulfurization (DDS) pathway activity of the Pd/UiO-66-xNH 2 catalysts increased, while their hydrogenation pathway activity decreased. This provides an approach for the regulation of the pathway selectivities of Pd HDS catalysts. Based on kinetic analysis and characterization results, we propose that the amino groups affect the HDS performance of Pd/UiO-66 mainly by affecting the adsorption of reacting molecules on metal particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the following nonlinear critical elliptic equation − Δ u + V (| y ′ | , y ″) u = u N + 2 N − 2 , u > 0 , u ∈ H 1 (R N) , where (y ′ , y ″) ∈ R 3 × R N − 3 , V (| y ′ | , y ″) is a bounded non-negative function in R + × R N − 3. Assuming that r 2 V (r , y ″) has a stable critical point (r 0 , y 0 ″) with r 0 > 0 and V (r 0 , y 0 ″) > 0 , by using a modified finite-dimensional reduction method and various local Pohozaev identities, we prove that the problem above has multi-piece of bubble solutions, whose energy can be made arbitrarily large. Since there involves a new variable h ¯ in the concentrated points { x j ± } j = 1 m during the reduction process, we have to obtain a more precise estimate for the error term. And the bubble solutions are centered at points lying on the top and the bottom circles of a cylinder. Particularly, in one of these cases, the bubble solutions can concentrate at a pair of symmetric points relative to the origin. Our results present a new clustering type of blow-up phenomenon and we think the reason why this phenomenon can occur is mainly because that the function r 2 V (r , y ″) has non-isolated critical points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the following prescribed scalar curvature problem − Δ u = Q (| y ′ | , y ″) u N + 2 N − 2 , u > 0 , y = (y ′ , y ″) ∈ R 2 × R N − 2 , where Q (y) is nonnegative and bounded. By combining a finite reduction argument and local Pohozaev type of identities, we prove that if N ≥ 5 and Q (r , y ″) has a stable critical point (r 0 , y 0 ″) with r 0 > 0 and Q (r 0 , y 0 ″) > 0 , then the above problem has infinitely many solutions, whose energy can be made arbitrarily large. Here, instead of estimating directly the derivatives of the reduced functional, we apply some local Pohozaev identities to locate the concentration points of the bump solutions. Moreover, the concentration points of the bump solutions include a saddle point of Q (y). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, China's environmental regulation efforts have mainly focused on severely polluted "key regions." The central government has designated the "three rivers and three lakes basins" (3Rs3Ls) as key regions for water pollution control and has imposed a variety of regulations to improve water quality in those basins. This paper evaluates the effects of the water quality regulations on firms' emissions of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and productivity in the 3Rs3Ls basins. We find that although the water quality regulations forced many small, heavily-polluting firms to shut down, they had no statistically significant effects on surviving firms' productivity because they were ineffective in reducing their COD emissions. A policy that forces the surviving firms to reduce their emissions would reduce their output values and productivity, at least in the short run. However, the effect is likely to be small. Specifically, a 10% reduction in total COD emissions from the industrial sectors would require only a 0.1% reduction in output values under the current production technologies. These findings are robust to alternative specifications and sampling strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the following nonlinear elliptic equation − Δ u + V ( | y ′ | , y ″ ) u = u N + 2 N − 2 , u > 0 , u ∈ H 1 ( R N ) , where ( y ′ , y ″ ) ∈ R 2 × R N − 2 , V ( | y ′ | , y ″ ) is a bounded non-negative function in R + × R N − 2 . By combining a finite reduction argument and local Pohozaev type of identities, we prove that if N ≥ 5 and r 2 V ( r , y ″ ) has a stable critical point ( r 0 , y 0 ″ ) with r 0 > 0 and V ( r 0 , y 0 ″ ) > 0 , then the above problem has infinitely many solutions. This paper overcomes the difficulty appearing in using the standard reduction method to locate the concentrating points of the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD) epidemic is difficult due to the frequent emergence of non-EV71 and non-CVA16 enteroviruses and some cases testing negative for HFMD-associated causative agents. To clarify the virus spectrum of mild and severe HFMD, a comprehensive virome analysis of 238 samples was performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The data revealed total thirteen mammalian- and plant- virus families and diverse viral populations including enteroviruses, common respiratory viruses, diarrhea-related viruses, plant viruses and anelloviruses. A total of 18 viruses from 7 virus families were identified in severe cases, versus 37 viruses from 12 virus families in mild cases. Moreover, complicated mixed-infections of enteroviruses with common respiratory viruses were mainly found in severe cases( P  = 0.013), while diarrhea-related viruses were mainly found in mild cases( P  < 0.001). This study provides the preliminary understanding of viromes both in mild and severe cases, which may benefit the detection of etiologic agents and prevention of HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) is the most popular technology for EGFR gene mutation analysis in China. Cutoff Ct or ΔCt values were used to differentiate low mutation abundance cases from no mutation cases. In this study, all of 359 NSCLC samples were tested by ARMS. Seventeen samples with larger Ct or ΔCt than cutoff values were retested by PCR-sequencing. TKI treatment responses were monitored on the cases with ARMS negative and PCR-sequencing positive results. One exon 18 G719X case, 67 exon 19 deletion cases, 2 exon 20 insertion cases, 1 exon 20 T790M case, 60 exon 21 L858R cases, 5 exon 21 L861Q cases and 201 wild type cases were identified by ARMS. Another 22 cases were evaluated as wild type but had later amplification fluorescent curves. Seventeen out of these 22 cases were retested by PCR-sequencing. It turns out that 3 out of 3 cases with exon 19 deletion later amplifications, 2 out of 2 cases with L858R later amplifications and 4 out of 12 cases with T790M later amplifications were identified as mutation positive. Two cases with exon 19 deletion and L858R respectively were treated by TKI and got responses. Our study indicated that PCR-sequencing might be a complementary way to confirm ARMS results with later amplifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Acid-base bifunctional mesoporous catalysts Al-KIT-6-NH2 containing different aluminum content have been synthesized through post synthetic grafting method. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrographs (SEM), transmission electron micrographs (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), IR spectra of pyridine adsorption, NH3-TPD and TG analysis. The characterization results indicated that the pore structure of KIT-6 was well kept after the addition of aluminum and grafting of aminopropyl groups. The acid amount of Al-KIT-6 increased with enhancing aluminum content. Catalytic results showed that weak acid and weak base favor the Knoevenagel reaction, while catalysts with strong acid and weak base exhibited worse catalytic behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is a common colloidal dispersion that can aggregate in the aqueous phase to form nanoparticles with hydrophobic polyurethane chains as the core and hydrophilic ionic groups as the shell. Considering their structure and pH-responsive functional groups, WPU nanoparticles could be ideal particulate emulsifiers for preparing pH-responsive Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). A series of anionic WPU with different content of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (DMPA) side chains were synthesized via a polyaddition reaction. The DMPA content, size, ζ-potential, and interfacial behaviors of WPU were then investigated. Furthermore, the effects of particle concentration, internal phase fraction (ϕ), oil type, and pH values on the Pickering HIPEs' morphology, stability, and rheological behaviors were systematically studied. Finally, we demonstrated the emulsification–demulsification process of WPU-stabilized Pickering HIPEs and discussed its mechanism. Oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering HIPEs with tailored morphology and excellent pH-responsiveness were prepared from anionic WPU nanoparticles. The WPU concentration, ϕ, and oil type had a large impact on the formation and mean droplet size of the WPU-stabilized emulsions. Rheology analysis demonstrated that the strictly limited movement of droplets endowed the WPU-stabilized HIPEs with high stability, shear sensitivity, and excellent thixotropic recovery. By simply changing the aqueous-phase pH value, the WPU-stabilized HIPEs could undergo more than ten emulsification-demulsification cycles, as the physical and interfacial properties of WPU nanoparticles were pH-dependent. The excellent performance of the WPU-stabilized pH-responsive Pickering HIPEs exhibited their potential practical applications, such as for oil transportation and recovery, emulsion polymerization, and heterogeneous catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe air quality hurts human capital and threatens innovative outcomes. Using unique data containing 12.8 million patent applications in China, this paper examines the causal effect of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM 2.5) on patent innovation. We estimate a two-stage least square model with thermal inversion as an instrumental variable. Our findings show that a one μg/m3 increase in the annual average PM 2.5 concentration leads to a 1.3% decrease in the number of patents. Annual fluctuations in PM 2.5 concentration levels across cities caused the total number of patents to decrease by 1.1% during the 2006–2010 period. From 2011 to 2015, the improvement in air quality increased the number by about 2.0%. It demonstrates another innovation co-benefit of improving air quality due to the tightened regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mixtures of Ni(NO 3) 2 and H 3 PO 3 on SiO 2 and B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 were used as precursors. • Reduction of the precursors yielded ultrasmall Ni 2 P particles (ca. 3 ∼ 5 nm). • Ni 2 P was formed on SiO 2 and B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 at P/Ni ratios of 0.8 and 0.7, respectively. • Ultrasmall Ni 2 P particles on SiO 2 were as active as large Ni 2 P particles. • The strong Ni 2 P-support interaction inhibited the activity of Ni 2 P/B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3. Ultrasmall Ni 2 P nanoparticles with dimensions around 3 ∼ 5 nm supported on SiO 2 (Ni-P/SiO 2) and an Al 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 mixed oxide (Ni-P/AB) were prepared by a temperature-programmed reduction method using mixtures of Ni(NO 3) 2 and H 3 PO 3 as precursors. The minimum P/Ni ratios of the precursors needed for the formation of phase-pure Ni 2 P on SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 were as low as 0.8 and 0.7, respectively. The introduction of B 2 O 3 to γ-Al 2 O 3 inhibited the formation of AlPO 4 during the reduction process. For such small particles, the effect of Ni 2 P-support interaction became significant, resulting in different properties of the Ni-P/SiO 2 and Ni-P/AB catalysts as well as different performances in the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene. The ultrasmall Ni 2 P nanoparticles in the Ni-P/SiO 2 catalysts that possess weak Ni 2 P-support interaction were as active as large Ni 2 P particles on SiO 2 and a macro-mesoporous Al 2 O 3. These catalysts were one order of magnitude more active than the Ni-P/AB catalysts with strong Ni 2 P-support interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to better understand the persistent environmental problems in urbanizing economies. We examine the effectiveness of environmental policy in an economy with agglomeration economies and endogenous firm relocation and entry/exit. We show that, although environmental regulation is effective in the short run, in the presence of agglomeration economies, spatial relocation of firms in response to environmental regulation can undermine the effectiveness of regulations, rendering them less effective or even ineffective. In fact, we show that regulation might even be counter-productive, i.e., exacerbate environmental problems, at certain stages of development. We present initial empirical evidence in the context of water pollution in China that demonstrates the importance of agglomeration economies in determining the impacts of environmental regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of domestic environmental regulations on import activity. Using a panel of firm-product-level data and variations in regulatory stringency across products established by China's Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Environmental Protection (covering 2006–2010), it reveals that tougher regulations on emission-intensive industries at home led to increases in downstream manufacturers' imports of emission-intensive intermediate inputs. Specifically, a 1% increase in sulfur dioxide emission intensity resulted in a 0.026% increase in intermediate imports after the implementation of the regulation. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that, although the regulation increased emissions in source countries, it reduced global emissions of sulfur oxides and carbon dioxide. This is because the increases in imports caused by the regulation mainly came from countries with lower emission intensity than China. The regulation did not disproportionately increase imports from or emissions in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, microbial contamination issues have globally brought out a huge health threat to human beings and animals. To be specific, microorganisms including bacteria and viruses display durable ecological toxicity and various diseases to aquatic organisms. In the past decade, the photocatalytic microorganism inactivation technique has attracted more and more concern owing to its green, low-cost, and sustainable process. A variety kinds of photocatalysts have been employed for killing microorganisms in the natural environment. However, two predominant shortcomings including low activity of photocatalysts and diverse impacts of water characteristics are still displayed in the current photocatalytic disinfection system. So far, various strategies to improve the inherent activity of photocatalysts. Other than the modification of photocatalysts, the optimization of environments of water bodies has been also conducted to enhance microorganisms inactivation. In this mini-review, we outlined the recent progress in photocatalytic sterilization of microorganisms. Meanwhile, the relevant methods of photocatalyst modification and the influences of water body characteristics on disinfection ability were thoroughly elaborated. More importantly, the relationships between strategies for constructing advanced photocatalytic microorganism inactivation systems and improved performance were correlated. Finally, the perspectives on the prospects and challenges of photocatalytic disinfection were presented. We sincerely hope that this critical mini-review can inspire some new concepts and ideas in designing advanced photocatalytic disinfection systems. [Display omitted] • The advantages and mechanisms of photocatalytic sterilization were discussed. • Strategies for constructing advanced disinfection systems were summarized. • The influences of the water environment on disinfection were discussed. • Perspectives and challenges of practical photocatalytic disinfection were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inflammation response and oxidative stress play important roles in acute lung injury (ALI). Activation of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway may attenuate ALI by suppressing immune responses and inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is a natural flavonoid compound that reduces oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine-mediated damage. In this study, we examined whether HSYA could protect the lungs from oleic acid (OA)-induced injury, which was used to mimic ALI, and determined the role of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in this process. Arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), carbon dioxide tension, pH, and the PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio in the blood were detected using a blood gas analyzer. We measured wet/dry lung weight ratio and evaluated tissue morphology. The protein and inflammatory cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum were determined using enzyme-linked immunoassay. The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, PKA, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and the concentrations of cAMP and malondialdehyde in the lung tissue were detected using assay kits. Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 3, and p22phox levels in the lung tissue were analyzed using Western blotting. OA increased the inflammatory cytokine and ROS levels and caused lung dysfunction by decreasing cAMP synthesis, inhibiting PKA activity, stimulating caspase 3, and reducing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. H-89 increased these effects. HSYA significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, inhibited the inflammatory response via cAMP/PKA pathway activation, and attenuated OA-induced lung injury. Our results show that the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway is required for the protective effect of HSYA against ALI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The PA gene was cloned from the venom gland of Gloydius brevicaudus using RT-PCR. [•] The MW of rGBV-PA expressed in E. coli was 27.9kDa. [•] rGBV-PA can reduce the plasma ELT in rabbits and prevent thrombosis in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we study the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with electromagnetic fields where the vector is such that () is a real function on and is a positive function on , if and if . We prove that the equation has infinitely many non-radial complex-valued solutions under conditions and which are given in Section 1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we revisit the singularly perturbation problem (0.1) − (ϵ 2 a + ϵ b ∫ R 3 | ∇ u | 2) Δ u + V (x) u = | u | p − 1 u in R 3 , where a , b , ϵ > 0 , 1 < p < 5 are constants and V is a potential function. First we establish the uniqueness and nondegeneracy of positive solutions to the limiting Kirchhoff problem − (a + b ∫ R 3 | ∇ u | 2) Δ u + u = | u | p − 1 u in R 3. Then, combining this nondegeneracy result and Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction method, we derive the existence of solutions to (0.1) for ϵ > 0 sufficiently small. Finally, we establish a local uniqueness result for such derived solutions using this nondegeneracy result and a type of local Pohozaev identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microvascular lesions of the body are one of the most serious complications that can affect patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective permeable barrier around the microvessels of the brain. This study investigated BBB disruption in diabetic rhesus monkeys using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Multi-slice DCE-MRI was used to quantify BBB permeability. Five diabetic monkeys and six control monkeys underwent magnetic resonance brain imaging in 3 Tesla MRI system. Regions of the frontal cortex, the temporal cortex, the basal ganglia, the thalamus, and the hippocampus in the two groups were selected as regions of interest to calculate the value of the transport coefficient K trans using the extended Tofts model. Permeability in the diabetic monkeys was significantly increased as compared with permeability in the normal control monkeys. Histopathologically, zonula occludens protein-1 decreased, immunoglobulin G leaked out of the blood, and nuclear factor E2–related factor translocated from the cytoplasm to the nuclei. It is likely that diabetes contributed to the increased BBB permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a series of Cu-Fe-Ti and Co-Fe-Ti oxide catalysts were prepared by sol gel method. Cu-Fe-Ti and Co-Fe-Ti oxide catalysts showed the moderate catalytic activity for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH 3 at low temperature. The catalysts with the molar ratio as 4:1:10 (M:Fe:Ti) were selected as the representatives for comparison of reaction properties and H 2 O resistance, which were denoted as Cu-Fe/TiO 2 and Co-Fe/TiO 2 respectively. The characterization results manifested Co-Fe/TiO 2 owned more adsorption capacity of the reactants and Cu-Fe/TiO 2 had better redox ability. The in situ DRIFTS experiments indicated that adsorbed NH 3 species and nitrate species both exhibited reaction activity for Co-Fe/TiO 2 , while nitric oxide was only be reduced by adsorbed NH 3 species through Eley-Rideal mechanism for Cu-Fe/TiO 2 at 150 °C. Co-Fe/TiO 2 exhibited the better resistance to H 2 O and its temperature window shifted towards the higher temperature in presence of 10 vol% H 2 O, while the SCR activity of Cu-Fe/TiO 2 was inhibited significantly in the whole temperature range investigated. The suppression of adsorption and activation for NH 3 and NO x might be the reasons for the reversible inactivation, which was confirmed by the inhibitation of catalytic activities for separation NH 3 and NO oxidation under the wet condition. We speculated that different thermal stability of adsorbed species and redox capacity of catalysts leaded to the different SCR behavior in absence and presence of H 2 O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) 6 is a serine-threonine kinase belonging to the PAK family. Previous studies have indicated that abnormal expressions of PAK1, PAK2, and PAK5 played critical roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies suggested that deregulation of PAK6 expression played an important role in oncogenesis. To explore the potential roles of PAK6 in HCC, expression of PAK6 was detected in human HCC specimens. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed for PAK6 in 121 HCC samples. The data were correlated with clinicopathologic features. The univariate and multivariate survival analyses were also performed to determine their clinical prognostic significance. Results: PAK6 was overexpressed in HCC as compared with the adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. High expression of PAK6 was associated with Edmondson–Steiner grade (P = 0.006) and number of tumor nodules (P < 0.001), and PAK6 was positively correlated with proliferation marker Ki-67 (P < 0.01). Univariate analysis suggested that PAK6 expression was associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that PAK6 and Ki-67 protein expressions were independent prognostic markers for HCC (P = 0.0245 and 0.0331, respectively). Conclusions: Our results suggest that PAK6 overexpression is involved in the pathogenesis of HCC; it may be an independent poor prognostic factor for HCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) are derived from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Angiotensin II (Ang II) can cause endothelial dysfunction by promoting intracellular ROS generation. Safflor yellow B (SYB) effectively inhibits ROS generation by upregulating Bcl-2 expression. In this study, we examined the effects of SYB on Ang II-induced injury to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and elucidated the roles of NADPH oxidase and Bcl-2. We treated cultured HUVECs with Ang II, SYB, and Bcl-2 siRNA, and determined NADPH oxidase activity and ROS levels. Furthermore, cellular and mitochondrial physiological states were evaluated, and the expression levels of target proteins were analyzed. Ang II significantly enhanced intracellular ROS levels, caused mitochondrial membrane dysfunction, and decreased cell viability, leading to apoptosis. This was associated with increased expression of AT1R and p22phox, increased NADPH oxidase activity, and an increased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, leading to decreases in antioxidant enzyme activities, which were further strengthened after blocking Bcl-2. Compared to Ang II treatment alone, co-treatment with SYB significantly reversed HUVEC injury. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SYB could significantly protect endothelial cells from Ang II-induced cell damage, and that it does so by upregulating Bcl-2 expression and inhibiting ROS generation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: NiO solid/hollow spheres with diameters about 100nm have been successfully synthesized through thermal decomposition of nickel acetate in ethylene glycol at 200°C. These spheres are composed of nanosheets about 3–5nm thick. Introducing poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) surfactant to reaction system can effectively control the products’ morphology. By adjusting the quantity of PVP, we accomplish surface areas-tunable NiO assembled spheres from ∼70 to ∼200m2 g−1. Electrochemical tests show that NiO hollow spheres deliver a large discharge capacity of 823mAhg−1. Furthermore, these hollow spheres also display a slow capacity-fading rate. A series of contrastive experiments demonstrate that the surface area of NiO assembled spheres has a noticeable influence on their discharge capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective and widely used antineoplastic drug. However, its clinical application is limited due to its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Great efforts have been made to explore the pathological mechanism of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), but new drugs and strategies to alleviate cardiac damage are still needed. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on DIC in rats. The results of the present study showed that DOX treatment significantly induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiac injury, whereas NMN alleviated these changes. In addition, NMN inhibited Dox-induced activation of nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated inflammation, as evidenced by decreased caspase 1 and IL-1β activity. Moreover, NMN treatment increased glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in DOX-treated rats. Furthermore, NMN treatment mitigated DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis. In conclusion, the results indicated that NMN protects against DIC in rats by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoclinic Li 1+x V 3 O 8 cathode materials were synthesized by sol-gel method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of Li 1+x V 3 O 8 are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical tests. Moreover, the effects of content of lithium on the physical and electrochemical properties of Li 1+x V 3 O 8 cathode materials are studied. The results show that the Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 cathode material prepared by sol-gel method has good electrochemical properties, which has an initial discharge and charge specific capacities of 279.7 and 305 mAh g−1 at the current of 50 ​mA ​g−1 between 1.5 and 4.0 ​V, respectively, and a good cycle performance. In addition, the Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 cathode material also has a good rate performance. [Display omitted] • The morphology of the Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 material was flake. • The Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 cathode material had a good cycle performance. • The Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 cathode material had a good rate performance. • The specific capacities of Li 1.2 V 3 O 8 at 200 ​mA ​g−1 was 211.8 mAh g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]