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Schematic illustration of the developed strategy of the P 2/O3-NLiFMNb material. In this work, we adopted a simple Li&Nb co-doping modification method to modify the layered oxide cathode material for sodium-ion batteries, achieving dual modification effects of structural control and surface modification. Compared to the pristine, the modified material exhibits excellent cycling stability and rate performance. [Display omitted] Layered sodium iron manganese oxide cathodes have attracted great interest owing to their high specific capacity and cost-effective metal resources, while the detrimental phase transitions and surface structural degradation severely limit their commercial applications. In this work, the bulk and surface structure stability of a P 2-Na 0.67 Fe 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 2 cathode can be synergically enhanced by a one-step Li/Nb co-doping strategy. Structural characterizations reveal that Li doping promotes the formation of P 2/O3 biphasic structure and makes the unfavorable P 2-OP4 phase transition convert into a smooth solid-solution reaction. Nb doping enhances the mobility of sodium ions and forms strong Nb-O bonds, thereby enhancing the stability of the TMO 2 layer structure. In particular, the Nb element induces the surface reorganization of an atomic-scale NaNbO 3 coating layer, which could effectively prevent the dissolution of metals and surface side reactions. The synergistic mechanism of enhanced electrochemical performance is proved by multiple characterizations during cycling. As a result, the as-prepared Na 0.67 Li 0.1 Fe 0.5 Mn 0.38 Nb 0.02 O 2 exhibits improved capacity retention of 85.4 % than raw material (45.7 %) after 100 cycles at 0.5C (1C = 174 mA g−1) within 2.0–4.0 V. This co-regulating strategy provides a promising approach to designing highly stable sodium-ion battery cathodes. Furthermore, a full cell of Na 0.67 Li 0.1 Fe 0.5 Mn 0.38 Nb 0.02 O 2 with hard carbon displays excellent cycling stability (85.1 % capacity retention after 100 cycles), making its commercial operation possible. This synergistic strategy of biphasic structure and surface reorganization is a critical route to accelerate the application of layer oxide cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multi-object auction models with unit demand agents, two standard assumptions are the quasi-linearity of utility functions and the coincidence between price increment and valuation unit. Under these assumptions, the exact ascending auction of Demange et al. (1986) , the sealed-bid Vickrey auction, as well as the approximate ascending auction of Demange et al. (1986) identify the minimum price equilibrium (MPE) while elegantly exhibiting efficiency and incentive-compatibility. We demonstrate that these auctions fail to identify the MPEs and are substantially inefficient and manipulable if these assumptions are dropped. We also discuss the implications of our negative results for multi-object auction models with multi-unit demand and matching with contracts models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) been seriously harmed by infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) in recent years, but the early immune response mechanism of infection is still unknown. Here, we performed RNA sequencing on the spleens of mandarin fish infected with ISKNV at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post-infection (hpi) using short-read Illumina RNA sequencing and long-read Pacific Biosciences isoform sequencing to generate a full-length transcriptome. The immune responses of mandarin fish infected with ISKNV at the molecular level were characterized by RNA-seq analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A total of 26,528 full-length transcript sequences were obtained. There were 2,729 (1,680 up-regulated and 1,112 down-regulated), 1,874 (1,136 up-regulated and 738 down-regulated), 2,032 (1,158 up-regulated and 847 down-regulated), and 4,176 (2,233 up-regulated and 1,943 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in mandarin fish at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hpi, compared with uninfected fish, respectively. A total of four modules of co-expressed DEGs identified by WGCNA were significantly positively correlated to the four time points after infection, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that the immune-related DEGs in all these modules were mainly enriched in Phagosome, Endocytosis, Herpes simplex infection, and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways. Further analysis showed that oher signaling pathways, including CAMs, NOD-like receptor and ER protein processing, Intestinal immune network for IgA production, TLR pathway, and Apoptosis significantly enriched in four modules corresponding to 12, 24, 48, and 72 hpi respectively, had specifically participated in the immune response. Hub genes identified based on the high-degree nodes in the WGCN, including CAM3 , IL-8 , CCL21 , STING , SNX1 , PFR and TBK1 , and some DEGs such as MHCI , MHCII , TfR , STING , TNF α , TBK1 , IRF1 , and NF-kB , BCR , IgA and Bcl-XL had involved in dynamic molecular response of mandarin fish to ISKNV infection. In sum, this study provides a set of full-length transcriptome of the spleen tissue of mandarin fish for the first time and revealed a group of immune genes and pathways involved in different temporal responses to ISKNV infection, which has implications for resource conservation and aiding the development of strategies to prevent virus early infection for mandarin fish. • First Full-length transcriptome of mandarin fish to ISKNV infection for several time points. • The dynamic molecular responses to ISKNV infection were revealed by using WGCNA. • A series of hub genes and pathways that closely related to the host immune response were identified based on the WGCNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum Boltzmann-Bose equation describes a large system of Bose-Einstein particles in the weak-coupling regime. If the particle interaction is governed by the inverse power law, the corresponding collision kernel has angular singularity. In this paper, we give a constructive proof of the coercivity estimate for the linearized quantum Boltzmann-Bose operator to capture the effects of the singularity and the fugacity. Precisely, the estimate explicitly reveals the dependence on the fugacity parameter before the Bose-Einstein condensation. With the coercivity estimate, the global in time well-posedness of the inhomogeneous quantum Boltzmann-Bose equation in the perturbative framework and stability of the Bose-Einstein equilibrium can be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the spatially inhomogeneous quantum Boltzmann equation for bosons with a singular collision kernel, the weak-coupling limit of a large system of Bose-Einstein particles interacting through inverse power law. Global well-posedness of the corresponding Cauchy problem is proved in a periodic box near equilibrium for initial data satisfying high temperature condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) has emerged as a powerful technology for ligand discovery in biomedical research. Recently, we have developed a DNA-encoded dynamic library (DEDL) approach by incorporating the concept of dynamic combinatorial library (DCL) with DELs. DEDL has shown excellent potential in ligand discovery towards a variety of protein targets. However, the requirement of having a pair of unnatural p -stilbazoles as the interstrand DNA crosslinker has limited the chemical diversity of DEDLs. Here, we replaced p -stilbazole with psoralen (PS) and tested the feasibility of psoralen as the crosslinker in DEDL selection. Since psoralen is commercially available and does not require any special crosslinking partner, existing DELs may be directly used to create high-diversity DEDLs. This study is expected to greatly facilitate the development of DEDLs as a versatile tool in drug discovery. Image 1 • Bringing DNA encoding into traditional Dynamic Combinatorial Library (DCL). • Current DEDLs have limited library diversity due to the unnatural p -stilbazoles as the interstrand DNA crosslinker. • Psoralen may also be used as the crosslinker in DEDLs. • Use of psoralen as the crosslinker significantly simplifies the library synthesis. • Use of psoralen enables the preparation of high-diversity DEDLs by incorporating regular DELs with multiple building blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon (IFN) is a vital antiviral factor in host in the early stages after the viral invasion. Meanwhile, viruses have to survive by taking advantage of the cellular machinery and complete their replication. As a result, viruses evolved several immune escape mechanisms to inhibit host IFN expression. However, the mechanisms used to escape the host's IFN system are still unclear for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). In this study, we report that the N protein of IHNV inhibits IFN1 production in rainbow trout by degrading the MITA. Firstly, the upregulation of IFN1 promoter activity stimulated by poly I:C was suppressed by IHNV infection. Consistent with this result, the overexpression of the N protein of IHNV blocked the IFN1 transcription that was activated by poly I:C and MITA. Secondly, MITA was remarkably decreased by the overexpression of N protein at the protein level. Further analysis demonstrated that the N protein targeted MITA and promoted the ubiquitination of MITA. Taken together, these data suggested that the production of rainbow trout IFN1 could be suppressed by the N protein of IHNV via degrading MITA. • Infection of IHNV inhibited the poly I:C-induced activation of the IFN1 promoter. • The N protein of IHNV suppressed the activation of IFN1 induced by poly I:C. • Overexpression of the N protein degraded MITA at the protein level. • The N protein degraded MITA via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) senses double-stranded (ds) DNA in the cytosol to activate the innate antiviral response. In the present study, a cGAS-like gene, namely cGASL, was cloned from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus , and its role as a negative regulator of the IFN response was revealed. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that cGASL was evolutionarily closest to cGAS, but was not a true ortholog of cGAS. Overexpression of cGASL inhibited poly I:C-stimulated grass carp (gc)IFN1pro and ISRE activities. In addition, MITA-, but not TBK1-mediated activation of gcIFN1pro was impaired by cGASL. Co-immunoprecipitation and Western blot experiments indicated that cGASL interacted with MITA and TBK1, resulting in a reduction in the phosphorylation of MITA. Lastly, overexpression of cGASL reduced the transcriptional levels of several IFN-stimulated genes activated by MITA. Collectively, these data suggest that cGASL is a negative regulator of IFN response by targeting MITA in fish. • Grass carp cGASL is not a true ortholog of mammalian cGAS. • Overexpression of grass carp cGASL significantly inhibits the poly I:C and MITA-stimulated gcIFN1pro activities. • Grass carp cGASL interacts with MITA and TBK1, and decreases the phosphorylation of MITA. • Grass carp cGASL suppresses MITA-upregulated IFN-stimulated genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ozone (O 3) is a major component of air pollution, which has been associated with airway inflammation characterized by the influx of neutrophils in asthmatic subjects. Canonical transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) channel is recently identified as a target of oxidative stress which is involved in airway inflammation. However, the regulatory role of TRPC6 in airway epithelial cells and neutrophils has not yet been illuminated in detail. In this study, we investigated the role of TRPC6 in neutrophil adhesion to airway epithelial cells exposed to O 3 in vivo and in vitro approaches. Using transgenic mice, the results showed that TRPC6-deficiency attenuated O 3 -induced neutrophil recruitment to airway epithelial cells and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression. In vitro, O 3 induced ICAM-1 expression and neutrophil adhesion to 16HBE cells (human airway epithelial cell line) and which were reduced by both TRPC6 silencing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and TRPC6 inhibitor Larixyl Acetate (LA). We also confirmed that TRPC6-dependent Ca2+ entry and NF-κB activation in 16HBE cells were required for ICAM-1-mediated neutrophil adhesion exposed to O 3. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the contribution of TRPC6 to O 3 -induced neutrophil adhesion to airway epithelial cells via NF-κB activation and ICAM-1 expression, which may provide new potential concepts for preventing and treating air pollutant-related inflammatory lung diseases. Highlights • TRPC6-deficiency attenuated O 3 -induced neutrophil recruitment to airway epithelial cells and ICAM-1 expressions in vivo. • TRPC6 shRNA and TRPC6 inhibitor reduced O 3 -induced neutrophil adhesion to 16HBE cells and ICAM-1 expressions in vitro. • TRPC6-dependent Ca2+ influx regulated ICAM-1 expressions and neutrophil adhesion to airway epithelial cells exposed to O 3. • NF-κB activation was involved in TRPC6-mediated neutrophil adhesion to airway epithelial cells exposed to O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A structure representation based contrast-distorted quality metric is proposed. • The statistical structural features are extracted on the S-CIELAB color space. • Experiments have shown the superiority and applications of the proposed method. Abstract In many real-world applications, images are prone to be degraded by contrast distortions during image acquisition. Quality assessment for contrast-distorted images is vital for benchmarking and optimizing the contrast-enhancement algorithms. To this end, this paper proposes a no-reference quality metric for contrast-distorted images based on Multifaceted Statistical representation of Structure (MSS). The "Multifaceted" has two meanings, namely (1) not only the luminance information, but also the chromatic information is used for structure representation. This is inspired by the fact that the chromatic information on the one hand affects the perception of image quality as well, and on the other hand it changes along with the contrast distortions. Therefore, the chromatic information should be integrated with the luminance information for quality assessment of contrast-distorted images, a fact most existing quality metrics overlook; (2) regarding structure representation, three aspects, i.e. spatial intensity, spatial distribution, and orientation of structures are calculated, which is enlightened by the fact that the human visual system (HVS) is sensitive to the three aspects of structures. Specifically, the image is first transformed from RGB to the S-CIELAB color space to obtain a representation that is more consistent with the characteristics of the HVS, as well as to separate the chromatic information from the luminance. Then the statistical structural features are extracted from both luminance and chromatic channels. Finally, the back propagation (BP) neural network is adopted to train a quality prediction model. Experimental results conducted on four public contrast-distorted image databases demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method to the relevant state-of-the-arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We propose a no-reference quality metric for DIBR-synthesized videos. • A two-stage flickering region detection method is proposed. • The experiments have demonstrated the best performance of the proposed method. Depth-image-based-rendering (DIBR) is the most popular view synthesis method. The rendering process in DIBR introduces artifacts to synthesized views. Temporal inconsistency of these artifacts causes flickering, which is one of the dominant distortions in DIBR-synthesized videos. We propose a no-reference quality index for DIBR-synthesized videos. A two-stage flickering region detection method is first proposed by calculating the gradient distance between the matching blocks in adjacent frames followed by a refinement operation. Subsequently, the distortion intensity of flickering regions is measured in singular value decomposition domain. The average flickering intensity is computed as the quality score. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-arts on the IRCCyN/IVC database and ranks the second on the SIAT database, which is only slightly worse than the best-performing one. Furthermore, the presented method is applied to improve the performances of existing metrics and benchmark DIBR algorithms, which achieves very promising results for both tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors have taken center stage as gene delivery vehicles for gene therapy. Asparagine deamidation of AAV capsid proteins has been reported to reduce vector stability and potency of AAV gene therapy products. Deamidation of asparagine residue is a common post-translational modification of proteins that is detected and quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based peptide mapping. However, artificial deamidation can be spontaneously induced during sample preparation for peptide mapping prior to LC-MS analysis. We have developed an optimized sample preparation method to reduce and minimize deamidation artifacts induced during sample preparation for peptide mapping, which typically takes several hours to complete. To shorten turnaround time of deamidation results and to avoid artificial deamidation, we developed orthogonal RPLC-MS and RPLC-fluorescence detection methods for direct deamidation analysis at the intact AAV9 capsid protein level to routinely support downstream purification, formulation development, and stability testing. Similar trends of increasing deamidation of AAV9 capsid proteins in stability samples were observed at the intact protein level and peptide level, indicating that the developed direct deamidation analysis of intact AAV9 capsid proteins is comparable to the peptide mapping-based deamidation analysis and both methods are suitable for deamidation monitoring of AAV9 capsid proteins. • Asparagine deamidation of AAV capsid proteins reduces vector stability and potency of AAV gene therapy products. • Artificial deamidation can be induced during sample preparation for peptide mapping prior to LC-MS analysis. • Direct deamidation analysis of intact AAV9 capsid proteins can shorten turnaround time and avoid artificial deamidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is closely related to hippocampal synapse loss, which can be alleviated by running exercise. However, further studies are needed to determine whether running exercise reduces synapse loss in the hippocampus in an AD model by regulating microglia. Ten-month-old male wild-type mice and APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into control and running groups. All mice in the running groups were subjected to voluntary running exercise for four months. After the behavioral tests, immunohistochemistry, stereological methods, immunofluorescence staining, 3D reconstruction, western blotting and RNA-Seq were performed. Running exercise improved the spatial learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 mice and increased the total number of dendritic spines, the levels of the PSD-95 and Synapsin Ia/b proteins, the colocalization of PSD-95 and neuronal dendrites (MAP-2) and the number of PSD-95-contacting astrocytes (GFAP) in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, running exercise reduced the relative expression of CD68 and Iba-1, the number of Iba-1+ microglia and the colocalization of PSD-95 and Iba-1+ microglia in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice. The RNA-Seq results showed that some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the complement system (Cd59b , Serping1 , Cfh , A2m , and Trem2) were upregulated in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice, while running exercise downregulated the C3 gene. At the protein level, running exercise also reduced the expression of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), C1q and C3 in the hippocampus and AGEs and RAGE in hippocampal microglia in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, the Col6a3 , Scn5a , Cxcl5 , Tdg and Clec4n genes were upregulated in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice but downregulated after running, and these genes were associated with the C3 and RAGE genes according to protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis. These findings indicate that long-term voluntary exercise might protect hippocampal synapses and affect the function and activation of microglia, the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway in microglia and the C1q/C3 complement system in the hippocampus in APP/PS1 mice, and these effects may be related to the Col6a3 , Scn5a , Cxcl5 , Tdg and Clec4n genes. The current results provide an important basis for identifying targets for the prevention and treatment of AD. • Voluntary exercise prevented spatial learning and memory decline in APP/PS1 mice. • Voluntary exercise improved the number of dendritic spines and expression of synapse-related proteins in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice. • Voluntary exercise reduced the number of microglia, colocalization of synapses and microglia, AGE/RAGE signaling pathway in microglia and C1q/C3 complement system in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we give a complete classification of cotorsion pairs in a cluster category C of type A ∞ ∞ via certain configurations of arcs, called τ -compact Ptolemy diagrams, in an infinite strip with marked points. As applications, we classify t -structures and functorially finite rigid subcategories in C , respectively. We also deduce Liu–Paquette's classification of cluster tilting subcategories of C and Ng's classification of torsion pairs in the cluster category of type A ∞ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider how to assign heterogenous objects to agents and determine their payments. Each agent receives at most one object and has non-quasi-linear preferences over bundles, each consisting of an object and a payment. We focus on the following cases: (i) objects are linearly ranked, and if objects are equally priced, agents prefer a higher-ranked object to a lower-ranked object, or (ii) objects are partitioned into several tiers, and if objects are equally priced, agents prefer an object in the higher tier to an object in the lower tier. First, we analyze the (Walrasian) equilibrium structures in those cases. A minimum price rule assigns a minimum price equilibrium to each preference profile. Second, on the normal-rich common-object-ranking domains and normal-rich common-tiered-object domains , by assuming some conditions, we characterize minimum price rules in terms of agents' welfare, and by four properties, i.e., efficiency, strategy-proofness, individual rationality, and no subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 17 (CXCL17) is the latest member of the chemokine family. However, its function in various cancer types is unknown. The G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) was identified as the receptor of CXCL17 and named recently as CXCR8. The function of the CXCL17-CXCR8 (GPR35) biological axis in cancer has not been reported. Methods The expression of CXCL17 and CXCR8 (GPR35) in breast cancer cell lines and a tissue microarray (TMA) was detected through western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Expression data in IHC were analyzed using clinicopatholigical and survival information. Results CXCL17 and CXCR8 (GPR35) were found to be variably expressed in breast cancer cell lines. Both expressed higher in breast cancer tissue than normal adjacent tissue. Although CXCL17 can interact with CXCR8 (GPR35) in breast cancer cells in vitro , the expression correlation between these two markers in breast cancer tissue was not found to be significant. As to clinical significance, CXCR8 (GPR35) expression was found to be significantly associated with advanced histological grade and higher proliferation rate indicated by Ki-67 expression. Although CXCL17 was not found to statistically correlate with any clinicopathological characteristics, it was found to be associated with shorter overall survival and is an independent marker of poor prognosis in breast cancer. In addition, CXCL17 was found to promote proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo . Conclusions We investigated the role of the CXCL17-CXCR8 (GPR35) axis in breast cancer for the first time. CXCL17 is a potential oncogene and promising therapeutic target, is an independent biomarker of poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer, and can promote proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X be a Banach space, T be a compact Hausdorff space and C ( T ) be the real Banach space of all continuous functions on T endowed with the supremum norm. We show that if there exists a standard ε -isometric embedding f : X → C ( T ) , then there are nonempty closed subset S ⊆ T and a linearly isometric embedding g : X → span ‾ ( f ( X ) | S ) ⊂ C ( S ) defined as g ( u ) = lim n → ∞ ⁡ f ( 2 n u ) | S 2 n for each u ∈ X satisfying that ‖ f ( u ) | S − g ( u ) ‖ ≤ 4 ε for all  u ∈ X . Making use of this result and the well known simultaneous extension operator E : C ( S ) → C ( T ) , we also prove that the existence of a standard ε -isometric embedding f : X → C ( T ) implies the existence of a linearly isometric embedding E ∘ g : X → span ‾ ( E ( f ( X ) | S ) ) ⊆ C ( T ) whenever T is metrizable. These conclusions generalize several well-known results. For any compact Hausdorff space (resp. compact metric space) T , we further obtain that if g ( X ) is complemented in span ‾ ( f ( X ) | S ) (resp. E ∘ g ( X ) is complemented in span ‾ ( E ( f ( X ) | S ) ) ), then the standard ε -isometric embedding f : X → C ( T ) is stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the species diversity and phylogeography of the Northeast Asian brown frogs allied to Rana dybowskii (the R. dybowskii species complex: R. dybowskii , R. pirica , and R. uenoi ) using four mitochondrial and three nuclear loci. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the existence of three distinct species in this complex; using extensive molecular data, we confirm the validity of Rana uenoi recognized as a distinct species, and infer R. dybowskii and R. pirica to be sister species. Also, we included populations from previously unsampled regions in Northeast China, and identified them to be R. dybowskii . While many species in Northeast Asia diverged due to Pleistocene glaciation, divergence-dating analyses inferred older, Miocene speciation in the R. dybowskii species complex. Ancestral area reconstruction identified the orogenic movement of the Changbai Mountain Range and the opening of the Sea of Japan/East Sea being major events influencing allopatric speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of exercise on food reward is increasingly being discussed as an interplay between executive function (EF), homeostasis and mechanisms promoting or undermining intentional behaviour change. Integrating current knowledge of neurocognitive processes encompassing cognitive and affective networks within an energy balance framework will provide a more comprehensive account. Reward circuitry affected by recreational drugs and food overlap. Therefore the underlying processes explaining changes in drug-taking behaviour may offer new insights into how exercise affects the reward value of recreational drugs and food. EF is important for successful self-regulation, and training EF may boost inhibitory control in relation to food- and drug-related reward. Preclinical and clinical observations suggest that reward-seeking can transfer within and between categories of reward. This may have clinical implications beyond exercise improving metabolic health in people with obesity to understanding therapeutic responses to exercise in people with neurocognitive deficits in non-food reward-based decision making such as drug dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Overexploitation of nature by humans has led to an increasingly serious issue of heavy-metal water pollution. To reduce the threat of water pollution to humans and the environment, it is imperative to develop or improve the water treatment technology for heavy-metal-containing wastewater. Functionalized Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 MNPs) have been widely used as effective adsorbents for the removal of heavy-metal ions from water owing to their high efficiency, low cost, selective adsorption ability, and recyclability. In this study, Fe 3 O 4 @DA-DMSA magnetic nanoparticles (FDDMs) were prepared by the functionalization of Fe 3 O 4 MNPs with environmentally friendly dopamine (DA) and a heavy-metal detoxifying agent such as 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) for the efficient and rapid adsorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+, with maximum adsorption capacities of 187.62, 63.01, and 49.46 mg/g, respectively. FDDMs exhibited the best ability to remove Pb2+ with a maximum adsorption capacity than that of the most reported Fe 3 O 4 MNP-related adsorbents. In actual wastewater and multi-component simulated water samples contaminated with Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+, the as-prepared adsorbent maintained a good removal ability for Pb2+ with low influence by ionic strength and interfering ions, as well as exhibited an excellent selectivity. According to the results of batch experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the adsorbent before and after adsorption, the adsorption mechanism of the adsorbent for the removal of heavy-metal ions mainly involves coordination and ion exchange. In addition, the adsorbent exhibited a good regeneration performance. Therefore, FDDMs can be considered as a promising adsorbent for the treatment of heavy-metal wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As important components of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, specifier proteins mediate plant defense against herbivory and pathogen attacks. After tissue disruption, glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by myrosinases to instable aglucones, which will rearrange to form defensive isothiocyanates. Nevertheless, this reaction could be redirected to form other products by specifier proteins. Up to now, identified specifier proteins include epithiospecifier proteins (ESPs), thiocyanate forming proteins (TFPs), and nitrile-specifier proteins (NSPs). Recently, the structures of ESP and TFP have been reported. However, both the structure and the catalytic mechanism of NSPs remain enigmatic. Here, we solved the crystal structure of the NSP1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNSP1). Structural comparisons with ESP and TFP proteins revealed several structural features of AtNSP1 different from those of the two proteins. Subsequent molecular docking studies showed that the R292 residue in AtNSP1 displayed a conformation different from those of the corresponding residues in ESP and TFP proteins, which might account for the product specificity and catalytic mechanism of AtNSP1. Taken together, the present study provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the different product spectrums between NSPs and the other two types of specifier proteins, and shed light on the future studies of the detailed mechanisms of other specifier proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study endomorphism algebras of 2-term silting complexes in derived categories of hereditary finite dimensional algebras, or more generally of Ext-finite hereditary abelian categories. Module categories of such endomorphism algebras are known to occur as hearts of certain bounded t -structures in such derived categories. We show that the algebras occurring are exactly the algebras of small homological dimension, which are algebras characterized by the property that each indecomposable module either has injective dimension at most one, or it has projective dimension at most one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic (PK) and ex vivo pharmacodynamic (PD) of valnemulin against Clostridium perfringens were investigated in plasma, the small intestinal and caecal contents of rabbits following intravenous (IV) or oral administration at 3 mg/kg bodyweight (BW). The postantibiotic effect (PAE) and postantibiotic sub-MIC effect (PA-SME) of valnemulin against C. perfringens ATCC13124 were also determined. The time-kill curves were established in vitro and ex vivo to evaluate the antibacterial activity of valnemulin against C. perfringens. The elimination half-lives (T 1/2λz ) of valnemulin in the jejunal fluids (7.82 h) or caecal contents (14.8 h) of rabbits was significantly longer than that in plasma (2.94 h). The MIC values of valnemulin against C. perfringens ATCC13124 were both 0.063 μg/mL in the artificial medium and jejunal fluids. The PAEs of valnemulin against C. perfringens were 2.9 h (1 × MIC) and 5.03 h (4 × MIC), and the PA-SMEs ranged from 7.9 h to 11.1 h. Valnemulin exhibited rapid, time-dependent killing feature, and the ex vivo dose-response profile was closely fitted to sigmoid E max model (r 2 = 0.9985). The surrogate index of AUC 24 h /MIC ratios required to achieve the bactericidal and virtual bacterial elimination effects were 57.5 and 90.1 h, respectively. Accordingly, the calculated daily dosage regimens of valnemulin for the bactericidal activity (1.96 mg/kg) and bacterial elimination (3.08 mg/kg) would be therapeutically effective in rabbits against C. perfringens with MIC ≤0.5 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X , Y be two Banach spaces, and f : X → Y be a standard ε -isometry for some ε ≥ 0 . Recently, Cheng et al. showed that if co ‾ [ f ( X ) ∪ − f ( X ) ] = Y , then there exists a surjective linear operator T : Y → X with ‖ T ‖ = 1 such that the following sharp inequality holds: ‖ T f ( x ) − x ‖ ≤ 2 ε for all x ∈ X . Making use of the above result, we prove the following results: Suppose that co ‾ [ f ( X ) ∪ − f ( X ) ] = Y . Then (1) if there is a linear isometry S : X → Y such that T S = Id X , then T ⁎ S ⁎ : Y ⁎ → T ⁎ ( X ⁎ ) is a w ⁎ -to- w ⁎ continuous linear projection with ‖ T ⁎ S ⁎ ‖ = 1 , (2) if there exists a w ⁎ -to- w ⁎ continuous linear projection P : Y ⁎ → T ⁎ ( X ⁎ ) with ‖ P ‖ = 1 , then there is an unique linear isometry S ( P ) : X → Y such that T S ( P ) = Id X and P = T ⁎ S ( P ) ⁎ . Furthermore, if P 1 ≠ P 2 are two w ⁎ -to- w ⁎ continuous linear projection from Y ⁎ onto T ⁎ ( X ⁎ ) with ‖ P 1 ‖ = ‖ P 2 ‖ = 1 , then S ( P 1 ) ≠ S ( P 2 ) . We apply these results to provide an alternative proof of a recent theorem, which gives an affirmative answer of a question proposed by Vestfrid. We also unify several known theorems concerning the stability of ε -isometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential health benefits have been attributed to broccoli consumption. Hence, there is potential for use of broccoli seed extract (BSE) in food or for use as a dietary supplement. To assess the potential safety of a BSE product, three genotoxicity experiments, including an Ames, in vivo mouse micronucleus, and in vivo mouse sperm abnormality assay, were carried out. BSE was subject to an acute oral toxicity test and was evaluated in a 30-day feeding study in rats. BSE showed no mutagenic activity in the Ames assay and no evidence of genotoxic potential in the in vivo assays at doses up to 10 g/kg body weight (bw). The LD 50 of BSE in rats was >10 g/kg bw/d. In the 30-day feeding study, in which BSE was administered in the diet to provide doses of 0, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 g/kg bw/d, no toxicological significant effects were noted on body weight, body weight gain, organ weights, or on the results of hematological, clinical chemistry and histopathological evaluations. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was considered to be 3.0 g/kg bw/d, the highest dose tested. Collectively, these results support the safe use of BSE as a food ingredient or product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of iron on the progress of atherosclerosis is still controversial. To explore the relationship between atherosclerotic plaques and iron metabolism and how iron is accumulated in plaque macrophages, we performed Oil red O staining to detect the lipid of the atherosclerotic plaques, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the intracellular lipids (total cholesterol, free cholesterol) and serum hepcidin, Western-blot to examine the iron-related proteins, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence assays to localize ferroportin 1 in macrophages. The contents of serum iron and transferrin saturation were measured. The results confrimed that atherosclerotic plaques were all lipid-rich. Compared to normal vessel wall, atherosclerotic plaques had significantly higher levels of ferritin and ferroportin 1. Strikingly, we found the much lower levels of ferroxidases ceruloplasmin and hephaestin in plaque tissue than the normal vessel, while the content of serum hepcidin, iron and transferrin saturation were similar in these two groups. The novel finding suggests that the inability of ferrous iron to be oxidized into ferric iron might be a potential mechanism for iron retention in plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Images are subject to blocking artifacts when they are compressed using the JPEG standard. Knowing the extent of blocking artifacts is thus necessary for such applications as automatic quality monitoring and restoration. The current blocking artifacts measures are based on a strong prior that the block boundaries are known in advance, which often does not hold in real-world applications. Therefore, their performances degrade significantly when block boundaries are misaligned. To address the problem, this paper presents a robust no-reference blocking artifacts evaluation metric for JPEG images based on grid strength and regularity (GridSAR). The underlying idea is to extract block grids from a JPEG image and quantify the grid image to evaluate the strength of blocking artifacts. To this end, a grid map of blocking artifacts is first extracted from the image in the spatial domain. Then the blocking artifacts of the image are evaluated by quantifying the strength and regularity of the grid image. Furthermore, in order to account for the varying sensitivities of human eyes to the blocking artifacts in smooth and textured areas, a masking function is also proposed. Experimental results on seven popular image quality databases demonstrate that GridSAR achieves the state-of-the-art performance, and is robust to block misalignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Susceptibility breakpoints provide fundamental information for rational administration of antibiotics. The present investigation reports the first valnemulin susceptibility breakpoint (MIC<0.25 μg/mL) against Clostridium perfringens infections in rabbits based on the wild-type cutoff (CO WT ) and the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) cutoff (CO PD ). The established susceptibility breakpoint of valnemulin might be useful in resistance surveillance of pleuromutilins and development of clinical breakpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NiC/Mo 2 C/NF electrode heterostructure was in situ constructed. • NiC/Mo 2 C nanorods array exhibits excellent HER activity (31 mV at 10 mA cm−2, 264 mV at 500 mA cm−2). • NiC/Mo 2 C showed long term durability with negligible potential change for 200 h. • Balances the adsorption/desorption energy of the H-reaction intermediate, reduces the dissociation energy. The problem limiting the use of hydrogen evolution reactions in industry is the inability of electrocatalysts to operate stably at high current densities, so the development of stable and efficient electrocatalysts is important for hydrogen production by water splitting. By designing a rational interface engineering not only can the problem of limited number of catalytic sites in the catalyst be solved, but also can facilitate electron transfer, thus enhancing the efficiency of water splitting. Here, we designed a two-stage chemical vapour deposition method to construct NiC/Mo 2 C nanorod arrays on nickel foam to enhance the electrocatalytic ability of the catalysts, which exhibited efficient HER catalytic activity due to their special tentacle-like nanorod structure and abundant heterogeneous junction surfaces, which brought about abundant active sites as well as promoted electron transfer capability. The resulting catalysts provide current densities of 10, 100 and 500 mA cm−2 with overpotentials of 31, 153 and 264 mV, and exhibit excellent stability at current densities of 10 mA cm−2 for 200 h. This discovery provides a new idea for the rational design of catalysts with special morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapa functionalized carbon dots (Rapa-CDs) were target-oriented synthesized via free radical polymerization combination with hydrothermal carbonization technology. Rapa-CDs has a high synthetic yield of 63%. The solubility of Rapa-CDs with 9.41 g is improved 3.6×104 times higher than that of Rapa (2.6×10-4 g). Rapa-CDs show the ability to scavenge ROS, and suppress cell senescence via anti-oxidative stress and mTOR. [Display omitted] • Rapa-CDs with synthetic yield of 63% were target-oriented synthesized. • Rapa-CDs increase Rapa solubility by 3.6 × 104 times and show ROS scavenging ability. • Rapa-CDs suppress vascular cell senescence via anti-oxidative stress and mTOR. Suppression of vascular cell senescence is of great significance in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. The oxidative stress damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to cellular senescence. Rapamycin (Rapa) is well known to suppress cell senescence via mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. However, poor water solubility and lack of ROS scavenging ability limit the further development of Rapa. To improve the solubility of Rapa and endow with ROS scavenging ability, Rapa functionalized carbon dots (Rapa-CDs) are target-oriented synthesized via free radical polymerization combination with hydrothermal carbonization. Rapa-CDs improve the solubility of Rapa and show ROS scavenging abilities. The solubility of Rapa-CDs with 9.41 g is improved 3.6 × 104 times higher than that of Rapa (2.6 × 10-4 g). The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50) of Rapa-CDs toward hydroxyl radical (•OH) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•) are 0.18 and 0.17 mg/mL, respectively. Rapa-CDs show anti-oxidative stress effect in HEVECs (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells) via reducing ROS levels by 87 %. Rapa-CDs alleviate HUVECs senescence by suppressing mTOR overactivation, attenuate the expression of P53, P21 and P16. The study demonstrates the target-oriented synthesis of drugs functionalized CDs with anti-senescence via dual-pathway of anti-oxidative stress and mTOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current work, pulsed vacuum drying was employed to dry the bananas and the effect of ripeness on drying kinetics and physicochemical properties was explored and related mechanism was understood through the analysis of sugar and the microstructural changes. Results showed that, with the increase in the ripeness of banana, the drying time decreased from 6.0 to 5.0 h, the rehydration ratio increased from 1.76 ± 0.09 to 2.98 ± 0.11. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis illustrated ripening and pulsed vacuum drying hardly affects the chemical composition of starch molecules. Regardless of fresh or dried samples, the reducing sugar and total sugar content both increased with increase in ripeness. Compared to the dried ripeness III samples, total color difference of samples with ripeness I and II decreased by 25.03% and 25.49%, respectively. As ripeness increased, the total phenolics and DPPH assay of fresh samples decreased, whereas in pulsed vacuum dried samples it significantly increased. The overall findings indicate that the decrease of starch and the increase of sugar with the increase in ripeness have a significant impact on the pulsed vacuum drying kinetics, microstructure and physicochemical properties of the banana samples. • With increasing ripeness, drying decreased, RR and △ E increased. • With increasing ripeness, starch particles decreased and the micropores expanded. • The PVD process increased the TP content and antioxidant activity of bananas. • Transformation between starch and sugars during ripeness changed drying behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restenosis is inevitable when patients undergo percutaneous transluminal angioplasty due to neointimal hyperplasia (NIH). Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-Exos) have been studied in the field of cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects and mechanisms of hucMSC-Exos on NIH are unclear. We aimed to investigate whether MSC-Exos regulate vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) functions to inhibit NIH and explore the underlying mechanisms. HucMSCs and mouse VSMCs were isolated and characterized by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. HucMSC-Exos were identified by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blots. Exosomes (Exos) were intravenously injected into mice with left common carotid artery ligation, and their effects on NIH were assessed by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry staining. The effects of hucMSC-Exos on VSMCs were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch wound, Transwell and Western blot assays. MicroRNA sequencing data in the Gene Expression Omnibus and mRNA sequencing results were used to identify potential molecules in hucMSC-Exos and target genes in VSMCs, respectively. We tested the regulatory effect of microRNAs in Exos and target genes in VSMCs using overexpression and knockdown experiments. Primary hucMSCs, VSMCs and hucMSC-Exos were isolated and characterized. Administration of hucMSC-Exos suppressed NIH after artery ligation. H&E and immunohistochemistry results showed that hucMSC-Exos decreased the intima and media area and intima/media ratio, increased the contractile phenotype protein SM22a in the media layer and downregulated Serpine1 expression in the carotid artery. Exos were ingested by VSMCs, which inhibited migration and upregulated SM22a expression by suppressing Serpine1 expression in vitro. MiR-148a-3p was enriched in hucMSC-Exos and repressed Serpine1 by targeting its 3' untranslated region. Moreover, exosomal miR-148a-3p suppressed VSMC phenotypic switching and migration by targeting Serpine1. We found that hucMSC-Exos inhibited NIH in a mouse carotid artery ligation model and that the inhibitory effects on VSMC phenotypic switching and migration were mediated by delivery of miR-148a-3p to VSMCs to target Serpine1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Let X, Z be two real Banach spaces, and . In this paper, we first show that if there is a mapping with satisfying for all , then we can define a linear surjective isometry for some closed subspace N of by an invariant mean of X. We then show that the subspace N plays a crucial role in this paper. For example, (1) is a -to- continuous surjective isometry; and, in particular, if is reflexive, then the mapping f is stable if and only if is complemented in Y; (2) if Y is reflexive and is complemented in Y, then for any projection , the operator satisfies and (3) if, in addition, Y is Gateaux smooth and locally uniformly convex, then satisfies the sharp estimate We present similar results for such mappings on general Banach spaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We study extension spaces, cotorsion pairs and their mutations in the cluster category of a marked surface without punctures. Under the one-to-one correspondence between the curves, valued closed curves in the marked surface and the indecomposable objects in the associated cluster category, we prove that the dimension of extension space of two indecomposable objects in the cluster categories equals to the intersection number of the corresponding curves. By using this result, we prove that there are no non-trivial t-structures in the cluster categories when the surface is connected. Based on this result, we give a classification of cotorsion pairs in these categories. Moreover we define the notion of paintings of a marked surface without punctures and their rotations. They are a geometric model of cotorsion pairs and of their mutations respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is of significance for this society to develop and utilize sustainable energy and renewable resources. Photocatalytic the transformation of biomass exhibits a variety of seductive advantages, including cost-effectiveness, sustainability, mild reaction conditions and environment-benign properties. However, in order to obtain a relative high yield, most photocatalytic oxidation of HMF systems employ O 2 as sole oxidant or adopt high light density condition, which is much higher than the natural sunlight density. In this work, we employ microwave-assisted post-synthetic metal exchange (PSE) method to synthesize porous TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti composite as photocatalyst for the oxidation of HMF to DFF under air condition at low temperature (4 oC). SEM and FT-IR characterizations confirm the successful cation exchange of Ti4+ with Zr4+, and the Raman spectra confirm the existence of strong interactions between TiO 2 and UIO-67-Zr/Ti. This catalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance, achieving 94% conversion with more than 70% selectivity for DFF. Moreover, this system also exhibits wide substrates compatibility. Photocatalytic the transformation of HMF to DFF exhibits a variety of seductive advantages including cost-effectiveness, sustainability, mild reaction conditions and environment-benign properties. However, in order to obtain a relative high yield, most of photocatalytic oxidation of HMF to DFF systems employ O 2 as oxidant or adopt high light density condition, which is much higher than the natural sun light density, thus hindering these systems to be applied in industrial fields.In this work, the TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti has been constructed with microwave assisted PSE method. This catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance, achieving 94% conversion with more than 70% selectivity under air conditon at low temperature (4 oC). [Display omitted] • Porous TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti was constructed by microwave-assisted PSE method. • Ti4+ is coordinated into the frameworks of UIO-67 materials with PSE method. • The combination of TiO 2 with UIO-67-Zr/Ti can widen the light absorption range. • The interactions between TiO 2 and UIO-67-Zr/Ti can be proved by Raman and FT-IR. • TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti can oxidize HMF to DFF at low temperature under air condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many therapeutic targets are cell surface receptors, which can be challenging antigens for antibody generation. For many therapeutic applications, one needs antibodies that not only bind the cell surface receptor but also are internalized into the cell. This allows use of the antibody to deliver various payloads into the cell to achieve a therapeutic effect. Phage antibody technology has proven a powerful tool for the generation and optimization of human antibodies to any antigen. While applied to the generation of antibodies to purified proteins, it is possible to directly select cell binding and internalizing antibodies on cells. Potential advantages of this approach include: cell surface receptors are in native conformation on intact cells while this might not be so for recombinant proteins; antibodies can be selected for both cell binding and internalization properties; the antibodies can be used to identify their tumor associated antigens; and such antibodies can be used for human treatment directly since they are human in sequence. This review will discuss the factors that impact the successful selection of cell binding and internalizing antibodies. These factors include the cell types used for selection, the impact of different phage antibody library formats, and the specific selection protocols used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: We have previously demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration protects the intestines from injury in a mouse model of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury. We have also shown that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a potent intestinal cytoprotective agent in vivo that can protect the intestines by way of its effects on stem cells. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of HB-EGF on both amniotic fluid (AF)- and bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs in vitro. Methods: MSCs were isolated from the AF and BM of pan-EGFP mice, grown in MSC-specific culture medium, and purified by sequential passages according to their adherence properties. Pluripotency was confirmed by induced differentiation. After incubation of MSCs with HB-EGF, proliferation was quantified using the CyQuant cell proliferation assay kit under normoxic and anoxic conditions. Chemotaxis was quantified using the CHEMICON QCM cell migration kit, and apoptosis was determined using caspase-3 immunohistochemistry after exposure of the MSCs to anoxic stress. Results: AF-MSCs and BM-MSCs showed significantly increased proliferation and migration in response to HB-EGF. HB-EGF significantly protected AF-MSCs and BM-MSCs from anoxia-induced apoptosis. The proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of HB-EGF were even more pronounced in AF-MSCs than in BM-MSCs. Conclusions: These results have demonstrated that HB-EGF acts as a mitogenic and chemotactic agent for MSCs that protects MSCs from injury. These findings could have important implications for future experiments designed to use MSCs to protect the intestines from injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] The 2H-MoS 2 /nitrogen-doped carbon (2H-MoS 2 /NC) composite is a promising anode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Various transition metal doping has been adopted to optimize the poor intrinsic electronic conductivity and lack of active sites in the intralayer of 2H-MoS 2. However, its optimization mechanisms have not been well probed. In this paper, using Cobalt (Co) as an example, we aim to investigate the influence of transition metal doping on the electronic and mechanical properties and electrochemical performance of 2H-MoS 2 /NC via first-principles calculation. Co doping is found to be effective in improving the electronic conductivity and the areas of active sites on different positions (C surface, interface, and MoS 2 surface) of 2H-MoS 2 /NC. The increased active sites can optimize K adsorption and diffusion capability/processes, where general smaller K adsorption energies and diffusion energy barriers are found after Co doping. This helps improve the rate performance. Especially, the pyridinic N (pyN), pyrrolic N (prN), and graphitic N (grN) are first unveiled to respectively work best in K kinetic adsorption, diffusion, and interfacial stability. These findings are instructive to experimental design of high rate 2H-MoS 2 /NC electrode materials. The roles of different N types provide new ideas for optimal design of other functional composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by Clostridium botulinum are the most toxic substances known to the mankind. BoNTs (seven serotypes, A–G) are produced along with a group of neurotoxin associated proteins (NAPs) in a physiologically coordinated manner, regulated by a common transcription factor for the gene cluster that encodes for the BoNT and NAPs. Hemagglutinin-33 (Hn-33) is a 33kDa subcomponent of NAPs, which is resistant to protease digestion, and accounts for about half of the NAPs molecules in the BoNT/A complex. Natural exposures to BoNT in food poisoning cases as well as in the medical applications of BoNT as a therapeutic agent, humans are exposed to the BoNT/A complex. The toxin itself is known to block neurotransmitter release from presynaptic nerves, but the effect of NAPs is unexplored. In this article, we report an important observation of the anti-apoptotic effect of Hn-33 in Hn-33-preincubated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Activity of caspases, which are the central executioners of apoptosis, was substantially (78%) reduced by Hn-33. Degradation of chromosomal DNA, another biochemical hallmark of apoptosis, was blocked in Hn-33 incubated SH-SY5Y cells. Interestingly, purified BoNT/A also showed substantial anti-apoptotic activity. These findings may have significant implications to the use of BoNT as a therapeutic agent, and to devise counter measures to botulinum poisoning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We study the functorially finite maximal rigid subcategories in 2-CY triangulated categories and their endomorphism algebras. Cluster tilting subcategories are obviously functorially finite and maximal rigid; we prove that the converse is true if the 2-CY triangulated categories admit a cluster tilting subcategory. As a generalization of a result of Keller and Reiten (2007) , we prove that any functorially finite maximal rigid subcategory is Gorenstein with Gorenstein dimension at most 1. Similar as cluster tilting subcategory, one can mutate maximal rigid subcategories at any indecomposable object. If two maximal rigid objects are reachable via simple mutations, then their endomorphism algebras have the same representation type. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to establish the hierarchical structure in multiple levels on mesoporous silica, this article reports a new strategy to prepare the monolith with the pore configuration in nanometer scale, micro-morphology in micrometer level and macroscopic shape in millimeter or larger grade. These hierarchical monoliths are synthesized in a weak acidic condition by using triblock copolymer P123, hydroxyl carboxylic acid and tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), and the textural properties of the mesostructure can be facilely adjusted by simply controlling the synthesis condition without any additive. During the synthesis, the primary particles can be selectively synthesized as monodispersed sphere, noodle, prism, straight rods with different size or irregular bars, and their connection plus arrangement in 3D directions can be also regulated. Therefore, various textural properties of mesopore are able to be altered including pore size (5.5–10.6nm), total pore volume (0.48–1.2cm3 g−1), micropore surface area (47–334m2 g−1), and pore shape (from 2D or 3D straight channel to plugged channel). Moreover, these monoliths exhibit a considerable mechanical strength; they are also applied in eliminating particulate matters and tobacco special nitrosamines (TSNA) in tobacco smoke, exhibiting various morphology-assisted functions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of approaches have been utilized to generate antibodies to cancer cell surface receptors that can be used as potential therapeutics. A number of these therapeutic approaches, including antibody–drug conjugates, immunotoxins, and targeted nucleic acid delivery, require antibodies that not only bind receptor but also undergo internalization into the cell upon binding. We previously reported on the ability to generate cancer cell binding and internalizing antibodies directly from human phage antibody libraries selected for internalization into cancer cell lines. While a number of useful antibodies have been generated using this approach, limitations include the inability to direct the selections to specific antigens and to identify the antigen bound by the antibodies. Here we show that these limitations can be overcome by using yeast-displayed antigens known to be associated with a cell type to select the phage antibody output after several rounds of selection on a mammalian cell line. We used this approach to generate several human phage antibodies to yeast-displayed EphA2 and CD44. The antibodies bound both yeast-displayed and mammalian cell surface antigens, and were endocytosed upon binding to mammalian cells. This approach is generalizable to many mammalian cell surface proteins, results in the generation of functional internalizing antibodies, and does not require antigen expression and purification for antibody generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: We have previously shown that heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) protects the intestines from multiple forms of injury via direct cytoprotective effects on the intestinal mucosa. In this study, we examined the effects of HB-EGF on the hemodynamics of intestinal arterioles, the major resistance vessels that regulate blood flow to the intestines, as an additional mechanism of HB-EGF-mediated intestinal protection. Methods: The hemodynamic effects of HB-EGF in rodent terminal mesenteric arterioles and human submucosal arterioles were examined ex vivo using a video dimension analyzer. Cultured human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMEC) were used to elucidate the mechanisms of HB-EGF-induced vasodilation. Results: HB-EGF significantly increased vessel diameter under conditions of increasing intraluminal pressure and increased flow rate. These HB-EGF-mediated vasodilatory effects were observed in terminal mesenteric arterioles from adult rats and 3 day old rat pups. These effects were confirmed in submucosal arterioles from human intestine. Furthermore, HB-EGF significantly reduced endothelin-1-induced mesenteric arteriolar vasoconstriction. The vasodilatory effects of HB-EGF were blocked by ETB receptor antagonism in adult rat arterioles, and also by nitric oxide synthase inhibition in rat pup and human infant arterioles. In HIMEC, HB-EGF significantly increased endothelin B (ETB) receptor protein expression and provoked intracellular calcium mobilization. Conclusions: HB-EGF is a potent vasodilator of the intestinal microvasculature, further supporting its use in diseases manifested by decreased intestinal blood flow, including necrotizing enterocolitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We study the cluster combinatorics of d-cluster tilting objects in d-cluster categories. Using mutations of maximal rigid objects in d-cluster categories, which are defined in a similar way to mutations for d-cluster tilting objects, we prove the equivalences between d-cluster tilting objects, maximal rigid objects and complete rigid objects. Using the chain of triangles of d-cluster tilting objects in [O. Iyama, Y. Yoshino, Mutations in triangulated categories and rigid Cohen–Macaulay modules, Invent. Math. 172 (1) (2008) 117–168], we prove that any almost complete d-cluster tilting object has exactly complements, compute the extension groups between these complements, and study the middle terms of these triangles. All results are the extensions of corresponding results on cluster tilting objects in cluster categories established for d-cluster categories in [A. Buan, R. Marsh, M. Reineke, I. Reiten, G. Todorov, Tilting theory and cluster combinatorics, Adv. Math. 204 (2006) 572–618]. They are applied to the Fomin–Reading generalized cluster complexes of finite root systems defined and studied in [S. Fomin, N. Reading, Generalized cluster complexes and Coxeter combinatorics, Int. Math. Res. Not. 44 (2005) 2709–2757; H. Thomas, Defining an m-cluster category, J. Algebra 318 (2007) 37–46; K. Baur, R. Marsh, A geometric description of m-cluster categories, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 360 (2008) 5789–5803; K. Baur, R. Marsh, A geometric description of the m-cluster categories of type , preprint, arXiv:math.RT/0610512; see also Int. Math. Res. Not. 2007 (2007), doi:10.1093/imrn/rnm011], and to that of infinite root systems [B. Zhu, Generalized cluster complexes via quiver representations, J. Algebraic Combin. 27 (2008) 25–54]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CCMNPs), modified with a biodegradable and eco-friendly biologic reagent, α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KA), was used as a magnetic nanoadsorbent to remove toxic Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution. The prepared magnetic nanoadsorbents were characterized by FTIR, TEM, VSM, XRD, and EDS. Factors influencing the adsorption of Cu2+, e.g., initial metal concentration, initial pH, contact time and adsorbent concentration were investigated. TEM images show that the dimension of multidispersed circular particles is about 30 nm and no marked aggregation occurs. VSM patterns indicate superparamagnetic properties of magnetic nanoadsorbents. EDS pictures confirm the presence of the Cu2+ on the surface of magnetic nanoadsorbents. Equilibrium studies show that Cu2+ adsorption data follow Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity () for Cu2+ ions was estimated to be 96.15 mg/g, which was higher than that of pure CCMNPs. The desorption data show no significant desorption hysteresis occurred. In addition, the high stability and recovery capacity of the chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KA-CCMNPs) suggest that these novel magnetic nanoadsorbents have potential applications for removing Cu2+ from wastewater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focused on the effects of microwave-vacuum-assisted drying on the drying kinetics, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of whole cranberries subjected to different pretreatments, i.e. sonication, sonication combined with convective freezing, microwave-vacuum pretreatment, microwave-vacuum pretreatment combined with convective freezing, convective freezing and cryogenic freezing. Compared to hot air convective drying, microwave-vacuum-assisted drying shortened the drying time by 54%. The application of microwaves in the final stage of drying allowed to obtain drying rates 17 times higher than in the convective initial stage. Berries dried by microwave-vacuum-assisted drying were characterized by higher contents of polyphenols (from 22.14 ± 0.49 to 27.51 ± 0.56 mg GAE/g DM), flavonoids (from 2.65 ± 0.05 to 3.79 ± 0.11 mg CAE/g DM), anthocyanins (from 0.75 ± 0.10 to 2.22 ± 0.10 mg Cy-3G/g DM), antioxidant activity (from 33.03 ± 0.72 to 47.67 ± 0.39 mg TE/g DM) and a more desirable overall appearance than fruits after hot air convective drying. Among different initial treatments, freezing provided the best results in terms of drying time. Sonication gave the best results for the retention of bioactive components, antioxidant activity and the overall appearance of dried fruits. • MWVD instead of HACD in the final stage significantly shortened the drying time. • HACD + MWVD produced berries of high antioxidant activity. • HACD + MWVD produced berries of desired overall appearance. • Sonication improved the retention of bioactive compounds in dried cranberries. • Convective freezing gave the best results in terms of drying time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common inherited disorder worldwide including southern China. We developed and validated a reverse dot blot (RDB) assay for the rapid and simultaneous genotyping of six mutations (c.95A>G, c.871G>A, c.1004C>T, c.1024C>T, c.1376G>T and c.1388G>A), that were common mutations in the Chinese G6PD deficiency population, and one polymorphism (c.1311C>T). Reliable genotyping of wild-type and mutant genomic DNA samples was achieved by means of a test strip onto which allele-specific oligonucleotide probe lines are fixed in parallel. This method involves a multiplex PCR amplification of three fragments in the G6PD target sequence and a manual hybridization/detection protocol. The entire procedure starting from blood sampling to the identification of mutations requires less than 6 h. The diagnostic reliability of this reverse dot blot assay was evaluated on 207 pre-typed samples by using direct DNA sequence analysis in a blind study. The reverse dot blot typing was in complete concordance with the reference method. The reverse dot blot assay was proved to be a simple, rapid, highly accurate, and cost-effective method to identify common G6PD mutations in Chinese population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A dual fluorescence reporter plasmid expressing EGFP and DsRed-Monomer from separate promoters was constructed for quantitative flow cytometry analysis. Cloning the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X gene into the 3′ UTR region of DsRed-Monomer allowed quantifying the efficacy of ten siRNAs designed according to the accessibility of HBx mRNA measured in vitro. Using EGFP as an internal control, a justified calculation of the changed mean fluorescence intensity of DsRed-Monomer in each transfected cell yielded highly consistent results, and revealed all 10 siRNAs achieved over 50% inhibition among which a super effective siRNA achieved 88% inhibition at a very low concentration (0.33μg/ml). This provides a quantification method critical for therapeutic application of siRNA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To determine the importance of single-chain Fv (scFv) affinity on binding, uptake, and cytotoxicity of tumor-targeting nanoparticles, the affinity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) scFv antibody C10 was increased using molecular evolution and yeast display. A library containing scFv mutants was created by error-prone PCR, displayed on the surface of yeast, and higher affinity clones selected by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Ten mutant scFv were identified that had a 3–18-fold improvement in affinity (K D =15–88 nM) for EGFR-expressing A431 tumor cells compared to C10 scFv (K D =264 nM). By combining mutations, higher affinity scFv were generated with K D ranging from 0.9 nM to 10 nM. The highest affinity scFv had a 280-fold higher affinity compared to that of the parental C10 scFv. Immunoliposome nanoparticles (ILs) were prepared using EGFR scFv with a 280-fold range of affinities, and their binding and uptake into EGFR-expressing tumor cells was quantified. At scFv densities greater than 148 scFv/IL, there was no effect of scFv affinity on IL binding and uptake into tumor cells, or on cytotoxicity. At lower scFv densities, there was less uptake and binding for ILs constructed from the very low affinity C10 scFv. The results show the importance of antibody fragment density on nanoparticle uptake, and suggest that engineering ultrahigh affinity scFv may be unnecessary for optimal nanoparticle targeting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]