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Tup1, a conserved transcriptional repressor, plays a critical role in the growth and development of fungi. Here, we identified a BsTup1 gene from the plant pathogenic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana. The expression of BsTup1 showed a more than three-fold increase during the conidial stage compared with mycelium stage. Deletion of BsTup1 led to decrease hyphal growth and defect in conidia formation. A significant difference was detected in osmotic, oxidative, or cell wall stress responses between the WT and ΔBsTup1 strains. Pathogenicity assays showed that virulence of the ΔBsTup1 mutant was dramatically decreased on wheat and barely leaves. Moreover, it was observed that hyphal tips of the mutants could not form appressorium-like structures on the inner epidermis of onion and barley coleoptile. Yeast two-hybrid assays indicated that BsTup1 could interact with the BsSsn6. RNAseq revealed significant transcriptional changes in the ΔBsTup1 mutant with 2369 genes down-regulated and 2962 genes up-regulated. In these genes, we found that a subset of genes involved in fungal growth, sporulation, cell wall integrity, osmotic stress, oxidation stress, and pathogenicity, which were misregulated in the ΔBsTup1 mutant. These data revealed that BsTup1 has multiple functions in fungal growth, development, stress response and pathogenesis in B. sorokiniana.

Hypertension is one of the major sources of global incidence of cardiovascular diseases and one of the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality. It is necessary to search for natural products which have not adverse effects like many synthetic drugs as potential development agents for treating hypertension. Dracocephalum tanguticum Maxim, a perennial herb for Tibetan medicine in China, is widely used for the treatment of many diseases. In the present study, two new glucosides, Dratanguticumide G (1) and Dratanguticumide H (2), and seven known compounds (3-9) were isolated from D. tanguticum. The new structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data and the known ones were identified by comparison with spectroscopic data, physical and chemical data of reported references. The vasodilatory effects and the underlying mechanisms of the components of D. tanguticum on rat aortic rings were investigated. The result showed that the new compounds exhibited significant endothelium-dependent vasodilatory effects on the aortic rings, and the NO-dependent pathway and PI3K/AKT pathway might play a pivotal role in the vasodilatory effect, as did five of known compounds. Our findings firstly showed that some natural compounds of 95% ethanol extract of D. tanguticum had significant vasodilatory effects and could be the potential development agents for treating hypertension.

Summary Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical usefulness of metagenomic Next-generation sequencing (mNGS) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples to discriminate pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) from Non-TB community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in PTB suspects. Methods: We investigate the performance of mNGS on BALF samples from 110 PTB suspects, in comparison with conventional microbiological testing (solid media culture, acid-fast bacilli staining (AFS), Xpert) of BALF or sputum samples and final clinical diagnosis. Results: We finally clinically diagnosed 48 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 62 cases of non-tuberculosis patients. Comparing to the final clinical diagnosis, mNGS produced a sensitivity of 47.92%, which was similar to that of Xpert (45.83%) and culture (46.81%), but much higher than that of AFS (29.17%) for TB diagnosis in BALF samples. Apart from detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mNGS also identified mixed infections in PTB patients, including 3 fungal cases and 1 bacteria case. Meanwhile, mNGS efficiently identified 14 of 22 (63.63%) cases of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), 7 cases of fungi, 1 case of viral infection, and other common bacterial pathogens in Non-PTB group. Finally, mNGS identified 67.23% infection cases within 3 days, while the conventional methods identified 49.58% infection cases for over 90 days. Conclusion: Our data show that mNGS of BALF represents a potentially effective tool for the rapid diagnosis of PTB suspects.

The adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of modified sepiolite as an adsorbent to recover Pd(II) from acidic solutions were studied. The Pd(II) adsorption properties were analyzed through isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic models. In addition, SEM−EDS, TEM and XPS were applied to investigating the Pd(II) adsorption mechanisms onto modified sepiolite. The equilibrium data were well fitted to Langmuir isotherm model with maximum Pd(II) adsorption capacity of 322.58 mg/g at 30 °C. The kinetic data could be satisfactorily simulated by the pseudo- second order model, indicating that the rate-controlling step was chemical adsorption. 99% of Pd(II) could be recovered using 1 g/L modified sepiolite when initial concentration of Pd(II) was 100 mg/L. The results of reusability studies indicated the modified sepiolite had an acceptable stability and reusability. This study indicated that the modified sepiolite might be an efficient and cost-effective material for Pd(II) recovery.

Activation of inflammatory cells and upregulations of a number of cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with prion diseases are frequently observed. To evaluate the potential changes of some brain cytokines that were rarely addressed during prion infection, the levels of 17 different cytokines in the brain homogenates of mice infected with different scrapie mouse-adapted agents were firstly screened with Luminex assay. Significant upregulations of interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10), keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) were frequently detected in the brain lysates of many strains of scrapie infected mice. The upregulations of those three cytokines in the brains of scrapie infected mice were further validated by the individual specific ELISA and immunohistochemical assay. Increased specific mRNAs of IP10, M-CSF and KC in the brains of scrapie infected mice were also detected by the individual specific qRT-PCRs and IP10-specific digital PCR. Dynamic analyses of the brain samples collected at different time points post infection revealed the time-dependent increases of those three cytokines, particularly IP10 during the incubation period of scrapie infection. In addition, we also found that the levels of IP10 in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of 45 sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) patients were slightly but significantly higher than those of the cases who were excluded the diagnosis of prion diseases. These data give us a better understanding of inflammatory reaction during prion infection and progression of prion disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12250-020-00216-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Two new lignans (1–2), together with two known lignans (3–4), were isolated from the whole herb of Anemone vitifolia. The structures were identified based on extensive spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with reported data. All compounds of this plant were reported for the first time. In vitro test, all compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity via calculating the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse macrophage cells-RAW 264.7.

Flotation indexes gradually decrease with the increase of cycle time of the backwater in bauxite floatation, and discharge of backwater brings environmental risk. In this study, methods such as Fenton-oxidation, adsorption and coagulation were used in the treatment of backwater, the flotation indexes were checked after backwater treatments, and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used in the optimization of the main operating parameters. The results reveal that flotation indexes are effectively improved after coagulation treatment by polyaluminum ferric chloride (PAFC). The optimum parameters predicted by BBD are pH 7.55, 1.09 g/L PAFC dosage and temperature of 25 °C. Under these optimum conditions, a maximum recovery of Al2O3 of 82.83% and a minimum A/S of 1.30 of tailings are gained, while the deviations are less than 3% from the predicted values. These findings encourage the application of BBD for the optimization of critical parameters in backwater treatment.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have added a vital contribution to food quality and safety with the effective extraction of pesticide residues due to their unique properties. Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) are a superior approach to overcome stereotypical limitations due to their unique core-shell and novel composite structure, including high chemothermal stability, rapid extraction, and high selectivity. Over the past two decades, different MMIPs have been developed for pesticide extraction in actual food samples with a complex matrix. Nevertheless, such developments are desirable, yet the synthesis and mode of application of MMIP have great potential as a green chemistry approach that can significantly reduce environmental pollution and minimize resource utilization. In this review, the MMIP application for single or multipesticide detection has been summarized by critiquing each method's uniqueness and efficiency in real sample analysis and providing a possible green chemistry exploration procedure for MMIP synthesis and application for escalated food and environmental safety.

By using theoretical analysis method, effects of different parameters on condensation heat transfer characteristics of porous wick condenser of alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC) are discussed. The results show that, along the radius direction r of the condenser, the condensate film thickness δ ( r ) increases gradually, and the Nusselt number Nu ( r ) decreases. With increasing of the permeability K or decreasing of the effective thermal conductivity λ e and the heat transfer temperature difference Δ T , the condensate film thickness δ ( r ) decreases significantly, and the Nusselt number Nu ( r ) increases. However, the BASE tube temperature T B and condensate film temperature T S have little impact on condensation heat transfer characteristics, which indicates that for AMTEC condenser, the latent heat releasing dominates the total heat transfer while the radiation heat transfer almost has no influence.

This study uses benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators to analyze the variational characteristics of benthic biodiversity under persistent environmental pressures, such as rapid economic and population growth, large-scale urbanization, rapid tourism development, intensified port activities, and extreme human disturbances such as reclamation and dredging, in the Xiamen sea area during 1980–2016. From 1980 to 1990, benthic biodiversity in the area generally remained high, with a species richness of 13, individual abundance of 584 ind/m2, biomass of 79.58 g/m2, and a Shannon diversity index (H′) of 3.26. Under persistent environmental pressure, this biodiversity significantly declined from 2005 to 2007, but improved during 2013–2016 as a result of measures such as establishing reserves, prohibiting aquaculture, and controlling the inflow of pollutants. Under the extreme disturbance caused by reclamation, the average species richness, individual abundance, and H′ of the Tong'an Bay (TB) and the Dadeng sea area (DS) declined considerably. The DS closer to the open sea experienced a benthic biodiversity decrease (25.2% on average) that was significantly less than the decrease in the semi-enclosed TB with a smaller area (55.8% on average), which stopped declining after the sharp drop in the first year after reclamation. This contrasts with TB, where benthic biodiversity six years after reclamation remained considerably lower than before reclamation. However, the decrease in the local total species richness caused by reclamation can be recovered, regardless of whether it is in the open DS or the semi-enclosed TB. Under the extreme disturbance of dredging, individual abundance and biomass in the dredging areas were significantly lower than the average for the study area in 2005–2012. However, following the completion of dredging in 2012, benthic biodiversity noticeably increased in 2013–2016 to higher than the average of the area, indicating that dredging could improve the quality of benthic habitats and increase benthic biodiversity in sea areas with heavy sedimentation and pollution.

Over the past four decades, the global prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly in all age ranges. Emerging evidence suggests that paternal lifestyle and environmental exposure have a crucial role in the health of offspring. Therefore, the current study investigated the impact of paternal obesity on the metabolic profile of offspring in a male mouse model of obesity. Female offspring of obese fathers fed a high-fat diet (HFD) (60% kcal fat) showed hyperglycemia because of enhanced gluconeogenesis and elevated expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), which is a key enzyme involved in the regulation of gluconeogenesis. Methylation of the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) was dysregulated in the liver of offspring, and the sperm, of HFD fathers, suggesting that epigenetic changes in germ cells contribute to this father-offspring transmission. In addition, we explored whether H19 might regulate hepatic gluconeogenesis. Our results showed that overexpression of H19 in Hepa1-6 cells enhanced the expression of PEPCK and gluconeogenesis by promoting nuclear retention of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), which is involved in the transcriptional regulation of Pepck. Thus, the current study suggests that paternal exposure to HFD impairs the gluconeogenesis of offspring via altered Igf2/H19 DNA methylation.

CXCL10 is a chemokine with potent chemotactic activity for immune and non-immune cells expressing its receptor CXCR3. Previous studies have demonstrated that CXCL10 is involved in myocardial infarction. However, the role of CXCL10 in cardiac microvascular endothelial cell (CMEC) regulation and related mechanisms remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of CXCL10 on the CMEC migration and explored its potential molecular mechanism by wound healing, cell proliferation and viability analysis. Furthermore, migration-related signaling pathways, including FAK, Erk, p38 and Smad, were examined by Western blotting. We found that CXCL10 significantly promotes CMEC migration under normal conditions and during hypoxia/ischemia. However, no significant differences in CMEC proliferation and viability were observed with or without CXCL10 treatment. CXCL10-mediated CMEC migration was greatly blocked by treatment with an anti-CXCR3 antibody. Although CXCL10 treatment promoted phosphorylation and activation of the FAK, Erk, and p38 pathways during hypoxia/ischemia, CXCL10-mediated CMEC migration was significantly blocked by p38 and FAK inhibitors, but not by an Erk inhibitor. Furthermore, CXCL10-mediated FAK activation was suppressed by the p38 inhibitor. These findings indicated that the CXCL10/CXCR3 pathway promotes the migration of CMECs under normal conditions and during hypoxia/ischemia in a proliferation-independent manner, at least in part, through regulation of the p38/FAK pathways.

Three new tricyclic alkaloid, siamalkaloids A–C ( 1 – 3 ), together with three known alkaloids ( 3 – 6 ) were isolated from the twigs of Cassia siamea . Their structures were determined by means of HRESIMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. Compounds 1 – 6 were tested for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activity, and compound 3 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 34.5%. This rate is higher than that of positive control. In addition, the cytotoxicity of compounds 1 – 6 were also tested, and compounds 2 – 6 showed weak activity with IC 50 values ranging from 2.8 to 9.4 μM for some tested human tumor cell lines.

A series of Zr-doped CaTiO3 powders were prepared with the mild co-precipitation method and calcined at 850 °C for 3 h. The as-prepared Zr-doped CaTiO3 samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). XRD result revealed the presence of single perovskite phase of CaTiO3. UV–Vis diffusive reflection spectra of Zr-doped CaTiO3 indicated that the absorbance obviously increased in the visible light irradiation. XPS analysis showed that two types of oxygen existed on the photocatalyst surface, including lattice oxygen and absorbed oxygen. Their photocatalytic activity in the case of the degradation of methyl orange in water and photoelectrochemical activity were also tested. The 5%Zr-doped (mole fraction) CaTiO3 sample showed the highest photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the change of the lattice structure, existence of oxygen vacancies and increase of the photogenerated charge separation efficiency.

The parametric optimization design of automatic sprinkler system was studied experimentally with the grid ceiling installed below the sprinkler head. The experimental results indicated: the water distribution was affected by hollow rate of grid ceiling and installation height of sprinkler. In range of the decrease of the hollow rate and installation height of sprinkler, water distribution increased. When the hollow rate is high, the effect of water distribution will be greater by the change of the hollow rate. When the hollow rate is low, the effect of water distribution will be greater by the change of the installation height of sprinkler.

Four new ent-kaurene diterpenoids, phyllostachysins M–P (1–4) have been isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon phyllostachys. Compound 1 features a novel dihydro-2H-pyran ring motif, which was formed by an unusual cleavage in ring-A. 2 and 3 bear a rare 20-nor-ent-kaurene structure, but 4 has a rare 7,20-cyclo-ent-kaurene skeleton. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against five human tumor cell lines.

Human enteric virus occurrence in bathing beaches poses a potential health risk to swimmers. They may come from several sources, but the understanding of the seasonal contribution of contamination sources to virus occurrence is still lacking. Here, the surveillance of human enteric viruses at the First Bathing Beach in Qingdao was performed January-December 2018. The occurrence of Enteric viruses, assayed with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), was analyzed at temporal and spatial levels to determine the viral contamination sources. The results showed that only Astroviruses (AstVs) and Adenoviruses (HAdVs) were found in the swimming area. Their occurrence correlated significantly with the sewage-polluted area, but HAdVs were only found in autumn and AstVs in spring. Meanwhile, enteric viruses in the swimming area showed significantly higher levels than the surrounding area, particularly AstVs in summer with the swimmer crowd. All these data imply that sewage discharge and swimmers co-contribute to the viral occurrence in a seasonal pattern, with the former being more focused in warm seasons (spring and autumn) and the latter in hot seasons (summer). These results indicate that sewage discharge and crowd swimmers, as unsafe swimming conditions, should be avoided to improve public health at the bathing beaches.

Perovskites light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are promising candidates for next-generation display devices because of their attractive properties of low-cost, solution processability and excellent color purity. For metal halide perovskite materials, the emission tuning can be easily achieved by altering halide composition. However, blue PeLEDs with chlorine incorporation usually suffer from the severe phase segregation and ion migration, resulting in the red-shifted electroluminescence and the efficiency degradation. Here, the partial substitution of Pb2+ ions with non-toxic Sr2+ is adopted to enhance the formation energy of Sr-alloyed perovskite films, leading to the negligible electroluminescence in electrically driven blue PeLEDs. The maximum brightness and efficiency are optimized simultaneously. Further, such a substitution can greatly enhance the thermal and operational stabilities of PeLEDs.

A phytochemical investigation of Anemone vitifolia (Buch.-Ham.) led to the isolation of twelve compounds, including six lignans (1–6), four benzoic acid esters (7–10), one norsesquiterpenoid (11) and one lactone (12). The structures of these metabolites were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, as well as comparisons with the data available in the literature. Among them, compounds 10 (dimethyl 2-(benzoyloxy)succinate) and 12 (4-hydroxy-5-methyl-γ-butyrolactone) were isolated for the first time as natural products. Compounds 1 and 11, compounds 2, 3, 5–7 and 9, and compounds 4 and 8 were isolated for the first time in family Ranunculaceae, genus Anemone and A. vitifolia respectively. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed.

In this report, a new cytotoxic group, a 15-oxo-16 alpha-H-17-methoxy (or ethoxy)- unit, was suggested from the structure-activity relationship analyses of 39 ent-kaurane diterpenoids, including 17 new compounds (neolaxiflorins I-Y, 1-17) isolated from the leaves of Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora using an in vitro cytotoxicity assay against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480 human cancer cell lines. This discovery is counter to the rule that the alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone (C-15-C-16-C-17) unit is indispensable for cytotoxicity of the ent-kauranoids. Furthermore, portions of the isolates exhibited inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. The NF-kappa B inhibitory activity assay suggests a potential novel cytotoxic mechanism for compounds 9 and 22. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In order to improve the bio-oxidation efficiency of Axi refractory gold concentrate, a two-step process including a high temperature chemical oxidation and a subsequent bio-oxidation, combined with pH control during the bio-oxidation step was used. The results revealed that the optimum mode was to maintain solution pH at 1.0-1.2 during the biological oxidation stage. Under this condition, the activity of mixed culture could be sustained and the formation of jarosite could be diminished, thus the oxidation efficiency was improved. The oxidation levels of iron and sulfur were improved by 12.50% and 15.49%, and the gold recovery was increased by 21.02%. Therefore, the two-step process combined with pH control is an effective method for oxidizing the biohydrometallurgical process of Axi gold concentrate, and it will have a broad prospect of application in dealing with complex refractory gold concentrate.

The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of EtOAc extracts of the aerial parts of Isodon wikstroemioides. Compounds 1-8 were isolated and purified by normal-phase silica gel and reversed-phase C-18 silica gel column chromatography and HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. Most of them were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human cancer HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480 cells and their inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. Among the eight 11, 20-epoxy-ent-kauranoids isolated, compounds 1-6 (isowikstroemins H-M) were new diterpenoids. Compounds 1, 3, and 7 exhibited significant cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from (0.84 +/- 0.02) to (4.09 +/- 0.34) mu mol.L-1, while compounds 4 and 5 showed selective cytotoxicity. In addition, compounds 1, 3, 4, and 7 exhibited inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. These results provide a basis for future development of these compounds as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents.

Objective To study the chemical constituents from the whole plant of Swertia cincta. Methods The chemical constituents were purified by chromatographic methods such as silica gel column and Sephadex LH-20. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by MS, IR, and NMR analyses. Results Two compounds were isolated from S. cincta. Conclusion Compound 1 is a new compound named swercinctlactone A. Compound 2 is identified as (±)-gentiolactone and its configuration is confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction and optical specific rotation.

Aluminum substituted MCM-48 (Al-MCM-48) mesoporous molecular sieves was synthesized at mild temperature without using hydrothermal process. It was used for the first time to assemble the supported H 3 PW 12 O 40 (HPW) mesoporous materials with various HPW loadings. The mesoporous materials were characterized by various techniques and their catalytic activities in the green synthesis of benzoic acid were evaluated under organic solvent-free conditions. The characterizations showed that these mesoporous materials retained the cubic phase of MCM-48 and their textural parameters decreased with increasing loading of HPW. The catalytic results suggested that the supported material was an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde with 30% H 2 O 2 . Furthermore, the sample with 35 wt% loading of 12-tungstophosphoric acid was found to show the highest activity for the oxidation of benzaldehyde under the reaction conditions.

Rolling circle amplification (RCA) of DNA is a sensitive and cost effective method for the rapid identification of pathogens without the need for sequencing. In this study, a surface plasmon resonance DNA biosensor based on RCA with a gold (Au) nanoparticle surface was established for isothermal identification of DNA. The probes included a specific padlock probe, a capture probe (CP), which is bound to biotin, and an Au nanoparticle-modified probe, which hybridizes with the RCA products. The CP was assembled on gold nanoparticles to increase its ability to bind and hybridize. The linear padlock probe, which was designed to circularize by ligation upon recognition of the bacterial pathogen-specific sequence in 16S rDNA, hybridizes to fully complementary sequences within the CP. Upon recognition, each target gene DNA is distinguished by localization onto the corresponding channel on the chip surface. Then, the immobilized CPs act as primers to begin the in situ solid-phase RCA reaction, which produces long single-stranded DNA. The RCA products fixed on the chip surface cause significant surface plasmon resonance angle changes. We demonstrated that six different bacterial pathogens can be identified simultaneously and that 0.5 pM of synthetic oligonucleotides and 0.5 pg μl(-1) of genomic DNA from clinical samples can be detected by this method with low background signals. Therefore, the multiplex diagnostic method provides a highly sensitive and specific approach for the rapid identification of positive samples.

Twenty nine 6,7-seco-ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids including 18 new ones, laxiflorolides C-T (1-18), along with 21 known ones were obtained from Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora. Laxiflorolides E-G (3-5) are the first identified naturally occurring 6,7-seco-ent-kauranoids that feature a 3,6-epoxy unit, and laxi-florolide M (11) is the first identified naturally occurring 6-nor-6,7-seco-ent-kauranoid. The absolute configurations of compounds 1, 3, 6, and 11 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The cytotoxic activity of the isolates was evaluated by an MTF assay. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this work, a (La0.8Sr0.2)2FeNiO6−δ (LSFN) powder semiconductor oxide with a double-perovskite structure was synthesized by a polymeric precursor method to fabricate a sensitive electrode (SE) for a NOx sensors based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The LSFN powder and the LSFN-SEs sintered at different temperatures (1000, 1100 and 1200 °C) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphologies of LSFN-SEs were observed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The sensors with LSFN-SEs were tested over a temperature range of 550–800 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was also performed to investigate the electrochemical processes that are affected by the NO2 concentration. The results demonstrated that the double-perovskite type electrode material possessed good thermal stability. The NO2 sensitivity of the sensor was found to be modulated by the morphology of LSFN–SE. The sensor showed a higher sensitivity and a better selectivity to NO2 than that to NO. The impedance changed when the NO2 concentration was varied, which was attributed to the interaction of the NO2 with the SE.

Poly(ethylene glycol)(400)dimethacrylate (PEG(400)DMA) was used as main binder and cross-linker to gelcast 3YSZ, while acrylamid (AM) as minor monomer. Influences of PEG(400)DMA and dispersant content on rheological property (including zeta potential and viscosity) of the slurry as well as on the flexural strength of green body were discussed. Effect of PEG(400)DMA on surface exfoliation of green body gelcast in air was also investigated. Zeta potential of the slurry was significantly affected by PEGDMA after substituting PEGDMA for AM. Improved rheological property and flexural strength of green body were obtained by adding 1.35 wt% dispersant to slurry. Flexural strength of green body prepared by 45 vol% solid loading slurry reached 18.7 MPa at 6.5 wt% monomer concentration. Surface exfoliation of green body was eliminated when slurry was solidified in air at 70 °C with 3.5 wt% PEG(400)DMA/AM in slurry.

One new 6,7-seco-ent-kaurane diterpenoid, sculponin T (1), was isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon sculponeatus, along with four known analogs, sculponeatin J (2), sculponeatin K (3), sculponeatin C (4), and sculponeatin Q (5). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with data reported in the literature. Significant cytotoxic activity was observed for compound 2 against five human tumor cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 1.8 mu mol/L to 3.31 mu mol/L, and it also inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, with IC50 value of 3.3 mu mol/L. (C) 2014 Jian-Xin Pu. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Isodon sculponeatus afforded six new 7,20-epoxy-ent-kauranoids, sculponins U-Z (1-6), and 11 known diterpenoids (7-17). The structures of these new compounds were elucidated primarily by means of extensive spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 5 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity against HL-60, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW-480 cell lines, and it also inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, with IC50 value of 13.8 μM.

MCM-48 and tungstophosphoric acid (HPW) were prepared and applied for the synthesis of HPW/MCM-48 mesoporous materials. The characterization results showed that HPW/MCM-48 obtained retained the typical mesopore structure of MCM-48, and the textural parameters decreased with the increase loading of HPW. The catalytic oxidation results of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde with 30% H2O2 indicated that HPW/MCM-48 was an efficient catalyst for the green synthesis of benzoic acid. Furthermore, 35 wt% HPW/MCM-48 sample showed the highest activity under the reaction conditions.

Fos-like antigens (Fosl) including Fosl1 and Fosl2 exclusively heterodimerize with Jun members to form AP-1 complex, thereby participating in various cellular progresses including cell cycle regulation. However, expression patterns of these two genes during embryonic development remains largely unknown. In the present study, both temporal and spatial expression patterns of fosl1 and fosl2 were examined during embryonic development of Xenopus tropicalis. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the expression of the two genes was increased from stage 2 to stage 42. However, expression level of fosl1 is much higher than that of fosl2 at stage 42. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that fosl1 was expressed in eyes, branchial arch, notochord, otic vesicle, and liver. However, fosl2 was expressed in lung primordium from stage 34 to stage 38, in addition to the moderate expression in eyes and branchial arch at stage 42. Thus, the developmental expression patterns of these two fosl genes is different in Xenopus embryos. These results provide a basis for further functional study of these two genes.

As a folk medicine, Phlomis likiangensis is traditionally used in China to activate collaterals and protect cardiovascular system. We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of Phlomis likiangensis may be related to vasodilatation. In the present study, twelve known iridoid glucosides (1-12) were isolated from Phlomis likiangensis. The vasodilatory effects and the underlying mechanisms of the main components (iridoid glucosides) of Phlomis likiangensis on rat aortic rings were investigated. The result showed that iridoid glucosides significantly increased the vasodilatation in rat aortic rings, which was abolished by removing the endothelium of the vessels or by eliminating the generation of nitric oxide. Finally, the structure-activity relationship of compounds 1-12 was also speculated. Our findings provide the first evidence that the iridoid glucosides of Phlomis likiangensis may be the pharmacodynamic basis for its traditional efficacy.

HPWA-SBA-15 mesoporous catalysts were prepared via directly introducing 12-tungstophosphoric acid (HPWA) into SBA-15 by a hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized by XRD, XRF, FT-IR, DR UV–vis, SEM, TEM, NH3-TPD, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption. The influence of different HPWA amounts on the structure and catalytic properties for benzaldehyde oxidation with 30 wt.% H2O2 was comparatively studied. The results indicated that the HPWA-SBA-15 materials retained the mesopore structure of SBA-15 and the XRD patterns of bulk HPWA would not appear until the HPWA loading increased to 40 wt.%. Catalytic performance tests revealed that HPWA-SBA-15 was an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid, and the sample with 35 wt.% HPWA loading was found to be more active than the others under the same reaction conditions.

A series of 12-tungstophosphoric acid catalysts supported on mesoporous molecular sieves SBA-15 were synthesized via wet impregnation method and characterized by various techniques. It has been found that all the catalysts retained the mesopore structure of SBA-15. The surface areas and pore volumes decreased with the increase of HPW loadings, whereas the mean pore diameter exhibited the opposite behavior. In addition, HPW units were highly dispersed on the SBA-15 supports when the 12-tungstophosphoric acid loading was less than 20 wt.%. The results of the catalytic oxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, in the absence of any organic solvent and co-catalysts, indicated that SBA-15 supported 12-tungstophosphoric acid was an efficient catalyst. The sample with 20 wt.% loading of 12-tungstophosphoric acid was found to be more active than other catalysts under the reaction conditions.

Background and Aims The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) gene C677T polymorphism has been considered to be associated with preeclampsia (PE), but the results from previous studies were conflicting. The present study aimed at investigating the frequency of preeclampsia according to the distribution polymorphism using a meta-analysis on the published studies. Methods The English and Chinese databases were searched to identify eligible studies published in English before August 2012. Data were extracted using standardized methods. The association was assessed by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Begg's test was used to measure publication bias. Results A total of 51 case–control studies containing 6,403 patients and 11,346 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Significant associations were detected between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and risk of PE in the overall population for TT vs. CC (OR = 1.280, 95% CI: 1.074–1.525), recessive model (OR = 1.264, 95% CI: 1.067–1.303), and dominant genetic model (OR = 1.174, 95% CI: 1.057–1.303); in Caucasian population for dominant model (OR = 1.136, 95% CI: 1.022–1.263), and in East Asia population for TT vs. CC (OR = 2.199, 95% CI: 1.366–3.924) CT vs. CC (OR = 1.453, 95% CI: 1.001–2.109), recessive model (OR = 1.742, 95% CI: 1.202–2.525), and dominant model (OR = 1.783, 95% CI: 1.271–2.501). Conversely, no associations were detected in Latin America, South Asia, and Africa populations. Conclusions Results of the meta-analysis suggest that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with risk of PE in overall, Caucasian, and East Asia populations. Nevertheless, the results for Latino, East Asians, South Asians and Africans should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size.

W-MCM-41 mesoporous materials were directly synthesized via an alkali-hydrothermal method and characterized by using various techniques. The effect of different Si/W molar ratios in the gels on the structure and catalytic performance in cyclohexene oxidation was comparatively investigated in details. The results showed that the as-prepared materials retained good mesoporous structure and the one prepared with Si/W = 40 displayed the best catalytic properties.

Two novel caged ent-kauranoids, neolaxiflorins D (1) and E (2), along with three other new ent-kauranoids, neolaxiflorins F-H (3-5), and a known one, eriocalyxin B (6), were obtained from lsodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora. Neolaxiflorin D (1) is the first 15,16-seco-16,17-dinor-ent-kaurane diterpenoid, and neolaxiflorin E (2) is the first 15,16-seco-17-homo-ent-kauranoid. The absolute configurations of ent-kauranoids 1 and 2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Structural analysis of intermediate compounds 3-5 indicated that eriocalyxin B (6) is a biogenetic precursor of caged ent-kauranoids 1 and 2 as illustrated. The cytotoxic activity of the new compounds was evaluated by an MIT assay. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To screen the high efficient mixed culture and understand the bioleaching behaviors of mixed culture for low-grade copper sulfide ore bioleaching, ten mixed cultures were collected and screened from different acid mine drainages obtained from sulfide mines of China. The leaching rate was set as criterion to screen the mixed culture and the metagenomic approach. Community genome array (CGA) was used for analyzing the mixed culture microbial community shift during the bioleaching process. The results indicate that the mixed culture obtained from Yinshan(YS) lead-zinc mine in Dexing of Jiangxi province in China reaches the maximum copper extraction (68.89%) during the one bioleaching period of 24 d. CGA results show that YS culture contains nine kinds of bacteria which are belong to six divisions, and the microbial community structure is changing during the bioleaching process. This provides a good way to accelerate the bioleaching process and reveals the microbial community shift during the bioleaching process.

Elevated levels of postprandial triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins (ppTRLs) are atherogenic. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have exaggerated postprandial lipemia associated with elevation or prolonged residence of ppTRL remnants. We examined whether dietary fatty acid compositions (DFACs) decrease atherogenic lipid profiles in ppTRL subfractions in T2DM Chinese patients. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted among 28 T2DM patients. Patients consumed 1 of 3 standardized DFAC-specific fat meals: equidominant (1:1:1), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-dominant (PUFA-D, 1:1.7:2.3), or monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-dominant (MUFA-D, 1:1.7:1.2) meals. Numbers in parenthesis, respectively, represent the ratio of saturated fatty acids, MUFA, and PUFA to saturated fatty acids. The MUFA-D meal was the control. Triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels were measured in Svedberg flotation rate (S(f)) greater than 400, S(f) 60 to 400, S(f) 20 to 60, and S(f) 12 to 20 ppTRL subfractions at fasting (0 hour) and 2, 4, and 6 hours after the consumption of the fat meals. Effects of DFACs on mean concentrations of triacylglycerols and cholesterol averaged over 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours in ppTRL subfractions were assessed using linear mixed models. Stability and robustness were validated with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Contrasted to the control, equidominant meal reduced 6-hour average triacylglycerol levels in S(f) greater than 400 (P = .002, bootstrap P < .05) and S(f) 20 to 60 (P = .02, bootstrap P < .05) subfractions, and decreased average S(f) 20 to 60 cholesterol (P = .04, bootstrap P < .05); PUFA-D decreased S(f) greater than 400 average triacylglycerol levels (P = .09, bootstrap P < .05). Bootstrap samples suggested that PUFA-D decreased average S(f) 20 to 60 cholesterol levels (bootstrap P < .05). Therefore, modifying DFACs attenuates the atherogenic lipid profile of ppTRLs in T2DM patients; but increasing PUFA ratio may be more feasible.

Silica coated magnetic γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The crystal phase and magnetic properties of serials of α, γ-Fe 2 O 3 /SiO 2 from different iron raw materials, submitted to thermal treatment at a temperature of 400 °C were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy and magnetometry. Different amounts of TEOS, ethanol, water (media), and the different sources of iron, including ferric citrate (adjusting pH with citric acid), ferric chloride (adjusting pH with HCl), ferric nitrate (adjusting pH with nitrate) as raw material were mixed to form sol, and then gel. After drying at 60 °C in vacuum, the dry gels were sintered at the temperature of 400 °C to produce the Fe 2 O 3 particles. Ferric citrate raw material favored the occurrence of γ-Fe 2 O 3 , while ferric chloride gave rise to α-Fe 2 O 3 formation in SiO 2 matrix.

Co- and Ga-doped magnetites were synthesized at room temperature and CoFe(2)O(4) was synthesized at 60 degrees C. They were analyzed by Mossbauer analysis, X-ray diffraction, scan electron microscopy as well as magnetization determination. The information of composition, cation distribution in the spinel structure and the particle size distribution of the products were obtained. Meanwhile, the formation mechanism of Co-doped magnetite was deduced. Two different procedures were used to precipitate CoFe(2)O(4) magnetic particles. One was named normal pH regulation procedure (A) in which alkaline solution was dropped into the mixture solution of metal ions and the other was denoted as reverse pH regulation procedure (B) in which mixture solution of metal ions were dropped into alkaline solution. Particles of uniform size were obtained in procedure A, which resulted from calculated average particle size and Mossbauer analysis. A comparative original method for investigating the magnetic nanoparticle size distribution was developed. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The whole genome of strain Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 was analyzed by bioinformatics and some homolog genes of functional ones in magnetotactic bacteria were available. To obtain further knowledge of the magnetosomes formation mechanisms of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in response to different Fe sources and concentrations, temporal gene expression profiles of mpsA, magA, mamB and thy were examined by using Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The microbial formation of magnetosomes and magnetotaxis was also studied under different Fe2+ concentration. The results indicated that ORF numbers of 1622, 0276, 1124 and 2572 of the ATCC 23270 were homologous with mpsA, thy, magA and mamB genes in magnetotactic bacteria. The expression levels of mpsA, magA and mamB were directly related to ferrous concentration, and the highest expression level at 150–200 mmol/L ferrous was gained. The number of magnetosomes in ATCC 23270 and the magnetotaxis of cells were significantly related to the expression level of these three genes, suggesting that these genes were related with the iron transport during the process of magnetosome formation in A. ferrooxidans.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the deposition of senile plaques and progressive dementia. The molecular mechanisms that couple plaque deposition to neural system failure, however, are unknown. Using transgenic mouse models of AD together with multiphoton imaging, we measured neuronal calcium in individual neurites and spines in vivo using the genetically encoded calcium indicator Yellow Cameleon 3.6. Quantitative imaging revealed elevated [Ca(2+)]i (calcium overload) in approximately 20% of neurites in APP mice with cortical plaques, compared to less than 5% in wild-type mice, PS1 mutant mice, or young APP mice (animals without cortical plaques). Calcium overload depended on the existence and proximity to plaques. The downstream consequences included the loss of spinodendritic calcium compartmentalization (critical for synaptic integration) and a distortion of neuritic morphologies mediated, in part, by the phosphatase calcineurin. Together, these data demonstrate that senile plaques impair neuritic calcium homeostasis in vivo and result in the structural and functional disruption of neuronal networks.

Cleavage of the intracellular carboxyl terminus of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 2 subunit (NR2) by calpain regulates NMDA receptor function and localization. Here, we show that Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of NR2B controls calpain-mediated NR2B cleavage. In cultured neurons, calpain-mediated NR2B cleavage is significantly attenuated by blocking NR2B phosphorylation of Tyr-1336, but not Tyr-1472, via inhibition of Src family kinase activity or decreasing Fyn levels by small interfering RNA. In HEK cells, mutation of Tyr-1336 eliminates the potentiating effect of Fyn on calpain-mediated NR2B cleavage. The potentiation of NR2B cleavage by Fyn is limited to cell surface receptors and is associated with calpain translocation to plasma membranes during NMDA receptor activation. Finally, reducing full-length NR2B by calpain does not decrease extrasynaptic NMDA receptor function, and truncated NR1/2B receptors similar to those generated by calpain have electrophysiological properties matching those of wild-type receptors. Thus, the Fyn-controlled regulation of NMDA receptor cleavage by calpain may play critical roles in controlling NMDA receptor properties during synaptic plasticity and excitotoxicity.

Calcineurin and calpain, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase and a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, respectively, mediate neuronal cell death through independent cascades. Here, we report that during neuroexcitotoxicity, calcineurin A (CnA) is directly cleaved by calpain in vitro and in vivo, resulting in the enzyme being converted to an active form. Mass spectrometry identified three cleavage sites in CnA, two of which were constitutively active forms. Overexpression of the cleaved CnA induced caspase activity and neuronal cell death. Calpain inhibitors and membrane-permeable calpastatin peptides not only blocked the cleavage of CnA, but also protected against excitotoxic neuronal cell death in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that CnA is a crucial target for calpain, and the calpain-mediated activation of CnA triggers excitotoxic neurodegeneration. This study established a molecular link between calpain and calcineurin, thereby demonstrating a new mechanism for proteolytical regulation of calcineurin by calpain in response to certain pathological states.