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The gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of many drugs. FLZ, a novel squamosamide derivative, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects on experimental Parkinson's disease (PD) models. FLZ is under phase Ⅰ clinical trial now, while the underlying mechanisms contributing to the absorption of FLZ are still not fully elucidated. Due to the main metabolite of FLZ was abundant in feces but rare in urine and bile of mice, we focused on the gut microbiota to address how FLZ was metabolized and absorbed. In vitro studies revealed that FLZ could be exclusively metabolized to its major metabolite M1 by the lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (CYP51) in the gut microbiota, but was almost not metabolized by any other metabolism-related organs, such as liver, kidney, and small intestine. M1 was quickly absorbed into the blood and then remethylated to FLZ by catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT). Notably, dysbacteriosis reduced the therapeutic efficacy of FLZ on the PD mouse model by inhibiting its absorption. The results show that the gut microbiota mediate the absorption of FLZ through a FLZ–M1–FLZ circulation. Our research elucidates the vital role of the gut microbiota in the absorption of FLZ and provides a theoretical basis for clinical pharmacokinetic studies and clinical application of FLZ in the treatment of PD., Graphical abstract This study elucidates the role of gut microbiota in absorption of FLZ, a novel neuroprotective squamosamide derivative, providing theoretical basis for its clinical application in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.Image 1

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has neurotrophic activity for the survival of dopaminergic neurons, which is under active investigation for Parkinson's disease (PD) therapy. FLZ is a potential new drug for PD treatment. However, it is unclear whether neurotrophic activity contributes to the neuroprotective effects of FLZ. Here we found that FLZ markedly improved the function of dopaminergic neurons in primary mesencephalic neuron/glia cultures. Further investigation demonstrated that astroglia were required for FLZ to function as a neurotrophic regulator, as FLZ failed to show neurotrophic effects in the absence of astroglia. We clarified that GDNF was responsible for the neurotrophic effects of FLZ since FLZ selectively stimulated GDNF production, which was confirmed by the finding that the neurotrophic effect of FLZ was attenuated by GDNF-neutralizing antibody. Mechanistic study demonstrated that GDNF induction by FLZ was CREB-dependent and that PI3K/Akt was the main pathway regulating CREB activity, which was confirmed by in vivo studies. We also validated that the induction of GDNF by FLZ contributed to PD treatment in vivo. In conclusion, the present data provided evidence that FLZ had robust neurotrophic effects on dopaminergic neurons through sustained induction of GDNF in astroglia by activating the PI3K/Akt/CREB pathway.

Combinatorial problems are a fundamental research subject of theoretical computer science, and for a general graph many combinatorial problems are NP-hard and even #P-complete. Thus, it is interesting to seek or design special graphs for which these difficult combinatorial problems can be exactly solved. In this paper, we study some combinatorial problems for the Farey graphs, which are translated from Farey sequences and have received considerable attention from the scientific community. We determine exactly the domination number, the independence number, and the matching number. Moreover, we derive exact or recursive solutions to the number of minimum dominating sets, the number of dominating sets, the number of maximum independent sets, the number of independent sets, the number of maximum matchings, as well as the number of matchings. Finally, we obtain explicit expressions for the number of acyclic orientations and the number of root-connected acyclic orientations. Since the considered combinatorial problems have found wide applications in diverse fields, such as network science and graph data miming, this work is helpful for deepening our understanding of the applications for these combinatorial problems.

Series of NaBa0.97Ce0.03B9O15:xTb3+, ySm3+, zDy3+ are synthesized by the traditional high temperature solid-state method. Ce3+ is used as a sensitizer to improve the spectral properties of Tb3+, Sm3+ and Dy3+ by the way of energy transfer which is proved by the fluorescence decay curves. And the mechanisms of energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+, Sm3+ and Dy3+ are all determined as dipole-dipole interaction. The color of NBB:3%Ce3+, xTb3+, 0.5%Sm3+ can shift from light violet thought white to yellow. And NBB:3%Ce3+, zDy3+ can give out white light and move to green field. Moreover, the thermal stability makes NBB:3%Ce3+, 0.2%Dy3+ be a potential candidate for the self-referencing luminescent thermometry.

Due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), multimodal treatment may achieve better results. In this study, a series of coumarin Mannich base derivatives were designed and synthesized as multifunctional agents for PD treatment. Among the derivatives, 3-(3-(dimethylamino)propanoyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methyl- 2H-chromen-2-one hydrochloride (24) exhibited the most potent and selective hMAO-B inhibitory activity, and anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in the in vitro studies. It significantly attenuated PD-associated behavioural deficits in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of PD. Furthermore, preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that 24 could selectively inhibit MAO-B activity, decrease the neuroinflammatory process, and protect tyrosine hydroxylase-immunopositive dopaminergic neurons. These results suggest that 24 is a promising multifunctional agent for effective therapy for PD.

It is well-known that the thermal quenching (which is caused by non-radiative transition) damages the efficiencies of fluorescent lamps and LED lamps, especially for the high-power devices. Therefore, it is important to reduce the thermal quenching for improving the performance of illumination devices. In this work, Zn3(BO3)(PO4):Mn2+,Tb3+ is designed which appeared abnormal thermal quenching behavior. The phosphor does not exhibit thermal quenching even up to 200 °C (for emission of Mn2+) and 150 °C (for emission of Tb3+). The abnormal phenomenon is related to the shallow effects which are caused by the Mn2+ and Tb3+ doping in the host. Meanwhile, the thermal active phonon-assisted excitation also prevents the thermal quenching, which results in the broadening and blue-shift of the emission bands. Our result demonstrated that Zn3(BO3)(PO4):Mn2+, Tb3+ may be a potential candidate for the exploration of thermal stable materials.

Series of Ce3+/Eu2+, Ce3+/Mn2+ and Ce3+/Eu2+/Mn2+ doped Ba3Y(PO4)3 samples were synthesized by a high temperature solid state reaction method. Phase formation, energy transfer, luminescence properties and thermal quenching properties were investigated carefully. The energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ and Ce3+ to Mn2+ in Ba3Y(PO4)3 were verified and discussed detailed. When Ce3+ and Eu2+ are co-doped, the energy transfer process from Ce3+ to Eu2+ is confirmed with electric dipole-dipole interaction. For Ce3+/Mn2+ co-doped phosphors, the energy transfer process from Ce3+ to Mn2+ is proved with electric dipole-dipole interaction. Besides, due to the existence of defects, the phosphors show excellent thermal stability. For Ce3+/Eu2+/Mn2+ tri-doped Ba3Y(PO4)3, the energy transfer Ce3+→Eu2+ (Mn2+) and Eu2+→Mn2+ are confirmed. The energy transfer priority among Ce3+, Eu2+ and Mn2+ is analyzed in detail basing on the change of emission intensity. The obtained tri-doped phosphors contain red, green and blue component, thus they can emit warm white light basing on the energy transfer. The results show that they may be novel white-light-emitting phosphors for ultraviolet white light emitting diodes.

Series of (Zn, M)3(BO3)(PO4) (M = Ca, Mg):Ce3+ were synthesized by a high temperature solid state method, and the luminescence properties were investigated. Zn3(BO3)(PO4):Ce3+ presents two emission bands, which shows the different changing trends with increasing Ce3+ concentration. When introduced Mg2+ and Ca2+ into Zn3(BO3)(PO4), (Zn, M)3(BO3)(PO4) (M = Ca, Mg):Ce3+ also shows two emission bands because Ce3+ occupies three kinds of Zn sites and transits from 5d energy level to double ground state. Therefore, the two emission bands of Zn3(BO3)(PO4):Ce3+ should be assigned to the different occupancy sites of Ce3+. Moreover, the selective emission was realized and the emission intensity of Ce3+ was enhanced by the cationic substitution.

Luminescence mechanism of self-activated phosphor Ca0.75Sr0.2Mg1.05Si2O6 (CSMS) originating from oxygen vacancy defects has been deeply investigated by regulating synthesis temperature. The results demonstrate that the luminescence comes from three different oxygen defects in the crystal structure. For Ce3+ doped CSMS (ICSD#68180), two concentration quenching phenomena can be observed at x = 0.03 and 0.12 as the result of the formation of new substance CaMgSi2O6 (ICSD#17043), which leads to the actual concentration of Ce3+in CSMS (ICSD#68180) is far less than the doping concentration since part of Ce3+ ions enter CaMgSi2O6 (ICSD#17043). The emission spectra of CSMS:xCe3+ shifts from 388 nm to 405 nm with increasing Ce3+ content, which mainly should be due to the 5d energy center of Ce3+ shifting down and the crystal field split.

As the largest subgroup of intermediate filament proteins, keratins are divided into two types of subfamily. Currently, the molecular mechanism of keratins in several animals has been reported but is limited in yak. Here, 53 different kinds of keratins were identified in the yak genome, including 23 type I and 30 type II keratins. Bioinformatics analysis in this study revealed that multiple phosphorylation sites were identified among all the family members. And the subcellular localization of these proteins was predicted to be in the nucleus, cytoskeleton, and cytoplasm. All keratin family proteins were unstable and the scores of instability coefficient were higher than 40. Phylogenetic analysis showed that high consistency results of the sequence conservation and grouping were found in the genomes of yak, sheep, cattle, mouse, rat, and human. Based on the expression patterns obtained from the transcriptome data, keratin genes (KRTs) were grouped into five clusters, and results also showed that KRTs were highly activated in skin tissues during the hair cycle in yak. Among the five clusters, Cluster II contained the most KRTs, which was the main expression pattern of the yak hair follicle cycle, followed by Cluster III. These results indicated the transition period from telogen to anagen and catagen to telogen were highly dynamic in yak. Gene expression correlation analysis showed that KRTs exhibited a strong correlation (mainly positive correlation) throughout the hair follicle development cycle. And the identification of hub KRTs in specific modules related to hair follicle development in this study was performed using the Weight Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Specific modules that include KRTs were darkgreen (KRT40), darkgrey (KRT5), turquoise (KRT1, KRT2, KRT10), bisque4 (KRT4), thistle2 (KRT9, KRT39), and yellowgreen (KRT24). The interaction network showed that these genes were found to be related to the regulation of cell cycle, melanogenesis, hair follicle development, keratinocyte proliferation. Our study provides theoretical support for the study of the evolutionary relationship and molecular mechanism of keratin family in B. grunnien.

Following the initial trajectory planning research on Integrated Symmetrical Concentrated architecture (ISC) which is a kind of a space solar power station (SSPS), a new trajectory optimization scheme adopting dynamic programming is presented, which combines the joint energy consumption with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The advantage of the optimizing scheme can mitigate the difficulty in regulation and control due to the inertia shock of huge spatial structure during the course of solar-tracking, also it can balance the relationship between energy consuming and concentration efficiency. Firstly, the theory of energy-time integral in velocity space is given for this nonholonomic system; secondly, the angular positions of the joint are expressed as a set of spline interpolating functions expressed by piecewise 4-3-3-4 polynomial interpolation; then the dynamic programming is proposed which is realized by PSO searching algorithm; finally, a geometric method is proposed to analyze the relationship between the optimized position deviation and concentration efficiency, simulation results illustrate that the proposed optimization scheme can great mitigate the velocity sudden change and satisfy the required concentration efficiency. The proposed trajectory optimization strategy has practical engineering value for huge spatial structure especial in mechanism joint accelerant motion.

The activation of microglial NADPH oxidase (NOX2) induced by α-synuclein has been implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies. However, how α-synuclein activates NOX2 remains unclear. Previous study revealed that both toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and integrin play important roles in α-synuclein-induced microglial activation. In this study, we found that blocking CD11b, the α chain of integrin αMβ2, but not TLR2 attenuated α-synuclein-induced NOX2 activation in microglia. The involvement of CD11b in α-synuclein-induced activation of NOX2 was further confirmed in CD11b-/- microglia by showing reduced membrane translocation of NOX2 cytosolic subunit p47phox and superoxide production. Mechanistically, α-synuclein bound to CD11b and subsequently activated Rho signaling pathway. α-Synuclein induced activation of RhoA and downstream ROCK but not Rac1 in a CD11b-dependent manner. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of RhoA impeded NOX2 activation in response to α-synuclein. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of NOX2 failed to interfere with the activation of RhoA signaling and interactions between α-synuclein and CD11b, further confirming that NOX2 was the downstream target of CD11b. Finally, we found that genetic deletion of CD11b abrogated α-synuclein-induced NOX2 activatoin in vivo. Taken together, our results indicated that integrin CD11b mediates α-synuclein-induced NOX2 activation through a RhoA-dependent pathway, providing not only a novel mechanistic insight but also a new potential therapeutic target for synucleinopathies., Graphical abstract fx1, Highlights • Blocking CD11b, the α chain of integrin αMβ2, but not TLR2 attenuates α-synuclein-induced NOX2 activation. • α-Synuclein binds to CD11b. • CD11b regulates NOX2 activation induced by α-synuclein through a RhoA-dependent pathway.

High nickel layered oxides (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, NMC811) demonstrate high capacity (≥ 200 mA h/g) and low cost, making them increasingly attractive as a high energy active cathode to replace LiCoO2 or LiFePO4 for lithium ion batteries. Nevertheless, their large scale practical applications are still inhibited by the low structural stability, insufficient rate capability and cyclability. In this work, a stable and safe LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode was synthesized by facile oxalic acid assisted co-precipitation method. Boric acid has been chosen and utilized as a co-sintering agent to enhance the electrochemical performance via fine tuning internal interplanar space between transition metal oxide (003) layers. The B03 sample with 3.0 at% of boron doping exhibited a sustainable reversible capacity as high as 220 mA h g−1 with approximate 97% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.5 C charging/discharging rate. It also delivered 93 mA h/g under 10 C rate testing. In the long-term cycling test, this B03-NMC 811 cathode demonstrated 83% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 5 C cycling test. Appropriate adding of boron not only enhanced their C-rate capability and cyclability but also improved their structural stability during repetitive charging and discharging process through ex situ XRD measurement. The c axis variation of B03-NMC 811 cathode between 3.7 V and 4.3 V was reduced by 7.6% (0.014 A) as compared to the pristine one. However, larger quantity (5.0 at%) of boron degrades the electrochemical performance induced by increased Li/Ni disorder. Thereafter, this enhancement in both electrochemical performance and structural stability benefits from the optimized interplanar space between transition metal oxide (003) layers, which can be tuned precisely by such a simple but novel co-sintering process with boric acid. This approach opens the door to structural modification and optimization of NMC811 cathode to satisfy the demanding performance and safety requirements of electric vehicles.

Full-spectrum plant growth light emitting diode (LED) prepared using a variety of phosphors has some problems, such as energy loss and spectral distortion. It is the solution that designing a kind of phosphor, which is the single activated ion doped phosphor with the multiple emission. To achieve this goal, the host Mg2Y2Al2Si2O12 (Abbreviated as: MYASO) was selected from a large number of garnet materials which has the multi-sites, and the Mn2+ was selected as the activated ion which can produce the different emission in the different crystal field. The results show that Mn2+ can produce the green light (536 nm), red light (635 nm) and deep red light (735 nm), which correspond to the Mn2+ substituting for the tetra-coordinated Al3+, the octa-coordinated Mg2+ and the hexa-coordinated Mg2+, respectively, importantly, this phosphor can be efficiently excited by the 456 nm blue light, which matches well with the blue LED chip. Therefore, it may be a great potential application value in the production of plant growth LEDs.

In July 2017, Russia formally offered an invitation to build the Polar Silk Road (PSR) to China. Then, the White Paper of China's Arctic Policy was officially published in January 2018. It proposes the joint construction of the PSR to promote sustainable economic and social development in the Arctic region. Notably, the PSR aims to open up China's maritime trade route through the Arctic to Northwest Europe and influence the container hinterland pattern of China's coastal ports. This study assumes three scenarios to analyse and predict the evolution of the hinterlands of Chinese ports exporting to Europe under the PSR. The discrete selection model based on random utility is constructed to divide the dominant hinterland, probabilistic hinterland and major competitive hinterland of ports. The research shows that the cost and time, container throughput and risk have negative effects on a shipper's choice of port, whereas the sailing frequency has a positive effect. In general, the hinterlands of northern ports continue to expand under the PSR. Meanwhile, the hinterlands of the middle ports decrease first and then increase, and those of the southern ports contract. Overall, the northern ports are the most vulnerable to the changes of PSR attributes.

Three new lupane-type triterpenoids (1-3), three new oleane-type triterpenoids (4-6), as well as two known compounds (7-8) were isolated from Euonymus carnosus. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses, including UV, IR, MS, and NMR experiments. The inhibitory on LPS-induced NO production in microglia BV2 cells of compounds 1-8 were also evaluated. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate abilities to inhibit NO production, with IC50 values of 5.99 and 8.47μM, respectively.

Space solar power station (SSPS) is a comprehensive system that continuously collects solar energy in space and transmits it to ground with a wireless power transmission (WPT) system. These systems have great potential to provide large-scale energy. To increase the efficiency and reduce the weight and cost of the photovoltaic (PV) components, a huge light-weighted concentrator was introduced in the latest SSPS concepts, such as integrated symmetrical concentrator (ISC) and arbitrarily large phased array (ALPHA). However, for typical SSPS running in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), the sunlight direction varies with time, leading to a great challenge for concentrator design. In ISC, the two-dimensional mast is used to realize sun-tracking. However, a multi-thousand-ton structure is difficult to control precisely in space. For this reason, ALPHA comprises a large number of individually pointed thin-film reflectors to intercept sunlight, mounted on the non-moving structure. However, the real-time adjustment of the thousands of reflectors is still an open problem. Furthermore, the uniformity of the time of the power generation (UTPG) is another factor evaluating the system. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel concentrator based on zero-index metamaterial (ZIM) called Thin-film Energy Terminator (SSPS-TENT). This will aid the control of the massive reflectors while avoiding the rotation of the overall system, the control of the massive reflectors and the influence of the obliquity of the ecliptic. Also, an optimization design method is proposed to increase its solar energy collecting efficiency (ECE) and flux distribution (FD). The ray-tracing simulation results show that the ECE is more than 96% of the day. In terms of the FD, the uniformity varies from 0.3057 to 0.5748. Compared with ALPHA, the UTPG is more stable.

Catalytic ozonation is progressively becoming an attractive technique for quick water purification but efficient and stable catalysts remains elusive. Here we solvothermally synthesized highly-dispersed Co3O4 nanocrystals over microscale nitrogen-doping graphene (NG) nanosheets and tested it as a synthetic catalyst in the ozonation of phenol in aqueous solutions. Transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to determine its morphology, crystallinity, elemental composition and molecular bonds, respectively. The comparative experiments confirmed the highest catalytic activity and oxidation degree (AOSC) of Co3O4/NG among four nanocomposites (G, NG, Co3O4/G, and Co3O4/NG). Co3O4/NG also has exhibited the highest degradation rate: complete conversion of a near-saturated concentration of phenol (941.1 mg/L) was achieved within 30 min under ambient conditions with only a small dosage of Co3O4/NG (50 mg/L) and ozone (4 mg/L, flow rate: 0.5 L/min). It also resulted in 34.6% chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) and 24.2% total organic carbon (TOC) reduction. In this work, graphene nanosheets not only functioned as a support for Co3O4 nanocrystals but also functioned as a co-catalyst for the enhancement in phenol removal efficiency. The surface nitridation and Co3O4 modification treatment further improved the removal rate of the phenol pollutants and brought in the higher oxidation degree. Our finding may open new perspectives for pursuing exceptional activity for catalytic ozonation reaction.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory infiltration and demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS). Among all the factors that are involved in the immunological mechanisms of MS, T helper 1 (Th1) cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a critical role. Compound 21, a novel phloroglucinol derivative, has shown remarkable effects on protecting myelin damage in our previous study. However, whether it has effects on MS remains unclear. In this study, the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) rat model was established to mimic the pathological process of MS and to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of Compound 21. The results illustrated that Compound 21 treatment notably attenuated the neurological deficits, immune infiltration and demyelination of EAE rats. Mechanistic investigation revealed that Compound 21 treatment reduced the population of Th1/Th17 cells and inhibited their infiltration into the CNS. Further study found that the inhibition of Th1/Th17 cell infiltration was related to the direct suppression of Th1/Th17 cell differentiation and inhibition of pro-inflammatory microglial cells. Collectively, all these results proved that Compound 21 treatment suppressed infiltrated Th1/Th17 cells to alleviate the demyelination of EAE rats, suggesting its potential role as a novel candidate for MS treatment. Funding Statement: This investigation was supported by grants from National Sciences Foundation of China (81630097, 81773718), CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2016-I2M-3-011), CAMS The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2018RC350002), National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for “Significant New Drugs Development” during the Thirteenth Five-year Plan Period (2018ZX09711001-003-005, 2018ZX09711001-008-005, 2018ZX09711001-003-020). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing financial or other interests. Ethics Approval Statement: All the animal experiments were carried out according to the guidelines of the Beijing Municipal Ethic Committee for the care and use of laboratory animals.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis (Fructus Gardenia) is a traditional Chinese medicine with diverse pharmacological functions, such as anti-inflammation, anti-depression, as well as improvement of cognition and ischemia brain injury. GJ-4 is a natural extract from Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis (Fructus Gardenia) and has been proved to improve memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model in our previous studies. Aim of the study This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of GJ-4 on vascular dementia (VD) and explore the potential mechanisms. Material and methods In our experiment, a focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion rat model was successfully developed by the middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R). GJ-4 (10 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg) and nimodipine (10 mg/kg) were orally administered to rats once a day for consecutive 12 days. Learning and memory behavioral performance was assayed by step-down test and Morris water maze test. The neurological scoring test was performed to evaluate the neurological function of rats. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and Nissl staining were respectively employed to determine the infarct condition and neuronal injury of the brain. Iba1 immunohistochemistry was used to show the activation of microglia. Moreover, the synaptic damage and inflammatory level were detected by Western blot. Results GJ-4 could significantly improve memory impairment, cerebral infraction, as well as neurological deficits of VD rats induced by MCAO/R. Further research indicated VD-induced neuronal injury was alleviated by GJ-4. In addition, GJ-4 could protect synapse of VD rats by upregulating synaptophysin (SYP) expression, post synaptic density 95 protein (PSD95) expression, and downregulating N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1) expression. Subsequent investigation of the underlying mechanisms identified that GJ-4 could suppress neuroinflammatory responses, supported by inhibited activation of microglia and reduced expression of inflammatory proteins, which ultimately exerted neuroprotective effects on VD. Further mechanistic study indicated that janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) pathway was inhibited by GJ-4 treatment. Conclusion These results suggested that GJ-4 might serve as a potential drug to improve VD. In addition, our study indicated that inhibition of neuroinflammation might be a promising target to treat VD.

For a ∈ ( 0 , 1 / 2 ] and r ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) , let K a ( r ) and E a ( r ) ( K ( r ) and E ( r ) ) denote the generalized elliptic integrals (the complete elliptic integrals, respectively) of the first and second kinds, respectively. In this paper, the authors present the necessary and sufficient conditions under which certain familiar combinations defined in terms of the generalized elliptic integrals and elementary functions are monotone in a ∈ ( 0 , 1 / 2 ] . By these results, sharp bounds expressed in terms of K ( r ) , E ( r ) and elementary functions are obtained for K a ( r ) and E a ( r ) , thus showing the dependence on the parameter a of K a ( r ) and E a ( r ) , and substantially improving the known related results.

Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /hierarchical porous carbon matrixes composites are successfully prepared by a facile and fast polymers assisted sol–gel method, aiming to promote both electronic and ionic conductivity. As indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, three less expensive cost and available water soluble polymers (e.g. PAA, CMC, and SA) can homogeneously react with Li–Ti–O precursor to incorporate into interior of nano-scale lithium titanate and provide a continues conductive network after pyrolysis. In addition, the results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy also prove that the Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanoparticles are firmly embedded in porous carbon matrix with no obvious agglomeration. EIS measurement and cyclic voltammetry further reveal that the facilitated electrode kinetics and better ionic transport of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /hierarchical porous carbon matrixes composites than that of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 . The c-CMC-LTO exhibits a superior capacity of 92 mAh g −1 and retains its initial value with no obviously capacity decay over 200 cycles under an ultra-high C rate (50 C).

Diffusion restriction of precursor ions was applied using filter paper during platinum electrodeposition on a solid carbon paste substrate, in order to uniformize the growth of Pt catalyst particles. An additional 3D nucleation process was then observed in the initial deposition stage, and the growth rate of Pt particles kept constant over whole deposition time. The prepared particles showed a sunflower-head-like morphology with numerous nanoscale “seeds” on the surface. Both the “sunflower-heads” and the “seeds” become more uniform in size, shape and surface distribution due to diffusion restriction, leading to an increase in the electrochemical active area of Pt particles and an enhancement in methanol oxidation kinetics. The analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy by equivalent circuit fitting yields potential-dependent charge-transfer resistances and inductances with the same sign (positive or negative), corresponding to the regeneration or passivation of surface active sites at different potentials. This study offers insight into the role of the diffusion-restricted electrodeposition in preparing the catalyst particles with high catalytic activity.

Space Solar Power Station (SSPS) is a kind of space electrical power system which converts space solar energy into electrical power and transmits it to Earth ground receiving station, the energy from which is a kind of clean and renewable resource. Compared to others, the SSPS with concentrator represents the developing direction of SPSS in the future, among which, Integrated Symmetrical Concentrated system (ISC) proposed by NASA has the advantage of high collecting sunlight efficiency. However, the addition of concentrator system results in complicated mechanism and is more difficult to control in motion than before; therefore, it is particularly important to plan the effective and realizable motion trajectory when travels on its orbit in the space. For the purpose, a method of trajectory planning for this kind of system is proposed in this paper to make concentrator to realize real-time solar tracking by means of the cooperative rotation of transverse truss and concentrator on the Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and the simulation demonstrates its validation and feasibility. Finally, two improved measures especially solution 2 are presented to mitigate the overheating as the result of nonuniformity of the flux distribution on PV array caused by rotation of concentrator.

Ten undescribed highly oxidized sesquiterpenes and six known sesquiterpenes were isolated from H2O-soluble part of the fruits of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith. The structures of undescribed compounds were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations of 2α-hydroxyneoanisatinic acid, (1R,5R,6S,7R,9R,10R)-3,4-dehydro-12-hydroxy-floridanolide, and (1R,4S,5R,6S,7S,9S)-1-deoxy-13-hydroxymerrilactone B were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Illilanceolatin A was the first example of a seco-prezizaane type sesquiterpene with a hemiacetal moiety located at C-10. 2α-Hydroxyneoanisatinic acid and anisatinic acid were two naturally occurring undescribed seco-prezizaane type sesquiterpenes with a 5/5/6 tricyclic carbon skeleton. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of the isolated polycyclic and highly oxidized sesquiterpenes derived from the intermediate allo-cedrane were proposed. (1R,5R,6S,7R,9R,10R)-3,4-dehydro-12-hydroxy-floridanolide, 1,3-dihydroxyneoanisatin, and 2α-hydroxyneoanisatin displayed neuroprotective effects with protection rates of 19.9, 22.7 and 24.3% at 10 μM, respectively. Additionally, the preliminary acute toxicity of anisatinic acid was also evaluated.

A series of Na1-zKzBa1-ySryB9O15:Eu2+ were synthesized by the high temperature solid state method. H3BO3 excess makes it easier for Eu2+ to enter Na+ site, and the single-phase "blue + green" double emission band can be observed, which is proved by thermoluminescence and the change of crystal structure. Moreover, there exists an intense energy transfer from the blue-emitting center to the green-emitting center, which is proved by the decay curve. The occupation of Eu2+ can be tuned by the introduction of Sr2+ and K+ in NaBaB9O15. Further, the highly thermal-sensitive property of NaBaB9O15: 1%Eu2+ makes it feasible for its potential application in luminescent ratiometric thermometers with wide temperature range. In addition, the disorder degree of matrix cations increases with the incorporation of K+, which improves the thermal stability.

Series of Sr6Ca4(PO4)6F2:Ce3+, Tb3+, Sm3+ are prepared by a high temperature solid state method. Ce3+, Tb3+ or Sm3+ single-doped Sr6Ca4(PO4)6F2 can produce blue, green and red emission under ultraviolet excitation, respectively. However, the emission intensities of Tb3+ and Sm3+ are relatively weak due to their forbidden transition. In order to achieve white light, the spectral property and decay curves of Sr6Ca4(PO4)6F2:Ce3+/Tb3+/Sm3+ are measured, not only the energy transfer of Ce3+-Tb3+, Ce3+-Sm3+ and Tb3+-Sm3+ was demonstrated, importantly, but also the single-phase white emitting phosphor Sr6Ca4(PO4)6F2:0.14Ce3+, 0.07Tb3+,0.13Sm3+ was obtained by the energy transfer.

As technologies used to study the gut microbiota have improved, the relationship between the gut microbiota and health has become increasingly obvious. Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years, and are known to be "simple, convenient, cheap, and effective". However, due to many factors, such as their complex composition, unclear active compounds, and poor knowledge of their underlying mechanisms, the clinical applications of herbal medicines are not widely recognized. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies which have investigated the interaction between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines. We have found that interactions between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines occur primarily through two pathways. One pathway is that the gut microbiota "digests" the herbal medicines into absorbable active small molecules, which enter the body and induce physiological changes. The other is that herbal medicines regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and its secretions, thereby changed gut microbiota and its secretions inducing physiological changes. In summary, the interactions between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines can be attributed to absorbable active small molecules and changed gut microbiota and its secretions. Our findings will aid the exploration of the mechanisms and pathways underlying the function of herbal medicines in the future. This review also summarizes the direction of future research and the main problems faced by the current researchers.

Five new compounds (1–5), including three hexalactone derivatives (1–3) and a pair of new oxaspiro-carbon epimeric glycosides (4 and 5), and six known compounds (6–11) were obtained from the fruits of Illicium lanceolatum. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using extensive spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1–3 were determined by an analysis of their CD spectra. It was determined that compounds 4 and 5, which are epimeric at C-5, possess the same 1-oxaspiro[4,5]decane-7α,8α,9β-triol moiety. Plausible biogenetic pathways for 4 and 5 derived from the key precursor shikimic acid were proposed. Compounds 1–11 were all assayed on monosodium glutamate-induced human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell damage. The results demonstrated that compounds 4, 5, and 8–10 possess potential neuroprotective effects. The anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and cytotoxic activities of 1–11 were also evaluated.

Silicon (Si) has been perceived as a promising next-generation anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to its superior theoretical capacity. Despite the natural abundance of this element on Earth, large-scale production of high-purity Si nanomaterials in a green and energy-efficient way is yet to become an industrial reality. Spray-drying methods have been exploited to recover Si particles from low-value sludge produced in the photovoltaic industry, providing a massive and cost-effective Si resource for fabricating anode materials. To address such drawbacks like volume expansion, low electrical and Li+ conductivity and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, the recycled silicon particles have been downsized into nanoscale and shielded by a highly conductive and protective graphene multilayer through high energy ball milling. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements have revealed that the graphene wrapping and size reduction approach have significantly improved the electrochemical performance. It delivers an excellent reversible capacity of 1,138 mA h g−1 and a long cycle life with 73% capacity retention over 150 cycles at a high current of 450 mA g−1. The plentiful waste conversion methodology also provides considerable opportunities for developing additional rechargeable devices, ceramic, powder metallurgy and silane/siloxane products.

Atmospheric pressure Ar/N2 binary plasma jet irradiation has been introduced into the manufacturing process of lithium ions batteries as a facile, green and scalable post-fabrication treatment approach, which enhanced significantly the high-rate anode performance of lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12). Main emission lines in Ar/N2 plasma measured by optical emission spectroscopy reveal that the dominant excited high-energy species in Ar/N2 plasma are N2*, N2+, N∗ and Ar∗. Sufficient oxygen vacancies have been evidenced by high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and Raman spectra. Nitrogen doping has been achieved simultaneously by the surface reaction between pristine Li4Ti5O12 particles and chemically reactive plasma species such as N∗ and N2+. The variety of Li4Ti5O12 particles on the surface of electrodes after different plasma processing time has been examined by grazing incident X-Ray diffraction. Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) confirm that the Ar/N2 atmospheric plasma treatment facilitates Li+ ions diffusion and reduces the internal charge-transfer resistance. The as-prepared Li4Ti5O12 anodes exhibit a superior capacity (132 mAh g−1) and excellent stability with almost no capacity decay over 100 cycles under a high C rate (10C).