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Objective To systematically describe the short stature of patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia and to explore factors affecting the height development of patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia. Study design This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and the height, weight, and clinical data of 129 patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia were collected from June 2020 to September 2020. Results The median height-age-z score (HAZ) of children affected by Diamond-Blackfan anemia was −1.54 (−6.36-1.96). Short stature was found in 37.98% of the patients. Specific Diamond-Blackfan anemia growth curves were developed for weight, height, and body mass index, separately for male and female patients. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that female sex (aOR 4.92; 95% CI 1.29-18.71; P = .0195), underweight (aOR 10.41, 95% CI 1.41-76.98, P = .0217), cardiovascular malformations (aOR 216.65; 95% CI 3.29-14279.79; P = .0118), and RPL11(aOR 29.14; 95% CI 1.18-719.10; P = .0392) or RPS26 (aOR 53.49; 95% CI 1.40-2044.30; P = .0323) mutations were independent risk factors for short stature. In the subgroup of patients who were steroid-dependent, patients with a duration of steroid therapy over 2 years (OR 2.95; 95% CI 1.00-8.66; P = .0494) or maintenance dose of prednisone >0.1 mg/kg per day (OR 3.30; 95% CI 1.02-10.72; P = .0470) had a higher incidence of short stature. Conclusions Patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia had a high prevalence of short stature. The risk of short stature increased with age and was associated with sex, underweight, congenital malformations, and RPL11 or RPS26 mutations. The duration of steroid therapy and maintenance dose of steroid was significantly associated with the incidence of short stature in steroid-dependent patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia.

Piezoelectric materials are an important functional material in the modern world because they are capable of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy and vice versa. Lead-free potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based piezoelectric materials have been intensively researched in the past decade for only one purpose: to replace the less environmentally friendly lead-based piezoelectric materials in commercial products. In this review, the historical research evolution of KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics is highlighted. Meanwhile, to evaluate the technology transfer status, we emphasize on the analysis of the patents applied within the past five years, as well as certain practical applications of KNN-based materials. This paper concludes with the prediction of remaining challenges and opportunities for adopting the lead-free KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics in practical applications.

The subset of regulatory T (Treg) cells, with its specific transcription Foxp3, is a unique cell type for the maintenance of immune homeostasis by controlling effector T (Teff) cell responses. Although it is common that a defect in Treg cells with Treg/Teff disorder causes autoimmune diseases; however, the precise mechanisms are not thoroughly revealed. Here, we report that miR-34a could attenuate human and murine Foxp3 gene expression via targeting their 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTR). The human miR-34a, increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+ T cells from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, displayed a positive correlation with some serum markers of inflammation including rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-streptolysin antibody (ASO), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as Th17 signature gene RORγt, but inversely correlated with the mRNA expression levels of FOXP3. In addition, murine miR-34a levels were downregulated in TGF-β-induced Treg cells but upregulated in Th17 cells induced in vitro compared to activated CD4+ T cells. It has also been demonstrated that elevated miR-34a disrupting Treg/Th17 balance in vivo contributed to the progress of pathogenesis of collagen induced arthritis (CIA) mice. Furthermore, IL-6 and TNF-α were responsible for the upregulation of miR-34a and downregulation of Foxp3, which was reverted by the addition of NF-κB/p65 inhibitor BAY11-7082, thus indicating that NF-κB/p65 inhibited Foxp3 expression in an miR-34a-dependent manner. Finally, IL-6 or TNF-α-activated p65 could bind to the miR-34a promotor and enhance its activity, resulting in upregulation of its transcription. Taken together, we show that NF-κB activated by inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, ameliorates Foxp3 levels via regulating miR-34a expression, which provides a new mechanistic and therapeutic insight into the ongoing of autoimmune diseases.

To explore the role of hemodynamic factors in the occurrence of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection (SMAD) using a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation method, and to identify histopathologic changes occurring in the wall of the SMA.A total of 122 consecutive patients diagnosed with SMAD and 122 controls were included in this study. Hemodynamic factors were calculated using a FSI simulation method. Additionally, SMA specimens obtained from 12 cadavers were stained for histological quantitative analysis.The mean aortomesenteric angle (59.7° ± 21.4° vs 48.2° ± 16.8°; p .001) and SMA maximum curvature (0.084 ± 0.078 mmIncreased aortomesenteric angle and SMA curvature are risk factors for SMAD. Both of these factors can cause local hemodynamic abnormalities, which can lead to histopathologic changes in anterior wall of SMA.

To investigate the efficacy of a paeoniflorin-sodium alginate (SA)-gelatin skin scaffold for treating diabetic wound in a rat model.Bioinks were prepared using various percentages of paeoniflorin in the total weight of a solution containing SA and gelatin. Skin scaffolds containing 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% paeoniflorin were printed using 3D bioprinting technology, and scaffold microstructure was observed with scanning electron microscopy. Skin scaffolds were then used in rats with diabetic wounds. HE staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemical staining for IL-1β and CD31 were performed on days 7 and 14.All skin scaffolds had a mesh-like structure with uniform pore distribution. Wounds healed well in each group, with the 1% and 3% groups demonstrating the most complete healing. HE staining showed that skin accessory organs had appeared in each group. On day 7, collagen deposition in the 3% group was higher than in the other groups (P＜0.05), and IL-1β infiltration was lower in the 10% group than in the 3% group (P = 0.002). On day 14, IL-1β infiltration was not significantly different between the 10% and 3% groups (P = 0.078). The CD31 level was higher in the 3% group than in the other groups on days 7 and 14 (P＜0.05).A 3% paeoniflorin-SA-gelatin skin scaffold promoted the healing of diabetic wounds in rats. This scaffold promoted collagen deposition and microvascular regeneration and demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that this scaffold type could be used to treat diabetic wounds.

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a common lesion which often present asymptomatic until the time of rupture and result in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The pathogenesis of IA formation is complex and is influenced by both genetic and environmental risk factors. For exploring the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of IA, recent studies indicated inflammatory pathways and their genetic variants may as potential biomarkers. In this study, functionally relevant polymorphisms in the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) were screened in 330 IA patients and 313 controls from a Han Chinese population. Eight single nucleotide gene polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped by the Improved Multiple Ligase Detection Reaction (iMLDR) method. Our results indicated that the presence of the minor allele (C) of the TLR4 SNP rs11536889 was associated with a decreased risk of IA (C vs. G, OR = 0.731; 95% CI 0.567–0.943; P = 0.017). This association was also present at the genotype level in a codominant model (GC vs. GG, OR = 0.447; 95% CI 0.226–0.884; P = 0.020) and a recessive model (CC vs. GG + GC, OR = 0.489; 95% CI 0.250–0.955; P = 0.035). In summary, we firstly found that the TLR4 SNP rs11536889 was significantly associated with the susceptibility of IA. Our results indicated TLR4 SNP rs11536889 may be a marker for IA risk, though the exact functional roles of TLR4 SNP rs11536889 in IA formation are still not very clear.

A 12-phosphotungstic acid (PTA)-based esterification catalyst was prepared by modifying PTA with 1,2,3-trizaole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (TDA). The obtained TDA-PTA sample was characterized with XRD, IR, SEM, TG and potentiometric titration techniques, and its catalytic properties for esterification of oleic acid with methanol were studied. In addition, the effects of reaction conditions, including catalyst amount, oleic acid/alcohol molar ratio, reaction time and reaction temperature, on its catalytic performance were investigated. After modification with TDA, although the Keggin structure of PTA is kept and the sample shows strong acidity, the particle morphology changes to regular spheres. In particular, the sample exhibits high catalytic activity and stability in esterification of oleic acid with methanol. The modification of PTA by TDA effectively prevents PTA from dissolving in the reaction mixture, and thus, the TDA-PTA can be recycled at least six runs without severe loss of catalytic activity, showing that it is a good heterogeneous catalyst for esterification.

The medicinal plant Kadsura coccinea distributing in South China, was widely used for reducing inflammation and relieving pain. Previous study in our laboratory had proved the significant therapeutic effects of K. coccinea extract on adjuvant arthritis rats. To explore the responsible components and possible mechanisms, an AUF-HPLC-Q-TOF/ MS method was employed for screening and characterizing COX-2 ligands from K. coccinea stems for the first time. Meanwhile, the molecular docking was performed to simulate the binding modes for ligands and COX-2, the cell-free enzyme activity assay was applied to verify the direct COX-2 inhibition of potential inhibitors, and the cell-based study on COX-2 expression was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of (+)-Anwulignan. As a result, the potential COX-2 inhibitor (+)-Anwulignan significantly suppressing COX-2 expressions in LPS signaling pathways might be a good candidate for anti-inflammation and analgesia. In conclusion, AUF mass spectrometry combining the molecular docking and bioassays in vitro was an efficient approach for discovering enzyme inhibitors from traditional herbs.

In this work, amino functionalized CdSe-silica core-shell nanoparticles (NH2-CdSe@SiO2 NPs) were constructed as probe to detect picric acid (PA). The CdSe QDs were embedded in SiO2 nanoparticles and modified with amino groups on the surface. The nitro explosives are electron deficient in nature, which will have stronger affinity for amines and resulted in fluorescence quenching of quantum dots. It was proved that this strategy is selective, easy and sensitive enough for sensing PA with a detection limit of 0.5 × 10−7 M.

Penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the primary target of β-lactams used to treat pseudomonas infections. Meanwhile, structure change and overproduction of PBP3 play important roles in the drug resistance of P. aeruginosa. Therefore, studies on the gene and structure of PBP3 are urgently needed. P. aeruginosa CMCC 10104 is a type culture strain common used in China. However, there is no report on its genomic and proteomic profiles. In this study, based on ftsI of P. aeruginosa PAO1, the gene encoding PBP3 was cloned from CMCC 10104. A truncated version of the ftsI gene, omitting the bases encoding the hydrophobic leader peptide (amino acids 1-34), was amplified by PCR. The cloned DNA shared 99.76% identity with ftsI from PAO1. Only four bases were different (66 C-A, 1020 T-C, 1233 T-C, and 1527 T-C). However, there were no differences between their deduced amino acid sequences. The recombinant PBP3 (rPBP3), containing a 6-histidine tag, was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) with Ni(2+)-NTA agarose was used for its purification. The purified rPBP3 was identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis, and showed a single band at about 60kDa with purity higher than 95%. The penicillin-binding assay indicated that the obtained rPBP3 was functional and not hindered by the presence of the C-terminal His-tag. The protocol described in this study offers a method for obtaining purified recombinant PBP3 from P. aeruginosa CMCC 10104.

The objective of this work was to investigate why loquat fruit peels are more sensitive to high temperature and strong sunlight, making them highly susceptible to sunburn, during the color changing period (CCP). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) of the fruit peel proteins was performed over three developmental periods, namely green fruit period (GFP), color changing period and yellow ripening period (YRP). Fifty-five protein spots with at least 2-fold differences in abundance were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS. The identified proteins were divided into categories related to heat-shock response, stress response and defense, energy metabolism, photosynthesis and protein biosynthesis. The results showed that expression of proteins related to anaerobic respiration and photorespiration were increased while the proteins related to ROS scavenging, polyamine biosynthesis, defense pathogens and photosynthesis were decreased during CCP under heat stress. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of loquat fruit susceptible to sunburn during CCP.

Esterification of free fatty acids with alcohols catalytic by acid catalysts can synthesize sustainable production of biofuel. In this work, 12-tungstophosphoric acid was modified by picolinic acid to prepare solid acid catalyst (PA-HPW) and applied to the esterification, which was proved to be an efficient catalyst for the esterification of oleic acid and alcohols. For characterization of the catalysts, XRD, FT-IR, SEM and potentiometric titration method were employed. These analyses showed that there was no decomposition of the Keggin structure of 12-tungstophosphoric acid during preparation and esterification. The PA-HPW catalyst presented high acidity and good stability in esterification mixtures. Various reaction parameters, such as methanol/oleic acid molar ratio, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature and time were systematically examined. A quantitative conversion (100%) of oleic acid was achieved, using the most active modified catalyst at 80 °C with a 7 wt % catalyst/oleic acid ratio for 5 h, at a 10:1 of alcohol/acid mole ratio. The catalyst can be easily recovered and reused, which indicated that the PA-HPW catalyst is a promising new type of heterogeneous acid catalyst for conversion of free fatty acid feeds to biodiesel.

The hydrophosphorylation of aldehydes with a P-stereogenic H-phosphinate was realized by heating two compounds in a neat state or catalyzed by a base, to afford P-retention α-hydroxyl phosphinates. The (SP,SC) and other diastereomers were isolated, and their structures were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and crystallography.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of lipid metabolism disorders in Kupffer cells (KCs) of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rats mediated by LXRα-SREBP-1c pathway and the interference of soothing liver and invigorating spleen recipe (SLISR) on it. Methods SD male rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal, model, soothing liver recipe (SLR), invigorating spleen recipe (ISR), and soothing liver and invigorating spleen recipe (SLISR) groups. The rats in treatment groups were administered for 8 weeks. The liver tissue was stained with HE LXRα, SREBP-1C, and FAS proteins were measured by Western blotting. Results The H&E and oil red O staining results showed that the model rats successfully reproduced typical pathogenetic and histopathological features of NAFLD. The levels of hepatic lipid and blood lipid in the model rats were dramatically increased. Compared with the model group, the values of hepatic lipid and blood lipid in the treatment groups were significantly ameliorated (P Conclusion SLISR may protect liver against injury included by lipid metabolism disorders in KCs through LXRα/SREBP-1c signaling pathway, which may be an important mechanism for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Tmod4 (Tropomodulin 4) is a member of Tmod family that plays important role in thin filament length regulation and myofibril assembly. We found that the expression levels of Tmod4 were higher in skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. However, the function and regulation of the Tmod4 gene in the myogenesis and adipogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of Tmod4 was decreased in myogenesis while increased in adipogenesis. Then, the transcriptional regulation analysis of Tmod4 promoter showed that Tmod4 could be regulated directly by myogenic factors and adipogenic factors. Furthermore, the roles of Tmod4 in the myogenesis and adipogenesis were confirmed by its over-expression in C2C12 cells and 3 T3 cells, which suggested that Tmod4 could promote adipogenesis by up-regulating the adipogenic factors but moderately delay the myogenesis. These results indicated that the Tmod4 gene may play as a switch between myogenesis and adipogenesis, which resulted in the balanced development between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Therefore, the model for switch role of the Tmod4 in the balanced regulation between myogenesis and adipogenesis was proposed. It is showed that the expression of Tmod4 was activated in adipogenesis by adipogenic factors while inhibited in myogenesis by myogenic factors. Moreover, Tmod4 could promote adipogenesis by up-regulating the expression of adipogenic factors while moderately delaying the myogenesis. Our study provides an important basis for further understanding the regulation and function of porcine Tmod4 in muscle and fat development.

Vibrio anguillarum is the etiological agent of vibriosis, an aquaculture disease that affects a wide range of farmed fish. The genome of V. anguillarum contains five flagellin genes, i.e. flaA, flaB, flaC, flaD, and flaE. In this study, we analyzed the vaccine potential and adjuvanticity of FlaA, FlaB, FlaD, and FlaE in a model of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). For this purpose, recombinant FlaA, FlaB, FlaD, and FlaE were expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli. In vivo immunogenicity analysis showed that antibodies against rFlaA, rFlaB, rFlaD, and rFlaE were detected in rat antiserum raised against live V. anguillarum, with the highest antibody level being that against rFlaB. When administered into flounder via intraperitoneal injection, rFlaA, rFlaD, and rFlaE induced comparable relative percent survival (RPS) rates, which were significantly lower than that induced by rFlaB. Specific serum antibodies were induced by all flagellins, however, the antibody level induced by rFlaB was significantly higher than those induced by other three flagellins. Compared to sera from fish vaccinated with rFlaA, rFlaD, and rFlaE, serum from fish vaccinated with rFlaB significantly reduced the infectivity of V. anguillarum against host cells. To examine the potential adjuvant effect of the flagellins, flounder were immunized with rEsa1, a D15-like surface antigen that induces protective immunity as a subunit vaccine, in the presence or absence of rFlaA, rFlaB, rFlaD, and rFlaE respectively. The results showed that rFlaE, but not other three flagellins, significantly increased the RPS of rEsa1. Compared to fish vaccinated with rEsa1, fish vaccinated with rEsa1 plus rFlaE exhibited a significantly higher level of serum antibodies and enhanced expression of the genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Taken together, these results indicate that FlaA, FlaB, FlaD, and FlaE have different immunological properties and, as a result, differ in vaccine and adjuvant potentials.

An efficient and eco-friendly oxidative bromination reaction of phenol has been achieved by treatment with KBr–H2O2 in the presence of a catalytic amount ammonium salt of molybdophosphoric acid or phosphotungstic acid that supported on silica, which were synthesized by sol–gel method. The physicochemical characterization indicated that supported catalysts still retained its Keggin type and the particles were well dispersed onto the surface of silica support. The evaluated results of liquid phase bromination of phenol showed that these catalysts exhibited high catalytic oxybromination activity and high para substituted selectivity, and good stability was also observed after recycling three times. Meanwhile, no highly toxic and corrosive materials were used and formed in the reaction process, which makes this process environmentally benign. The influences of the reaction time, catalyst amount and solvent on oxidative bromination reaction were also investigated.

The angiopoietin–Tie2 binding and related signal transduction pathways are crucial for vascular angiogenesis, blood vessel integrity and maturation. In this study, we preformed a virtual screening of small molecules targeting to Tie2. The binding site was selected at the extracellular ligand binding region of Tie2, rather than its conventional endocellular ATP binding region. It was found that loperamide, a widely-used antidiarrhea drug, was among the top hits. The binding between loperamide and Tie2 was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay. Loperamide competitively inhibited the binding of both angiopoietin1 and angiopoietin2. These results indicate that loperamide is an antagonist of angiopoietin1 and angiopoietin2.

Loperamide, an antidiarrhea drug, is a peripheral opiate agonist. Some other opiate agonists have been shown to promote cell apoptosis. In this research, we studied the apoptosis-inducing and cytotoxic activities of loperamide. MTT assay was used to determine its cytotoxicity on nine established human tumor cell lines. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Hypodiploid cells and cell cycles were analyzed by propidium iodide (PI) staining, while early apoptotic cells were detected by annexin V-FITC/PI staining. It was found that loperamide could inhibit the proliferation of the tested tumor cell lines. The IC₅₀ values for SMMC7721, MCF7, SPC-A1, SKOV3-DDP, H460, HepG2, SGC7901, U2OS, and ACHN cells were 24.2±2.1 μM, 23.6±2.5 μM, 25.9±3.1 μM, 27.1±2.5 μM, 41.4±2.1 μM, 23.7±1.3 μM, 35.4±3.5 μM, 11.8±2.8 μM, and 28.5±3.4 μM, respectively. Loperamide was more effective to the human osteosarcoma U2OS cells with an IC₅₀ value of 11.8±2.8 μM. Meanwhile, it could induce cell apoptosis and cause G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest. The apoptotic cells could be found when treating with loperamide for 6h and most of them belonged to early apoptosis. In loperamide-treated cells, activation of caspase-3 was found, namely that caspase-3 was involved in the loperamide-induced apoptosis. The results of these studies indicate that loperamide is a potential antitumor agent. To our knowledge, this is the first report on antitumor activity of loperamide.

A novel luminescent drug-containing layered double hydroxide (MgAlZn-Asp-LDH) was prepared for the first time by the coprecipitation method with aspirin (Asp) used as the model drug. Magnesium (II) was partially replaced by zinc (II) in the hydrotalcite-like layers, and the drug, aspirin (Asp), was dispersed into the interlayer region; Zn2+ ion in the layers was coordinated with the acetylsalicylate among the interlayer region, making a blue-fluorescent aspirin-containing layered double hydroxide. The obtained sample was tested as a drug carrier by investigating its drug-storage/release properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetry, differential-scanning calorimeter (TG–DSC), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the resulting sample. The Asp-loaded layered double hydroxide system shows blue luminescence of zinc acetylsalicylate under UV irradiation and sustained release of Asp. In addition, the emission intensity of the system varies with the released amount of Asp, and thus drug release can be easily tracked and monitored by the change in luminescence intensity. The system provides a promising candidate for application in the drug delivery and disease therapy fields.

Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding chromodomain-DNA-binding-protein 7 (CHD7) cause CHARGE syndrome, a multiple anomaly condition which includes vestibular dysfunction and hearing loss. Mice with heterozygous Chd7 mutations exhibit semicircular canal dysgenesis and abnormal inner ear neurogenesis, and are an excellent model of CHARGE syndrome. Here we characterized Chd7 expression in mature middle and inner ears, analyzed morphological features of mutant ears and tested whether Chd7 mutant mice have altered responses to noise exposure and correlated those responses to inner and middle ear structure. We found that Chd7 is highly expressed in mature inner and outer hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, vestibular sensory epithelia and middle ear ossicles. There were no obvious defects in individual hair cell morphology by prestin immunostaining or scanning electron microscopy, and cochlear innervation appeared normal in Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice. Hearing thresholds by auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing were elevated at 4 and 16 kHz in Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice, and there were reduced distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Exposure of Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice to broadband noise resulted in variable degrees of hair cell loss which inversely correlated with severity of stapedial defects. The degrees of hair cell loss and threshold shifts after noise exposure were more severe in wild type mice than in mutants. Together, these data indicate that Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice have combined conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, correlating with changes in both middle and inner ears.

This paper deals with the method of how to regenerate the potential energy for a hybrid hydraulic excavator (HHE). After studying the structure and working cycle of the HHE, two energy regeneration systems are considered. Then, the control strategy and parameter matching for the proposed energy regeneration system (ERS) are discussed. United simulations with AMEsim and MATLAB/simulink for the conventional control system and two ERSs are carried out in this paper. An estimated 41% of the total potential energy could be regenerated at the lowering of the boom in accumulator-motor-generator system while the recovery efficiency in the motor-generator system is only about 17%, and it is also shown that the accumulator-motor-generator energy regeneration system (AMGERS) features better speed control of the boom and response characteristics than the motor-generator energy regeneration system (MGERS), hence, the AMGERS is a good configuration for the HHE at present.

The mammalian vestibular epithelium has a limited capacity for spontaneous hair cell regeneration. The mechanism underlying the regeneration is not well understood. Because the Notch signaling pathway mediates the formation of the sensory epithelial mosaic patterning during ear development, it may also play a role in hair cell regeneration in the mature mammalian vestibular epithelium after a lesion. To investigate the process of spontaneous regeneration in the vestibular epithelium vis-à-vis changes in Notch signaling, we induced a unilateral lesion by infusing streptomycin into the mouse posterior semicircular canal, and examined Notch signaling molecules and their mRNA expression levels by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR), respectively. We detected Jagged1 in supporting cells in both normal and lesioned utricles. Atoh1, a marker for early developing hair cells, was absent in the intact mature tissue, but re-appeared after the lesion. Many cells were either positive for both Atoh1 and myosin VIIa, or for one of them. qRTPCR data showed a post trauma decrease of Hes5 and an increase in Atoh1. Atoh1 up-regulation may either be a result of Hes5 down-regulation or mediated by another signaling pathway.

Facing the environment problems, the improvement on the efficiency of the construction machinery such as the excavator and wheel loader is highly demanded. The hybrid power systems used in automobiles have been adapted into the construction machinery. This paper first analyzes the difference between the hybrid powered automobile vehicle and the hybrid powered construction machinery. The research and development of the hybrid power systems and energy regeneration systems of construction machinery are reviewed, and the applications of hybrid systems in construction machinery are presented. Finally, the challenges facing the researchers and the construction machinery manufacturers are discussed.

This work reports the synthesis of the coordinated Eu2O3 ethanol colloids by focused pulsed laser ablation at the interface of solid Eu2O3 target and a flowing liquid containing thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen). The high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy results show the coordinated Eu2O3 nanoparticles have the structure of an inner core of crystal Eu2O3 and an outer layer of ligands, TTA and Phen, coordinated to the surface europium ions of the Eu2O3 nanoparticles. Thermal stability analysis shows the mass of ligands in coordinated Eu2O3 clusters is 14.36%. The coordinated Eu2O3 ethanol colloids can irradiate intense red light under ultraviolet radiation, and their fluorescence spectrum presents typical characteristic emission peaks of Eu3+ ions.

Alginase was produced as an extracellular alginate-degrading enzyme by a newly isolated Flavobacterium sp. LXA. The maximal alginase activity was obtained when strain LXA was cultured in the medium with alginate as carbon source, whereas some other carbohydrates including mannose, maltose, glucose, and fructose supported only a little alginase production. The addition of nitrogen sources was not necessary for alginase production by strain LXA grown in the mineral solution with alginate as carbon source. The endolytic mode on the molecule alginate was supported by the better correlation between the viscosity loss and the reducing group released in the process of alginate degradation. The relationship between the formation of reducing terminus and the increase in OD 235 suggested that alginase was an eliminase cleaving alginate to form an unsaturated uronate residue absorbable at 235 nm and a reducing group at 1:1 ratio.

The cyclohexane solution of TTA (trifluorothenoyl-acetone), phen (8-hydroxylquinoline) and PS (polystyrene), the ethyl acetate solution of TTA, phen and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) were used as flowing liquid, the coordinated Eu 2 O 3 /polymer hybrid colloids were successively produced by focused pulsed laser ablation of Eu 2 O 3 target in interface of solid and flowing liquid. As solvent in the hybrid colloids has volatilized, the coordinated Eu 2 O 3 /polymer hybrid films were obtained. The hybrid colloids and films were characterized by TEM, UV–vis spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, TG-FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. The results show the coordinated Eu 2 O 3 nanoparticles with average size of less than 20 nm are surrounded by the three-dimensional network and are properly incorporated into the PMMA and PS matrix, the hybrid films can emit intense red light under ultraviolet radiation, and their emission fluorescence spectra display same characteristic emission peaks of Eu 3+ ions. The Eu 2 O 3 hybrid films have better thermo stability than the related pure polymers because of strong interaction between surface europium ions of the nanoparticles and polymer. Because the coordinated Eu 2 O 3 nanoparticles were wrapped by polymer, they have higher chemical stability than the related europium complex.

Nano Eu 2 O 3 ethanol sols modified in situ were successively prepared by focused pulsed laser ablation at the interface of Eu 2 O 3 target submerged in flowing liquid containing modifiers. It is found that the decorated nano Eu 2 O 3 ethanol sols can radiate intense red light under ultraviolet radiation. The fluorescence spectrum of decorated nano Eu 2 O 3 ethanol sol exhibits the characteristic peak of Eu 3+ ion at 612 nm, which is different from that of non-decorated nano Eu 2 O 3 ethanol sol. It is proved that the luminescence mechanism of nano Eu 2 O 3 ethanol sols is the same as that of europium coordinate complex.

A sort of surface fine-decorated in situ Tb 2 O 3 nanoparticles in ethanol sols were successively prepared by focused pulsed laser ablation at the interface of Tb 2 O 3 target submerged in flowing liquid containing modifiers, and it is found that the nanoTb 2 O 3 sol decorated by acac and 2,2′-bipy can emit very intense characteristic fluorescence at 549 nm of Tb 3+ ions, which is different from nondecorated nanoTb 2 O 3 ethanol sols with only low fluorescence at 415 nm.

Alumina 8-hydroxyquinoline complexes (Alqx)/Al2O3 nano colloids have been successfully prepared by focused, pulsed laser ablation at the interface of solid Al2O3 and a flowing liquid containing 8-hydroxyquinoline (Q) and one of two polymers (polystyrene, PS, and polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA). Three factors influenced the luminescence of the (Alqx)/Al2O3 nano colloids. The first factor was whether the 8-hydroxyquinoline was added before or after laser ablation. The second factor was if the reaction medium consisted of (1) Q dissolved in ethanol, (2) Q dissolved in cyclohexane containing PS, or (3) Q dissolved in ethyl acetate containing PMMA. The third factor affecting luminescence was the age of the colloids. The (Alqx)/Al2O3 nano colloid product was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The product from all three-reaction media luminesced when irradiated with ultraviolet light. The product formed in cyclohexane containing PS gave the greatest luminescence, followed by the product formed in ethanol, and the product formed in ethyl acetate containing PMMA gave the smallest luminescence. The luminescence mechanism is similar to that of Alq3.

A sort of decorated nano ZnO organic sols have been successively prepared by pulsed laser ablation at the interface of ZnO target and a flowing liquid containing polymers. It is found that the decorated nano ZnO ethanol sols, the decorated nano ZnO–PS (polystyrene) cyclohexane sols and the decorated nano ZnO–PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) ethyl butyrate sols all have strong fluorescence emission at 329 nm and 411 nm, 308 nm and 317 nm, and at 330 nm and 400 nm, respectively. The results show the decorating for nano ZnO will intensely affect their luminescence, and the wavelength and intensity of luminescence can be adjusted or controlled by the different decoration.

Hybrid materials (Cu–C 60 ) formed by C 60 decorating the surface of copper clusters were prepared through pulsed laser ablation at the interface between copper solid target and a flowing fullerene solution of hexane. UV–Vis shows that the feature absorption intensity of C 60 in the copper–fullerene–hexane sol decreases, and the increased absorption band of copper-cluster sol can also be found between 190 nm and 240 nm. Element analysis indicates that copper clusters in the sample (Cu–C 60 ) are decorated mainly by C 60 . HRTEM identified that copper clusters are decorated by C 60 ; XRD reveals that the diffraction peaks of the sample have lower value and broader width than pure copper, indicating the surface of copper clusters is decorated by an amorphous material. Magnetism tested by VSM indicated that the sample has one Curie point at 203 K, suggesting that high temperature, high pressure and very rapidly cooled microarea in the method of PLA/ISFL are of importance in affecting the magnetic property of the hybrid material.