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Hypothesis Factor Va (FXa) and Xa (FVa) can assemble on the phosphatidylserine (PS) membrane (of platelet) to form prothrombinase complex and contribute to blood clotting. Very recently, we discovered that Ca-zeolite acts as a type of reinforced activated inorganic platelet to enable assembly of prothrombinase complex and display an unusual zymogen (prothrombin) activation pattern. Inspired but not constrained by nature, it is of great interest to understand how FVa and FXa assembly on the inorganic surface (e.g., zeolites) and perform their biocatalytic function. Experiments Given the important role of FVa C1-C2 domains in the assembly and activity of the prothrombinase complex, in this work, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the binding details of FVa A3-C1-C2 domains on the PS membranes and Ca2+-LTA-type (CaA) zeolite surface. Findings We found that different from the natural PS membrane, FVa light chain repeatedly exhibits a strong C2 domain anchoring interaction on the CaA zeolite. It mainly arises from the porous surface structure of CaA zeolite and local highly dense solvation water clusters on the CaA zeolite surface restrict the movement of some lysine residues on the C2 domain. The anchoring interaction can be suppressed by reducing the surface negative charge density, so that FVa light chain can change from single-foot (only C2 domain) to double-foot (both C1-C2 domain) adsorption states on the zeolite surface. This double-foot adsorption state is similar to natural PS membrane systems, which may make FVa have higher cofactor activity.

The aging process deleteriously alters the structure and function of dermal collagen. These alterations result in thinning, fragility, wrinkles, laxity, impaired wound healing, and a microenvironment conducive to cancer. However, the key factors responsible for these changes have not been fully elucidated, and relevant models for the study of skin aging progression are lacking. CCN1, a secreted extracellular matrix‒associated matricellular protein, is elevated in dermal fibroblasts in aged human skin. Toward constructing a mouse model to study the key factors involved in skin-aging progression, we demonstrate that transgenic mice, with selective expression of CCN1 in dermal fibroblasts (COL1A2-CCN1), display accelerated skin dermal aging. The aged phenotype in COL1A2-CCN1 mice resembles aged human dermis: the skin is wrinkled and the dermis is thin and composed of loose, disorganized, and fragmented collagen fibrils. These dermal alterations reflect reduced production of collagen due to impaired TGFβ signaling and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases driving the induction of c-Jun/activator protein-1. Importantly, similar mechanisms drive human dermal aging. Taken together, the data demonstrate that elevated expression of CCN1 by dermal fibroblasts functions as a key mediator of dermal aging. The COL1A2-CCN1 mouse model provides a novel tool for understanding and studying the mechanisms of skin aging and age-related skin disorders.

In the current study, to support the safety pharmacology assessment of Ethanamizuril as a new potent anticoccidial agent of triazine compounds, the effects of Ethanamizuril on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system were investigated. Using locomotor activity test, climbing behavior test and nembutal subthreshold hypnotic test at each time point after oral administration of Ethanamizuril to mice, the effects on the central nervous system were evaluated. An assessment of Ethanamizuril effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory system were performed by the use of a telemetry system in conscious beagle dogs. The results showed that the treatment of Ethanamizuril had no effects on motor activity, behavioral changes, coordination, and sensory/motor reflex responses in mice. There were also no changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram at all doses and each time points in beagle dogs. Our data suggested that Ethanamizuril showed no adverse effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system.

Although exposure to fine particulate matter (PM

A drill collar with material of 0Cr20Mn21Ni2N serviced in a coastal continental shelf oilfield, has cracked and leaked after a short period of working. Failure analysis of drill collar was performed by a series of experiments, including Chemical analysis, Fractographic analysis, Microstructural analysis, Intergranular attack test, Mechanical property, Residual stress test, EBSD analysis of relationship between crack propagation and crystal orientation. The fractographic observations showed crack initiated from the inner surface and extended to outer surface by the mode of inter-granular and quasi-cleavage trans-granular fracture, many branch cracks were produced during its propagation. Serious corrosion morphology was found both on the inner surface of drill collar and fracture surface, and S and Cl were detected in the corrosion products. The above evidence indicates that the cracking failure mode of drill collar can be described as the Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) of austenitic stainless steel. The causes of stress corrosion cracks are attributed to three aspects. Firstly, the microstructures of the materials are sensitized seriously, and there are many precipitated phases at grain boundaries, which result in chromium depletion in the grain boundaries and decrease of corrosion resistance of the materials. Secondly, during service the mud water on the inner surface of drill collar is composed of seawater containing chloride and sulfate radical, which provides corrosive environment for materials. Thirdly, the residual tensile stress on the inner surface of the drill collar reaches 112 MPa, which hinders the formation of passive film on the surface of stainless steel and has adverse effect on the corrosion resistance of the material. In addition, the mechanism of crack formation was studied by EBSD. Corrosion pits of inner-surface of drill collar is intergranular corrosion, which first occurs at random grain boundaries with high misorientation angles, rather than at special grain boundaries such as Σ3. SCC crack initiates from the corrosive pit and propagate along the grain boundary first and gradually transit to transgranular growth with Zigzag fracture morphology along {111}〈110〉 slip system, which proves SCC transgranular crack propagation obeys the slip corrosion mechanism.

A free-standing hybrid film combining graphene and zinc oxide nanoflakes used as electrode materials was prepared by facile filtration self-assembly and thermal reduction process. The as-prepared ZnO nanoflakes were inserted into the graphene sheets to form unique layer-layer structure. The hybrid film can be directly employed as binder-free and self-supported electrode material for supercapacitors (SCs). The max specific capacitance of fabricated zinc oxide nanoflakes/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/rGO) SCs is as high as 167.2 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1, which is nearly 50% higher than pure rGO (111.4 F g−1) and more than twice as much as ZnO nanoflakes (71.1 F g−1). The enhanced electrochemical performance could be due to the efficient utilization of electroactive ZnO nanoflakes and high conductive graphene sheets network and the good synergistic effect between them. The free-standing hybrid film also exhibits an excellent cycling capability, retention of the initial capacity over 90% after 2000 cycles. The EIS analysis of the hybrids showed low electrical resistance, improving ion diffusion capacity and surface charge transfer performance of the working electrode. It holds a potential for high performance electrochemical energy storage applications.

Graphene synthesis by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Cu foil involves a series of complex interplays between the atmosphere and Cu substrate. The large number of topographical irregularities and impure elements existing in the normal Cu foils inevitably result in heterogeneous graphene nucleation and uncontrolled growth. Thus, resolving the mutual entanglements between topographical irregularity, impure element, and carbon is fundamental for the understanding of graphene nucleation and growth. Here, two kinds of Cu surface features, topographical Cu hills and elemental oxygen, are deliberately introduced and their interaction is studied. The synergistic effects of Cu hills and oxygen on graphene nucleation and growth are further demonstrated. Molecular dynamics simulations are employed over the whole process to explain the experimental phenomena including Cu hill construction, oxygen distribution, and carbon adsorption. This work is crucial in revealing the microscopic mechanisms for graphene nucleation and growth, and can shed light on how to controll graphene synthesis via Cu surface engineering.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting has recently attracted substantial interest because of its ability to provide sustainable power for devices that consume very small amounts of energy. In this work, we propose a CuO-doping strategy to develop environmentally friendly (Ba, Ca)(Zr, Ti)O3 (BCZT) piezoelectric energy harvesters with both low sintering temperatures and excellent power generation performance. The CuO dopant greatly promoted the densification behavior of BCZT ceramics, yielding a densified and fine-grained microstructure at a sintering temperature reduced by 125 °C compared to that of undoped BCZT. Moreover, CuO addition substantially reduced the domain size compared to that of the undoped BCZT and thus facilitated domain switching in the ceramics. While maintaining the Curie temperature (Tc) at ∼120 °C, 0.50 mol% CuO-doped ceramics exhibited significantly enhanced electromechanical properties with a figure of merit d33×g33 of 6661 × 10−15 m2/N, high-field piezoelectric constant d33∗ of 873 pm/V, electromechanical coupling factor kp of 0.53 and energy conversion efficiency η of 97%. A high power density of 1.8 μW/mm3, which corresponds to a ∼360% improvement relative to that of the undoped BCZT, was achieved from 0.50 mol% CuO-doped BCZT energy harvesters at 10 m/s2 acceleration. These findings suggest the tremendous potential of CuO-doped (Ba, Ca)(Zr, Ti)O3 piezoceramics in high-power-density energy harvesting applications.

Highly thermal conductive materials with excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency have been attracted much attention in the field of modern electronic devices. In this work, the magnetic reduced graphene oxide (RGO)@Fe3O4 nanoplatelets (NPs), which were acted as fillers, were fabricated via electrostatic self-assembly and co-precipitation technique. The nanocomposites were prepared by applying external magnetic fields to align RGO@Fe3O4 NPs during epoxy curing. Owing to external magnetic fields and the anisotropic properties of RGO@Fe3O4 NPs, the nanocomposite with aligned RGO@Fe3O4 NPs exhibited an anisotropic thermal conductivity(λ). For the in-plane (∥) direction, λ∥ as high as 1.213 W m−1 K−1, which was higher than that of through-plane (⊥), and the anisotropy index (λ∥/λ⊥) was 15.96. Meanwhile, the resulting sample possessed excellent thermal stability and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding of 13.45 dB at 8.2 GHz. Overall, aligning RGO@Fe3O4 NPs under magnetic field enhanced the interaction among RGO@Fe3O4 NPs in in-plane direction, so as to promote the formation of thermal conductive networks in the horizontal direction with leading to anisotropic λ. Furthermore, its contributed to electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, and the dominant EMI shielding mechanism is the reflection.

The objective of present studies was to evaluate and compare the anticoccidial activity of triazine compounds in broiler chickens infected with E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. maxima, and two field mixed Eimeria species. The anticoccidial efficacy was evaluated using the anticoccidial index (ACI). The results showed that Aminomizuril (AZL) and Ethanamizuril (EZL) were active metabolites of nitromezuril, which demonstrated excellent effectiveness against E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. maxima, and the field Eimeria isolates in broiler chickens at a dosage of 10 mg/kg in feed. The anticoccidial activities of AZL and EZL at dose 10 mg/kg were roughly equivalent to the parent nitromezuril at a dosage of 3 mg/kg in feed. The decrease in metabolite anticoccidial activity is probably due to an increasing polarity of compounds in the metabolic processes. The sensitivity of two field Eimeria isolates to triazines EZL, diclazuril and toltrazuril was tested using 4 indices including anticoccidial index (ACI), percent of optimum anticoccidial activity (POAA), reduction of lesion scores (RLS) and relative oocysts production (ROP). Results showed that the sensitivity of EZL treatment against the two field Eimeria isolates were relatively superior to that of diclazuril and toltrazuril treatment. The field Eimeria isolates from Gansu Province was determined to be slightly, moderately and highly resistant to EZL, diclazuril and toltrazuril respectively. The field Eimeria isolates from Zhejiang Province was slightly, highly and slightly resistant to EZL, diclazuril and toltrazuril respectively. The results above indicated that the anticoccidial activity of metabolites was lower than that of the parent nitromezuril and there was partial cross-resistance among triazines EZL, diclazuril and toltrazuril. However the field Eimeria isolates had higher sensitive to EZL than the triazines diclazuril and toltrazuril. It was suggested that the site of C4 substituents of phenol of triazine anticoccidials may have important biological functions and the metabolite EZL would be a potential novel anticoccidial agent worthy of more attention.

Graphdiyne is proposed as a suitable substrate for single-atom catalysts due to its inherent characteristics. By density functional theory, the structure and catalytic performance of graphdiyne-supported single titanium atom system (GDY-Ti) are systematically studied from the electronic structure perspective through water dissociation reaction. The introducing of the Ti atom not only results in strong adsorption of the water molecule but also promotes the water dissociation reaction with a low energy barrier. Moreover, the carbon atoms of GDY participate in the reaction, and provide a stable locating site for the dissociated hydrogen atom. Overall, our results show that GDY-Ti is a promising candidate for the water dissociation reaction, and suggest its potential in catalysis and hydrogen-related fields.

Real estate transactions are often established through financing. We study the effect of financing on property prices. We show that properties can transact at prices well above their collateral values. Therefore, the commonly used loan-to-value (LTV) ratio suffers a bias that can significantly understate credit risk. This bias is exacerbated when mortgages are originated with longer terms, at higher LTV ratios, or when sellers possess stronger bargaining power. Furthermore, this bias is larger under aggressive lending products, e.g. interest-only loans and mortgages allowing negative amortization. Our simulation results suggest that many mortgages originated at the peak of the housing bubble are, in fact, “under water” at origination. In particular, the loan amount of a 30-year mortgage at a 95% LTV can be 15% greater than the collateral value of the property, suggesting the mortgage is already deep “under water” at origination. These findings call into questions underwriting and risk control practices in mortgages and other collateralized debts.

Through DFT calculations, the detailed mechanism of the catalytic NO + CO reaction, a prototypical system with great practical applications especially in the automobile-exhaust aftertreatment, was determined on Rh(1 0 0) and Rh(1 1 1). The elementary steps and their energy evolution were revealed. These steps include NO dissociation, N2 formation through N recombination, CO2 formation, and N2O formation, transformation, and dissociation. The reaction steps of NO2 formation and direct reaction between NO and CO were also studied, and were verified to be relatively insignificant in this reaction system. Results shed light on the atomic-level origin why Rh(1 0 0) is more active for this reaction system and more selective for the production of N2 versus N2O compared with Rh(1 1 1). Meanwhile, the preference between the two routes for N2 production, i.e., N atoms recombination and N2O as intermediate, was found to be dependent on the distribution of surface species and the interaction among them intricately. This work provides a basis for further kinetic modeling to investigate the catalytic properties on a realistic scale.

Ethanamizuril is a new triazine compound that displays potent anticoccidial activity against chicken coccidiosis caused by Eimeria tenella. We studied the pharmacokinetics of ethanamizuril in rats and chickens after single oral doses of one, two and three times the minimum effective dose Ethanamizuril was readily absorbed at all three doses and the plasma concentration reached was maximal within 5h and progressively declined over time. The mean peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) were both dose-dependent. These results provide pharmacokinetic profiles of ethanamizuril for future preclinical studies and clinical use.

This study investigated the effects of maternal undernutrition on the growth, development and antioxidant status of ovine placentome subtypes during late pregnancy. Eighteen time-mated Mongolian ewes with singleton fetuses were allocated to three groups at d 90 of pregnancy: Restricted Group 1 (RG1, 0.18 MJ ME · kg BW-0.75 · d-1, n = 6), Restricted Group 2 (RG2, 0.33 MJ ME · kg BW-0.75 · d-1, n = 6) and Control Group (CG, ad libitum, 0.67 MJ ME · kg BW -0.75 · d -1, n = 6). All animals were supplied chopped hay during the restriction period. At 140 days of pregnancy, the gravid uterus was removed; then individual fetuses and placentae were weighed. The numbers and weight of the placentome subtypes were examined. The number of vessels of the placentome subtypes were observed in sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The indexes of antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress, including total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and mal-ondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, were measured by spectrometric kits. The fetal weights, placental weights and the numbers of Type A placentomes in both restricted groups were reduced (P .05); however, the number of vessels and MDA concentration of Type C and Type D placentome were higher than those of the Type A and Type B (P < .05). These results indicate that the growth and development of ovine Type A placentome was altered during late pregnancy. More and more Type B, Type C and Type D were formed from the Type A associated with maternal undernutrition. Oxidative stress occurred in all types of placentomes for the RG1 group, and the more flattening placentomes that were converted, the worse the antioxidant/pro-oxidant imbalance that was induced.

Highly dispersed α-Al2O3 microplatelets of various sizes and aspect ratios were prepared by additive-assisted molten salt synthesis. The effects of SiO2 and SiO2 + CaO additions on phase formation and morphology development of α-Al2O3 particles were investigated. Introducing additives are very effective in controlling α-Al2O3 morphology. SiO2 additive significantly enhances shape anisotropy of α-Al2O3 platelets, where a particle aspect ratio ∼23.8 was achieved, about 2.7–6.0 times higher than those of the platelets prepared without additives. When using SiO2 + CaO mixture, low concentration additive facilitates the growth of large platelets (∼9.8 µm), while increasing its content dramatically reduces the platelet size to ∼3.7 µm. These findings provide a new insight for the design and synthesis of novel advanced anisotropic microcrystals with improved quality.

The use of inorganic nanomaterials as “building blocks” and organic components as “mortars” to build nanocomposites are particularly well-suited to optimize the performance of composites. Here, based on nacre-inspired thought, a novel strategy of fabricating a steady and function tunable three-dimensional MXene thermal conductive cross-linking network skeleton featured by silica (SiO2) nanoparticles bridge was reported, which is constructed in the carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibril (CNF) nanocomposites for facilitating thermal management capability property. Benefited from the strong hydrogen bonding interactions, the thermal conductive fillers of SiO2@MXene are able to uniformly disperse and reduce the agglomeration. SiO2 nanoparticles are uniformly attached to the MXene interlaminar by in-situ method, which is crucial to provide fast conduction channel for heat. The maximum in-plane thermal conductivity value of the SiO2@MXene/CNF nanocomposite film increased form 5.0 W·m−1·K−1 to 26.4 W·m−1·K−1 with introducing 2 wt% SiO2 nanoparticles, accompanied by 5.28 times higher than that of pure CNF film and 436% increase in in-plane conductivity, which indicates that SiO2 nanoparticles are bridged to each thermal transport paths to reduce the interface thermal resistance within CNF-based nanocomposite film. In addition, the cooperative interaction effect of MXene nanosheets and SiO2 nanoparticles in constructing the controllable structural of cross-link framework is contributed to conspicuous improvement of thermal conductivity and flame retardancy. It is worth noting that the effective protective layer formation of SiO2 nanoparticles after the combustion process, simultaneously thermal stability at high temperature which with residue yield (88.70 wt%) of the nanocomposite film, and achieved for a distinguished flame resistance in practical application. Bioinspired thought engineering has become an emerging and promising thought, this type of multifunctional nanocomposite film is highly promising to be a competitive candidate in the fireproof thermal management field and provides an excellent platform for preparing assembled by other polymeric thermal-management materials.

Background Propofol has recently been attracted increasing attention for its anti-tumor property in cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the anti-tumor molecular determinants of propofol largely remain to be elucidated. Methods The levels of circRNA poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (circ-PABPN1, hsa_circ_0031288), microRNA (miRNA)-638 and serine and arginine-rich factor 1 (SRSF1) were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were detected by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, and wound-healing assays, respectively. Animal studies were used to evaluate the biological action of circ-PABPN1 in the propofol-mediated anti-CRC effect. Targeted relationships among circ-PABPN1, miR-638 and SRSF1 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays. Results Our data showed the anti-tumor activity of propofol in CRC, as evidenced by the repression in cell viability, colony formation, invasion, migration and the promotion in cell apoptosis in vitro, as well as the suppression in tumor growth in vivo. Circ-PABPN1 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cells, and propofol down-regulated circ-PABPN1 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, circ-PABPN1 was a functional effector of propofol in suppressing CRC development in vitro and in vivo. Circ-PABPN1 directly targeted miR-638, and SRSF1 was a direct target of miR-638. Propofol repressed CRC development in vitro by up-regulating miR-638 or down-regulating SRSF1. Furthermore, propofol regulated SRSF1 expression by the circ-PABPN1/miR-638 axis in CRC cells. Conclusion Our current findings identified the circ-PABPN1/miR-638/SRSF1 axis as a novel anti-tumor mechanism of propofol in CRC, providing a new rationale for developing propofol as a promising therapeutic agent for CRC.

Multifunctional thermal management paper has attracted high attention in various aspects. Herein, a ultrarobust multifunctional laminated nacre-like paper was fabricated through vacuum-assisted alternate self-assembly. SEM and XRD results proved that cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are drawn into MXene nanosheets driven by vacuum. The unique laminated nacre-like structure endows the CNF/MXene paper excellent tensile strength (114.4 MPa), strain of failure (2.8%), toughness (2.6 MJ/m3) and Young’s modulus (4.1 GPa). Additionally, MXene paper shows superior thermal conductivity (14.93 W m−1 K−1), which could effectively reduce the surface temperature of the LED lamp. Furthermore, the paper can’t be ignited completely, the peak heat release rate is decreased by 77.8%, indicating the paper possesses superb flame retardant. Moreover, the CNF/MXene laminated papers maintain similar electrical insulation to CNF film, which ensure safety of electronic devices. This work provides an alternative method for fabricating multifunctional thermal management film in the field of electronic device.

This paper studies how banking deregulation affects homeownership. Exploiting the U.S. intra-state and inter-state banking deregulations from 1980s to early 1990s, we find that an exogenous expansion of bank branches increases renters likelihood of becoming homeowners as much as 8.7 percentage points. In addition, the impact is larger on households with low income and high debt-to-income ratios. Our estimated impacts are larger than those estimated from state-level data, suggesting that the heterogeneous effects among households are important towards home ownership. Our findings are robust to potential sample selection bias and functional misspecifications.

Ethanamizuril (EZL) is a novel anti-coccidial triazine synthesized by the Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. As a novel coccidiostat, it is essential to study its residue in food animal tissues. In this study, a reliable UPLC method for the determination of ethanamizuril (EZL) and one of its metabolites (M3) in chicken muscle, skin and fat, liver, and kidney samples was developed. Analytes were extracted using acetonitrile and 10% sodium carbonate solution, defatted by n-hexane, and further purified by using an Oasis MCX cartridge. The calibration curves for both test compounds were linear in all tissue matrices we tested: muscle, skin and fat, liver and kidney. The mean relative recoveries of EZL and M3 were from 87.3% to 103.2% between all tissue samples. The inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations were within 15% and 20%, respectively. This method is accurate, reproducible and is ready to be field-tested.

Rapamycin (RAPA), an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), exhibits a high neuroprotective action against neurodegenerative diseases in mouse models. Since neuroinflammation has been shown to be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) development and progression, the aim of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory role of RAPA in AD in vivo and in vitro, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. We found that amyloid-β (Aβ) induced neuronal inflammation and a remarkable increase in mTOR activity in in-vivo and in-vitro models of inflammation, suggesting the critical role of mTOR signaling in neuronal inflammation. In addition, administration of RAPA was found to down-regulate mTOR, p-mTOR, Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, p-p65, TNF-α, IL-1β and Bax protein expression in Aβ25-35- or lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-treated mice and cultured Neuro-2a (N2a) cells. Moreover, RAPA disrupted Aβ25-35-induced nuclear translocation of mTOR and NF-κB. Our findings indicate that RAPA inhibits Aβ25-35- or LPS-induced neuronal inflammation through suppressing mTOR signaling and reducing nuclear import of NF-κB.

This study investigated the effect of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during late pregnancy on the cell apoptosis and related gene expression in ovine fetal liver. Eighteen time-mated Mongolian ewes with singleton fetuses were allocated to three groups at d 90 of pregnancy: Restricted Group 1 (RG1, 0.18 MJ ME kg BW −0.75 d −1 , n = 6), Restricted Group 2 (RG2, 0.33 MJ ME kg BW −0.75 d −1 , n = 6) and a Control Group (CG, ad libitum , 0.67 MJ ME kg BW −0.75 d −1 , n = 6). Fetuses were recovered at slaughter on d 140. Fetal liver weight, DNA content and protein/DNA ratio, proliferation index, cytochrome c, activities of Caspase-3, 8, and 9 were examined, along with relative expression of genes related to apoptosis. Fetuses in both restricted groups exhibited decreased BW, hepatic weight, DNA content, and protein/DNA ratio when compared to CG ( P P P P P > 0.05). Hepatic expression of gene related to apoptosis showed reduced protein 21 ( P21 ) , B-cell lymphoma 2 ( Bcl-2 ) and apoptosis antigen 1 ligand ( FasL ) expression in RG1 and RG2 ( P protein 53 (P53), Bcl-2 associated X protein ( Bax ) and apoptosis antigen 1 ( Fas ) in both IUGR fetuses were found ( P

Using the translucent nature of (1- x )Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 - x PbTiO 3 single crystals, we have studied the changes of stress distributions and domain configuration inside the PMN-0.26PT and PMN-0.33PT single crystal rods embedded in 1–3 composites by polarizing light microscopy (PLM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). When the poling temperature is above the glass transition temperature of polymeric filler, the Young's modulus of the epoxy decreases significantly, leading to the interface stress on the rods decreased by up to 3 orders of magnitude, which was verified by finite element simulation using Comsol. In addition, high temperature (70 °C or 110 °C) poling causes reduced effect on the rod edges and improves the electromechanical coefficient by about 6% for the 1-3 composites. According to observed domain configurations, the extra boundary stress was insufficient to prevent polarization switching or to induce new phase, but crystal structural deformation was observed near the rod edges.

A flexible cellulose nanofibers/MXene@Ag film with nacre-like structure is constructed by a facile vacuum-assisted filtration process. The composite film shows an outstanding thermal conductivity of 22.43 W m−1 K−1 at 30 wt% MXene@Ag loading, which enhances 769% relative to the pure CNFs film. This is mainly due to the bridging effect of silver nanoparticles can greatly reduce the interface thermal resistance between MXene nanosheets in the CNFs matrix. Particularly, the CNF/MXene film present a typical biomimetic nacre-like structure, which resulting in the satisfactory mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 71.4 ± 2.8 MPa and a toughness of 1.0 ± 0.06 MJ m−3. Moreover, the composite film exhibits excellent photothermal properties that the surface temperature of the CNF/MXene@Ag film can rose to ~48 °C after 210 s of 55 W light irradiation. Hence, our work provides a facial method for preparation of multifunctional thermal management film.

High environmental arsenic exposure can increase chronic oxidative stress in experimental studies and in occupational epidemiology studies. Many regulatory agencies have put forth arsenic exposure limits, it is still unclear that whether low environmental arsenic exposure was associated with adverse health outcome in general population. This study aimed to explore the association of low blood arsenic with malondialdehyde in community-dwelling older adults. We used a cross-sectional study of 2384 older adult individuals aged >= 65 years (mean age: 85 years) from the Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study in 2017. The median blood arsenic level was 1.41 mu g/L. High oxidative stress was categorized according to the 95th percentile of MDA levels (7.47 nmol/mL). Restricted cubic spline models showed that blood arsenic levels were positively associated with malondialdehyde levels (P < 0.01); and the risk of high oxidative stress was no longer significantly increased when blood arsenic level up to 8.74 mu g/L. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratios of high oxidative stress for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of blood arsenic were 2.35 (1.11-4.96), 3.87 (1.90-7.91), and 4.18 (2.00-8.72) (P-trend < 0.01), compared with the first quartile. We concluded that even low arsenic exposure was associated with higher risk of oxidative stress, in a nonlinear dose-response. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low thermal conductivity (TC) and poor flame retardancy of graphene oxide (GO) have limited its application in thermal management. Herein, a facile strategy is developed to fabricate flexible and free-standing graphene/MXene (GM) films by filtration of MXene and GO dispersions, followed by reduction and thermal welding. As results, interlamellar insertion of MXene into graphene has occurred and optimized interface was constructed between MXene and graphene. According to Y. Agari’s semi-empirical model and modified Maxwell-Garnett effective medium approximation, demonstrating that an optimized interface between MXene and graphene is conducive to heat conduction, and reduces the interface scattering. In-plane TC thus reached to 26.49 Wm−1K−1, and the thermal boundary resistance decreased to 8.81 × 10−10 from 1.54 × 10−8 m2KW−1. GM films also present excellent flame retardancy (peak heat release is ~10 Wg−1) and it still maintained initial shape after combustion. Using as-prepared GM films as heat dissipation, we demonstrate its potential usefulness in electronic device-cooling applications.

Copper ion is a common catalyst in the industrial process, where solvents are known to affect its catalytic efficiency. In this work, we studied the form and distribution of CuCl2 clusters in 1-hexanol and 3-hexanol for 2,3,6-trimethylphenol oxidation. Our results reveal that copper aggregation occurs in both solvents under relatively high CuCl2 concentration. But in low concentration, aggregation only exists in 1-hexanol. Besides, the aggregation is dominated by the competition between Cu-Cl electrostatic and van der Waals interactions of the solvents. Our results may provide a fundamental insight for understanding the product selectivity of phenol oxidation in hexanol solutions.

As an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite, Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) can rapidly invade chicken cecum epithelial cells and cause avian coccidiosis. Enolase, an essential enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate into phosphoenolpyruvate, plays a very important role in glycolysis. In this study, each chicken was inoculated with 8×10(4) sporulated E. tenella oocysts suspended in 1ml of distilled water to determine the effects of acetamizuril, a new triazine anticoccidial drug, on enolase in the second-generation merozoites of E. tenella. The chickens were divided into two groups: the untreatment group (challenged with E. tenella oocysts and provided with normal feed) and the treatment group (challenged with E. tenella oocysts and provided with 5mg/kg of acetamizuril by oral gavage at 96h after inoculation). The second-generation merozoites of E. tenella (mz-En) were obtained at 120h after inoculation. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were conducted to detect the enolase changes in mz-En at the transcriptional and translational levels. The results showed that enolase mRNA expression was downregulated, and the translational level was decreased in the treatment group. In addition, the subcellular localization of enolase demonstrated that enolase was distributed primarily at the top of the mz-En and that the fluorescence intensity was weak after treatment with acetamizuril. These findings indicated that enolase may be a promising target to prevent coccidiosis.

In this work, N-doped reduced graphene oxides (NRGO) was synthesized via a facile urea-hydrothermal treatment of graphene oxide and used as support for ultrafine Pd nanoparticles (NPs). It was found that N in NRGO can improve the dispersion of Pd NPs. NRGO supported Pd catalyst (Pd/NRGO) is highly active and selective for the hydrogenation of CC bond in cinnamaldehyde and hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone under mild conditions. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra and transmission electron microscopy characterizations confirmed the interaction between NRGO and Pd enhanced with the amount of N atom in NRGO. Raman spectroscopy of adsorbed cinnamaldehyde on Pd/NRGO suggested that NRGO played a positive role in the selective activation of CC bond in cinnamaldehyde.

A unified formula has been derived to quantitatively describe the electromechanical coupling factor for the thickness mode of 1–3 piezoelectric composites with rectangular rod. The effect of different kerf filler on the electromechanical coupling factor is analyzed by varying the aspect ratio of piezoelectric rod and the elastic stiffness of kerf filler, respectively. The results show that the coupling factor decreases with the elastic stiffness increase of the kerf filler. In addition, we have also compared the current rectangular rod model with previous cylinder model for 1–3 piezoelectric composites. It was found that the circular cross-section piezoelectric rod tends to provide higher electromechanical coupling factor than the square rod when the aspect ratio is between 0.3 and 4 in the 1–3 composites with the same volume fraction.

The NUDT family is thought to play an important role in cancer growth and progression. However, the clinicopathologic significance and potential role of nucleotide diphosphate-linked X-component motif 21, NM_007006 (NUDT21) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we observed that NUDT21 was frequently up-expressed in PDAC. Clinical data revealed that its level positively correlated with poor survival of patients with PDAC. We found that knockdown of NUDT21 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Screening by microarray analysis and verifying by Western blot, we found that the EIF2 signaling pathway represented the main molecular mechanism underlying the effects of NUDT21 knockdown in PANC-1 cells, and PKR, HSPA5, EIF4E and DDIT3 may be its target genes. Thus, our results revealed for the first time that NUDT21, a valuable marker of PDAC prognosis, promotes tumor proliferation, inhibits cells apoptosis and might represent a potential target for gene-based therapy.

Thermally degradable thermoset acrylate-epoxy resins with thermal cleavable groups had been prepared by a series of acrylate-epoxy pre-polymers which was cured with 4-methyl hexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA). The acrylate-epoxy pre-polymers were synthesized via the radical polymerization of 3, 4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl methacrylate (EMA) with butyl methacrylate (BMA), tert-butyl methacrylate (TBMA), tert-butyl acrylate (TBA) and butyl acrylate (BA), respectively. The chemical structure of pre-polymers was characterized in detail. The thermal degradation mechanism and thermal properties, mechanical properties as well as dielectric properties of the acrylate-epoxy resins were systematically investigated. Results showed that t-butyl group and methyl group had a positive influence on the main thermal degradation process. TBMA-E/M presented lower degradation temperature (The initial degradation temperature is ~214 °C) and dielectric constant (~3.19 at 106 Hz) among these thermosets. Besides, all samples possessed similar high transmittance in the visible range. Therefore, acrylate-epoxy resins had a promising application and degraded at a desirable temperature.