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Radical-involved allylation reactions have emerged as a powerful platform for construction of carbon-carbon and carbonheteroatom bonds, facilitating the strategic incorporation of diverse allyl moieties. Nevertheless, this burgeoning field still faces ongoing challenges, including limitations of radical precursors and coupling partners, and difficulties in achieving enantiocontrol. Herein, we report for the first time a highly enantioselective radical allylation involving β-keto esters with vinyl cyclopropanes utilizing a synergistic dual photoredox/nickel catalysis under visible light irradiation. The mild and redox-neutral catalytic protocol demonstrates an extensive substrate compatibility and good functional tolerance, providing access to enantioenriched β-keto esters featuring quaternary α-stereocenter with good yields and high enantioselectivities. Preliminary mechanistic studies have uncovered that the success of the reaction hinges on the dual roles of nickel catalyst, including in situ formation of photoredox sensitive substrate/Ni complex and the ensuing asymmetric radical addition step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditional process models, including moderated mediation models and mediated moderation models, are widely used in behavioral science research. However, few studies have examined approaches to conduct statistical power analysis for such models and there is also a lack of software packages that provide such power analysis functionalities. In this paper, we introduce new simulation-based methods for power analysis of conditional process models with a focus on moderated mediation models. These simulation-based methods provide intuitive ways for sample-size planning based on regression coefficients in a moderated mediation model as well as selected variance and covariance components. We demonstrate how the methods can be applied to five commonly used moderated mediation models using a simulation study, and we also assess the performance of the methods through the five models. We implement our approaches in the WebPower R package and also in Web apps to ease their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to apply a newly developed semi-automatic phantom-less QCT (PL-QCT) to measure proximal humerus trabecular bone density based on chest CT and verify its accuracy and precision. Methods: Subcutaneous fat of the shoulder joint and trapezius muscle were used as calibration references for PL-QCT BMD measurement. A self-developed algorithm based on a convolution map was utilized in PL-QCT for semi-automatic BMD measurements. CT values of ROIs used in PL-QCT measurements were directly used for phantom-based quantitative computed tomography (PB-QCT) BMD assessment. The study included 376 proximal humerus for comparison between PB-QCT and PL-QCT. Two sports medicine doctors measured the proximal humerus with PB-QCT and PL-QCT without knowing each other's results. Among them, 100 proximal humerus were included in the inter-operative and intra-operative BMD measurements for evaluating the repeatability and reproducibility of PL-QCT and PB-QCT. Results: A total of 188 patients with 376 shoulders were involved in this study. The consistency analysis indicated that the average bias between proximal humerus BMDs measured by PB-QCT and PL-QCT was 1.0 mg/cc (agreement range – 9.4 to 11.4; P > 0.05, no significant difference). Regression analysis between PB-QCT and PL-QCT indicated a good correlation (R-square is 0.9723). Short-term repeatability and reproducibility of proximal humerus BMDs measured by PB-QCT (CV: 5.10% and 3.41%) were slightly better than those of PL-QCT (CV: 6.17% and 5.64%). Conclusions: We evaluated the bone quality of the proximal humeral using chest CT through the semi-automatic PL-QCT system for the first time. Comparison between it and PB-QCT indicated that it could be a reliable shoulder BMD assessment tool with acceptable accuracy and precision. Summary: This study developed and verify a semi-automatic PL-QCT for assessment of proximal humeral bone density based on CT to assist in the assessment of proximal humeral osteoporosis and development of individualized treatment plans for shoulders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poplar fiber mass is a non-uniform medium that is composed of discrete microelements making it an imperative raw material in the production of ultra-thin high-density wood fiberboards. Preheating, therefore, becomes a crucial process in producing ultra-thin boards from poplar fiber masses. This study aims to investigate the thermal conductivity properties of wood fiber pellets with the objective of guiding the process parameters in the preheating section. Basic size and composition of poplar fiber masses were observed using an optical microscope. Measured parameters such as bark content and stacking density were combined with observations to establish the heat transfer unit of poplar fiber masses which were then used to develop a one-dimensional equivalent heat transfer model. The steady-state images of the surface layer of poplar fiber masses were captured under different parameters using infrared thermography. The results indicated that the relationships between thickness, density, and moisture content were negatively correlated with surface layer temperature, while the relationships between bottom heating temperature and surface layer temperature were positively correlated. From these findings, the surface layer temperature of poplar fiber mass was derived, and equivalent thermal conductivity as well as convective heat transfer coefficients were solved. Simulation results showed that the average error of the equivalent heat transfer model of poplar fiber mass was 1.584 indicating that the model is usable. This study contributes to efficient simulation of steady-state heat transfer in wood fiber masses, and could be useful in guiding decision-making processes in the preheating section of ultra-thin high-density fiberboard production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneity is a major obstacle to the success of CAR-T therapy in treating solid tumors. The complex tumor microenvironment and varying phenotypes of tumor cells might result in antigen escape, drug resistance, and tumor recurrence. To address this issue, we proposed to use lipid-modified fluorescein isothiocyanate (Lip-FITC) as an artificial ligand to normalize the phenotypes of solid tumor cells. In murine cutaneous melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma that prefer to utilize exogenous long-chain fatty acids, we observed much more uptake of Lip-FITC and significantly increased FITC fluorescence on tumor cell membranes than normal cells. This specific exogenous labeling with FITC enhanced the recognition and selectivity of CART cells in solid tumors, bypassing the limitations derived from antigen expression differences in adoptive cell therapies. Lipid metabolism analysis and in vitro experiments demonstrated the sufficient uptake of long-chain fatty acid (LCFAs)-modified Lip-FITC by solid tumor cells, as well as satisfactory ligand assembly on cell membranes. In solid tumor model, the treatment induced the recognition and initiation of CART cells and successfully suppressed tumor progression through T-cell immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, numerical simulation method was used to analyze the conditions, resulting in the formation of blisters during solution heat treatment. Blister formation is considered to occur as the height of blister reaches 5 μm. The effects of process parameters on the magnitude of the forming temperatures of blister (Tb) were discussed. Two kinds of Al–Si alloys were used to analyze the effect of mechanical properties of the alloys on blister forming conditions. Simulation results show that decreasing the initial pressure in gas hole, the long-short axial ratio of gas hole and the size of gas hole, as well as increasing the depth of gas hole and the strength of alloy are helpful to increase the critical temperature of forming blister. These conclusions are helpful for casters to understand the conditions controlling blister formation during solution heat treatment and take actions to avoid the blister defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper mainly studies the retrieval and location of violence in long time sequence video. Aiming at the low accuracy of violence detection in long time sequence video, a two-stage violence time sequence location method based on DC3D network model is proposed in this paper. In the video preprocessing stage, this paper adopts the method of generating video at multiple scales. In the first stage, we first use a large number of labeled datasets for pre-training to obtain a C3D network model for generating candidate videos and finally filter out meaningless background videos. In the second stage, we use the deconvolution method to identify the candidate video accurately to the frame level, so as to determine the specific time of violence. In the first stage, this method can improve the overall accuracy by generating candidate videos. DC3D network model can accurately locate the time of violence to the level of frame. The experimental results show that the proposed method can quickly retrieve and locate the violent fighting behavior in the surveillance video under the long time sequence video. The research results of this paper can provide convenience for the surveillance personnel to quickly retrieve and locate the target segment in a large amount of video data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of "near-form words" has existed since the ancient English period (about 450 years ago), yet few mathematical identification algorithms have been applied to these. With the widespread use of English and an increasing number of English words, near-form words have also increased. However, the traditional way of identifying near-form words cannot keep up with this ever-growing language. A mathematical algorithm is therefore needed which can calculate the degree of similarity between words, so that near-form words can then be identified, collected and classified according to appearance similarity, and a specific value can be assigned to these levels of similarity. In related fields, there have been many studies of English synonyms, phonetic words, English sentences and texts. Some algorithms have been used with the aim of studying similarities in word appearance, but these were for hieroglyphics, such as Chinese words, and not for English words. Many similar words can be found in dictionaries or networks which are incomplete due to the outcomes of subjective collection. More importantly, subjective collection methods cannot determine the value of similarities, which highlights the uniqueness and innovation of this research. Among existing research methods, the one used most often involves fuzzy neural networks, which are unstable and inaccurate. A stable and unique mathematical calculation method is therefore needed. In this study, coding methods were used to design an algorithm that could calculate different letter position coefficients and letter appearance coefficients in order to obtain corresponding values. In terms of application, this algorithm can help generate big data on near-form words in English teaching. In terms of English input software, this algorithm can also provide more words to prompt the input method. In the case of text-editing software (such as Microsoft Word), the algorithm can improve error-detection accuracy and suggest suitable alternatives. In the field of artificial intelligence, it can also be used to monitor counterfeit trademark registration in the commodity registration system. Thus, the authors firmly believe that this application will have a wide range of applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a critical cosubstrate for enzymes involved in supplying energy to the brain. Nicotinamide riboside (NR), an NAD+ precursor, emerges as a neuroprotective factor after chronic brain insults. However, researchers have not determined whether it improves cognition after acute ischemia. In the present study, mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion were treated with NR chloride (NRC, 300 mg/kg, IP., 20 min after reperfusion). The results of the Morris water maze test revealed better recovery of learning and memory function in the NRC-treated group. Acute NRC treatment decreased hippocampal infarct volume, reduced neuronal loss and apoptosis in the hippocampus. Western blot and high-performance liquid chromatography assays of hippocampal tissues revealed that the activation of Sirtin-1 and adenosine 5′ monophosphate-activated protein kinase was increased, the NAD content was elevated, and the production of adenosine triphosphate was strengthened by NRC. Collectively, acute NRC treatment increased the energy supply, reduced the neuronal loss and apoptosis, protected the hippocampus and ultimately promoted the recovery of cognitive function after brain ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Semi‑automatic proximal humeral trabecular bone density assessment tool: technique application and clinical validation" which appeared in the April 1, 2024 issue.

The development of reliable methods for the rapid and selective detection of nitro-explosive were vital concern for national security due to the increasing use of explosive materials in terrorism, military operation safety, industrial and environmental safety control. Here a novel cross-linked supramolecular polymer network (SPN5) was efficiently constructed by pillar[5]arene-based host–guest interactions, which can be used for nitro explosives o-DNB and p-DNB detection. The limits of detection (LODs) of SPN5 for o-DNB and p-DNB were determined as 7.90 × 10−7 M and 4.40 × 10−7 M, respectively. Moreover, the detection of o-DNB and p-DNB was also realized in a thin film consisting of the SPN5. This work provided a novel strategy for efficient detection of explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomedical event extraction is an important branch of biomedical information extraction. Trigger extraction is the most essential sub-task in event extraction, which has been widely concerned. Existing trigger extraction studies are mostly based on conventional machine learning or neural networks. But they neglect the ambiguity of word representations and the insufficient feature extraction by shallow hidden layers. In this paper, trigger extraction is treated as a sequence labeling problem. We introduce the language model to dynamically compute contextualized word representations and propose a multi-layer residual bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) architecture. First, we concatenate contextualized word embedding, pretrained word embedding and character-level embedding as the feature representations, which effectively solves the tokens' ambiguity in biomedical corpora. Then, the designed BiLSTM block with residual connection and gated multi-layer perceptron is adopted to extract features iteratively. This architecture improves the ability of our model to capture information and avoids gradient exploding or vanishing. Finally, we combine the multi-layer residual BiLSTM with CRF layer to obtain more reasonable label sequences. Comparing with other state-of-the-art methods, the proposed model achieves the competitive performance (F1-score: 80.74%) on the biomedical multi-level event extraction (MLEE) corpus without any manual participation and feature engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galectin-1 is found in the vasculature and has been confirmed to promote angiogenesis in several cancer models. Furthermore, galectin-1 has been demonstrated to improve the recovery of cerebral ischemia. However, whether vascular remodeling contributes to this improvement is still unknown. In the present study, photochemical cerebral ischemia was induced in both galectin-1-treated (2 μg/day, i.c.v, 3 days) and galectin-1 knockout mice. Laser speckle imaging and immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that circulation and vascular remodeling in the ischemic cortex were improved by galectin-1 treatment but disrupted in galectin-1 knockout mice. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of matrix metallopeptidase-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was regulated by galectin-1 in vivo. To determine how galectin-1 influences endothelial cells, the expression of galectin-1 in bEnd.3 cells was increased by transfection with an expression plasmid and knocked down by siRNA. As demonstrated by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis, the expression of metallopeptidase-9, VEGF, and VEGF receptors was upregulated by galectin-1 overexpression but downregulated after galectin-1 knockdown. Flow cytometry, Transwell assay, and capillary-like tube formation assay were performed on cells after gene manipulation as well as cells treated by exogenous galectin-1 after anoxia. It demonstrated that galectin-1 potentiated the cell proliferation, migration capacity, and tube formation ability. Taken together, these data suggest that by targeting vascular remodeling, galectin-1 contributes to the restoration of blood flow, which promotes the recovery of mice after cerebral ischemic insults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide spread of image information, it is an urgent problem to protect image property rights and crack down on piracy. Watermarking algorithm is an effective means to solve the problem of copyright protection. In this paper, we propose an optimized image watermarking algorithm based on singular value decomposition (SVD) and integer wavelet transform (IWT). First, the carrier images are divided into blocks. Then, the block-based integer wavelet transform is performed, and the singular value decomposition is performed in the low frequency part. Finally, the first singular value is used to extract energy effectively, so as to improve the robustness of digital watermarking. At the same time, genetic algorithm is used to optimize the robustness and imperceptibility of image watermarking. Four classic gray images, including Lena, baboon, peppers, and Goldhill, are used as carrier images to test, the test results show that the watermarking algorithm has good imperceptibility, and robustness. Compared with other methods, the experimental results show that the algorithm has good PSNR(peak signal-to-noise ratio) and NC(normalized correlation coefficient) values. In the attacks including Gaussian noise, low-pass filtering, changing the size, straight square error equalization, image blur, image contrast, JPEG compression, and gamma correction, the proposed method shows good performance. The NC value of this method is better than that of the contrast method, especially in Gaussian noise attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescent chemosensor based on trimesoyl chloride–rhodamine (TR) was successfully synthesized. Rising chromogenic and fluorogenic spectral enhancements could be observed in trimesoyl chloride–rhodamine (TR) probes when Hg2+ and Fe3+ were added, respectively. TR has shown selectivity for Hg2+ and Fe3+ with high sensitivity due to metal ion complexation induced photophysical "turn-on" signaling responses. The detection limit towards Hg2+ was 2.46 × 10−8 M as determined by the 3σ method. At the same time, fluorogenic spectral enhancements were observed in TR, which exhibits a superior sensitive and selective recognition towards Fe3+ with 4.11 × 10−8 M of the detection limit. The test strips were used for colorimetric and simple detection towards Hg2+, which might finally enable the advancement of the Hg2+ sensor in the field of on-site detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A catechol-functionalized phenazine imidazole (PD) was tailored with 2,3-diaminophenazine and 3,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde, and it served as a hybrid acceptor for capturing HSO4− anions. The selectivity and sensitivity of the PD receptor for anion sensing were studied. It was found that the PD receptor could not only display a preferable sensitivity to HSO4− ions with a "turn–off" fluorescence response, but also have a strong anti-interference ability toward other common anions, especially basic anions such as CH3COO−, HPO42−, and H2PO4−. The anion recognition mechanism of PD towards HSO4− is based on multiple hydrogen bond interactions. Finally, the strips for anion detection were prepared, which were verified to be a convenient and high-efficiency test kit for detecting HSO4− ions with the naked eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 3D supramolecular polymer network gel (DP5G) was successfully constructed by easy to synthesize tripodal guest (SZ) and thioacetylhydrazone functionalized di-pillar[5]arene host (DP5). Interestingly, the DP5G showed aggregation induced emission (AIE). Moreover, the DP5G displayed a 3D network structure, which was used to dye removal experiments. Notably, the xerogel DP5G could effectively remove cationic dyes (including crystal violet and rhodamine B) from aqueous solution and the removal percentages are 96.3% and 95.4%, respectively. In addition, the maximal adsorption capacity of DP5G towards crystal violet and rhodamine B are 19.65 mg/g and 22.85 mg/g, respectively. The stability of the 3D supramolecular polymer network gel (DP5G) was further investigated, which exhibited excellent stability toward outer stimuli such as pH, competitive agents, oxidant and reducing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social and behavioral sciences, data are typically not normally distributed, which can invalidate hypothesis testing and lead to unreliable results when being analyzed by methods developed for normal data. The existing methods of generating multivariate non-normal data typically create data according to specific univariate marginal measures such as the univariate skewness and kurtosis, but not multivariate measures such as Mardia's skewness and kurtosis. In this study, we propose a new method of generating multivariate non-normal data with given multivariate skewness and kurtosis. Our approach allows researchers to better control their simulation designs in evaluating the influence of multivariate non-normality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is a kind of autoimmune diseases characterized by autoantibodies which produced and secreted by abnormal activated B lymphocytes directed against red blood cells (RBC). Study reveals that about 50% AIHA mainly occurs secondary to lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we aim to explore the characteristics of patients with AIHA secondary to LPD. Fifteen patients with AIHA secondary to LPD (secondary group) and 60 with primary AIHA (primary group) were retrospectively included. Patients in the secondary group [(59.40 ± 4.74) y] were older than those in the primary group [(47.53 ± 2.30) y] (p = 0.024). Reticulocyte counts were lower for the secondary group [(134.55 ± 20.67) × 109/L] than for the primary group [(193.88 ± 27.32) × 109/L] (p = 0.09). Haptoglobin was higher in the secondary (0.75 ± 0.19) g/L than in the primary group (0.34 ± 0.05) g/L (p = 0.004). The ratio of CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ was higher in the secondary (1.81 ± 0.41) than in the primary (1.05 ± 0.12) group (p = 0.025). Duration of remission was shorter in the secondary [(23.52 ± 5.20) months] than in the primary [(40.87 ± 3.92) months] group (p = 0.013). Relapse rate was higher for the secondary (33.3%) than for the primary (8.3%) group (p = 0.003). Mortality rate was higher in the secondary (33.3%) than in the primary (8.3%) group (p = 0.003). Progression-free survival was shorter in the secondary than in the primary group (p = 0.021). In conclusion, patients with AIHA secondary to LPD showed higher age at diagnosis, shorter remission time, and higher recurrence and mortality rates than did those with primary AIHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martensitic transformations, mechanical properties, shape memory effect and superelasticity of Ti–xZr–(30–x)Nb–4Ta (x = 15, 16, 17 and 18; at%) alloys were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicated that the Ti–16Zr–14Nb–4Ta, Ti–17Zr–13Nb–4Ta and Ti–18Zr–12Nb–4Ta alloys were mainly composed of α″-martensite, while the Ti–15Zr–15Nb–4Ta alloy was characterized by predominant β phase. The reverse martensitic transformation temperatures increased when Nb was replaced by Zr, indicating stronger β-stabilizing effect for the former. The Ti–15Zr–15Nb–4Ta alloy displayed superelasticity during tensile deformation with a recovery strain of 3.51%. For the other three alloys with higher Zr content, the martensitic reorientation occurred during tensile deformation, resulting in shape memory recovery upon subsequent heating. The maximum shape memory effect was 3.46% in the Ti–18Zr–12Nb–4Ta alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous studies demonstrated that prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) caused thymopoiesis inhibition, immune disorders, and airway remodeling in offspring, which raises the question of whether PCE is a risk factor for postnatal asthma. Meanwhile, the mechanism of PCE-induced thymopoiesis inhibition is not clear yet. Considering caffeine's pro-autophagy effects (lacking evidence in thymus) and the important role of autophagy in maintaining thymopoiesis, this study aimed to investigate whether PCE contributes to asthma susceptibility, and further explore the molecular mechanisms of thymopoiesis inhibition from the perspective of pro-autophagy effects of caffeine both in vivo and in vitro. The PCE mouse model was established by 96 mg/kg/day caffeine administration from gestational day (GD) 9–GD 18, and an asthma model was established on the offspring by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge. The results confirmed our hypothesis that PCE could suppress pulmonary CD4+T development and aggravate allergen-induced asthma symptoms in the offspring. In fetuses, PCE significantly suppressed A2AR–PKA signaling, upregulated Beclin1–LC3II autophagy, promoted Bcl10 degradation, reduced A20 expression, and inhibited CD4+T thymopoiesis. Similar results were also observed in 4 µM caffeine-treated thymocytes in vitro. Moreover, inhibiting A2AR by antagonist (SCH 58261) performed the same downstream biological effects as caffeine treatment, and autophagy inhibitor (BafilomycinA1) clearly abolished the caffeine-induced Bcl10 degradation and A20 suppression. In conclusion, our findings, for the first time, showed that PCE could attenuate CD4+T thymopoiesis and suppress pulmonary CD4+T development by directly enhancing autophagy in thymocytes, and provided a firm experimental evidence that PCE is a risk factor for postnatal asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid leakage problem caused by liquid electrolyte, a new ionogel electrolyte was developed by in situ immobilizing organosilicon-functionalized ionic liquid within a nanoporous silica matrix. The ionic liquid evenly coats on the surface of porous silica and fills in the silica framework pores with no strong chemical interaction. The ionogel electrolyte has the dual advantages of a silica solid support and a wide electrochemical stability window of ionic liquid (4.87 V vs. Li+/Li). The half-cells assembled with this electrolyte and LiFePO4 electrode have excellent performance at room temperature and 60 °C. The Li/SiO2-IGE/LiFePO4 cell displays a discharge capacity of 129.1 mAh·g−1 after 200 charge/discharge cycles at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro evaluation of abuse deterrent formulations (ADFs) is a challenge since real abuse situations are variable and ADF technology is evolving. Specifically, an assessment of an ADF to deter nasal insufflation would be valuable. In this study, a vertical diffusion cell (VDC) was used to evaluate polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based tablets manipulated by three different forces. The commercially available products Oxycontin®, an ADF, Opana®, and metoprolol tartrate tablet formulations made in our laboratory were studied. Particle size distribution and percent recovery of manipulated tablets were measured. Grinding produced the lowest recovery and the smallest particle size distribution. Drug release was examined using a VDC by placing the dry comminuted particles on an enclosed wetted cellulose membrane. Dispensing dry particles on a VDC is atypical but includes some key features associated with an abuse situation where once the particles are snorted, the moisture in the nasal mucosa activates hydration and swelling of the polymers in the formulation, retarding drug release. Drug release from OxyContin®, Opana®, and metoprolol tablets were analyzed for the cutting, grinding, and milling modes of abuse. The analysis showed that in most cases, the mode of abuse produced different particle sizes with different release rates. Statistically different release rates were observed for metoprolol tablets made with different molecular weight PEO and with different porosities. These results indicate that within detection limits, the VDC can be used to quantitate release differences due to various modes of abuse used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-temperature deformation behavior of a beta Ti-3.0Al-3.5Cr-2.0Fe-0.1B alloy was investigated by a Gleeble-1500D thermal simulator. The height reduction was 50%, corresponding to a true strain of 0.693. The strain rate ranging from 0.01 to 10.00 s−1 and the deformation temperature ranging from 800 to 950 °C were considered. The flow stress and the apparent activation energy for deformation, along with the constitutive equation, were used to analyze the behavior of the Ti-3.0Al-3.5Cr-2.0Fe-0.1B alloy. The processing map was established. The effect of strain rate on the microstructure at 850 °C was evaluated. The flow stress-strain curves indicated that the peak flow stresses increased along with an increase in the strain rate and decreased as the deformation temperature increased. Based on the true stress-true strain curves, the constitutive equation was established and followed as the ε˙=6.58×1010sinh0.0113σ3.44exp-245481.3/RT. The processing map exhibited the “unsafe” region at the strain rate of 10 s−1 and the temperature of 850 °C, and the rest region was “safe”. The deformation microstructure demonstrated that both dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) existed during deformation. At the lower strain rate of 0.01 s−1, the main deformation mechanism was the DRV, and the DRX was the dominant deformation mechanism at the higher strain rate of 1.00 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a bioactivity-guided isolation of antioxidant activity components of extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait. based on TLC bioautography and column chromatography was provided. The antioxidant activity of S. flavescens Ait. with different origins was evaluated by TLC bioautography, using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical as a detection reagent. The results showed that S. flavescens Ait. from different origins all expressed antioxidant activity. Then, based on a bioactivity-guided isolation principle, ten antioxidant activity ingredients including trifolirhizin(1), nor-anhydroicaritin(2), calycosin(3), isoxanthohumol(4), trifohrhizin-6′-monoacetate(5), 8-lavandulyl-5,7,4′-trihydroxyflavonol(6), kurarinone(7), sophoraflavanone G(8), maackiain(9) and formononetin(10) were yielded by the separation and purification of column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by NMR data analysis. The results showed that the primary antioxidant constituents of S. flavescens Ait. were flavonoids, and significantly, prenylated flavonoids with phenolic hydroxyl in ring B had a stronger antioxidant effect than others. The study suggested that TLC bioautography-guided isolation of antioxidant components from S. flavescens Ait. was a kind of simple, rapid and effective means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological behaviour of Ti-30Zr, Ti-20Zr-10Nb and Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloys was investigated using reciprocating friction and wear tests. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that Ti-30Zr, Ti-20Zr-10Nb and Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloys are composed of hexagonal α′-martensite, orthorhombic α″-martensite and bcc β phases, respectively. Ti-30Zr alloy has the highest hardness of HV (273.1 ± 9.3), while Ti-20Zr-10Nb alloy exhibits the lowest hardness of HV (235.2 ± 20.4) among all the alloys. The tribological results indicate that Ti-30Zr alloy shows the best wear resistance among these alloys, corresponding to the minimum average friction coefficient of 0.052 and the lowest wear rate of 6.4 × 10 mm·N·m. Ti-20Zr-10Nb alloy displays better wear resistance than Ti-19Zr-10Nb-1Fe alloy, because the iron oxide is easy to fall off and less NbO films form on the worn surface of the latter. Delamination and abrasive wear in association with adhesive wear are the main wear mechanism of these alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of sensors for selective detection of cyanide ion (CN) is an important mission to accomplish because of the versatility and toxicity of CN. In the present work, an 'ensemble'-based colorimetric and fluorescent sensor ( L2-Zn) for CN ion has been developed. The addition of cyanide ions removed Zn from the ensemble ( L2-Zn) in aqueous medium, resulting in a color change of the solution from red to buff and a 'turn-on' fluorescent response. Also, the sensitivity of both the fluorescence- and colorimetric-based assay is below the maximum allowable level of cyanide ions in drinking water set by the World Health Organization. In addition, test strips, which served as convenient and efficient CN test kits, were fabricated based on the sensor. Notably, the selective detection of cyanide with L2-Zn for practical application was also performed in sprouting potatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SCN1A gene with 1274 point mutations in the coding regions or genomic rearrangements is the most clinically relevant epilepsy gene. Recent studies have demonstrated that variations in the noncoding regions are potentially associated with epilepsies, but no distinct mutation has been reported. We sequenced the 5′ upstream region of SCN1A in 166 patients with epilepsy and febrile seizures who were negative for point mutations in the coding regions or genomic rearrangements. A heterozygous mutation h1u-1962 T > G was identified in a patient with partial epilepsy and febrile seizures, which was aggravated by oxcarbazepine. This mutation was transmitted from the patient's asymptomatic mother and not found in the 110 normal controls. h1u-1962 T > G was located upstream the most frequently used noncoding exon and within the promoter sequences. Further experiments showed that this mutation decreased the promoter activity by 42.1 % compared with that of the paired haplotype ( P < 0.001). In contrast to the null expression that results in haploinsufficiency and severe phenotype, this mutation caused relatively less impairment, explaining the mild epilepsy with incomplete penetrance. The antiepileptic drug-induced seizure aggravation in this patient suggests clinical attention for mutations or variations in noncoding regions that may affect SCN1A expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molar enthalpies of dissolution for 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-1-oxide (LLM-105) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were measured using a RD496-2000 Calvet microcalorimeter at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. Empirical formulae for the calculation of the molar enthalpies of dissolution (Δ H), relative partial molar enthalpies (Δ H ) and relative apparent molar enthalpies (Δ H ) were obtained from the experimental data of the dissolution processes of LLM-105 in DMSO or NMP. Furthermore, the corresponding kinetic equations describing the two dissolution processes were d α/d t = 10(1 − α) for the dissolution of LLM-105 in DMSO, and d α/d t = 10(1 − α) for the dissolution of LLM-105 in NMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant PGE and Cr mineralization occurs in a number of 2.44-2.50-Ga mafic layered intrusions located across the Karelian and Kola cratons. The intrusions have been interpreted to be related to mantle plume activity. Most of the intrusions have negative ε values of about −1 to −2 and slightly radiogenic initial Sr isotope compositions of about 0.702 to 0.703. One potential explanation is crustal contamination of a magma derived from a mantle plume, but another possibility is that the magma was derived from metasomatized sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Samples from the upper chromitite layers of the Kemi intrusion and most samples from the previously studied Koitelainen and Akanvaara intrusions have supra-chondritic γ values indicating some crustal contamination, which may have contributed to the formation of chromitites in these intrusions. Chromite separates from the main ore zone of the Kemi and Monchepluton intrusions show nearly chondritic γ, similar to the coeval Vetreny belt komatiites. We suggest that the Os isotope composition of the primitive magma was not significantly changed by crustal contamination due to a high Os content of the magma and a low Os content of the contaminant. Modeling suggests that the Os and Nd isotope compositions of the Monchepluton and Kemi intrusions cannot be explained by assuming a magma source in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle with sub-chondritic γ. A better match for the isotope data would be a plume mantle source with chondritic Re/Os and Os isotope composition, followed by crustal contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of annealing temperature on microstructures, phase transformation, mechanical properties, and shape memory effect of Ti-20Zr-10Nb-5Al alloy were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the alloy is composed of single hexagonal α′-martensite phase for both as-rolled sample and sample annealed at 773 K for 30 min, while single orthorhombic α″ phase exists in the samples annealed at 873 and 973 K for 30 min. The optical observations indicate that the alloy is recrystallized when annealed at 873 K, and the grain size of the sample annealed at 973 K is about five times larger than that annealed at 873 K. Both of the samples annealed at 873 and 973 K show almost the same reverse martensite transformation start temperature of 483 K as demonstrated by thermal dilatation tests. The critical stress values for martensite reorientation ( σ ) are 392 and 438 MPa for the alloys annealed at 873 and 973 K, respectively. The maximum shape memory strain is 2.8 %, which is obtained in the alloy annealed at 873 K due to the lower σ . Moreover, the sample annealed at 873 K exhibits larger tensile stress and tensile strain due to the smaller grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to describe the characteristics of dynamic traffic flow and improve the robustness of its multiple applications, a dynamic traffic temporal-spatial model (DTTS) is established. With consideration of the temporal correlation, spatial correlation and historical correlation, a basic DTTS model is built. And a three-stage approach is put forward for the simplification and calibration of the basic DTTS model. Through critical sections pre-selection and critical time pre-selection, the first stage reduces the variable number of the basic DTTS model. In the second stage, variable coefficient calibration is implemented based on basic model simplification and stepwise regression analysis. Aimed at dynamic noise estimation, the characteristics of noise are summarized and an extreme learning machine is presented in the third stage. A case study based on a real-world road network in Beijing, China, is carried out to test the efficiency and applicability of proposed DTTS model and the three-stage approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study aims at confirming the efficacy and safety of low dose rituximab and pulse cyclophosphamide in the treatment of refractory AIHA in adults and making comparison of the two. Forty-nine adult patients with refractory AIHA have been enrolled. Results showed low dose rituximab combined with steroid therapy (group B) got more CR (78.9 %, 15/19) compared to that in intermittent intravenous cyclophosphamide combined with steroid therapy (group A) (42.1 %, 8/19) (P = 0.04) at 6 months after treatment. The hemoglobin level in group B was higher than group A at the time point of 1 month (P = 0.02) after treatments. The RFS in group A was 87.9 % at 6 months and 82.7 % at 12 months, which were no significant difference with group B (91.1 % at 6 months and 86.0 % at 12 months) (P = 0.81). Both the two therapies were well tolerated with pulmonary infections as the most common side effects. In conclusion, low dose rituximab combined with steroid therapy presents to be a better choice in the treatment of refractory AIHA in adults comparing with pulse cyclophosphamide therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to balance the temporal-spatial distribution of urban traffic flow, a model is established for combined urban traffic signal control and traffic flow guidance. With consideration of the wide use of fixed signal control at intersections, traffic assignment under traffic flow guidance, and dynamic characteristics of urban traffic management, a tri-level programming model is presented. To reflect the impact of intersection delay on traffic assignment, the lower level model is set as a modified user equilibrium model. The middle level model, which contains several definitional constraints for different phase modes, is built for the traffic signal control optimization. To solve the problem of tide lane management, the upper level model is built up based on nonlinear 0-1 integer programming. A heuristic iterative optimization algorithm (HIOA) is set up to solve the tri-level programming model. The lower level model is solved by method of successive averages (MSA), the middle level model is solved by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA II), and the upper level model is solved by genetic algorithm (GA). A case study is raised to show the efficiency and applicability of the proposed modelling and computing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molar enthalpies of dissolution for potassium salt of bis(dinitromethyl)difurazanyl ether [K(BDFE)] in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and water were measured using a RD496-2000 Calvet microcalorimeter at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. Empirical formulae for the calculation of the molar enthalpies of dissolution (Δ H), relative partial molar enthalpies (Δ H), and relative apparent molar enthalpies (Δ H) were obtained from the experimental data of the dissolution processes of K(BDFE) in NMP or water. Furthermore, the corresponding kinetic equations describing the two dissolution processes were d α/d t = 10(1 − α) for the dissolution of K(BDFE) in NMP and d α/d t = 10(1 − α) for the dissolution of K(BDFE) in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the expression of activation molecules on CD5(+)B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)/Evans patients. The expression of CD80, CD86, and CD69 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes was detected using flow cytometry in 30 AIHA/Evans patients, 18 normal controls (NC) and nine chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. CD80 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes in untreated patients was higher than that in remission patients (P < 0.05), NC (P < 0.01) and CLL patients (P < 0.01). CD80 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes was higher than that on CD5(-)B lymphocytes in untreated patients (P > 0.05), but lower than those of CD5(-)B lymphocytes in remission patients and NC (P < 0.05). CD86 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes of untreated patients was higher than that of remission patients (P < 0.05), NC (P < 0.01). CD86 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes of CLL was higher than that of NC, remission (P < 0.05), and untreated patients (P > 0.05). CD80 and CD86 on CD5(+)B lymphocytes was negatively correlated with hemoglobin (HB), C3, C4 (P < 0.05) and positively correlated with reticulocyte (Ret) (P < 0.05). CD69 on CD5(+) and CD5(-)B lymphocytes of CLL was higher than those of AIHA/Evans patients and NC (P < 0.05). The active molecules on CD5(+)B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of AIHA/Evans patients differ from those on CD5(-) and clonal CD5(+)B lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rutin is one of the most common flavonoids present in nature that has a wide range of biological properties. A Tin(II)-rutin complex was synthesized from the raw material rutin and SnCl in an alkaline solution. The complex was characterized by UV-vis, IR, H NMR, and C NMR spectroscopy. We evaluated the free radical scavenging activity using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, and the results showed that pure rutin was more effective than the Tin(II)-rutin complex in terms of antioxidant activity. Supplementing diet by foods rich in rutin and other flavonoids, such as vegetables and fruits, may contribute to removing free radicals and heavy metal ions in our body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease of plasma cells and is often accompanied by anemia which may influence its progression and survival. The mechanism of anemia of chronic disease (ACD) in which iron homeostasis is impaired underlies that of MM-related anemia. In this study, we analyzed the role of hepcidin which is the main mediator of ACD and ACD-related cytokines in peripheral blood of MM patients. We showed that HAMP mRNA and growth differentiation factors 15 (GDF15) mRNA expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma hepcidin, GDF15, interleukin-6 and erythropoietin in MM patients all increased significantly as compared to those in controls. In MM patients, the expression of HAMP mRNA showed a positive correlation with serum ferritin level, and a negative correlation with hemoglobin level. The levels of plasma hepcidin and GDF15 were significantly decreased in MM patients who achieved complete remission after six cycles VD (bortezomib + dexamethasone) regimen chemotherapy. These data indicated that overexpression of HAMP mRNA in PBMCs significantly correlated with increased plasma hepcidin level and may be involved in the pathogenesis of MM-related anemia. Furthermore, the levels of plasma hepcidin and GDF15 may be valuable in assessing the progress of MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naringin is neuroprotective in ischemia and other disease models. However, the effects of naringin are unknown after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study explored the role of naringin for neuroprotection in TBI rats. TBI was performed with the weight drop technique, and naringin was given orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. The neurological scores, tissue edema, and oxidative stress/inflammation parameters [malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as well as interleukin-1β (IL-1β)] were measured. Compared to sham controls, TBI rats displayed obvious sensorimotor dysfunction, significant brain edema, and elevated oxidative and inflammatory molecules. Although a 7-day pre-treatment of naringin was unable to reverse these pathological changes, a 14-day continual treatment (7 days before and 7 days after the TBI) attenuated the increases in MDA and nitric oxide; enhanced the activation of superoxide dismutase; depressed the over-activation of iNOS; down-regulated the over-expression of IL-1β; and reduced the cortex edema. Additionally, the TBI-induced behavioral dysfunction was reduced. These results suggest that naringin treatment can attenuate cellular and histopathological alterations and improve the sensorimotor dysfunction of TBI rats, which may be partly due to the attenuation of oxidative and inflammatory damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate whether atorvastatin treatment could prevent Aβ1-42 oligomer (AβO)-induced synaptotoxicity and memory dysfunction in rats, and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective actions of atorvastatin.Methods:SD rats were injected with AβOs (5 nmol, icv). The rats were administrated with atorvastatin (10 mg·kg−1·d−1, po) for 2 consecutive weeks (the first dose was given 5 d before AβOs injection). The memory impairments were evaluated with Morris water maze task. The expression of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus was determined using ELISA assays. The levels of PSD-95 and p38MAPK proteins in rat hippocampus were evaluated using Western blot analysis. For in vitro experiments, cultured rat hippocampal neurons were treated with AβOs (50 nmol/L) for 48 h. The expression of MAP-2 and synaptophysin in the neurons was detected with immunofluorescence.Results:The AβO-treated rats displayed severe memory impairments in Morris water maze tests, and markedly reduced levels of synaptic proteins synaptophysin and PSD-95, increased levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and p38MAPK activation in the hippocampus. All these effects were prevented or substantially attenuated by atorvastatin administration. Pretreatment of cultured hippocampal neurons with atorvastatin (1 and 5 μmol/L) concentration-dependently attenuated the AβO-induced synaptotoxicity, including the loss of dendritic marker MAP-2, and synaptic proteins synaptophysin and PSD-95. Pretreatment of the cultured hippocampal neurons with the p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 (5 μmol/L) blocked the AβO-induced loss of synaptophysin and PSD-95.Conclusion:Atorvastatin prevents AβO-induced synaptotoxicity and memory dysfunction through a p38MAPK-dependent pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of mafic-ultramafic intrusions that host Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization occur in the northeastern Tarim Craton and the eastern Tianshan Orogenic Belt (NW China). The sulfide-mineralized Pobei mafic-ultramafic complex is located in the northeastern part of the Tarim Craton. The complex is composed of gabbro and olivine gabbro, cut by dunite, wehrlite, and melatroctolite of the Poyi and Poshi intrusions. Disseminated Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization is present towards the base of the ultramafic bodies. The sulfide mineralization is typically low grade (<0.5 wt.% Ni and <2 wt.% S) with low platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations (<24.5 ppb Pt and <69 ppb Pd); the abundance of Cu in 100 % sulfide is 1-8 wt.%, and Ni abundance in 100 % sulfide is typically >4 wt.%. Samples from the Pobei complex have εNd (at 280 Ma) values up to +8.1, consistent with the derivation of the magma from an asthenospheric mantle source. Fo 89.5 mol.% olivine from the ultramafic bodies is consistent with a primitive parental magma. Sulfide-bearing dunite and wehrlite have high Cu/Pd ratios ranging from 24,000 to 218,000, indicating a magma that evolved under conditions of sulfide saturation. The grades of Ni, Cu, and PGE in 100 % sulfide show a strong positive correlation. A model for these variations is proposed where the mantle source of the Pobei magma retained ~0.033 wt.% sulfide during the production of a PGE-depleted parental magma. The parental magma migrated from the mantle to the crust and underwent further S saturation to generate the observed mineralization along with its high Cu/Pd ratio at an R-factor varying from 100 to 1,200. The mineralization at Poshi and Poyi has very high γOs (at 280 Ma) values (+30 to +292) that are negatively correlated with the abundance of Os in 100 % sulfide (5.81-271 ppb) and positively correlated with the Re/Os ratios; this indicates that sulfide saturation was triggered by the assimilation of crustal sulfide with both high γOs and Re/Os ratios. When compared to other Permian mafic-ultramafic intrusions with sulfide mineralization in the East Tianshan, the Poyi and Poshi ultramafic bodies were formed from more primitive magmas, and this helps to explain why the sulfide mineralization has high Ni tenor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central composite process optimization was performed by response surface methodology technique using a design for the treatment of methyltin mercaptide with modified semi-coke. The semi-coke from the coal industry was suitably modified by treating it with phosphoric acid, with a thermal activation process. The objective of the process optimization is to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH-N in the methyltin mercaptide industrial effluent. The process variables considered for process optimization are the semi-coke dosage, adsorption time and effluent pH. The optimized process conditions are identified to be a semi-coke dosage of 80 g/L, adsorption time of 90 min and a pH value of 8.34. The ANOVA results indicate that the adsorbent dosage and pH are the significant parameters, while the adsorption time is insignificant, possibly owing to the large range of adsorption time chosen. The textural characteristics of modified semi-coke were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption isotherm. The average BET surface area of modified semi-coke is estimated to be 915 m/g, with the average pore volume of 0.71 cm/g and a average pore diameter of 3.09 nm, with micropore volume contributing to 52.36%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many existing movie recommender systems have investigated recommendation based on information such as clicks and tags, much less efforts have been made to explore the multimedia content of movies, which has potential information for the elicitation of the user’s visual and musical preferences. In this paper, we explore the content from three media types (image, text, audio) and propose a novel multi-view semi-supervised movie recommendation method, which represents each media type as a view space for movies. The three views of movies are integrated to predict the rating values under the multi-view framework. Furthermore, our method considers the casual users who rate limited movies. The algorithm enriches the user profile with a semi-supervised way when there are only few rating histories. Experiments indicate that the multimedia content analysis reveals the user’s profile in a more comprehensive way. Different media types can be a complement to each other for movie recommendation. And the experimental results validate that our semi-supervised method can effectively enrich the user profile for recommendation with limited rating history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous Al-Mg-B thin films were synthesized via a combinatorial sputtering approach. The properties of Al-Mg-B films with the varying deposition temperature was investigated. The deposition temperature was found to dominate the hardness of the amorphous as-deposited film. The hardness increases with increasing deposition temperature and may even exceed that of crystalline AlMgB material. The high hardness may be attributed to the existence of randomly distributed B icosahedra structure. Therefore, the thin film that was deposited on cemented carbide shows well-cutting performances in turning Ti alloy bar. At the same time, an appropriate method of pretreatment is the key to ensure the coating tool with the excellent adhesion by impact fracture test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Guangdong is an important part of Nanling tungsten-tin metallogenic belt, South China. The tungsten mineralization in this area consists of mainly quartz-wolframite vein-type mineralization, with W-Sn polymetallic deposits mostly distributed at the outer contact zone between concealed Late Jurassic granitic stocks and Cambrian-Ordovician low-metamorphosed sandstones and shales. Molybdenite Re-Os and muscovite Ar/Ar isotopic dating of three typical tungsten vein-type deposits (Yaoling, Meiziwo, and Jubankeng) in northern Guangdong, show that two episodes of Late Jurassic W-Sn polymetallic mineralization occurred in this area: an early episode during the Late Jurassic (158-159 Ma) represented by the Yaoling, Hongling, and Meiziwo tungsten deposits, and a younger event during the Early Cretaceous (138 Ma) represented by the Jubankeng deposit. Analysis of available radiometric ages of several W-Sn deposits in the Nanling region indicate that these deposits formed at several intervals during the Mesozoic at 90-100, 134-140, 144-162, and 210-235 Ma, and that large-scale W-Sn mineralization in this region occurred mainly between 150 and 160 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate whether atorvastatin can promote formation of neurites in cultured cortical neurons and the signaling mechanisms responsible for this effect.Methods:Cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons were incubated with atorvastatin (0.05-10 μmol/L) for various lengths of time. For pharmacological experiments, inhibitors were added 30 min prior to addition of atorvastatin. Control cultures received a similar amount of DMSO. Following the treatment period, phase-contrast digital images were taken. Digital images of neurons were analyzed for total neurite branch length (TNBL), neurite number, terminal branch number, and soma area by SPOT Advanced Imaging software. After incubation with atorvastatin for 48 h, the levels of phosphorylated 3-phosphoinoside-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), phospho-Akt, phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphorylated 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), p70S6 kinase (p70S6K), and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in the cortical neurons were evaluated using Western blotting analyses.Results:Atorvastatin (0.05-10 μmol/L) resulted in dose-dependent increase in neurite number and length in these neurons. Pretreatment of the cortical neurons with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors LY294002 (30 μmol/L) and wortmannin (5 μmol/L), Akt inhibitor tricribine (1 μmol/L) or mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (100 nmol/L) blocked the atorvastatin-induced increase in neurite outgrowth, suggesting that atorvastatin promoted neurite outgrowth via activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Atorvastatin (10 μmol/L) significantly increased the levels of phosphorylated PDK1, Akt and mTOR in the cortical neurons, which were prevented by LY294002 (30 μmol/L). Moreover, atorvastatin (10 μmol/L) stimulated the phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and p70S6K, the substrates of mTOR, in the cortical neurons. In addition, atorvastatin (10 μmol/L) significantly increased the phosphorylated GSK-3β level in the cortical neurons, which was prevented by both LY294002 and tricribine.Conclusion:These results suggest that activation of both the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathways is responsible for the atorvastatin-induced neurite outgrowth in cultured cortical neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galectin-1, an endogenous mammalian lectin, has been implicated in a variety of CNS disorders. However, its role in cerebral ischemia is still elusive. In the present study, we investigated the effect of recombinant galectin-1 on production of astrocytic brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and functional recovery following ischemia. Endogenous galectin-1 was found to be markedly upregulated, paralleled with increased astrocytic BDNF production under ischemic conditions both in vitro and in vivo. Administration of galectin-1significantly enhanced the expression and secretion of astrocytic BDNF in dose dependent manner. Moreover, rats subjected to photochemical cerebral ischemia showed reduced neuronal apoptosis in ischemic boundary zone and improved functional recovery after brain infusion of galectin-1 (1 μg/days, 7 days). These results suggest that induction of BDNF in astrocytes by galectin-1 may be a promising intervention to attenuate brain damage after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]