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A novel Fe-MoOx nanozyme, engineered with enhanced peroxidase (POD)-like activity through strategic doping and the creation of oxygen vacancies, is introduced to catalyze the oxidation of TMB with high efficiency. Furthermore, Fe-MoOx is responsive to single electron transfer (SET) and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanisms related to antioxidants and can serve as a desirable nanozyme for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) determination. The TAC colorimetric platform can reach a low LOD of 0.512 μM in solution and 24.316 μM in the smartphone-mediated RGB hydrogel (AA as the standard). As proof of concept, the practical application in real samples was explored. The work paves a promising avenue to design diverse nanozymes for visual on-site inspection of food quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convenient transportation facilities not only bring the higher standard of living to big cities, but also bring some environmental pollution problems. In order to understand the presence and sources of methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Me-PAHs) in environmental samples and their association with total organic carbon (TOC), 49 Me-PAHs were analyzed in road dust, green belt soil and parking lot dust samples in Harbin. The results showed that the ranges of the total Me-PAHs (ΣMe-PAHs) content in road dust were 221–5826 ng/g in autumn and 697–7302 ng/g in spring, and those in green belt soil were 170–2509 ng/g and 155–9215 ng/g in autumn and spring, respectively. And ΣMe-PAHs content in parking lot dust ranged from 269 to 2515 ng/g in surface parking lots and from 778 to 10,052 ng/g in underground parking lots. In these samples, the composition profile of Me-PAHs was dominated by 4-ring Me-PAHs. The results of diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that petrogenic and pyrogenic sources were the main sources of Me-PAHs in the samples. Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation for Me-PAHs in road dust and green belt soil on the same road. Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship (0.12 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.67, P < 0.05) between Me-PAHs concentrations and the TOC content. This study demonstrated the presence of Me-PAHs with high concentrations in the road environment samples of Harbin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, progression-free survival at 24 months (PFS24) was defined as clinically relevant for patients with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma. Herein, the clinical data from two independent random cohorts (696 patients each in the primary and validation datasets) were used to develop and validate a risk index for PFS24 (PFS24-RI), and evaluate its ability to predict early progression. Patients achieving PFS24 had a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 95.8%, whereas OS was only 21.2% in those failing PFS24 (P<0.001). PFS24 was an important predictor of subsequent OS, independent of risk stratification. The proportion of patients achieving PFS24 and 5-year OS rates correlated linearly among risk-stratified groups. Based on multivariate analysis of the primary dataset, the PFS24-RI included five risk factors: stage II or III/IV, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥2, primary tumor invasion, and extra-upper aerodigestive tract. PFS24-RI stratified the patients into low-risk (0), intermediate-risk (1–2), high-risk (≥3) groups with different prognoses. Harrell's C-index of PFS24-RI for PFS24 prediction was 0.667 in the validation dataset, indicating a good discriminative ability. PFS24-RI calibration indicated that the actual observed and predicted probability of failing PFS24 agreed well. PFS24-RI provided the probability of achieving PFS24 at an individual patient level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li-air batteries are one of the most promising next-generation batteries. The development of 2D layered materials enriches the materials for Li-air batteries. In this work, a DFT study of the configuration and energetics of Li atoms on 2D MoSi2N4 is presented. We propose 2D MoSi2N4 as a suitable material for both anode and cathode materials of Li-air batteries. The high Li ion conductivity of 2D MoSi2N4 brings advantages for it to be an anode, and the low barrier for Li2O2 growth on 2D MoSi2N4 brings advantages for it to be a cathode material. The maximum capacity of Li-loaded MoSi2N4 is predicted to be 129 mAh/g. For Li-loaded MoSi2N4, the anode potential is stable (~ -0.2 V relative to Li bulk) in a wide range of Li loading (Li% = 12 ~ 75%). As the cathode, the open-circuit cathode potential is stable (~ 2.8 V relative to Li bulk) during the growth of Li2O2 slab. Our work reveals the possibility of 2D MAX phases (M is transition metal, A is Al or Si, and X is C, N, or both) as metal-air battery materials. MoSi2N4 as electrode material of Li-air battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid development of deep learning, medical image segmentation has brought breakthrough progress. U-Net has become the most prominent and popular deep network architecture in the field. Despite its overall excellent performance in medical image segmentation, we found that the classical U-Net architecture was insensitive to image details and had the problem of local and global consistency separation through experiments on nasal and paranasal sinus tumor datasets. To solve these problems, we propose an improved multi-scale neural network based on deformable convolution, called Multi-scale Deformable U-Net (MD-Unet). According to the spatial deformation characteristics of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus tumors, deformable convolution can be used to adaptively obtain the receiving field according to the shape of objects and extract features of different scales for fusion, so as to fully learn image details and improve feature extraction ability. We also use Tversky loss function to solve the problem of sample imbalance in the dataset, and obtain high sensitivity and generalization ability. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the segmentation accuracy of nasal and paranasal sinus tumors by 5.75%, 3.30%, 1.22% and 0.56% compared with U-Net, Res-Unet, Attention U-Net, and UNet++, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stems of living trees in upland forests might contribute to the global methane (CH4) source, but the contribution is poorly understood. We investigated CH4 concentration in the heartwood of living trees in dominant upland forests using field campaign and subsequently evaluated the importance of stem CH4 emission in the context of the global total. We found that only 0%, 9.8%, and 1.8% of stems of living trees had substantial CH4 concentration in heartwood of ≥ 10,000 μL L–1 in the boreal, temperate, and tropical and subtropical upland forests investigated, respectively. CH4 concentration in heartwood depended mainly upon tree species and subsequently soil moisture. Relationships fitted indicate that CH4 concentration followed a power function with respect to water content in heartwood, whereas nitrous oxide (N2O) or carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration linearly increased with water content in heartwood. Stem CH4 emission was estimated at approximately 0.2–2 Tg yr–1 globally, corresponding to less than 0.4% of the global total including all natural plus anthropogenic sources. Water content in heartwood is positively associated with soil water content. Soil water content rarely exceeds 40% v/v in upland forests, indicating stem CH4 emission occurs mainly in the areas of low-lying upland forests with occasionally moist soils. More attentions should be paid on low-lying upland forests and forested wetlands in future when stem CH4 emission needs to be estimated in all forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil sterilization integrated with agronomic measures is an effective method to reduce soilborne replant diseases. However, the effect of vermicompost or biochar application after soil sterilization on soilborne diseases is poorly understood. A pot experiment was conducted in American ginseng to investigate the effects of vermicompost (VF), biochar (BF), and a combination of vermicompost and biochar (VBF) applied after soil sterilization on the incidence of Fusarium root rot using natural recovery (F) as control. After one growing season, the disease index of root rot, the phenolic acids, and the microbial communities of American ginseng rhizosphere soil were analyzed. The disease index of VF, BF, and VBF decreased by 33.32%, 19.03%, and 80.96%, respectively, compared with F. The highest bacterial richness and diversity were observed in the rhizosphere soil of VBF. Besides, VF and VBF significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (Pseudomonas, Lysobacter, and Chryseolinea) in the rhizosphere soil. Higher concentrations of vanillin, one of the phenolic acids in the roots exudates, were recorded in the rhizosphere soils of BF and VBF. The vanillin concentration showed a significant negative correlation with the disease index. To conclude, vermicompost improved the beneficial bacteria of the rhizosphere soil, while biochar regulated the allelopathic effect of the phenolic acids. The study proposes a combined application of biochar and vermicompost to the rhizosphere soil to control Fusarium root rot of replanted American ginseng effectively. Key points: Vermicompost improves the relative abundance of rhizosphere beneficial bacteria. Biochar inhibits the degradation of phenolic acids by adsorption. The combination of vermicompost and biochar enhances the disease control effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an intelligent fractional-order backstepping control (IFOBC) method combining fractional-order backstepping control (FOBC) and Takagi–Sugeno–Kang-type fuzzy neural network (TSKFNN) applicable to the permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) is adopted to achieve high-performance servo control fields. First, the global regulation and position tracking of the system are realized by backstepping control (BC). In order to improve the convergence speed and control accuracy of the system, a FOBC which has extra degree of freedom in the control parameters is designed. Second, since the boundary of the uncertainties in the system is difficult to estimate, which makes the switching control gain hard to select, the TSKFNN is introduced to estimate the uncertainties online. By using asymmetric Gaussian function as the membership function, the convergence speed and the accurate approximation capability of TSKFNN are improved greatly. Additionally, a robust compensator is developed to confront the uncertainties such as approximation error, optimal parameter vector and higher Taylor series. Therefore, the robustness of the system is further improved. Finally, the adaptive learning algorithms for the online training of the TSKFNN are derived using the Lyapunov theorem to guarantee the asymptotical stability of the system. The experiments implemented on a digital signal processor (DSP), TMS320F28335, demonstrate that the proposed control method provides a high-performance dynamic characteristics and that is robust with respect to parameter variations, external disturbances and nonlinear friction forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: This paper shows that CH4 produced in the heartwood of living trees in upland forests is of microbial origin, and that microbial CH4 production may be suppressed in the heartwood with more phenolic compounds than carbohydrates. Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas that exerts large effects on atmospheric chemistry and the global warming. Living trees in upland forests might contribute to the global CH4 emissions but the contribution is poorly understood and the mechanisms of CH4 production in their heartwood are not completely clear. Using gene sequencing and a series of laboratory incubations, this study addressed whether CH4 produced in the heartwood of living trees in upland forests is microbial in origin and how the CH4 production is affected by secondary metabolites. Both the response of CH4 production to temperatures and the presence of methanogenic archaea indicate that the CH4 produced in heartwood was microbial in origin. Methanobacterium was the dominant methanogens in the heartwood of Populus canadensis which had high concentrations of CH4, and was absent from the heartwood of Pinus tabuliformis and Salix matsudana which produced negligible or very low CH4. Water- and ethanol-soluble extractives enhanced microbial CH4 production in heartwood incubations but acetone-soluble extractives inhibited the production. Since acetone-soluble extractives inhibited the production of microbial CH4, it is assumed that the CH4 production may be suppressed from heartwood with phenolic compounds that act as an antibiotic for methanogenic archaea in most living trees in upland forests. The inhibitory effects of secondary metabolites on microbial CH4 production in heartwood reduce the CH4 emissions from the stems of living trees in upland forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present some new Cauchy–Schwarz inequalities for N-tuple diamond-alpha integral on time scales. The obtained results improve and generalize some Cauchy–Schwarz type inequalities given by many authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University: Science B is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University: Science A is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is based on Matlab software to predict the water content of wheat leaves. The object of study are 100 wheat leaves which collected in the field, the moisture content of the blade was measured by drying, preprocess the image with Matlab so as to denoise the image, segmentation of blade images by image two valued operation of Otsu method then, image features are extracted. By correlation analysis, the H feature and the area of the shape feature of the color feature which are related to the water content are extracted, Through correlation analysis, we extracted the five components of the color feature, which are related to the water content, the area of the shape feature, the average value of the texture features, consistency and entropy, and so on, and the H features are extracted, it can reduce the influence of single parameter on decision and improve the precision of comprehensive decision. Finally, the BP neural network was used to train 80 samples and meet the requirements, and then to predict the 20 new samples. The results show that the prediction accuracy can reach above 96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A disturbance feed-forward compensation method based on 7th-order extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed for permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) servo system which is vulnerable to the influence of external disturbances, such as friction force, force ripple and so on. Firstly, a disturbance model which consists of position-dependent functions was developed and utilized as a disturbance feed-forward compensator. Then, the initial position and the varying mass information of plant were estimated by the 7th-order EKF and reflected to the disturbance feed-forward compensator. In addition, the coefficients of the disturbance model were adjusted adaptively to create synchronization between the model and real disturbance and achieve the purpose of varying mass estimation and disturbance compensation. Finally, the system simulation and experiment results confirm that the proposed method is effective and feasible. The PMLSM servo system based on 7th-order EKF has superior performance in disturbance compensation, and it is not affected by the varying mass of PMLSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of circulated tumor cells (CTC) marked by cytokeratin 19 coding gene KRT19 mRNA and carcinoembryonic antigen coding gene CEACAM5 mRNA in preoperative peripheral blood of breast cancer patients and provide molecular markers for breast cancer metastasis risk.Methods: The mRNA levels of KRT19 and CEACAM5 in preoperative peripheral blood of breast cancer patients without (n = 603) and with (n = 76) distant metastases at the time of initial diagnosis were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The relationship between CTCKRT19, CTCCEACAM5 and clinicopathological features, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), or overall survival (OS) was statistically analyzed.Results: In different pathological stages of breast cancer, the rates of CTCKRT19−pos and CTCCEACAM5−pos increased with the increase of the stages (P = 0.077 and P = 0.004). Preoperative CTCKRT19−pos in breast cancer patients was closely related to the lymph node metastasis statues (P < 0.0001), and had no significant correlation with other clinicopathological features. There was no significant correlation between CTCCEACAM5 and the clinicopathological features. Patients with high levels of CTC double-marked by KRT19 and CEACAM5 mRNA had shorter DMFS (P < 0.0001) and OS (P = 0.016) for patients with breast cancer. The 7-year DMFS rates for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 90.7%, 67.5%, and 59.1%, respectively (P < 0.0001). The prognosis of patients with decreased KRT19 and CEACAM5 mRNA after treatment is better than that of patients who have not decreased, and the combination of the two indicators is better than the single one for predicting PFS (P = 0.002 compare with P = 0.036 or P = 0.047).Conclusion: Double-marked CTC by KRT19 and CEACAM5 mRNA is a prognostic index of breast cancer patients before surgery and after chemotherapy. Single-marked CTC by KRT19 mRNA indicates lymph node statues of preoperative patients. Therefore, the RT-qPCR-based molecular diagnosis of CTC could be used for prognostic prediction of breast cancer patients and guiding clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the hair growth-promoting effect of Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (MSP) flower extracton on in vitro and in vivo models.Methods: MSP flower extract was extracted in 99.9% methanol and applied to examine the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) in vitro at the dose of 3.92-62.50 μg/mL and hair growth of C57BL/6 mice in vivo at the dose of 1000 μg/mL. The expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), β-catenin, substance P was measured by relative quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed.Results: MSP (7.81 μg/mL) down-regulated TGF-β1 and up-regulated HGF and β-catenin in hDPCs (P<0.01). MSP (1000 μg/mL)-treated mice showed the earlier transition of hair follicles from the telogen to the anagen phase. The number of mast cells was lower in the MSP-treated mice than in other groups (P<0.05 vs. NCS group). Substance P and TGF-β1 were expressed in hair follicles and skin of the MSP group lower than that in negative control. Stem cell factor in hair follicles was up-regulated in the MSP-treated mice (P<0.01).Conclusions: The MSP flower extract may have hair growth-promotion activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TNF inhibitors have been used in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The efficacy of TNF inhibitors was already evaluated by meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, the safety of TNF inhibitors is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate and update the safety data from RCTs of TNF inhibitors in patients treated for AS. A systematic literature search was conducted from 1990 through May 31, 2016. All studies included were randomized, double-blind, controlled trials of patients with ankylosing spondylitis that evaluated adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, or infliximab treatment. The overall serious adverse events, the risk of serious infection events, and the risk of malignancy and discontinuation rates were abstracted, and risk estimates were calculated by Peto odds ratios (ORs). Fourteen randomized controlled trials involving 2032 subjects receiving TNF inhibitors and 1030 subjects receiving placebo and/or traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were included. The overall serious adverse events (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.87-2.05), the risk of serious infection events (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.63-4.01), the risk of malignancy (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.25-3.85), and discontinuation due to adverse events (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 0.95-2.54) in patients treated with TNF inhibitors as a group were not significantly different from those treated with placebo in the control group. TNF inhibitors were generally safe for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. These data may help guide clinical comparative decision making in the management of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenate (As(V)) is an analog of phosphate (P), and previous studies have shown that As(V) and P are absorbed via the same transport systems in some organisms. However, little is known about which periplasmic phosphate-binding proteins (PBPs) of ABC-type P transporters play major roles in As(V) uptake by cyanobacteria. In this study, the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 ( Synechocystis) was chosen to study the ability of PBPs to discriminate between Pi and As(V). We found that As(V) and P competed for uptake via P transporters when Synechocystis was treated with As(V) and/or P in short-term incubation. The As/P molar ratios of Synechocystis wild type (WT) and mutants (∆ sphX, ∆ pstS2, ∆ sll0540, and ∆ sphXpstS1) were measured, and they were significantly different with the order WT > ∆ pstS2 > ∆ sll0540 > ∆ sphXpstS1 > ∆ sphX. Furthermore, As(V) uptake by Escherichia coli strain Transetta expressing PBP genes, particularly sphX or sll0540, was significantly increased when PBP gene ( pstS1, pstS2, sphX, or sll0540) was separately expressed in Transetta at the same level. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses of PBPs showed that SphX and Sll0540 belonged to the low-affinity PBPs, while PstS1 and PstS2 were clustered with the high-affinity PBPs. These results implied that As(V) was taken up via P transporters, and the low-affinity PBPs, SphX and Sll0540, made a significant contribution to As(V) uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, citric acid was used as a dispersant to improve the flotation performance of hematite fines. The effect and mechanism of citric acid on the reverse flotation of hematite fines were investigated by flotation tests, sedimentation experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta-potential measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of SEM analysis and flotation tests reveal that a strong heterocoagulation in the form of slime coating or coagulation in hematite fine slurry affects the beneficiation of hematite ores by froth flotation. The addition of a small amount of citric acid (less than 300 g/t) favorably affects the reverse flotation of hematite fines by improving particle dispersion. The results of sedimentation experiments, zeta-potential measurements, and XPS measurements demonstrate that citric acid adsorbs onto hematite and quartz surfaces via hydrogen bonding, thereby reducing the zeta potentials of mineral surfaces, strengthening the electrical double-layer repulsion between mineral particles, and dispersing the pulp particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical differences between anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALK(-) ALCL) and peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS), remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and prognostic features of these two lymphoma types. We retrospectively analyzed 167 patients with ALK(-) ALCL (n = 48) and PTCL-NOS (n = 119). Compared with ALK(-) ALCL patients, PTCL-NOS patients exhibited distinct differences in clinical features with a propensity for more advanced stages, frequent extranodal involvement, and a poor performance status, leading to a higher risk group according to the International Prognostic Index or Prognostic Index for PTCL-NOS. Patients with ALK(-) ALCL were associated with a higher complete response rate (47.9 vs. 31.0 %; P = 0.041) after initial chemotherapy than patients with PTCL-NOS. The prognosis was significantly different between two subtypes, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of 57.9 % for ALK(-) ALCL and 23.9 % for PTCL-NOS (P = 0.002). The subgroup analysis showed significant differences in OS and progression-free survival between the two subtypes in early-stage diseases, but not in advanced-stage diseases. We conclude that patients with ALK(-) ALCL showed favorable clinical features, higher chemosensitivity, and a superior outcome than those with PTCL-NOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of siderite on reverse flotation of hematite were investigated using micro flotation, adsorption tests, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The flotation results show that interactions between siderite and quartz are the main reasons that siderite significantly influences the floatability. The interactions are attributed to dissolved siderite species and fine siderite particles. The interaction due to the dissolved species is, however, dominant. Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theoretical calculations reveal that adhesion on quartz increases when the siderite particle size decreases and that fine particles partly influence quartz floatability. Chemical solution calculations indicate that the dissolved species of siderite might convert the surface of active quartz to CaCO precipitates that can be depressed by starch. The theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the results of adsorption tests and FTIR spectroscopy and explain the reasons why siderite significantly influences reverse flotation of hematite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dolomite with different particle size fractions on hematite flotation was studied using sodium oleate as collector at pH of about 9. The effect mechanism of dolomite on hematite flotation was investigated by means of solution chemistry, ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is observed that dolomite with different size fractions has depressing effect on hematite flotation using sodium oleate as collector, and dolomite could be the 'mineral depressant' of hematite using sodium oleate as collector. The reasons for that are concerned with sodium oleate consumption and the adsorption onto hematite of dissolved species of dolomite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse flotation technology is one of the most efficient ways to improve the quality and reduce impurity of iron concentrate. Mineral processors dealing with hematite face a challenge that the flotation results of reverse flotation of hematite are poor in presence of siderite using fatty acid as collector, starch as depressant of iron minerals and calcium ion as activator of quartz at strong alkaline pH. In this work, the effect of siderite on reverse anionic flotation of quartz from hematite was investigated. The effect mechanism of siderite on reverse flotation of hematite was studied by solution chemistry, ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was observed that siderite had strong depressive effect on quartz in flotation using sodium oleate as collector, corn starch as depressant of iron minerals and calcium chloride as activator of quartz at strong alkaline pH. The starch was adsorbed onto calcium carbonate by chemical reaction which was formed by CO from siderite dissolution and Ca from calcium chloride as activator of quartz and precipitated on the surface of quartz, which resulted in improving the hydrophilic ability of quartz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: To investigate the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza on hippocampal CA1 neurons in mice with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Methods: Forty male National Institute of Health (NIH) mice were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 animals each, including the sham group, the model group, the SalB group (SalB 22.5 mg/kg) and the nimodipine (Nim) group (Nim 1 mg/kg). A mouse model of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury was established by bilateral carotid artery occlusion for 30 min followed by 24-h reperfusion. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content, the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) of the pallium were determined by biochemistry methods. The morphologic changes and Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression in hippocampal CA1 neurons were observed by using hematoxylineosin staining and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. Results: In the SalB group, the MDA content and the NOS activity of the pallium in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion mice significantly decreased and the SOD activity and the T-AOC significantly increased, as compared with the model group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). The SalB treatment also rescued neuronal loss ( P<0.01) in the hippocampal CA1 region, strongly promoted Bcl-2 protein expression ( P<0.01) and inhibited Bax protein expression ( P<0.05). Conclusions: SalB increases the level of antioxidant substances and decreases free radicals production. Moreover, it also improves Bcl-2 expression and reduces Bax expression. SalB may exert the neuroprotective effect through mitochondria-dependent pathway on hippocampal CA1 neurons in mice with cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury and suggested that SalB represents a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented on a study conducted on osteoblasts and osteocytes formed by hypertrophic chondrocytes during endochondral bone formation.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4 or CD26) inhibitors, a new class of oral anti-hyperglycemic agents that prolong the bioavailability of the endogenously secreted incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), are effective in the treatment of diabetes. Accumulating data have indicated that DPP-4 inhibitors play important protective roles in the cardiovascular system. DPP-4 inhibitors act to decrease myocardial infarct size, stabilize the cardiac electrophysiological state during myocardial ischemia, reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury, and prevent left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Moreover, DPP-4 inhibitors can mobilize stem/progenitor cells to move to sites of cardiovascular injury, thus further promoting tissue repair. In addition, DPP-4 inhibitors not only improve myocardial metabolism but also regulate cardioactive peptides. DPP-4 inhibitors can also protect the vasculature through their anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects and through the ability of the inhibitors to promote vascular relaxation. Finally, the potential effects of DPP-4 inhibitors on blood pressure and lipid metabolism have also been investigated. However, some reports on the cardioprotective activities of DPP-4 inhibitors are controversial. Herein, we summarize the available data on cardiovascular protection by DPP-4 inhibitors that have emerged in recent years and discuss current position and future perspectives concerning the use of DPP-4 inhibitors in cardiovascular medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a class of zinc-binding endopeptidases mainly responsible for degrading extracellular matrix constituent components, which also serve as effectors of leukocyte recruitment, cytotoxicity, cytokine and chemokine processing, and defensin activation involved in multiple mechanisms of immunomodulation. MMPs are a conserved proteolytic enzyme family participating in normal physiological function. In the present study, we have cloned a gene named CEMMP62 from Caenorhabditis elegans, the putative 62-kDa protein that contained 579 residues with MMP-conserved catalytic domain known as ZnMc_MMP and showed high identities with MMPs from other nematodes, and demonstrated that the recombinant CEMMP62 (rCEMMP62) expressed and purified from Escherichia coli could have weak proteolytic activity on swine gelatin; Western blot analysis revealed that sera from BALB/c mice immunized by recombinant protein could recognize excretory-secretary antigens from Angiostrongylus cantonensis third-stage larvae (L3). Also, the antiserum can recognize larval soluble antigens of L4 coming from mice (nonpermissive host) infected with A. cantonensis while it cannot recognize larval soluble antigens of L4 coming from rats (permissive host) infected with A. cantonensis. The results implied that probably CEMMP62 has homologous proteins which exist in A. cantonensis, and the potential MMP may play an important role in A. cantonensis infection and pathogenic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate the expression of c-Met in peritoneal free cancer cells isolated from human gastric cancer ascites, and its relationship to peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.Methods:Peritoneal free cancer cells (PFCCs) were isolated from ascites specimens of gastric cancer patients. c-Met expression in PFCCs was detected with immunocytochemistry. In human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901, c-Met expression was detected using RT-PCR and Western blot, and was suppressed with lentivirus-mediated RNAi. The proliferation of SGC7901 cells was measured using MTT assay, and the invasion ability was detected with invasion assay. The adhesion of SGC7901 cells to peritoneum was observed in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) monolayer in vitro and in mice in vivo.Results:PFCCs were isolated from ascites of 6 out of 10 gastric cancer patients. c-Met expression in PFCCs was detected in 5 of the 6 gastric cancer patients. In SGC7901 cells, Lentivirus-mediated RNAi significantly reduced both c-Met mRNA and protein expression, which resulted in suppressing the cell proliferation, invasion and adhesion to peritoneum. The expression of α3β1 integrin and E-cadherin was significantly inhibited in SGC7901 cells transfected with Lenti-miRNAc-Met. In the peritoneal dissemination model of gastric cancer, intraperitoneal injection of Lenti-miRNAc-Met markedly suppressed the tumor Progression of SGC7901 cells.Conclusion:c-Met is expressed in PFCCs from the ascites of gastric cancer patients. Down-regulation of c-Met expression markedly suppresses the multistep process of peritoneal dissemination, thus may be a potential target for the treatment of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies indicate that systemic administration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α induces increases in corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and CRH type 1 receptors in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In this study, we explored the hypothesis that CRH in the PVN contributes to sympathoexcitation via interaction with neurotransmitters in heart failure (HF). Sprague-Dawley rats with HF or sham-operated controls (SHAM) were treated for 4 weeks with a continuous bilateral PVN infusion of the selective CRH-R1 antagonist NBI-27914 or vehicle. Rats with HF had higher levels of glutamate, norepinephrine (NE) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and lower levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the 67-kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67) in the PVN when compared to SHAM rats. Plasma levels of cytokines, NE, ACTH and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) were increased in HF rats. Bilateral PVN infusions of NBI-27914 attenuated the decreases in PVN GABA and GAD67, and the increases in RSNA, ACTH and PVN glutamate, NE and TH observed in HF rats. These findings suggest that CRH in the PVN modulates neurotransmitters and contributes to sympathoexcitation in rats with ischemia-induced HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n environmentally clean aluminium-based conversion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy was studied in aluminium nitrate solutions. The morphology, composition, structure, and formation mechanism of the coating were investigated in detail using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersion spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical corrosion tests. The results show that the conversion coating is composed of magnesium, aluminium, and oxygen, and shows an amorphous structure. In the initial stage of coating formation, the grain-like nucleus is composed of AlO· xHO, (AlO), AlO, AlO(OH), MgAlO, (MgAl)(AlMg)O, and (MgAl)(AlMg)O. The conversion coating formed in the 0.01 mol/L aluminium nitrate solution for 15 min can improve the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy greatly. The discussion reveals that the possible formation mechanism for the aluminium-based conversion coating is the reduction reaction on micro-cathodic sites due to the electrochemically heterogeneous magnesium alloy substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the effect of predicted elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO) on an invasive weed Mikania micrantha, we constructed a suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) library from the leaves of M. micrantha exposed to CO at 350 and 750 ppm for 6 d, and isolated a novel gene named β-caryophyllene synthase. β-Caryophyllene synthase catalyses the conversion of farnesyl diphosphate to β-caryophyllene, a volatile sesquiterpene with allelopathic potential. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that gene expression of β-caryophyllene synthase in M. micrantha leaves was strongly induced in response to elevated CO. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography (GC) analyses showed that emission levels of β-caryophyllene from leaves of M. micrantha increased when exposed to 750 ppm CO. Bioassays showed that phytotoxicity of β-caryophyllene against Raphanus sativus, Brassica campestris, Lactuca sativa, and M. micrantha was dose-dependent and varied with the receptor plants and concentrations of CO. β-Caryophyllene displayed higher phytotoxic effects at 750 ppm than those at 350 ppm CO, especially on R. sativus. These results suggest that elevated atmospheric CO levels may enhance biosynthesis and phytotoxicity of allelochemicals in M. micrantha, one of the worst invasive weeds in the world, which in turn might enhance its potential allelopathic effect on neighboring native plants if released in bioactive concentrations. Further investigations are required to determine the adaptive responses of both invasive and native plants to a gradual increase of atmospheric CO to 750 ppm predicted over a 100 year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystatins are thiol proteinase inhibitors ubiquitously present in mammalian body and serve various important physiological functions. In the present study, a novel cystatin molecule (AcCystatin) was cloned from a cDNA library of Angiostrongylus cantonensis fourth-stage larvae. The putative 14-kDa protein contained 120 residues with cystatin-conserved motifs known to interact with the active site of cysteine peptidases and showed high identities with cystatins from other nematodes. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression pattern of AcCystatin was equal at the time points of third-stage larvae, fourth-stage larvae, and adults of the parasite life cycle. The recombinant AcCystatin (rAcCystatin) expressed and purified from Escherichia coli has been demonstrated to possess an obvious inhibitory activity against cathepsin B and could significantly upregulate nitric oxide production from IFN-γ activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Sera from mice (non-permissive host) infected with A. cantonensis detected rAcCystatin by Western blot, while the sera from infected rats (permissive host) could not. The results implied that AcCystatin might be an immunoregulator in A. cantonensis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Recently, differentiated somatic cells had been reprogrammed to pluripotential state in vitro, and various tissue cells had been elicited from those cells. Epigenetic modifications allow differentiated cells to perpetuate the molecular memory needed for the cells to retain their identity. DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are important patterns involved in epigenetic modification, which take critical roles in regulating DNA expression. In this study, we dedifferentiated NIH/3T3 fibroblasts by 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) and Trichstatin A (TSA) combination, and detected gene expression pattern, DNA methylation level, and differentiation potential of reprogrammed cells. As the results, embryonic marker Sox2, klf4, c-Myc and Oct4 were expressed in reprogrammed NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Total DNA methylation level was significant decreased after the treatment. Moreover, exposure of the reprogrammed cells to all trans-retinoic acid (RA) medium elicited the generation of neuronal class IIIβ-tubulin-positive, neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-positive, nestin-positive, and neurofilament light chain (NF-L)-positive neural-like cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution oxygen isotope stratigraphy of Core MD05-2901, which is located off eastern Vietnam in the western South China Sea (SCS), was established and indicated that the core spans a time period of the past 450 ka. Based on the bulk density, fractional porosity and lithogenic content of the sediments, terrigenous mass accumulation rate (TMAR) was obtained, which is 4.9-6.0 g cm-2 ka-1 on average during interglacial stages, higher than that during glacial stages, i.e. 1.9-5.0 g cm-2 ka-1, which is different from northern and southern SCS which show higher TMAR in glacial stages. By principle component analysis of grain size distribution of all the samples, two main control factors (F1 and F2) were obtained, which are responsible for about 80% variance of granularity. The contents of grain size population 1.26 - 2.66 µm% and 10.8 - 14.3 µm% which are sensible to F1 show high-frequency fluctuation, and correlate well with the summer insolation at 15° N. They exhibit a distinct cyclicity with frequencies near 23 ka and 13 ka, in contrast to a strong frequency peak near 100 ka obtained in proxies 4.24-7.42 µm% and 30.1-43.7 µm% controlled mainly by F2. The sedimentary character of this part of the SCS was controlled by variations of input flux from two main source areas, namely the southwest and north SCS, which were transported by different circulations of surface current forced by East Asian summer monsoon and winter monsoon respectively. We believe that the East Asian summer monsoon has fluctuated with high frequency and been forced by changes in solar insolation in low latitude associated with precession and half precession, while ice-volume forcing is probably a primary factor in determining the strength and timing of the East Asian winter monsoon but with less important insolation forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $$ F = \mathbb{Q}{\left( {{\sqrt { - p_{1} p_{2} } }} \right)} $$ be an imaginary quadratic field with distinct primes p 1 ≡ p 2 ≡ 1 mod 8 and the Legendre symbol $$ {\left( {\frac{{p_{1} }} {{p_{2} }}} \right)} = 1 $$ . Then the 8-rank of the class group of F is equal to 2 if and only if the following conditions hold: (1) The quartic residue symbols $$ {\left( {\frac{{p_{1} }} {{p_{2} }}} \right)}_{4} = {\left( {\frac{{p_{2} }} {{p_{1} }}} \right)}_{4} = 1 $$ ; (2) Either both p 1 and p 2 are represented by the form a 2 +32 b 2 over ℤ and $$ p^{{h_{ + } {\left( {2p_{1} } \right)}/4}}_{2} = x^{2} - 2p_{1} y^{2} ,x,y \in \mathbb{Z} $$ , or both p 1 and p 2 are not represented by the form a 2 +32 b 2 over ℤ and $$ p^{{h_{ + } {\left( {2p_{1} } \right)}/4}}_{2} = \varepsilon {\left( {2x^{2} - p_{1} y^{2} } \right)},\;x,y \in \mathbb{Z},\;\varepsilon \in {\left\{ { \pm 1} \right\}} $$ , where h +(2 p 1) is the narrow class number of $$ \mathbb{Q}{\left( {{\sqrt {2p_{1} } }} \right)} $$ . Moreover, we also generalize these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract??Complexes of N,N?,N??-tris(2-hydroxypropyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (L), [CuL](ClO4)(NO3)(1), [CoL](ClO4)2(2), [ZnL](ClO4)2(3)and [MnL](ClO4)2(4), have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV?Vis measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Crystal structures of the former three complexes, characterized by X-ray crystallography, show that these complexes are monoclinic with space group P21/n and P21/c. Each metal central in the complexes is six-coordinate with three N atoms of the macrocycle and three O atoms from the pendant hydroxypropyl arms, forming a distorted octahedral configuration. [MnL](ClO4)2(4)is employed as catalyst in olefin epoxidation with H2O2. The final results indicate that complex(4)has good catalytic activity towards olefin epoxidation. Under mild conditions, the olefin conversion is moderate and epoxidation selectivity is 95?100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the therapeutic mechanism of Santeng Dingtong recipe (STDT) on monosodium urate crystal (MSU) induced rabbit arthritis. Methods: Forty-two rabbits were randomly divided into six groups, 7 in each group. Group 1 received 0.9% saline 2.5 ml/kg per day by gastrogavage (ig) for 10 days; Group 2, 3 and 4 received STDT 0.125 g/kg, 1.0 g/kg and 8.0 g/kg per day respectively by ig for 10 days; Group 5 received colchicine 4.5 mg/kg per day by ig for 4 days; and Group 6 was untreated. MSU crystals 10 mg /500 μl containing polymyxin B 10 u/ml was injected into the knee joints of Group 1-5 to make rabbit arthritis models. Leukocytes in synovial lavage fluids was then counted and differentiated; pathological injury of synovial membranes was observed under HE staining; interleukin-1 beta (IL-l), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and leukotriene B4 (LTB) content in synovial lavage fluids were determined by ELISA. Results: MSU caused a rapid leukocyte infiltration and increased production of IL-l, TNF and LTB 2 hrs after intra-articular injection. STDT inhibited neutrophil infiltration in synovial fluids dose-dependently, protected the synovial membrane against pathological injury and reduced the production of IL-l, TNF and LTB; while colchicine did not decrease the level of TNF, but significantly inhibited neutrophil infiltration in synovial fluid and reduced the production of IL-11 and LTB. Conclusion: STDT exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in rabbit model of acute MSU arthritis, its mechanism being probably due to the decrease of IL-1, TNF and LTB synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a type of bi-functional device, electrochromic supercapacitors (EC-SCs) have attracted extensive attention in diverse applications such as flexible electronics. However, despite recent encouraging progress, rational design and development of high-performance EC-SC materials with desirable stability remain challenging for practical applications. Here, we propose a fluorination strategy to develop high-performance EC-SC materials with tough hydrogen bonding cross-linked intermolecular polymer network by one-step electrosynthesis of 3-fluorothiophene. The electrosynthesized free-standing poly(3-fluorothiophene) (PFT) films simultaneously achieve high electrochromic performance (optical contrast 42% at 560 nm with reversible color changes between purple and blue), and good capacitance property (290 F·g−1, 1 A·g−1), as well as outstanding cyclic stability (<2% reduction after 20000 cycles). We further demonstrate the fabrication of PFT-based flexible electrochromic supercapacitor devices (FESDs), and the resultant devices can be used to visually monitor the energy storage state in real-time and maintain outstanding stability under mechanical distortion like bending. Such a tough fluorination hydrogen bonding cross-linking strategy may provide a new design concept for high-performance EC-SC materials and reliable FESDs toward practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]