Search

Sequestering CO2 in depleted oil reservoirs provides one of the most appealing measures to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere. The remaining liquids after enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, including residual oil and remaining water, lead to the main challenges to this approach. How to effectively evacuate a depleted oil reservoir by recovering not only residual oil but also remaining water is a critical consideration for this type of CO2 sequestration. This paper presents conceptual investigations concerning the methods which effectively evacuate depleted oil reservoirs from both the displacement efficiency and the sweep efficiency points of view. To improve the displacement efficiency, surfactant slug and solvent slug injection was examined using a core scale numerical model. Investigations regarding improving sweep efficiency, such as horizontal well pattern infilling and foam injection, were carried out based on a typical row well pattern. Simulation results showed that surfactant slug which modified the relative permeability and capillary pressure remarkably reduced both residual oil saturation and remaining water saturation. A CO2 slug injected before surfactant slug can help improve the oil recovery. Solvent enriched CO2 slug also remarkably reduced the residual oil saturation to as low as 2%. Horizontal well pattern infilling had great advantage for thick or inclined reservoirs, and foam slug injection greatly improved CO2 storage capacity in thin reservoirs by improving the sweep efficiency. Maximum mobility reduction (MRF) is the most important parameter to maximize the storage capacity and the benefit. The variation of CO2 storage capacity along with CO2 slug size. Larger foam slug size will play a better storage performance. The conceptual simulation investigations confirmed that depleted oil reservoirs can be effectively evacuated for CO2 storage. Depleted oil reservoirs with maximum evacuation are the best candidates for CO2 sequestrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) detection method, as a potential strategy for Cu2+ detection, has garnered widespread attention. In this paper, we present a PEC sensing platform using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the conversion light source and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) as the photoactive material for the detection of Cu2+ in solution. When irradiated with a 980 nm light source, the UCNPs will absorb the 980 nm laser and emit fluorescence around 550 nm, which is then absorbed by the CdTe QDs. This absorption leads to electron-hole separation, with electrons transferring through the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. In the presence of Cu2+, the Cu2+ will be reduced to Cu+ by the electrons generated by the CdTe QDs, thereby hindering the transfer of electrons from the CdTe QDs to the ITO electrode and resulting in a reduction in current. The photocurrent continuously decreases with increasing Cu2+ concentration and shows a good linear relationship with Cu2+ concentration in the range of 1 µM to 25 µM. The lowest detection limit is 0.5 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a challenging disease due to its intrinsic chemoresistance. Immunotherapy is an emerging treatment option but currently impeded by insufficient understanding of OCCC immunophenotypes and their molecular determinants. Methods: Whole-genome sequencing on 23 pathologically confirmed patients was employed to depict the genomic profile of primary OCCCs. APOBEC3B expression and digital pathology-based Immunoscore were assessed by performing immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinical outcomes. Results: An APOBEC-positive (APOBEC+) subtype was identified based on the characteristic mutational signature and prevalent kataegis events. APOBEC + OCCC displayed favourable prognosis across one internal and two external patient cohorts. The improved outcome was ascribable to increased lymphocytic infiltration. Similar phenomena of APOBEC3B expression and T-cell accumulation were observed in endometriotic tissues, suggesting that APOBEC-induced mutagenesis and immunogenicity could occur early during OCCC pathogenesis. Corroborating these results, a case report was presented for an APOBEC + patient demonstrating inflamed tumour microenvironment and clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade. Conclusions: Our findings implicate APOBEC3B as a novel mechanism of OCCC stratification with prognostic value and as a potential predictive biomarker that may inform immunotherapeutic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioorthogonal cleavage reaction-triggered prodrug activation by the pretargeted methods can achieve accurate cancer therapy. However, the click and release efficiency of these methods in vivo is limited by the space-time dislocation of bioorthogonal prodrug-trigger pairs within the tumor area, caused by their asynchronous administration and inconsistent accumulation for most delivery systems. We herein created a nanovoid-confinement and click-activated (NCCA) core-shell nanoreactor by incorporating prodrugs within zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) as core and coating tetrazine-based covalent organic framework (COF) as shell. After surface modification of aptamer polymer, the NCCA nanoreactor enabled the sufficient delivery of photodynamic prodrugs within tumor. Notably, the core of ZIF-90 was decomposed by tumor acidic environment, inducing the high-efficiency activation of photodynamic prodrugs via nanoconfined bioorthogonal reaction with tetrazine-based COF shell. As a result, such photodynamic agents are efficiently and safely accumulated into tumor and specifically activated for precise photodynamic therapy of cancer cells and tumor bearing mice with minimizing toxic side effect. Taken together, such NCCA nanoreactor clearly demonstrates the critical feasibility to realize the synchronous delivery of both prodrugs and triggers for precise treatment, which most of delivery systems are not able to afford. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four hypercrosslinked polymer materials (HBT-X, X = H, OH, 2OH and CO) were prepared by cross-linking method with benzotriazole (HBT) and its derivatives modified with oxygen-containing functional groups as monomers, and characterized by BET, TGA, and FT-IR. The adsorption behavior of HBT-X for tetracycline (TC) conformed to the pseudo-second-order equation. And Langmuir isotherm model presented the best description at 25 °C, and the highest theoretical adsorption capacities for TC on HBT-OH was 229.9 mg/g. Freundlich isotherm model became the most suitable model at 45 °C due to the change of main interaction forces between HBT-X and TC. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the TC adsorption on HBT-X was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. After reused for 7 times, the adsorption capacity of HBT-OH for TC was only reduced by about 3.2%. The results of this study indicate that HBT-X show great potential in the removal of TC from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in methanogen abundance and community composition were investigated between nearshore and offshore sediments in the South Yellow Sea (SYS). Shannon, Simpson, and Chao1 indices revealed a higher diversity of methanogens in the nearshore sediments than in the offshore sediments. The Mann—Whitney U test demonstrated that the relative abundance of Methanococcoides was significantly higher in the offshore sediments, while the relative abundances of Methanogenium, Methanosarcina, Methanosaeta, Methanolinea, and Methanomassiliicoccus were significantly higher in the nearshore sediments (P < 0.05). The abundance of the mcrA gene in the nearshore sediments was significantly higher than that in the offshore sediments. Furthermore, a similar vertical distribution of the methanogen and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) abundances was observed in the SYS sediments, implying there is potential cooperation between these two functional microbes in this environment. Finally, total organic carbon (TOC) was significantly correlated with methanogen community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate changes result in the expansion of lower elevation plants to higher elevations. The rapid upward expansion of herbaceous plants into the alpine tundra on Changbai Mountain resulted in changes in different levels of ecosystem organization. However, the responses and feedback of litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion have not been studied yet. To understand the mechanisms underlying those changes, we conducted a field experiment in the range of 2250–2300 m in the alpine tundra of the Changbai Mountain and collected a total of 288 samples from four degrees of herbaceous plants expansion to study the litter physiochemical properties, soil mesofauna, and soil nutrient contents, and their relationships in that tundra ecosystem suffered from various degrees of herbaceous invasion. We found that herbaceous plant expansion is responsible for a major shift in the dominant species of soil mesofauna from mites to collembolan and has significant impacts on the community structure (R2=0.54, p=0.001) and diversity of soil mesofauna (Shannon-Weiner index, p=0.01). The increasing herbaceous plant expansion resulted in a significant increase in litter biomass from 91g·m−2 in the original tundra vegetation (OIT) to 118g·m−2 in the moderately invaded tundra (MIT), and an increase in litter thickness from 2.37 cm (OIT) to 3.05 cm (MIT). And, the litter total nitrogen content significantly increased, but the values of the litter carbon content, the lignin content, the C/N ratio, and the lignin/N ratio decreased with increased herbaceous coverage (both p<0.05). The litter physical properties pathway (biomass and thickness) directly explained 31% of the total variance in soil mesofauna diversity and 59% of the total variance in soil mesofauna community composition. Furthermore, both the soil available nutrients (incl. AN and AP) and plant biomass (incl. the total plant biomass and herbs/shrubs biomass) significantly increased with increasing coverage of herbaceous plant (both p<0.05), and litter chemical properties pathway directly explained 50% of the soil nutrient content variance and indirectly explained 20% of soil nutrient by affecting soil mesofauna. We found that both soil available nutrients and soil mesofauna were positively correlated with the herbaceous expansion from OIT to MIT, indicating a positive feedback of herbaceous expansion, and the abundance of soil mesofauna decreased in the severely invaded tundra vegetation, suggesting a negative feedback. While, both litter N content and soil available nitrogen were consistently increased in the severely invaded tundra vegetation, indicating a positive feedback of herbaceous expansion. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the process of herbaceous plant expansion into tundra, and provides possible evidence for further expansion according to responses and feedback of in litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion. Furthermore, these positive or/and negative feedback systems in the Changbai alpine tundra ecosystem in relation to herbaceous expansion have important implications for the tundra protection, and thus, need to be deeply studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer with high metastatic property. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have important involvement in cancer processes. This study focused on the regulation of circRNA RAD23 homologue B (circRAD23B) in CRC.Methods: The levels of circRAD23B, microRNA-1205 (miR-1205), and tripartite motif-44 (TRIM44) were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Functional analyses were performed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) for cell proliferation, flow cytometry for cell cycle or cell apoptosis, and transwell assay for cell migration and invasion. Western blot was administrated for protein detection. The interaction of targets was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. The in vivo experiment was conducted via xenograft tumor in mice.Results: We identified that circRAD23B was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cells. CRC cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cell metastasis were inhibited, while apoptosis was promoted by downregulating circRAD23B. Target analysis indicated that circRAD23B-targeted miR-1205 and TRIM44 were downstream genes of miR-1205. Moreover, the antitumor response of circRAD23B downregulation and miR-1205 overexpression was, respectively, achieved by increasing miR-1205 and decreasing TRIM44. CircRAD23B could regulate TRIM44 level by sponging miR-1205. In vivo, circRAD23B knockdown also reduced CRC tumorigenesis via the miR-1205/TRIM44 axis.Conclusion: These results suggested that the inhibition of circRAD23B retarded the progression of CRC via acting on the miR-1205/TRIM44 axis. CircRAD23B might be a novel target in CRC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic noise pollution has posed a huge burden to the global economy, ecological environment and human health. However, most present traffic noise reduction materials suffer from a narrow absorbing band, large weight and poor temperature resistance. Here, we demonstrate a facile strategy to create flexible ceramic nanofibrous sponges (FCNSs) with hierarchically entangled graphene networks, which integrate unique hierarchical structures of opened cells, closed-cell walls and entangled networks. Under the precondition of independent of chemical crosslinking, high enhancement in buckling and compression performances of FCNSs is achieved by forming hierarchically entangled structures in all three-dimensional space. Moreover, the FCNSs show enhanced broadband noise absorption performance (noise reduction coefficient of 0.56 in 63–6300 Hz) and lightweight feature (9.3 mg cm–3), together with robust temperature-invariant stability from –100 to 500 °C. This strategy paves the way for the design of advanced fibrous materials for highly efficient noise absorption. Noise pollution has been a burden to the global economy, environment, and human health. Here the authors demonstrate a facile route to produce flexible ceramic nanofibrous sponges with hierarchically entangled graphene networks and its excellent noise absorption properties at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strategy for microRNAs (miRNAs) detection has been developed utilizing duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification (DSNSA) and guanine-rich DNA-enhanced fluorescence of DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). The combination between target miRNA, DSNSA, and AgNCs is achieved by the unique design of DNA sequences. Target miRNA opens the hairpin structure of the Hairpin DNA probe (HP) by hybridizing with the HP and initiates the duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification (DSNSA) reaction. The DSNSA reaction generates the release of the guanine-rich DNA sequence, which can turn on the fluorescence of the dark AgNCs by hybridizing with the DNA template of the dark AgNCs. The fluorescence intensity of AgNCs corresponds to the dosage of the target miRNA. This is measured at 630 nm by exciting at 560 nm. The constructed method exhibits a low detection limit (~8.3 fmol), a great dynamic range of more than three orders of magnitude, and excellent selectivity. Moreover, it has a good performance for miR-21 detection in complex biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple Schiff base fluorescent probe (SW) composed of oxime and salicylaldehyde units was designed and synthesized. The probe has high selectivity and sensitivity for Zn2+ ion in mixed solvent (DMSO/H2O, V/V = 9:1). The fluorescence has obvious redshift phenomenon and visible color change. The stoichiometric ratio of the probe to Zn2+ ion was confirmed to be 1:2 (mole) by 1H NMR, MS analysis and job curves. And the detection limit of fluorescence response of the SW to Zn2+ is down to 2.53 × 10–8 mol/L. At the same time, the probe SW can be applied to the test paper detection of Zn2+ ions under 365 nm UV light and the detection of Zn2+ ions in actual water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly selective turn-on fluorescent and naked-eye colourimetric dual-channel probe for cyanide anions (CNˉ) has been designed and characterized. In the mixed solution (DMSO / H2O, 9:1, v / v), only CNˉ could cause an increase in the UV absorption intensity and the corresponding fluorescence intensity increased, and other anions had no significant effect on the probe. After treatment with cyanide in the probe solution, the solution showed a noticeable colour change, from light yellow to purple. Moreover, a fluorescence spectrophotometer can be used to observe that the fluorescence intensity of the solution is significantly enhanced. The response of the colourimetric and fluorescent dual-channel probe to CNˉ was attributed to nucleophilic addition, and the mechanism was determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. In addition, this probe was used to detect CNˉ in actual water samples, including river water, drinking water, and tap water. The spiked CNˉ recovery rate is very high (97.2%-100.06%), and analytical precision is also very high (RSD < 2%), which shows its feasibility and reliability for detecting cyanide ions in actual water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the immunologic landscape at baseline and upon chemotherapy in cervical cancer. The information should aid ongoing clinical investigations of checkpoint blockade immunotherapies in this disease setting.Methods: A series of 109 cervical carcinoma patients was retrospectively assayed before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tumour-infiltrating immune markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD68, PD-1, PD-L1) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing analysis was performed on matched pre- and post-treatment fresh-frozen tissues.Results: At diagnosis, diverse immune cell types including CD20+ B cells, CD3+ T cells, CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, and CD68+ macrophages were detected in different proportions of cervical carcinoma. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering evidently showed that CD4+ and CD8+ T cell abundance correlated with PD-L1 expression. Based on the immune infiltration patterns, the patients could be stratified into four groups with prognostic relevance, namely, 'immuno-active', 'immuno-medial', 'immuno-NK', and 'immuno-deficient'. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increased CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD56 signals, most prominently in good responders. Transcriptomic data corroborated the improved anticancer immunity and identified immunosuppressive CD200 upregulation following chemotherapeutic intervention.Conclusions: A subset of cervical cancer harbours active immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy treatment may further exert locoregional immunostimulation. Immune checkpoint inhibitors as combination or maintenance therapies warrant future exploration in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) detection method, as a potential strategy for Cu2+ detection, has garnered widespread attention. In this paper, we present a PEC sensing platform using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the conversion light source and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) as the photoactive material for the detection of Cu2+ in solution. When irradiated with a 980 nm light source, the UCNPs will absorb the 980 nm laser and emit fluorescence around 550 nm, which is then absorbed by the CdTe QDs. This absorption leads to electron-hole separation, with electrons transferring through the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. In the presence of Cu2+, the Cu2+ will be reduced to Cu+ by the electrons generated by the CdTe QDs, thereby hindering the transfer of electrons from the CdTe QDs to the ITO electrode and resulting in a reduction in current. The photocurrent continuously decreases with increasing Cu2+ concentration and shows a good linear relationship with Cu2+ concentration in the range of 1 µM to 25 µM. The lowest detection limit is 0.5 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that immune system dysfunction has a role in Parkinson disease (PD); this evidence includes clinical and genetic associations between autoimmune disease and PD, impaired cellular and humoral immune responses in PD, imaging evidence of inflammatory cell activation and evidence of immune dysregulation in experimental models of PD. However, the mechanisms that link the immune system with PD remain unclear, and the temporal relationships of innate and adaptive immune responses with neurodegeneration are unknown. Despite these challenges, our current knowledge provides opportunities to develop immune-targeted therapeutic strategies for testing in PD, and clinical studies of some approaches are under way. In this Review, we provide an overview of the clinical observations, preclinical experiments and clinical studies that provide evidence for involvement of the immune system in PD and that help to define the nature of this association. We consider autoimmune mechanisms, central and peripheral inflammatory mechanisms and immunogenetic factors. We also discuss the use of this knowledge to develop immune-based therapeutic approaches, including immunotherapy that targets α-synuclein and the targeting of immune mediators such as inflammasomes. We also consider future research and clinical trials necessary to maximize the potential of targeting the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three Ni(II) complexes {[NiL(μ-OAc)(CH3CH2OH)]2Ni} (1), {[NiL(μ-OAc)(CH3OH)]2Ni]·2CH2Cl2·2CH3OH (2) and {[NiL(μ-OAc)(CH3OH)]2Ni}·1.5CH3OH (3) based on a Salamo-type bis-oxime ligand (H2L = 2,2′-[ethylenedioxybis(nitrilo-methylidyne)]dinaphthol) have been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The complexes 1, 2 and 3 are all trinuclear structures, and the center Ni(II) ions are six-coordinated and show the slightly distorted octahedral coordination. They all consist of three Ni(II) ions, two deprotonated L2- units, two μ-acetato ligands and two coordinated solvent molecules, as well as the crystallizing solvent molecules. Although the molecular structures of the Ni(II) complexes 1, 2 and 3 are similar to each other, obtained in different solvents, the supramolecular structures are entirely different. The complexes 1, 2 and 3 possess the self-assembled infinite 1D, 3D and 2D supramolecular structures via different intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonds, C–H···π and π···π stacking interaction), respectively. But complex 2 formed a 3D structures by intramolecular hydrogen bonds. It is significant that the solvent molecules have obvious effects on the optical properties and molecular configuration. The Hirshfeld surface analysis showed that the short-range forces of the hydrogen bonds in complexes 1, 2 and 3 accounted for 67.8%, 44.6% and 52.7%, respectively. The molecular orbital energies for ligand H2L and complex 1 were obtained by DFT calculation, and the electron distribution, energy level and energy gap of HOMO and LUMO were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni−Al bimetallic catalysis proves to be an efficient catalytic strategy for unreactive bond transformations. Recently, chiral bifunctional ligands, especially amphoteric secondary phosphine oxide (SPO) ligand, are used for a more powerful synergistic effect in the bimetal-catalyzed reactions, providing not only milder reaction conditions and higher reactivity but also excellent reaction selectivity. Herein, we give a brief review on the development of Ni−Al bimetallic catalytic system and highlight recent advances in enantioselective Ni−Al bimetallic catalysis for unreactive bond transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let σ = { σ | i ∈ I} be a partition of the set of all primes P, and let G be a finite group. A set H of subgroups of G is said to be a complete Hall σ-set of G if every member ≠ 1 of H is a Hall σ -subgroup of G for some i ∈ I and H contains exactly one Hall σ -subgroup of G for every i such that σ ∩ π( G) ≠ ∅. In this paper, we study the structure of G under the assuming that some subgroups of G permutes with all members of H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method based on host-guest inclusion system was used to investigate the salt thickening mechanism of poly [acrylamide-co-N, N′-dimethyl (methylmethacryloyl ethyl) ammonium propane sulfonate-co-cetyl dimethyl allyl ammonium chloride] (PADC). The salt thickening behavior of PADC solution was studied by rotational viscometer, and its average hydrodynamic diameter ( D ) was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The formed host (β-cyclodextrin)-guest (hydrophobic groups of PADC) inclusion system was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A method of characterizing the hydrophobic association strength and determining the hydrophobic association contribution rate (HACR) was introduced by the inclusion of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The results showed that the apparent viscosity and the D of PADC solution increased with the increase of salt concentration. In addition, the types of salt also affected the thickening property of PADC solution. Moreover, the results of HACR indicated that the hydrophobic association strength of PADC solution was enhanced in the presence of salts, which was confirmed by fluorescent method. Thus, it could be concluded that the salt thickening of PADC solution was caused by the destruction of ionic bonds in betaine monomer and the enhancement of hydrophobic association strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial fuel cell, which can convert the chemical energy of organic matter into electricity via the catalytic action of microorganisms, is a novel environmentally friendly technology for wastewater treatment and energy generation. The electrical energy generated by the microbial fuel cell can be used as an alternative to a traditional external power source required to extract copper via electrolytic treatment. A dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (DMFC) for the treatment of copper slag sulfuric acid leach liquor was constructed. The electrogenesis performance of the DMFC and its ability to extract copper from the copper slag leachate were investigated. The results demonstrated that the maximum voltage was 540 mV when the DMFC achieved steady-state operation. The removal rate of copper ions was greater than 80.0%, and the maximum value was 92.1%. Moreover, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the cathodal products. The results showed that the product deposited onto the cathode was copper and that its morphology was similar to that of the electrolytic copper powder. The DMFC can generate electricity and recover copper from copper slag simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse quantum dots (QDs) were prepared by low-temperature process. The remarkable narrow emission peak of the QDs helps the liquid crystal displays (LCD) and electroluminescence displays (QD light-emitting diode, QLED) to generate wide color gamut performance. The range of the color gamut for QD light-converting device (QLCD) is controlled by both the QDs and color filters (CFs) in LCD, and for QLED, the optimized color gamut is dominated by QD materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many recent studies have suggested that bergapten (BP), a class of native compound with numerous biological activities such as anti-resorptive properties, may exert protective effects against postmenopausal bone loss. However, it remains unknown whether BP regulates or improves the osteogenic function of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. In our study, BMSCs were cultured in osteogenic induction medium with the addition of BP for 2 weeks and an ovariectomized mouse model of osteoporosis was used to investigate the anti-resorptive effect of BP by gavage administration for 3 months. The concentrations of BP used were 0.1, 1, and 10 μmol/L in vitro and the gavage dose was 20 mg/kg/d. The result of our study indicated that BP promotes the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by BMSCs in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, as revealed by ALP staining. Runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin were up-regulated both in vitro and vivo, while osterix and collagen Iα1, assessed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, were correspondingly raised in the presence of BP in BMSCs in vitro. In addition, a protective effect of BP against ovariectomy-induced bone loss was found by distal femur micro-CT scanning, with improvements of bone metabolism parameters such as bone mineral density, trabecular number, and trabecular separation. Furthermore, WNT/β-catenin signaling was activated in the presence of BP in BMSCs in osteogenic culture. Finally, BP promoted differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts by up-regulation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility data and pH of the ZnSO-Zn(OH)-HO system were elaborately measured at T = 291.15, 298.15, 308.15, and 323.15 K, and the solid phases were determined by XRD to be ZnSO · 3Zn(OH) · 5HO. The Pitzer model was applied to simulate thermodynamically and predict the relationship between mass percent of ZnSO and pH in the ZnSO-Zn(OH)-HO system taking account of the equilibrium of ions over the temperature from 273.15 to 323.15 K. Based on the experimental data and the calculation results, a theoretical direction of avoiding base zinc sulfate forming in industrial processes was advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved synthesis of 4-benzylidene-2,6-di- tert-butylcyclohexa-2,5-dienone has been developed. The dropwise addition of secondary amines was shown to reduce the dosages of amines drastically. In optimized conditions, the dosages of the catalysts were only 0.3-0.5 M of 2,6-di- tert-butylphenol. Removing the water generated in the step of Mannich base formation was found to hugely accelerate the whole reaction and improve the product yield. The catalytic activity of several annular secondary amines including morpholine and piperidine in this reaction has been researched. Most of the amines led to good yields. Using this method, 2,6-di- tert-butylphenol reacted with a wide range of aromatic aldehydes to produce nine diverse 4-benzylidene-2,6-di- tert-butylcyclohexa-2,5-dienone derivatives of up to 75 % yield. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the biological functions of miR-96 in the processes of proliferation and clonogenicity in the prostate cancer cells. miR-96 was identified to be markedly up-regulated in prostate cancer cell and cancer tissues compared with normal prostate cell and normal prostate tissues by microarray method and RT-PCR analysis. Down-regulation of miR-96 expression reduced the proliferation and colony formation ability of PC3 prostate cancer cells, while over-expression of miR-96 induced proliferation and colony formation ability of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) is key tumor suppressors and has been shown to play key roles in the regulation of diverse cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. The expression level of FOXO1 was strikingly up-regulated in PC3 cells after transfected with miR-96 inhibitor, and FOXO1 expression was down-regulated in LNCaP cells after transfected with miR-96 mimics. miR-96 may play a vital role in promoting cell proliferation in human prostate cancer cells. Inhibition of miR-96 caused expression increase of tumor suppressor gene FOXO1, thus manipulating miR-96 expression may be a promising approach in treatment of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progesterone and its receptor, progesterone receptor (PGR), have been widely studied for their roles in the onset and development of ovarian cancer. Although numerous epidemiological studies have focused on the association of PGR PROGINS and +331G/A polymorphisms with ovarian cancer susceptibility, presently, available results remain controversial, in part due to low sample sizes. Thus, a meta-analysis is required to evaluate this association. A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and CBM databases was performed to retrieve eligible studies published before August 15, 2013. Summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of this association. All analyses were done using STATA 12.0 software (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA). Seventeen case-control studies with a total of 6,365 cases and 9,998 controls were identified. While no statistically significant association between the PROGINS allele and ovarian cancer risk was found in an overall analysis, a stratified analysis revealed that for Caucasians, never-oral contraceptive (OC) users, and serous tumor patients, there were statistically significant ORs for ovarian cancer risk associated with the mutated PROGINS allele. No significant association, however, between the +331G/A polymorphism and ovarian cancer susceptibility was observed in the overall analyses and subgroup analyses based on ethnicity and histological type. This meta-analysis provides evidence that the PROGINS allele occurs more frequently in ovarian cancer patients and especially in non-OC users and serous cancer patients, indicating that PROGINS may be a risk modifier. No significant association between the +331G/A polymorphism and ovarian cancer was found, even in stratified analyses by ethnicity and histological type. More detailed and well-designed studies are still needed to confirm the role of the PROGINS allele in ovarian cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of aqueous copper(II) chloride complexes is important for understanding and quantitatively modeling trace copper behavior in hydrometallurgical extraction processing. In this paper, UV-Vis spectra data of Cu(II) chloride solutions with various salinities (NaCl, 0-5.57 mol·kg) are collected at 25 °C. The concentration distribution of Cu-Cl species is in good agreement with those calculated by a reaction model (RM). The simple hydrated ion, Cu, is dominant at low concentration, whereas [CuCl], [CuCl] and [CuCl] become increasingly important as the chloride concentration rises. Moreover, the RM calculation suggests the present of a small amount of [CuCl]. The de-convoluted molar spectrum of each species is in excellent agreement with our previous theoretical results predicted by time-dependent density functional theory treatment of aqueous Cu-containing systems. The formation constants for these copper chloride complexes have been reported and are to be preferred, except log K ([CuCl]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex characteristics of p-sulfonated calix[ n]arene (SC nA) and two tryptophans N-[( tert-butoxy) carbonyl]-tryptophan (trp-A) and N-carbobenzoxy-tryptophane (trp-B) were examined through various techniques. Spectrofluorimetry was performed at different temperatures to determine the stability constants and evaluate the thermodynamic parameters of the two complexes. The effect of pH on complex formation was estimated. According to the fluorescence data, the assumption about the steric hindrance of the tert-butyl group of trp-A and the phenyl group of trp-B was put forward. H NMR was also performed to determine the binding interaction mechanism. Results showed that the indole benzene rings of the two tryptophans partly penetrated into the cavity of p-sulfonated calix[ n]arene. The shift in Ha, Hb and Hc, Hd positions became more significant as the number of phenolic units of the calixarene ring increased. Molecular modeling of the complexes elucidated the assumption about the steric hindrance of the tert-butyl group of trp-A and the phenyl group of trp-B. These observations of molecular modeling computation are consistent with previous fluorescence data and H NMR results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporins (AQPs) are multifunctional membrane channels and facilitate the transport of water across plant cell membranes. Among the plant AQPs, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), which cluster in two phylogenetic groups (PIP1 and PIP2), play a key role in plant growth. Our previous work has indicated that RhPIP2;1, a member of PIP2, is involved in ethylene-regulated cell expansion of rose petals. However, whether PIP1s also play a role in petal expansion is still unclear. Here, we identified RhPIP1;1, a PIP1 subfamily member, from 18 PIPs assemble transcripts in rose microarray database responsive to ethylene. RhPIP1;1 was rapidly and significantly down-regulated by ethylene treatment. RhETRs-silencing also clearly decreased the expression of RhPIP1;1 in rose petals. The activity of the RhPIP1;1 promoter was repressed by ethylene in rosettes and roots of Arabidopsis. RhPIP1;1 is mainly localized on endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. We demonstrated that RhPIP1;1-silencing significantly inhibited the expansion of petals with decreased petal size and cell area, as well as reduced fresh weight when compared to controls. Expression of RhPIP1;1 in Xenopus oocytes indicated that RhPIP1;1 was inactive in terms of water transport, while coexpression of RhPIP1;1 with the functional RhPIP2;1 led to a significant increase in plasma membrane permeability. Yeast growth, β-Galactosidase activity, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and colocalization assay proved existence of the interaction between RhPIP1;1 and RhPIP2;1. We argue that RhPIP1;1 plays an important role in ethylene-regulated petal cell expansion, at least partially through the interaction with RhPIP2;1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(L)] ( 1) and [Cu(L)] ( 2) (HL = ( E)-3-bromo-5-chloro-2-hydroxy benzaldehyde O-methyl oxime; HL = ( E)-3-bromo-5-chloro-2-hydroxy benzaldehyde O-ethyl oxime), have been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. X-ray crystallographic analyses show that complexes 1 and 2 have similar structures, consisting of one Cu(II) atom and two L units. In both complexes, the Cu(II) atom, lying on an inversion center, is four-coordinated in a trans-CuNO square-planar geometry by two phenolate O and two oxime N atoms from two symmetry-related N,O-bidentate oxime ligands. Moreover, both complexes form an infinite three-dimensional supramolecular structure involving intermolecular C-H···Br hydrogen bonds and π···π stacking interactions between the metal chelate rings and aromatic rings. Substituent effects in the two complexes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the effect of low dose of homoharringtonine (HHT) and cytarabine (Ara-c) combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming (HAG regimen) on relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Sixty-seven patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were enrolled. All the patients were treated with HAG regimen (HHT 1.5 mg/m/day, 1-14d; Ara-C 7.5 mg/m/12 h, 1-14d; G-CSF 150 μg/m/day, according to the counting of the peripheral white blood cells). Blood cell counting, liver, kidney function, ECG and myocardial enzymes were monitored regularly. Results: Thirty-five of 67 (52.2%) patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 8/67 (11.9%) partial remission (PR). The overall response rate was 64.1%. Myelosuppression was the most frequently observed adverse effect. Sixty of 67 (89.5%) patients suffered from grade 1-4 adverse effects of hematologic toxicity (according to World Health Organization criteria) and non-hematologic toxicity was mild. Conclusion: In conclusion, HAG regimen was effective and tolerated well in refractory or relapsed AML. As a promising regimen for relapse or refractory AML, further observations should be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

new cyclopentanopyridine alkaloid, 3-hydroxy-5-methyl-5,6-dihydro-7 H-cyclopenta[ b]pyridin-7-one ( 1), together with 11 known aromatic compounds were isolated from the secondary metabolites of the halotolerant fungal strain Wallemia sebi PXP-89 in 10% NaCl. Their structures including the absolute configurations of (2 S,3 S)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane-2,3-diol ( 2), (2 R,3 S)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane-2,3-diol ( 3), and ( S)-3-hydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-one ( 4) were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and a modified Mosher's method. Compound 1 exhibited antimicrobial activity against Enterobacter aerogenes with a MIC of 76.7 μM. The absolute configurations of compounds 2-4 were determined for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Neuroscience Bulletin 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.)

Two Co complexes, namely {[CoL(MeOH)(μ-OAc)]Co}·2MeCN·2MeOH ( 1) and {[CoL(EtOH)(μ-OAc)]Co}·3EtOH ( 2) (HL=3,3′-dimethoxy-2,2′-[(1,3-propylene)dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Both complexes contain octahedral coordination geometries, comprising three Co atoms, two deprotonated bisoxime L units in which four μ-phenoxo oxygen atoms form two [CoL(X)] (X = MeOH or EtOH) units, two acetate ligands coordinated to three Co centers through Co–O–C–O–Co bridges, and coordinated and non-coordinated solvent. Both complexes exhibit 2D supramolecular networks through different intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]