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Fidelity estimation is a necessary tool for evaluating noise in quantum measurement and quantum computation. The traditional fidelity estimation is to calculate the distance between two density matrices by employing direct fidelity estimation, which consumes too much copies of state. To reduce the number of copies of the state, we develop optimal fidelity estimation by proposing an optimal model. It calculates the minimum number of copies of state given a fixed value for the fidelity deviation. The result shows it saves a large number of copies of state compared with traditional approach (Direct Fidelity estimation) that is developed several years ago.The number of copies of the state employed increases slower than linear increase with increase of the dimension of density matrix when pauli measurement basis is applied. In addition, it consumes roughly a constant number of copies of the state with the increase of dimension of density matrix when the measurement bases are freely chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanisms that influenced autophagy in Steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) by constructing a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Blood sample data from the SONFH patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database under the accession number GSE123568. Autophagy-related genes were identified from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb). Differential analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed on the GSE123568 dataset to screen for core genes and validation was performed with the validation set. Based on the GEO dataset (GSE74089), we performed differential lncRNA analysis. Meanwhile, we utilized three databases, namely miRDB, TargetScan, and StarBase, to predict the miRNAs of target genes and corresponding lncRNAs. Cytoscape software was used to construct and visualize the ceRNA networks. We also employed reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to quantify their expression levels. A total of 1692 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the GSE123568 dataset. By intersecting with the HADb database, 47 autophagy-related genes were identified from these DEGs. Furthermore, we found the significant correlation between RNF144B and 37 autophagy genes. Importantly, we established a regulatory axis involving TUG1, hsa-miR-31-5p, and RNF144B., and both TUG1 and RNF144B were upregulated, while hsa-miR-31-5p was downregulated in the SONFH cell model. A TUG1-hsa-miR-31-5p-RNF144B axis was related to autophagy genes, which potentially provided insights into the RNA interactions triggering autophagy in SONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection and quality of the evaluation unit directly affect the rationality of the evaluation results of regional landslides, in which the slope unit as the evaluation unit can better describe the landform characteristics and topographic changes, and can better reflect the natural environmental conditions of landslides. However, there is currently no optimization method for slope unit partitioning, which restricts the application of slope units in regional landslide disaster evaluation. Therefore, this paper proposes a R-MSS (Refined Multi-Scale segmentation) method based on object-based image analysis (OBIA). Typical mountainous areas in southwest China and hilly areas in southeast China were selected and compared using hydrological analysis, curvature watershed, and MSS methods. The results show that the R-MSS method can effectively extract large-area slope units without a lot of manual modification. The divided slope units have uniform size, small spatial difference and good morphological effect. The overall effect is significantly better than other methods, especially in the high and steep mountainous areas with complex and changeable terrain, its segmentation performance is especially outstanding. The research results can serve for regional landslide hazard evaluation and improve the reliability of regional landslide hazard analysis results to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify potential clinical and preoperative CT risk factors that can predict the development of metachronous contralateral inguinal hernia (MCIH) after unilateral inguinal hernia repair (IHR). Methods: This study included unilateral inguinal hernia patients seen from 2016 to 2019 who underwent CT and subsequent IHR and had at least five years of follow-up. Preoperative CT scans were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of asymmetric spermatic cord fat and weakness of the transversalis fascia. The correlations of each CT feature and other clinical characteristics with the development of MCIH were calculated. The Kaplan–Meier model and multiple logistic regression were used to evaluate the associations among CT features, clinical variables and MCIH. Results: A total of 677 male patients aged > 40 years were included in the study cohort. After more than 5 years of follow-up, 162 patients developed MCIH, representing an incidence of 23.9%. Patients with radical prostatectomy or peritoneal dialysis [P < 0.0001, HR 4.189 (95% CI 2.369 to 7.406)], primary left-sided IHR [P = 0.0032, HR 1.626 (95% CI 1.177 to 2.244)], and direct, femoral or pantaloon hernias were predisposed to MCIH. Asymmetric spermatic cord fat [P = 0.0002, HR 1.203 (95% CI 0.8785 to 1.648)] and weakness of the transversalis fascia [P < 0.0001, HR 7.914 (95% CI 5.666 to 11.05)] on preoperative CT were also identified as risk facts and demonstrated to be independent predictive factors for MCIH development. Conclusion: Asymmetric spermatic cord fat and weakness of the transversalis fascia were predictive factors for MCIH development. For decision making regarding prophylactic contralateral IHR at the time of index surgery, preoperative CT findings as well as clinical characteristics should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid-liquid phase equilibria of aqueous system containing the sulfates of lithium and potassium (Li2SO4 + K2SO4 + H2O) at T = 303.2 and 318.2 K were done by isothermal dissolution method. The phase equilibria data (solubility, density, and refractive index) of the system were determined experimentally. The corresponding solid-liquid phase diagram, density/refractive index versus composition diagrams, were plotted. There are two ternary invariant points and three crystallization regions corresponding to Li2SO4·H2O, LiKSO4, and K2SO4 in the phase diagram of system Li2SO4 + K2SO4 + H2O at 303.2 and 318.2 K. A comparision of system Li2SO4 + K2SO4 + H2O at different temperature (T = 288.2, 303.2, 318.2 and 348.2 K) shown that the double salt LiKSO4 was formed in the above mentioned temperatures, and the crystallization region of the LiKSO4 increases gradually with the increase of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin is the most commonly used platinum-based treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its clinical application is limited owing to its nephrotoxicity and gastrointestinal reactions. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been reported to increase nephrotoxicity risk in previous studies. We aimed to evaluate whether PPIs increase cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in patients with NPC. In total, 295 patients were included in this prospective cohort study: 145 in the PPIs group and 150 in the non-PPIs group. All patients underwent cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy, followed by cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The PPIs group received 40 mg of intravenous esomeprazole sodium for 7 days in each chemotherapy cycle. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were applied to assess the association between PPIs and the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI incidence in the PPIs group was significantly higher than that in the non-PPIs group (P = 0.005). After adjusting for various confounders including demographic features, clinical features, and renal function indices, PPIs use was significantly associated with a higher AKI risk (odds ratio: 2.775; 95% confidence interval 1.280–6.020; P = 0.010). The incidences of acute and chronic kidney diseases were similar between both groups (P > 0.05), whereas the incidence of nausea was lower in the PPIs group than in the non-PPIs group (P = 0.029). This study has shown that PPIs use may increase the risk of cisplatin-induced acute nephrotoxicity in patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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MiRNAs are related to neuronal proliferation and apoptosis following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). This study focused on miR-30c-5p in the disease. An oxygen-glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) model was prepared in HT22 cells and transfected to overexpress miR-30c-5p and G Protein Subunit Alpha I2 (GNAI2) respectively or co-transfected to silence miR-30c-5p and GNAI2. Meanwhile, a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was constructed in mice, and miR-30c-5p and GNAI2 were silenced in vivo simultaneously. The mice were evaluated for neurological damage, apoptosis, and inflammation. HT22 cells were tested for cytotoxicity, proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory factors. The interaction between miR-30c-5p and GNAI2 was predicted, analyzed, and confirmed. MiR-30c-5p was found to be downregulated in both experimental models. miR-30c-5p reduced lactate dehydrogenase production, inflammatory response, inhibit apoptosis, and enhanced neuronal proliferation, while GNAI2 overexpression showed the opposite results. Downregulated miR-30c-5p worsened neurological function, apoptosis, and inflammation of MCAO mice while silencing GNAI2 attenuated the influence of downregulated miR-30c-5p. MiR-30c-5p can improve neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory response caused by CIRI and is neuroprotective by targeting GNAI2, providing a new target for treating CIRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Joint destruction is a major burden and an unsolved problem in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We designed an intra-articular mesoporous silica nanosystem (MSN-TP@PDA-GlcN) with anti-inflammatory and joint protection effects. The nanosystem was synthesized by encapsulating triptolide (TP) in mesoporous silica nanoparticles and coating it with pH-sensitive polydopamine (PDA) and glucosamine (GlcN) grafting on the PDA. The nano-drug delivery system with anti-inflammatory and joint protection effects should have good potency against RA. Methods: A template method was used to synthesize mesoporous silica (MSN). MSN-TP@PDA-GlcN was synthesized via MSN loading with TP, coating with PDA and grafting of GlcN on PDA. The drug release behavior was tested. A cellular inflammatory model and a rat RA model were used to evaluate the effects on RA. In vivo imaging and microdialysis (MD) system were used to analyze the sustained release and pharmacokinetics in RA rats. Results: TMSN-TP@PDA-GlcN was stable, had good biocompatibility, and exhibited sustained release of drugs in acidic environments. It had excellent anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. It also effectively repaired joint destruction in vivo without causing any tissue toxicity. In vivo imaging and pharmacokinetics experiments showed that the nanosystem prolonged the residence time, lowered the Cmax value and enhanced the relative bioavailability of TP. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that MSN-TP@PDA-GlcN sustained the release of drugs in inflammatory joints and produced effective anti-inflammatory and joint protection effects on RA. This study provides a new strategy for the treatment of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake-induced landslides are destructive and hazardous geological disasters, and mountainous areas are prone to earthquakes. Therefore, it is essential to establish an earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility prediction model with good accuracy, robustness, and generalization capability for the southwestern mountainous areas of China. In this study, the 2008 Wenchuan Ms 8.0, 2010 Yushu Ms 7.1, 2013 Ya’an Ms 7.0, 2014 Ludian Ms 6.5, 2017 Jiuzhaigou Ms 7.0, and 81,513 landslide sites were analyzed. Thirteen influencing factors were selected: PGA, elevation, slope, aspect, curvature, fault type, distance to faults, distance to rivers, NDVI, TWI, lithology, land cover type, and distance to road. Weight and spatial distribution analyses were also performed. Based on a backpropagation (BP) neural network, a regional earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility prediction model was constructed for southwest China. Various methods have been used to evaluate the accuracy of the model. The results showed that the model had excellent prediction accuracy and applicability and that the AUC, accuracy, recall, F1-score, and precision of the model could be stabilized at approximately 0.9. The inclusion of more landslide events in the model can further improve its accuracy and robustness. The constructed model was applied to the fault intersection area, and it was found that most of the actual landslides fell in the predicted medium-high susceptibility area. The research results can enrich the theory of earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility assessment and provide valuable information regarding the location of landslide-prone areas for rapid post-earthquake emergency response in Southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics have recently emerged as major pollutants widely occurring in the atmosphere, seawater, and soils. Microplastic toxicity in plants results in economic losses from declining crop yields. Here, we review microplastic toxicity in plants with emphasis on plant growth and development, oxidative stress, hindering nutrient absorption, metal absorption, physical plant damage, toxicity mechanisms, and synergy with other stressors. We discuss consequences on metabolic pathways, gene expression, and plant–microbe interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulforaphane has been reported to possibly improve core symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders from mostly small size studies. Here we present results of a larger randomized clinical trial (N = 108) in China. There were no significant changes in caregiver rated scales between sulforaphane and placebo groups. However, clinician rated scales showed a significant improvement in the sulforaphane group, and one third of participants showed at least a 30% decrease in score by 12 weeks treatment. The effects of sulforaphane were seen across the full range of intelligence and greater in participants over 10 years. Sulforaphane was safe and well-tolerated even for young children. The inconsistent results between caregiver and clinician rated scales suggest more clinical trials are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde (FA), as the simplest endogenous carbonyl molecule, participates in many biosynthesis and metabolism in living organisms, such as nucleotides and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). FA concentrations are sub-millimolar in the normal healthy body, but can rise significantly in a number of disease pathologies. As a result, detecting endogenous FA is critical for illness diagnosis and rehabilitation therapy monitoring. Recent studies have focused on the FA-responsive turn-on fluorescence probe, which has huge promise in the detection and visualization of FA in living cells and organisms, as well as exceptional use in disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. This review summarizes the fluorescence luminescence mechanism and design concepts of FA fluorescent probes, as well as their recent applications in bioimaging and illness diagnostics. Additionally, this article indicates the present dilemma of FA-responsive fluorescent probe, including selectivity, specificity, and detection mode, which may provide references for the development of FA-responsive fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nenensangcuo is a typical karst travertine scenic spot in the eastern margin of Qinghai−Tibet Plateau. Studying its hydrochemical evolution characteristics and driving factors is of great significance to local economic and social development and scientific management of water resources. The characteristics of hydrochemistry are analyzed by mathematical statistics, and the types of hydrochemistry are analyzed by Piper's three-line diagram. The sources of main ions in surface water and their influencing factors are discussed by Gibbs diagram and ion correlation analysis. The pH value of water body varies from 6.6–8.2, and the TDS value varies from 210–747 mg/L. The main sources are Ca2+, , Mg2+, Cl– and . The dominant cation is Ca2+, the dominant anion is , and the hydrochemical type is HCO3–Ca. The hydrochemical composition is comprehensively influenced by weathering, mineral dissolution and precipitation of rocks, in which Ca2+ and mainly come from weathering and dissolution of carbonate rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs play important roles in cellular functions and disease development. H19, as a long non-coding RNA, is pervasively over-expressed in almost all kinds of human malignant tumors. Although many studies have reported that H19 is closely associated with tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance, the role and mechanism of H19 in gene regulation and tumor development are largely unclear. In this review, we summarized the recent progress in the study of the major functions and mechanisms of H19 lncRNA in cancer development and progression. H19 possesses both oncogenic and tumor-suppressing activities, presumably through regulating target gene transcription, mRNA stability and splicing, and competitive inhibition of endogenous RNA degradation. Studies indicate that H19 may involve in cell proliferation and apoptosis, tumor initiation, migration, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance and may serve as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis, prognosis, and novel molecular target for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation is an unpleasant experience associated with an increased risk of mental disorders. Exploring whether these experiences affect behaviors in aged people is particularly important, as the elderly is very likely to suffer from periods of social isolation during their late-life. In this study, we analyzed the depressive-like behaviors, plasma concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy), and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels in aged mice undergoing social isolation. Results showed that depressive-like behavioral performance and decreased BDNF level were correlated with increased Hcy levels that were detected in 2-month isolated mice. Elevated Hcy induced by high methionine diet mimicked the depressive-like behaviors and BDNF downregulation in the same manner as social isolation, while administration of vitamin B complex supplements to reduce Hcy alleviated the depressive-like behaviors and BDNF reduction in socially isolated mice. Altogether, our results indicated that Hcy played a critical role in social isolation–induced depressive-like behaviors and BDNF reduction, suggesting the possibility of Hcy as a potential therapeutic target and vitamin B intake as a potential value in the prevention of stress-induced depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prevent and mitigate disasters, it is crucial to immediately and properly assess the spatial distribution of landslide hazards in the earthquake-affected area. Currently, there are primarily two categories of assessment techniques: the physical mechanism-based method (PMBM), which considers the landslide dynamics and has the advantages of effectiveness and proactivity; the environmental factor-based method (EFBM), which integrates the environmental conditions and has high accuracy. In order to obtain the spatial distribution of landslide hazards in the affected area with near real-time and high accuracy, this study proposed to combine the PMBM based on Newmark method with EFBM to form Newmark-Information value model (N-IV), Newmark-Logic regression model (N-LR) and Newmark- Support Vector Machine model (N- SVM) for seismic landslide hazard assessment on the Ludian Mw 6.2 earthquake in Yunnan. The predicted spatial hazard distribution was compared with the actual cataloged landslide inventory, and frequency ratio (FR), and area under the curve (AUC) metrics were used to verify the model's plausibility, performance, and accuracy. According to the findings, the model's accuracy is ranked as follows: N-SVM>N-LR>N-IV>Newmark. With an AUC value of 0.937, the linked N-SVM was discovered to have the best performance. The research results indicate that the physics-environmental coupled model (PECM) exhibits accuracy gains of 46.406% (N-SVM), 30.625% (N-LR), and 22.816% (N-IV) when compared to the conventional Newmark technique. It shows varied degrees of improvement from 2.577% to 12.446% when compared to the single EFBM. The study also uses the Ms 6.8 Luding earthquake to evaluate the model, showcasing its trustworthy in forecasting power and steady generalization. Since the suggested PECM in this study can adapt to complicated earthquake-induced landslides situations, it aims to serve as a reference for future research in a similar field, as well as to help with emergency planning and response in earthquake-prone regions with landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater was collected from Huanglong. Analysis of hydrochemical characteristics using mathematical and statistical methods. Piper's trilinear diagram analysis of hydrochemistry types, Gibbs diagram and ion correlation analysis were used to explore the sources of major ions in groundwater and the factors affecting the Calculation of water quality mineral saturation indices using Phreeqc Interactive to predict trends in caliche deposition. The results showed that the groundwater in the study area most of them belonged to weakly alkaline water. Groundwater cations are mainly Ca2+, anions are mainly , and the hydrochemical type is HCO3-Ca. Pearson correlation analysis of major ions showed that TDS was strongly positively correlated with Ca2+, and , and all of these ions contributed to TDS. The water-rock model analysis shows that the hydrochemical genesis of groundwater in the study area is mainly controlled by rock weathering, and most of the ions are influenced by the water-rock action of carbonate rocks, and there is almost no ion-exchange action. The related research results can provide scientific references for water resources planning and allocation in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant tension-compression (T–C) yield asymmetry in common wrought Mg alloys hinders their widespread applications. A double extrusion process with variable speed and partially substituted yttrium (Y) (2 wt%) for Sn was proposed to improve the T–C asymmetry of Mg–2.5Sn (wt%) alloy, and then to explore the critical grain size parameter for T–C symmetry. The result showed that the individual double extrusion or partial substitution of Sn by Y slightly refined the grains of Mg–2.5Sn alloy (from ~ 42.5 µm to 35.5 µm and 31.2 µm, respectively), along with the improved T–C asymmetry (CYS/TYS) from 0.44 to 0.51 and 0.75, respectively. When combining the above two factors, the double-extruded Mg–Sn–Y alloys obtained fine grains with ~ 8.8 µm and gained a T–C yield symmetry (CYS/TYS = 1.01). By tailoring the extrusion speed from the previous 1.2 mm/s to 2 mm/s, the grain size of double-extruded Mg–Sn–Y further deduced to ~ 5.6 µm and turned to be a reversed T–C asymmetry (CYS/TYS) of 1.37. The refined grain size combined with weakened texture led to a decreased activation or even inhibition of tension twinning and increased activation of non-basal slip, which might be the main reason for the improved or even reversed T–C asymmetry in double-extruded Mg–0.5Sn–2Y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxepinone rings represent one of structurally unusual motifs of natural products and the biosynthesis of oxepinones is not fully understood. 1,5-Seco-vibralactone (3) features an oxepinone motif and is a stable metabolite isolated from mycelial cultures of the mushroom Boreostereum vibrans. Cyclization of 3 forms vibralactone (1) whose β-lactone-fused bicyclic core originates from 4-hydroxybenzoate, yet it remains elusive how 4-hydroxybenzoate is converted to 3 especially for the oxepinone ring construction in the biosynthesis of 1. In this work, using activity-guided fractionation together with proteomic analyses, we identify an NADPH/FAD-dependent monooxygenase VibO as the key enzyme performing a crucial ring-expansive oxygenation on the phenol ring to generate the oxepin-2-one structure of 3. The crystal structure of VibO reveals that it forms a dimeric phenol hydroxylase-like architecture featured with a unique substrate-binding pocket adjacent to the bound FAD. Computational modeling and solution studies provide insight into the likely VibO active site geometry, and suggest possible involvement of a flavin-C4a-OO(H) intermediate. Vibralactone is a strong lipase inhibitor and a bicyclic β-lactone containing an oxepinone ring, whose biosynthetic construction was unknown. Here the authors identify an oxepinone-building flavin monooxygenase VibO that is involved in the biosynthesis of vibralactone, and determine its X-ray crystal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsupervised multi-view feature selection has become an important research direction in the field of pattern recognition and machine learning. However, most of existing methods fail to consider the redundancy information within and between views or the noise information in each view. In this paper, we propose a multi-level regularization-based unsupervised multi-view feature selection with adaptive graph learning. Our method adaptively learns a proper similarity matrix in the reduced feature space based on a learned projection matrix. To reduce the redundancy and noise information in the multi-view data, we adopt a multi-level regularization, which explores the structural sparsity, dependency, diversity information of the multi-view data, to constrain the learned projection matrix. Based on the obtained projection matrix, we rank the features and perform multi-view feature selection. We develop an effective iteration optimization algorithm to solve our method. A large number of experiments conducted on six popular multi-view datasets show that our method obtains excellent clustering performance and has superiority in comparison with mainstream methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite retaining a digestive system with carnivorous characteristics, the giant panda has now specialized to eat bamboo. Therefore, research on its feeding habits and foraging strategies has always been an important field in the study of giant panda population ecology. Located in the core distribution area of the giant panda population in the Liangshan mountains, the Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve acts as the link between the major panda reserves in the Liangshan mountains and the key corridor zone connecting the giant panda populations in the east and west. This study was performed in 2017 and aimed to determine the feeding habits of giant pandas in this region, the heterogeneity of food resources in different seasons, and the selection strategy for foraging patches. To achieve this, we used the line transect method to investigate the giant panda population, collected fresh feces, analyzed the nutritional composition of bamboo samples, and set up a sampling grid of foraging patches in different seasonal distribution areas. It was found that wild giant pandas in the region spend most of the year at lower elevations(1939–3296 m) foraging for Yushania maculata and Yushania ailuropodina, and only move to higher elevations(2844–3770 m) in summer for Bashania fangiana. Their preferred foraging patches(n = 65) had certain topographical features, such as gentle slopes(< 25°) and closer proximity to water sources(< 500 m), and the nutritional quality of bamboo resources in foraging patches was significantly better than in those they avoided or rarely used. The food habits and foraging patch selection strategies of giant pandas in the Liangshan and Qinling mountains are relatively similar, and the results of this study can help provide a scientific basis for the conservation and management of wild giant panda habitats in different mountain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applicability of statistics-based landslide susceptibility assessment methods is affected by the number of historical landslides. Previous studies have proposed support vector machine (SVM) as a small-sample learning method. However, those studies demonstrated that different parameters can affect model performance. We optimized the SVM and obtained models as 5-fold cross validation (5-CV) SVM, genetic algorithm (GA) SVM, and particle swarm optimization (PSO) SVM. This study compared the prediction performances of logistic regression (LR), 5-CV SVM, GA SVM, and PSO SVM on landslide susceptibility mapping, to explore the spatial distribution of landslide susceptibility in the study area in Tibetan Plateau, China. A geospatial database was established based on 392 historical landslides and 392 non-landslides in the study area. We used 11 influencing factors of altitude, slope, aspect, curvature, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to road, distance to river, distance to fault, peak ground acceleration (PGA), and rainfall to construct an influencing factor evaluation system. To evaluate the models, four susceptibility maps were compared via receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and the results showed that prediction rates for the models are 84% (LR), 87% (5-CV SVM), 85% (GA SVM), and 90% (PSO SVM). We also used precision, recall, F1-score and accuracy to assess the quality performance of these models. The results showed that the PSO SVM had greater potential for future implementation in the Tibetan Plateau area because of its superior performance in the landslide susceptibility assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sucralose-derived magnetically separable carbon-based solid acid catalyst with cellulose-binding and catalytic sites has been successfully prepared by incompletely carbonizing the sulfonated sucralose with Fe3+ at high temperature to load ɤ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles onto the surface of the catalyst. The resultant magnetic catalyst was fully characterized and found to be suitable in the hydrolysis of cellulose. Microcrystalline cellulose pretreated by ball milling achieved the highest glucose yield of 32% using this neoteric catalyst at 363 K. Catalysts retained 90% of their activity after five runs recycle. The introduction of magnetic properties into the catalyst system will combine the high catalytic capacity for hydrolyzing cellulose and magnetic materials' separation convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin by co-administration of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, using network pharmacology and experimental validation. Methods: Using Pubchem database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Database (TCMID) database, and Swiss target prediction database to predict compound-related targets, AML-associated targets were determined using GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases. We identify overlapping common targets by comparing Compounds-related and AML-associated targets and using these targets to perform GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses. Subsequently, these targets were input into the STRING database, and we used Cytoscape to construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Finally, we used KG1-a cells and the AML mouse model to measure the anti-leukemia effects of curcumin and As2O3 and their combination. Results: Compounds and targets screening hinted that 85 intersection targets were predicted in the curcumin treatment of AML, 75 targets in the As2O3 treatment of AML, and 48 targets in the curcumin combined with the As2O3 treatment of AML. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the top 10 enriched biological processes and top 20 pathways implicated in the therapeutic effects of curcumin and As2O3 on AML, respectively. In addition, network pharmacology screening revealed STAT3, TP53, EP300, MAPK1, and PIK3CA as the top five genes in PPI network of curcumin treatment of AML and TP53, MAPK3, MAPK1, STAT3, and SRC as the top five genes in PPI network of As2O3 treatment of AML. Moreover, the in vitro experiment demonstrated that curcumin combined with As2O3 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in KG1-a cells, and this effect is more substantial than curcumin or As2O3 alone. Mechanistically, the curcumin combined with As2O3 significantly down-regulated the protein expression of JAK2, STAT3, and Bcl-2, and up-regulated the levels of P53, P27, and Bax. In the mouse model, the survival time of mice in each administration group was drawn out to varying degrees, with the most significant prolongation in the curcumin combined with the As2O3 group. Conclusion: Our results suggested that curcumin and As2O3 combination therapy exerts more significant anti-leukemia effects in the treatment of AML than curcumin or As2O3 monotherapy by up-regulating p53 pathway and down-regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential difference between positive and negative ions was utilized to improve the homogenized dispersion of nanoscale Al2O3 whiskers in Mg matrix composites. The Mg powders were decorated with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (C18H29NaO3S, SDBS) and were introduced to the cathode group on their surface. The Al2O3 whiskers were modified by the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C19H42BrN, CTAB) and were featured in the anode group. The suitable contents of CTAB and SDBS, the application atmosphere, and the type of solvents were investigated. Dispersion results showed that adding 2wt% SDBS into Mg powders and adding 2wt% CTAB into Al2O3 whiskers promoted the formation of more uniformly mixed composite powders, compared to those of conventional ball milling via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Meanwhile, the calculated results derived from first-principle calculations also demonstrated the stronger cohesion between Al2O3 whisker reinforcements and Mg matrix than undecorated composite powders. After preparation by powder metallurgy, the morphology, grain size, hardness, and standard deviation coefficient of composites were analyzed to evaluate the dispersed efficiency. The results indicated that the modification of homogenized dispersed Al2O3 whiskers in composites contributed to the refinement of 26% in grain size and the improvement of 20% in hardness compared with pure Mg, and the reduction of 32.5% in the standard deviation coefficient of hardness compared with the ball-milling sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-power lasers have severe thermal effects. The heat buildup during long-term operation will increase the threshold current of the laser and the internal defects, which will seriously affect the lifetime of the device. A temperature sensor is difficult to install on the laser rangefinder due to the small size of the solid-state laser device. Considering this situation, this work analyses the thermal mechanism of the laser rangefinder and proposes a temperature calculation method for the crystal working substance inside the laser rangefinder based on the finite element simulation to obtain the crystal center temperature and thermal model with the working time. Then, the prediction model of the maximum continuous working time of the laser can be obtained. The proposed model can provide an early scientific warning for the remaining continuous working time of the solid-state laser and improve the single-shot utilization of the solid-state laser to a certain extent. A comprehensive health management framework of laser rangefinders including FMEA is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of this work was to synthesize mercapto-modified attapulgite (ATP-SH) and explore the effectiveness and mechanism of ATP-SH on the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil. The ATP-SH was applied to the remediation of cadmium contaminated soil with a concentration of 5.48 mg/kg through pot rice experiment. The changes of soil physicochemical properties, Cd content in rice and straw, available Cd, and different speciation of Cd in soil were studied after the addition of ATP-SH. Some methods, such as XRD, FTIR, and XPS, confirmed successfully grafting of the mercapto. The addition of ATP-SH has little effect on the major physicochemical properties of soil. Compared to the blank group (CK), with the increase of ATP-SH dosage, the available Cd content in soil and the Cd content in rice and straw decrease significantly, and the maximum reduction rates are 73.1%, 92.6%, and 85.7%, respectively; the exchangeable Cd (EX-Cd) and carbonate bound Cd (CAR-Cd) in soil decrease significantly, while Fe/Mn oxide bound Cd (FMO-Cd) and strong organic bound Cd (SO-Cd) increase significantly. Combined with a large number of previous conclusions, we believe that the Si-2p and Al-2p electron clouds in ATP-SH transfer and change the electronic properties of iron, thus increasing the adsorption of Cd on its surface, and then coating to form FMO-Cd, and there are a large number of sulfhydryl and hydroxyl on the surface of the material, which have strong bonding effect on Cd to form SO-Cd. The application of ATP-SH could effectively reduce the content of Cd in straw and rice by the synergistic effect of ATP, S, and Fe rather than increasing soil pH to stabilize heavy metals. It is an efficient remediation agent for Cd-contaminated paddy soil with a good practical application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To protect structural steel in the event of a hydrocarbon fire, epoxy-based intumescent coatings, which expand to form a multicellular char layer, are increasingly used. Consequently, to improve formulations and understand the performance of such coatings, it is of great industrial and scientific interest to establish relationships between the char properties and the critical heating times of coated steel plates. In this work, a so-called Stratification Parameter (SP) that combines the relative expansions and insulation efficiencies of individual char layers (termed the sponge-like, the macroporous, and the compact phase, respectively), is introduced to characterize the properties of the multilayered intumescent coating char. An approximate linear relationship was revealed between the SP of the char and the fire-resistance performance (i.e., critical times to 400 and 550°C) of the intumescent coating. Furthermore, owing to the mapped-out exponential relationship between the dynamic viscosity minimum and the char appearance, it was discovered that the SP of the char can be effectively used to point out the required dynamic viscosity change of an intumescent coating to form a given char. Finally, results of thermogravimetric analyses suggest that constraining the coating mass loss during char degradation (to less than 28 wt% for the coatings of the present work) may prevent the formation of the less efficient sponge-like phase. The stratification methodology developed can be used to estimate expected thermal insulation properties of non-uniform hydrocarbon intumescent coating chars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.), a member of the Lamiaceae family, is an important aromatic plant that has been widely used in medicine and perfumery. Here, we report a 1.94 Gb chromosome-scale assembly of the patchouli genome (contig N50 = 7.97 Mb). The gene annotation reveals that tandem duplication of sesquiterpene biosynthetic genes may be a major contributor to the biosynthesis of patchouli bioactivity components. We further phase the genome into two distinct subgenomes (A and B), and identify a chromosome substitution event that have occurred between them. Further investigations show that a burst of universal LTR-RTs in the A subgenome lead to the divergence between two subgenomes. However, no significant subgenome dominance is detected. Finally, we track the evolutionary scenario of patchouli including whole genome tetraploidization, subgenome divergency, hybridization, and chromosome substitution, which are the key forces to determine the complexity of patchouli genome. Our work sheds light on the evolutionary history of patchouli and offers unprecedented genomic resources for fundamental patchouli research and elite germplasm development. The ploidy level of patchouli, an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family, remain unclear. Here, the authors assemble a chromosome-level and haplotype-resolved genome for patchouli and reveal that it is tetraploid hybrid as well as compensated aneuploidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulose, the most abundant biomass resource, was a promising alternative to oil resources. The acid catalyst can hydrolyze lignocellulose to reduce sugars, the raw material for lipid production via fermentation. However, the by-product yield during hydrolysis would inhibit yeast activity when directly applying lignocellulose hydrolysate from dilute acid-catalyzed to microbial lipid production. In this paper, a solid acid catalyst highly selective for lignocellulose (rice straw) hydrolysis was prepared to minimize the effects of by-products. Also, a combination of solid acid catalysts to generate glucose with subsequent microbial fermentation was studied to obtain the higher efficiency of lipid production. A carbon-based solid acid catalyst with an enhanced hydrolysis capacity of cellulose and lignocellulose was efficiently prepared. It resulted in 71% yield of glucose with 97% of selectivity with optimal catalyst in hydrolyzing milled cellulose. The optimal preparation conditions of the catalyst were: carbonization temperature 642 K, sulfonation temperature 412 K, initial sulfonation time 12.5 h, and liquid-to-solid ratio 11.5. To expand the catalyst' application, the rice straw hydrolysate catalyzed by the prepared catalyst was then applied to the microbial lipid production for the first time. Both dilute sulfuric acid and Amberlyst-15 resin as hydrolysis catalysts caused a decrease in yeast biomass, lipid content, and lipid yield. However, when the hydrolysate was obtained from co-heating rice straw with sucralose-derived solid acid catalyst, the yeast biomass, lipid content, and lipid yield in the presence of 5-HMF (0.39 g/L) were 12.6 g/L, 48.1%, and 7.6 g/L, respectively, and were almost similar to the control group. Our results showed that a combination of solid acid catalysts with subsequent microbial fermentation to generate lipid was confirmed to be environmentally friendly and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic lithium is deemed as the "Holy Grail" anode in high-energy-density secondary batteries. Uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth and related issues originated from uneven concentration distribution of Li+ in the vicinity of the anode, however, induce severe safety concerns and poor cycling efficiency, dragging lithium metal anode out of practical application. Herein we address these issues by using cross-linked lithiophilic amino phosphonic acid resin as the effective host with the ion-transport-enhancement feature. Based on theoretical calculations and multiphysics simulation, it is found that this ion-transport-enhancement feature is capable of facilitating the self-concentration kinetics of Li+ and accelerating Li+ transfer at the electrolyte/electrode interface, leading to uniform bulk lithium deposition. Experimental results show that the proposed lithium-hosting resin decreases the irreversible lithium capacity and improves lithium utilization (with the Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.8% over 130 cycles). Our work demonstrates that inducing the self-concentrating distribution of Li+ at the interface can be an effective strategy for improving the interfacial ion concentration gradient and optimizing lithium deposition, which opens a new avenue for the practical development of next-generation lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a type of peptide hormone secreted by atrial cells, which has many important biological functions and roles. In the current study, we studied the effect of ANP on the activity of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Furthermore, we also explore the cellular properties of EGF in adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line-19 (ARPE-19). For this, we firstly analyzed the cellular properties of EGF on adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line-19 (ARPE-19), the results indicated that EGF/EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) internalized into the ARPE-19 cells in a time-dependent manner. In addition, we also found that EGF/EGFR can be transported into the cell nuclei of ARPE-19 in a time-dependent manner in ARPE-19 cells. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of ANP on EGF's activity, and found that EGFR-mediated signaling was activated with EGF stimulation in a dose-dependent manner, but the intracellular signaling pathways were inhibited by ANP treatment. Additionally, we further analyzed the potential mechanism by which ANP affects the EGF signaling pathway, and the results showed that ANP alone has no effect on total EGFR expression by Western-blot assay. Next, we further evaluated the EGFR stability on the cell membrane, and the results indicated that membrane-localized EGFR expression was significantly down-regulated under ANP treatment, although the total EGFR expression was not changed. In short, the current research lays the foundation for studying the regulatory relationship between ANP and EGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing engineering empirical life analysis models are not capable of considering the constitutive behavior of materials under contact loads; as a consequence, these methods may not be accurate to predict fatigue lives of rolling bearings. In addition, the contact stress of bearing in operation is cyclically pulsating, it also means that the bearing undergo non-symmetrical fatigue loadings. Since the mean stress has great effects on fatigue life, in this work, a novel fatigue life prediction model based on the modified SWT mean stress correction is proposed as a basis of which to estimate the fatigue life of rolling bearings, in which, takes sensitivity of materials and mean stress into account. A compensation factor is introduced to overcome the inaccurate predictions resulted from the Smith, Watson, and Topper (SWT) model that considers the mean stress effect and sensitivity while assuming the sensitivity coefficient of all materials to be 0.5. Moreover, the validation of the model is finalized by several practical experimental data and the comparison to the conventional SWT model. The results show the better performance of the proposed model, especially in the accuracy than the existing SWT model. This research will shed light on a new direction for predicting the fatigue life of rolling bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: USP (ubiquitin-specific peptidase) 18 functions as deubiquitinating enzyme and participates in various human malignancies. The underlying mechanism involved in USP18-mediated hemangiomas progression has not been reported yet. Objective: Immunohistochemistry analysis, qRT-PCR, and western blot were applied to detect USP18 expression in hemangioma tissues and cells. Lentiviral-mediated short hairpin RNA transfection was performed to silence USP18, and pcDNA-mediated USP18 over-expression was also performed. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay and flow cytometry were applied to investigate cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. In vivo xenograft model was performed to detect function of USP18 on tumor growth. Results: USP18 was enhanced in hemangioma tissues and cells compared to vascular endothelial tissues and vascular endothelial cells, respectively. Forced USP18 promoted cell viability and proliferation of human hemangioma endothelial cell (HemEC) and hemangioendothelioma endothelial cell (EOMA). Cell apoptosis of HemEC and EOMA were repressed by USP18 over-expression with reduced Bax and cleaved caspase-3. In contrast, silence of USP18 demonstrated the opposite effects on HemEC and EOMA cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. Silence of USP18 also retarded in vivo tumorigenicity of hemangiomas. Phosphorylation of AKT was enhanced by USP18 over-expression, while reduced by USP18 silence. Conclusion: USP18 functioned as an oncogene in hemangiomas through acceleration of cell proliferation and repression of cell apoptosis, providing new insight for therapy of hemangiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polaritons in anisotropic materials result in exotic optical features, which can provide opportunities to control light at the nanoscale1–10. So far these polaritons have been limited to two classes: bulk polaritons, which propagate inside a material, and surface polaritons, which decay exponentially away from an interface. Here we report a near-field observation of ghost phonon polaritons, which propagate with in-plane hyperbolic dispersion on the surface of a polar uniaxial crystal and, at the same time, exhibit oblique wavefronts in the bulk. Ghost polaritons are an atypical non-uniform surface wave solution of Maxwell’s equations, arising at the surface of uniaxial materials in which the optic axis is slanted with respect to the interface. They exhibit an unusual bi-state nature, being both propagating (phase-progressing) and evanescent (decaying) within the crystal bulk, in contrast to conventional surface waves that are purely evanescent away from the interface. Our real-space near-field imaging experiments reveal long-distance (over 20 micrometres), ray-like propagation of deeply subwavelength ghost polaritons across the surface, verifying long-range, directional and diffraction-less polariton propagation. At the same time, we show that control of the out-of-plane angle of the optic axis enables hyperbolic-to-elliptic topological transitions at fixed frequency, providing a route to tailor the band diagram topology of surface polariton waves. Our results demonstrate a polaritonic wave phenomenon with unique opportunities to tailor nanoscale light in natural anisotropic crystals.Hyperbolic phonon polaritons that exhibit long-distance, ray-like propagation and oblique wavefronts are described at the surface of an anisotropic bulk crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin, metformin, and quercetin are all reliable anticancer drugs. However, it is unclear how effective their different combination regimens are on the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line Sune-1 and subcutaneous xenograft in nude mice. This study evaluated the effects of single-drug, two-drug, and three-drug simultaneous or sequential combined application of these drugs on the growth of Sune-1 cells and subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice. The results showed that the different combination regimens of cisplatin, metformin and quercetin all had significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of Sune-1 cells and the growth of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice (P < 0.01), and the inhibition rate of the three drugs simultaneous combined application was significant Higher than the two-drug combination or single-drug application (P < 0.05), the contribution level of each drug in the three-drug combination application from high to low were cisplatin > metformin > quercetin. In summary, our results indicate that the simultaneous combination of cisplatin, metformin, and quercetin may synergistically inhibit the growth of Sune-1 cells and subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice through their different anticancer mechanisms, which may be clinically refractory and provide reference for chemotherapy of patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase equilibria for CsCl in three polyethylene glycols (PEG) with molecular weights of 1000, 4000, 6000 g⋅mol−1 and water (H2O) mixed solvent were investigated at 288.15 and 308.15 K. The isothermal dissolution equilibrium method was applied for the solid–liquid equilibria experiments; the turbidimetric method was used for the liquid–liquid equilibria experiments. Results show that there is only solid–liquid equilibrium for the ternary system CsCl–PEG1000–H2O at 288.15 K, both solid–liquid and liquid–liquid equilibria coexist in ternary systems CsCl–PEG1000–H2O at 308.15 K and CsCl–PEG4000/6000–H2O at 288.15 and 308.15 K. For liquid–liquid equilibrium, the binodal curve and compositions of the tie-lines were obtained experimentally, and the effect of temperature and molecular weight of PEG on liquid–liquid equilibrium was discussed. It shows that the liquid–liquid equilibrium formed easily at higher temperature and larger molecular weight of PEG. Moreover, three nonlinear expressions were applied to correlate the binodal curve, and the experimental values of tie-line were correlated with a good agreement by using Othmer–Tobias, Bancroft and NRTL models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal dissolution equilibrium method was applied for the solid–liquid equilibria experiments of the reciprocal aqueous quaternary system Li+, Rb+//Cl−, borate–H2O at 323.2 K, and the relevant diagrams (phase diagram, water content diagram, density/refractive index against composition diagram) were plotted. It was found that there are two commensurate type quaternary invariant points with three-salt cosaturated, five univariant curves, and four crystallization fields corresponding to four single salts, rubidium chloride (RbCl), lithium chloride monohydrate (LiCl·H2O), lithium tetraborate trihydrate (Li2B4O7·3H2O), and rubidium pentaborate tetrahydrate (RbB5O8·4H2O), respectively. LiCl·H2O has a salting out effect on other coexisting salts and the size of the LiCl·H2O crystallization field is the smallest. Li2B4O7·3H2O has the largest crystallization field, which demonstrates that Li2B4O7·3H2O can be more easily separated from the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear optical switches that reversibly convert between on/off states by thermal stimuli are promising for applications in the fields of photoelectronics and photonics. Currently one main drawback for practical application lies in the control of their switch temperature, especially for the temperature range near room temperature. By mixed melting treatment, here we describe an alloy-like nonlinear optical switch with tunable switch temperature via a dual solid solution approach within the coordination polymer system. We initially prepare a coordination polymer (i-PrNHMe2)[Cd(SCN)3], which functions as a high-contrast thermoresponsive nonlinear optical switch originating from a phase transition at around 328 K. Furthermore, by taking advantage of a synergistic dual solid solution effect, the melt mixing of it with its analogue (MeNHEt2)[Cd(SCN)3], which features an unequal anionic chain templated by an isomeric ammonium, can afford coordination polymer solid solutions with switch temperatures that are tunable in a range of 273–328 K merely by varying the component ratio. Switching of nonlinear optical signals is attractive for photoelectronics and photonics, but development is hindered by a lack of control over the switch temperature. Here the authors report a coordination polymer system that serves as an alloy-like nonlinear optical switch with a tunable switch temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase diagrams, densities, and refractive indices of RbCl + polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000 + H2O saturated systems at 288.15, 298.15, and 308.15 K were determined. Furthermore, a four-parameter nonlinear equation developed by Hu was used to analyze the experimental data. For the ternary system RbCl + PEG1000 + H2O, the salting-out ratio of PEG1000 on RbCl decreases with temperature, the equilibrium area containing the solid phase of RbCl and saturated liquid phase increases with the temperature. The solubility of RbCl and density decrease, while the refractive indices of the solution increase with the addition of PEG1000 in the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable phase equilibria, densities, and refractive indices of the aqueous quaternary system Li+,Rb+,Mg2+//borate–H2O at 323 K were determined by the isothermal dissolution method. It was found that the phase diagram consists of one quaternary invariant point, two isothermal dissolution curves, and three fields of crystallization corresponding to three single salts Li2B4O7 · 3H2O, MgB4O7 · 9H2O, and RbB5O8 · 4H2O, respectively. The size of crystallization regions of salt decreased in the order MgB4O7 · 9H2O > RbB5O8 · 4H2O > Li2B4O7 · 3H2O. The comparison of phase diagrams of the system at 298–348 K shown that the crystalline form of salts lithium borate, magnesium borate, and rubidium borate did not change at 298–348 K. The crystalline area of MgB4O7 · 9H2O is the largest than that of 298 and 348 K. The crystalline area of RbB5O8 · 4H2O is the smallest than that of 298 and 348 K, while the crystalline are of Li2B4O7 · 3H2O is larger than that of 298 K, and smaller than that of 348 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase and physicochemical properties diagrams at 323 K of systems Rb+//Cl–, borate–H2O, and Mg2+//Cl–, borate–H2O were plotted using the solubilities, densities, and refractive indices of the systems. The Schreinemakers' wet residue method and the X-ray diffraction method were used for the determination of the compositions of solid phase. Results show that these two systems belong to the hydrate I type, without solid solution or double salt formation. The phase diagrams of both systems consist of one invariant point, two monovariant curves, and two crystallization zones. The borates formed in the studied systems are RbB5O6(OH)4 · 2H2O, and MgB4O5(OH)4 · 7H2O. The comparison between the stable phase diagrams of the system Rb+//Cl–, borate–H2O at 323 and 348 K shows that no matter at which temperature point, the crystallization form of salts are not changed and the crystallization zones have slightly changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacing study of biopolymer and supramolecular chemistry enables a better understanding of fundamental biochemical processes and the creating of new high-performance biomaterials. In this review, we introduced an “in vivo self-assembly” strategy which means in situ construction of functional self-assembled superstructures in specific physiological or pathological conditions in cell, tissue or animal levels that exhibit diverse biomedical effects. By using this strategy, unexpected phenomena and insights, e.g, assembly/aggregation induced retention (AIR) effect have been demonstrated where the self-assembled nanostructures showed extraordinary enhanced accumulation and retention of therapeutics in targeted sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin film (30.3 nm) deposited on aSrTiO3 (STO) film/silicon substrate sample was modulated by 532 nm continuous-wave laser in the range of 0.2-1 THz at room temperature. The refractive index variation was observed to linearly increase at the highest 3.48 for 0.5 THz with the pump power increasing to 400 mW. It was also found that the BST/STO sample had a larger refractive index variation and was more sensitive to the external optical field than a BST monolayer due to the epitaxial strain induced by the STO film. The electric displacement-electric field loops results revealed that the increasing spontaneous polarization with the STO film that was induced was responsible for the larger refractive index variation of the BST/STO sample. In addition, the real and imaginary part of the permittivity were observed increasing along with the external field increasing, due to the soft mode hardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some alloying elements (Al, Er, Gd, Li, Mn, Sn, Y, Zn) were proved recently by calculations or experiments to improve the formability of Mg alloys, but ignoring their site preference in Mg crystals during the calculated process. A crystallographic model was built via first principle calculations to predict the site preferences of these elements. Regularities between doping elements and site preferences were summarized. Meanwhile, in the basis of the crystallographic model, a series of formulas were deduced combining the diffraction law. It predicted that a crystal plane with abnormal XRD peak intensity of the Mg-based solid solutions, compared to that of the pure Mg, prefers to possess solute atoms. Thus, three single-phase solid solution alloys were then prepared through an original In-situ Solution Treatment, and their XRD patterns were compared. Finally, the experiment further described the site preferences of these solute atoms in Mg crystal, verifying the calculation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) accumulation resulting from an imbalance between Aβ production and clearance is one of the most important causes in the formation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to preserve the maintenance of Aβ homeostasis and have a notable AD therapy, achieving a method to clear up Aβ plaques becomes an emerging task. Herein, we describe a self-destructive nanosweeper based on multifunctional peptide-polymers that is capable of capturing and clearing Aβ for the effective treatment of AD. The nanosweeper recognize and bind Aβ via co-assembly through hydrogen bonding interactions. The Aβ-loaded nanosweeper enters cells and upregulates autophagy thus promoting the degradation of Aβ. As a result, the nanosweeper decreases the cytotoxicity of Aβ and rescues memory deficits of AD transgenic mice. We believe that this resourceful and synergistic approach has valuable potential as an AD treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]