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A dual-time varying delay complex network system is formed by a plurality of sub-networks. This paper discusses the crossed synchronization stability of such systems on the basis of crossed synchronization definition between the sub-nets. By the Lyapunov stability theory with the Zero Theorem, we obtained a sufficient condition that a synchronization exponentially stable controller exists in the complex network system, with characteristic variable delay. The relationship between the complex network nodes are discussed, and the two nodes must be connected and can interact with each other so it has the actual coupling strength. Finally, combining the given conditions, a numerical simulation illustrates its effectiveness.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play an integral role in numerous cellular processes. Membrane protein interactions, in particular, are critical in cellular responses to stresses and stimuli, with dysfunction of these PPIs (e.g., due to aberrant expression and/or mutation of interaction partners) leading to a diverse array of pathological states. Exploration of the interaction space and dynamics of membrane proteins is difficult due to the limitations of current techniques used to study proteins in the biochemically complex environment of biological membranes. In the protocols below, we describe a newly developed membrane protein interaction assay called the Mammalian-Membrane Two-Hybrid (MaMTH), designed specifically for the detection of integral membrane PPIs in the context of living mammalian cells. Prior to using MaMTH, cell lines of interest are genetically modified to encode a reporter of choice. MaMTH "bait" and "prey" constructs of interest are also generated using Gateway cloning technology. The assay is then performed by co-transfection of baits and preys, with bait-prey interaction quantifiably assessed by way of a reporter signal (e.g., light (luciferase), fluorescence (GFP). © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This study investigated an integrated process to separate sulfoether compounds from garlic oil. The garlic oil was pretreated by vapor distillation and the oil–water mixture was treated with the combination of ceramic membrane microfiltration (MF) and poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) composite membrane pervaporation (PV). The optimum operating conditions with respect to sulfoether compounds' recovery were determined to be 1.8% feed concentration, 30C and 0.10 MPa for ceramic membrane MF; and 40C, 5 h, 0.24 MPa and 0.32 L/min for PV. It was found that the emulsified oil was effectively separated by ceramic MF membranes, and the rejection rates of diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) were 91.11, 99.8 and 100%, respectively. In the subsequent process, PV membrane was used to recover the dissolved oil. PV membrane had a good enrichment effect on DAS and DADS in the penetrant permeate fluid, with separation factors of 6.31 and 5.45, respectively. Compared with oil–water mixture by vapor distillation, the yield of garlic oil is 99.6%. This study showed that MF and PV processes were attractive technologies for the recovery of garlic sulfoether compounds as they yield good separation and operate under mild conditions.

Objective The study aimed to determine a practical strategy for differentiating between autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and pancreatic malignancy in order to avoid unnecessary surgical resection. Methods Altogether, 19 patients with AIP or other pancreatic diseases underwent routine examinations including liver function test and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or IgG4 was determined in patients with clinically suspected or pathologically proven AIP. Patients with suspected AIP either received diagnostic steroid therapy or laparotomy (if malignant tumors could not be excluded). Surgery was not performed in patients with a definite diagnosis of AIP by fast intraoperative frozen biopsy. Those with confirmed AIP received steroid treatment. Results In total, 15 cases were finally confirmed as AIP with eight diagnosed preoperatively, five confirmed by surgical pathology (preoperatively misdiagnosed) and two by intraoperative biopsy. Of these 15 patients with AIP and one without AIP, 14 had elevated serum γ-globulin levels. It was proven by subsequent antibody tests that serum IgG or IgG4 were simultaneously increased. Conclusions Elevated serum γ-globulin level can be used as a preoperative sentinel indicator for differentiating between IgG4-related AIP and pancreatic malignancy. Serum IgG or IgG4 tests should be further performed in those with elevated serum γ-globulin level, which helps to identify AIP in order to avoid unnecessary operation.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade is a central signaling pathway that is stimulated by various extracellular stimuli. The signals of these stimuli are then transferred by the cascade's components to a large number of targets at distinct subcellular compartments, which in turn induce and regulate a large number of cellular processes. To achieve these functions, the cascade exhibits versatile and dynamic subcellular distribution that allows proper temporal and spatial modulation of the appropriate processes. In this review, we discuss the intracellular localizations of different components of the ERK cascade, and the impact of these localizations on their activation and specificity.

We report the preparation of five different ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer-graft-maleic anhydride/calcium carbonate samples with different calcium carbonate contents by precipitation and their mechanical properties and structural characterization.1 In this study, we tried to analyze the thermooxidative aging and the kinetics of thermooxidative degradation with retained tensile testing for various thermal-aging times at 150°C and with hot-loading-recovery measurements. The results of the hot-loading-recovery measurements and retained tensile testing showed that the sample with the best crosslinked structure had the best thermooxidative-aging resistance of all the samples. The experimental results for the thermooxidative degradation kinetics showed that the sample with the best crosslinked structure had the highest activation energy of thermal decomposition. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2395–2401, 2007

When cells are stimulated by mitogens, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is activated by phosphorylation of its regulatory threonine (Thr) and tyrosine (Tyr) residues. The inactivation of ERK may occur by phosphatase-mediated removal of the phosphates from these Tyr, Thr or both residues together. In this study, antibodies that selectively recognize all combinations of phosphorylation of the regulatory Thr and Tyr residues of ERK were developed, and used to study the inactivation of ERK upon mitogenic stimulation. We found that inactivation of ERK in the early stages of mitogenic stimulation involves separate Thr and Tyr phosphatases which operate differently in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Thus, ERK is differentially regulated in various subcellular compartments to secure proper length and strength of activation, which eventually determine the physiological outcome of many external signals.

The SN2 reaction of enantiopure sulfonate-protected alcohols, e.g. (I) and (IV), with carboxylic acids (II) and (V) in the presence of tertiary amines (Et3N or DBU) proceeds with inversion of the stereocenter to give acyl-protected alcohols, e.g. (III) and (VI), in good yields and high to excellent stereoselectivity.

Residual stresses in a soft buffer layer developing during cooling of a metal/buffer/ceramic joint were analyzed. It is shown that there is a parabolic distribution for normal stress and a cubic parabola for shear stress in the buffer. The maximum shear stress, τ12 or τ13, is approximately proportional to the ratio of length to thickness of the buffer, and it is far more than the normal stress σ1, σ2 or σ3. With increasing thickness of the soft buffer, the maximum shear stress will decrease, but the normal stress will change little. A new physics parameter m is suggested in this paper to describe the beneficial role of the buffer, and the influence factors of m are also discussed.

Incorporation of phosphates into serine, threonine, and tyrosine acceptors in proteins is a common mechanism for regulating protein function. This unit presents protocols that use specific anti-phosphoamino acid (PAA) and anti-phosphoprotein antibodies to detect protein phosphorylation and protein kinase activity. Immunoblotting to detect protein phosphorylation using either anti-PAA or anti-phosphoprotein antibodies. This is a convenient method that usually yields impressive results. Phosphorylation can also be detected by immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot analysis or by immunofluorescent staining; these methods are typically more complicated and time consuming. All three methods have been successfully used to detect protein phosphorylation with a wide variety of antibodies and most phosphorylated proteins.