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Tamoxifen resistance remains a clinical problem in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. SUMOylation of ERα enhances ERα-induced transcription activity. Tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins are a new class of SUMO E3 ligases, which regulate the SUMOylation of proteins. However, the precise molecular mechanism and function of TRIM3 in SUMOylation and the response to tamoxifen remain unclear. In the present study, we observed that TRIM3 was dramatically overexpressed in breast cancer, which correlated with tamoxifen resistance. Furthermore, TRIM3 overexpression significantly correlated with poor survival of patients with ER+ breast cancer treated with tamoxifen. TRIM3 overexpression conferred cell survival and tumorigenesis, whereas knocking down of TRIM3 reduced these capabilities. Moreover, TRIM3, as a ubiquitin carrier protein 9 (UBC9) binding protein, promoted SUMO modification of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and activated the ER pathway. Silencing UBC9 abolished the function of TRIM3 in regulating tamoxifen resistance. These results suggest TRIM3 as a novel biomarker for breast cancer therapy, indicating that inhibiting TRIM3 combined with tamoxifen might provide a potential treatment for breast cancer.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a major cause of perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity, which affects 2% to 8% of pregnancies in the world. The aberrant maternal inflammation and angiogenic imbalance have been demonstrated to contribute to the pathogenesis of PE. This research aimed to investigate the effect of Astragaloside IV (AsIV) in the treatment of PE and the underlying mechanisms. A rat PE‐like model was established by tail vein injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and different doses of AsIV (40 and 80 mg/kg) were treated at the same time. Systolic blood pressure, total urine protein and urine volume were observed. Serum and placenta inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. The mRNA and protein expression of relative genes were analyzed by qRT‐PCR and Western blotting. In PE‐like rats, there were obvious increases in systolic blood pressure, total urine protein and urine volume, which were obviously alleviated by treatment with AsIV. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), IL‐6 and IL‐18, as well as IL‐4, IL‐10, PIGF, VEGF and sFlt‐1, were all reversed by treatment with AsIV. Meanwhile, AsIV treatment improved abnormal pregnancy outcomes, such as low litter size and low fetal weight. In addition, AsIV treatment downregulated the mRNA expression of inflammatory gene IL‐1β and IL‐6 in PE rats model, and AsIV treatment inhibited the activation of TLR‐4, NF‐κB, and sFlt‐1 in the placenta of PE rats. Our findings indicated the first evidence that AsIV alleviated PE‐like signs, and this improvement effect is possibly through inhibition of inflammation response via the TLR4/NF‐κB signaling pathway.

Alkali doping can suppress deleterious antisite defects in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) and improve the open-circuit voltage. In this study, the effects of light Na-doping on the performance and the band alignment of CZTS/CdS thin-film solar cells were investigated. CZTS:Na thin films were fabricated by the spin coating with 10% Na doping on the surface of CZTS. The Na-doping led to the narrower FWHM and larger grain size. The hole concentration and the conductivity were improved due to the NaZn shallow acceptor defects. In addition, Na-doping can improve the band alignment of absorber/buffer interface and inhibit SRH recombination by the Na passivation effect and the suppression of SnZn defects. The typical cliff-like conduction band offset (CBO) was reduced from 0.25 eV in CZTS:Na/CdS to 0.1 eV in CZTS/CdS heterojunction. CZTS:Na device exhibited a higher Voc of 653 mV than that of CZTS/CdS device. The maximum conversion efficiency reached 7.46%, increased by 44% after Na-doping. These results clarify the effect of Na-doping on the band structure of the heterojunction in CZTS solar cells and support a new aspect that synthesis of a surface-doping CZTS:Na absorber has great potential for future research.

We employ the recently introduced generalized microcanonical inflection point method for the statistical analysis of phase transitions in flexible and semiflexible polymers and study the impact of the bending stiffness upon the character and order of transitions between random-coil, globules, and pseudocrystalline conformations. The high-accuracy estimates of the microcanonical entropy and its derivatives required for this study were obtained by extensive replica-exchange Monte Carlo simulations. We observe that the transition behavior into the compact phases changes qualitatively with increasing bending stiffness. Whereas the &Theta, collapse transition is less affected, the first-order liquid-solid transition characteristic for flexible polymers ceases to exist once bending effects dominate over attractive monomer-monomer interactions.

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the expression of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) in IH patients and investigate the role of IL-6/signal transducers and activators of transduction-3 (STAT3)/hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway in the progression of infantile hemangioma (IH). Methods Serum samples obtained from IH patients and normal infants were measured for IL-6 expression. Hemangioma-derived stem cells (HemSCs) were transfected with siRNAs targeting IL-6, HIF-1α or STAT3. And then, cell-viability assay and wound healing assay were conducted. After that, the tumor mouse model of HemSCs was established. The in vivo anticancer effect of IL-6 inhibitor was investigated. Results IH patients had much higher IL-6 levels as comparing to the healthy controls (P=0.005). HemSCs transfected with IL-6 siRNA had significantly lower viability and migration rate than normal HemSCs. And HemSCs transfected with STAT3 siRNA or HIF-1α siRNA had the similar tendency. On tumor bearing mice, IL-6 inhibitor treatment significantly delayed the tumor growth. Compared with control group, Caspase 3 was significantly increased in IL-6 inhibitor group (P

A 25 nm thick Ag thin film was sputtered between the Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber and Mo electrode to improve the back contact in CZTS solar cells. The CZTS absorber was fabricated via a cost-effective N,N-dimethylformamide-based solution method. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that Ag diffused into the CZTS and partially substituted Cu, which resulted in an increased lattice constant a and grain size. Ag doping of CZTS (ACZTS) reduced both the Sn-loss and the presence of voids. An ACZTS photovoltaic device (ITO/i-ZnO/CdS/ACZTS/Mo) was fabricated and showed higher EQE than the CZTS device over the wavelength range of 450–800 nm. The open circuit voltage increased (Voc) from 543 to 631 mV, the short circuit current density (Jsc) increased from 10.36 to 14.37 mA, and the efficiency increased from 2.02 to 3.43% after sputtering the Ag layer. This is mainly because Ag functions as a temporary protective layer that made a tighter combination between Mo and the CZTS absorber.

ObjectivesTo investigate the expression levels of aromatase cytochrome P450 enzyme (P450AROM) and related molecules—estrogen receptor-beta (ER-β), Ki-67, and p53—in prolactinoma tumor tissue from pre- and post-menopausal women, and to determine the associations of tumor invasiveness with expression levels of these genes.MethodsThis study recruited 90 patients with prolactinoma who underwent adenoidectomy between 2012 and 2017. Information was collected regarding clinical characteristics, hormones, laboratory tests, and magnetic resonance imaging-assessed tumor invasiveness. Expression levels of P450AROM, ER-β, Ki-67, and p53 were examined by immunohistochemistry in prolactinoma tissues.ResultsIncreased P450AROM expression was found in invasive prolactinoma tissues in post-menopausal women, compared with its expression in non-invasive prolactinoma tissues. ER-β level was significantly higher in patients resistant to treatment with bromocriptine, a dopamine agonist. However, there were no differences in rate of resistance to treatment (8.2% vs. 3.4%) or expression levels of P450AROM, Ki-67, p53, and ER-β between pre- and post-menopausal patients.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that increased P450AROM expression in prolactinoma of post-menopausal women was positively associated with invasiveness. Moreover, ER-β level was higher in both pre- and post-menopausal patients who were resistant to dopamine agonist treatment.

The present study aimed to investigate whether red blood cell distribution width (RDW) could serve as a marker for estimating disease activity in patients with systemic vasculitis (SV). A total of 287 patients with SV and 64 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in the present study. Biochemical indicators and hematologic parameters were evaluated in patients with SV and the HCs. Disease activity was assessed on the basis of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS). RDW was significantly elevated in patients with SV compared with HCs (P

Objectives. Systemic vasculitis includes a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the vessel wall, involving multiple systems, and can cause malignant hypertension. CD163 is a specific marker of anti-inflammatory macrophages. This study is aimed at evaluating the CD163 levels in relation to systemic vasculitis and renal involvements. Methods. Urinary CD163 levels were retrospectively measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 51 patients with systemic vasculitis, 42 essential hypertensions, and 36 healthy volunteers. The associations between urinary CD163 levels and clinical indicators were analyzed. Results. Urinary CD163 levels were significantly higher in patients with systemic vasculitis [68.20 (38.25~158.78) (pg/ml)] compared to essential hypertension [43.86 (23.30-60.71) (pg/ml)] ( p = 0.003 ) and the healthy volunteers [30.76 (9.30-54.16) (pg/ml)] ( p < 0.001 ). Furthermore, systemic vasculitis patients with renal involvement had significantly higher urinary CD163 levels relative to patients without renal involvement [86.95 (47.61 and 192.38) pg/ml] vs. [41.99 (17.70 and 71.95) pg/ml, p = 0.005 ]. After control factors age, sex, and BMI, urinary CD163 levels in systemic vasculitis patients were positively correlated with serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and β-2 microglobulin ( r = 0.45 , 0.48, and 0.46; p = 0.001 , 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). In addition, we found the level of urinary CD163 in granulomatous vasculitis (including TA, GPA, and EGPA) was significantly higher than that in necrotizing vasculitis (including PAN) [86.95 (41.99 and 184.82) pg/ml] vs. [45.73 (21.43 and 74.43) pg/ml, p = 0.016 ]. Conclusion. Urinary CD163 levels were significantly higher in patients with systemic vasculitis, especially in patients with renal involvement. Thus, urinary CD163 has the potential to be a biomarker for systemic vasculitis with renal involvement.

Supplementary material associated with this article can be found in the online version at: doi:10.1016/j.dib.2020.106598., Here, we present the data on the biological effects of Hyptis spp. and Lycium spp. plant extracts in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) models of neurodegenerative diseases, which is related to the work presented in the article "Neurotherapeutic effect of Hyptis spp. leaf extracts in Caenorhabditis elegans models of tauopathy and polyglutamine disease: role of the glutathione redox cycle" [1]. This dataset was generated to define non-toxic concentrations of these plant extracts and to assess their impact on the motor phenotype and oxidative stress resistance of transgenic C. elegans models of two genetically defined neurodegenerative diseases: Machado-Joseph disease and Frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism associated to the chromosome 17. The impact of the plant extracts on toxicity was assessed using the food-clearance assay, absorbance being measured daily for seven days at 595 nm to quantify Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain OP50 bacteria consumption. Worm length and motor behaviour, including spontaneous and stimulated movement, were analysed using videos acquired with an Olympus SZX7 stereomicroscope with an integrated camera (Olympus SC30) and processed using the Image J® software and the Wrmtrck plugin. The resistance to oxidative stress induced by 240 µM juglone was assessed by determining the percentage of live animals after 1 hour of exposure., The authors thank all members of the Maciel and Dias laboratories for helpful tips and discussion; we also thank the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC), which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440), for providing some of the C. elegans strains; Dr. Brian Kraemer who kindly gave us the C. elegans model of FTDP-17; We thank Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology Goiano (IF Goiano) for the cultivation and harvesting of Hyptis spp. plant biomass., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The nociceptive transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel is a polymodal receptor for multiple painful stimuli, hence actively pursued as a target for analgesic drugs. We identified a small peptide toxin RhTx2 from the Chinese red-headed centipede that strongly modulates TRPV1 activities. RhTx2, a 31-amino-acid peptide, is similar to a TRPV1-activating toxin RhTx we have previously discovered but with four extra amino acids at the N terminus. We observed that, like RhTx, RhTx2 activated TRPV1, but RhTx2 rapidly desensitized the channel upon prolonged exposure. Desensitization was achieved by reducing both the open probability and the single-channel conductance. RhTx2 is not only a tool to study the desensitization mechanism of TRPV1, but also a promising starting molecule for developing novel analgesics.

Oceanic lavas erupting today trace ocean-atmosphere oxygenation in Earth’s middle ages., Oxygenation of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere through time has consequences for subducted surface signatures that are now stored in the mantle. Here, we report significant mass-dependent selenium isotope variations in modern hot spot–influenced oceanic lavas. These variations are correlated with tracers of mantle source enrichment, which can only be explained by incorporation of abyssal pelagic sediments subducted from a redox-stratified mid-Proterozoic ocean. Selenium geochemical signatures of these sediments have mostly been preserved during long-term recycling and may therefore complement the global surface sediment record as ancient oxygen archives. Combined deep mantle and surface perspectives, together with emerging models for atmospheric oxygen based on selenium systematics, further imply a significantly oxygenated ocean-atmosphere system throughout the mid-Proterozoic.

The electrical parameters and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 3 MeV and 8 MeV proton beam irradiated upright metamorphic (UMM) GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells, grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, have been investigated and compared to lattice-matched (LM) GaInP/GaInAs/Ge solar cells. High-resolution X-ray diffraction was used to study the relaxation of strain by analysing reciprocal space maps. Threading dislocation density was estimated from cathodoluminescence image. SRIM simulation results have been applied for analysing the irradiation induced displacement damage and its effects on cell performance. The results show that the electrical parameters of both UMM and LM cells degraded more by 3 MeV proton compared to 8 MeV proton irradiation. The degradation of V-oc and I-sc depends on each other in both UMM and LM cells but have different features under proton irradiation due to different cell configurations, materials, and parameters etc. EQE spectra of UMM and LM cells mainly degrades in longer wavelength region due to the reduction of minority carrier diffusion length. Top GaInP subcell in UMM cell shows better radiation resistance than LM cell due to the higher In-P composition, and middle GaInAs middle subcell in UMM structure shows weaker radiation resistance because of the relatively higher indium composition.

Numerous substances including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbals, and other substances have been reported to be associated with the development of hypertension. The commonly used drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids may bring about sufficient elevation in blood pressure (BP) to raise the suspicion of secondary hypertension and can interfere with BP-lowering effects of antihypertensive agents in treated hypertensive patients and worsening BP control in known hypertensive patients. In clinical assessment of hypertension, careful collection of drug and food substance history is important when a diagnosis for secondary hypertension is considered, with close attention paid to not only prescription medications but also over-the-counter substances, illicit drugs, herbal products, and food substances, which may also affect BP, changes in BP that occur because of drugs, and other agents resulted from drug–drug or drug–food interactions. When feasible, drugs or food substances associated with increased BP should be reduced or discontinued, and alternative agents should be used [1, 2].

The aim of the study was to report the characteristics of urolithiasis in Uyghur patients from Xinjiang, China. The composition of stones collected from 1863 patients in the Uyghur region of Xinjiang was analyzed. The median age of patients was 17 years [25th and 75th percentiles: 2, 36]. The stones were delivered by 1299 males (69.7%) and 564 females (30.3%). Calcium oxalate was the predominant stone component in 42.1% of the patients, followed by ammonium urate in 20.6%. Females had formed more stones of magnesium ammonium phosphate 8.9 vs. 5.6% (p = 0.010) and carbonate apatite 6.2 vs. 3.3% (p = 0.004). In contrast uric acid was more common in males than in females; 21.6 vs. 15.1% (p = 0.001). In this series, pediatric patients (age range 0-18) were more likely to present with a stone (51.5%, p

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of considerable concern due to their potential as human carcinogens. Thus, determining the characteristics, potential source, and examining the oxidative capacity of PAHs to protect human health is essential. This study investigated the PM2.5-bound PAHs at Dushanzi, a large petrochemical region in Xinjiang as well as northwest China. A total of 33 PM2.5 samples with 13 PAHs, together with molecular tracers (levoglucosan, and element carbon), were analyzed during the non-heating and heating periods. The results showed that the PM2.5 concentrations were 70.22 ± 22.30 and 95.47 ± 61.73 μg/m3, while that of total PAHs were 4.07 ± 2.03 and 60.33 ± 30.80 ng/m3 in sampling period, respectively. The fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[k]fluoranthene were the most abundant (top five) PAHs, accounting for 71.74 and 72.80% of total PAH mass during non-heating and heating periods. The BaP equivalent (BaPeq) concentration exceeded 1 ng/m3 as recommended by National Ambient Air Quality Standards during heating period. The diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization indicated that oil industry, biomass burning, coal combustion, and vehicle emissions are the primary sources. The coal combustion remarkably increased during heating period. The plasmid scission assay (PSA) results showed that higher DNA damage rate was observed during heating period. PAHs in PM2.5 such as Chr, BaP, and IcdP were found to have significantly positive correlations with the plasmid DNA damage rates. Additionally, the relationship among BaPeq and DNA damage rate suggested that synergistic reaction may modify the toxicity of PAHs.

Element transfer from the solar nebular gas to solids occurred either through direct condensation or via heterogeneous reactions between gaseous molecules and previously condensed solid matter. The precursors of altered sulfides observed in chondrites are for example attributed to reactions between gaseous hydrogen sulfide and metallic iron grains. The transfer of selenium to solids likely occurred through a similar pathway, allowing the formation of iron selenides concomitantly with sulfides. The formation rate of sulfide however remains difficult to assess. Here we investigate whether the Se isotopic composition of meteorites contributes to constrain sulfide formation during condensation stages of our solar system. We present high precision Se concentration and δ 82 / 78 Se data for 23 chondrites as well as the first δ 74 / 78 Se , δ 76 / 78 Se and δ 77 / 78 Se data for a sub-set of seven chondrites. We combine our dataset with previously published sulfur isotopic data and discuss aspects of sulfide formation for various types of chondrites. Our Se concentration data are within uncertainty to literature values and are consistent with sulfides being the dominant selenium host in chondrites. Our overall average δ 82 / 78 Se value for chondrites is − 0.21 ± 0.43 ‰ ( n = 23 , 2 s.d.), or − 0.14 ± 0.21 ‰ after exclusion of three weathered chondrites ( n = 20 , 2 s.d.). These average values are within uncertainty indistinguishable from a previously published estimate. For the first time however, we resolve distinct δ 82 / 78 Se between ordinary ( − 0.14 ± 0.07 ‰ , n = 9 , 2 s.d.), enstatite ( − 0.27 ± 0.05 ‰ , n = 3 , 2 s.d.) and CI carbonaceous chondrites ( − 0.01 ± 0.06 ‰ , n = 2 , 2 s.d.). We also resolve a Se isotopic variability among CM carbonaceous chondrites. In addition, we report on δ 74 / 78 Se , δ 76 / 78 Se and δ 77 / 78 Se values determined for 7 chondrites. Our data allow evaluating the mass dependency of the δ 82 / 78 Se variations. Mass-independent deficits ro excesses of 74Se, 76Se and 77Se are calculated relative to the observed 82Se/78Se ratios, and were observed negligible. This rules out poor mixing of nucleosynthetic components to account for the δ 82 / 78 Se variability and implies that the mass dependent Se isotopic variations were produced in a once-homogeneous disk. The mass-dependent isotopic difference between enstatite and ordinary chondrites may reflect the contribution of a kinetic sulfidation process at anomalously high H2S–H2Se contents in the region of enstatite chondrite formation. Experimental studies showed that high H2S contents favor the formation of compact sulfide layers around metallic grains. This decreases the reactive surface, which tends to inhibit the continuation of the sulfidation reaction. Under these conditions sulfide growth likely occurs under isotopic disequilibrium and favors the trapping of light S and Se isotopes in solids; This hypothesis provides an explanation for our Se isotope as well as for previously published S isotope data. On the other hand, high δ 82 / 78 Se values in carbonaceous chondrites may result from sample heterogeneities generated by parent body aqueous alteration, or could reflect the contribution of ices carrying photo-processed Se from the outer solar system.

WOS: 000423981200049, MXenes are the newest class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, and they offer great potential in a wide range of applications including electronic devices, sensors, and thermoelectric and energy storage materials. In this work, we combined the outstanding electrical conductivity, that is essential for battery applications, of graphene with MXene monolayers (M2CX2 where M = Sc, Ti, V and X = OH, O) to explore its potential in Li battery applications. Through first principles calculations, we determined the stable stacking configurations of M2CX2/graphene bilayer heterostructures and their Li atom intercalation by calculating the Li binding energy, diffusion barrier and voltage. We found that: (1) for the ground state stacking, the interlayer binding is strong, yet the interlayer friction is small; (2) Li binds more strongly to the O-terminated monolayer, bilayer and heterostructure MXene systems when compared with the OHterminated MXenes due to the H+ induced repulsion to the Li atoms. The binding energy of Li decreases as the Li concentration increases due to enhanced repulsive interaction between the positively charged Li ions; (3) Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene heterostructures exhibit large Li atom binding energies making them the most promising candidates for battery applications. When fully loaded with Li atoms, the binding energy is -1.43 eV per Li atom and -1.78 eV per Li atom for Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene, respectively. These two heterostructures exhibit a nice compromise between storage capacity and kinetics. For example, the diffusion barrier of Li in Ti2CO2/graphene is around 0.3 eV which is comparable to that of graphite. Additionally, the calculated average voltages are 1.49 V and 1.93 V for Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene structures, respectively; (4) a small change in the in-plane lattice parameters (, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK); FWO-Flanders; Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government; Hercules foundation; TUBITAK [115F024, 116F080]; BAGEP Award of the Science Academy, This work was supported by the bilateral project between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and FWO-Flanders, Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl) and the Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government. Computational resources were provided by the TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TRGrid e-Infrastructure), and HPC infrastructure of the University of Antwerp (CalcUA) a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center (VSC), which is funded by the Hercules foundation. We acknowledge the support from the TUBITAK (Grant No. 115F024 and 116F080). Part of this work was supported by the BAGEP Award of the Science Academy.

Thyroid carcinoma metastasis is the main reason for treatment failure; therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of thyroid carcinoma metastasis is critical to treat patients with thyroid carcinoma. The present study aimed to investigate the role of AHNAK Nucleoprotein 2 (AHNAK2) in thyroid carcinoma metastasis. AHNAK2 was found to be upregulated in thyroid carcinoma tissues, especially in metastatic thyroid carcinoma tissues. Patients with high AHNAK2 expression had poor prognosis. AHNAK2 knockdown inhibited thyroid carcinoma migration, invasion, and metastasis. Mechanistic analysis showed that AHNAK2 knockdown reduced thyroid carcinoma progression by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway activity. The results identified a novel target to treat metastatic thyroid carcinoma.

Summary Fluoride-ion batteries are an attractive energy storage concept analogous to lithium-ion batteries but feature an inverted paradigm where anions are the principal charge carriers. Insertion hosts that can reversibly insert fluoride ions at room temperature are exceedingly sparse. Here, we report that topochemical insertion of fluoride ions in FeSb2O4 involves Fe2+/Fe3+ redox but is mediated by multi-center synergies between iron and antimony centers. Separation of the redox center from the p-block coordination site alleviates structural strain by enabling compensatory contraction and expansion of FeO6 and SbO3 polyhedra, respectively. p-block electron lone pairs play a critical role in weakening anion-lattice interactions, enabling reversible fluoride-ion diffusion across microns. The results illuminate the key principle that interactions traceable to stereoactive lone pairs can be used to mediate anion-lattice interactions and suggest that anion insertion hosts can be designed by pairing redox-active transition metals with p-block cations bearing stereochemically active electron lone pairs.

In order to evaluate the toxicity of PM2.5 in the Dushanzi area, PM2.5 samples were collected from December 2015 to July 2016, and a plasmid DNA damage assessment method was used to analyze the variation in the oxidative damage ability and its relationship with sampling conditions and toxic components (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals) loaded on the surface of PM2.5. The results showed that the TD30 values (toxic dosage of PM2.5 causing 30% of plasmid DNA damage) of both the whole samples and the water-soluble fractions were lower during the heating period (369 μg/mL and 536 μg/mL, respectively), but higher in the dust period and non-heating period (681 μg/mL and 498 μg/mL, respectively, and 804 μg/mL and 847 μg/mL, respectively). Studies on the effect of meteorological parameters showed an increasing trend in TD30 values for the whole samples and the water-soluble fractions as relative humidity, temperature and wind speed decrease. TD30 values for the whole samples and the water-soluble fractions were negatively correlated with Flu (r = −0.690,r = −0.668, p &lt, 0.05), Flt (r =−0.671, r = −0.760, 0.05), BaP (r = −0.672, r = −0.725, 0.05), IcdP (r = −0.694, r = −0.740, 0.05), Pyr (r = −0.727, r = −0.768, 0.01) and BghiP (r = −0.874, r = −0.845, 0.01) during the heating period, while As (r = 0.792, r = 0.749, 0.05) and Sr (r = 0.776, r = 0.754, 0.05) during the dust period showed significant positive correlation. In addition, the TD30 values of PM2.5 collected during sand blowing weather was the highest (1458 μg/mL and 1750 μg/mL), while the average TD30 value of PM2.5 collected on hazy days were the lowest (419.8 μg/mL and 488.6 μg/mL). Particles collected on the first day after snowfall showed a lower oxidizing capacity (676 μg/mL and 1330 μg/mL). The characteristic TD30 values combined with back trajectory analysis indicated that hazy days were heavily influenced by air masses originating from the southern continent and local emissions, whereas the sand blowing weather came from the north of the Taklimakan Desert.

ZAO (ZnO: Al)/Al and ITO/Ag complex back-reflectors were successfully applied to substrate nip and superstrate pin amorphous silicon solar cells respectively. As a result, the short circuit current (Isc) for a cell with a complex back-reflector increases significantly as compared with a cell without a complex back-reflector. For a superstrate pin cell prepared on SnO2 coated glass, the short-circuit current even increases up to 30%.

The isotopic signature of the chalcophile, redox-sensitive and moderately volatile element Se in geological materials may offer valuable new insights into the origin and evolution of volatiles in planetary systems. Here, we report a new method for Se isotope determination of low Se containing samples relevant to the Earth's mantle reservoir. We present a method that combines a double spike and hydride generation sample introduction system with a ThermoFisher Scientific® NeptunePlus™ MC-ICP-MS. The measurement routine takes advantage of methane injection in the instrument source during measurement, resulting in enhanced Se signals and suppression of polyatomic interferences. Purification of Se from natural samples was simplified by employing conventional ion exchange chromatography procedures. An external reproducibility of 0.15‰ (2σ) on δ82/76Se values for measurements performed on natural samples with Se abundances down to ~5 ng is obtained. We demonstrate that our technique allows the determination of Se isotope signatures of low Se-bearing geological materials with complex matrices such as mafic igneous rocks, which is essential to extend the Se isotopic investigation to Se-depleted planetary reservoirs such as the Earth's mantle.

A series of tunable phosphors NaAlSiO4:Ce3+,Sm3+ were synthesized using a conventional high-temperature, solid-state method. Crystal structure, photoluminescence excitation, and emission spectra with fluorescence decay curves were investigated. Under UV excitation (325 nm), NaAlSiO4:Ce3+,Sm3+ showed strong blue emission located at 444 nm and orange-reddish emission centered at 563, 601, 648 and 712 nm, stemming from the characteristic emission for 4f-5d transition of Ce3+ and 4G5/2→6HJ (J=5/2, 7/2, 9/2, 11/2) transition of Sm3+, respectively. In addition, we studied the detailed energy transfer process between Ce3+ and Sm3+ and found that it belonged to dipole-dipole resonance energy transfer. Furthermore, we noted that the white light emitting from the Ce3+, Sm3+ co-doped phosphors with the color coordinate (x=0.313, y=0.283) could be observed under 325 nm excitation, which was close to the ideal white light (x=0.33, y=0.33). The results indicated that this phosphor has a potential application as a single-phased alumino-silicate phosphor for ultraviolet white light-emitting diodes (UV-WLEDs).

BACKGROUND Hawthorn is a popular herb in many different traditional medicine systems, including traditional Chinese medicine, where it has long been used for the treatment of hyperglycemia. However, most of its varied biological activities remain unexplored. This study investigated the hypoglycemic effect of hawthorn extracts in type II diabetic (T2DM) rat model. A total of 54 rats were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group; type II diabetic model group (T2DM; these rats were induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin); high, middle and low concentrations of hawthorn treatment (HTH, HTM and HTL T2DM rats were given hawthorn extract at a dose of 50, 100 and 200 mg kg−1 body weight, respectively); and positive control group (orlistat 40 mg kg−1 body weight). RESULTS Triglyceride and total cholesterol serum levels were lower in the hawthorn extract-treated groups than in the T2DM control group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, hawthorn extracts decreased blood glucose level and increased plasma insulin release from pancreas. CONCLUSION Positive effects of hawthorn against streptozotocin-induced T2DM were demonstrated. This study suggests that hawthorn extract represents a useful agent for the prevention or treatment of T2DM. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

This review provides a brief survey of the physicochemical properties of phthalate esters (PAEs) and their harm to human health. The present analytical methods available for the determination of these compounds in dairy products are critically evaluated. The attention is primarily devoted to the methods for sample pretreatment, which are the main source of errors and are usually the most time-consuming step of the whole analysis. The characteristics of instrumental analysis methods, including gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and immunoassay are discussed. Furthermore, the future development of analysis of PAEs is discussed.

In this study, Tb3+—doped natural sodium feldspar (NaAlSi3O8) phosphors have been successfully prepared using high−temperature solid—state method with natural sodium feldspar as a substrate. Energy—dispersive X—ray spectrometry analysis (EDX) of NaAlSi3O8 showed that 0.03 wt% of Eu element was present, and elemental distribution mapping analysis showed that the distribution of trace Eu in minerals was aggregated. The crystal structure and luminescence properties of the natural sodium Eu—containing feldspar and synthetic sodium feldspar NaAlSi3O8:Eu3+, Tb3+ phosphors are discussed in detail. The crystal structure analysis of the samples showed that the Na+ in the natural matrix was partly replaced by the doped Tb3+. Studies on the photoluminescence properties of the samples indicate that Eu does not form a luminescent center in the natural mineral, however, the strong characteristic peak of Eu3+ at 615 nm appears after doping with Tb3+ and the peak at 615 nm increases with the increase of Tb3+ concentration. According to the above spectral results, the energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ is obtained. Through the measurement and analysis of color coordinates, it is found that with the increase of Tb3+ concentration, the luminescence color of the samples can be regulated in the green to red region. NaAlSi3O8:Eu3+ Tb3+ phosphors has potential application value.

Menthol in mints elicits coolness sensation by selectively activating TRPM8 channel. Although structures of TRPM8 were determined in the apo and liganded states, the menthol-bounded state is unresolved. To understand how menthol activates the channel, we docked menthol to the channel and systematically validated our menthol binding models with thermodynamic mutant cycle analysis. We observed that menthol uses its hydroxyl group as a hand to specifically grab with R842, and its isopropyl group as legs to stand on I846 and L843. By imaging with fluorescent unnatural amino acid, we found that menthol binding induces wide-spread conformational rearrangements within the transmembrane domains. By Φ analysis based on single-channel recordings, we observed a temporal sequence of conformational changes in the S6 bundle crossing and the selectivity filter leading to channel activation. Therefore, our study suggested a ‘grab and stand’ mechanism of menthol binding and how menthol activates TRPM8 at the atomic level., Menthol in mints elicits a coolness sensation by selective activation of TRPM8 ion channel. Here authors dock menthol to TRPM8 and systematically validate their menthol binding models with thermodynamic mutant cycle analysis in functional tests, and shed light on TRPM8 activation by menthol at the atomic level.

The origin of Earth's volatiles has been attributed to a late addition of meteoritic material after core-mantle differentiation. The nature and consequences of this 'late veneer' are debated, but may be traced by isotopes of the highly siderophile, or iron-loving, and volatile element selenium. Here we present high-precision selenium isotope data for mantle peridotites, from double spike and hydride generation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These data indicate that the selenium isotopic composition of peridotites is unaffected by petrological processes, such as melt depletion and melt-rock reaction, and thus a narrow range is preserved that is representative of the silicate Earth. We show that selenium isotopes record a signature of late accretion after core formation and that this signature overlaps only with that of the CI-type carbonaceous chondrites. We conclude that these isotopic constraints indicate the late veneer originated from the outer Solar System and was of lower mass than previously estimated. Thus, we suggest a late and highly concentrated delivery of volatiles enabled Earth to become habitable.

This study presents the first combined S and Se isotope investigation of sulfide suited to explore differences in fractionation between these two redox sensitive isotope systematics as recorded in the same mineral. A case study of Cretaceous Navajun pyrite from the Mesozoic Cameros Basin, Spain, with known petrogenesis and geological context shows systematic decoupling at the microscale: Variable S isotope values within the analyzed pyrite coincide with rather constant Se isotope values and vice versa. These signatures were not generated during pyrite growth but record previous redox induced fractionations in fluids that each contributed both elements from two sources. It is likely that both S and Se isotope fractionation occurred during strong reduction from one fully oxidized source whereas only S but no Se isotope fractionation occurred during minor reduction following sulfide dissolution via H2O from another source. Subsequent mixing of these two H2S-H2Se fluids at different elemental S-Se ratios during incorporation into the pyrite can then explain the S-Se isotope variations in the investigated specimen. These inferences are in accordance with a larger range in the redox potential Eh of Se relative to S, resulting in coupled or decoupled Se and S isotope fractionation depending on the oxygen fugacity during the reduction process. If extended to other sulfides of diverse origin, for a given pH, combined Se and S isotope studies may allow to investigate the magnitude of redox variations and place more robust constraints on minimum and maximum oxygen concentrations in the source. We therefore suggest combined S-Se isotope analyses in sulfide as a new powerful proxy for studying Earth’s redox evolution beyond the bulk rock scale.

The selenium stable isotope system emerges as a new potential tracer of volatile origin and evolution of the terrestrial planets. Accurate determination of the mantle Se isotope composition requires an assessment of Se isotopic behavior in magmatic processes and potential variations across all mantle reservoirs. Here we report the first high-precision Se isotope and Se–Te abundance data for a suite of basaltic glasses from the Pacific–Antarctic ridge. These MORBs display a narrow range in δ82/76Se values (deviation of 82Se/76Se relative to NIST SRM 3149) between −0.30 ± 0.09‰ and −0.05 ± 0.09‰, with an average of −0.16 ± 0.13‰ (2 s.d., n = 27). We quantify the main processes relevant to MORB petrogenesis in order to better understand the Se–Te elemental behavior in the mantle and investigate if these are systematically related to Se isotope variations. We show that both Se isotopes and S–Se–Te abundances of MORB melts remain unaffected by assimilation of high-temperature hydrothermal fluids and sulfides, whereas the latter has been shown to overprint the 34S/32S ratios. MORB differentiation involving sulfide segregation (sulfide liquid and monosulfide solid solution) significantly fractionates Se and Te (Se/Te ratio ∼ 45–190), with no systematic Se isotope variation. The Se–Te contents of the primary MORB melt corrected for magmatic differentiation can be successfully reproduced by near-fractional decompression melting of a mantle with 170–200 μg g−1 S (as sulfide liquid), which has either (1) “fertile lherzolite-like” Se and Te contents (80 ± 17 and 11 ± 1.7 ng g−1, respectively; 1 s.d.) or (2) distinctly lower Se (49 ± 11 ng g−1) and Te (3.5 ± 1.3 ng g−1) contents depending on the choice of experimental partition coefficients published by different studies. Regardless, our model shows that Se-Te systematics of “fertile” lithospheric peridotites preserve little primary melt depletion signatures and reflect significant, if not complete, metasomatic overprinting. Finally, based on the observed negligible Se isotopic fractionation between sulfide phase and silicate melt, we suggest that MORBs preserve their mantle source isotopic signature (δ82/76Se = −0.16 ± 0.13‰). Our MORB average is similar within uncertainty to chondritic values but significantly lighter than previously published δ82/76Se data for basalts from a variety of geodynamic settings. The subtle but significant Se isotope variation observed within the investigated MORB suite (up to ∼0.25‰) and between other mantle samples analyzed so far may reflect intrinsic source heterogeneity and potential isotopic differences across various mantle reservoirs.

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally with surgery being the only form of treatment. But cataract surgery is accompanied by complications, chiefly intra-ocular infections. Hence, preventive nanoformulations may be extremely beneficial. In the present study, novel chitosan-coated liposomal formulations encapsulating a combination of drugs, lanosterol and hesperetin were prepared and characterized. The combinatorial liposomes were prepared by thin film evaporation active extrusion method. The characterization of liposomes was done by transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, stability, cytotoxicity and in vitro release studies. The main difference between the chitosancoated and uncoated combinatorial liposomes is the release of drugs as indicated by the in vitro release studies. The slow and sustained release of the drugs from chitosan-coated ones as against the burst release from uncoated indicates an increased retention time for combinatorial drugs in cornea. This leads to a delay in progression of cataract as seen from in vivo studies. Cytotoxicity studies indicate no cell toxicity of the coating of chitosan or the combination of drugs. Stability studies indicate that there were almost no changes in size, zeta potential and polydispersity index values of the combinatorial liposomes upon storage at room temperature for 60 days. Another important study is the estimation of antioxidant defense system. The estimated values of glutathione reductase, malondialdehyde and chief antioxidant enzymes point toward an upregulation of antioxidant defense system. From the results, it may be concluded that novel chitosan-coated combinatorial liposomes are effective in delaying or preventing of cataract.KEYWORDS Cataract; chitosan; liposomes; combinatorial; antioxidant; rat

In this study, Tb3+—doped natural sodium feldspar (NaAlSi3O8) phosphors have been successfully prepared using high−temperature solid—state method with natural sodium feldspar as a substrate. Energy—dispersive X—ray spectrometry analysis (EDX) of NaAlSi3O8 showed that 0.03 wt% of Eu element was present, and elemental distribution mapping analysis showed that the distribution of trace Eu in minerals was aggregated. The crystal structure and luminescence properties of the natural sodium Eu—containing feldspar and synthetic sodium feldspar NaAlSi3O8:Eu3+, Tb3+ phosphors are discussed in detail. The crystal structure analysis of the samples showed that the Na+ in the natural matrix was partly replaced by the doped Tb3+. Studies on the photoluminescence properties of the samples indicate that Eu does not form a luminescent center in the natural mineral, however, the strong characteristic peak of Eu3+ at 615 nm appears after doping with Tb3+ and the peak at 615 nm increases with the increase of Tb3+ concentration. According to the above spectral results, the energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ is obtained. Through the measurement and analysis of color coordinates, it is found that with the increase of Tb3+ concentration, the luminescence color of the samples can be regulated in the green to red region. NaAlSi3O8:Eu3+ Tb3+ phosphors has potential application value.

The CdS film is one of the best candidates for the n-type buffer layer in Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells. However, the inappropriate band alignment at CdS/CZTS heterojunction result in the high barrier for the photogenerated carriers, which decrease the open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current. In this paper, the crystallization and the optical bandgap of the Zn-doping Cd0.6Zn0.4S film fabricated by chemical bath deposition were studied. XRD showed that the lattice constant of hexagonal Cd0.6Zn0.4S decreased a little after Zn doping because of the shorter bond length of Zn–S. Photoluminescence and transmittance spectra showed the band gap of Cd0.6Zn0.4S thin film increased from 2.59 to 2.88 eV due to Burstein-Moss shift. The conduction band offset (CBO) obviously decreased from 0.51 eV in CZTS/CdS heterojunction to 0.27 eV in CZTS/Cd0.6Zn0.4S heterojunction which result in the short-circuit current increasing from 12.25 to 15.05 mA/cm2. The conversion efficiency (Eff) and fill factor (FF) of the solar cell based on CZTS/Cd0.6Zn0.4S were increased from 2.31% to 31.06 to 4.88% and 47.45, comparing to CZTS/CdS solar cell.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt mainly distributed in Hetian region of Xinjiang at an altitude of 3000 m, which is used as Uyghur traditional medicine because of its clearing heat, promoting circulation and removing toxicity and antihypertension, ect. effect. Aim of the study This research was to study the four ingredients in the extracts of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. that are absorbed in different intestinal segments in rats to lay the foundation for further study on the effective constituents, tissue distribution, metabolism, and spectrum-effect relationships of these extracts. Materials and methods High, medium, and low concentrations were prepared according to their pharmacological effects. Quantitative analysis multi-components by single marker was used to test the cumulative absorption volume Q, absorption rate constant Ka, and apparent permeability coefficient P app of the four main ingredients in C. tinctoria Nutt. extract in different intestinal segments in rats using a Ussing chamber model and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The P app of chlorogenic acid and flavanomarein in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon were 1.0×10 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 . P app of marein in the duodenum and jejunum was −6 , and was 1.0×10 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 in the ileum and colon. P app of 3,5- O -dicaffeoylquinic acid in the duodenum was −6 cm s −1 , while it was 1.0× 1 0 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 in the jejunum, ileum, and colon. Conclusions All four chemical components of the plant extract can be absorbed by the intestinal canal of rats, which conforms to zero-order absorption; the ileum presented the best absorption.

In recent years, many investigations on the anthocyanins of the fresh Lycium ruthenicum Murray fruits have been reported; while few studies about dried fruits have been published. In this study, chemical profile of dried fruits was illustrated by a high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method, which provided evidence for the certain identification of the main anthocyanins. Among these compounds, nine of them were selected as marker compounds for the semiquantitative evaluation, using a simple and reliable method by high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection (HPLC–DAD), with the combination of chromatographic fingerprint analysis. Separation was achieved on a C18 ODS 80TS QA analytical column with linear gradient elution of acetonitrile and 10% formic acid and 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) aqueous solution. Our results showed that the contents of anthocyanins of dried L. ruthenicum Murray from different origins were different. We also inferred the ...

Adsorption capability of the modified green tea waste (MGTW) for Arsenic (III) (As(III)) and Nickel (II) (Ni(II)) from aqueous solution in single and binary system was assessed. The MGTW before and after adsorption was characterized. Moreover, the effect of pH in single and binary component system was studied, a maximum sorption was achieved at about pH 3 for As(III) and pH 7 for Ni(II). Increasing ionic strength could enhance both As(III) and Ni(II) adsorption. Langmuir isotherm could describe As(III) adsorption better while Ni(II) adsorption conformed well to Freundlich. Meanwhile, the maximum adsorption capacity for As(III) and Ni(II) was estimated as 0.4212 and 0.3116 mg/g, respectively. Besides, the adsorption kinetic data of both As(III) and Ni(II) followed well by the pseudo-second-order kinetic. In the binary component system, the presence of As(III) and Ni(II) exerted inhibitory action on the adsorption of each other. At the same time, the extended Langmuir (ELMI) and the extended Freundlich (EFMI) multicomponent isotherm models were found to fit the adsorption data of As(III) and Ni(II) well, respectively, in the competitive adsorption system. This work could provide some effective data about the usage of modified green tea waste for metal removal.

Recently penta-graphene was proposed as a stable two-dimensional carbon allotrope consisting of a single layer of interconnected carbon pentagons [Zhang et al., PNAS, 2015, 112, 2372]. Its silicon counterpart, penta-silicene, however, is not stable. In this work, we show that multilayers of penta-silicene form stable materials with semiconducting or metallic properties, depending on the stacking mode. We demonstrate their dynamic stability through their phonon spectrum and using molecular dynamics. A particular type of bilayer penta-silicene is found to have lower energy than all of the known hexagonal silicene bilayers and forms therefore the most stable bilayer silicon material predicted so far. The electronic and mechanical properties of these new silicon allotropes are studied in detail and their behavior under strain is investigated. We demonstrate that strain can be used to tune its band gap.

1 meV electron irradiation and post thermal annealing effects of GaInAsN bulk material with bandgap energy of 1 eV was studied by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL). The nitrogen proportion of the samples was confirmed by high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurement as 0.26%. The result shows that the PL intensity and high activation energy non-radiative centers of GaInAsN materials degraded seriously due to the irradiation induced large number of defects. The PL enhancement phenomena were observed in all samples after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 650 ∘C for five minutes. The irradiation and RTA caused PL peak red-shift and blue-shift have been discussed.

Overconsumption of alcohol leads to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Natural compounds have been investigated previously for their hepatoprotective activities against liver injury. This study investigated the protective effect of Alhagi sparsifolia on ALD. Alcohol was administered to mice for three consecutive days; either alone or in combination with Alhagi sparsifolia extract (150, 300, 600 mg/kg). Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase as biomarkers of liver injury, the content of malonaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glutathione which indicated the redox status of liver and the antioxidant enzyme activity of super oxide dismutase were detected, respectively. Moreover, the expression of protein cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) the key enzyme of alcohol metabolism, and also tested by western blot experiment. Subsequently, the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors including TNF- α and TLR4 was determined real-time PCR. Results showed that Alhagi sparsifolia significantly alleviated alcohol-induced liver injury by reducing serum ALT and AST, inhibiting MDA and H2O2 content, increasing SOD, and GSH level in the liver (P< 0.05). In addition, the Alhagi sparsifolia treatment inhibited the expression of CYP2E1 (P< 0.05). The results suggest that Alhagi sparsifolia could be a promising natural substance for ameliorating acute alcohol-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury.

The current study was aimed to investigate the effect of benzofuran on asthma neonatal rat model. Twenty-five neonatal rats were assigned into five groups; Normal control, untreated, 1 mg/kg, 8 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg treatment groups. Methacholine was administered orally to the rats of untreated and treatment groups. Animals in the normal control group were given PBS as a vehicle. FlexiVent system employing a computer-controlled mouse ventilator along with respiratory mechanics was used for the analysis of airway resistance in the rats. Cytokine level and IFN-γ in the rat serum samples was performed by ELISA in accordance with the instructions of manufacturer. Methacholine administration into the rats caused a marked increase in lung airway resistance. However, treatment with 8 and 10 mg/kg doses of benzofuran led to marked decrease in the airway resistance. Benzofuran treatment prevented accumulation of macrophages and inflammatory cells in the lung airways. Inhibition of inflammation in methacholine administered rats by benzofuran was also confirmed by hematoxylin & eosin-staining. Examination of the rat serum showed significantly higher level of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, -5 and -13) in the untreated rats. However, treatment of methacholine administered rats with benzofuran significantly inhibited Th2 cytokine expression. The level of IFN-γ was increased by benzofuran treatment in methacholine administered rats. In methacholine administered rats the level of IgE was markedly higher however treatment of asthma rats with benzofuran inhibited up-regulation of IgE significantly. The expression of T-bet is decreased and that of GATA-3 is increased by methacholine administration in the rat lungs. Benzofuran treatment of methacholine administered rats prevented reduction in T-bet and up-regulation of GATA-3 expression in the rat lungs. The effect of benzofuran was significant at the doses of 8 and 10 mg/kg and non-significant at 1 mg/kg. These finding suggest that benzofuran inhibits expression of dominant T-helper 2 cytokines through targeting GATA-binding protein 3 transcription factor. Thus benzofuran can be of therapeutic importance for the treatment of asthma.

Edge functionalization of graphene nanoribbons with nitrogen atoms for various adatom configurations at armchair and zigzag edges are investigated. We provide comprehensive information on the electronic and magnetic properties and investigate the stability of the various systems. Two types of rippling of the nanoribbons, namely edge and bulk rippling depending on the sign of edge stress induced at the edge, are found. They are found to play the decisive role for the stability of the structures. We also propose a type of edge decoration in which every third nitrogen adatom at the zigzag edges is replaced by an oxygen atom. In this way, the electron count is compatible with a full aromatic structure, leading to additional stability and a disappearance of magnetism that is usually associated with zigzag nanoribbons.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) loaded MCM-41 (MnO2/MCM-41) was used as adsorbent to remove Cr(VI) and As(III) from aqueous solution. The adsorbent was synthesized and characterized. Effect of pH on the removal of Cr(VI) and As(III) was investigated. The desired pH of aqueous solution was 2 for the removal of Cr(VI) and 4 for the removal of As(III). Besides, the adsorption of As(III) and Cr(VI) can be well described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, respectively. The kinetic data can be successfully depicted by pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, external and intra-particle diffusion were found to be rate-controlling steps of the adsorption process. Thermodynamic analysis suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. In a binary system, the presence of Cr(VI) and As(III) slightly reduced the removal efficiency of each other. The desorption study showed 0.1mol/L NaOH liquor held good desorption ability for metal loaded MnO2/MCM-41.

Adsorption of Ni(II) by amine-functionalized MCM-41 (NH2-MCM-41) was studied with response surface methodology (RSM) employed to optimize the adsorption process. The independent variables include pH, metal concentration, temperature, and adsorbent dosage. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of RSM indicated that the obtained second-order polynomial model was appropriate to predict the adsorption process. Meanwhile, the maximum removal efficiency for Ni(II) was 93.20%, which was achieved at pH 6.50, metal concentration 10.00 mg/L, temperature 35°C, and adsorbent dosage 5.00 g/L. The kinetic study revealed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model could describe the experimental data better. While the intraparticle diffusion model suggested three stages of the adsorption process. In addition, the adsorption data conformed well to Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic study implied the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption–desorption experiment showed that NH2-MCM-41 held good...

Natural sodalite (Na8Al6Si6O24Cl2) from Xinjiang, China, was activated with TbF3 by a high-temperature melting method and green luminescence phosphors were synthesized. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) test showed that the main crystal phase of the sample heat-treated at 1100 °C was sodalite, but the NaCl component in the sample was partially lost by the heat treatment and the minor content of nepheline (hexagonal) structure (syn. NaAlSiO4) was created. The vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) light excitation spectrum, obtained by monitoring the green luminescence at 541 nm, consisted of excitation bands with peaks at 174 and 222 nm. These excitation bands were assigned to the absorption band by the host crystal and the spin-allowed 4f8–4f75d transitions within Tb3+, respectively. The emission spectra under VUV–UV light excitation consisted of a series of narrow bands corresponding to the 5D3→7FJ (J=6, 5, 4, 3 and 2) and 5D4→7FJ (J=6, 5, 4 and 3) transitions within Tb3+. The predominant band at 541 nm corresponds to the 5D4→7F5 transition. The lifetime of luminescence corresponding to the 5D3→7FJ (J=6, 5 and 4) transitions was 1.2 ms, while the lifetimes of luminescence corresponding to the 5D4→7FJ (J=6 and 5) transitions were 2.5 and 2.8 ms, respectively. The CIE (Commission Internationale de l׳Eclairage) chromaticity coordinate of luminescence from the sample was (0.287, 0.301) and the correlated chromaticity temperature was 8796 K.