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In this study, a series of cobalt-free Sn-doped cathode materials of Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.58-xSnxO2 are prepared by the solvothermal method for the first time. The structural characterization of the material reveals that all the samples consist of hexagonal layered structural LiMO2 (M = Mn/Ni), monoclinic-layered structural Li2MnO3, and cubic spinel structural LiMn2O4. Moreover, the interplanar spacing of the layered structure increases in the material, and the electrochemical impedance of the material declines by Sn doping. As a result, all Sn-doped samples exhibit better electrochemical performance than pristine Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.58O2 materials. Among them, Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.56Sn0.02O2 delivers comprehensively improved electrochemical performance. The initial coulombic efficiency of the Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.56Sn0.02O2 sample is 84.4%, which is nearly 10% higher than the pristine material, and Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.56Sn0.02O2 exhibits an initial discharge specific capacity of 260.8 mAh/g at a current density of 0.1 C, and the capacity retention after first 100 cycles at 1 C reached 94.67%. Rate capability of Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.58-xSnxO2 is significantly improved by Sn doping. The specific discharge capacity of the Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.56Sn0.02O2 sample at 5 C is two times higher than that of Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.58O2. Moreover, the Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.56Sn0.02O2 material can still maintain a discharge capacity of 220 mAh/g when the current density returns to 0.1 C after a large current density cycling process. These results show that the proper amount of Sn doping can effectively improve the electrochemical performance of Li1.15Ni0.27Mn0.58O2, due to the fact that Sn ions have larger ionic radii than the transition metal (Mn/Ni) ions and Sn can partially replace the transition metal element ions in the layered structure, thereby expanding the lithium ion diffusion channel and inhibiting instability of the material structure during the cycle. However, an excessive amount of Sn (x > 0.03) generates a Li2SnO3 impurity in the material, resulting in deterioration of material properties.

Unlike animals, few vascular plants are known to spontaneously generate rhythmic electrical signals. In plants electrical signals triggered in response to external environmental changes are of physiological significance. However, plant electrical signals require experimental skill to measure, are stimulus-pattern dependent, and show poor quantitative reproducibility, thus their existence has been largely ignored by researchers. We developed a non-invasive and high-throughput light-induced in situ method to mine the information conveyed by reproducible bioelectrical activity in plants. Stable periodic electrical potential changes in wheat leaves induced by illumination–darkness cycles enabled selection of wave features and specific classification algorithms were used to enable rapid distinction of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive cultivars. Chlorophyll fluorescence data also strongly supported the association of rhythmic electrical potential with salt sensitivity in wheat leaves. The results show that the electrophysiological phenotype represented by plant rhythmic electrical potential is a novel candidate for phenotypic analyses. The method will also enable rapid assessment of the response and resistance to abiotic stresses of crop seedlings.

Trichosanthin (root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.) has received much attention, but T. kirilowii has received little systematic analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of flavones and triterpenes in nine different parts of T. kirilowii would, thus, be of value to fully understand the potential medicinal properties of T. kirilowii. A hierarchical extraction—simultaneous determination method was established, which based on different types of components had different response on the MS detector. The hierarchical extraction method extracted 3, 29-dibenzoyl rarounitriol solely, which response lowly on the MS detector in the mixture of one step extract, in order to obtain accurate results in the next UHPLC-MS/MS assay. By this method, ten flavones, three tetracyclic triterpenoids, and one pentacyclic triterpenoid in the extracts of T. kirilowii were determined. The results showed the level of flavonoids in leaves was higher than those in the other samples, tetracyclic triterpenoids mainly existed in root and root bark, and pentacyclic triterpenoid, especially 3, 29-dibenzoyl rarounitriol was concentrated in the seed kernel. According to principal component analysis, the F values of the leaves of all varieties were generally greater than those in other parts. The leaves might provide a supplementary source of flavonoids, and the root and root bark could be a good choice for tetracyclic triterpenoids. The analysis results revealed the distribution of flavones and triterpenes in different parts of T. kirilowii and provided reference for the research and rational utilization of T. kirilowii.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) with different morphology and particle size can be prepared by modulating the reaction conditions over SNPs preparation. This study was to synthesize various SNPs by using ultrasound assisted nanoprecipitation method, and characterized by particle size analysis, SEM and XRD performing. SNPs were successfully produced via nanoprecipitation and the particle size were controlled in the range of 95 to 150 nm. Moreover, variously different morphologies were obtained when using corn, potato or Trichosanthes kirilowii pulp (TKP) starch to produce nanoparticles, including fiber, flake and film. Results shown film TKP SNPs demonstrated an improved urea adsorption rate to 135.60 mg/g with the highest qm at 1.00 mg/mL. SNPs can be developed using ultrasound assisted nanoprecipitation method and the particle size together with surface morphology can be varied according to the source of starch and preparation method, while surface morphology is the key factor in altering adsorption performance.

Silver nanowires are receiving increasing attention as a kind of prospective transparent and conductive material. Here, we successfully synthesized high-performance silver nanowires with a significantly decreased reaction time by a modified polyol method. The synthesis process involved the addition of halides, including NaCl and NaBr, to control the release rate of Ag+ ions, as Cl&minus, and Br&minus, ions react with Ag+ ions to form AgCl and AgBr with different solubilities. As a result, Ag+ ions could be slowly released by graded dissolution, and the formation of silver nanowires was promoted. The results showed that the concentration of the added halides played an important role in the morphology of the final product. High-quality silver nanowires with an average diameter of 70 nm and average length of 21&thinsp, &mu, m were obtained by optimizing the reaction parameters. Afterwards, a simple silver nanowire coating was applied in order to fabricate the transparent conductive films. The film that was based on the silver nanowires provided a transmittance of 91.2% at the 550 nm light wavelength and a sheet resistance of about 78.5 &Omega, &middot, sq&minus, 1, which is promising for applications in flexible and transparent optoelectronic devices.

In this work, we synthesized a dicarboxyl-substituted tetraphenylethene (TPE) ligand, 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)dibenzoic acid (H2BCTPE), with a prominent aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature. A two-fold interpenetrated luminescent metal–organic framework (LMOF) [Zn4O(BCTPE)3] (1) with Zn4O(CO2)6 nodes is prepared using the trans-isomer of H2BCTPE as a ligand, which shows a typical behavior of microporous materials and a high fluorescence quantum yield of 64.5%. The solvent free 1 is thermally stable, water stable and highly emissive. The suspension of solvent-free 1 in water exhibits high quenching efficiencies and low detection limits towards nitro-containing explosives (e.g. nitrobenzene, 4-nitrophenol, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol), and nitro-containing antibiotics (e.g. metronidazole and nitrofurazone). The solvent-free 1 can be a promising alternative to efficiently detect nitro-containing explosives and antibiotics under aqueous conditions.

This work aimed to develop an efficient L-leucine industrial production strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum by using metabolic engineering. A recombinant C. glutamicum strain was constructed by expressing a feedback-resistant leuA-encoded 2-isopropylmalate synthase (IPMS) that carries three amino acid exchanges (R529H, G532D and L535V) from the mutant strain C. glutamicum ML1-9 which was obtained by screening for structural analogues. In order to improve the expression of IPMS, a strong promoter (tac promoter) was used to ensure efficient expression of the rate-limiting enzyme. In addition, reasonable metabolic modifications on the central carbon metabolic pathway and competitive metabolic pathways to optimize the L-leucine biosynthesis pathway by redistribution of various types of precursors and repression of negative regulation were used aimed for increased L-leucine production. The modifications involved (1) deletion of the gene encoding the repressor LtbR to increase expression of leuBCD, (2) deletion of the gene encoding the AlaT to decrease the concentration of extracellular L-alanine, and increased availability of pyruvate for L-leucine formation, (3) deletion of the gene encoding the threonine dehydratase to abolish L-isoleucine synthesis and to eliminate the intermediate precursor of L-isoleucine biosynthesis competing with L-leucine biosynthesis, (4) inactivation of the pantothenate synthetase to increase α- ketoisovalerate formation, and to enable its further conversion to L-leucine, and (5) inactivation of lactate dehydrogenase to decrease lactate production and its pyruvate consumption, concomitant to decreased glucose consumption rates and prevention of lactic acid to restrict cell growth. The production performance of the engineered strain MDLeu-19/pZ8-1leuAr was characterized with cultivations in a bioreactor. Under fed-batch conditions in a 50-L automated fermentor, the best producer strain accumulated 38.1 g L-1 of L-leucine; the molar product yield being 0.42 mol L-leucine per mole of glucose (glucose conversion rate attained 26.4%). Moreover, during large-scale fermentation using a 150-m3 fermentor, this strain produced more than 37.5 g L-1 L-leucine and the glucose conversion rate was 25.8%, making this process potentially viable for industrial production. Key words: Corynebacterium glutamicum, L-leucine, metabolic engineering, fermentation, industrial production.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. is one of the original plants for traditional Chinese medicines Trichosanthis Fructus, Trichosanthis Semen, Trichosanthis Pericarpium and Trichosanthis Radix. Amino acids, nucleosides and carbohydrates are usually considered to have nutritional value and health-care efficacy. In this study, methods involving high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD), UV-visible spectrophotometry and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were established for quantifying carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, stachyose, raffinose and polysaccharide), fourteen nucleosides and twenty one amino acids. Moreover, sixty-three samples from nine different parts, including pericarp, seed, fruit pulp, stem, leaf, main root, main root bark, lateral root and lateral root bark of T. kirilowii from different cultivated varieties were examined. The established methods were validated with good linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery. The results showed that the average content of total amino acids in roots (15.39 mg/g) and root barks (16.38 mg/g) were relatively higher than for others. Contents of nucleosides in all parts of T. kirilowii were below 1.5 mg/g. For carbohydrates, fruit pulp has a higher content than others for glucose (22.91%), fructose (20.63%) and polysaccharides (27.29%). By using partial least-squared discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), Variable importance in the projection (VIP) plots and analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis, the characteristic components of the different organs (fruit, stems and leaves, roots) were found. This analysis suggested there were potential medicinal and nutritive health care values in various parts of the T. kirilowii, which provided valuable information for the development and utilization of T. kirilowii.

For the development of light, flexible, and wearable electronic devices, it is crucial to develop energy storage components combining high capacity and flexibility. Herein, an all-solid-state supercapacitor is prepared through an in situ growth method. The electrode contains polyaniline deposited on a carbon nanotube and a poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) film. The hybrid electrode exhibits excellent mechanical and electrochemical performance. The optimized few-layer polyaniline wrapping layer provides a conductive network that effectively enhances the cycling stability, as 66.4% of the starting capacitance is maintained after 3000 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, the polyaniline (PANI)-50 displays the highest areal energy density of 83.6 mWh&middot, cm&minus, 2, with an areal power density of 1000 mW&middot, 2, and a high areal capacity of 620 mF cm&minus, 2. The assembled device delivers a high areal capacity (192.3 mF&middot, 2) at the current density of 0.1 mA&middot, 2, a high areal energy (26.7 mWh&middot, 2) at the power density of 100 mW&middot, 2, and shows no significant decrease in the performance with a bending angle of 180&deg, This unique flexible supercapacitor thus exhibits great potential for wearable electronics.

It is necessary to identify the relationship between neck circumference and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with hypertension. Patients with hypertension treated in our hospital were included. The height, weight, neck circumference, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, 2 h blood glucose (2hPPG), density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were analyzed and compared. A total of 2860 patients with hypertension were included. There were significant differences between male and female patients in the neck circumference, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, Total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, HDL-C, LDL-C, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, drinking and smoking (all P

Estimating mercury adsorption capability plays a vital role in verifying whether fly ash could act as a good sorbent for mercury removal. In this work, mercury retention in fly ash is considered to study its effect on mercury adsorption capacity. Six fly ash samples are collected from six different full-scale coal-fired power plants. The mercury adsorption ratio is measured by adsorption tests to characterize mercury adsorption capability of fly ash. The mercury retention in coals and their corresponding fly ashes are also examined. The results show that there is no linear correlation for fly ash between mercury retention ratio and mercury adsorption ratio Such phenomenon results from the fact that mercury retention ratio is determined by mercury adsorption properties of fly ash and mercury concentration of flue gas. The mercury species adsorbed from flue gas occupy the active sites of fly ash, which decrease the adsorption capability of fly ash. However, each as-received fly ash is surrounded with different mercury concentrations of flue gas. Even though two fly ashes have the same active sites for adsorbing mercury, they have different number of occupied active sites for mercury adsorption after flowing along with flue gas. Hence, evaluating the intrinsic mercury adsorption properties of fly ash should pretreat the fly ash samples before adsorption tests by removing out the adsorbed mercury to recover the occupied active sites, with which it may be reasonable to truly manifest the mercury adsorption properties of fly ash.

In this paper, we used coprecipitation method to prepare different ratios of Mn / γ - Fe 3 O 4 to remove Hg0. Different ratios of Mn and Fe could affect the mercury removal efficiency of M n / γ - F e 3 O 4 . The mechanism of Hg0 adsorption on the surface of M n / γ - F e 3 O 4 matches the Mars-van Krevelen reaction mechanism. The catalytic oxidation of mercury on the surface of the sample is related to Fe and Mn. We also performed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model and an improved pseudo-n-order kinetic model. In addition, the external magnetic field has a certain promoting effect on the mercury removal.

The interaction between Hg0 and carbonaceous surface containing hydrocarbon functional groups (HFG) is investigated by DFT calculations. The carbonaceous surface is represented by a cluster model consisting of nine fused benzene rings. HFG is expressed by the molecular formulas of CxHy (x = 1, 2; y = 1, 2, 3…6). All possible approaches of HFG are carried out to evaluate the effect on mercury adsorption. The results indicate that the adsorption of HFG can increase the activity of its neighboring carbon atoms. In addition, the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms on HFG has great influence on adsorption characteristics. The effect of HFG on Hg0 adsorption on a carbonaceous surface is complicated. The mercury adsorption property depends on the adsorption position of mercury atom. When mercury atom is adsorbed by both HFG and carbonaceous surface, the mercury adsorption is determined by HFG, carbonaceous surface and carbon ring together. When mercury atom is only adsorbed by carbonaceous surface, the behaviors of neighboring and next-nearest neighboring carbon atoms on carbonaceous surface determine the mercury adsorption.

Subsphaeroidal SiC/polymer composite granules with good flowability for additive manufacturing/3D printing of SiC were prepared by ball milling with surface modification using polyvinyl butyral (PVB). PVB adheres to the particle surface of SiC to form a crosslinked network structure and keeps them combined with each other into light aggregates. The effects of PVB on the shape, size, phase composition, distribution and flowability of the polymer-ceramic composite powder were investigated in detail. Results show that the composite powder material has good laser absorptivity at wavelengths of lower than 500 nm.

Background In the present study, we explored the effect of the ethanol extract of Osmanthus fragrans (EOF) on the growth and collagenase activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). We also investigated the capacity of EOF to attenuate P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses and the possible signalling pathway. Methods EOF was obtained by soaking the O. fragrans powder in the ethanol and concentrating the extracts under reduced pressure. Microplate dilution assays were used to determine the effect of EOF on P. gingivalis growth. Collagenase inhibition was detected using fluorometric and colorimetric assays. The effects of EOF on the production of the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The oxidative stress biomarkers were assayed using commercial kits. The effects of EOF on the expression of cytoprotective enzymes and nucleoprotein nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) were tested by Western blot analysis. Results EOF significantly inhibited the growth of P. gingivalis, especially in the iron-limited culture medium. The inhibitory effect of EOF on P. gingivalis collagenase activity was time- and concentration-dependent. The P. gingivalis LPS-stimulated production of IL-6 and IL-8 was attenuated by EOF. LPS significantly induced the production of nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) while pretreatment with EOF alleviated these effects. The presence of EOF markedly upregulated the expression levels of the cytoprotective enzymes and nucleoprotein Nrf2. Conclusion This study suggests that the potent Nrf2 activation capacity of O. fragrans may be useful in the adjunctive treatment of periodontal disease.

(Cu1−xAgx)2O oxide films with cuprite structure are presented. The p-type film demonstrates an exceptional increase in hole cconcentration up to 1.18 × 1021 cm−3 with increasing Ag to 33 at.%. It is revealed from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy along with X-ray diffraction analysis that the oxide remains a single phase with the Ag content up to 33 at.%. Raman spectroscopy measurements exhibit different symmetrical features for the oxide than those of Cu2O. This suggests that the valence-band edge level can be raised as a result of the incorporation of Ag1+ into Cu2O, which is verified by the small acceptor ionization energy observed for the (Cu0.67Ag0.33)2O. In addition, the coexistence of Cu1+ and Ag1+ is shown to suppress variable-range-hopping conduction, demonstrating weakly degenerate semiconductor behavior.

Shape-selective catalysts of MgO/MCM-22 were prepared by a novel two-step impregnation method and evaluated in the catalytic synthesis of p-xylene by alkylation of toluene with dimethyl carbonate. The two-step impregnation process combines the advantages of general impregnation and complexation impregnation for the preparation of metallic-oxide modified zeolite shape-selective catalysts. The coverage of the acidic sites on the external surface of the zeolite and the adjustment of the pore size of the zeolite can be achieved by two-step impregnation. Consequently, significant improvement in selectivity for p-xylene over the MgO/MCM-22 catalyst was realized.

Caries progress might be controlled when collagen matrix could be preserved after demineralization. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EGCG, a major polyphenol of green tea, on changes in loss of dry weight or solubilization of collagen from demineralized dentin sections. Dentin sections (1mm×5mm×5mm) were completely exposed to the acetic acid solution to form dentine caries. After baseline measurements of dry mass, the samples were divided into 2 groups and incubated at 37°C in either media containing EGCG or artificial saliva only for 24h, 3 days, 1 week, 2 week and 3 weeks. Following hydrolyzed with HCl, hydroxyproline (HOP) as an index of solubilization of collagen was analysed quantitatively. Both the storage medium and the storage time showed significant effects on mass loss and HOP release (p < 0.05). The incubation in EGCG resulted in relatively rapid and significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the amounts of mass loss. The HOP content of the experimental media also increased with incubation time but was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the control artificial saliva medium. It can be concluded that EGCG can inhibit collagen degradation and affects the further demineralization in dentin matrix, which consequently inhibits the advanced dentine caries.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of polyanionsodium tripolyphosphate (STP) on color stability of the bleached enamel upon exposure to a staining agent-red wine. Thirty specimens were prepared and bleached with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP). Then, they were divided into three groups and immersed in different experiment solutions, including distilled and deionized water (DDW, negative control), 2% STP (PH 9.0) and 1000 ppm NaF aq. (positive control), before and after red wine stain challenge, 3 times per day. The color of all specimens was measured before and after exposure to red wine with a spectrophotometer, and total color change (ΔE*) were calculated. The data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA and the means were compared by Tukeys post hoc analysis (α=0.05). STP treatment group demonstrated significantly less color change than DDW and NaF groups (p

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of liquid polishing system (BisCover) on color stability of the bleached enamel upon exposure to a staining agent-red wine. Forty specimens were prepared. They were divided into 2 groups and different procedures, including only bleaching with Opalescence PF (PF) or Opalescence regular (R) gels, and application of BisCover after blaeching (PF-B, R-B) were used. Unbleached specimens were served as control groups (control-1 and control-2). The specimens were stored for 48 h in red wine. The color of all specimens was measured before and after exposure with a spectrophotometer, and total color change (ΔE*) were calculated. The data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA and the means were compared by Tukeys post hoc analysis (α=0.05). PF-B and R-B groups demonstrated significantly less color change than PF and R groups. the control-1 and control-2 groups had the least color change. No significant difference were observed between PF and R group. BisCover improved the color stability of bleached enamel in red wine.

This study intends to explore the potential resource-orientedutilization value of the flower of Sophora flavescents by analyzing alkaloids and flavonoids in the flower of S. flavescens from Shanxi province. This study established a rapid UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method that is used for determination of seven alkaloids and seven flavonoids in the flower of S.flavescens. The different florescences all have the seven detected alkaloids such as cytisine, oxy-matrine, oxy-sophocarpine, sophoridine, N-methylcytisine, matrine, sophocarpine.The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 1.47%, primal flowers 1.34%, full bloomed flowers 1.17%, faded flowers 1.01%. The top three contents of alkaloids are N-methylcytisine , oxy-sophocarpine and oxymatrine, accounting for about 83% of the total amount of detected alkaloids. All the samples in different florescences have the seven detected flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, trifolirhizin, kurarinone, and kushenol I. The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 495.2 μg•g⁻¹, primal flowers 313.7 μg•g⁻¹, faded flowers 224.2 μg•g⁻¹, full bloomed flowers 193.0 μg•g⁻¹. The content of luteolinis relatively higher than other detected flavonoids, accounting for about 89%-94% of the total amount of detected flavonoids. The results indicated that the flower of S.flavescens could be an important material resource to obtain the resourceful alkaloids. This result can provide scientific basis for resource-oriented utilization and industrial development of the flower of S. flavescens.

Moonlighting proteins have two different functions within a single polypeptide chain. Exploring moonlighting enzymes from the environment using the metagenomic approach is interesting. In the present study, a novel β-glucosidase gene, designated as bgl1D, with lipolytic activity (renamed Lip1C) was cloned through function-based screening of a metagenomic library from uncultured soil microorganisms. The deduced amino acid sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis also indicated that Lip1C and other putative lipases are closely related. Biochemical characterization demonstrated that the maximum activity of the recombinant Lip1C protein occurs at pH 8.0 and 30°C using 4-nitrophenyl butyrate as substrate. The putative lipase had an apparent K m value of 0.88 mmol/L, a k cat value of 212/min, and a k cat/K m value of 241 L/mmol/min. Lip1C exhibited habitat-specific characteristics with 5 mmol/L AlCl3, CuCl2, and LiCl. The characterization of the biochemical properties of Lip1C enhances our understanding of this novel moonlighting enzyme isolated from a soil metagenome.

Cobalt-doped titania(Co/TiO_2) photocatalysts were synthesized by the polymerized complex method(PCM).The materials were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry(TGA-DSC),Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),nitrogen adsorption-desorption,ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-Vis DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by hydrogen evolution.The results show that anatase type titania exists in the materials and cobalt is evenly dispersed. The activity of the cobalt doped titania was found to be superior to that of pure titania.The maximum activity obtained at 0.3%Co/Ti molar ratio was nearly 6 times as high as that of pure titania.The amount of hydrogen produced was up to 2499μmol.The doping mechanism of cobalt is discussed.

Metastatic, drug-resistant cancer is lethal. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a type of phenotypic plasticity that has been implicated in cancer metastasis and drug resistance. One potential therapeutic approach is to specifically target cancer cells in an EMT-like state. In this study, we have developed a cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) protocol using the high content Operetta imaging platform to identify EMT cytotoxic compounds. This screen was performed on epithelial (PC-3E) and mesenchymal-like (TEM 4-18) cell lines, both isolated from the parental PC-3 prostate cancer cell line based on their differential ability to invade an endothelial monolayer. A library of 2,640 compounds was screened on co-cultured PC-3E GFP cells and TEM 4-18 mCherry cells. After 72h exposure to compounds, relative numbers of GFP- and mCherry-positive cells were quantitated. Dose-response curves were established for each compound exhibiting a greater toxicity against EMT-like cells. The mechanisms of action of one of the most potent and selective compound against EMT-like cells, monensin, were further evaluated. Among the 2,640 compounds tested, salinomycin and monensin, both monovalent cation ionophores, displayed a potent and selective cytotoxic effect against EMT-like cells. A closely related compound absent from the compound library, nigericin, was also evaluated and appeared to be the most potent of the three compounds tested. Monensin (10nM) induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and an increase in ROS production in TEM 4-18 cells. In addition, monensin rapidly induced swelling of Golgi apparatus, a previously known effect of monensin, in multiple cell lines most likely resulting in a blockage of intracellular protein trafficking and cell death. We then evaluated the toxicity of monensin in 24 human cancer cell lines and classified them as resistant or sensitive based on IC50 cutoff of 100nM. Supporting these findings, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis identified EMT as the top of the gene sets enriched in the sensitive group. Increased monensin sensitivity in EMT-like cells is associated with elevated uptake of H3-monensin compared to resistant cells. In conclusion, using a high-throughput screening approach, we identified monensin as a potent and specific inhibitor of cancer cells in an EMT-like state where it rapidly disrupts Golgi function. At least part of selectivity of monensin for EMT-like cells is due to increased uptake of this compound. Citation Format: Marion Vanneste, Huang Qin, Devon Moose, Mengshi Li, Michael Schultz, Meng Wu, Michael Henry. Monensin is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells in an EMT-like state [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4186.

Diamond and cubic boron nitride films have already been applied practically because of their excellent properties. The specific orientations of the films have special meaning on their application in optics and microelectronics fields. In this paper, the relative electron density differences of the interface between the different crystal planes of silicon substrate and those of diamond and cubic boron films are calculated with the empirical electron theory in solids and molecules. Analyses on the calculation results show that in the range of the researched films, the smaller the relative electron density difference between the film and the substrate is, the stabler the film is in thermodynamics. Therefore, the electron density difference is the essential factor of determining the orientation of the texture and heteroepitaxy of the films. The deductions accord well with the experimental facts. The calculation methods and the theory not only provide a new angle of view for the research of the growth mechanism of diamond film and cubic boron nitride film on the silicon substrate, but also provide a possible direction for the prediction of the orientation of other films.

A series of N′-(5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl) actylthioureas have been synthesized from p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, and then substituted 2-amino-5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles reacting with acylthiocyanoester, which are derived from the second step, are used. Their structures are confirmed by Infrared, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and elementary analysis. From biological testing, it is found that some of these compounds have good fungicidal activity.

The soluble ectodomain of fibroblast growth factor receptor-IIIc (sFGFR2c) is able to bind to fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligands and block the activation of the FGF-signaling pathway. In this study, sFGFR2c inhibited lung fibrosis dramatically in vitro and in vivo. The upregulation of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in fibroblasts by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is an important step in the process of lung fibrosis, in which FGF-2, released by TGF-β1, is involved. sFGFR2c inhibited α-SMA induction by TGF-β1 via both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Smad3 pathways in primary mouse lung fibroblasts and the proliferation of mouse lung fibroblasts. In a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis, mice were treated with sFGFR2c from d 3 or d 10 to 31 after BLM administration. Then we used hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson staining and immunohistochemical staining to evaluate the inhibitory effects of sFGFR2c on lung fibrosis. The treatment with sFGFR2c resulted in significant attenuation of the lung fibrosis score and collagen deposition. The expression levels of α-SMA, p-FGFRs, p-ERK1/2 and p-Smad3 in the lungs of sFGFR2c-treated mice were markedly lower. sFGFR2c may have potential for the treatment of lung fibrosis as an FGF-2 antagonist.

P-type cuprous oxide films were prepared by magnetron sputtering with different crystallization degrees from columnar polycrystalline to amorphous phase. The film with amorphous structure possesses a hole concentration of 1.92 × 1019 cm−3, even comparable to those of MIII- doped Cu2O crystalline films and two orders of magnitude higher compared to the well crystallized Cu2O, 6.51 × 1017 cm−3. Meanwhile, Hall mobility of the amorphous film is one order of magnitude larger with respect to those of the crystalline counterparts. Combining high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, it is revealed that the localization of holes at the oxygen 2p band can be weakened by suppressing crystallization for the films, which is believed to be attributed to the asymmetric characterizations of Cu–O chemical bonds caused by topological disorder atomic arrangement inherent to amorphous structure.