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Cesium copper (I) halides, as a lead-free halide material system, have shown great potential in optoelectronic devices due to their environmental friendliness, high quantum efficiency, and extraord...

Background: We investigated the roles of breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance 1 (BCAR1/p130Cas) in the formation and immunoevasion of invasive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Biomarkers of CTCs including BCAR1 and CD274, were evaluated by the CanPatrol method. Proteomics analysis of LUAD cells and exosomes after BCAR1 overexpression (BCAR1-OE) was performed by mass spectrometry. Cell functions and relevant signaling pathways were investigated after BCAR1 knockdown (BCAR1-KO) or BCAR1-OE in LUAD cells. Lastly, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to confirm the roles of BCAR1 in the formation and immunoevasion of CTCs. Results: High expression of BCAR1 by CTCs correlated with CD274 expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). RAC1, together with BCAR1, was found to play an important role in the carcinogenesis of LUAD. RAC1 functioned with BCAR1 to induce EMT and to enhance cell proliferation, colony formation, cell invasion and migration, and anoikis resistance in LUAD cells. BCAR1 up-regulated CD274 expression probably by shuttling the short isoform of BRD4 (BRD4-S) into the nucleus. CTCs, as well as tumor formation, were prohibited in nude mice xenografted with BCAR1-KO cells. The co-expression of BCAR1/RAC1 and BCAR1/CD274 was confirmed in LUAD. BCAR1 expression in LUAD is an indicator of poor prognosis, and it associates with immunoevasion. Conclusion: BCAR1, as a new target for the treatment of LUAD, plays roles in the formation and immunoevasion of invasive CTCs. The mechanism includes triggering EMT via RAC1 signaling and up-regulating CD274 expression by shuttling BRD4-S into the nucleus.

Astrocytes have a crucial role in the modulation of the neuroinflammatory response. However, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully defined. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is constitutively expressed in astrocytes, which has been found to orchestrate inflammatory responses in a large variety of immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. Thus, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the potential effect of IL-33 in the regulation of inflammatory response in primary cultured astrocytes. We investigated the role of IL-33 in the regulation of inflammatory responses in the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated astrocytes. This study utilized lentiviral short hairpin RNA vectors to target IL-33 (LV-shIL-33) for gene silencing. After lipopolysaccharide stimulation, the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways, were evaluated to elucidate the mechanisms related to the contributions of IL-33 to the inflammatory response in astrocytes. We found that the expression IL-33 has increased in rat primary cultured astrocytes after lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Administration of LV-shIL-33 knocked down the expression of IL-33 and markedly reduced the overexpression of spinal IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and attenuated the activation of ERK and NF-κB/p65. This study shows that IL-33 participates in regulating inflammatory responses in primary cultured astrocytes, which might provide additional targets for controlling inflammatory responses following neurological diseases. See Video abstract, http://links.lww.com/WNR/A627.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of osteocalcin (OCN) on fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in aged laying hens. Thirty 68-week-old White Plymouth laying hens were randomly assigned into conventional single-bird cages, and the cages were randomly allocated into one of 3 treatments (n = 10): normal diet (ND + vehicle, ND + V), high-fat diet (HFD + vehicle, HFD + V), and HFD + OCN (3 μg/bird, 1 time/2 d, i.m.) for 40 d. At day 30, oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and insulin tolerance tests (ITT) were performed. At the end of experiment, the hens were euthanized followed by blood collection. The plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Pathological changes in the liver were examined under both light and transmission electron microscopes. The plasma inflammatory factors including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were analyzed by ELISA, and the gene expressions of these inflammatory factors in the liver were analyzed by real-time PCR. The level of oxidative stress was evaluated using malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) assay kits, respectively. The results showed that HFD + V hens had more severe liver hemorrhage and fibrosis than ND + V hens (P < 0.05). The ultramicrostructural examination showed that hepatocytes of HFD + V hens exhibited necrotic pyknosis showing great intracellular electron, mitochondrial swelling, shrunk nucleus, and absence of autolysosomes. Osteocalcin mitigated HFD + V-induced pathological changes in aged laying hens. High-fat diet + OCN hens had higher insulin sensitivity; lower liver concentrations of MDA (P = 0.12) but higher GSH-Px (P < 0.05); and lower blood TNF-α concentrations (P < 0.05) and mRNA expressions (P < 0.05) than HFD + V hens. These results suggest OCN functions in preventing the FLHS process in old laying hens through inhibiting excessive energy diet-induced metabolic disorder, oxidative stress, and related pathological damage.

In this paper, BaY2O4:Yb3+/Er3+, a high efficient red upconversion (UC) material, is first utilized as an optical thermometer in the biological window, accomplished through the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of thermally coupled Stark sublevels of 4F9/2 (FIR(654/663)). The maximum absolute sensitivity of FIR(654/663)) is 0.19% K-1 at 298 K, which is much higher than most previous reports about FIR-based temperature sensors located in the biological windows. More importantly, the groove of FIR(654/663) for thermometry is nicely located in the physiological temperature range, indicating its potential thermometry application value in biomedicine. Furthermore, a simply ex vivo experiment is implemented to evaluate the penetration depth of the red emission in biological tissues, revealing that a detection depth of 6 mm can be achieved without any effect on the FIR values of I654 to I663. Beyond that, the temperature sensing behaviors of the thermally coupled levels 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 (FIR(523/550)) are also investigated in detail. In the studied temperature range, the absolute sensitivity of FIR(523/550) monotonously increases with the rising temperature and reaches its maximum value 0.31% K-1 at 573 K. All the results imply that BaY2O4:Yb3+/Er3+ is a promising candidate for deep-tissue optical thermometry with high sensitivity.

Lpg0189 is a type II secretion system-dependent extracellular protein with unknown function from Legionella pneumophila. Herein, we determined the crystal structure of Lpg0189 at 1.98 A resolution by using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD). Lpg0189 folds into a novel chair-shaped architecture, with two sheets roughly perpendicular to each other. Bioinformatics analysis suggests Lpg0189 and its homologues are unique to Legionellales and evolved divergently. The interlinking structural and bioinformatics studies provide a better understanding of this hypothetical protein.

Novel double perovskite SrLaLiTeO6 (abbreviated as SLLT):Mn4+,Dy3+ phosphors synthesized using a solid-state reaction strategy exhibit distinct dual-emission of Mn4+ and Dy3+. High-sensitivity and wide-temperature-range dual-mode optical thermometry was exploited taking advantage of the diverse thermal quenching between Mn4+ and Dy3+ and the decay lifetime of Mn4+. The thermometric properties in the range of 298–673 K were investigated by utilizing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of Dy3+ (4F9/2 → 6H13/2)/Mn4+ (2Eg → 4A2g) and the Mn4+ (2Eg → 4A2g) lifetime under 351 nm and 453 nm excitation, respectively. The maximum relative sensitivities (SR) of the resultant SLLT:1.2%Mn4+,7%Dy3+ phosphor under 351 nm and 453 nm excitation employing the FIR technology were determined to be 1.60% K−1 at 673 K and 1.44% K−1 at 673 K, respectively. Additionally, the maximum SR values based on the lifetime-mode were 1.59% K−1 at 673 K and 2.18% K−1 at 673 K, respectively. It is noteworthy that the SR values can be manipulated by different excitation wavelengths and multi-modal optical thermometry. These results suggest that the SLLT:Mn4+,Dy3+ phosphor has prospective potential in optical thermometry and provide conducive guidance for designing high-sensitivity multi-modal optical thermometers.

This study was to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis on production performance and bone pathophysiological characteristics of layers. Twenty-four 48-week-old Lohmann Pink-shell laying hens were randomly divided into two groups: a basic diet (control) and the basic diet mixed with Bacillus subtilis (0.5 g/kg) for a 60-day trial. Statistically, independent-sample t-test was used to assess the treatment differences. The results showed that Bacillus subtilis supplementation improved the percent of marketable eggs (p &lt, 0.05) with reduced numbers of broken and soft-shelled eggs but had no effects on egg weight, height of albumen, yolk color, and Haugh unit (p &gt, 0.05). Bacillus subtilis supplement also elevated maximum load (p = 0.06), maximum stress (p = 0.01), stiffness (p &lt, 0.01), and Young’s modulus (p &lt, 0.01) but suppressed maximum strain (p = 0.06) in the femur. In addition, compared with control birds, phosphorous concentration (p &lt, 0.01) was reduced in serum at day 61 but increased in the femur (p &lt, 0.05) in Bacillus subtilis fed birds. Bacillus subtilis fed birds also had lower magnesium concentrations in both femur (p = 0.04) and feces (p = 0.09). Furthermore, Bacillus subtilis increased plasma estrogen concentration (p = 0.01) and femur TNF receptor superfamily member 11b (OPG) expression (p &lt, 0.05) but reduced plasma IL-1 (p &lt, 0.01) and TNF-α (p &lt, 0.01) concentrations. These results indicate that Bacillus subtilis could be used as a health promotor to reduce overproduction-induced inflammation and associated bone damage and to increase marketable egg production. The data provide evidence for developing a management strategy to use Bacillus subtilis as a feed additive to improve marketable egg production and health and welfare status of laying hens.

Calcium depletion is a valuable non-invasive tool for studying skeletal system disorders. A low calcium diet (LCD) was used to examine the pathophysiological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of osteoporotic damage in caged laying hens. Sixty 64-wk-old laying hens were randomly housed in single-bird cages, and the cages were divided into 2 treatments: fed a regular calcium diet (RCD, 3.69%) or a LCD (1.56%) for 8 wk. The diet-induced changes of serum bone remodeling indicators, bone strength, microstructure of the distal femur, and the gene expression profiling of keel bone were measured. Compared to RCD hens, LCD hens had higher activity of serum alkaline phosphatase and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase but lower serum calcium concentrations with reduced tibial and femoral mass, width, and strength (P < 0.05). In addition, LCD hens had greater densities of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, connective tissue cells, and osteoid in the trabecular bone (P < 0.05). The transcriptome analysis revealed that 563 unigenes were differentially expressed in keel bone between LCD and RCD hens. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses revealed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with the osteoporosis-related signaling pathways involved in the biological functions of the bone cellular and extracellular structural modulations. The real-time PCR analysis further confirmed that the LCD enhanced the mRNA expression of collagen type 1 alpha 2, integrin-binding sialoprotein and periostin, but inhibited sclerostin expression. These findings indicate that LCD hens have a higher bone turnover and micro-architectural damage compared to RCD hens. The results further evidence dietary supplement of calcium is a critical nutrient strategy for improving hen skeletal health.

The optical thermometry properties of LuVO4:Yb3+/Er3+@SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are studied in detail. In order to avoid the overheating effect for biological tissue caused by 980 nm radiation, 915 ...

In this work, we describe the principle and operation of a bubble-liquid membrane reactor, and use of the reactor to prepare spherical calcium carbonate nanoparticles. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and laser particle size analysis. The effects of additives to control crystal morphology, coating agents, and the stirring speed of the bubble-liquid membrane reactor were investigated. Spherical calcium carbonate nanoparticles with uniform dispersion and no agglomeration were obtained when a disodium hydrogen phosphate/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt mixture (1:1 mass ratio) was used as the additive, oleic acid was used as the coating agent (1.5 wt%), and the stirring speed was 5000–6000 r/min. The results indicate that the bubble-liquid membrane reactor may be suitable for continuous industrial production of calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Sleep loss profoundly disrupts consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory. To better characterize effects of learning and sleep loss on the hippocampal circuit, we quantified activity-dependent phosphorylation of ribosomal subunit S6 (pS6) across the dorsal hippocampus of mice. We find that pS6 in enhanced in the dentate gyrus (DG) following single-trial contextual fear conditioning (CFC), but is reduced throughout the hippocampus after brief sleep deprivation (SD) – a manipulation which disrupts contextual fear memory (CFM) consolidation. To characterize cell populations with activity affected by SD, we used translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-seq to identify cell type-specific transcripts on pS6 ribosomes after SD vs. sleep. Cell type-specific enrichment analysis (CSEA) of these transcripts revealed that hippocampal somatostatin-expressing (Sst+) interneurons, and cholinergic and orexinergic inputs to hippocampus, are selectively activated after SD. We used TRAP targeted to hippocampal Sst+ interneurons to identify cellular mechanisms mediating SD-driven Sst+ interneuron activation. We next used pharmacogenetics to mimic the effects of SD, selectively activating hippocampal Sst+ interneurons while mice slept in the hours following CFC. We find that activation of Sst+ interneurons is sufficient to disrupt CFM consolidation, by gating activity in surrounding pyramidal neurons. Pharmacogenetic inhibition of cholinergic input to hippocampus from the medial septum (MS) promoted CFM consolidation and disinhibited neurons in the DG, increasing pS6 expression. This suggests that state-dependent gating of DG activity is mediated by cholinergic input during SD. Together these data provide evidence for an inhibitory gate on hippocampal information processing, which is activated by sleep loss.

Six complexes {(3-bdppmapy)(AuCl)2}n (1–6; 3-bdppmapy = N,N′-bis(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)-3-aminopyridine and tht = tetrahydrothiophene) were simultaneously formed by the reaction of Au(tht)Cl and...

BuShen HuoXue decoction (BSHXD) has been used to treat patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). However, the chemical compounds and mechanism by which BSHXD exerts its therapeutic and systemic effects to promote the proliferation of decidual stromal cells (DSCs) has not been elucidated. This work sought to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism of BSHXD in terms of inflammatory factors IL-17A in DSCs in vitro because of the critical roles of inflammation, apoptosis, and immunity in the development and progression of pregnancy loss. Twelve migratory chemical compounds from BSHXD extract were qualitatively analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). DSCs were collected from normal early pregnancy (NEP) and URSA to determine whether BSHXD affects IL-17A/IL17RA via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Abnormal apoptosis and activated p-AKT were observed in URSA DSCs. RhIL-17 A, LY294002 (a PI3K pathway inhibitor), and BSHXD were individually or simultaneously administered in NEP DSCs, suggesting that BSHXD restored cell proliferation without excessive stimulation and IL-17A promotes proliferation via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Using the same intervention in URSA DSCs, qRT-PCR measured the upregulated mRNA levels of IL-17 A/IL-17RA, PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, PTEN, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL and downregulated mRNA levels of BAD and ACT1 after treatment with BSHXD. We demonstrated that BSHXD affected IL-17A/IL-17R via PI3K/AKT pathway to promote the proliferative activity of DSCs in URSA. These results provide a new insight to further clarify the relationship between inflammation and apoptosis and the mechanism of imbalance in the dynamic equilibrium between Th17/Treg immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface.

Luminescence of defects and/or impurities is important for phosphors. One broad emission band centered at 785nm was observed in (Y0.97Ce0.03)3(Al1-xCrx)5O12 (x=0.005, 0.01, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09), (YAG:Ce,Cr) nano-particles synthesized by polymer-assisted sol-gel method in this work. In order to study the source of this wide emission band, the crystalline phase structure of the phosphors was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). No obvious diffraction peaks due to impurity phase were observed even though the calcining temperature of the samples arrived at 1400°C. The anti-site defects were excluded. No detectable signals of impurities were obtained by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Based on the photo-luminescence results of YAG:Ce,Cr, YAG:Ce and YAG:Fe phosphors, the wide emission band is attributed to the 4T1(4G)→6A1(6S) transition from the trace impurity of Fe3+. The excitation band at 280nm is assigned to Fe3+-O2- charge transfer band.

A series of lanthanide organic complexes, namely, EuxTb1−x (BTC) (x = 0: complex 1, 0.01: complex 2, 0.05: complex 3, 0.1: complex 4, 0.4: complex 5, 1: complex 6, H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid), have been synthesized. The overall quantum yields (Φoverall) of luminescence for complex 1 is detected to be as high as 95%, while that for complex 6 is only 8%. It hints the ligand is more suitable to pump Tb3+ ions than Eu3+. Energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ is observed in Eu, Tb bi-nuclear compounds (complexes 2–5), which leads to tunable emission color from green to yellow, and then to red under the excitation of UV lamp. It indicates them as promising light emitting materials potentially. The temperature dependence of the fluorescence intensity ratio between the green emission of Tb3+ and the red emission of Eu3+ was investigated in the range of 25–300 K for complexes 2–4. The largest relative sensitivity SR is found to be 0.42%K−1, 1.46%K−1 and 0.35%K−1 at 300 K respectively. It hints the binuclear lanthanide complexes could be served as potential optical thermometry materials.

Discovery of novel multifunctional fluorescent materials are of great concern to the development of disciplinary crossing and integration. In this work, we prepared a broad-band Eu 3+ -activated Lu 2 MoO 6 multifunctional material for potential warm white light-emitting diodes ( w -LEDs) and temperature sensor applications. Lu 1.9 MoO 6 :0.1Eu 3+ phosphor was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction method, and the structure characterization was investigated for the first time. The excitation spectrum of this phosphor exhibits the intense broad band ranging from 250 nm to 440 nm assigned to the O 2− -Mo 6+ charge transfer band (CTB) transition, and a strong red emission centered at 610 nm corresponding to the 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 transition of Eu 3+ ions were detected under 365 nm excitation. Importantly, warm white light composite material was hybridized via blending commercial green, blue and the present red phosphors, which under 365 nm excitation exhibited a high color rendering index (CRI) of 78 at a correlated color temperature of 4271 K with CIE coordinates of x = 0.351, y = 0.308. Furthermore, a strong temperature sensitization phenomenon was found, where the results show that the emission intensities and chromaticity coordinates are sensitive to the temperature, which can provide guidance for the potential application in temperature sensing.

Introduction Sleep loss profoundly disrupts consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory. To better characterize effects of learning and sleep loss on the hippocampal circuit, we quantified activity-dependent phosphorylation of ribosomal subunit S6 (pS6) across the dorsal hippocampus of mice. Methods We first measured pS6 throughout the hippocampus after learning (single trial contextual fear conditioning; CFC), and after subsequent sleep or sleep deprivation (SD). To characterize cell populations with activity affected by SD, we used translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-seq to identify cell type-specific transcripts on pS6 ribosomes after SD vs. sleep. We next used pharmacogenetics to mimic the effects of SD, selectively activating hippocampal Sst+ interneurons or cholinergic inputs to hippocampus from the medial septum (MS) while mice slept in the hours following CFC. We also inhibited these neuronal populations to assess effects on memory consolidation. Results We find that pS6 in enhanced in the dentate gyrus (DG) following single-trial CFC, but is reduced throughout the hippocampus after brief SD – a manipulation which disrupts contextual fear memory (CFM) consolidation. Cell type-specific enrichment analysis (CSEA) of these transcripts revealed that hippocampal somatostatin-expressing (Sst+) interneurons, and cholinergic and orexinergic inputs to hippocampus, are selectively activated after SD. We used TRAP targeted to hippocampal Sst+ interneurons to identify cellular mechanisms mediating SD-driven Sst+ interneuron activation. . We find that activation of Sst+ interneurons is sufficient to disrupt CFM consolidation, by gating activity in surrounding pyramidal neurons, while inhibition of Sst+ interneurons enhances memory consolidation. Similarly, pharmacogenetic activation of cholinergic input to hippocampus from the MS disrupted CFM. Inhibition of MS cholinergic neurons promoted CFM consolidation and disinhibited neurons in the DG, increasing pS6 expression among DG granule cells. Conclusion Our data suggest that state-dependent gating of DG activity during SD is mediated by cholinergic input. Together these data provide evidence for an inhibitory gate on hippocampal information processing, which is activated by sleep loss. Support (if any) R01-NS118440 to SJA from NINDS, DP2-MH104119 to SJA from the NIH Director’s Office, and a Human Frontiers Science Program Young Investigator Award

The red upconversion (UC) emission of Eu3+ ions in Lu2O3: Yb3+/Eu3+ powders was successfully enhanced by tridoping Ho3+ ions in the matrix, which is due to the bridging function of Ho3+ ions. The experiment data manifest that, in Yb3+/Eu3+/Ho3+ tridoped system, the Ho3+ ions are first populated to the green emitting level 5F4/5S2 through the energy transfer (ET) processes from the excited Yb3+ ions. Subsequently, the Ho3+ ions at 5F4/5S2 level can transfer their energy to the Eu3+ ions at the ground state, resulting in the population of Eu3+5D0 level. With the assistance of the bridging function of Ho3+ ion, this ET process is more efficient than the cooperative sensitization process between Yb3+ ion and Eu3+ ion. Compared with Lu2O3: 5 mol % Yb3+/1 mol % Eu3+, the UC intensity of Eu3+5D0→7F2 transition in Lu2O3: 5 mol % Yb3+/1 mol % Eu3+/0.5 mol % Ho3+ is increased by a factor of 8.

Coal-based activated carbons doped with either N or B or a combination of the two were prepared for use as the electrode materials of supercapacitors by ball milling and subsequent activation using Xinjiang non-caking coal, melamine and boric acid as the respective carbon, nitrogen and boron sources. FTIR spectroscopy and XPS reveal that the B and N atoms are substitutionally incorporated into the carbon skeleton. These doped activated carbons contain a large number of mesopores. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that N- and B-doped activated carbons have a superior capacitance and rate performance to the non-doped one. The B-N co-doped material has the highest specific capacitance of 176 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, which is attributed to a synergistic effect of B-N co-doping. The capacitance of the co-doped sample remains at 96% of the original value after 20 000 cycles.

The monochromaticity improvement of green upconversion (UC) in Lu2O3:Yb3+/Ho3+ powders has been successfully realized by tridoping Eu3+. The integral area ratio of green emission to red emission of Ho3+ increases 4.3 times with increasing Eu3+ doping concentration from 0 to 20 mol %. The energy transfer (ET) mechanism in the Yb3+/Ho3+/Eu3+ tridoping system has been investigated carefully by visible and near-infrared (NIR) emission spectra along with the decay curves, revealing the existence of ET from the Ho3+ 5F4/5S2 level tothe Eu3+ 5D0 level and ET from the Ho3+ 5I6 level to the Eu3+ 7F6 level. In addition, the population routes of the red-emitting Ho3+ 5F5 level in the Yb3+/Ho3+ codoped system under 980 nm wavelength excitation have also been explored. The ET process from the Yb3+ 2F5/2 level to the Ho3+ 5I7 level and the cross-relaxation process between two nearby Ho3+ ions in the 5F4/5S2 level and 5I7 level, respectively, have been demonstrated to be the dominant approaches for populating the Ho3+ 5...

A series of reddish orange light-emitting NaBaLa2(PO4)3: Sm3+(NBLP:Sm3+) phosphors are designed and synthesized in this work for the first time. The crystal structure of NaBaLa2(PO4)3(NBLP) has been studied by the Rietveld refinement analysis, which shows that the NBLP belongs to eulytite-type orthophosphate. Luminescence properties of NBLP:Sm3+ phosphors were investigated in detail, including excitation and emission spectra, concentration quenching, fluorescence decay, Inokuti-Hirayama (I-H) model analysis, etc. The Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates exhibited a shift slightly from reddish-orange (0.5782, 0.4171) to orange (0.5605, 0.4312) with the increase of Sm3+ concentration. In addition, the NBLP:Sm3+ phosphor shows good thermal stability and acceptable quantum efficiency. From the obtained results, the prepared phosphor NBLP: Sm3+ can be demonstrated as a potential orange-red luminescent material.

Optical thermometry based on trivalent rare earth doped materials has attracted much attention recently. This article reported the temperature dependent near infrared luminescence of Ho 3+ doped in CaWO 4 phosphors. A series of CaWO 4 :Ho 3+ powders have been synthesized by high temperature solid state reaction. The XRD patterns showed that the Ho 3+ ions have occupied the lattice sites of Ca 2+ ions in the phosphors. The thermometry effect was demonstrated by different spectroscopic parameters through the emission intensity of Ho 3+ : 5 I 6 → 5 I 8 transition at ∼1190 nm, the spectral shift of the charge transfer band of W-O and the lifetime of Ho 3+ : 5 F 4 , 5 S 2 excited state. These three optical parameters present a simple linear relation with the temperature in the range of 30–300 °C. This allows for accurate thermal sensing based on simultaneous measurement of these parameters. Results show that CaWO 4 :Ho 3+ phosphors might be served as a potential candidate for thermometry.

A high-temperature solid-state method was used to synthesize the Ho3+- and Yb3+-codoped cubic Lu2O3 powders. The crystal structures of the as-prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The energy-transfer (ET) phenomenon between Ho3+ ions and Yb3+ ions was verified by the steady-state spectra including visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions. Beyond that, the decay curves were also measured to certify the existence of the ET process. The downconversion phenomena appeared when the samples were excited by 446 nm wavelength corresponding to the transition of Ho3+: 5I8→5G6/5F1. On the basis of the analysis of the relationship between the initial transfer rate of Ho3+: 5F3 level and the Yb3+ doping concentration, it indicates that the ET from 5F3 state of Ho3+ ions to 2F5/2 state of Yb3+ ions is mainly through a two-step ET process, not the long-accepted cooperative ET process. In addition, a 62% ET efficiency can be achieved in Lu2O3: 1% Ho3+/30% Yb3+. Unlike the common situations in which the ...

This study aimed to investigate whether Cr(VI) induced tight joint and oxidative damage in the small intestine, as mediated by the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/reactive oxygen species (ROS)/Notch1 axis crosstalk. Thirty-two ICR mice were obtained and subjected to Cr(VI) via intragastric administration daily for 5 days. Western blot (WB) analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, and immunofluorescence (IF) staining were applied to detect small intestinal damage, Nrf2, Notch1, and respective downstream targets in this research. Results showed that Cr(VI) led to the tight joint and oxidative damage in the small intestine of mice. Nrf2 was stimulated, and Notch1 (Notch intracellular domain, NICD1) was activated to translocate into the nucleus and activate an antioxidant action. These findings were validated by WB analysis and IF staining. ROS levels increased as the Cr(VI) concentration increased. The colocalization analysis of Nrf2 and NICD1 implied that a crosstalk between Nrf2 and Notch1 existed. Therefore, this study indicated that the Nrf2/ROS/Notch1 axis crosstalk could aggravate the tight joint and oxidative damage in the small intestine after Cr(VI) treatment.

Laccases (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductases, EC1.10.3.2) can oxidize various substrates, and those which are tolerant to and even activated by salts have attracted a lot of attention due to their application potential in certain industries. The mechanism of the salt activation of laccases is awaiting to be elucidated yet. Our previous study (Li, Xie et al. 2018) supposed that the salt activation of marine laccase Lac15 might be attributed to Cl- ion specifically binding to some local sites to interfere substrate binding and/or electron transfer. In this study, we found two sites whose mutations resulted in elimination of the salt activation of Lac15’s activity towards catechol and dopamine respectively, and revealed that the mutations affected the activity by altering both Em and kcat, demonstrating the supposed mechanism. A model for the salt activation of laccases was accordingly proposed, albeit some details are to be elucidated.

A series of lanthanide organic complexes, namely, [Ln2PDC3(H2O)3]H2O (Ln = Eu, Tb, EuxTb2–x, H2PDC: pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid), were synthesized via hydrothermal method. Eu-PDC was characteriz...

An approximately monochromatic red upconversion (UC) emission is successfully realized in NaScF4: Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles (NPs) through Mn2+ ions doping without phase transition. The Mn2+ ions play a role of bridge during the energy transfer process from green emission state 2H11/2/4S3/2 of Er3+ to red emission state 4F9/2 of Er3+, which significantly accelerates the red UC enhancement. The strongest red luminescence is observed in the sample containing 10% Mn2+ ions (Mn-10) with an enhancement factor of 7.5 times. Meanwhile, an ultrasensitive optical thermometry in the physiological temperature region can be realized by utilizing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) between two thermally coupled Stark transitions of Er3+: 4I13/2 → 4I15/2, locating in the near-infrared (NIR) long wavelength region of the second biological window. Its relative sensitivity SR can be expressed by 340/T2, which is much higher than most optical thermometers based on thermally coupled Stark sublevels reported by the previous papers. Beyond that, an ex vivo experiment is designed to evaluate the penetration depth of the red and NIR emission of Mn-10 in the biological tissues, revealing that they can reach depth of at least 3 mm and 5 mm respectively. More importantly, the increasing tissue thickness has almost no effect on the FIR values. All the results show that the present sample is a promising bi-functional nano probe which can be used for bioimaging and temperature sensing in the deep tissues through the strong red UC emission and ultrasensitive NIR optical thermometer, respectively.

By choosing C3 symmetric 2,4,6-tris-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TCTZ) as the ligand, a series of lanthanide metal-origanic complexes Tb1-xEux-TCTZ(DMF)·2H2O(x = 0, 0.01, 1) have been successfully synthesized via solvothermal reaction. The complexes present intense emission although with coordinationofwater molecules. The temperature-dependent photoluminescent (PL) properties of Tb-TCTZ is investigated both in terms of emission intensity and lifetime in order to establish their potentials as luminescent themometers. It shows excellent responseto temperature from 303 to 403 K and exhibits the maximum relative sensitivity(Sr) as high as 5.36% K−1 at 403 K. Tb0.99Eu0.01-TCTZ is evaluated for application as ratiometric luminescence thermometers, which exhibits high sensitivity to temperature in range of 303–403 K, with the maximum absolute sensitivity (Sa) and Sr as 5.16% and 3.22% K−1 respectively. The obtained maximum sensitivities in this study is superior to many materials reported. Moreover, the emission color changes from green at 303 K to red at 403 K, so that it is also suitable to act as colorimetric luminescent probes.

Yb3+ singly doped pyrovanadate Ca2V2O7 phosphors were prepared by conventional solid state reaction. The crystal structure of the powders was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The diffuse reflection spectrum, photoluminescence excitation, emission spectra were investigated. The intense near infrared down-shifting emission of Yb3+ ions were demonstrated upon excitation of ultraviolet (UV) photon in a wide range of 250–450 nm. The broad excitation band in UV is attributed to the overlap of Yb3+–O2− and V5+–O2− charge transfer band. With the combination of wide Yb-O charge transfer band, which is seldom reported to sensitize the down-shifting emission of Yb3+ ion, the spectral response of the spectral converting materials is greatly extended. The energy transfer process from V-O and Yb-O charge transfer band to Yb3+ ions and involved mechanism have been discussed.

A series of the Sr 1.9 ZnW 1−x Mo x O 6 :0.05Eu 3+ ,0.05Li + phosphors was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The structure, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence and decay properties of the phosphors were investigated as a function of the W/Mo ratio. All prepared mixed compounds have a cubic structure. The experimental spectroscopic results show the excitation bands of these phosphors is in the near ultraviolet region; the red-shift of these bands is observed upon increase of the Mo concentration. The strong red and weak orange-red emissions centered at 614 and 595 nm, respectively, were observed, which indicates that Eu 3+ occupies the non-centrosymmetric site. Co-doping with Mo can enhance the luminescent intensity and the optimal concentration was determined to be x = 0.4. Combination of the first-principles calculations with the experimental spectroscopic measurements confirmed an indirect band gap character for the prepared phosphors and allowed for estimation of their band gap value. The obtained results show that the Sr 2 ZnW 1−x Mo x O 6 phosphors have considerable potential for the near ultraviolet excited white light emitting diodes.

Two complexes with benzoic acid (BA) and 4-chlorobenzoic acid (CBA) as ligands and trivalent erbium ion as central ion, [Er2(BA)6(DMF)2(H2O)2], DMF = N, N-dimethylformamide, C3H7NO, (Er-BA) (1) and [Er2(CBA)6(DMF)2(H2O)2] (Er-CBA) (2), have been synthesized by hydrothermal method. The complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and photoluminescence (PL). The XRD results indicate that each erbium ion is coordinated by eight oxygen atoms in a trigonal dodecahedron. The TGA results show that the complexes are well thermally stable. PL spectra illustrate that the ligand of BA can sensitize erbium ions effectively, hence the complexes show intense emission in near infrared region, which makes the complex as a potential emitting material for bio-labeling and fiber communication.

High resolution spectra and luminescent lifetimes of 6 europium(III)-cinnamic acid complex {[Eu2L6(DMF)(H2O)]·nDMF·H2O}m (L=cinnamic acid I, 4-methyl-cinnamic acid II, 4-chloro-cinnamic acid III, 4-methoxy-cinnamic acid IV, 4-hydroxy-cinnamic acid V, 4-nitro-cinnamic acid VI; DMF=N, N-dimethylformamide, C3H7NO) were recorded from 8 K to room temperature. The energy levels of Eu(3+) in these 6 complexes are obtained from the spectra analysis. It is found that the energy levels of the central Eu(3+) ions are influenced by the nephelauxetic effect, while the triplet state of ligand is lowered by the p-π conjugation effect of the para-substituted functional groups. The best energy matching between the ligand triplet state and the central ion excited state is found in complex I. While the other complexes show poorer matching because the gap of (5)D0 and triplet state contracts.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are serious problems in landscape waters sourced from reclaimed water. In this study, the suppression effects of UV-C irradiation on microalgal growth were researched to find a possible preventive approach. Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella vulgaris were exposed to UV-C irradiation and then cultured in real reclaimed water for 7–18 d. UV-C irradiation at 50–200 mJ cm−2 could inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa, C. vulgaris, and both microalgae in co-culture for 3–14, 1–3, and 1–5 d respectively. In addition, UV-C irradiation could cause damage to the cell integrity. At 100–200 mJ cm−2 UV-C, the proportion of microalgal membrane damage (Pmd) in M. aeruginosa cells increased rapidly to 56%–76% from day 3, whereas that in C. vulgaris cells increased to 23%–62% within 3 d. The photochemical efficiency (represented by Y value) of the irradiated groups was negatively affected immediately after UV-C irradiation and recovered gradually during the incubation. The Y value of M. aeruginosa cells began to recover from days 3 to 14, whereas that of C. vulgaris recovered much more quickly, from days 0.1 to 1. Overall, the irradiation-induced suppressive effects on algal growth correlated positively with the UV-C doses. Because M. aeruginosa was more sensitive to UV-C irradiation, UV-C irradiation not only controlled the total biomass of the mixed algae but also selectively reestablished the dominance of the nontoxic C. vulgaris.

Developing Li-ion storage with high rate capability and long cycling life is indispensable for applications where fast charge/discharge is required. To achieve this goal, interfacial pesudocapacitance is introduced by doping TiO2 nanowire with N and S, which have been obtained after annealing process in the presence of thiourea. As a result, a high reversible capacity and ultra-long cycling stability is achieved. Moreover, a hybrid lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) is assembled and it is able to deliver an energy density of 45.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 175 W kg−1.

A series of luminescent lanthanide compounds with 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrafluoro-1, 4-benzenedicarboxylate (H2BDC-F4) acting as the organic ligand have been synthesized by solvothermal reaction. The terbium compound (C1: Tb-BDC-F4) and europium compound (C7: Eu-BDC-F4) exhibit intense green and red luminescence respectively upon excitation of the ligand at room temperature, which suggests that H2BDC-F4 ligand can sensitize Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions effectively. The emitting color of the mixed lanthanide compounds is tunable from green to red in the mixed lanthanide compounds TbxEu1-x-BDC-F4 (x = 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 1%, and 2%), which is caused by energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+. The self-reference ratiometric optical thermometry was realized by fluorescence intensity ratio between Tb3+ green emission (∼544 nm) and Eu3+red emission (∼ 619 nm). The maximum relative sensitivity SR,max is 0.76%K−1@50 K. Furthermore, the emitting color of C5: Eu0.01Tb0.99-BDC-F4 could be tuned from green to orange by temperature in the range of 50 to 300 K. It allows the mixed Eu/Tb-BDC-F4 compounds to be potentially used as sensitive luminescent materials to directly imagine the temperature distribution.

With aging, various factors deteriorate the normal sleep process that is essential for the restoration of functional and physical performance. Due to aging-related diseases, life changes, or aging itself, disturbances in normal sleep cycles can profoundly affect healthy aging. To understand the interconnections between aging and the factors influencing sleep, with emerging evidence accumulated in recent years, this study elaborates on the roles of aging in sleep from four perspectives: cortical thinning, white matter degeneration, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and circadian disorganization. In brief, with aging, cortical thinning can be induced by the deposition of neurotoxic substances, and white matter degeneration can be induced by vascular abnormalities. These alterations emerging in the brain jointly disrupt sleep spindles and slow waves, leading to sleep disturbances. Age-related dysregulation in neurotransmitters (including galanin, orexin, serotonin, and adenosine) directly impairs the sleep modulation system. Disorganization in the circadian system consisting of suprachiasmatic nucleus dysfunction, reduced light transmission, and local circadian clock disruption collectively interrupts circadian rhythms, also causing sleep disturbances in the older. Of note is the bidirectional relationship between aging and sleep, which required us to examine this issue from different perspectives.

Yb3+ singly doped tellurite as-prepared glasses and glass ceramics were synthesized by high-temperature melt-quenching method. The excitation and emission spectra have shown that there is an efficient near-infrared (NIR) down-shifting due to the sensitization of a novel Yb3+–O2− charge-transfer (CT) band. The CT band in the present host is located at around 320 nm at room temperature, which is much lower than that in other oxide hosts reported before. The possible energy-transfer mechanism from the Yb3+–O2− CT band to the 2F5/2 multiplet of Yb3+ ions is discussed in detail. The concentration quenching is not observed even when the Yb3+-doped concentration is increased up to 40 mol%. The excitation of this strong broad CT band causes intense NIR emission of Yb3+:2F5/2→2F7/2 from 920 to 1120 nm, making the tellurite glasses suitable for efficient photovoltaic (PV) application as a spectral conversion material for the crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells.

Yb3+–Er3+ ion co-doped NaLnTiO4 (Ln = Y, Gd) up-conversion (UC) phosphors were successfully synthesized by a sol–gel method. The phase purity and the structure of the samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the optimal compositions were also determined according to their UC emission intensities. The samples emit orange light and their UC spectra were recorded with excitation by a laser diode with a 980 nm wavelength. The UC luminescence intensity could be enhanced greatly after introducing sensitizer Yb3+ ions, and the energy transfer (ET) from Yb3+ to Er3+ plays a vital role. The UC mechanism and processes responsible for the emissions were investigated and found to involve two-photon absorption. The lifetime of green emission in Er3+ singly doped and Yb3+–Er3+ co-doped samples were measured to prove the existence of ET. The temperature dependence of the fluorescence intensity ratios (FIR) for the two green UC emission bands peaked at 530 and 550 nm was studied in the range of 300–510 K under excitation by a 980 diode laser with about 4 W cm−2 power density, and the maximum sensitivity was approximately 0.0045 K−1 at 510 K for NaYTiO4 and 480 K for NaGdTiO4. This indicates that Yb3+–Er3+ ion co-doped NaLnTiO4 (Ln = Y, Gd) phosphors are potential candidates for optical temperature sensors.

Aliskiren (ALK) is a renin inhibitor that has been used in the treatment of hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine whether ALK could ameliorate pressure overload-induced heart hypertrophy and fibrosis, and to elucidate the mechanisms of action.Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was performed in mice to induce heart pressure overload. ALK (150 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), po), the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (10 mg·kg(-1) per week, ip) or the PKCβI inhibitor LY333531 (1 mg·kg(-1)·d-(1), po) was administered to the mice for 4 weeks. Heart hypertrophy, fibrosis and function were evaluated based on echocardiography, histological and biochemical measurements. Mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes of rats were used for in vitro experiments. The levels of signaling proteins were measured using Western blotting, while the expression of the relevant genes was analyzed using real-time QRT-PCR.TAC induced marked heart hypertrophy and fibrosis, accompanied by high levels of Ang II in plasma and heart, and by PKCβI/α and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in heart. Meanwhile, TAC induced autophagic responses in heart, i.e. increases in autophagic structures, expression of Atg5 and Atg16 L1 mRNAs and LC3-II and Beclin-1 proteins. These pathological alterations in TAC-mice were significantly ameliorated or blocked by ALK administration. In TAC-mice, 3-methyladenine administration also ameliorated heart hypertrophy, fibrosis and dysfunction, while LY333531 administration inhibited ERK phosphorylation and autophagy in heart. In mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes, CGP53353 (a PKCβI inhibitor) prevented ERK phosphorylation and autophagic responses, while U0126 (an ERK inhibitor) blocked autophagic responses.ALK ameliorates heart hypertrophy, fibrosis and dysfunction in the mouse model in setting of chronic pressure overload, via suppressing Ang II-PKCβI-ERK1/2-regulated autophagy.

Silicone rubber have been aged in air while under 25% compression at temperature up to 250°C. These studies examined the compression set of silicone rubber at accelerated (elevated) temperatures and were then used to make predictions about compression set at room temperature. The data obtained could be amenable to timetemperature superposition and Arrhenius treatment. The results suggest the presence of two degradation processes with activation energies of 71.6 kJ mol-1 (for temperatures above 165 °C) and 26.08 kJ mol-1 (for temperatures below 165 °C). Based on the extrapolation of the non-Arrhenius behavior, it was estimated that significant compression set loss would occur after around 67 years at 25 °C.

In order to develop a new high-efficient but low-cost sewage treatment technology, sewage treatment experiments have been accomplished in a new type sequencing batch reactor with concrete bio-films. During experiments, simulation sewage was taken as raw water, and the operation sequence of the reactor was taken as 1.25h for water input and hypoxia, 1.25h for aeration, 0.5h for precipitation and 0.5h for water discharge successively. It has been shown by the experimental results that the reactor has optimal sewage purification effects, such as its average pollutant removal rate can arrive at about 95% for COD and BOD5, near 70% for ammonia hydrogen and about 40% for total phosphorus under the experimental condition. Main factors influencing the reactor purification effect have been discovered as pollutant volume load, ratio C/N, water temperature and amount of bio-films installed in the reactor. The mechanism of their influences has been also discussed in this paper.

Molecular distillation (MD) was applied for enrichment of cuminaldehyde and p-mentha-1,4-dien-7-al in cumin oil in the present study. A central composite rotate design was used to optimize the experimental parameters: distilling temperature and distilling pressure. The effects of distilling temperature and distilling pressure on distillates yield, contents of cuminaldehyde and p-mentha-1,4-dien-7-al were systematically studied by response surface methodology and perturbation plot. Results indicated that distilling temperature and distilling pressure were two important factors in MD process, both of them and their interaction term had significant effects on all the responses (P

The simplified model for 4f-5d transitions is applied to obtain the line strengths for emission, ground-state absorption and excited states absorption involving 4f-5d transitions of Nd3+ in crystals. The results are host independent for the usual case where 5d crystal-field interaction can be considered as strong, in the sense that the calculated 5d-4f emission relative line strengths will be the same for Nd3+ in any host. Also the calculated 4f-5d absorption line strengths can be grouped by the 5d crystal-field components. For each 5d crystal-field component, the group of absorption line strengths for different 4f25d transition final states forms a pattern independent of the 5d crystal-field component and the host. For practical cases, due to strong but still limited 5d crystal-field splitting, the transitions to different 5d crystal-field components may overlap each other. The theoretical results are used to interpret available experimental data.

Lead borate glasses xB2O3+(99–x)PbO+0.5Eu2O3 (x=70, 60, …, 10) were prepared by melt-quenching method. The luminescent properties were characterized with excitation and emission spectra. The emission intensities for 5D0-7FJ (J=0–4) were analyzed to give variation of the relative electric dipole line strengths with the composition of glasses so as to examine the crucial implicit assumption of independent electric dipole line strength on the composition of glass in the Phys. Rev. Lett. 2003, 91, 203903 paper studying local-field effect.

Resveratrol, existing in two isomeric trans-and cis-forms, is a phytoalexin that has pharmacological activities, like anti-cancer and anti-cardiovascular diseases as well as life-span increasing properties. Grapes are good sources for resveratrol introduction in the human diet not only directly, but also through its products: wine. In the present work, trans-resveratrol determination and the separation of resveratrol isomers were investigated by the use of micro-high performance liquid chromatography. The analysis conditions were optimized. The baseline separation of trans-and cis-resveratrol was obtained. Further, a trans-resveratrol determination of some grapes growing in Shacheng, Huailai, Hebei province, China was carried out with our analytical method. The concentrations were 6.77 +/- 0.12 and 3.95 +/- 0.18 (microg/g fresh weight) for merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes, respectively.

GA(3) and GA(4) (gibberellins) play an important role in controlling gravitropism and tension wood formation in woody angiosperms. In order to improve our understanding of the role of GA(3) and GA(4) on xylem cell formation and the G-layer, we studied the effect of GA(3) and GA(4) and uniconazole-P, which is an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis, on tension wood formation by gravity in Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. var. japonica Maxim. seedlings. Forty seedlings were divided into two groups; one group was placed upright and the other tilted. Each group was further divided into four sub-groups subjected to the following treatments: 3.43 x 10(-9) micromol acetone as control, 5.78 x 10(-8) micromol gibberellic acid (GA(3)), 6.21 x 10(-8) micromol GA(4), and 6.86 x 10(-8) micromol uniconazole-P. During the experimental period, GAs-treated seedlings exhibited negative gravitropism, whereas application of uniconazole-P inhibited negative gravitropic stem bending. GA(3) and GA(4) promoted wood fibers that possessed a gelatinous layer on the upper side, whereas uniconazole-P inhibited wood formation but did not inhibit the differentiation of the gelatinous layer in wood fibers on the upper side. These results suggest that: (i) both the formation of gelatinous fibers and the quantity of xylem production are important for the negative gravitropism in horizontally-positioned seedlings; (ii) GA(3) and GA(4) affect wood production more than differentiation of the gelatinous layer in wood fibers; G-layer development may be regulated by other hormones via the indirect-role of GA(3) and GA(4) in horizontally-positioned F. mandshurica seedlings rather than the direct effect of GAs; and (iii) the mechanism for upward wood stem bending is different to the newly developed shoot bending in reaction to gravity in this species.

In efforts to identify naturally occurring compounds that act as protective agents, resveratrol, a phytoalexin existing in wine, has attracted much interest because of its diverse pharmacological characteristics. Considering that apoptosis induction is the most potent defense approach for cancer treatment, we have tried to summarize our present understanding of apoptosis induction by resveratrol based on the two major apoptosis pathways.

In the present study, we investigated the role of gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole acetic acid (IAA) in the gravity response of stems and tension wood formation using two-year-old stems of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. var. japonica Maxim seedlings. Forty-five seedlings were used and divided into nine groups that included five seedlings in each group. Seedlings were treated with applications of GA3 alone at concentrations of 2.89 × 10−8and 2.89 × 10−7μmol/L, IAA alone at concentrations of 5.71×10−8 and 5.71×10−7μmol/L, or their combination to the apical bud of the stem using a micropipette. Seedlings were positioned horizontally after the first treatment. The same treatments were repeated six times per week. At the end of the experiment, all seedlings were harvested. Then, stem segments were cut under a light microscope. Application of exogenous GA3 at the higher concentration stimulated the upward bending of stems, whereas exogenous IAA had no effect. A synergistic effect of GA3 and IAA on upward stem bending was observed following application of the two combinations of GA3 and IAA. Moreover, application of exogenous GA3 at the higher dose stimulated wood formation on both the upper and lower sides of the stems, whereas the mixture of GA3 and IAA had a synergistic effect on wood formation in horizontal stems. Application of exogenous IAA alone at the lower concentration (5.71×10−8μmol/L) or application of a mixture of the higher concentrations of GA3 (2.89×10−7μmol/L) and IAA (5.71×10−7μmol/L) inhibited the development of gelatinous fibers (the G-layer) of tension wood on the upper side of the horizontal stems. The differentiation of gelatinous fibers of tension wood was not inhibited by GA3 when it was applied alone, whereas the development of the gelatinous fibers of tension wood was strongly affected by the application of IAA. The findings of the present study suggest that the development of the G-layer is not related to the dose of GA3, but needs a relatively lower concentration of IAA. (Managing editor: Ya-Qin Han)