Search

This article has presented a unified electrothermal behavior modeling method for both silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ( mosfet ) and gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The electrothemal behavior of these two kind of devices in both the first and the third quadrant is accurately modeled with serval compact equations. A modeling data and optimization algorithm-based parameter extraction method have been proposed to replace the previous time consuming and labor intensive one. The proposed parameter fitting algorithm is a genetic algorithm and Levenberg–Marquardt combined optimization algorithm possessing the advantages of global optimization and fast convergence speed, and modeling data can come from both datasheets and measurement. The correctness and accuracy of the proposed modeling method has been verified by simulation and experiment result. Meanwhile, it has been proved that the proposed modeling method is applicable to several commercially available SiC mosfet s and GaN HEMTs.

This study assessed the effect and potential molecular mechanism of tanshinone IIA on fracture healing. Mice model with fracture were established. Digital radiographic photographic system was used to detect callus formation after treatment with tanshinone II A (Tan IIA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining analyzed ALP activity. Osteoblast proliferation was also measured. Western blot and Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) measured osteogenic markers expression. Compared with control group, Tan IIA treatment could increase callus formation, stimulate osteoblast proliferation, osteogenic proteins and genes expression, and activate mTORC1 signaling pathway. However, Tan IIA’s effects were significantly inhibited after rapamycin treatment. Tan IIA regulates osteoblast differentiation by mTORC1 signaling and promotes intramembranous ossification in the process of callus formation, which accelerates bone healing.

The reconstruction of irradiated bone defects after settlement of skeletal tumors remains a significant challenge in clinical applications. In this study, we explored radiation‐induced skeletal stem cell (SSC) stemness impairments and rescuing effects of ferulic acid (FA) on SSCs in vitro and in vivo. The immunophenotype, cell renewal, cell proliferation, and differentiation of SSCs in vitro after irradiation were investigated. Mechanistically, the changes in tissue regeneration‐associated gene expression and MAPK pathway activation in irradiated SSCs were evaluated. The regenerative capacity of SSCs in the presence of FA in an irradiated bone defect mouse model was also investigated. We found that irradiation reduced CD140a‐ and CD105‐positive cells in skeletal tissues and mouse‐derived SSCs. Additionally, irradiation suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, and osteogenic differentiation of SSCs. The RNA‐Seq results showed that tissue regeneration‐associated gene expression decreased, and the Western blotting results demonstrated the suppression of phosphorylated p38/MAPK and ERK/MAPK in irradiated SSCs. Notably, FA significantly rescued the radiation‐induced impairment of SSCs by activating the p38/MAPK and ERK/MAPK pathways. Moreover, the results of imaging and pathological analyses demonstrated that FA enhanced the bone repair effects of SSCs in an irradiated bone defect mouse model substantially. Importantly, inhibition of the p38/MAPK and ERK/MAPK pathways in SSCs by specific chemical inhibitors partially abolished the promotive effect of FA on SSC‐mediated bone regeneration. In summary, our findings reveal a novel function of FA in repairing irradiated bone defects by maintaining SSC stemness and suggest that the p38/MAPK and ERK/MAPK pathways contribute to SSC‐mediated tissue regeneration postradiation., Irradiation caused significant impairment of skeletal stem cell (SSC) stemness via inactivation of MAPK pathways. Ferulic acid (FA) rescued the irradiated SSC partially via reactivated MAPK signaling.

BACKGROUND Tigecycline has been widely used to treat hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) off-label since it is effective against a wide range of multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, no recommended dosage for this indication has been evaluated, resulting in possible inadequate treatment. AIMS The aims of this study are to establish the population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model of tigecycline in Chinese patients with HAP, as well as to evaluate the exposure-response relationship for the treatment of HAP with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. METHODS A PPK analysis of tigecycline was conducted on pooled data from 328 blood samples obtained from 89 patients with HAP. Tigecycline plasma concentrations were measured by a two-dimensional liquid chromatographic system and the data were analysed using Phoenix NLMETM software. Exposure-response analyses for efficacy were performed based on the data from 79 HAP patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections. Classification and regression tree and logistic regression analyses were employed to identify which pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) indices and magnitudes were the significant predictors of tigecycline efficacy. RESULTS A two-compartment model with zero-order absorption and first-order elimination adequately described the data. A larger body weight was associated with increased central volume of distribution and clearance (P

Massive vanadium additions as hard phases in powder metallurgy high-speed steels (PM HSS) lead to higher cost and bad machinability. In this study, ultrahigh alloy PM HSS with CPM121 (10W−5Mo−4Cr−10V−9Co, wt.%) as the basic composition, was directly compacted and activation sintered with near-full density (>99.0%) using pre-oxidized and ball-mixed element and carbide powders. Niobium-alloyed steels (w(V)+w(Nb)=10 wt.%) show higher hardness and wear resistance, superior secondary-hardening ability and temper resistance. But excess niobium addition (>5 wt.%) leads to coarsened carbides and deteriorated toughness. EPMA results proved that niobium tends to distribute in MC carbides and forces element W to form M6C and WC carbides. Further, the role of rotary forging on properties of niobium-alloyed steels (S3) was researched. After rotary forging with deformation of 40%, the bending strength and fracture toughness of niobium-alloyed steels could be further improved by 20.74% and 43.86% compared with those of sample S3 without rotary forging, respectively.

Gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) is liable to gate false turn-on problem when the gate crosstalk voltage exceeds its threshold voltage in the widely adopted phase-leg topology due to its low threshold voltage and high switching speed. Without considering the gate loop stray inductance, gate internal resistance, nonlinearity of parasitic capacitances and power loop stray parameters, traditional false turn-on analytical method is insufficient to support accurate analysis. And it has been found that GaN HEMT gate-source parasitic capacitance $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ previously assumed constant is otherwise highly nonlinear and has strong impacts on the gate crosstalk voltage. This paper has measured $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ by vector network analyzer and constructed an accurate nonlinear model of $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ , based on which an accurate GaN HEMT behavior model is further fulfilled. The accuracy of the proposed behavior model has been verified by large amounts of experiment results. The proposed GaN HEMT model is used to accurately calculate gate crosstalk voltage and switching losses. Besides, false turn-on induced extra loss has been calculated and is adopted as a criterion to evaluate the severity of false turn-on and optimal design method for false turn-on suppression has been detailed further.

The overactivation of macrophages causes chronic inflammatory diseases. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), potential drugs for clinical treatment, are modulators of macrophage inflammatory reaction. Therefore, the modulation of macrophage-mediated cell activity is expected to become a new therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In this study, 2 kinds of SCFAs (propionate and butyrate) were found to have anti-inflammatory effects in M. pneumoniae-stimulated THP-1 cells inflammatory. They inhibited the expressions of IL-4, IL-6, ROS, and NLRP3 inflammasome, while enhancing the expressions of IL-10 and IFN-γ. Our study revealed these 2 agents to repress transcriptional activities of NF-κB, which are important modulators of inflammation. Meanwhile, SCFAs can significantly enhance the autophagy induced by M. pneumoniae. Considering that SCFAs have few side effects, they might be the promising adjuvant therapy for the prevention and/or treatment of various inflammatory diseases.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys show great potential to be extensively applied in practice owing to their superior properties, while the poor corrosion resistance does undoubtedly restrict their applications. Superhydrophobic coatings with good repellency to corrosive solutions can significantly decrease the interaction between the corrosive species and the substrate, so that they are receiving a lot of attention to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys. Various strategies have been introduced to develop a superhydrophobic coating on Mg alloys, which were reviewed to elucidate the current research status to provide a clue or thinking for beginning researchers. Further, the existing issues of superhydrophobic coating were discussed, especially for their real applications in practice, mainly owing to their poor mechanical stability. Based on the existing issues, the future study was discussed to improve the stability of hierarchical structures and entrapped air pockets, impart the superhydrophobic coating self-healing property to repair the damaged area during service, provide double protection by incorporation of corrosion inhibitors, or even introduce slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces with lubricant layer to provide better corrosion protection for Mg alloys.

Recent studies have reported that FERMT1, a newly discovered adhesion protein, contributes to an aggressive phenotype in several solid malignancies. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of FERMT1 in gastric cancer remain unknown. We found that FERMT1 was overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. Clinical data analysis indicated that the expression of FERMT1 correlated with the overall survival of gastric cancer patients. Patients with higher FERMT1 expression had lower survival rates than patients with lower FERMT1 expression. We established stable cell lines with FERMT1 knockdown and overexpression. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that knockdown of FERMT1 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells. Mechanistically, FERMT1 was found to activate NF-κB signaling by promoting the degradation of IκBα, thereby promoting gastric cancer. These results provide new evidence of the oncogenic effects of FERMT1 in gastric cancer and suggest that FERMT1 might be a promising target for gastric cancer treatment.

Solid-state stimuli-responsive materials are attracting increasing attention due to their broad prospects in the field of functional materials, but there are still some challenges. We design and synthesize two efficient solid-state stimuli-responsive materials SP-TPEm (m = 4, 6) based on TPE covalent connection with N-position of spiropyran through different lengths of alkyl spacers. Both of them show aggregation-induced emission behaviors. Efficient solid-state photoswitching between SP-TPEm and their photoisomer MC-TPEm is achieved. Both of the two films show great stimulus-responsive properties, and the characteristic emission peak is at around 460 nm for TPE and 601 nm for MC isomer. Therefore, SP-TPE4 is applied as an anticounterfeiting ink due to its great solid-state photochromic characteristics. In addition, the solid-state films of SP-TPEm are acidochromic responsive. Moreover, the surface wettability of the SP-TPEm films can be adjusted by UV light. Hence, we provide a new strategy for building solid-state multifunctional materials.

A luminescent tungsten(vi) complex catalyses a broad spectrum of light-driven organic transformation reactions with high product yields and good functional group tolerance., The realization of photocatalysis for practical synthetic application hinges on the development of inexpensive photocatalysts which can be prepared on a large scale. Herein an air-stable, visible-light-absorbing photoluminescent tungsten(vi) complex which can be conveniently prepared at the gram-scale is described. This complex could catalyse photochemical organic transformation reactions including borylation of aryl halides, such as aryl chloride, reductive coupling of benzyl bromides for C–C bond formation, reductive coupling of phenacyl bromides, and decarboxylative coupling of redox-active esters of alkyl carboxylic acid with high product yields and broad functional group tolerance.

Purpose Edaravone is a free-radical scavenger with relatively favorable properties of brain penetration. It has been approved for the indications of acute ischemic stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aimed to establish a pharmacokinetic (PK) model to fit the PK profile of edaravone after a single sublingual (SL) dose of a novel edaravone tablet and single IV infusion of injectable edaravone in healthy Chinese volunteers participating in a bioavailability study. The model is expected to be useful for predicting the concentration–time profiles of edaravone following different dosing regimens in a healthy Chinese population. The purposes were to identify an optimal dose and dosing regimen for the new SL formulation and to support future clinical exploration of this tablet product in its approved indications and other therapeutic fields being developed. Methods The PK profiles after a single SL dose or IV infusion of edaravone 30 mg can be well described by a 3-compartment linear disposition model, on which a first-order absorption model with a lag time and a parameter for bioavailability was incorporated to fit the absorption phase of the SL dose. Performance of these PK models was evaluated for goodness of fit, residual trends, visual predictive checks, as well as precision of model predictions against external data. The validated models were employed for simulating the PK profiles of edaravone after a single SL dose of 60 mg and IV infusion of 60 mg for 60 min. Findings The resultant estimates support the possibility and feasibility of demonstrating bioequivalence between an SL administration of edaravone 60 mg and the currently approved dosing regimen for ALS (ie, 60 mg IV over 60 min) once per day. The calculation of sample size suggested that the requirement for subject number was acceptable considering the general capacity of a Phase I study center, and so were the procedures defined in the protocol. Implication The models can be further applied to simulate favorable concentration–time profiles in diseases with different underlying courses of oxidative stress, and hence facilitate the optimization of current dosing regimens.

For high-frequency high-current low-voltage applications, planar matrix transformer for unregulated LLC converter has been adopted to achieve high power density and high efficiency. Compared to unregulated LLC converter, the phase shift between the primary current and the secondary current of the matrix transformer is larger in regulated LLC converter as a result of lower magnetising inductance. Thus, the conventional winding loss model is not applicable to the matrix transformer for regulated LLC converter. Aiming at this problem, an accurately winding dc resistance model and an analytic winding ac resistance model are proposed in this study to calculate the winding loss of the matrix transformer. In addition, lower magnetising inductance also causes more serious fringing field near the air gap. Then, a calculation method to model the winding loss due to the fringing field is investigated. With the proposed model, design and optimisation of the matrix transformer for regulated LLC converter are described in detail subsequently. The proposed model is verified by a Gallium Nitride based 400 W LLC converter prototype with a power density of 443 W/in 3 and a peak efficiency of 96.1%.

The hydrogen evolution reaction in seawater is investigated using porous Ni-Cr-Fe, Ni-Fe-Mo, Ni-Fe-C and Ni-Ti electrodes, prepared by elemental powder reactive synthesis methods. The open porosity of the four kinds of electrode materials is 23.05%, 20.47%, 25.27%, and 29.05%, respectively. The electrochemical performance of the four kinds of electrodes has been researched by polarization measurement, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The preliminary results demonstrate that the porous Ni-Cr-Fe electrode has superior catalytic activity and relatively good long-term stability for hydrogen evolution reaction in seawater. The high efficiency and reasonable stability of the porous Ni-Cr-Fe electrode catalyst demonstrate its promising applications in the rising hydrogen revolution.

Background Radial extracorporeal shockwave (r-ESW), an innovative and noninvasive technique, is gaining increasing attention in regenerative medicine due to its mechanobiological effects. Subchondral bone stem/progenitor cells (SCB-SPCs), originating from the pivotal zone of the osteochondral unit, have been shown to have multipotency and self-renewal properties. However, thus far, little information is available regarding the influences of r-ESW on the biological properties of SCB-SPCs and their therapeutic effects in tissue regeneration. Methods SCB-SPCs were isolated from human knee plateau osteochondral specimens and treated with gradient doses of r-ESW in a suspension stimulation system. The optimized parameters for SCB-SPC self-renewal were screened out by colony-forming unit fibroblast assay (CFU-F). Then, the effects of r-ESW on the proliferation, apoptosis, and multipotency of SCB-SPCs were evaluated. Moreover, the repair efficiency of radial shockwave-preconditioned SCB-SPCs was evaluated in vivo via an osteochondral defect model. Potential mechanisms were explored by western blotting, confocal laser scanning, and high-throughput sequencing. Results The CFU-F data indicate that r-ESW could augment the self-renewal of SCB-SPCs in a dose-dependent manner. The CCK-8 and flow cytometry results showed that the optimized shockwave markedly promoted SCB-SPC proliferation but had no significant influence on cell apoptosis. Radial shockwave exerted no significant influence on osteogenic capacity but strongly suppressed adipogenic ability in the current study. For chondrogenic potentiality, the treated SCB-SPCs were mildly enhanced, while the change was not significant. Importantly, the macroscopic scores and further histological analysis strongly demonstrated that the in vivo therapeutic effects of SCB-SPCs were markedly improved post r-ESW treatment. Further analysis showed that the cartilage-related markers collagen II and proteoglycan were expressed at higher levels compared to their counterpart group. Mechanistic studies suggested that r-ESW treatment strongly increased the expression of YAP and promoted YAP nuclear translocation in SCB-SPCs. More importantly, self-renewal was partially blocked by the YAP-specific inhibitor verteporfin. Moreover, the high-throughput sequencing data indicated that other self-renewal-associated pathways may also be involved in this process. Conclusion We found that r-ESW is capable of promoting the self-renewal of SCB-SPCs in vitro by targeting YAP activity and strengthening its repair efficiency in vivo, indicating promising application prospects.

BACKGROUND Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, is a malignant pediatric embryonal renal tumor that has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to use bioinformatics data, RNA-sequencing, connectivity mapping, molecular docking, and ligand-protein binding to identify potential targets for drug therapy in Wilms tumor. MATERIAL AND METHODS Wilms tumor and non-tumor samples were obtained from high throughput gene expression databases, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using the voom method in the limma package. The overlapping DEGs were obtained from the intersecting drug target genes using the Connectivity Map (CMap) database, and systemsDock was used for molecular docking. Gene databases were searched for gene expression profiles for complementary analysis, analysis of clinical significance, and prognosis analysis to refine the study. RESULTS From 177 cases of Wilms tumor, there were 648 upregulated genes and 342 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the identified DEGs that affected the cell cycle. After obtaining 21 candidate drugs, there were seven overlapping genes with 75 drug target genes and DEGs. Molecular docking results showed that relatively high scores were obtained when retinoic acid and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, alsterpaullone, were docked to the overlapping genes. There were significant standardized mean differences for three overlapping genes, CDK2, MAP4K4, and CRABP2. However, four upregulated overlapping genes, CDK2, MAP4K4, CRABP2, and SIRT1 had no prognostic significance. CONCLUSIONS RNA-sequencing, connectivity mapping, and molecular docking to investigate ligand-protein binding identified retinoic acid and alsterpaullone as potential drug candidates for the treatment of Wilms tumor.

The microstructure and oxidation behavior at high temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1100 °C of equiatomic CrMoNbTaV high-entropy alloy produced by vacuum arc melting were investigated. The phase component, microstructure, and microhardness of the alloy were examined by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope, and Vickers hardness tests, respectively. The as-cast alloy consists of a single body-centered cubic (BCC) refractory metal solid solution due to the high mixing entropy effect and exhibits a dendritic microstructure. The alloy has a very high microhardness value of 923 HV due to the strong solid solution strengthening effect. The average microhardness in interdendrites (950 HV) was higher than that in dendrites (896 HV) because of composition segregation. The oxidation kinetic curves of the alloy after exposure to air at 900 and 1000 °C follow the pseudo-parabolic rate law, while the mass gain increases first and then decreases at 1100 °C. The thickness of the oxide layer increases with the increasing of oxidation time. The long rod-shaped oxidation products are composed of Nb2O5, NbO2, CrTaO4, CrNbO4, Ta9VO25, Nb9VO25, and TaO after oxidation at 900 and 1000 °C for 25 h. The oxides of CrTaO4 and CrNbO4 disappear as the oxidation temperature elevated to 1100 °C.

The structure of a Vibrio cholerae ‘exo’-glycosidase from CAZy family GH9 has been solved at 3.17 Å resolution. Preliminary activity assays show that the enzyme is active towards both chitosan-derived oligosaccharides and β-glucosides., Glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) of carbohydrate-processing enzymes primarily consists of inverting endoglucanases. A subgroup of GH9 enzymes are believed to act as exo-glucosidases or exo-glucosaminidases, with many being found in organisms of the family Vibrionaceae, where they are proposed to function within the chitin-catabolism pathway. Here, it is shown that the GH9 enzyme from the pathogen Vibrio cholerae (hereafter referred to as VC0615) is active on both chitosan-derived and β-glucoside substrates. The structure of VC0615 at 3.17 Å resolution is reported from a crystal form with poor diffraction and lattice disorder. VC0615 was highly refractory to crystallization efforts, with crystals only appearing using a high protein concentration under conditions containing the precipitant poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA). The structure is highly mobile within the crystal lattice, which is likely to reflect steric clashes between symmetry molecules which destabilize crystal packing. The overall tertiary structure of VC0615 is well resolved even at 3.17 Å resolution, which has allowed the structural basis for the exo-glucosidase/glucosaminidase activity of this enzyme to be investigated.

In the search of a potent candidate for neurotherapy, we designed and synthesized various analogues of ganglioside Hp-s1. The modification includes the change in hydrophobicity by varying the carbon chain length, altering the number of hydrogen bonds, and replacing the anomeric atom. The chemical synthesis was carried out by using various methods and discussed in details. The neuritogenic activities of these analogues are confirmed in a human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. A higher activity of ganglioside Hp-s1 analogue on IL-17A transcript upregulation than ganglioside Hp-s1 was found.

A novel 3D 2-fold interpenetrated Co(II)-coordination polymer (H2HMe2)[Co(TATAB)(MeOH)]·(DMF)2(H2O) (1) (H3TATAB = 4,4′,4′′-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyl-tri-p-aminobenzoic acid) based on a wave-like network has been assembled by incorporating six-coordinated Co units with nitrogen-rich tritopic carboxylate ligands under solvothermal conditions. Topological analysis results show that this coordination polymer possesses a 2-fold interpenetrated 3-connected SrSi2-type net with a point symbol of (103), which belongs to the Class IIa interpenetrating mode. The antitumor activity of compound 1 and its corresponding organic ligand H3TATAB were then investigated against three human liver cancer cell lines (Hep G2, HHCC and BEL-7405) by MTT assay. It was found that compared with H3TATAB, compound 1 exerted rather potent activity against all of these cell lines.

Guard cells can integrate and process multiple complex signals from the environment and respond by opening and closing stomata in order to adapt to the environmental conditions changing. Over the past several years, considerable research progress has been made in our understanding of the role of calcium (Ca2+), nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as essential signal molecules that mediate abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure. However, the sequence or epistasis of signaling cascade elements remains unknown. Here, we report that there are some relationships between extracellular Ca2+ induced cytosolic free Ca2+ increases (CICI) and ABA signal transduction in guard cell. ABA-induced stomatal closure in CASas mutant indicates that CAS activity is not required for ABA-induced stomatal closure, while exogenous Ca2+ failed to induce stomatal closure in CASas mutant and ABA-insensitive mutant, abi1 and abi2, indicating that extracellular Ca2+-induced stomatal closure via CAS requires some components of ABA signal pathway in guard cells. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as a secondary messenger in the ABA-induced stomatal closure pathway, could not induce stomatal closure in CASas guard cells, it indicates that the functional CAS is required for H2O2 to induce stomatal closure. Nitric oxide (NO), another component of ABA-induced stomatal closure pathway, could induce stomatal closure in CASas guard cells while NO overproduction mutant-nox1 did not respond to exogenous high Ca2+, this demonstrates that NO acts downstream of CAS. Our results on the analysis of various Arabidopsis mutants indicate that NO and H2O2 maybe the points of connection between CICI and ABA signaling cascade in guard cell.

A simple and convenient copper-catalyzed direct oxyphosphorylation of enamides with P(O)-H compounds and dioxygen has been developed under mild conditions. This methodology can allow the synthesis of a series of valuable β-ketophosphine oxides/β-ketophosphonates in moderate to good yields with a broad substrate scope simply by using readily-available starting materials.

A copper-catalyzed direct hydroxyphosphorylation of electron-deficient alkenes with H-phosphine oxides and dioxygen is reported. The present reaction, proceeds under mild reaction conditions with good functional group tolerance, affording the facile and efficient synthesis of various β-hydroxyphosphine oxides in a scaled-up manner with moderate to good yields.

An Ag(I)-functionalized MOF, MIL-101-SO3Ag, was synthesized and demonstrated to be an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst for the syntheses of propargylamines through A3 coupling of aldehydes, terminal alkynes and amines. A quite small amount of the catalyst can efficiently catalyze the reactions of aliphatic aldehydes, alkynes, and amines under solvent-free conditions to give propargylamines in excellent yields (>90%). The TOF can be as high as 6600 h−1. The catalytic efficiency is higher than other catalysts available in the literature. The catalyst could be easily recycled without a significant loss of its catalytic activity. In addition, we found that the catalyst also promotes the secondary reaction in which the propargylamines formed from aromatic aldehydes undergo propargyl-to-allenyl isomerization and subsequent hydrolysis to give chalcones.

Dye sludge is a major by-product and it will bring critical environmental problems in the textile industry. In this study, dicyandiamide formaldehyde resin (DFR) is used as an effective flocculating agent for the removal of anionic dyes from textile dye wastewater. Employing dye-contaminated sewage sludges as precursors, N, S dual-doped carbon materials are successfully synthesized by using DFR as a soft template. The specific surface area, morphology, and pore structure of the resulting annealed products can be easily controlled by changing the DFR content of the dye sludge. The oxygen reduction reaction performance of optimal carbon material (N, S-DF-2) is close to commercial 20% Pt/C in alkaline medium, including onset potential (0.98 V), half-wave potential (0.82 V), as well as limiting current density (5.46 mA&middot, cm&minus, 2). Furthermore, it also shows better durability and crossover resistance. In addition, N, S-DF-2 exhibits a large specific capacitance (230 F&middot, g&minus, 1 at 1 A&middot, 1) and super capacitance retention (nearly 98% at 10 A&middot, 1) after 2500 cycles as supercapacitors electrodes. This work opens up a new method to take full advantage of organic polymeric flocculant as a soft template to prepare N, S dual-doped carbon materials, which will be beneficial for the reuse and recycling of sewage sludge, as well as for the production of good quality energy conversion and storage materials.

It is important to increase the content of pyridine soluble in mesophase pitch to improve its spinnability. A naphthalene isotropic pitch was used as the raw material to prepare mesophase pitch by polymerization. The components of the polymerized products were analyzed by solvent extraction with benzene and pyridine, and classified as benzene soluble (BS), pyridine insoluble (PI) and benzene insoluble but pyridine soluble (BI-PS). The effects of polymerization temperature, time and the components of the raw material on the distribution of the components and optical texture of the mesophase pitch were investigated. The reaction kinetic constants were calculated assuming a consecutive reaction from BS to BI-PS, then to PI. Results show that a mesophase pitch with a relatively uniform distribution of components is obtained after reaction at 430 °C for 20 h from an isotropic pitch pre-polymerized at 400 °C for 10 h. The mesophase pitch synthesis reaction has a significant auto-acceleration effect in that the reaction rate constant of a heavy component is larger than a light one. The reaction rate becomes faster and faster as the molecular weight of the pitch increases in the latter stage of the synthesis reaction. Therefore, the initial component of raw pitch, reaction temperature and time have a decisive influence on the distribution of components in the mesophase pitch.

A new transition-metal-free PhI(OAc)2-promoted hydroboration reaction of terminal alkynes with bis(pinacolato)diboron has been developed at room temperature under air. A series of vinyl boronates could be conveniently and efficiently obtained in moderate to good yields with good regioselectivity and stereoselectivity as well as favorable functional group tolerance. The key I–B intermediates were first demonstrated in the present reaction system that explains the proposed mechanism.

A facile and efficient copper-catalyzed one-pot method for the construction of β-ketophosphine oxides has been developed via aerobic oxidative coupling of various ketones with P(O)–H compounds assisted by TBSOTf (t-butyldimethylsilyl triflate). Through this methodology, a series of β-ketophosphine oxides can be easily obtained in moderate to good yields with favorable functional group tolerance under very mild conditions. Isotope-labeling experiments suggested that the carbonyl oxygen atom of β-ketophosphine oxides originated from dioxygen.

The peak temperature and temperature profile greatly affect the defect formation and the joint strength during the friction stir welding processing. An analytical model is proposed and tested to estimate the peak temperature based on the common constitutive equation of inverse hyperbolic sine function and the fundamentals of continuum mechanics. The calculated results of the peak temperature are consistent with the literature data of several aluminium alloys.

The effect of sodium tartrate concentrations on morphology and characteristics of anodic oxide film on titanium alloy was investigated. The alloy substrates were anodized in different concentration solutions of sodium tartrate with the addition of PTFE emulsion and their morphology and characteristics were analyzed. The anodic oxide film presented a uniform petaloid drums and micro-cracks morphology. Additionally, micro-cracks dramatically swelled with the increase of the tartrate concentrations. The thickness of the anodic oxide film increased with the concentrations until the concentration reached 15 g/L. The results of Raman analysis illustrate that all samples have similarity in the crystal structure, consisting of mainly amorphous TiO 2 , some anatase TiO 2 and a small amount of rutile TiO 2 . And the ratios of anatase TiO 2 and rutile TiO 2 increase with the concentrations until it reaches 15 g/L. Furthermore, the intensity of the peaks increases with enhanced concentrations until the concentration reaches 15 g/L. The corrosion resistance of the anodic oxide film is increased by the sodium tartrate with higher concentrations before 15 g/L. The coefficient of friction of the anodic oxide film reduces with the concentrations until the concentration reaches 15 g/L, then the coefficient of friction of the anodic oxide film increases with the concentrations.

In this paper, a novel technique was presented for fabricating microwell array in large areas on a Polydimethylsiloxane films using high-speed scanning of a laser beam. A femtosecond laser double pulse ablation was achieved on Polydimethylsiloxane films. Microwells with various dimensions and sub-microstructures were successfully fabricated on Polydimethylsiloxane films, which has many applications such as optical devices. In this paper, we demonstrate that the surface roughness of the microwells is related to the laser parameters and a smooth surface can be obtained. The smooth surface of the fabricated microwells could be applied in optical imaging systems as concave microlenses, in which enables the high-resolution imaging. We also demonstrated that the microwells were formed by the transient localized electron dynamics. This work could lead to a new approach to the fast fabrication of large-area microstructures using the ultrafast laser processing technologies.

Twenty benzothiazole derivatives bearing a 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Among these compounds, 8h and 8l were appeared to have high radical scavenging efficacies as 0.05 ± 0.02 and 0.07 ± 0.03 mmol/L of IC50 values in ABTS+ bioassay, respectively. In anti-inflammatory tests, compound 8h displayed good activity with 57.35% inhibition after intraperitoneal administration, which was more potent than the reference drug (indomethacin). Molecular modeling studies were performed to investigate the binding mode of the representative compound 8h into COX-2 enzyme. In vitro enzyme study implied that compound 8h exerted its anti-inflammatory activity through COX-2 inhibition.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CAS), as a chloroplast thylakoid membrane protein, involved in the process of [Ca2+] ext-induced [Ca2+]cyt increase (CICI) in the plant. However, the underlying mechanism regulating this process is lacking. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that CAS may perform additional roles in the plant. Here, we provide an update covering the multiple roles of CAS in stomatal movement regulation and calcium signaling in the plant. We also analysis the possible phosphorylation mechanism of CAS by light and discuss the role of CAS in abiotic stress (drought, salt stress) and biotic stresses (plant immune signaling). Finally, we provide a perspective for future experiments which are required to fill gaps in our understanding of the biological function of CAS in the plant.

In this work, we introduce a simple and effective method for the controlled release of dye from dye saturation flocs by a well-designed pH responsive chitosan-based flocculant. The dye flocculation capacities could be precisely controlled from 0.5 to 2 g g−1 by simply adjusting the pH of the desorption solution. A series of flocs with different dye flocculation capacities was prepared and used as nitrogen-rich precursors to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon materials through one-step carbonization. The results demonstrate that the specific surface areas, pore structures and supercapacitance performance of the resulting N-doped carbon materials could be readily controlled by varying the dye flocculation capacity. By using a dye sludge floc with an appropriate dye flocculation capacity (1.5 g g−1) as a precursor, the resulting N-doped material exhibited a high specific capacity and good cycling performance for a supercapacitor electrode. The unique pH-responsive properties of the chitosan-based flocculant facilitated easy tuning of the surface cationic degree and deprotonation behavior by varying pH. This work presents a new concept for balancing between environmental capacity and energy capacity using a smart pH-responsive carrier system based on modified chitosan, which is highly promising for the recycling of industrial wastewater to produce energy materials.

Temperature and pH responsive starches (TPRS) were prepared by etherification of starch with varying degrees of substitution with butyl glycidyl ether (BGE) and 2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-6-chloro-[1,3,5]-triazine (BDAT). Their structure was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and their substitution degrees by both BGE and BDAT were determined by means of 1H NMR and elemental analysis. TPRS were demonstrated to be effective flocculants for anionic dye Avitera Red SE with the maximum color removal of 100% and a saturated flocculation capacity of 882 mg g−1. Adjustments in the temperature and pH induced phase transitions that facilitated easy regeneration and subsequent separation of the flocculant from the dye contaminant. The obtained starch flocculants with temperature and pH dual response can be readily recycled from the solution, and then reused many times while retaining high flocculation capacity, promising significant potential in real dye recovery from wastewater.

Liver diseases are closely associated with elevated levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), suggesting the ability to inhibit IL-8 production could enhance the treatment of liver diseases. Paeoniflorin is a major active constituent of dried Paeoniae Radix Alba root (Baishao in Chinese) which is widely used in China to treat liver diseases. We examined the effects and underlying mechanisms of paeoniflorin on IL-8 production in primary human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HHSECs). Concanavalin A (ConA) at 20 μg/mL produced a 5.2-fold increase in IL-8 mRNA by 8 h, and a 14.2-fold rise in IL-8 levels by 16 h. Inhibition of MEK (ERK kinase) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) by PD98059 and U0126, or inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) by LY294002 blocked both ConA-induced IL-8 mRNA expression and IL-8 secretion. Paeoniflorin reduced ConA-induced IL-8 mRNA expression and IL-8 release by 57.9% and 52.8%, respectively, and also decreased ConA-stimulated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt, suggesting paeoniflorin inhibits IL-8 expression and release by inhibiting the ERK1/2 and Akt pathways. Combining paeoniflorin with U0126 or LY294002 at low doses showed supra-additive inhibition of not only phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-Akt by 46.4% and 35.0%, but also IL-8 release by 42.4% and 36.1% and IL-8 mRNA expression by 43.5% and 31.8%, respectively. In conclusion, paeoniflorin most likely contributes to the therapy for liver disease by exerting anti-inflammatory effects on HHSECs through blocking IL-8 secretion via downregulation of ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays a central role in many signaling pathways leading to cell growth and differentiation in animals. However, the cellular roles for tyrosine phosphorylation in plant remain unclear. Here we describe that tyrosine phosphorylation involved in stomata closing pathway. Genistein, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), could prevent darkness and abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure of Vicia faba L. Stomatal closure induced by high external Ca2+ was prevented by phenylarsine oxide (PAO), a specific inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), which promoted closed stomata reopening. Using anti-phosphotyrosine antibody, we detected the distribution of phosphotyrosyl proteins (PYP) by the immuno-fluorescence and immuno-gold electron microscope techniques in guard cells of Vicia faba. It shows that PYP is localized to nucleus, cytoplasm, vacuole and chloroplast of guard cells. Interestingly, the distribution of PYP in chloroplast of guard cell mainly was localized on the surface of starch granule, indicating that there is some relationship between tyrosine phosphorylation and starch metabolism in guard cells. In addition, the starch content in leaves of Vicia faba can be enhanced by inhibiting the activity of PTPs with PAO. Overall, these studies and combined previous report suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation may modulate starch degradation in guard cells, and thus regulating the stomatal movement.

A thermo and pH dual-responsive starch (TPDS) was successfully synthesized by etherification, in which butyl glycidyl ether (BGE) was used as the hydrophobic reagent followed by addition of 2-chloro-4, 6-diglycino-[1,3,5]-triazine (CDT) groups. The obtained materials were characterized by Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and elemental analysis to confirm the structure and the average substitution degree of BGE and CDT on starch molecule. It was observed that the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the TPDS could be modulated from 31 °C to 47 °C by increasing pH of the solution. The effects of pH and the concentration of such materials on the energy-saving performance of TPDS which could be potentially used as smart windows were investigated by UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometry. The solar modulating ability (△Tsol) and the luminous transmittance (△Tlum) of the sample were 40.1% and 47.1% when 10 g/L TPDS was chosen at pH 3. The results indicate that TPDS exhibits excellent optical performance with a controllable LCST, which shows great potential for the application as a smart window.

A pH-responsive amphoteric starch derivative (PRAS) bearing dual functional groups (amino and carboxyl groups) was prepared through etherification of starch with 2-chloro-4,6-diglycino-[1,3,5]-triazine. PRAS exhibits a reversible pH-response property in aqueous solution. The attractive property of PRAS is that it could be used as an effective flocculant for heavy metal-ion (e.g. Cu(II) and Zn(II)) removal from wastewater by changing pH. The transition of hydrophobicity–hydrophilicity would produce shrinkage of the polymer matrix, facilitating the release of heavy-metal ions from the saturated flocculant. As an ideal flocculant PRAS displayed outstanding stability and reproducibility, whose remove rate for Cu(II) and Zn(II) remained at 93% and 91% after three flocculation/regeneration cycles.

Human nonlysosomal glucosylceramidase (GBA2) is one of several enzymes that controls levels of glycolipids and whose activity is linked to several human disease states. There is a major need to design or discover selective GBA2 inhibitors both as chemical tools and as potential therapeutic agents. Here, we describe the development of a fluorescence polarization activity-based protein profiling (FluoPol-ABPP) assay for the rapid identification, from a 350+ library of iminosugars, of GBA2 inhibitors. A focused library is generated based on leads from the FluoPol-ABPP screen and assessed on GBA2 selectivity offset against the other glucosylceramide metabolizing enzymes, glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), lysosomal glucosylceramidase (GBA), and the cytosolic retaining β-glucosidase, GBA3. Our work, yielding potent and selective GBA2 inhibitors, also provides a roadmap for the development of high-throughput assays for identifying retaining glycosidase inhibitors by FluoPol-ABPP on cell extracts containing recombinant, overexpressed glycosidase as the easily accessible enzyme source.

To determine whether IL-21 receptor signaling plays a significant role in promoting Tfh cell-mediated cardiac injury in viral myocarditis (VMC), we compared IL-21R-deficient mice for some parameters of VMC. Balb/c and IL-21R−/− mice were infected with CVB3. Frequencies of splenic Tfh cells were determined by flow cytometric analysis, and productions of anti-adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) autoantibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To determine the effects of IL-21R signal on the proliferation of B cells, lymphocytes from spleens of the IL-21R−/− and Balb/c mice infected by CVB3 were tagged with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and then were stimulated with lipopolysaccharides plus IL-21 or anti-IL-21 neutralizing antibody for 3 days. The proliferation of B cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Anti-ANT antibodies in the supernatants were detected by ELISA. Results showed that IL-21R−/− mice developed significantly less inflammation of the myocardium than Balb/c mice. Numbers of the Tfh cells and levels of anti-ANT antibody were decreased in IL-21R−/− mice, indicating IL-21 signaling plays a role on the Tfh cell response. The percentage of CD19+CFSE+ B cells decreased in IL-21R−/− mice compared to VMC mice. And anti-ANT antibodies were detected at lower levels in cultured supernatant from IL-21R−/− mice than in those from VMC mice. These data suggest that IL-21R signal may contribute to anti-ANT antibody production and expansion of B cells in VMC mice.

Seventy-one cultivars of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) were screened for aluminium (Al) tolerance by measuring relative root growth (RRG). Two contrasting cultivars, ROMA (Al tolerant) and POTCHETSTRM (Al sensitive), were selected to study shorter term responses to Al stress. POTCHETSTRM had higher callose synthase activity, lower β-1,3-glucanase activity and more callose deposition in the root apices during Al treatment compared with ROMA. We monitored the expression of 12 genes involved in callose synthesis and degradation and found that one of these, SbGlu1 (Sb03g045630.1), which encodes a β-1,3-glucanase enzyme, best explained the contrasting deposition of callose in ROMA and POTCHETSTRM during Al treatment. Full-length cDNAs of SbGlu1 was prepared from ROMA and POTCHETSTRM and expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana using the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Independent transgenic lines displayed significantly greater Al tolerance than wild-type plants and vector-only controls. This phenotype was associated with greater total β-1,3-glucanase activity, less Al accumulation and reduced callose deposition in the roots. These results suggest that callose production is not just an early indicator of Al stress in plants but likely to be part of the toxicity pathway that leads to the inhibition of root growth.