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The codon-optimized zebrafish β-defensin 3 mature peptide gene mzfDB3 and channel catfish c-type lysozyme gene cflyC were used to design the fusion gene cflyC-mzfDB3. In the fusion protein cflyC-mzfDB3, 4×Gly flexible amino acid linker with an enterokinase cleavage site DDDDK was designed to link the mzfDB3 to the C-terminus of cflyC, which potentially contributes to digestion of the recombinant cflyC-mzfDB3 by endogenous enterokinases. The fusion protein was expressed in Pichia pastoris X-33 using expression vectors harboring 1-, 2-, or 4-copies, respectively, of the expression cassette. The cflyC-mzfDB3 gene copy numbers of P. pastoris transformants were quantified using real-time quantitative PCR. Their expression yields showed that the expression level in the 4-copy cflyC-mzfDB3 transformant was 2.67-fold higher than that in the 1-copy cflyC-mzfDB3 transformant, demonstrating that the increase in the cflyC-mzfDB3 gene copy number resulted in increased protein expression. The culture medium supernatant containing recombinant cflyC-mzfDB3 exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, indicating that there may be a synergistic effect of mzfDB3 and cflyC on the peptide’s antibacterial activity. In addition, cell-free P. pastoris medium may be a potential candidate for further development as a natural hybrid antimicrobial solution.

T cells are an essential component of the immune system that provide antigen-specific acute and long lasting immune responses to infections and tumors, ascertain the maintenance of immunological tolerance and, on the flipside, mediate autoimmunity in a variety of diseases. The activation of T cells through antigen recognition by the T cell receptor (TCR) results in transient and sustained Ca(2+) signals that are shaped by the opening of Ca(2+) channels in the plasma membrane and cellular organelles. The dynamic regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations controls a variety of T cell functions on the timescale of seconds to days after signal initiation. Among the more recently identified roles of Ca(2+) signaling in T cells is the regulation of metabolic pathways that control the function of many T cell subsets. In this review, we discuss how Ca(2+) regulates several metabolic programs in T cells such as the activation of AMPK and the PI3K-AKT-mTORC1 pathway, aerobic glycolysis, mitochondrial metabolism including tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle function and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), as well as lipid metabolism.

Multiple studies have demonstrated atmospheric cold plasma as an effective non-thermal technology for inactivating bacteria, spores, and other microbial contaminants in foods and on non-food surfaces. However, few studies have applied this technique to semi-solid food within a package. This study evaluates the efficacy and the interaction mechanism of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. enterica) inactivation in agar gels with different compositions. HVACP was generated by a dielectric barrier discharge in air and a modified atmosphere (MA65: 65% O2) in sealed bags. Agar gels of various densities with a pH indicator were inoculated with S. enterica (> 107 cfu) and exposed directly (between the electrode) or indirectly (adjacent to electrode) to 90 kV at 60 Hz for up to 1.5 h. HVACP treatment induced greater than 6 log10 (cfu) reduction in viable bacteria (both with air and MA65) in the plasma penetrated zone exhibiting a pH change. Inactivation of bioluminescent E. coli K12-lux cells in the plasma penetrated zone confirmed that the plasma, and its generated reactive species, inactivates microbes as it penetrates into the gel. A two-minute HVACP treatment resulted in greater than 5 log10 (cfu) S. enterica reduction in applesauce. In summary, these results demonstrate that HVACP can be an effective non-thermal technology to control or even eliminate bacteria populations in semi-solid foods.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enables the dissociation of cancer cells from the primary tumor by facilitating tolerance to lack of cell-adhesion, decreasing cellular division and increasing motility of individual cells, which leads to an invasive phenotype that links EMT to metastasis. Furthermore, EMT results in the acquisition of stem-cell markers and an increased ability to initiate tumor growth, supporting the concept that EMT may contribute to the development of a small, persistent sub-population of the tumor called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Cells that have undergone EMT have characteristically suppressed cell cycles, making them resistant to commonly used chemotherapies that target DNA replication or microtubule dynamics, processes essential to replicating cells. Nonspecific treatments can also rely on inducing apoptotic cell death; however, recent debates challenge the efficacy of apoptosis in solid tumors, citing high rates of acquired resistance. Utilizing a compound that induces alternative cell death, namely paraptosis, becomes attractive when these other treatments fail. Relying on an activated gene expression program, paraptosis results in the swelling of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum and Apaf-1-independent alternative caspase-9 activity. Treating with paraptosis-inducing compounds such as Ophiobolin A (OpA) specifically targets otherwise-insensitive CSC and EMT cells to re-sensitize bulk tumor populations to chemotherapies. We describe EMT as a key driver of enhanced sensitivity to paraptosis-induced cell death following short-term treatment with OpA or other paraptosis-inducing compounds. Further, paraptosis selectively eliminates the CSC sub-population by reducing stem cell activity and highlights the potential of this pathway in breast cancer treatment. Citation Format: Reisenauer K, Tao Y, Ingros A, Philip T, Evidente A, Kornienko A, Romo D, Taube J. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition sensitizes breast cancer cells to paraptosis-mediated cell death via the fungus-derived sesterpenoid, Ophiobolin A [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-10.

While atmospheric cold plasma has successfully inactivated biohazardous proteinaceous molecules (unwanted enzymes, prions, and allergens) and modified proteins with improved functionality, few studies have characterized plasma-protein interactions. This study investigates the physicochemical interactions, structural alteration, and reaction mechanisms of bovine serum albumin (BSA) subjected to high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) generated by a dielectric barrier discharge in sealed bags packed with air or modified air (65% O2, 30% N2, 5% CO2). Treating 10 mL of BSA solution (50 mg/mL) with HVACP for 60 min changed the sample from transparent to yellow and induced protein precipitation. HVACP also induced protein unfolding, altered secondary structure (27% loss of α-helix), and increased disorder structure (10% increase of random coil). HVACP-treated protein increased in average size from 10 nm to 113 μm, with a broader size distribution after 60 min of HVACP treatment. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry showed the formation of new peptides from 1 to 10 kDa, indicating plasma-triggered peptide bond cleavage. Chemical analysis and mass spectrometry demonstrated oxidation and deamidation in HVACP-treated samples. This study illustrates that interactions between HVACP-induced reactive species and proteins may introduce structural alterations, protein aggregation, peptide cleavage, and side-group modifications to proteins in aqueous conditions.

Defensins are abundant in cells and tissues that are involved in host defense against microbial infections. zfDB3 (zebrafish β-defensin 3) is one of 3 copies of defensin β-like genes from zebrafish (Danio rerio). Here we focus on mzfDB3, which is the gene encoding for the zebrafish β-defensin 3 mature peptide. A codon-optimized mzfDB3 gene with a 6×His-tag at the 3′-end was inserted into the pPICZαA expression vector and transformed into Pichia pastoris X-33 cells. The recombinant zebrafish β-defensin 3 mature peptide (rmzfDB3) was induced with 1.0% methanol at 29°C for 72 h and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis confirmed the expected purified product (rmzfDB3, 5.9 kDa). Fermentation supernatant, which contained rmzfDB3, showed antibacterial activity against Grampositive (i.e., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (i.e., Escherchia coli BL21, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella lignieres, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria.

Although atmospheric cold plasma is well known for nonthermal inactivation of microorganisms on surfaces, few studies examine its application to liquid food within a package. This study explores the decontamination efficiency of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. enterica) in orange juice (OJ). Both direct and indirect HVACP treatments of 25-mL OJ induce greater than a 5-log reduction in S. enterica following 30 s of treatment with air and MA65 gas with no storage. For 50-mL OJ, 120 s of direct HVACP treatment followed by 24-h storage induced a 2.9-log reduction of S. enterica in air and a 4.7-log reduction in MA65 gas; 120 s of indirect HVACP treatment followed by 24-h storage resulted in a 2.2-log reduction in air and a 3.8-log reduction in MA65. No significant (P

An adapted strategy from the conventional 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) crosslinking method was developed to form a covalently coupled phosphoramidated single stranded DNA (ssDNA). Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) results demonstrated that the phosphoramidated ssDNA conjugate is stable for several days, and that phosphoramidation occurred exclusively at the 5′ phosphate of ssDNA. A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with UV detection was developed to determine the yield of conjugates. The methods coefficients of variation (%CV) were less than 6%, and biases ranged from − 5.1 – 1.2%. The conjugate yield via the conventional EDC method was 68.3 ± 2.2%, while that of the adapted EDC/Imidazole method was 79.0 ± 2.4% (n = 10). This study demonstrates a convenient one pot strategy for crosslinking biological molecules. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13036-019-0191-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:Iguratimod (IGU) has demonstrated efficacy and safety for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in double-blind clinical trials in China and Japan as a new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). There are no studies evaluating the radiographic progression of structural joint damage of IGU for the treatment of RA using the mTSS as the primary endpoint.Objectives:Our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IGU monotherapy and IGU combined methotrexate (MTX) compared with MTX monotherapy, including the inhibitory effects of joint destruction.Methods:This randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, multicenter study in patients with active RA who have not previously used MTX and biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01548001) was carried out in China. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive IGU 25 mg twice a day (bid), MTX 10mg once a week(qw) for the first 4 weeks and 15 mg once a week(qw) for week 5 to 52, or IGU combined MTX (IGU+MTX) for 52 weeks. The primary endpoints were to assess and compare American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response and the change of modified total Sharp scoring (mTSS) score over 52 weeks (Intention-to-treat, ITT analysis). The non-inferiority test was used to analyze the difference of ACR20 response at 52 weeks between the IGU monotherapy and the MTX monotherapy arms, and the non-inferiority limit value was 10%. The difference test was used for the comparison between the IGU+MTX and MTX monotherapy arms. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the difference of the changes of mTSS score of each arm compared with baseline value (0 week).Results:A total of 895 patients were randomized to IGU 25mg bid (n =297), MTX 10-15mg qw(n=293), and IGU+MTX (n=305). Baseline characteristics were comparable between the arms (Table 1).Table 1.Demographic and Other Baseline Characteristics (SAS)IGUMTXIGU+MTXNumber of Subjects297293305Age, mean (SD) years46.87(10.67)47.63(10.70)48.37(10.69)Female/male, %77.44/22.5679.18/20.8278.03/21.97Duration of RA, mean(SD) years11.67±7.1611.60±7.9811.67±7.27CRP, mean(SD) mg/L222.32±35.4720.67±26.6119.74±31.38Tender joint count, mean (SD)14.59±9.1614.83±9.3014.93±9.88Swollen joint count, mean (SD)9.81±6.639.73±7.209.51±6.22DAS28-CRP, mean (SD)5.084±0.9945.102±0.9795.103±0.956HAQ score, mean (SD)15.82±11.2515.24±10.9316.06±10.92SAS: Safety Analysis Set; CRP: C-reactive protein;DAS28: disease activity score; HAQ: Health Assessment QuestionnaireThe study met its primary endpoints. More concretely, IGU monotherapy and IGU+MTX were found to be superior to MTX at week 52 with a higher ACR20 response of 77.44%(230/297, P=0.0019) and 77.05%(235/305, P=0.0028) versus 65.87%(193/293) (fig 1). As shown in fig 1, the structural remission (ΔmTSS≤0.5) was statistically significant for IGU monotherapy (57.4%, P=0.0308) but not for IGU+MTX arm (55%) versus MTX monotherapy (47.8%).Overall incidence of the adverse events (AEs) leading to study discontinuation were reported in 13.8% (41/297) in IGU monotherapy arm, 11.26% (33/293) in MTX monotherapy arm and 11.51% (35/305) patients in IGU+MTX arm. The incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) leading to study discontinuation were 11.45% (34/297), 8.53% (25/293) and 9.21% (28/305), respectively. There was no one death and no significant difference in all the safety indicators among the three arms.Conclusion:Iguratimod alone or in combination with MTX demonstrated superior efficacy with acceptable safety compared to MTX for patients with active RA who have not previously used MTX bDMARDs.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

A toroidal soft x-ray array system for spectrum and intensity measurements on the EXL-50 spherical tokamak is described. Silicon drift detectors and digital multichannel analyzers are adopted for all 21 channels of the array, and an average energy resolution of 147 eV at 5.89 keV has been achieved at count rates over 500 kcps. In total, 20 channels of the array are symmetrically observed in both co- and counter-current directions on the EXL-50 mid-plane with a spatial resolution of around 10 cm, and the remaining one serves as a background reference channel. Tungsten emissions from tungsten coating of the limiters on the central post are observed. The influence of hard x rays on measured soft x-ray spectra and system operation is discussed.

In the present work we report the effect of magnetic field on the emission intensity of the neutral and singly ionized transition line of the Tin plasma in vacuum produced by the CO2 laser. We have investigated time of flight measurement and the expansion velocity of the excited neutral and ions of the tin plasma in the absence and in the presence of the magnetic field of 0.64T in vacuum at a distance of 1 mm and 3 mm from the sample surface. The estimated values of the expansion velocities of Sn+ at the distance of 1 mm and 3 mm from the surface is 0.23 × 106 cm/s and 0.32 × 106 cm/s respectively in the field-free case, whereas in the case of the magnetic field of 0.64 T these values were found to be 0.19 × 106 cm/s and 0.27 × 106 cm/s respectively. It is observed in our estimated experimental result of the TOF the expansion velocity in the presence of field is considerably lower as compare to field free region. We have also estimated the electron number density and electron temperature of the tin plasma using Stark broadened profiles of Sn+ transition line and Boltzmann plot method respectively. In the temporal variations, the electron temperature and the electron number density with and without magnetic field of 0.64T is estimated as (1.48–0.63) eV and (1.04–0.58) eV and (2.06 × 1016–6.7 × 1015) cm−3 and (1.5 × 1016–4.42 × 1015) cm−3 respectively at the delay of (200–1100) ns.

Failing to repair DNA double-strand breaks by either nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR) poses a threat to genome integrity, and may have roles in the onset of aging and age-related diseases. Recent work indicates an age-related decrease of NHEJ efficiency in mouse models, but whether NHEJ and HR change with age in humans and the underlying mechanisms of such a change remain uncharacterized. Here, using 50 eyelid fibroblast cell lines isolated from healthy donors at the age of 16–75 years, we demonstrate that the efficiency and fidelity of NHEJ, and the efficiency of HR decline with age, leading to increased IR sensitivity in cells isolated from old donors. Mechanistic analysis suggests that decreased expression of XRCC4, Lig4 and Lig3 drives the observed, age-associated decline of NHEJ efficiency and fidelity. Restoration of XRCC4 and Lig4 significantly promotes the fidelity and efficiency of NHEJ in aged fibroblasts. In contrast, essential HR-related factors, such as Rad51, do not change in expression level with age, but Rad51 exhibits a slow kinetics of recruitment to DNA damage sites in aged fibroblasts. Further rescue experiments indicate that restoration of XRCC4 and Lig4 may suppress the onset of stress-induced premature cellular senescence, suggesting that improving NHEJ efficiency and fidelity by targeting the NHEJ pathway holds great potential to delay aging and mitigate aging-related pathologies.

Incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into concrete pavements has been suggested as a means to improve anti-icing practices by reducing the accumulation of snow and ice. This paper reports on the development of two PCMs composed of a binary mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) at their eutectic composition, which provide a solid–liquid phase transformation with thermal transition temperature slightly above 0 °C and with a high enthalpy of fusion. The phase behavior of binary mixtures of medium length saturated FAME at their eutectic composition demonstrated ideal properties for PCMs. The eutectic binary mixtures and corresponding thermal properties are: (1) methyl laurate (C12) + methyl myristate, x C 12 = 0.77 , and (2) methyl laurate + methyl palmitate, x C 12 = 0.86 with eutectic melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion of 0.21 °C and 2.4 °C, and 174.3 J⋅g−1 and 166.5 J⋅g−1, respectively. Using differential scanning calorimetry, solid–liquid phase diagrams were created, indicating that the phase behavior of these binary mixtures at their eutectic compositions demonstrated useful thermal properties for PCMs. Current findings of this study indicate that these binary mixtures have the necessary properties to be a high performance PCM with the potential to reduce the levels of icing on concrete pavements.

2 mm thick rolled 2060–T8 Al Li alloy plates were subjected to friction stir welding (FSW) under rotation rates of 400–1200 rpm and welding speeds of 50–200 mm/min. In the nugget zone (NZ), FSW resulted in the dissolution of the precipitates and the formation of δ′ (Al3Zr) precipitates, as well as the formation of Guinier–Preston (GP) and Guinier–Preston–Bagaryatsky (GPB) zones except for at 400 rpm–200 mm/min. In the heat affected zone (HAZ), FSW led to the dissolution and coarsening of T1 (Al2CuLi) and S′ (Al2CuMg), and the subsequent formation of new θ′ (Al2Cu) and σ (Al5Cu6Mg2) precipitates. The lowest hardness zones (LHZs) of the FSW joints were located at either the NZ or the HAZ under varied welding parameters. Different from the FSW joints of conventional precipitation–hardened aluminum alloys, the ultimate tensile strength of FSW 2060–T8 joints increased as the rotation rate increased from 400 to 800 rpm, but was unchanged with further increasing the rotation rate from 800 to 1200 rpm under a constant welding speed of 200 mm/min. On the other hand, the joint strength increased as the welding speed increased from 50 to 200 mm/min under a constant rotation rate of 1200 rpm. While the FSW joints fractured at the LHZs under 400 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–50 mm/min, abnormal fracture at the thermo–mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) was observed under 800 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–200 mm/min.

For friction stir welded (FSW) joints of conventional precipitation-hardened aluminum alloys, the lowest hardness zone (LHZ) was located at heat affected zone (HAZ) and determined the tensile fracture behavior with the fracture occurring at the LHZ. For FSW 2060–T8 joints, however, the LHZs were located at the nugget zone (NZ) under 400 rpm–200 mm/min, but at the HAZ under 800 rpm–200 mm/min, 1200 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–50 mm/min. While the FSW 2060–T8 joints normally fractured along the LHZ under 400 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–50 mm/min, abnormal fracture occurred at the thermo–mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) under 800 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–200 mm/min. The FSW 2060–T8 joints with 800 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–200 mm/min presented obvious diversity of crystal orientation and grain morphology, and subsequent deformation in the LHZs, the lower TMAZ and upper TMAZ. The large Schmid factor, coarse grains and δ'/β' precipitates caused the preferential deformation and planar slip at the lower TMAZ, weakened the mechanical properties of the TMAZ, and therefore resulted in the abnormal failure at the TMAZ of FSW 2060–T8 joints under 800 rpm–200 mm/min and 1200 rpm–200 mm/min.

6 INTRODUCTION 7 LITERATURE REVIEW 9 EXPERIMENTAL 11 Materials 11 Enzyme 11 Carbohydrates 11 Methods 11 Determination of action pattern 11 Measurement of bond cleavage frequencies 12 Calculation of subsite map 12 RESULTS 14 Kinetics 14 Action pattern 14 Kinetic parameters 14 Subsite Mapping 14 Bond cleavage frequencies 14 Calculation of the subsite map 17 DISCUSSION 19 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 22 REFERENCES 23

Nociceptive stimulus involuntarily interrupts concurrent activities. This interruptive effect is related to the protective function of nociception that is believed to be under stringent evolutionary pressure. To determine whether such interruptive effect is conserved in invertebrate and potentially uncover underlying neural circuits, we examined Drosophila melanogaster. Electric shock (ES) is a commonly used nociceptive stimulus for nociception related research in Drosophila. Here, we showed that background noxious ES dramatically interrupted odor response behaviors in a T-maze, which is termed blocking odor response by electric shock (BOBE). The interruptive effect is not odor specific. ES could interrupt both odor avoidance and odor approach. To identify involved brain areas, we focused on the odor avoidance to 3-OCT. By spatially abolishing neurotransmission with temperature sensitive ShibireTS1 , we found that mushroom bodies (MBs) are necessary for BOBE. Among the 3 major MB Kenyon cell (KCs) subtypes, α/β neurons and γ neurons but not α'/β' neurons are required for normal BOBE. Specifically, abolishing the neurotransmission of either α/β surface (α/βs ), α/β core (α/βc ) or γ dorsal (γd ) neurons alone is sufficient to abrogate BOBE. This pattern of MB subset requirement is distinct from that of aversive olfactory learning, indicating a specialized BOBE pathway. Consistent with this idea, BOBE was not diminished in several associative memory mutants and noxious ES interrupted both innate and learned odor avoidance. Overall, our results suggest that MB α/β and γ neurons are parts of a previously unappreciated central neural circuit that processes the interruptive effect of nociception.

The objective of this research was to develop a soy-based luminescent sealant for use on concrete surfaces. The luminescent sealant was a mixture of soy methyl ester polystyrene and strontium aluminate, a phosphorescent powder that slowly luminesces after being excited by light. A test procedure was developed to quantify the magnitude and duration of the luminance of the coated concrete surface; quantifying the luminance was key in evaluating the performance of the luminescent sealant. The luminescent sealant was excited in a consistent manner with a xenon lighting system that simulated sunlight, a photometer (light-measuring instrument) that measured the luminance of the excited concrete surface, and a housing unit that prevented extraneous light from the surroundings from influencing the test results. Results of the tests indicated that the luminescent surface emitted light (i.e., glowed) for approximately 24 h in a dark space after it was excited. Larger particles of strontium aluminate were found to luminesce for a longer time than did smaller particles. The excited sealant's luminance was independent of the amount of time it was exposed to light coming from the xenon lighting system.

A calcium oxide (CaO) based ceramic core used for titanium alloy casting was prepared by injection moulding technology. Through quantitative characterisation and statistical analysis of the microstructure, the influence of powder particle size on the microstructure and properties of the ceramic core was investigated. The results show that, by increasing powder particle size, the size of pores and porosities after sintering were increased with decreased of grain boundary density. Meanwhile, the flexural strength of ceramic core at room temperature was found to decrease with increasing core porosity, and the creep resistance of ceramic core increased with decreasing grain boundary density. The increase in powder particle size of ceramic core is beneficial to reduce linear shrinkage and improve high temperature creep resistance.

The effect of two refining slags (A: 1.0-1.8 CaO/Al2O3 ratio, 11-20 wt% SiO2; and B: 1.0-1.2 CaO/SiO2 ratio, 25-35 wt% Al2O3) on the inclusion morphology of a carbon structural steel (Q235B) was studied by controlling the balance between the steel and the refining slag at 1600°C in a Si-Mo resistance laboratory furnace. The results showed that most of the inclusions in the molten steel balanced with slag A were formed by a low-melting CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system with a total oxygen content (T[O]) being fixed at 6-13 ppm. The inclusions in liquid steel balanced with the slag B were mostly formed by the CaO-MnO-Al2O3-SiO2 system, with T[O] controlled to 19-26 ppm. The overall size of the inclusions under balance conditions was higher in the steel reacted with the slag B than that reacted with slag A, with the latter showing more inclusions smaller than 3 μΐη. In order to generate a large number of spherical CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 inclusions smaller than 3 μηι while decreasing the T[O] in the resulting steel, the composition of slag A should be used. This composition allowed improving the cleanliness of the slab, and is also advantageous for the castability of the molten steel.

ASML is committed to develop high power EUV source technology for use in EUV lithography for high-volume-manufacturing (HVM) of semiconductors. A stable dose controlled Laser-Produced-Plasma (LPP) EUV source has been successfully developed and introduced using a CO2 laser and small tin (Sn) droplets.

A new process for the preparation and surface modification of submicron YAl2 intermetallic particles was proposed to control the agglomeration of ultrafine YAl2 particles and interface in the fabrication of YAl2p/MgLiAl composites. The morphological and structural evolution during mechanical milling of YAl2 powders (< 30 μm) with magnesium particles (~ 100 μm) has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that YAl2 particles are refined to submicron scale and separately cladded in magnesium coatings after mixed milling with magnesium particles for 20 h. Mechanical and metallurgical bonds have been found in YAl2/Mg interfaces without any interface reactions. Both the refining and mechanical activation efficiencies for YAl2 particles are enhanced, which may be related to the addition of magnesium particles leading to atomic solid solution and playing a role as “dispersion stabilizer”.

Oily sewage is one of the wastes produced in the oil industry production process and its quantity has been increasing year by year, which influences the environment and human health severely. Electric flocculation method is one of the wide application electrochemical treatment technologies for the oily wastewater treatment at home and abroad, which has higher efficiency than other technologies at the aspect of the organic pollutants degradation. A simulative experiment device dealing with heavy oil sewage by the electric flocculation method has been designed. The mechanism of the electric flocculation method in removing organic matter of the heavy oil sewage by analyzing the change of the composition and content of the organic matter in water samples before and after the process of the electric flocculation has been studied. Research results show the carbon/tin dioxide electrode is better than the carbon/ruthenium dioxide electrode in removing organic matter; most alkanes matter in the oily wastewater hav...

We propose and investigate a novel scheme for achieving quasi-phase matching (QPM) in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) via a density modulated cluster jet, as opposed to a modulated gas jet. A density modulation is expected to be easily achieved by placing an array of wires (grid) on the top of the nozzle. However, in our initial experiments, we did not observe any enhanced HH output using previously fabricated grids. These experiments suggest that, even if using a density modulated cluster jet remains promising for achieving QPM in HHG, an according demonstration requires a thorough investigation of several basic and essential aspects. In this thesis, we investigated three essential aspects. First, we presented a comprehensive modelling of cluster formation and systematically investigated all influences of various critical physical assumptions for the gas condensation in a supersonic nozzle using argon as an example. Using the proposed baseline model, we showed that the liquid mass fraction, g, is very insensitive with regards to the named variations in this model. The average cluster size, , was then retrieved from interferometric and Rayleigh scattering measurements by using the calculated g from the baseline model. Secondly, we performed a detailed experimental study on HHG in a supersonic argon jet. In order to identify and separate the contributions from clusters versus that of gas monomers in the jet to the generation of high-order harmonics, we characterized the harmonic spectra over a broad range of stagnation pressures at two different reservoir temperatures. From the measured spectra, we found that below an average cluster size, , of about 1000 atoms, HHG in clusters shows the same efficiency as in gas monomers. Only with larger clusters, HHG becomes less efficient. Lastly, we investigated QPM for HHG, specifically aiming at determining a proper quasi-phase matching modulation period for maximizing output pulse energy. We developed a one-dimensional, unified QPM model for HHG in a periodic-structured gaseous medium (argon). From the model, we showed that the optimum HH output pulse energy is obtained when transient QPM is provided in the leading edge of the drive laser pulse instead of at the peak intensity.

Lignocellulose represents a key sustainable source of biomass for transformation into biofuels and bio-based products. Unfortunately, the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass poses a major challenge for its sustainable and cost-effective utilization. Overcoming the recalcitrance is therefore an important priority for the development of the lignocellulosic biorefinery. In this work, the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, was selected from five ionic liquid candidates for treating rice straw and the potential of accelerating enzymatic hydrolysis. The yield of reducing sugars from rice straw pretreated with this ionic liquid at 120°C for 12 h reached 70.5% after being hydrolyzed enzymatically for 48 h, which was 7-fold higher than that of untreated rice straw and the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate could still be recyclable. The chemical structure and crystalline form of rice straw before and after dissolution were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction...

The study of photocatalytic degradation of phenol was exploited with nano-ZnO as immobilized photocatalysts in a laboratory scale photocatalytic reactor. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism and kinetics of phenol in water were studied using the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique. Based on optimized headspace SPME conditions, phenol in water was first extracted by the fibre, which was subsequently inserted into an aqueous system with immobilized photocatalysts (nano-ZnO) exposed to an irradiation source (i.e., ultraviolet A (UVA) lamps). After different irradiation times (5–80 min), four main intermediates of photocatalytic degradation generated on the fibre were determined by GC-MS.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings were grown hydroponically in Hoagland’s nutrient solution under controlled conditions to investigate the effects of NaCl pretreatment on their response to subsequent application of cadmium (Cd) alone and Cd + NaCl combination. The Cd stress caused growth retardation in all plants, significantly reduced pigment content, stomatal conductance (gs), and net photosynthetic rate (PN). Cd stress significantly increased malondialdehyde and proline content. Compared to Cd treatment alone, combination stress had more detrimental effects on the above parameters. However, the NaCl pretreatment was beneficial in improving the plant growth and plant tolerance to Cd alone or combination stress.

In lignocellulosic materials, the presence of lignin and hemicellulose makes the access of enzymes to cellulose difficult, thus reducing the efficiency of the hydrolysis. To improve the substrate hydrolysis for ethanol production, and to decrease the ethanol cost, rice straw was pretreated by a sequence of dilute acid and dilute alkali to remove lignin and hemicellulose, and then the production of bio-ethanol from the pretreated rice straw using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation at high dry content was investigated. After the complex pretreatment, the cellulose content in rice straw increased from 41.5 to 88.5%. Complex method and dilute acid pretreatment of rice straw result in glucose concentrations of 101.7 and 50.2 g/L, respectively. As a result, ethanol concentration of 58.7 g/L was obtained by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of rice straw pretreated using a sequence of dilute acid and dilute alkali at a substrate concentration of 160 g/L; the ethanol yield was 73.4% based...

Two protoporphyrin derivatives were prepared by a facile method using inexpensive hemin as starting material. They were added to cigarette filters to reduce the carcinogenic tobacco specific N-nitroamines (TSNAs), especially toward NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) and NNN (N-nitrosonornicotine) for environment protection and public health. The reduction level of TSNAs was reached to 37.6% from MSS, with greater reductions when more porphyrin was included in the filter. The decrease level for NNK by protoporphyrin derivatives is more effective than NNN. The interaction between protoporphyrin derivatives and TSNAs (NNK and NNN) were investigated by fluorescence spectra and UV-visible titration. The correlation coefficients were 0.978~0.997 and the binding constants was the scope from 1.26 × 103 to 4.04 × 104. The interaction mechanisms between protoporphyrin derivatives and, NNK and NNN are possibly the co-interaction of hydrogen bond binding and strong π–π stacking.

Introduction As a calcineurin inhibitor in T-cell activation, cyclosporine A (CsA) has provided the pharmacologic foundation for organ transplantation. We have previously demonstrated that CsA promotes trophoblast growth and invasion in vitro . Here, we further investigated the regulation of CsA on trophoblast migration and the intracellular signaling pathways involved. Methods We evaluated the migration of human primary trophoblasts by using transwell migration assay. CsA-mediated induction of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was evaluated by cotransfection with luciferase reporter constructs and luciferase activity assays. Results Treatment with CsA-promoted migration of primary trophoblasts and the HTR8 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. CsA also increased NF-κB-transcriptional activity in trophoblasts in time- and dose-dependent manners. Pharmacologically inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 signaling with U0126 attenuated the CsA-induced cell migration and NF-κB activity in trophoblasts. Furthermore, pretreatment with PDTC, a specific NF-κB inhibitor, inhibited the CsA-induced migration of trophoblasts in dose-dependent manners. Although NFAT activation by ionomycin via calcineurin is accompanied by increased transactivation of NF-κB, pretreatment with the NFAT inhibitor did not affect NF-κB-transcriptional activity. Interestingly, ionomycin and CsA synergize to transactivate NF-κB. Ionomycin-inhibited basal migration of trophoblasts, and pretreatment with CsA reversed the ionomycin-inhibited trophoblast migration. However, the NFAT inhibitor increased basal migration, but not CsA-induced migration, of trophoblasts. Conclusion These observations indicate that both the MAPK/ERK/NF-κB pathway and Ca 2+ /calcineurin/NFAT pathways are involved in the CsA-promoted trophoblast migration. Our findings may help expand the clinical applications of this drug in trophoblast disorder.

Biodiesel is a diesel fuel alternative which is produced from renewable and domestically available sources. The use of biodiesel generally lowers carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions. However, there are certain challenges associated with the use of biodiesel, mainly (1) lower fuel energy density, (2) increased nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and (3) fuel variability due to feedstock and processing differences. In prior efforts, the authors have demonstrated that the first two of these challenges can be overcome for different blend fractions of soy-based biodiesel by using a control algorithm incorporating energy-based fueling for torque control and combustible oxygen mass fraction control for NOx regulation. However, in addition to overcoming these combustion-related challenges, in this work, the authors consider the extension of these techniques to biodiesel generated from oils/fats of varying composition. The type of oil/fat from which the biodiesel is derived will impact the ...

While multiple studies have demonstrated atmospheric cold plasma as an effective non-thermal technology for eliminating bacteria, spores, and biological contaminants from food and non-food surfaces1, few report the application of this technique to liquid food within a package2,3. In this study, we use plasma spectroscopy to characterize the high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP)2 generated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in orange juice (OJ) within a package containing either air or modified atmosphere (MA65). We also evaluate the effectiveness of HVACP for decontaminating Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) in OJ. We exposed 50 ml of OJ both directly and indirectly to 90 kV for up to 120 s and used optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS) to characterize the reactive gas species (RGS). The sample was stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for 24 h following treatment. Conductivity, pH and hydrogen peroxide content was measured before and after the treatments. Treating 50 ml of OJ containing S. Typhi for 120 s with direct treatment resulted in a 2.9 log10 reduction in air and a 4.2 log10 reduction in MA65 24 h after treatment. Using indirect treatment resulted in a 3.8 log10 reduction in MA65. OES and OAS indicated that the levels of OH, N2, N2+, and O− generated in OJ varied with package gas and whether the application was direct or indirect. These differences in RGS between fill gases and contact methods may impact the decontamination efficiency of S. Typhi in OJ. The implications of RGS on microorganism decontamination and potential plasmas systems will be discussed.

We determine the size of argon clusters generated with a planar nozzle, based on the optical measurements in conjunction with theoretical modelling. Using a quasi-one dimensional model for the moments of the cluster size distribution, we determine the influence of critical physical assumptions. These refer to the surface tension depending on the presence of thermal equilibrium, the mass density of clusters, and different methods to model the growth rate of the cluster radius. We show that, despite strong variation in the predicted cluster size, 〈N, the liquid mass ratio, g, can be determined with high trustworthiness, because g is predicted as being almost independent of the specific model assumptions. Exploiting this observation, we use the calculated value for g to retrieve the cluster size from optical measurements, i.e., calibrated Rayleigh scattering and interferometry. Based on the measurements of the cluster size vs. the nozzle stagnation pressure, we provide a new power law for the prediction of the cluster size in experiments with higher values of the Hagena parameter (Γ ∗ >10 4 ). This range is of relevance for experiments on high-intensity laser matter interactions.

Proton (H+) and aluminum (Al3+) toxicities are major factors limiting crop production on acid soils. To study whether salicylic acid (SA) is functional in alleviating protein damage caused by H+ and Al3+ toxicities, an investigation of the antioxidant defense response regulated by SA was carried out on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings under H+, Al3+, and combined stresses. It was found that the relative root elongation of seedlings, which grew in the solutions supplemented with SA, was significantly higher than that of seedlings without SA treatment after 24-h treatments with H+, Al3+, and combined stresses. The lesser amount of carbonylated proteins with molecular weights ranging from 14.4 to 97 kD, was accumulated in seedlings treated with SA than that in the seedlings without SA treatment. The higher activities of antioxidant enzymes and lesser content of MDA were observed in seedlings treated with SA compared with the seedlings without SA treatment. Moreover, the nitroblue tetrazolium staining of roots showed that ROS accumulation was decreased by SA treatments. This study suggested that SA could alleviate cell damage caused by H+ and Al3+ toxicities on acid soils by both activating antioxidant defense responses and reducing the contents of carbonylated proteins caused by ROS in barley seedlings.

A simple synthesis method for single crystal GeO2 nanocubes in a reverse micelle system was reported here. Hydrolysis of germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4) in a micelle system produces GeO2nanocubes in the presence of oleylamine and cetyltrimethylammonium (CTAB). We found that we could obtain GeO2nanocubes with monodisperse size distribution, bimodal size distribution and polydisperse size distribution by varying the reaction parameters. We put forward a feasible explain for this phenomenon with using Gibbs free energy theory, and this theory can give some meaningful guidance for preparing monodisperse nanomaterials.

In this study, we prepared fibre metal laminates (FMLs) consisting of high-modulus carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prepregs and thin AZ31 alloy sheets by using hot-pressing technology. Tensile and low-velocity impact tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of the magnesium alloy-based FMLs (Mg-FMLs) and to investigate the differences in the fracture behaviour between the Mg-FMLs and traditional Mg-FMLs. Results show that the Mg-FMLs exhibit higher specific tensile strength and specific tensile modulus than traditional Mg-FMLs and that the tensile behaviour of the Mg-FMLs is mainly governed by the CFRP because of the combination of high interlaminar shear properties and thin magnesium alloy layers. The Mg-FMLs exhibit excellent bending stiffness. Hence, no significant difference between the residual displacement d r and indentation depth d i , and the permanent deformation is mainly limited to a small zone surrounding the impact location after the impact tests.

We have developed double layer-type (catalyst layer/current collecting layer) oxygen electrodes (DLE) for reversible SOFCs. As the catalyst layer (cathode for SOFC and anode for steam electrolysis) interfaced with a samaria-doped ceria [(CeO 2 ) 0.8 (SmO 1.5 ) 0.2 , SDC] interlayer/YSZ solid electrolyte, mixed conducting La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3 (LSCF) and SDC particles were employed. The current collecting porous LSCF layer was formed on the catalyst layer. By controlling the SDC content, as well as the thickness and porosity of the catalyst layer, the gas diffusion rate and the conduction networks for electrons and oxide ions were optimized, resulting in a marked reduction of the overpotential. The LSCF + SDC/LSCF DLE exhibited higher performance than single-layer electrodes of LSCF + SDC or LSCF; the IR-free anode potential vs. an air reference electrode was 0.12 V (corresponding to an overpotential of 0.08 V) at 0.5 A cm −2 and 900 °C under an atmosphere of O 2 (1 atm).

The authors investigated the effect of herbal medicine Schisandra chinensis extract (SchE) and Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on the oral pharmacokinetics of P-glycoprotein substrate talinolol in humans. Twelve healthy male volunteers took a single 100-mg oral dose of talinolol either alone or after pretreatment with 300 mg SchE twice daily or with 120 mg GBE three times daily for 14 days. On day 14, a single 100-mg oral dose of talinolol was administered. Plasma concentrations of talinolol from zero to 24 h were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. SchE increased the area under the curve (AUC)(0-24) of talinolol by 47% (90% confidence interval (CI), 18-84%; p = 0.010), and GBE by 21% (90% CI = 11-32%; p = 0.002). The C(max) of talinolol increased by 51% (90% CI = 21-89%; p = 0.007) with SchE treatment and by 33% (90% CI = 18-51%; p = 0.002) with GBE treatment, respectively. The t(1/2) of talinolol increased by 7% (90% CI = -4% to 19%; p = 0.320) with SchE treatment and by 11% (90% CI = -12% to 38%; p = 0.436) with GBE treatment, respectively. The results suggest that both SchE and GBE significantly inhibited P-glycoprotein in humans. Patients receiving either SchE or GBE may require dose adjustments when treated with drugs primarily transported by P-glycoprotein.

Many durability problems in concrete are caused by the transport of water or fluid containing aggressive ions. As a result, many seek to reduce the absorption and flow of fluids in concrete through the use of admixtures or topical sealants that refine or block pores. Results are presented of a pilot study that evaluated the potential use of soy methyl ester–polystyrene blends (SME–PS) as either an admixture or a topical treatment or both. Results are presented for tests on the fresh properties, hardened properties, and transport properties of concrete containing SME–PS. Dramatic reductions in fluid absorption can be obtained with SME–PS, with little noticeable influence on set time, strength, or shrinkage. Eventually the application of SME–PS to concrete may have the potential to be used as a method to penetrate into the pore structure at saw cuts and reduce long-term damage.

In this work, the expression conditions of fusion protein thioredoxin (Trx)-soluble B lymphocyte stimulator (sBLyS) in a shake flask and bioreactor from the recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with a pET system encoding the fusion protein gene of Trx-sBLyS and the purification method of the sBLyS were optimized to effectively obtain the bioactive protein sBLyS with a high purity. A yield of about 250 mg Trx-sBLyS/g DWC (1686 mg Trx-sBLyS/L) and expression level of about 38.5% in soluble Trx-sBLyS were obtained in a 30-1 bioreactor after optimization of the fermentation conditions. After the completion of the optimized purification procedure in order of affinity chromatography, enzymatic cleavage with enterokinase and DEAE ion exchange chromatography, about 200 mg sBLyS per liter fermentation broth was obtained with a purity of about 95% and a yield of near 30%, respectively. Furthermore, the molecular weight (MW) and the isoelectric point (pl) of the purified sBLyS were determined by 2-D gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE analysis and estimated to be over 16 kDa and about pH 4.15, respectively. In addition, the bioactivities of the soluble Trx-sBLyS in fermentation broth and the purified sBLyS were tested by two kinds of analytical methods of bioactivity. The good fermentation yield and the satisified, purified sBLyS product with high purity, yield and bioactivity demonstrated the sBLyS production procedure was promising in industry.