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To alleviate the effects of increasingly severe environmental conditions and meet the increasing demand for organic agricultural products, this paper studied tomato grafting under low nitrogen conditions in an effort to enhance yield and improve fruit quality by enhancing nitrogen metabolism. In this study, we screened for two tomato genotypes, a high nitrogen use efficiency genotype (‘TMS-150’) and a low nitrogen use efficiency genotype (‘0301111’), using rootstocks from 25 tomato genotypes and studied the effects of tomato grafting on plant yield, fruit quality, nitrogen content, activities of key nitrogen metabolism enzymes, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under different nitrogen fertilizer conditions. The results showed that the yield of the tomato plants, the activities of key enzymes during nitrogen metabolism, the contents of different forms of nitrogen, and the efficiency of nitrogen use were lower at low nitrogen fertilization levels and higher at higher nitrogen fertilization levels, while the measured indicators were the highest under the N40 nitrogen fertilizer treatment. Grafting tomatoes with high-NUE tomato seedlings as the rootstock resulted in significant increases in the nitrogen content and the activity of key enzymes, enhanced the NUE of tomato plants, increased tomato yield, and improved fruit quality compared to those of the seedlings grafted with low-NUE rootstock. Our results indicate that tomato plants grafted with high-NUE rootstock presented enhanced absorption and utilization of nitrogen and increased plant yield by promoting nitrogen metabolism at different nitrogen levels.

The composition and structure of interstellar dust are important and complex for the study of the evolution of stars and the interstellar medium (ISM). However, there is a lack of corresponding experimental data and model theories. By theoretical calculations based on ab-initio method, we have predicted and geometry optimized the structures of Carbon-rich (C-rich) dusts, carbon (12C), iron carbide (FeC), silicon carbide (SiC), even silicon (28Si), iron (56Fe), and investigated the optical absorption coefficients and emission coefficients of these materials in 0D (zero-dimensional), 1D, and 2D nanostructures. Comparing the nebular spectra of the supernovae (SN) with the coefficient of dust, we find that the optical absorption coefficient of the 2D 12C, 28Si, 56Fe, SiC and FeC structure corresponds to the absorption peak displayed in the infrared band (5–8) μm of the spectrum at 7554 days after the SN1987A explosion. It also corresponds to the spectrum of 535 days after the explosion of SN2018bsz, when the wavelength was in the range of (0.2–0.8) and (3–10) μm. Nevertheless, 2D SiC and FeC correspond to the spectrum of 844 days after the explosion of SN2010jl, when the wavelength is within (0.08–10) μm. Therefore, FeC and SiC may be the second type of dust in SN1987A corresponding to infrared band (5–8) μm of dust and may be in the ejecta of SN2010jl and SN2018bsz. The nano-scale C-rich dust size is ∼0.1 nm in SN2018bsz, which is 3 orders of magnitude lower than the value of 0.1 μm. In addition, due to the ionization reaction in the supernova remnant (SNR), we also calculated the Infrared Radiation (IR) spectrum of dust cations. We find that the cation of the 2D layered (SiC)2+ has a higher IR spectrum than those of the cation (SiC)1+ and neutral (SiC)0+.

AIM To investigate the antitumor effects and underlying mechanisms of (17R,18R)-2-(1-hexyloxyethyl)-2-devinyl chlorine E6 trisodium salt (YLG-1)-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT) on pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. METHODS YLG-1 is a novel photosensitizer extracted from spirulina. Its phototoxicity, cellular uptake and localization, as well as its effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis-associated proteins were detected in vitro. An in vivo imaging system (IVIS), the Lumina K imaging system, and mouse models of subcutaneous Panc-1-bearing tumors were exploited to evaluate the drug delivery pathway and pancreatic cancer growth in vivo. RESULTS YLG-1 was localized to the mitochondria, and the appropriate incubation time was 6 h. Under 650 nm light irradiation, YLG-1-PDT exerted a potent cytotoxic effect on pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, which could be abolished by the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). The death mode caused by YLG-1-PDT was apoptosis, accompanied by upregulated Bax and cleaved Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression. The results from the IVIS images suggested that the optimal administration route was intratumoral (IT) injection and that the best time to conduct YLG-1-PDT was 2 h post-IT injection. Consistent with the results in vitro, YLG-1-PDT showed great growth inhibition effects on pancreatic cancer cells in a mouse model. CONCLUSION YLG-1 is a potential photosensitizer for pancreatic cancer PDT via IT injection, the mechanisms of which are associated with inducing ROS and promoting apoptosis.

A supramolecular gelator based on the bistable [ c 2]daisy chain rotaxane is designed and synthesized. The reversible actuation of the [ c 2]daisy chain renders the formed supramolecular gel with acid/base-responsive switching between gel and monomer solution. The efficient switching process is attributed to the ring-sliding effect of the rotaxane in response to acid/base stimuli. The ring-inhibited hydrogen bonding stacking results in a nearly quantitatively disassembly of the gel network after addition of base which is hard to be realized by traditional heating strategy in hydrogen-bonding-supported gel.

As a continuation of our research on developing potent and potentially safe anti-proliferative agents, two series of novel Jiyuan Oridonin A-1,2,3-triazole-azole hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity against four selected cancer cell lines (MGC-803, MCF-7, PC-3, Eca-109). Some compounds with better growth inhibitory effects were chosen to carry out further studies in A549 and SMMC-7721. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate to good activity against all the cancer cell lines selected. Particularly, the most active agent 8b showed high potency against human cancer cells with IC50 ranging from 0.2 ± 0.0 to 5.0 ± 0.9 μM. Cellular mechanism studies elucidated compound 8b arrests cell cycle at G1 phase and induce a strong apoptotic response in SMMC-7721 cells. Furthermore, 8b could inhibit the colony formation and migration via Wnt signaling pathway in SMMC-7721 cells. For all these reasons, compound 8b holds promising potential as anti-proliferative agent.

Objective To explore the role and mechanism of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in neurons apoptosis induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation and recovery (OGD/R). Methods Primary rat neurons were cultivated in vitro, and OGD/R model was reproduced. Neurons were exposed to OGD for 0.5h, 1h and 2h, and then reperfusion for 24h, the effect of OGD/R on neurons apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. On OGD/R, neurons were treated with different concentrations of 17-AAG (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0μmol/L), and the effect of 17-AAG on OGD/R treated neurons apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). HSP70 interference lentivirus was then constructed. The effect of HSP70 interference on the neurons apoptosis treated with OGD/R and 17-AAG was detected by TUNEL assay. Results OGD/R significantly induced neurons apoptosis, and the rate of neurons apoptosis increased with the increase of OGD time. 17-AAG obviously inhibited the neurons apoptosis induced by OGD/R, and the higher the 17- AAG concentration, the more obvious the inhibition. OGD/R significantly suppressed the expression of HSP70 protein in neurons, and 17-AAG obviously reversed the inhibition of HSP70 protein expression induced by OGD/R. However, HSP70 lentivirus interference markedly reversed the protective effect of 17-AAG on OGD/R treated neurons. Conclusion 17-AAG may inhibit the apoptosis of OGD/R treated neurons by up-regulating HSP70. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2018.04.08

A simple and highly efficient procedure for general synthesis of densely functionalized spiro[4H-pyran-3,3′-oxindole] derivatives from a wide range of carbonyl compounds, active methylenes and various kinds of enols catalyzed by Dabco-base ionic liquids has been successfully developed. All the reactions undergo an tandem Knoevenagel-Michael-cyclization process and afford the desired products in excellent yields within short times. The ionic liquid catalyst is inexpensive and which could be easily recycled and reused five times without significant loss of catalytic activity.

Proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells have the potential ability to simultaneously convert ethane to electrical energy and value-added ethylene with high selectivity and the absence of CO2 emissions. However, their development is impeded by a lack of efficient and stable anode materials. Herein, in-situ exsolved FeNi nanoparticles on (La0.6Sr0.4)0.95Fe0.8Ni0.1Mo0.1O3-δ (LSFNM) perovskite oxide are realised by controlling A-site deficiency and Mo-doping. The introduction of high-valence molybdenum ions in (La0.6Sr0.4)0.95Fe0.8Ni0.2O3-δ (LSFN) not only stabilises its cubic perovskite structure under a reducing atmosphere, but also facilities the exsolution of FeNi nanoparticles from the parent perovskite matrix. The power density of the BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3−δ (BZCY) electrolyte-supported single cells with a LSFNM/BZCY/LSCF-SDC configuration reaches 172mW•cm−2 at 750°C in C2H6; meanwhile, the ethylene yield also reaches approximately 40.5%. The presented results extend the functionality and applicability of proton conducting fuel cells for carrying out efficient hydrocarbon-related electrochemical conversion for producing power and co-production of value-added chemicals.

Objective To investigate the effects of vagus nerve electrostimulation (VNS) on the brain damage of rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion model and its mechanism. Methods Twenty four adult male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups (12 each): MCAO/reperfusion group (MCAO group) and MCAO/reperfusion+VNS group (MCAO+VNS group). Subsequently, the neurological function deficit was determined by neurological scoring according to Zea Long scoring method 24h after MCAO/reperfusion. The cerebral infarction volume was determined by TTC assay. The cell apoptosis in brain damage zone was determined by TUNEL assay. Then, the effect of VNS on cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and p-CREB protein expression was determined by Western blotting. The effect of VNS on Bcl-2 and Bax expression was determined by immunohistochemistry assay. Results Compared with MCAO group, VNS significantly inhibited MCAO-induced neurological deficit (P0.05). Conclusion VNS may ameliorate MCAO-induced neurological deficit and decrease brain infarct volume, which may be related to the promotion of p-CREB protein expression level. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2017.08.08

This study investigated the promotion effect of A. ferrooxidans on complex heavy metals coprecipitation process. A. ferrooxidans significantly enhanced the ferrous oxidation, which also promoted the formation of iron-oxyhydroxysulphate. Cu(II) concentration reduced to 0.058 mmol/L in A. ferrooxidans inoculated system, and Cd also reduced to the lowest concentration (0.085 mmol/L). Pb was mainly immobilized as anglesite and iron-oxyhydroxysulphate promoted the removal of remanent Pb in solution. The precipitates are characterized by XRD, SEM, and FTIR analysis. The main component of the iron-oxyhydroxysulphate was well crystallized jarosite. A. ferrooxidans contributed to the formation of schwertmannite in later monovalent cation lack stage. Higher ferrous iron oxidation rate and Fe(III) supply rate in A. ferrooxidans inoculated system facilitated polyhedron crystal formation and the increase of particle diameter. Complex heavy metals could be incorporated into iron oxyhydroxysulphate crystal, and efficiently removed from acidic wastewater through A. ferrooxidans mediated coprecipitation.

Ming-Ming Li,* Jia Cao,* Jia-Chun Yang, Yu-Jie Shen, Xiao-Lei Cai, Yuan-Wen Chen, Chun-Ying Qu, Yi Zhang, Feng Shen, Lei-Ming Xu Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with integrin antagonist arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptides (QDs-RGD) are novel nanomaterials with a unique optical property: a high molar extinction coefficient. Previously, we have shown that QDs-RGD demonstrate a photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect as new photosensitizers for the pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 in vitro. Here, we investigate the application of QDs-RGD in mice bearing pancreatic tumors using PDT. To ensure that more photosensitizers accumulated in tumors, QDs-RGD were injected intratumorally. After selection of an adequate dosage for injection from analyses of biodistribution images captured by an IVIS system, PDT was initiated. Three groups were created according to different PDT procedures. In group 1, mice were injected with QDs-RGD intratumorally, and an optical fiber connected to a laser light was inserted directly into the tumor. Irradiation was sustained for 20min with a laser light (630nm) at 100mW/cm2. In group 2, the laser optical fiber was placed around, and not inserted into, tumors. In group 3, PDT was conducted as in group 1 but without injection of QDs-RGD. After 28days of observation, tumors on the back of mice in group 1 grew slowly (V/V0 =3.24±0.70) compared with the control groups, whose tumors grew quickly, and the mean V/V0 reached 6.08±0.50 (group 2) and 7.25±0.82 (group 3). Histology of tumor tissues showed more necrotic tissues, more inflammatory cells, and less vascular tissue in the PDT group than those in the control groups. These results suggest that QDs-RGD-mediated PDT, with illumination using an optical fiber inserted directly into the tumor, can inhibit the growth of SW1990 tumors with high efficiency in nude mice. Keywords: quantum dots, RGD peptides, pancreatic neoplasm, intratumoral injection, photodynamic therapy

Tanshinones were used as starting material to synthesize a small library of nitrogen heterocyclic derivatives featured with oxazole, imidazole, and pyrazine ring between C-11/C-12 by simple methods. Except for salviamine A and isosalviamine A, 22 new derivatives were synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. Moreover, 11 derivatives exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against five human cancer lines in vitro.

Background Platelets play a crucial role in breast cancer (BC) progression and metastases. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation. The aim of the present study was to assess whether there is a difference in MPV between patients with metastatic BC with liver metastases and those with BC without liver metastases. Methods Between January 2014 and December 2017, 211 metastatic BC patients with synchronous liver metastases and 215 BC patients without metastases were retrospectively analyzed. Patients’ clinicopathological characteristics data were collected. Results MPV levels were reduced in patients with liver metastases compared with those in patients without liver metastases. There were significant differences in MPV levels according to liver metastases status both in premenopausal and in postmenopausal non-TNBC or non-HER2+ patients. Moreover, in postmenopausal HER2+ or TNBC patients, MPV levels were lower in patients with liver metastases compared with those in patients without liver metastases. In the group with non-liver metastasis, platelet distribution width was significantly associated with tumor N stage. In addition, the prevalence of BC liver metastases decreased as MPV quartiles increased. After adjusting for other risk factors, the odds ratios for liver metastases according to MPV quartiles were 1.000, 0.267 (0.134–0.530), 0.072 (0.034–0.152), and 0.137 (0.066–0.281), respectively. Conclusion MPV is reduced in BC patients with liver metastases compared with that in BC patients without metastases. Moreover, MPV is independently associated with the presence of liver metastases.

Nickel-catalyzed highly regioselective hydroalkylation and hydroalkenylation of dienes were achieved with different hydrazones., Transition-metal-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization of 1,3-dienes is a useful and atom-economical method for constructing allylic compounds. Although substantial progress on hydroalkylation of dienes with stabilized carbon nucleophiles has been made, hydroalkylation of dienes with unstabilized carbon nucleophiles has remained a challenge. In this article, we report a protocol for nickel-catalyzed hydroalkylation of dienes with hydrazones, which serve as equivalents of alkyl carbon nucleophiles. In addition, we developed a protocol for hydroalkenylation of dienes with α,β-unsaturated hydrazones, providing a new method for the synthesis of 1,4-dienes. These hydroalkylation and hydroalkenylation reactions feature mild conditions and a wide substrate scope, and the utility of the reaction products is demonstrated by the preparation of an activator of soluble guanylate cyclase.

Designing artificial molecular machines to execute complex mechanical tasks, like coupling rotation and translation to accomplish transmission of motion, continues to provide important challenges. Herein, we demonstrated a novel molecular machine comprising a second-generation light-driven molecular motor and a bistable [1]rotaxane unit. The molecular motor can rotate successfully even in an interlocked [1]rotaxane system through a photoinduced cis-to-trans isomerization and a thermal helix inversion, resulting in concomitant transitional motion of the [1]rotaxane. The transmission process was elucidated via H-1 NMR,H-1-H-1 COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and 2D ROESY NMR spectroscopies, UV-visible absorption spectrum, and density functional theory calculations. This is the first demonstration of a molecular motor to rotate against the appreciably noncovalent interactions between dibenzo-24-crown-8 and N-methyltriazolium moieties comprising the rotaxane unit, showing operational capabilities of molecular motors to perform more complex tasks.

Pancreatic tumor are a deadly malignancy with high aggressiveness, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a prospective remedy. Nevertheless, the cells in the peripheral tissues of large tumors are often subjected to low-dose illumination and tend to survive after sublethal PDT exposure. Thus, it is of critical importance to determine the metastatic influence of PDT on pancreatic neoplasms. (17R, 18R)-2-(1-Hexyloxyethyl)-2-devinyl chlorine E6 trisodium salt (YLG-1) is a novel chlorine derivative photosensitizer, and we previously demonstrated potent growth inhibition of pancreatic neoplasms by YLG-1-mediated PDT (YLG-1-PDT). In this study, we assessed the metastatic effect of low-dose PDT with YLG-1 on pancreatic tumors and its combination with simvastatin. We found that sublethal YLG-1-PDT promoted MMP-2/9 expression in residual pancreatic tumor cells as well as tumor cell motility/invasion and liver metastasis. Since simvastatin was reported to improve the survival of patients with pancreatic tumors at an early stage and suppress the metastasis of most cancers, we utilized it during YLG-1-PDT and discovered alleviated migration/invasion, metastasis and MMP-2/9 expression. Collectively, our study results raise the concern that PDT could also be a Janus-like treatment owing to its prometastatic potential provoked by a low dosage. Concomitant use of simvastatin during PDT might be an effective method to attenuate such adverse reactions.

The vortex soliton has gained interest in recent years due to its intriguing potential applications in optical data storage, data processing and other areas. In this work an extensive analysis of characteristic features of the vortex-like soliton in a whispering gallery mode microresonator is carried out within the framework of the (2 + 1)-dimensional Lugiato-Lefever equation. It is found that the external pump field will cause the vortex-like solitons to rotate, and these vortex-like solitons can remain stable after increasing the white noise by 5%. Furthermore, the effects of topological charge, diffraction coefficient and self-focusing/self-defocusing nonlinearity on the properties of the vortex-like soliton in the whispering gallery mode microresonator are investigated. The results show that with the increase in topological charge, the vortex-like solitons will expand and the number of layers will increase. Finally, the breathing behavior is revealed when interaction between two vortex-like solitons occurs. Theoretical studies on vortex-like solitons dynamics indicates that WGM microresonators can serve as a powerful platform for exploring the nonlinear dynamics in optical nonlinear cavities. Our results are beneficial to the understanding of the fundamental dynamics of WGM microresonator solitons and extending their practical applications.

Background. The gut microbiota is involved in the occurrence and development of chronic liver diseases. Zonulin is considered a marker of intestinal permeability. The purpose of this study was to assess zonulin levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), HBV-associated liver cirrhosis (LC), and HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods. The study population consisted of 90 HBV-associated HCC patients, 90 HBV-associated LC patients, 90 CHB patients, and 90 healthy subjects. Serum levels of zonulin and AFP were determined. The diagnostic accuracy of each marker was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (AUC). Results. Serum zonulin levels were significantly higher in patients with HCC than in patients with LC or CHB or healthy subjects (p<0.001). Moreover, the zonulin levels were increased in the advanced stage of LC and HCC. ROC curve analysis revealed that serum zonulin could be used to differentiate CHB from cirrhosis. In addition, the combination of zonulin and AFP exhibited a significantly larger AUC compared with zonulin or AFP alone. Conclusions. Serum zonulin levels were significantly increased both in LC and in HCC and correlated with the advanced stage of LC and HCC. Moreover, the combination of zonulin and AFP confers significant benefit to diagnostic accuracy in differentiating LC from HCC.

Highly ordered hierarchical macroporous-mesoporous alumina with crystalline walls are synthesized by facial route. The general synthesis strategy is based on a sol–gel process associated with block copolymers as soft templates and polystyrene colloidal crystals as hard template to produce macropore and mesopore structures, respectively. Small-angle XRD, TEM and Nitrogen adsorption and desorption results show that hierarchical macroporous-mesoporous alumina possess highly ordered two-dimensional hexagonal mesostructured and highly ordered face centered cubic macropore arrays structure. The present work reveals that the hierarchical macroporous-mesoporous structure can endure high temperature up to 900 °C. FTIR pyridine adsorption measurements show that the amount of Lewis acid sites provided by hierarchical macroporous-mesoporous alumina is nearly two times more than that for mesoporous alumina, indicating that the open macroporous structure may be in favor of the reactant transfer, and the consequently superior activity. Large surface areas, high thermal stability, uniform pore structures and large amounts of surface Lewis acid sites illustrate that these materials are expected to find wide applications in catalysis realm. The highly ordered hierarchical macroporous-mesoporous alumina with crystalline walls are synthesized by a sol–gel process associated with block copolymers as soft templates and polystyrene colloidal crystals as hard template to produce macropore and mesopore structures, respectively.

Catalytic asymmetric formal synthesis of (−)-Triptophenolide and (+)-Triptolide have been achieved. Key reaction involves Palladium catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of aryl boronic acid to 3-methyl cyclohexe-1-none to form quaternary carbon. Claisen rearrangement and subsequent aldol reaction furnished trans-decaline key intermediate, which assured a formal total synthesis of (−)-Triptophenolide and (+)-Triptolide. Graphical Abstract Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13659-016-0100-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

As enterprise social networks are increasingly valued and applied by enterprises, the data capacity involved in social networking platforms is increasing and the relationship between data is becoming more and more complex, and traditional databases have struggled to deal with these large amounts of data and complex data. This paper presents a model of unstructured data which transforms the structured data into graph data, which can migrate the hive data to the neo4j, and make it easy for people to find the relationship between data and explore the potential value by visual data. When mass data migrated from Hive to Neo4j, there are two problems as follows: first, from the "dirty data" from hive migration, the Neo4j node GroupID is not unique; second, LOAD CSV is slow. This paper is divided into two parts to solve the above problems. When neo4j-import migration is used, the data obtained from Hive is cleaned first by "dirty data", and the problem of GroupID is not unique when the data is migrated to Neo4j. In LOAD CSV, the Cypher insertion needs to build a cable to solve the slow speed problem of LOAD CSV. The above scheme can ensure that noe4j-import tens of millions of data migration is completed at the minute level, and LOAD CSV 100 nodes are incremented at the second level.

We developed a highly regioselective addition of 1,3-dienes with simple ketones by nickel-hydride catalyst bearing DTBM-SegPhos ligand. A wide range of aromatic and aliphatic ketones directly coupled with 1,3-dienes, providing synthetically useful γ,δ-unsaturated ketones in high yield and regioselectivity. The asymmetric version of the reaction was also realized in high enantioselectivity by using novel chiral ligand DTBM-HO-BIPHEP. The utility of this hydroalkylation was demonstrated by facile product modification and enantioselective synthesis of ( R)-flobufen.

Given the limited efficacy and potential disadvantages of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in treating anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the development of better alternative therapies has become a priority. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) and its underlying mechanism in the treatment of renal anemia. In the present study, we found that ASP could enhance hypoxic induction of EPO in Hep3B cells, with a mechanism that involved the stabilization of HIF-2α protein. In parallel, ASP rescued the inhibition of EPO, induced by proinflammatory factor TNF-α through blocking GATA2 and NF-κB activation. In a rat model of adenine-induced anemia of CKD, oral administration of ASP corrected anemia and alleviated renal damage and inflammation. By increasing the accumulation of HIF-2α protein and reducing the expression of NF-κB and GATA2 as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines, ASP stimulated both renal and hepatic EPO production, and resulted in an elevation of serum EPO. The restoration of EPO production and EPOR mRNA expression with ASP treatment activated EPOR downstream JAK2/STAT5 and PI3K/Akt signaling, induced their target genes, such as Bcl-xL, Fam132b and Tfrc, and increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio in bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells of CKD rats. Furthermore, we found that ASP suppressed hepatic hepcidin expression, mobilized iron from spleen and liver and increased serum iron. These findings demonstrate that ASP elicits anti-anemic action by restoring EPO production and improving iron availability in the setting of CKD in rats.

Quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptides (which are integrin antagonists) are novel nanomaterials with the unique optical property of high molar extinction coefficient, and they have potential utility as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Our group previously demonstrated significant benefits of using PDT with QD-RGD on pancreatic tumor cells. This study aimed to evaluate the biodistribution and toxicity of QD-RGD in mice prior to in vivo application. Mice with pancreatic neoplasms were intratumorally injected with varying doses of QD-RGD, and the biodistribution 0–24 h post injection was compared to that in control mice (intravenously injected with unconjugated QD). Various tissue samples were collected for toxicity analyses, which included inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess Cd2+ concentrations and hematoxylin-eosin staining for histopathological examination. Fluorescent imaging revealed relatively sufficient radiant efficiency in mice under specific conditions. The ICP-MS and HE data showed no significant signs of necrosis due to Cd2+ release by QDs. The mice survived well and had no apparent weakness or weight loss during the 4 weeks post injection. These findings provide novel insights into the biodistribution of QD-RGD and encourage profound in vivo studies regardless of safety concerns. These findings alleviate safety concerns and provide novel insights into the biodistribution of QD-RGD, offering a solid foundation for comprehensive in vivo studies.

I326 view of the situation that the existing indoor localization equipment is easily damaged in the event of a fire and can't assist the rescue command and decision, an super low frequency quasi-static field localization scheme, which with penetration localization prospects, was proposed. In quasi-static field, interference can be suppressed by adaptive notch, and use the algorithm based on the three-order dynamic system to obtain the amplitude of the single tone signal transmitted by out-field magnetic beacons, then the location of the receiving point can be obtained according to the distribution characteristics of the quasistatic field. Experimental results show that in the range supported by the magnetic beacon transmit power, this scheme has the feasibility of positioning, and the average error is within the acceptable range relative to its application scenario.

Total synthesis of (±)-Lingzhilactone B has been achieved for the first time in 13 steps. The key step features a semipinacol rearrangement to construct 5/5 bicyclic ring with adjacent quaternary carbon.

Opening a sizable band gap in the zero-gap silicene is a key issue for its application in nanoelectronics. Based on first-principles calculations, we find that the weak interaction between silicene and Gallium phosphide (GaP) monolayer can open a gap in gapless silicene. At the same time, the gap changes with the interlayer spacing changed. The band gap changes in a large range in silicene and GaP heterobilayer (Si/GaP HBL). These means the HBLs is a good material to design effective FETs out of silicene on GaP monolayer.

Transmembrane-4-L-six-family-1(TM4SF1), a four-transmembrane L6 family member, is highly expressed in various pancreatic cancer cell lines and promotes cancer cells metastasis. However, the TM4SF1-associated signaling network in metastasis remains unknown. In the present study, we found that TM4SF1 affected the formation and function of invadopodia. Silencing of TM4SF1 reduced the expression of DDR1 significantly in PANC-1 and AsPC-1 cells. Through double fluorescence immuno-staining and Co-immunoprecipitation, we also found that TM4SF1 colocalized with DDR1 and had an interaction with DDR1. In addition, upregulating the expression of DDR1 rescued the inhibitory effects of cell migration and invasion, the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 and the formation and function of invadopodia when TM4SF1 silenced. In pancreatic cancer tissues, qRT-PCR and scatter plots analysis further determined that TM4SF1 had a correlation with DDR1. Collectively, our study provides a novel regulatory pathway involving TM4SF1, DDR1, MMP2 and MMP9, which promotes the formation and function of invadopodia to support cell migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer.

The problem is solved that it is hard to provide analysis formulas about the maximum equivalent stress, the maximum shear stress and the structural geometric parameters for a ship. The finite element calculation is done with orthogonal experimental design under the most dangerous case. The data obtained are used as the training and test samples to establish BP neural network models of ship’s maximum equivalent stress and maximum shear stress. With the aid of Neural network toolbox in MATLAB, the topological structure of BP neural network mapping relationship between the whole ship performance indexes and design variables is established. The training and testing are completed with the data tested by the shipyard and the correctness of this network is verified. The neural network required for further optimization design is obtained. The neural network is helpful in reducing the ship mass without exceeding the allowable stress.

The basic principle of sequential quadratic programming method and the concrete implementation steps in MATLAB are expounded. Sequential quadratic programming method is used for the cabin structure optimization. In the optimization, the minimal sizes of components stipulated by the rules are used as size constraints, the frequencies required by the rules are used as performance constraints and the minimum lightness of the ship are used as objective. Finite element analysis of the ship structure optimized is done and the results obtained show that both the maximum equivalent stress and the maximum shear stress meet the requirements and first three order frequencies of the cabin structure are also far away from the working frequency of propeller and host. The optimization reduces the weight of the cabin under the condition of meet the static characteristic and dynamic characteristic.

The purpose to optimize the ship structure is to obtain the minimum weight and the maximization of economic benefit. The way is to change the ship size, structure form, whole or partial structure layout under the condition of meeting the requirements of mechanical properties. The whole ship structure optimization model is established. Optimization is carried out by means of the Optimtoolbox in MATLAB, with the total mass of the ship as objective function, the requirements of the specification and the natural frequencies as constraint conditions. With sensitivity analysis,the thickness of bottom plate, deck, keelson, side keelson, superstructure bulkhead, hatch coaming and other components are selected as design variables. The results show that through optimization, better ship lightweight effect is obtained under the premise of guarantee hull structure strength, stiffness and dynamic characteristics. The bulk carrier structure is optimizaed.

The selection, fitting and evaluation methods of response surface functions are expounded. The parameter sensitivity analysis of the cabin is carried out. The response surface functions of the stress and the vibration frequencies are constructed through the Box-Behnken experimental design method. Fitting inspection on the response surface functions is done with correlation coefficient, correction coefficient, etc. The results show that the response surface models are very similar to the real models. Four design variables are extracted randomly as the test sample of each response surface function. The data gotten by the response surface function are compared with the data gotten by the finite element analysis. The results show that the response surface models are with high accuracy and can reflect the real test values well. These response surface models can be used for further optimization design. They are helpful in reducing the ship mass without exceeding the allowable stress and resonance.

For the chase tank and large opening forms of inland waterway bulk carrier, using finite element method, the whole ship finite element model is established, the total intensity strength of the overall structure is conducted an evaluation study, the stress and strain distribution of the whole ship is obtained. The calculation methods of the entrained water quality is studied, and the entrained water quality is calculated by the method of Lewis and Todd, on this basis, the dynamic characteristics of the whole ship are calculated, the vibration characteristic of the whole ship is got, data is provided the support For the study of the important parts of inland waterway bulk carrier, and it is provided a certain reference for the design studies of inland waterway bulk carriers.

Based on the analysis of the properties of spent catalyst, extract vanadium and molybdenum from spent catalyst by roasting alkaline leaching. Sodium carbonate was leaching agent. The effects of roasting temperature, roasting time, the concentration of sodium carbonate and the number of leaching times on the leaching rate of vanadium and molybdenum were studied. Roasting temperature of 650°C, roasting time of 3h, the concentration of sodium carbonate of 50g/L and once counter-current leaching, under this condition, the leaching of vanadium is 83% and the leaching of molybdenum is 93%.Roasting alkaline leaching has good effect on extracting vanadium and molybdenum from spent catalyst.

High contents of curcusones A and B and trace amounts of spirocurcasone exist in the roots of Jatropha curcas. Here, a one-step semisynthesis method of spirocurcasone and pyracurcasone was built, not only resulted an increased yield of spirocurcasone but also produced pyracurcasone, which exhibited greater cytotoxicity compared to curcusones A and B. The plausible mechanism of the formation of pyracurcasone was proposed, and the proposed biogenetic origin for spirocurcasone by Taglialatela-Scafati was confirmed.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare subtype of B-cell lymphoma characterized by selective growth of clonal B-cells in the lumen of the small vessels of various organs including the liver, spleen, lungs, skin, brain, and kidney. An 86-year-old male presented with weight loss, fever and night sweats (known as B symptoms). Blood examination revealed pancytopenia, high lactate dehydrogenase and high soluble interleukin-2 receptor, suggesting hematopoietic malignancy. However, there were no abnormal hematopoietic cells in the peripheral blood. No lymph node swelling was identified on examination by whole-body computed tomography scan. Therefore, IVLBCL was suspected, and random skin biopsies and a skin biopsy from a senile hemangioma were carried out. A small number of large atypical lymphoid cells resided in the small blood vessels in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the random skin biopsies, and numerous atypical lymphoid cells were identified in the small vessels of the senile hemangioma. These results suggest the usefulness of skin biopsy from senile hemangiomas in the diagnosis of IVLBCL.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic lesions and pose a major threat to genome stability if not properly repaired. We and others have previously shown that a class of DSB-induced small RNAs (diRNAs) is produced from sequences around DSB sites. DiRNAs are associated with Argonaute (Ago) proteins and play an important role in DSB repair, though the mechanism through which they act remains unclear. Here, we report that the role of diRNAs in DSB repair is restricted to repair by homologous recombination (HR) and that it specifically relies on the effector protein Ago2 in mammalian cells. Interestingly, we show that Ago2 forms a complex with Rad51 and that the interaction is enhanced in cells treated with ionizing radiation. We demonstrate that Rad51 accumulation at DSB sites and HR repair depend on catalytic activity and small RNA-binding capability of Ago2. In contrast, DSB resection as well as RPA and Mre11 loading is unaffected by Ago2 or Dicer depletion, suggesting that Ago2 very likely functions directly in mediating Rad51 accumulation at DSBs. Taken together, our findings suggest that guided by diRNAs, Ago2 can promote Rad51 recruitment and/or retention at DSBs to facilitate repair by HR.

This paper mainly presents Access Point s (APs) performance according to 802.11g standard. Our study illustrates the performance of one AP, including its coverage performance, load-carrying properties and fairness. Performance analyses are evaluated by simulation for a dense wireless network. Our contribution is that the simulation and test results can be the basis offered to network operators.

Based on the analysis of the properties of a high carbon pyrite from Yunnan, a series tests on gravity concentration and flotation were carried out. According to this basis, a closed-circuit flotation test scheme was worked out, which obtained a fine quality pyrite concentrate with a sulfur grade of 38.24%, comprehensive sulfur recovery of 70.87% and carbon content of only 0.87%.

Intervertebral disk disease is a common clinical disorder manifested by pain, ataxia, paresis, motor paralysis, and sensorimotor paralysis. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical and thoracolumbar disk disease have been unclear until now. In this study, some differentially expressed genes were identified, and a network was constructed based on these genes. Through the statistical analysis of nodes and the contrast of 2 more connectivity nodes, it was found that the nodes in the network are in an important position and play key roles. Several of these genes, including MAP2K6, MAP2K3, and MAPK14, belong to the MAP kinase family, and several genes, including RHOBTB2, RHOQ, and RHOH, belong to the RHO family. Therefore, we hypothesize that the development of intervertebral disk disease is related to MAP and RHO family proteins.

We first reported the role of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) against hypoxia. Here, we studied the mechanism by using oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODD)-Luc mice, which are a useful model to probe the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Compared with three other compounds that have been reported to have a role in stabilizing HIF-1α, 5-HMF caused stronger bioluminescence, which is indicative of HIF-1α stability in the brain and kidney of ODD-Luc mice. We further demonstrated that the HIF-1α protein accumulated in response to 5-HMF in the brains and kidneys of these mice, as well as in PC12 cells. Additionally, 5-HMF promoted the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α and the transcriptional activity of HIF-1, which was evaluated by detecting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF ) mRNA expression. These results suggest that 5-HMF stabilized HIF-1α and increased its activity. Considering the role of proline hydroxylases (PHDs) in negatively regulating HIF-1α stability, we explored whether 5-HMF interacts with the substrates and cofactors of PHDs, such as 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG), Fe(2+) and vitamin C (VC), which affects the activity of PHDs. The result revealed that 5-HMF did not interact with Fe(2+) or 2-OG but interacted with VC. This interaction was confirmed by subsequent experiments, in which 5-HMF entered into cells and reduced the VC content. The enhanced stability of HIF-1α by 5-HMF was reversed by VC supplementation, and the improved survival of mice caused by 5-HMF under hypoxia was abrogated by VC supplementation. Thus, we demonstrated for the first time that 5-HMF increases HIF-1α stability by reducing the VC content, which mediates the protection against hypoxia.

In this paper, the three-coupling modified nonlinear Schrödinger (MNLS) equation with variable-coefficients is used to describe the dynamics of soliton in alpha helical protein. This MNLS equation with variable-coefficients is firstly transformed to the MNLS equation with constant-coefficients by similarity transformation. And then the one-soliton and two-soliton solutions of the variable-coefficient-MNLS equation is obtained by solving the constant-coefficient-MNLS equation with Hirota method. The effects of different parameter conditions on the soliton solutions are also discussed in detail. The interaction between two solitons are also discussed. Our results are helpful to understand the soliton dynamics in alpha helical protein.

Cutting tool wear is a critical problem for tunneling in soft ground with the earth pressure balance shield. In this study, a cutting tool tester was developed in the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, and a series of tool wear tests were conducted to investigate the characteristics of tool wear in granular soils. The characteristics of cutting tool wear can be quantitatively assessed through the ratio (M0 − M)/M0 (i.e., tool wear rate, %; M0 and M are the mass of the tested blocks before and after the wear test, respectively). The effects of five important factors, including mineralogy, moisture, soil conditioner, test time, and sand content, on tool wear were considered in various test conditions. According to the primary test results, it is observed that (1) high soil hardness produced significantly higher tool wear than low soil hardness in dry condition; (2) with increasing water content, the tool wear gradually increased to a maximum value and then decreased; (3) the foam conditioner mixed in sandy gravel reduced the tool wear dramatically regardless of the cutting tool material, e.g., cemented carbide and Q235 steel; (4) the tool wear increased with the test time in the dry sand mixture, and their relationship showed a good agreement with a power function; and (5) the tool wear decreased as the sand content increased in dry sand-gravel soil mixtures. The reasons for these phenomena were also explored.