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Background: Catastrophic Medical Insurance (CMI) has been piloted in China Since 2012 and gradually implemented in various regions. Most studies focus on its impact on medical economic risks, and few studies discussed the impact of CMI on health of the elderly.Methods: This study used Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data to explore the impact of CMI on health of the elderly. Difference-in-differences (DID) and Propensity score matching-DID were employed to study the health impact of CMI. Heckman selection model was used to study the potential mechanisms.Results: We found that the implementation of CMI improved the mental health of the elderly, and the effect was limited. Moreover, the positive effect of CMI on the health of the elderly was mainly in the high-income group, and CMI had no significant effect on any health indicators of the low-income group population. The potential channel of CMI health improvement was its ability to increase hospitalization rate in the elderly. Conclusions: Therefore, the health promotion and equity of CMI deserve more attention, and the compensation level of CMI needs to be improved under the premise of sustainable and effective supervision of the fund.

Clarifying key cellulase component that played synergistic roles with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermenting alfalfa lignocellulose into lactic acid (LA) is valuable in low-temperature seasons. Last cut and low dry matter (DM) alfalfa was ensiled by 9 treatments, combinations of cellulase component genes engineered Lactoc. lactis subsp. lactis MG1363 strains (HT2, HT3, HT4, HT5, E1C1, E1B1, and C1B1, separately containing bgl1, cbh2, and egl3 gene were mixed at 1:1:1, 2:1:1, 1:2:1, 1:1:2, 1:1:0, 1:0:1, and 0:1:1), cellulase (EN), and a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and cellulase (LPEN), and without treatments, as the control, with 4 replicates each. After anaerobic preservation in a silo from late fall through winter (3-20℃) for 140 d, the ensiled alfalfa was sampled and analysed. EN degraded lignocellulose best but the pH was the key limiting factor for lignocellulose saccharification of commercial EN in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of LPEN. The optimal combination HT4 caused the fewest disaccharide (1.02 g/kg DM) and the highest conversion of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) to LA (170%) and increased LA content to 80.0 g/kg DM maximally since cellobiohydrolase better cooperated with Lactoc. lactis host to ferment lignocellulose into LA than endoglucanase and β-glucosidase. Therefore, strong LA production was approached in HT4 by clarifying key cellulase component played synergistic roles with Lactoc. lactis host. This study could benefit the development of LA production in fermenting lignocellulosic biomass.

Changes in soil aggregation with biochar amendment have been investigated extensively, but how biochar affects the chemical composition of organic carbon (C) and biological binding agents in aggregates and their linkage with soil aggregate stability remains unclear. Soil samples were collected in a rice paddy treated with 0 (C0, control), 10 t ha

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, the consumption of antibiotics increased. However, no studies exist evaluating the effect of antibiotics use on the antibiotic resistance of intestinal flora in COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. To explore this issue, we collected 15 metagenomic data of fecal samples from healthy controls (HCs) with no use history of antibiotics, 23 metagenomic data of fecal samples from COVID-19 patients who received empirical antibiotics [COVID-19 (abx+)], 18 metagenomic data of fecal samples from antibiotics-naïve COVID-19 patients [COVID-19 (abx-)], and six metagenomic data of fecal samples from patients with community-acquired pneumonia [PC (abx+)] from the Sequence Read Archive database. A total of 513 antibiotic-resistant gene (ARG) subtypes of 18 ARG types were found. Antibiotic treatment resulted in a significant increase in the abundance of ARGs in intestinal flora of COVID-19 patients and markedly altered the composition of ARG profiles. Grouped comparisons of pairs of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity values demonstrated that the dissimilarity of the HC versus the COVID-19 (abx+) group was significantly higher than the dissimilarity of the HC versus the COVID-19 (abx-) group. The mexF, mexD, OXA_209, major facilitator superfamily transporter, and EmrB_QacA family major facilitator transporter genes were the discriminative ARG subtypes for the COVID-19 (abx+) group. IS621, qacEdelta, transposase, and ISCR were significantly increased in COVID-19 (abx+) group; they greatly contributed toward explaining variation in the relative abundance of ARG types. Overall, our data provide important insights into the effect of antibiotics use on the antibiotic resistance of COVID-19 patients during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The nitrogen metabolic pathways of Pseudomonas taiwanensis J488 have not been confirmed from genomic function analysis and its divalent metal ion resistance remains poorly understood. In this study, the key denitrifying gene of Pseudomonas taiwanensis J488, nirB, was determined by draft genome sequencing. The nitrification of ammonium was insensitive to high concentrations of Ca(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II). Similarly, complete nitrite removal was achieved despite Mn(II) and Zn(II) reaching concentrations up to 30 mg/L. Furthermore, the efficiency of nitrate removal was significantly enhanced by 1.33%, 3.33%, 5.99%, and 1.53% with the addition of 0.5 mg/L Ca(II), 20 mg/L Mn(II), 5 mg/L Zn(II), and 2 mg/L Cd(II), respectively, comparison with the control. The bacterial growth in both nitrifying and denitrifying processes was substantially promoted by various dosages of divalent metal ions. These results indicate that divalent metal ions would not severely limit the capacity of strain J488 to purify nitrogen-polluted wastewater.

Hydroxylamine, an intermediate product in the nitrification process, is widely found in nature. However, hydroxylamine accumulation can decrease the biological nitrogen removal efficiency by reducing the activities, inhibiting the reproductions, and even causing the death of microorganisms. In this study, a novel heterotrophic nitrification bacterium was separated from biogas digester and identified as Glutamicibacter arilaitensis EM-H8. Strain EM-H8 exhibited efficient hydroxylamine removal (93.75%). The optimal conditions for hydroxylamine removal were as follows: Carbon source, glucose; C/N ratio, 25; temperature, 20 °C; inoculum size, 0.53 × 108 CFU; and shaking speed, 150 rpm. The nitrogen balance results using strain EM-H8 showed that about 26.86% of the initial nitrogen was removed as nitrogenous gas, while 4.6% was converted into biomass under aerobic conditions, confirming that strain EM-H8 possessed the capacity for heterotrophic nitrification. Furthermore, the successful expression of hydroxylamine oxidase (0.065 U/mg protein) showed that strain EM-H8 had the ability to transform hydroxylamine from wastewater.

Our research objective was to obtain a fundamental understanding of how ITO thin films layered on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates fail due to tensile, shear, and bending loading conditions. In our approach, we employed a nonlinear finite-element (FE) approach coupled with dislocation-density crystalline and hypoelastic material models and fracture approaches tailored for channel (film) cracking and interfacial delamination. These predictions were validated with mechanical experiments and characterization at different physical scales. Failure to strain and fracture predictions were used to account for interrelated mechanisms, such as channel and interfacial cracking nucleation and propagation along cleavage planes, interfaces, and within layers. Our predictions indicate that interfacial delamination occurred when channel cracks transitioned to interfacial cracks at the ITO/PET interface for tensile loading conditions. Furthermore, the thin film system, when subjected to three-point bending and shear loading conditions was more resistant to failure in comparison to systems subjected to tensile loading conditions.

Our study presents the genetic landscape betel quid chewing‐associated tongue carcinomas (BQ‐TCs). We compared the genetic landscape and mutational signatures of 15 BQ‐TCs, five nonbetel quid chewing‐associated tongue carcinomas (nBQ‐TCs), and 82 tongue carcinomas in general population from the TCGA (TCGA‐TCs) project. The highlights of this research mainly include: (a) The genetic landscape of BQ‐TC was characterized with frequent mutations in RASA1 gene and in CpG islands throughout the genome. (b) The BQ‐TC had a distinct mutational signature from that of nBQ‐TC and tongue carcinomas in the general population, and this signature was associated with the mutations in RASA1 and in CpG islands. (c) Our study indicates that betel quid (BQ) chewing classifies a distinct group of tongue carcinoma. The BQ chewing might not contribute to the tumorigenesis of tongue carcinomas as a mutagen.

A CW 980 nm bi-static lidar system based on the Scheimpflug principle and capable of resolving wing-beats was used to monitor flying Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley pest insects in a Lychee fruit orchard in South China.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of LVIS stent-assisted coil embolization in the acute phase of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.The clinical data of 55 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm treated with LVIS stent-assisted coil embolization admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2016 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The general data, the characteristics of aneurysms and the occurrence of perioperative complications of the patients were collected. The clinical prognosis of the patients at discharge and 6 months of follow-up was recorded. The Glasgow prognosis score (GOS) was graded as good (5), average (3-4), and poor (1-2), and the cerebral angiography results were recorded immediately after embolization and 6-month follow-up. The aneurysm occlusion was assessed by Raymond grade, Raymond I was complete obliteration, II was residual neck and III was residual aneurysm.All 55 patients received LVIS stent-assisted coil embolization within 72 hours of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, and all stents were released successfully, including 16 males (29.1%) and 39 females (70.9%). The median age was 53 (24-80) years old. Anterior circulation aneurysms were found in 49 patients (89.1%) and posterior circulation aneurysms in 6 patients (10.9%). According to Hunt-Hess classification, there were 43 patients with grade I-II (78.2%), 7 patients with grade III (12.7%) and 5 patients with grade IV-V (9.1%). The first digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examination of 55 patients after embolization showed that 41 patients had complete obliteration of aneurysms and 14 had residual neck; and the smaller the aneurysm was, the higher the rate of complete obliteration after embolization was. The proportion of small aneurysms (maximum diameter ≤ 7 mm) in the complete obliteration group was significantly higher than that in the neck residual group (100.0% vs. 64.3%, P0.01). Among the 55 patients, there was 1 patient suffered from in-stent thrombosis during embolization, 1 patient suffered from distal vascular thrombosis induced by plaque shedding during embolization, 1 patient suffered from vasospasm during embolization, and 1 patient suffered from postoperative distal cerebral hemorrhage after embolization. In 2 dead patients, 1 died of cardiogenic disease and 1 died of respiratory failure caused by severe pneumonia. At discharge, the prognosis was good in 40 patients, average in 10 patients, and poor in 5 patients; and the higher the Hunt-Hess grade at admission, the worse the prognosis. The proportion of patients with Hunt-Hess grade I-II at admission in the good prognosis group was significantly higher than that in the general prognosis group and the poor prognosis group (90.0% vs. 50.0%, 40.0%, P0.01). Of the 55 patients, 39 completed clinical prognosis and cerebral angiography 6 months after embolization for follow-up. All patients had GOS no less than 3, including 32 patients with complete obliteration of aneurysm, 4 with residual neck and 3 with residual aneurysm. The smaller the aneurysm, the higher the rate of complete obliteration at 6-month follow-up was. The proportion of small aneurysm in the complete obliteration group was significantly higher than that in the residual neck group and the residual aneurysm group (100.0% vs. 75.0%, 33.3%, P0.01). There was no rebleeding or ischemic complication at 6-month follow-up.LVIS stent assisted coil embolization is safe, effective and feasible in the acute stage of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Standardizing antiplatelet therapy and dense packing of aneurysms during embolization are the key to reduce bleeding and ischemic complications.

Occupational trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure can cause hypersensitivity syndrome (TCE-HS). The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*13:01 is reportedly an important allele involved in TCE-HS onset. However, the threshold exposure level causing TCE-HS in relation to HLA-B*13:01 remains unknown. We conducted a case-control study comprising 37 TCE-HS patients and 97 age- and sex-matched TCE-tolerant controls from the Han Chinese population. Urine and blood of patients were collected on the first day of hospitalization, and those of controls were collected at the end of their shifts. Urinary trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was measured as an exposure marker, and end-of-shift levels in the patients were estimated using the biological half-life of 83.7 h. HLA-B genotype was identified using DNA from blood. Crude odds ratios (ORs) for TCE-HS in the groups with urinary TCA concentration >15 mg/L to ≤50 mg/L and of >50 mg/L were 21.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.2–114.1] and 27.6 (6.1–125.8), respectively, when the group with urinary TCA ≤15 mg/L was used as a reference. The frequency of HLA-B*13:01, the most common allele in the patients, was 62.2% (23/37), which was significantly higher than 17.5% (17/97) in the TCE-tolerant controls, with a crude OR of 8.4 (3.1–22.6). The mutually-adjusted ORs for urinary TCA >15 to ≤50 mg/L, >50 mg/L, and for HLA-B*13:01 were 33.4 (4.1–270.8), 34.0 (5.3–217.1), and 11.0 (2.4–50.7), respectively. In conclusion, reduction of TCE exposure to ≤15 mg/L is required for TCE-HS prevention because urinary TCA concentration >15 mg/L showed increased risk of TCE-HS, regardless of whether the patients had the HLA-B*13:01 allele.

Introduction This is a retrospective study exploring clinical effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on upper limb disorder induced by occupational hand-arm vibration disease (OHAVD), and preliminarily exploring mechanism of the effect. Methods 43 patients diagnosed with occupational HAVD were divided into experimental group (n = 21) and control group (n = 22). Before and after 4 weeks treatment, the occurrence of vibration-induced white finger(VWF) was observed, upper limb function was assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, based on which the DASH scores were determined, and the serum concentration of TNFα was detected using ELISA. Results Pre-treatment DASH score was not significantly different between two groups, but post-treatment score was significantly lower in experimental group than in control group (21.94 ± 5.79vs.35.87 ± 3.80, p Conclusions Combination of acupuncture and moxibustion may be an effective treatment for occupational HAVD, the mechanism is possibly related to reduction of the serum TNFα levels.

Occupational trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure can induce life-threatening generalized dermatitis accompanied by hepatitis: TCE hypersensitivity syndrome (HS). Since the patients’ exposure levels have not been fully clarified, this study estimated end-of-shift urinary concentrations of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and their lower limit below which the disease occurrence was rare. TCA concentration was measured in 78 TCE HS patients whose urine was collected at admission between 2nd and 14th d after their last shift. Then a linear regression model was used to calculate the mean TCA concentration with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and 95% prediction interval (95% PI) in the end-of-shift urine. The estimated mean concentration was 83 (95% CI, 49–140) mg/l with 95% PI 9.6–720 mg/l. TCA concentrations were also measured in the end-of-shift urine of 38 healthy workers involved in the same job as were the patients. The geometric mean and its 95% CI were 127 mg/l and 16–984 mg/l, respectively. The exposure levels in HS patients might have thus overlapped with those in workers without HS. Accordingly, it was suggested that HS occurred in the environment where the workers were exposed to the TCE concentration corresponding to the urinary TCA concentration as low as 10 mg/l.

The purpose of this study was to explore the diversity mechanism of fatty acids (FA) and the loss mechanisms of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and fat-soluble vitamins in alfalfa silages treated with molasses (ML), lipase-producing-Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), propionic acid (PA), sunflower seed oil (OL) and without additives as the control (CON) for 70 d. The results exhibited that natural ensiling led to the losses of PUFA, C18:3n3, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene and increased the FA diversity due to the appearances of C11:0 and C18:2 trans-912 relative to the fresh alfalfa material (FAM). Similar to the control silage, great PUFA losses were observed in ML- and OL-treated silages. In contrast, LP (P = 0.001 and P 58.0 %). Spearman correlation and redundancy analyses revealed that these cocci LAB and Citrobacter led to the increases of lipoxygenase activity, contents of C11:0, and C18:2 trans-912, and the losses of PUFA, C18:3n3, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene, while Lactobacillus altered these indexes oppositely. Moreover, Pantoea (r = -0.70 and -0.68), Sphingomonas (r = -0.81 and -0.76), Aureimonas (r = -0.81 and -0.78) and Devosia (r = -0.83 and -0.80) correlated negatively with the losses of α-tocopherol and β-carotene. In conclusion, ML, PA, and LP improved fermentation quality. Adding PA and LP altered the bacterial community in alfalfa silage, which in turn reduced the FA diversity and losses of PUFA, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is a fast-growing species that can invade neighboring forests through its vigorous rhizome system, leading to large shifts of plant diversity and soil properties. A primary concern is the response of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities and related soil C sequestration to bamboo forest expansion. We used a long-term soil chronosequence from primary broadleaved forest to moso bamboo forest to examine the changes in AMF abundance and communities, as well as their role in soil C storage. AMF communities showed strong niche differentiation, and were highly structured by forest type (r 2 = 0.648, P = 0.001), and marginally correlated to soil pH and organic C. Bamboo forest expansion increased soil AMF biomass as indicated by neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFA) 16:1ω5 abundance, easily extracted glomalin-related soil protein (EE-GRSP), and water-stable macroaggregates. We observed that soil AMF biomass contributed substantially to both soil macroaggregates and EE-GRSP, which were tightly correlated with soil organic C. The influence of bamboo forest expansion on soil C sequestration was mainly due to its indirect effect on AMF biomass. Bamboo forest expansion significantly changed soil AMF communities and increased AMF biomass, which in turn contributed to enhanced soil aggregation and C storage.

Intensive management practices, such as inorganic fertilization, soil tillage and understory removal, have been widely used to increase bamboo products and economic return in Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys pubescens ) forests. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a critical role in soil aggregation and carbon cycling. However, little is known about the effects of such long-term soil disturbance on soil AMF community composition and abundance, and their linkage to aggregation in Moso bamboo forests. We investigated soil chemical properties, water-stable soil aggregates, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), AMF community composition and biomass across a chronosequence of long-term intensively managed Moso bamboo forests (0, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of intensive management) in a subtropical region of China. Our results showed that intensive management resulted in significant decreases in soil pH and high accumulations of soil available N, P and K contents. Both soil AMF biomass (indicated by neutral lipid fatty acid) and total GRSP content were significantly decreased with increasing duration under intensive management. High-throughput sequencing showed that intensive management greatly altered soil AMF community composition, and soil available N, P and K were important driving factors shaping it. Soil macroaggregate (>250 μm) proportion decreased by 20–29% in bamboo forest soils after 15 years of intensive management. Soil macroaggregate proportion and organic C content were found significantly and positively correlated with AMF biomass and total GRSP content, respectively, indicating a high risk of soil erosion and organic C depletion when AMF biomass was reduced in long-term intensively managed bamboo forests. In conclusion, our study suggests that long-term intensive management induced alterations in abundance and community composition of AMF are responsible for the decrease in soil aggregation in the Moso bamboo forests. Alternative management practices, such as reduced tillage and organic amendments, are urgently needed to improve AMF community in order to enhance soil aggregation and C sequestration in Moso bamboo forests.

Mannan binding lectin (MBL), initially reported to activate the complement pathway, is also known to be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We report a thus far unknown function of MBL as a suppressor of T-cell activation. MBL markedly inhibited T-cell proliferation induced by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Moreover, the presence of MBL during T-cell priming interfered with proximal T-cell receptor signaling by decreasing phosphorylation of Lck, ZAP-70, and LAT. MBL bound to T cells through interaction between the collagen-like region of MBL and calreticulin (CRT) expressed on the T-cell surface. The neutralizing antibody against CRT abrogated MBL-mediated suppression of T-cell proliferation, suggesting that MBL down-modulates T-cell proliferation via cell surface CRT. We further demonstrated that the feature of MBL-mediated T-cell suppression is shared by other serum collectins (e.g., C1q and collectin 11). The concentrations of MBL correlated negatively with in vivo T-cell activation status in patients with early-stage silicosis. Furthermore, MBL efficiently inhibited activation and proliferation of autoreactive T cells derived from patients with silicosis, indicating that MBL serves as a negative feedback control of the T-cell responses.-Zhao, N., Wu, J., Xiong, S., Zhang, L., Lu, X., Chen, S., Wu, Q., Wang, H., Liu, Y., Chen, Z., Zuo, D. Mannan-binding lectin, a serum collectin, suppresses T-cell proliferation via direct interaction with cell surface calreticulin and inhibition of proximal T-cell receptor signaling.

To gain better insight into the regulatory networks of anthocyanin biosynthesis, an integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome in purple and green leaves of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum was conducted. Transcript and metabolite profiles were archived by RNA-sequencing data analysis and LC-ESI-MS/MS, respectively. There were 209 metabolites and 4211 transcripts that were differentially expressed between purple and green leaves. Correlation tests of anthocyanin contents and transcriptional changes showed 141 significant correlations (Pearson correlation coefficient >0.8) between 16 compounds and 14 transcripts involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Some novel genes and metabolites were discovered as potential candidate targets for the improvement of anthocyanin content and superior cultivars.

Cross-linking is an effective way to enhance biodegradable poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) from CO2 and propylene oxide (PO). Cross-linked PPC can be prepared by one-step terpolymerization of multifunctional third monomers with CO2 and PO. However, few such third monomers are available. Each molecule of maleic anhydride oligomer (MAO) contains more than two cyclic anhydride groups. Here, we use it to synthesize PPC with cross-linked networks by adding a small quantity of MAO (0.625&ndash, 5 wt% of PO) in CO2/PO copolymerization that was catalyzed by zinc glutarate. The formation of networks in the prepared copolymers was confirmed by the presence of gel in copolymers combined Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H NMR, and the improved mechanical properties. The 5% weight-loss degradation temperatures and maximum weight-loss degradation temperatures greatly increase up to 289.8 &deg, C and 308.8 &deg, C, respectively, which are remarkably high when compared to those of PPC. The minimum permanent deformation of the copolymers closes to 0, while that of PPC is 173%. The maximum tensile strength of the copolymers is 25.5 MPa higher than that of PPC, reaching 38.4 MPa, and it still has some toughness with the elongation at break of 25%. The above phenomena indicate that MAO that was inserted in PPC chains play a cross-linking role, which results in enhanced thermal stability, dimensional stability, and mechanical strength, comprehensively.

Supplementary File: A Novel One-Pot Synthesis of Poly(PropyleneCarbonate) Containing Cross-Linked Networks by Copolymerization of Carbon Dioxide, Propylene Oxide, Maleic Anhydride, and Furfuryl Glycidyl Ether

The thermoplastic poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) containing cross-linked networks was one-pot synthesized by copolymerization of carbon dioxide, propylene oxide (PO), maleic anhydride (MA), and furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE). The copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements. The thermal and dimensional stability of the copolymers were improved. When the MA and FGE load increased from 1 mol% to 4 mol% of PO, the copolymers contained the gel contents of 11.0%&ndash, 26.1% and their yields were about double that of the PPC. The 5% weight-loss degradation temperatures (Td,-5%) and the maximum weight-loss degradation temperatures (Td,max) increased from 149.7&ndash, 271.3 &deg, C and from 282.6&ndash, 288.6 &deg, C, respectively, corresponding to 217.1 &deg, C and 239.0 &deg, C of PPC. Additionally, the hot-set elongation tests showed that the copolymers exhibited elasticity and dimensional stability with the minimum permanent deformation of 6.5% which was far less than that of PPC of 157.2%, while the tensile strengths were a little lower than that of PPC because of the following two conflicting factors, cross-links and flexibility of the units formed by the introduced third monomers, MA and FGE. In brief, we provide a novel method of one-pot synthesis of PPC containing cross-linked networks. According to this idea, the properties would be more extensively regulated by changing the cross-linkable monomers.

The competing microstructural failure mechanisms of transgranular (TG) and intergranular (IG) fracture, in martensitic steel bicrystals with coincident site lattice (CSL) boundaries of Σ3 and Σ17b, have been investigated, using a dislocation-density-based crystalline plasticity formulation and a recently developed overlapping fracture method. A dislocation-density grain boundary (GB) interaction scheme was coupled within a dislocation-density based crystal plasticity formulation to investigate how different types of CSL GBs affect dislocation-density evolution, plastic deformation, dislocation pile-up formation, TG and IG fracture, and fracture toughness. The computational predictions indicate that the bicrystal, with a Σ3 boundary, transitioned from IG to TG fracture, with large dislocation density generation and plastic deformation on the TG fracture planes. Bicrystals with the Σ17b boundary failed due to intergranular fracture and rupture, with much lower, in comparison with the Σ3 boundary case, dislocation density generation and plastic deformation. These predictions, which are consistent with experimental observations, indicate that Σ3 boundary is resistant to IG fracture with a higher fracture toughness than the Σ17b boundary case. More significantly, the computational framework can potentially be used as a guideline for GB engineering for failure-resistant materials.

A stress assisted hydrogen diffusion transport model, a dislocation-density-based multiple-slip crystalline plasticity formulation, and an overlapping fracture method were used to investigate hydrogen diffusion and embrittlement in lath martensitic steels with distributions of M23C6 carbide precipitates. The formulation accounts for variant morphologies based on orientation relationships (ORs) that are uniquely inherent to lath martensitic microstructures. The interrelated effects of martensitic block and packet boundaries and carbide precipitates on hydrogen diffusion, hydrogen assisted crack nucleation and growth, are analyzed to characterize the competition between cleavage fracture and hydrogen diffusion assisted fracture along preferential microstructural fracture planes. Stresses along the three cleavage planes and the six hydrogen embrittlement fracture planes are monitored, such that crack nucleation and growth can nucleate along energetically favorable planes. High pressure gradients result in the accumulation of hydrogen, which embrittles martensite, and results in crack nucleation and growth along {110} planes. Cleavage fracture occurs along {100} planes when there is no significant hydrogen diffusion. The predictions indicate that hydrogen diffusion can suppress the emission and accumulation of dislocation density, and lead to fracture with low plastic strains.

Biochar has been known as means to increase soil carbon (C) storage, and at the same time to ameliorate soil acidity and enhance plant growth. However, how biochar addition affects microbial community composition and metabolic function in subtropical plantation soils and their linkage with soil quality change is still poorly understood. We selected bamboo stick, corn straw and peel of Carya cathayensis as feedstocks to produce three biochars at 350 °C by slow pyrolysis, and added them to an acid bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) plantation soil. Changes in soil nutrient and C availability, soil acidity, plant biomass, and microbial function in terms of C source utilization and soil enzyme activities were investigated after a three-month greenhouse trial. The results showed that the biochars from corn straw and peel significantly increased plant biomass, soil pH, organic C, total nitrogen (N) and dissolved organic N contents, while decreased exchangeable H+ and exchangeable Al3+ concentrations. The concentration of total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was increased significantly under biochars from corn straw and peel. The activities of β-D-cellobiosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase and acid phosphatase were significantly increased by peel biochar. Soil basal respiration and microbial utilization rate of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and amino acids compounds were significantly increased under the three biochars, suggesting a higher capacity of biochar-treated soil to catabolize C sources. Increased plant biomass was related to the increased N availability and decreased acidity. Our study suggests that biochar–induced changes in soil acidity and soil nutrient availability are key drivers shaping the composition of microbial communities and enhancing their catabolic capacity, but the effects on soil microbial function vary depending on feedstock origins.

A microcosm study was performed to investigate changes in soil enzyme activities and microbial C- and N-use efficiencies (CUE and NUE) with amendment of biochars prepared at three pyrolysis temperatures (350, 500 and 700 °C) in an acid bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) forest soil. The results showed that, compared to the non-amended control, biochars produced at 500 and 700 °C significantly (P

We investigated how coherent interfaces, between face centered cubic (fcc)/hexagonal close packed (hcp) systems, affect large strain deformation and fracture modes in hcp zircaloy aggregates with fcc hydrides. We derived 36 unique transformations related to coherent interfaces between fcc and hcp systems. We then used these orientation relations (ORs) with a dislocation-density crystalline plasticity formulation, a nonlinear finite-element, and a fracture approach that account for crack nucleation and propagation. We investigated how these ORs affect crack nucleation and propagation, dislocation density and inelastic slip evolution, stress accumulation, lattice rotation, and adiabatic heating. The predictions indicate that the physical representation of ORs affects local deformation and fracture behavior and are, therefore, essential for the accurate predictions of behavior at different physical scales in heterogeneous crystalline systems.

A dislocation-density-based multiple-slip crystalline plasticity formulation, and an overlapping fracture method were used to investigate the effects of carbide precipitates, M23C6, and martensitic block size on dynamic fracture in martensitic steels. The interrelated effects of dislocation-density evolution, orientation relations (ORs), adiabatic heating, and heat conduction on fracture behavior were investigated. Precipitates interfaces are shown to be the sites of crack nucleation due to dislocation-density impedance. Dislocation-densities are also shown to relieve tensile stresses and blunt crack propagation. These predictions indicate that the size refinement of martensitic blocks increases crack deflection at block/packet boundaries, which can significantly improve fracture toughness.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play key roles in plant growth, ecosystem sustainability and stability. However, it is still unclear how the soil, root AMF growth and community composition are affected by fertilizer application in subtropical wheat-rice rotation agro-ecosystems. We investigated the impact of different organic and/or inorganic fertilizers on AMF growth and community composition in a long-term experiment field in Zhejiang Province, east China. AMF biomass was determined using 16:1ω5 phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFAs) content. Soil and root AMF community compositions were determined by DGGE analysis, cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The root colonization rate was not significantly affected by different fertilizer regimes. Manure amendment significantly enhanced both AMF hyphal (i.e., 16:1ω5 PLFA) and spore (i.e., 16:1ω5 NLFA) biomass content, while inorganic fertilizer only increased the AMF spore biomass. A total of 10 and 11 Glomeromycota phylotypes were detected in soil and root samples, respectively. Glomus was the dominant genus in both soil and root samples, while Acaulospora genus occurred in roots only. Although the different fertilizers altered soil AMF communities, the root AMF community structure was not significantly altered. Soil pH (. F=. 5.695, P

A dislocation-density based multiple-slip crystalline plasticity formulation, a dislocation-density grain boundary (GB) interaction scheme, and an overlapping fracture method were used to investigate crack nucleation and propagation in martensitic steel with retained austenite for both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. The formulation accounts for variant morphologies, orientation relationships, and retained austenite that are uniquely inherent to lath martensitic microstructures. The interrelated effects of dislocation-density evolution ahead of crack front and the variant distribution of martensitic blocks on crack nucleation and propagation are investigated. It is shown that dislocation-density generation ahead of crack front can induce dislocation-density accumulations and plastic deformation that can blunt crack propagation. These predictions indicate that variant distribution of martensitic blocks can be optimized to mitigate and potentially inhibit material failure.

Connectors, based on the applications, can be exposed to a wide variety of reliability risks. To ensure products meet reliability requirements, qualifications tests are performed in laboratory settings. These tests are accelerated to meet the time-to-market requirements. Incorrect accelerated reliability models can lead to inaccurate field reliability risk assessment. Additionally, a chosen test can generate different failure modes, which are unlikely to be accelerated the same amount in the laboratory settings. In this paper, the authors evaluate some of the existing test methods and requirements vs. actual field vibration data for vibration induced contact fretting. The reliability model for contact fretting is based on a multiscale finite element approach. This model is used to evaluate contact micromotion from the standards based test methods that cover operational vibration in automotive electronics and non- operational packaged shipping vibration. The same model is then used to study contact micromotion in actual use condition. Intent of this exercise is to validate the appropriateness of standards based test in reflecting field reliability risks from a contact fretting perspective.

Electronic products used in autonomous vehicles can be subjected to harsh road conditions. Transportation induced vibration is one such reliability risk to be addressed as part of qualification. Vibration use data and reliability models are very extensively studied for fully packaged systems exposed to vibration risks during shipping. MIL-STD-810G and ISTA4AB are some of the industry standards that address these risks. On the other hand, USCAR-2 and GMW-3172 are couple of standards that may be more relevant for electronics used in automotive applications, where electronic components are exposed to vibration risks during their entire lifetime. Even though the usage model and duration for fully packaged systems in shipping and automotive electronics are different, the source of energy (road conditions), driving the risks are similar. The industry standards based damage model appear to be generic, covering a wide variety of products. In this paper, a knowledge based qualification (KBQ) framework, is used to map use conditions to accelerated test requirements for two failure modes: solder joint fatigue and socket contact fretting. The mechanisms chosen are distinct with different damage metric and drivers. The KBQ obtained qualification requirements were discussed relative to standard requirement with the objective to verify how well industry standard models reflect field reliability risks. For the chosen failure mechanisms and use condition data, it was observed that the industry standards lead to erroneous conclusions about vibration risk in the field.

// Qifeng Wu 1 , He Bai 2 , Chu-Long Huang 3 , Yongming Zhang 1,4 , Xiayun Zeng 4 , Huan Wan 1 , Wen Zuo 5 , Hai-Ying Wang 3 , Yi-Xin Zeng 1,5,6,7 and Yan-Dong Wang 3 1 National Cancer Center /Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P. R. China 2 Department of Drug and Cosmetics Registration (Department of TCMs and Ethno- Medicines Supervision), China Drug and Food Administration, Beijing, P. R. China 3 State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China 4 Guangdong Wholewin Technology Ltd., Foshan, P. R. China 5 Beijing Hospital, Beijing, P. R. China 6 Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P. R. China 7 State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Guangzhou, P. R. China Correspondence to: Yi-Xin Zeng, email: // Yan-Dong Wang, email: // Keywords : isoflavones; retinoblastoma; mTOR pathway; cyclin E1 Received : March 28, 2017 Accepted : June 27, 2017 Published : July 18, 2017 Abstract Isoflavones, bioactive soy compounds, are known to exhibit anticancer activities. The present study investigated the anticancer activities of isoflavones on human retinoblastoma Y79 cells in vitro and in vivo . An MTT cell viability assay showed that the half maximal inhibitory concentration value of isoflavones against human retinoblastoma Y79 cells is 1.23 ± 0.42 μmol/l. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that isoflavones blocked G1/S progression. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in Y79 cells was inhibited by isoflavones, with a concomitant decrease in cyclin E1, which accounted for the isoflavone-mediated G1 phase arrest. Isoflavones also inhibited human retinoblastoma growth in vivo ; western blot analysis showed inhibition of mTOR and downregulation of cyclin E1 in an isoflavone-treated xenograft mouse model. Together, these results illustrate that isoflavones inhibit retinoblastoma tumour growth in vitro and vivo and that inactivation of the mTOR pathway and downregulation of cyclin E1 is involved in this action. The results of this study suggest that isoflavones could be tested as promising anti-retinoblastoma agent.

A series of novel bivalent β-carbolines with a spacer of three to ten methylene units between the 3-carboxyl oxygens was synthesized and evaluated as antitumor agents. The results demonstrated that most compounds displayed good and selective cytotoxic activities against 769-P and KB cell lines. Acute toxicities and antitumor efficacies of the selected compounds in mice were also evaluated. Compound 22 exhibited potent antitumor activity against Lewis lung cancer in mice with a tumor inhibition rate of 64.2%. Preliminary structure–activity relationship analysis indicated that (1) the length of the spacer affected cytotoxic activities in vitro and six methylene units were more favorable; (2) the introduction of substituents into position-1 of the β-carboline ring might be detrimental to antitumor potency in vivo models.

Although heavy winter mulch and high rate fertilizer application are commonly practiced in intensively managed bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) plantations, little is known about the effects of these practices on soil microbial activities. Therefore a field study was conducted to investigate the long term intensive management on the development and composition of soil fungal communities. Fungal biomass (fungal phospholipid fatty acid marker), fungal DNA (18S rDNA real-time qPCR) and fungal community composition (culture-independent methods: DGGE, cloning and sequencing) were determined across a bamboo plantation that included seven stand age-classes (1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 years old). Although soil microbial PLFA biomass and fungal DNA abundance were unaffected during the first two years of intensive management, all increased significantly after three years of intensive management. The total microbial PLFA and bacterial PLFA increase linearly (P

Intensive forest management practices, such as fertilization, understory removal and deep tilling, play an important role in improving plant growth in forests through altering nutrient availability and soil structure. However, how such management affects soil microbial community diversity and functions related to nutrient cycling remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the responses of soil bacterial community composition and enzyme activities involved in C, N and P cycling to long-term intensive management, and identified the critical determinants that regulated them across a chronosequence of Moso bamboo forests (0, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of intensive management) in subtropical China. Our results demonstrated that intensive management decreased soil pH and aggregation and increased mineral nutrient contents. Illumina MiSeq sequencing showed that significant (P

Mannan binding lectin (MBL), initially reported to activate the complement pathway, is also known to be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We report a thus far unknown function of MBL as a suppressor of T-cell activation. MBL markedly inhibited T-cell proliferation induced by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Moreover, the presence of MBL during T-cell priming interfered with proximal T-cell receptor signaling by decreasing phosphorylation of Lck, ZAP-70, and LAT. MBL bound to T cells through interaction between the collagen-like region of MBL and calreticulin (CRT) expressed on the T-cell surface. The neutralizing antibody against CRT abrogated MBL-mediated suppression of T-cell proliferation, suggesting that MBL down-modulates T-cell proliferation

Electrical contacts provide means for a separable connection between two current carrying conductors. Sockets containing these contacts could be exposed to mechanical vibration due to shipping, which can result in micromotion between mating surfaces. Repeated micromotion/fretting could lead to wearout of the protective gold layer and expose the base metal that can oxidize. Traditional laboratory based fretting experiments may not reflect the field reliability risks. In this study, a predictive capability is developed to investigate contact fretting in a socket due to random vibration using a finite element approach. Considering the degrees of freedom involved in the analysis and the resolution needed, a multiscale modeling approach utilizing global models with substructures to track high risk areas and local models to monitor fretting wear on the highest risk contact is employed. This approach allowed the study of micromotion at the contact interface, capturing stick-slip phenomenon, which can influence fretting wear. Predictions are validated through extensive experimentation, which includes matching of fretting risk areas, matching dynamic responses, and matching of fretting wipe lengths and location through image processing techniques.

Background & Aims Dietary exposure to aflatoxin is an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the genomic features and mutations of aflatoxin-associated HCCs compared with HCCs not associated with aflatoxin exposure. We investigated the genetic features of aflatoxin-associated HCC that can be used to differentiate them from HCCs not associated with this carcinogen. Methods We obtained HCC tumor tissues and matched non-tumor liver tissues from 49 patients, collected from 1990 through 2016, at the Qidong Liver Cancer Hospital Institute in China—a high-risk region for aflatoxin exposure (38.2% of food samples test positive for aflatoxin contamination). Somatic variants were identified using GATK Best Practices Pipeline. We validated part of the mutations from whole-genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing by Sanger sequencing. We also analyzed genomes of 1072 HCCs, obtained from 5 datasets from China, the United States, France, and Japan. Mutations in 49 aflatoxin-associated HCCs and 1072 HCCs from other regions were analyzed using the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute mutational signatures framework with non-negative matrix factorization. The mutation landscape and mutational signatures from the aflatoxin-associated HCC and HCC samples from general population were compared. We identified genetic features of aflatoxin-associated HCC, and used these to identify aflatoxin-associated HCCs in datasets from other regions. Tumor samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry to determine microvessel density and levels of CD34 and CD274 (PD-L1). Results Aflatoxin-associated HCCs frequently contained C>A transversions, the sequence motif GCN, and strand bias. In addition to previously reported mutations in TP53 , we found frequent mutations in the adhesion G protein−coupled receptor B1 gene ( ADGRB1 ), which were associated with increased capillary density of tumor tissue. Aflatoxin-associated HCC tissues contained high-level potential mutation-associated neoantigens, and many infiltrating lymphocytes and tumors cells that expressed PD-L1, compared to HCCs not associated with aflatoxin. Of the HCCs from China, 9.8% contained the aflatoxin-associated genetic features, whereas 0.4%−3.5% of HCCs from other regions contained these genetic features. Conclusions We identified specific genetic and mutation features of HCCs associated with aflatoxin exposure, including mutations in ADGRB1 , compared to HCCs from general populations. We associated these mutations with increased vascularization and expression of PD-L1 in HCC tissues. These findings might be used to identify patients with HCC due to aflatoxin exposure, and select therapies.

A dislocation density-based crystal plasticity framework, a nonlinear computational finite-element methodology adapted for nucleation of crack on cleavage planes, and rational crystallographic orientation relations were used to predict the failure modes associated with the high strain rate behavior of aluminum-bonded composites. A bonded aluminum composite, suitable for high strain-rate damage resistance application, was modeled with different microstructures representing precipitates, dispersed particles, and grain boundary (GB) distributions. The dynamic fracture approach is used to investigate crack nucleation and growth as a function of the different microstructural characteristics of each alloy in bonded composites with and without pre-existing cracks. The nonplanar and irregular nature of the crack paths were mainly due to the microstructural features, such as precipitates and dispersed particles distributions and orientations, ahead of the crack front. The evolution of dislocation density and the subsequent formation of localized plastic slip contributed to the blunting of the propagating crack(s). Extensive geometrical and thermal softening resulted in localized plastic slip and had a significant effect on crack path orientations and directions along cleavage planes.

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is one of the most endangered crocodilians in the world. In this study, 14 novel microsatellite loci were developed for this rare species via 454 high-throughput sequencing. These polymorphic microsatellites yielded an average of 2.93 alleles per locus among 40 individuals scored. The observed and expected heterozygosities (H O and H E ) ranged from 0.025 to 0.975 and from 0.025 to 0.651, with averages of 0.439 and 0.426, respectively. These microsatellite markers will be useful for individual identification, mate choice for captive breeding and other relevant genetic investigations of Chinese alligator.

In this paper, we study the normality of families of meromorphic functions. We prove the result: Let α(z) be a holomorphic function and \({\mathcal{F}}\) a family of meromorphic functions in a domain D, P(z) be a polynomial of degree at least 3. If P ○ f(z) and P ○ g(z) share α(z) IM for each pair \({f(z),g(z)\in \mathcal{F}}\) and one of the following conditions holds: (1) P(z) − α(z0) has at least three distinct zeros for any \({z_{0}\in D}\); (2) There exists \({z_{0}\in D}\) such that P(z) − α(z0) has at most two distinct zeros and α(z) is nonconstant. Assume that β0 is a zero of P(z) − α(z0) with multiplicity p and that the multiplicities l and k of zeros of f(z) − β0 and α(z) − α(z0) at z0, respectively, satisfy k ≠ lp, for all \({f(z)\in\mathcal{F}}\). Then \({\mathcal{F}}\) is normal in D. In particular, the result is a kind of generalization of the famous Montel criterion.

The title compound (13, 27-dichloro-3, 6, 9, 17, 20, 23-hexaazatricyclo-[23.3.1.111,15]-triaconta-l(29), 2, 9, 11, 13, 15(30), 16, 23, 25, 27-decaene-29, 30-diol-N3, N6, N9, O29, O30)-bis(nitrato-O,O)-Europium(III) nitrate was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra, electrospray mass spectrum and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The crystal of the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a=2.3737(2) nm, b=14.333(1) nm, c=19.388(2) nm, β = 91.804(1)°, Mr = 850.4, V = 6.5929(8) nm3, R= 0.0333, wR= 0.0936. At room temperature, excitation of the title complex gives rise to the characteristic luminescent emissions of the Eu3+ ion.

A series of novel 4-alkylphenyl beta-aldehyde ketones and their derivatives were designed and synthesized on the basis of the chemical structures of Houttuynin and beta-lactam antibiotics. Antibacterial activities of these compounds were investigated. The results demonstrated that most of the compounds tested had moderate antibacterial activities against gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (ATTC-25923) than Houttuynin, and gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the compounds than gram-negative bacteria. Compound 23 was found to be the most potent compound with MIC of 1.0 microg/mL against S. aureus. Particularly, compounds 16, 22 and 23 showed more active antibacterial activities against the clinically important pathogenic bacteria, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) than Houttuynin and levofloxacin. The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis suggested that (1) the introduction of appropriate alkyl substituents into position 4 of phenyl ring enhanced antibacterial activities of these compounds, and isopropyl substituent might be more favorable; (2) the presence of ketone carbonyl moiety might play a vital role in determining significant antibacterial activities of these compounds.

To elucidate further our SARs' study on the chemistry and cytotoxic activity and probe the structural requirement for the potent antitumor activity of beta-carbolines, a series of novel 1,9-disubstituted and 1,3,9-trisubstituted beta-carboline derivatives were designed and synthesized from the starting material L-tryptophan and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenezaldehyde. Cytotoxic activities of these compounds in vitro were investigated, and the SARs associated with position-1, 3 and 9 substituents in beta-carbolines have also been discussed. It has been observed that these compounds only displayed moderate to weak cytotoxic activities. Interestingly, most of the investigated compounds displayed selectively cytotoxic activities to human BCG-823 cell lines with IC(50) value lower than 100 microM. In addition, the short alkyl substituents in position-9 increased the cytotoxic activities with the tendency of n-butylethylmethyl. These data confirmed that (1) an alkyl substituent at position-9 of beta-carboline nucleus plays an important role in determining their antitumor activities; (2) different beta-carbolines bearing various substituents in beta-carboline nucleus interacted selectively with specific targets leading to the difference of biochemical and pharmacological effects.

A series of new β-carboline derivatives, bearing a benzylidine substituent at position-1, has been prepared and evaluated in vitro against a panel of human cell lines. The N 2 -benzylated β-carbolinium bromates represented the most interesting cytotoxic activities. In particular, compounds 19 were found to be the most potent compounds with IC 50 values lower than 5 μM against 10 strains human tumor cell lines. These results confirmed that the N 2 -benzyl substituent on the β-carboline ring played an important role in the modulation of the cytotoxic activities and suggested that further development of such compounds may be interest.

HKABF, Hippocampus kuda antibacterial factor, is a putative antimicrobial peptide identified from the cDNA library of the brooding pouch of H. kuda Bleeker. The putative mature peptide, fused with a 6His-tag, an anionic peptide (SAPLNPDNID) and to an enterokinase cleavage site was expressed in Pichia pastoris. The mature HKABF peptide, released by enterokinase cleavage, showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus at low concentrations (0.5–2.5 μg/ml). The recombinant mature peptide was heat-stable and had low hemolytic activity. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy data indicates its classification as a CSαβ-type antimicrobial peptide. This study serves as an impetus for the production and further research of this antimicrobial peptide.

A T-1-conotoxin, lt5d, was purified and characterized from the venom of vermivorous hunting cone snails Conus litteratus . The complete amino acid sequence of lt5d (DCCPAKLLCCNP) has been determined by Edman degradation. With two disulfide bonds, the calculated average mass is 1274.57 Da, which is confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (average mass 1274.8778). Under whole cell patch-clamp mode, lt5d inhibits tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium currents on adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, but has no effects on tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents. The inhibition of TTX-sensitive sodium currents by lt5d was found to be concentration-dependent with the IC 50 value of 156.16 nM. Thus, this is the first T-superfamily conotoxin identified to block TTX-sensitive sodium channels.

Introduction: Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chlorinated solvent used extensively in industries. It has been linked to numerous biological possible health effects. However, workers exposed to TCE pre...