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Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with precise designable structures are becoming popular semiconductor materials for photocatalytic applications. In this study, a hydrazone-linked COFs (TFPT-ODH) material was constructed from the reversible polycondensation of 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine with oxalohydrazide. Thanks to the bottom-up strategy, the as-prepared TFPT-ODH exhibited satisfactory crystallinity, high thermal and chemical stability. The benefit of the combined effects of narrow band gap and efficient separation of photogenerated carriers, the photofunctional TFPT-ODH further demonstrated outstanding photocatalytic activity, stability, and recyclability in the photocatalytic cyclization reactions of 2-isocyanodiaryl compounds with phenylhydrazine. The photocatalytic mechanism for the photocyclization approach to phenylphenanthridines was proposed based on experimental data and spectrum techniques. Our work also demonstrates application in developing COFs-based photocatalysts for the photocatalytic cyclization of bioactive PAHs derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser shock peening process can generate a dislocation network, stacking faults, and deformation twins in the near surface of austenitic stainless steels by the interaction of laser-driven shock waves with metals. In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) irradiation studies suggest that these dislocations and incoherent twin boundaries can serve as effective sinks for the annihilation of irradiation defects. As a result, the irradiation resistance is improved as the density of irradiation defects in laser-peened stainless steels is much lower than that in untreated steels. After heating to 300 °C, a portion of the dislocations and stacking faults are annealed out while the deformation twins remain stable, which still provides improved irradiation resistance. These findings have important implications on the role of laser shock peening on the lifetime extension of austenitic stainless steel components in nuclear reactor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is one of the three most common gynecological malignant tumors worldwide. The prognosis of patients suffering from this malignancy remains poor because of limited therapeutic strategies. Herein, we investigated the role of a long noncoding RNA named MIR4697 host gene (MIR4697HG) in the cell growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Results showed that the transcriptional level of MIR4697HG in cancerous tissues increased twofold compared with that in adjacent noncancerous tissues. MIR4697HG was differentially expressed in ovarian cancer cell lines, with the highest levels in OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cells. MIR4697HG knockdown by specific shRNA significantly inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation in both OVCAR3 and SKOC3 cells. Consistently, in a xenograft model of ovarian cancer, MIR4697HG depletion also significantly restricted tumor volumes and weights. Furthermore, MIR4697HG knockdown inhibited cell migration and invasion capacities. Invasion ability was inhibited by 58% in SKOV3 cells and 40% in OVCAR3 cells, and migration ability was inhibited by 73% in SKOV3 cells and 62% in OVCAR3 cells after MIR4697HG knockdown. MIR4697HG knockdown also caused a decrease in matrix metalloprotease-9, phosphorylated ERK, and phosphorylated AKT. These data suggested that MIR4697HG promoted ovarian cancer growth and metastasis. The aggressive role of MIR4697HG in ovarian cancer may be related to the ERK and AKT signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ni 3 S 2 @NiS nanowire with heterojunction was created as electrocatalyst for HER. • NiS was epitaxially grown on the surface of Ni 3 S 2 via a solid-state phase transformation. • The strong charge transfer at Ni 3 S 2 /NiS heterojunction interface optimized the d-band center. • Ni 3 S 2 @NiS-250/NF electrode revealed high HER activity and stability. Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) over the non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts is a promising approach to realize future clean energy economy. Herein, to achieve effective interface construction, epitaxial growth of NiS on the surface of one-dimensional (1D) Ni 3 S 2 nanowire on nickel foam (NF) was performed, to construct a Ni 3 S 2 /NiS electrocatalyst with a heterojunction structure via a solid-state phase transformation. Benefiting from the strong charge transfer at the Ni 3 S 2 /NiS heterojunction interface, the d-band center was downshifted compared to the single component (Ni 3 S 2 or NiS), which effectively optimized the valence state and the H adsorption of Ni, thus improved the HER activity. The obtained Ni 3 S 2 @NiS-250/NF showed the robust HER catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 129 mV to deliver the current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a small Tafel slope (75.5 mV dec-1) in 1 M KOH media. Moreover, it exhibited superior durability for at least 50 h. This work provides a novel strategy for designing nickel sulfide-based catalysts for HER with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PASS/PTFE film was successfully fabricated via electrospinning and hot pressing. • PASS/PTFE film exhibited excellent thermal stability, mechanical property, and hydrophilicity. • PASS/PTFE film exhibited excellent dielectric property. Films with excellent thermal properties and low dielectric constants have broad prospective applications in microelectronic devices. In this work, a poly (aryl sulfide sulfone)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PASS/PTFE) composite film was successfully fabricated via a combination of electrospinning and hot pressing. As PTFE nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly throughout the composite film, the film exhibited excellent thermal stability (Td max = 523.56 ℃), outstanding mechanical properties (57.71 MPa tensile strength), and good hydrophobicity (97.7°). Moreover, the film exhibited excellent dielectric properties: at 1 MHz, the dielectric constant and Tanδ of the film were 2.79 and 0.0051, respectively. Thus, it will have broad prospective applications in microelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of antimony (Sb). However, specific microorganisms have not yet been identified that mediate Sb transport and fate in soil-plant systems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic symbiosis with roots of over 90% of terrestrial plants. In the present study, we investigated the inoculation effects of Funneliformis mosseae , an AM fungus, on Sb accumulation and speciation in Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) using Sb(V) spiked soil at 0, 500, and 1000 mg kg −1 treatment levels. Results indicated plant biomass was significantly increased by the AMF symbiosis. Compared to un-inoculated controls, mycorrhizal colonization significantly increased shoot and root Sb concentrations under all Sb treatment levels. Bioconcentration (BCF) and translocation (TF) factors were elevated by mycorrhizal colonization. Mycorrhizal colonization significantly increased exchangeable Sb concentrations and decreased carbonate-associated Sb in the rhizosphere under all Sb treatment levels. Moreover, Sb(III) percentages relative to total Sb were significantly lower in mycorrhizal plants. These results suggested AMF likely inhibited Sb(V) to Sb(III) reduction processes, and thereby alleviated Sb toxicity in host plants. These findings demonstrated AMF serve an important role in Sb transport and fate in soil–plant systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation tolerance of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe nanocomposites were examined by ion irradiation and transmission electron microscopy characterization. A comparison was made between a pure Fe film and SiOC/Fe multilayers. The composites were subjected to 120 keV He + ions to average damage levels from approximately 0.5 to 10.7 displacements per atom (dpa) at 600 °C. Compared to pure Fe films, the swelling resistance in the Fe layers of thick SiOC/Fe (80/60 nm) multilayer films is improved by 2.2 times and the averaged void size is reduced to half. In some instances, a crystalline Fe x Si y O z reaction layer formed between the Fe and SiOC components of the composite, and the interface between Fe and Fe x Si y O z was observed to be incoherent. Void denuded zones were observed in the Fe layer close to the SiOC/Fe and Fe/Fe x Si y O z interfaces. For thin SiOC/Fe (14/14 nm) multilayers, layer breakdown was observed and the extent of the layer breakdown became more significant with increasing dpa values. However, there were no voids in the Fe component of the thin SiOC/Fe nanocomposites. These results suggest that the SiOC/Fe and Fe/Fe x Si y O z interfaces act as efficient defect sinks which promote point defect recombination and suppress void swelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple non-isocyanate route is developed for synthesizing crystallizable aliphatic thermoplastic poly(ester urethane) elastomers (TPEURs) with good thermal and mechanical properties. Three prepolymers of 1,6-bis(hydroxyethyloxycarbonylamino) hexane (BHCH), i. e. PrePBHCHs, were prepared through the self-transurethane polycondensation of BHCH. A poly(butylene adipate) prepolymer (PrePBA) with terminal HO- groups was prepared and used as a polyester glycol. A series of TPEURs were prepared by the co-polycondensation of the PrePBHCHs with PrePBA at 170 °C under a reduced pressure of 399 Pa. The TPEURs were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, FTIR, H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and tensile test. The TPEURs exhibited M up to 23300 g/mol, M up to 51100 g/mol, T ranging from −33.8 °C to −3.1 °C, T from 94.3 °C to 111.9 °C, initial decomposition temperature over 274.7 °C, tensile strength up to 18.8 MPa with a strain at break of 450.0%, and resilience up to 77.5%. TPU elastomers with good crystallization and mechanical properties were obtained through a non-isocyanate route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein markedly upregulated during liver fibrosis. The study is performed to explore the role of TN-C during the growth and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We found that TN-C was accumulated accompanying with the HSC activation. Our data on cell migration assay revealed that the rTN-C treatment enhanced HSC migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but did not influence their proliferation. HSCs transfected with pTARGET-TN-C overexpression vector displayed increased the type I collagen (Col I) production. TN-C overexpression enhanced the process of HSC activation through TGF-β1 signaling. Moreover, the anti-α9β1 integrin antibody treatment blocked the TN-C-driven Col I increase in rat HSCs. Collectively, TN-C had a positive role in activation of HSCs mediated by TGF-β1 and α9β1 integrin, manifesting elevation of Col I production and promotion of cell migration. Our results provide a potential insight for the therapy of hepatic fibrosis. TN-C induced TGF-β1 and α9β1 expression to promote the cell migration and type I Collagen production in the activated HSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The massive blackout that occurred in August 2003 left over 50 million people in the northeastern and midwestern parts of the United States without electricity and caused billions of dollars in economic losses. This event highlighted the importance of sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure. Our study examines the impact of this blackout on the sustainability of financial markets by analyzing the liquidity and information asymmetry of U.S. stocks listed on major exchanges. Our results show that the blackout had a negative impact on the financial market's liquidity, as evidenced by a significant widening of bid–ask spreads and a decrease in the market quality index. We also find an increase in information asymmetry during the blackout period, as measured by higher realized spreads. Furthermore, our study reveals that the blackout had a border impact on global financial markets and the negative effect on liquidity persisted even after two weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a new Extended Prediction Self-Adaptive Control (EPSAC) algorithm based on the Just-in-Time Learning (JITL) method. In the proposed JITL-based EPSAC design, linearization of the process model is achieved by a set of local state-space models, each of which can be independently and simultaneously identified by the JITL method along the base trajectory. For the end-product quality control for a simulated semi-batch pH-shift reactive crystallization process where shrinking prediction and control horizons are essential, the proposed EPSAC algorithm not only simplifies the control weight tuning but also provides better and more robust closed-loop control performance than its previous counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of NO storage and reduction and in situ NH selective catalytic reduction (NSR-SCR) provides the benefits of simple structure, no external source of NH, low precious metal consumption and high NO reduction efficiency. The by-product ammonia is of importance in the NSR-SCR coupling system. Considering the formation of ammonia and another important side product NO during the regeneration period of NSR, detailed mechanisms of H-NO and CO-NO reactions over Pt were developed. The mechanisms of H-NO and CO-NO reaction systems, which share the same NO chemistries, are capable of reproducing experimental results from literature. Ammonia was shown highly sensitive to H/NO feed ratio. NH was formed at low temperatures and decomposed with increase of temperature. For different feed conditions, NH x related reactions showed similar influential tendency on NH generation, while the hydrogenation of NH showed much greater influence than the other two reactions. In CO-NO reaction system, the intermediate species NO formed at low temperatures and reached a maximum production at about 320 °C. NO decomposed into target product N when temperature was further increased. The results of coverage and sensitivity analysis indicated that adsorbed CO occupied most catalytic active sites over the whole temperature range of 100-500 °C investigated and showed strong adsorption energy, hindering NO adsorption process and NO dissociation. As a result, the inadequacy of N species reduced the production of N and NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations required for curcumin to exert its anticancer activity (IC50, 20 μM) are difficult to achieve in the blood plasma of patients, due to the low bioavailability of the compound. Therefore, much effort has been devoted to the development of curcumin analogues that exhibit stronger anticancer activity and a lower IC50 than curcumin. The present study investigated twelve pyridine analogues of curcumin, labeled as groups AN, BN, EN and FN, to determine their effects in CWR-22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells. The inhibitory effects of these compounds on testosterone (TT)-induced androgen receptor (AR) activity was determined by performing an AR-linked luciferase assay and by TT-induced expression of prostate-specific antigen. The results of the current study suggested that the FN group of analogues had the strongest inhibitory effect of growth on CWR-22Rv1 cultured cells, and were the most potent inhibitor of AR activity compared with curcumin, and the AN, BN and EN analogues. Thus, the results of the present study indicate the inhibition of the AR pathways as a potential mechanism for the anticancer effect of curcumin analogues in human prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, curcumin analogues with pyridine as a distal ring and tetrahydrothiopyran-4-one as a linker may be good candidates for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer, by targeting the AR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation tolerance property of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe nanocomposites were examined by in-situ transmission electron microscope at 50 Kelvin (K), room temperature and 573 K. Results showed that intermixing between Fe and SiOC was most severe for irradiation at 50 K. However, for irradiations at 573 K, a demixing process was observed. The results indicated thermodynamic stability and radiation tolerance of Fe/SiOC nanocomposite at elevated temperature. Compared with thin Fe/SiOC multilayers, thick Fe/SiOC multilayer exhibited better irradiation stability. Discussion cover two possible reasons for these observations including the composite interface energy and collision cascade size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical investigation of the whole plant of Pronephrium megacuspe (Bak.) Holtt. led to the isolation of four flavonoids, pronephrones A–D (1–4), which were firstly reported. The chemical structures of four compounds were established using spectroscopic methods. These isolates were further evaluated for cytotoxicity to ovarian cells of Spodoptera litura Fabricius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the heavy ion radiation tolerance of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) alloys byin situKr ion irradiation within a transmission electron microscopy. The amorphous SiOC thin films were grown via co-sputtering from SiO2and SiC targets on a surface-oxidized Si (100) substrate. These films were irradiated by 1 MeV Kr ions at both room temperature and 300 °C with damage levels up to 5 displacements per atom (dpa). TEM characterization shows no sign of crystallization, void formation or segregation in all irradiated samples. Our findings suggest that SiOC alloys are a class of promising radiation tolerant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims High salt-induced oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of hypertension. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is extensively recognized as having a powerful superoxide inhibitory property. In this study, we determined whether ALA supplementation attenuates oxidative stress in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), decreases the sympathetic activity and arterial pressure in high salt-induced hypertension by cross-talking with renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs). Methods Male Wistar rats were administered a normal-salt diet (NS, 0.3% NaCl) or a high-salt diet (HS, 8.0% NaCl) for 8 weeks. These rats received ALA (60 mg/kg) dissolved in vehicle (0.9% saline) or an equal voleme of vehicle, by gastric perfusion for 9 weeks. Results High salt intake resulted in higher renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). These rats also had higher levels of superoxide, gp91 phox , gp47 phox (subunits of NAD(P)H oxidase), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II type1 receptor (AT1-R), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and lower levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) than control animals. Treatment with ALA significantly attenuated the levels of superoxide, gp91 phox , gp47 phox , ACE, AT1-R, IL-1β and IL-6, increased the levels of IL-10 and Cu/Zn-SOD, and decreased MAP and RSNA compared with high-salt induced hypertensive rats. The mRNA expression of gp47 phox and gp91 phox are in accordance with their protein expression. Conclusion These findings suggest that supplementation of ALA obviously decreases the sympathetic activity and arterial pressure in high salt-induced hypertension by improving the superoxide inhibitory property, suppressing the activation of RAS and restoring the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the PVN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous hydrogenated boron carbide films (a-B 10 C 2+ x :H y ) on Si p–n heterojunctions were fabricated utilizing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). These devices were found to be robust when irradiated with 200 keV He + ions. For low doses of irradiation, contrary to most other electrical devices, the electrical performance improved. On the heterojunction I ( V ) curve, reverse bias leakage current decreased by 3 orders of magnitude, series resistance across the device decreased by 64%, and saturation current due to generation of electron–hole pairs in the depletion region also decreased by an order of magnitude. It is believed that the improvements in the electrical properties of the devices are due to an initial passivation of defects in the a-B 10 C 2+ x :H y film resulting from electronic energy deposition, breaking bonds and allowing them to reform in a lower energy state, or resolving distorted icosahedron anion states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the thermal stability of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe composite byin situandex situannealing. The Fe/SiOC multilayer thin films were grown via magnetron sputtering with controlled length scales on a surface-oxidized Si (100) substrate. These Fe/SiOC multilayers werein situorex situannealed at temperature of 600 °C or lower. The thin multilayer sample (~10 nm) was observed to have a layer breakdown after 600 °C annealing. Diffusion starts from low groove angle triple junctions in Fe layers. In contrast, the thick multilayer structure (~70 nm) was found to be stable and an intermixed layer (FexSiyOz) was observed after 600 °C annealing. The thickness of the intermixed layer does not vary as annealing time goes up. The results suggest that the FexSiyOzlayer can impede further Fe, Si and O diffusion, and assists in maintaining morphological stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of consumers’ creditworthiness, loan terms, loan amount, loan-to-value ratio, and loan purpose on mortgage pricing while controlling for market condition, macroeconomic performance, and loan sources. Applying quantile regression methods based on a lender-provided dataset covering the period of 2002–2007, this paper is able to differentiate these effects with respect to distribution of mortgage pricing. The regression results indicate that loan applicants with higher levels of creditworthiness in terms of credit score receive a lower mortgage premium above default and interest rate risk. For every 10 point increases in credit scores, the mortgage premium above default and interest rate risk declines consistently from by 1 basis point at the 10th quantile to 5 basis points at the 90th quantile. Loan applicants receive discounts ranging from 24 to 117 basis points, 22 to 115 basis points, 13 to 87 basis points for mortgage loans with LTV ratio below 60percent, between 60 and 70 percent, and between 70 percent and 80 percent, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CeO 2 nanoparticle-decorated graphene hybrid was prepared by hydro-thermal method and their application in electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions was investigated. It was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical behavior of four heavy metal ions (cadmium(II), lead(II), copper(II), and mercury(II)) on the graphene/CeO 2 hybrid nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was investigated in acetate buffer solution by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric (DPASV). Compared with the bare GCE, the proposed electrode showed improved analytical performance characteristics in detecting heavy metal ions. By using DPASV method, it shows that the graphene/CeO 2 hybrid nanocomposite modified GCE could be used for tracing Cd 2 + , Pb 2 + , Cu 2 + , and Hg 2 + simultaneously and selectively. Under optimum conditions, we can detect Cd 2 + , Pb 2 + , Cu 2 + , and Hg 2 + simultaneously with high sensitivity in low concentration in the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the radiation tolerance of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe composite by using ion irradiation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Fe/SiOC multilayer thin films were grown via magnetron sputtering with controlled length scale on a surface oxidized Si (100) substrate. These alloys were irradiated by 120 keV He + ions to a damage level of ~1.3 displacements per atom (dpa) at room temperature. TEM characterization shows neither sign of point defect clusters in Fe layer, nor an indication of crystallization or new phase formation in SiOC layer. Our findings suggest that the crystalline/amorphous interface and Fe grain boundary can help to annihilate point defects generated during irradiation, and therefore enhance radiation tolerance properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metformin administration alleviated thymic involution in the D-galactose induced accelerated aging mice. • Metformin restored the thymus mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS, SOD and MDA. • Metformin treatment promoted the expression of thymus mitochondrial mitotic protein Drp1. • Metformin stimulated the expression of FoxN1, Aire, Sox2 expression in the thymus. • Metformin led to the reduction of senescent cells in the thymus. As the main lymphoid organ, the thymus degenerates with age. The loss of thymic epithelial cells is mainly related to thymus degeneration and reduced T cells development. As an insulin sensitizer, metformin is a first-line drug for the treatment of diabetes and has been shown to prolong the lifespan of mice, but the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we explored the therapeutic effect of metformin on thymus degeneration in the accelerated aging mice, which was established by intraperitoneal injection D-galactose (120 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks. Metformin was intragastrically given with 100 or 300 mg/kg body weight per day, respectively, for six weeks. Histological examination showed that metformin administration could alleviate thymus atrophy caused by D-galactose. In addition, metformin therapy increased mitochondrial membrane potential, with a reduction in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, MDA and SOD levels, and restored mitochondrial balance through enhanced expression of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Furthermore, metformin altered T lymphocyte subsets and cellular senescent cells; the expression of FoxN1, Aire and Sox2 of thymic epithelial cells also increased. Thus, metformin presented a positive effect on thymic degeneration through improving mitochondrial function. Taken together, these findings revealed an unexpected complexity in the anti-aging of this widely used drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) pollution from industrialization poses a great threat to people's health. Although fiber-based filters are used effectively to capture PM, the traditional filters with large diameter suffer from low filtration efficiency, high pressure drop and low temperature resistance. In this study, multilayer poly arylene sulfide sulfone (M-PASS) composite filter was designed and fabricated via electrospinning technology. The M-PASS composite filter is sandwich-structure. Due to the unique structure and composition, the M-PASS filter exhibited outstanding removal efficiency of 99.97 ± 0.0050%, extremely low air resistance of 44.3 ± 0.7 Pa, excellent quality factor (QF) of 0.19 ± 0.0019 Pa−1, and desirable mechanical strength of 7.0 ± 0.2 MPa. Furthermore, the as-prepared M-PASS filter can remain outstanding filtration performance at 200.0 ℃ due to the high thermal stability of PASS and the removal efficiency was still above 95.2 ± 0.4% after long-term filtration test. These results demonstrate that the structure of filter is the important one for air filtration and the M-PASS nanofiber filters have great potential in PM removal, especially under high temperature conditions. [Display omitted] • A novel multilayer poly(arylene sulfide sulfone) (M-PASS) filter was successfully fabricated. • M-PASS nanofibrous filter had high filter efficiency (99.97%), and low pressure drop (44.3 Pa). • M-PASS nanofibrous filter exhibited desirable mechanical strength of 7.0 MPa. • M-PASS nanofibrous filter showed excellent thermal stability and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of transducer ofErbB2.1 (TOB1) in gastric carcinoma and to clarify the association between TOB1 expression and the clinical significance of this expression in patients with gastric carcinoma. Western blot analysis was performed to confirm the expression of TOB1 in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on a tissue microarray containing 90 pairs of primary gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue samples. TOB1 expression was evaluated separately with cytoplasmic and nuclear staining. Western blot analysis revealed significantly lower expression levels of TOB1 in gastric cancer tissues than those in adjacent normal tissues in 91.7% of cases. This was confirmed by IHC, which revealed decreased cytoplasmic TOB1 expression in cancer tissues compared with those of normal tissue samples in 84.4% of cases. The IHC data also revealed low cytoplasmic expression of TOB1 in 67.8% of human gastric cancer samples. Nuclear TOB1 expression exhibited no significant association with specific pathological features. However, a significant association was identified between cytoplasmic expression levels of TOB1 and clinicopathological characteristics, including the depth of invasion (P=0.017), differentiation grade (P=0.034) and tumor-node-metastasis stage (P<0.000). In conclusion, cytoplasmic TOB1 expression was suggested to be significant in angiogenesis and cell differentiation in gastric cancer tissues and may be used as a potential prognostic marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the radiation tolerance of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) alloys by combining ion irradiation, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The amorphous SiOC alloys thin films were grown via co-sputtering from SiO 2 and SiC (amorphous phase) targets either on a surface oxidized Si (100) substrate or on a sodium chloride substrate. By controlling the sputtering rate of each target, SiOC alloys with different compositions (1:2, 1:1, 2:1 ratios) were obtained. These alloys were irradiated by 100 keV He + ions at both room temperature and 600 °C with damage levels ranging from 1 to 20 displacements per atom (dpa). TEM characterization shows no sign of crystallization, void formation or segregation in all irradiated samples. Our findings suggest that SiOC alloys are a class of promising radiation-tolerant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-isocyanate route for synthesizing thermoplastic polyurethanes with excellent thermal and mechanical properties was described. Melt transurethane polycondensation of 1,6-bis(hydroxyethyloxy carbonyl amino)hexane with four poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs), i.e. PEG400, PEG600, PEG1000, or PEG1500, was conducted at different molar ratios. A series of thermoplastic poly(ether urethane)s (TPEUs) with long PEG sequences were prepared. The TPEUs were characterized via gel permeation chromatography, FTIR, H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide-angle X-ray scattering, and tensile tests. The TPEUs exhibit T between 12.4 °C and −40.4 °C, T of up to 149.8 °C, and initial decomposition temperature over 239.4 °C. The tensile strength of the TPEUs reaches 38.39 MPa with a strain at break of 852.92%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the ordinary quantile regression approach to examine the impact of fuel economy of vehicles and gasoline prices on motor vehicle travel. The dataset used includes observations with a survey date before September 2008 from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey to avoid potential problems from the wild volatility of gasoline prices in late 2008 and early 2009. The regression results indicate that for every 10 % increase in fuel economy of vehicles, annual vehicle miles traveled increase by 0.9 to 1.7 % along its distribution. For every 10 % increase in average gasoline prices, annual vehicle miles decline by 0.86 to 2.65 % along the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on orthogonal test design, the factors influencing the synthesis of methotrexate intercalated magnesium–aluminum layered double hydroxides (MTX/LDHs for short) by ion-exchange method, such as weight ratio of pristine LDHs to MTX ( R for short), exchange temperature, time and pH value were investigated. Of the four controllable independent variables, R had the strongest effect on the crystallinity and the drug-loading capacity and the optimum synthesis conditions considered from the crystallinity and the drug-loading capacity both pointed to the same values, i.e., R =2:1, pH=9.5, temperature of 80 °C and exchange time of 3 day. The XRD diffractions indicated that high MTX content was in favor of the formation of intercalated hybrids, while low content lead to the failure of it. TEM photos indicated that the intercalated hybrids all exhibited aggregated hexagonal plates. In order to improve the morphology, two different states of pristine LDHs, i.e., powder and colloid, were chosen to prepare MTX/LDHs hybrids and the results indicated that colloid state of pristine was advantageous to obtain regular particles. The study also revealed that the properties of hybrids obtained at optimum conditions by ion-exchange were superior to that obtained from standard methods, such as co-precipitation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of methotrexatum intercalated layered double hydroxide (MTX/LDH for short) hybrids have been synthesized by a mechanochemical–hydrothermal method, the statistical experiments are planned and conducted to find out the critical factor influencing the physicochemical properties. Four variables, i.e., addition of NaOH solution, grinding duration, hydrothermal temperature and time, are chosen to play as the examined factors in the orthogonal design. Furthermore, three respective levels, i.e., high, medium and low levels, are conducted in the design. The resulting hybrids are then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, transmission electron microscope (TEM) graphs and Zeta potentials. XRD diffractions indicate that MTX anions have been successfully intercalated into LDH interlayers and the amount of NaOH solution can change the gallery height greatly. The information from TEM graphs and Zeta potentials state that the increase of alkali solution gives rise to regular morphology and the increase of Zeta potentials. As a result of the statistical analysis, addition of alkali solution is the major factor affecting the morphology and drug-loading capacity. At last, the mechanism of particle growth is explored emphatically, and the anticancer efficacy of some MTX/LDH hybrids is estimated by MTT assay on A549 cells as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the intercalation of methotrexatum (MTX) into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) via an exfoliation-reassembly process was reported and the resulting hybrids were then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) patterns etc. In the synthesis procedure, LDHs particles were firstly delaminated into well-dispersed 2D nanosheets in formamide by ultrasonic treatment at room temperature, and then the resulting LDH nanosheets were reassembled in MTX solution to form MTX intercalated LDH (MTX/LDHs) hybrids. AFM images showed that during the exfoliation process a large part of LDHs particles were delaminated into single and double brucite layers. XRD patterns and FTIR investigations manifested the successful intercalation of MTX anions into LDHs interlayers for the final samples. It was also found out that the drug-loading capacity of the hybrids increased with the concentrations of MTX solutions, while the morphology became even aggregated. At last, the cell cytotoxicity of the hybrids was estimated by MTT assays on the human lung cancer cells (A549), and the results stated that MTX/LDHs hybrids had effective suppress role on the proliferation of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synapsins as a family of presynaptic terminal phosphoprotein participates in neuronal development, but their role in the synaptic plasticity of visual cortex is unclear. In this study, the impact of monocular deprivation (MD) on dynamic changes of isoform-specific protein expression and site 1 phosphorylation of synapsins in visual cortex of the postnatal mice were observed by using the technique of Western blot analysis. The results showed that the total (T-) protein levels of synapsins including the isoform of Ia/b, IIa/b and IIIa were about 21-26 % of adult level in visual cortex of mice at postnatal 7 days (P7), and then the T-synapsin Ia/b and IIb could quickly reach adult level at P35. However, the T-synapsin IIa and IIIa increased more slowly (71-74 % at P35), and then kept increasing in the visual cortex of mice at P60. Unlike to the changes of T-synapsins, the level of phosphorylated (P-) synapsin Ia/b (not IIa/b and IIIa) at site 1 increased with development to the highest level at P21, and then decreased rapidly to a low level in visual cortex of mice at P35-60. In addition, we found that the levels of P-synapsin Ia/b increased significantly in left visual cortex of P28 and P35 (not P21 and P42) mice with 1-week MD of right eye; and no significant changes of T-synapsins were observed in both left and right sides of visual cortex in P21-42 mice with MD treatment. These results suggested that the isoform-specific protein expression and site-1 phosphorylation of synapsins might play a different role in the synaptic plasticity of visual cortex, and MD delays the dynamic changes of phosphorylated synapsin Ia/b at site-1 in contralateral visual cortex of juvenile mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the essential oil from mustard seed was isolated by simultaneous steam distillation and extraction (SDE) and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fourteen components were identified in the mustard seed essential oil with allyl isothiocyanate being the main component (71.06%). The essential oil has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with inhibition zones and MIC values in the range of 9.68-15.57mm and 128-512μg/mL respectively. The essential oil was subsequently encapsulated in complex coacervation microcapsules with genipin, a natural water-soluble cross-linker. The optimum parameters for the hardening effectiveness of the genipin-hardened essential oil microcapsules were 8h at 40°C and pH 10.0 with a genipin concentration of 0.075g/g gelatin. The genipin-hardened microcapsules had a particle size of mainly 5-10μm and strong chemistry stability which is potential for its application in food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, cancer research has focused on protein-coding genes, which are considered the principal effectors and regulators of tumorigenesis. Non-coding RNAs, in particular microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), have been widely reported to be important in the regulation of tumorigenesis and cancer development. However, to the best of our knowledge, investigation of the expression profiles of lncRNAs and a comparison of the involvement of lncRNAs, miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in esophageal tumorigenesis and development have not previously been performed. In the current study, intrinsic associations among the expression profiles of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs from normal esophageal tissues and those from cancer tissues were investigated. Oligonucleotide microarrays were used to detect the expression profiles of the three types of RNA in the canceration processes of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues. It was demonstrated that the different RNAs exhibit associated patterns of expression among normal esophageal epithelium, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), and carcinoma tissues, particularly in the critical period of canceration (HGIN to ESCC). Furthermore, the results indicated a high level of similarity in the potential function of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in the processes of ESCC development. In the current study, a first generation atlas of lncRNA profiling and its association with miRNAs and mRNAs in the canceration processes of ESCC were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for the proper development of mammalian central nervous system. TH deficiency during the critical period of brain development results in permanent cognitive and neurological impairments. Members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family play a key role in the regulation of cellular functions in the nervous system. Alteration of PKC can be involved in the pathogenesis of neuronal disorders. This review details recent progress made in determining the roles played by PKC isoforms in developing hypothyroid rat brain. Evidence indicates that hippocampus down-regulation of PKCβ and PKCγ may be related to impaired learning and memory observed in perinatal hypothyroid rats. Enhanced PKCα activity in neonatal hypothyroid brain may bring about oxidative stress and cause brain damage. The activated pro-apoptotic PKCs including PKCδ can cause extensive apoptosis in the hypothyroid rat brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterocyclic Quaternary Phosphonium Salts (HQPS) have emerged as promising chemicals for organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. However, the present synthetic methodology of this type of compound is still limited. Here, we report a deconstructive reorganization strategy based on Brønsted acid-mediated tandem 1,4 addition/intramolecular cyclization of triphenylphosphine derivatives and in situ generated o-AQMs for the first time. This protocol provides a novel approach to heterocyclic quaternary phosphonium salts. The method also features a non-metal catalyst, mild reaction conditions, high efficiency and wide substrate scope. Moreover, a series of obtained heterocyclic phosphonium salts can be converted to isotopically labelled 2-benzofuran compounds directly by simple deuteration reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High oil separation efficiency (98.41%) from oil/water. • Efficiency oil removal from water-in-oil emulsion with high flux (636 L/m2h). • High adsorption amounts for methylene blue (53.22 mg/g) and Cr (VI) (89.12 mg/g). • Outstanding stability under the harsh and corrosive condition. Wastewater compositions complexity has severely increased with the rapid industrialization process. In this work, a multifunctional oxidized poly (arylene sulfide sulfone)/UiO-66 (OPASS-U) nanofibrous membrane was successfully developed via electrospinning technology, which could simultaneously remove the multiple contaminants, such as emulsified oil, organic dyes, and heavy metal ions and exhibit outstanding stability in the corrosive and harsh environment. It is founded that the OPASS-U nanofibrous membrane had large specific surface area, hydrophobicity, and high flux. The OPASS-U nanofibrous membrane was demonstrated to remove oil from both oil/water and water-in-dichloromethane emulsion with high removal efficiency (98.44%) and flux (636 L/m2h). It also represented high adsorption amounts for methylene blue and Cr (VI) with opposite charges and large specific surface area. Meanwhile, the OPASS-U nanofibrous membrane could achieve 99.9% regeneration efficiency after ten cycles of methylene blue removal. More importantly, this membrane maintained an outstanding stable morphology and high removal performance for a variety of contaminants after storing in corrosive and harsh solution, which could be widely utilized in complex wastewater treatment especially under harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To explore whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger (tempol) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) attenuates renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and proinflammatory cytokines (PICs), and decreases the blood pressure and sympathetic activity in angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced hypertension. Methods and results: Male Sprague–Dawley rats were infused intravenously with ANG II (10ng/kg per min) or normal saline (NS) for 4weeks. These rats were treated with bilateral PVN infusion of oxygen free radical scavenger tempol (TEMP, 20μg/h) or vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid, aCSF) for 4weeks. ANG II infusion resulted in increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). These ANG II-infused rats also had higher levels of gp91phox (a subunit of NAD(P)H oxidase), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in the PVN than the control animals. Treatment with PVN infusion of TEMP attenuated the overexpression of gp91phox, ACE and IL-1β within the PVN, and decreased sympathetic activity and MAP in ANG II-infused rats. Conclusion: These findings suggest that ANG II infusion induces elevated PICs and oxidative stress in the PVN, which contribute to the sympathoexcitation in hypertension. Inhibition of reactive oxygen species in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus attenuates the renin–angiotensin system, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in ANG II-induced hypertension. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective:Using the technique of spectrum investigate the characteristics of the serum auto-fluorescent spectrum of patients with ovarian cancer. Methods:Using fluorospectrophotometer and 350 nm excitation light, the present study tested the serum auto-fluorescent spectrum of samples that been kept for different durations. It was also studied that the serum auto-fluorescent spectrums of 40 normal women and 37 patients with ovarian cancer, using different wavelength of excitation lights, and the data were further analyzed and compared including peak positions, peak heights and peak areas of spectrums, respectively. Results:The most prominent changes in peak position, peak height and peak area were observed in spectrum of sample that placed for 6 hrs. Difference in serum auto-fluorescent spectrum between ovarian patients and normal women were found to be most prominent under the 300 nm excitation light. Compared with those of normal controls, serum atuofluroesent spectrums in patients with ovarian cancer had purple shift of peak position, higher peak height, and larger peak area. Conclusions:There is probably clinical significance of detecting the serum auto-fluorescent spectrum in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new compound, ortho-C6H4F[CH(NHC6H4OMe-2)2], 1, was obtained with ortho-flurobenzaldehyde and 2-methoxyaniline as the starting materials. Compound 1 was readily converted into ortho-C6H4(2-OMeC6H4)(CH NC6H4OMe-2) 2 after treatment with 1 equiv of n-BuLi. Treatment of compound 2 with 1.5 equiv of ZnEt 2 afforded the trinuclear zinc complex 3 by alkyl elimination and alkylation of the imino group of the ligand. The molecular structures of two new organic compounds and of the trinuclear zinc complex were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The dianionic ONNO tetradentate ligands derived from compound 2 coordinate to zinc ions in four to five coordination modes, forming distorted tetrahedral and trigonal–bipyramidal geometry around three metal centers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Push-out test is widely used to study the bearing capacity of perfobond rib shear connectors. Due to the discrepancies in both the specimen size and the test procedure adopted by different researchers, the obtained results did not coincide well with each other. On the basis of the push-out test methods by previous researches, a novel push-out test technique for perfobond rib connector was proposed. 7 different groups, totally 21 push-out test specimens, were fabricated and tested. By means of the proposed test method, load–slip relationships of the specimens were obtained and their failure modes were observed. Satisfied reproducibility of load–slip curves in each group proved the rationality of the test method proposed in this paper. According to the failure phenomenon in ultimate loading state, failure mechanism of perfobond rib shear connectors was analyzed and the analysis results indicated that brittle failure always occurs in perfobond rib connectors. Based on the test results, influence of the connector configuration on the load bearing capacity was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] This paper investigated the feasibility to extend the conventional concentration control to the pH-shift reactive crystallization processes. [•] A new JITL-based concentration control was developed to cope with the nonlinearity inherent in the pH-shift reactive crystallization processes. [•] Simulation results illustrated the better tracking of desired solute concentration trajectory achieved by the proposed design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We have successfully synthesized water-soluble quantum dots. [•] The QDs are combined to bisphenol A antibodies by covalent coupling. [•] The FLISA method was developed for the detection of BPA. [•] We report a high-efficiency strategy in biological assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conciseand efficient method for the synthesis of a wide rangeof acridine derivatives and polycyclic aza-aromatic compounds froma ZnCl2-promoted cyclization reaction of readily available o-arylaminophenyl Schiff base compounds under convenientconditions was developed. Reaction conditions and scope of the newmethod were examined in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A thin layer with a vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) structure of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3−δ (LSM) and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96 (YSZ) between the oxygen electrode and the electrolyte has been fabricated by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for solid oxide reversible fuel cells (SORFCs). The high quality epitaxial growth of VAN structured LSM/YSZ has been achieved on single crystal SrTiO3 substrate at high-deposition temperatures. The symmetric cells with the VAN interlayer are found to have a lower area specific resistance compared to that without the interlayer. The enhancement in performance has been demonstrated by increased oxygen electrode catalytic properties and porous oxygen electrode microstructure. The cell with the VAN interlayer shows an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.00 V at 650 °C and maximum power densities of 0.22, 0.32, 0.43 and 0.55 W cm−2 at 650, 700, 750 and 800 °C, respectively. Compared with the cell without an interlayer, the cells with the interlayer have ∼2 times of the overall maximum power density at the measured temperature range, demonstrating that the VAN interlayer significantly enhances the oxygen electrode performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two-phase (Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95)0.5/(Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96)0.5 (GDC/YSZ) nanocomposite thin films with vertically aligned structure are grown as the electrolyte for thin film solid oxide fuel cells (TFSOFCs). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results confirm that GDC and YSZ grow as separated, high crystallinity nanocolumns with tunable column width on both single crystal and polycrystalline anode substrates. Impedance measurements demonstrate ∼50% enhancement in ionic conductivity compared to pure single-crystal-like GDC thin film. The enhanced properties in the GDC/YSZ vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) system may be attributed to two-phase strain coupling and the fast ionic transport rate along the vertical interfaces. The VAN is applied in thin film SOFC as a part of the electrolyte in the single cells. The overall power density increases more than 40% compared with that of the cells without VAN electrolyte. This work demonstrates the first VAN nanostructured electrolyte with the essential vertical ion-transport channels. The new VAN electrolyte provides superior out-of-plane ionic conductivity compared to those single phase electrolytes as well as the nanolayered electrolytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructures with various morphologies were prepared by typical one-step electrospinning process. The effect of annealing temperatures and V/Ti molar ratio on the visible light photocatalytic activity of V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructures was investigated by photodegradation of the Rhodamine B (RhB). The experimental results indicated that the annealing temperature and V/Ti molar ratios were important factors for the morphology of samples which influenced the number of efficient V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructure. The V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructures annealed at 400°C with the V/Ti molar ratio of 1:1 exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency. Beyond 400°C, the growth of V2O5 grains enhanced and big V2O5 rods formed on the V2O5/TiO2 nanofibers, so the efficient V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructures decreased, leading to the lower photocatalytic efficiency. The lower or higher V/Ti molar ratio could decrease the number of efficient V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructures, which reduced the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nitrogen removals from nitrate-laden wastewater using two replicated, pilot-scale integrated vertical-flow constructed wetland systems (IVCWs) were investigated. Seasonal variation of the treatment performance and the critical environmental influencing factors was analyzed. Over a study period of 14months, the system was able to achieve moderate nitrogen removals with mean removal efficiencies of 56.2% and 55.1%, mass removal rates of 762.1mgm−2 d−1 and 819.7mgm−2 d−1 for nitrate and TN, respectively, under a relatively low influent COD:N ratio of 1.67. Water temperature and DO concentration were the primary factors affecting nitrogen removal. The seasonal order of nitrogen removal efficiency was: summer>autumn>spring>winter. Predictive models with statistical confidence were developed for nitrogen removals employing on-line parameters as indicators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

HLA‐DQB1*03:222 differs from HLA‐DQB1*03:03:02:01 by a single nucleotide change in exon 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Starch-fatty acid complexes improved the gel properties and whiteness of surimi. • Protein conformation was changed and more compact network structure was formed. • Starch-fatty acid complexes increased fatty acid content in surimi gels. The effect of high amylose corn starch (HAS)-fatty acid complexes on the gel properties, protein secondary structure, microstructure, fatty acid content, and sensory properties of surimi under high-temperature treatment were investigated. The formation of HAS-fatty acid complexes increased melting temperature and decreased average particle size of HAS. The addition of HAS-fatty acid complexes significantly improved the breaking force, deformation and whiteness of surimi gels. The water in surimi gels containing HAS or HAS-fatty acid complexes became increasingly immobilized. HAS or HAS-fatty acid complexes promoted protein conformational transition from α-helix structure to other three secondary structure. Surimi gels added with HAS-fatty acid complexes had more compact network structure and higher fatty acid content. Moreover, the better sensory properties were obtained in surimi gels containing HAS-fatty acid complexes. Therefore, starch-fatty acid complexes not only could improve the gel properties of surimi, but also enhance its fatty acid content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]