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The article reports on the implications of the acquisition of Smithfield Foods, the largest hog producer and pork processor in the world, by Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., the top pork producer in China. This acquisition raised concerns about domestic pork supplies and food safety in the U.S. The increase in Chinese demand for meet products is discussed.

Some long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of gene expression by acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, the roles of lncRNA associated-ceRNAs in oncogenesis are not fully understood. Here, based on lncRNA microarray data of gastric cancer, bioinformatic algorithm miRcode and microRNA (miRNA) targets database TarBase, we first constructed an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. Then, we confirmed it by data of six types of other cancer including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, papillary thyroid carcinoma, pituitary gonadotrope tumors, ovarian cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The results showed a clear cancer-associated ceRNA network. Eight lncRNAs (AC009499.1, GACAT1, GACAT3, H19, LINC00152, AP000288.2, FER1L4, and RP4-620F22.3) and nine miRNAs (miR-18a-5p, miR-18b-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-20b-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-106b-5p, miR-31-5p, miR-139-5p, and miR-195-5p) were involved. For instance, through its miRNA response elements (MREs) to compete for miR-106a-5p, lncRNA-FER1L4 regulates the expression of PTEN, RB1, RUNX1, VEGFA, CDKN1A, E2F1, HIPK3, IL-10, and PAK7. Furthermore, cellular experimental results indicated that FER1L4-small interfering RNA (siRNA) simultaneously suppressed FER1L4 and RB1 mRNA level. These results suggest that lncRNAs harbor MREs and play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate Innovative Test Program is of great importance of personnel training in universities. It is crucial to improve the quality of Undergraduate Innovative Test Program as well as to improve the coverage to make the connotation type development of higher education. Students, teachers and classification management are three of the most important factors to the quality of Undergraduate Innovative Test Program. It is of great significance sticking to the dominant position of students, and developing students all aspects ability in Undergraduate Innovative Test Program. To strengthen the instructors' guidance to improve students' ability in the program is also a must. Finally it is recommended that differentiation education method be individualized to different students in Undergraduate Innovative Test Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The thermal boundary conductance between multilayer structures including Al film, semiconductors with high Debye temperatures (GaN, AlN, Si, diamond) and dielectric substrates (sapphire) has been measured using a two-color femtosecond laser pump-probe system (a variation of transient time-domain thermoreflectance, TDTR). The thermal boundary conductance for the combinations of semiconductors and dielectrics falls within a relatively narrow range, 10–20 MW m−2 K−1, at room temperature. The measured thermal boundary conductance between Al film and semiconductor or dielectric substrates is one order of magnitude larger than that between semiconductor and dielectric substrates. A modified diffuse mismatch model (DMM) is used to interpret the data and extract the phonon transmissivity at the interface. The predicted results of the DMM corrected by attenuation constant agree well with the experimental values. Over a wide phonon velocity, both the measured and predicted results decrease with the increasing average phonon velocity. Both the vibration mismatch and changes in the localized phonon transport near the interface contribute to the reduction in thermal boundary conductance. Other scattering mechanisms are discussed which may explain the failure of the DMM at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We model 〈001〉/{100} single-crystalline Cu nanowires under bending and torsion. [•] Fivefold deformation twins (FDTs) are formed at large bending angles. [•] A reciprocal phase transformation is necessary for the formation of FDTs. [•] An orientation change of stress is also essential for the formation of FDTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology change and the correspondingmolecular mechanismof polystyrene (PS)/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blends inducedby hydrophilic or hydrophobic nanoparticles were studied. It was foundthat there was a threshold of hydrophilic silica loading for the occurrenceof network–droplet morphological transition in PS/PVME blends.On the contrary, the viscoelastic network could sustain for a muchlonger time in the blends with higher loading of hydrophobic silica.Rheological measurements suggested that the networking of hydrophilicsilica nanoparticles in the PVME-rich phase would significantly reducethe dynamic asymmetry of two phases and make the compositional asymmetrythe dominant factor in controlling the morphology development duringphase separation. However, adding the hydrophobic silica fillers wouldresult in an increase of dynamic asymmetry and a decrease in compositionalasymmetry because of their selective dispersion in the PS-rich phase,both stabilizing the continuous network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N-CM particle electrode was prepared using shrimp shells via in situ hydrothermal carbonization method. • Pd catalyst was dispersed uniformly on N-CM with amorphous. • The Pd/N-CM electrode exhibited high activity and stability for electrocatalytic dechlorination DCF. Developing electrocatalysts with low cost, high abundance and high activity is the greatest challenge facing electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination technology. The Nitrogen-carbon microsphere (N-CM) material was synthesized in situ through a simple hydrothermal carbonization method using shrimp shells as C and N sources. N-CM with a rough surface was obtained at a carbonization temperature of 650 ℃, which has a large surface area of 90.14 m2/g and rich N content. Subsequently, the Pd catalyst was successfully modified on the N-CM surface by chemical reduction for electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination of Diclofenac (DCF). The successful loading of Pd and amorphous Pd structures was confirmed by a series of systematic characterizations. The amorphous Pd/N-CM-650 catalyst exhibits a fast electron transfer rate and electrocatalytic activity. Notably, at a Pd loading of 1.27 wt%, a cathode potential of −1.2 V and 20 mg of Pd/N-CM-650 particle electrodes, 25 mg/L DCF reached a dechlorination efficiency of 95% within 150 min with a current efficiency of 34.4%. Combined with the qualitative analysis and toxicity evaluation of hydrodechlorination products, the toxicity of DCF can be effectively reduced. Additionally, the cycle experiments also displayed excellent stability of the Pd/N-CM-650 electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theanine and caffeine, 2 naturally occurring components in tea, have repeatedly been shown to deliver unique cognitive benefits when consumed in combination. In this study, we assessed the beneficial synergistic effects of concurrent treatment with theanine and caffeine against cerebral damage in rats. Theanine and caffeine had no effect on physiological variables, including pH, partial pressures of oxygen ( PaO2) and carbon dioxide ( PaCO2), mean arterial blood pressure, plasma glucose, or regional cerebral blood flow. Treatment with theanine (1 mg/kg body mass, intraperitoneal injection) alone significantly reduced cerebral infarction induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, but caffeine (10 mg/kg, intravenous administration) alone only had a marginal effect. However, the combination of theanine plus caffeine resulted in a significant reduction of cerebral infarction and brain edema compared with theanine monotherapy. Meanwhile, increased malondialdehyde levels as well as decreased superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase activity, and glutathione levels observed in the cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion were significantly ameliorated by the combination therapy. Furthermore, the elevated inflammatory response levels observed in the cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion were markedly attenuated by the combined treatment. Thus, it is suggested that the neuroprotective potential of a combination therapy with theanine and caffeine against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion is partly ascribed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differences in interlaboratory research protocols contribute to the conflicting data in the literature regarding engineered nanomaterial (ENM) bioactivity. Objectives: Grantees of a National Institute of Health Sciences (NIEHS)-funded consortium program performed two phases of in vitro testing with selected ENMs in an effort to identify and minimize sources of variability. Methods: Consortium program participants (CPPs) conducted ENM bioactivity evaluations on zinc oxide (ZnO), three forms of titanium dioxide (TiO2), and three forms of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In addition, CPPs performed bioassays using three mammalian cell lines (BEAS-2B, RLE-6TN, and THP-1) selected in order to cover two different species (rat and human), two different lung epithelial cells (alveolar type II and bronchial epithelial cells), and two different cell types (epithelial cells and macrophages). CPPs also measured cytotoxicity in all cell types while measuring inflammasome activation [interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release] using only THP-1 cells. Results: The overall in vitro toxicity profiles of ENM were as follows: ZnO was cytotoxic to all cell types at ≥ 50 µg/mL, but did not induce IL-1β. TiO2 was not cytotoxic except for the nanobelt form, which was cytotoxic and induced significant IL-1β production in THP-1 cells. MWCNTs did not produce cytotoxicity, but stimulated lower levels of IL-1β production in THP-1 cells, with the original MWCNT producing the most IL-1β. Conclusions: The results provide justification for the inclusion of mechanism-linked bioactivity assays along with traditional cytotoxicity assays for in vitro screening. In addition, the results suggest that conducting studies with multiple relevant cell types to avoid false-negative outcomes is critical for accurate evaluation of ENM bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus can cause dysfunction of the central nervous system called “diabetic encephalopathy”. Although various oral drugs are used to treat diabetes, they do not prevent the development of diabetes-associated cognitive decline in rats, and novel strategies for the prevention and treatment are urgently needed. Luteolin, a flavonoid isolated from Cirsium japonicum, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. However, no report is available on influence of luteolin on streptozotocin-induced memory impairment. Therefore, we tested its influence against cognitive dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats using Morris water maze test. Nissl's staining, choline esterase (ChE) activity as marker of cholinergic function and oxidative stress were assessed in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus to evaluate the neuropathological changes and the effects of luteolin on diabetic rats. The results showed that streptozotocin-induced diabetes produced obvious neuron damage and cognitive dysfunction coupling with markedly increased oxidative stress and ChE activity in the brain. In contrast, chronic treatment with luteolin (50 and 100mg/kg) improved neuronal injury and cognitive performance by attenuating oxidative stress and ChE activity in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the present study suggested that oral supplementation of luteolin might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment and/or prevention of diabetic encephalopathy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present work was aimed to study the protective effect of l-theanine on chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced cognitive impairments in mice. The stress was produced by restraining the animals in well-ventilated polypropylene tubes (3.2cm in diameter ×10.5cm in length) for 8h once daily for 21 consecutive days. L-theanine (2 and 4mg/kg) was administered 30min before the animals subjected to acute immobilized stress. At week 4, mice were subjected to Morris water maze and step-through tests to measure the cognitive function followed by oxidative parameters and corticosterone as well as catecholamines (norepinephrine and dopamine) subsequently. Our results showed that the cognitive performances in CRS group were markedly deteriorated, accompanied by noticeable alterations in oxidative parameters and catecholamine levels in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex as well as corticosterone and catecholamine levels in the serum. However, not only did l-theanine treatment exhibit a reversal of the cognitive impairments and oxidative damage induced by CRS, but also reversed the abnormal level of corticosterone in the serum as well as the abnormal levels of catecholamines in the brain and the serum. This study indicated the protective effect of l-theanine against CRS-induced cognitive impairments in mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Arkadia is a RING-based ubiquitin ligase that positively regulates TGF-β signaling by targeting several pathway components for ubiquitination and degradation. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling Arkadia activity. Here we show that the LIM-only protein FHL2 binds and synergistically cooperates with Arkadia to activate Smad3/Smad4-dependent transcription. Knockdown of FHL2 by RNA interference decreases Arkadia level and restricts the amplitude of Arkadia-induced TGF-β target gene responses. We found that Arkadia is ubiquitinated via K63- and K27-linked polyubiquitination. A single mutation at the RING domain that abolishes the E3 activity diminishes Arkadia ubiquitination, indicating that this modification partly involves autocatalytic process. Mutation of seven lysines at the C-terminal region of Arkadia severely impairs ubiquitination through the K27 but not the K63 linkage and slows down the turnover of Arkadia, suggesting that K27-linked polyubiquitination might promote proteolysis-dependent regulation of Arkadia. We show that FHL2 increases the half-life of Arkadia through inhibition of ubiquitin chain assembly on the protein, which provides a molecular basis for functional cooperation between Arkadia and FHL2 in enhancing TGF-β signaling. Our study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism of Arkadia by ubiquitination and identifies FHL2 as important regulator of Arkadia ubiquitination and TGF-β signal transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The easily accessible mesenchymal stem cells in the Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord tissue (hUCMSCs) have excellent proliferation and differentiation potential, but it remains unclear whether hUCMSCs can differentiate into odontoblasts. In this study, mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from the Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord tissue using the simple method of tissue blocks culture attachment. UCMSC surface marker expression was then evaluated for the isolated cells using flow cytometry. The third-passage hUCMSCs induced by conditioned medium from developing tooth germ cells (TGC-CM) displayed high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (P < 0.001), an enhanced ability to proliferate (P < 0.05), and the presence of mineralized nodules. These effects were not observed in cells treated with regular medium. After induction of hUCMSCs, the results of reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated that the dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) genes were significantly tested. Additionally, dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and DMP1 demonstrated significant levels of staining in an immunofluorescence analysis. In contrast, the control cells failed to display the characteristics of odontoblasts. Taken together, these results suggest that hUCMSCs can be induced to differentiate into odontoblast-like cells with TGC-CM and provide a novel strategy for tooth regeneration research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examined the protective effect of l-citrulline on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Administration of l-citrulline at doses of 300, 600 and 900mg/kg body weight prior to ethanol ingestion protected the stomach from ulceration. The gastric lesions were significantly attenuated by all doses of l-citrulline as compared to the ethanol group. Pre-treatment with l-citrulline prevented the oxidative damage and the decrease of nitric oxide content as well as the increase of the myeloperoxidase activity. Consequently, significant changes observed included the attenuation in the elevation in total nitric oxide synthase activity and inducible nitric oxide synthase activity as well as the decrease in constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity in the gastric mucosa induced by ethanol. Analysis of serum cytokines of ethanol-induced rats showed a moderate decrease in interleukin-10 with considerable increase of interleukin-6 while l-citrulline inhibited the acute alteration of cytokines. These results suggested the gastroprotective effect of l-citrulline. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The skyline query can help identify the "best" objects in a multi-attribute dataset. During the past decade, this query has received considerable attention in the database research community. Most research focused on computing the "skyline" of a dataset, or the set of "skyline objects" that are not dominated by any other object. Such algorithms are not appropriate in an online system, which should respond in real time to skyline query requests with arbitrary subsets of the attributes (also called subspaces). To guarantee realtime response, an online system should precompute the skylines for all subspaces, and look up a skyline upon query. Unfortunately, because the number of subspaces is exponential to the number of attributes, such pre computation has very expensive storage cost and update cost. We propose the Compressed SkyCube (CSC) that is much more compact, yet can still return the skyline of any subspace without consulting the base table. The CSC therefore combines the advantage of precomputation in that it can respond to queries in real time, and the advantage of no-precomputation in that it has efficient space cost and update cost. This article presents the CSC data structures, the CSC query algorithm, the CSC update algorithm, and the CSC initial computation scheme. A solution to extend to high-dimensional data is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficient microbial utilization of lignocellulosic hydrolysates has remained challenging because this material is composed of multiple sugars and also contains growth inhibitors such as acetic acid (acetate). Using an engineered consortium of strains derived from Escherichia coli C and a synthetic medium containing acetate, glucose, xylose and arabinose, we report on both the microbial removal of acetate and the subsequent simultaneous utilization of the sugars. Results: In a first stage, a strain unable to utilize glucose, xylose and arabinose (ALS1392, strain E. coli C ptsG manZ glk crr xylA araA) removed 3 g/L acetate within 30 hours. In a subsequent second stage, three E. coli strains (ALS1370, ALS1371, ALS1391), which are each engineered to utilize only one sugar, together simultaneously utilized glucose, xylose and arabinose. The effect of non-metabolizable sugars on the metabolism of the target sugar was minimal. Additionally the deletions necessary to prevent the consumption of one sugar only minimally affected the consumption of a desired sugar. For example, the crr deletion necessary to prevent glucose consumption reduced xylose and arabinose utilization by less than 15% compared to the wild-type. Similarly, the araA deletion used to exclude arabinose consumption did not affect xylose- and glucose-consumption. Conclusions: Despite the modest reduction in the overall rate of sugar consumption due to the various deletions that were required to generate the consortium of strains, the approach constitutes a significant improvement in any single-organism approach to utilize sugars found in lignocellulosic hydrolysate in the presence of acetate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer remains a major public health problem in many countries. It was found to contain a subset of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are capable of proliferation and self-renewal, and differentiation into various types of cancer cells. CSCs often display characteristics of chemotherapy resistance and radiotherapy resistance. Numerous putative biomarkers of CSCs are currently identified including CD133, CD44, CD24, ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase), and ABCG2. Interestingly, no single marker is exclusively expressed by CSCs. Thus, the various combinations of different biomarkers will be possible to identify CSCs, and considerable work is being done to recognize new ones. In order to demonstrate the mechanisms of resistance and response to therapy and predict the outcome as well as prognosis, the ways to track and identify CSCs will be extremely important. The technologies of molecular imaging will reveal mechanisms of cancer progression and provide visual targets for novel therapeutics. Limited studies were investigated on the detection of various types of CSCs by molecular imaging. Although the tracking of circulating CSCs is still hampered by technological challenges, personalized diagnosis and therapies of cancers are expected to be established based on increased understanding of molecular imaging of cancer stem-like cells biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer remains a major public health problem in many countries. It was found to contain a subset of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are capable of proliferation and self-renewal, and differentiation into various types of cancer cells. CSCs often display characteristics of chemotherapy resistance and radiotherapy resistance. Numerous putative biomarkers of CSCs are currently identified including CD133, CD44, CD24, ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase), and ABCG2. Interestingly, no single marker is exclusively expressed by CSCs. Thus, the various combinations of different biomarkers will be possible to identify CSCs, and considerable work is being done to recognize new ones. In order to demonstrate the mechanisms of resistance and response to therapy and predict the outcome as well as prognosis, the ways to track and identify CSCs will be extremely important. The technologies of molecular imaging will reveal mechanisms of cancer progression and provide visual targets for novel therapeutics. Limited studies were investigated on the detection of various types of CSCs by molecular imaging. Although the tracking of circulating CSCs is still hampered by technological challenges, personalized diagnosis and therapies of cancers are expected to be established based on increased understanding of molecular imaging of cancer stem-like cells biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Increasingly, musculoskeletal models of the human body are used as powerful tools to study biological structures. The lower limb, and in particular the foot, is of interest because it is the primary physical interaction between the body and the environment during locomotion. The goal of this paper is to adopt the finite element (FE) modeling and analysis approaches to create a state-of-the-art 3D coupled foot–boot model for future studies on biomechanical investigation of stress injury mechanism, foot wear design and parachute landing fall simulation. In the modeling process, the foot–ankle model with lower leg was developed based on Computed Tomography (CT) images using ScanIP, Surfacer and ANSYS. Then, the boot was represented by assembling the FE models of upper, insole, midsole and outsole built based on the FE model of the foot–ankle, and finally the coupled foot–boot model was generated by putting together the models of the lower limb and boot. In this study, the FE model of foot and ankle was validated during balance standing. There was a good agreement in the overall patterns of predicted and measured plantar pressure distribution published in literature. The coupled foot–boot model will be fully validated in the subsequent works under both static and dynamic loading conditions for further studies on injuries investigation in military and sports, foot wear design and characteristics of parachute landing impact in military. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sac family phosphoinositide (PI) phosphatases are an essential family of CX5R(T/S)-based enzymes, involved in numerous aspects of cellular function such as PI homeostasis, cellular signalling, and membrane trafficking. Genetic deletions of several Sac family members result in lethality in animal models and mutations of the Sac3 gene have been found in human hereditary diseases. In this study, we report the crystal structure of a founding member of this family, the Sac phosphatase domain of yeast Sac1. The 2.0 Å resolution structure shows that the Sac domain comprises of two closely packed sub-domains, a novel N-terminal sub-domain and the PI phosphatase catalytic sub-domain. The structure further shows a striking conformation of the catalytic P-loop and a large positively charged groove at the catalytic site. These findings suggest an unusual mechanism for its dephosphorylation function. Homology structural modeling of human Fig4/Sac3 allows the mapping of several disease-related mutations and provides a framework for the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive selection of desired textures and textured objects from a video is a challenging problem in video editing. In this paper, we present a scalable framework that accurately selects textured objects with only moderate user interaction. Our method applies the active learning methodology, and the user only needs to label minimal initial training data and subsequent query data. An active learning algorithm uses these labeled data to obtain an initial classifier and iteratively improves it until its performance becomes satisfactory. A revised graph-cut algorithm based on the trained classifier has also been developed to improve the spatial coherence of selected texture regions. We show that our system is responsive even with videos of a large number of frames, and it frees the user from extensive labeling work. A variety of operations, such as color editing, compositing, and texture cloning, can be then applied to the selected textures to achieve interesting editing effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The inverse mode problems for the finite element model of an axially vibrating rod are formulated and solved. It is known that for the finite element model, based on linear shape functions, of the rod, the mass and stiffness matrices are both tridiagonal. It is shown that the finite element model of the rod can be constructed from two eigenvalues, their corresponding eigenvectors and the total mass of the rod. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the construction of a physically realizable rod with positive mass and stiffness elements from two eigenpairs and the total mass of the rod are established. If these conditions are satisfied, then the construction of the model is unique. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although mankind stands to obtain great benefit from nanotechnology, it is important to consider the potential health impacts of nanomaterials (NMs). This consideration has launched the field of nanotoxicology, which is charged with assessing toxicological potential as well as promoting safe design and use of NMs. Although no human ailments have been ascribed to NMs thus far, early experimental studies indicate that NMs could initiate adverse biological responses that can lead to toxicological outcomes. One of the principal mechanisms is the generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidant injury. Because oxidant injury is also a major mechanism by which ambient ultrafine particles can induce adverse health effects, it is useful to consider the lessons learned from studying ambient particles. This review discusses the toxicological potential of NMs by comparing the possible injury mechanisms and adverse health effects of engineered and ambient ultrafine particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new method of performing high-resolution path delay testing on designs targeted to field- programmable gate arrays. Our built-in self-test (BIST) architecture uses an on-chip delay line element to set the launch time of each test pattern generator to its optimum point for stressing paths in the routed chip. The rising and falling edges of each test pattern are controllable with high precision, and consequently, our test architecture catches very small timing faults that exist in the path. For example, on Xilinx Virtex-4, we catch defects as small as 78 ps using the IDELAY delay line circuit that is available on that device. Our approach was validated on Virtex-4, and the same method can be applied to any device that supports on-chip delay lines that are adjustable at runtime. Furthermore, our architecture simultaneously tests multiple paths to reduce the overall test time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic is frequently found in poultry waste, most of which is transformed from feed additive organoarsenicals, resulting in arsenic pollution of soils and water around poultry farms. The North China Plain, an important area for livestock breeding of China, was chosen to investigate the pollution characteristics and assess the health risk of arsenic around chicken farms. Among the 138 chicken farms sampled, almost no roxarsone, a common organoarsenical, was detected in chicken feeds, manure, and surface soils, while the detectable rate of other arsenic species was high. Because of long-term enrichment, the concentrations of arsenic species in manure were generally higher than that in feed. As(III) was the main inorganic arsenic species in the manure, where is reducing environment. In surface soils beneath the accumulated manure, As(V) was the predominant arsenic species with 100% detectable rate. The detectable rate and average concentrations at 0 cm were generally higher than those at 25 cm depth, indicating that arsenic accumulated in the surface soils. In addition, a typical conceptual diagram of arsenic was developed to clarify the pollution process from feed to soil. Through health risk assessment of inorganic arsenic, the carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (non-CR) were both negligible. The city of Jiaozuo had the highest CR and non-CR, which was 11 times higher than that of the city with the lowest risks. This study presents a clear picture and evaluation of arsenic pollution on chicken farms, inspiring future studies assessing arsenic pollution after the ban of organoarsenicals. • Arsenic is widely present in chicken feed, manure, and surface soil with different species. • Arsenic accumulated in chicken manure and surface soils. • A typical pollution pattern of arsenic was developed to clarify the pollution process from feed to soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitric oxide receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) exists in multimeric protein complexes, including heat shock protein (HSP) 90 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Inhibition of HSP90 by geldanamycin causes proteasomal degradation of sGC protein. In this study, we have investigated whether COOH terminus of heat shock protein 70-interacting protein (CHIP), a co-chaperone molecule that is involved in protein folding but is also a chaperone-dependent ubiquitin E3 ligase, could play a role in the process of degradation of sGC. Transient overexpression of CHIP in COS-7 cells degraded heterologous sGC in a concentration-related manner; this downregulation of sGC was abrogated by the proteasome inhibitor MG-132. Transfection of tetratricopeptide repeats and U-box domain CHIP mutants attenuated sGC degradation, suggesting that both domains are indispensable for CHIP function. Results from immunoprecipitation and indirect immunofluorescent microscopy experiments demonstrated that CHIP is associated with sGC, HSP90, and HSP70 in COS-7 cells. Furthermore, CHIP increased the association of HSP70 with sGC. In in vitro ubiquitination assays using purified proteins and ubiquitin enzymes, E3 ligase CHIP directly ubiquitinated sGC; this ubiquitination was potentiated by geldanamycin in COS-7 cells., followed by proteasomal degradation. In rat aortic smooth muscle cells, endogenous sGC was also degraded by adenovirus-infected wild-type CHIP but not by the chaperone interaction-deficient K30A CHIP, whereas CHIP, but not K30A, attenuated sGC expression in, and nitric oxide donor-induced relaxation of, rat aortic rings, suggesting that CHIP plays a regulatory role under physiological conditions. This study reveals a new mechanism for the regulation of sGC, an important mediator of cellular and vascular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a jitter measurement circuit for mixed-signal production test based on the interpolation algorithm is presented. By utilizing the limited sampling points per cycle, the original signal under test is reconstructed with a high accuracy. From the reconstructed signal, most timing jitter features can be characterized. To validate the design effectiveness, comparative studies have been performed between this jitter measurement method and other standard jitter characterization instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New insights into the biological properties of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its response pathway challenge the hypothesis that COX-2 is simply pro-inflammatory and inhibition of COX-2 solely prevents the development of inflammation and ameliorates inflammatory pain. The present study performed a comprehensive analysis of gene/protein expression induced by a selective inhibitor of COX-2, rofecoxib, compared with a non-selective COX inhibitor, ibuprofen, and placebo in a clinical model of acute inflammatory pain (the surgical extraction of impacted third molars) using microarray analysis followed by quantitative RT-PCR verification and Western blotting. Inhibition of COX-2 modulated gene expression related to inflammation and pain, the arachidonic acid pathway, apoptosis/angiogenesis, cell adhesion and signal transduction. Compared to placebo, rofecoxib treatment increased the gene expression of ANXA3 (annexin 3), SOD2 (superoxide dismutase 2), SOCS3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 3) and IL1RN (IL1 receptor antagonist) which are associated with inhibition of phospholipase A2 and suppression of cytokine signaling cascades, respectively. Both rofecoxib and ibuprofen treatment increased the gene expression of the pro-inflammatory mediators, IL6 and CCL2 (chemokine C-C motif ligand 2), following tissue injury compared to the placebo treatment. These results indicate a complex role for COX-2 in the inflammatory cascade in addition to the well-characterized COX-dependent pathway, as multiple pathways are also involved in rofecoxib-induced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects at the gene expression level. These findings may also suggest an alternative hypothesis for the adverse effects attributed to selective inhibition of COX-2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A finite element model of the T12–L1 motion segment was subjected to dynamic vertical impact to investigate vertebral burst fracture mechanism at the thoracolumbar junction. A rigid ball was directed vertically towards a rigid plate fixed on top of the T12 vertebral body to simulate the axial impact. The results show that upon impact, the T12 vertebra exhibited a vibratory motion. At its maximum compression, the endplates bulged towards their vertebral bodies. The central parts of the endplates adjacent to the nucleus experienced the highest effective stress, and localized stress concentration developed correspondingly within the central parts of the cancellous bone adjacent to the endplates. This appears to confirm the hypothesis that nucleus material is forced to enter the vertebral body, pressurizing it further and squeezing the fat and marrow contents out of the cancellous bone. When the nucleus material enters the vertebral body faster than fat and marrow being expulsed, the vertebral body could burst through the anterior and posterior cortical shell. Upon sudden posterior cortex fracture, the transient fragment encroachment could be further into the spinal canal than the final observed locations, as the fragments are retropulsed to the vertebral body during the bursting process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Degenerative changes to the intervertebral disc structure appear gradually in the aging process, and are likely to affect the fracture patterns of the thoracolumbar vertebral body — a common site of spinal injuries — by changing the mechanical interaction within each motion segment. This study focused on the influence of disc degeneration on the mechanism of load transmission through the thoracolumbar vertebral body. Compressive stresses and ways of load transmission were examined in cases of normal and degenerated discs. The stress analysis was performed using the finite element (FE) method. For normal discs, the highest compressive stresses were found in the central region of the discs, corresponding to the anatomical nucleus. Such high stress made the endplates bulge towards the vertebral bodies. Hence, the fracture would most probably start in the center of the endplate. For degenerated discs, the peak stresses rose to high levels in the annuli. Thus, the annulus was mostly under compression, and so was the periphery of the endplate, with much less deflection at its center. The failure of the vertebra was due to the fracture of the periphery of the endplate. Ways of load transmission through the vertebral body were strongly affected by the disc condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterial properties differ from those bulk materials of the same composition, allowing them to execute novel activities. A possible downside of these capabilities is harmful interactions with biological systems, with the potential to generate toxicity. An approach to assess the safety of nanomaterials is urgently required. We compared the cellular effects of ambient ultrafine particles with manufactured titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon black, fullerol, and polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (NPs). The study was conducted in a phagocytic cell line (RAW 264.7) that is representative of a lung target for NPs. Physicochemical characterization of the NPs showed a dramatic change in their state of aggregation, dispersibility, and charge during transfer from a buffered aqueous solution to cell culture medium. Particles differed with respect to cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and ability to catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under biotic and abiotic conditions. Spontaneous ROS production was compared by using an ROS quencher (furfuryl alcohol) as well as an NADPH peroxidase bioelectrode platform. Among the particles tested, ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs) and cationic PS nanospheres were capable of inducing cellular ROS production, GSH depletion, and toxic oxidative stress. This toxicity involves mitochondrial injury through increased calcium uptake and structural organellar damage. Although active under abiotic conditions, TiO2and fullerol did not induce toxic oxidative stress. While increased TNF- production could be seen to accompany UFP-induced oxidant injury, cationic PS nanospheres induced mitochondrial damage and cell death without inflammation. In summary, we demonstrate that ROS generation and oxidative stress are a valid test paradigm to compare NP toxicity. Although not all materials have electronic configurations or surface properties to allow spontaneous ROS generation, particle interactions with cellular components are capable of generating oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) exists in multimeric complexes with endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) and heat shock protein 90 (hsp90). Whereas disruption of hsp90-eNOS complexes clearly attenuates eNOS-dependent vascular relaxation, the contribution of sGC-hsp90 complexes to eNOS- or NO donor-dependent relaxations remains unclear. Isolated rat thoracic aortic rings were preincubated with structurally diverse hsp90 binding inhibitors, radicicol (RA) or geldanamycin (GA), or vehicle for 0.5, 1, or 15 h. Preconstricted vessels were exposed to ACh, 8-bromo-cGMP (8-BrcGMP), forskolin, or one of three NO donors: nitroglycerin (NTG), sodium nitroprusside, or spermine NONOate (SNN). Both RA and GA inhibited endothelium-dependent relaxations dose dependently. Indomethacin or the antioxidant tiron did not affect the inhibition of ACh-induced relaxations by GA. Long-term (15 h) exposure to RA inhibited all NO donor-induced relaxations; however, GA inhibited SNN-induced relaxation only. The effects of GA and RA appeared to be selective because 15-h treatment with either agent did not affect forskolin-induced relaxations and only slightly decreased 8-BrcGMP-induced relaxations. Similarly to their effects on NO-donor-induced relaxation, 15-h exposure to RA, but not to GA, decreased hsp90-bound sGC protein expression and NTG-stimulated cGMP formation in aortic rings, whereas RA more than GA reduced SNN-stimulated cGMP formation. We conclude that RA, much more so than GA, selectively inhibits sGC-dependent relaxations of aortic rings by reducing sGC expression, disrupting sGC-hsp90 complex formation and decreasing cGMP formation. These studies suggest that hsp90 regulates both eNOS- and sGC-dependent relaxations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal stenosis can be found in any part of the spine, though it is most commonly located on the lumbar and cervical areas. It has been documented in the literature that bilateral facetectomy in a lumbar motion segment to increase the space induces an increase in flexibility at the level at which the surgery was performed. However, the result of bilateral facetectomy on the stability of the thoracolumbar spine has not been studied. A nonlinear three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of thoracolumbar T11–L1 was built to explore the influence of bilateral facetectomy. The FE model of T11–L1 was validated against published experimental results under various physiological loadings. The FE model with bilateral facetectomy was evaluated under flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation to determine alterations in kinematics. Results show that bilateral facetectomy causes increase in motion, considerable increase in axial rotation and least increase in lateral bending. Removal of facets did not result in significant change in the sagittal motion in flexion and extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum trioxide nanobelts and prism-like particles with good crystallinity and high surface areas have been prepared by a facile hydrothermal method, and the morphology could be controlled by using different inorganic salts, such as KNO3, Ca(NO3)2, La(NO3)3, etc. The possible growth mechanism of molybdenum trioxide prism-like particles is discussed on the basis of the presence of H+ and the modification of metal cations. The as-prepared nanomaterials are characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy (UV−vis). TEM and HRTEM micrographs show that the molybdenum trioxide nanobelts and prism-like particles have a relatively high degree of crystallinity and uniformity. BET specific surface areas of the as-prepared molybdenum trioxide nanocrystals are 67−79 m2 g-1. XPS analysis indicates that the hexavalent molybdenum is predominant in the nanocrystals. UV−vis spectra reveal that the direct band gap energy of the annealed molybdenum trioxide prism-like particles shows a pronounced blue shift compared to that of bulk MoO3 powder. Interestingly, molybdenum trioxide nanobelts exhibit a red shift under this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper reports a computational method for folding small helical proteins. The goal was to determine the overall topology of proteins given secondary structure assignment on sequence. In doing so, a Monte Carlo protocol, which combines coarse-grained normal modes and a Hamiltonian at a different scale, was developed to enhance sampling. In addition to the knowledge-based potential functions, a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) profile was also used as a weak constraint for guiding the folding. The algorithm can deliver structural models with overall correct topology, which makes them similar to those of 5∼6 Å cryo-EM density maps. The success could contribute to make the SAXS technique a fast and inexpensive solution-phase experimental method for determining the overall topology of small, soluble, but noncrystallizable, helical proteins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to build and validate the FE models of thoracolumbar junctional T11-T12 and T12-L1 functional spinal units (FSUs) and compare the biomechanical responses of the two FSUs under physiological loading modes: flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. Anatomically accurate FE models of thoracolumbar T11-T12 and T12-L1 FSUs were developed and validated against published experimental results in terms of load displacement responses and range of motion (ROM) under flexion and extension pure moments of 7.5 Nm, left and right lateral bending pure moments of 7.5 Nm and left and right axial torque of 7.5 Nm. The overall responses predicted by the T11-T12 and T12-L1 FE models showed differences in stiffness under different load configurations. Amongst all loading configurations, the motions at T11-T12 and T12-L1 were the stiffest under axial torque. The lateral bending motions of T11-T12 and T12-L1 were relatively flexible. Under sagittal moments, the motion in extension was greater than in flexion at level T11-T12, while the rotation in flexion was greater than in extension at level T12-L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical models, which can accurately represent the geometric, material and physical characteristics of the human spine structure, are useful in predicting biomechanical behaviors of the spine. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of thoracic spine (T1–T12) was developed, based on geometrical data of embalmed thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12) obtained from a precise flexible digitizer, and validated against published thoracolumbar experimental results in terms of the torsional stiffness of the whole thoracic spine (T1–T12) under axial torque alone and combined with distraction and compression loads. The torsional stiffness was increased by over 60% with application of a 425 N distraction force. A trend in increasing torsional stiffness with increasing distraction forces was detected. The validated model was then loaded under moment rotation in three anatomical planes to determine the ranges of motion (ROMs). The ROMs were approximately 37°, 31°, 32°, 51° for flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation, respectively. These results may offer an insight to better understanding the kinematics of the human thoracic spine and provide clinically relevant fundamental information for the evaluation of spinal stability and instrumented devices functionality for optimal scoliosis correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate pollutants cause adverse health effects through the generation of oxidative stress. A key question is whether these effects are mediated by the particles or their chemical compounds. In this article we show that aliphatic, aromatic, and polar organic compounds, fractionate from diesel exhaust particles (DEPs), exert differential toxic effects in RAW 264.7 cells. Cellular analyses showed that the quinone-enriched polar fraction was more potent than the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAI-I)-enriched aromatic fraction in O2- generation, decrease of membrane potential (δψm), loss of mitochondrial membrane mass, and induction of apoptosis. A major effect of the polar fraction was to promote cyclosporin A (CsA)-sensitive permeability transition pore (PTP) opening in isolated liver mitochondria. This opening effect is dependent on a direct effect on the PTP at low doses as well as on an effect on δψm at high doses in calcium (Ca2+-loaded mitochondria. The direct PTP effect was mimicked by redox-cycling DEP quinones. Although the aliphatic fraction fiuiled to pertur mitochondrial function, the aromatic fraction increased the Ca2+ retention capacity at low doses and induced mitochondrial swelling and a decrease in δψm at high doses. This swelling effect was mostly GA insensitive and could be reproduced by a mix- ture of PAl-Is present in DEPs. These chemical effects on isolated mitochondria could be reproduced by intact DEPs as well as ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs). In contrast, commercial polystyrene nanoparticles failed to exert mitochondrial effects. These results suggest that DEP and UFP effects on the PTP and δψm are mediated by adsorbed chemicals rather than the particles themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the locations and loci of instantaneous axes of rotation (IARs) of the T10'''T11 motion segment in flexion and extension. An anatomically accurate three-dimensional model of thoracic T10'''T11 functional spinal unit (FSU) was developed and validated against published experimental data under flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation loading configurations. The validated model was exercised under six load configurations that produced motions only in the sagittal plane to characterize the loci of IARs for flexion and extension. The IARs for both flexion and extension under these six load types were directly below the geometric center of the moving vertebra, and all the loci of IARs were tracked superoanteriorly for flexion and inferoposteriorly for extension with rotation. These findings may offer an insight to better understanding of the kinematics of the human thoracic spine and provide clinically relevant information for the evaluation of spinal stability and implant device functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: STUDY DESIGN A finite element (FE) model of thoracic spine (T10-T11) was constructed and used to determine instantaneous axes of rotation (IARs).OBJECTIVES To characterize the locations and loci of IARs in three anatomic planes.SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The center of rotation is a part of a precise method of documenting the kinematics of a spinal segment for spinal stability and deformity assessments and for implant devices study. There is little information about loci of IARs in thoracic spine.METHODS A FE model of thoracic spine (T10-T11) was developed and validated against published data. The validated model was then used to determine the locations and loci of IARs in three anatomic planes.RESULTS Within the validated range, The IARs locations and loci were found to vary with the applied pure moments. Under flexion and extension pure moments, the loci of IARs were tracked anterosuperiorly for flexion and posteroinferiorly for extension with rotation between the superior endplate and the geometrical center of the inferior vertebra T11. Under left and right lateral bending pure moments, the loci were detected to diverge latero-inferiorly from the mid-height of the intervertebral disc, then converge medio-inferiorly toward the geometrical center of the inferior vertebra T11. For axial rotation, the IARs were located between anterior nucleus and anulus and found to diverge in opposite direction latero-posteriorly with increasing left and right axial torque.CONCLUSIONS The results of IARs would provide further understanding to the kinematics and biomechanical responses of the human thoracic spine, which is important for the diagnosis of disc degeneration and implant study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the concept and design of a time-to-voltage converter (TVC), and demonstrate its application to on-chip phase-locked loop (PLL) jitter measurement The TVC operates in an analog, continuous mode without using a sampling clock. It compares the signal under measurement with a reference signal by charging and discharging a capacitor. First, the low-frequency reference signal charges the capacitor in one cycle. Then, the jitter signal discharges the same capacitor repeatedly until the voltage on the capacitor falls below a threshold. The number of times the jitter signal needs to discharge the capacitor is recorded on a binary counter. We demonstrated that a 160-ps injected jitter is successfully measured by the proposed TVC with a 2-MHz reference signal. We also demonstrated the successful measurement of a 14-ps average PLL jitter, without jitter injection. An 8% measurement error is found in both experiments, using four-bit counters. Finally, we analyze the relations between design parameters and show trade-offs between measurement resolution and measurement time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the thoracic posterior vertebral elements on the kinematics of T10–T11 motion segment in sagittal plane by assessing the locations and loci of the instantaneous axes of rotation (IARs) under flexion and extension pure moments using finite element (FE) method. The IAR has proven to be a useful parameter of vertebral motion and it is an indicator of spinal instability. An anatomically accurate FE model of thoracic T10–T11 functional spinal unit (FSU) was used to characterize the loci of centers of rotation for the intact T10–T11 FSU and disc body unit (without posterior vertebral elements) under flexion and extension pure moments. The centers of rotation predicted by the intact model and disc body unit of thoracic T10–T11 for both flexion and extension were directly below the geometrical center of the moving vertebra. However, the loci of the IARs were significantly affected by the posterior vertebral elements. The loci of instantaneous axes of rotation for the intact model were tracked superoanteriorly and inferoposteriorly for flexion and extension with rotation, respectively. While, for the disc body unit, the loci were detected to diverge lateroinferiorly from the mid-height of the intervertebral disc, they converge medio-inferiorly toward the superior endplate of the inferior vertebra T11 with increased moment. These findings may offer an insight to better understanding the kinematics of the human thoracic spine and provide clinically relevant information for the evaluation of spinal stability and implant devices functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the regulation of p21, a well characterized p53 target gene, by various p53 mutants deficient in one or more of the activation domains. Use of stable cell lines to analyze differential regulation of p21 by wild-type p53 or various mutants; Protein extraction and immunoblotting; Generation of short interference RNA expression plasmids under the control of the U6 promoter.

Ranolazine is a medication indicated for treatment of chronic angina and is a partial inhibitor of the fatty acid β-oxidation. We present an adult patient who developed subacute progressive muscle weakness and exercise-induced myalgia, soon after increasing the daily dose of ranolazine, in the setting of therapy with simvastatin. CK persisted normal throughout the duration of the weakness and muscle biopsy showed a lipid storage myopathy for which no underlying genetic defect was identified. Discontinuation of both drugs resulted in clinical improvement. Although simvastatin may have contributed to the myopathy, the temporal relation between the increase in ranolazine dose and the onset of the weakness would favor ranolazine as major culprit for the weakness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a cylindrical-wraparound microstrip antenna flush mounted to the upper surface of a chiral substrate is analyzed. The chiral substrate is wrap fabricated around a conducting core cylinder. Dyadic Green's functions for such a cylindrical structure are formulated in terms of cylindrical vector wave eigenfunctions. The expression of the radiation field for the wraparound is derived. The saddle-point technique is used to approximate the field expression. The effects of the chiral admittance and substrate thickness on the radiation patterns are shown and discussed. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 21: 211–214, 1999. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nd 0.9 Ln 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ (NLnBCO, Ln = La, Sm, Gd) materials are synthesized by EDTA-citrate method. The effects of rare earth element doping on crystal structure, thermal expansion behavior, electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties are investigated. Nd 0.9 Ln 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ crystallizes in tetragonal symmetry with the space group P4/mmm. It is found that both the unit cell volume and the average valence of cobalt in NLnBCO increase, whereas the oxygen vacancy content (δ value) decreases with the gradual enlargement of the radius of the doped rare earth elements. XPS and O 2 -TPD results prove that the surface oxygen adsorption ability of NLnBCO improves gradually with the steady increase of Co4+ concentration in the material. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement results indicate that among the doped materials, Nd 0.9 La 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ exhibits the lowest polarization resistance of 0.083 Ω cm2 at 700 °C in air. The anode-supported fuel cell constructed with this cathode shows a power output of 1.045 W cm−2 at 700 °C, and stable current density of 1.7 A cm−2 has been obtained with the load of 0.6 V for prolonged 100 h consecutive measurement. The rate limiting step of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the charge transfer process on Nd 0.9 La 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ cathode. Our studies prove that doping La3+ with larger radius than Nd3+ is an effective way to promote the ORR reaction on NdBaCo 2 O 6- δ cathode. • The effects of rare earth element doping on the electrochemical properties of Nd 0.9 Ln 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ are investigated. • La3+ doping improves the surface oxygen adsorption ability of Nd 0.9 Lan 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ. • The anode-supported fuel cell constructed with Nd 0.9 Lan 0.1 BaCo 2 O 6- δ cathode shows a power output of 1.045 W cm−2 at 700 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large surface area 3D CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 network nanoflowers has been synthesized. The asymmetric supercapacitor based on CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 //CoNiO 2 /CoNiO 2 displays a maximum specific capacitance up to 11.6F cm−3 and a high energy density of 2.9 μWh cm−3. The CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 /Ti electrode also delivers excellent catalytic performance for HER in the alkaline solutions. • CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 nanoflowers exhibits an area capacity of 11.6F cm−3. • ASC based on CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 can deliver high energy density of 2.9 μWh cm−3. • CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 demonstrate an excellent HER catalytic performance. The large surface area of CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 /Ti 3D urchis electrodes have been synthesized with high durability for electrochemical reactions and excellent catalytic performance for HER in the alkaline solutions. The asymmetric supercapacitor based on CoNiSe 2 /CoNiSe 2 //CoNiO 2 /CoNiO 2 displays a maximum specific capacitance of 11.6F cm−3 and a high energy density of 2.9 μWh cm−3 at 34 μW cm−3. The present work highlights the ternary selenide is an promising electrode material in the field of advanced energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature effects on shock wave propagation properties are studied. • Temperature effects on shock-induced micro-plasticity behaviors are studied. • Melting and re-crystallization under shock loading is analyzed. • Spalling under elevated temperature is investigated and compared with experiments. Initial temperature effects on shock responses, including shock-induced plasticity and spalling damage behaviors of single-crystalline Cu are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Firstly, initial temperature effects on stress wave profiles are investigated. The simulations show that shock Hugoniot stress deceases as initial temperature increases, which can be explained by the Rakine-Hugoniot conservation theory. Initial temperature effects on dislocation density are studied. It is found that the dislocation density decreases as initial temperature increases. Shock-induced spalling is dominated by cavitation, i.e., void nucleation, growth and coalescence. Initial temperature effects on cavitation are discussed. In cases of relatively low shock intensity, the total number of voids increases as initial temperature rises; for strong shock intensities that induce melting and micro-spalling, initial temperature effects on the total number of voids are not obvious. Furthermore, initial temperature effects on spall strength are found to be dependent on shock intensity. For relatively weak shock intensity, the simulations show that spall strength starts to drop when initial temperature exceeds 900 K, far below the melting temperature, this result is well consistent with previous experimental measurements; however, for high shock intensity, our simulations predict that spall strength decreases monotonically as initial temperature increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]