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It is known that bulk metallic glasses are interpreted by simple composition formulas [cluster](glue atom) 1 or 3 , with the valence electron number per unit formula ( e / u ) being universally 24. In the present work, this cluster-plus-glue-atom approach was explored in great details for the objective of establishing the standard procedures towards designing bulk metallic glasses, via example of Ti-Cu-based alloys. The cluster selection from devitrification phases and the e / u calculation methods were first clarified. Then, step-by-step procedures toward developing alloys with high glass forming abilities were proposed. The cluster formula [Ti-Cu 6 Ti 8 ]Cu 3 , with e / u ≈ 23.6, was taken as the basic composition formula. Upon properly alloying with Zr and Sn, large glass forming abilities up to 5 mm in diameter were experimentally reached at Ti 40 Zr 10 Cu 56.94 Sn 3.06 via copper mold suction casting. Another alloy Ti 45.71 Zr 11.43 Cu 39.29 Sn 3.57 showed a slightly inferior glass forming ability of 4 mm but contained the highest Ti(Zr) content of all the Ti-based BMGs, Ni-, Pd- and Be-free. The thus-obtained bulk metallic glasses generally exhibited high compressive strengths of about 1.8 GPa and nearly zero ductilities, except a Co-alloyed one, [Ti-Cu 5.3 Sn 0.5 Co 0.2 Ti 6.2 Zr 1.8 ]Cu 3 , whose compressive ductility exceeded 6%.

It has been pointed out that a bulk metallic glass composition could be formulated as [cluster](glue atoms)x, where the cluster is derived from a devitrification phase. However, the selection rule of the so-called principal cluster should be specified because an alloy phase usually contains multiple clusters. In this paper, two important properties of the principal clusters are emphasized, i.e., spherical periodicity and cluster isolation, both being structural features of metallic glasses. According to these two criteria, the principal clusters are rigorously identified in devitrification phases and are used to construct cluster formulas to explain binary bulk-metallic glasses of Cu-(Zr,Hf), Ni-(Nb,Ta), Al-Ca, and Pd-Si. Keywords: Principal cluster, Spherical periodicity, Cluster-plus-glue-atom model, Bulk-metallic glasses

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene foams (GF) were grown on nickel foam by chemical vapor deposition method, and then flowerlike MoS2 nanosheets assembled on GF were achieved by single mode microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique. The flexible MoS2@GF electrode with high conductive network and interconnected channel shows excellent electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs). For LIBs, the specific capacity of MoS2@GF can reach up to 1400 mAh g−1 at a current rate of 100 mA g−1, moreover, the high specific capacity (1127 mAh g−1) can be achieved at a rate of 250 mA g−1 after 100 cycles. In addition, the obtained specific capacity for SIBs after 50 cycles is 290 mAh g−1 at a rate of 100 mA g−1. The excellent performance of the flexible MoS2@GF electrode is attributed to fast electron transport, more efficient penetration of electrolyte and shortened ion diffusion time for high conductive, stable 3D architectures.

High efficiency cooling system is an essential part of heavy duty extrusion pelleting line, which plays an important role in 300 kt/a production engineering of polyolefin. In this paper, a gravity-assisted phase transition cooling system (GAPTCS) used in heavy duty extrusion pelleting line was presented. Based on bubble dynamics theory and phase field method, a multi-bubble nucleation boiling model in GAPTCS was proposed. The phase transition, two-phase flow and heat transfer characteristics during the operation of GAPTCS were simulated by COMSOL for the first time, and corresponding experimental studies were carried out. The predicted temperature profile showed a satisfying agreement with experimental data with the maximum relative error of 1.11%, and the average relative error of 0.57%. Therefore, it was concluded that the numerical simulation successfully reproduced the heat and mass transfer process of the system. Aiming at the phenomenon that the vapor film was attached to the bottom wall, the structure was improved. The results showed that the average heat flux of the barrel wall in improved GAPTCS reached 28,790 W/m2, which was 1.8 times that of original GAPTCS. In addition, it took the improved GAPTCS 14 s to reach the stable state, which was 5 s less than the original structure. What's more, the stable average temperature of the wall in improved GAPTCS was 5.7 °C lower than that in original GAPTCS.

Dysregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis and development of human diseases, such as epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In this study, we identified EOC-related lncRNAs and performed lncRNA and mRNA microarray analyses using IOSE80, a normal ovary cell line, and two ovarian carcinoma cell lines (SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP) to investigate the potential roles of lncRNAs in EOC. lncRNA-HEIH expression in EOC tissues and cell lines was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In addition, we generated a lncRNA–mRNA co-expression network in order to identify lncRNA-expression trends and potential lncRNA target genes. Cell viability, migration, and invasion were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8, transwell assay, and wound-healing assay, respectively, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. We identified 3527 differentially expressed lncRNAs upon comparison of the lncRNA profiles from IOSE80 with those of SKOV3 cell lines, with 11 differentially expressed lncRNAs confirmed by qPCR. Both pathway and gene ontology analyses demonstrated the involvement of lncRNAs, especially HEIH and LINC-PINT, in multiple biological processes. Furthermore, in vitro knockdown experiments confirmed that suppression of HEIH expression inhibited EOC cell proliferation. Our findings provide a foundation for further research into the role of these lncRNAs in EOC carcinogenesis and progression.

Exposure of humans and animals to microgravity in spaceflight results in various deleterious effects on bone health. In addition to microgravity, the hypomagnetic field (HyMF) is also an extreme environment in space, such as on the Moon and Mars; magnetic intensity is far weaker than the geomagnetic field (GMF) on Earth. Recently, we showed that HyMF promoted additional bone loss in hindlimb unloading-induced bone loss, and the underlying mechanism probably involved an increase of body iron storage. Numerous studies have indicated that bone loss induced by mechanical unloading can be largely restored after skeletal reloading in GMF conditions. However, it is unknown whether this bone deficit can return to a healthy state under HyMF condition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of HyMF on the recovery of microgravity-induced bone loss, and illustrates the changes of body iron storage in this process. Our results showed that there was lower bone mineral content (BMC) in the HyMF reloading group compared to the GMF reloading group. Reloaded mice in the HyMF condition had a worse microstructure of femur than in the GMF condition. Femoral mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, stiffness, and ultimate stress, were poorer and toughness was higher in the HyMF group compared with the GMF group. Simultaneously, more iron content in serum, the tibia, liver, and spleen was found under HyMF reloading than GMF reloading. The iron chelator deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) decreased the iron content in the bone, liver, and spleen, and significantly relieved unloading-induced bone loss under HyMF reloading. These results showed that HyMF inhibits the recovery of microgravity-induced bone loss, probably by suppressing the elevated iron levels' return to physiological level. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Additional file 3: Table S3. McDonald-Kreitman analysis of nine individual proteins in classic RHDV, RHDVa, RHDVb, and RCV with complete and partial genome sequences.

Table S1. Detailed information about patients with positive urinary protein M, male; F, female. Table S2. Correlation between urinary protein and THSD7A staining intensity of in colorectal cancer group. P value is obtained from rank sum correlation of urinary protein withTHSD7A intensity. Table S3. Correlation between urinary protein and staining area of THSD7A in colorectal cancer group. P value is obtained from rank sum correlation of urinary protein with THSD7A staining area. Table S4. Correlation between urinary protein and THSD7A staining intensity in breast cancer group. P value is obtained from rank sum correlation of urinary protein withTHSD7A intensity. Table S5. Correlation between urinary protein and THSD7A staining area in breast cancer group. P value is obtained from rank sum correlation of urinary protein with THSD7A staining area. (DOCX 17 kb)

Figure S1. The classification criteria for histochemical staining intensity. A-C is the three categories of THSD7A staining intensity in colorectal cancer tissues: A, 3+; B, 2+; C, 1+. D-F is the three categories of THSD7A staining in breast cancer tissues: D, 3+; E, 2+; F, 1â +â . (DOCX 2663 kb)

This study presents the effects of nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) concentration on the biomethanation of gaseous CO

Ferroptosis is an iron depend cell death which caused by lipid peroxidation. Abnormal iron metabolism and high intracellular iron content are the characteristics of most cancer cells. Iron is a promoter of cell growth and proliferation. However, iron also could take part in Fenton reaction to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). The intercellular ROS could induce lipid peroxidation, which is necessary for ferroptosis. Iron metabolism mainly includes three parts: iron uptake, storage and efflux. Therefore, iron metabolism-related genes could regulate intercellular iron content and status, which can be involved ferroptosis. In recent years, the application of nanoparticles in cancer therapy research has become more and more extensive. The iron-based nanoparticles (iron-based NPs) can release ferrous (Fe2+) or ferric (Fe3+) in acidic lysosomes and inducing ferroptosis. Magnetic field is widely used in the targeted concentration of iron-based NPs related disease therapy. Furthermore, multiple studies showed that magnetic fields can inhibit cancer cell proliferation by promoting intracellular ROS production. Herein, we focus on the relationship of between ferroptosis and iron metabolism in cancer cells, the application of nanoparticles and magnetic field in inducing ferroptosis of cancer cells, and trying to provide new ideas for cancer treatment research.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is an important member of the Caliciviridae family and a highly lethal pathogen in rabbits. Although the cell receptor of RHDV has been identified, the mechanism underlying RHDV internalization remains unknown. In this study, the entry and post-internalization of RHDV into host cells were investigated using several biochemical inhibitors and RNA interference. Our data demonstrate that rabbit nucleolin (NCL) plays a key role in RHDV internalization. Further study revealed that NCL specifically interacts with the RHDV capsid protein (VP60) through its N-terminal residues (aa 285–318), and the exact position of the VP60 protein for the interaction with NCL is located in a highly conserved region (472Asp-Val-Asn474; DVN motif). Following competitive blocking of the interaction between NCL and VP60 with an artificial DVN peptide (RRTGDVNAAAGSTNGTQ), the internalization efficiency of the virus was markedly reduced. Moreover, NCL also interacts with the C-terminal residues of clathrin light chain A, which is an important component in clathrin-dependent endocytosis. In addition, the results of animal experiments also demonstrated that artificial DVN peptides protected most rabbits from RHDV infection. These findings demonstrate that NCL is involved in RHDV internalization through clathrin-dependent endocytosis., Author summary Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is the causative agent of a highly contagious and lethal disease in rabbits. Since, at present, there is no robust cell culture system for the propagation of the virus, the molecular mechanism of RHDV internalization remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that rabbit nucleolin (NCL) efficiently mediates RHDV internalization by interacting with the RHDV capsid protein (VP60). The exact function domains of the interaction between NCL and VP60 were also determined. Notably, these functional domains are highly conserved in all RHDV genotypes. Further study results revealed that NCL was involved in clathrin-dependent endocytosis through interactions with the C-terminal residues of clathrin light chain A. In addition, the artificial peptide (RRTGDVNAAAGSTNGTQ; DVN peptide) based on the functional domain, which is responsible for RHDV VP60 binding to NCL, is able to inhibit RHDV infection, indicating that the DVN peptide might be a candidate target for the design of antiviral drugs against RHDV infection.

Iron as an important element plays crucial roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Iron metabolism behaves in systemic and cellular two levels that usually are in balance conditions. The disorders of the iron metabolism balances relate with many kinds of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis and various cancers. In systemic iron metabolism that is regulated by hepcidin-ferroportin axis, plasma iron is bound with transferrin (TF) which has two high-affinity binding sites for ferric iron. The generic cellular iron metabolism consists of iron intake, utilization and efflux. During the iron intake process in generic cells, transferrin receptors (TFRs) act as the most important receptor mediated controls. TFR1 and TFR2 are two subtypes of TFRs those bind with iron-transferrin complex to facilitate iron into cells. TFR1 is ubiquitously expressed on the surfaces of generic cells, whereas TFR2 is specially expressed in liver cells. TFR1 has attracted more attention than TFR2 by having diverse functions in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Recently reports showed that TFR1 involved in many kinds of diseases including anemia, neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Most importantly, TFR1 has been verified to be abnormally expressed in various cancers. Some experimental and clinical drugs and antibodies targeting TFR1 have showed strong anti-tumor effects, herein TFR1 probably become a potential molecular target for diagnosis and treatment for cancer therapy. This paper reviewed the research progresses of the roles of TFR1 in the tumorigenesis and cancer progression, the regulations of TFR1, and the therapeutic effects of targeting TFR1 on many kinds of cancers.

【This paper presents the applicability of natural zeolite (Clinoptilolite) for recovery of ammonium nitrogen from high-strength wastewater stream. Isotherm experiments showed the ammonium exchange Clinoptilolite followed Freundlich isotherm and its maximum exchange capacity was $18.13mg\;NH_4{^+}-N/g$ zeolite. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that a significant amount of nitrogen was adsorbed to the Clinoptilolite. Optimal flowrate for recovery of high concentration ammonium nitrogen was determined at 16 BV/d (=19.2 L/min) throughout the lab-scale column studies operated under various flowrate conditions. This study also provided a method to determine the recovery rate of final product of nitrogen fertilizer based on the model application to the lab-scale continuous data.】

Compositions of typical bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and boron-containing eutectics have been previously interpreted by cluster formulas issued from the cluster-plus-glue-atom model. In the present work, binary BMG composition formulas are established via dissociating dual-cluster formulas for their relevant eutectics. It is unveiled that BMG formulas satisfy three ubiquitous rules: cluster formula of the form [cluster](glue atom) 1 or 3 with 24 valence electrons per unit formula, the center and the glue sites occupied by the same atomic species, and the BMG composition falling within the eutectic zone. These characteristics may serve as the finger prints for good glass formers and eventually the BMG design tool.

It is generally difficult to define coordination polyhedral clusters with multi-shelled nearest neighbors. The present work defines their cutoff distances in typical metallic phase structure typesviaFriedel oscillation and atomic dense packing. The nearest neighbors of a cluster are considered to be confined within the first effective Friedel minimum in the pair potential, with the radial distance ratio of the outermost shell to the innermost shell beingrL/rS= 1.5. This ratio is further correlated to atomic radius ratio, facet-capping configuration and cluster coordination number after considering hard-sphere atomic dense packing. The cluster cutoff distance is obtained by multiplying therL/rSratio with the measured innermost shell distance, as is well validated in common cluster types.

Inorganic arsenic (iAs), a proven human carcinogen, damages biological systems through multiple mechanisms, one of them being reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. NRF2 is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that positively regulates the genes of encoding antioxidant and detoxification enzymes to neutralize ROS. Although NRF2 pathway activation by iAs has been reported in various cell types, however, the experimental data in vivo are very limited and not fully elucidated in humans. The present investigation aimed to explore the hepatic and nephric NRF2 pathway upregulation in acute arsenic-exposed mice in vivo. Our results showed 10 mg/kg NaAsO2 elevated the NRF2 protein and increased the transcription of Nrf2 mRNA, as well as up-regulated NRF2 downstream targets HO-1, GST and GCLC time- and dose-dependently both in the liver and kidney. Acute NaAsO2 exposure also resulted in obvious imbalance of oxidative redox status represented by the increase of GSH and MDA, and the decrease of T-AOC. The present investigation reveals that hepatic and nephric NRF2 pathway expression is an early antioxidant defensive response upon iAs exposure. A better knowledge about the NRF2 pathway involvment in the cellular response against arsenic could help improve the strategies for reducing the cellular toxicity related to this metalloid.

During deep-space exploration missions, astronauts will be exposed to abnormal space environments including microgravity and hypomagnetic field (HyMF) that is 10,000 times weaker than geomagnetic field (GMF). It is well known that microgravity in space can induce bone loss; however, it is ill-defined whether HyMF involved in this process. Herein, we aimed to investigate the combined effects of HyMF and microgravity on bone loss. A mouse model of hindlimb suspension (HLU) was adopted to simulate microgravity-induced bone loss, that was exposed to a hypomagnetic field of300 nanotesla (nT) generated by a geomagnetic field-shielding chamber. Besides, a recent study showed that HLU induced bone loss was orchestrated by iron overload. Therefore, the changes of iron content in unloading-induced bone loss under HyMF condition were detected simultaneously. The results showed HyMF exacerbated the loss of bone mineral content (BMC), induced more detrimental effects on microstructure of cancellous bone but not cortical bone and yielded greater negative effects on biomechanical characteristics in mice femur under unloading status. Concomitantly, there was more iron accumulation in serum, liver, spleen and bone in the combined treatment group than in the separate unloading group or HyMF exposure group. These results showed that HyMF promoted additional bone loss in mice femur during mechanical unloading, and the potential mechanism may be involved in inducing iron overload of mice.

In this study, both liposome- and retrovirus-mediated gene transfer methods were examined for their potential to transfer and express two retroviral vectors containing the mouse c-Myc or the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene into the primary lymphoid cell cultures (OKA) derived from “Oka” organs (= organs of the lymphoid system) of the greasyback shrimp Metapenaeus ensis (De Haan, 1844). It was found that the c-Myc gene could be delivered into OKA cells by the liposome-mediated method, but the introduced c-Myc gene could not be effectively transcribed into mRNA. In contrast, the pantropic retrovirus-mediated method failed to introduce the c-Myc gene into OKA cells, and GFP was not detected in the transformed cells, either. This work inferred two problems for the use of the two above-mentioned gene transfer methods in the non-dividing OKA cells: (1) the viral promoter of long terminal repeats (LTRs) had low activity in shrimp cells; (2) the pantropic retrovirus-mediated gene transfer system had a low tropism to shrimp lymphoid cells.

Many studies have indicated that static magnetic fields (SMFs) have positive effects on bone tissue, including bone formation and bone healing process. Evaluating the effects of SMFs on bone cell (especially osteoblast) function and exploring the mechanism, which is critical for understanding the possible risks or benefits from SMFs to the balance of bone remodeling. Iron and magnetic fields have the natural relationship, and iron is an essential element for normal bone metabolism. Iron overload or deficiency can cause severe bone disorders including osteoporosis. However, there are few reports regarding the role of iron in the regulation of bone formation under SMFs. In this study, hypomagnetic field (HyMF) of 500 nT, moderate SMF (MMF) of 0.2 T, and high SMF (HiMF) of 16 T were used to investigate how osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) responses to SMFs and iron metabolism of osteoblast under SMFs. The results showed that SMFs did not pose severe toxic effects on osteoblast growth. During cell proliferation, iron content of osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells was decreased in HyMF, but was increased in MMF and HiMF after exposure for 48 h. Compared to untreated control (i.e., geomagnetic field, GMF), HyMF and MMF exerted deleterious effects on osteoblast differentiation by simultaneously retarding alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralization and calcium deposition. However, when exposed to HiMF of 16 T, the differentiation potential showed the opposite tendency with enhanced mineralization. Iron level was increased in HyMF, constant in MMF and decreased in HiMF during cell differentiation. In addition, the mRNA expression of transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) was promoted by HyMF but was inhibited by HiMF. At the same time, HiMF of 16 T and MMF of 0.2 T increased the expression of ferroportin 1 (FPN1). In conclusion, these results indicated that osteoblast differentiation can be regulated by altering the strength of the SMF, and iron is possibly involved in this process.

Nitrogen in anaerobic digestate was recovered as ammonium phosphates (APs), a valuable fertilizer, in a pilot-scale system consisting of ammonia stripper, absorber and crystallizer. The dissolved ammonium concentration in the anaerobic digestate was stripped and then absorbed into the phosphoric acid (42.5 wt%) with 95% absorbing efficiency. As the NH3 stripping continued, both the N/P ratio and pH, key operating parameters in the absorber are optimized N/P = 0.6 and pH = 1.7. The residual AP solution after crystallization was reused to enhance the crystallization efficiency up to 88%. The overall recovery efficiency of APs was estimated at 72% of the input nitrogen mass. Analyses of SEM and XRD revealed that the recovered AP crystals were mainly composed of mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP). This pilot-scale study demonstrated that nitrogen load in anaerobic digestates could be effectively recovered as a valuable fertilizer source of AP crystals.

Microalgae have great potential as an alternative feedstock for high-valued biofuel due to rapid growth and high lipid content. However, the harvesting process, which usually accounts for about 20–30% of total production cost, is a bottleneck in microalgal biofuel technology. This study characterizes the bio-flocculants potential of activated sludge derived-extracellular polymeric substance (ASD-EPS) for microalgae harvesting. The efficiency of two physical (thermal, sonication) and one chemical (NaOH) extracted EPS was compared to a control (i.e., without flocculant). The enhancement of flocculation activity of microalgae is closely related to the carbohydrate concentration of EPS. Thermal extracted EPS contains the highest carbohydrate and protein concentration. In contrast, the chemical protocol led to the extraction of a large amount of inorganic matter, and reduction in the lipid composition of the microalgal cell membrane. Thermal extraction is the most suitable protocol with the highest biomass (microalgae) recovery of up to 87.24% and is least harmful to the lipid composition of the cell membrane. Among the tested three algae strains, Chlorellavulgaris is an ideal candidate showing high flocculation activity with ASD-EPS and large lipid production.

Silica glasses are composed of multi-oxides, apart from the major component silica. Though it is a general practice in the industries to prepare glasses at specific oxide ratios, the composition rule is largely missing, complicated by the implication of multi-oxides. Necessarily, their interpretation is rooted in chemical units, on which the specific compositions depend. However, in silica glasses the inter-atomic bonding network is continuous and there is no weak bonds, like the inter-molecular ones in molecular compounds, to define molecular entities that carry the chemical information of the materials. As the first stage towards understanding the composition rule, the present paper introduces a new method, so-called the cluster-plus-glue-atom model, to unveil the molecule-like structural units of the glass-relevant oxides. It is pointed out that their respective contributions to the construction of glass networks originate from their characteristic cluster structures, and from which molecule-like structural units are proposed that represent the smallest structural units of these oxides. Oxides participating in the glass network formation mainly present triangular or tetrahedral clusters which are required for a three-dimensional glassy network. For example, the basic network former SiO2 is formulated as [Si-O4]Si and contains 32 valence electrons. The intermediate oxides are characterized by the simultaneous formation of both octahedra and tetrahedra. The network modifiers present mainly cubes and octahedra. It is confirmed that the molecule-like structural units of the glass-formation oxides all meet octet rule (that is, the total number of valence electrons contained in each structural unit is an integer multiple of 8), just like common molecules. The proposed concept of molecular structural units sheds a new light on understanding the composition rule of silicate glasses and can eventually solve the long-standing problem of composition design of silica glasses.

MicroRNAs are found to play an important role in gastric cancer. Reduced expression of microRNA-218 (miR-218) is of key interest. The target gene of microRNA-218, epidermal growth factor receptor-coamplified and overexpressed protein (ECOP) encoded by the VOPP1 gene, has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, few studies on expression and function of ECOP in gastric cancer have been reported. ECOP expression was determined in matched normal and gastric adenocarcinoma tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Subsequently, ectopic overexpression and RNAi-mediated silencing of VOPP1 was effected in the human gastric cancer cell line, AGS. Proliferation and migration of parental, VOPP1 overexpressing and VOPP1-silenced AGS cells were evaluated by cell proliferation assay and scratch wound-healing motility assay. Finally, intracellular localization of ECOP in AGS cells was assessed by green fluorescent protein tagging and fluorescent microscopy. Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed overexpression of ECOP in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues compared to matched normal tissue specimens. Ectopic overexpression and RNAi-mediated silencing of VOPP1 promoted and inhibited, respectively, cell proliferation and migration in AGS cells. Intracellular localization of ECOP in perinuclear lysosomes mimicked colocalization earlier reported for other cancerous cells. VOPP1 is overexpressed in gastric adenocarcinoma, which is involved in promoting cell proliferation and migration and thus might serve as a putative oncogene.

The lanthanum ricinoleate (abbreviated as Lari3) of rare earth heat stabilizer was synthesized by the reaction of ricinoleic acid, lanthanum nitrate and sodium hydroxide. The IR and fluorescence spectra methods confirmed the structure of the product. The thermal stability of PVC in the presence of Lari3 was studied by the Congo method and using TG analysis. The results showed that Lari3 could be used as a thermal stabilizer for PVC. When the ratio of Lari3/pentaerythritol was 3:1, the complex exhibited better synergistic effect. Incorporation of Lari3 to PVC resulted in a marked increase of maximum and onset degradation temperature as well as elongation and impact strength of PVC. Lari3 might replace the labile chlorine atoms to interrupt the formation of conjugated double bonds in PVC chains and act as HCl scavenger to restrain the self-catalyticdehydrochlorination.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common types of malignant tumor in Southern China and Southeast Asia, and its etiology is closely associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Non-keratinizing carcinoma accounts for >95% of all nasopharyngeal carcinoma cases. In addition, metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma from other locations in the body is extremely rare. This study reports the case of a 53-year-old female who presented with a lesion on the left nasal alar skin that had slowly developed over a five-year period. A biopsy was obtained and the lesion was histologically diagnosed as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). A nasopharyngeal neoplasm was also detected by 18-fluorine-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and nasopharyngoscopy. A biopsy of the nasopharyngeal neoplasm confirmed a diagnosis of SCC. However, a small EBV-encoded nuclear RNA (EBER) test demonstrated that the nasopharyngeal tumor cells were all negative for EBV. As the majority of nasopharyngeal carcinomas were positive for EBER, it was concluded that the nasopharyngeal carcinoma had metastasized from the cutaneous SCC. A brief review of literature is also presented, in addition to a discussion of the pathogen, epidemiology and diagnosis of cutaneous and nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

G-protein-coupled receptor 48 (GPR48) is an orphan receptor belonging to the G-protein-coupled receptors family, which plays an important role in the development of various organs and cancer development and progression such as gastric cancer and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the prognostic value of GPR48 expression in patients with CRC has not been reported. In this study, we observed that GPR48 was overexpressed in primary CRC and metastatic lymph nodes and closely correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis. Multivariate analysis indicated that high GPR48 expression was a poor prognostic factor for overall survival in CRC patients. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that enforced expression of GPR48 contributed to enhance migration and invasion of cancer cells and tumor metastasis. In addition, we found that GPR48 increased nuclear β-catenin accumulation, T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) transcription activity, and expression of its target genes including Cyclin D1 and c-Myc in CRC cells. Correlation analysis showed that GPR48 expression in CRC tissues was positively associated with β-catenin expression. Upregulation of GPR48 resulted in increased phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β, Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in CRC cells, while inhibition of PI3K/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase /ERK1/2 pathways was sufficient to abolish the effect of GPR48 on β-catenin/TCF signaling. Taken together, GPR48 could serve as both a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for resectable CRC patients.

Bulk amorphous formation in Ti-Cu-based multicomponent alloys, free of Ni, Pd and Be elements, were studied using the cluster-plus-glue-atom model. The basic cluster formula was revealed as [Ti9Cu6]Cu3 to explain the best binary glass forming composition Ti50Cu50=Ti9Cu9, where the CN14 rhombi-dodecahedron Ti9Cu6 was the principal cluster in the devitrification phase CuTi. This basic cluster formula was further alloyed with Zr and Sn and a critical glass forming ability was reached at (Ti7.2Zr1.8)(Cu8.72Sn0.28) and (Ti7.2Zr1.8)(Cu8.45Sn0.55) up to 5 mm in diameter by suction casting, which was the largest in Ti-Cu-based and Ni-, Pd- and Be-free alloys.

Context: Sonchus oleraceus L. (Asteraceae) (SO) is a dietary and traditional medicinal plant in China. However, its underlying mechanism of action as an anti-inflammatory agent is not known. Objective: This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous extract of SO. Materials and methods: The extract of SO was used to treat RAW 264.7 cells (in the working concentrations of 500, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.3 and 15.6 μg/mL) for 24 h. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators produced in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were assessed. Meanwhile, the expression level of TLR-4, COX-2, pSTATs and NF-κB was tested. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activity of the extract in vivo was assessed using xylene-induced mouse ear oedema model and the anti-inflammatory compounds in the extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MS. Results: SO extract significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators at gene and protein levels with the concentration of 31.3 μg/mL, and suppressed the expression of TLR-4, COX-2, NF-κB and pSTAT in RAW 264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of SO in vivo has significant anti-inflammatory effects with the concentration of 250 and 125 mg/kg, and less side effect on the weights of the mice at the concentration of 250 mg/kg. Moreover, HPLC-MS analysis revealed that the anti-inflammatory compounds in the extract were identified as villosol, ferulaic acid, β-sitosterol, ursolic acid and rutin. Discussion and conclusion: This study indicated that SO extract has anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo, which will be further developed as novel pharmacological strategies in order to defeat inflammatory diseases.

Water-soluble polyester (WSPET) size is a new kind of environmentally-friendly material, which has good adhesion to polyester fiber. WSPET has good compatibility with other slurries, the viscosity of the size liquor is stable, the film has good friction resistance, and is easy to desize.1,2 WSPET size is widely used by the textile industry in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas of China. However, WSPET desizing resulted in a series of environmental problems due to processing with alkali or other chemical agents. The search for a greener way of WSPET desizing is now underway.

In conventional fusion methods based on NonSubsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT), low-frequency subband coefficient of an image fails to express sparsely the image's low-frequency information, not in favor of extracting source image features. To address this issue, an infrared and visible image fusion method based on NSCT and joint sparse representation (JSR) was proposed, in which, JSR transform of the image's low-frequency information is conducive to improving sparsity of low-frequency subband containing main energy of the image, as to high-frequency information, use of feature product as a fusion rule is beneficial to extract detail feature of the source image. Experimental result indicates that, compared with conventional multiscale transform-based DWT, NSCT-based fusion method and sparse representation-based SR and JSR algorithms, the method in this paper achieved better fusion effect, capable of keeping target information of the infrared image and background detail information (edge, texture, etc.) of the visible image better.

With the launch and rapid development of a novel satellite WorldView-2, study on fusion of panchromatic and multispectral images from the satellite has become a hot spot. As there are generally a pair of contradictions existing in the panchromatic and multispectral image fusion method: either failure to avoid spectral distortion, or need of introducing a complex and time-consuming frequency decomposition and reconstruction process, a panchromatic and multispectral image fusion method based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and hyperspherical color sharpening (HCS) was proposed in this paper. Owing to the mismatch of special coverage range of Worldview-2 panchromatic and multispectral images, the intensity component I extracted from multispectral images differs greatly from that extracted from panchromatic images (PAN), causing increased spectral distortion. In the component I extraction method based on NMF proposed in this paper, image fusion is conducted using the advantage that NMF can automatically find the hidden mode or trend behind data and further using the WorldView-2 faced HCS transform. The experimental results show that this algorithm can significantly retain the spectral characteristics, and does not contain a frequency decomposition and reconstruction process, in addition, spatial detail information is effectively incorporated, so the algorithm has simple calculation and good real-time property, and has important application reference value for fusion systems that need rapid interactive processing and real-time visualization.

With the successive launch and rapid development of the new satellite WorldView-2 and WorldView-3, panchromatic and multispectral image fusion become a hot research topic. To resolve the dilemma of the currently existing methods for panchromatic and multispectral image fusion, viz. unavoidable spectral distortion or the need to introduce cumbersome frequency analysis and reconstruction, a method has been proposed which is based on SFIM (Smoothing Filter-based Intensity Modulation) and CA (Correspondence Analysis). Firstly, the weighted gradient adaptive filtering SFIM model is introduced, whose simple calculation feature has been utilized to extract the spatial information of panchromatic images. Secondly, the statistical CA transform has been brought in and its multivariable analysis feature has been used to process the infusion of spatial information. As a result of the above two processes the novel fusion method has been proposed which is based on SFIM and CA transform. Theoretical and experimental studies show that the proposed method can not only significantly maintain spectral characteristics, in absence of frequency decomposition and reconstruction, but also effectively infuse detailed spatial information, along with the elegancy of simple calculation and real time. In the scenario of panchromatic and multi-spectral image fusion such as similar lighting conditions and physical properties, the proposed method is more suitable for the fusion systems which require fast interactive processing and real-time visualization, and is better than those which are based upon multi-scale analysis.

To resolve the algorithm evaluation issue of multi-sensor image fusion, we propose a novel synthetic evaluation method using multi-hierarchical gray relational analysis mechanism, which has the merit of using small-sized samples and of allowing unitary comparison. The proposed method combines a priori knowledge and quantization evaluation. In this paper we first outline a basic three-step procedure in order toperform the gray relational analysis for a single-hierarchy evaluation system, and then give a four-step procedure to perform multi-hierarchical evaluation system. Therefore, we obtain a synthetic evaluation result that is more quantitative and comprehensive than conventional subjective and objective measures such as correlation coefficient and average gradient. The novel evaluation method can give not only overall performance evaluation for image fusion algorithm but also specific performance evaluation. Extensive experimental analysis shows that the proposed method generates better evaluation result with respect to quantization, precision, objectivity, reliability, and real-time evaluation. These advantages make it applicable to fusion systems with feedback capability, and can enrich and perfect the image fusion system.

The proline-glutamic acid (PE) and proline-proline-glutamic acid (PPE) family proteins are prevalent in pathogenic mycobacteria and play a diverse role in mycobacterial pathogenesis. While some members have been studied, the function of most PE/PPE proteins remains unknown. In this study, we isolated a transposon-inactivated PPE38 mutant of Mycobacterium marinum and characterized its phenotype. We found that the PPE38 protein is associated with the cell wall and exposed on the cell surface. The inactivation of PPE38 altered the bacterial cell surface properties and led to deficiencies in cord formation, sliding motility, and biofilm formation. The PPE38 mutant was defective in phagocytosis by macrophages and exhibited reduced virulence in adult zebrafish. We also found that PPE38 is involved in the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in infected macrophages. Together, our results indicate that PPE38, a previously uncharacterized protein, plays a role in mycobacterial virulence, presumably by modulating the host innate immune response.

The space environment chiefly includes microgravity and radiation, which seriously threatens the health of astronauts. Bone loss and muscle atrophy are the two most significant changes in mammals after long-term residency in space. In this review, we summarized current understanding of the effects of microgravity and radiation on the musculoskeletal system and discussed the corresponding mechanisms that are related to iron overload and oxidative damage. Furthermore, we enumerated some countermeasures that have a therapeutic potential for bone loss and muscle atrophy through using iron chelators and antioxidants. Future studies for better understanding the mechanism of iron and redox homeostasis imbalance induced by the space environment and developing the countermeasures against iron overload and oxidative damage consequently may facilitate human to travel more safely in space.

Iron is an essential element for the growth and proliferation of cells. Cellular iron uptake, storage, utilization and export are tightly regulated to maintain iron homeostasis. However, cellular iron metabolism pathways are disturbed in most cancer cells. To maintain rapid growth and proliferation, cancer cells acquire large amounts of iron by altering expression of iron metabolism- related proteins. In this paper, normal cellular iron metabolism and the alterations of iron metabolic pathways in cancer cells were summarized. Therapeutic strategies based on targeting the altered iron metabolism were also discussed and disrupting redox homeostasis by intracellular high levels of iron provides new insight for cancer therapy. Altered iron metabolism constitutes a promising therapeutic target for cancer therapy.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a ubiquitously expressed ATP-dependent molecular chaperone across all species that helps to the correct the folding of many proteins related to important signaling pathways. Tumor cells expressing Hsp90 have more ATP-binding affinity than normal cells. Many correlative inhibitors have been developed to promising anti-tumor strategies and have been evaluated in clinical trials. However, the effect of Hsp90 inhibitors on immunocytes cannot be ignored. Natural killer (NK) cells are key components of the innate immune system that play a pivotal role in tumor surveillance. The present study has investigated the potential effect of four Hsp90 inhibitors (NVP-AUY922, BIIB021, 17-DMAG, and SNX-2112) on human primary NK cells. The viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, phenotype, and cytokine secretion of NK cells after inhibitor treatment were assessed. The results of this study demonstrated that the inhibitors had negative effects on NK cell activity in a dose-dependent manner. The four inhibitors significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of the NK cells by decreasing viability, inducing apoptosis and down-regulating the expression of cytokines and functional receptors. These findings suggest that more attention should be given to the effect of Hsp90 inhibitors on NK cell function during clinical trials and also represent a potential immunosuppressant strategy.

Infections caused by the leading nosocomial pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis are characterized by biofilm formation on implanted medical devices. However, the molecular basis of biofilm formation and its regulation are not completely understood. Here, we describe an important role of the ClpP protease in biofilm development and virulence of S. epidermidis. We constructed an isogenic clpP mutant strain of a biofilm-forming clinical isolate of S. epidermidis. The mutant strain showed decreased biofilm formation in vitro and reduced virulence in a rat model of biofilm-associated infection. Biofilm forming ability of the mutant strain could be restored by expressing clpP on a plasmid, but not when a catalytically inactive allele of clpP gene was introduced. These observations indicate that the peptidase function of ClpP determines its role in biofilm formation. Experimental data in this work also suggested that clpP influenced initial attachment of bacteria on the plastic surface, the first step of biofilm formation. Furthermore, clpP was found to be regulated by the quorum-sensing agr, suggesting that part of the previously described influence of agr on the initial attachment to plastic surfaces may be mediated by clpP.

The present paper addresses the long-standing composition puzzle of eutectic points by introducing a new structural tool for the description of short-range-order structural unit, the cluster-plus-glue-atom model. In this model, any structure is dissociated into a 1st-neighbor cluster and a few glue atoms between the clusters, expressed by a cluster formula [cluster]gluex. This model is applied here to establish the structural model for eutectic liquids, assuming that a eutectic liquid consist of two subunits issued from the relevant eutectic phases, each being expressed by the cluster formula for ideal metallic glasses, i.e., [cluster](glue atom)1 or 3. A structural unit is then composed of two clusters from the relevant eutectic phases plus 2, 4, or 6 glue atoms. Such a dual cluster formulism is well validated in all boron-containing (except those located by the extreme phase diagram ends) and in some commonly-encountered binary eutectics, within accuracies below 1 at.%. The dual cluster formulas vary extensively and are rarely identical even for eutectics of close compositions. They are generally formed with two distinctly different cluster types, with special cluster matching rules such as cuboctahedron plus capped trigonal prism and rhombidodecahedron plus octahedral antiprism.

Synchronous multiple primary cancers are relatively uncommon and synchronous multiple cancers in coexistence with dermatomyositis (DM) are extremely rare. In the present study, we report a case of a 64-year-old male with nasopharyngeal undifferentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma and cardia adenocarcinoma which were diagnosed synchronously. In addition, suspected DM was diagnosed during the course of chemotherapy. The symptoms of DM were exaggerated even when methylprednisolone while administered. The patient succumbed to nutritional deterioration four months following his initial admission. In the present study, the etiologies of multiple primary cancers are discussed and a brief review of the literature on the correlation between malignance and DM was conducted.

Using frequency data of the Northwest Power Grid from Feb. 15th to 28th, 2013 that is measured by PMU-light units in Shandong University, the steady state characteristics of frequency are analyzed in this paper. Duration and number of low-frequency and high-frequency events are listed. Statistics of daily highest, lowest and average frequency values are given. Ensemble averaged frequency values are calculated. Characteristics of steady-state frequency in the Northwest Power Grid are summarized and influence factors of frequency are discussed. The influence of the proportion of wind power on the frequency quality is simulated. The necessity of the application of a new frequency control method called DFR (Demand as Frequency Controlled Reserve) in the Northwest Power Grid is discussed.

Background Familial papillary thyroid cancer (fPTC) is recognized as a distinct entity only recently and no fPTC predisposing genes have been identified. Several potential regions and susceptibility loci for sporadic PTC have been reported. We aimed to evaluate the role of the reported susceptibility loci and potential risk genomic region in a Chinese familial multinodular goiter (fMNG) with PTC family. Methods We sequenced the related risk genomic regions and analyzed the known PTC susceptibility loci in the Chinese family members who consented to join the study. These loci included (1) the point mutations of the BRAF and RET; (2) the possible susceptibility loci to sporadic PTC; and (3) the suggested potential fMNG syndrome with PTC risk region. Results The members showed no mutations in the common susceptible BRAF and RET genomic region, although contained several different heterozygous alleles in the RET introns. All the members were homozygous for PTC risk alleles of rs966423 (C) at chromosome 2q35, rs2910164 (C) at chromosome 5q24 and rs2439302 (G) at chromosome 8p12; while carried no risk allele of rs4733616 (T) at chromosome 8q24, rs965513 (A) or rs1867277 (A) at chromosome 9q22 which were associated with radiation-related PTC. The frequency of the risk allele of rs944289 (T) but not that of rs116909374 (T) at chromosome 14q13 was increased in the MNG or PTC family members. Conclusions Our work provided additional evidence to the genetic predisposition to a Chinese familial form of MNG with PTC. The family members carried quite a few risk alleles found in sporadic PTC; particularly, homozygous rs944289 (T) at chromosome 14q13 which was previously shown to be linked to a form of fMNG with PTC. Moreover, the genetic determinants of radiation-related PTC were not presented in this family.

Previous studies have proved that the environmental toxicant, inorganic arsenic, activates nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway in many different cell types. This study tried to explore the hepatic Nrf2 pathway upon arsenic treatment comprehensively, since liver is one of the major target organs of arsenical toxicity. Our results showed that inorganic arsenic significantly induced Nrf2 protein and mRNA expression in Chang human hepatocytes. We also observed a dose-dependent increase of antioxidant response element- (ARE-) luciferase activity. Both the mRNA and protein levels of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were all upregulated dramatically. On the other hand, entry and accumulation of Nrf2 protein in the nucleus, while exportting the transcriptional repressor BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) from nucleus to cytoplasm, were also confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence assay. Our results therefore confirmed the arsenic-induced Nrf2 pathway activation in hepatocytes and also suggested that the translocation of Bach1 was associated with the regulation of Nrf2 pathway by arsenic. Hepatic Nrf2 pathway plays indispensable roles for cellular defenses against arsenic hepatotoxicity, and the interplay of Bach1 and Nrf2 may be helpful to understand the self-defensive responses and the diverse biological effects of arsenicals.