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Biological thiols including homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and glutathione (GSH) play crucial roles in various pathological and physiological processes. The development of optical probes for biothiols has been an active research area in recent years. Herein, a new turn-on fluorescence probe (HD-NBD) was designed and synthesized by fusing tetrahydro[5]helicene and 7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD) for simultaneous discrimination of Hcy/Cys, H2S and GSH in aqueous solution. This probe is able to show unique absorbance enhancement at 548 nm for H2S and additional fluorescence enhancement at 536 nm only for Cys/Hcy, which can be used to discriminate H2S, Cys/Hcy and GSH simultaneously. In addition, HD-NBD also shows low background without any self-fluorescence, as well as high selectivity toward common biothiols. The low detection limits of this probe are about 0.15 μM for Hcy with a wide linear range (1–80 μM), 0.36 μM for Cys (linear range: 1–45 μM), 0.79 μM for H2S (linear range: 1–80 μM) and 4.44 μM for GSH (linear range: 1–60 μM). Moreover, HD-NBD can identify Hcy/Cys, H2S from GSH and other amino acids with high sensitivity and selectivity, therefore it could be used for detecting endogenous and exogenous Hcy/Cys under biological condition.

In this paper, the reliability of integral ring key assembly of small solid rocket motor is analyzed by simulation and experiment. The integral ring key is a rectangular block composed of some special metal materials, which is directly contact with the motor housing during the assembly process. There are many problems of integral ring key the assembly process, such as large deformation, large friction and metal forming, so it is difficult to install. According to the technical requirements, the platform of assembly is designed. In order to provide different types of small solid rocket motors with integral ring key assembly, the pneumatic element, gas-liquid booster cylinder and ring key positioning structure are adopted to achieve integral ring key assembly. The ring key positioning device is equipped with a variety of positioning components, it can achieve different types of integral ring key assembly. Display dynamics method is used to simulate, within 36 seconds, the deformation and assembly process of certain type of integral ring key. The finite element stress and strain analysis of integral ring key connection structure is carried out in detail.

Background and aims There is growing evidence that single-stranded, circular RNA (circRNA) plays a key role in the development of certain cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is less clear, however, what role circRNA plays in HCC metastasis. Approach and results In this study, through circRNA sequencing, we identified a circRNA: circASAP1 (a circRNA derived from exons 2 and 3 of the ASAP1 gene, hsa_circ_0085616), which is associated with pulmonary metastasis after curative resection in patients with HCC. CircASAP1 was overexpressed in HCC cell lines with high metastatic potential and in metastatic HCCs. In vitro, circASAP1 promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion, and in vivo, it enhanced tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Mechanism studies showed that circASAP1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA 326 (miR-326) and microRNA 532-5p (miR-532-5p), both of which are tumor suppressors in HCC. We found that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) 1 and colony stimulating factor (CSF)-1 were direct common targets for microRNA 326 (miR-326) and microRNA 532-5p (miR-532-5p), which were regulated by circASAP1. CircASAP1 promotes HCC cell proliferation and invasion by regulating miR-326/miR-532-5p-MAPK1 signaling and, furthermore, mediates tumor-associated macrophage infiltration by regulating the miR-326/miR-532-5p-CSF-1 pathway. Clinical HCC samples exhibited a positive correlation between circASAP1 expression and levels of CSF-1, MAPK1, and CD68+ tumor-associated macrophages, all of which were predictive of patient outcomes. Conclusion We identified circASAP1 as a key regulator of HCC metastasis that acts on miR-326/miR-532-5p-MAPK1/CSF-1 signaling and serves as a prognostic predictor in patients with HCC.

The extracellular SspA protease of the human pathogen S. aureus is essential for evading the host immune defence system. Two novel FRET probes for selective real-time ratiometric imaging of SspA activity in live S. aureus cells are reported.

Temporary prescription preparation is the preparation processed into different dosage forms by relevant pharmacist according to the temporary preparation requirement and the personalized prescription made by the doctor in accordance with the syndrome differentiation and drug performance.It is an important part in personalized pharmaceutical services.Rational design of process route,production equipment and quality control method for the temporary prescription preparation,and establishment of technology research strategy and mode in accordance with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine temporary prescription preparations play an important role in promoting the development of the temporary prescription preparations.To promote the normalization,standardization and intelligent development of temporary prescription preparations,we would comprehensively summarize the significance,policy,technology characteristics,technology research status quo and existing problems in this paper,and put forward the research direction of temporary prescription preparation technology based on the physical properties of raw materials,equipment research strategy,and intelligent manufacturing technology.Thus it will push the inheritance and innovation of temporary prescription preparation.

This work investigates the Hugoniot relation, structural change and permanent densification of initial densified silica glass under shock compression-release by atomistic simulations. The Hugoniot results show a good agreement with the experimental data. Moreover, the shock velocity and shock pressure are found to increase with the initial density of sample, and the pressure gap between different samples will be increased with the impact velocity. The microstructural analysis shows the decrease of Si–Si, O–O nearest-neighbor distance, Si–O–Si bond angle and the increase of 5-fold, 6-fold Si atoms during the plastic region. Also, those microscopic changes will get smaller with the increase of initial densification below 14 GPa, and all the samples undergo similar structural changes after complete densification identified by the splitting of Si–Si peak, the new O–O peak and 6-fold Si atoms. Considering the release from the shock pressure above 14 GPa, the initial incomplete densified samples can reach the maximum densification of 2.56 g/cm3, where Si–O–Si bond angle decreases, and 11% 5-fold Si appears. It is found that the shock release cannot make the sample obtain the maximum densification of 20%. Besides, HCP or FCC O atoms are observed in all samples when the shock pressure is over 30 GPa, indicating the crystallization tendency of silica glass. The initial densification seems to promote the transformation to stishovite phase.

A novel fluorescent probe (BC-PN-2) for the detection of ONOO− was synthesized by conjugating dicyano-vinyl with benzopyran-chromone. The dicyano-vinyl group can be destructed by ONOO− to generate an aldehyde group resulting in strong fluorescence. Compared with the general fluorescence probes, a novel reactive site to detect ONOO− in mitochondria is used in this probe and the results show short response time, high sensitivity and excellent selectivity toward ONOO− among reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in PBS. Subsequent fluorescence imaging shows the high membrane permeability, a certain mitochondrial targeting and localization effect of the probe. In addition, the product BC-aldehyde cannot permeate through the membrane. Meanwhile, BC-PN-2 can accurately identify ONOO− in mitochondria by imaging of exogenous ONOO− in HepG2 cells and prove detected ONOO− are from mitochondria.

Herein, a new “turn on” fluorescent probe C-1 is developed to specifically detect hydrazine using coumarin nucleus as the fluorophore and β-diketone as the recognition group. The probe shows high selectivity towards hydrazine over other common ions and amine-containing species, as well as good water solubility and quantitative detectability of hydrazine in concentration range of 1–200 μM. The detection limit is as low as 1.89 ppb, which is lower than the threshold set by EPA (10 ppb). Probe-coated filter papers are confirmed to detect gaseous hydrazine successfully through obvious fluorescence color changes. In addition, the probe has been verified to detect hydrazine in actual water environment and living cells.

The design and exploration of efficient organic fluorophores have attracted significant scientific interest for their various potential applications. As blue fluorescent materials are essential for the achievement of a full-color display and white emission, the development of new efficient organic blue-emitting materials is of great importance. In this work, we found that simple organic molecules 2-aryloxybenzo[d]oxazoles could act as novel organic fluorophores with special AIE properties and efficient blue fluorescent emission in the solid states. Compounds 3 and 4 possess moderately high quantum yields at 10.3% and 11.4%, respectively. The CIE coordinates indicate that most of these compounds are deep-blue emitters. The single crystal structure of compound 3 shows that it has a twisted V-shape molecular structure with J-type aggregation. Noncovalent interactions widely exist in the crystal structures, while π-π stacking interactions are not observed between adjacent aromatic rings. The special fluorescent properties of these new emitters could ascribe to the unique molecular packing mode in the crystal structure. This work provides a new strategy to access organic solid-state fluorophores with deep-blue emission.

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in China with increasing incidence. This study is designed to explore early genetic changes implicated in HCC tumorigenesis and progression by whole-exome sequencing. Methods. We firstly sequenced the whole exomes of 5 paired hepatitis B virus-related early-stage HCC and peripheral blood samples, followed by gene ontological analysis and pathway analysis of the single-nucleotide variants discovered. Then, the mutations of high frequency were further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results. We identified a mutational signature of dominant T:A>A:T transversion in early HCC and significantly enriched pathways including ECM-receptor interaction, axon guidance, and focal adhesion and enriched biological processes containing cell adhesion, axon guidance, and regulation of pH. Eight genes, including MUC16, UNC79, USH2A, DNAH17, PTPN13, TENM4, PCLO, and PDE1C, were frequently mutated. Conclusions. This study reveals a mutational profile and a distinct mutation signature of T:A>A:T transversion in early-stage HCC with HBV infection, which will enrich our understanding of genetic characteristics of the early-stage HCC.

A coumarin-appended rhodamine derivative was prepared by reacting rhodamine hydrazide and coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, which fluorescence sensing behavior toward Zn2+ against other metal ions was investigated in CH3CN. Significantly, the rodamine-coumarin derivative exhibited highly selective and sensitive recognition toward Zn2+ with a limit of detection (LOD) down to 10−9 M. Upon addition of Zn2+, remarkable fluorescent intensities enhanced and also clear color changed from colorless to pink. The Job’s plot indicated the formation of 1:1 complex between the rhodamine-coumarin derivative and Zn2+. The presence of common coexisting alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metal ions showed small or no interference with the detection of Zn2+. The conjugate dye could be used for “naked-eye” detection of Zn2+.

The semaphorins were originally identified as having roles as guidance cues during neural development. Class 3 semaphorins are involved in cancer progression. However, the roles of class 3 semaphorins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unknown. We examined the expression levels of class 3 semaphorins in HCC cell lines with different metastatic potential and in carcinoma tissue samples. The results indicated that Semaphorin 3A expression was up-regulated in metastatic cell lines and in samples from patients with tumor recurrence. Cell functional studies revealed that Semaphorin 3A promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Animal studies indicated that Semaphorin 3A overexpression enhanced tumor growth and lung metastasis. Semaphorin 3A also acted as a chemoattractant involved in direct recruitment of macrophages in vitro, and facilitated tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) infiltration in vivo. Multivariate analysis revealed that Semaphorin 3A expression alone, or combined with the number of TAMs, can be an independent predictor for overall survival time and time to recurrence. Overall, the results suggested that Semaphorin 3A increased TAM infiltration and promoted HCC progression. Semaphorin 3A expression alone, or combined with the number of TAMs, is a new prognostic factor and potential target for the treatment of HCC.

Densification is a major feature of silica glass that has received widespread attention. This work investigates the fracture behavior of densified silica glass upon uniaxial tension based on atomistic simulations. It is shown that the tensile strength of the silica glass approximately experiences a parabolic reduction with the initial density, while the densified samples show a faster power growth with the increase of strain rate. Meanwhile, the fracture strain and strain energy increase significantly when the densification exceeds a certain threshold, but fracture strain tends to the same value and strain energy becomes closer for different densified samples at extreme high strain rate. Microscopic views indicate that all the cracks are formed by the aggregation of nanoscale voids. The transition from brittleness fracture to ductility fracture can be found with the increase of strain rate, as a few fracture cracks change into a network distribution of many small cracks. Strikingly, for the high densified sample, there appears an evident plastic flow before fracture, which leads to the crack number less than the normal silica glass at the high strain rate. Furthermore, the coordinated silicon analysis suggests that high strain rate tension will especially lead to the transition from 4- to 3-fold Si when the high densified sample is in plastic flow.

Objectives Aim of this study is to explore whether quercetin can inhibit the enlarged fibrogenic responses of endometrial stromal cells by increasing the level of microRNA-145 (miR-145) and mediating the TGFβ1/Smad2/Smad3 signaling pathway, and to discuss the mechanism of signal transduction, further to provide experimental basis for revealing the pathophysiological mechanism and seeking new strategies for effective prevention and treatment of endometrial fibrosis. Methods The expression levels of miR-145 and TGF-β receptor 2 (TGFBR2) were detected by RT-qPCR analysis. Expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin were examined by immunofluorescence staining. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The protein expression of collagen type 1 alpha 1 (Col1a1), α-SMA, fibronectin (FN), TGFBR2, transforming growth factor (TGF-β1), Smad2/3, phospho-Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) were detected by western blot analysis. The interaction between miR-145 and TGFBR2 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results The expression level of miR-145 was decreased, whereas TGFBR2 was increased in intrauterine adhesion tissue. The expression levels of COL1A1, α-SMA, FN, TGFBR2, and p-Smad2/3 were increased, whereas miR-145 and cell proliferation were decreased in human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) in response to TGF-β1 stimulation in a time and dose-dependent manner, which could be reversed by quercetin. Furthermore, quercetin regulates cell fibrogenic responses of endometrial stromal cells via miR-145/TGF-β1/Smad2/Smad3 pathway. Conclusions These findings indicated that quercetin have a significant anti-fibrotic effect and could upregulate miR-145 and inhibit activation of TGF-β1/Smad2/Smad3 pathway to regulate TGF-β1 induced fibrogenic responses of endometrial stromal cells, which may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for endometrial fibrosis.

A novel fluorescence probe (TIA) is designed and synthesized by grafting acryl on hydroxyl and diazabenzo[ghi]perylene, respectively. The acryl groups on hydroxyl act as a recognition site and fluorescence quencher. After a conjugated addition/cyclization reaction of Cys with TIA, the acryl groups on hydroxyl fall off and acryl conjugated perylene (TIA−OH) is released as the fluorophore with 70-fold increment of fluorescence in PBS. The short response time (less than 5 min) and high signal-noise-ratio endow the probe with fast detection, high sensitivity, low detection limit (0.11 μM) and wide linear range (10−100 μM). Interestingly, compared with the parent dihydroxy 1,2-diazabenzo[ghi]perylene, the introduction of acryl group on the perylene can modulate the fluorescence and increase the fluorescence quantum yield of TIA−OH by more than 10-fold (41 % in PBS). The TD-DFT calculations also reveal that the acryl group conjugated on the perylene can result intramolecular charge transfer and the calculated fluorescence is in good agreement with the experimental values. What’s more, the high cell membrane permeability and specificity for Cys of the probe ensure the application in fluorescence imaging of living cells to detect intracellular Cys.

We investigate the mechanical and microstructural changes of the densified silica glass under uniaxial loading-unloading via atomistic simulations with a modified BKS potential. The stress–strain relationship is found to include three respective stages: elastic, plastic and hardening regions. The bulk modulus increases with the initial densification and will undergo a rapid increase after complete densification. The yield pressure varies from 5 to 12 GPa for different densified samples. In addition, the Si–O–Si bond angle reduces during elastic deformation under compression, and 5-fold Si will increase linearly in the plastic deformation. In the hardening region, the peak splitting and the new peak are both found on the Si–Si and O–O pair radial distribution functions, where the 6-fold Si is increased. Instead, the lateral displacement of the atoms always varies linearly with strain, without evident periodic characteristic. As is expected, the samples are permanently densified after release from the plastic region, and the maximum density of recovered samples is about 2.64 g/cm3, which contains 15 % 5-fold Si, and the Si–O–Si bond angle is less than the ordinary silica glass. All these findings are of great significance for understanding the deformation process of densified silica glass.

To develop new dyes with mitochondria staining capacity, a series of zwitterionic dyes of hybrid coumarin-difluoroboron have been synthesized. The hybrid dyes are conjugated by 7-diethylaminocoumarin, difluoroboron (BF2) β-diketone and electron-donating group. The dyes show deep-red emission (600–680 nm) and high fluorescence quantum yield in organic solvents. The nature of ICT and zwitterion has been fully researched by TD-DFT and ESP calculations. Co-staining with the Mito–Tracker Green shows staining capability to mitochondria in living cells by confocal cell imaging experiments. This work can provide a new strategy for the design of neutral cellular probes for mitochondria staining.

A general and efficient synthetic methodology for the preparation of enantio- and diastereopure [6]-, and [7]helicenes is developed. Commercially available chiral binaphthanols are utilized to generate the arylene-vinylene precursors, which undergo helical folding via photocyclization to give enantio- and diastereopure [6]-, and [7]helicenes. These optically pure helicenes could be easily obtained via silica gel column chromatography without the use of expensive HPLC or chiral resolution reagents. The configurations and structures of these helicenes are confirmed by CD spectra and X-ray crystallographic analysis. This work provides a new method for preparation of enantiopure helicenes.

In this work, we have designed and synthesized a dinitrobenzene-sulfonate tetrahydro[5]helicene (H-DNP) as an effective fluorescent probe for detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Upon the addition of H2S, a significant fluorescence enhancement (75-fold) at 495 nm can be observed with a distinct color change from colorless to yellow. Additionally, H-DNP shows low background spectroscopic signal, large Stokes Shift up to ~140 nm, good sensitivity, rapid response time less than 2 min, low detection limit (48 nM) and high selectivity toward common bio-thiols (Cysteine, Homocysteine and Glutathione). Compared with the previous dinitrophenoxy tetrahydro[5]helicene, this probe has shorter response time and lower detection limit. Most importantly, this probe H-DNP has low toxicity to cells and excellent cell permeability, which can be applied to visualize H2S in living cells.

In this study, a new coumarin-based fluorescent and chromogenic dual channel probe (DC) was used for the selective detection of homocysteine (Hcy) over other amino acids, especially for cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH). When Hcy is present in the solution, the remarkable fluorescence enhancement and obvious blue shift in UV–vis spectra can be observed. In addition, the color change from purple to yellow can be observed clearly by unaided eyes. This probe DC has fast response time, excellent sensitivity and selectivity to Hcy. A linear relationship exists between the ratio of emissions at 486 and 625 nm, and Hcy can be detected in a wide concentration range (0–200 μM). The signal-to-background ratio of fluorescence at 486 nm can reach 8.4, and the detection limit is calculated to be 3.5 µM. The response mechanism is proved to be the Michael addition reaction by Hcy. Preliminary results on cell imaging enable the practical application of Hcy tracing in living cells.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are present in various primary and metastatic human neoplasms; however, their clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the distribution, prognostic value, and potential function of pDCs in HCC patients undergoing curative resection. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of whole tumor sections from 224 patients to assess the expression of BDCA2, CD3, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, granzyme B, IL-17, and CD34. The findings were validated using tissue microarrays from another two independent cohorts totaling 841 HCC patients undergoing curative resection. Our results demonstrated that high numbers of BDCA2+ pDCs within tumors correlated with high alpha-fetoprotein levels, greater vascular invasion, advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage, shorter overall survival, and a higher recurrence rate. However, patient outcomes were not associated with pDCs in peritumoral stromal or nontumor tissues. Furthermore, an increase in intratumoral pDCs was associated with increased intratumoral infiltration of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and IL-17-producing cells and correlated with tumor vascular density. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the presence of intratumoral pDCs alone or in combination with regulatory T and/or IL-17-producing cells was an independent predictor of time to recurrence and overall survival. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that intratumoral infiltration by pDCs is a novel indicator for poor prognosis in patients with HCC, possibly through the induction of an immune tolerogenic and inflammatory tumor microenvironment comprising regulatory T and IL-17-producing cells. An assessment of the combination of these cells represents a superior predictor of patient outcome.

Understanding of diurnal variation of soil porewater dissolved CO

Increasing numbers of evidences have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in metastasis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, their detailed expression levels and actual functions in HCCs have not been fully clarified yet. Results from our recent study revealed that some miRNAs were particularly related to metastasis of HCCs. As one of these newly found miRNAs, miR-501-3p showed to highly involve into metastatic process of HCCs. Here we reported that the expression of miR-501-3p was decreased in both metastatic HCC cell lines and tissue samples from HCC patients with recurrence and metastasis. Downregulation of miR-501-3p correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in the HCC patients. Results of functional analyses revealed that overexpression of miR-501-3p in HCCLM3 cancer cells inhibited their proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), while miR-501-3p loss in PLC/PRF/5 cancer cells facilitated all these cellular activities. In addition, Lin-7 homolog A (LIN7A) was directly targeted by miR-501-3p to mediate the suppression effects on metastasis in HCC cells. miR-501-3p suppresses metastasis and progression of HCCs through targeting LIN7A. This finding suggests that miR-501-3p could be used as a potential prognostic predictor as well as a potential therapeutic tool for HCC therapies.

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide plays an important role in various physiological and pathological processes and the convenient and selective recognition of hydrogen sulfide has become a research hotspot. We designed and synthesized a tetrahydro[5]helicene and 2,4-dinitrobenzene conjugate (HD-DNP) as an effective fluorescent probe for selective detection of H2S. The selective deprotection of 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether group of HD-DNP by H2S led to a dramatic fluorescent enhancement (101-fold) at 500 nm and colorimetric change in DMSO–PBS solution. HD-DNP displays many advantages including low background without any self-fluorescence, as well as high selectivity towards common bio-thiols such as Cysteine, Homocysteine and Glutathione. The detection limit of this probe for H2S was found to be about 2.4 μM with a wide linear range (10–70 μM). The response mechanism of the probe with HS− is confirmed to be thiolysis of the dinitrophenyl ether induced by HS− through 1H NMR comparison investigations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality and carries a dismal prognosis. The present study aimed to identify the tumour-suppressive role and clinical implications of PTPN13 in HCC progression. We tested the effects of PTPN13 expression in proliferation, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and associated pathways in HCC cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, its clinical relevance was evaluated in a tissue microarray analysis of samples from 282 HCC patients. Various HCC cell lines expressed relatively low PTPN13 protein levels in vitro. PTPN13 overexpression significantly inhibited the progression of HCC cells, possibly by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition through inactivation of the EGFR/ERK signalling pathway. Tissue microarray analysis revealed that high PTPN13 expression was correlated with a favourable prognosis in postoperative HCC patients. This study demonstrated the tumour suppressor, PTPN13, as an alternative therapeutic target for HCC.

Ho3+-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2:Ho3+) downconversion (DC) nanowires were synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent calcination process after being immersed in Ho(NO3)3 aqueous solution. Moreover, TiO2:Ho3+ nanowires (HTNWs) were used as the photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to investigate their photoelectric properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the material, respectively. The photofluorescence and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra of HTNWs reveal a DC from the near and middle ultraviolet light to visible light which matches the strong absorbed region of the N719 dye. Compared with the pure TNW photoanode, HTNWs DC photoanodes show greater photovoltaic efficiency. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSCs with HTNWs photoanode doped with 4% Ho2O3 (mass fraction) is two times that with pure TNW photoanode. This enhancement could be attributed to HTNWs which could extend the spectral response range of DSSCs to the near and middle ultraviolet region and increase the short-circuit current density (Jsc) of DSSCs, thus leading to the enhancement of photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of sepsis, which has a high mortality rate. Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6), the protein product of the growth arrest specific gene 6, has been shown to have an anti-apoptotic effect as well as pro-survival capability. Here, we investigated the effects of Gas6 on sepsis-associated AKI in mice subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). We found that the administration of rmGas6 significantly reduced serum urea nitrogen and creatinine and improved the survival of septic mice. Furthermore, the renal pathological damage induced by CLP was attenuated by rmGas6 treatment. Finally, rmGas6 reduced the renal tissue apoptotic index and the expression of Bax, while it upregulated the expression of Bcl-2. The data suggest that rmGas6 might be used as a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis-induced AKI.

SrTiO3:Sm3+@SiO2 (STS@SiO2) core–shell nanoparticles were fabricated by Stober method after a simple hydrothermal process and then being introduced into the TiO2 photoanode to assemble dye–sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). X–ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis confirmed the formation of core–shell nanoparticles with cubic structured SrTiO3:Sm3+ (STS) as core, SiO2 as shell. The photo–fluorescence (PL) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectra of photoanodes with different STS@SiO2 content indicate a down–conversion from ultraviolet light to visible light which matched the strong absorbing region of the N719 dye. Compared with the pure TiO2 and STS doped TiO2 photoanode, STS@SiO2 doped TiO2 photoanode showed a greater photovoltaic efficiency. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of 5.07% for 10 wt% STS@SiO2 doped TiO2–based DSSC was higher than that of 3.72% for pure TiO2–based DSSC and 4.29% for 10 wt% STS doped TiO2–based DSSC. This phenomenon could be explained by STS@SiO2 core–shell nanoparticles’ triple ability to extend spectral response range to the ultraviolet region, suppress the recombination of electron–electrolyte and lengthen the light traveling distance in the photoanode by the scattering.

A selective and sensitive method to detect glutathione (GSH) based on the complex of a coumarin-based probe and Cu2+ is reported. In response to GSH, the system provides remarkable fluorescence intensity change with the color change from colorless to yellow, and the detect limit is determined to be 3.6 × 10−7 M. The background amino acids show small or no interference on the detection of GSH. Moreover, this probe could be applied to detect GSH via intracellular fluorescent imaging.

Upregulation of CXCR2 in tumor cells has been documented in several types of cancer. As one of its ligands, CXCL5 is associated with neutrophil infiltration and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the role of the CXCR2/CXCL5 axis in the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells. In this study, we examined CXCR2 expression in human HCC cell lines and in three independent cohorts of HCC patients. The molecular effects of high expression levels of CXCR2 and CXCL5 in HCC cells were determined using qRT-PCR, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence, matrigel invasion assay, and xenograft mouse models. We found that high levels of CXCR2 correlated with progression and poor prognosis in human HCC. CXCR2/CXCL5 together promoted cell spreading by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway. In clinical HCC samples, high expression of both CXCR2 and CXCL5 showed a significant correlation with the activation of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling and EMT phenotype. In conclusion, our data showed that the CXCR2/CXCL5 axis contributes to EMT of HCC cells through activating PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling, and it may serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Axial chiral bisbenzocoumarins were synthesized for the first time by converting naphthanol units in 1,1'-binaphthol (BINOL) molecule to the benzocoumarin rings. The substitute groups on 3,3'-positions of bisbenzocoumarins showed significant influence on their aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AEE) properties. It was also found that BBzC1 with ester groups on 3,3'-positions exhibit an abnormal aggregation-annihilation circular dichroism (AACD) phenomenon, which could be caused by the decrease of the dihedral angle between adjacent benzocoumarin rings in the aggregation state. The single crystal structure of BBzC1 showed that the large dihedral angle in molecule prohibited the strong π-π stacking interactions, which could be main factors for its AEE properties.

The thiophene-modified rhodamine 6G (GYJ) has been synthesized as a novel chemosensor. The sensor has sufficiently high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Fe3+ and Al3+ ions (M3+) by fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy with a strong ability for anti-interference performance. The binding ratio of M3+-GYJ complex was determined to be 2:1 according to the Job’s plot. The binding constants for Fe3+ and Al3+ were calculated to be 3.91 × 108 and 5.26 × 108 M−2, respectively. All these unique features made it particularly favorable for cellular imaging applications. The obvious fluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrated that the probes could contribute to the detection of Fe3+ and Al3+ in related cells and biological organs with satisfying resolution.

Recently, more and more rhodamine derivatives have been used as fluorophores to construct sensors due to their excellent spectroscopic properties. A rhodamine-based fluorescent and colorimetric Fe(3+) chemosensor 3',6'-bis(ethylamino)-2-acetoxyl-2',7'-dimethyl-spiro[1H-isoindole-1,9'-[9H]xanthen]-3(2H)-one (RAE) was designed and synthesized. Upon the addition of Fe(3+), the dramatic enhancement of both fluorescence and absorbance intensity, as well as the color change of the solution, could be observed. The detection limit of RAE for Fe(3+) was around 7.98 ppb. Common coexistent metal ions showed little or no interference in the detection of Fe(3+). Moreover, the addition of CN(-) could quench the fluorescence of the acetonitrile solution of RAE and Fe(3+), indicating the regeneration of the chemosensor RAE. The robust nature of the sensor was shown by the detection of Fe(3+) even after repeated rounds of quenching. As iron is a ubiquitous metal in cells and plays vital roles in many biological processes, this chemosensor could be developed to have applications in biological studies.

We report that a previously found fluorescent chemodosimeter for Hg(II) ions can also be used as a fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid (HClO) in that its fluorescence intensity (excited at 520 nm and measured at 563 nm) is linearly proportional to the concentration of HClO in the 1–100 μM range and with a 0.1 μM detection limit. The probe can detect HClO with virtually no interference by Hg(II) and other metal ions. The mechanism for the high selectivity for HClO has been studied. The probe was applied to image hypochlorite in E. coli cells.

Expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein AB (HNRNPAB) has been reported to be dysregulated in tumors, but its specific contributions to tumor formation and progression are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that HNRNPAB is overexpressed in highly metastatic cells and tumor tissues from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with recurrence. We found that HNRNPAB overexpression promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a manner associated with HCC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. RNA interference-mediated silencing of the EMT factor SNAIL attenuated HNRNPAB-enhanced cell invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, HNRNPAB acted to transactivate SNAIL1 transcription, which in turn inhibited transcription of the pivotal SNAIL target gene E-cadherin. Overexpression of HNRNPAB in HCC samples correlated with higher SNAIL levels, shorter overall survival, and higher tumor recurrence. HNRNPAB overexpression, alone or in combination with SNAIL, was found to be a significant independent risk factor for recurrence and survival after curative resection. In conclusion, our findings define HNRNPAB as an activator of EMT and metastasis in HCC that predicts poor clinical outcomes. Cancer Res; 74(10); 2750–62. ©2014 AACR.

Ca-α/β-SiAlON composites were prepared using Ca-α/β-SiAlON powder synthesized from gold ore tailings, which contained abundant Si and Al elements as the major raw materials together with minor additives, through a pressure-less sintering method. The influences of sintering temperature on the phase composition and microstructure of the composites were analyzed. The scanning electron microscopy images of the composites show the interlacing of grains with elongated columnar, short columnar and plate-like morphologies. The composites sintered at 1520°C for 6 h have a flexural strength of 352 MPa, Vickers hardness of 11.2 GPa, and fracture toughness of 4.8 MPa·m1/2. The relative content of each phase in the products is I(Ca-α-SiAlON):I(β-SiAlON):I(Fe3Si) = 23:74:3, where Ii stands for the diffraction peak intensity of phase i.

A rhodamine-based fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensor (RTSB) for Fe 3+ ion was designed and synthesized, which displayed highly selective and sensitive Fe 3+ -amplified fluorescence emission and absorbance above 500 nm in aqueous solution with the color change from colorless to pink. Moreover, it also showed highly selective and sensitive recognition toward cyanide ion upon addition of Fe 3+ with the color change back to colorless in the same solution. The detection limit of the system for CN − was around 7.2 × 10 −8 M (S/N = 3). The chemosensor may be found its potential applications in environmental and biological systems.

Stimuli-responsive organic luminescent materials have attracted increasing attention for their specific chemical and physical properties and potential application in many fields, such as sensing materials, optoelectronic devices and security papers. In this work, we designed and synthesized three new organic smart materials with dimethylamino naphthalene and cyanostyrene moieties. These fluorescent molecules show solvatochromic properties. With solvent polarity increased, their fluorescent emissions are red shifted. These molecules also exhibited aggregation-induced emission enhancement properties. The emission wavelength of these materials in solid state was red-shifted upon stimuli with external mechanic force, which could be recovered after addition of dichloromethane solvent. The PXRD and DSC experiments revealed that the mechanochromic properties could be ascribed to the phase transition between crystalline and amorphous states. The switch of optical properties of these molecules under acid stimuli was also studied. The fluorescent emissions show blue-shifted when exposed to trifluoroacetic acid, and these organic materials were further utilized as security ink.

Nodular goiter affects numerous individuals worldwide. As the thyroid enlarges, it normally extends into the mediastinum as a result of its anatomical location under the investing layer of the deep cervical fascia. The present study reports the rare case of a 76-year-old man who suffered from a goiter with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, who presented as a subcutaneous partially cystic with solid areas lesion over the chest. The patient underwent surgery and on histopathological examination, the predominant mass was characterized as a multinodular goiter with hemorrhage, necrosis and cystic change. A papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with a diameter of 0.2 cm was identified. The present study demonstrated a rare, to the best of our knowledge, presentation of a benign multinodular goiter in this way.

CXCL5 is a member of the CXC-type chemokine family that may play a role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. This study investigates the biological function and clinical significance of CXCL5 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We demonstrated that CXCL5 was overexpressed in ICC cell lines and tumor samples compared with paired normal tissues. CXCL5 had a direct chemoattractant effect on neutrophils in vitro through PI3K-Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling pathways. In animal studies, CXCL5 promoted tumor growth and metastasis without altering in vitro proliferative and invasive ability of ICC cells, and this effect was mediated by the recruitment of intratumoral infiltrative neutrophils by tumor-derived CXCL5. Immunohistochemical analysis of ICC samples showed that overexpression of CXCL5 correlated strongly with intratumoral neutrophil infiltration, shorter overall survival and high tumor recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that CXCL5 overexpression alone, or combined with the presence of intratumoral neutrophils, was an independent prognostic indicator for ICC. In conclusion, our data showed that CXCL5 promotes ICC growth and metastasis by recruiting intratumoral neutrophils. CXCL5 alone or combined with intratumoral neutrophils is a novel prognostic predictor for ICC patients and a potential therapeutic target.

Aluminium spinel MAl2O4(M = Mg, Zn, Cu) photocatalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that the samples possess a single spinel-type structure. Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra showed an extension of light absorption into the visible region. The spinel MAl2O4photocatalysts exhibited high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of industrial dyes under high pressure mercury lamp and visible light irradiation, especially CuAl2O4. With the decrease of band gap of MAl2O4(M = Mg, Zn, Cu), the photocatalytic activity increases. The possible reasons are discussed from the crystal field theory and energy band theory. These characteristics make the aluminium spinel MAl2O4(M = Mg, Zn, Cu) photocatalysts to be promising candidates for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes.

Foam glass was prepared by boron mud, broken glass, foaming agents and fluxes. The appropriate foaming temperature and foaming time were got by sintering parameter optimization. The effects of preparation conditions on propertis of the foam glass for soilless cultivation matrix were investigated. The results show that under the optimum preparation conditions (the foaming temperature is 800 °C and foaming time is 40 min), the formula for boron mud/broken glass: Borax: Sodium nitrate: Calcium carbonate is 35/50: 5:7:3, the bulk density is 247 kg/m3, the open porosity is 70%, the water absorption rate is 202.3%, the pH value of soak solution keeps at about 6.5 with the increase of immersion time. All of these will meet the application requirement of soilless cultivation.

Thermal insulation material with flexural strength 0.597 MPa, compressive strength 1.1111 MPa and porosity 46.71% shows that its density of the materials decreases down to 0.5466 g/cm3 using sugar filter mud as raw material. The closed porosity and dense structure of sample has been observed by photograph and the main crystalline phases of the sample using XRD techniques are tricalcium silicate and ettringite. These mineral reacting with water will occur the hydration reaction and is contribute to improve the strength of the body.

In this experiment, the spinel-type lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) prepared via solid-phase sintering method was coated with magnesium titanium composite oxide (MgTiOx) in the presence of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) under the ultrasonic wave. The crystal structures, surface morphologies and electrochemical properties of the sample prepared were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical analysis. The X-ray diffractions indicated that the LiMn2O4 coated with MgTiOx were similar to that of the pure LiMn2O4, and they both showed sharp and high peaks. The particles of the samples prepared with PVP did not aggregate obviously, and the samples were coated completely and homogeneously. At charge-discharge rates of 0.2C, the first discharge capacity can reach more than 120 mAh / g. Compared with pure LiMn2O4, the capacity attenuation of MgTiOx-coated LiMn2O4 reduced after fifty cycles, and showed good electrochemical performance.

The CdS films were deposited on soda lime glass (SLG) substrate by Chemistry Bath Deposition (CBD). The influence of cadmium concentration on structure and properties of CdS films had been investigated. The phase compositions of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure of the films was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The transmittance of the films was measured by Ultraviolet-visible Spectrophotometer. The results show that the cadmium concentration has great influence on Crystallite structure and grain size of the films. Under the condition of Cd2+ concentration of 0.006mol/L, the crystalline degree of the film is higher and the crystal growth is more remarkable, which help to make great progress on transmittance and optical band gap of the films.

Porous material with raised flexural strength 34.43 MPa and porosity 33.069% obtained at 1070 °C for 0.5 h, shows that its bulk density of the materials decreases down to 1.450 g/cm3using FGD gypsum as aggregate. The closed porosity and dense structure of sample has been observed by SEM and the main crystalline phases of the sample using XRD techniques are quartz, mullite and anorthite. The calcium oxide from FGD gypsum decomposition helps to form the crystalline phase of anorthite and to improve the flexural strength of sample.

Insulation materials with flexural strength 5.238 MPa and porosity 39.24% obtained at 1050 °C for 0.5 h show that its bulk density of the materials decreased down to 1.252 g/cm3using clay as aggregate. Due to change the amount of sugar filter mud, the porosity arises from 37.07% to 39.24% and the thermal conductivity decreases from 0.086 to 0.052 W·m-1·K-1. The clay and wastes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and chemical elemental analysis. The main crystalline phases of sample observed by XRD are quartz, mullite and anorthite. The insulation materials were manufactured from clay and the optimal proportion of wastes.

In order to reduce the postoperative inflammation by the slow release of drugs at the beginning of implanting, drug-loaded apatite coatings and chitosan-apatite composite coatings on the NiTi alloy surface were prepared in the Simulated Body Fluid concentrated by five (5×SBF) under constant bubbling of carbon dioxide gas by biomimetic synthesis method. The composition and surface morphology of the coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, a bacterial inhibition test was conducted for evaluating the drug slow release effects from the drug-loaded coatings. The results indicated that the porous apatite coatings with the flake structure could be deposited using the 5 times Simulated Body Fluid, and the drug-loaded chitosan-apatite composite coatings with better drug slow release effect were obtained. The incorporation of chitosan into the coatings could effectively control the drug release rate and was favorable for achieving better drug slow release effects.