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The laws of Malaysia place responsibility upon individual to help prevent money laundering activities. This article briefly introduced the processes involved in typical money laundering process and various reporting obligations imposed by the Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and other secondary provisions. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article introduces the law of companies in Malaysia. It encapsulates the enactment of the Companies Act 2016 that replaces the previous 1965 Act, explains different methods of business trading, the concept of limited liability and the doctrine of sperate legal entity. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article introduces the rules pertaining to the role and responsibilities of directors and officers under the Malaysia Companies Act 2016. Discussion will include issues concerning qualification of these key individuals, their powers, legal duties, their appointment, retirement and removal. Some discussion will also be afforded to explain if loan can be extended to directors in the light of concerns over conflict of interest. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article provides information on the law and procedures relating to share capital and capital maintenance. Discussions also cover issues concerning capital reduction, redemption of own shares, dividend distribution and limitation on provision of financial assistance to purchase shares in the company, as provided in the Companies Act 2016. It is worth noting the abolishment of the concept of authorized share capital and par value in Malaysia; and the legal and accounting implication that arise from this measure. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article explains the law and procedures relating to rights enjoyed by different classes of shareholders and variation of those rights, liabilities of members, special rights associated to preference shareholders, pre-emptive rights and the effect of share dilution. Discussion is based on the Companies Act 2016. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article provides information concerning corporate loan as an instrument to raise capital in Malaysia; the procedures and legal requirement with regard to loan capital financing, creation of charges and debentures; and role of trustees with regard to debentures issued by public listed companies. Discussion is backdropped against the Companies Act 2016. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article provides information concerning constitution of companies, explains the different position under the old and revised Companies Act of Malaysia. It highlighted the legal significance of the traditional memorandum and article of associations and the legal implication following the abolishment of these two statutory documents. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article introduces the various types of meetings that need to be convened by an entity operating a business establishment in Malaysia, its procedure and administration that is required under the Companies Act 2016. The importance and rationale of each meeting is also discussed. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

This article describes the formation and lifecycle of an incorporated companies; the role, duties and risk of a promoter; the legal standing of pre-incorporation contracts and the legal effect of incorporation. This article also discusses the effect of abolishment of common seal under the Malaysia Companies Act 2016. Both Malaysia and UK caselaw were referred to where appropriate. The writing of this article employs the hermeneutics analysis of relevant legislation(s). It provides a quick and simplified reference for students and non-practitioner.

Nuclei detection is one of the most important issues in the field 0fhistopathology i mage analysis. Recent studies exploit convolutional neural networks to either locate the centroids of nuclei (counting-based approaches) or isolate them with sophisticated boundaries (segmentation-based algorithms). However, the training of these two methods demands considerable and laborious pixel-wise annotations labeled by pathology experts. To reduce the annotation cost, we propose a novel local integral regression network (LIRNet) that allows both strongly and weakly supervised learning (SSL/WSL) frameworks on nuclei detection. In addition, the LIRNet is able to predict a refined density map of n uclei, in which locating e ach n ucleus is barely affected by the post-processing algorithms. Quantitative experimental results demonstrate that the SSL version of the LIRNet achieves state-of-the-art performance compared with counterparts. Besides, the WSL version possesses a competitive detection performance and an effortless data annotation that dramatically reduces annotation cost by 74.3%.

Efficient storage and conversion of renewable energies is of critical importance to the sustainable growth of human society. With its distinguishing features of high hydrogen content, high energy density, facile storage/transportation, and zero-carbon emission, ammonia has been recently considered as a promising energy carrier for long-term and large-scale energy storage. Under this scenario, the synthesis, storage, and utilization of ammonia are key components for the implementation of ammonia-mediated energy system. Being different from fossil fuels, renewable energies normally have intermittent and variable nature, and thus pose demands on the improvement of existing technologies and simultaneously the development of alternative methods and materials for ammonia synthesis and storage. The energy release from ammonia in an efficient manner, on the other hand, is vital to achieve a sustainable energy supply and complete the nitrogen circle. Herein, recent advances in the thermal-, electro-, plasma-, and photocatalytic ammonia synthesis, ammonia storage or separation, ammonia thermal/electrochemical decomposition and conversion are summarized with the emphasis on the latest developments of new methods and materials (catalysts, electrodes, and sorbents) for these processes. The challenges and potential solutions are discussed.

Several convex hull manipulation methods have been proposed for tensor product (TP) model transformation, such as CNO, INO, IRNO, minimum volume simplex, and optimized CNO. Among the five ...

Coupled electrical&ndash, thermal finite element analysis (FEA) models are widely adopted to analyze the thermal ablation damage of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) caused by lightning, but it is still difficult to analyze the ablation due to its complex space geometry. According to the principle of computerized tomography (CT), tomographic images of FEA models&rsquo, temperature fields with different thicknesses were obtained to calculate the mass loss and compare the damage morphology. The four areas including Area 0, Area I, Area II, and Area III, were separated from the temperature fields in terms of different vaporization and pyrolysis temperature ranges of carbon fiber (CF) and resin matrix. Ablation mass losses were calculated by pixel statistics and tomographic intervals, which were consistent with the experimental results. The maximum ablation area of unprotected CFRP was found on the tomography images of 50 &mu, m rather than the surface by comparing tomographic images with different thickness due to the influence of the thermal radiation, but this effect was not found in CFRP protected by copper mesh. Some other phenomena, including continuous evolutions of ablation areas and the influence of the intersection angle on the direction of the ablation extension, were also discovered.

The direction of microskin transplantation is difficult to control, and the survival rate is critically affected. In this study, we show for the first time that survival rate of transplantation was improved by changing the direction of microskin. A human split-thickness skin graft was prepared as microskin (size of 1 mm × 1 mm), and was transplanted onto a wound in nude mice. The effect of the orientation of microskin on the survival rate of transplants was observed. The collagen membrane was first attached to the epidermal surface of pig skin, which was then cut into microskin and then they were floated on physiological saline. The effect of the collagen membrane on the orientation of microskin was observed. Then the microskin of pig with an epidermal surface attached to the collagen membrane was transplanted to the wound of the pig, and the survival rate of transplants was observed. In the 2(nd), 3(rd) and 4(th) week after transplantation of nude mice, the wound healing rate in group A (all of the microskin’s epidermal surface was upward) was significantly higher than in other groups (P < 0.01). The floating rate and the forward floating rate in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). Four weeks after microskin transplantation of pigs, the wound contraction rate in group A, compared with group B, was significantly lower, and the wound healing rate was significantly higher (P < 0.01). In microskin grafting, the direction of microskin significantly affects the survival rate of transplantation. The method of adhering the collagen membrane to the epidermal surface of microskin may ensure complete floating of microskin on the physiological saline with the epidermal surface facing up. This is a new method to improve the survival rate of microskin grafting.

Background: In March 2020, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. While great success in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control has been achieved in China, imported cases have become a major challenge. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases and to assess the effectiveness of screening strategy in Beijing, China.Methods: This retrospective study included all imported COVID-19 cases from Beijing Ditan Hospital from 29 February to 20 March 2020, who were screened by both chest computed tomography (CT) and reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at initial presentation. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, in addition to chest CT imaging were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 71 imported cases were finally diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The cases were mainly acquired from Europe (63cases, 88.73%). The main clinical manifestations were fever and cough, which accounted for 30 cases (42.25%) and 35 cases (49.30%), respectively. Only 4 cases (5.63%) had lymphocytopenia and 13 (18.31%) cases demonstrated elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). All cases had normal serum levels of procalcitonin(PCT). 35 cases (49.30%) had abnormal CT findings at initial presentation, whereas 36 cases (50.70%) had a normal CT. Using RT-PCR, 59 cases (83.10%) were tested positive at initial presentation.Conclusions: The combination of screening tools, particularly CT and RT-PCR, could be considered to improve the diagnosis in imported COVID-19 cases. Our findings provide the important information and clinical evidence for infection control of imported COVID-19 cases.

In this paper, a novel tensor-product based receding horizon H ∞ control (TPRHHC) method for nonlinear systems with external disturbance is proposed. A new set of matrix inequality conditions on the terminal weighting matrix is proposed for TP modeled nonlinear systems wherein nonincreasing monotonicity of the optimal cost is guaranteed. Under the set of terminal inequality conditions, the proposed TPRHHC method guarantees the infinite horizon H ∞ performance for parameter-varying weighted systems with external disturbance. As an application of the proposed control method, three examples are simulated, Mass-Spring-Damper mechanical system is done to illustrate the effectiveness of TPRHHC, moreover, a synchronization problem for the Lorenz system and a regulation problem of an autonomous chaotic system are investigated.

Introduction: It is well known that foot massage is a very prevalent stress relief method in China. Literatures have reported various massage-inducted peripheral nerve injuries. However, massage-inducted lateral plantar nerve (LPN) injury is very rare. Here, we represent an unusual case of massage-inducted LPN damage, and we also report the diagnostic method of this patient using musculoskeletal ultrasonography combined with electromyography (EMG). Patient concerns: A 21-year-old woman presented symptoms of redness, swelling, pain and numbness in the medial right ankle joint for 2 days. Diagnosis: The results of musculoskeletal ultrasonography and EMG provide great help for doctors to make accurate diagnosis. The patient was eventually diagnosed with LPN injury. Interventions: No further foot massage was allowed. Vitamin B12 was taken orally for 2 months. Conservative therapy, including electrical stimulation therapy and infrared therapy, was conducted. Besides, active rehabilitation training was also performed. Outcomes: The discomfort symptoms were relieved significantly after 2 months conservative treatment. Clinical symptoms and EMG examination illustrated satisfactory result during follow up time. Conclusion: The report showed that the masseur should be very careful when doing foot massage to prevent nerve damage. Besides, musculoskeletal ultrasonography combined with EMG can provide important evidence for accurate and effective diagnosis of LPN injury.

Background In March 2020, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. While great success in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control has been achieved in China, imported cases have become a major challenge. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases and to assess the effectiveness of screening strategies in Beijing, China. Methods This retrospective study included all imported cases transferred to Beijing Ditan Hospital from 29 February to 20 March 2020 who were screened by both chest computed tomography (CT) and reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the initial presentation. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, in addition to chest CT imaging, were collected and analysed. Results In total, 2545 cases were included, among which 71 (2.8%) were finally diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The majority 63 (88.7%) were from Europe. The most common initial symptoms were cough and fever, which accounted for 49.3% and 42.3%, respectively. Only four cases (5.6%) had lymphocytopenia, and thirteen cases (18.3%) demonstrated elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). All cases had normal serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT). At initial presentation, among the 71 confirmed cases, 59 (83.1%) had a positive RT-PCR assay, and 35 (49.3%) had a positive chest CT. Twelve (16.9%) had a negative RT-PCR assay but a positive chest CT. Conclusions A combination of RT-PCR and chest CT is an effective strategy for the screening of imported COVID-19 cases. Our findings provide important information and clinical evidence about the infection control of imported COVID-19 cases.

Aiming at the problems of poor location accuracy caused by the harsh and complex underground environment, long strip roadway, limited wireless transmission and sparse anchor nodes, an underground location algorithm based on Random Forest and environmental factors compensation is proposed. Firstly, the network model of underground wireless access point (AP) and tunnel environment are analyzed, and the fingerprint location algorithm is constructed. Meanwhile, the Received Signal Strength (RSS) is analyzed by Kalman Filter algorithm in the offline sampling and real-time positioning stage. In the real-time positioning stage, random forest algorithm and signal intensity ratio compensation algorithm are used to optimize the situation that the location error fluctuates greatly in the near area. Meanwhile, the target speed constraint condition is introduced to reduce the error caused by environmental factors. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper solves the problem of insufficient location accuracy and large fluctuation affected by environment when the anchor nodes are sparse. The average location accuracy reaches three meters, which can satisfy the application of underground rescue, activity track playback, disaster monitoring and positioning, and has high application value in complex underground environment.Aiming at the problems of poor location accuracy caused by the harsh and complex underground environment, long strip roadway, limited wireless transmission and sparse anchor nodes, an underground location algorithm based on Random Forest and environmental factors compensation is proposed. Firstly, the network model of underground wireless access point (AP) and tunnel environment are analyzed, and the fingerprint location algorithm is constructed. Meanwhile, the Received Signal Strength (RSS) is analyzed by Kalman Filter algorithm in the offline sampling and real-time positioning stage. In the real-time positioning stage, random forest algorithm and signal intensity ratio compensation algorithm are used to optimize the situation that the location error fluctuates greatly in the near area. Meanwhile, the target speed constraint condition is introduced to reduce the error caused by environmental factors. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper solves the problem of insufficient location accuracy and large fluctuation affected by environment when the anchor nodes are sparse. The average location accuracy reaches three meters, which can satisfy the application of underground rescue, activity track playback, disaster monitoring and positioning, and has high application value in complex underground environment.

Prenatal stress (PRS) had a long-term adverse effect on motor behaviors. Corticostriatal synaptic plasticity, a cellular basis for motor controlling, has been proven to participate in the pathogenesis of many behavior disorders. Based on the reports about the involvement of epigenetic DNA alterations in PRS-induced long-term effects, this research investigated the influence of PRS on the development and maturation of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity and related behaviors and explored the underlying epigenetic mechanism. Subjects were male offspring of dams that were exposed to stress three times per day from the 10th day of pregnancy until delivery. The development and maturation of plasticity at corticostriatal synapses, dopamine signaling, behavioral habituation, and DNA methylation were examined and analyzed. Control mice expressed long-term potentiation (LTP) at corticostriatal synapses during postnatal days (PD) 12-14 and produced long-term depression (LTD) during PD 20-60. However, PRS mice exhibited sustained LTP during PD 12-60. The treatment with dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) agonist quinpirole recovered striatal LTD and improved the impaired behavioral habituation in PD 45 adult PRS mice. Additionally, adult PRS mice showed reduced D2R, excess DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), increased binding of DNMT1 to D2R promoter, and hypermethylation at D2R promoter in the striatum. The DNMT1 inhibitor 5-aza-deoxycytidine restored striatal synaptic plasticity and improved behavioral habituation in adult PRS mice via D2R-mediated dopamine signaling. DNMT1-associated D2R hypermethylation is responsible for altering the maturation of plasticity at corticostriatal synapses and impairing the behavioral habituation in PRS mice.

The effective prevention of plant bacterial infections has been complicated and challenged by unceasing bacterial resistance. The application of traditional bactericides has achieved certain effects to alleviate this situation. However, these chemicals also have limitations, such as short half-life in reality, limited bioavailability, and pollutant emission from their formulations. These disadvantages drive the demand for promoting antibacterial therapeutics. Self-assembled nanostructures based on amphiphiles have inherently versatile characteristics, including high durability, good bioavailability, sustained release, and regenerability. As such, they have garnered wide interest because of these advantages that may serve as a feasible platform for the management of pathogenic infections. Flexible tuning of the shapes of these nanostructures by manipulating noncovalent driving forces consequently results in different levels of antibacterial activity. Herein, an antibacterial amphiphile, 1-[11-(9-anthracenylmethoxy)-11-oxoundecyl]pyridinium bromide (AP), was assembled into microfilms in screening medium. Hierarchical nanofibers were constructed by introducing an electron-deficient trinitrofluorenone (TNF) molecule into the assembling system directed by charge-transfer (CT) interactions to further investigate the contribution of aggregate shape to bioactivity. Biological evaluation revealed that antibacterial efficacy improved after CT complex formation. This study provides an innovative platform for developing versatile assembled structures for restraining the propagation of plant pathogens and an improved understanding of the actual interplay between the self-assembly and antibacterial ability of bactericides at the supramolecular level.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a major neurodegenerative disease. One of the known genetic contributors to PD pathogenesis is leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) whose mutations with elevated kinase activity could lead to both familial and sporadic PD. However, how the pathogenic kinase activity of LRRK2 is regulated remains largely unclear. Here we report that peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) was identified as a novel interacting protein to LRRK2 with preferential expression in dopaminergic neurons over other Prx proteins. We also confirmed that Prx2 interacted with LRRK2 through its COR domain and its overexpression significantly decreased the kinase activity of mutant LRRK2. Functionally, overexpressed Prx2 rescued the transfected cells from LRRK2 mutant induced apoptotic processes. Importantly, overexpressed Prx2 reversed the altered subcellular distribution of cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR) induced by PD-mutant LRRK2. Our results suggest that, by interacting with LRRK2, Prx2 may play an inhibitory role in the LRRK2 mediated cellular toxicity in PD by inhibiting its kinase activity.

Background: Influenza-associated lower respiratory tract infection (I-LRTI) brings a heavy clinical burden, and clinicians lack an effective prognostic evaluation system to control disease progression. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study, and the endpoint was 28-day mortality. Plasma microarrays were used for quantitative analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) and its subclasses. Prognostic factors from Ig and clinical variables in the patients with I-LRTI were identified to create a prediction model. Results: To address this issue, we prospectively and observationally studied the difference of immunoglobulin proteome and clinical variables between survivors and non-survivals in 107 patients with influenza-associated lower respiratory tract infection (I-LRTI) selected from four hospitals affiliated to Capital Medical University. The results identified 17 variables with significant or marginally statistical differences by univariate analysis, including lymphocyte count (LY), monocytes count (MO), CD3 + CD4 + T-cell count, CD3 + CD8 + T-cell count, IgA, IgA1, IgG2, IgG4, CRP, PCT, D-dimer, oxygenation index, glycosylated hemoglobin, lactic acid (LAC), base excess of blood, lactic dehydrogenase, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlations of all the variables by hierarchical clustering analysis in which different functional modules were formed between survival and non-survival groups that are associated with the immunity and severe infection. At last, we built a prediction model with nine variables (D-dimer, days from onset to ED, IgA, IgG2, LAC, LY, MO, Staphylococcus aureus co-infection and age), with which the AUC value of 0.810 (95% CI 0.755-0.839) was achieved with the evaluation of LOO cross validation. The predictive model was further validated by disease severity evaluation. Conclusion: Lethal bacterial (especially S. aureus ) co-infection was associated with cellular immunity, oxygenation index, HbA1C and age. The combined prediction model with D-dimer, Days from onset to ED, IgA, IgG2, LAC, LY, MO, S.aureus co-infection and age demonstrate the predictive mortality powerfully in patients with I-LRTI.

Control of gene expression has been found to be predominantly determined at the level of protein translation. However, to date, reduced expression from duplicated genes in eukaryotes for dosage maintenance has only been linked to transcriptional control involving epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we hypothesize that dosage maintenance following gene duplication also involves regulation at the protein level. To test this hypothesis, we compared transcriptome and proteome data of yeast models, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and worm models, Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae, to investigate lineage-specifically duplicated genes. Duplicated genes in both eukaryotic models exhibited a reduced protein-to-mRNA abundance ratio. Moreover, dosage sensitive genes, represented by genes encoding protein complex subunits, reduced their protein-to-mRNA abundance ratios more significantly than the other genes after duplication events. An analysis of ribosome profiling (Ribo-Seq) data further showed that reduced translational efficiency was more prominent for dosage sensitive genes than for the other genes. Meanwhile, no difference in protein degradation rate was associated with duplication events. Translationally repressed duplicated genes were also more likely to be inhibited at the level of transcription. Taken together, these results suggest that translation-mediated dosage control is partially contributed by natural selection and it enhances transcriptional control in maintaining gene dosage after gene duplication events during eukaryotic genome evolution.

Glycerol is an organic polyol compound that is an important raw material with extensive applications in daily use and in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Glycerol is typically obtained by propylene chlorination. The most well-used method is complicated and consumes a high amount of energy. Interestingly, glycerol is recognized as a major by-product of biodiesel production. Approximately 100 kg of glycerol is yielded from 1 ton of biodiesel production. With rapid developments in the biodiesel industry, the capacity of glycerol production has seen a major rise. This chapter introduces the selective conversion of glycerol to a variety of value-added chemicals such as propylene glycol, propanol, glyceraldehyde, and dihydroxyacetone via selective hydrogenation and oxidation, as well as hydrocarbons and ethers via pyrolysis gasification and etherification, respectively. The efficiency of different catalyst types and the influence of reaction parameters are elucidated. The study of catalytic mechanisms and pathways is also emphasized for some specific reactions.

Design and creation of photocatalytic systems with favorable microstructural and morphological merits are quite crucial to heighten removal of environmental hormones. For such purpose, in the current study n-type Bi4O5Br2 and p-type MnO2 were specially selected to construct three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical composites Bi4O5Br2-MnO2 (MB) via a facile one-pot procedure. Through thorough and systematical analyses, the existence of both expected components was confirmed in composites and these heterojunction MB composites showed significantly improved photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) under visible light. Particularly, the best candidate 0.5 MB owned the largest Kapp value 11.03 × 10−3 min−1 that was about 3.89 and 1.81 times those of bare Bi4O5Br2 and mechanical mixture 0.5 MB, which primarily attributed to strengthened visible-light absorption, effective integration of favorable morphologies, proper chemical composition, and efficient spatial separation of induced charge carriers through n-p heterojunction domains and thus boosted generation of oxidative radicals in a Z-Scheme model. In addition, other parameters possibly influenced photocatalytic degradation performance such as catalyst dosages, initial concentrations of BPA, pH values, and involvement of inorganic anions were also explored. Moreover, some intermediates were detected by GC-MS analysis to provide a plausible degradation path of these robust 3D hierarchical heterojunctions with satisfactory reusability and structural stability.

Bronsted acidic ionic liquid supported on magnetic Fe3O4 [β-CD-6-Im-(CH2)3-HSO3][HSO4]-Fe3O4 was synthesized successfully, the catalyst was characterized via TGA, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, BET and acidity determination, and used to catalyze the high-acidic untreated Jatropha carcass L. seed crude oil (46.0 mg KOH/g) for biodiesel production in a single pot. The results showed that 94.70% yield of FAME was obtained under the optimized reaction conditions of temperature of 130 °C, 10:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, 3 wt% of catalyst dosage, 3 h reaction time. In addition, the catalyst activity was not significantly decreased after five recycles.

A binary composite containing element sulfur (S) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was first constructed and characterized by various techniques. Both phases coexisted in composite to form a heterojunction structure in intimate contact. The composite S-CN was quite efficient for photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light and its apparent reaction constant was about 24.7, 1.48, and 9.63 times those of bare S, CN, and N-TiO2, mainly attributing to the effective charge carriers separation through well-aligned straddling band structures of both components. Finally, a primary photocatalysis mechanism was proposed on base of reactive radical species entrapping experiments.

A set of binary composites α-Fe2O3/Bi12O17Cl2 were established through an in-situ deposition route and these samples were systematically characterized by a collection of analytical techniques. Scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy proved the coexistence of expected two components. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction indicated the formation of heterojunction domains with the intimate contact of both semiconductors. The degradation behavior of as-synthesized samples was evaluated under visible-light irradiation and the enhanced outcome was observed over dye methyl orange (MO) and colorless 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), mainly attributing to favorable optical and morphological merits, and a suitable well-aligned band structure in these binary composites with a suitable phase composition as well. In addition, these composites showed an obvious photo-Fenton feature that significantly improved the catalytic degradation efficiency over 2,4-DCP when the reagent H2O2 was introduced, indicating the destruction efficiency was controlled by a synergtic effect from both photocatalytic and photo-Fenton degradation routes. Based upon the detection of reactive radical species, a primary synergistic mechanism was eventually speculated.

Early 3d transition metals are not focal catalytic candidates for many chemical processes because they have strong affinities to O, N, C, or H, etc., which would hinder the conversion of those species to products. Metallic Mn, as a representative, undergoes nitridation under ammonia synthesis conditions forming bulk phase nitride and unfortunately exhibits negligible catalytic activity. Here we show that alkali or alkaline earth metal hydrides (i.e., LiH, NaH, KH, CaH2 and BaH2, AHs for short) promotes the catalytic activity of Mn nitride by orders of magnitude. The sequence of promotion is BaH2 > LiH > KH > CaH2 > NaH, which is different from the order observed in conventional oxide or hydroxide promoters. AHs, featured by bearing negatively charged hydrogen atoms, have chemical potentials in removing N from Mn nitride and thus lead to significant enhancement of N2 activation and subsequent conversion to NH3. Detailed investigations on Mn-LiH catalytic system disclosed that the active phase and kinetic behavior depend strongly on reaction conditions. Based on the understanding of the synergy between AHs and Mn nitride, a strategy in the design and development of early transition metals as effective catalysts for ammonia synthesis and other chemical processes is proposed.

BACKGROUND The 2016 CHEST consensus guidelines recommend use of either 21- or 22-G needles for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). We decided to prospectively compare sample adequacy and diagnostic yield of the 19-G with the 22-G EBUS needle, hypothesizing that a larger gauge difference might magnify the differences between 2 needle sizes. METHODS Twenty-seven patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA at our institution were evaluated. All cases were performed by a single operator formally trained in interventional pulmonology. Both Olympus 19- and 22-G needles were used at each lymph node station in an alternating manner. Rapid on-site cytology evaluation was used and a separate cell block was prepared for each needle at each station. RESULTS Fifty-six lymph nodes were analyzed. Diagnoses included cancer (36%, including 1 lymphoma), reactive lymphoid tissue (53%), and sarcoidosis (11%). One hundred sixty-two and 163 passes were made with the 22- and 19-G needle, respectively. Sample adequacy was 73% and 46% with the 22 and 19-G needle, respectively (P

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) induces the destruction of cartilage and bone. Methotrexate (MTX) functions as an effective first-line drug to relieve RA in the clinic. However, patients treated with MTX often suffer from severe side effects mainly due to its off-target effects. Therefore, selective delivery of MTX to the affected joints may achieve upregulated efficacy and safety. The affected joints of RA feature hypoxic microenvironment and increased level of glutathione (GSH), resulting from synovial proliferation, lymphocyte infiltration, and neovascularization. In this study, a disulfide-cross-linked nanogel (NG) of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-phenylalanine-co-L-cystine) (mPEG-P(LP-co-LC)) was synthesized as an intracellular delivery system of MTX. The loading nanogel NG/MTX exhibited apparent reduction-responsiveness and GSH-triggered release behavior of MTX. It also showed efficient internalization and high cytotoxicity toward activated macrophages. Moreover, NG/MTX possessed selective biodistribution in the inflammatory joints of collagen-induced arthritis mouse model. The clinical and histological scores of the mice after NG/MTX treatment were lower than those of the other groups, and the progress of collagen-induced arthritis was overall relieved. To conclude, the controlled delivery of MTX by smart polymer nanoparticles to the RA-affected joints may be a promising approach in the clinical therapy of RA.

Rho‐associated protein kinase (ROCK) plays crucial roles in the proliferation and migration of different types of cells. ROCK inhibitor Y‐27632 was previously reported to inhibit melanoma cell growth, and ROCK signaling was suggested to be a therapeutic target for treating melanoma. However, the negative effect of Y‐27632 on melanoma cells was mainly seen in studies on murine B16 melanoma cells. Here, we reported that ROCK inhibitor actually promoted human melanoma cell growth and migration in vitro. Y‐27632 increased the growth and migration of BRAF‐mutated melanoma cells but had a negative effect on wild‐type melanoma cells or primary melanocytes. We discovered that Y‐27632 enhanced the growth of BRAF‐mutated melanoma cells through increased ATK and ERK activity. The in vivo study further confirmed the in vitro finding. These data suggested that the effect of ROCK inhibitor on melanoma cells is cell‐context dependent, and the application of ROCK inhibitor in the treatment of melanoma requires further study.

A novel type of dibenzothiophene [

Novel visible-light-driven silicon carbide (SiC)/g-C3N4 heterojuncted composites were successfully prepared via a facile ultrasonic dispersion and calcination method, and afterwards characterized by a couple of technologies including XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XPS, UV–vis DRS, PL spectra, and N2 adsorption-desorption. It was found that SiC nanoparticles were uniformly deposited over the surface of g-C3N4 to create heterojunction domains along phase interface boundary, favoring charge carriers transfer and separation across the straddling band alignments. Besides, the visible-light absorption capability of samples was enhanced by the incorporation of SiC. These physiochemical merits ensured the improved photocatalytic performance of heterojuncted composites over the degradation of dyes rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) in comparison to each single component SiC or g-C3N4. Upon an identical condition, the sample SN8 exhibited the highest photocatalytic ability among all tested samples. According to active species trapping measurements, ∙OH and ∙O2- were deemed as major radicals and eventually a possible photocatalysis mechanism was speculated.

A series of mesoporous iron-titanium-containing silica Fe-TiO2-SBA15 (FTS) were constructed via a facile one-pot hydrothermal route and subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns, UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy. By analyses, these samples possessed ordered two-dimensional hexagonal mesoporous structures, mainly involving mixed dual-phases of anatase and rutile TiO2, like commercial titania P25. The UV–vis diffuse reflection spectra demonstrated the presence of Fe species that was further confirmed by the X-ray photoelectron spectra and X-ray energy dispersion spectrum. The existence of Fe species in form of Fe3+ cations played an important role on the phase composition and electronic structure of these samples. With structural and morphological merits, these samples exhibited relatively high photocatalytic efficiency toward the degradation of dye methylene blue (MB) and reduction of Cr(VI) under visible-light irradiation, comparing with P25. In addition, among all candidates, the sample with a Fe/Si molar ratio of 0.03 showed the highest catalytic performance under optimal conditions, especially in the coexistence of both MB and Cr(VI), revealing an obviously synergistic effect when the consumption of both contaminants occurred. Finally, a primary catalytic mechanism was speculated on basis of active species capture experiments.

Novel visible-light-driven WO 3 /Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 heterojuncted photocatalysts with different mass ratios were successfully fabricated by a facile hydrothermal process and were characterized by XRD, UV–Vis DRS, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, BET, Raman, PL, and ESR techniques. The original morphology of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 was maintained after the addition of WO 3 nanoparticles and the specific surface area values of WBx composites were obviously enlarged. The intimate contact of both components in HRTEM confirmed the generation of smooth phase interface. These as-prepared samples were subjected to the photocatalytic degradation of dye rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light irradiation (λ≥420 nm). Under identical conditions, WBx composites showed greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance in comparison to bare WO 3 and Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 . Especially, the sample WB0.5 exhibited the highest photocatalytic removal outcome over RhB among all tested candidates and owned an apparent rate constant about 73.7, 7.1, 15.8 times of those pure WO 3 , Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 , and N-doped TiO 2 , respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic capability of composites mainly attributed to the suitable morphology, enlarged specific surface areas, strengthened optical property, and favorable well-aligned straddling band-structures. Active species entrapping experiments confirmed holes and superoxide radicals as major oxidative species, by which, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was primarily proposed.

It is crucial to develop an efficient system of high photocatalytic capability over NO removal and simultaneous avoidance of toxic NO2 formation. In this study a serious of hierarchical composites WO3/Bi4O5Br2 (WB) were successfully fabricated by a facile ball-milling protocol and systematically characterized by various analytical techniques. Both expected ingredients were realized and coexisted in composites to generate heterojunction structures by microstructural analyses. Under visible light irradiation, these samples were exposed to photocatalytic removal of NO measurements, where aforementioned binary hierarchical WB composites showed reinforced NO removal efficiency with the high selectivity for NO3–/NO2– species in comparison to bare WO3 and Bi4O5Br2, mainly associating to the efficient migration and spatial segregation of charge carries through heterojunction domains with suitable phase composition instead of the slightly varied visible light absorption and specific surface area. In addition, a possible photocatalysis mechanism was deduced in a S-scheme model by active species determination and band structures estimation of these robust catalysts. This investigation shed light on the facile fabrication of hierarchical composites via the ball-milling treatment with enhanced photocatalytic removal of low concentration NO in ppb level under visible light.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as potential solvents for absorbing dichloromethane (DCM), while screening a promising IL with high absorption performances from numerous ILs remains challenging. In this work, a framework of multi-scale investigation on DCM absorption using ILs was established. A screening method based on COSMO-RS model that optimized by 79 reported experimental data points was proposed, and the effect of cationic and anionic structures on DCM absorption and the mechanisms were systematically studied combining quantum chemical calculation. Based on the above results, 1-ethyl-1-methylpiperidinium acetate ([C2MPip][C1COO]) was determined as the optimal IL for DCM absorption with Henry’s Constant of 3.29 kPa. The screened IL was further evaluated through process simulation comparing to the conventional IL and traditional organic solvent. The annual variable operation cost of [C2MPip][C1COO]-based process for DCM absorption was the lowest among the studied cases, showing broad prospects in applications.