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Ti 2 Nb 2 x O 4+5 x compounds are very popular negative-electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries due to their high specific capacities, safe operating potentials and high cycling stability. Nevertheless, their poor electronic conductivities and insufficient Li + diffusion coefficients limit the rate capabilities. Herein, we explore highly conductive CrNb 11 O 29 with a high theoretical capacity (401 mAh g −1 ) and an open Wadsley–Roth shear structure as a new intercalating negative-electrode material having the same advantages of Ti 2 Nb 2 x O 4+5 x but a high rate capability. CrNb 11 O 29 nanorods (CrNb 11 O 29 -R) with lengths of 500–1000 nm and very small diameters of 30–50 nm are prepared based on a novel hydrothermal method. Due to the free electrons in Cr-3d orbitals and the large ionic radius of Cr 3+ , CrNb 11 O 29 exhibits a high electronic conductivity and large Li + diffusion coefficients, respectively. In-situ X-ray diffraction analyses confirm its high structural stability. These conductivity, structural and architectural advantages in CrNb 11 O 29 -R lead to its significant pseudocapacitive contribution (82.0% at 1.1 mV s −1 ), prominent rate capability (high reversible capacities of 343 mAh g −1 at 0.1C and 228 mAh g −1 at 10C), and outstanding cycling stability (only 8.9% capacity loss at 10C over 400 cycles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of waste paper, an obsolete recyclable resource, helps to save resources and protect environment. In this paper, an aerogel was prepared to convert the waste paper into a useful material, which was used to adsorb heavy metal ions and handle water pollution. Combining waste office paper and chitosan, the aerogel obtained the enhanced mechanical strength, acid resistance and high adsorption capacity (up to 156.3 mg/g for Cu 2+ ). This adsorption process obeyed the pseudo-second order model and the Langmuir model. The research showed that a coordination compound was formed between amino group and Cu 2+ during the adsorption process. The adsorbent could be regenerated well in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 with up to 98.3% desorption efficiency. The low cost, environmental friendliness, excellent adsorption capacity and regeneration ability made this novel aerogel a promising adsorbent for heavy metal ions. And this conversion is an effective reuse way of waste paper too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of epigenetic factors is considered a crucial target for solving complex chronic diseases such as cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. HuangqiGuizhiWuwu Decoction (HGWWD), a classic Chinese prescription, is mainly used to treat various vascular diseases. Although our previous studies reported that HGWWD could effectively prevent vascular dysfunction in diabetic rodent models, the precise mechanism is still elusive. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic mechanisms of modulating the damage of vascular endothelial cells in diabetes by HGWWD. We first analyzed common active components of HGWWD by using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, and predicted the isoforms of histone deacetylase (HDAC) that can potentially combine the above active components by systems pharmacology. Next, we screened the involvement of specific HDAC isoforms in the protective effect of HGWWD on vascular injury by using pharmacological blockade combined with the evaluation of vascular function in vivo and in vitro. Firstly, HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, HDAC4, HDAC6, HDAC7, SIRT2, and SIRT3 have been implicated with the possibility of binding to the thirty-one common active components in HGWWD. Furthermore, the protective effect of HGWWD is reversed by both TSA (HDAC inhibitor) and MC1568 (class II HDAC inhibitor) on vascular impairment accompanied by reduced aortic HDAC activity in STZ mice. Finally, inhibition of HDAC4 blocked the protective effect of HGWWD on microvascular and endothelial dysfunction in diabetic mice. These results prove the key role of HDAC4 in diabetes-induced microvascular dysfunction and underlying epigenetic mechanisms for the protective effect of HGWWD in diabetes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies indicate the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit plays an important role in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), as a major fiber in the fronto-thalamic circuitry, contributes to symptomology of OCD. However, the underlying biochemical mechanism in relation with its structural alteration remains not understood. This study investigated the structural abnormality of ATR and its correlation with thalamic metabolic alteration in OCD, using diffusion tensor image (DTI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). Twenty-six unmedicated adult OCD patients and twenty-six matched healthy controls participated in DTI study. Thirteen OCD patients and thirteen healthy controls, a subset of DTI participants, took part in MRS study. The results showed that mean fiber length of right ATR negatively correlated with ipsilateral thalamic choline (Cho) level in OCD patients. Additionally, significantly higher Cho concentration was detected in right thalamus of OCD patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) value of right ATR positively correlated with patients Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) total score, as well as YBOCS compulsion score. These results suggested the coupling of structural and metabolic changes in right ATR, which might serve as a multi-modal biomarker contributing to the pathogenesis of OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the novel vulcanizing agent, silica supported sulfur monochloride (silica-s-S), comparing with sulfur on the filler-rubber interfacial interaction, mechanical properties and the strain-induced crystallization behaviors were investigated. Due to the formation of interparticle domain, silica-s-S immobilized more rubber chains approaching its surface as the crosslinking points than sulfur vulcanization system. Furthermore, the tightly immobilized rubber chains on silica-s-S surface bring to the significant enhancement of mechanical properties of NR nanocomposites. Meanwhile, the immobilized rubber chains also induced the formation of highest initial crystallinity index and slower decreasing lateral crystallite size with increasing strain ratio. Silica-s-S with more tightly immobilized rubber chains approaching its surface shown better reinforcing effect and strain-induced crystallization behaviors on rubber than that of sulfur vulcanization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absorption is one of the most important methods for oil spill cleanup. An ideal absorbent is expected to possess advantages of low cost, green, high absorption capacity and excellent reusability. In this paper, a new kind of cellulose aerogel was successfully fabricated via cellulose oxidation, crosslinking, freeze drying and cold plasma modification. The obtained aerogel (water contact angle up to 152.8°) exhibited outstanding oil/water selectivity and high absorption capacity (13.77–28.20 g/g) for various oils and organic solvents. What's more, this kind of aerogel could be reused by simple compression. The absorption-desorption process could be repeated for at least 50 cycles. Through the kinetic analysis, it was found that the pseudo-second order model was more appropriate for the aerogel’s oil absorption process. Owing to its low cost, hydrophobicity, high absorption capacity and excellent reusability, this kind of aerogel is expected to be used in oils and organic solvents spill cleanup and oil/water separation field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Alumina (Al2O3) ceramics were prepared with nucleating agent of titania (TiO2) and fluxing agent of talc by the normal pressure sintering method. The effects of TiO2 and talc on phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al2O3 ceramics, as well the strengthening and toughening mechanism were investigated. It was found that the introduction of TiO2 could be favorable for mullite formation and the improved densification of ceramics, resulting in improved mechanical properties of ceramics as well. Ceramics possess the best comprehensive mechanical performance with fracture toughness of 3.69 MPa·m1/2 and flexural strength of 255.9 MPa when 4 wt.% TiO2 and 15 wt.% talc were added. Mineral bridges and nanocrystallites were found in the glass‐ceramics, which caused the deflection of cracks so that it strengthened the grain boundary and improved the mechanical properties of ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since microglia possess both neuroprotective and neurotoxic potential, they play a crucial role in the central nervous system (CNS). Excessive microglial activation induces inflammation-mediated neuronal damage and degeneration. At present, numerous herbal compounds are able to suppress neurotoxicity via inhibiting microglial activation. Therefore, many researchers focus on pharmacological inhibitors of microglial activation to ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders. Further work should concentrate on the exploration of new herbal compounds, which characteristically inhibit microglial neurotoxicity, rather than modulating neuroprotection alone. In this review, we summarize these herbal compounds, which in the past several years have been shown to exert potential neuroprotective activity by inhibiting microglial activation. The therapeutic targets and pharmacological mechanisms of these compounds have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to adverse early-life events is thought to be the risk factors for the development of psychiatric and altered cognitive function in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) treatment in young adult rat would improve impaired cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in adult rat with neonatal maternal separation (MS). Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, MS group, MS with EA treatment (MS + EA) group, and MS with Sham-EA treatment (MS + Sham-EA) group. We evaluated the cognitive function by using Morris water maze and fear conditioning tests. Electrophysiology experiment used in vivo long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapses was detected to assess extent of synaptic plasticity. Repeated EA stimulation at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29) during postnatal 9 to 11 weeks was identified to significantly ameliorate poor performance in behavior tests and improve the impaired LTP induction detected at Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapse in hippocampus. Collectively, the findings suggested that early-life stress due to MS may induce adult cognitive deficit associated with hippocampus, and EA in young adult demonstrated that its therapeutic efficacy may be via ameliorating deficit of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel functional rubber vulcanizator, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) supported sulfur monochloride (HNTs-s-S) is prepared by chemically bonding sulfur monochloride (S 2 Cl 2 ) onto HNTs surface. Through this chemical reaction, high concentration of sulfur is supported onto HNTs inner and outer surface. Meanwhile, the functional nanotubes can not only vulcanize the rubber without sulfur and show the lower activation energy of vulcanization reaction, but also improve the filler-rubber interaction as a modifier due to the improved modification effect. Furthermore, the immobilized polymer layer and crosslinking density of rubber composites together indicate that this novel vulcanizing agent HNTs-s-S gives rise to significant improvement in the rubber-filler interfacial adhesion, which is on account of the promoted vulcanizing on the functional HNTs surface with the supported sulfur. After endowing the tubular nanofillers with vulcanized function, it may offer new scientific and technological opportunities for the preparation of high performance elastomer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive M–Nb V –O compounds are high-capacity, fast-charging, safe and stable anode materials that have potential use in lithium-ion batteries. However, their studies are very limited. Here, we facilely fabricate Nb 25 O 62 ( i.e. , Nb IV Nb V 24 O 62 ) and Nb 12 O 29 ( i.e. , Nb IV 2 Nb V 10 O 29 ) from high-temperature reduction of Nb 2 O 5 in a mixed H 2 /Ar atmosphere. Nb 25 O 62 shows a monoclinic shear ReO 3 crystal structure with a C2 space group and a structural unit containing a 3 × 4 octahedron-block and 0.5 tetrahedron, while Nb 12 O 29 shows a similar structure with an A2/m space group and a 3 × 4 octahedron-block. Their resulting open crystal structures lead to their large Li + -ion diffusion coefficients. Due to the unpaired 4 d electrons in Nb 4+ , their electronic conductivities are increased by three orders of magnitude in comparison with Nb 2 O 5 . First-principles calculations even demonstrate their conductor characteristics. Hence, Nb 25 O 62 /Nb 12 O 29 exhibits comprehensively good electrochemical performance, including a significant pseudocapacitive contribution (72.7/79.0% at 1.1 mV s −1 ), high specific capacity (289/287 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C), high working potential (∼1.69/∼1.72 V vs. Li/Li + ), superior rate capability (133/165 mAh g −1 at 10 C) and prominent cyclic stability (only 0.3/14.5% capacity loss over 1000 cycles at 10 C). These findings demonstrate that Nb 25 O 62 and Nb 12 O 29 are promising anode materials for future use in high-performance lithium-ion storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 is a high-capacity, safe and stable anode material for lithium-ion batteries, but suffers from a poor rate capability. To tackle this issue, nanotechnology is employed, and Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 hollow nanofibers with an average fiber diameter of ∼500 nm and shell thickness of ∼90 nm are prepared by a facile co-electrospining technique followed by calcination in air. This material exhibits not only a high reversible capacity (307 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C) and durable cyclic stability (0.06% capacity loss per cycle at 10 C over 500 cycles) but also an outstanding rate capability (136 mAh g −1 at 20 C), thereby becoming a promising anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a recently developed anode material for lithium-ion batteries, Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 shows high theoretical/practical capacities and safety, but suffers from a poor rate capability due to its insulator nature and insufficient Li + -ion diffusion coefficient. To tackle this issue, a strategy combining nanosizing, Cr 3+ –Nb 5+ co-doping and carbon nanotube (CNT) compositing is employed. A novel TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 /CNTs nanocomposite with 9.1 wt% CNTs is fabricated by a direct hydrolysis process followed by calcination in N 2 . The Cr 3+ –Nb 5+ co-doping significantly improves the electronic conductivity and Li + -ion diffusion coefficient of Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 by three orders and one order of magnitude, respectively. The CNT compositing not only enhances the electrical conduction among the TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 particles but also hinders the particle growth in the hydrolysis process, leading to the small particle sizes. Due to the synergistic effect of these advantages, the TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 /CNTs nanocomposite exhibits a high rate capability with a high capacity of 206 mAh g −1 at 20 C, surpassing those of Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 (145 mAh g −1 ) and TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 nanoparticles (187 mAh g −1 ). Additionally, TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 /CNTs delivers a high reversible capacity (297 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C) and cyclic stability (95.0% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 10 C). This good electrochemical performance reveals that TiCr 0.5 Nb 10.5 O 29 /CNTs can be an advanced anode material for high-performance Li + -ion storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for the rapid and simultaneous detection of multiple analytes present in a sample matrix. Here, a multiplex immunochromatographic test (multi-ICT) was developed that successfully allowed for the rapid and simultaneous detection of four major nitrofuran metabolites, i.e., 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), semicarbazide (SEM), 3-amino-5-methylmorpholino-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ), and 1-aminohydantoin (AHD), in fish samples. Four different antigens were separately immobilized in four test lines on a nitrocellulose membrane. Goat anti-mouse immunoglobulin (IgG) was used as a control. Sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that recognize the corresponding antigens were selected for the assay, and no cross-reactivity between the antibodies in the detection assay was observed. The free analytes in samples or standards were pre-incubated with freeze-dried mAb-gold conjugates to improve the sensitivity of the detection assay. The multi-ICT detection was accomplished in less than 15 min by the naked eye. The cutoff values for the strip test were 0.5 ng/mL for AOZ and 0.75 ng/mL for AHD, SEM, and AMOZ, which were all below the maximum residue levels set by the European Union and China. A high degree of consistency was observed between the multi-ICT method and commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits using spiked, incurred, and 'blind' fish samples, indicating the accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability of the novel test strip. This newly developed multi-ICT strip assay is suitable for the rapid and high-throughput screening of four nitrofuran metabolites in fish samples on-site, with no treatment or devices required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic properties of metal-doped cubic BaTiO 3 have been investigated using first-principles calculations. Through systematic analysis on effects of various metals doping through substituting Ti with the main group, 3d and 4d transitions metal atoms, we show that most transition metal doping can effectively reduce the band gap of BaTiO 3 . The partial density of states analysis indicates that different doping elements have different effects on the band-gap engineering. The effective mass of BaTiO 3 before and after doping was further analyzed. And we found that the hole effective mass apparently decrease after Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Ag doping, which could lead to increase of hole mobility and charge transfer enhancement. The calculation results showed that substituting Ti with Fe or Mo would be more effective for improving the photoelectric property of BaTiO 3 . Our theoretical calculations provide useful insights and beneficial guidance into experimental study of BaTiO 3 in the photoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, poly( l -lactide)/poly( d -lactide)/nanocrystalline cellulose (PLLA/PDLA/NCC) stereocomplex blends were prepared using a solution blending method. The effect of NCC on the crystallization kinetics of symmetric PLLA/PDLA blend was systematically investigated. The incorporation of NCC significantly enhanced the formation of stereocomplex crystal (sc), as indicated by increasing the crystallization peak temperature and crystallinity of sc from approx. 143 °C and 24% to around 160 °C and 40%, respectively, during the non-isothermal crystallizing upon cooling at 10 °C/min. Meanwhile, the addition of NCC caused no influence on the crystal morphology and crystal form of sc in the PLLA/PDLA blend, as evidenced by the POM and WAXD results. The crystallization kinetics of the PLLA/PDLA/NCC blends was studied in detail by using the Dobreva and Gutzow model, the Avrami-Jeziorny equation and the well-known Avrami model. It was found that NCC showed high nucleating activity in the PLLA/PDLA blend. The half-life time of crystallization of the PLLA/PDLA blend was decreased by ca. 78% at 180 °C after the addition of 0.5 wt% NCC. In addition, POM tests showed that the nuclei density in the PLLA/PDLA blend during isothermally crystallizing at 180 °C was largely increased by the addition of NCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the coupling reagents as the additional modifiers were often used to improve the reinforcement effect of silica filled natural rubber. Actually, the commercial raw NR is a mixture consisting of polyisoprene and non-isoprene, where the latter one might have impact on the properties of NR/silica composites as an inartificial modifier inside. Thus, investigating the effect of non-isoprene compounds on the structure and properties of NR/silica composites is a novel approach to disclose the peculiarity of NR, which is meaningful to the assessment of NR quality. In this paper, the influences of acetone extract (AE) from natural rubber on the structure and mechanical properties of NR/silica composites were studied. Then the interfacial interactions between AE and silica were also illustrated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetic analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results demonstrated the existence of hydrogen bond between silica and AE, also the covalent bond induced by esterification reaction between COOH and Si OH, which resulted in an increase of constrained regions around silica surface leading to the promotions on mechanical and dynamical properties of NR/silica composites significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial cardiotoxicity both in rats. Serum was detected for myocardial injury parameters. Heart tissues were prepared for histopathology, oxidative stress, inflammation biomarkers as well as western blot analysis. Results showed that pretreatment with GA apparently decreased levels of myocardial CK-MB and LDH, and alleviated histopathological changes induced by ISO injection. GA exerted the cardioprotective effect via restoring super oxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and Pro-inflammatory. Meanwhile, it should be noted that GA restored RIP140/NF-kB in rat hearts which was evidenced by the western Blot analysis. The results from histopathological examination were further supported the cardioprotective findings of GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterially synthesized poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs) suffers from low crystallization rate which is enhanced by using tailor-made oxalamide compounds as nucleators. The influence of nucleator configurations on the crystallization behaviour of the PHAs was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The oxalamide compounds with ringy terminal structures (cyclohexyl and phenyl), notably the phenyl group, show higher nucleation efficiency and a better compatibility in the PHAs matrix, while the linear terminal structure ( n -hexane) has poor nucleation effect. The crystallization temperature (T c ) and the crystallinity (X c ) of the PHAs are increased from 58 °C to 71 °C and from 5% to 48%, respectively, after addition of 0.75 wt% of the nucleator (phenyl group) upon cooling from the melt. Meanwhile, the half-life isothermal crystallization time (t 0.5 ) of the PHAs at 110 °C is decreased by 70%. The oxalamide compounds increases the nuclei density of the PHAs accompanied with a reduction in spherulitic size. In addition, the crystal form and crystallization mechanism of the PHAs are not altered obviously after addition of the nulceators as confirmed by the POM, XRD and Avrami analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Microglial activation contributes to neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It has been suggested that neurodegenerative disorders may be improved if neuroinflammation can be controlled. trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) isolated from the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia possesses potent anti-inflammatory capability; we thus tested whether TCA presents neuroprotective effects on improving neuronal survival by inhibiting neuroinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. Results. To determine the molecular mechanism behind TCA-mediated neuroprotective effects, we assessed the effects of TCA on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced proinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. While LPS potently induced the production and expression upregulation of proinflammatory mediators, including NO, iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α, TCA pretreatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of NO and expression of iNOS, COX-2, and IL-1β and recovered the morphological changes in BV2 cells. TCA markedly attenuated microglial activation and neuroinflammation by blocking nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. With the aid of microglia and neuron coculture system, we showed that TCA greatly reduced LPS-elicited neuronal death and exerted neuroprotective effects. Conclusions. Our results suggest that TCA, a natural product, has the potential of being used as a therapeutic agent against neuroinflammation for ameliorating neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently explored FeNb 11 O 29 is an advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its large specific capacity and high safety. However, its poor electronic conductivity significantly limits its rate capability. To tackle this issue, a Cr 3+ doping is employed, and Cr x Fe 1- x Nb 11 O 29 ( x = 0 and 0.2) materials were fabricated using a solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction analyses combined with Rietveld refinements demonstrate that the Cr 3+ doping does not destroy the orthorhombic shear ReO 3 crystal structure ( Amma space group) of FeNb 11 O 29 or obviously change the unit cell volume. Scanning electron microscopy images combined with specific surface area tests reveal the similar particle size after the Cr 3+ doping. Due to the free 3 d electrons in the Cr 3+ ions, the electronic conductivity of Cr 0.2 Fe 0.8 Nb 11 O 29 is enhanced by three orders of magnitude comparing with FeNb 11 O 29 . Consequently, Cr 0.2 Fe 0.8 Nb 11 O 29 exhibits improved electrochemical properties. At 0.1C, it delivers a large reversible capacity of 254 mAh g −1 . At 10C, it still provides a large capacity of 123 mAh g −1 with large retention of 86.9% after 500 cycles. In contrast, FeNb 11 O 29 shows a small capacity of 57 mAh g −1 and small retention of 41.6%. These results reveal that Cr 0.2 Fe 0.8 Nb 11 O 29 can be a promising anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Isobavachin was identified as a novel natural scaffold hURAT1 inhibitor by shape-based and docking-based virtual screenings. • Isobavachin exhibited dual target inhibitory effects of URAT1 and GLUT9, and a modest inhibitory effect on XOD activity. • Isobavachin exhibited excellent urate-lowering effect and safe profile in vitro and in vivo. Previously we discovered a novel natural scaffold compound, isobavachin (4′, 7-dihydroxy-8-prenylflavanone), as a potent URAT1 inhibitor by shape and structure based on a virtue screening approach. In this study, further urate-lowering mechanism, pharmacokinetics and toxicities of isobavachin were conducted. Isobavachin inhibited URAT1 with an IC 50 value of 0.24 ± 0.06 μM, and residues S35, F365, I481 and R477 of URAT1 contributed to high affinity for isobavachin. Isobavachin also inhibited glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9), another pivotal urate reabsorption transporter, with an IC 50 value of 1.12 ± 0.26 μM. Molecular docking and MMGBSA results indicated that isobavachin might compete residues R171, L75 and N333 with uric acid, which leads to inhibition of uric acid transport of GLUT9. Isobavachin weakly inhibited urate secretion transporters OAT1 with an IC 50 value of 4.38 ± 1.27 μM, OAT3 with an IC 50 of 3.64 ± 0.62 μM, and ABCG2 with an IC 50 of 10.45 ± 2.17 μM. Isobavachin also inhibited xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity in vitro with an IC 50 value of 14.43 ± 3.56 μM, and inhibited the hepatic XOD activities at 5–20 mg/kg in vivo. Docking and MMGBSA analysis indicated that isobavachin might bind to the Mo-Pt catalyze center of XOD, which leads to inhibition of uric acid production. In vivo , isobavachin exhibited powerful urate-lowering and uricosuric effects at 5–20 mg/kg compared with the positive drugs morin (20 mg/kg) and RDEA3170 (10 mg/kg). Safety assessments revealed that isobavachin was safe and had no obvious toxicities. Isobavachin has little cell toxicity in HK2 cells as indicated by the MTT assay. In vivo, after treatment with 50 mg/kg isobavachin for 14 days, isobavachin had little renal toxicity, as revealed by serum CR/BUN levels, and no hepatotoxicity as revealed by ALT/AST levels. Further HE examination also suggests that isobavachin has no obvious kidney/liver damage. A pharmacokinetic study in SD rats indicated isobavachin had lower bioavailability (12.84 ± 5.13 %) but long half-time (7.04 ± 2.68 h) to maintain a continuous plasma concentration. Collectively, these results indicate that isobavachin deserves further investigation as a candidate anti-hyperuricemic drug with a novel mechanism of action: selective urate reabsorption inhibitor (URAT1/GLUT9) with a moderate inhibitory effect on XOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthesis of N -doped CPANI for PDS activation towards DOX degradation. • High mineralization of DOX in the N -CPANI-900/PDS with TOC removal efficiency of 83.77%. • High robustness to environmental variations and good recyclability of N -CPANI-900. • The graphitic N and ketonic group(C O) were the main catalytic reactive sites. • N -CPANI-900/PDS complexes mediated electron transfer accounts for the major DOX degradation. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbonized polyaniline (N -CPANI-T, T is the carbonized temperature) was firstly synthesized to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) towards the sustainable degradation of doxycycline (DOX). Compared to other carbon-based catalysts reported in the previous studies, N -CPANI-900 had better DOX decomposition rate (91.66 %) and higher TOC elimination efficiency (83.77 %) within 120 min with the initial DOX concentration as high as 20 mg/L, which could be attributed to the accelerated electron transfer and the large adsorption capacity of N -CPANI-900. The active sites for PDS activation driven by N -CPANI-900 mainly include graphitic N, ketonic group (C O) and defect sites in the carbon matrix. The results of both quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) test illustrated that non-radical pathway was dominated in the N -CPANI-900/PDS/DOX system. Moreover, metastable N -CPANI-900/PDS complexes mediated electron transfer made a remarkable contribution to DOX degradation compared with singlet oxygen. The effects of pH, inorganic anions, NOM and different water matrices on DOX degradation were almost negligible in the N -CPANI-900/PDS system. This research provides a new strategy into the preparation of metal-free PDS activators towards efficient removal of emerging contaminants in real wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortico–striato–thalamo–cortical (CSTC) circuit has been implicated in OCD pathophysiology by converging neuroimaging findings. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as an important part within CSTC circuit, plays a critical role in OCD etiology. The ACC can be divided into dorsal and rostral parts anatomically, which are involved in cognitive process and emotional function, respectively. However, the diverse function of intrinsic signals from dorsal and rostral ACC regions remains unclear in OCD study. In this work, we applied resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technology to investigate and differentiate the functional connectivity (FC) characteristics between dACC and rACC in unmedicated OCD patients. Also, the correlation between the altered FC and clinical symptom severity was analyzed. Decreased FC of rACC-DLPFC and increased FC between dACC and caudate were found. Moreover, the altered dACC-caudate FC was positively correlated with total Y-BOCS and compulsion score in OCD patients. Our findings implied the crossed function of dorsal and rostral circuits in the pathophysiologic mechanism of OCD. The dorsal cingulate-striatum functional pathway served as a potential biomarker for OCD symptomatology and merits further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small molecular weight GTPase Rab7 is a key regulator for late endosomal/lysosomal membrane trafficking, it was known that Rab7 is phosphorylated, but the corresponding kinase and the functional regulation of Rab7 phosphorylation remain unclear. We provide evidence here that Rab7 is a substrate of Src kinase, and is tyrosine-phosphorylated by Src, withY183 residue of Rab7 being the optimal phosphorylation site for Src. Further investigations demonstrated that the tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab7 depends on the guanine nucleotide binding activity of Rab7 and the activity of Src kinase. The tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab7 is physiologically induced by EGF, and impairs the interaction of Rab7 with RILP, consequently inhibiting EGFR degradation and sustaining Akt signaling. These results suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab7 may be involved in coordinating membrane trafficking and cell signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pluripotent stem cells, called neoblasts, are well known for the regenerative capability and developmental plasticity in flatworms. Impressive advancement has been made in free-living flatworms, while in case of its parasitic counterpart, neoblast-like stem cells have attracted recent attention for its self-renewal and differentiation capacity. Nanos is a key conserved post-transcriptional regulator critical for the formation, development, and/or maintenance of the pluripotent germ line stem cell systems in many metazoans including schistosomes. In the present study, we report the molecular cloning and expression of nanos orthologous genes nanos in Schistosoma japonicum ( Sjnanos). The cDNA of Sjnanos is 826 bp long, containing an open reading frame (ORF) for 223 amino acid long protein. qRT-PCR analysis shown that Sjnanos was differently expressed in several stages of schistosomes with relatively high level in schistosomula. Additionally, Sjnanos was expressed highly in adult females compared to adult males. Transfection of recombinant plasmid for expressing Sjnanos resulted in significant proliferation and increased expression of several stem cell factors in mammalian cells. Overall, our preliminary study provides the molecular basis to further functionally characterize Sjnanos in S. japonicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation is tightly controlled in vivo, as disruption of the normal differentiation program can lead to diverse disorders. Caspase-1, the first identified member of the caspase family, regulates differentiation in various cell types such as Th17 cells and adipocytes. However, the contribution of caspase-1 in monocyte-macrophage differentiation remains elusive. Here we report that caspase-1 is significantly downregulated in leukemia cells from patients with acute monocytic leukemia. By using the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced cell differentiation model, we found that caspase-1 activation was required for the differentiation of human monocytes to macrophages. Further analysis of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ ( PPARγ) protein levels revealed that the monocyte-macrophage differentiation program could be divided into two stages. Caspase-1-mediated downregulation of PPARγ was important in the late stage of monocyte-macrophage differentiation; however, PPARγ protein levels had little effect on the early stage differentiation. Accumulation of PPARγ protein by troglitazone treatment potently suppressed the late stage of macrophage differentiation, which might be linked to inhibition of nuclear factor-κB activity. The data provide a plausible mechanistic basis by which caspase-1 promotes the differentiation of macrophages from monocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To boost the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of pristine NiFe-layered double hydroxides (LDH), the NiFe-LDH/Mo-doped graphitic carbon nitride (NiFe-LDH/MoCN) heterojunction was synthesized herein through hydrothermal method. The establishment of built-in electric field in NiFe-LDH/MoCN heterojunction enhanced the electrochemical oxidation activities towards both seawater splitting and methanol oxidation, via the improving electrocatalyst surface wettability and conductivity. Almost 10-fold enhancement of turnover frequency (TOF) and electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) than pure NiFe-LDH implied more active sites to participate in catalytic reactions via Mo doping and the formation of heterostructure. Moreover, the local charge redistribution demonstrated in the NiFe-LDH/MoCN interface region may favor the adsorption of methanol and OH− in the seawater. The present work may expound the strong coupling interaction and the establishment of built-in electric field in the interface between NiFe-LDH and semiconductor to enhance both methanol oxidation and seawater oxidation for NiFe-LDH. [Display omitted] • The bifunctional NiFe-LDH/MoCN electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation and seawater oxidation. • Via built-in electric field, the catalyst exhibited excellent activity on OER and MOR. • ECSA and TOF for NiFe-LDH/MoCN were 10 times higher than NiFe-LDH. • The surface wettability and conductivity were improved by establishing built-in electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia activation and neuroinflammation are critically involved in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Patients with neurodegenerative disorders often suffer memory impairment and currently there is no effective treatment for inflammation-led memory impairment. Trans -cinnamaldehyde (TCA) isolated from medicinal herb Cinnamomum cassia has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory capability. However, the potential of TCA to be used to improve memory impairment under neuroinflammation has not been explored. Primary microglia stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to evaluate the potential anti-neuroinflammatory effects of TCA by examining the production of nitric oxide (NO), expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), pro-inflammatory cytokines, and activation of MAPKs. A mouse model of LPS-induced memory impairment was established to assess the neuroprotective effects of TCA against memory deficit and synaptic plasticity inhibition by both behavioral tests and electrophysiological recordings. TCA pretreatment decreased LPS-induced morphological changes, NO production and IL-1β release in primary microglia. Decreased NO production was due to the accelerated degradation of iNOS mRNA in LPS-stimulated microglia through TCA's inhibitory effect on MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. TCA was able to reduce the levels of iNOS and phosphorylated ERK1/2 in hippocampus of mice challenged with LPS. Most importantly, TCA significantly lessened memory deficit and improved synaptic plasticity in LPS-challenged mice. This study demonstrates that TCA suppressed microglial activation by destabilizing iNOS mRNA, which leads to improved memory impairment in mice suffering neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is an essential DNA virus sensor that triggers type I interferon (IFN) signaling by producing cGAMP to initiate antiviral immunity. However, post-translational regulation of cGAS remains largely unknown. We report that K48-linked ubiquitination of cGAS is a recognition signal for p62-depdendent selective autophagic degradation. The induction of TRIM14 by type I IFN accelerates cGAS stabilization by recruiting USP14 to cleave the ubiquitin chains of cGAS at lysine (K) 414. Knockout of TRIM14 impairs herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-triggered antiviral responses in a cGAS-dependent manner. Due to impaired type I IFN production, Trim14 − /− mice are highly susceptible to lethal HSV-1 infection. Taken together, our findings reveal a positive feedback loop of cGAS signaling generated by TRIM14-USP14 and provide insights into the crosstalk between autophagy and type I IFN signaling in innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries of electric vehicles, Cu 2+ /Nb 5+ co-doped TiNb 2 O 7 is studied. Cu 0.02 Ti 0.94 Nb 2.04 O 7 is successfully fabricated using a facile solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction analyses combined with Rietveld refinements demonstrate that the trace Cu 2+ /Nb 5+ co-doping does not destroy the shear ReO 3 crystal structure of TiNb 2 O 7 but increases the lattice parameters and unit cell volume. Specific surface area tests and scanning electron microscopy images reveal a smaller average particle size in Cu 0.02 Ti 0.94 Nb 2.04 O 7 . Due to the increased unit cell volume and free 3d electrons in Cu 2+ ions, the Li + -ion diffusion coefficient and electronic conductivity of Cu 0.02 Ti 0.94 Nb 2.04 O 7 are respectively enhanced by 14.8 times and at least 220 times. Consequently, Cu 0.02 Ti 0.94 Nb 2.04 O 7 exhibits advanced electrochemical properties in terms of specific capacity, rate capability and cyclic stability. At 0.1 C, it delivers a large first-cycle discharge/charge capacity of 346/315 mAh g −1 . At 10 C, it still provides a large capacity of 182 mAh g −1 with tiny loss of only 1.2% over 1000 cycles. In sharp contrast, TiNb 2 O 7 shows a small capacity of only 90 mAh g −1 and large loss of 59.8%. Therefore, Cu 0.02 Ti 0.94 Nb 2.04 O 7 possesses great potential for the application in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mixed mode I/III fracture toughness of thermal-treated diorite was evaluated. • Acoustic emission signals were monitored during the fracture of ENDB specimens. • The morphology of the fracture surface of thermal-treated ENDB specimens was studied. • The damage factor for thermal-treated rock was determined based on the P-wave velocity. Rock fracture after high temperature is always a hot topic in the field of rock engineering. However, the mixed mode I/III fracture characteristics of thermal-treated rocks have rarely been reported previously. In this paper, edge-notched disc bend (ENDB) specimens were used to study the mixed mode I/III fracture properties of diorite under different temperatures (25 ℃, 100 ℃, 200 ℃, 400 ℃, and 600 ℃). The P-wave velocities were measured before and after heating, and acoustic emission (AE) signals during fracture were monitored. Furtherly, the fractal dimension was calculated by the box-counting method to quantitatively describe the roughness of the fracture surface. The results showed that the fracture toughness of diorite is significantly affected by the temperature at each mode mixity. When the temperature rises from 25 ℃ to 200 ℃, the fracture toughness at pure mode I is more sensitive to temperature. For the specimens heated under 600 ℃, the reduction in fracture toughness at pure mode III is greater than that at mode I. The AE active period of diorite increases with the increase of temperature, indicating that the brittleness of diorite is weakened by high temperature. Moreover, for pure mode I fracture, the influence of temperature on the fractal dimension is limited. When mode III load is introduced, the fractal dimension is more obviously affected by the temperature and the fractal dimension increases with the increase of temperature. The findings provide new insights into the mechanism of mixed mode I/III fracture in heat-treated rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzbromarone (BM) is a potent URAT1 inhibitor approved for the treatment of gout. However, the low URAT1-selectivity and hepatotoxcity limit its clinical use. To solve these problems, we rationally designed and synthesized a series of BM derivatives by chemotype hybridization and bioisosteric replacement. Most compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activities against URAT1 with IC 50 values ranging from 5.83 μM to 0.80 μM. Among them, JNS4 exhibited the highest URAT1 inhibitory activity with an IC 50 of 0.80 μM, comparable to that of BM (IC 50 = 0.53 μM). Molecular dynamic simulations showed that JNS4 formed π-cation interaction with R477, the same as BM. Different from BM, JNS4 bound to W357 and H245 via π-π interactions and formed a hydrogen bond with S35, which might contribute to the high URAT1 binding affinity of JNS4. JNS4 hardly inhibited GLUT9 (IC 50 > 20 μM), another urate reabsorption transporter. In addition, JNS4 showed little inhibitory effects against OAT1 and ABCG2 with IC 50 of 4.04 μM and 10.16 μM, respectively. Importantly, JNS4 displayed higher in vivo urate-lowering effects at doses of 1–4 mg/kg in a mouse model of hyperuricemia, as compared to BM and lesinurad. Furthermore, JNS4 possessed favorable pharmacokinetic properties with an oral bioavailability of 55.28%, significantly higher than that of BM (36.11%). Moreover, JNS4 demonstrated benign toxicity profiles (no cytotoxicities against HepG2 and HK2 cells; no hepatic and renal toxicities observed in vivo). Collectively, these results suggest that JNS4 represents a novel, safe and selective URAT1 inhibitor with excellent druggabilities and is worthy of further investigation as an anti -hyperuricemic agent. [Display omitted] • Novel benzbromarone (BM) analogs were discovered as an anti -hyperuricemic agents. • JNS4 showed the highest URAT1 inhibitory activity with IC 50 of 0.80 μM. • JNS4 displayed higher in vivo urate-lowering efficacy than BM and lesinurad. • JNS4 demonstrated an oral bioavailability of 55.28%, better than BM (36.11%). • JNS4 exhibited benign toxicity profiles with little/no hepato-/nephron-toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), originating from the bile ducts, is the second most common primary liver malignancy, and its incidence has recently increased. H2A.Z, a highly conserved H2A variant, is emerging as a key regulatory molecule in cancer. However, its underlying mechanism of action in ICC cells remains unclear.  METHODS: Here, we examined the expression of H2A.Z and SFRP1 in normal intrahepatic cholangiocytes, ICC cell lines, ICC tissue microarrays, and fresh specimens. The correlations between H2A.Z or SFRP1 expression and clinical features were analysed. The overall survival rate was analysed based on H2A.Z and SFRP1 expression. Immunoprecipitation was used to analyse the recruitment of KDM1A, and ChIP sequencing and BSP were used to analyse the enrichment of methylation-related molecules such as H3K4me1 and H3K4me2 in the SFRP1 promoter and reveal the underlying mechanisms. Knockdown and rescue experiments were used to determine the potential mechanism by which H2A.Z and SFRP1 promote tumorigenesis in vitro.Results: We showed that upregulation of H2A.Z expression is linked to downregulation of SFRP1 expression in ICC tissues and poor overall survival in patients with ICC. H2A.Z interacted with KDM1A in the nucleus to bind to the -151 ~ -136 bp region upstream of the SFRP1 promoter to increase its demethylation in ICC cells. Functionally, H2A.Z silencing inhibited the proliferation and invasion of ICC cells, and these effects were mitigated by SFRP1 silencing in ICC cells.Conclusions: Our findings reveal that H2A.Z inhibits SFRP1 expression through chromatin modification in the context of ICC by forming a complex with KDM1A in the nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Size effect on the unstable fracture toughness of quartz-diorite rock is investigated based on the analytical method. • Unstable fracture toughness of rock specimen increases with the increase of specimen depth. • Unstable fracture toughness will converge to the size-independent fracture toughness of Bažant's size effect model. • Unstable fracture toughness changes with the alteration of initial normalized crack length. • Specimen depth and boundary affect the rock unstable fracture toughness. In this paper, an analytical method was introduced to investigate the size effect on the unstable fracture toughness of fine-grained quartz-diorite. The analytical method can predict the axial load, crack mouth opening displacement, and crack resistance curve of the three-point bend specimen when the elastic modulus, tensile strength, fracture energy, and initial fracture toughness are given. Mode I fracture tests were conducted on the three-point bend specimen with five different depths to acquire these parameters. And, the effectiveness of the analytical method was validated by the experimental results. The analytical method is then utilized to compute the unstable fracture toughness of three-point bend specimens with different sizes and normalized initial crack lengths. The results reveal that unstable fracture toughness is a size-dependent parameter that first increases and then remains unchanged with the increase of the specimen size. The nominal stress follows Bažant's size effect law and the unstable fracture toughness will converge to the size-independent mode I fracture toughness obtained by Bažant's size effect model with the increase of specimen depth. Furthermore, for the specimen with a small depth, unstable fracture toughness decreases with the increase in normalized initial crack length, which further illustrates the boundary effect on the unstable fracture toughness of rock specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that biomechanical and structural properties of tumor tissues are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of tumors such as Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although there are many studies on the characterization of biomechanical properties of HCC at the cellular level, limited information is known from in vitro studies. Here, tissue samples from 14 patients diagnosed with HCC were analyzed. Indentation tests showed the instantaneous shear modulus and long-term shear modulus of the HCC tissue were 1.19 ± 0.86 kPa and 0.29 ± 0.25 kPa, respectively. The volume fraction of collagen fibers estimated by analyzing the histology images was positively correlated with either instantaneous shear modulus (r = 0.64, p = 0.016) or long-term shear modulus (r = 0.76, p = 0.002). Diffusion-weighted images with 13b-values were also collected and the diffusivity from Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) and Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) models were 1.09 ± 0.47 ∙ 10-3 mm2/s and 2.06 ± 0.83∙10-3 mm2/s, respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed between long-term shear modulus and the diffusivity estimated from IVIM (r = 0.600, p = 0.026). The shifted apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) estimated based on b = 600 and 2000 s/mm2 was negatively correlated with both instantaneous shear modulus (r = -0.745, p = 0.003) and long-term shear modulus (r = -0.591, p = 0.029). In addition, the diffusivity and non-Gaussian Kurtosis parameters estimated at different b values showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.675, p = 0.010). Results revealed the close relationships between the structural and biomechanical properties of HCC tissue. The interrelation of diffusion and biomechanical properties are not only crucial for HCC characterization but could also provide helpful information for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel solid-phase method has been proposed to prepare a nanosilica-supported antioxidant by the reaction of nanosilica with 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) and silane coupling agent γ-chloropropyltriethoxysilane. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and other characterization methods confirmed that MB was chemically bonded onto the surface of nanosilica. Silica-s-MB was homogeneously dispersed in a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) matrix with strong filler-rubber interaction, leading to enhanced mechanical performance of SBR/silica-s-MB composites compared with SBR/m-silica composites. Based on the results of thermo-oxidation testing of SBR/silica-s-MB and SBR/m-silica/MB composites containing equivalent antioxidant component, silica-s-MB showed better antioxidative efficiency than the corresponding low-molecular-weight MB owing to its lower migration and volatility at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The accumulation of supraspecific lineages in Asia has been linked to climatic changes and tectonic events starting in the Miocene, but few studies have extended the intraspecific history of relict plants in subtropical China back to the Early or Middle Miocene. In this study, we investigate the effects of events from the late Early Miocene onwards on the evolutionary history of a relict plant, Cyclocarya paliurus, in subtropical China. Location Subtropical China. Methods Sequence variation in two chloroplast intergenic spacers ( atpB -rbcL and psbA -trnH) and one nuclear gene ( PHYA) was investigated across 57 populations of C. paliurus. Standard population genetic analyses, estimation of the most recent common ancestor of chloroplast haplotypes and diversification rate analyses were carried out, and Bayesian skyline plots were constructed. Results The time to the most recent common ancestor of all 17 chloroplast haplotypes in C. paliurus was 16.69 Ma (95% HPD 8.42-27.86 Ma), which largely coincides with the initial intensification of the Asian monsoon and global climate cooling during the Early to Middle Miocene. Chloroplast lineage diversification started to increase in the early Late Miocene, with peaks at c. 9.6 Ma and c. 3.6 Ma, corresponding temporally to two subsequent intensification events of the Asian monsoon. Bayesian skyline plots of both markers revealed that C. paliurus could have experienced at least two waves of expansion since the middle Pleistocene. The distributions of chlorotypes and clades were both consistent with a multiple-refugia model but with strong signals of range expansion. Main conclusions This study provides a long evolutionary profile of an archaic plant species in subtropical China, dating from the late Early Miocene. Our results suggest that the occurrence of the Asian monsoon and associated tectonic events, as well as Pleistocene climate changes, had a pervasive influence on the phylogeographical structure of plants in subtropical China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five iso-nitrogenous (crude protein 32 %) and iso-energetic (gross energy 15 MJ kg) practical diets were formulated by totally replacing fish oil (FO) with soybean oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO), linseed oil (LO) and pork lard (PL), respectively. These diets were fed to triplicate groups of 30 gift tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) (mean initial weight 9 g). Fish were fed three times a day for 8 weeks at 26.5 ± 2.5 °C. The results showed that the replacement of FO with RO or LO or PL in tilapia diets did not affect growth or feed utilization. Fish fed SO exhibited lower specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio, and higher feed conversion ratio. The lowest hepatosomatic index, hepatopancreas lipid content, hepatopancreas malondialdehyde contents, lipoprotein lipase and malate dehydrogenase activities in liver were observed in fish fed FO, LO and RO. Fish fed FO or LO exhibited higher aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase activities in liver and higher total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase and alkaline phosphatase activities in serum, but the values of these parameters were lower in fish fed PL in comparison with the other groups. This study showed that alternative lipid sources could be used successfully in tilapia diets except for SO. Total replacement of dietary fish oil by linseed oil could be possible without adverse effects on fish health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) sources on growth performance and tissue Se retention in yellow chicks fed a conventional corn-soybean meal basal diet. A total of 2250 one-day-old chicks were fed a Se-unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet (containing 0.10 mg of Se/kg) for six days, and then chicks were assigned by body weight to 1 of 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 75 birds each floor pen in a completely randomized design. Broilers were fed the basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg of Se from sodium selenite, Nano elemental Se, Se yeast A or B for 10 days. The results showed that Se sources did not significantly (P> 0.52) affect growth performance. Se sources significantly affected (P< 0.05) Se concentrations in liver and breast muscle, in which chicks fed the diet supplemented with Se yeast B had higher (P< 0.05) tissue Se concentrations than those fed the diet supplemented with sodium selenite or Nano elemental Se. No differences (P> 0.66) were observed in liver and breast muscle Se concentrations among sodium selenite, Nano elemental Se and Se yeast A. Therefore, the new procedure used in this experiment could detect the differences of the effectiveness among Se sources, and Se yeast B was the most effective Se source for yellow broiler chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Crack resistance curves of heat-treated marble were tested using notched semi-circular bend specimens. • Digital image correlation method was used to analyze the crack propagation of marble specimens. • Thermal effects on the crack resistance curves and fracture process zone of marble were analyzed and discussed. The crack resistance curve is widely used to describe the complete fracture process of quasi-brittle materials. In the paper, the crack resistance curves of thermally treated marble were tested through the notched semi-circular bend specimens. The acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques were used to monitor the fracture behaviors of the specimens during the test. The AE results indicated that the crack will initiate from the notch when the axial load is less than the peak load. And, when the axial load reaches the peak load, the DIC results demonstrated that there exists a large fracture process zone (FPZ) in front of the crack notch. The effect crack length was calculated by the compliance method, which is coincided with the DIC results. The amplitude of the crack resistance curves decreases with the increase of treatment temperature, which suggested that the fracture resistance of the specimen declines due to thermal treatment. Based on the K-resistance curves, the initial fracture toughness, unstable fracture toughness, and fracture toughness when FPZ is fully formed have been determined for the thermally treated specimens. The results showed that these parameters both decrease in the increase of treatment temperature. Moreover, The FPZ length first increases and then decreases with the increase of normalized crack length and the critical and maximum non-dimensional FPZ length tends to increase with the increase in treatment temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In geothermal energy extraction research, fractal fracture toughness measurements of high-temperature rocks during hydraulic fracturing have yet to be investigated but are crucial for hot dry rock reservoir reconstruction. In this paper, real-time high-temperature hydraulic fracturing tests at different injection flow rates were performed using thick-walled hollow cubic granite specimens with pre-crack. By introducing fractal theory, the fractal dimension was deployed to describe the tortuous morphology of the hydraulic fracture surface before establishing a fracture toughness theoretical model under fractal fracture. Acoustic emission events were monitored during fracturing, the effect of temperature and rate on the microstructure of the hydraulic fracture surface was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after fracturing. Finally, the effect of temperature and rate on hydraulic fracture characteristics and the correlation between fractal and fracture toughness were discussed. Experimental results showed that the fractal fracture toughness decreased with increasing specimen temperature and decreasing injection flow rate. As with other fracture characteristics such as breakdown pressure, fractal dimension, and microstructure, it was not governed by either temperature or rate alone, but was facilitated by the coupling of both factors, which could be explained by the thermal shock of high-temperature rock exposed to fracturing fluids. The results of fractal fracture toughness were greater than linear fracture toughness, which is attributed to greater fracture energy consumption due to mineral grains separation and micro-crack development associated with fractal fracture compared to linear fracture. This also indicated that fractal fracture toughness conformed favourably to the essence of rock fracture. These results can provide novel insights on the fracture mechanism of hydraulically fractured thermal reservoir at different injection flow rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of advanced electrocatalytic materials is the crucial technology in electrolytic water to produce clean hydrogen energy. Herein, we have developed a highly efficient and stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 @CNFs hybrid material, which obtained by sulfur vapor assisted graphitization of Mo/Ti 3 C 2 @PAN precursor. Conductive Ti 3 C 2 MXene and carbon nanofiber (CNFs) were applied to construct the "plane-line" skeleton structure to effectively prevent the stacking of Ti 3 C 2 flakes, increase the loading content of MoS 2 , enlarge the exposure active edge sites of MoS 2 and accelerate charger transfer of MoS 2. MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 @CNFs exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and high stability in HER compared to pure MoS 2 and MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 nanostructure. The excellent performance of MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 @CNFs in HER is attributed to the special characteristics of the skeleton structure and the strong interface coupling between MoS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 MXene. Our findings provide a viable approach for designing advanced nanostructures for catalysis, electronic devices, and other potential applications. [Display omitted] • A kind of MXene matrix material with fiber skeleton is constructed. • The fiber skeleton can be used as a synergistic carrier of molybdenum disulfide. • The chemical coupling of the loading interface gives the material high chemical stability. • MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 @CNFs exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity with a small overpotential and Tafel slope of 113 mV·dec−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel type of rubber antioxidant, silica-supported 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (SiO 2 -s-MB), was prepared by reacting 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) with chlorosilane-modified silica (m-SiO 2 ). Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, XPS and TGA confirmed that MB was chemically bonded onto the surfaces of silica particles. SEM observation showed that SiO 2 -s-MB was homogeneously dispersed in the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) matrix. Based on the measurement of oxidation induction time (OIT) of SBR/SiO 2 -s-MB and SBR/m-SiO 2 /MB composites containing equivalent antioxidant components, it was found that the antioxidative efficiency of SiO 2 -s-MB was superior to that of the corresponding low molecular MB. By determining the changes of tensile strength, elongation at break and crosslinking density of SBR composites during long-term accelerated aging, it was shown that the thermal oxidative stability of SBR/SiO 2 -s-MB composites was much higher than that of SBR/m-SiO 2 /MB composites. Furthermore, the color contamination, migration and volatility of SiO 2 -s-MB were lower than those of MB, indicating that SiO 2 -s-MB is environmentally friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the prevalence, species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium in goats from Guangdong Province, Hubei Province, Shandong Province, and Shanghai City of China. Six hundred and four fecal samples were collected from twelve goat farms, and the overall infection rate was 11.4% (69/604). Goats infected with Cryptosporidium were found in eleven farms across four provincial areas, and the infection rate ranged from 2.9% (1/35) to 25.0% (9/36). Three Cryptosporidium species were identified. Cryptosporidium xiaoi (45/69, 65.2%) was the dominant species, followed by C. parvum (14/69, 20.3%) and C. ubiquitum (10/69, 14.5%). The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was varied with host age and goat kids were more susceptible to be infected than adult goats. Subtyping C. parvum and C. ubiquitum positive samples revealed C. parvum subtype IIdA19G1 and C. ubiquitum subtype XIIa were the most common subtypes. Other C. parvum subtypes were detected as well, such as IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1, IIaA15G2R1 and IIaA17G2R1. All of these subtypes have also been detected in humans, suggesting goats may be a potential source of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. This was the first report of C. parvum subtypes IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1 and IIaA17G2R1 infecting in goats and the first molecular identification of C. parvum and its subtypes in Chinese goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanomaterials and boron nitride nanomaterials have been proved to be very potential for biomedical applications. However, as an analog of them, boron carbonitride nanomaterials are rarely reported in biomedical field. In this study, the fabrication of visible light-responsive boron carbonitride nanoplates (BCNNPs) and their application in photodynamic therapy and chemo therapy were demonstrated. BCNNPs with an average size of 46 nm were fabricated via hydrogen peroxide treatment from bulk BCN. Cytotoxicity tests showed that the as-prepared BCNNPs are biocompatible and have no cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells and human hepatocyte carcinoma cells. After conjunction with doxorubicin and folic acid, the BCNNPs were adopted as a targeted drug carrier, presenting pH-responsive release and tumor-targeting property for chemo therapy. Moreover, under certain intensity of visible light irradiation (45 mW/cm2), the BCNNPs can generate reactive oxygen species including superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen, so that synergistic photodynamic/chemo therapy effects were achieved. This work may be a groundbreaking discovery for utilizing BCNNPs as photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and drug carrier for chemo therapy. [Display omitted] • Successful fabrication of BCNNPs via H 2 O 2 oxidation. • BCNNPs can generate ROS including ·OH, 1O 2 , ·O 2 −. • Good in vitro photodynamic therapy ability of BCNNPs. • Excellent synergetic photodynamic/chemo therapy effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve simultaneous environment protecting, high-efficiency rubber antioxidant is still an enormous and long-term challenge in green rubber industry. Hence, a novel biomass antioxidant (denoted as silica-s-TP) was obtained by silica supported with green tea polyphenols exhibited prominent anti-aging functionality. Silica-s-TP hybrid particles were uniformly dispersed in rubber matrix with remarkable interfacial interaction, and the high-efficiency free radical capturing activity was stem from the construction of polyphenol structure on silica surface. Therefore, silica-s-TP brought to simultaneously enhance the performance of anti-aging property of SBR composites and surpass the achievements of the commercial antioxidants. Interesting, the biomass antioxidant silica-s-TP exhibited remarkable free radical-scavenging activities and stability in SBR matrix than the TP directly added in SBR matrix, due to the chemical anchor TP on silica surface. Such clay surface treatment technology with natural antioxidant may also bring to a new path for the preparation of green and eco-friendly functionalization rubber additives. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic kinetic resolution of alcohols (I) with 4-chlorophenyl valerate as acyl donor proceeds in the presence of Novozym 435 and sulfated TiO2 as nano solid super acidic racemization catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium (Mg) based alloys are the most advanced cardiovascular stent materials. This new generation of stent scaffold is currently under clinical evaluation with encouraging outcomes. All these Mg alloys contain a certain amount of rare earth (RE) elements though the exact composition is not yet disclosed. RE alloying can usually enhance the mechanical strength of different metal alloys but their toxicity might be an issue for medical applications. It is still unclear how RE elements will affect the magnesium (Mg) alloys intended for stent materials as a whole. In this study, we evaluated MgZnCaY-1RE, MgZnCaY-2RE, MgYZr-1RE, and MgZnYZr-1RE alloys for cardiovascular stents applications regarding their mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, hemolysis, platelet adhesion/activation, and endothelial biocompatibility. The mechanical properties of all alloys were significantly improved. Potentiodynamic polarization showed that the corrosion resistance of four alloys was at least 3–10 times higher than that of pure Mg control. Hemolysis test revealed that all the materials were non-hemolytic while little to moderate platelet adhesion was found on all materials surface. No significant cytotoxicity was observed in human aorta endothelial cells cultured with magnesium alloy extract solution for up to seven days. Direct endothelialization test showed that all the alloys possess significantly better capability to sustain endothelial cell attachment and growth. The results demonstrated the promising potential of these alloys for stent material applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel co-precipitation and annealing route to the large-quantity synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), using amorphous boron powder, iron nitrate nonahydrate (Fe(NO3)3·9H2O) and urea (CO(NH2)2) as the raw materials, was demonstrated. An intermediate Fe(OH)3·B was firstly prepared through a co-precipitation process and then annealed in flowing ammonia atmosphere at 1200 °C. It was found that the heat treatment at 800 °C during the annealing process could favor the growth of BNNTs. The BNNTs had an average diameter of 70 nm and possessed bamboo and quasi-cylindrical structures. The annealing temperature greatly affected the formation of BNNTs. Only BN particles could be obtained at lower temperature (e.g. 1100 °C), whereas thorn-like nanosheet-decorated BNNTs were fabricated at higher temperature (e.g. 1300 °C). A combination mechanism of solid–liquid–solid (SLS) and vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) model was suggested to be responsible for the growth of BNNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]