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Magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) have great potential applications for diagnostics, imaging and therapy. We developed a facile polyol method to synthesize multifunctional Fe3O4@CeF3:Tb@CeF3 NPs with small size (＜20 nm), high water solubility and good biocompatibility. The NPs were modified by ligand exchange reactions with citric acid (CA) to obtain carboxyl-functionalized NPs (Fe3O4@CeF3:Tb@CeF3–COOH). Folic acid (FA) as an affinity ligand was then covalently conjugated onto NPs to yield Fe3O4@CeF3:Tb@CeF3–FA NPs. They were then applied as multimodal imaging agents for simultaneous in vitro targeted fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of HeLa cells with overexpressed folate receptors (FR). The results indicated that these NPs had strong luminescence and enhanced T2-weighted MR contrast and would be promising candidates as multimodal probes for both fluorescence and MRI imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At present, there are few components that can be reused directly to construct a new software system. In order to meet the requirement of the application environment, component need be modified before its reuse. For the different kinds of users, component modification can be occurred in the interface and the implementation. This paper presents a mechanism of component modification to the application environment. At first, the component description specification for modification is defined. Then for the interface modification and the implementation modification, the corresponding modification modes based on specification are proposed. Finally, modification method and related support process are presented. With the help of the proposed modification mechanism of component, the users can modify component regularly and effectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Component reuse is a key technology to improve software quality and software productivity. Test reuse is an important part of component reuse. In order to facilitate component testing and reuse, it is necessary to manage component test information systemically. This paper presents a management framework of component test information. At first, the component model is extended for test information management. Then the description and classification of component test information is presented. Based on the fuzzy theory and Analytical Hierarchy Process method, the verification and evaluation method for test information are proposed. Finally, our management framework of component test information is presented. As the effective support of component testing platform, our management framework will be helpful for component developers, reusers and the third party. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The laser-clad nickel-base superalloy Ni35 powder is tested on Q235 steel by YLS-3000 fiber laser. Under other conditions, the defocus amount (30 mm and 50 mm) is changed to observe the effect of it to the mechanical heat stability of the cladding layer. Compared with the substrate, the cladding layer formed by laser cladding exhibits better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance as a whole. The mixed morphology of the cladding layer and the matrix is similar to "mushroom shape"; With the defocus amount increasing, the fusion angle α between the cladding layer and the substrate is increased, and the microstructure becomes more refined, thereby the hardness of the cladding layer is increased, and the corrosion resistance is enhanced. After heat treatment to 600 °C, the crystal grains are further refined, and both the maximum and the average hardness of the cladding layer are increased. The cladding layer exhibits favorable stability. The cladding layers at 30 mm and 50 mm defocusing exhibit good mechanical thermal stability, corrosion resistance, and high temperature adaptability. The cladding layer with high defocusing performance is superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hourly concentration of six criteria air pollutants in the Harbin-Changchun region were used to investigate the status and spatiotemporal variation of target air pollutants and their relationships with meteorological factors. The annual concentrations of particulate matters during 2013–2017 were two times higher than the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) Grade Ⅱ. The annual O 3 concentration increased by two times during 2013–2018 in Harbin. The concentration of PM, SO 2 , NO 2 , and CO depicted a similar seasonal trend with an order of winter > autumn > spring > summer. The consistent interannual variation trends of PM 2.5 /CO, NO 2 and SO 2 indicated that the formation of secondary inorganic aerosols in the annual scale was dominated by the concentrations of NO 2 and SO 2. The interannual variations of the individual meteorological factors causing on PM 2.5 and O 3 during 2013–2018 varied significantly in seasonal scale. The interannual variations were stable in annual scale indicating that the continuous decline of PM 2.5 during 2014–2018 can be attributed to the comprehensive and strict prohibition of small coal-fired boilers and straw burning in the study area. Meanwhile, the increase in O 3 during 2013–2018 in the study area were mainly attributed to the rapid growth of the emission of its precursor (VOCs and NOx). The influence of meteorology on PM 2.5 and ozone were the most stable and strongest in winter than that in the other three seasons. Image 1 • The annual O 3 concentration has increased by two times during 2013–2018 in Harbin. • The dominant source of SO 2 was attributed to the point sources. • Strongest influence of meteorology on PM 2.5 /O 3 was found in winter. • Temperature was the key factor with strong influence on air pollutants. The characteristics of criteria air pollutants and their causal relationship with individual meteorological factors were comprehensively understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Periprosthetic osteolysis can lead to aseptic loosening of components, massive bone loss that renders revision surgery substantially more complex. Recent researches had been demonstrated the biological cascade of events that was initiated by particulate debris and involved in proinflammatory cytokine production and osteoclastogenesis, finally resulted in periprosthetic bone loss. Recent advances in our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms of periprosthetic bone loss had highlighted cytokine release and osteoclasts function controlled by numerous intracellular signaling pathway, one of which was TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) binding FGF-inducible molecule 14 (Fn14). TWEAK and/or Fn14 inhibition can diminish joint inflammation, synovial angiogenesis, as well as cartilage and bone erosion. At present there were no approved nonoperative treatments for periprosthetic osteolysis. Specific inhibition or blockade of signaling pathway, however, may be one of potential methods to treat periprosthetic osteolysis. As the implant interface cells were located in the closed joint space, intra-articular injection of some proteins or antibodies to block TWEAK/Fn14 signaling pathway was accessible as local administration to avoid systemic side effect. We hypothesized that local administration of some proteins or antibodies to block TWEAK/Fn14 signaling pathway could inhibit wear particles-induced inflammatory osteolysis. In our opinion, specific signaling pathway blockage may be with promising future prospects for effective therapeutic interventions in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturated fatty acids with different chain lengths have different biological activities, but little is known about very-long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLCSFAs). This study investigated the associations between the circulating VLCSFAs and cardiovascular health. This community-based cohort study included 2198 adults without carotid artery plaques (CAPs) at baseline. The percentage of baseline erythrocyte VLCSFA (arachidic acid (C20:0), behenic acid (C22:0), and lignoceric acid (C24:0)) was measured by gas chromatography. The presence of CAPs was determined at baseline and every 3 years thereafter by ultrasound examination. A meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the pooled associations between circulating VLCSFAs and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). During a median of 7.2 years of follow-up, 573 women (35.1%) and 281 men (49.6%) were identified as CAP incident cases. VLCSFAs were inversely related with CAP risk in women (all p-trend <0.05) but not in men. Multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CAPs for the highest (vs. lowest) quartile were 0.80 (0.63–1.01) for C20:0, 0.71 (0.56–0.89) for C22:0, 0.75 (0.59–0.94) for C24:0, and 0.69 (0.55–0.87) for total VLCSFAs in women. The pooled HRs (95% CIs) of CVDs for the highest (vs. lowest) circulating VLCSFAs from seven studies including 8592 participants and 3172 CVD events were 0.67 (0.57–0.79) for C20:0, 0.66 (0.48–0.90) for C22:0, and 0.57 (0.42–0.79) for C24:0, respectively. Our findings suggested that circulating VLCSFAs were inversely associated with cardiovascular health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study examined the association between healthy lifestyle score (HLS), which contained 7 items (smoking, BMI, physical activity, diet, alcohol, sleep and anxiety) and BMD. Results showed HLS was positively associated with BMD at all studied sites, suggesting that healthier lifestyle patterns might be beneficial to bone health. Purpose: Previous studies have reported favourable associations of individual healthy lifestyle factors with bone mineral density (BMD), but limited evidence showed the relationship of a combined healthy lifestyle score (HLS) with BMD. This study examined the association between the HLS and BMD. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study included 3051 participants aged 40–75 years. The HLS contained 7 items (smoking, BMI, physical activity, diet quality, alcohol intake, sleep and anxiety). BMD values of whole body (WB), lumbar spine 1–4 (L1–4), total hip (TH) and femur neck (FN) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: After adjusting for potential covariates, HLS was positively associated with BMD at all studied sites (P-trend < 0.01). The mean BMDs were 2.69% (WB), 5.62% (L1–4), 6.13% (TH) and 5.71% (FN) higher in participants with HLS of 6–7 points than in those with HLS of 0–2 points. The per 1 of 7 unit increase in the HLS was associated with increases of 7.63 (WB)–13.4 (TH) mg/cm2 BMD levels at all sites. These favourable associations tended to be more pronounced in men than in women. Among the 7 items, physical activity contributed most to the favourable associations, followed by BMI, non-smoking and diet; the other three items played little roles. Sensitivity analyses showed that the significant associations remained after excluding any one of the 7 components or excluding fracture subjects at all sites. Conclusion: Higher HLS was associated with greater BMD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese, suggesting that healthier lifestyle patterns might be beneficial to bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The use of methcathinone (MCAT), a psychostimulant drug that can lead to long-term health risks and executive dysfunction, increased to an alarming rate in recent years. Impairments in low-level executive function have been reported in substance use disorder. However, little empirical evidence is available regarding high-level executive function (e.g., problem solving), which may act as a risk factor for relapse. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate whether the problem-solving ability was altered in abstinent individuals with methcathinone use disorder (MCUD). Here, we tested fifty male MCUD individuals (short-term MCUD group: twenty-nine patients with MCAT use less than 3 years, long-term MCUD group: twenty-one patients with MCAT use longer than 3 years, which were split by medium years of drug use) and twenty-four well-matched healthy controls (HC) in the Tower of Hanoi task (TOH) to assess the impact of task difficulty on drug-related changes in problem-solving performance. We used several measures to characterize problem-solving performance: the number of mistakes made, the completion time of the task, and the thinking time before the first move. Results: In the low task difficulty condition, the MCUD group and HC group showed similar levels of mistakes and completion time, while in the high task difficulty condition, the MCUD group reported more mistakes (the mean number of mistakes in each trial: 1.41 ± 1.15 vs 0.79 ± 0.76, P = 0.019, Cohen's d = 0.635) and longer completion time in the task (the mean completion time in each trial: 45.83 ± 20.51 s vs 33.40 ± 15.10 s, P = 0.010, Cohen's d = 0.690) than the HC group. The thinking time before the first move did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.257). We further found that the long-term (more than 3 years) MCUD group made more mistakes than the short-term MCUD group and HC group, mainly in the highly difficult subtasks. The longer time than HCs was reported in the long-term MCUD group among high task difficulty of subtasks. In addition, there was a positive correlation between years of MCAT use and the number of mistakes made in high task difficulty TOH task (r = 0.326, P = 0.021). Conclusions: Chronic methcathinone use was associated with deficits in problem-solving performance, which depended on the degree of task difficulty. The impairment was more evident in the long-term (> 3 years) MCAT group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk for obesity-related disorders is proportional to the visceral region and had been observed to be highly related with impaired renal function. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate renal function impairment, according to sex, age, and different status of metabolic body composition. Methods: We retrospectively collected from the medical records the basic information and metabolic titers of Chinese adults (13,373 men and 10,175 women) who underwent health checkup from 2013 to 2016. The population was divided into four groups, according to metabolic body composition, including metabolic healthy norms-weight (MHNW), metabolic healthy obesity (MHO), metabolic unhealthy norms-weight (MUNW), and metabolic unhealthy obesity (MUO). The categorical data were compared among the groups and logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between metabolic body composition status and risk for renal function impairment. Results: Across all ages in both sexes, the odds ratios (OR) for renal function impairment were higher in the MHO, MUNW, and MUO groups than in the MHNW group, except for women <45 years old in the MUNW group. However, after adjustment, the trend was no longer significant in all groups under 45 years old. For individuals >45 years old, the relatively high risk for renal function impairment remained significantly associated with the MUNW group (OR 2.95, 95% CI 2.02–4.30 in men and OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.35–2.82 in women) and MUO group (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.82–3.00 in men and OR 2.67, 95% CI 2.04–3.48 in women). Conclusion: Impaired renal function was independently associated with the status of metabolic obesity. However, the trend was only observed in individuals >45 years old, with significant sex difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more modern processors have been supporting non-contiguous SIMD data accesses. However, translating such instructions has been overlooked in the Dynamic Binary Translation (DBT) area. For example, in the popular QEMU dynamic binary translator, guest memory instructions with strides are emulated by a sequence of scalar instructions, leaving a significant room for performance improvement when the SIMD instructions are available on the host machines. Structured loads/stores, such as VLDn/VSTn in ARM NEON, are one type of strided SIMD data access instructions. They are widely used in signal processing, multimedia, mathematical, and 2D matrix transposition applications. Efficient translation of such structured loads/stores is a critical issue when migrating ARM executables to other ISAs. However, it is quite challenging since not only the translation of structured loads/stores is not trivial, but also the mapping of SIMD registers between guest and host is complicated. This paper presents the design of translating structured loads/stores in DBT, including target code generation, efficient SIMD register mapping, and optimizations for reducing data permutations. Our proposed register mapping mechanisms and optimizations are not limited to handle structured loads/stores, they can be extended to deal with normal SIMD instructions. This paper evaluates how different factors affect the translation performance and code size. These factors include guest SIMD register length, strides, and use cases for structured loads. On a set of OpenCV benchmarks, our QEMU-based system has achieved a maximum speedup of 5.03x, with an average improvement of 2.87x. On a set of BLAS benchmarks, our system has obtained a maximum speedup of 2.22x and an average improvement of 1.78x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species of Orinus (Poaceae) are important alpine plants with a variety of phenotypic traits and potential usages in molecular breeding toward drought-tolerant forage crops. However, the genetic basis of evolutionary adaption and diversification in the genus is still unclear. In the present study, we obtained transcriptomes for the two most divergent species, O. thoroldii and O. kokonoricus , using the Illumina platform and de novo assembly. In total, we generated 23,029 and 24,086 unigenes with N50 values of 1188 and 1203 for O. thoroldii and O. kokonoricus respectively, and identified 19,005 pairs of putative orthologs between the two species of Orinus. For these orthologs, estimations of non-synonymous/synonymous substitution rate ratios indicated that 568 pairs may be under strongly positive selection (K a/ K s > 1), and Gene Ontogeny (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that significantly enriched pathways were in DNA repair and resistance to abiotic stress. Meanwhile, the divergence times of species between O. thoroldii and O. kokonoricus occurred 3.2 million years ago (Mya), and the recent evolutionary branch is an allotetraploid species, Cleistogenes songorica. We also detected a K s peak of ∼0.60 for Orinus. Additionally, we identified 188 pairs of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two species of Orinus , which were significantly enrich in stress resistance and lateral root development. Thus, we considered that the species diversification and evolutionary adaption of this genus was initiated by environmental selection, followed by phenotypic differentiation, finally leading to niche separation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folate-containing dextran ligand (FA-Dextran-DTPA) was synthesized by the incorporation of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and folate (FA) as a tumor-targeting group into dextran as a polymer carrier. This ligand was further reacted with gadolinium chloride to make a dextran gadolinium complex FA-Dextran-DTPA-Gd. The ligand and its gadolinium complex were characterized by H-NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis, average particle sizes and zeta potential, as well. In vitro properties including relaxivity, cytotoxicity assay, cellular uptake assay, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were also evaluated. Compared with Gd-DTPA, FA-Dextran-DTPA-Gd possessed obviously higher relaxation effectiveness and lower cytotoxicity to HeLa cells. FA-Dextran-DTPA-Gd had a high affinity to the H460 and MDA-MB-231 tumor cells and can be taken up selectively by these tumor cells. Moreover, FA-Dextran-DTPA-Gd showed enhanced signal intensities (SI) of MRI and enhanced the contrast of MR images of tumor cells. These results indicated that FA-Dextran-DTPA-Gd showed the potential as a tumor-targeting contrast agent in MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doped ordered cubic mesoporous carbons (N-OCMCs) are synthesized by a one-pot aqueous route from resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and applied as counter electrode (CE) materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The prepared N-OCMCs with ordered cubic mesoporous structure and large surface area offer appropriate electrolyte ions diffusion channels and abundant catalytically active sites for triiodide reduction. Moreover, the temperature dependence of nitrogen content and the nitrogen-doped types are demonstrated to play decisive roles in regulating the electrocatalytic activity of N-OCMC CEs and affecting the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs. The DSSCs based on the N-OCMC CEs achieve an optimum power conversion efficiency of 5.60%, as high as 86.7% of the cell based on the traditional Pt CE, due to that high N-doping amount, and particularly favorable pyridinic-N and graphtitic-N types promote the charge transport and transfer process of the carbon CE. The good catalytic performance could render N-OCMC as a cost-effective CE candidate to Pt in DSSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mesoporous carbon activated with HNO3 was demonstrated to be robust metal-free catalyst for direct dehydrogenation of propane without any auxiliary stream, exhibiting high selectivity and stability. The final propane conversion is 22.4% with stable propylene selectivity of 86.6% after 50hours. HNO3 activation introduces more basic oxygen groups than the pristine carbon, which is believed to be active site in the dehydrogenation process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The satellite RNA of Bamboo mosaic virus (satBaMV) contains on open reading frame for a 20-kDa protein that is flanked by a 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of 159 nucleotides (nt) and a 3′-UTR of 129 nt. A secondary structure was predicted for the 5′-UTR of satBaMV RNA, which folds into a large stem-loop (LSL) and a small stem-loop. Enzymatic probing confirmed the existence of LSL (nt 8–138) in the 5′-UTR. The essential cis-acting sequences in the 5′-UTR required for satBaMV RNA replication were determined by deletion and substitution mutagenesis. Their replication efficiencies were analyzed in Nicotiana benthamiana protoplasts and Chenopodium quinoa plants coinoculated with helper BaMV RNA. All deletion mutants abolished the replication of satBaMV RNA, whereas mutations introduced in most of the loop regions and stems showed either no replication or a decreased replication efficiency. Mutations that affected the positive-strand satBaMV RNA accumulation also affected the accumulation of negative-strand RNA; however, the accumulation of genomic and subgenomic RNAs of BaMV were not affected. Moreover, covariation analyses of natural satBaMV variants provide substantial evidence that the secondary structure in the 5′-UTR of satBaMV is necessary for efficient replication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] The rechargeable Zn-air battery plays vital roles in renewable energy storage and conversion, but the scarcity of highly efficient air cathode electrocatalysts severely hampers its commercial popularizing. Heteroatoms-doped carbon materials have attracted many interests, because the resulted dopants synergistic effect always brings about extraordinary electrocatalytic activities. Herein, a simple pyrolysis strategy of thiourea, phytic acid and graphene oxide was developed to prepare N, P and S tri-doped carbon nanosheets, featuring sheet structure with specific surface area of 479 m2 g−1 and sufficient dopants (3.78 at% N, 7.97 at% P, and 1.36 at% S). Benefiting from the dominated graphitic and pyridinic N moieties, as well as abundant P-C and S-C functional groups, all of which are desired active species for oxygen electrochemistry, the synthesized tri-doped carbon nanosheets exhibit superior oxygen reduction performance and enhanced oxygen evolution activity in alkaline electrolyte. As the air cathode electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries, the decreased charge–discharge potential gaps and robust cycling stability are observed, even superior to those of noble-metal Pt/C benchmarks. The interconnected porous architecture with high surface area, multiple active species, and significant electric conductivity capability are considered as main factors for the enhanced electrochemical activities of this tri-doped carbon material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a chronic disease that seriously threatens people's health and even their lives. Currently, there is no ideal drug without side effects for the treatment of CHD. Trichosanthis Pericarpium (TP) has been used for several years in the treatment of diseases associated with CHD. However, there is still a need for systematic research to unravel the pharmacodynamic substances and possible mechanism of TP in the treatment of coronary heart. The purpose of current study was to explore the pharmacodynamic substances and potential mechanisms of TP in the treatment of CHD via integrating network pharmacology with plasma pharmacochemistry and experimental validation. The effect of TP intervention in CHD was firstly assessed on high-fat diet combined with isoprenaline-induced CHD rats and H 2 O 2 -induced H9c2 cells, respectively. Then, the LC-MS was utilized to identify the absorbed components of TP in the plasma of CHD rats, and this was used to develop a network pharmacology prediction to obtain the possible active components and mechanisms of action. Molecular docking and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the interaction between TP and key targets. Subsequently, the efficacy of the active ingredients was investigated by in vitro cellular experiments, and their metabolic pathways in CHD rats were further analyzed. The effects of TP on amelioration of CHD were verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Plasma pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology screened six active components in plasma including apigenin, phenylalanine, quercetin, linoleic acid, luteolin, and tangeretin. The interaction of these compounds with potential key targets AKT1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and VEGFA were preliminarily verified by molecular docking. And immunohistochemical results showed that TP reduced the expression of AKT1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and VEGFA in CHD rat hearts. Then cellular experiments confirmed that apigenin, phenylalanine, quercetin, linoleic acid, luteolin, and tangeretin were able to reduce the ROS level in H 2 O 2 -induced HUVEC cells and promote the migration and tubule formation of HUVEC cells, indicating the pharmacodynamic effects of the active components. Meanwhile, the metabolites of TP in CHD rats suggested that the pharmacological effects of TP might be the result of the combined effects of the active ingredients and their metabolites. Our study found that TP intervention in CHD is characterized by multi-component and multi-target regulation. Apigenin, phenylalanine, linoleic acid, quercetin, luteolin, and tangeretin are the main active components of TP. TP could reduce inflammatory response and endothelial damage by regulating AKT1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and VEGFA, reduce ROS level to alleviate the oxidative stress situation and improve heart disease by promoting angiogenesis to regulate endothelial function. This study also provides an experimental and scientific basis for the clinical application and rational development of TP. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]