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Whole-genome shotgun reads were analyzed to determine the repeat sequence composition in the genome of black mustard, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch. The analysis showed that satellite DNA sequences are very abundant in the black mustard genome. The distribution pattern of 7 new tandem repeats (BnSAT13, BnSAT28, BnSAT68, BnSAT76, BnSAT114, BnSAT180, and BnSAT200) on black mustard chromosomes was visualized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The FISH signals of BnSAT13 and BnSAT76 provided useful cytogenetic markers; their position and fluorescence intensity allowed for unambiguous identification of all 8 somatic metaphase chromosomes. A karyotype showing the location and fluorescence intensity of these tandem repeat sequences together with the position of rDNAs and centromeric retrotransposons of Brassica (CRB) was constructed. The establishment of the FISH-based karyotype in B. nigra provides valuable information that can be used in detailed analyses of B. nigra accessions and derived allopolyploid Brassica species containing the B genome.

The ribosomal protein (RP)–MDM2 interaction is a p53 response pathway critical for preventing oncogenic c-MYC–induced tumorigenesis. To investigate whether the RP-MDM2-p53 pathway is a broad antioncogenic mechanism, we crossed mice bearing an MDM2C305F mutation, which disrupts RPL11 binding to MDM2, with mice expressing an oncogenic HrasG12V transgene. Interestingly, the MDM2C305F-mutant mice, which are hypersensitive to c-MYC–induced tumorigenesis, are not hypersensitive to oncogenic HrasG12V-induced tumorigenesis. Unlike c-MYC, which induces expression of RPL11, RAS overexpression leads to an increase in RPL23 mRNA and protein whereas RPL11 expression remains unchanged. The induction of RPL23 involves both MEK and PI3K signaling pathways and requires mTOR function. Increased expression of RPL23, which maintains binding to MDM2C305F mutant, correlates with increased p53 expression in MDM2C305F cells. Furthermore, RAS overexpression can induce p53 in the absence of p19ARF, and the induction can be abolished by downregulation of RPL23. Thus, although the RPL11–MDM2–p53 pathway coordinates with the p19ARF–MDM2–p53 pathway against oncogenic c-MYC–induced tumorigenesis, the RPL23–MDM2–p53 pathway coordinates with the p19ARF–MDM2–p53 pathway against oncogenic RAS-induced tumorigenesis. Cancer Res; 76(17); 5030–9. ©2016 AACR.

Radical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCa) is one of the most challenging abdominal procedures. Robotic-assisted approach is gaining popularity in hepatobiliary surgery but scarcely tried in the management of HCa. We herein report our initial experience of robotic radical resection for HCa. Between May 2009 and October 2012, 10 patients underwent fully robotic-assisted radical resection for HCa in a single institute. The perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed and compared with a contemporaneous 32 patients undergoing traditional open surgery. The 10 patients presented one of Bismuth–Corlette type II, four of IIIa, one of IIIb and four of IV. There was no significant clinicopathological disparity between the robotic and open groups. The robotic radical resection involves hemihepatectomy plus caudate lobectomy or trisectionectomy, extrahepatic bile duct resection, radical lymphadenectomy and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. No conversion to laparotomy occurred. Robotic resection compared unfavorably to traditional open resection in operative time (703 ± 62 vs. 475 ± 121 min, p

Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is a standard imaging modality for differentiating patients with benign or malignant suspected adnexal mass. To date, numerous studies have assessed the diagnostic accuracy of TVUS in various settings but with variable results. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of TVUS for the differentiation of adnexal masses. An electronic search in the Medline, Scopus, Cochrane and Embase databases from inception till November 2019 was carried out. Meta-analysis was performed to obtain pooled sensitivity and specificity of TVUS to distinguish malignant from benign adnexal masses. The quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2 tool was used to assess the quality of trials. A total of 41 studies with 18,391 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of TVUS was 92% (95% CI: 90-94%) and 89% (95% CI: 85-92%), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.84-1.00). There was considerable heterogeneity with a statistically significant chi-square test (P

Decontamination of air or other gas streams loaded with low-concentration volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and high humidity is a prevalent task for adsorption using zeolites. Hydrophobic adsorbents were prepared with NaY zeolites as raw materials by the high-temperature hydrothermal treatment, and the degree of ion-exchange was considered as a key factor. Adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FTIR spectra, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, SEM, water contact angle, TG/DTG, and the adsorption capacities of water and toluene were evaluated by static adsorption test and dynamic adsorption breakthrough study. The results showed that high degree of ion-exchange was beneficial to dealumination from zeolite skeleton and crystal of zeolite remains intact in the high-temperature hydrothermal treatment. The framework silicon-aluminum ratio (SiO2/Al2O3) of modified zeolite obtained by high-temperature hydrothermal treatment reached 12.41 while the degree of ion-exchange was three (SY-3). Moreover, the hydrophobic index (HI) of SY-3 increased from 0.047 of initial NaY zeolite to 10.059. In addition, regeneration of SY-3 was easier than that of initial NaY zeolite. Our work also has further studied the mass transfer in the zeolite and mechanism of high-temperature hydrothermal treatment under the effect of different ion-exchange degree.

A series of modified HZSM-5 zeolites with different types of acid and different HCl concentrations treatments were synthesized, respectively. The crystal morphology, textural property and acidic property of the catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, NH3‐TPD, Py-IR and 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy. The influences of acid treated types and acid solution concentrations in the pore structure, acidity and non-hydrocracking activity were investigated. The results showed that mesopores were successfully induced to HZSM‐5 zeolites after dealumination by HCl and H3PO4 treatment and the acid sites were redistributed. The acidic analysis revealed that the increase of LAS/BAS value was conducive to improving the non-hydrocracking cracking activity and gasoline yield of the samples. It was also observed that an appropriate amount of HCl treatment can not only play the role of dredge the channel of the zeolites, also introduce some new mesoporous. The hydrochloric acid treated sample (HZ-1.0HA) showed the best diesel non-hydrocracking cracking activity and gasoline yield.

Background Investigate immunoregulation and anti-tumor immunity of FoxP3+Tregs after treatment with rapamycin (RAPA/SRL) plus thymalfasin (Zadaxin) and Huaier extract (PS-T) in a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rat model simulating HCC relapse after liver transplant (LT). Methods We successfully established a rat model simulating HCC relapse after LT using an optimized chemical induction method with TACROLIMUS, methylprednisolone, and diethylnitrosamine as identified by visible liver nodules and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The model rats were then treated with RAPA, Zadaxin, and PS-T. Immune status changes were analyzed by flow cytometry, and protein expression of Akt and mTOR was determined by western blotting. Cytokines were measured by ELISAs. Results Combined therapy by RAPA plus Zadaxin and PS-T obviously alleviated hepatic pathological changes and significantly decreased the levels of FoxP3+Tregs in peripheral blood, the spleen, and the liver (P

The purpose of this study was to develop a method to remove and recover high concentration phosphate solutions from wastewater. An experiment was carried out to cultivate and enrich phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the biofilm with nylon as the biological carrier using artificial water distribution. Microflora morphology, species diversity, and the genetic relationship of biofilm during the process of biofilm domestication were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the feasibility of recycling a high concentration of phosphate in the conventional biofilm within a short time was validated. The membrane was hung in the biological carrier when the reactor was operated for 10 d. After the hanging of the film succeeded, the effluent COD was below 50 mg·L

Using the hanging nylon as a biological carrier,a novel biofilm reactor was adopted to treat synthetic wastewater,and the feasibility of cultivating and enriching a high concentration of PAOs on this conventional biofilm within a short time was investigated,which was proved from the aspects of reactor's operational efficiency,the rate of phosphorus removal and the condition of PAOs enrichment.After 10d of operation,the rate of orthophosphate removal was higher than 95% in aerobic phase and the concentration of effluent COD was 50 mg·L

Nanoparticulate antitumor photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been suffering from the limited dose accumulation in tumor. Herein, we report dually hypoxia- and singlet oxygen-responsive polymeric micelles to efficiently utilize the photosensitizer deposited in the disease site and hence facilely improve PDT's antitumor efficacy. Tailored methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-azobenzene-poly(aspartic acid) copolymer conjugate with imidazole as the side chains was synthesized. The conjugate micelles (189 ± 19 nm) obtained by self-assembly could efficiently load a model photosensitizer, chlorin e6 (Ce6) with a loading of 4.1 ± 0.5% (w/w). The facilitated cellular uptake of micelles was achieved by the triggered azobenzene collapse that provoked poly(ethylene glycol) shedding; rapid Ce6 release was enabled by imidazole oxidation that induced micelle disassembly. In addition, the singlet oxygen-mediated cargo release not only addressed the limited diffusion range and short half-life of singlet oxygen but also decreased the oxygen level, which could in turn enhance internalization and increase the intracellular Ce6 concentration. The hypoxia-induced dePEGylation and singlet oxygen-triggered Ce6 release was demonstrated both in aqueous buffer and in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. The cellular uptake study demonstrated that the dually responsive micelles could deliver significantly more Ce6 to the cells, which resulted in a substantially improved cytotoxicity. This concurred well with the superior in vivo antitumor ability of micelles in a LLC tumor-bearing mouse model. This study presented an intriguing nanoplatform to realize interactively triggered photosensitizer delivery and improved antitumor PDT efficacy.

The aim of this study was to examine the expression and clinicopathological role of caudal homeobox 2 (CDX2) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). CDX2 expression was determined immunohistochemically in 93 patients with ICC. The association between CDX2 expression and clinicopathological features of ICC was also examined in patients with ICC. Immunohistochemical staining for CDX2 was noted in 27 patients (29.03%); patients with CDX2-positive tumors had significant survival advantages over those with CDX2- negative tumors (median survival was 40 months for patients with CDX2-positive tumors and 13 months for patients with CDX2-negative tumors; the hazard ratio was 0.36, the 95% confidence interval was 0.22-0.59, and p < 0.001). The rate of CDX2 expression was 13.46% in patients with lymphatic invasion and 48.78% in patients without lymphatic invasion (χ2 = 13.88, p < 0.01); positivity for CDX2 expression was significantly higher in patients with well-differentiated or moderately differentiated tumors than that in patients with poorly differentiated tumors (41.7% in patients with well-differentiated tumors, 47.6% in patients with moderately differentiated tumors, and 20.0% in patients with poorly differentiated tumors; Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.01). In addition, CDX2 expression differed significantly in patients with ICC due to hepatolithiasis and patients with ICC not due to hepatolithiasis (36.51% and 13.33%, respectively, χ2 = 5.30, p = 0.02). Positivity for CDX2 expression resulted in significant survival advantages for patients with ICC. CDX2 might be used as a prognostic marker in patients with ICC.

Heterogenization of homogeneous catalyst for acetylene carbonylation was carried out by preparing a series of Ni-modified catalysts (Ni-ZSM-5, Ni-IM-5 and Ni-MCM-41). Several important properties of the heterogeneous catalysts were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), XPS, XRD, N2 adsorption, pyridine-FTIR, SEM and TGA. Moreover, we used various activity criteria to dissipate perturbing factors, when we focused on the influence of surface structure and active site distribution. The result that Ni-IM-5 had the greatest TOFNi = 5107 g acrylic acid per g Ni per h showed that the surface structure of samples did not influence the catalyst performance significantly. In addition, the highest ratio of nickel sites/acid sites in Ni-MCM-41 represented the best active site distribution. Thus, Ni-MCM-41 has the highest TOFcat = 70.6 g acrylic acid per g cat. per h. Furthermore, stability testing of the catalysts showed the Ni-MCM-41 could be used four times, while others only twice.

Al–MCM-41(30) was synthesized using Al2(SO4)3 as the aluminum source, Na2SiO3 as the silicon precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant as the template. Heteropolyacid supported on the mesoporous sieves was prepared using the incipient wetness method. The heteropolyacid-modified Al–MCM-41 adsorbents significantly enhanced the desulfurization ability of LPG through a dynamic adsorption method in a fixed bed. Several factors that affect desulfurization, including PW12 loading, calcination temperature and the type of heteropolyacid, were investigated. The adsorbents were characterized by power X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Py-IR spectroscopy. Al–MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves, with a hexagonal phase and a large specific surface area (1265.033 m2 g−1), were obtained. The experimental results showed that the PW12-modified Al–MCM-41 adsorbents with a 25 wt% PW12 loading had an optimum desulfurization ability. Also, a higher calcination temperature better promoted the removal of sulfur compounds by improving the acid amount of adsorbents. In addition, PW12-modified Al–MCM-41 is better than PMo12 modified Al–MCM-41 adsorbents in removing sulfur compounds from LPG. A total acid site number within a certain range on the adsorbent surface facilitated the desulfurization, and these values were obtained via Py-IR analyses.

The removal of sulfur compounds from liquid petroleum gas (LPG) was investigated using a fixed-bed flow sorption system. Copper-modified bentonite adsorbents significantly enhanced the desulfurization of LPG. Several factors that influence desulfurization, including the copper loading, the baking temperature, the valence state and the type of anion used, were investigated. The adsorbents were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectrometry and FTIR spectrometry. Optimum desulfurization with Cu(II)-modified bentonite adsorbents was obtained at a loading of 15 wt% Cu2+ and a calcination temperature of 150 °C. The Cu(I)-modified bentonite adsorbents were shown to be better than the Cu(II)-modified bentonite adsorbents in removing sulfur compounds from LPG; the anion used had no significant influence on the desulfurization ability of the Cu(II)-modified bentonite adsorbents. FTIR analyses showed that the surface Lewis acid sites contributed to the desulfurization process. The sulfur compounds were adsorbed over Cu(I)- and Cu(II)-modified bentonite by a direct sulfur–adsorbent interaction.

Nano-NiO and Bi 2 O 3 modified NiO have been successfully prepared by precipitation method and used as catalyst for the carbonylation of acetylene to acrylic acid. The specimens were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, hydrogen temperature-program reduction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results indicated that the introduction of Bi 2 O 3 to the catalyst greatly affected the physical and chemical properties of NiO. The catalytic performance of Bi 2 O 3 /NiO depends on the content of Bi 2 O 3 , and a composite oxide catalyst with 11.1 wt.% of Bi 2 O 3 showed significantly higher activity compared to its components in the pure phase.

The cryogenic interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) at cryogenic temperature (77 K) of glass fabric (GF)/epoxy composites is investigated as a function of the graphene oxide (GO) weight fraction from 0.05 to 0.50 wt% relative to epoxy. For the purpose of comparison, the ILSS of the GF/epoxy composites is also examined at room temperature (RT, 298 K). The results show that the cryogenic ILSS is greatly improved by about 32.1% and the RT ILSS is enhanced by about 32.7% by the GO addition at an appropriate content of 0.3 wt% relative to epoxy. In addition, the ILSS of the composite at 77 K is much higher than that at RT due to the relatively strong interfacial GF/epoxy adhesion at 77 K compared to the RT case.

Reaction of transition metal(II) salts with 2,2′-biimidazole (H2biim) and co-ligands formed a series of new complexes, [M(H2biim)2(bipy)2](NO3)2·2H2O (1–3) (M = Co, Ni, Zn), [Co(H2biim)2(bipy)](ClO4)2·3H2O (4), {[Cu(H2biim)2]3(μ-C3H3O4)2 (C3H2O4)2}·6H2O (5), [Co(H2biim)2(H2O)2](C3H3O4)2 (6) (bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, C3H2O4 = malonate dianion, C3H3O4 = malonate anion). These complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. All complexes except 4 were also characterized by luminescence spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal packing of these six complexes shows that cationic M(II)(2,2′-biimidazole) fragments are self-assembled to construct the 3D supramolecular networks by hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions. The 3D supramolecular networks are significantly affected by counter anion and co-ligands. In complexes 1–3, there are two sets of (4,4) nets which pass through each other to form inclined 2D interpenetration. Complex 4 is obtained by similar reactions as 1 Compared with 1, the only difference in 4 with the reactant Co(NO3)2·6H2O replaced by Co(ClO4)2·6H2O, but it has a very different structure. In 4, the 3D networks containing cavities of 23 × 23 A is formed. In complex 5, the uncoordinated waters form an infinite 1D pipe structure which is embedded in the 3D porous network. The acid–water ring and R22(9) synthons in complex 6 lead to the formation of (4,4) 2D network.

The nonspecific biodistribution of cytotoxic drugs and associated adverse effects greatly limit the efficacy and patient compliance of chemotherapy. To address this, we employed a photoswitchable microtubule inhibitor (Azo-CA4) that was physically loaded in cyclodextrin-bearing micellar nanocarriers through the host–guest interaction. Azo-CA4 was only activated upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation to trigger the transition from the “trans” (inactive) to “cis” (active) state. Such conformation change could then induce rapid Azo-CA4 release from micelles without the delay of the onset of therapeutic action. This nanoscale delivery system produced photo-triggered antimitotic and pro-apoptotic effects in MDA-MB-231 cells via a triggered control of microtubule dynamics. The anticancer efficacy of Azo-CA4-loaded micelles was further proved in vivo using a 4T1 tumor-bearing mice model coupled with multiple topical administrations to avoid the penetration problem of UV light. This work provides a new delivery vehicle to aid the application and potential translation of Azo-CA4 as biomedical tools and precision chemotherapeutics.

Fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) is an important link in heavy oil processing. Industrial FCC catalyst which mainly consists of molecular sieves, substrates and adhesives is used in large quantities every year. Spent FCC catalyst is one kind of hazardous solid waste that is hard to handle. In this paper, we used a spent FCC catalyst as a desulfurization adsorbent, and show that it displays advanced desulfurization property. Furthermore, regeneration experiment showed that calcination was an effective method to remove the sulfides adsorbed in spent FCC catalyst, after four cycles it still owned a high sulfur adsorption ability. The results of metal impregnation indicated that the high ability to remove sulfur in LPG was due to those metals deposited on WC. The sulfur removal further increased by calcination of the spent catalyst since carbon deposition on the catalyst surface which blocked the active sites was minimized by calcination, thus leading an increase in the number of active sites available.

Reactions of transition metal(II) nitrate with 2,2′-biimidazole and 1,10-phenanthroline generated three new isostructural complexes, [Co(H2biim)3][Co(H2biim)2(phen)](NO3)4·2CH3OH·H2O (1), [Ni(H2biim)3][Ni(H2biim)2(phen)](NO3)4·3.5H2O (2), and [Zn(H2biim)3][Zn(H2biim)2(phen)](NO3)4·4H2O (3) (H2biim = 2,2′-biimidazole, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). These complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, luminescent spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal packing of the complexes show that cationic [M(H2biim)3]2+ fragments are self-assembled to construct the 2-D supramolecular networks by hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions. The guest molecule [M(H2biim)2phen]2+ is well recognized by the N–H⋯O and O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In complexes 1–3, chiral guest molecules recognize the chirality of the host cations [M(H2biim)3]2+, which are assembled into 2-D nets with alternating Δ and Λ chirality resulting in the structure of racemates. The data observed in this paper suggest that the diverse hydrogen bonding modes between the nitrate and H2biim ligand identified here play a crucial role in the formation of 1–3.

A non-petroleum route to produce acrylic acid was investigated through hydrocarboxylation of acetylene with CO and water in the presence of Ni2O3 and cupric bromide as combined catalysts. The activity of Ni2O3 was compared with various homogeneous catalysts; the effect of initial total pressure, reaction temperature, molar ratio of CO/C2H2, the volume ratio of solvent/water, the catalyst amount and the role of promoters have been studied in detail. It was found that the acrylic acid space-time-yield as high as 764.6 mol AA/(mol Ni h) was obtained under the optimal experimental conditions. The Ni2O3 catalyst could be reused at least five times without obvious loss of activity. The characterization of recovered catalysts by XRD, XPS, SEM and TG–DTG revealed that the state of nickel remains unchanged during the reaction, and there are three types of soft coke deposited on the surface of the catalyst. The catalysts can be regenerated through calcination within 400 °C according to TG curve.

Background and aims Vascular peroxidase 1 (VPO1) plays a key role in mediation of cardiovascular oxidative injury. This study aims to determine whether VPO1 can promote programmed necrosis of endothelial cells and the underlying mechanisms. Methods and results Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL, 100 μg/mL) for 48 h to induce cell injury, which showed an elevation in cell necrosis (reflected by the increased propidium iodide (PI) positive-staining cells, LDH release and decreased cell viability), concomitant with an increase in programmed necrosis-relevant proteins including receptor-interacting protein kinase 1/3 (RIPK1/3), p-RIPK3 and mixed lineage kinase domain like (MLKL); these phenomena were attenuated by necrostatin-1(Nec-1) and RIPK3 siRNA. Meanwhile, VPO1 was up-regulated in ox-LDL-treated endothelial cells accompanied by a decrease in GSK-3β activity and p-β-catenin levels, and an elevation of β-catenin levels; these phenomena were reversed in the presence of VPO1 siRNA or hypochlorous acid (HOCl) inhibitor; replacement of ox-LDL with HOCl could also induce endothelial programmed necrosis and activate the β-catenin signaling; β-catenin inhibitor could also suppress ox-LDL-induced RIPK-dependent necrosis. In hyperlipidemic patients, the plasma level of VPO1 was obviously increased concomitant with an elevation in plasma levels of RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL, and they were positively correlated. Conclusions VPO1 plays an important role in promotion of endothelial programmed necrosis under hyperlipidemic conditions through activation of β-catenin signaling. It may serve as a novel therapeutic target for prevention of endothelial dysfunction in hyperlipidemia.

Whole-genome shotgun reads were analyzed to determine the repeat sequence composition in the genome of black mustard, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch. The analysis showed that satellite DNA sequences are very abundant in the black mustard genome. The distribution pattern of 7 new tandem repeats (BnSAT13, BnSAT28, BnSAT68, BnSAT76, BnSAT114, BnSAT180, and BnSAT200) on black mustard chromosomes was visualized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The FISH signals of BnSAT13 and BnSAT76 provided useful cytogenetic markers; their position and fluorescence intensity allowed for unambiguous identification of all 8 somatic metaphase chromosomes. A karyotype showing the location and fluorescence intensity of these tandem repeat sequences together with the position of rDNAs and centromeric retrotransposons of Brassica (CRB) was constructed. The establishment of the FISH-based karyotype in B. nigra provides valuable information that can be used in detailed analyses of B. nigra accessions and derived allopolyploid Brassica species containing the B genome.

In this paper the development of efficient computational method for Helmholtz equation is presented. Here we solve the Helmholtz equation in the frequency domain, applying hierarchical finite element approximation with generalized Duffy transformation based on unstructured meshes, where both pressure field and geometry are independently approximated with arbitrary and heterogeneous polynomial order. We demonstrate the implementation and performance of the numerical approach by benchmark problems, especially under pollution effects, which also validate the accuracy and efficiency of an object oriented a priori error estimator through numerical assessments.

The reactions of silver salts AgX [X = OTf (OTf = CF3SO3), ClO4 and BF4] and bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) with 4,4′-bipyridine (bipy) and its derivations [1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethane (dpa), 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (dpe), 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp)] lead to six silver(I) complexes: {[Ag2(dppm)2(OTf)]2(μ-bipy)}(OTf)2·2CH3OH (1), {[Ag2(dppm)2(μ-bpp)(OTf)](OTf)·CH3OH}n (2), {[Ag2(dppm)2(CH3CN)]2(μ-dpa)}(ClO4)4·2CH3CN (3), [Ag2(dppm)3](ClO4)2 (4), {[Ag2(dppm)2(μ-bipy)(CH3CN)](BF4)2}n (5) and {[Ag2(dppm)2(μ-dpe)(CH3CN)](BF4)2}n (6). Complexes 1 and 3 are tetranuclear complexes with two eight-membered Ag2P4C2 rings bridged by bipy and dpa respectively. 2, 5 and 6 are of infinite chain structures formed by [Ag2(dppm)2] units linked by bpp, bipy and dpe respectively. 4 is a binuclear compound with two silver atoms bridged by three dppm ligands. All complexes are characterized by X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS).

A series of Ni-modified Y-zeolites with varying Ni loading in the presence of cupric salt as promoter were studied for acetylene hydrocarboxylation performed in a batch reactor. The catalysts were characterized by elemental analysis, H 2 -TPR, XRD, NH 3 -TPD, pyridine-FTIR, SEM, TG-DTG and Raman. It was found that the catalytic activity showed a pronounced dependence on the supports, metal introduction method, promoters and reaction conditions. The nickel species present as charge compensation cations in the zeolite framework constitute the active sites, and the acid sites help to promote the performance of carbonylation. Moreover, two types of coke were observed, and the remarkable reusability of NiY is attributable to the location of the coke outside the zeolite crystals. High catalytic performance was obtained over a NiY(7.0) catalyst with 62 g acrylic acid /(g cat. · h) of yield at 235 °C, 3.6 MPa of initial total pressure and 0.8 mM/l of cupric bromide within 40 min of reaction time. This is the most effective heterogeneous system for synthesizing acrylic acid by carbonylation of acetylene to date.

The imidazolium-based phosphoric ionic liquids, namely, N-methyl-N-methylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate ([Mmim]DMP), N-ethyl-N-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([Emim]DEP) and N-butyl-N-methylimidazolium dibutyl phosphate ([Bmim]DBP), were prepared for removal of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) from model oil through extractive desulfurization (EDS). The structures of the synthesized ionic liquids were systematically characterized and analyzed. Furthermore, the influences of various extraction parameters, for example, viscosities of ionic liquids, dosage and type of ionic liquids, reaction temperature, reaction time, and the reusability of ionic liquids, were studied. The experimental results showed that under the optimum extraction conditions the sulfur removal ability of the phosphoric ionic liquids followed the order of [Bmim]DBP ⩾ [Emim]DEP > [Mmim]DMP. It was also observed that the model oil was soluble in the ionic liquids, and the solubility of 12.9 mg(oil)/g(IL) was obtained for [Emim]DEP. In addition, the ionic liquids could easily be separated from the extraction mixture by simple decantation and could be reused at least five times after a reactivation treatment.

A series of the imidazolium-based phosphoric ionic liquids, N-methyl-N-methylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate ([Mmim]DMP), N-ethyl-N-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([Emim]DEP), and N-butyl-N-methylimidazolium dibutyl phosphate ([Bmim]DBP), were synthesized and employed in the extraction and catalytic oxidation desulfurization system (ECODS) for the removal of 4,6-dimethyldienzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) from a model oil, with hexaammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate ((NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O) as catalyst and 30 wt % hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution as oxidant. The effects of the type of ionic liquid, amount of catalyst and H2O2, ILs/oil mass ratio, reaction time, reaction temperature, and regeneration of ionic liquid on the 4,6-DMDBT removal of a model oil were investigated in detail. The results indicate that a sulfur system containing H2O2, (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O, and [Bmim]DBP, exhibited such a high catalytic activity that the removal of 4,6-DMDBT could reach 89.2% at 50 °C in 3 h, which was markedly superior to me...

The reactions of copper(I) halides with triphenylphosphine (PPh3) and mercaptan ligand [2-mercapto-6-nitrobenzothiazole (HMNBT), 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (HAMTD) and 2-mercapto-5-methyl-benzimidazole (MMBD)] yielded seven complexes, [CuCl(HMNBT)(PPh3)2] (1), [CuX(HMNBT)(PPh3)]2 (X = Cl, Br) (2–3), [Cu(MNBT)(HMNBT)(PPh3)2] (4), [CuBr(HAMTD)(PPh3)2]·CH3OH (5) and [CuX(MMBD)(PPh3)2]·2CH3OH (X = Br, I) (6–7). These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, 1H NMR and 31P NMR spectroscopy. In these complexes the mercaptan ligands act as monodentate or bridged ligand with S as the coordination atom. In complexes 1 and 4, hydrogen bonds C H⋯X and weak interactions C H⋯π lead to the formation of chains and 2D network respectively, while complexes 2 and 3 are dinuclear. In 5–7, intramolecular hydrogen bonds link the [CuX(thione)(PPh3)2] molecules and the solvated methanol molecules into centrosymmetric dimers. Complexes 1–5 represent first copper(I) halide complexes of HMNBT and HAMTD. The complexes 1, 5, 6 and 7 exhibit interesting fluorescence in the solid state at room temperature and their terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy was also studied.

Background The contentious effects of estrogen therapy on the risk of postmenopausal cardiovascular disease (CVD) indicate that this type of atherosclerosis is not solely induced by estrogen deficiency. Other sex hormones such as elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) may also affect CVD risk in this population. We therefore explored the relationship between LH and atherosclerosis in ovariectomized (OVX) female mice. Methods Aortic atherosclerotic lesions were assessed in OVX ApoE knock out (ApoE−/−) female mice administered with LH. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured as cell model. The influence of LH on NO release, phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and Akt levels were evaluated. Immunoprecipitation and lentiviral particle transfection were applied to assess the role of Gαq on PI3K activity. Results LH increased the atherosclerotic lesion area and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in OVX ApoE−/− female mice. High levels of LH attenuated vasodilation induced by Ach and inhibited NO release from HUVECs. These effects were related to the findings that LH enhanced interaction between Gαq and p110α, which subsequently inhibited PI3K activity and suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS. Conclusions Elevated LH promotes atherosclerosis formation in OVX ApoE−/− female mice. This effect may be mediated by inhibiting endothelial NO synthesis via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Background Multiple high- and moderate- penetrance gene (including BRCA1 and BRCA2) have been discovered as susceptibility gene for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Recent advances in Next-generation sequencing (NGS) have provided an efficient method to evaluate these susceptibility gene simultaneously. The prevalence and clinical prediction factors associated with the pathogenic variants (PVs) have not been well studied in Chinese population. Methods Subjects were selected from individuals referred for genetic testing using a 21-gene panel (Oseq-BRCA) between January 2015 and March 2018. The distribution and prevalence of deleterious mutations were analyzed for the full cohort as well as subtypes. Results Overall, 176 deleterious mutations were observed in 19.50% (n = 172) individuals. Of these, 26 mutations are not reported in public databases and literatures. In the ovarian cancer only subgroup, 115 deleterious mutations were identified in 429 patients (48.6%). Patients with ovarian cancer with mutations were enriched for a family history of breast or ovarian cancers (p Conclusions Our results highlighted the genetic heterogeneity of HBOC and the efficiency of multigene panel in performing risk assessment. Clinical trial identification Our results highlighted the genetic heterogeneity of HBOC and the efficiency of multigene panel in performing risk assessment. Legal entity responsible for the study BGI Genomics. Funding BGI Genomics. Disclosure D. Shao: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. S. Cheng: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. F. Guo: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. Y. Yuan: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. K. Hu: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. Z. Wang: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. X. Meng: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. X. Jin: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. X. Yun: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. X. Chai: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. H. Li: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. Y. Zhang: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. H. Zhang: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. M. Ye: Full / Part-time employment: BGI genomics. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Short carbon fiber reinforced aluminium based matrix composites were fabricated by a low-pressure infiltration process. This study is amid for development of short carbon fiber reinforced aluminium matrix composites. Short carbon fibers of 10 vol.% was used to preparing preforms for the low-pressure infiltration process. Afterwards, pure Al and Aluminium alloy under temperature of 1073K were infiltrated into the preforms under an applied pressure of 0.4MPa. Microstructure and Vickers hardness as well as microstructure–property relationships of these materials were studied. Microstructure observations indicated that: the SiO2 binder was coating on the surface of short carbon fiber and distributed at the corner of carbon fibers in preforms. Short carbon fibers were homogeneously distributed in the matrix. Furthermore, properties of short carbon fiber reinforced pure Al and A336 alloy composites showed that: the relative density was 95.8% and 97.2%, respectively. Hardness of short carbon fiber reinforced pure Al composite increased by 76% comparing to the base pure Al, and short carbon fiber reinforced A336 alloy composite increased by 10% comparing to the A336 alloy.

In this study, we investigated nanostructure formations on the surface of Au thin films deposited on SiO 2 glass substrates after nanosecond-pulsed laser irradiation, also the correlation between the nanostructures parameters and the photoabsorption peak. Spherical Au nanoparticle/SiO 2 glass nanocomposites were formed on the surface of the Au thin films deposited on the SiO 2 glass substrates after nanosecond-pulsed laser irradiation in air with a wavelength of 532 nm at a repetition rate of 2 Hz and a laser energy density of 0.7 kJ/m 2 . Au nanoparticles were periodically arranged on the substrates under laser irradiation perpendicular to the direction of the electrical field vector of the laser light, the average diameter of Au nanoparticles was increased from 59.3 to 67.4 nm and the average distance of the laser induced periodical structure was decreased from 1.3 to 1.0 μm as the number of laser pulses increased from 1000 to 1500. After 2000 pulses irradiation, an additional laser irradiation induced periodical structure was formed in the direction parallel to the electrical field vector of the laser. The average periodicity of this nanostructure perpendicular to the initial nanostructure was 560 nm, which is close to the wavelength of the nanosecond-pulsed laser used in this study. The average diameter of these Au nanoparticles is 41.9 nm which is smaller than that of the Au nanoparticles formed after 1000 pulses irradiation. Au nanoparticles were generally dispersed on the surface while some were embedded in the substrate. After 1500 pulses irradiation, the diameter of the Au nanoparticles on the Au(30 nm)/SiO 2 (0.8 mm) is relatively larger than that of the Au nanoparticles on the Au(20 nm)/SiO 2 (0.1 mm). Each of laser irradiated sample showed an own photoabsorption peak clearly in this study. Furthermore, effects of the average diameter of the Au nanoparticles on the photoabsorption peak are discussed.

Transforming the cement concrete mixer, simulating twin-shaft mixing process on large mixing plant, adding real-time acquisition equipment of torque and speed, and achieving the online monitoring of concrete mixing process. The influences of speed and stirring time on the liquidity of fresh cement concrete was deliberated, so that it were analyzed from three indicators of concrete slump, stirring torque and compressive strength to determine the optimum stirring speed 48r/min, reasonable mixing time 40s ~ 50s, and mixing time less than 100s.

Effects of Ar-ion induced surface nanostructuring were studied using 100 keV Ar-ion irradiation of 30 nm Ag–Au bimetallic films deposited on Al2O3 single crystals, under irradiation fluences ranging from 5.0 × 1015 cm−2 to 6.3 × 1016 cm−2. Scanning electron microscope was used to study the ion-beam-induced surface nanostructuring. As the irradiation fluence increased, dewetting of the bimetallic films on the Al2O3 substrate was observed, and formation of isolated Ag–Au nanostructures sustained on the substrate were obtained. Next, thermal annealing was performed under high vacuum at 1073 K for 2 h; a layer of photosensitive Ag–Au alloy nanoballs partially embedded in the Al2O3 substrate was obtained when higher fluence irradiation (>3.8 × 1016 cm−2) was used. The microstructures of the nanoballs were investigated using a transmission electron microscope, and the nanoballs were found to be single crystals with a FCC structure. In addition, photoabsorption spectra were measured, and localized surface plasmon resonance peaks were observed. With increase in the irradiation fluence, the size of the Ag–Au nanoballs on the substrate decreased, and a blue-shift of the LSPR peaks was observed. Further control of the LSPR frequency over a wide range was achieved by modifying the chemical components, and a red-shift of the LSPR peaks was observed as the Au concentration increased. In summary, ion irradiation is an effective approach toward surface nanostructuring, and the nanocomposites obtained have potential applications in optical devices.

Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) was used as catalyst to remove trace organic sulfur (thiophene) from Fluid Catalytic Cracking gasoline (FCC) via alkylation with olefins. The reactions were conducted in Erlenmeyer flask equipped with a water-bath under atmospheric pressure. The influence of the temperature, the reaction time, and the mass ration of MSA were investigated. After a 60 min reaction time at 343 K, the thiophene conversion of 98.7% was obtained with a mass ration of MSA to oil of 10%. The catalyst was reused without a reactivation treatment, and the thiophene conversion reached 92.9% at the third time. The method represents an environmentally benign route to desulfur, because MSA could easily be separated from the reaction mixture via decantation and it could be reused.

Solid sediment is a key problem in the industrial-scale production of acrylic acid by hydrocarboxylation of acetylene under high temperature and pressure. The activity and factors for the formation...

A high-performance adsorbent was developed by loading silver on bentonite for the adsorption of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from liquid hydrocarbon streams under ambient conditions. It demonstrated a high saturated sulfur capacity of 80 mg S/g adsorbent when the bentonite was loaded with 8 wt% Ag + and calcined at 150 °C. The prepared adsorbents were characterized by adsorption of nitrogen (BET), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), pyridine Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (pyridine-FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG). The results showed that the silver species dispersed on the surface of bentonite had an important role in determining the DMS removal performance while the surface acid sites of adsorbent had little correlation with the DMS removal performance. Combined techniques of temperature programmed desorption of DMS (DMS-TPD) and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in situ FTIR) were used to investigate the adsorption mechanism of DMS on raw bentonite and Ag + modified bentonite, respectively. The results revealed that three interaction patterns were existed between the adsorbed DMS and raw bentonite while two interaction patterns were observed between adsorbed DMS and Ag + modified bentonite. The DMS molecules hardly entered into the interlayer of Ag + modified bentonite due to the strong interactions between DMS molecules and silver cations.

The novel ionic liquids with an alkane sulfonic acid group were prepared and used for removal of trace olefins from aromatics (referred to as oil). The structures and acidities of the ionic liquids were experimentally characterized and systematically analyzed. The influences of various reaction parameters, such as the stirring speed, viscosities of the ionic liquids, molar fraction of ZnCl2, dosage and type of ionic liquid, reaction temperature, reaction time, and the reusability of the ionic liquid, were investigated. It was found that the ionic liquid 1-(3-sulfopropyl)-3-methylimidazolium bromochlorozincinate ([C3SO3Hmim]Br-ZnCl2) with the molar fraction of ZnCl2 of 0.67 exhibited a better performance for olefin removal. Meanwhile, the experimental results showed that after the reaction had taken place at 373 K for 1 h, olefin conversion of 29.54% was obtained with the mass ratio of IL to oil of 0.2. Even though the reusability of the ionic liquid was not good, the separation of the reaction mixture can...

The reactive adsorption behavior of thiophene over the reduced NiZnO/Al2O3-diatomite adsorbent was characterized by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) t...

Removal of organic sulfur compounds from its solution has been investigated by using adsorption. The purpose of this study is to investigate the removal of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in liquid hydrocarbon streams with bentonite modified by Ag+. The addition of Ag+ on the bentonite significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of DMDS. The adsorbents were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal analysis (TGA). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed that the type and number of surface acidic sites on the adsorbents could increase the adsorption capacity. Several factors that influence the desulfurization capability, including loading, reaction temperature, and calcination temperature, were studied. The maximum sulfur adsorption capacity was obtained at a silver loading of 6 wt %, and the optimum calcination temperature was 150 °C. Spectral shifts of the ν(C–S), ν(S–S), and ν(Ag–S) vibrations of the complex compound obtained by the reaction of Ag+ and DMDS w...

Catechol-Fe3+ coordinated micelles show the potential for achieving on-demand drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging in a single nanoplatform. Herein, we developed bioinspired coordination-cross-linked amphiphilic polymeric micelles loaded with a model anticancer agent, doxorubicin (Dox). The nanoscale micelles could tolerate substantial dilution to a condition below the critical micelle concentration (9.4 ± 0.3 μg/mL) without sacrificing the nanocarrier integrity due to the catechol-Fe3+ coordinated core cross-linking. Under acidic conditions (pH 5.0), the release rate of Dox was significantly faster compared to that at pH 7.4 as a consequence of coordination collapse and particle de-cross-linking. The cell viability study in 4T1 cells showed no toxicity regarding placebo cross-linked micelles. The micelles with improved stability showed a dramatically increased Dox accumulation in tumors and hence the enhanced suppression of tumor growth in a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model. The presence of Fe3+ end...

It is often challenging to precisely manipulate the release behavior of hydrophilic drugs that is believed to be crucial for a satisfactory therapeutic outcome. The aim of this work was to regulate the dissolution of hydrophilic drug from hot-melt extruded solid dispersion via rational screening of the pore-forming agents. Venlafaxine hydrochloride and Compritol® 888 ATO was selected as the model drug and carrier excipient, respectively. Hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) and polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP K30) were chosen as the transient pore-forming agents. The X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis showed that both drug and carrier existed in the crystalline form. Both types of polymers could generate pores upon dissolution test and the drug release rate was proportionally correlated to the pore-forming agent content. The mathematical modelling showed that the Ritger-Peppas model gave the best fit to the release curves, which demonstrates a diffusion-dominant release mechanism. The scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry analysis proved that PVP K30 could generate large pores with low porosity, but PEG 6000 produced smaller pores with relatively high porosity. The in vivo pharmacokinetics study in rat revealed that solid dispersions containing either PEG 6000 or PVP K30 (both at 2.5%, w/w) exhibited an elevated bioavailability compared to the commercial product, Effexor® XR. The current work implied that rational screening of transient pore-forming polymer in solid dispersion could be a robust approach for controlling hydrophilic drug release.

In this paper, we introduce a new computational method for the analysis of fluids subjected to high frequency mechanical forcing. We focus attention on surface acoustic wave droplet microfluidics. In these problems, we distinguish three time scales 1) the fast ($\mu s$) time scale of Rayleigh waves on the solid surface, 2) medium ($\mu s$-$ms$) time scale of acoustic wave in the fluid droplet, and 3) slow ($ms$-$s$) time scale of capillary wave propagation on the fluid-air surface. Finite element modelling of such problems has been limited in its ability to handle the broad range of timescales. In particular, direct time integration techniques are computationally expensive because of the need to resolve the smallest timescale. Here we solve the Helmholtz equation in the frequency domain, applying hierarchical finite element approximation based on unstructured meshes \cite{hierarchical1}, where both pressure field and geometry are independently approximated with arbitrary and heterogeneous polynomial order. We demonstrate convergence of the numerical scheme and illustrate model performance using the example of a surface acoustic wave actuation of a droplet, which has applications in microfluidics and microrheology at high frequency.

Reactive adsorption desulfurization (RADS) experiments were conducted over a series of commercial metal oxide supports (Al2O3-, SiO2-, TiO2- and ZrO2-) supported Ni/ZnO adsorbents. The adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to find out the influence of specific types of surface chemistry and structural characteristics on the sulfur adsorptive capacity. The desulfurization performance of all the studied adsorbents decreased in the following order: Ni/ZnO-TiO2 > Ni/ZnO-ZrO2 > Ni/ZnO-SiO2 > Ni/ZnO-Al2O3. Ni/ZnO-TiO2 shows the best performance and the three hour sulfur capacity can achieve 12.34 mg S/g adsorbent with a WHSV of 4 h �1 . Various characterization techniques suggest that weak interaction between active component and support component, high dispersion of NiO and ZnO, high reducibility and large total Lewis acidity of the adsorbents are important factors in achieving better RADS performance.