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The purpose of the study was to evaluate the immunity effects after vaccinating different doses and frequencies of hepatitis B vaccines by calculating the seroconversion rates of HBsAb in patients with lymphoma. Clinical data of 315 patients from January 2010 to August 2018 were analyzed. According to different doses and frequencies, the patients were divided into three groups: low-dose group, high-dose group, and high-dose and high-frequency group. The highest seroconversion rate of HBsAb was 82.3% in the high-dose and high-frequency group (

Aims Melanoma is lethal. Constitutively active signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been proposed as a pathogenic factor and a therapeutic target of melanoma. Brevilin A, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Centipeda minima (L.) A. Br. et Aschers., has been shown to exert antineoplastic effects and inhibit the STAT3 pathway in nasopharyngeal, lung, prostate and breast cancer cells. This study aimed to determine whether brevilin A has anti-melanoma effects, and whether STAT3 signaling is involved in the effects. Main methods A mouse A375 xenograft model, as well as A375 and A2058 cell models were employed to assess the in vivo and in vitro anti-melanoma effects of brevilin A. A375 cells stably expressing STAT3C, a constitutively active STAT3 mutant, were used to determine the role of STAT3 signaling in brevilin A's anti-melanoma effects. Key findings Intraperitoneal injection of brevilin A dose-dependently inhibited melanoma growth in mice and suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation in the tumors. In cultured cells, brevilin A reduced cell viability, induced apoptosis, suppressed migration and invasion, decreased protein levels of phospho-JAK2 (Y1007/1008) and phospho-STAT3 (Tyr705), and restrained STAT3 nuclear localization. STAT3 over-activation diminished brevilin A's effects on cell viability and migration. Collectively, brevilin A exerts anti-melanoma effects and these effects are at least in part attributed to the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Significance Our findings provide a pharmacological basis for developing brevilin A as a new phytotherapeutic agent against melanoma.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of SIRT1/TSC_2 signal axis on leukemia stem cell senescence induced by ginsenoside Rg_1. CD34~+CD38~- leukemia stem cells(CD34~+CD38~-LSCs) was isolated by magnetic cell sorting(MACS) and divided into two groups. The control group cells were routinely cultured, 40 μmol·L~(-1) ginsenoside Rg_1 was added to the control group for co-culture in Rg_1 group. The effect of Rg_l to induce CD34~+CD38~-LSCs senescence were evaluated by senescence-associated β-Galactosidase(SA-β-Gal) staining, cell cycle assay, CCK-8 and Colony-Assay. The expression of senescence associated SIRT1, TSC_2 mRNA and protein was examined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(FQ-PCR) and Western blot. The results showed that the CD34~+CD38~-LSCs could effectively be isolated by MACS, and the purity of CD34~+CD38~-LSCs is up to(95.86±3.04)%. Compared with the control group, the percentage of positive cells expressed SA-β-Gal in the Rg_1 group is increased, the senescence morphological changes were observed in the CD34~+CD38~-LSCs in the Rg_1 group. The proliferation inhibition rate and the number of cells entered G_0/G_1 phase in the Rg_1 group were increased, but the colony-formed ability was decreased, Rg_1 could significantly inhibit the proliferation and self-renewal ability of CD34~+CD38~-LSCs. The expression of SIRT1 and TSC_2 mRNA and protein were down regulated in the Rg_1 group compared with the control group. Our research implied that Rg_1 may induce the senescence of CD34~+CD38~-LSCs and SIRT1/TSC_2 signal axis plays a significant role in this process.

While many studies have examined the supply of green residential buildings (GRBs), few have focused on the demand and living experience of them. This paper explores the antecedents of existing residents&rsquo, repurchase intention and the effect of their residential satisfaction through a questionnaire survey in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the role of proposed determinants. Multi-group analysis tested the moderating role of residential satisfaction. Results show that residents&rsquo, satisfaction with respect to their homes in GRBs was heterogeneous with dissatisfied residents account for 55%. Residents&rsquo, knowledge about GRBs, their environmental attitudes and perceived usefulness of GRB were key determinants of repurchase intentions but trust in relevant institutions was not. Residential satisfaction played a moderating role in predicting repurchase intentions. This study enlightens practitioners in both private and public sectors to improve occupancy experiences of existing residents and to understand the repurchase behaviors of existing customers, by bridging the gap between strong green design and construction and weak operation and maintenance of GRBs.

Late stage melanoma is associated with a high mortality rate. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is currently a target for melanoma treatment as it is constitutively activated with high frequency in melanoma. Dioscin is a natural steroid saponin that is present in several medical herbs. A previous study demonstrated that dioscin inhibits STAT3 signaling in a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rat model. Furthermore, dioscin has been reported to exert anti-melanoma effects in B16 melanoma cells and a B16 allograft mouse model. The present study investigated whether inhibition of STAT3 signaling is involved in the anti-melanoma effects of dioscin. The results of the present study demonstrated that dioscin significantly decreased viability, induced apoptosis and suppressed migration of human A375 melanoma cells and murine B16F10 melanoma cells. Furthermore, dioscin inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and Src (an upstream kinase of STAT3), and downregulated mRNA levels of STAT3-targeted genes, including B-cell lymphoma-2, cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2. In addition, overexpression of STAT3 decreased the anti-proliferative effects of dioscin. Overall, the results of the present study indicate that inhibiting the Src/STAT3 signaling pathway contributes to the anti-melanoma molecular mechanisms of dioscin. These results provide further pharmacological groundwork for developing dioscin as a novel anti-melanoma agent.

Hollow Li₄Ti

Higher alcohols are important flavor substance in alcoholic beverages. The content of α-amino nitrogen (α-AN) in the fermentation system affects the formation of higher alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the effect of α-AN concentration on the higher alcohol productivity of yeast was explored, and the mechanism of this effect was investigated through metabolite and transcription sequence analyses. We screened 12 most likely genes and constructed the recombinant strain to evaluate the effect of each gene on high alcohol formation. Results showed that the AGP1, GDH1, and THR6 genes were important regulators of higher alcohol metabolism in S. cerevisiae. This study provided knowledge about the metabolic pathways of higher alcohols and gave an important reference for the breeding of S. cerevisiae with low-yield higher alcohols to deal with the fermentation system with different α-AN concentrations in the brewing industry.

Resveratrol is a natural polyhydroxy trans-stilbene product with many biological activities. One of the most striking biological activities of it is its anti-aging potential. Resveratrol can exhibit anti-aging activity via a variety of signaling pathways, however, the repair effect of it on kidney and brain injury in aging mice induced by d-galactose and its regulation on klotho gene expression have not been reported. Herein, the anti-aging activity of resveratrol and its effect on the repair of kidney and brain injuries in d-galactose-induced aging mice, as well as its regulation of klotho gene expression in these two tissues were investigated. The results indicated that resveratrol could significantly increase the aged cell viability and improve the pathological status of aging mice via inhibiting the formation of malondialdehyde and enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. The histological analysis suggested that resveratrol could remarkably repair the damages of kidney and brain tissues in aging mice. Moreover, PCR and western blot have shown that resveratrol could obviously increase the anti-aging klotho gene expression in the above tissues. The data in this paper further revealed and enriched the anti-aging mechanism of resveratrol, and the methods established in this study can be used as a tool to evaluate the anti-aging activity of drugs to a certain extent.

The Yangtze River has experienced a sharp sediment decrease as a result of extensive dam constructions since the 1980s, similar to the sediment decline in the Mississippi River since the 1950s. Historical land losses in the Mississippi Delta have been reported extensively, but this issue in the Yangtze Delta is still under debate. Here we presented the morphological responses of deltaic wetlands to the sediment decline with the comparison of hydrodynamic forces in the Yangtze and Mississippi deltas. We found that the wetlands of the Yangtze Delta continued their expansion even after the sediment decline since 2003 when the Three Gorges Dam began operation, in contrast to the historical scenario in the Mississippi. Based on observations at water depth around 10 m in both of the open subaqueous deltas, the bed shear stresses caused by waves and currents (τcw) during neap and spring tides were 0.18–0.30 N/m2 in the Yangtze Delta and 0.09–0.10 N/m2 in the Mississippi Delta under fair weather conditions. The periods of τcw > τcr (the critical bed shear stress for erosion) occupied on average 80% of a tidal cycle in the Yangtze Delta but only 47% of a cycle in the Mississippi Delta. The rates of relative sea-level rise and riverine sediment decrease in these two deltas are similar, but the sediment-supply capacity to the deltaic wetlands from the Yangtze's subaqueous delta is much larger than that of the Mississippi Delta. Thus, we infer that in contrast to the historical land loss after sediment decline in the Mississippi Delta, the Yangtze deltaic wetlands stand still with a good opportunity to survive for years to decades with the aid of abundant sediment from the subaqueous delta due to higher capacity of seabed erodibility by stronger coastal hydrodynamics.

The flocculation process of cohesive sediment impacts upon estuaries and tidal flats by affecting the sediment dynamics, modifying the biogeochemical exchanges, and playing an essential role in coastal ecosystems and geomorphologic evolution. To understand the roles of biological activity on flocculation processes in aquaculture areas, here we undertook in situ measurements over a bare tidal flat and a nearby clam aquaculture mudflat on the Jiangsu coast, China. Near-bed in situ floc size, the grain size distribution of suspended particles in seawater, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and currents were obtained for nine consecutive semidiurnal tidal cycles simultaneously at the two sites. Correlation analysis indicated that the flocculation and its break-up process in this study appeared to be controlled by the variations in SSC and bottom shear stress due to combined wave and current. The floc sizes showed less difference between the two sites under calm conditions. However, the near-bed in situ floc size in the aquaculture mudflat was 23% larger than that in the bare tidal flat in the severe erosion events, suggesting modulation of the flocculation process due to the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) eroded from the seabed sediments at the aquaculture site, as the hydrodynamics were very similar between the two sites. A higher EPS content was observed in the sediment layer below the surface seabed at the aquaculture site. We conclude that abundant filter feeders alter floc properties and enhance flocculation by excretion of exopolymer particles.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) and its degradation products are important functional components widely used in the food industry. Transcription analysis was used to explore the genetic mechanism underlying nucleic acid synthesis in the chemical mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY23-195 with high nucleic acid content. Results showed that ribosome biogenesis, meiosis, RNA transport, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, tryptophan metabolism, carbon metabolism, and longevity regulating pathway are closely related to the high nucleic acid metabolism of S. cerevisiae. Fourteen most promising genes were selected to evaluate the effect of single-gene deletion or overexpression on the RNA synthesis of S. cerevisiae. Compared with the RNA content of the parent strain BY23, that of mutant strains BY23-HXT1, BY23-ΔGSP2 and BY23-ΔCTT1 increased by 8.19%, 11.60% and 14.00%, respectively. The possible reason why HXT1, GSP2, and CTT1 affect RNA content is by regulating cell fitness. This work was the first to report that regulating the transcription of HXT1, GSP2, and CTT1 could increase the RNA content of S. cerevisiae. This work also provides valuable knowledge on the genetic mechanism of high nucleic acid synthesis in S. cerevisiae and new strategies for increasing its RNA content.

An 11-tidal-cycle record time series of current, wave, suspended-sediment, and bed-level characteristics was analyzed to identify physical and sedimentary processes on the tidal flat of Jiangsu Coast, China. A tripod observation system was placed near the transition between mid and upper tidal flat south of a newly constructed harbor for hydrodynamic and sediment dynamic measurements from 27 Apr 2013 to 3 May 2013. The observations confirm the stable longshore northward (ebb direction) current s with residual velocities ~59.2° anti-clockwise from the offshore direction. This phenomenon can be attributed to the effects of headland (the Harbor) induced tidal eddies based on comparable frictional length scale and the headland length scale. Benthic fluid mud layers occurred in 2 of 11 tidal cycles, with the conditions of strong waves during the flood phase. The fine sediment was resuspended by the waves and currents from the lower area, transported upward and concentrated at the observation station, resulting in the formation of a fluid mud layer with thickness of ~15 cm and SSC of ~8 kg/m 3 at 10 cm asb. Once formed, the fluid mud layer dramatically modified the flow structure, showing a large reduction of current speed from 20 cm asb to 10 cm asb, when the gradient Richardson number was around the critical value of 0.25, inferring that sufficient turbulence from waves and currents exists to maintain fluid mud suspension. The fluid mud processes appear to occur episodically and may play an important role of sediment dynamics on the tidal flat.

Knowledge of coastline changes and vulnerability is of great importance to local government departments that are responsible for the management and development of coastal zones. To study the nature of change and vulnerability along the coasts of the Hainan Island, we collected a large number of sediment samples through the last few years, and reconstructed the changes of the coastline by combining the data of sediment grain-size analysis and the nautical charts/TM RS imaginary. Contrary to being almost free from erosion (as expected from the findings that the coastlines are in a relatively stable state), four major cities in Hainan (i.e., Haikou, Wenchang, Sanya and Changjiang) turned out to be suffered from a moderate coastal vulnerability primarily because of the large populations that impose considerable pressure on the coastlines. Thus, the assessment methodology utilized in this study, including both anthropogenic and natural factors, serves as a useful tool to obtain a comprehensive understanding of coastline vulnerability for local government, in terms of coastal management and adaptation.

The response to the catchment changes of the sedimentary environment of the western intertidal flat of Yalu River Estuary was investigated by analyzing the vertical variations of the grain size of sediment cores, along with the hydrologic data and human activities in the catchment. The results demonstrated a stepwise decreasing trend for the variations of both the sediment load and water discharge into the sea, which could be divided into three stages as 1958–1970, 1971–1990 and 1991–2009. Reservoir construction and the changes of catchment vegetation coverage turned out to be the two predominant contributors to the changes. There are four periods for the variation of the sensitive components of the sediment cores from 1940 to 2010, i.e., 1940–1950, 1951–1980, 1981–1990 and 1991–2010. The vertical distribution of grain size in the cores mainly varied with the changes of vegetation coverage in the catchment and reservoir construction from 1960 to 1980, whereas it varied depending on the intensity of water and soil erosion in the catchment from 1980 to 1990. Despite the further reduction of the water and sediment input into the sea from 1990 to 2009, this period was characterized by coarsening trends for the grain size of sediment in the estuarine intertidal flat and correspondingly, the significantly increased silt contents of the sensitive component.

Wind is an important regulator of coastal erosion and accretion processes that have significant ecological and engineering implications. Nevertheless, previous studies have mainly focused on storm−generated changes in the bed level. This paper aims to improve the understanding of wind−induced erosion–accretion cycles on intertidal flats under normal (non−stormy) weather conditions using data that relates to the wave climate, near−bed 3D flow velocity, suspended sediment concentration, and bed−level changes on a mudflat at the Yangtze Delta front. The following parameters were calculated at 10−minute intervals over 10 days: the wind wave orbital velocity (Uδ), bed shear stress from combined current–wave action, erosion flux, deposition flux, and predicted bed−level change. The time series of measured and predicted bed−level changes both show tidal cycles and a 10−day cycle. We attribute the tidal cycles of bed−level changes to tidal dynamics, but we attribute the 10−day cycle of bed−level changes to the interaction between wind speed/direction and neap−spring cyclicity. We conclude that winds can significantly affect bed−level changes in mudflats even during non−stormy weather and under macro−mesotidal conditions and that the bed−level changes can be predicted well using current–wave–sediment combined models. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A buoy of 10 m in diameter was used to record the current speed and direction in a vertical profile in the offshore area of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary (with an average water depth of 46.0 m) for one year. The results include: (1) the currents rotate clockwise and the current direction is consistent in a vertical profile without clear seasonal variations. (2) The horizontal current speeds are generally high, with a maximum of 128.5 cm/s occurring in summer and 105.5 cm/s appearing in winter commonly close to the surface. The average current speeds in the vertical profile fall in the same range (the differences are less than 8.0 cm/s), with the maximum of 47.0 cm/s occurring in summer and 40.8 cm/s in winter. The average current speed during spring tides is twice that during neap tides (26.5 cm/s). (3) Significant differences of speeds are observed in the vertical profile. The maximum current speed occurs at either surface (spring and winter) or sub-surface (summer and autumn), with the minimum current speed appearing at the bottom. The maximum average current speed of all layers is 57.9 cm/s, which occurs in the 18-m layer during summer. (4) The average speed of the residual currents ranges from 7.5 cm/s to 11.3 cm/s, with the strongest occurring in spring and weakest in winter. The residual currents of all layers are eastward during spring and winter, whereas northeastward or northward during summer and autumn. (5) The currents in the offshore of Changjiang Estuary are impacted collectively by diluted Changjiang River discharge, the Taiwan Warm Current, monsoon and tides.

Time series measurements were conducted on suspended sediment and current velocity from neap tide to spring tide in the South Branch of the upper Changjiang Estuary in the summer of 2011. Strong flood-ebb asymmetry in the current velocity was observed in the South Branch as a result of high river runoff and tide deformation, in which the magnitude and duration of ebb currents were significantly greater than those of flood currents. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and suspended median grain size also exhibited remarkable flood-ebb variation; these variables were considerably larger during the ebb than during the flood and increased from neap to spring tide. Affected by the strong asymmetry in the current velocity and SSC between the flood and ebb, suspended sediment flux during the ebb was notably larger than during the flood, and a seaward tidal net flux was observed in each tidal cycle. The balance of sediment flux illustrates that the seaward sediment transport was dominated by river flow and tidal trapping and the landward sediment transport was dominated by the Stokes drift and the shear effect. Notable resuspension occurred during the spring and moderate tides. The critical velocity for the resuspension of bed sediments was estimated based on the correlation between current velocity with SSC and suspended median grain size. The results show that the critical velocity was approximately 40 cm/s during the flood phases and approximately 80 cm/s during the ebb phases because the surficial flood bed sediments located in the lower reach are much finer than the surficial ebb bed sediments located in the upper reach. The flood-ebb variation in the critical erosion velocity has significant effect on the intratidal variation of SSC and sediment transport process, and it is a common phenomenon in many estuaries of the world due to the complicated spatial distribution of bed sediments.

Atomic diffusion in pure and transition element (TM = Ti, Y, Zr or Hf)-doped Al3Sc has been studied mainly along vacancy-mediated diffusion paths. After the point defect formation energies are determined, the energy profiles for dominant diffusion paths are obtained using climbing image nudged elastic band method. The energetic results show that Al atom diffusion through nearest-neighbor jump mediated by Al vacancy is most favorable due to the lowest activation barrier, the other diffusion processes would make very small contribution due to the high activation barrier or unstable final state. The dominant Sc atom diffusion mechanisms are the Al-vacancy mediated nearest-neighbor jump under Al-rich condition and antistructure sublattice mechanism under Sc-rich condition. The 6-jump cycle and next nearest-neighbor jump are greatly restricted with high activation barriers. Moreover, effect of typical transition element (Ti, Y, Zr or Hf) doping on atomic diffusion is further studied. The activation barriers for dominant diffusion mechanisms increase with increasing atom size mismatch in sequence of Zr

This study analyzed the characteristics and the bearing capacity of water surge disasters in Boao Bay, a typical estuarine lagoon. The Danish Hydraulic Institute's (DHI's) MIKE 21 modeling suite was used to numerically simulate the water surges from flood, storm, and combined flood and storm processes. The results show that, in Boao Bay, the peak water surge level caused by the combination of flooding and storm surges is very similar to the level caused by flooding or storm surges alone. Additionally, the storm surge bearing capacity is much greater than the flood bearing capacity. When there is only one entrance, the bay's flood bearing capacity increases with the entrance width, but when the entrance width exceeds 550 m, the flood bearing capacity stabilizes rapidly. However, opening an additional entrance to the south can further increase the flood bearing capacity. Based on hydrometeorological forecasts, this study suggests that the risk of water surge disasters can be reduced by proactively modifying the shape of the entrance.

The relationship of the organic carbon content and surface sediment composition to the litter mass of Spartina alterniflora was analyzed to investigate the responses of organic carbon content and composition to biomass changes in a salt marsh after the introduction of S. alterniflora. The vertical distribution of sediment organic carbon and its relationship with S. alterniflora underground biomass was also examined. The results show that the total organic carbon (TOC), recalcitrant carbon (RC) and labile carbon (LC) contents were significantly greater in the surface sediments of the S. alterniflora flat, which showed different intra-annual variation trends compared to a bare flat. In particular, the majority of S. alterniflora-derived organic carbon was LC in the S. alterniflora flat sediments, indicating that the introduction of S. alterniflora resulted in a significant increase in surface sediment LC content. In addition, the results of S. alterniflora litter decomposition revealed a rapid decrease of 40% in the organic carbon stocks within the first 2 months, and the TOC and LC contents showed intra-annual variation trends similar to the surface litter mass but with a two-month “phase difference” in time. Further analysis indicated, S. alterniflora litter controlled the content and proportion of the S. alterniflora-derived TOC input, and it ultimately affected the TOC content variations in the sediments. However, due to the LC mainly originated from S. alterniflora, the surface litter exerted more significant impact on the variation of LC content. In the bare flat core, the relatively low TOC, RC and LC content values were significantly influenced by the grain control effect, and the origins of these components were mainly derived from non-S. alterniflora sources. However, in the S. alterniflora flat cores, the relationships between organic carbon content, grain size and underground biomass, together with the analysis of the organic carbon origins, indicated that the S. alterniflora underground biomass significantly affected the origin of organic carbon. In addition, Spartina alterniflora introduction significantly increased the carbon sequestration capacity of the tidal salt marsh in North Jiangsu. Furthermore, the TOC, LC and RC accumulation rate analyses also indicated that S. alterniflora introduction improved the salt marsh soil and was beneficial to long-term carbon sequestration of the organic carbon pool.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Heyan Kuntai Capsule (和颜坤泰胶囊, HYKT) and hormone therapy (HT) on perimenopausal syndromes (PMSs).

The numbers of urban poor are increasing in the cities of Bangladesh. Formal urban planning approaches derived from experience in the global North have largely failed to tackle the consequent poverty challenges in the global South. This study provides new policy directions for pro-poor planning in Bangladesh through a case study of Khulna city. The study analyses secondary data on urban poverty in the city and interviews representatives of the urban poor, politicians, city administrators, academics, and planning professionals to gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding about the pro-poorness of current planning policies. The Khulna case reveals a continued poverty crisis in Bangladeshi cities, manifested by the limited access to income opportunities for the poor, lack of access to decent housing and urban services for the poor and spatial exclusion of the poverty-stricken areas in cities. Existing planning policies in the city fail to tackle poverty issues. Thus, to be pro-poor, planning policies should limit the over-emphasis on economic growth, and explicitly focus upon addressing the needs of the poor rather\ud than over-concentrating on citywide demands. At the same time, planning practice should emphasize the needs of the poor and recognize the contribution of the informal economic and housing sectors.

Real-time observations in the field and numerical simulations (with Delft3D) were combined to study the formation, distribution and the relevant influencing factors of turbidity maximum (TM) in the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Estuary (ZE). The spatial distribution pattern of the TM varies with the longitudinal distributions of salinity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). The SSC is enhanced and the TM is intensified during dry seasons, whereas the center of the TM moves upstream by a distance of 10 km during wet seasons. The formation of the TM is influenced by a complex combination of numerous factors, including tides, river discharges and topography, wherein sediment resuspension and vertical circulation dominate the formations and variability of the TM.

In this work, the inhibitory effect of two isoflavonoids including daidzein and genistein on trypsin and their binding mechanism were determined by spectroscopic and molecular docking approaches. The results indicated that both daidzein and genistein reversibly inhibited trypsin in a competitive manner with IC50 values of 68.01×10(-6)molL(-1) and 64.70×10(-6)molL(-1) and Ki values of 62.12×10(-6)molL(-1) and 59.83×10(-6)molL(-1), respectively. They could spontaneously bind with trypsin mainly through hydrophobic force and electrostatic interactions with a single binding site. Analysis of circular dichrosim spectra and molecular docking revealed that both isoflavonoids bound directly into the catalytic cavity and the microenvironment and secondary structure of trypsin were changed in this process, which caused the inhibition of trypsin activity. All these experimental results and theoretical data in this work would be help in understanding the mechanism of inhibitory effects of daidzein and genistein against trypsin and the potential of isoflavonoid to relieve symptoms of pancreatitis.

The limit of detection (LOD), ICP mass load effect, downhole induced fractionation and matrix effect of 193 nm ArF excimer laser ablation system at high spatial resolution were systematically investigated. Trace elements in GSD-1G, StHs6/80-G and NIST612 were measured at 10 μm spot size. The results showed that the LOD decreased with the increasing ablation diameter. In addition, the LOD of part of trace elements was in a range of 1–10 μg g −1 at 7 μm spot size. Mass load effect was negatively correlated with the corresponding oxide melting temperature, while positively correlated with the elemental 1 st ionization potential. Downhole fractionation was negligible when the ratio of ablation depth to spot size was smaller than 1:1. Matrix effect between NIST610, GSD-1G, ATHO-G and StHs6/80-G did not change in the spot size ranged from 10 μm to 50 μm. The analytical results of GSD-1G, StHs6/80-G and NIST612 at 10 μm spot size matched well with the reference values. Generally, 10 μm spatial resolution could satisfy the requirements of trace elements analysis.

The newly synthesized novel double-Ga layer nanolaminated carbide Mo2Ga2C is stimulating tremendous research interests. In the present exploration of Mo2Ga2C structure, another plausible metastable structure with close-packed Ga layers is predicted from density functional calculations. This new structure (denoted as m-structure) is slightly less stable by only 52 meV/atom than the experimentally determined structure (e-structure) with on-top stacked Ga layers. Importantly, this m-structure is dynamically stable from the calculated phonon dispersion. Moreover, the stability behavior of this m-structure under compression shows that possible phase transition from e-phase to m-phase could occur under a pressure above 24.3 GPa, which requires further experimental confirmation. Phase transition model is proposed, and the energy barrier for phase transition is further derived. The electronic structures show that Mo–C bonds and Ga–Ga bonds are weaker in metastable m-phase than in e-phase. During compression, more strengthening of Ga–Ga and Mo–Ga bonds and less weakening of Mo–Mo bonds in m-phase explain the stabilization of m-phase under pressure.

Raman spectra of liquid nitromethane were measured in single-shock experiments using transient Raman scattering system with high sensitivity. The measurement system was combined with a two-stage light gas gun to interrogate the vibrational mode-dependent behaviors of shock-compressed nitromethane molecules. Up to 12 GPa, all Raman peaks were able to be clearly detected, and showed the shock-induced shifting and broadening, but no signs of chemical changes occurred in the sample. Thus, it is concluded that chemical reactions could not be initiated in singly-shocked nitromethane below 12 GPa.

We study the geometric and electronic properties of germanene adsorbed with several small organic molecules (SOMs) by using first-principles calculations. The adsorption energies are found in the range from −0.459 to −0.231 eV, higher than those of SOMs adsorbed on graphene and silicene, indicating strong interactions between organic molecules and germanene. These lead to a large enhancement of band gap of germanene with sizable values of 3.9–81.9 meV due to the sublattice symmetry breaking. Noticeably, the characteristics of Dirac cone with low effective mass and high electron mobility are preserved. These findings provide a possible way to design germanene based optoelectronic devices.

The electrical conducting, thermal expansion and electrochemical properties of La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ were investigated in view of cathode utilization for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ exhibited electrical conductivities of 96–114 S cm −1 at 600–800 °C and a thermal expansion coefficient of 12.6 × 10 −6 K −1 between 50 and 1000 °C. Based on a three-electrode half cell, the electrode properties of La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ were diagnosed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronopotentiometry techniques. Moreover, the performance of an anode-supported single cell with La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ cathode was examined. Compared with La 2 NiO 4+δ , La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ manifested improved electrode properties under cathodic polarization conditions while showing an analogous catalytic activity under open-circuit conditions. At 800 °C in air, La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ electrode displayed a polarization resistance of 0.41 Ω cm 2 and a cathodic overpotential of 90 mV at 200 mA cm −2 . The anode-supported single cell with La 1.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 4+δ cathode achieved a maximum power density of 520 mW cm −2 at 800 °C in hydrogen fuel.

Increasing amounts of evidence has demonstrated that T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) patients have increased susceptibility to CRC (colorectal cancer). As HHEX is a recognized susceptibility gene in T2DM, this work was focused on two SNPs in HHEX, rs1111875 and rs7923837, to study their association with CRC. T2DM patients without CRC (T2DM-only, n=300), T2DM with CRC (T2DM/CRC, n=135), cancer-free controls (Control, n=570), and CRC without T2DM (CRC-only, n=642) cases were enrolled. DNA samples were extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes of the patients and sequenced by direct sequencing. The χ2 test was used to compare categorical data. We found that in T2DM patients, rs1111875 but not the rs7923837 in HHEX gene was associated with the occurrence of CRC (p= 0.006). for rs1111875, TC/CC patients had an increased risk of CRC (p=0.019, OR=1.592, 95%CI=1.046-2.423). Moreover, our results also indicated that the two variants of HEEX gene could be risk factors for CRC in general population, independent on T2DM (p< 0.001 for rs1111875, p=0.001 for rs7923837). For rs1111875, increased risk of CRC was observed in TC or TC/CC than CC individuals (p

In this work, an in-situ synthetic, pyrolytic and carbonized method is elaborately demonstrated to prepare the nickel cobalt sulphide (NiCo2S4) nanoparticles (NPs)/carbon nitrogen nanosheets (CNNs) composites as a highly efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Specifically, the in-situ synthesized NiCo2S4 NPs confined in cages of CNNs create a well-defined electron transfer hetero-interface with more exposed active sites. The combined NiCo2S4 NPs with the CNNs generate a synergistic effect, which provides effective electron transfer pathways to enhance the electrocatalytic behaviors, yielding a more positive half-wave potential (0.83 V) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and a lower overpotential (360 mV at 10 mA cm−2) for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As a proof of concept, the equipped ZABs exhibit a high peak power density of 92 mW cm−2 and a superior energy density of 1025 Wh kg−1 with robust cycling stability over 1000 cycles for 180 h, which are better than that of a commercially available Pt/C-RuO2 catalyst. The findings highlight the practical viability of the NiCo2S4/CNNs composites in rechargeable ZABs and provide a new approach for the efficient synthesis of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst in the future.

The radial sand ridges found off the coast of Jiangsu (China) are major morphological features in the southern Yellow Sea and undergo rapid changes in morphology. Despite extensive observational and modeling efforts, the physical processes controlling sediment transport and associated morphological evolution over the ridges remain not well understood. Here we analyzed data collected from systematic hydrodynamic and sedimentary surveys including records from moorings and bottom-mounted tripods deployed at channels and adjacent ridges. We explored the role of advection and local resuspension processes in controlling morphological changes and how they are modulated by tidal asymmetry. Bottom shear stresses due to mean tidal currents, waves, and wave-current interactions were estimated to examine the effects of tidal asymmetry, advection and resuspension processes on suspended sediment concentration (SSC) variability. The simplified depth-averaged model of Bass et al. (2002) was used to explain the phase relationships between fine sediment suspensions and tidal currents. We found that resuspension is the major controlling factor of bottom SSC during mean and spring tides, while advection is the dominant process during neap tides. The asymmetries in water level and tidal current lead to a net lateral sediment transport directed from the channel to the sand ridges, which cause erosion in channels and deposition on the sand ridges. This sediment transport pattern likely contributes to the evolution of the sand ridges under fair weather conditions (i.e., excluding storm events).

The residual sand (D > 62.5 μm) transport (RST) refers to the tidally averaged rate of horizontal sand transport. Albeit much smaller than the peak rates, it determines the morphological evolution. The analytical expression for the tide-induced RST has been reported in the condition of one-dimensional tidal currents by van de Kreeke and Robaczewska (1993). Here we extended the analytical solution to two-dimensional. The constituents of the residual, M2, and M4 tidal current velocities were used to characterize the collinear tidal current in the orthogonal X and Y directions, i.e., cross-shore and alongshore, respectively, while the M2 tidal constituent is dominant in both directions. Based on the solution, RST is controlled by a series of triple interactions of the M2 tidal velocity in the X direction, M2 tidal velocity in the Y direction, and the residual or M4 velocity in the X or Y direction. The solution was applied to the tide-dominated continental shelf of the Jiangsu coast, China, where the alongshore current is much stronger than the cross-shore component. The results show that the triple interactions of the cross-shore M2 tidal velocity (UM2), the alongshore M2 tidal velocity (VM2), and the alongshore residual velocity account for the major parts of both the alongshore and cross-shore RST in the nearshore area. The RST patterns promote sand accumulation in the shallow nearshore area and generate a narrow and active conduit of coastal alongshore sand transport. These findings can be applied in similar marine environments to understand the effects of non-linear tidal interactions in RST.

The Bohai Sea is a shallow, semi-closed gulf (basin) at the proximal position of the very wide (one to several thousand kilometers) eastern Chinese margin and was persistently impacted by tectonic frameworks. Its late Quaternary stratigraphy provides an excellent natural laboratory for research on the sedimentary processes and evolutionary patterns on flat proximal continental margins with high sediment inputs and how these processes respond to synsedimentary tectonic activity. However, due to the scarcity of comprehensive sequence stratigraphic studies, our understanding of the above processes is limited. Here, we conducted a high-resolution sequence stratigraphic study using boomer seismic data with pseudo-3D coverage. The seismic data revealed seven seismic units (SUs A-G) within the late Quaternary stratigraphy, including (1) three marine prodeltaic units (SUs A, C, G) characterized by dipping/oblique internal reflections and/or lobate structures, (2) two terrestrial (fluvial/lacustrine) units (SUs B and E) dominated by heterogeneous reflections, (3) an erosional remnant unit (SUs D) with semitransparent reflectors and a lenticular geometry, and (4) a ravinement-attributed aggradational unit (SU F). Based on the extrapolation between the seismic stratigraphy and the onshore sedimentary architecture and well-established sequence stratigraphic models, our preferential interpretation for the four sets of SUs is that they correspond to the highstand, lowstand, falling-stage and transgressive system tracts, respectively. The seismic geomorphology suggests that the bulk of the accommodation is dominated by the former two, which is consistent with the alternative terrestrial-and-marine succession revealed by previous borehole studies. At such a proximal gulf, although the accumulation of thick highstand units is not surprising, the two thick lowstand units that are bounded above and below by two different subaerial unconformities are exceptional. Our interpretation indicates that abnormally thick accumulation occurred under subaerial environments during the lowstand period, which most likely corresponds to alluvial/floodplain progradation/aggradation given the western Bohai Sea is connected to the alluvial North China Plain. The lower subaerial unconformities of the lowstand units are associated with intensive subaerial (most likely fluvial) excavation. Erosion under SU E leads to the formation of incised and eroded areas that can be tens of kilometers wide and tens of meters deep, cutting into SU A or even into SU B, which are several times greater than the last glacial maximum incised valley at the top of SU E. Such intensive erosion appears to be a crucial contributor to the thick lowstand units, as it created more accommodation. The great scale of the subaerial incisions is presumably attributed to the fact that the bulk of them evolved from tectonically triggered depressions because their locations are consistent with the NE-SW- and NW-SE-striking fault populations. The tectonic forces also controlled the accumulation by resulting in high-relief basement blocks for the pre-Holocene sedimentation. However, despite such strong tectonic controls, the subsequent deposition filled and leveled the areas between the high-relief, steep-sided basement blocks and eventually resulted in a relatively flat substratum for post-LGM deposition, suggesting that the geomorphic threshold for geological control at such a proximal gulf was passed because of the high-supply environment.

Background Receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) facilitates differentiation of osteoclast precursors into osteoclasts, resulting in bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are the main cells for producing RANKL. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling is activated in FLS of RA patients (RA-FLS), which has been linked to RANKL production. A two-herb formula (RL) comprising Rosae Multiflorae Fructus and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos is traditionally used for treating RA in China. We have found that a standardized ethanolic extract of RL (RLE for short) alleviates bone erosion in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Purpose This study aimed to determine whether RLE inhibits RANKL production and osteoclastogenesis in cell and rat models, and to explore the involvement of the STAT3 pathway in this inhibition. Study Design and Methods A CIA rat model, interleukin-6/soluble interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6/sIL-6R)-stimulated RA-FLS and a co-culture system (IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS/peripheral blood mononuclear cells) were used to evaluate the effects of RLE. Micro-computed tomography analysis was used to observe bone erosion in CIA rats. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining was used to evaluate osteoclastogenesis. Western blotting and ELISA assays were employed to examine protein levels. RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA levels. STAT3-over-activated RA-FLS were used to investigate the involvement of STAT3 signaling in the anti-osteoclastogenic effects of RLE. Results RLE alleviated bone erosion in joints of CIA rats. In both synovial tissues of CIA rats and IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS, RLE downregulated the protein level of RANKL. In the co-culture system, RLE significantly and dose-dependently inhibited IL-6/sIL-6R-induced osteoclastogenesis. Mechanistic studies revealed that RLE lowered the protein level of phospho-STAT3 (Tyr705) in synovial tissues of CIA rats. In IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS, RLE inhibited the activation/phosphorylation of a STAT3 upstream kinase Janus kinase 2 (Tyr1007/1008) and STAT3 (Tyr705), decreased the nuclear localization of STAT3, lowered mRNA levels of STAT3-transcriptionally regulated genes IL-1β and TNF-α. RLE's inhibitory effects on RANKL production in RA-FLS gradually decreased when IL-6/sIL-6R doses increased. Over-activation of STAT3 diminished the inhibitory effects of RLE on RANKL production in IL-6/sIL-6R-stimulated RA-FLS, and attenuated the anti-osteoclastogenic effects of RLE in the co-culture system. Conclusion We, for the first time, demonstrated that suppressing STAT3 signaling contributes to the inhibition of RANKL production and osteoclastogenesis, and thereby supports the mechanisms responsible for the reduction in bone erosion in RLE-treated CIA rats. This study provides further pharmacological groundwork for developing RLE as a modern anti-arthritic drug, and supports the notion that targeting STAT3 signaling is a viable strategy for managing bone erosion.

The Karman-Prandtl logarithm formula of velocity distribution has been widely used to depict flow structures and estimate parameters including bed roughness length and friction velocity in coastal tidal bottom boundary layers. However, the basic assumptions are of homogeneous flow, but the effects of stratification should be taken into account. Here, field observations of hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics were carried out in the well-mixed area outside of the Changjiang estuary, China, during May 31-June 2, 2011. Velocity profiles within the ~2 m bottom layer suggest that the flow structure is prominently influenced when the gradient of suspended sediment concentration reaches O (0.1 kg m−4). The direct application of the log-fit method resulted in a pronounced deviation from the actual boundary parameters. The extended log-fit method was used to represent the tidally averaged vertical flow structure, indicating that the modification of the flow structure diminishes down to the bed, and the calculated Z0 based on the lowest layer close to the bed (0.22–0.38 m above the bed in the observation) approaches the real value. The observed data were also used to examine the modified logarithmic velocity distribution model, in which the flux Richardson number is modified with an empirical constant A to parameterize the stratification effects. It was found that the constant A is approximately 1, which is significantly different from previous studies. Results of a vertical one-dimensional model supported the above findings. The sediment stratification effects should be taken into account, and the logarithmic velocity distribution model tends to be applicable in the water layers very close to the bed.

Wave height, pressure and orbital velocity statistics, as influenced by the factor of water depth, are analyzed on the basis of five data sets collected in situ from two intertidal sites with a mean water depth of 0.8–2.7 m and three inner shelf sites (water depths 14.6–27.6 m). Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs) were used to measure instantaneous wave pressure and current velocity at 0.20–0.35 m above sea bed. The zero-crossing wave analysis method was applied to analyze the wave data to determine the wave pressure amplitude P and orbital velocity amplitude U of individual waves, together with the frequency of occurrence distributions of P and U, which are compared with the three commonly-used, classic Rayleigh, modified Rayleigh and Weibull distributions. It is found that the distribution of P is almost identical to that of U for each of the five study sites. The distributions of P and U for the intertidal flat sites fit the Weibull distribution better than the classic or modified Rayleigh ones, indicating a shallowness effect which is associated with finite-banded wind-wave spectra and possible wave breaking or near-bed turbulence. On the other hand, the distributions of P and U measured at the three inner shelf sites agree almost equally with the three distributions. With increasing water depth, the distributions of P and U are shown to reduce from the two-parameter Weibull distribution at the shallow intertidal sites to the classic Rayleigh at the deep-water sites. For coastal engineering applications, an empirical formula is proposed to estimate more accurately the significant wave height in intermediate coastal waters based on the surface water elevation data.

Tidal flats, where significant land‐ocean interactions take place, are often abstracted as a cross‐shore bed profile with sediment zonation from the lower sand flat to the upper mud flat. However, in addition to cross‐shore tidal currents, the impact of the alongshore components on cross‐shore sediment transport, morphological evolution, and sediment grain‐size change remains unclear. Here we investigated sand‐mud tidal flat morphodynamics in the absence of waves by combining approaches of field observations, numerical modeling, and analytical interpretations, based on the example of the tidal flat on the central Jiangsu coast, China. The results show that the morphodynamic processes are complicated by the interactions of cross‐shore and alongshore tidal currents, cross‐shore flat morphology, and sediment zonation. With amplified phase lags of the alongshore tidal level at the boundaries, alongshore currents become dominant over cross‐shore tidal currents on the lower flat, while the upper flat is always dominated by the cross‐shore currents. Therefore, bed profiles and mud content on the upper flat were independent of the alongshore tidal current magnitude, being convex‐up and consisting of mud. In contrast, the strong alongshore currents can erode mud on the lower flat and promote landward sand transport from the subtidal area to the lower flat, forming a sand flat. The maximum tidal bed shear stress is almost spatially uniform across the muddy area but pronouncedly elevated where the bed sediment coarsens on the lower flat. The contributions of the alongshore tidal currents and sand‐mud sorting processes should be appropriately addressed in similar coastal environments.

To address the low performance of health care service delivery in the half-market system, the Chinese government has begun to advocate the medical alliance (MA) recently. Instead of strict regulations on the procedure of diagnosis and treatment, flexible resource sharing among medical institutions of different grades inside each MA is encouraged. By now, many attempts have been made for MA establishment from different perspectives, but there is no effective model maturely developed. For the promotion of the spatial accessibility to medical services at different levels, it is important to organize the hierarchial medial services according to the distributions of different grades of health care facilities in a city. With the city proper of Tianjin as the study case, we explored the optimal establishment of MAs using the geographic information system (GIS). By means of the Voronoi Diagrams, the service regions of different medical institutions were precisely defined and the organizational structure of hierarchical medical services in MAs was determined. Through interpolation analysis, accessibility to different levels of medical services was measured, and on this basis, discussions were conducted on the service efficiency of the MAs. According to the results from Tianjin, (1) under the proposed organizational model for MAs, the fit of the service regions of the first grade and the other two higher grades of medical institutions was good. but the fit of the second and the third grade medical institutions was insufficient. (2) Although the overall service efficiency was excellent, there were still deficiencies in a number of the MAs. (3) Increasing the number of second and third grade medical institutions in specific regions near the city’s edge, as well as the number of first grade institutions, could further improve the performance of hierarchical medical services.

Mudflat covers more than 90% of the 954-km Jiangsu Coast. Even without any major river sediment input, the majority of the Jiangsu Coast has been advancing seaward for more than a century, making it an extremely unique coastal system. Under the influence of physical, ecological, and anthropogenic processes, mudflat of the Jiangsu Coast has experienced rapid changes during the past half century. Here we summarized and discussed the key factors that contributed to the development, maintenance, and change of the mudflat, with emphasis on the impacts of unique hydrodynamics, strong interaction with salt marshes, and intensive human intervention. The key points are summarized as follows. (1) The unique convergent and divergent tidal currents in the middle coast, together with the strong flood-dominant tidal asymmetry and lower energy environment due to sheltering from offshore sand ridges, result in a net landward sediment transport. The evident seasonal variation of wind, wave, and shelf currents determines the seasonality of the sediment transport in the Jiangsu Coast. (2) Eroded sediments from the abandoned Yellow River delta in the north, the ancient Yangtze River delta in the south, and radial sand ridges in the east are the major sediment sources that have sustained the continuous accretion and seaward advancement of the mudflat in the middle Jiangsu Coast for more than one century. (3) Evidence demonstrates that the fine sediment accumulation in the lower-middle intertidal mudflat has been dramatically enhanced by salt marsh, especially Spartina alterniflora that was introduced to the Jiangsu Coast in 1979. The Spartina alterniflora marsh sequesters carbon, traps nutrients, regulates contaminants, and generates new land, but it also reduces biodiversity and degrades the local ecosystem. (4) Human intervention, particularly the intensive reclamation activities since the 1950s, has greatly shrinked the mudflat. Average width of the mudflat decreased from more than 10 km in the 1980s to 2 km presently, due to reclamation activities. With accelerated sea-level rise, coastal protection infrastructures in the northern and southern coasts, damming in the local rivers, and long-lasting erosion of the offshore sand ridges, the sediment supply is decreasing and the seaward advance of the mudflat is likely to be limited in the future.

Current rehabilitation efforts to restore degrading mangroves mainly include afforestation with nursery grown plants. Hydrodynamic processes associated with sediment deposition and erosion play major roles in determining seedling establishment success. However, only a few detailed reports of the influence of seedlings on tidal flows are available. In situ measurements were conducted in this study to compare tidal flows between a restored mangrove flat covered by seedlings and a bare mudflat, located within Yueqing Bay, southeast China. High frequency 3D flow velocity variations and vegetation attributes were recorded on comparative sites to determine the effects of vegetation characteristics on flows at a small-scale. The vertical velocity profile displayed an S-shape distribution within the seedlings that was closely related to the vertical distribution of vegetation biomass. However, the turbulent kinetic energy within the seedlings varied minimally in the vertical direction, except for an abrupt increase at the top of the canopy. Comparing the mangrove seedling site and the bare mudflat site, the horizontal flow magnitude in the mangrove seedlings was reduced only limitedly from the mudflat, while the turbulence kinetic energy density had been noticeably reduced. Thus, mangrove seedlings were found to mainly modify the vertical velocity profile and the turbulent energy magnitude in terms of their influences on tidal flows. These findings are able to provide more detailed mechanisms for biogeomorphological modeling and further apply into mangrove restoration.