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There is a major medical need for developing novel and effective approaches for repairing non-union and critical-sized bone defects. Although the mechanisms remain to be determined, it is known that inflammation plays a crucial role in initiating bone repair and regeneration. This study investigated the effect of short-term (3 days) preconditioning with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on proliferation, mobilization, and differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). We demonstrated that TNF-α pre-conditioning increased proliferation, mobilization, and osteogenic differentiation of ASCs and up-regulated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) protein level. BMP-2 silencing by siRNA partially inhibited osteogenic differentiation of ASCs induced by TNF-α; BMP-2 pre-conditioning also significantly increased osteogenic differentiation of ASCs but the effects were significantly smaller than those observed for TNF-α preconditioning. Furthermore, TNF-α treatment promoted extracellular-signal-regulated kinases(Erk)1/2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, but only Erk1/2 inhibition reduced the BMP-2 levels and osteogenic differentiation induced by TNF-α preconditioning. Together, these results support the hypothesis that inflammation contributes to bone regeneration by promoting proliferation, mobilization, and osteogenic differentiation of ASCs; 3 days of TNF-α preconditioning, mimicking the short boost of inflammation normally occurring after bone injury, might serve as a feasible approach for directing stem cells into osteogenic differentiation. J. Cell. Physiol. 9999: XX-XX, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1737-1744, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety-nine lines from recombinant inbred lines were selected to investigate the effects of starch synthesis-related genes on resistant starch (RS) content in different proceeding types. RS in raw milled rice (RSm), hot cooked rice (RSc), and retrogradation rice (RSr) showed a wide variation among the lines, especially RSm arrived at 10.61%. Divergent variability of RSm, RSc and RSr indicated that there were different regulation mechanisms for them. Waxy wildtype allele (Wx a ) could elevate RSm, RSc and RSr, but Soluble starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) only played a vital role in regulating RSm. Wx a - indica SSIIa could increase RSm, and Wx a - japonica SSIIa (SSIIaj) could elevate RSc and RSr. The mean diameter of Wx a - SSIIaj was significantly bigger than others. The bigger starch granules, the higher RSc and RSr. Starch granules morphology with high-RSm would have a higher percentage in polyhedral and angular shape. The results provide new information for rice breeding with high-RS content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical resection remains the optimal therapy for cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that are not suitable for liver transplantation (LT). Recently, various innovative techniques for liver resection have been developed. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare radiofrequency-assisted parenchyma transection (RF-PT) with the traditional clamp-crushing (CC) technique to explore the preferred therapy in cirrhotic patients with HCC. Methods: From January 2009 to December 2010, 75 cirrhotic patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy were randomized to RF-PT (group 1, n = 38) or CC-PT (group 2, n = 37) groups. The primary endpoint was intraoperative blood loss. The secondary endpoints included hepatic transection time, total operating time, postoperative morbidity, mortality, length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, and liver function. Results: The characteristics of the two patient groups were closely matched. The Pringle maneuver was not used in RF-PT patients. The blood loss of the RF-PT group, total or during transection, was significantly lower than that of the CC-PT group (385 vs. 545 ml, p = 0.001; 105 vs. 260 ml, p = 0.000, respectively). Compared with CC-PT patients, the morbidity of the RF-PT group was lower though not statistically significant (28.9 vs. 38.8 %, p = 0.197). One death occurred in the RF-PT group 12 days postoperative due to a large area cerebral embolism. Conclusion: RF-PT is a safe and feasible surgical resection method for patients with cirrhosis and concomitant HCC. In addition, RF-PT results in lower blood loss and lower morbidity than the CC technique during liver resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A small molecule, 15b-β-hydroxy-5-N-acetylardeemin (IFB07188), was previously isolated from the fungi Aspergillus terreus. However, the toxicological features of this natural product have never been investigated. In present study, we described the anticancer activities of IFB07188. We found that IFB07188 can decrease the viability and invasive potency of multiple cancer cell lines. Further mechanistic investigation demonstrates that cell cycles are arrested at G2/M phase and the arrest is induced by deregulated cell cycle proteins. A concomitant flow cytometric analysis also shows that IFB07188 can trigger massive apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The proapoptotic effect of IFB07188-treated cancer cells is characterized by depolarization of mitochondria membrane potential (Δψ m ) and positive Hochest staining. Finally, results from invasion assay suggest that IFB07188 can suppress tumor cell invasion independent of apoptosis. Collectively, these data establish that IFB07188 can effectively inhibit cancer cell growth and invasiveness, prompting its potential use in cancer chemotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A mild and efficient allylation of indoles and amides in the presence of a catalytic amount of Amberlyst-15 has been described in this context. The recyclable heterogeneous catalytic system is practical and facile for the synthesis of C- and N-allylated derivatives and would be of importance for the development of the accordingly functional complex molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A survey on prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs at 12 farms in 8 suburban districts and 1 county of Shanghai was conducted under Sheather''s sucrose flotation protocol and modified acid-fast stain methods from 2006 to 2009. A total of 2323 faecal samples were collected and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 800 samples (34.4%). Cryptosporidium was found in all 12 pig farms. Significant variations of prevalence were observed in different farms ranging from 14.1% to 90.6%. A follow-up survey on a positive pig farm for 13 consecutive months revealed that the most serious infection of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs happened in winter and spring, and the lowest infection season was summer. Cryptosporidium spp. infection was mainly found in piglets within 2 months and no infection was found among those pigs of 90–180 days of age. The genotype analyses were carried out through PCR-RFLP and partial sequences analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) in some of the positive samples. Cryptosporidium suis (57/69, 82.6%), Cryptosporidium pig genotype II (6/69, 8.7%) and mixed infection of above two species/genotype (6/69, 8.7%) were found to be the main species/genotype in pigs in Shanghai area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reaction of chromone-derived Morita–Baylis–Hillman acetates with amines was developed via tandem allylic amination/chromone ring-opening/oxa-Michael addition to provide 2-substituted-3-aminomethy-lene-chromans in convenient and efficient way, and subsequent applied in the synthesis of benzopyranylpyrimidine compounds. Various amines exhibited different reactivities depending on their molecular structural characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The elastic or elastic–plastic dynamical response of the explosion containment vessels (ECVs) subject to the impulsive loading have been studied intensively, however the damage mechanism of ECVs is still scarcely investigated. In this work two cylindrical explosion containment vessels under the different explosion loads are tested. The overpressure is measured and compared with the numerical result. The damage mechanism of adiabatic shear band is successfully applied to explain the failure mode of the ECVs, where the instability analysis for the thermo-viscoplastic constitutive law is conducted to yield a rate-dependent failure criterion. Based on the overpressure analysis and rate-dependent failure criterion, the shear failure mode of ECVs is studied for the first time, including the potential initial flaw in the meso-scale in the vessel. The failure analysis indicated that the rate-dependent failure criterion governs the damage mode of the vessel with the impulsive loading however the initial flaw is mainly to ignite the shear band, which has minor influence to the final failure mode of the vessel. The simulated fracture profile shows a good agreement with the experimental result. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was mechanically activated by home-made high efficiency stirring mill. Graft copolymers (SCB–g–PAA) of SCB with different mechanical activation times (t M) and acrylic acid (AA) have been synthesized by using ammonium persulfate/sodium sulfite redox pair as an initiator in aqueous solution. The effect of t M on the graft co-polymerization was evaluated by grafting ratio (GR) and grafting efficiency (GE). In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the granular morphology, functional groups, crystal structure and thermal properties of the product. It was found that the mechanical activation could split fiber bundles and decrease significantly the crystallinity. SCB degraded after the mechanical activation (MA) and its thermal stability declined. Moreover, the graft copolymerization was enhanced obviously by MA processing. And GR and GE increased with the increase of activation time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• First report to control the precipitation of crystal grains under thermoelectric coupling. • The number of crystal grains gradually increases with the electric field voltage. • Fracture of the Ti-O-Si bond causing [TiO 4 ] will be transformed to [TiO 6 ]. MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 (MAS) the basic glass was prepared by the traditional melt-quenching method, whereas the glass-ceramics was produced by subjecting the glass to thermoelectric coupling treatment. The MAS glass-ceramics were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and SEM. Clearly, the extension of the heat-treatment time did not change the crystal grains number in the absence of an electric field. However, with the electric-field voltage increase,the crystal grains number in the MAS glass-ceramics gradually increased when the electric-field voltage became steady at 1200 V. At high temperatures, Ti4+ participates in the silicon-oxygen network with four coordinations and produces good miscibility with the melt. By the introduction of electric field into the glass, a high amount of titanium transforms from a titanium-oxide tetrahedron to a titanium-oxide octahedron. Titanium was separated from the silicon–oxygen network framework to form a crystal nucleus and promote crystal growth. This study provides insights into the relationship between electric-field and glass-ceramics nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Comb-branched waterborne polyurethane/organo-montmorillonite (CWPU/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ intercalating polymerization process based on the main materials including IPDI, DMPA, polycaprolactone diols, comb-branched polymeric diols and OMMT. The average particle size of emulsion increases and the particle size distribution of emulsion becomes broader with the increase of OMMT content. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) show that OMMT is homogeneously dispersed into the CWPU matrix with intercalated or exfoliated structure. The properties of CWPU/OMMT nanocomposites are dependent on OMMT content. When the OMMT content is 3wt%, CWPU/OMMT nanocomposite exhibits excellent overall properties: the particle size of emulsion 63.6nm, tensile strength 42.0MPa, E′ 20.3MPa at 80°C, water absorption 13% at 24h and surface contact angle for water over 100°. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The polymeric diols with comb-branched structure (CPD) and their nanocomposites containing montmorillonites (MMT) were prepared through three-step reaction on basis of molecular design. The effect of experimental parameters, such as molar mass of oligomer polyols, catalysts and MMT on conversion of –NCO group during polymerization was investigated by utilizing FTIR to measure content of –NCO group varied as reaction time. In addition, the structure of comb-branched polymeric diols was characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR. The results show that the comb-branched chains contain reactive Cbonds in CPD. The nature of dispersion of montmorillonites in CPD was characterized by X-ray diffraction. The results show that Na+-MMT is exfoliated and organo-MMT is intercalated in CPD via in-situ polymerization. Finally, the properties of water-borne polyurethane modified with CPD or CPD/2T-MMT nanocomposite were compared with those of common water-borne polyurethane, and the comb-branched chains and 2T-MMT improve the properties of water-borne polyurethane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials including nanotubes, nanowires and nanorods have many new properties, functionalities and a large range of promising applications. A major challenge for these future industrial applications is the large-quantity production. We report that the ball milling and annealing process has the potential to achieve the mass production. Several examples including C, BN nanotubes and SiC, Zn nanowires are presented to demonstrate such capability. In addition, both size and structure of 1D nanomaterials can be controlled by varying processing conditions. New growth mechanisms involved in the process have been investigated and the high-energy ball milling has an important role in the formation of these 1D nanomaterials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

NiCo2O4 spinel oxide was prepared through the hydroxide coprecipitation method. The NiCo2O4 powders were analyzed by TGA, XRD, BET, SEM, and EDS. And the electrocatalytic properties of NiCo2O4/Ni electrode for oxygen evolution in alkaline solution were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, roughness factor, Tafel curves and stability testing. The result shows that the preparation temperature can affect the formation, specific surface area, morphologies, and electrocatalytic properties of NiCo2O4 spinel oxide. It is also found that NiCo2O4/Ni electrode prepared at 300°C has better electrocatalytic properties in oxygen evolution reaction than those prepared at other temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The vanadium-based amorphous electrode material can realize the valence state conversion and increase its specific capacity through the multi-electron reaction. We have obtained V 2 O 5 –Li 3 PO 4 glass with a strong reducing agent CaC 2 , realizing a multi-electron reaction of V5+ to V4+ and then to V3+ in the model system. Moreover, we have explored the relationship between valence state, crystallinity, and conductivity limit to compare the cycle performances of amorphous glass batteries. The CaC 2 content of 20%, V4+ presented the dominating valence state with a content of 77.5%. VP-C20% exhibited a maximum specific capacity of 319.3 mAh g−1, and the specific capacity after 100 cycles was 280.3 mAh g−1, corresponding to a retention capacity of 87.8%. The electrochemical performance of amorphous vanadium oxide decreased with the increase of the LiV 2 O 5 's nanocrystallinity. Crystallinity and the controllable multi-electron reaction could provide an important reference for designing other new electrode materials with high capacity and long cycle life. Image 1 • Vanadium-based amorphous electrode material could realize valence state conversion. • V5+ was reduced to V4+, then to V3+ with CaC 2 , as reducing agent. • V4+ enhanced ion and electron transport and cycling stability. • The performance decreased with the increase of LiV 2 O 5 's nanocrystallinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ethanol is adopted as carbon source for preparing boron carbonitride nanosheets. • Vapor-solid (VS) growth mechanism is responsible for the growth of BCNNSs. • Phospholipid poly (ethylene glycol) can improve the dispersion of BCNNSs. • BCNNSs-PEG can load paclitaxel through π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. • BCNNSs-PEG-PTX has higher cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231 cells than free PTX. As a structural analog of graphene and boron nitride, hexagonal boron carbonitride nanosheets (BCNNSs) are supposed to be a potential drug deliverer. In the present work, an improved solid-state reaction method combined with ultrasonic exfoliating was reported for preparing BCNNSs. Vapor-solid (VS) mechanism was proposed to be responsible for the formation of BCNNSs. The BCNNSs were further modified by DSPE-mPEG-5000 to improve their dispersion in aqueous solution. It was found that the BCNNSs-PEG nanocomplex could be efficiently taken in by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells evidenced by inverted fluorescence microscopy. The PEGylated BCNNSs showed an outstanding ability to load paclitaxel through π-π interaction and hydrophobic interaction, and BCNNSs-PEG-loaded paclitaxel presented higher cytotoxicity in comparison with free paclitaxel. BCNNSs may become a promising candidate for delivering paclitaxel and other hydrophobic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) was employed to irradiate cold spraying aluminum coating. The microstructures, tribological and corrosion behaviors of the untreated and irradiated samples were investigated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ball-disc wear and electrochemical tests. HCPEB irradiation significantly triggered the surface remelting and densification of the coating texture. Compared with the original coating, the irradiated coating showed a higher hardness of up to 88 HV, a higher compressive stress value of 31 MPa and a lower wear rate of 1.06 × 10−4 mm3 N−1 m−1, but also exhibited an outstanding anti-corrosion performance, reflected by a higher polarization resistance and a smaller corrosion current density of 4.45 μA/cm2. These current findings confirmed that HCPEB irradiation shows a huge potential for enhancing the anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties of cold spray coatings. • Microstructure and properties of HCPEB irradiated Al coating were investigated. • HCPEB irradiation greatly induced the formation of dense surface remelting layer. • The irradiated coating showed higher hardness and lower compressive stress. • The irradiated coating showed better anti-wear and anti-corrosion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electrostatic wrapping of botanical herbicide with chitosan derivatives was realized. • The release of botanical herbicide using chitosan as carrier was well controlled. • The release kinetics of chitosan-carried botanical herbicide in water was investigated. • The released herbicide from chitosan carrier showed fine herbicidal effect on grass. To avoid the negative effects of chemical herbicides and prepare herbicide with long-term efficacy, the active ingredients of eupatorium adenophorum spreng (AIEAS, negatively charged) were used as a botanical herbicide, and based on electrostatic attraction, the self-assembled hydroxyl isopropyl chitosan (HPCTS, positively charged) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC, with good water solubility) were successfully employed as degradable and water-soluble carrier for AIEAS to realize its controlled release. The release of AIEAS from the chitosan carrier in water could be divided into two stages. In the first stage, a fast release of AIEAS was detected and the total amount of the released AIEAS reached 41.5 %, while the release rate effectively slowed down in the second stage, indicating that good balance between fast control of weeds and long-term efficacy was achieved through this controlled delivery system. The release kinetics of AIEAS during the whole release process showed good fit to the Ritger-Peppas model with Fickian diffusion as the dominant release mechanism. Moreover, it found that the released AIEAS from chitosan carrier showed fine herbicidal effect on barnyard grass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between schizophrenia (SZ) and uric acid (UA) levels has been suggested for many years, but without solid evidence. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all case-control studies examining the serum and plasma UA levels in SZ subjects in comparison to those in healthy controls. Relevant studies published before October 29, 2018, were searched in the main electronic databases, and 17 studies were finally included into the meta-analysis after screening with the criteria. Our results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences of the UA levels between SZ subjects and healthy controls. Further subgroup analyses of the antipsychotic status reported the same finding. Subgroup analyses of clinical status showed that UA levels were decreased in subjects with first episode psychosis (FEP). The subgroup analyses of gender and ethnicity demonstrated that UA levels were decreased in male subjects and in Americans with SZ. Overall, these findings strengthen the clinical evidence that FEP is accompanied by increased oxidative stress response. Reduced UA levels may be a potential risk factor for SZ in male and in the Americans. However, whether there is a causal relationship between the reduced UA levels and the development of SZ deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel strategy for further optimizing thermometric performance via improving indicator signal is proposed. • The high S a and S r reached 0.122 K−1 (at 523 K) and 3.793% K−1 (at 298 K), respectively. • An obvious discoloration was discovered during the temperature cycle testing under a 254 nm UV lamp. Currently, phosphor materials play an important role in designing noncontact remote optical thermometers. Although many approaches have contributed to improve thermometric performance of optical thermometers including optimization of host materials, size of nanoparticles, dopant type and concentration as well as excitation density and phonon energy engineering, the development of highly sensitive optical thermometric materials is still a challenge. Hence, we developed novel CaNb 2 O 6 (CNO):Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Sm3+/Dy3+/Tb3+) phosphors as highly thermometric materials and proposed a novel strategy for further enhancing its thermometric performance via adding the intensity of indicator signal by co-doping Bi3+ ions in current phosphor system. Typically, the as-prepared CNO:Ln3+ phosphors present a broad blue emission around 470 nm originated from NbO 6 octahedral groups and some respective emission lines derived from the characteristic f-f transitions of Ln3+ ions. Based on the diverse thermal quenching performance between blue emission and Ln3+ ions emission, the temperature sensitivities of CNO:Ln3+ were investigated in detail. Among them, the maximum relative sensitivity of CNO:Eu3+ sample reached 1.991% K−1 in the range of 298–448 K and remained 97% after five temperature cycles. Furthermore, an obvious discoloration was discovered during temperature cycle testing in CNO:Ln3+ samples under 254 nm UV lamp. Through doping Bi3+ ion, the strongest intensity of indicator signal is 24 folds that of CNO host. Correspondingly, the relative sensitivity of CNO:Bi3+, Eu3+ sample is obviously improved to 3.793% K−1 in the range of 298–523 K, owing to a larger range of the FIR value and a wider drop range of indicator signal. This work opens up an effective pathway to improving thermometric performance of optical thermometers by enhancing the intensity of indicator signal of employed phosphor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the development of highly efficient emission tunable phosphor materials is necessary for improving the lighting quality of UV light based white emitting diodes (WLEDs). Herein, a series of new blue-emitting Ca 7 (Mg, Zn) 2 P 6 O 24 : Eu2+ (CM/ZP: Eu2+) phosphors were successfully synthesized through a high temperature solid phase reaction process. Interestingly, through constructing Ca 7 (Mg, Zn) 2 P 6 O 24 : Eu2+ solid solutions based on a complete substitution of Mg2+ by Zn2+, the controllable blue-shift emission from 441 to 418 nm could be realized. This result could be attributed to the selective occupation of different Ca2+ ions for Eu2+ ions due to distortion of coordination polyhedron. The corresponding full width at half maximum (FWHM) exhibits a gradual narrowing from 66 to 27 nm after [Zn→Mg] replacement, and the color purity of Eu2+ emission in Ca 7 Zn 2 P 6 O 24 (CZP) could reach 93.2%. Finally, the thermal quenching resistance of the as-prepared Ca 7 (Mg, Zn) 2 P 6 O 24 : Eu2+ phosphors show remarkably excellent performance. Moreover, the thermal stabilities working at 150 °C of CMZP: Eu2+ were gradually improved from 71% for CZP: Eu2+ to 97% for CMP: Eu2+ of original photoluminescence intensity. Generally, the cation substation induced selective occupation of Eu2+ to control FWHM is an efficient design to achieve emission-tunable phosphors, and the developed narrow-band Ca 7 (Mg, Zn) 2 P 6 O 24 : Eu2+ blue-emitting phosphors could serve as potential blue phosphors for WLEDs application. • A series of new blue-emitting Ca 7 (Mg, Zn) 2 P 6 O 24 : Eu2+ (CM/ZP: Eu2+) phosphors were successfully synthesized by SSR. • The corresponding FWHM exhibits a gradual narrowing from 66 to 27 nm with the blue-shift emission. • We provide a feasible route to obtained a narrow-band blue-emitting phosphor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and efficient route to the synthesis of boron carbonitride (BCN) nanoribbons was demonstrated using waste coconut shells, boric acid and urea as the raw materials. The BCN nanoribbons were then applied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The BCN nanoribbons possessed high specific surface area and porosity because of the inherent characteristics of the coconut shells, providing multiple active sites and diffusion channels for Li+ ions. High specific capacity, excellent rate capability and cycling stability were achieved especially when the carbon content in BCN is relatively high. The average reversible capacity and the retention rate reached 800 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 98% after 1000 cycles, respectively. This route not only paved a new way to the synthesis of BCN nanoribbons, but also realized the reuse of waste natural resources for fabricating LIBs anode materials with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A universal method which could improve the properties of phosphors was proposed. • The mechanism of improvement of PL intensity, QE and tunable color was discussed. • No blue light hazard and warm WLEDs were fabricated via the modified phosphors. Phosphor with high efficiency and tunable photoluminescence is critical to solid state lighting device. Herein, three β -Ca 3 (PO 4) 2 -type phosphors with improvement of quantum efficiency and tunable emission color were synthesized through the self-charge compensation method via the incorporation of Na+ or K+. The quantum efficiency and emission intensity were increased by 2.81 and 1.99 times at most due to the reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+ in Ca 10 Na(PO 4) 7 :0.01Eu2+, which was ascribed to the achievement of charge balance and cavity neutralization in Na(4) site after the incorporation of Na+ in the neighboring Ca(1), Ca(2) and Ca(3) sites. Tunable emission colors from near white to green were realized owing to the change of occupation ratio of Eu2+ at Ca(1), Ca(2) and Ca(3) sites relative to Na(4) site. Moreover, this method was applied into the Ca 10- y K 1+ y (PO 4) 7 :0.01Eu2+ and 0.1Ca 9 Y(PO 4) 7 –0.9Ca 10- z Na 1+ z (PO 4) 7 :0.01Eu2+, 0.22Mn2+ systems to verify the practicability of self-charge compensation. The quantum efficiencies of the two kinds of systems were increased by 1.66 and 1.28 times, respectively, along with the decrease of blue light ratio significantly. Additionally, no blue light hazard and warm WLEDs was fabricated via the modified single-phase full visible emission 0.1Ca 9 Y(PO 4) 7 –0.9Ca 9.9 Na 1.1 (PO 4) 7 :0.01Eu2+, 0.22Mn2+ phosphor, which exhibited an excellent color rendering index of 92.9 at a correlated color temperature of 3887 K. This work illustrated that the universal self-charge compensation method could efficiently improve the multifaceted properties of phosphor to meet the needs of modern lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi3+ and Mn4+ co-doped double perovskite A 2 BB´O 6 with dual emission is a feasible route to meet the light requirements of chlorophyll for efficient plant growth. • A series of LMNO: Bi3+, Mn4+ double perovskite phosphors were successfully synthesized by SSR. • The samples present dual emission which can match well with the absorption of four dominating pigments. • The relative intensities of blue/red emission can be easily controlled by changing the concentrations of Bi3+ and Mn4+ ions. A series of Bi3+ and Mn4+ co-doped LaMg 0.598 Nb 0.402 O 3 (LMNO) phosphors via a conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction. Typically, LMNO: Bi3+ shows blue emission with a peak at 450 nm under 315 nm excitation. Upon excitation at 330 nm, Bi3+ and Mn4+ co-doped LMNO phosphors present dual emission, where the blue emission is mainly from the 3P 1 → 1S 0 transition of Bi3+ and the red emission is attributed to the 2E → 4A 2 transition of Mn4+. The red emission of the Mn4+ ions could be enhanced three times via Bi3+→Mn4+ energy transfer compared to the non-codoped samples. The relative intensities of blue emission and red emission can be easily controlled by changing the concentrations of Bi3+ and Mn4+ ions. Therefore, the emission spectra can match well with the absorption of four dominating pigments in plants. These results indicate LMNO: Bi3+, Mn4+ phosphors have potential applications in agricultural fields for promoting plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a superhydrophobic surface with superior durability was fabricated on a glass-ceramic surface by crystallization, hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching, and surface grafting. The as-prepared glass-ceramic surface was composed of three-dimensional flower-like micro-clusters, which were self-assembled from numerous nanosheets. Such a dual-scale rough surface exhibited superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle (WCA) of 170.3° ± 0.1° and a sliding angle (SA) of ~2° after grafting with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17). This can be attributed to the synergistic effect between the dual-scale structure and surface chemistry. Furthermore, this surface exhibited excellent self-cleaning properties, stability against strong acid and strong alkali corrosion, and anti-stripping properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auristatin PE (PE) as an anti-microtubule agent possesses good anticancer activity. However, the poor target effect and strong side effect limit its clinical applications. Targeted delivery of PE may overcome the disadvantages associated with PE, being very conducive to continuing clinical trials of PE. Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with unique physical and chemical properties have attracted considerable attention in drug delivery. Herein, a targeted drug delivery strategy based on folate-conjugated boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs-FA) was used to improve the efficacy of PE. It was found that PE was successfully loaded onto BNNTs-FA via π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions. BNNTs-FA@PE exhibited stronger cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cells than free PE and BNNTs@PE complexes due to the increased cellular uptake of PE mediated by the FA receptor. BNNTs-FA@PE showed excellent antiproliferative activities in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, BNNTs-FA@PE induced apoptosis of Hep G2 cells via an intrinsic mitochondria–mediated pathway by reducing the mitochondrial membrane potential, activating Caspase-9 and Caspase-3. The construction of BNNTs-FA@PE system successfully improves the target effect of PE and may be very promising for the treatment of liver cancer in the future. • The targeted Auristatin PE-delivery system is designed and fabricated based on folate-conjugated boron nitride nanotubes. • Auristatin PE is successfully loaded onto BNNTs-FA via π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions. • Auristatin PE can be transported into the cells via folate receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway. • This complex possesses preferable anticancer activity and can induce cells apoptosis via a mitochondria–mediated pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CrWN glass molding coatings with different W contents were synthesized by plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS). The microstructure, mechanical, wear resistance, and anti-oxidation properties of as-deposited coatings were investigated using various techniques and tests. The results showed that the as-deposited coatings exhibited typical columnar growth structure, consisting of layered CrN and W 2 N, and showed increased lattice expansion and hardness enhancement with increasing W content. Whereas the coating with high H/E value showed better toughness to resist fatigue deformation and fracture, which eventually resulted in excellent wear performance and low wear rate of 0.89 × 10−6 mm3/Nm. Annealing revealed that the as-deposited coating with low W content showed a slight increase in thickness and Ra value because of high volume fraction of Cr 2 O 3 phase, which effectively delayed the oxidation reaction and suppressed the expansion of WO 3 phases. With the increase in W content, the rising volume fraction of WO 3 phases weakened the stabilized effects of Cr 2 O 3 phases and eventually led to a constant increase in thickness and Ra value of the annealed coating. The mold tests confirmed that the CrWN coating showed a stable structure and excellent chemical inertness and anti-sticking performance, making it a potential coating for glass molding processes. • Microstructure, wear and oxidation resistance of CrWN coatings are investigated. • The coating shows a multilayer columnar structure of CrN and W 2 N phases. • The coating with high H/E value shows better toughness and anti-wear performance. • The coating undergoes aggravated oxidation damage with the increase of W content. • The oxidation damage induces severe volume expansion and surface coarsening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CrWN glass molding coating was synthesized by plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS). The effect of annealing environment (e.g., vacuum, N 2 and Air) on the microstructure and mechanical property of as-deposited coating was investigated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and nanoindentation tests. Results showed that the as-deposited coating exhibited dense columnar structure consisting of multilayer CrN and W 2 N phases. The vacuum annealed coating showed similar thickness to that of as-deposited coating, but underwent visible surface coarsening because of slight oxygen erosion. The N 2 and air annealed coatings suffered from varying degree of oxidation damage accompanied by the formation of mixed WO 3 -CrWO 4 phases, which consequently resulted in severe thickness expansion and surface coarsening. The vacuum annealing induced a spinodal decomposition of supersaturated solid solution to form nm-sized CrN and W 2 N domains. Strain fields originating from the lattice mismatch eventually caused a pronounced age-hardening in the vacuum annealed coating. Whereas the N 2 and air annealed coatings showed significant mechanical degradation because these loose WO 3 -CrWO 4 oxides degraded the stable matrix structure. Our results clearly demonstrated that vacuum environment effectively suppressed the oxidation damage and mechanical degradation of glass molding coating. • The microstructure and mechanical property of the annealed coating are studied. • The vacuum annealing induces spinodal decomposition and light oxidation damage. • The N 2 and air annealing induce serious volume expansion and surface coarsening. • The vacuum annealed coating shows a pronounced age-hardening effect. • The N 2 and air annealed coatings suffer from remarkable mechanical degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed electron microscopy study was performed to investigate the wear mechanism of SiCp/WE43 magnesium matrix composite. The non-reinforced WE43 matrix alloy underwent serious plastic deformation during the sliding wear. The accumulated straining induced the formation of brittle delaminating tribolayer resulting in high wear rate of 4.73 ± 0.05 × 10−3 mm3 N−1 · m−1 and unstable friction coefficient of 0.49–0.88. Addition of SiCp into matrix alloy greatly improved its bearing capacity and wear performance. The hard SiCp effectively inhibited the fatigue crack propagation and suppressed the formation of brittle delaminating tribolayer. Lowering friction coefficient of ~0.38 and wear rate of 0.89 ± 0.07 × 10−3 mm3 N−1 · m−1 were found in the SiCp/WE43 composite. These current findings provided a comprehensive understanding for the anti-wear mechanism of SiCp reinforced magnesium matrix composite. • The SiCp/WE43 composite was fabricated by stirring casting and hot extrusion. • The WE43 matrix alloy showed unstable friction coefficient and high wear rate. • Lowering friction coefficient and wear rate was achieved in SiCp/WE43 composite. • The anti-wear resistance mechanism of SiCp/WE43 composite was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high crystallization at room temperature and high cost of polyoxytetramethylene glycol (PTMG) have become obstacles to its application. To overcome these problems, a segment of PTMG can be incorporated into a block copolymer. In this work, polypropylene (PPO) glycol-polyoxytetramethylene (PPO-PTMG) multiblock copolymers were designed and synthesized through a chain extension between hydroxyl (OH)-terminated PPO and PTMG oligomers. The chain extenders, feed ratios of the catalyst/chain extender/OH groups, reaction temperature, and time were optimized several times to obtain a PPO-PTMG with low crystallization and high molecular weight. Multiblock copolymers with low crystallization and high average molecular weight (Mn = 1.0–1.4 × 104 Dalton) were harvested using m-phthaloyl chloride as the chain extender. The OH-terminated PPO-PTMG multiblock copolymer with high Mn and a functionality near two was further siliconized by 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane to synthesize a novel silyl-terminated polyether. This polyether has an appropriate vulcanizing property and potential applications in sealants/adhesive fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobates with shear ReO3 crystal structures are remarkably promising anode materials for Li+ batteries due to their large capacities, inherent safety, and high cycling stability. However, they generally suffer from limited rate capabilities rooted in their insufficient electronic and Li+ conductivities. Here, micrometer‐sized copper niobate (Cu2Nb34O87) bulk as a new anode material having a high electronic conductivity of 2.1 × 10−5 S cm−1 and an impressive average Li+ diffusion coefficient of ≈3.5 × 10−13 cm2 s−1 is exploited, which synergistically leads to an excellent rate capability (184 mAh g−1 at 10 C) while remaining a large reversible capacity and superior cycling stability. Moreover, the fast Li+ transport pathways of grain boundary (micrometer scale) → lattice deformation area (nanometer scale) → (010) crystallographic plane (angstrom scale) are demonstrated in Cu2Nb34O87. Therefore, these results could pave the way for practical application of Cu2Nb34O87 in high‐performance Li+ batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CyclinD1 is crucial for cell cycling and can regulate the expression of Dicer, a crucial regulator of microRNA maturation. However, little is known on how CyclinD1 regulates Dicer and miRNA expression, and the progression of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods: The expression of CyclinD1 and Dicer in non-tumor cholangiocytes, ICC cells and tissues as well as their association with clinicopathological characteristics and survival were examined. The potential mechanisms by which CyclinD1 regulates Dicer and relative miRNA expression were determined by immunoprecipitation, ChIP sequence, BSP and luciferase reporter assays following induction of CyclinD1 over-expression or silencing and Dicer silencing. The impact of CyclinD1 and/or Dicer silencing on the growth of ICC was tested in vivo. Results: Up-regulated CyclinD1 was associated with down-regulated Dicer expression in ICC tissues and poorer overall survival in patients with ICC. CyclinD1 interacted with the nuclear H3K9me3 and SUV39H1 and bound to the Dicer promoter to increase its CpG island methylation in ICC cells. Functionally, CyclinD1 silencing inhibited the malignancy of ICC cells, which were mitigated partially by Dicer silencing in ICC cells. Dicer silencing down-regulated miR-1914-5p and miR-541-5p expression, which targeted and promoted CyclinD1 and CDK6 expression in ICC cells. Conclusions: Our findings uncover that CyclinD1 inhibits Dicer expression by chromatin modification to reduce miR-1914-5p/miR-541-5p expression, which positively-feedback enhances CyclinD1 and CDK6 expression and progression of ICC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multibiological multiscale biomimetic design is a novel bionic idea that involves multi-mechanisms. Porous ceramics with a sea urchin stereom structure on a micrometre scale and a nacre mineral bridge structure on a submicron scale have been fabricated via organic foam impregnation and controlled crystallisation. The microstructure and mechanical properties of biomimetic ceramics are, respectively, characterised using scanning electron microscopy and universal testing machine. Moreover, the porosity, reliability and grain boundary stress of biomimetic ceramics are calculated via Archimedes method, Weibull theory and finite element method, respectively. Results show that the ceramic produced in this work has a porosity of 88.16% and an average pore size of 284.65 μm. Mineral bridges of Al 2 TiO 5 with a thickness of 30–230 nm are widely and randomly distributed in the grain boundary glass phase of Al 2 O 3 and improved the compressive strength (2.32 MPa) and Weibull modulus (7.85) of ceramics by the multi-mechanisms of crack deflection, reducing maximum stress and homogenising stress on the grain boundary. These investigations would be of great value to the design and synthesis of novel biomimetic materials. Unlabelled Image • A new ceramic combined with stereom structure of sea urchin and mineral bridges of nacre is successfully fabricated. • The double-biologically inspired ceramics have a high porosity of 88.16% but excellent Weibull modulus of 7.85. • The Al 2 TiO 5 mineral bridge forest first reported on the boundary/surface of Al 2 O 3 grains causes the crack deflection. • The mineral bridges can reduce the maximum grain boundary stress by 15.85% and homogenize the stress. • The flexural strength and Weibull modulus of ceramic are increased by about 2.7 times with the mineral bridge introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulcanization and reinforcement are critical factors in governing the ultimate practical applications of elastomer composites. Here we achieved a simultaneous improvement of curing and mechanical properties of elastomer composites by the incorporation of a functionalized halloysite nanotubes–silica hybrid (HS-s-M). Typically, HS-s-M was synthesized by 2-mercapto benzothiazole (M) immobilized on the surface of halloysite nanotubes–silica hybrid (HS). It was found that the HS-s-M uniformly dispersed in the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) matrix, offering more opportunity for M molecules to communicate with rubber. In addition, the physical loss of accelerator M from migration and volatilization was efficiently suspended. Therefore, SBR/HS-s-M composites showed a lower curing activation energy and a higher crosslinking density than SBR/HS composites. Moreover, a stronger interfacial interaction between HS-s-M and SBR was formed by the cross-linking reaction, giving a positive contribution to the eventual mechanical properties. The possible vulcanization and reinforcement mechanisms of SBR/HS-s-M composites were also analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is one of the most important environmental factors that affect many aspects of plant growth, including chlorophyll (Chl) synthesis and flowering time. Here, we identified a rice mutant, yellow leaf and early flowering (ye1), and characterized the gene YE1 by using a map-based cloning method. YE1 encodes a heme oxygenase, which is localized to the chloroplasts. YE1 is expressed in various green tissues, especially in leaves, with a diurnal-rhythmic expression pattern, and its transcripts is also induced by light during leaf-greening. The mutant displays decreased Chl contents with less and disorderly thylakoid lamellar layers in chloroplasts, which reduced the photosynthesis rate. The early flowering phenotype of ye1 was not photoperiod-sensitive. Furthermore, the expression levels of Chl biosynthetic genes were downregulated in ye1 seedlings during de-etiolation responses to light. We also found that rhythmic expression patterns of genes involved in photoperiodic flowering were altered in the mutant. Based on these results, we infer that YE1 plays an important role in light-dependent Chl biogenesis as well as photoperiodic flowering pathway in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the interfacial interaction between rubber and silica nanoparticles, and simultaneously reducing free sulfur and preventing migration and volatilization of a rubber vulcanizing agent, commercial sulfur compound aliphatic ether polysulfide (VA-7) was chemically attached to the silica surface to obtain a functionalized nanoparticle (silica-s-VA7). Functional nanoparticles can not only effectively crosslink rubber without sulfur as a novel vulcanizator, but are also evenly dispersed in the rubber matrix and improve the dispersion of the remaining pristine silica as an interfacial compatibilizer. In addition, the thicker immobilized polymer layer and prominent crosslinking density of SBR nanocomposites simultaneously demonstrate that the novel vulcanizing agent silica-s-VA7 gives rise to significant improvement on the rubber–filler interfacial adhesion on account of the covalent linkages of organic and inorganic interfaces between elastomer and nanofillers. We envisage that this strategy may provide a new avenue to implement high-efficiency design for a multifunctional rubber-vulcanizing agent through an organic and inorganic hybridization mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the etching conditions and mechanism of MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass-ceramic (MAS) in hydrofluoric acid (HF). The results show that the amorphous phase has 218 times higher etching rate than pure cordierite crystal at room temperature. In addition, the activation energies of cordierite and amorphous phases in the HF solution are 52.5 and 30.6 kJ/mol, respectively. The time (tad) taken for complete dissolution of the amorphous phase depends on the HF concentration (CHF). Based on the etching experiments, a new model is established and refined to assess the tad evolution. In addition, a highly crystalline cordierite phase, with the high specific surface area (59.4 m2·g−1) and mesoporous structure, has been obtained by HF etching. This paper presents novel insights into the etching chemistry and opens up avenues for further research in the area of cordierite-based catalytic ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have reported that the aberrantly expressed AKR1B10 is associated with many cancer development, however the functional roles of AKR1B10 and its regulatory mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been limited studied. In this project, we identified AKR1B10 functional as an oncogene in HCC through tumor/normal human tissue comparison from both GEO microarray and TCGA RNAseq dataset. Further experimental validations from three HCC cell lines (SMMC-7721, HePG2 and HeP3B) also suggested the ontogenetic functions of AKR1B10 in HCC tumor growth. By knocking down AKR1B10 through shRNA in HCC HeP3B cells, we showed it significantly induced cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell growth. Interestingly, integrative analysis of TCGA RNAseq data and miRNA-seq data predicted that miR-383-5p, a novel post-transcriptional tumor suppressor, is negatively associated with AKR1B10 expression. To further investigate the role of miR-383-5p in regulating AKR1B10 in HCC, we performed Dual-luciferase reporter assay experiments. Results showed that miR-383-5p is an upstream modulator targeting AKR1B10 in the post-transcriptional stage. Thus, we report AKR1B10 modulated regulated by miR-383-5p, promotes HCC tumor progress, and could be potentially a therapeutic target for precision medicine in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study associations between type 2 diabetes (T2DM) candidate genes and microvascular complications of diabetes (MVCDs), we performed case-control association studies for both T2DM and MVCDs in Han Chinese subjects. We recruited 1,939 unrelated Han Chinese T2DM patients and 918 individuals with normal blood glucose levels as nondiabetic controls. Among T2DM patients, 1116 have MVCDs, 266 have a history of T2DM of >10 years but never developed MVCDs. Eighty-two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 54 candidate genes were genotyped. Discrete association studies were performed by the PLINK program for T2DM and MVCDs. Significant associations were found among candidate gene SNPs and T2DM, including rs1526167 of the TOX gene (allele A, P = 2.85 × 10−9, OR = 1.44). The SNP rs10811661 of the CDKN2A/B gene was also associated with T2DM (allele T, P = 4.09 × 10−7, OR = 1.36). When we used control patients with >10 years of T2DM history without MVCD, we found that the G allele of SNP rs1526167 of the TOX gene was associated with MVCD (nominal P = 4.33 × 10−4). In our study, significant associations were found between TOX and CDKN2A/B gene SNPs and T2DM. The TOX polymorphism might account for the higher risk of T2DM and the lower risk of MVCDs in the Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalyst can be recycled and reused for at least seven runs without significant loss of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]