Search

As an important learning mode, e-learning has become an important way of online learning, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the separation of teaching and learning in time or space undoubtedly makes it difficult for teachers to master and supervise students' learning initiative. From the perspective of inquiry learning initiative, a learning problem model is constructed. To solve the problem of model timeliness, the learning behavior characteristics have been quantified with the guidance of time parameter. Furthermore, a cluster analysis method is proposed to group the students into different clusters, and a case study is given to verify the proposed scheme. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively identify the type of students and the degree of learning engagement.

Background Topotecan is an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug with common side effects, including hepatotoxicity. In this study, we aim to investigate the mechanisms of topotecan-induced hepatocellular injury beyond conventional DNA damage. Materials and methods Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of topotecan on cell proliferation. Western blot was used to detect protein expression. Flow cytometry assay was performed to determine apoptosis rate under topotecan treatment. ASCT2 overexpression was addressed using adenovirus vector. qRT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression of ASCT2. Glutamine uptake, intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were detected by glutamine detection kit, GSH detection kit and ROS detection kit respectively. Results MTT results showed that topotecan had an inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Topotecan inhibited the expression of glutamine transporter ASCT2 and the uptake of glutamine in both L02 and HepG2 cell lines. The uptake of glutamine and the GSH level was increased in both L02 and HepG2 cell lines after ASCT2 overexpression. The ROS level was inhibited by ASCT2 overexpression upon topotecan treatment in both L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Topotecan-induced hepatocellular apoptosis and proliferation inhibition were attenuated by ASCT2 overexpression in both L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Conclusion Topotecan-induced hepatocytes death is dependent on ASCT2 down-regulation, which causes oxidative stress via inhibiting GSH production.

Chuju polysaccharide, which is extracted from a traditional Chinese flower, contains diabetes benefits. In this study, the free radical scavenging ability and reducing force of the Chuju polysaccharides were determined. The Chuju polysaccharides were given intragastrically to the diabetic mice. Results have shown that three Chuju polysaccharides had certain scavenging effects on DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion radical, which are stronger than VE, but weaker than VC. The scavenging effects of three Chuju polysaccharides on hydroxyl radical were as follows: D2 > D1 > D3. The reducing force of the three components was also shown as the same, indicating that Chuju polysaccharide had strong antioxidant activity. According to the histological anatomy and pathological section analysis of mice, the three components of Chuju polysaccharide could have a certain protective effect on liver, kidney and pancreas. The components with stronger antioxidant activity contain a more significant protective effect. Together, these findings indicated that Chuju polysaccharides possess great potential as a diet supplement or medication for diabetes.

Automated generalization of road network data is of great concern to the map generalization community because of the importance of road data and the difficulty involved. Complex junctions are where roads meet and join in a complicated way and identifying them is a key issue in road network generalization. In addition to their structural complexity, complex junctions don&rsquo, t have regular geometric boundary and their representation in spatial data is scale-dependent. All these together make them hard to identify. Existing methods use geometric and topological statistics to characterize and identify them, and are thus error-prone, scale-dependent and lack generality. More significantly, they cannot ensure the integrity of complex junctions. This study overcomes the obstacles by clarifying the topological boundary of a complex junction, which provides the basis for straightforward identification of them. Test results show the proposed method can find and isolate complex junctions in a road network with their integrity and is able to handle different road representations. The integral identification achieved can help to guarantee connectivity among roads when simplifying complex junctions, and greatly facilitate the geometric and semantic simplification of them.

The aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens are now showing strong potential in mimicking the energy donor of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. Herein, one highly efficient FRET system 1-NiR is successfully fabricated in aqueous solution based on an AIE active compound 1 and fluorescence dyes (Nile red (NiR)). 1 acts as the energy donor and NiR acts as the acceptor in the FRET system with the optimum concentrations ratio [1]/[NiR] = 100. Besides, the AIE(1) itself displays excellent selectivity for Cu2+ ions at 525 nm with the detection limit of 1.32 × 10−7 M. While through the FRET system of 1-NiR system, the detection limit of Cu2+ can be further decreased to 9.12 nM by monitoring the fluorescence at 630 nm. As a result, using an AIE probe to detect Cu2+ based on FRET mechanism is a promising strategy.

Epidermal biophysical properties can be affected by many factors, including body site, age, gender, ethnicity, disease, temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Information about variation of epidermal biophysical properties with seasons is still limited. In the present study, we determined seasonal variation of epidermal biophysical properties of women in Kunming, China.A total of 72 women, aged 22.96 ± 2.11 years, were enrolled in this study. Transepidermal water loss rates (TEWL), stratum corneum (SC) hydration, sebum content, melanin index (MI), erythema index (EI), and L*a* values were measured on the right cheek and the right forearm, using a non-invasive skin physiological instrument in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Kunming, China.On the cheek, TEWL, SC hydration, sebum, MI, and L*a* values varied greatly with seasons (P .05). SC hydration, sebum, MI, and a*value peaked in the summer, but went lowest in winter. In contrast, TEWL and L*value went lowest in summer but peaked in winter. Similarly, SC hydration, MI, and L*value also varied with seasons on the forearm (P .05). In addition, SC hydration, sebum, MI, EI, and a*value of the cheek were higher than that of the forearm (P .001), but L*values of the cheek were lower than that of the forearm (P .001). There were no correlations among TEWL and MI, EI, and L*a*values in any season (P .05).Both epidermal permeability barrier function, sebum, and skin pigment in healthy women vary seasons in Kunming, China.

To evaluate the spatial distribution of chemicals and their contribution to processing quality, wheat grains were layered into nine fractions from the surface to the center layer. The content of total starch, amylose and amylopectin gradually increased from the surface layer to inner layer, while albumin, globulin and total protein decreased in this direction. Contents of gliadin, glutenin, high molecular weight glutenin subuints (HMW-GS) and glutenin macropolymers (GMP) increased from the surface layer, and peaked at the second or the third pearling layer, and then decreased till the center layer. The mean particle diameter of starch granules increased gradually from the surface to inner except at P9. Bread baking performance was the best for flour at the mid layers, while was the worst for flour from the surface layer, especially in terms of taste and texture. Biscuit making performance was the best at the center layers, while poorest at the surface layer.

TEM-1 beta-lactamases can accurately catalyze the hydrolysis of the beta-lactam rings in beta-lactam antibiotics, which make beta-lactam antibiotics lose its activity, and the prerequisite for the hydrolysis procedure in the binding interaction of TEM-1 beta-lactamases with beta-lactam antibiotics is the beta-lactam rings in beta-lactam antibiotics. Therefore, the binding of TEM-1 beta-lactamase to three beta-lactam antibiotics including penicillin G, cefalexin as well as cefoxitin was explored here by frontal affinity chromatography in combination with fluorescence spectra, adsorption and thermodynamic data in the temperature range of 278-288K under simulated physiological conditions. The results showed that all the binding of TEM-1 beta-lactamase to the three antibiotics were spontaneously exothermic processes with the binding constants of 8.718×103, 6.624×103 and 2.244×103 (mol/L), respectively at 288K. All the TEM-1 beta-lactamases were immobilized on the surface of the stationary phase in the mode of monolayer and there existed only one type of binding sites on them. Each TEM-1 beta-lactamase bound with only one beta-lactam antibiotic and hydrogen bond interaction and Van der Waals force were the main forces between them. This work provided an insight into the binding interactions between TEM-1 beta-lactamases and beta-lactam antibiotics, which may be beneficial for the designing and developing of new substrates resistant to TEM-1 beta-lactamases.

The aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens are now showing strong potential in mimicking the energy donor of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. Herein, one highly efficient FRET system 1-NiR is successfully fabricated in aqueous solution based on an AIE active compound 1 and fluorescence dyes (Nile red (NiR)). 1 acts as the energy donor and NiR acts as the acceptor in the FRET system with the optimum concentrations ratio [1]/[NiR] = 100. Besides, the AIE(1) itself displays excellent selectivity for Cu

The Dongying anticline is an E-W striking complex fault-bounded block unit which located in the central Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin. The anticline covers an area of approximately 12 km2. The overlying succession, which is mainly composed of Tertiary strata, is cut by normal faults with opposing dips. In terms of the general structure, the study area is located in a compound transfer zone with major bounding faults to the west (Ying 1 fault) and east (Ying -8 and -31 faults). Using three-dimensional seismic data, wireline log and checkshot data, the geometries and kinematics of faults in the transfer zone were studied, and fault displacements were calculated. The results show that when activity on the Ying 1 fault diminished, displacement was transferred to the Ying -8, Ying -31 and secondary faults so that total displacement increased. Dynamic analysis shows that the stress fields in the transfer zone were complex: the northern portion was a left-lateral extensional shear zone, and the southern portion was a right-lateral extensional shear zone. A model of potential hydrocarbon traps in the Dongying transfer zone was constructed based on the above data combined with the observed reservoir rock distribution and the sealing characteristics of the faults. The hydrocarbons were mainly expulsed from Minfeng Sag during deposition periods of Neogene Guantao and Minghuazhen Formations, and migrated along major faults from source kitchens to reservoirs. The secondary faults acted as barriers, resulting in the formation of fault-bound compartments. The high points of the anticline and well-sealed traps near secondary faults are potential targets. This paper provides a reservoir formation model of the low-order transfer zone and can be applied to the hydrocarbon exploration in transfer zones, especially the complex fault block oilfields in eastern China.

Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1), one of glycosphingolipids containing sialic acid, plays particularly important role in fighting against paralysis, dementia and other diseases caused by brain and nerve damage. In this work, a simple and highly efficient method with high yield was developed for isolation and purification of GM1 from pig brain. The method consisted of an extraction by chloroform–methanol–water and a two-step chromatographic separation by DEAE–Sepharose Fast Flow anion-exchange medium and Sephacryl S-100 HR size-exclusion medium. The purified GM1 was proved to be homogeneous and had a purity of >98.0% by high-performance anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The molecular weight was 30.0 kDa by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography and 1546.9 Da by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The chromogenic reaction by resorcinol–hydrochloric acid solution indicated that the purified GM1 showed a specific chromogenic reaction of sialic acid. Through this isolation and purification program, ~1.0 mg of pure GM1 could be captured from 500 g wet pig brain tissue and the yield of GM1 was around 0.022%, which was higher than the yields by other methods. The method may provide an alternative for isolation and purification of GM1 in other biological tissues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The interaction between TEM-1 β-lactamase and antibiotics is very important in the hydrolysis of antibiotics. In the present study, the recognition and binding of TEM-1 β-lactamase with three β-lactam antibiotics, including penicillin G, cefalexin and cefoxitin, was investigated by fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra in combination with molecular docking in the temperature range of 278-288 K and under simulated physiological conditions. The results demonstrated that the fluorescence emissions of TEM-1 β-lactamase were extinguished by static quenching and the energy of TEM-1 β-lactamase was transferred in a non-radioactive manner. The binding of TEM-1 β-lactamase with the three antibiotics was a spontaneously exothermic process, with binding constants of 1.41×107, 7.81×106 and 5.43×104 at 278 K. Furthermore, binding was driven by enthalpy change and the binding forces between them were mainly hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces. A TEM-1 β-lactamase only bound with one antibiotic at a time and the binding capacity between them was closely associated with the functional groups and flexibility in the antibiotics. In addition, a conformational change occurred in the TEM-1 β-lactamases when they bound with the three antibiotics and TEM-1 β-lactamase-antibiotic complexes were formed. The present study provided an insight into the recognition and binding of TEM-1 β-lactamase with β-lactam antibiotics, which may be helpful for designing a novel substrate for TEM-1 β-lactamase and developing novel antibiotics that are resistant to the enzyme.

Dual sites fluorescence compound 1 based on 5-bromosalicylaldehyde and 2-benzothiazoleacetonitrile was synthesized. 1 exhibited different aggregation-induced emission (AIE) state in different solution boosting different emission. Different aggregated states gave different chance for H2S and Hg2+ to respond with the formation of new aggregated states. Especially, 1 responded to H2S selectively with an ultrafast rate within 20 s. Intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding play an important role on the aggregated state conversion. Herein, the notion of “AIE Transformers” was put forward for the first time. It permits us to study their aggregation state with their photophysical and functional changes.

The unfolding of bovine heart cytochrome c induced by urea and guanidine hydrochloride was first studied through intrinsic fluorescence emission spectra and fluorescence phase diagram and the results showed that both of them separately followed a two-state model. As the simplest sample of the unfolding of protein molecules induced by denaturants, an equation was presented to show the effect of the denaturant concentrations in denaturation solution on the residual activity ratios of bovine heart cytochrome c in their two-state unfolding. There are two characteristic unfolding parameters K and m in this equation. The former is the thermodynamic equilibrium constant of the unfolding of bovine heart cytochrome c induced by denaturants, the latter is the number of denaturant molecules associated with a bovine heart cytochrome c molecule during the unfolding procedure, and through them the distribution and transition of native and completely unfolded bovine heart cytochrome c conformations under different concentrations of urea or guanidine hydrochloride in denaturation solution can be accurately described.

A two-dimensional contraction channel with a theoretically designed concave-oblique-convex wall profile is proposed to obtain a smooth planar-to-planar shock transition with shock intensity amplification that can easily overcome the limitations of a conventional shock tube. The concave segment of the wall profile, which is carefully determined based on shock dynamics theory, transforms the shock shape from an initial plane into a cylindrical arc. Then the level of shock enhancement is mainly contributed by the cylindrical shock convergence within the following oblique segment, after which the cylindrical shock is again "bent" back into a planar shape through the third section of the shock dynamically designed convex segment. A typical example is presented with a combination of experimental and numerical methods, where the shape of transmitted shock is almost planar and the post-shock flow has no obvious reflected waves. A quantitative investigation shows that the difference between the designed and experimental transmitted shock intensities is merely 1.4%. Thanks to its advantage that the wall profile design is insensitive to initial shock strength variations and high-temperature gas effects, this method exhibits attractive potential as an efficient approach to a certain, controllable, extreme condition of a strong shock wave with relatively uniform flow behind.

To analyze the topological properties of hazardous materials road transportation network (HMRTN), this paper proposed two different ways to construct the cyberspace of HMRTN and constructed their complex network models, respectively. One was the physical network model of HMRTN based on the primal approach and the other was the service network model of HMRTN based on neighboring nodes. The two complex network models were built by using the case of Dalian HMRTN. The physical network model contained 154 nodes and 238 edges, and the statistical analysis results showed that (1) the cumulative node degree of physical network was subjected to exponential distribution, showing the network properties of random network and that (2) the HMRTN had small characteristic path length and large network clustering coefficient, which was a typical small-world network. The service network model contained 569 nodes and 1318 edges, and the statistical analysis results showed that (1) the cumulative node degree of service network was subjected to power-law distribution, showing the network properties of scale-free network and that (2) the relationship between nodes strength and their descending order ordinal and the relationship between nodes strength and cumulative nodes strength were both subjected to power-law distribution, also showing the network properties of scale-free network.

Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1), one of glycosphingolipids containing sialic acid, plays particularly important role in fighting against paralysis, dementia and other diseases caused by brain and nerve damage. In this work, a simple and highly efficient method with high yield was developed for isolation and purification of GM1 from pig brain. The method consisted of an extraction by chloroform-methanol-water and a two-step chromatographic separation by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow anion-exchange medium and Sephacryl S-100 HR size-exclusion medium. The purified GM1 was proved to be homogeneous and had a purity of98.0% by high-performance anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The molecular weight was 30.0 kDa by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography and 1546.9 Da by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The chromogenic reaction by resorcinol-hydrochloric acid solution indicated that the purified GM1 showed a specific chromogenic reaction of sialic acid. Through this isolation and purification program, ~1.0 mg of pure GM1 could be captured from 500 g wet pig brain tissue and the yield of GM1 was around 0.022%, which was higher than the yields by other methods. The method may provide an alternative for isolation and purification of GM1 in other biological tissues.