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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelia-derived malignancy with a distinctive geographic distribution. Cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) is involved in cancer development and progression. Nevertheless, the role of CSE in the growth of NPC is unknown. In this study, we found that CSE levels in human NPC cells were higher than those in normal nasopharyngeal cells. CSE overexpression enhanced the proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities of NPC cells and CSE downregulation exerted reverse effects. Overexpression of CSE decreased the expressions of cytochrome C, cleaved caspase (cas)-3, cleaved cas-9, and cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, whereas CSE knockdown exhibited reverse effects. CSE overexpression decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the expressions of phospho (p)-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2, p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p-p38, but promoted the expressions of p-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), p-AKT, and p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), whereas CSE knockdown showed oppose effects. In addition, CSE overexpression promoted NPC xenograft tumor growth and CSE knockdown decreased tumor growth by modulating proliferation, angiogenesis, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Furthermore, DL-propargylglycine (an inhibitor of CSE) dose-dependently inhibited NPC cell growth via ROS-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways without significant toxicity. In conclusion, CSE could regulate the growth of NPC cells through ROS-mediated MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR cascades. CSE might be a novel tumor marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of NPC. Novel donors/drugs that inhibit the expression/activity of CSE can be developed in the treatment of NPC.

Apelin, a peptide hormone, is an endogenous ligand for G protein-coupled receptor and has been shown to be widely expressed in human and animal tissues, such as the central nervous system and adipose tissue. Recent studies indicate that the apelin/APJ system is involved in the regulation of multiple physiological and pathological processes, and it is associated with cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, neurological diseases, ischemia-reperfusion injury, aging, eclampsia, deafness, and tumors. The occurrence and development of these diseases are closely related to the local inflammatory response. Oxidative stress is that the balance between oxidation and antioxidant is broken, and reactive oxygen species are produced in large quantities, causing cell or molecular damage, which leads to vascular damage and a series of inflammatory reactions. Hence, this article reviewed recent advances in the relationship between apelin/APJ and oxidative stress, and inflammation-related diseases, and highlights them as potential therapeutic targets for oxidative stress-related inflammatory diseases.

Βeta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with a hydrophobic cavity enables the formation of inclusion complexes with organic molecules. The formation of host–guest complexes makes the application of β-CD popular in many fields, but their interaction with organisms is poorly understood. In the present study, the effect of β-CD on gut microbiota (16S rRNA gene sequencing), serum metabolites (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry platform), and their correlation (Pearson correlation analysis) was investigated after 14 days repeated oral exposure in mice. β-CD did not significantly affect the α-diversity indexes, including Richness, Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indexes, but disturbed the structure of the gut bacteria according to the result of principal component analysis (PCA). After taxonomic assignment, 1 in 27 phyla, 2 in 48 classes, 3 in 107 orders, 6 in 192 families, and 8 in 332 genera were significantly different between control and β-CD treated groups. The serum metabolites were significantly changed after β-CD treatment according to the result of unsupervized PCA and supervised partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). A total of 112 differential metabolites (89 downregulated and 23 upregulated) were identified based on the VIP >1 from orthogonal PLS-DA and p t-test. The metabolic pathways, including ABC transporters, pyrimidine metabolism, purine metabolism, glucagon signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, were enriched by KEGG pathway analysis. Our study provides a general observation of gut microbiota, serum metabolites and their correlation after exposure to β-CD in mice, which will be helpful for future research and application of β-CD.

Mutations in GJA8 are associated with hereditary autosomal dominant and recessive cataract formation. In this study, a novel insert mutation in GJA8 was identified in a Chinese congenital cataract family and cosegregated with the disease in this pedigree. This insert mutation introduces five additional amino acid residues YAVHY after histidine at the 95 site (p.H95_A96insYAVHY) within the second transmembrane (TM2) domain of Cx50 protein (Cx50-insert). Ectopic expression of Cx50-insert protein impairs the hemichannel functions and gap junction activity compared to wild-type Cx50 protein in human lens epithelial cells. Cx50-insert proteins were mislocated from cytoplasmic membrane to endoplasmic reticulum and lysosome. In mouse lens tissue, our results showed that Cx50 predominant expresses in epithelial cells and fiber cells at the transition zone of lens hinting its roles in lens differentiation. Taken together, these data suggest that the novel insert mutation in the TM2 domain of Cx50 protein, which impairs its trafficking to the cell membrane and gap-junction function, is associated with the cataract formation in this Chinese pedigree.

s Nanosized particles of Bi0.95Y0.05Fe0.97M0.03O3 (M ​= ​Mn,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn) were successfully synthesized through thermal decomposition coordination precursors with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (H5dtpa) as ligand. All prepared samples were characterized by XRD, Uv–vis DRS, SEM, PL, EIS, VSM and so on. From XRD results, the main phase of the samples was rhombohedral R3c (161) BiFeO3, and contained a small amount of soft iron ore Bi25FeO40. The phase and morphology of prepared samples were affected by doping ions. The average grain size of the samples was about 20 ​nm.T.The Uv–vis demonstrated the band gap of all samples was less than 2 ​eV and the response to light of all samples extended from ultraviolet region to visible region (~650 ​nm).The BFO–Y–Mn exhibited the minimum band gap of 1.77 ​eV. At the same time, photocatalytic activities of all samples prepared were evaluated through the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). BiFeO3 co-doping with 5%Y3+ and 3%Mn2+ exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for MO solution. In the present of BFO–Y–Mn, the degradation rate of MO under light irradiation of 3 ​h was about 98%.

Uniform-large-sized F-substituted hydroxyapatite (FHAp) crystals with controllable morphologies were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal treatment by using double-facile surfactants. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the size and morphology of FHAp crystals were drastically influenced by pH, precursor concentration and F− content. The growth process was investigated by following time-dependent experiments. The possible growth process was also discussed. Keywords: F-substituted hydroxyapatite, Surfactant, Hydrothermal

This article addresses the high-precision coordinated control problem of spacecraft autonomous rendezvous and docking, which couple the relative position and attitude in the final approach phase. The coupled dynamics equations of the tracking-target spacecrafts is derived by using dual quaternions. Then, a cascade Active Disturbance Rejection Controller is proposed, by which the extended state observer and nonlinear error feedback law is designed, the virtual value on which the actual control volume tracking is calculated to ensure the finite time convergence of the relative position and attitude tracking errors in spite of parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate that the proposed approaches, which can avoid the coupling effect and restrain the interference, can track the target spacecraft in a relatively short period of time, and the control precision can satisfy the requirements of docking.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, particularly in Asian populations, and responds poorly to conventional therapy. Sub-classification of ESCCs by molecular analysis is a powerful strategy in extending conventional clinicopathologic classification, improving prognosis and therapy. Here we identified two ESCC molecular subtypes in Chinese population using gene expression profiling data, and further validated the molecular subtypes in two other independent Asian populations (Japanese and Vietnamese). Subtype I ESCCs were enriched in pathways including immune response, while genes over-expressed in subtype II ESCCs were mainly involved in ectoderm development, glycolysis process and cell proliferation. Specifically, we identified potential ESCC subtype-specific diagnostic markers (FOXA1 and EYA2 for subtype I, LAMC2 and KRT14 for subtype II) and further validated them in a fourth Asian cohort. In addition, we propose a few subtype-specific therapeutic targets for ESCC, which may guide future ESCC clinical treatment when further validated. Funding Statement: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81602362 to XG; No. 61571414 to AL), the program for Science and Technology Development in Henan Province (No.162102310391 to XG), the program for Young Key Teacher of Henan Province (No. 2016GGJS-214 to XG), the supporting grants of Henan University (No. 2015YBZR048 to XG; No. B2015151 to XG), the program for Innovative Talents of Science and Technology in Henan Province (No. 18HASTIT048 to XG), and Yellow River Scholar Program (No. H2016012 to XG). The funding bodies were not involved in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or in writing of this manuscript. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: A tissue Arrayer (Beecher, MTA-1) was used to construct the ESCC tissue microarray (TMA) comprising of 166 primary ESCC cases collected from Linzhou Cancer Hospital, Henan, China, between 2010 and 2011, as an independent cohort, which were obtained with Institutional review board approval and a waiver of consent due to the archival nature of the specimens.

Y3+ doped Bi2O3 photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity were synthesized via thermal decomposition of molecular precursor at 500 °C and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The XRD results indicated that the introduction of Y3+ ions can stabilize the phase of Bi2O3. The DRS results indicated that the doping of Y3+ increased the visible light absorption ability of Bi2O3 and red-shifts appeared when compared with pure Bi2O3. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated through the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The results showed that an appropriate concentration of yttrium dopant can enhance the photocatalytic performance of Bi2O3 due to the strong visible light absorption and the efficient inhibition of the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The active species trapping experiments indicated · O 2 − is the main active species in the photocatalytic reaction. Recycling experiments demonstrated that Y-doped Bi2O3 has strong photostability and recyclability and it will be a promising photocatalyst for the photodegradation of organic dyes in water.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres with hierarchical porous structure were synthesized using a facile gas diffusion method. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller gas sorptometry analyses. Results showed that the change in pH resulting from ammonia diffusion provided the driving force for the formation of HA crystals. Under the cooperative influences of reaction time and reaction temperature, the nucleation and growth processes of HA nanocrystals were effectively controlled. Therefore, porous HA microspheres with large surface areas were produced at 60 °C for 24 h. On the basis of the time-dependent experiments, a possible formation mechanism of hierarchical porous HA microsphere was proposed. Moreover, hierarchical porous HA microspheres were investigated as adsorbent, and they exhibited a high adsorptive capacity for heavy metals Pb2+ and Cu2+ of approximately 213.58 ± 2.6375 and 59.68 ± 3.4436 mg/g, respectively. Therefore, hierarchical porous HA microspheres may be applied to heavy metal-contaminated water treatment.

Heat shock factor 1 (Hsf1) serves an important role in regulating the proliferation of human tumor cell lines in vitro and tissue specific tumorigenesis in certain mouse models. However, its role in viral‑oncogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. In the current study, the role of Hsf1 in fibroblastoma derived from simian virus 40/T antigen (SV40/TAG)‑transformed mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines was investigated. Knockout of Hsf1 inhibited MEF cell proliferation in vitro and fibroblastoma growth and metastasis to the lungs in vivo in nude mice. Knockout of Hsf1 increased the protein expression levels of p53 and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), however reduced the expression of heat shock protein 25 (Hsp25) in addition to the expression of the angiogenesis markers vascular endothelial growth factor, cluster of differentiation 34 and factor VIII related antigen. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation indicated that knockout of Hsf1 inhibited the association between SV40/TAG and p53 or pRb. These data suggest that Hsf1 is involved in the regulation of SV40/TAG‑derived fibroblastoma growth and metastasis by modulating the association between SV40/TAG and tumor suppressor p53 and pRb. The current study provides further evidence that Hsf1 may be a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres were successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (Na 2 EDTA). The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The morphology of HA was significantly affected by pH, Na 2 EDTA/Ca ratio, and reaction temperature. High pH values could promote the formation of microspheres. The structures were transformed from tight to estrange with decreasing pH. The Na 2 EDTA/Ca ratio affected self-assembled, the ratio of Na 2 EDTA/Ca at 2:2 resulted in the formation of a dense spherical structure. The reaction temperature affected the degree of the density of the microspheres. HA microspheres with high crystallinity can be produced under conditions with high pH, high temperature, and moderate holding time. The mechanism underlying the formation of HA microspheres in the presence of Na 2 EDTA at high pH was proposed. At the initial stage of the reaction, crystals were formed and the trunk appeared with a rod-like HA self-assembly. With prolonged reaction time, dumbbell-like HA was formed. Further growth could produce HA microspheres.

Carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp) powders with controllable morphologies and sizes were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal treatment by using hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) as a hydroxide anion-generating agent in a phosphate-surplus precursor solution. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction. The results revealed that the morphologies (such as microrods, sheet-like-assembled flowers, shaft wheel-like structures, bur-like spheres, dumbbell-shaped structures, and microspheres) of the products could be well tailored by regulating the reaction acidity and time. A possible growth mechanism accompanied by the effects of HMT on crystal nucleation and growth was preliminarily proposed for the formation of the controllable structures. This work indicated that the use of HMT as a hydroxide anion-adjusting agent is an effective strategy to finely control the morphology of CHAp crystals.

The effects of aging, crystallization temperature and time, and structure directing agent (SDA) on the synthesis of T-type zeolite nanoparticles were investigated systematically. The synthesized zeolites were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET measurements. Under optimal synthesis conditions, pure T-type zeolites with a particle size of 150–200 nm were successfully prepared in a time period as short as 120 h. The equilibrium adsorption of pure gases CO 2 , N 2 , and CH 4 on the synthesized T-type zeolite nanoparticles were measured at 288, 298 and 313 K. The T-type zeolite nanoparticles showed the capability of selective adsorption of CO 2 over N 2 and CH 4 . At 288 K and 100 kPa, the selectivity of CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 of the T-type zeolite nanoparticles was 53.71 and 19.15 respectively. Compared to the micro-level T-type zeolite particles, the T-type zeolite nanoparticles exhibited a higher CO 2 adsorption capacity. At 288 K and 100 kPa, the T-type zeolite nanoparticles showed 4.01 mmol/g CO 2 adsorption capacities, 30% higher than micro-level T-type zeolite. The dynamic adsorption experiments of CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 binary gas mixtures demonstrated that the synthesized T-type zeolite nanoparticles have promising adsorption capability and recyclability for the separation of CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 in the potential application to post-combustion CO 2 separation or natural gas purification process.

s Flowback water from shale gas well drilling has a high TDS (total dissolved solids) content, ranging from 5000 ppm to 261,000 ppm, along with a TSS (total suspended solids) content of 300–3000 mg/L. Recently, the rapid expansion of shale gas production in Marcellus Formation has raised serious environmental concerns about the large amount of flowback water in this area. A process based on ceramic membrane filtration and ion-exchange was studied for the treatment of the flowback water from Marcellus Formation. The studied process contains a combination of two MF (microfiltration) membranes, 1.4 μm and 0.2 μm respectively, and mixed bed ion-exchange. After treatment, all TSS and >99% of TDS were successfully removed from the flowback water to meet the criteria for surface discharge. The cost estimation of the treatment is approximately 18.4 $/m 3 , 40–70% lower than the cost estimate of the DEP(Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania).

The implant-associated infection remains a serious problem in clinic. A better compromise between the anti-infection property and biocompatibility of bone filling materials is still required. In this work, carboxylated chitosan/silver-hydroxyapatite (CMCS/Ag-HA) hybrid microspheres were fabricated via a facile gas diffusion method. CMCS and Ag ion were evenly distributed into hybrid microspheres. CMCS regulated the morphological characteristics of the as-synthesized hybrid microspheres. As the content of CMCS increased, the size of the sample increased and dispersion exacerbated. In addition, antimicrobial studies demonstrated that CMCS/Ag-HA hybrid microspheres exhibited an excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus because of the synergistic effect of Ag+ and CMCS. In vitro cell tests indicated that the as-prepared CMCS/Ag-HA hybrid microspheres promoted the proliferation and adhesion of MG63 cells. CMCS/Ag-HA hybrid microspheres showed excellent bactericidal property and biocompatibility; thus, they could be used in biomedical applications, such as infection-resistant bone replacement materials.

A novel method for the preparation of molecularly imprinted nanospheres is presented by premix membrane emulsification technique. On the example of chloramphenicol (CAP), the imprinted nanospheres were prepared using methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as cross-linker. The synthesis conditions of the nanospheres were optimized. When the membrane pore size is 1.4 mu m, transmembrane pressure is 2.00 MPa, transmembrane numbers are 5 times and the volume ratios of oil-water in the coarse emulsions is 1:20, the resulted nanospheres are relatively uniform and their sizes are between 300-800 nm. Furthermore, the effect of the ratio of CAP-MAA on imprinting performance was investigated, and the selective adsorption experiment indicates that the imprinted nanospheres have good selectivity for CAP. Additionally, adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm of the imprinted nanospheres exhibit that the adsorption equilibrium time is around 60 min and the maximum theoretical static binding capacity is up to 158.78 mg g(-1). Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A series of heterometallic LnIII–SbIII edta-containing compounds with the formulas [Sb2(edta)2Ln]NO3·nH2O [edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetate; Ln = Eu, n = 7 (1); Gd, n = 7.5 (2) and Tb, n = 8 (3)] were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses (EA), powder X-ray diffraction (PXDP), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). Their fluorescence and magnetic properties were also studied. The thermal analysis demonstrates the compounds formation of the antimony, lanthanide ions, and edta4– ligands. FT-IR spectra reveal that the antimony and lanthanide ions are connected through the carboxylate bridges. The studies of luminescence properties show that compounds 1 and 3 exhibit typical luminescence in the visible region. Furthermore, magnetic properties reveal compounds 2 and 3 have weak ferromagnetic behavior.

A new heterometallic antimony–samarium complex, [Sb2(edta)2Sm(H2O)4]NO3 · 3.55H2O (edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetate) (1), has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that in 1 the bridging carboxylate-O,O′ of edta4− connects samarium(III) and antimony(III) to form 2-D sheets. The 2-D sheets are further linked by bridging carboxylates from adjacent layers, resulting in 3-D coordination polymers. Complex 1 exhibits fluorescence in the solid state at room temperature.

A new ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetate (edta)-linked heterometallic holmium–antimony compound 1 with the formula [Sb2(edta)2Ho(H2O)4]NO3·3.6H2O has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses (EA), X-ray crystallography, X-ray powder diffraction patterns (PXRDs), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that the bridging carboxylate-O, O′ groups of edta, connect with Ho(III) and Sb(III) ions to form a 2D heterometallic network in compound 1. The 2D networks are further linked by bridging the carboxylate groups from the adjacent layers, resulting in the 3D coordination polymer. The thermal stability and the thermal decomposition process of this crystalline material have also been investigated by TGA–DSC. In addition, the magnetic properties of compound 1 have been studied.

The novel three-dimension edta-linked (edta=ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetate) heterometallic complex [Sb2(edta)2-µ4-Co(H2O)2]·5.15H2O has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR spectrum, X-ray diffraction analyses and thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/n, lattice parameters: a=0.69969(2) nm, b=2.08705(4) nm, c=1.08106(2) nm, β=90.031(1)°, V=1.57866(6) nm3, Z=2, Mr=1007.76, Dc=2.120 g·cm−3, F(000)=1001, µ=2.323 mm−1, the final R=0.0235 and wR=0.0629 for 3480 observed reflections [I>2δ(I)]. In the structure each Co(II) ion is connected with Sb(III) ions bridging by four carboxylic oxygen atoms, and in each [Sb(edta)]− anion, the Sb(III) ion is six coordinated by two nitrogen and four oxygen from edta ions, together with a lone electron pair at the equatorial position. In the complex, the coordination number of Co(II) ion is six and its coordination environment is composed of four carboxylic oxygen atoms from four different edta ions and two oxygen atoms from two H2O molecules. The degradation of the sample proceeds in several steps and the water molecules and ligands are successively emited.

Samnium(III)-bismuth(III) heterobimetallic complexes, SmBi(edta)(NO3)2·7H2O (1) and SmBi(dtpa)(NO3)·3.5H2O(2) (edta=ethylenediaminetetraacetate, dtpa=diethylenetriaminepentaacetate), were synthesized and characterized by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction, X-ray powder diffraction, elemental analysis, ICP, FT-IR spectra and thermal analysis. The structure analysis revealed that 1 is in crystalline and 2 is in non-crystal state. Complex 1 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n with a=1.2622(2) nm, b=0.81157(15) nm, c=2.3634(5) nm, β=105.340(2)°, V=2.3347(8) nm3, Z=4, Dc=2.563 g·cm−3, µ=10.125 mm−1. Bridging edta4− anions between Bi(III) atoms and Sm(III) atoms result into infinite 3D network structure. Thermal decomposition of the two complexes proceeds in similar stages, i.e., dehydration, pyrolysis of ligand, and decomposition of salt, and the final residue is oxide. In addition, the spectral properties have been studied through FL spectra and UV-Vis DRS. The two complexes exhibit one broad band Bi 6s6p-6s2 emission under UV excitation and the characteristic Sm3+ ion 4G5/26HJ/2 (J=5, 7, 9, 11) transitions under visible light excitation, respectively.

Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 O x (BSCF) is a promising mixed conducting material with high oxygen permeability, and has proven to be a good candidate for membrane reactors in air separation and catalytic conversion of CH 4 . To determine the factors impacting the oxygen permeation through the BSCF membrane, Pt, Ag catalysts were coated on the membrane surface using photolithography and electron beam evaporation methods. The results showed that the coated catalysts did not increase the oxygen flux of BSCF within the studied thickness range. However, the oxygen flux increased as the thickness of the membrane decreased. To further enhance the oxygen flux, a BSCF membrane with asymmetric geometry was prepared using a dry-pressing method. The effects of the porous substrate and the dense thin layer on the performance of the BSCF asymmetric membrane were studied. The results showed that the oxygen flux increased as the thickness of thin dense layer decreased. Further analysis indicated that the porous substrate still appears to exert a resistance on the oxygen permeation through the membrane.

The CO2 reforming reaction on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2Ox (BSCF) oxygen permeable membranes was investigated at 800 °C over a Pt/ZrO2 and a Pt/CeZrO2 (17.5 wt% Ce) catalyst. To determine the effect of oxygen flux on the reaction, both dense and asymmetric BCSF membranes were tested. The results showed that the oxygen permeable membrane effectively increased the activity of the catalyst and the conversion of CH4. Furthermore, the asymmetric membrane had higher oxygen flux compared to the dense BCSF membrane. A mechanism involving steam reforming due to the high oxygen flux and formation of water is proposed which is enhanced by the synergistic relationship between the catalyst and the membrane. The BSCF membranes were found to maintain mechanical stability during the reaction. However, a decrease in CH4 conversion as a function of time was observed for both the Pt/ZrO2 and Pt/CeZrO2 catalysts. This decrease is ascribed to a decrease in the oxygen flux caused by carbonate formation on the surface of the permeate side of the membrane.

SrFeCo 0.5 O x (SFC) and Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 O x (BSCF) ceramic membranes have been evaluated for the CO 2 reforming of CH 4 at 800 °C over a Pt/ZrO 2 and a Pt/CeZrO 2 (17.5 wt% Ce) catalyst. The SCF membrane was a dense membrane approximately 2 mm thick while the BSCF membrane had a 400 μm dense layer supported on a 2.2 mm porous BSCF layer. Both membranes exhibited good mechanical integrity and stability under reaction conditions, and the membrane effect on methane conversion was roughly proportional to the apparent oxygen production of the membranes. Methane conversion and water production increase simultaneously in the presence of the membrane and the membranes improve catalyst longevity as well as activity. Results suggest that membrane oxygen reacts with hydrogen at the membrane surface to form water that can then participate in the reaction set via steam reforming. Among the combinations of membrane and catalyst tested, the Pt/CeZrO 2 catalyst on the BSCF membrane produced the highest methane conversion and H 2 :CO ratios as well as the most water. This test also yielded the greatest net membrane oxygen production, with more than three times the oxygen production of the BSCF test with the Pt/ZrO 2 catalyst. The SFC membranes exhibited steady state net oxygen production of zero or less. Negative membrane oxygen production values are attributed to the reduction of CO 2 to CO on the membrane surface with incorporation of the oxygen into the membrane material.

In this paper, cyclic voltammetry were utilized to study the electrochemical behavior of ethyl caffeate at glassy carbon electrode. It was shown that the shape of electrochemical redox peak and the corresponding peak current in acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer are well-defined and high, respectively. The electrochemical behavior of ethyl caffeate at glassy carbon electrode was found to have a good reversibility, and the electron transfer number n was calculated to be 2 and the diffusion coefficient D0 is 2.4×10-6 cm2 s-1. The redox peak potential of ethyl caffeate was linearly correlative with the pH value of acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer, indicating the numbers of electron transfer and proton were equal. From the experiment data, it was observed that the redox peak current is rectilinear to ethyl caffeate concentration in the range of 4.0×10-7 mol L-1 to 7.2×10-6 mol L-1 (r = 0.9994, n = 8). The detection limit was 1.0×10-7 mol L-1, and the relative standard deviation was 2.0% (n = 11) at the 2.0×10-6 mol L-1 level.

In this paper, the electrochemical behavior of ethyl ferulate was investigated by cyclic voltammetry on glassy carbon electrode, and a sensitive electroanalytical method was proposed for its determination. It was shown that, in acetate buffer, the electrochemical behavior of ethyl ferulate has a good reversibility, and the currents of cathodic and anodic peaks had linear relativity with the square root of the potential scan rate, showing that ethyl ferulate presents diffusibility. The electron transfer number n and the diffusion coefficient Do were calculated to be 2 and 1.79 × 10-6 cm2 s-1, respectively. Both the cathodic and anodic peak potentials of ethyl ferulate were linearly correlative with pH value of acetate buffer, indicating that proton was involved in the electrochemical process of ethyl ferulate and the numbers of electron transfer and proton were equal. Also, it was observed that both the cathode and anode peak currents are well rectilinear to the concentration of ethyl ferulate in the range of 2.0 ×10-7 to 4.8 × 10-6 mol L-1 (r = 0.9994 and 0.9991, respectively, to the cathode and anode currents, n=8), and the detection limit is 1.0 × 10-7 mol L-1.

Self-assembly technique was applied to introduce functional groups and form hydroxyl-, amine-, and carboxyl-terminal self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The SAMs were grafted onto titanium substrates to obtain a molecularly smooth functional surface. Subsequent hydrothermal crystal growth formed homogeneous and crack-free crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on these substrates. AFM and XPS were used to characterize the SAM surfaces, and XRD, SEM, and TEM were used to characterize the HA coatings. Results show that highly crystalline, dense, and oriented HA coatings can be formed on the OH-, NH2 -, and COOH-SAM surfaces. The SAM surface with -COOH exhibited stronger nucleating ability than that with -OH and -NH2 . The nucleation and growth processes of HA coatings were effectively controlled by varying reaction time, pH, and temperature. By using this method, highly crystalline, dense, and adherent HA coatings were obtained. In addition, in vitro cell evaluation demonstrated that HA coatings improved cell adhesion as compared with pristine titanium substrate. The proposed method is considerably effective in introducing the HA coatings on titanium surfaces for various biomedical applications and further usage in other industries. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 124-135, 2017.

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), a main regulator of the heat shock response in eukaryotes, increases cell survival in numerous pathophysiological conditions. The aim of the present study was to o bserve the function of defective HSF1 expression in HEK293T cells. shRNA of human HSF1 was constructed into the retroviral vector pLTHR generating pLTHR‑shRNA‑HSF1. The shRNA was transiently transfected into HEK293T cells to silence the expression of the HSF1 gene. Cell colony formation, MTT and cell cycle assays were used to analyze the SV40 T‑antigen (Ag)‑transformed cell proliferation rate. Immunoblotting was used to study the protein expression of HSF1, SV40 T‑Ag, p53, p21, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), Hsp70 and Hsp25. The results revealed that a deficiency in HSF1 expression inhibited cellular growth. Defective HSF1 upregulated the protein expression of p53, retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and SV40 T‑Ag, and reduced the association between SV40 T‑Ag and p53/Rb, which resulted in growth inhibition of SV40 T‑Ag‑transformed cells. In conclusion, HSF1 is involved in the regulation of SV40 T‑Ag‑induced cell growth and modulates the expression of p53 and Rb proteins.

Preparation of uniform size molecularly imprinted nanospheres for erythromycin with good selectivity and high binding capacity by precipitation polymerization were presented, in which erythromycin, methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate are used as template molecule, functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. The synthesis conditions of molecularly imprinted nanospheres were optimized and the optimal molar ratio of erythromycin to functional monomer is 1:3. The molecularly imprinted polymers were characterized by scanning electron microscope, laser particle size analyzer and BET, respectively. The results suggested that molecularly imprinted nanospheres for erythromycin exhibited spherical shape and good monodispersity. Selectivity analysis indicated that the imprinted nanospheres could specifically recognize erythromycin from its structure analogues. Furthermore, adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm of the imprinted nanospheres were employed to investigate the binding characteristics of the imprinted nanospheres. The results showed that the imprinted nanospheres have high adsorption capacity for erythromycin, and the maximum theoretical static binding capacity is up to 267.0188 mg g(-1).

Heat shock factor 4b has been found to be closely associated with postnatal lens development. It expresses in postnatal lens epithelial and secondary fiber cells and controls the expression of small heat shock proteins which are important for lens homeostasis. However, the signal pathways underlying Hsf4b are still not completely understood. Here we present that Hsf4b transcription activity is regulated by FGF2 a key growth factor that is involved in regulating lens development at multiple stages. FGF2 can promote Hsf4b nuclear-translocation and the expression of Hsp25 and αB-crystallin, the key downstream targets of Hsf4b in the Hsf4b-reconstituted mouse hsf4-/- lens epithelial cells. Further study indicates that FGF2 can induce Hsf4b protein stabilization through ERK1/2-mediated posttranslational phosphorylation or sumoylation. Hsf4b can promote FGF2-induced morphology transition from lens epithelial cell to the fiber cell, and this morphology transition can be inhibited by ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Hsf4b is a novel downstream transcription factor of FGF2, and its transcription activity is associated with FGF2-modulated lens epithelial cell-fiber cell transition.

Soil thickness is extensively concerned by engineering geology and slope hazards prevention. But it is not available from geological maps and traditional methods to obtain soil thickness information are costly and time consuming, such as drilling and geophysics methods. In this paper, we proposed a method for regional soil thickness zonation based on multi-sources data. Three essential parameters were chosen for soil thickness analysis, include slope, lithology and NDVI which extracted from DEM data, geological maps and Landsat image respectively. In combining the parameters with field survey data, Support Vector Machine was employed for soil thickness classification. Experiment results in the Three Gorges region show the usefulness of the approach.

Because of the high economic, environmental, and safety costs associated with pure oxygen as a process feedstock, oxygen-conducting ceramic membranes have been explored as an alternative oxygen source for hydrocarbon conversion reactors. These nonporous ceramic materials allow the transport of oxygen ions through the lattice of the solid material, resulting in 100% selectivity for oxygen regardless of the source gas. The materials of interest for membrane reactor applications are mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) ceramic materials that conduct electrons as well as oxygen ions. As a result, they require only high temperatures (typically 700 °C or higher) and an imposed oxygen potential gradient to transmit oxygen. This chapter describes general attributes of oxygen-MIEC membranes, followed by an overview of published work with oxygen-MIEC ceramic membranes. Specific topics include membrane compositions, membrane modification strategies, and applications of oxygen-MIEC membranes for synthesis gas production.

Aims: The prenatal ethanol exposure induced neuroapoptosis and neuron loss in visual cortex would be investigated in mice at P0, P7 and P14. Methods: Intubating pregnant mice ethanol daily began on E5 and continued through the pup's birth. The neuroapoptosis in visual cortex was visualized by the caspase 3 immunocytochemistry, and the neuron loss was observed with Nissl method as well. Results: With prenatal ethanol exposure, the dose-dependent neuroapoptosis and neuron loss in visual cortex could be found at P0 and even at P7 and P14 as well. Conclusions: The prenatal ethanol exposure induced neuroapoptosis and neuron loss will persist into postnatal stage, and the long-term effect of neuroapoptosis might be one of the causes of postnatal neurobehavioural disturbances associated with fetal alcohol syndrome.

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