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This paper mainly studies the distributed optimization problems in a class of undirected networks. The objective function of the problem consists of a smooth convex function and a non-smooth convex function. Each agent in the network needs to optimize the sum of the two objective functions. For this kind of problem, based on the operator splitting method, this paper uses the proximal operator to deal with the non-smooth term and further designs a distributed algorithm that allows the use of uncoordinated step-sizes. At the same time, by introducing the random-block coordinate mechanism, this paper develops an asynchronous iterative version of the synchronous algorithm. Finally, the convergence of the algorithms is proven, and the effectiveness is verified through numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional graphene oxide/ ι -carrageenan composite aerogel (GO/ ι -Car) has been facilely manufactured in a benign approach and characterized in detail. The adsorption ability of the GO/ ι -Car aerogel was also investigated on the methylene blue (MB) removal from synthesized solutions. It was found that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of MB on the GO/ ι -Car aerogel was calculated to be 245.28 mg g−1. Thermodynamic calculations proved that the adsorption was a spontaneous, exothermic process with the enthalpy change of −10.36 kJ mol−1 and the entropy change of 54.64 J mol−1 K−1. Furthermore, adsorption selectivity studies showed that the GO/ ι -Car aerogel could selectively adsorb the cationic MB in the presence of anionic dye methyl orange, which was mainly attributed to the electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged aerogel and the positively charged MB. In addition, the MB removal rate by the GO/ ι -Car aerogel could still reach 91.9% after three desorption–adsorption cycles. Overall, the GO/ ι -Car aerogel prepared in this study could be a green, cost-effective, reusable and promising selective adsorbent for cationic dye removal from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sucrose and phytic acid as abundant biomass resources have been combined for the fabrication of highly porous carbons with surface areas up to 1897 m2/g through hydrothermal carbonization and phytic acid-induced in-situ activation in the absence of additional activation agents. The carbons were employed as efficient adsorbents for the adsorptive removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from water and the adsorption of dibenzothiophene (DBT) from model fuels. Kinetic and isotherm studies were performed for both processes. The effect of pH and ionic strength on SMX adsorption as well as the effect of arene on DBT adsorption was also investigated. By comparing the two adsorption processes, it was found that heteroatom doping could promote DBT adsorption obviously, but its effect on SMX adsorption was less straightforward. This was mainly attributed to the divergent solution media and thus the different adsorption mechanisms between aqueous and non-aqueous adsorption processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offloading technique is an effective approach to migrate tasks from mobile devices to cloud to prolong the battery life. However, it cannot be guaranteed that all devices can successfully offload their tasks to cloud due to the limited network resources, thus offloading decisions should be made to coordinate devices. The existing works focus on how to maximize energy saving for a group of devices instead of the number of mobile devices that benefits from offloading. Therefore, how to maximize the number of energy-saving devices in the multi-user offloading scenario remains a challenging issue to be solved. In this paper, we aim to obtain a beneficial offloading group where all device can offloading tasks simultaneously to achieve energy saving and the number of beneficial offloading devices maximum for the group. In order to get such a group where each device can achieve its own benefit, firstly, we adopt game theory to model each device's demand of saving energy by offloading in OFDMA communication system, and formulate multi-user offloading game problem (MUOG). Furthermore, we propose an offloading game mechanism (OGM), including: beneficial offloading threshold (BOT) algorithm and beneficial offloading group (BOG) algorithm. BOT algorithm can obtain the threshold of each device, i.e., the maximum number of mobile devices that the device can tolerate to offload tasks simultaneously while BOG algorithm can obtain a group of beneficial offloading devices. It can be proved that OGM strategy can achieve the Nash equilibrium of MUOG problem so as to obtain the maximum number of beneficial offloading devices. Experimental comparisons verify the number of beneficial offloading users and the overhead of the mechanism among different strategies. The results show that OGM can benefit more devices by offloading to save energy without high overhead compared with other offloading strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Breast cancer is the major diagnosed cancer and the leading reason of cancer related death among women, and the tumor size is one of the risk factors. Therefore, it is significant to reveal the principle of breaking the subtle homeostasis of cell cycle and sustaining chronic proliferation of cancer cells. Main methods The expression of TNNT1 was examined by qPCR and western blotting. The effect of TNNT1 on cell proliferation was detected by MTT, colony formation and anchorage-independent growth assay. The percent of cells in different cell phase was analyzed by Flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expression of genes involved in G 1 /S transition was assayed using qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Key findings The results showed that TNNT1 expression is significantly increased in breast cancer tissues and closely correlated with clinical stage, T and N classification. Further experiments demonstrate that TNNT1 contributes to proliferation of breast cells by promoting G 1 /S transition. Significance Our results extend the mechanisms of controlling cell cycle and may provide a novel therapeutic target to therapy breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ce–Mo–O catalyst prepared by a simple sol–gel method was proved to be highly active for aerobic oxidative desulfurization. Almost complete conversions of dibenzothiophene and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene were achieved without any additional sacrificial agent at 100 °C and atmospheric pressure, and the conversion of benzothiophene could reach 97%. Reusability of the catalyst was also conducted, and ＞99% conversions could be achieved in three consecutive runs. As supported by carefully-designed control experiments, oxygen was activated by Ce species in the catalyst first, forming some reactive oxygen species, which oxidized DBT into DBTO2 with the assistance of Mo species. Furthermore, selective quenching experiments indicated the generation of superoxide species during the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periaxin was first identified as a protein in myelinating Schwann cells through a screen of novel cytoskeleton-associated proteins in peripheral nerve myelination. The periaxin gene encodes two isoforms, namely, L- and S-periaxin, which are 1461 and 147 residues in size, respectively. Several loss-of-function mutations linked to autosomal recessive Dejerine–Sottas neuropathy and demyelinating Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in periaxin have been described. In this study, the colocolization of L- and S-periaxin in the cytoplasm of RSC96 cells was found by immunofluorescence assays. The interaction between these two isoforms was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation, fluorescence complementation experiment, and GST pull-down assay. Results also showed that the two periaxin isoforms interacted in the cytoplasm through the PDZ domain, and their interaction prevented the homodimerization of L-periaxin. S-periaxin may regulate the function of L-periaxin in Schwann cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both activation and surface oxidation were employed to tailor the textural and surface properties of a typical ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) for better adsorptive desulfurization performance. The amount of small micropores increased dramatically upon activation, while abundant surface functionalities were introduced by surface oxidation. Thanks to the abundant mesopores present in the carbons, a quasi-equilibrium situation for DBT adsorption from model fuels could be reached rapidly in less than 30 min, and the adsorption amounts at 5 min were equal to more than 95% of the equilibrium values. Moreover, the adsorption amount of DBT was increased by up to 121% with the introduction of small micropores and surface functionalities. Further experiments were designed to demonstrate that the adsorption amount is depended on both textural and surface properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of composite aerogels with different precursor mass ratios were prepared from graphene oxide (GO) and chitosan (CS) by conducting the crosslinking step after lyophilization, the method of which was recently found beneficial to enhance the adsorptive properties of aerogels. The composite aerogels were then employed for the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) from water, and the one prepared at GO:CS= 1:2 (w/w) was selected as the optimal compromising the adsorption and mechanical properties. The maximum adsorption amounts of MO and MB were calculated to be 543.4 and 110.9 mg/g at 25 °C. Especially, the effects of pH on adsorption of MO and MB in both single and binary systems were investigated in detail. The aerogel possessed pH-responsive feature for single dye adsorption, tending to adsorb MO at low pH while to adsorb MB at high pH. In the binary system, the pH-responsive feature remained and selective adsorption was observed at low initial dye concentration. In contrast, synergistic adsorption occurred instead at high initial concentration, and MB and MO could be efficiently removed simultaneously in the whole pH range of 3–11. [Display omitted] • 3D GO-chitosan composite aerogels were prepared by postponed crosslinking. • The aerogel possessed pH-responsive feature for single dye adsorption. • Selective and synergistic adsorption were observed in the binary MO/MB system. • Synergistic adsorption was observed at high initial dye concentration. • Selective adsorption was observed at low initial dye concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of oxygen and nitrogen-doped porous carbons were synthesized by carbonization of tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA-4Na) at various temperatures. Due to the high volume of pores smaller than 1 nm, the resulting carbons were shown to be promising for adsorptive desulfurization with high maximum adsorption capacity of DBT from model oil (up to 49.1 mg S/g). In the presence of aromatics, the adsorption of DBT was still significant. It was also found that not only content but also types of surface functionalities were important for the adsorption process, especially in the presence of aromatics. Regeneration experiments showed that more than 80% of the adsorption capacity could be recovered by solvent extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Apply relaxed ADMM method to address DERs coordination in a decentralized way. • Introduce energy storage devices with charging/discharging efficiency taken into account. • Allow possibly non-smooth cost functions of DERs. Distributed optimization algorithms contribute to an insight for the optimal coordination of distributed energy resources (DERs). To tackle the DER coordination problem, this paper studies a composite constrained optimization problem over multi-agent networks, where all agents independently maintain convex objective functions while satisfying the local and coupled constraints. Within the Peaceman-Rachford splitting (PRS) framework, a distributed algorithm based on the relaxed ADMM method is proposed for the considered problem, where agents in the network commonly share a fixed step-size instead of the diminishing one. Finally, the simulations on the optimal coordination of DERs including distributed generators (DGs) and energy storages (ESs) are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Phase pure AlPO4-5 molecular sieves were ionothermally synthesized. [•] A series of tri-substituted imidazolium bromide ionic liquids (ILs) were used. [•] The obtained AlPO4-5 possessed different morphologies depending on the IL used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myelinating Schwann cells specifically express L-periaxin (L-PRX) in the mammalian peripheral nervous system. Several loss-of-function mutations in periaxin have been described and linked to autosomal recessive Dejerine Sottas neuropathy and to demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The localization of L-periaxin is developmentally regulated in the nucleus and the plasma membrane of Schwann cells. In this study, L-periaxin, which contains a PDZ domain, a nuclear localization signal (NLS) domain, a repeat domain, and an acidic domain, was localized in the cytoplasm of RSC96 cells. By contrast, a mutant L-periaxin with a deleted PDZ domain was localized mainly in the nucleus of RSC96 cells. After a nuclear cyclin A1, which is localized exclusively in the nucleus, was fused with the PDZ domain, cyclinA1was found in the cytoplasm of RSC96 cells. Treatment with leptomycin B (LMB), a specific inhibitor of nuclear export mediated by leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES), also causes nuclear accumulation of wild-type L-periaxin. Double leucine mutation (L83, 85Q) in the putative NES in the PDZ domain prevented L-periaxin nuclear export and induced nuclear accumulation. These results suggested that the localization of L-periaxin in the cytoplasm is supported by NES in the PDZ domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Closed-cell rigid polyimide foams with excellent thermal stability and combined properties were prepared by thermal foaming of a reactive end-capped polyimide precursor powder in a closed mold. The precursor powder was obtained by thermal treatment of a polyester-amine salt (PEAS) solution derived from the reaction of the diethyl ester of 2,3,3′,4′-biphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride (α-BPDE) with an aromatic diamine mixture of p-phenylenediamine (PDA) and 2-(4-aminophenyl)-5-aminobenzimidazole (BIA) in the presence of an end-capping agent (mono-ethyl ester of nadic acid anhydride, NE) in an aliphatic alcohol. The effect of polymer mainchain structures on the foaming processability and combined properties of the closed-cell rigid polyimide foams were systematically investigated. The polyimide foams (100–300 kg/m3) with closed-cell rates of 91–95% show an outstanding thermal stability with an initial thermal decomposition temperature of ≥490 °C and a glass transition temperature of 395 °C. Polyimide foams with density of 250 kg/m3 exhibited compression creep deformation as low as 1.6% after thermal aging at 320 °C/0.4 MPa for 2 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) become more and more popular, there is a growing interest in the management of their charging power. Many models exist nowadays to manage the charging of plug-in electric vehicles, and it is important that these models are implemented in a better way. This paper investigates a price-driven charging management model in which all plug-in electric vehicles are informed of the charging strategies of neighboring plug-in electric vehicles and adjust their own strategies to minimize the cost, while an aggregator determines the unit price based on overall electricity consumption to coordinate the charging strategies of the plug-in electric vehicles. In this article, we used an asynchronous distributed generalized Nash game algorithm to investigate a charging management model for plug-in electric vehicles in a smart charging station (SCS). In a charging management model, we need to consider constraints on the charge and discharge rates of plug-in electric vehicles, the battery capacity, the amount of charge per plug-in electric vehicle, and the maximum electrical load that the whole system can allow. Meeting the constraints of plug-in electric vehicles and smart charging stations, the model coordinates the charging strategy of each plug-in electric vehicle to ultimately reduce the cost of smart charging stations, which is the cost that the smart charging station should pay to the higher-level power supply facility. To the best of our knowledge, this algorithm used in this paper has not been used to solve this model, and it has better performance than the generalized Nash equilibria (GNE) seeking algorithm originally used for this model, which is called a fast alternating direction multiplier method (Fast-ADMM). In the simulation results, the asynchronous algorithm we used showed a correlation error of 0.0076 at the 713th iteration, compared to 0.0087 for the synchronous algorithm used for comparison, and the cost of the smart charging station was reduced to USD 4800.951 after coordination using the asynchronous algorithm, which was also satisfactory. We used an asynchronous algorithm to better implement a plug-in electric vehicle charging management model; this also demonstrates the potential advantages of using an asynchronous algorithm for solving the charging management model for plug-in electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PICK1 ( protein interacting with C kinase 1) containing a PDZ domain, a BAR domain, and two short acidic regions is as an adaptor protein that plays an important role in α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor trafficking, cell morphology and migration, as well as in some diseases such as cancer, schizophrenia and pain. To better understand the physiological function of PICK1, we expressed the recombinant PICK1 and its truncated mutants in E.coli, and measured their zinc binding properties by fluorescence and competition assay. It is shown that PICK1 has one Zn2+-binding site. The Zn2+-binding properties of PICK1 are not appreciably affected after the removal of BARC domain (involving BAR domain and C-terminal acidic region). Deleting the N-terminal acidic region of NPDZ domain (involving PDZ domain and N-terminal acidic region) in PICK1 impairs its Zn2+-binding capacity.The mutation of the CPC (Cys-Pro-Cys) motif in the PDZ domain of PICK1 abolishes the ability of Zn2+-binding. In addition, Zn2+ can enhance the lipid-binding ability of PDZ domain as observed in both protein-lipid overlay assay and fluorescence analysis. The results presented in this report suggested that Zn2+ plays a regulatory role in the trafficking of PICK1 from the cytoplasm to cell membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of the glutamate receptor subunits 2 and 3 (GluR2/3) with multi-PDZ domain glutamate receptor-interacting protein (GRIP) is important for the synaptic trafficking and clustering of the receptors. Binding of GluR2/3 to GRIP requires both the fourth and fifth PDZ domains (PDZ4 and PDZ5) to be covalently linked, although only one PDZ domain is directly involved in binding to the receptor tail. To elucidate the molecular basis of this mode of PDZ domain-mediated target recognition, we solved the solution structures of the PDZ45 tandem and the isolated PDZ4 of GRIP. The two PDZ domains form a compact structure with a fixed interdomain orientation. The interdomain packing and the stable folding of both PDZ domains require a short stretch of amino acids N-terminal to PDZ4 and a conserved linker connecting PDZ4 and PDZ5. PDZ4 contains a deformed aB-bB groove that is unlikely to bind to carboxyl peptides. Instead, the domain stabilizes the structure of PDZ5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MIEX and UF were combined to treat biologically contaminated water. • The fouling behaviors in the integrated and separated processes were compared. • The integrated process worked better to alleviate membrane fouling. • The difference was mainly due to the MIEX layer formed in the integrated case. • The impact of EPS on the fouling process was also discussed. In this work, three different processes including ultrafiltration (UF), separated magnetic ion exchange resin (MIEX)-UF and integrated MIEX/UF were employed to investigate the introduction of MIEX on biological membrane fouling control in synthetic bacteria solutions. Independent UF was firstly performed using extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)- free live bacteria, live bacteria, or dead bacteria as feed, and the operation time when TMP reached 35 kPa was 105, 75 or 55 min respectively. The most severe fouling with dead bacteria was attributed to EPS and some endocellular components which favored the adhesion of bacteria on membrane surface. The introduction of MIEX helped to alleviate membrane fouling, and the alleviation effect for EPS-free live bacteria feed was the least significant. It was inferred that the organic substances could be firstly adsorbed by the anion-exchange resin and then promote the adhesion of bacteria. This was supported by direct adsorption tests with MIEX where the removal efficiencies followed the order of dead bacteria > live bacteria > EPS-free live bacteria. The integrated process worked better than the separated one in both single cycle and multi cycle filtration tests, and this was mainly attributed to the dynamic resin layer, which worked in several manners, including acting as a physical barrier, enhancing adsorption/adhesion of foulants and suppressing reproduction of the bacteria. Regeneration of MIEX was also conducted with aqueous NaCl or NaHCO 3. The removal efficiency was much more stable in the latter case, which could still reach 33% after five cycles (~83% of the initial capacity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aluminophosphite NKX-2 was ionothermally synthesized using 1-ethyl-2, 3-dimethylimidazolium bromide (EMMIMBr) ionic liquid (IL). The synthesis could be achieved in an open vessel for about 3h, which was fast and convenient. NKX-2 could also be obtained using the same batch composition in a closed vessel under modified conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the products were in well accordance with previous reports. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements gave P/Al ratios quite close to 1.5, in agreement with the value calculated by the empirical formula (P6Al4O18H6) of NKX-2. The obtained products possessed a novel stick-like morphology with a high aspect ratio of ~10. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A Co 3 O 4 -Bi 2 O 3 -Ti catalytic membrane was facilely fabricated. • The membrane efficiently activated PMS to degrade organic pollutants continuously. • Reactive oxidative species and non-radical electron transfer were involved. • The catalytic membrane showed excellent reusability. In this study, a functionalized Co 3 O 4 -Bi 2 O 3 -Ti catalytic membrane (CBO-Ti-M) was prepared and applied for removing organic pollutants via activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in the dead-end filtration mode. Characterizations including scanning electron microcopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the Co 3 O 4 -Bi 2 O 3 catalyst was successfully supported on the Ti membrane. The CBO-Ti-M /PMS system could efficiently remove various organic pollutants such as sulfamethoxazole, methyl orange, bisphenol A and methylene blue, achieving removal efficiencies of 98.0%-99.5%. The effects of PMS concentration, flow rate and solution environment on degradation efficiency were investigated in detail. Furthermore, quenching experiments, electron spin resonance (ESR) and in-situ open circuit potential (OCP) tests collectively demonstrated that singlet oxygen as well as the non-radical electron transfer pathway mainly contributed in the reaction mechanism. The synergistic effect of Co and Bi was illustrated according to XPS results, and the possible degradation pathway of MB was proposed based on LC-MS analysis. Reusability test showed that pollutant removal efficiency with the CBO-Ti-M /PMS system remained stable in four runs and limited metal leaching was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• EDTA-2K-dervied carbons employed to activate persulfate for sulfamethoxazole removal. • Up to 99.5% removal of 50 mg/L sulfamethoxazole was obtained within 120 min. • Surface area, conductivity, defects and heteroatoms contributed in the process. Nitrogen-doped porous carbons prepared from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt (EDTA-2K) were employed in combination with sodium persulfate (PS) for the catalytic removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Almost complete removal (99.5%) of SMX was obtained with the optimum carbon prepared at 800 °C (NC800), which was attributed to its high surface area, good electrical conductivity, rich defects as well as doped carbonyl and nitrogen groups. The reaction mechanism was proposed to be a combination of both radical and non-radical pathways. OH, SO 4 −, O 2 − and 1O 2 as reactive oxidative species were involved in the reaction process based on quenching tests and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements, while the non-radical pathway between PS and SMX with the assistance of NC800 also made a significant contribution as indicated from PS decomposition tests and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis. Adsorption played an important role in the reaction process, and this point was emphasized when interpreting the effects of quenchers and pH values. For potential practical applications of the NC800/PS system, experiments concerning catalyst stability, the catalytic removal of three other organic contaminants and SMX removal in real water matrices were also conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a distributed charging strategy problem for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with feeder constraints based on generalized Nash equilibria (GNE) in a novel smart charging station (SCS) is investigated. The purpose is to coordinate the charging strategies of all PEVs in SCS to minimize the energy cost of SCS. Therefore, we build a non-cooperative game framework and propose a new price-driven charging control game by considering the overload constraint of the assigned feeder, where each PEV minimizes the fees it pays to satisfy its optimal charging strategy. On this basis, the existence of GNE is given. Furthermore, we employ a distributed algorithm based on forward–backward operator splitting methods to find the GNE. The effectiveness of the employed algorithm is verified by the final simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying cell subpopulations conferring unfavorable prognosis in cancer holds clinical significance. Here, we sought to identify prognostic cell subsets and develop a novel, prognostic signature for head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Highly prognostic cell subpopulations in HNSCC were identified by integrating single‐cell and bulk transcriptomic datasets. The prognostic signature and nomogram were developed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariate Cox regression analyses based on significantly upregulated genes in this specific cell subpopulation, respectively. The qRT‐PCR experiments were utilized for independent validation in our patient cohort. Results: A specific cancer cell subset associated with unfavorable prognoses was identified. Functional dissections revealed that its transcriptional programs were significantly enriched in E2F, epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition, and glycolysis. A novel prognostic signature comprising six genes was developed and further validated. Risk scores based on qRT‐PCR data robustly stratified patients into subgroups with distinct prognoses. A nomogram integrated from this signature and clinical stage had superior performance. Conclusion: Our model derived from integrative analyses of single‐cell and bulk RNA‐sequencing is a novel, robust prognostic biomarker for HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although tamoxifen is a highly effective drug for treating estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer, nearly all patients with metastasis with initially responsive tumors eventually relapse, and die from acquired drug resistance. Unfortunately, few molecular mediators of tamoxifen resistance have been described. Here, we describe AFF3 (AF4/FMR2 family member 3), which encodes a nuclear protein with transactivation potential that confers tamoxifen resistance and enables estrogen-independent growth. Methods: We investigated AFF3 expression in breast cancer cells and in clinical breast cancer specimens with western blot and Real-time PCR. We also examined the effects of AFF3 knockdown and overexpression on breast cancer cells using luciferase, tetrazolium, colony formation, and anchorage-independent growth assays in vitro and with nude mouse xenografting in vivo. Results: AFF3 was overexpressed in tamoxifen-resistant tumors. AFF3 overexpression in breast cancer cells resulted in tamoxifen resistance, whereas RNA interference–mediated gene knockdown reversed this phenotype. Furthermore, AFF3 upregulation led to estrogen-independent growth in the xenograft assays. Mechanistic investigations revealed that AFF3 overexpression activated the ER signaling pathway and transcriptionally upregulated a subset of ER-regulated genes. Clinical analysis showed that increased AFF3 expression in ER+ breast tumors was associated with worse overall survival. Conclusions: These studies establish AFF3 as a key mediator of estrogen-independent growth and tamoxifen resistance and as a potential novel diagnostic and therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal chromium (Cr) ion‐doped inorganic materials exhibit distinct tunable broadband near‐infrared luminescence, and they have promising applications including nondestructive composition analysis, night vision, biomedicine, plant illumination, and afterglow anticounterfeiting. Currently, the most critical issue is to optimize their full width at half maxima, thermal stability, and internal/external quantum efficiency. This review systematically summarizes strategies to effectively improve the photoluminescence performance of near‐infrared‐emitting materials with transition metal chromium ions. Key examples of the design and preparation of Cr ion‐doped luminescence with different transition modes, a detailed discussion of strategies to effectively improve the photoluminescence properties of near‐infrared luminescent materials, and a summary of generic strategies to help explore novel and efficient Cr‐doped phosphor materials are provided. Next, the latest developments and trends in these Cr ion‐doped phosphor materials are presented for a variety of application scenarios. Finally, future research directions and new challenges faced are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO‐TA) has been widely used and has caused ubiquitous water pollution. However, its adverse effects on aquatic organisms are still not well known. In the present study, zebrafish at different life stages were exposed to 0, 5, 50, and 100 μg/L of HFPO‐TA for 21 days to investigate reproductive toxicity in zebrafish. The results showed that HFPO‐TA exposure significantly inhibited growth and induced reproductive toxicity in zebrafish, including a decrease of the condition factor, gonadosomatic index, and the average number of eggs. Histological section observation revealed that percentages of mature oocytes and spermatozoa were reduced, while those of primary oocytes and spermatocytes increased. In addition, exposure to HFPO‐TA at three stages induced a significant decrease in the hatching rate, while the heart rate and normal growth rate of F1 offspring were only significantly inhibited for the exposure from fertilization to 21 days postfertilization (dpf). Compared with the exposure from 42 to 63 dpf, the reproductive toxicity induced by HFPO‐TA was more significant for the exposure from fertilization to 21 dpf and from 21 to 42 dpf. Expression of the genes for cytochrome P450 A1A, vitellogenin 1, estrogen receptor alpha, and estrogen receptor 2b was significantly up‐regulated in most cases after exposure to HFPO‐TA, suggesting that HFPO‐TA exhibited an estrogen effect similar to PFOA. Therefore, HFPO‐TA might disturb the balance of sex steroid hormones and consequently induce reproductive toxicity in zebrafish. Taken together, the results demonstrate that exposure to HFPO‐TA at different life stages could induce reproductive toxicity in zebrafish. However, the underlying mechanisms deserve further investigation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2490–2500. © 2023 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long persistent luminescence (LPL) materials have been widely applied and investigated in the fields of night‐safe, bio‐fluorescent labeling, and optical anti‐counterfeiting because of their unique properties of delayed luminescence. In this work, the focus of this research is to significantly improve the LPL properties of Li2Zn0.9992Ge3O8:0.08%Cr3+ by adjusting the ratio of Li+/Zn2+. On the one hand, when Li+:Zn2+ < 2:1 (Li1.97Zn1.0292Ge3O8:0.08%Cr3+), a deep‐red LPL is produced in the 650–900 nm band for more than 50 h, which is 2.5 times longer than that without regulation. From another perspective, when Li+:Zn2+ > 2:1 (Li2.01Zn0.9892Ge3O8:0.08%Cr3+), the intensity of LPL is enhanced about four times compared to unregulated. The relationship between traps and LPL was comprehensively investigated by analyzing thermoluminescence spectra. Biological tissue penetration experiments were performed and a set of anti‐counterfeit labels was designed. This research will provide guidance for the design of a novel persistent phosphor for the desired trap depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing novel optical thermometry with ultrahigh relative sensitivity and temperature resolution has become a cutting-edge topic. For this purpose, under obeying Boltzmann distribution, a series of Li 2 Zn 0.9992-x A x Ge 3-y B y O 8 :0.08% Cr3+ (B= Sc3+, In3+, A = Si4+) phosphors were studied, which the luminescence intensity ratio between the transition of 4T 2g →4A 2g emission and the R line based on thermally coupled energy levels constitutes a temperature sensing work with a relative sensitivity of 9.46% K−1, 9.73% K−1, and 10.38% K−1, respectively. It is worth mentioning that the luminescence intensity of the R line (peak 1) increases significantly with the increase of temperature, while the transition of 4T 2g →4A 2g (peak 2) with high intensity at low temperature gradually quenching, and this opposite trend is an important advantage for the design of excellent thermometers. Compared the best relative sensitivity of Li 2 Zn 0.9992-x A x Ge 3-y B y O 8 :0.08%Cr3+ (B= Sc3+, In3+, A = Si4+) with the crystal field Dq /B, it can be concluded that relative sensitivity increasing gradually with decreasing the intensity of crystal field. Finally, by testing the stability of the sample at 50 K, a thermal resolution of 0.082 K, 0.080 K and 0.077 K was obtained, respectively, which is one of the best thermal resolutions so far, while the repeatability of the sample stability at 50 K and 300 K cycles was higher than 99%. Our work is expected to provide guiding insights for optimizing the sensitivity of Cr3+-based luminescence intensity ratio thermometers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bentonite/water-based drilling fluids (BT-WDFs) suffer serious fluid loss particularly at high temperatures, pressure levels, and divalent cation concentrations. The ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide was introduced to synthesize a filtration control additive (PASV) through free radical copolymerization with acrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid. The effect of the concentration of the ionic liquid on the filtration property of the fluids was determined at high Ca concentrations and temperatures. BT-WDFs added with 3.0 wt% copolymer exhibited excellent performance for controlling bivalent Ca-resistant fluid loss and tolerated the influence of Ca up to 70 wt%, which approaches the saturation at room temperature (25 °C). As the PASV concentration increased to more than 1.0 wt%, the fluid loss volume was less than 10 mL at room temperature, thereby ensuring safe drilling operation. When the formations drilled were at high temperatures, the filtration control performance was obtained by adding PASV additives. The requisite concentration of PASV varied from 1.5 to 3.0% at 80-150 °C. An extremely dense filter cake was produced because of the elimination of the influence of Ca on bentonite and the stabilization of the bentonite dispersion state by the PASV copolymer. These effects improved the filtration control performance of BT-WDFs. Moreover, the fluids exhibited shear thinning behavior over the shear rate range of 0.1-1000 s, resulting in improved practical drilling process. This study provides a basis for applying ionic liquids in the design of additives for drilling fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Ti3+-doped TiO 2 porous membrane (Blue TiO 2 /Ti) was fabricated and employed for electrochemical degradation of organic pollutants in the single-pass flow-through mode. Characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) verified that Ti3+-doped anatase TiO 2 with nanotube structures was successfully prepared. Electrochemical analysis including linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical active surface area (ESA) revealed higher oxygen evolution potential (OEP, 2.23 V vs. Ag/AgCl), larger redox peak current, lower impedance and larger ESA (69 cm2/cm2) of Blue TiO 2 /Ti compared to the Ti and TiO 2 /Ti membranes. The effects of current density, flow rate and solution environment on the removal of methylene blue (MB) were investigated. The removal rates of various organic pollutants including sulfamethoxazole (SMX), methyl orange (MO), bisphenol A (BPA) and MB could reach 92.2%–99.5%. The quenching experiment proved that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) played the major role in the Blue TiO 2 /Ti based electrochemical system. Furthermore, the degradation pathways of two typical pollutants (SMX and MB) were proposed by analyzing the oxidation products with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), with the assistance of orbital-weighted Fukui index (f w 0 and f w −) obtained through Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, toxicity indexes of the oxidation products were obtained and compared to the parent SMX and MB using Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (TEST) software. Finally, the long-term operation performance of the Blue TiO 2 /Ti membrane was evaluated. [Display omitted] • Ti3+ doped Blue TiO 2 nanotube membrane was successfully fabricated. • Blue TiO 2 /Ti membrane was applied in single pass flow through mode. • The membrane can efficiently and continuously degrade various organic pollutants. • The membrane showed excellent reusability and regeneration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading method between energy sellers and consumers in a community based on multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). Each user of the community is treated as a smart agent who can choose the amount and the price of the electric energy to sell/buy. There are two aspects we need to examine: the profits for the individual user and the utility for the community. For a single user, we consider that they want to realise both a comfortable living environment to enhance happiness and satisfaction by adjusting usage loads and certain economic benefits by selling the surplus electric energy. Taking the whole community into account, we care about the balance between energy sellers and consumers so that the surplus electric energy can be locally absorbed and consumed within the community. To this end, MARL is applied to solve the problem, where the decision making of each user in the community not only focuses on their own interests but also takes into account the entire community's welfare. The experimental results prove that our method is profitable both both the sellers and buyers in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the power system has the characteristics of mutual independence but interconnection, and the interconnection between the various subsystems brings certain challenges to the distributed computing of the power grid. In addition, a substantial amount of naturally uncertain renewable resources are incorporated into the power system, which will impose volatile dynamics on the grid. In this paper, an alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM) is proposed for the power system with real-time renewables to tackle the online optimal power flow (OPF) problem. Due to the adoption of the Lagrangian duality, the proposed distributed ADMM scheme utilizes consensus ADMM to solve the dual OPF problem, which only discloses boundary coupling via the Lagrangian multiplier and further reduces the amount of information communication. Given the natural uncertainty of distributed energy resources (DER), the algorithm avoids the double-loop implementation or the uncertainty of traditional distributed methods of using the boundary information as equality constraints caused by dynamic DER. It is thus capable of providing a provable performance guarantee and is inherently developed to cope with the dynamic OPF problem with renewables in an online fashion. Taking the IEEE 30-bus system as a test feeder, the simulation results verify the efficiency and robustness of the proposed algorithms in solving both the static and dynamic OPF problems; in addition, the online method can effectively avoid the violent fluctuations of the conventional generator output copying with renewables rapid variation in comparison with the offline algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy urgently requires the exploration of NIR‐emitting phosphors with excellent luminescence properties. Herein, GaTaO4:Cr3+,Yb3+ NIR phosphor with excellent luminescence properties is reported, which exhibits ultra‐broadband NIR emission with a full width at half maximum of 300 nm, good thermal stability of 90%@423 K, and most remarkably, high internal quantum efficiency of 95.5% and external quantum efficiency of 44.79%. Such outstanding luminescence properties mainly give the credit to the unique sandwiched structure of GaTaO4:Cr3+,Yb3+, in which layers of Yb3+ ions (activator) are sandwiched between layers of Cr3+ ions (sensitizer), and hence many stable and compact Cr–Yb pairs are formed, so that the energy can be rapidly transferred from Cr3+ to Yb3+, effectively activating the characteristic f–f transition of Yb3+ that is very stable and almost independent of the temperature, and at the same time, the non‐radiative transition of Cr3+ ions can be suppressed to a certain degree. The NIR phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diodes (pc‐LEDs) are fabricated by combining GaTaO4:Cr3+,Yb3+ with blue LED chips, and the application potential is fully demonstrated by non‐destructive food detection, night vision, and vein display. The results provide novel prospects for the design of NIR‐emitting materials with desirable luminescent properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel CoFe 2 O 4 -THFM was prepared via electro-deposition and followed by calcination. • The Fe(II) reinforced the valance transformation of Co(III) to Co(II). • The Co/Fe synergism played a key role in the non-radical-dominated oxidation mechanism. • The CoFe 2 O 4 -THFM MFPA process showed wide-pH adaptation and stability for water treatment. Constructing membrane filtration coupled with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system has emerged as a promising strategy for efficient water purification. In this work, a novel CoFe 2 O 4 -titanium hollow fiber membrane (CoFe 2 O 4 -THFM) filtration system was proposed, aiming to integrate Co/Fe synergism and membrane filtration for enhancing PMS activation (MFPA) toward phenol (PE) removal. The performance of CoFe 2 O 4 -THFM MFPA process was rationally regulated via electro-deposition and calcination process, which displayed 100 % PE removal and showed 4.80 and 1.24 times (under 2 min running time) higher than that of FeO-THFM and CoO-THFM MFPA process. Mechanism analysis revealed a non-radical-dominated oxidation mechanism (involving 1O 2 , Fe(VI)=O and electron transfer), primarily attributed to the crucial role of Fe. On the one hand, the synergistic promotion mechanism of dual metal centers (Co(III)/Fe(II)) in the PMS activation process significantly enhanced the content of Co(II), and together with Fe(II) acted as active sites to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS, especially 1O 2) for PE removal. On the other hand, the generated Fe(VI)=O (from Fe(III)) tend to react with PE (electron-donating), while the formed CoFe 2 O 4 -THFM-PMS* complex (oxygen vacancy (O V) mediated) plundered electrons from PE (electron transfer), leading to its oxidation. The notable non-radical process (1O 2 , Fe(VI)=O and electron transfer) mentioned above contributed to the excellent performance in real water matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel three-dimensional CMC composite was prepared by the self-assembly method. • The CMC composite exhibited efficient adsorption performance for three anionic dyes. • Quantum chemical calculations revealed several interactions played important roles during the adsorption. • The differences of adsorption behavior were ascribed to the number of available adsorption sites and the site heterogeneity. A novel three-dimensional composite was prepared by the self-assembly of MXene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with the assistance of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which was named as CMC composite. Adsorption of three anionic dyes, including Acid orange (AO7), Methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR), from aqueous solutions on the composite and the mechanisms were investigated in this study. Compared with MXene and CNTs, the CMC composite exhibited superior adsorption performance for AO7, MO and CR with maximum adsorption capacities of 367.9, 294.2, and 628.5 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption capacities of AO7 and MO on the CMC composite decreased, while that of CR increased with increasing temperatures. Quantum chemical calculations indicated that electrostatic interactions, π-π electron-donor-acceptor interactions and hydrogen bonding played important roles on the adsorption. The approximate site energy distribution analysis demonstrated that more adsorption active sites existed on the CMC composite than on MXene and CNTs, which endowed the CMC composite with higher adsorption capacities for these anionic dyes. The differences of adsorption behaviors for three anionic dyes could be ascribed to the number of available adsorption sites and the change of the site heterogeneity on the CMC surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic membrane process, which combines membrane filtration and advanced oxidation, has promising application prospects in water decontamination. In this work, a novel metal-free coal-based catalytic carbon membrane (PPy/CCM-800) was developed and applied for the typical EDC-bisphenol A (BPA) removal from water via activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Morphology investigation manifested that the N-doped carbon nanospheres derived from the pyrolytic PPy particles distributed evenly on the surface of coal-based carbon membrane (CCM). In contrast to bare CCM, catalytic performance of PPy/CCM-800 was significantly enhanced by the anchoring of N-doped carbon nanospheres, and 97.89 % of BPA and 60.83 % of total organic carbon (TOC) can be removed by PPy/CCM-800 during catalytic filtration treatment. Catalytic mechanism investigations confirmed that the excellent decontamination performance of PPy/CCM-800 was attributed to the synergistic effects of radical and non-radical oxidation pathway, and the non-radical pathway (1O 2 and direct electron transfer) played the dominant role. Moreover, the possible BPA degradation pathways were proposed based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and HPLC-MS results. [Display omitted] • N-doped carbon nanospheres functionalized coal-based catalytic carbon membrane was developed. • The deposition of N-doped carbon nanospheres significantly improve the catalytic performance of CCM. • Non-radical mechanism played the dominant role in BPA removal during the treatment. • PPy/CCM-800 exhibits excellent applicability for BPA removal in different water matrixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband near‐infrared (NIR) phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diodes (pc‐LED) are ideal light sources to meet the next generation of NIR spectroscopy. However, NIR phosphors have numerous problems such as low quantum yields (QY) and low thermal stability. In this work, a series of Gd3YxInxGa5‐2xO12:Cr3+ NIR broadband phosphors with high internal quantum yields (IQYs) and high thermal stability are discovered by uniquely replacing GaO6 in Gd3Ga5O12 with Y3+ and In3+ in a co‐doped manner through cation modulation. Under 449 nm excitation, Gd3Y0.5In0.5Ga4O12 (GYIG):yCr3+ depicts emission from 650 to 1050 nm with a full‐width at half maximum (FWHM) of 134 nm. The emission intensity reaches its optimum value at y = 6%, while the IQY reaches an impressive 81.8% and, at 375 K, the emission intensity remains at room temperature of 94.1%. Excitingly, the obtained phosphors are made into pc‐LEDs. At 0.28 W output power and 0.1 A output current, NIR pc‐LED has a NIR photoelectricity conversion efficiency of 15%; more promising is that when the output power is increased to 2.247 W, the pc‐LED photoelectric conversion efficiency can still maintain at 8.5%, which can be applied in different fields such as plant lighting, night vision, biological tissue penetration, and object detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibiting α-glucosidase activity is important in controlling postprandial hyperglycemia and, thus, helping to manage type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the present study, we purified a hypothetical protein of carrots called DCHP (Daucus Carrot hypoglycemic peptide), and their inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, as well as related mechanisms, were investigated. The recombinant DCHP protein with a molecular weight of 8 kDa showed strong inhibitory activity against α-glycosidase and maintained good stability in solution. DCHP exhibited no inhibitory activity but was tolerant to trypsin and chymotrypsin. Cellular experiments demonstrated that glucose consumption and lactic acid production increased rapidly when treated with DCHP in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. DCHP crystal was generated, and the crystal structure, which was similar to that of rBTI and consisted of a central α-helix and a two-stranded β-sheet with a unique loop region. The interaction between DCHP and α-glycosidase was investigated by molecular docking and site-directed mutation, which revealed that Glu43, Pro46, Thr47 Thr48 and Gln49 are the key residues in DCHP that inhibit α-glycosidase activity. This work provides potential bioactive peptides as functional foods or nutraceutical supplements in preventing and managing T2DM. • The recombinant Daucus Carrot hypoglycemic peptide (DCHP) exhibits the inhibitory activity for α-glycosidase. • DCHP exhibits physicochemical stability and high tolerance to trypsin and chymotrypsin. • DCHP can promote the accumulation of lactic acid and increase glucose consumption in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. • DCHP contains the key residues including Glu43, Pro46, Thr47 Thr48 and Gln49 that initiate α-glycosidase inhibitory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) alternatives, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimeric acid (HFPO-DA) and hexafluoropropylene oxide trimeric acid (HFPO-TA) have been increasingly used and caused considerable water pollution. However, their toxicities to aquatic organisms are still not well known. Therefore, in this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to PFOA (0, 1.5, 3 and 6 mg/L), HFPO-DA (0, 3, 6 and 12 mg/L) and HFPO-TA (0, 1, 2 and 4 mg/L) to comparatively investigate their thyroid disrupting effects and the developmental toxicity. Results demonstrated that waterborne exposure to PFOA and its two alternatives decreased T4 contents, the heart rate and swirl-escape rate of zebrafish embryos/larvae. The transcription levels of genes related to thyroid hormone regulation (crh), biosynthesis (tpo and tg), function (trα and trβ), transport (transthyretin, ttr), and metabolism (dio1 , dio2 and ugt1ab), were differently altered after the exposures, which induced the thyroid disrupting effects and decreased the heart rate. In addition, the transcription levels of some genes related to the nervous system development were also significantly affected, which was associated with the thyroid disrupting effects and consequently affected the locomotor activity of zebrafish. Therefore, HFPO-DA and HFPO-TA could not be safe alternatives to PFOA. Further studies to uncover the underlying mechanisms of these adverse effects are warranted. [Display omitted] • PFOA, HFPO-DA and HFPO-TA decreased T4 contents and the heart rate of zebrafish. • These PFASs caused thyroid disrupting effects in zebrafish. • These PFASs significantly altered expression of some genes related to the HPT axis. • These PFASs inhibited the swirl-escape rate of zebrafish larvae. • These PFASs also affected expression of genes related to the nervous development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is fast‐growing and highly metastatic with the poorest prognosis among the breast cancer subtypes. Inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) plays a vital role in the aggressiveness of TNBC; however, the underlying mechanism for sustained GSK3β inhibition remains largely unknown. Here, we find that protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 14C (PPP1R14C) is upregulated in TNBC and relevant to poor prognosis in patients. Overexpression of PPP1R14C facilitates cell proliferation and the aggressive phenotype of TNBC cells, whereas the depletion of PPP1R14C elicits opposite effects. Moreover, PPP1R14C is phosphorylated and activated by protein kinase C iota (PRKCI) at Thr73. p‐PPP1R14C then represses Ser/Thr protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1) to retain GSK3β phosphorylation at high levels. Furthermore, p‐PPP1R14C recruits E3 ligase, TRIM25, toward the ubiquitylation and degradation of non‐phosphorylated GSK3β. Importantly, the blockade of PPP1R14C phosphorylation inhibits xenograft tumorigenesis and lung metastasis of TNBC cells. These findings provide a novel mechanism for sustained GSK3β inactivation in TNBC and suggest that PPP1R14C might be a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In continuation of our attempts for antigen-specific suppression of the immune system [I.L. Urbatsch, R.K.M. Sterz, K. Peper, W.E. Trommer, Eur. J. Immunol. 23(1993) 776–779] a novel fusion protein composed of amino acids 4–181 of the extracellular domain of the α-subunit of the human muscle acetylcholine receptor and the plant toxin gelonin was expressed in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein formed inclusion bodies but could be solubilized in the presence of guanidinium hydrochloride. After a simple two step purification and refolding procedure, it exhibited a native structure at least in the main immunogenic region as shown by antibodies recognizing a conformational epitope. Half maximal inhibition of translation was achieved at 46ng/ml as compared to 4.6ng/ml for native and 2.4 for recombinant gelonin. Its use as therapeutic agent for the treatment of Myasthenia gravis was investigated in an animal model. Female Lewis rats were immunized with complete acetylcholine receptor from the electric ray Torpedo californica and developed thereafter experimental autoimmune M. gravis. Quantitative assessment of the disease was achieved by repetitive stimulation of the Nervus tibialis. Rats showed no symptoms of M. gravis, neither visually nor electrophysiologically after treatment with the fusion protein as determined one and seven weeks after the second application. This approach may also be useful for the therapy of further autoimmune diseases by substituting other autoantigens for the AchR fragment in the fusion protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An open reading frame of gelonin (Gel), one of ribosome inactivating proteins, was inserted into the vector pBSL-C which contains the coding region of chitin binding domain (CBD)-intein, resulting in the fusion expression of CBD-intein–Gel in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) by the induction of IPTG. The fusion product formed an aggregate of the misfolded protein, commonly referred to as inclusion bodies (IBs). The IBs were denatured and then refolded by step-wise dialysis. About 69% fusion protein was in vitro refolded to native state in the presence of GSSG and GSH as monitored by size-exclusion HPLC. The refolded CBD-intein–Gel was loaded onto chitin beads column equilibrated with 10mM Tris buffer, 500mM NaCl, pH 8.5, and about 2.4mgGel/L culture with 96% homogeneity was directly eluted from the captured column by incubation at 25°C under pH 6.5 for 48h based on intein C-terminal self-cleavage. Western blot, ELISA, and in vitro inhibition of protein synthesis demonstrated that the bioactivity of recombinant Gel was comparable to that of native Gel purified from seeds. This implied that the purified Gel by this method is biologically active and suitable for further studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Co-based peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system with fascinating catalytic performance has become a promising technology for water purification, but it always suffers from insufficient mass transfer, less exposed active sites and toxic metal leaching. In this work, a carbon nanotube membrane confining Co 3 O 4 inside (Co 3 O 4 -in-CNT) was prepared and was coupled with PMS activation (catalytic membrane process) for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal. Compared with counterpart with surface-loaded Co 3 O 4 (Co 3 O 4 -out-CNT), the Co 3 O 4 -in-CNT catalytic membrane process exhibited enhanced SMX removal (99.5% vs. 89.1%) within residence time of 2.89 s, reduced Co leaching (20 vs. 147 μg L−1) and more interestingly, the nonradical-to-radical mechanism transformation (from 1O 2 and electron transfer to SO 4 •− and •OH). These phenomena were ascribed to the nanoconfinement effect in CNT, which enhanced mass transfer (2.80 × 10−4 vs. 5.98 × 10−5 m s−1), accelerated Co3+/Co2+ cycling (73.4% vs. 65.0%) and showed higher adsorption energy for PMS (cleavage of O–O bond). Finally, based on the generated abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS), the seven degradation pathways of SMX were formed in system. [Display omitted] • A novel flow-through confined cobalt-based PMS activation system was constructed. • The Co 3 O 4 -in-CNT catalytic membrane process showed a superfast SMX removal. • Nonradical-to-radical-dominated mechanism was regulated via nanoconfinement effect. • The redox potential played a key role in high selectivity for SMX removal. • The degradation pathways of SMX were deduced by theoretical calculations and HPLC-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recombinant form of cyclic imide hydrolase from Pseudomonas putida YZ-26 has been crystallized by the hanging-drop method. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.9 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 111.91, b = 176.04, c = 176.06 Å. Assuming the presence of four molecules in the asymmetric unit gives a VM value of 3.10 Å3 Da−1 and a solvent content of 60.31%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor (GLP‐1R) belongs to the family B of G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) and has antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects. Classical GLP‐1R at the plasma membrane undergoes desensitization and internalization and is recycled back to the plasma membrane under the control of GLP‐1 in islet β‐cells. However, the subcellular localization of GLP‐1R in the vascular system remains unclear. Here, we find that GLP‐1R is localized in the nucleus of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) and in the tunica media. We identify a functional nuclear localization signal (NLS; 412‐442aa) at the C‐terminal region of GLP‐1R. Nuclear import of GLP‐1R is mediated by an importin‐α‐dependent pathway and regulated by phosphorylation of Ser416 in the NLS. Upon leaving the nucleus, GLP‐1R promotes cell proliferation in RASMCs. These findings may provide insights into the cardiovascular functions of GLP‐1R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are common endocrine disorders that occur during pregnancy.Objective: To determine whether the risk of GDM differs between pregnant women with normal thyroid function and those with SCH.Search Strategy: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for studies published in English from inception to March 1, 2017, using combinations of the search terms "thyroid dysfunction", "thyroid diseases", "subclinical hypothyroidism", "hypothyroxinemia", "thyrotropin", "gestational diabetes", "hyperglycemia in pregnancy", and "adverse pregnancy outcomes".Selection Criteria: We selected cohort studies that included pregnant women with SCH; in which the outcome of interest was, or included, the incidence of GDM; and that had data available for both the SCH and GDM groups. Studies were excluded if assisted reproductive technologies were used to achieve pregnancy; reviews, abstracts, and case reports were also excluded.Data Collection and Analysis: Eleven studies were included in the analysis. Summary odds ratios (ORs) for the risk of GDM were calculated.Main Results: SCH with positive antithyroid autoantibodies markedly increased GDM risk (OR 3.22, 95% confidence interval 1.72-6.03, I2 =55%).Conclusion: SCH with positive antithyroid autoantibodies in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a distributed charging strategy that considers load constraints and driver behaviours for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in a smart charging station (SCS). Due to the fast-growing load demand of PEVs and infrastructure investments for load capacity, the PEV energy demands to be subjected to some constraints, such as overload limit and power limit, beyond which failures may occur. The concept of time anxiety is introduced to reduce the impact of uncertain events by adjusting the charging strategy, affecting the charging patterns and aborting PEV charging. This paper constructs a charging problem based on noncooperative game theory, where each PEV aims at minimizing the cost of charging while satisfying several constraints. Then, a distributed algorithm is developed to search for generalized Nash equilibria of the game. Simulations and results are introduced to verify the effectiveness of the proposed charging strategy. • A price-driven charging problem based on game theory. • A distributed algorithm is developed with faster convergence. • The distributed charging strategy integrates time anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel confined Fe-based PMS catalytic membrane system was established. • The Fe 2 O 3 @OCNT MFPA process showed an efficient TC removal. • This system showed good anti-interference for real water treatment. • The non-radical electron transfer was enhanced via the nanoconfinement effect. • The degradation pathway of TC was proposed via LC-MS and theoretical calculations. The water treatment performance of metal-based peroxymonosulfate (PMS) catalytic membrane is always limited by the finite residence time and complex water matrixes. Therefore, the development of high efficiency and anti-interference PMS catalytic membrane is of great significance. In this work, an oxidized carbon nanotube membrane with Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle confined inside (Fe 2 O 3 @OCNT) has been fabricated for enhanced PMS activation in the membrane filtration process (MFPA process). The experiment results showed that through fine-tuning the confinement degree of Fe 2 O 3 in OCNT, the non-radical electron transfer pathway was gradually enhanced and became the dominant process. Under the suitable confinement condition, the tetracycline (TC) removal in the Fe 2 O 3 @OCNT MFPA process was up to 96.1 % with a residence time of only 8.0 s, which remarkably outperformed the powder-based or batch process. The high efficiency of the membrane was attributed to the enhanced mass transfer and non-radical electron transfer process due to the nanoconfinement effect. This was supported by theoretical calculations, where it was showed that confining Fe 2 O 3 inside OCNT not only enhanced the electron activity in the lumen of OCNT, but also increased the adsorption energy for PMS. In addition, the four possible degradation pathways of TC were proposed based on Fukui function analysis and LC-MS results. This system displayed reusability and good stability for TC removal (5 cycles > 85 %, low Fe leaching of 10 μg·L-1, and long-term running of 48 h) and wide applicability for different pollutants, while also demonstrated unique anti-interference property in the presence of inorganic ions and in real water matrixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]