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Owing to the importance of non-Fourier heat flux model in several natural and engineering processes, the convection of binary viscoelastic fluid in a vertical channel with non-Fourier heat flux model is investigated. The linear Oldroyd-B constitutive equation is used to model viscoelasticity. The presence of the basic flow in the vertical y-direction makes the problem challenging compared with the case in Rayleigh–Bénard convection. We use the Chebyshev collocation method to explore the instability characteristics of the linear Oldroyd-B fluid under a wide variety of physical parameters. Results show that the non-Fourier effect and relaxation time contribute to destabilize the system for oscillatory convection. The retardation time can inhibit the instability of the convective system. In the absence of the non-Fourier effect, the vertical fluid layer cannot support oscillatory motions. Oscillatory motion is possible, and the neutral stability curve branches when the non-Fourier effect is taken into account in the fluid. In addition, a new interesting phenomenon can be found: under the coupling action of viscoelastic fluids and the non-Fourier effect, the neutral stability curve would change from single to two branches and then to a single branch with the increase in relaxation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the improvement of digital image display technology, the "secondary imaging" caused by digital cameras is also gradually popularized, and the quality of the recaptured image formed by this imaging is also getting higher and higher, and this kind of high-quality fake image has caused great threat to digital images security. We propose a neural network-based recaptured image identification algorithm and use the difference between two types of images to build the identification algorithm in the frequency domain. The algorithm uses filtering to obtain the feature images which are the high-frequency and low-frequency filtering images, in order to further distinguish the image differences, the direction of the filtered image obtained from high-frequency images, each direction of the filtered image contains high-frequency information at different angles, and the low-frequency image is downsampled. At the same time, the low-frequency image is downsampled to obtain a multi-scale filtered image. The algorithm extracts the features from previous images as the feature values for classification, and finally uses neural networks for classification to obtain the classification results, and these prove that the algorithm presented is able to differentiate the recaptured images effectively in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Viscosities were measured for saturated solutions of R-290 with POE 75, PAG 68, and PVE 68 from 303.15 to 348.15 K. • The effect character of absorbed R-290 on oil viscosity was given. As a natural refrigerant, propane (R-290) with a similar cooling capacity of R-22 is being increasingly widely attention in refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC). In the refrigeration cycle, the working fluid is actually a mixture of refrigerant/oil. To gain insight into the performance of vapor-compression refrigeration using R-290 as a refrigerant, the thermophysical properties of R-290/oil mixtures should be well known, especially the viscosity behavior. A self-designed double-capillary apparatus was applied to measure the viscosities of saturated solution for R-290 with three synthetic oils (PAG 68, POE 75 and PVE 68) from 303.15 to 348.15 K. The results show that the viscosities of three blends have the similar trend as rising solubility. The absorbed R-290 has a great impact on the oil viscosity in the low temperature region. Viscosities of R-290/oil mixtures could be well represented by the Eyring-MTSM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solubilities were measured for R-290 in POE 75, PVG 68, and PVE 68 from 283.15 to 343.15 K. • New pressure-enthalpy-vapor quality (p-h-X) diagrams were plotted for pure R-290 and R-290/oil mixtures. The increasing awareness of the environmental impact of traditional refrigerants (such as R-404A, R-407C, R-134A, etc.) makes the demand for alternatives more urgent. Natural refrigerant propane (R-290) has a similar cooling capacity to R-22, that is attracting a great deal of attention in RAC. Toward better understanding of oil-presence effect on the evaporator performance working with R-290, the absorption behavior of R-290 in three kinds of oils (PAG 68, POE 75, PVE 68) were measured from 283.15 to 343.15 K using an isochoric saturation method. From the calculated results, the NRTL model could successfully represent the solubility of R-290/oil mixtures. Upon the experimental data, new pressure-enthalpy-vapor quality (p-h-X) diagrams were given for pure R-290 and R-290/oil blends. Isotherms of R-290/oil mixtures were divided into two regions, that is mainly related to solubility and oil circulation mass ratio. Oil-present impact on enthalpy changes in the evaporator, as well as the non-evaporation quality of R-290 at the evaporator outlet, were investigated. There is a positive correlation between enthalpy change rate and superheat, and an obviously negative correlation between enthalpy change rate and oil circulation mass fraction. Non-evaporation quality decreases with increasing superheat and increases with increasing oil circulation mass fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of embodied AI, vision-and-language navigation (VLN) is a crucial and challenging multi-modal task. Specifically, outdoor VLN involves an agent navigating within a graph-based environment, while simultaneously interpreting information from real-world urban environments and natural language instructions. Existing outdoor VLN models predict actions using a combination of panorama and instruction features. However, these methods may cause the agent to struggle to understand complicated outdoor environments and ignore the details in the environments to fail to navigate. Human navigation often involves the use of specific objects as reference landmarks when navigating to unfamiliar places, providing a more rational and efficient approach to navigation. Inspired by this natural human behavior, we propose an object-level alignment module (OAlM), which guides the agent to focus more on object tokens mentioned in the instructions and recognize these landmarks during navigation. By treating these landmarks as sub-goals, our method effectively decomposes a long-range path into a series of shorter paths, ultimately improving the agent's overall performance. In addition to enabling better object recognition and alignment, our proposed OAlM also fosters a more robust and adaptable agent capable of navigating complex environments. This adaptability is particularly crucial for real-world applications where environmental conditions can be unpredictable and varied. Experimental results show our OAlM is a more object-focused model, and our approach outperforms all metrics on a challenging outdoor VLN Touchdown dataset, exceeding the baseline by 3.19% on task completion (TC). These results highlight the potential of leveraging object-level information in the form of sub-goals to improve navigation performance in embodied AI systems, paving the way for more advanced and efficient outdoor navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new dibenzyltyrolactone lignan dysoslignan A (1), three new arylnaphthalide lignans dysoslignan B–C (2–4), along with fourteen known metabolites (5–18), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Dysosma versipellis. Their structures and stereochemistry were determined from analysis of NMR spectroscopic and circular dichroism (CD) data. Compound 2 represents the first report of naturally occurring arylnaphthalide lignan triglycoside. The cytotoxic activities of all isolated compounds were evaluated against A-549 and SMMC-7721 cell lines. Compounds 7–10 and 14–16 were more toxic than cisplatin in two tumor cell lines. This investigation clarifies the potential effective substance basis of D. versipellis in tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Phase behavor were measured for binary mixtures of R-1243zf with PAG68, POE85, and PEC4 between (298.15 and 343.15) K. • New data were successfully correlated by NRTL model. • New pressure-enthalpy diagrams were given for three R-1243zf/oil mixtures. The increasing concerns of global warming impact of traditional HFC refrigerants drives the requirement for alternatives more urgent. Due to the excellent properties (zero ODP, extremely-low GWP, nonflammable, nontoxic, etc.), 3,3,3-Trifluoropropene (R-1243zf) is attracting a lot of fashionable attention in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) industry. To better understand the oil existence influence on the performance of an evaporator, the vapor–liquid-phase equilibrium were measured for R-1243zf with PAG 68, PEC4, and POE 85 oils by an isochoric method between (298.15 and 343.15) K. The NRTL model was applied to correlate the phase-equilibrium data. The pressure-enthalpy-vapor quality (p-h-X) diagrams were plotted for R-1243zf and R-1243zf/lubricant blends with different oil-circulation mass fractions (C g), and the differences in enthalpies were analyzed. There is a critical vapor quality (X cri) between the isotherm curves. On the left side of X cri , isotherm curves are almost identical. On the right side of X cri , these curves separated gradually especially at high vapor quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MD is a reliable method to calculated viscosities of PEC7 and PEC9. • Detailed MD simulations are given. To better understand the lubrication characteristics of refrigeration-compressor mechanical moving parts, the thermophysical properties of lubricants in a wide operating range of pressure should be well known, especially viscosity and density. However, the experimental data are always limited, particularly for higher pressures where experiments are difficult to implement. To obtain viscosity and density of lubricants in extreme pressures using a more cost-effective method, the densities and viscosities of pentaerythritol tetraheptanoate (PEC7) and pentaerythritol tetranonanoate (PEC9) were calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at the temperature range from 263.15 to 343.15 K and pressure range from 0.1 to 1.0 GPa. Compared to the experimental data at low pressures, the maximum relative deviations for density simulations of PEC7 and PEC9 are respectively 0.65 % and 0.70 %. The maximum relative deviations for viscosity simulations of PEC7 and PEC9 are respectively 18.9 % and 5.82 %. MD simulations combined with COMPASS forcefield can successfully calculate the densities and viscosities of pentaerythritol esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibers are promising as enhancements for gypsum. Herein, the effect of using untreated, NaOH-modified, and dual-modified hemp fibers on enhancing performances of gypsum composites is examined. The dual-modification strategy applies secondary treatment on NaOH-treated fibers with NaClO, polyoxyethylene, or Tween-80. The fibers and composites are characterized by SEM, ATR-FTIR, XRD, mechanical strength, etc. The secondary modification enhances interfacial compatibility between gypsum and fibers. Compared with pure gypsum, the elastic modulus and bending strength of the composites with dual-modified fibers increase by 56% and 42%, respectively. Hydration process reveals that dual-modification using polyoxyethylene contributes to form dense, compact composite structures. • Hemp fibers were used as green additives to improve mechanical property of gypsum. • NaOH treatment of fibers enhanced compatibility by removing surface impurities. • The dual-modified composite using PEO exhibited the optimal performances. • The reinforcing mechanism of hemp fibers involved formation of denser structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R1234ze(E) and R1234yf, as green refrigerants, have received more and more attention in recent years. To better understand the performance of the evaporator working with a refrigerant/lubricating oil mixture, the solubilities of R1234ze(E)/POE85 and R1234yf/POE85 were measured using the isochoric saturation method in the temperature range from 278.15 K to 348.15 K. The NRTL model was used to correlate the new data. Using the new data, the pressure-enthalpy-vapor quality diagram and superheat-non-evaporation diagram were presented. The results show that the enthalpies of refrigerant/lubricating oil are always lower than those of pure refrigerant. The critical vapor quality is related to the refrigerant/oil solubility and oil circulation mass ratio. The enthalpy change ratio is directly proportional to the superheat and inversely proportional to the oil circulation mass fraction. The non-evaporation quality decreases as the superheat increases and increases as the mass fraction of oil circulation increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultrasonic treatment modified the interfacial properties and thermal behaviour of MFGs/MFGM. • 40 kHz/ 5 min treatment induced the highest ζ- potential of all samples. • Most significant decrease of interfacial tension (π) was observed in 20 kHz/ 15 min treated samples. • 20 kHz and 40 kHz independently or synchronously treatments for 15 min induced the disappearance of α-crystal peaks. • Compared with control, ultrasonic treatment resulted in the appearance of one or two more exothermic events, while undetectable low-melting fractions peaks during the heating stage. Milk fat globules or milk fat globule membranes (MFGs/MFGM) have been added to the infant formula to fortify the phospholipids and narrow the nutritional gap from breast milk. The main aim of this study was to profile the interfacial and thermal properties of MFGs/MFGM prepared from ultrasonicated bovine milk. Bovine milk was sonicated at ultrasonic intensities of 20 kHz and 40 kHz independently or synchronously with the duration time of 0 min (control), 5 min, 10 min, and 15 min (work/rest cycles = 5 s: 3 s). Ultrasonic treatments at 20 kHz/ 5 min and 20 + 40 kHz/ 5 min improved the volume density (%) of smaller particles (1–10 µm) while significantly decreasing the surface hydrophobicity (H 0) (p < 0.05). 40 kHz/5 min samples showed significantly higher ζ- potential than the other samples (p < 0.05), which might be because more negative charges were detected. In comparison with control samples, ultrasonic treatments decreased the interfacial tension (π) between the air and MFGs/MFGM liquid phase. 20 kHz ultra-sonicated treatments decreased the diffusion rate (k diff) of MFGs/MFGM interfacial compositions significantly as the duration prolonged from 5 min to 15 min (p < 0.05) but did not affect the adsorption or penetration rate (k a) (p > 0.05). X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that α-crystal peaks only existed in control and ultrasonicated 5 min samples but disappeared in all 15 min samples. According to the different scanning calorimetry (DSC), one or two new exothermic events (in the range of 17.29 – 18.81 ℃ and 22.14 – 25.21 ℃) appeared after ultrasonic treatments, which, however, were not found in control samples. Ultrasonic treatments resulted in the low-melting fractions (LMF) (T M1) peaks undetectable in MFGs/MFGM samples in which only peaks of medium-melting fractions (MMF) (T M2) and high-melting fractions (HMF) (T M3) were detected. Compared with the control, both enthalpies of crystallisation (ΔH C) and melting (ΔH M) decreased in ultrasonicated samples. In conclusion, ultrasonic treatment affects the interfacial and thermal properties of MFGs/MFGM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, carbon composite briquette (CCB) for BF application was prepared and had a mineralogical composition of carbon: 20.30 wt%, Fe 3 O 4 : 29.70 wt%, FeO: 39.70 wt%, Fe: 1.57 wt% and gangue: 8.73 wt%. A reaction model of the CCB in BF was developed. Using the model, the CCB reaction behavior under simulated BF conditions was explained, and the CCB reaction behavior in actual BF was predicted. Results showed that the model predictions agreed well with the experimental measurements. Under simulated BF conditions, the CCB underwent fast self-reduction in the period from 70 min (973 K) to 110 min (1273 K). In this stage, the reactions inside the CCB proceeded unevenly in the radial direction, resulting in a dense iron layer near the CCB surface. The simulation results of CCB reaction in an actual BF indicated that charging CCB in the region near the mid-radius was preferred. The CCB reaction behavior in BF could be divided into five stages: reduction by BF gas (500–850 K), partial self-reduction with reduction by BF gas (850–973 K), full self-reduction (973–1100 K), partial self-reduction with gasification by BF gas (1100–1150 K), and gasification by BF gas (>1150 K). The CCB became effective for BF energy saving after 1000 K. Unlabelled Image • A reaction model of CCB in BF was developed. • CCB reaction behavior under simulated BF conditions was correctly explained by the model. • CCB reaction behavior in actual BF was predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (R1234yf) and trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(E)) as the promising refrigerants have attracted wide attention. To understand better of the refrigeration-cycle performance working with new refrigerants, the thermodynamic properties of refrigerant/oil mixtures should be well known, especially the viscosity of the refrigerant/oil mixture. Using a dual-capillary method, the viscosities were measured for POE75 saturated with R1234yf and R1234ze(E) from 303.15 to 348.15 K. The viscosity trends of R1234yf/POE75 and R1234ze(E)/POE75 mixtures are similar. As rising solubility, a sharp decrease of viscosity appeared firstly, and then it goes to be flat. Results show that the dissolved refrigerant in oil largely reduces the oil viscosity. Comparing to viscosity models including an empirical model (modified Setchenow-type equation) and Eyring's absolute rate theory coupled with three excess Gibbs energy models (Eyring-MTSM model, Eyring-NRTL model, and Eyring-wilson model), the Eyring-MTSM model give better results than the other studied models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of digital phones, the digital image forensics system in current times has had a great impact. It will lead to a serious threat for us, and especially the emergence of the recaptured image makes the existing digital image forensics algorithm invalid. So, it needs an effective image detection algorithm for us to identify recaptured images. In this paper, a new detection algorithm of the recaptured image is presented based on gray level co-occurrence matrix by analyzing the differences between the real and recaptured images. In order to analyze the differences, a new image evaluation model was put forward in this paper, which is called image variance ratio. Firstly, the algorithm proposed extracted high-frequency and low-frequency information of images by wavelet transform, based on which we calculated the relative gray level co-occurrence matrices. Secondly, the features of gray level co-occurrence matrix were extracted. At last, the recaptured image was classified by the support vector machine according to the features. The experimental results showed the algorithm proposed can not only effectively identify the recaptured image obtained from different media but also have better identification rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Several R1234yf/IL working pairs are compared for single-effect and compression-assisted absorption refrigeration cycles. • R1234yf/[hmim][Tf 2 N] pairs shows the best performance among the studied substances. • IL with higher solubility, lower heat capacity, and smaller molecular weight has better performance. Due to the disadvantages of conventional working pairs (NH 3 /H 2 O and H 2 O/LiBr) in the absorption-refrigeration cycles, 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene(R1234yf)/ionic liquid (IL), which possessed of remarkable properties, has received more and more attention. In this work, the thermodynamic performance of single-effect and compression-assisted absorption refrigeration cycles were analyzed using R1234yf as refrigerant and ILs (including [emim][BF 4 ], [hmim][BF 4 ], [omim][BF 4 ], [hmim][Tf2N], [hmim][PF6] and [hmim][TfO]) as absorbent, the thermodynamic properties of working pairs was estimated by the NRTL model. The effects of generation, evaporation, condensation and absorption temperature as well as compression ratio on the cooling performance and circulation ratio were studied in various working conditions. Compared to the single-effect cycle, the compression-assisted cycle effectively improves the cooling performance, reduces the circulation ratio and extends the operation range of generation, evaporation and absorption temperatures. At the same working condition, [hmim][Tf 2 N] performs the best while [emim][BF 4 ] has the lowest COP, the cooling performance of [hmim][BF 4 ], [omim][BF 4 ], [hmim][TfO] and [hmim][PF 6 ] is similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (R1234yf) and isobutane (R600a) regarded as green refrigerants have received much attention in the refrigeration industry. Phase equilibrium between refrigerant and lubricant has a critical impact on the performance of a compression-refrigeration cycle. To determine the influence of the lubricant structure, pressure and temperature on phase behavior of refrigerant/lubricant mixtures, a long-term systematic research program on the phase equilibrium of refrigerant/lubricant mixtures has been carried out in our laboratory. In this work, solubilities of R1234yf and R600a in pentaerythritol tetranonanoate (PEC9) were measured from 293.15 to 348.15 K using isochoric saturated method. The results show that there was no color change, no sediment generation and no stratification in the whole experiment. Solubilities rise with an increase in pressure and a decrease in temperature. Solubilities of R600a are higher than those of R1234yf. The experimental data were correlated by the nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model. Comparing solubilities of the same refrigerant in different linear-chained pentaerythritol esters, solubilities increase with rising length of the linear chain of the carboxylic acid for pentaerythritol esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazy images suffer from two problems. The low contrast can be enhanced by estimating a transmission layer, and the colour cast can be restored by estimating an airlight. These two variables, together with the albedo layer, are the constitutive elements of a hazy image. The resulting quality of dehazed images is inextricably linked to the accurate estimation of these components. However, it is ill‐posed to decompose these variables from a single image. As such, this paper presents an innovative algorithm intended to facilitate the optimal decomposition of a hazy image. Using the Markov random field model, an optimal framework is established that allows the simultaneous estimation of the three components across the three‐colour channels. To improve the visual quality, three improvements are proposed in the variational solution for the optimal components. The dehazed result is recomposed from the components with the transmission enhanced to circumvent any potential artefacts or information loss. Extensive experiments on natural images corroborate that the proposed algorithm outperforms state‐of‐the‐art dehazing methods, both qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Experimental osmotic coefficients for lithium salts in non–aqueous solvents: ■, LiBr in DMSO; , LiCl in DMSO; , LiNO 3 in DMSO; , LiBr in Acetonitrile; , LiPF 6 in Acetonitrile; , LiTFSI in Acetonitrile; , LiPF 6 in DMC; , LiTFSI in DMC. Highlights • Osmotic coefficients of five lithium salts in three non–aqueous solvents were measured. • A literature review of activity coefficients for salts in non–aqueous solutions shows that experimental data are scarce. • Osmotic coefficients were correlated with three models. • Mean ionic activity coefficients were calculated with the Pitzer–Archer equation. Abstract To obtain osmotic coefficients, a classic static–view apparatus was used to measure the difference between the vapor pressure of a solvent and that of its salt solution at 25 °C. Vapor–pressure lowering was measured for solutions containing a lithium salt (LiCl, LiBr, LiNO 3 , LiPF 6 and LITFSI) dissolved in a non–aqueous solvent (dimethyl carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile) that may be used in a lithium–ion battery. The osmotic–coefficient data are represented by Archer's extended Pitzer equation. Mean ionic activity coefficients for the salts are calculated from the osmotic–coefficient data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Droplet impact dynamics on gradient textures at room temperature have been intensively studied in the past decade. The wetting gradient surfaces are reported to direct the droplet motion. In this work, we show an undirectional rebound behavior of impacting droplets on gradient grooved surfaces at high temperature. The impinging droplet rebounds towards the denser microstructure region at contact boiling state, but towards to the sparser region when at Leidenfrost film boiling state. Our analysis indicates that the non-directional rebounding direction is attributed to the unbalanced Young's forces or vapor pressure difference between the droplet and the substrate. In contact boiling regime, the droplet rebounds towards the denser region due to the unbalanced Young's force. However, in the Leidenfrost film boiling region, adequate vapor generated underneath the droplet impedes the direct contact and larger vapor pressure in the denser region causes the droplet to rebound oppositely. This study is envisioned to promote the understanding of droplet dynamics at high temperature and provide promising applications in various systems where regulating droplet motion is needed. Graphical abstract The gradient grooved surfaces were fabricated using the standard photolithography technique on a silicon wafer. Then, the movement direction of impacting droplets on gradient grooved structures can be regulated by changing the substrate temperature. The impinging droplet rebounds towards the denser microgrooved region at contact boiling state, while towards to the sparser region at Leidenfrost film boiling state. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Gradient grooved surfaces were fabricated by a photolithography technique. • The impingement of droplets on the gradient grooves was performed. • Droplets rebounded to different directions under different boiling modes. • The mechanism of directional droplet bounce was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothesis The wetting behavior of an electrolyte solution on the separator, determined by contact-angle measurements, has a significant effect on the internal resistance of the battery and on its cycle life. The solvent, the lithium-salt type and its concentration may affect the wettability. However, few systematic studies address the effect of salt concentration on surface tension and contact angle. Experiments Surface tensions and advancing contact angles were measured for dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), and a PC/DMC mixture (1:1 mass ratio) with various concentrations of a lithium salt (LiClO 4 , LiPF 6 , and LiTFSI) at 23 °C. Measurements were made by a Krüss Drop Shape Analyzer 100, with a video camera mounted on a microscope to record the drop image. Findings For DMSO, PC and PC/DMC, surface tensions increase by adding LiClO 4 or LiPF 6 but decrease upon addition of LiTFSI. For DMC, the lithium salts have little impact on the surface tensions. For each solvent, contact angles and adhesion energies follow the same trend as those for surface tensions. The TFSI- anion reduces the surface tension of the solvent, favoring good wettability of the separator. The optimal surface tension for wettability of Celgard 2500 is at or below 26.1 mN/m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous semiconductors usually suffer from low photocatalysis efficiency due to the fast charge recombination rate. In this work, to activate the amorphous Bi 2 WO 6 , Bi 2 O 3 and Bi particles were in sequence deposited over its surface via a facile in situ chemical reduction of amorphous Bi 2 WO 6 by NaBH 4 at room temperature. In the resultant ternary Bi/Bi 2 O 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 , the well-formed heterojunctions (i.e. Bi-Bi 2 O 3 and Bi 2 O 3 -Bi 2 WO 6 ) and the surface plasmon resonance effect of Bi both contribute to an increase in charge carrier concentration, an efficient e − /h + separation and then an enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance. The molar ratio of Bi, Bi 2 O 3 and Bi 2 WO 6 in composite can be modulated by the dosage of NaBH 4 , and consequently the amount of each heterojunction (i.e. Bi/Bi 2 O 3 or Bi 2 O 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 ) as well as the intensity of SPR effect could be tuned. The photocatalytic NO removal test under visible light irradiation shows that BWO-0.8 (0.8 denotes the molar ratio of NaBH 4 to Bi 2 WO 6 ) presents a maximum NO removal efficiency of 55.4%, much higher than that of the pristine amorphous Bi 2 WO 6 (10%). The enhanced activity can be attributed to the balanced SPR effect of Bi metal and the heterojunction effect, making their overall contribution maximized. The pathway study of photocatalytic NO oxidation by in situ FT-IR suggests that NO is converted to nitrates adsorbed over the catalyst surface. The present work could provide a new approach to activate the amorphous semiconductors for efficient visible light photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports that a low‐temperature thermal calcination strategy was adopted to modulate the electronic structure and attain an abundance of surface‐active sites while maintaining the crystal morphology. All the experiments demonstrate that the new photocatalyst nano MIL‐125(Ti)‐250 obtained by thermal calcination strategy has abundant Ti3+ induced by oxygen vacancies and high specific surface area. This facilitates the adsorption and activation of N2 molecules on the active sites in the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The photocatalytic NH3 yield over MIL‐125(Ti)‐250 is enhanced to 156.9 μmol g−1 h−1, over twice higher than that of the parent MIL‐125(Ti) (76.2 μmol g−1 h−1). Combined with density function theory (DFT), it shows that the N2 adsorption pattern on the active sites tends to be from "end‐on" to "side‐on" mode, which is thermodynamically favourable. Moreover, the electrochemical tests demonstrate that the high atomic ratio of Ti3+/Ti4+ can enhance carrier separation, which also promotes the efficiency of photocatalytic N2 fixation. This work may offer new insights into the design of innovative photocatalysts for various chemical reduction reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports that a low‐temperature thermal calcination strategy was adopted to modulate the electronic structure and attain an abundance of surface‐active sites while maintaining the crystal morphology. All the experiments demonstrate that the new photocatalyst nano MIL‐125(Ti)‐250 obtained by thermal calcination strategy has abundant Ti3+ induced by oxygen vacancies and high specific surface area. This facilitates the adsorption and activation of N2 molecules on the active sites in the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The photocatalytic NH3 yield over MIL‐125(Ti)‐250 is enhanced to 156.9 μmol g−1 h−1, over twice higher than that of the parent MIL‐125(Ti) (76.2 μmol g−1 h−1). Combined with density function theory (DFT), it shows that the N2 adsorption pattern on the active sites tends to be from "end‐on" to "side‐on" mode, which is thermodynamically favourable. Moreover, the electrochemical tests demonstrate that the high atomic ratio of Ti3+/Ti4+ can enhance carrier separation, which also promotes the efficiency of photocatalytic N2 fixation. This work may offer new insights into the design of innovative photocatalysts for various chemical reduction reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pancreatic index (PI) is a useful preoperative imaging predictor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this retrospective study, we determined the predictive effect of PI to distinguish patients of pancreatic body/tail cancer (PBTC) with vascular involvement who can benefit from upfront surgery. Method: All patients who received distal pancreatectomy for PDAC from 2016 to 2020 at the Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine were considered for the study. A total of 429 patients with PBTC were assessed in relation to the value of PI. Fifty‐five patients were eventually included and divided into low PI group and 29 patients in the normal PI group. Results: The median overall survival (mOS) was significantly shorter in the low PI group (13.1 vs. 30.0 months, p = 0.002) in this study, and PI ≥ 0.78 (OR = 0.552, 95% CI: 0.301–0.904, p = 0.020) was an independent influencing factor confirmed by multivariate analysis. Subgroup analysis showed that PI was an independent prognostic factor for LA‐PBTC (OR = 0.272, 95% CI: 0.077–0.969, p = 0.045). As for BR PBTC, PI (OR = 0.519, 95% CI: 0.285–0.947, p = 0.033) combined with carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) (OR = 2.806, 95% CI: 1.206–6.526, p = 0.017) and chemotherapy (OR = 0.327, 95% CI: 0.140–0.763, p = 0.010) were independent factors. Conclusion: This study suggests that the PI can be used as a predictive factor to optimize the surgical indication for PBTC with vascular involvement. Preoperative patients with normal PI and CA125 can achieve a long‐term prognosis comparable to that of resectable PBTC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new biflavonoids, sinodiflavonoids A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Sinopodophyllum emodi. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic evidences (HR-ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, CD). Their cytotoxic activities were evaluated in comparison with etoposide against four cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, HeLa, KB). The preliminary structure-activity relationships showed that the simple, nonprenylated, nonmethylated biflavonoid (2) showed higher cytotoxic activities than the corresponding prenylated 3-hydroxymethylated one (1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the contact time between impacting droplets and superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted much attention in recent years due to the importance of controlling heat and mass transfer. Previous researchers have proposed several methods, such as lifting the droplets before the retraction, accelerating the retraction process, or splashing the droplets. One example includes symmetry-breaking surfaces, which were used to accelerate the droplet retraction to realize the fast detachment. However, the dependence of the contact time on impact velocity and surface structure scale remains unclear. Here, we experimentally study the droplet impact dynamics on cross-scale cylindrical superhydrophobic surfaces. The reduction of the contact time is achieved on the surfaces with a ridge smaller or larger than the droplets, spanning different bouncing regimes. We describe the droplet behaviors and propose theoretical models from the view of retraction speed to explain the contact time variations. The maximum reduction is observed to occur when the ridge diameter is close to that of the droplets, which is also predicted by the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solubilities were measured from 25 to 45 °C for six lithium salts (LiF, LiCl, LiBr, LiNO 3 , LiTFSI and LiPF 6 ) in five pure non–aqueous solvents (ethanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide and propylene carbonate) and in a few of their binary mixtures (ethanol + DMSO, DMC + DMSO and DMC + PC). The experimental method uses a Varian inductively–coupled plasma–optical–emission spectrometer (ICP–OES). Solubilities increase with rising temperature. At a given temperature, LiNO 3 shows the highest solubility in all solvents. Salt solubilities follow the order LiNO 3  > LiTFSI > LiBr > LiCl > LiPF 6  > LiF. The dissolving abilities of the solvents are in the order ethanol > DMSO > acetonitrile > PC > DMC. Coupled with the salt's melting temperature and enthalpy of fusion, liquid–phase activity coefficients for salts were obtained from the solubility data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of digital cameras and smart phones, the image identification system in current times will be of a great impact. This will cause the form of image information to increase serious security issues. Especially, the emergence of the recaptured image makes conventional digital image forensics algorithm invalid. Therefore, a new image forensics algorithm is urgently needed to identify the recaptured image. In this paper, a new recaptured image identifying algorithm is put forward based on wavelet transformation and noise analysis by analyzing the differences between the real and recaptured images generated in the imaging process. First, the proposed algorithm extracts mean value, variance and skewness as wavelet characteristic from the high-frequency images and low-frequency images by wavelet transformation. Meanwhile, the proposed algorithm analyzes the noise image by means of local binary pattern to extract noise characteristic. Finally, the support vector machine is applied to classify the recaptured image with wavelet characteristics and noise characteristics. The results show the presented method can not only identify the recaptured image obtained from different media but also have better identification rate, and the dimension of the characteristic vector is also lower than those obtained by other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current study investigated bone morphogenetic protein 12 (BMP12) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) activate tendon derived stem cells (TDSCs) tenogenic differentiation, and promotion of injured tendon regeneration. TDSCs were transfected with BMP12 and CTGF via recombinant adenovirus (Ad) infection. Gene transfection efficiency, cell viability and cytotoxicity, tenogenic gene expression, collagen I/III synthesis were evaluated in vitro . For the in vivo study, the transfected cells were transplanted into the rat patellar tendon window defect. At weeks 2 and 8 of post-surgery, the repaired tendon tissues were harvested for histological and biomechanical examinations. The transfected TDSCs revealed relatively stable transfection efficiency (80–90%) with active cell viability means while rare cytotoxicity in each group. During days 1 and 5, BMP12 and CTGF transfection caused tenogenic differentiation genes activation in TDSCs: type I/III collagen, tenascin-C, and scleraxis were all up-regulated, whereas osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic markers were all down-regulated respectively. In addition, BMP12 and CTGF overexpression significantly promote type I/III collagen synthesis. After in vivo transplantation, at 2 and 8 weeks post-surgery, BMP12, CTGF and co-transfection groups showed more integrated tendon tissue structure versus control, meanwhile, the ultimate failure loads and Young’s were all higher than control. Remarkably, at 8 weeks post-surgery, the biomechanical properties of co-transfection group was approaching to normal rat patellar tendon, moreover, the ratio of type III/I collagen maintained about 20% in each transfection group, meanwhile, the type I collagen were significantly increased with co-transfection treatment. In conclusion, BMP12 and CTGF transfection stimulate tenogenic differentiation of TDSCs. The synergistic effects of simultaneous transfection of both may significantly promoted rat patellar tendon window defect regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk protein concentrate 80 (MPC80) was prepared with different emulsifying salts (ES). The effects on particle size (D50), solubility, and surface hydrophobicity (H0) of MPC80 were then observed after production. The molecular weight and secondary structure of MPC80 protein were also investigated through sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. Particle size (D50) was reduced from 31.37 to 20.67 μm following the addition of sodium phosphate (SPS). The solubility of MPC80 fortified with sodium citrate salt (SCS), SPS, and sodium pyrophosphate (SPP) was improved by 80.32, 78.23, and 55.80%, respectively. The SDS-PAGE pattern showed no significant difference between the control and single-ES-fortified samples, but major protein bands (αs-CN, β-CN, κ-CN, BSA, and β-LG) had a stronger intensity than binary-ES-fortified MPC80. The FTIR results showed that the β-sheet content of ES-fortified MPC80 was relatively higher than that in the control. Compared with analogue cheeses made by MPC80 with and without ES, SCS–SPP (92:8)-modified MPC80 presented a better fluid mass and homogeneous colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of working pairs of refrigerant and absorbent have a great influence on the performance of absorption refrigeration cycle. In this work, the measurements of absorption properties for 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF 4 ]), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene/1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([HMIM][BF 4 ]), and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene/1-methyl-3-octylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate ([OMIM][BF 4 ]) between 283.15 and 343.15 K were performed by means of an isochoric saturation method. Experimental data were correlated using NRTL model and Krichevsky-Kasarnovsky (K-K) equation. The studied results show that absorption of gaseous 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene increases with a decrease in temperature and an increase in pressure, and absorption diminished in the following order: [OMIM][BF 4 ] > [HMIM][BF 4 ] > [EMIM][BF 4 ]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion ( MIR) injury leads to severe arrhythmias and has a high rate of lethality. In the present study, we aim to determine the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on heart injury parameters following MIR surgery. We examined the effects of Dex on heart function parameters and infarct size following MIR surgery. Proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative products and anti-oxidative enzymes in the myocardium were measured to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of Dex. The role of the adenosine 5′-monophosphate ( AMP)-activated protein kinase ( AMPK)/phosphatidylino-sitol 3-kinase ( PI3k)/Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase ( eNOS) pathway was investigated using their inhibitors. The alteration of haemodynamic parameters, histopathological results, and infarct size caused by MIR was attenuated by Dex. The interleukine-1 beta ( IL-1β), IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-a ( TNF-α) and myeloperoxidase ( MPO) were all significantly decreased. Anti-oxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase ( SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase ( GPx) were restored by Dex. Oxidative products8- OHdG, MDA and protein carbonyl were all decreased by Dex ( P<.05). Dex activated AMPK expression, eNOS and Akt phosphorylation. The influence of Dex on cardiac function was reversed by the inhibitors of the eNOS, AMPK and PI3K/Akt pathways. These results indicate that Dex protected the cardiac functional, histological changes, inflammation and oxidative stress induced by MIR. Our results present a novel signalling mechanism that Dex protects MIR injury by activating an AMPK/ PI3K/Akt/ eNOS pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (HFO1234yf) is recently recognized as a new generation refrigerant to replace R134a in automotive air-conditioning system and other refrigeration applications. The knowledge of phase equilibrium property for refrigerant with lubricant oil is therefore interested in these systems. A systematic research program on the phase equilibrium of HFO1234yf with lubricant oils has been carried out in our laboratory, and the purpose is to investigate the influence of the molecular structure of oils, pressure and temperature on the phase behavior of HFO1234yf and lubricant oil system. In this work, the measurements of phase equilibrium for HFO1234yf + pentaerythritol tetrahexanoate (PEC6), HFO1234yf + pentaerythritol tetraheptanoate (PEC7), and HFO1234yf + pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate (PEC8) between 293.15 K and 348.15 K were performed by means of isochoric saturation method. The experimental data were correlated using the PR EOS and HVOS mixing rule combined with Wilson excess free-energy model. The average relative deviations between experimental results and the calculated pressure by the model for HFO1234yf + PEC6, HFO1234yf + PEC7, and HFO1234yf + PEC8 system were 1.23%, 1.19%, and 1.39%, respectively. The maximum relative deviations were 4.04%, 4.34%, and 4.84%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability of viscous liquid film under a temperature-modulated inclined substrate is studied. Long wave approximation and weighted residual model are used respectively to derive the nonlinear evolution equations of liquid film, and it is shown that the two evolution equations by the above two approaches are equivalent. The recurrence relation and damped Mathieu equation are obtained by employing Floquet theory and linear analysis, respectively. When amplitude a and oscillation frequency ω of the temperature exceed critical values, the film surface loses its stability. The stability diagram is obtained by linear analysis based on Floquet theory. Moreover, based upon the line approach, the nonlinear evolution equation is numerically simulated to give the spatiotemporal evolution of the free surface. Heated capillary tension might accelerate the production of suspended droplets due to the appearing of Marangoni number Ma produced by heating inclined wall. The results reveal that the larger Reynolds number Re , Marangoni number Ma and Biot number Bi will result in the instability of free surface. Moreover, the liquid film becomes more unstable at the smaller Froude number Fr and Weber number We. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isobutane (R600a) is widely used in small capacity refrigeration equipment, especially domestic refrigerator. Knowledge of refrigerant absorption in lubricant oil is one of the essential factors for designing refrigeration system and choosing suitable oil. In this work, the liquid mole fractions of R600a in three linear chained pentaerythritol esters (pentaerythritol tetrabutyrate, pentaerythritol tetrahexanoate, and pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate) were measured from 293.15 K to 348.15 K by means of isochoric saturation method. The measured data were modeled using the PR EOS and HVOS mixing rule combined with Wilson excess free-energy model. Average relative deviations between the calculated pressure from the model and measured results for R600a + pentaerythritol tetrabutyrate, R600a + pentaerythritol tetrahexanoate, and R600a + pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate systems were 0.74%, 0.90%, and 0.57%, respectively. Maximum relative deviations were 2.13%, 2.91%, and 2.13%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampal formation is traditionally viewed as having a feedforward, unidirectional circuit organization that promotes propagation of excitatory processes. While the substantial forward projection from hippocampal CA1 to the subiculum has been very well established, accumulating evidence supports the existence of a significant backprojection pathway comprised of both excitatory and inhibitory elements from the subiculum to CA1. Based on these recently updated anatomical connections, such a backprojection could serve to modulate information processing in hippocampal CA1. Here we review the published anatomical and physiological studies on the subiculum to CA1 backprojection, and present recent conclusive anatomical evidence for the presence of noncanonical subicular projections to CA1. New insights into this understudied pathway will improve our understanding of reciprocal CA1-subicular connections and guide future studies on how the subiculum interacts with CA1 to regulate hippocampal circuit activity and learning and memory behaviors. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:3666-3673, 2016. © 2016 The Authors The Journal of Comparative Neurology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Experience alters cortical networks through neural plasticity mechanisms. During a developmental critical period, the most dramatic consequence of occluding vision through one eye (monocular deprivation) is a rapid loss of excitatory synaptic inputs to parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory neurons in visual cortex. Subsequent cortical disinhibition by reduced PV cell activity allows for excitatory ocular dominance plasticity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying critical period synaptic plasticity are unclear. Here we show that brief monocular deprivation during the critical period downregulates neuregulin-1(NRG1)/ErbB4 signaling in PV neurons, causing retraction of excitatory inputs to PV neurons. Exogenous NRG1 rapidly restores excitatory inputs onto deprived PV cells through downstream PKC-dependent activation and AMPA receptor exocytosis, thus enhancing PV neuronal inhibition to excitatory neurons. NRG1 treatment prevents the loss of deprived eye visual cortical responsiveness in vivo. Our findings reveal molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of NRG1/ErbB4 in regulating the initiation of critical period visual cortical plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNMT3A mutations are frequent in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) patients and can be present many years before the disease develops. However, the clinical significance of DNMT3A mutation burden in CN-AML remains unclear. In this study, 81 DNMT3A mutated adult CN-AML patients in their first complete remission (CR) were enrolled at our center from March 2005 to May 2015. All patients were identified as having DNMT3A exon 23 mutations, and R882H was the most frequent variant (n = 49, 60.49%). A total of 48 patients (48/81, 59.3%) were found to have DNMT3A mutations upon achieving CR. At the final follow-up exam, 40 patients remained in CR, 8 of which (8/81, 9.9%) were found to still have DNMT3A mutations. Analysis of the order of NPM1 , FLT3-ITD and DNMT3A mutations for different disease statuses revealed that DNMT3A might be the earliest mutation in leukemic cells. In addition, we determined the possible gene aberrations in 12 de novo and 2 relapsed samples using next-generation sequencing. NPM1 (5/12, 41.7%), FLT3-ITD (5/12, 41.7%) and CEBPA mutations (4/12, 33.3%) were the most frequent coexisting mutations. In the relapsed samples, additional genes aberrations could be observed, and some of them were never reported in AML patients. The 2-year overall survival (2-OS) for 81 DNMT3A mutated CN-AML patients was 39.0%. No differences was found in 2-OS (38.2% vs 41.6%, P = 0.2256) and 2-year disease free survival (2-DFS: 28.5% vs 34.3%, P = 0.1831) between patients with negative (n = 33) and positive DNMT3A mutation findings (n = 48) at the first CR. In summary, our findings indicated that DNMT3A mutation burden could persist in adult DNMT3A mutated CN-AML patients in long-term remission and that DNMT3A mutation was the early event in the development of leukemic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R1234yf and R1234ze(E) have been proposed as the most promising refrigerants to substitute R134a due to its low global warming potential. Experimental measurement for the phase equilibrium of R1234yf (or R1234ze(E)) and lubricant oil is an important task in the practical refrigeration system. In this work, the solubilities of R1234yf in pentaerythritol tetrabutyrate (PEC4) and in pentaerythritol tetrapentanoate (PEC5), the two linear chained precursors of polyol ester lubricants, have been measured from T = (293.15 to 348.15) K based on the isochoric method. The obtained solubility data were compared with the literature results of R1234ze(E) and R134a in PEC5. In addition, the solubility of R1234ze(E) in PEC4 was also reported from T = (293.15 to 353.15) K for further comparison. The experimental solubility data were correlated using the Peng–Robinson equation of state with HVOS mixing rules and Wilson equation for the excess Gibbs energy at infinite pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase behavior of refrigerant with lubricant oil is an important issue for designing the refrigeration system. R1234ze(E) was proposed as a possible replacement for R134a recently. In this work, the p – T – x data of R1234ze(E) with pentaerythritol tetrahexanoate (PEC6) and pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate (PEC8) were obtained based on the isochoric method at temperatures ranging from 283.15 to 353.15 K. The experimental data were correlated by Peng–Robinson equation of state with HVOS mixing rule in which the excess Gibbs energy at infinite pressure was represented by Wilson equation. The absolute average deviation and maximum deviation of the pressure from the calculated values was 0.79% and 2.67% for R1234ze(E) + PEC6 system, respectively. For R1234ze(E) + PEC8 system, the absolute average deviation and maximum deviation of pressure were 0.98% and 2.89%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities of dimethyl ether (DME) in pentaerythritol tetrabutyrate (PEC4) and in pentaerythritol tetrapentanoate (PEC5) between T = (283.15 and 353.15) K have been measured by isochoric saturation method. The experimental solubility data were correlated by the Peng–Robinson equation of state with HVOS mixing rule in which the excess Gibbs free energy at infinite pressure was represented by the NRTL equation. In addition, an analysis of the influence of the molar mass on the solubility of DME in PECs over a wide range of temperature and pressure was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) + hydrocarbons (HCs) and HFCs + dimethyl ether (DME) are correlated by the Soave-Redlich-Kwong, Peng-Robinson, and Carnahan-Starling-DeSantis, respectively, with one adjustable binary interaction parameter kij, and each equation can represent the satisfactory results. For the three equations, the obtained optimum interaction parameter kij is almost the same for the binaries containing the same HFC component in the same class, and when the kij of the lack-of-data mixtures are needed, it just needs to know the kij of any binary in the same class on the basis of the phenomena and law. Moreover, a new equation for kij is developed that enables the three equations of state to predict the VLE properties for such mixtures within reasonable accuracy. © 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tendons and ligaments exhibit limited regenerative capacity following injury, with damaged tissue being replaced by a fibrotic scar. The physiological role of scar tissue is complex and has been studied extensively. In this study, we demonstrate that rat tendons contain a unique subpopulation of cells exhibiting stem cell characteristics, including clonogenicity, multipotency, and self-renewal capacity. Additionally, these putative stem cells expressed markers consistent with neural crest stem cells (NCSCs). Using immunofluorescent labeling, we identified P75+ (p75 neurotrophin receptor) cells in the perivascular regions of the native rat tendon. Importantly, P75+ cells were frequently localized near vascular cells and increased in number within the peritenon after injury. Ultrastructural analysis showed that perivascular cells detached from vessels in response to injury, migrated into the interstitial space, and deposited extracellular matrix. Characterization of P75+ cells isolated from the scar tissue indicated that this population also expressed the NCSC markers, Vimentin, Sox10, and Snail. In conclusion, our results suggest that neural crest-like stem cells of perivascular origin reside within the rat peritenon and give rise to scar-forming stromal cells following tendon injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities of trans -1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(E)) in pentaerythritol ester heptanoic acid (PEC7) and in pentaerythritol tetranonanoate (PEC9) have been measured based on the isochoric method at temperatures ranging from 283.15 to 353.15 K. The experimental solubility data were correlated by Peng–Robinson equation of state with HVOS mixing rule in which the excess Gibbs energy at infinite pressure was represented by WILSON equation. The absolute average deviation and maximum deviation of the pressure from the calculated values was 0.97% and 3.84% for R1234ze(E) + PEC7 system, respectively. For R1234ze(E) + PEC9 system, the absolute average deviation and maximum deviation of pressure was 0.93% and 3.95%, respectively. The results showed a good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities of trans -1,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (R1234ze(E)) in pentaerythritol tetrapentanoate (PEC5) have been measured from 283.15 to 353.15 K based on the isochoric method. The experimental solubility data were correlated using the Peng–Robinson equation of state with Huron–Vidal mixing rules and the NRTL equation for the excess Gibbs energy at infinite pressure. The absolute average deviation between experimental data and calculated values was 0.92%, and the maximum relative deviation was 3.94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thesolubilities of dimethyl ether (DME) in pentaerythritol tetrahexanoate(PEC6) and in pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate (PEC8) have been measuredfrom (283.15 to 353.15) K based on the isochoric method. The expandeduncertainty (k= 2) of the measured solubility datawas estimated to be less than 3.0 %. The experimental solubility datawere correlated based on thePeng–Robinson equation of state with Huron–Vidal mixingrules and the NRTL equation for the excess Gibbs energy at infinitepressure. The absolute average deviation between experimental dataand calculated values was 1.1 % and 1.0 % for DME + PEC6 system andDME + PEC8 system, respectively. The maximum absolute deviation was2.93 % for the DME + PEC6 system and 2.90 % for DME + PEC8 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new prenylated flavonoids, sinoflavonoids A–B, were isolated from the dried fruits of Sinopodophyllum emodi by silica gel column chromatography (SGCC) and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The 95% ethanol extract was partitioned with petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and n -butanol in water, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction was pre-separated by SGCC with a petroleum ether–acetone gradient. The eluates containing target compounds were further separated by HSCCC with n -hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (4:6:4:4, v/v). Finally, 17.3 mg of sinoflavonoid A and 25.9 mg of sinoflavonoid B were obtained from 100 mg of the pretreated concentrate. The purities of sinoflavonoid A and sinoflavonoid B were 98.47% and 99.38%, respectively, as determined by HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidences (HR-ESI-MS, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, HSQC, HMBC). The separation procedures proved to be efficient, especially for trace prenylated flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new polyhydroxylated oleanane triterpenoids, cissatriterpenoid A−C (1−3), along with one known analogue (4), were isolated from the whole plant of Cissampelos pareira var. hirsuta. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data (IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) and the microhydrolysis method. The isolation of compounds 1–4 represents the first report of polyhydroxylated oleanane triterpenoids from the family Menispermaceae. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines, and the inhibitory activity against NO release in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Compound 3 showed the most potent cytotoxic activities against the A549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW480 cell lines, with IC50 values of 17.55, 34.74, 19.77, and 30.39 μM, respectively, whereas three remaining ones were found to be inactive. The preliminary structure–activity relationship analysis indicated that the γ-lactone ring at C-22 and C-29, and the olefinic bond at C-12 and C-13 were structurally required for the cytotoxicity of polyhydroxylated oleanane triterpenoids against these four cell lines. Based on lipid-water partition coefficients, compound 3 is less lipophilic than 1 and 4, which agrees with their cytotoxic activities. This confirms the potential of C. pareira var. hirsuta in the tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel podophyllotoxin derivatives was synthesized by coupling 4 β-amino-4′-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin ( 3a) or 4 β-amino-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin ( 3b) with N-substituted 5-formylindole ( 2a-h). Their structures were identied by spectroscopic techniques. These novel derivatives were evaluated for cytotoxicity in vitro against HepG2 and HeLa cell lines. Compared with etoposide, most of the compounds showed more potent cytotoxicities against two tumor cell lines. Judging from the IC50 values, compound 5n is a promising agent, which is about 15 and 5 times more toxic than etoposide against HepG2 and HeLa cell lines, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Studies have indicated that low serum sex hormone-binding globulin ( SHBG) and testosterone levels are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD). However, it remains unclear whether an association exists between SHBG and NAFLD independent of testosterone. Objective This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between SHBG and both total and free testosterone levels with NAFLD. Subjects and Measures One hundred and twenty patients with NAFLD and 120 age-, sex- and BMI-matched patients with non- NAFLD were enrolled into a case-control study. Serums SHBG, total testosterone ( TT), liver enzymes, lipids, insulin, C-peptide and plasma glucose were measured. Free testosterone ( FT) and fatty liver index were calculated. Results Serum SHBG levels were significantly lower in NAFLD group than in non- NAFLD group (24·5 ± 11·0 vs 37·6 ± 14·4 n m, P < 0·001). After adjustment for age, smoking status, alcohol use, duration of diabetes, BMI and fasting C-peptide, serum SHBG levels in men and women were inversely associated with NAFLD, with odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) in the forth quartile as 0·05 (0·01-0·30) and 0·25 (0·08-0·77) compared with the first quartile ( OR = 1·00). Additional adjustment for TT in men and FT in women did not materially alter the association. The relationship between serum TT (for men) and FT (for women) with NAFLD was attenuated and even diminished after multivariable adjustment for known risk factors and SHBG. Conclusion Low serum SHBG levels, but not TT or FT, are associated with NAFLD in type 2 diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]