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The current work reports a unique bio-inspired synthesis of orange derived pectin modified magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs). Pectin is a naturally occurring biopolymer containing plethora of polar organofunctions which are exploited in the toxic reagent free modification of biocompatible magnetic NPs and also towards the stabilization of NPs by preventing them from agglomeration. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared bio-nanocomposite (Fe3O4@Pectin) was analytically investigated through SEM, EDX, TEM, VSM and XRD. The anti-gastrointestinal system cancers and cytotoxic potentials of synthesized NPs against cancer cell lines were assessed. The anti-gastrointestinal system cancers potentials of the NPscould significantly remove (HT-29, HCT 116, Ramos.2G6.4C10, HCT-8 (Colorectal cancer)), (Capan-2, AsPC-1, CFPAC-1, HPAF-II (Pancreatic cancer)), (GC1436, GC1401, AGS, and GC1415 (Gastric cancer)) cell lines by MTT assay. The corresponding IC50 were found as 13, 8, 16, 15, 11, 12, 15, 15, 23, 36, 30, and 23 μg/mL against HT-29, HCT 116, Ramos.2G6.4C10, HCT-8, Capan-2, AsPC-1, CFPAC-1, HPAF-II, GC1436, GC1401, AGS, and GC1415 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of Fe3O4@Pectin NPswas determined by DPPH method which displayeda significant activity as per IC50 value. It is believed that the antioxidant effects play a significant role in the considerable anti-colorectal, pancreatic and gastric cancerseffects.

Background: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) exhibited anti-tumor effect in a variety of cancer cells, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of DHA on Cisplatin (DDP)-resistant gastric cancer cell strain SGC7901/DDP and the possible molecular mechanism. Methods: Cells were treated with DHA in a dose- and time-dependent manner, after which their proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration abilities were evaluated. We further evaluated autophagy with mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection and transmission electron microscopy and also detected the expression levels of proteins (related to autophagy and apoptosis) via western blot. Meanwhile, the influence of DHA on cisplatin resistance was detected through a sensitization test and the evaluation of P-gp expression levels. Results: DHA effectively inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of SGC7901/DDP cells and induced cell apoptosis which was accompanied by caspase-8/9/3 activation. Furthermore, exposure to DHA resulted in a pronounced increase in autophagy proteins, including Beclin-1 and LC3 II with PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibition. Additionally, enhancement of cisplatin sensitivity occurred in SGC7901/DDP cells treated with DHA, which was accompanied by P-gp downregulation. Conclusion: DHA exerts an anti-cancer effect on SGC7901/DDP cells and the mechanisms possibly include enhancement of autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibition, inducement of apoptosis through caspase-dependent and mitochondrial pathway, and enhancement of cisplatin sensitivity through P-gp inhibition.

Background Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is a six-carbon perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid found as an environmental contaminant. This study aims to investigate the effects of PFHxS exposure on female reproduction and the underlying mechanism in mice. Methods Eight-week-old ICR mice were divided randomly into four groups administered corn oil (vehicle) and PFHxS at doses of 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg/day for 42 days by intragastric administration. Body weight, ovarian weight, estrous cycle, follicle counts, and serum sex hormone levels were evaluated. The expression of kisspeptin and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus was also detected. Results Compared to vehicle exposure, 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS treatment prolonged the estrous cycle, especially the duration of diestrus, after 42 days of treatment. The numbers of secondary follicles, antral follicles and corpus lutea were significantly reduced in the PFHxS-treated mice. Moreover, compared with the control mice, the PFHxS-treated mice showed decreases in the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estrogen (E2), and reduced GnRH mRNA levels, along with the lack of an LH surge. Furthermore, the PFHxS-treated mice had lower levels of kisspeptin immunoreactivity and kiss-1 mRNA in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) than the control mice. After intraventricular administration of kisspeptin-10, the numbers of secondary follicles, antral follicles and corpus lutea recovered, along with the levels of GnRH mRNA, FSH, and LH in the mice treated with 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS. Conclusion These results indicate that chronic exposure of mice to 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS affects reproductive functions by inhibiting kisspeptin expression in the ARC and AVPV regions, leading to deficits in follicular development and ovulation.

Fish oil is increasingly utilised in the form of nano-emulsion as a nutrient and function fortifier. The nano-emulsions exceptionally high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and electron donors at the oil/water interface provide an ideal site of the redox reaction. Here we report that a vigorous superoxide production in the fish oil nano-emulsion was catalysed by mammalian catalase in acellular and cellular systems. The resulting superoxide increased cytosolic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane lipid peroxidation of murine macrophage, which eventually causes fatal oxidative damages. Cell death, was significantly inhibited by a catalase-specific inhibitor 3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT), was via ferroptosis and not apoptosis. The ferroptosis was independent of free iron or glutathione peroxidase suppression. Our findings discovered a hidden health risk of the widely acclaimed fish oil emulsion, suggesting a novel cellular damage mechanism caused by dietary unsaturated fats on the alimentary tract mucosa.

Two-dimensional conductive metal-organic frameworks (2D c-MOFs) are a family of highly tunable and electrically conducting materials that can be utilized in optoelectronics. A major issue of 2D c-MOFs for photodetection is their poor charge separation and recombination dynamics upon illumination. This study demonstrates a Cu

Fish oil is increasingly utilized in the form of nano-emulsion as nutrient and function fortifier. The nano-emulsion’s high polyunsaturated fatty acids content and electron donors at oil/water interface could be a potential site of redox reaction, if a previously unrecognised trigger was provided. Here we report that a vigorous superoxide production occurred in fish oil nano-emulsion in the presence of mammalian catalase in both acellular and cellular systems. Furthermore, the resulting superoxide increased cytosolic ROS and membrane lipid peroxidation of murine macrophage, and eventually caused fatal oxidative damage, which involves autophagy and ferroptosis but not apoptosis. The cell death was significantly inhibited by a catalase-specific inhibitor. The ferroptosis was independent of protease Caspase-3 activation or glutathione peroxidase suppression. Our findings discover a hidden risk factor of the widely acclaimed fish oil emulsion and suggest a novel mechanism of cellular damage by dietary lipids on mucosal layer of the alimentary tract.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common type of female genital malignancies. The purpose of the present study was to reveal the underlying oncogene and mechanism that played a pivotal role in postmenopausal EC patients.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted using the microarray dataset and clinical data of EC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify significant gene modules and hub genes associated with postmenopausal status in EC patients. LASSO regression was conducted to build and validate the risk model. Finally, expression of hub gene was validated in pre- and post-menopausal EC patients in our center.1240 common genes were used to construct the WGCNA model. According to the WGCNA results, we identified a brown module with 471 genes which was significantly associated with postmenopausal status in EC patients. Furthermore, we constructed an 11-gene risk signature to predict the overall survival of EC patients. The Kaplan-Meier curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of this model showed high accuracy in prediction. We also validate the risk model in patients in our center and it also has a high accuracy. Among the 11 genes, PKD1 was recognized as a potential biomarker in the progression of EC patients with postmenopausal status.Taken together, we uncovered a common PKD1-mediated mechanism underlying postmenopausal EC patients' progression by integrated analyses. This finding may improve targeted therapy for EC patients.

Objectives: To study the effects of ADP ribosylation factor guanylate kinase 1 gene (ASAP1) on the biological behavior of malignant gastric cancer (GC), and explore its possible molecular mechanisms in tumorigenesis and tumor progression.Methods: Quantitative PCR and western blotting (WB) were performed to measure ASAP1 mRNA and protein expression in the GES-1 epithelial cell line, which is derived from normal human mucosa, and three GC cell lines. Molecular biology techniques such as lentivirus packaging, infection, and screening were used to obtain BGC823 GC cells overexpressing ASAP1 and BGC823 and MKN45 cells with ASAP1 knocked down. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry using Annexin V/propidium iodide, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and scratch assay were used to assess the malignant biological behavior of GC cells with ASAP1 overexpression and knockdown. WB was conducted to evaluate the effects of ASAP1 expression on angiogenesis, as well as on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), apoptotic proteins, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins. Nude mice bearing transplanted tumors were evaluated to determine the effect of ASAP1 knockdown on BGC823 GC cells.Results: ASAP1 expression in GC cells was greater than that in GES-1 normal gastric mucosal epithelial cells. ASAP1 overexpression significantly enhanced the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GC cells and reduced apoptosis; whereas ASAP1 knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GC cells and promoted apoptosis. In the ASAP1-knockdown group, expression of cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and the epithelial marker E-cadherin increased significantly, whereas the expression of MMP2, MMP9, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, and vimentin decreased significantly (PASAP1 inhibited the growth of subcutaneously implanted tumors in nude mice.Conclusions: ASAP1 overexpression strongly promotes—whereas knockdown of ASAP1 effectively weakens—the malignant biological behavior of GC cells, possibly by reducing VEGFA expression and thus reducing angiogenesis, upregulating the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and cleaved-PARP, and reducing the activity of MMPs and EMT.

Objective: This study aimed to observe the effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 cultured in vitro. Methods: We applied varying concentrations of DHA to SGC7901 cells. Cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Flow cytometry, Transwell invasion assay, and cell scratch assay were used to investigate the cells’ apoptosis, invasion, and migration. Western blot was used to assess the expression levels of EMT markers E-cadhein and Vimentin, protein kinases Akt and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), and the cell transcription factor Snail. Results: DHA can effectively inhibit the malignant proliferation of gastric cancer cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In this study, with longer incubation times and increased drug concentrations, the antiproliferation effect of DHA on SGC7901 cells increased gradually (P Conclusion: DHA can effectively inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 and induce cancer cell apoptosis. DHA can also downregulate PI3K/AKT and Snail activities and inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells. The potential anticancer effects of DHA deserve further investigation.

Using low-cost nonprecious metals to replace Pt as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst is promising, but still limited by their efficiency and stability. Herein, with low-cost dicyandiamide and metal salts as precursor, FeCo alloy nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogenated carbon nanotubes (FeCo-NCNTs) were facially synthesized as efficient HER electrocatalyst. Addition of iron as second element, though not facilitating the formation of carbon nanotube, was utilized to improve the physicochemical properties of metals. Via optimizing the atomic molar ratios of Fe/Co nanoparticles, the optimal Fe0.4Co0.6-NCNTs with thin carbon shell (c.a. 5–10 layer) and equally distribution of embedded alloy nanoparticles was found with outstanding HER activity. To achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, only overpotential of 50 mV, 157 mV and 202 mV were needed in acidic (0.5 M H2SO4), alkaline (1 M KOH), and neutral solutions. Its higher electrochemically active surface areas and lower electron transfer resistance may contribute to the excellent electrocatalytic HER. Furthermore, the illustrated current density slightly changed over 20 h, suggesting excellent stability. Hence, the present method provides cost-effective, high efficiency, and stable materials in developing the sustainable energy conversion systems.

A new cobalt(II) vanadate chloride, Pb2Co(OH)(V2O7)Cl, has been synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions. It contains quasi-one-dimensional (1D) linear chains built by edge-sharing of (CoO6)-O-II octahedra. The cobalt(II) oxide chains are further interconnected by (V2O7)(4-) dimers into a three-dimensional (3D) anionic framework with Pb2+ and Cl- ions residing in Co4V8 12-member ring tunnels. The intrachain Co center dot center dot center dot Co distance is 3.041 angstrom, while the interchain distances are 8.742 and 9.256 angstrom. Magnetic measurements suggest the ferromagnetic intrachain and the antiferromagnetic interchain interactions with a specific value of J(intra)/J(inter) = 1.7 x 10(3). Zero-field heat capacity demonstrates the magnetic long-range ordering at 5.5 K. Alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility under zero external direct current (DC) fields displays two slow magnetic relaxations at low temperatures, giving characteristic relaxations (tau(0)) of 1.2(3) x 10(-12) and 1.9(4) x 10(-10) s with effective energy barriers (Delta(r)) of 76.1(2) and 48.4(5) K. The energy barrier between the spin up and spin-down states can be ascribed to the ferromagnetic spin chain and the Ising-like magnetic anisotropy in Pb2Co(OH)(V2O7)Cl.

In order to achieve high strength and high ductility, 2 vol.% ZrB2/2024Al nanocomposite with a quasi-network reinforcement distribution was designed and prepared by a combination of direct melt reaction and T6 heat treatment. The microstructural evolution shows that the in situ ZrB2 nanoparticles were self-assembled into clusters that were pushed towards α-Al boundaries and formed a quasi-network architecture; T6 heat treatment effectively eliminated interference of the coexisting eutectics. As expected, the unique heterogeneous structure results in a remarkable increase in the tensile modulus, strength and ductility of as-fabricated composite as compared with the matrix alloy. The superior strengthening effect can be attributed to the novel quasi-network architecture, matrix grain refinement and excellent load-bearing capacity, while the ductility enhancement can be ascribed to the matrix grain refinement and high damage tolerance of ZrB2 nanoparticle clusters.

Herein, commercial dicyandiamide was used as the pyrolysis precursor of carbon nanotubes. Co(NO3)2·6H2O and FeCl3 as non-precious metal precursors were mixed with dicyandiamide to in situ synthesize nitrogenated carbon nanotubes encapsulating Fe and Co nanoparticles via calcination under nitrogen atmosphere. The ratio of different metal species and thus the structure and properties of the final products were investigated in detail. As a result, the Fe0.4Co0.6-NCNTs exhibited optimal catalytic ammonia borane(AB) dyhydrogenation activity with the responding activation energy (Ea) calculated to be 19.89 KJ mol−1, and the TOF value calculated based on metals was 102 molH2 min−1 molcat−1, superior to most well-developed bimetal-based catalysts reported previously. The present method provides cost-effective, high efficiency, and stable materials in developing the sustainable energy conversion systems.

A novel compound Cu3(CH3COO)4(OH)2·5H2O was obtained by a hydrothermal method with a special synthesis process. The crystal structure is found to exhibit a unique one-dimensional diamond chain along the c-axis. Magnetic measurements confirmed that this compound exhibits unusual magnetic behaviors of a possible valence-bond condensation state at low temperature, where the two-thirds of all spins are condensed into spin singlets and one-third of the spins still remain in the paramagnetic state.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is prone to metastasis that typically resulted in peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). GC patients with PC have an extremely poor clinic prognosis. Although GC is sensitive to chemotherapy, PC causes chemotherapy failure. Recent studies showed the combination of intravenous and intraperitoneal chemotherapy can significantly improve the survival rates in GC patients with PC. Aim: To identify the clinical and adverse effects of intravenous chemotherapy combined with intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy in the treatment of abdominal peritoneal carcinomatosis arising from gastric cancer. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 49 patients with abdominal peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer who were treated at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between September 2010 and September 2015. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on treatment method: patients subjected to intravenous chemotherapy (n = 27), referred to as the simple group and patients subjected to combined intravenous and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (n = 22), referred to as the combination group. The short-term effects and adverse effects were evaluated based on treatment method, in conjunction with a related review of the results. The long-term effect was evaluated based on the survival rate and median survival time of both groups of patients at 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 60 months, as determined through follow-up. Results: Gender, age, ECOG scores before treatment, clinical stages, and the pathologic data of advanced GC patients of the 2 groups were equally distributed. The objective efficacy evaluation results showed that the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the simple group after treatment were significantly lower than in the combination group. The median survival time (MST) of the simple group was (6.57 ± 0.75) months, which was significantly shorter than in the combination group (15.03 ± 2.31) months ( P < 0.05). In addition, the 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, 36-, and 60-month survival rates of the simple group were all significantly lower than those of the combination group. Furthermore, combined therapy improved the physical condition of the patients. The incidence of adverse reactions in the 2 groups was not statistically significant; neither of the treatments resulted in severe complications. Conclusion: Compared with intravenous chemotherapy alone, the combined intravenous and intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy was more effective in improving quality of life and extending survival in time patients with abdominal peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer. In addition, the treatment produced only mild adverse effects, showing that it is tolerable and therefore worth further clinical study.

A new vanadate SrMn2(VO4)2(H2O)2 was synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/m, and exhibits a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) structure. The Mn2+ ions form infinite linear-chains along the b-axis through edge-sharing oxygen atoms and further the linear-chains are connected by VO4 polyhedra into a layer in the ab-plane with Sr2+ ions residing in the space between the layers. Magnetic measurement results show that SrMn2(VO4)2(H2O)2 possesses two spin-canted antiferromagnetic orderings at ∼45 K and ∼7 K. The first ordering at ∼45 K possibly corresponds to a small deviation of spins from a strictly antiparallel arrangement. As the temperature decreases, further spin rotations occur leading to a steadier noncollinear antiferromagnetic phase, leading to the second ordering at ∼7 K. Also, a field-induced transition is observed at a critical field (0.4 T) below ∼7 K.

The controlled synthesis of subnanometer-sized metal clusters (MCs) presents a fascinating prospect for the research of size-dependent properties. In this study, a facile approach by employing porous racemic organic cage crystals as supports for immobilizing a broad range of noble MCs (e.g., Ru, Ir, Rh) is reported. Downsizing the support to the nanoscale leads to resultant MCs with precisely controlled sizes 0.7 nm. Such enhanced stabilization ability is a result of enhanced metal-support interactions as well as the nanoconfinement of organic cages in controlling the growth of MCs. Moreover, the obtained MCs display excellent catalytic performance in a series of liquid-phase reactions owing to a decrease in the diffusion resistance from the substrate to MCs immobilized by the nano-sized cage support.

Today’s world, tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is considered as a Compounds of Emerging Concern (CECs). Metal-organic frameworks MOFs with a microporous structure and holding larger pores indicating potential applications in the fields of environmental purification. Recently, carbon aerogel (CA) has also aroused great interest due to its larger specific surface area, low density, thermal stability, and non-toxicity. Herein, MIL-100(Fe) was synthesized under low temperature and combined with Fe 3 O 4 and CA, respectively. The obtained MIL-100(Fe), MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 , MIL-100(Fe)@CA and MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 /CA were investigated as a photocatalyst for removal of TC from the water. The results indicated that the MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 /CA degrade TC up to 85%, which is much higher than MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 (c.a. 42%), due to its high surface area 389 m 2 g −1 , smaller pore size and pore volume 2.4 nm and 0.319 m 3 g −1 , high separation of electron and hole, and lower band gap of 1.76 eV. The coupling of CA with MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 considerably accelerate the transfer of photo-generated charge carriers and enhanced 1.6 times the performance of MIL-100(Fe)@Fe 3 O 4 . Furthermore, the stability and recyclability were enhanced due to the addition of Fe 3 O 4 , facilitating the environmentally friendly water purification processes.

Background: Enteric-coated HuDi capsules（HuDi）have been approved for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in China. In this clinical trial, we objectively evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of HuDi combined with enteric-coated mesalazine tablets in the treatment of active UC.Methods: A total of 355 patients from 18 hospitals in China were randomly divided into the HuDi group, enteric-coated mesalazine tablet group (mesalazine group) or combined group with randomized, controlled double-blinding and double-modeling methods. The patients were followed every two weeks and reexamined by endoscopy at the end of six weeks of treatment. The clinical response; clinical remission rate; endoscopic response rate; mucosal healing rate; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP); and safety indicators were evaluated after treatment.Results: The clinical response rate was 58% in the HuDi group and 58.82% in the mesalazine group, while the clinical effective rate in the combined group was 82.46%. A total of 32% of the patients receiving the enteric-coated HuDi capsules and 29.41% of the patients receiving the enteric-coated mesalazine tablets achieved clinical remission. The clinical remission rate in the combined group was 52.63%, which was better than that in the mesalazine group (P = 0.0145)and HuDi group(P = 0.0315). Moreover, the endoscopic response rates were 50% in the HuDi group, 47.06% in the mesalazine group and 64.91% in the combined group, with no significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05). Further, the mucosal healing rates in the three groups were 44%, 41.18% and 63.16%, respectively, the combined group was better than that in the HuDi group(P=0.0472) and mesalazine group (P=0.0223). Finally, there was no significant difference in the normalization rates of the ESR and CRP among the three groups (P > 0.05).There were no serious adverse events in the combined drug group. Conclusions: In patients with mild and moderate active UC, combined treatment with enteric-coated mesalazine tablets and enteric-coated HuDi capsules improved the Clinical response and induced clinical remission. However, further studies need extended follow-up periods to determine the efficacy.Trial registration: Chinese It was registered in Clinical Trial Registry on 2015-01-14.

The aim of the present study was to assess the expression of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in human lung adenocarcinoma cells, its effect on cellular behaviors, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure miR-146a expression in the human normal lung epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B, and human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, A549, PC-9 and H1299, to determine whether miR-146a acts as an oncogene or anti-oncogene. miR-146a mimics were transfected into target cells to observe the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration of human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The target genes of miR-146a were predicted using bioinformatics analysis, and binding sites were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Target gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels was measured by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The expression levels of miR-146a in human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were lower than its expression in BEAS-2B (P

Three new molybdate-tellurites, K2M9(TeO3)4(MoO4)4(OH)4 (M = NiII and CoII) and (NH4)2Cu9II(TeO3)4(MoO4)4(OH)4, have been successfully synthesized by conventional hydrothermal method. Due to the influence of the Jahn-Teller effect, these compounds crystallize in different space groups of rhombohedral R3m, monoclinic P21/c and triclinic P1 for Ni-, Co-, and Cu-analogues, respectively. The topological arrangements of magnetic ions in these compounds show that deficient capped-kagome spin-lattices with kagome positions exhibit different 1/6 depletion. Magnetic and specific heat measurements confirm that K2Ni9(TeO3)4(MoO4)4(OH)4 exhibits a spin-glass behavior at low temperature, while (NH4)2Cu9(TeO3)4(MoO4)4(OH)4 possesses a long-range canted antiferromagnetic ordering with TN ∼ 10.8 K and further shows a 3/5 magnetization plateau in the magnetization curve at low temperature.

In this paper, the plastic instability phenomenon Portevin-Le Chatelier effect (PLC) was investigated in AlSi9Cu1 alloy and the in-situ (ZrB2+TiB2)/AlSi9Cu1 composites fabricated from the Al-K2TiF6-K2ZrF6-KBF4 system. Microstructure observation and X-ray diffraction testing revealed that the ZrB2 and TiB2 particles were generated via direct melting reaction. Mechanical property testing showed that 3 wt.% (ZrB2+TiB2) particles reinforced composites owned the highest ultimate tensile strength (226 MPa). Meanwhile, the effects of mass fraction of reinforced particles, strain rate on the critical strain were also systematically studied. The results indicated that both normal and inverse behavior of critical strain vs. strain rate existed during the tensile deforming for AlSi9Cu1 alloy and (ZrB2+TiB2)/AlSi9Cu1 composites.

Context Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a group of ubiquitous environmental chemicals with properties of endocrine disruption, are often detectable in humans. Objective The current study investigated the association between exposure to PFAS and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Design, Patients, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures Levels of plasma PFAS were measured in 120 Chinese women with overt POI and 120 healthy control subjects from 2013 to 2016. Associations between PFAS levels and odds of POI, as well as hormonal profiles, were evaluated using multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression models. Results Levels of perfluorooctanate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) were positively associated with the risks of POI (highest vs. lowest tertile, PFOA: OR, 3.80; 95% CI, 1.92–7.49; PFOS: OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.46–5.41; PFHxS: OR, 6.63; 95% CI, 3.22–13.65). In patients with POI, levels of PFOS and PFHxS exposure were positively associated with FSH (PFOS: adjusted β, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.38; PFHxS: adjusted β, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.28) and negatively associated with estradiol (PFOS: adjusted β, −0.30; 95% CI, −0.47 to −0.12; PFHxS: adjusted β, −0.19; 95% CI, −0.37 to −0.02). Exposure to PFOS and PFOA was associated with elevation of prolactin (PFOS: adjusted β, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.29; PFOA: adjusted β, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.30) or with a decrease of free triiodothyronine (PFOS: adjusted β, −0.88; 95% CI, −1.64 to −0.09; PFOA: adjusted β, −0.90; 95% CI, −1.88 to 0.09) and thyroxine (PFOS: adjusted β, −2.99; 95% CI, −4.52 to −1.46; PFOA: adjusted β, −3.42; 95% CI, −5.39 to −1.46). Conclusion High exposure to PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS is associated with increased risk of POI in humans.

Two isostructural compounds Ca 3 M 3 (PO 4 ) 4 (M = Co, Ni) were synthesized by conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction. The structure of the titled compounds crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C 2/ c . The magnetic M 2+ ions exhibit three different oxygen-coordinated environments such as tetrahedron, pyramid, and octahedron. The unique linkages of magnetic polyhedra lead to an interesting wave-like network in the a - b plane, showing the V-like clusters inserted alternatively between the zigzag chains. Magnetic measurements suggest that isostructural compounds Ca 3 M 3 (PO 4 ) 4 exhibit different magnetic properties, in which Ca 3 Ni 3 (PO 4 ) 4 possesses an antiferromagnetic ordering at 17 K while Ca 3 Co 3 (PO 4 ) 4 shows paramagnetic behavior down to 2 K.

Postpartum estrogen (E2) withdrawal is known to be a particularly vulnerable time for depressive symptoms. In this study, ovariectomized (OVX) mice were treated with co-administration of estradiol benzoate and progesterone (E2/P4) followed by administration of E2 alone (E2) and a subsequent E2 withdrawal (EW) to mimic the hormonal changes during pregnancy and postpartum. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of E2 withdrawal after hormone-simulated pregnancy on synaptic function and plasticity in basolateral amygdala complex (BLA). In comparison to control mice, EW mice spent less time in the central portion of open-field test and open arms of elevated plus-maze. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) slopes at external capsule BLA synapse were reduced in E2/P4-mice, recovered in E2-mice, and increased in EW-mice. EW-mice showed a significant increase in duration of EPSPs and paired-pulse inhibition (PPI) with multi-spike responses of EPSPs and impairment of long-term depression (LTD) induction, which were corrected by GABAAR agonist muscimol. Levels of estrogen receptor (ER) GPR30, ERα and ERβ expression in BLA of EW-mice were lower than those in control mice. The bath-application of GPR30 agonist G-1 in BLA of EW-mice recovered the GABAAR-mediated inhibition and LTD indication, but ERβ agonist DPN or ERα agonist PPT could not. A single BLA-injection of G-1 rather than DPN or PPT in EW-mice could partially relieve the anxiety-like behaviors. The results indicate that postpartum E2 withdrawal causes dysfunction of GABAAR-mediated inhibition in the BLA through reducing GPR30 expression, which impairs LTD induction and causes anxiety-like behaviors.

// Haidan Yan 1, * , Jun He 1, * , Qingzhou Guan 1 , Hao Cai 1 , Lin Zhang 4 , Weicheng Zheng 1 , Lishuang Qi 2 , Suyun Zhang 3 , Huaping Liu 1 , Hongdong Li 1 , Wenyuan Zhao 2 , Sheng Yang 3 and Zheng Guo 1, 2 1 Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Department of Bioinformatics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China 2 Department of Systems Biology, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China 4 Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Zheng Guo, email: guoz@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn Sheng Yang, email: yangshjxh@163.com Keywords: colorectal cancer, DNA methylation, relative methylation level orderings, differentially methylated CpG sites, biomarkers Received: September 23, 2016 Accepted: April 21, 2017 Published: May 07, 2017 ABSTRACT A big challenge to clinical diagnosis and therapy of colorectal cancer (CRC) is its extreme heterogeneity, and thus it would be of special importance if we could find common biomarkers besides subtype-specific biomarkers for CRC. Here, with DNA methylation data produced by different laboratories, we firstly revealed that the relative methylation-level orderings (RMOs) of CpG sites within colorectal normal tissues are highly stable but widely disrupted in the CRC tissues. This finding provides the basis for using the RankComp algorithm to identify differentially methylated (DM) CpG sites in every individual CRC sample through comparing the RMOs within the individual sample with the stable RMOs predetermined in normal tissues. For 75 CRC samples, RankComp detected averagely 4,062 DM CpG sites per sample and reached an average precision of 91.34% in terms that the hypermethylation or hypomethylation states of the DM CpG sites detected for each cancer sample were consistent with the observed differences between this cancer sample and its paired adjacent normal sample. Finally, we applied RankComp to identify DM CpG sites for each of the 268 CRC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas and found 26 and 143 genes whose promoter regions included CpG sites that were hypermethylated and hypomethylated, respectively, in more than 95% of the 268 CRC samples. Individualized pathway analysis identified six pathways that were significantly enriched with DM genes in more than 90% of the CRC tissues. These universal DNA methylation biomarkers could be important diagnostic makers and therapy targets for CRC.

CoNi nanoparticles (NPs) encased within few-layered h -BN (CoNi@ h -BN) were successfully synthesized via annealing freshly prepared metal ammine complexes and KBH 4 with flowing nitrogen gas at 900 °C for 2 h. The present method achieved synchronous synthesis of few layer h -BN (c.a. 5–15 layers) and in-situ reduction of metal nanoparticles with defined size. The obtained composites were tested as potential, low-cost thermal conductivity materials, thermostability and magnetic materials. Notably, CoNi@ h -BN with thermal conductivity of 205.7 W m −1 K −1 show remarkable chemical inertness even under high temperature up to 481 °C, indicating potential solution for the thermal management of chip-level or package-level. Additionally, metal nanoparticles encased by h -BN behave as a soft magnetic material. Combined with DSC-TG analysis and physicochemical characterization result, a possible formation mechanism of CoNi@ h -BN was proposed, and the synthesis strategy may also profit catalysts in the fields of fuel cells, metal-air batteries and electrochemical sensors.

Herein, Non-noble bimetallic CoNi nanoparticles encapsulated within h -BN (CoNi@ h -BN) is successfully synthesized via annealing freshly prepared metal ammine boride complexes [Co 0.5 Ni 0.5 (NH 3 ) 6 ]Cl 3 )/NH 4 BO 2 and KBH 4 under flowing nitrogen gas at 900 °C for 2 h. The result showed that CoNi nanoparticles with general size of 17 nm completely encapsulated by h -BN shells, and the h -BN shells on the CoNi nanoparticles are 10–20 layers. The obtained CoNi@ h -BN demonstrates high sustainability, good stability and outstanding catalytic activity on hydrolysis of ammonia borane under air atmosphere and ambient temperature, compared with their monometallic counterparts and former reported catalysts. Specifically, the activation energy ( E a ) of CoNi@ h -BN for hydrolysis of ammonia borane is determined to be 28 kJ mol −1 . The improved performance is due to the modified chemical properties and electronic structure of CoNi NPs after encapsulation, and the strong mutual coupling effect between the basic sites of h -BN and ammonia borane. Furthermore, the magnetic catalysts can be easily recycled for cyclic utilization, and remain the high catalytic activity even recycled 5 times. Possible synthesis and catalytic mechanism are explored, and the excellent property of CoNi@ h -BN and novel synthesis strategy are expected to profit catalysts in field of electrochemical sensors, high thermal conductive adhesive materials and fuel cells.

Herein, we rationally designed 3D carbon nitride hierarchical architecture with an interconnected network of graphene-analogue nanosheets and doped with boron through co-condensation strategy. XPS spectra confirmed the incorporation of boron atoms in the polymeric g-C 3 N 4 , while X-ray diffraction and IR indicated the characteristic structural properties of pristine g-C 3 N 4 and boron-doped g-C 3 N 4 (B x -GCN). The B x -GCN shows promising electrocatalytic activity and stability in the reduction of p-nitrophenol according to cyclic voltammograms analysis. Additionally, the use of this metal-free, organic, semiconducting polymer as an electrocatalyst would open wide application of hybrid carbon nitride materials from both point view of economy and environment.

Metal nanoparticles with high magnetization values and good stability in acid and base environments have potential applications in industry, biological, and environmental fields. In this paper, we demonstrated a novel approach to synthesize Ni and Co nanoparticles encapsulated by few-layer h -BN ( i.e. , Ni@ h -BN and Co@ h -BN) via annealing of freshly prepared metal ammine complexes ([Ni(NH 3 ) 6 ]Cl 2 or [Co(NH 3 ) 6 ]Cl 3 ) and KBH 4 with flowing nitrogen gas at 900 °C for 2 h. Formation of Ni@ h -BN and Co@ h -BN was observed from X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Bonding nature and elemental composition were also characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope. Bonding formation process was illustrated by DSC/TGA analysis. Ni and Co NPs were found encapsulated into h -BN shells ( c.a. 15 layers) with a high yield amounting to 42.6%. Additionally, the obtained saturation magnetization and coercivity of Ni@ h -BN and Co@ h -BN were 10.9 emu/g and 116 Oe, 83.3 emu/g and 62 Oe, respectively. Hence, the excellent performance of Co@ h -BN and Ni@ h -BN, especially the latter of which was prepared for the first time, could pave the way for application of h -BN encapsulation.