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Two new species of the genus Ricanula Melichar, 1898 within the family Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from China are described and illustrated: R. curva sp. nov. and R. peronata sp. nov. Ricania cacaonis Chou et Lu, 1977 is redescribed and transferred to genus Ricanula. Ricanula pulverosa (Stål, 1865) is re-illustrated.

2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ) is an emerging disinfection byproduct frequently detected in drinking water. Previous studies have indicated that 2,6-DCBQ causes oxidative stress damage in some live systems, but this has yet to be tested in vivo in mammals. In the present study, adult mice were exposed to 2,6-DCBQ for 30 d via gavage at 0 ~ 100 mg kg− 1 with the responses of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase [CAT]), key oxidative stress response genes (Heme oxygenase-1 [HO-1], NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 [NQO1] and glutamate-L-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit [GCLC]) in the Nrf2-keap1 pathway, and lipid peroxidation (malonaldehyde, MDA) as an indicator of oxidative damage being measured. Our results indicated that 2,6-DCBQ decreased the activities of SOD and CAT, repressed transcription of key genes in the Nrf2-keap1 pathway, and caused measurable oxidative damage. These results reveal the impact of 2,6-DCBQ in a model mammalian system and are key to understanding the potential impacts of 2,6-DCBQ in humans.

Organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides with temperature-triggered responsive switchable dielectric properties have evoked great attention for their potential application in the field of optoelectronic information. Here, we present a new organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide switchable dielectric material, [(C3H5)2N(CH3)2]2SnCl6 (1), which is obtained by the reaction of diallyldimethylaminium chloride and tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate. Compound 1 exhibits excellent high-temperature switchable dielectric performance and antifatigue. Notably, 1 also exhibits multifunctionality with semiconducting and photoluminescence property. Such a Sn(IV)-based organic–inorganic hybrid with outstanding switchable dielectric, semiconducting, and photoluminescence characteristics will pave a new approach in the development of Sn(IV)-based metal halides with practical applications.

Context: Calenduloside E (CE), one of the primary natural products found in Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. (Araliaceae), possesses prominent anti-apoptotic potential. A previous study found that one of the anti-apoptotic CE targets is heat shock protein 90 AB1 (Hsp90AB1) by probe CE-P, while the other targets of CE still need to be identified with more efficient probes. Objective: This study investigates CE analogue (CEA) as one clickable activity-based probe for use in exploring anti-apoptotic CE targets. Materials and methods: Pretreatment of HUVECs with CEA (1.25 μM) for 8 hr, followed by ox-LDL stimulation for 24 h. Flow cytometry analysis and JC-1 staining assays were performed The kinetic constant measurements were tested by the Biacore T200, CM5 Sensor Chip which was activated by using sulpho-NHS/EDC. Ligands were dissolved and injected with a concentration of 12.5, 6.25, 3.125, 1.56, 0.78 and 0 μM. Results: CEA was confirmed to possess an anti-apoptotic effect. The probable targets of CE/CEA were calculated, and as one of the higher scores proteins (Fit values: 0.88/0.86), Hsp90 properly got our attention. Molecular modelling study showed that both CE and CEA could bind to Hsp90 with the similar interaction, and the docking scores (S value) were −7.61 and −7.33. SPR assay provided more evidence to prove that CEA can interact with Hsp90 with the KD value 11.7 µM. Discussion and conclusions: Our results suggest that clickable probe CEA could alleviate ox-LDL induced apoptosis by a similar mechanism of anti-apoptotic CE, and afforded the possibility of identifying additional anti-apoptotic targets of CE.

A layered structure of grain-oriented flexible composite film is designed and prepared by incorporating polar and switchable dielectric single-protonated 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane perrhenate (D...

Current research focused on developing multiple active species in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system to degrade contaminants, but deepening concern lacks over why cooperation of those active species facilitated a faster degradation. Here, we employed Co3O4, rGO and Co3O4@rGO composite to activate PMS for tetracycline (TC) degradation, and detected crucial factors toward highest performance of Co3O4@rGO/PMS system. Batch experiments exhibited a satisfactory TC degradation efficiency under Co3O4@rGO/PMS, complete degraded 50 mg/L TC within 20 min. Analytical tests discovered that radical active species generated by Co3O4/PMS and non-radical species by rGO/PMS were successfully co-existed in Co3O4@rGO/PMS system, significantly improving the performance of TC removal. Subsequently, a combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculation and intermediates analysis revealed that, in Co3O4@rGO/PMS system, the cooperation rather than independent effect of radical and non-radical active species expanded TC degradation pathways, enhancing the degradation performance. Furthermore, decent adaptability, stability, and recyclability toward affecting factors variation of Co3O4@rGO/PMS demonstrated it as a potent and economical system to degrade TC. Overall, this study developed a novel Co3O4@rGO/PMS system with a cooperative oxidation pathway for highly efficient TC removal, and managed to clarify why this oxidation pathway achieved high efficiency through a combination of theoretical and experimental method.

Water environmental pollution caused by spent batteries is a nonignorable environmental issue. In this study, the early life stage of zebrafish was employed to assess the environmental risk of spent batteries after exposure to 0, 1%, 2%, 5% and 10% spent battery extract for 120 h. Our results clearly indicated that spent battery extract can significantly decrease the survival rate, hatching rate and body length and increase heart rate. Moreover, spent battery extract exposure-induced zebrafish larvae generate oxidative stress and inhibit the mRNA transcriptional levels of heat shock protein (HSP70) and metallothionein (MT) genes. These results showed that the spent batteries not only affected the survival and development performance of zebrafish at an early life stage but also caused oxidative stress and interfered with the detoxification of zebrafish. This study provided novel insight into spent battery induced toxicity in the early life stage of fish.

Siwei Jianghuang Decoction Powder (SWJH) documented originally in the Four Medical Tantras-Blue Glaze exhibited beneficial effects on diabetic nephropathy (DN) via combined synergistically action of multiple formula components including Curcumae longae Rhizoma, Berberidis dictyophyllae Cortex, Phyllanthi Fructus and Tribuli Fructus. This study investigated the effects of SWJH on DN in db/db mice and possible underlying mechanisms. The ten weeks old db/db mice treated with SWJH by intra-gastric administration once a day for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, body weight, water and food intake of mice were recorded. The level of fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured. Serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine microalbumin (UMAlb), serum uric acid (UA) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) were detected. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to test serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were used to test mRNA and protein expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), VEGF and TGF-β1 in kidney tissue. SWJH treatment significantly reduced the levels of FBG, Scr, BUN, UMAlb, UA and UAE and retarded renal fibrosis. SWJH treatment further significantly reduced serum TGF-β1 level and downregulated the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and TGF-β1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Principal component analysis and partial least squares regression and hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrated that SWJH treatment significantly ameliorated renal damage in DN mice. These consequences suggested that SWJH formulations were effective in the treatment of DN through regulating the HIF-1α, VEGF and TGF-β1 overexpression.

The sediments of water bodies are not only pollutants sink but also sources of pollution. The assessment for the whole-sediment toxicity is still challenging research. Although the application of immobilized algal bead could overcome the practical difficulties in sediment toxicity assay, the weak growth and reduced sensitivity of algae inside the bead restricted its application. In this study, a sediment toxicity test was developed using immobilized sediment and Chlorella vulgaris. The immobilized sediment was prepared by mixing 2 g freeze-dried sediment and 15-mL 3% (w/v) alginate and hardened in a 4% (w/v) CaCl2 solution. Based on a C. vulgaris growth inhibition test and using the immobilized sediment, the median effective concentration value (EC50) of the spiked Cu and diuron was 506.23 and 2.37 mg/kg respectively, lower than that of using immobilized algae (719.62 and 3.12 mg/kg respectively). The Cu and diuron concentrations in the corresponding overlying water from the spiked immobilized and free sediment showed that sediment pollutants' diffusion capacity was not decreased after immobilization. By using the immobilized sediment in algae toxicity bioassay, the changes in the sediment toxicity of a polluted river before and after dredging was evaluated. The C. vulgaris growth inhibition in sediment A decreased from 81.94% to 8.43%; sediment B remained unchanged; sediment C stimulated the growth of C. vulgaris before dredging (−15.56%), but inhibited the algae growth after dredging (26.88%), and sediment D decreased growth inhibition from 32.66% to −12.60%.

Background There is some evidence to support the use of acupuncture as an alternative therapy for asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying its effects are not fully understood. We have reported previously that acupuncture has beneficial effects on asthma without changing the concentration of serum cortisol, although endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) plays an important role in regulating immune responses. Objective In this study, bilateral adrenalectomy (removal of both adrenal glands) was performed in rats before asthma model induction to investigate whether acupuncture influences asthma in a GC-dependent manner. Methods Adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised rats were injected with ovalbumin to induce asthma and then left untreated or treated with manual acupuncture (MA) at GV14, bilateral BL12 and bilateral BL13, or manual restraint without MA. Healthy and sham-adrenalectomised control groups were also included. Pulmonary resistance (RL), serum concentrations of corticosterone, and eosinophil counts were measured at the end of the experimental course. Sera from adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised asthmatic rats treated with acupuncture were injected into untreated adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised asthmatic rats to investigate further the potential role of GC in the effect of acupuncture. Results Acupuncture significantly decreased RL and eosinophil count in both adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised asthmatic rats. Moreover, administration of sera derived from acupuncture-treated adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised asthmatic rats attenuated the increase in RL and eosinophil count in both asthmatic models. Conclusions Results of this study suggest that endogenous GC is not a key contributor to the effects of acupuncture on asthma, and that acupuncture may have potentially therapeutic effects on asthma in a GC-independent manner.

Here we present photoelectrochemical (PEC) bacterial inactivation properties of large−scale fabricable Ti/MoS2/MoOx photoanode with a strong solar light absorbance capacity. Specifically, by thermal oxidation of the as−prepared MoS2/Ti film at 250 °C for 15 min in aerobic condition, the visible light performance of photocurrent generation and Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation are markedly enhanced. Complete inactivation of 106 CFU/mL E. coli in NaCl electrolyte is achieved with 0.5 V bias in 2 h under visible light irradiation, and H2O2 and O2− have been found as key reactive oxidative species to destroy E. coli. The bacteria inactivation performance of present photoanode is comparable with reported visible light photoanodes such as Cu2O or N-doped TiO2. The markedly improved PEC performance and inhibited photocorrosion could be attributed to the formation of heterojunction of MoS2/MoOx on the surface due to thermal oxidation. Furthermore, the PEC E. coli inactivation performance and stability of the large dimensional electrode are evaluated in a scale−up reactor. As an example of self−sustainable PEC water treatment system powered by only solar panels, wastewater containing inorganic, organic, macromolecule and microbial pollutants is attempted to be treated employing the developed electrodes under illumination of LED lamps.

The judgment and assessment of remediation effect on urban black-odor river still depend on the physical-chemical parameters and lack in ecological safety effects. A set of combined biological toxicity tests were applied to evaluate the ecological effects of one urban black-odor river before and after the remediation. The special growth rate of Chlorella vulgaris and mortality rate of Daphnia magna were used to assess acute toxicity. The Salmonella Typhimurium/Reverse Mutation Assay was applied to test the mutagenicity. The tests by C. vulgaris growth showed that there was no inhibition before and after remediation by overlying water, in contrast promoted the growth of C. vulgaris. The tests by D. magna showed slight toxicity on site 3# before remediation and nontoxic after remediation. The mutagenicity of organic extracts from overlying water at all sampling sites were positive before remediation, but were eliminated after remediation except from 3 of 4 sites on TA98 strain. The addition of the liver microsomal S9 induced the positive mutagenicity on site 4# compared to S9 absence. The results clarified the applicable and the importance of the biological toxicity tests on assessing the remediation effect and potential ecological risk of urban black-odor river.

To verify the applicability of identifying Microcystis aeruginosa by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), mixed and field samples were employed to study the sensitivity and the analysis power, respectively. Series diluted samples and artificially mixed samples by the M. aeruginosa NIES-843 strain were designed to verify the sensitivity. The lowest detection limit was 1.955 × 106 cells in pure samples, while for mixed samples, the lowest detection limit and ratio of NIES-843 strain were 2.88 × 106 cells and 33.7%, respectively. The results provided a reference for the reasonable volume of the water sample in which the M. aeruginosa could be detected. Ribosomal protein biomarkers for identifying M. aeruginosa which were successfully detected from the field samples in Taihu Lake, indicated that the identification of M. aeruginosa by MALDI-TOF MS could be applied in field samples. Furthermore, different genetic types of M. aeruginosa strains were also detected at different locations in Taihu Lake, which revealed the diversity of M. aeruginosa and the detection power of MALDI-TOF MS at the strain level for the field samples. The sensitivity and detection power in the analysis of M. aeruginosa by the MALDI-TOF MS demonstrated the applicability of this method in routine environmental monitoring.

Ultraviolet absorbing chemicals (UV filters) are widely used in personal care products for protecting human skin and hair from damage by UV radiation. Although these substances are released into the environment during production and consumption processes, little is known about their genotoxicity effects. Our previous studies have shown that benzophenone-type UV filters exhibited acute toxicity on three species of aquatic organisms. Mutagenesis by benzophenone (BP) and benzophenone-1(BP-1) was tested in the present study by the Salmonella typhimurium/reverse mutation assay (Ames assay). All the positive reverse mutations occurred in the absence of the S9 liver extract system for both chemicals. From BP, positive mutation effects on the TA102 strain at doses of 0.05 &mu, g/plate and 0.5 &mu, g/plate were detected. From BP-1, positive mutation effects on the TA97 strain at doses of 0.05 &mu, g/plate, and on the TA100 strain at a dose of 0.5 &mu, g/plate, were detected. A mixture of BP and BP-1 exhibited mutagenicity on the TA97 and TA100 strains. For the TA97 strain, the positive mutation results were detected at 10% and 50% of the mixture. For the TA100 strain, the results were detected when the mixture was at 5% and 10%. In the mixture at 5%, the concentrations of BP and BP-1 were 3.5 &mu, g/plate and 14 &mu, g/plate, respectively. In the 10% mixture, the doses of BP and BP-1 were 7 &mu, g/plate and 28 &mu, g/plate, respectively. In the 50% mixture, the doses of BP and BP-1 were 35 &mu, g/plate and 140 &mu, g/plate, respectively. The mixture test results suggested that there was antagonism in mutagenicity between BP and BP-1.

There is a clinical need for new bronchodilator drugs in asthma, because more than half of asthmatic patients do not receive adequate control with current available treatments. We report that inhibition of metallothionein-2 protein expression in lung tissues causes the increase of pulmonary resistance. Conversely, metallothionein-2 protein is more effective than β2-agonists in reducing pulmonary resistance in rodent asthma models, alleviating tension in tracheal spirals, and relaxing airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). Metallothionein-2 relaxes ASMCs via transgelin-2 (TG2) and induces dephosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1). We identify TSG12 as a nontoxic, specific TG2-agonist that relaxes ASMCs and reduces asthmatic pulmonary resistance. In vivo, TSG12 reduces pulmonary resistance in both ovalbumin- and house dust mite–induced asthma in mice. TSG12 induces RhoA phosphorylation, thereby inactivating the RhoA-ROCK-MYPT1-MLC pathway and causing ASMCs relaxation. TSG12 is more effective than β2-agonists in relaxing human ASMCs and pulmonary resistance with potential clinical advantages. These results suggest that TSG12 could be a promising therapeutic approach for treating asthma.

Zha-xun is widely used in Tibetan medicine and is also an international traditional medicine. This article would summarize the use status and research progress of Zha-xun by various ethnic groups all over the world, and the results show that it has various synonyms but most of them imply its most characteristic feature-outflow from the rock; Zha-xun resources are distributed in various places of the world, and its bearing spots are closely related to the geological structure; there are sharp arguments on the origins of Zha-xun, mainly including the minerals origin, biological fossils origin, biological origin, etc. Zha-xun has multiple functions and is mainly used to treat stomach disease, liver disease and rheumatoid arthritis in China, and premature ejaculation, impotence, vaginitis embolism in foreign countries. "Iron" Zha-xun is used into medicines both at home and abroad. According to ancient materia medica texts, it was mainly classified into five types, including gold Zha-xun, silver Zha-xun, copper Zha-xun, iron Zha-xun and lead Zha-xun mainly based on the predominance of color rather than the minerals contained. It is commonly believed by the domestic and foreign scholars that humic acid is the main medicinal part of Zha-xun, and their studies have found that it has a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, liver protection, analgesia, immune regulation, increasing sexual desire and fertility, antioxidation, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiepileptic, antipsychotic, etc. This paper provides a scientific basis for the rational utilization of Zha-xun resources.

Ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing chemicals (UV filters) are used in personal care products for the protection of human skin and hair from damage by UV radiation. Although these substances are released into the environment in the production and consumption processes, little is known about their ecotoxicology effects. The acute toxicity and potential ecological risk of UV filters benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and benzophenone-4 (BP-4) on Chlorella vulgaris, Daphnia magna, and Brachydanio rerio were analyzed in the present study. The EC50 values (96 h) of BP-3 and BP-4 on C. vulgaris were 2.98 and 201.00 mg/L, respectively. The 48 h-LC50 of BP-3 and BP-4 on D. magna were 1.09 and 47.47 mg/L, respectively. The 96 h-LC50 of BP-3 and BP-4 on B. rerio were 3.89 and 633.00 mg/L, respectively. The toxicity of a mixture of BP-3 and BP-4 on C. vulgaris, D. magna, and B. rerio all showed antagonistic effects. The induced predicted no-effect concentrations of BP-3 and BP-4 by the assessment factor method were 1.80 × 10−3 and 0.47 mg/L, respectively, by assessment factor (AF) method, which were both lower than the concentrations detected in the environment at present, verifying that BP-3 and BP-4 remain low-risk chemicals to the aquatic ecosystem.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) results from a number of disorders. The POF model is primarily based on chemotherapeutic injury, and hence is not suitable for assessing the effects of chronic stress on ovarian function. Therefore, improved animal models are required to analyze the effects of chronic stress on ovarian reserve. The feasibility of the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) method for establishing a model of POF was examined. The depressive behavior exhibited by rats was evaluated with the open field and sucrose preference tests. Vaginal smears were obtained for assessment of the estrous cycle. The ovarian reserve of the animals was evaluated using the estrous cycle, ovarian histology and serum levels of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle‑stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), and anti‑Mullerian hormone (AMH). Compared with the control group, body weight, time spent in the center, horizontal movement, vertical frequency, consumption of sucrose, sucrose preference, number of small follicles from the rats, and serum E2, AMH and GnRH levels were significantly decreased in the CUMS group (all P

To evaluate the involvement of different CD4BALB/c mice were challenged by ovalbumin (OVA) for the establishment of experimental asthma model. Mice were divided into 4 groups by a random number table including the normal control, asthma model, acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups (14 per group). Acupoints Dazhui (GV 14), bilateral Fengmen (BL 12) and Feishu (BL 13) were selected for manual acupuncture treatment every other day for 4 weeks and Huantiao (GB 30) was selected for sham acupuncture. Airway hyperresponsiveness was examined by Buxco Pulmonary System. Pulmonary histopathology analysis was performed for inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion by haematoxylin eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiffstaining. Inflammatory mediators assays of serum were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Bio-Plex. CD4Compared with the OVA-induced asthma model group, acupuncture could attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness, inhibit inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion (P0.05 or P0.01). Furthermore, acupuncture increased the expressions of T-bet and Foxp3Acupuncture could alleviate allergic airway inflammation by strengthening the activities of Th1 and Treg, thus regulating the balance of CD4

This study was aimed to discuss and analyze the medication rules for prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba in Chinese Medical Encyclopedia - Tibetan Medicine, Tibetan Medicine Prescription Modern Research and Clinical Application, and Interpretation of Common Tibetan Medicines based on the collection of Pterocephali Herba and by using the "Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support system(V2.0.1)",with the use of association rules, apriori algorithm and other data mining methods. The frequency of single drug, the frequency of drug combination, the association rule and the combination of core drugs were analyzed. Through collection of the prescriptions, a total of 215 prescriptions were included, involving a total of 376 herbs. Through the "frequency statistics", the prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba were commonly used to treat cold fever, distemper virus and arthritis. The highest frequently (frequency≥15) used drugs were Corydalis Herba, Lagotidis Herba, and Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, et al. The most frequently used drug combinations were "Pterocephali Herba, Corydalis Herba","Pterocephali Herba, Lagotidis Herba", and "Pterocephali Herba, Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix" et al. The prescriptions containing Pterocephali Herba were used to primarily treat disease for Tourette syndrome caused by the dampness heat toxin, fever, arthritis etc, such as pestilent toxicity, pneumonia and influenza, rheumatoid arthritis etc. The drugs in the prescriptions mostly had the effects of heat-clearing and detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, dispelling wind and dampness, often in compatible use with heat-clearing drugs. The drug use was concentrated and reflected the clear thought of prescription statutes.

The aim was to evaluate the protective effects of total flavones ofElaeagnus rhamnoides(L.) A. Nelson (TFE) against vascular endothelial injury in blood stasis model rats and explore the potential mechanisms preliminarily. The model of blood stasis rat model with vascular endothelial injury was induced by subcutaneous injection of adrenaline combined with ice-water bath. Whole blood viscosity (WBV), histological examination, and prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and fibrinogen (FIB) were measured. Meanwhile, the levels of Thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-PGF1α, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and thrombomodulin (TM) were detected. In addition, Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) was performed to identify PI3K, Erk2, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 gene expression. The results showed that TFE can relieve WBV, increase PT and APTT, and decrease FIB content obviously. Moreover, TFE might significantly downregulate the levels of TXB2, vWF, and TM in plasma and upregulate the level of 6-keto-PGF1αin plasma. Expressions of PI3K and Bcl-2 were increased and the expression of caspase-3 was decreased by TFE pretreatment in the rat model. Consequently, the study suggested that TFE may have the potential against vascular endothelial injury in blood stasis model rats induced by a high dose of adrenaline with ice-water bath.

As technology scaling down, power consumption of integrated circuits increases tremendously due to leakage current. Power gating is one of the most effective techniques to reduce leakage power by shutting off idle blocks from power supply. However, during a power-mode transition, an instantaneous charge current passes through the switch transistor, and creates current surge elsewhere. Because of the self-inductance of the off-chip bonding wires and parasitic inductance inherent to the on-chip power rails, these surges result in severe simultaneous switching noise (SSN), which results in function failure.Based on typical power delivery network, it is found that the magnitude of SSN would accumulate positively with Fcurrent = 1/(n + 1) Resonant, and the magnitude of SSN would accumulate negatively with Fcurrent = 1/(n + 1/2) Resonant. In this paper, a new method is proposed to suppress the power supply noise based on its periodic characteristic. By cutting power grid, partition of switch transistors and controlling their switching, smaller segmented charge current magnitude and controllable period can be provided into gated block for mitigating noise. The power supply noise produced by charge current can be suppressed through adjusting the delay of charge current and the magnitude of charge current which is verified by simulation. Compared to conventional power gating structures, this method can save decap area and is practical and flexible to embed in an optimization flow. A principle for controllable switch transistor chain is also given to simplify the high speed power delivery network design.

Community detection is one of the most interesting problems in the study of social networks. Most recent studies have focused on the design of algorithms to determine communities without knowing the number of communities in advance. This paper defines the k-path graph and generalizes Newman’s modularity as a weighted modularity, and provides a detailed discussion on the relationship between eigenvalues and the maximum modularity of the network. It is proved that the maximum modularity of the weighted graphs depend on both the maximum eigenvalue and a relative parameter.

A series of novel oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside derivatives have been designed and synthesized. Biological evaluation has indicated that some of the synthesized compounds exhibit moderate to good activity against H2O2-induced injury in rat myocardial cells (H9c2). Particularly, derivative 28-N-isobutyl ursolic amide 3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (8a) exhibited a greater protective effect than the positive control oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, indicating that it possesses a great potential for further development as a cardiovascular disease modulator by structural modification.

Although asthma symptoms can be temporarily controlled, it is recommended to use effective low-risk, non-drug strategies to constitute a significant advance in asthma management. Acupuncture has been traditionally used to treat asthma; however, the evidence for the efficacy of this treatment is still lacking. Previous clinical trials of acupuncture in treating asthma were limited by methodological defects; therefore, high-quality research is required. This trial is designed as a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group controlled trial. Patients with mild to moderate asthma will be randomly allocated to either a verum acupuncture plus as-needed salbutamol aerosol and/or prednisone tablets group or a sham acupuncture plus as-needed salbutamol aerosol and/or prednisone tablets group. Acupoints used in the verum acupuncture group are GV14 (Da Zhui), BL12 (Feng Men), BL13 (Fei Shu) and acupoints used in the sham acupuncture group are DU08 (Jin Suo), BL18 (Gan Shu), BL19 (Dan Shu). After a baseline period of 1 week, the patients in both groups will receive verum/sham acupuncture once every other day with a total of 20 treatment sessions in 6 weeks and a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be measured by using the asthma control test and the secondary outcomes will be measured by using the percentage of symptom-free days, the average dosage of salbutamol aerosol and/or prednisone tablets, lung functions, daily asthma symptom scores, asthma quality of life questionnaire, and so on. This trial will assess the effect of acupuncture on asthma and aims to provide reliable clinical evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in treating asthma. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01931696 , registered on 26 August 2013

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel isobenzofuran-based compounds are described. The compounds were evaluated for their immunosuppressive effects of T-cell proliferation and IMPDH type II inhibitor activity in vitro, as well as their structure–activity relationships were assessed. Several compounds demonstrated highly efficacious immunosuppressive properties, especially compounds 2d, 2e, 2h and 2j, which were superior to MPA, while compounds 2k, 2m, 2n, 4c and 5d exhibited an equipotent inhibitory activity compared to MPA. Generally, it was obviously demonstrated that α,β-unsaturated amides proved more potent than the diamide and urea series. The present study provides a guide for further research on development of safe and effective immunosuppressive agents.