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Instrument-free visual quantitative detection in chemical and biochemical analysis is of great significance in practical applications especially in point-of-care testing and in places where resources are limited. In this paper, we report the development of a time-based instrument-free visual quantitative detection method by employing a clock reaction, a type of chemical reaction displaying characteristic clocking behavior. The feasibility of the method was illustrated by the quantitative detection of thrombin in buffer solution using the lapse of time as the readout signal. The linear range of detection was from 1.3 to 43 nM (

The capillary rising is one of the most common phenomena in fine-grained soils. However, research is limited for capillary actions in cementitiously treated engineered soils. In this study, a soil column test was performed for the free capillary rising in compacted loess and modified loess samples. Moisture content of compacted soil samples was measured and analyzed to determine capillary height and rising rate. Results indicated that there was a considerable capillary rising in loess and lime-modified loess, while the capillary rising in cement-treated loess was significantly restrained. Current models are not appropriate for the rate and height predictions of capillary rising in cementitiously treated loess, especially in early ages. Therefore, a logarithmic form correlation was suggested and validated. In addition, salt migration effect and microscopic properties of soils after capillary rising were evaluated. Overall, the paper presented an experimental study and prediction on the capillary rising behavior of treated and recompacted engineered loess.

Objective. To explore the potential mechanism of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) treatment and prevention of metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) occurrence and metastasis based on network pharmacological methods and immune infiltration analysis. Methods. The GEO database was used to obtain metastatic CM disease targets, the TCMSP database and the HERB database were used to obtain HJD action targets, core genes were screened by protein interaction network, and the potential mechanism of HJD in the treatment of metastatic CM was explored by enrichment analysis, prognostic analysis and immune infiltration analysis. Results. HJD treatment of metastatic CM involved 60 targets, enrichment analysis showed that HJD treatment of metastatic CM involved Chemokine signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and Fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, etc. Prognostic analysis revealed that HJD had a certain ability to improve the prognosis of metastatic CM patients. Immune infiltration analysis showed that HJD could inhibit the immune cell infiltration of metastatic CM patients by acting on related targets. Conclusions. Our study identified the potential mechanism of HJD in the treatment of metastatic CM through network pharmacology, and revealed the mechanism of HJD in the prevention of Skin Cutaneous Melanoma metastasis through immune infiltration analysis and prognostic analysis.

To reveal the rationality of compatibility of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SMRR) and Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) from the perspective of pharmacokinetics, this study established a UPLC-MS/MS method for quantitative determination of PLR flavonoids(3'-hydroxy puerarin, puerarin, puerarin 6″-O-xyloside, 3'-methoxy puerarin, puerarin apioside) and salvianolic acids and tanshinones(salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone Ⅱ_A) in plasma of rats. Rats were given SMRR extract, PLR extract, and SMRR-PLR extract by gavage and then plasma was collected at different time. UPLC separation was performed under the following conditions: Eclipse C_(18) column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm), 0.1% formic acid in water(A)-0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution. Conditions for MS are as below: multiple reaction monitoring(MRM), ESI~(+/-). Comprehensive validation of the UPLC-MS/MS method(specifically, from the aspects of calibration curve, precision, accuracy, repeatability, stability, matrix effect, extract recovery) was performed and the result demonstrated that it complied with quantitative analysis requirements for biological samples. Compared with SMRR extract alone or PLR extract alone, SMRR-PLR extract significantly increased the AUC and C_(max) of PLR flavonoids and tanshinones in rat plasma, suggesting that the combination of SMRR and PLR promoted the absorption of the above components. The underlying mechanism needs to be further studied.

Xiao-Yuan Li,1,* Yang Rao,2,* Bing Sun,3 Xue-Mei Mao4 1Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Tianjin, 300199, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital (Nankai Hospital), Tianjin, 300102, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xue-Mei Mao; Bing Sun, Tel +86 13820312420 ; +86 13810193881, Email mxm0206@163.com; sunice116@163.comPurpose: This study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockades for patients with previously treated advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).Patients and Methods: Present study was designed as a retrospective study, a total of 32 patients with advanced EOC who progressed after at least two lines previously available standard therapy were included in this study. All the patients were administered with anlotinib combined with PD-1 blockades administration. Clinical activity was implemented and analyzed, which was assessed according to the change of target lesion by imaging evidence and all the subjects were followed up regularly. Safety profile were collected and documented during the treatment. Univariate analysis was carried out using log rank test and multivariate analysis were adjusted by Cox regression analysis.Results: The best overall response suggested that partial response was noted in 12 patients, stable disease was observed in 14 patients, progressive disease was found in 6 patients. Therefore, the objective response rate (ORR) of the 32 patients was 37.5% (95% CI: 21.1– 56.3%), disease control rate (DCR) of the patients was 81.3% (95% CI: 63.6– 92.8%). The median follow-up duration of this study was 17.5 months (follow-up range: 0.9– 33.5 months). And the median PFS and OS of the 32-patient cohort was 6.8 months (95% CI: 2.64– 10.96) and 18.5 months (95% CI: 14.08– 22.92), respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse reactions were fatigue (68.8%), nausea and vomiting (56.3%), hypertension (50.0%) and diarrhea (40.6%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for PFS indicated that ECOG performance status and FIGO stage were independent factors to predict PFS of patients with previously treated EOC.Conclusion: Anlotinib combined with PD-1 blockades demonstrated promising efficacy and tolerable safety profile for patients with previously treated advanced EOC preliminarily. The conclusion should be confirmed in more patients with advanced EOC subsequently.Keywords: epithelial ovarian cancer, anlotinib, PD-1 blockade, efficacy, safety

The sonar equation satisfied by the acoustic signal of the moving sound source is derived in the presence of artificial interference noise. Then, under the typical sound velocity conditions of shallow sea, considering the sound absorption of seawater, the propagation loss value of each frequency in the frequency band of 20–40 kHz is calculated, and the noise intensity of the marine environment is quantitatively analyzed from the sonar equation according to the speed of sound source motion. Change over time. Finally, in different time periods, the simulation generates artificial intervention noise. The spectrum of this noise satisfies the spectral statistical characteristics of the measured ambient noise, and its intensity enables the sonar equation to be established all the time. The simulation results show that when using the transducer to transmit human intervention noise, we can change the ocean environment noise level and significantly reduce the acoustic performance of the moving sound source.

American foulbrood (AFB) disease and chalkbrood disease (CBD) are important bacterial and fungal diseases, respectively, that affect honeybee broods. Exposure to agrochemicals is an abiotic stressor that potentially weakens honeybee colonies. Gut microflora alterations in adult honeybees associated with these biotic and abiotic factors have been investigated. However, microbial compositions in AFB- and CBD-infected larvae and the profile of whole-body microbiota in foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals have not been fully studied. In this study, bacterial and fungal communities in healthy and diseased (AFB/CBD) honeybee larvae were characterized by amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer1 region, respectively. The bacterial and fungal communities in disordered foraging bees poisoned by agrochemicals were analysed. Our results revealed that healthy larvae were significantly enriched in bacterial genera Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas and the fungal genera Alternaria and Aspergillus . The enrichment of these microorganisms, which had antagonistic activities against the etiologic agents for AFB and CBD, respectively, may protect larvae from potential infection. In disordered foraging bees, the relative abundance of bacterial genus Gilliamella and fungal species Cystofilobasidium macerans were significantly reduced, which may compromise hosts' capacities in nutrient absorption and immune defence against pathogens. Significantly higher frequency of environmentally derived fungi was observed in disordered foraging bees, which reflected the perturbed microbiota communities of hosts. Results from PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses revealed significant differences in gene clusters of bacterial communities and fungal function profiles. Overall, results of this study provide references for the composition and function of microbial communities in AFB- and CBD-infected honeybee larvae and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Shenling Baizhu San (SBS) as a classic Chinese medicine prescription, has been extensively used in gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and chronic diarrhea. In recent years, SBS has shown a beneficial effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, clinical trials had shown conflicting results of SBS on improving pulmonary function and other related indicators of patients with stable COPD. The efficacy of SBS on stable COPD patients has not been fully assessed. Aim of the study To determine whether the SBS used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease was effective to treat COPD, we assessed the clinical evidence and efficacy of SBS supplemental treatment on stable COPD patients by a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Materials and methods Nine electronic databases were searched to include clinical trials (published until August 31, 2020) with SBS as a supplementation treatment on stable COPD. Mean difference (MD) was used to evaluate continuous variables, odds ratio (OR) was calculated to evaluate dichotomous. The Egger's test was applied for publication bias. Results A total of 770 COPD participants from 11 trials that met the inclusion criteria were included. The meta-analysis showed that modified SBS could improve the exercise endurance, life quality scores of stable COPD patients, and also showed the potential benefits to pulmonary function of COPD patients than original SBS. Conclusion The methodological quality of included trials may limit the conclusions that indicate that modified SBS may have a promising treatment for improving FEV1/FVC and MVV, increasing exercise endurance and life quality scores on stable COPD patients.

Background An increasing body of research has confirmed the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Methods We explored the potential mechanism of Changping decoction (CPD) in the treatment of IBS through pathway analysis based on a network pharmacology approach. Public databases, including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, Gene Expression Omnibus, and STRING, were used to screen the active ingredients and targets of CPD. Enrichment analysis was performed using the R-3.6.0 software to expound the biological functions and related pathways of CPD targets. The Cytoscape software was used to construct a “disease-CPD-target” network and identify hub genes of CPD relevant for the treatment of IBS. Employing rat models, pathological observation and abdominal withdrawal reflex tests were used to verify the effectiveness of CPD in the treatment of IBS. Immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the relationship between the CPD treatment and hub genes.Results Network pharmacological analysis of CPD for the treatment of IBS identified 159 active ingredients. A total of 118 key targets were identified, including MAPK8, VEGFA, PTGS2, and others. A series of signaling pathways, such as MAPK, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection, and IL-17 signaling pathway were found to play an important role in the therapeutic mechanism of CPD in the treatment of IBS. Pathological observation and abdominal withdrawal reflex tests confirmed that the symptoms of IBS in rats were relieved by CPD. Moreover, immunohistochemistry confirmed that CPD could inhibit the expression of inflammation-associated factors, such as VEGFA, MAPK8, and PTGS2.Conclusions Based on network pharmacology analysis, the present study provides insights into the potential mechanism of CPD in the treatment of IBS after successfully screening for associated key target genes and signaling pathways. These findings establish a theoretical basis for the development of CPD-derived therapeutics.

American foulbrood (AFB) disease and chalkbrood disease (CBD) are important bacterial and fungal diseases, respectively, that affect honeybee broods. Exposure to agrochemicals is an abiotic stressor that potentially weakens honeybee colonies. Gut microflora alterations in adult honeybees associated with these biotic and abiotic factors have been investigated. However, microbial compositions in AFB- and CBD-infected larvae and the profile of whole-body microbiota in foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals have not been fully studied. In this study, bacterial and fungal communities in healthy and diseased (AFB/CBD) honeybee larvae were characterized by amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer1 region, respectively. The bacterial and fungal communities in disordered foraging bees poisoned by agrochemicals were analysed. Our results revealed that healthy larvae were significantly enriched in bacterial genera Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas and the fungal genera Alternaria and Aspergillus. The enrichment of these microorganisms, which had antagonistic activities against the etiologic agents for AFB and CBD, respectively, may protect larvae from potential infection. In disordered foraging bees, the relative abundance of bacterial genus Gilliamella and fungal species Cystofilobasidium macerans were significantly reduced, which may compromise hosts' capacities in nutrient absorption and immune defence against pathogens. Significantly higher frequency of environmentally derived fungi was observed in disordered foraging bees, which reflected the perturbed microbiota communities of hosts. Results from PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses revealed significant differences in gene clusters of bacterial communities and fungal function profiles. Overall, results of this study provide references for the composition and function of microbial communities in AFB- and CBD-infected honeybee larvae and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals.

Ship radiated noise can generally be regarded as a random process that undergoes steady states, but the complexity of its generation mechanism makes its spectral characteristics different from white noise signals. Realistic simulation of the time domain signal of ship radiated noise can improve performance of acoustic equipment. In this paper, the analysis methods of the ship's radiation noise line spectrum and continuous spectrum characteristics are studied. The near-field radiation noise data of a certain type of ship under the same operating conditions is analyzed in the time-frequency domain, and the statistically significant radiation noise spectrum characteristics are obtained. The probability density function is used to generate random numbers that meet this statistical characteristic to describe the frequency spectrum of underwater radiating sound sources at various frequencies, and the Fourier synthesis method is used to reconstruct the time-domain pass characteristic of the ship's radiated noise signal under arbitrary sound velocity conditions in shallow water. Finally, the evaluation method of the radiated noise signal modeling results is studied, and the reconstructed signal is evaluated by the similarity calculation between the measured and simulated signal. The results show that the reconstructed time domain signal has higher fidelity.

We previously reported that the serotonergic system is important for the antidepressant-like effects of ketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, which produces rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In particular, selective stimulation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as opposed to the somatic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor, has been shown to play a critical role in the antidepressant-like actions of ketamine. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying mPFC 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated antidepressant-like effects are not fully understood. Here we examined the involvement of the glutamate AMPA receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the antidepressant-like effects of 5-HT(1A) receptor activation in the mPFC. The results show that intra-mPFC infusion of the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT induces rapid and long-lasting antidepressant-like effects in the forced swim, novelty-suppressed feeding, female urine sniffing, and chronic unpredictable stress tests. In addition, the results demonstrate that the antidepressant-like effects of intra-mPFC infusion of 8-OH-DPAT are blocked by co-infusion of an AMPA receptor antagonist or an anti-BDNF neutralizing antibody. In addition, mPFC infusion of 8-OH-DPAT increased the phosphorylation of signaling proteins downstream of BDNF, including mTOR, ERK, 4EBP1, and p70S6K. Finally, selective stimulation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor increased levels of synaptic proteins and synaptic function in the mPFC. Collectively, these results indicate that selective stimulation of 5-HT(1A) receptor in the mPFC exerts rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects via activation of AMPA receptor/BDNF/mTOR signaling in mice, which subsequently increase synaptic function in the mPFC, and provide evidence for the 5-HT(1A) receptor as a target for the treatment of MDD.

Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity profile of apatinib for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We systematically searched databases for randomized clinical trials published as of November 25, 2017, in which apatinib treatment was compared to placebo or chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Two investigators independently assessed the articles and extracted their data. The hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free survival (PFS), relative risks (RRs) for overall response rates (ORRs), disease control rates (DCRs), and odds ratios (ORs) for main toxicity were analyzed using the RevMan 5.3 software (Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014). Results: Our analysis included 413 patients from 5 clinical studies. The pooled HR for PFS was 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.48; P < 0.00001). The pooled RRs for ORR and DCR were 2.03 (95% CI 1.36-3.01; P = 0.0005) and 1.66 (95% CI 1.07-2.57; P = 0.02), respectively. The pooled OR for main toxicity was 1.34 (95% CI, 0.57-3.17; P = 0.5). Conclusions: Apatinib was a viable treatment alternative for advanced NSCLC, as it offered a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in PFS, ORR, and DCR. Moreover, therapy with apatinib did not significantly increase toxicity.

Single event effects of 1-T structure programmable read-only memory (PROM) devices fabricated with a 130-nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based thin/thick gate oxide anti-fuse process were investigated using heavy ions and a picosecond pulsed laser. The cross sections of a single event upset (SEU) for radiation-hardened PROMs were measured using a linear energy transfer (LET) ranging from 9.2 to 95.6 MeV cm2 mg−1. The result indicated that the LET threshold for a dynamic bit upset was ~ 9 MeV cm2 mg−1, which was lower than the threshold of ~ 20 MeV cm2 mg−1 for an address counter upset owing to the additional triple modular redundancy structure present in the latch. In addition, a slight hard error was observed in the anti-fuse structure when employing 209Bi ions with extremely high LET values (~ 91.6 MeV cm2 mg−1) and large ion fluence (~ 1 × 108 ions cm−2). To identify the detailed sensitive position of a SEU in PROMs, a pulsed laser with a 5-μm beam spot was used to scan the entire surface of the device. This revealed that the upset occurred in the peripheral circuits of the internal power source and I/O pairs rather than in the internal latches and buffers. This was subsequently confirmed by a 181Ta experiment. Based on the experimental data and a rectangular parallelepiped model of the sensitive volume, the space error rates for the used PROMs were calculated using the CREME-96 prediction tool. The results showed that this type of PROM was suitable for specific space applications, even in the geosynchronous orbit.

Freeze–thaw action is considered to be one of the most destructive actions that can induce significant damage in stabilized subgrades in seasonally frozen loess areas. Laboratory tests including frost heave – thaw shrinkage and microstructure change during freeze–thaw cycles were conducted to evaluate the volume change rate of loess stabilized with cement, lime, and fly ash under the impact of cyclic freeze–thaw conditions. The loess specimens collapsed after eight freeze–thaw cycles (192 h), but most stabilized loess specimens had no visible damage after all freeze–thaw cycles were completed. All of the stabilized loess samples underwent a much smaller volume change than the loess alone after the freeze–thaw cycles. Although surface porosity and equivalent diameter of stabilized loess samples increased, the stabilized loess can retain its microstructure during freeze–thaw cycles when the cement content was less than 6%. To ensure freeze–thaw resistance of stabilized loess subgrades, the mix proportions of the three additives was recommended to be 4 to 5% cement, 6% lime, and 10% fly ash.

Genetic variants of AKT1 have been shown to influence brain function of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and in this paper our aim is to investigate the association between the three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2498799; rs2494732; rs1130214) and PD in Han Chinese. 413 Han Chinese PD patients and 450 healthy age and gender-matched controls were genotyped using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Both the patient and control groups show similar genotype frequencies at the three loci: rs2498799, rs2494732 and rs1130214. We are able to identify a significant difference in the frequencies of genotype (p=0.019) and G allele (OR=0.764, 95% CI=0.587-0.995, p=0.045) both at rs2498799 between the patient and control groups. Furthermore, the association of subjects with GG genotypes versus those with GA+AA genotype remain significant after adjusting for age in the Han Chinese female cohort (OR=0.538, 95%CI=0.345-0.841, p=0.006), which is especially evident in the late-onset cohort (OR=0.521, 95%CI=0.309-0.877, p=0.012). In contrast, allele frequencies at rs2494732 and rs1130214 were similar between patients and controls in all subgroup analyses. These results suggest that polymorphism of AKT1 locus is associated with risk of PD and that the G allele at rs2498799 may decrease the risk of PD in the North-eastern part of Han Chinese female population.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of bicyclol in preventing chemotherapy-induced liver damage. Methods Patients ≥60 years of age with cancer were equally randomized into control (chemotherapy alone) or prophylactic (chemotherapy supplemented with 75 mg bicyclol, oral, daily) groups. Liver function indices were assessed immediately before treatment, during each therapy cycle and following treatment. Results Of 306 patients enrolled, 300 patiets completed the study ( n = 147 and n = 153; prophylactic and control groups, respectively). Incidence of grade I–IV elevation of serum transaminase and/or bilirubin was significantly lower in the prophylactic group (17.1%) compared with the control group (47.1%). Incidence of grade II–IV hepatic injury was also significantly lower in the prophylactic group (0.7%) than in the control group (12.4%). Conclusions Prophylactic bicyclol (75 mg daily) could significantly reduce the incidence and degree of chemotherapeutic agent-induced liver damage in elderly patients with cancer. Further studies are recommended with larger sample sizes and long-term follow up.

Two new isomerous PET fluorescent chemosensors (L and L') for Al(3+) have been designed, synthesized and characterized. The two chemosensors exhibited fluorescence enhancement upon binding Al(3+) in CH3CN by PET inhibition processes from both the sulfur and the nitrogen donors to anthracene. The job's plot, Benesi-Hildebrand plot and (1)H NMR titration experiments indicate that both chemosensors form a 1:1 complex with Al(3+). The binding constants were calculated to be (1.432±0.186)×10(5) and (1.427±0.970)×10(5), respectively. Furthermore, the lowest detection limit for Al(3+) in CH3CN was determined to be 4.8×10(-7)M and 2.2×10(-7)M, respectively.

Two metal–organic coordination polymers, namely, {[Zn(L)(4,4′-bpy)1.5(H2O)]·H2O}n (1) and [Zn(L)(bpe)]n (2), have been hydrothermally synthesized through the reaction of 5-iodo-benzene-1,3-dioxyacetic acid (H2L) with divalent zinc salts in the presence of ancillary nitrogen ligands (4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine, bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR and X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 shows a metal–organic chain structure, the adjacent chains are further linked by hydrogen bonds and C−I⋯O halogen bonding to form a 3D supramolecular structure. Compound 2 contains interesting threefold parallel interpenetrated two-dimensional (2D) → two-dimensional (2D) network motifs which are united together to yield a 3D supramolecular structure through inter-layer C−H⋯O interactions. In addition, thermal analysis and photoluminescent properties of the complexes have also been investigated.

Based on deformation of adjacent building with shallow foundation of foundation pit excavation, Midas GTS is adopted to establish the finite element model. Through the numerical simulation, the maximum horizontal and vertical displacement in different conditions, Influence of different SMW pile stiffness and influence of different anchor position are analyzed. The results show that (1) horizontal deformation of SMW pile is decreased at the anchor construction; (2) compared with maximum horizontal displacement of SMW pile with 25a25b28a, the maximum horizontal displacement of SMW pile with 28b is increased by 50.9, 43.3, 11.5% respectively; (3) compared with the second anchor at 1.5, 3.5m, the horizontal displacement of adjacent building is minimal by the second anchor at 2.5m.

A metal-organic framework based on 5-iodo-isophthalic acid (5-iipaH2) and the ancillary nitrogen ligand 1,3-bi(4- pyridyl)propane (bpp), namely [Cd(5-iipa)(bpp)(H2O)]n (1), has been synthesized, and characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, and X-ray crystallography. Complex 1shows a two-fold interpenetrating 3D diamond-like architecture that is stabilized by hydrogen bonding, μ...μ, I...μ, and C-H...p interactions.

40CrNi2Mo steels were prepared by vacuum arc remelting (VAR) and electroslag remelting (ESR). The cleanliness was evaluated and its effect on mechanical property of the two steels at different tempering temperature was investigated. The results show that because of cleanliness of the VAR steel is higher than that of the ESR steel, the impact absorbing energy (−40°C) and percentage reduction of area of the former are higher than the latter, while there is little influence of cleanliness on hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, yield-to-tensile-strength ratio and strain hardening exponent of the two steels.

The influence of the content of rare-earth La on the microstructure and corrosion-resistance of hot-dipped aluminum was studied in this paper .The results show that ,under the same technology conditions, the thickness of hot-dipped aluminizing layer by adding the appropriate content of rare-earth La is about 2～3 times as much as that without rare-earth La, and the microstructure of hot-dipped aluminizing layer has also greatly changed ,and a great deal of phase Fe3Al was precipitated along the boundary of a phase. The corrosion resistance of the hot-dipped layer with rare-earth La is greatly increased.

Hollow carbon microspheres (HCS) were prepared from potato starch by ZnCl2 activation. The morphology and surface areas of the HCS were studied by scanning electron microscopy and N2 adsorption method, respectively. The results show that the HCS with bowl-like and eggshell-like structures are microporous materials. The preparation mechanism of the HCS was investigated by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicate that basic zinc chloride formed during impregnation decomposes into ZnO, HCl and H2O. ZnO and HCl play an important role in the preparation of the HCS. Moreover, removal of ZnO grains by HCl washing contributes to the total surface areas of the HCS.

Undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase (UPS) catalyzes the cis -prenyl chain elongation onto trans , trans -farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to produce undecaprenyl diphosphate (UPP), which is indispensable for the biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls. We report here the crystal structure of UPS as the only three-dimensional structure among cis -prenyl chain elongating enzymes. The structure is classified into a protein fold family and is completely different from the so-called “isoprenoid synthase fold” that is believed to be a common structure for the enzymes relating to isoprenoid biosynthesis. Conserved amino acid residues among cis -prenyl chain elongating enzymes are located around a large hydrophobic cleft in the UPS structure. A structural P-loop motif, which frequently appears in the various kinds of phosphate binding site, is found at the entrance of this cleft. The catalytic site is determined on the basis of these structural features, from which a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.