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Pure-state single photons and large-bandwidth-correlation biphotons are fundamental resources for quantum information processing. The dispersion properties of micro/nanofiber (MNF) can be tailored by carefully choosing its diameter, resulting in a flexibly tailored biphoton spectrum. We theoretically investigate pure-state single photons and large-bandwidth-correlation biphotons produced by degenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing in MNF. In our simulation, a single-photon state with a purity of 99% will be theoretically attained by choosing the appropriate pump bandwidth and center wavelength with respect to the diameter and length of the MNF. Further, when an appropriate diameter with a negligible curvature at the zero dispersion wavelength is chosen, even a narrow pump bandwidth is capable of motivating remarkably broadband correlation biphotons, e.g., for a MNF diameter of 0.7 μm, the theoretical full width at half maximum is 473 nm. In practice, the application of a MNF-based quantum light source is dependent on the technologies that precisely control and measure the diameter. Our theoretical investigation will guide the experimental realization of high-quality quantum light sources based on MNF.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) has attracted significant attention in the recent decades because of its unique properties and applications. Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) has been widely established in industry due to the advantages of easy handling and scalability. In this work, a hemisphere dome model is specially designed as a substrate. The influence of the surface orientation on the coating thickness, Raman ID/IG ratio, surface roughness and the stress of the DLC films are examined. The reduction in the stress in the DLC films reflects the lower energy-dependence in diamond due to the varied sp3/sp2 fraction and columnar growth pattern. The variation of the surface orientation provides an efficient means of tailoring the properties and microstructure of the DLC films.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of chitosan-zinc chelate (CS-Zn) on TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway and cell death-associated proteins in a weanling pig model. A total of 90 weaned piglets were allotted to three dietary treatments (the dietary treatments were as follows: (1) experimental diet with supplemental ZnSO4 (150 mg Zn/kg diet), (2) experimental diet with supplemental CS-Zn (150 mg Zn/kg diet), and (3) experimental diet with a supplemental mixture of chitosan and ZnSO4 (150 mg/kg Zn; the content of chitosan was equal to CS-Zn, which is according to molar basis)). The feeding trial lasted 30 days. The results showed that compared with ZnSO4 or CS+ZnSO4, CS-Zn decreased the expressions of the cell death-associated proteins Beclin-1, and Cleaved-Caspase3 and the ratio of LC3II/LC3I. The intestinal expressions of TLR4 and its downstream signals NF-κB, IKKβ, and IκBα were down-regulated simultaneously. Moreover, the contents of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were decreased. The results indicated that as organic zinc source, CS-Zn was more effective than ZnSO4 and the mixture of chitosan and ZnSO4 for inhibiting inflammatory response and decreasing the expressions of proteins associated with cell death. The great anti-inflammatory effect of CS-Zn was modulated by inhibiting the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway, and the effect of CS-Zn on down-regulating the expression of cell death-associated proteins might also closely be associated with the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway.

The corrosion of reinforcement caused by chloride attack can degrade the durability and strength of reinforced concrete (RC) structures and shorten the structural service life. The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in concrete composites is generally considered a weak phase of chloride ingress due to its higher porosity compared to mortar and coarse aggregate. In this paper, the influences of multiple factors, including the water-cement ratio, ITZ thickness, and coarse aggregate properties, on the ITZ chloride diffusivity in concrete composites are elaborated. The results indicate that the normalized chloride diffusivity of the ITZ is affected by the factors of ITZ thickness, coarse aggregate volume fraction and coarse aggregate grading but is independent of the water-cement ratio. In particular, during the investigations of this paper, an experiential model is built to assess the normalized chloride diffusivity of the ITZ in concrete composites considering multiple factors of the ITZ thickness, coarse aggregate volume fraction and maximum coarse aggregate size. The precision accuracy for this developed experiential model is validated and examined based on mesoscopic numerical simulation using finite element analysis to determine the diffusion concentrations of chloride ions in concrete composites.

A total of 120 weanling barrows weighing 6.11 ± 0.20 kg were randomly allotted to four treatments with three replications (i.e. pen) of ten piglets per replicate. Pigs were received corn-soybean basal diet (control) or the same basal diet supplemented with the following sources of zinc: (i) 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 ; (ii) 100 mg/kg of Zn as chitosan-Zn chelate (CS-Zn); and (iii) 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 mixed with chitosan (CS + ZnSO4 ). The results showed that CS-Zn could highly improve average daily gain and average daily feed intake than those of ZnSO4 or CS+ ZnSO4 (P < 0.05). The pigs fed dietary CS-Zn had lower diarrhea incidence and higher apparent digestibility of crude protein than those of the pigs fed dietary ZnSO4 (P < 0.05). The protease activities in duodenal content of the pigs receiving CS-Zn diets was higher than that of the pigs fed dietary ZnSO4 or CS + ZnSO4 (P < 0.05). The amylase activity in duodenal content of the pigs fed dietary CS-Zn was higher than that of the pigs receiving ZnSO4 diets or basal diets (P < 0.05). These results indicated that dietary CS-Zn showed different bioactivities from ZnSO4 or CS + ZnSO4 in reducing the incidence of diarrhea, improving activities of digestive enzymes and growth performance of weaned pigs.

This experiment was performed in order to investigate the effects of chitosan-Zn chelate (CS-Zn) on activities of antioxidant enzymes and immune function in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with 7.12 ± 0.25 kg body weight were allotted to four treatments. A basal diet without Zn supplementation was used as control group. The other three treatments were fed the control diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg Zn as ZnSO4, 100 mg/kg Zn as CS-Zn, 100 mg/kg Zn as ZnSO4 and chitosan (the content of chitosan was the same as that of CS-Zn), respectively. The feeding trial lasted 30 days. Spleen index of pigs fed dietary CS-Zn was higher (p0.05) than that of control pigs. Thymus index and lymph node index did not differ among the pigs fed any diets (p0.05). T-AOC levels, Cu-ZnSOD, and GSH-PX activities in serum or liver of the pigs receiving CS-Zn diet were higher than those of the pigs fed CS+ZnSO4 or ZnSO4 diets (p0.05). These pigs fed dietary CS-Zn also showed lower MDA content in liver compared with the pigs fed other diets (p0.05). Serum IgA, complement 3, and complement 4 levels of pig fed dietary CS-Zn was higher than those of the pigs fed other diets (p0.05). Supplemental dietary Zn did not change serum IgG and IgM levels (p0.05). The ALP activity of pigs fed dietary CS-Zn was higher than those of the pigs fed other three diets (p0.05). No significant differences were founded in serum GOT or GPT activities of pigs fed dietary Zn (p0.05). The results of the present study indicated that chitosan-Zn chelate could increase antioxidant capacity and improve immune function in weaned piglets compared with ZnSO4 or chitosan.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of chitosan (CS)-Zn on intestinal morphology, mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis and mucosal immune function in weanling pigs. A total of 150 weanling barrows with a body weight of 7·2 kg were randomly allocated into five groups. A basal diet without Zn supplementation was used as the control and other four groups were fed the control diet supplemented with 50 or 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn, 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 and 3000 mg/kg of Zn as ZnO, respectively. The feeding trial lasted for 28 d. The results showed that serum diamine oxidase activities, d-lactate levels and endotoxin contents were lower in pigs fed dietary 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn or 3000 mg/kg of Zn as ZnO than in pigs fed the control or 100 mg Zn/kg as ZnSO4 diet. The ratios of the villus height:crypt depth of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were higher in pigs that received 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn or a high level of Zn as ZnO than in pigs fed the control diet. Moreover, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL)-stained ileal epithelial cells were found in the control group, and apoptotic cells did not appear prominently in pigs that received the 100 mg/kg of CS-Zn or ZnO diet. Secretory IgA concentration in ileal mucus was increased in the dietary group that received 100 mg/kg of CS-Zn or ZnO. These results indicated that dietary 100 mg CS-Zn/kg had similar biological effects to dietary 3000 mg ZnO/kg on intestinal morphology, mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis and mucosal immune function.

A total of 120 weanling barrows weighing 6.11 ± 0.20 kg were randomly allotted to four treatments with three replications (i.e. pen) of ten piglets per replicate. Pigs were received corn-soybean basal diet (control) or the same basal diet supplemented with the following sources of zinc: (i) 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 ; (ii) 100 mg/kg of Zn as chitosan-Zn chelate (CS-Zn); and (iii) 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 mixed with chitosan (CS + ZnSO4 ). The results showed that CS-Zn could highly improve average daily gain and average daily feed intake than those of ZnSO4 or CS+ ZnSO4 (P0.05). The pigs fed dietary CS-Zn had lower diarrhea incidence and higher apparent digestibility of crude protein than those of the pigs fed dietary ZnSO4 (P0.05). The protease activities in duodenal content of the pigs receiving CS-Zn diets was higher than that of the pigs fed dietary ZnSO4 or CS + ZnSO4 (P0.05). The amylase activity in duodenal content of the pigs fed dietary CS-Zn was higher than that of the pigs receiving ZnSO4 diets or basal diets (P0.05). These results indicated that dietary CS-Zn showed different bioactivities from ZnSO4 or CS + ZnSO4 in reducing the incidence of diarrhea, improving activities of digestive enzymes and growth performance of weaned pigs.

Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) is an immune regulatory enzyme that oxidizes tryptophan to kynurenine. IDO1 is overexpressed in numerous tumor cells that block T-cell activation, induce T-cell apoptosis and increase regulatory T cells, which create an environment in which tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes are no longer able to attack a patient's cancer cells. IDO1 inhibition reverses the immune suppression at the tumor site and allows the generation of an effective anticancer immune response. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that IDO1 inhibitors increase the anticancer immune response and dramatically increase the efficacy of various therapeutic agents especially the immune checkpoint antibodies targeting PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4. Via structure-based design, we have discovered a series of novel and potent IDO1 inhibitors that demonstrate strong IDO1 on-target activity with IC50 values ranging from 10 nM to 50 nM against human IDO1 enzyme. These compounds potently inhibit IDO1 in tumor-bearing mice as well as in Hela cells with lower single-digit to lower double digit nM IC50. The lead compound selected for clinical development shows good ADME profile, low serum binding, and good efficacy in various murine animal models when dosed orally and subcutaneously alone or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Preclinical evaluation of the compound will be presented in details. Citation Format: Shengyang Liu, Taoliangshan Tao, Yue Liang, Hongli Guo, Xiaogang Ye, Zhiheng Wu, Fang Bao, Heping Yang, Yaxian Cai, Gangjing Yang, Longsheng Wang, Fang Liu, Guangliang Fu, Xiaolei Liu, Jiangang Du, Ping Qin, Yuanfei Ma, Panhu Zhu, Yajun Yu, Chen Ma, Pei Wang, Liping Zhao, Yuxun Wang, Daxin Gao, Qun Li. Discovery of novel and potent inhibitors of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) for cancer immunotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4877.

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which is wildly used for IP-based multimedia communication, is an application-layer protocol to handle sessions between two points. SIP is implemented on the top of user datagram protocol (UDP) or transmission control protocol (TCP). This study proposed a Colored Petri Nets (CPN) based formal model of the INVITE transaction of SIP over reliable and unreliable transport channel. Then, simulation and state space analysis are utilized to validate the model and verify some higher functional properties of SIP. The proposed formal model could not only be served as an unambiguous and visual formal specification of SIP, but also facilitate protocol behavior simulation and properties analysis.