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Process safety is always a core issue in chemical industry, which is conventionally not taken into consideration during the conceptual design stage of a process flowsheet. Distillation handles more than ninety percent of the separation and purification tasks of hazardous chemicals and accounts for no less than forty percent of the total energy consumption. Therefore, this work presents an inherently safer synthesis framework for thermally coupled distillati on sequences with structure constraints, which can efficiently quantify and optimize the inherent safety index of each column configuration in the sequence, based on State-Task Network and Dow's F&El. To efficiently quantify the inherent safety index of each column configuration, a series of structure constraints are proposed. Within the superstructure, Hengstebeck-Underwood-Gilliland shortcut method is employed for distillation column design. Finally, two hazardous zeotropic mixture separation examples are performed to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed synthesis methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a wide-range leaky-wave antenna with fast scanning rate and open-stopband (OSB) suppression based on microstrip spoof surface plasmon polaritons (MSSPPs) is proposed. First, the high-scanning-rate theory is analyzed. And based on the theory, the MSSPPs is used to radiate the fan beam rather than quasi-omnidirectional beam. In order to suppress the OSB, a capacitive slot is introduced using the proposed method of impedance matching. The prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated and the measured results show that the antenna has 140° scanning range from −72° to 68° with the scanning rate of 8.8 and reflection coefficient lower than −10 dB in 8.7–10.2 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within a transport model coupled with a microscopic coalescence model, the directed and elliptic flows of protons and deuterons as well as their scalling properties are studied in the centrality of 20-30% Au+Au collisions at s NN = 2.4 GeV. It is found that the flows as well as their scaling properties simulated with the isospin- and momentum-dependent nuclear mean field with an incompressibility K 0 = 230 MeV fit fairly the HADES data, while those simulated with the commonly used momentum-independent nuclear mean field with an incompressibility K 0 = 380 MeV can only fit partially the HADES data. Moreover, by checking the rapidity distributions of both protons and deuterons in the centrality of 0-10% Au+Au collisions at s NN = 2.4 GeV, we find that the rapidity distributions of deuterons are underestimated while those of protons are overestimated by the simulations with the momentum-independent nuclear mean field. In contrast, the rapidity distributions of both protons and deuterons simulated with the isospin- and momentum-dependent nuclear mean field are in good agreement with the HADES data. Our findings imply that the momentum dependence of nuclear mean field is an unavoidable feature for a fundamental understanding of nuclear matter properties and for the successful interpretation of the HADES data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methionine was demonstrated to be the most limiting amino acid for growing sheep when microbial protein is the predominant source of absorbable AA, but its specific requirement was not well quantified. The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method is based on the concept that when the most limiting amino acid (LAA) is deficient for protein synthesis, then all other AAs will be oxidized. With increasing intakes of the LAA, IAAO will decrease until the requirement for the LAA is met, and there is no further change in the indicator oxidation afterwards. Therefore, the catabolism of 13 C-Phe was used to indicate the effects of varying duodenal infusing levels of Met on the oxidation rate by 4-month-old Kazakh lambs (30.8 ± 0.4 kg BW). After a 6-d adaptation period, the IAAO test was conducted on d 7. Each lamb received a priming dose of 0.67 mg/kg BW of 13 C-Phe injected via the jugular vein, together with 0.18 mg/kg BW of NaH 13 CO 3 at time 0. Then, constant infusions [1.33 mg 13 C-Phe/(kg h) −1 ] were started. Breath samples were collected prior to and half-hourly between 90 and 210 min after the start of the 13 C-Phe infusions. An estimate of the mean Met requirement was determined by a breakpoint analysis of the rate of 13 CO 2 released by 13 C-Phe oxidation, with a 2-phase linear regression model. The oxidation rate of 13 C-Phe decreased (P < 0.001) with increasing amounts of methionine infused in a dose-dependent fashion up to 1.65 g/day, and it was not different from 1.65 to 2.15 g/day (P > 0.05). The mean Met requirement was estimated to be 1.28 ± 0.11 g/day of supplementation. The total postruminal minimum requirement of Met would be 2.02 g/day when the basal passage of Met (0.74 g/day) was summed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), complex mixtures of polychlorinated alkanes, are widely used in various industries and are thus ubiquitous in the receiving environment. The present study comprehensively reviewed the occurrence, fate and ecological risk of CPs in various environmental matrices in Asia. Releases from the production and consumption of CPs or CP-containing materials, wastewater discharge and irrigation, sewage sludge application, long-range atmospheric transport and aerial deposition have been found to be most likely sources and transport mechanisms for the dispersion of CPs in various environmental matrices, such as air, water, sediment, soil and biota. CPs can be bioaccumulated in biota and biomagnified through food webs, likely causing toxic ecological effects in organisms and posing health risks to humans. Inhalation, dust ingestion and dietary intake are strongly suggested as the major routes of human exposure. Research gaps are discussed to highlight the perspectives of future research to improve future efforts regarding the analysis of CPs, the environmental occurrence and elimination of CPs, the total environmental pressure, and the risks to organisms and populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a novel type of liquid-filled simplified hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs), and investigate their transmission properties with various filling liquids, including water, ethanol and FC-40. The loss and dispersion characterizations are calculated for different fiber parameters including strut thickness and core diameter. The results show that there are still low-loss windows existing for liquid-filled simplified HC-PCFs, and the low-loss windows and dispersions can be easily tailored by filling different liquids. Such liquid-filled simplified HC-PCFs open up many possibilities for nonlinear fiber optics, optical, biochemical and medical sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a Padé compact high-order finite volume scheme is presented for the solution of one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equations. The compact high-order finite volume schemes posses inherent conservation of the equations and high order accuracy within small stencils. Fourier error analysis demonstrates that the spectral resolution of the Padé compact finite volume scheme exceeds that of the standard finite volume schemes in terms of the same order of accuracy. Besides, the linear stability of the temporal discretization scheme is also performed by using the Fourier analysis. Numerical results are obtained for the nonlinear Schrödinger equations with various initial and boundary conditions, which manifests high accuracy and validity of the Padé compact finite volume scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the flame propagation behaviors during coal dust explosions, a kind of coal dust cloud was studied through experiment and numerical simulation in semi-enclosed vertical combustion tubes with different lengths. A high speed video camera and a thermal infrared imaging device were used to record the flame propagation process. The result indicated that the supreme flame propagation velocity and the highest flame temperature both rose gradually with the tube length increasing. Meanwhile, FLUENT was applied to numerical simulation of flame propagation behaviors during the coal dust explosions. The simulation result showed the flame combustion and the temperature varying process was consistent with the experimental result. It also revealed the distribution of flow velocity in the flow field during the combustion process, which indicated that flow velocity higher than flame propagation velocity was an important reason for dust re-entrainment and consistent explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sign pattern (matrix) A is a matrix whose entries are from the set {+,-,0} . If no entry of A is zero, then A is called a full sign pattern. The inertia of a real matrix A is the ordered triple (n+,n-,n0), in which n+, n- and n0 are the numbers of its eigenvalues (counting multiplicities) with positive, negative and zero real parts, respectively. The refined inertia of A is the ordered 4-tuple (n+,n-,nz, 2np) where nz (resp., 2np) is the number of zero (resp., nonzero pure imaginary) eigenvalues of A. An nxn sign pattern A is an inertially arbitrary pattern (IAP) if it allows all possible inertias. Similarly, A is a refined inertially arbitrary pattern (rIAP) if it allows all possible refined inertias. A proper subset S of the set of all possible inertias (resp., refined inertia) of real matrices of order n is called a critical set of inertias (resp., critical set of refined inertias) for a family F of sign patterns of order n if for every A∈F, S⊆i(A) ensures that A is inertially arbitrary (resp., S⊆ri(A) ensures that A is refined inertially arbitrary); S is called a minimal critical set of inertias (resp., minimal critical set of refined inertias) for F if no proper subset of S is a critical set of inertias (resp., refined inertias) for F. In this paper, all minimal critical sets of inertias and refined inertias for 3x3 full sign patterns are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Twenty- five coumarin-isoxazole derivatives were highly synthesized by [3+ 2] cycloaddition reaction. • The benzene ring of oximes (b4 - b5) was chlorinated to obtain imidoyl chlorides (c4-c5). • The structure of MC-16 was confirmed by X- ray. • MC-14 (IC50 = 12.85 μM/ L, SI= 11.23) exhibited selecteive cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line. • Docking study between bioactive compounds and protein residue of tubulin (PDB ID: 6O5N) was performed. In here, a series of coumarin-isoxazole derivatives were synthesized, characterized by spectroscopy technologies and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell lines. Meanwhile, eight bioactive compounds were also evaluated for their toxicity on normal Vero cell lines. MC-16 , a monoclinic crystal with P21/c space group, was further confirmed by X-ray and 2D-NMR. Results demonstrated that b5 was reacted with 7 equivalents NCS to given c5, and then MC-16 was obtained by the reaction of nitrile oxides derivatized from c5 with e1 , passing intermediate state TS1. Bioactive results indicated that eight compounds (MC-2, MC-4, MC-5, MC-9, MC-10, MC-14, MC-19 and MC-20) exhibited weak to strong cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell lines, and their toxicity to Vero cells was much lower than that of Cisplatin (IC 50 (HpeG2) = 8.44 μM/ L, IC 50 (Vero) = 28.63 μM/ L, SI= 3.39). Among them, MC-14 (IC 50 (HpeG2) = 12.85 μM/ L, IC 50 (Vero) = 144.32 μM/ L, SI= 11.23) owned the strongest anti- HepG2 activity and obviously induced apoptosis under 48 μM. Structure-relationship analysis displayed that substituent group R = Cl or Br was the key factors to enhance the anti-HepG2 activity. The docking results revealed that bioactive compounds can effectively interacted with protein (PDB ID: 6O5N). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a simple approach to design a reconfigurable feeding network (RFN) for antenna array beam scanning is presented. By combining a 3 dB power divider and a reconfigurable delay line group (RDLG), the two output signals with 2 m+n sets of uniformly distributed phase gradients (PGs) can be obtained. And by adopting multi two-output RFNs and multi-stage design, a RFN for generating 2 m+n continuously distributed beams is constructed. For verifying the design method, a microstrip four-output RFN for generating four scanning beams is implemented, fabricated and measured. The measured results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, which provides the validity of the design. And the design of the RFN can be used as a candidate of the feeding network for antenna array beam scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shaker-like K + outward rectifying channel (SKOR) is involved in mediating long-distance K + transport from roots to shoots. In this study, a Shaker-like outward K + channel gene CmSKOR (GenBank accession number MF447462 ) was isolated from melon ( Cucumis melo L.). Phylogenetic analysis showed that CmSKOR belongs to the SKOR-subfamily in the Shaker-like K + channel family. Electrophysiological experiments indicated that CmSKOR was a K + -permeable channel with low affinity. Expressed in Xenopus oocytes, CmSKOR displayed classical Shaker-like outwardly rectifying K + currents. Confocal imaging of a CmSKOR – yellow fluorescent fusion protein (YFP) in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum leaves indicated that CmSKOR was located in the plasma membrane. Transcript analysis showed CmSKOR predominantly expressed in melon roots and with lower abundance in stem and leaves. In addition, both external K + and NaCl treatment could up-regulate the expression of CmSKOR in melon and enhance the K + content in shoot. Constitutive overexpressed CmSKOR in Arabidopsis thaliana , the transgenic plants showed changes in root length in MS plates, displayed higher maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), higher fresh and dry weight, and accumulation of K + in shoot, together with the changes of transcript amount of CmSKOR with NaCl treatments in mixture substrate. In conclusion, it was proposed that CmSKOR may play the role on distributing K + to the shoot in melon and its constitutive expression in Arabidopsis improved saline tolerance by maintaining K + homeostasis in the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramics are highly valued for their exceptional thermal resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures. This study investigated the production of ceramic-like pressed geopolymer, focusing on the effects of aging period and sintering temperature. The results showed that the 7-day pressed geopolymer achieved the highest compressive (134.7 MPa) and flexural (34.9 MPa) strengths after sintering at 1000°C, with a density retention of 93.7 %, a mass loss of 7.9 %, and a thermal shrinkage of 1.4 %. Microstructural analysis at 1000°C showed a dense ceramic-like structure with nepheline formation. Phase analysis of the 7-day pressed geopolymer revealed a decrease in the amorphous phase as temperature increased, with nepheline formed at 800°C (26.0 %) and maximized at 1000°C (61.0 %). This work offers an optimal aging period and sintering temperature to maximize the mechanical strength and nepheline crystal formation, making them perfect for fire-resistant panels and precast construction products. • Pressed geopolymer was formed at various aging times and sintering temperatures. • The highest mechanical strength was achieved by the 7d pressed geopolymer at 1000°C. • The residual compressive strength at 1000°C ascends in 28d < 7d < 1d. • Gel matrix transformed into a ceramic-like structure with rising temperature. • The 7d pressed geopolymer has the most nepheline phase formation at 1000°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal inflammation and accelerated decline in lung function occur in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Klotho, an anti-aging protein, has an anti-inflammatory function. However, the role of Klotho has never been investigated in COPD. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible role of Klotho by alveolar macrophages in airway inflammation in COPD. Klotho levels were assessed in the lung samples and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of non-smokers, smokers, and patients with COPD. The regulation of Klotho expression by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was studied in vitro, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) and recombinant Klotho were employed to investigate the role of Klotho on CSE-induced inflammation. Klotho expression was reduced in alveolar macrophages in the lungs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COPD patients. CSE decreased Klotho expression and release from MH-S cells. Knockdown of endogenous Klotho augmented the expression of the inflammatory mediators, such as MMP-9, IL-6, and TNF-α, by MH-S cells. Exogenous Klotho inhibited the expression of CSE-induced inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, we showed that Klotho interacts with IκBα of the NF-κB pathway. Dexamethasone treatment increased the expression and release level of Klotho in MH-S cells. Our findings suggest that Klotho plays a role in sustained inflammation of the lungs, which in turn may have therapeutic implications in COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissimilar metals of AA6013 aluminum alloy and Q235 low-carbon steel of 2.5 mm thickness were butt joined using a 10 kW fiber laser welding system with ER4043 filler metal. The study indicates that it is feasible to join aluminum alloy to steel by butt joints when zinc layer was hot-dip galvanized at the steel's groove face in advance, and better weld appearance can be obtained at appropriate welding parameters. The joints had dual characteristics of a welding joint on the aluminum side and a brazing joint on the steel side. The smooth Fe2Al5 layer adjacent to the steel matrix and the serrated-shape FeAl3 layer close to the weld metal were formed at the brazing interface. The overall thickness of Fe-Al intermetallic compounds layers produced in this experiment were varied from 1.8 μm to 6.2 μm at various welding parameters with laser power of 2.85-3.05 kW and wire feed speed of 5-7 m/min. The Al/steel butt joints were failed at the brazing interface during the tensile test and reached the maximum tensile strength of 120 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu2+ doped aluminosilicate phosphors (Ca2AlMg0.5Si1.5O7:Eu2+ (CAMS:Eu2+)) for white near-UV w-LEDs have been synthesized by solid-state reaction at 1250 °C. The phase and crystal structure of CAMS have been analyzed by using XRD. The material with a relatively low Eu2+ concentration displayed a peak in excitation spectrum at 372 nm and a tunable emission spectrum. The colorimetric coordinate of sample with optimum Eu2+ concentration locates in green-yellow region with coordinate value of (0.2639, 0.6212). When the phosphor was pumped by UV light (λ ≈ 372 nm), we obtained bright green-yellow light, suggesting this material has a potential application as a NUV converting green-yellow phosphor for the NUV w-LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interoception plays an important role in psychological functioning and mental and physical health. Recent studies have highlighted the need to distinguish between different aspects of interoception in self-report measures, including subjective interoceptive accuracy and attention. However, there is currently no questionnaire available in Chinese to measure either of these aspects, especially in patients with chronic pain conditions. This paper presents a Chinese translation of the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS; Murphy et al., 2020). In three studies (N = 1166), we examined the factor structure and improved dimensionality of the Chinese IAS using factor analysis and item response theory models, compared its criterion validity in respondents with and without chronic pain, and examined its construct (convergent and discriminant) validity using network analysis approach. We demonstrated that the Chinese IAS is essentially unidimensional and developed a refined short form (IAS-SF) with improved unidimensionality. Both the Chinese IAS and IAS-SF showed comparable criterion validity in respondents with and without chronic pain, and both showed acceptable construct validity. Overall, the Chinese IAS and Chinese IAS-SF will be useful tools for researchers and clinicians interested in interoceptive processes in Chinese populations or cross-cultural settings, especially in pain research. • We introduced the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS) into Chinese. • Construct validity was examined using traditional and network approach. • Criterion validity was comparable in individuals with and without chronic pain. • A short form with improved dimensionality was developed with IRT analysis. • Both full and short forms have acceptable validity in general and clinical populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer gel foam shows excellent development potential and application prospects in the prevention of coal spontaneous combustion. To reveal the relationship between the characteristics of gel foam and the prevention of coal spontaneous combustion, XG/GG/HPAM gel foam consisting of polymer xanthan gum (XG), guar gum (GG), and polyacrylamide (HPAM) is prepared. The characteristics of gel foam are investigated in terms of microstructure, viscosity, thermal stability, and film-forming. The effects of gel foam on gas products, characteristic temperature, combustion characteristics parameters, and functional groups during coal oxidation are studied. The results show that polymer delays the foam coarsening and improves the foam stability. XG/GG/HPAM gel foam exhibits a slow foam coarsening process, concentrated bubble diameter distribution, shear-thinning behavior, excellent thermal stability, and film-forming properties. Moreover, the inhibition rate of XG/GG/HPAM gel foam on coal is 43.63% higher than that of ordinary foam. XG/GG/HPAM gel foam effectively improves the apparent activation energy of coal, the maximum weight loss rate of the coal is decreased by 7.55%, and the combustibility, combustion stability, and comprehensive combustion index are diminished by 8.50%, 7.64%, and 10.17%, respectively. Simultaneously, XG/GG/HPAM gel foam reduces the oxidation activity of aliphatic hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing functional groups in coal, blocks the chain reaction, and thus inhibits coal spontaneous combustion. The results provide support for achieving efficient fire prevention performance of gel foam. [Display omitted] • The stability of gel foam was characterized by microstructure and water loss rate. • The effects of gel foam on combustion characteristics and oxidation kinetics of coal were discussed. • XG/GG/HPAM gel foam reduces oxidation activity of coal aliphatic hydrocarbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suppression effects of ABC powder on 100 nm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dust explosions with different mass densities were experimentally studied. Results showed that the suppressed flames were dim and the flame propagation was slowed down with the addition of ABC powder. When the proportion of suppressant increased, the average propagation velocity was decreased. After adding 30% ABC powder to 650 g/m³ PMMA dust cloud, the maximum suppression ratio for velocity was 93%. After adding 10% ABC powder, the temperatures of PMMA dust cloud with the mass densities of 250 g/m³, 450 g/m³ and 650 g/m³ were decreased to 19.8%, 27.4% and 33.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the critical suppression proportion of PMMA dust explosion with three mass densities were 25%, 35% and 35%. Thermal analysis results showed that the addition of suppressant could increase the thermal stability of PMMA. The suppression mechanisms were comprised of physical suppression and chemical suppression which reflected on the consumption of H and OH radicals. The chemical kinetic models indicated that PO2 and HOPO played a catalytic role in the combination of H and OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Exothermic of pulverized coal on various oxygen concentrations was researched. • Revealing three oxidation stages of low-temperature oxidation of pulverized coal. • Apparent activation energies on various oxygen concentrations were investigated. • Low oxygen concentration had inhibitive effect on exothermic of pulverized coal. Abstract Low-temperature exothermic oxidation characteristics of pulverized sub-bituminous coal was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry system in atmospheres where the oxygen concentrations were 21, 17, 13, 9, and 5 vol. %, respectively. The results indicate that the heat flow gradually decreases after it reaches the maximum value. A decreased oxygen concentration had a delaying effect on the heat flow and derivative of heat flow curves. A low oxygen concentration has typical stage characteristics for inhibiting the exothermic oxidation of pulverized coal. The oxygen concentration has a significant influence on the kinetics characteristics and kinetics parameters. The apparent activation energy increased under different oxygen concentrations with an increase in the conversion rate. The apparent activation energy was less than that in the low oxygen concentration under a high oxygen concentration. When the oxygen concentration less than 9%, the activation energy increases significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug albendazole (ABZ) has a positive effect against Trichinella spiralis infection and has been used for the treatment and prevention of trichinellosis in humans and animals. However, the molecular mechanism ofthe effects of ABZ on T. spiralis remains unknown. Albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) is the main intermediary metabolic product of ABZ, and it is often used as a substitute for ABZ in metabolism and bioavailability research. Herein, isobaric tagging reagents for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based LC–MS/MS analysis was used to identify the effect of ABZSO on the proteome of T. spiralis muscle larvae in vitro . 3795 proteins were quantified from 22974 unique peptides. Comparative proteomics analysis displayed that 417 proteins were remarkably differentially expressed in ABZSO-treated larvae, of which 213 proteins were up-regulated and 204 proteins were down-regulated. Quantitative real-time PCR of ten randomly-selected genes verified the proteomic data. Gene ontology annotation and KEGG pathway analysis showed that most of the differentially expressed proteins were involved in cell apoptosis, signal pathway, amino acid metabolism, protein synthesis/assembly/degradation and other biological processes. This study firstly provided the comprehensive proteomics data of T. spiralis in response to ABZSO, and would help us to deeply understand the molecular mechanism of ABZSO effects on T. spiralis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk stratification using molecular features could potentially help distinguish indolent from aggressive prostate cancer (PCa). Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) acquire an abnormal enzymatic activity, resulting in the production of 2-hydroxyglutarate and alterations in cellular metabolism, histone modification, and DNA methylation. Mutant IDH1 has been identified in various human malignancies, and IDH1R132H constituted the vast majority of mutational events of IDH1.Most recent studies suggested that IDH1mutations define amethylator subtype in PCa. However, the function of IDH1R132H in PCa development and progression is largely unknown. In this study, we showed that the prevalence of IDH1R132H in Chinese PCa patients is 0.6% (2/336). Of note, IDH1R132H-mutant PCa patients lacked other canonical genomic lesions (e.g., ERG rearrangement, PTEN deletion) that are common in most other PCa patients. The in vitro experiment suggested that IDH1R132H can promote proliferation of benign prostate epithelial cell RWPE-1 when under the situation of low cytokine. It could also promotemigration capacity ofRWPE-1 cells. Mechanistically, IDH1R132H was an important regulator of insulin-like growth factor 1receptor (IGF1R) by downregulating a set ofmicroRNAs (miR-141-3p, miR-7-5p, miR-223-3p). These microRNAs were repressed by the alteration of epigenetic modification to decrease the enrichment of active marker H3K4me3 or to increase repressive marker H3K27me3 at their promoters. Collectively, we proposed a novel model for an IDH1R132H-microRNAs-IGF1R regulatory axis, which might provide insight into the function of IDH1R132H in PCa development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spruce can grow at an extra low temperature (LT), and is inferred with important antifreezing gene resources. The research here identified 4 different spruce varieties, named as PicW1 , PicW2 , PicM and PicK . Sequence alignment showed base-substitution and deficiency mutations among them with sequence identity between 97.61% and 99.25%. Each gene was transferred into E. coli , where protein was induced by IPTG (isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactoside). Strains cultured at −5 °C showed the lethal dose 50% (LD-50) between 53 h and 57 h for the transgenic strains, but 35 h for the control. Strains cultivated at −20 °C showed the LD-50 between 38 h and 44 h for the transgenic strains, but 25 h for the control. Further, the soluble gene proteins were extracted and purified for Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) test, which showed characteristic thermal hysteresis (TH) value of 0.77 °C (PicW1), 0.78 °C (PicW2), 0.72 °C (PicM), and 0.86 °C (PicK) respectively, significantly higher than the value of 0.05 °C of the control (BSA). Summarily, four homologous proteins showed good antifreeze property with the range from high to low as PicK > PicW2 > PicW1 > PicM. It suggested that they can be used as resources for genetic engineering of plant cold tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) shows promise as a nanocomposite building block due to its exceptional mechanical properties. While atomistic simulations have become central to investigating its mechanical properties, the method remains prohibitively expensive for large deformations and mesoscale failure mechanisms. To overcome this, we establish a coarse-grained (CG) model that captures key mechanical and interfacial properties, and the non-homogeneous effect of oxidation in GO sheets. The CG model consists of three types of CG beads, representing groups of pristine sp² carbon atoms, and hydroxyl and epoxide functionalized regions. The CG force field is parameterized based on density functional-based tight binding simulations on three extreme cases. It accurately quantifies deterioration of tensile modulus and strength at the expense of improving interlayer adhesion with increasing oxidation of varying chemical compositions. We demonstrate the applicability of the model to study mesoscale phenomena by reproducing different force vs. indentation curves in silico, corroborating recent experimental observations on how chemistry near contact point influences properties. Finally, we apply the model to measure the fracture toughness of pristine graphene and GO. The critical stress intensity factor (Kc) of graphene is found to be the highest, and epoxide-rich GO also possesses higher Kc compared to hydroxyl-rich GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-tail approach was employed to design novel Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) IX inhibitors by simultaneously matching the hydrophobic and hydrophilic halves of the active site, which also contains a zinc ion as part of the catalytic center. The classic sulfanilamide moiety was used as the zinc binding group. An amino glucosamine fragment was chosen as the hydrophilic part and a cinnamamide fragment as the hydrophobic part in order to draw favorable interactions with the corresponding halves of the active site. In comparison with sulfanilamide which is largely devoid of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions with the two halves of the active site, the compounds so designed and synthesized in this study showed 1000-fold improvement in binding affinity. Most of the compounds inhibited the CA effectively with IC 50 values in the range of 7–152 nM. Compound 14e (IC 50 : 7 nM) was more effective than the reference drug acetazolamide (IC 50 : 30 nM). The results proved that the dual-tail approach to simultaneously matching the hydrophobic and hydrophilic halves of the active site by linking hydrophobic and hydrophilic fragments was useful for designing novel CA inhibitors. The effectiveness of those compounds was elucidated by both the experimental data and molecular docking simulations. This work laid a solid foundation for further development of novel CA IX inhibitors for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a method to establish a one-step global reaction mechanism for predicting the ignition delay time. The activation energy database applied in 850–1800K temperature, 0.1–100 atm pressure and a wider excess air coefficient within the range of flammable limit was constructed and the one-step reaction mechanism was then obtained for a specified chemical reaction state through a look-up or Lagrange interpolation technology. The present one-step global mechanism is able to predict the accurate ignition delay time compared with the detailed mechanism, and is superior to the other available reduced mechanisms. Coupled to a high-order in-house Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code, the current reaction mechanism is successfully applied to numerical simulations of supersonic chemically reacting mixing layers under different flow conditions. The numerical predictions of supersonic combustion process, ignition position as well as averaged flow fields, using the present mechanism are comparable to the results using the detailed mechanism. Therefore, this simplified reaction mechanism is suitable for fast simulation-based designs in industrial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, the microstructure and corrosion resistance of a Cu-bearing 316 L stainless steel coatings prepared by laser melting deposition (LMD) in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution were mainly investigated. The results showed that Cu can enrich in the dendrite to form FCC ε-Cu in the 316 L stainless steel, while possessing little affect on the microstructure morphology. The Cu addition facilitates the corrosion products forming in the interdendritic of coating, which protects the coating surface from being etched, improving its corrosion resistance in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution. With the Cu content increasing from 0 wt% to 7.52 wt%, the open circuit voltage of coating increases from −302.8 mV to −116.2 mV, the corrosion current density decreases from 1.64 × 10−3 μA cm−2 to 1.54 × 10−6 μA cm−2, and the polarization resistance increases from 36.9 Ω∙cm2 to 14240.3 Ω cm2. • A good metallurgical bond formed between the coating and TC4 alloy substrate. • The NiTi-based coating mainly consists of NiTi, Ti 2 Ni and Ni 3 Ti intermetallic compounds. • The microhardness of coating is up to 650 HV, which is 2.2 times than that of TC4 alloy. • The electrochemical corrosion resistance of coating is slightly inferior to TC4 alloy. • The wear resistance of coating is 1.7 times higher than that of TC4 alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion instabilities of diluted hydrogen and air driven by the large scale vortex in supersonic reacting mixing layer flows have been numerically studied using detailed chemical reaction kinetics and accurate transport properties. The overall unburned, unstable and stable combustion modes are then observed under different air temperature conditions, corresponding to 925, 1100, and 1600 K. Very large pressure oscillations are observed for the reacting flow with the medium-temperature air, the amplitudes of which are several times larger than those of the unreactive flow or stable combustion case. The analyses show that the auto-ignition of fuel and oxidizer premixed mixtures are formed inside the turbulent shedding vortexes and causes the extremely high local pressures; hence, large amplitude pressure oscillations occur. The mixing layer is ignited very close to the inlet and in advance of the vortex shedding of the flow with the high-temperature air, and the diffusion combustion moves downstream. It is concluded that the auto-ignition of the fuel and oxidizer premixed mixtures induced by the turbulent coherent structures could lead to combustion instability and drive the transition from the partially premixed quasi-constant-volume combustion to the diffusion combustion depending on the increasing air stream temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer composites containing two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can achieve enhanced thermal conductivity (TC), and such enhancement is more pronounced along the orientation direction of h-BN platelets. In this paper, an analytical model was developed for simultaneously calculating the anisotropic TC of polymer composites containing aligned h-BN platelets. A unit cell was first abstracted based on the morphological observation in the literature. Then the thermal resistance method and coordinate transformation were used to derive the TC of the composites. The model was successfully validated by the experimental data from two independent literature studies over a large range of filler contents. The dependence of TC on the key parameters of the model, including the orientation angle and geometric dimension of the h-BNs, and the interfacial thermal resistance, were quantitatively analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser interferometric gravitational wave detection in space holds the promise of being a new window to probe and address certain key problems in astronomy and cosmology, such as stellar evolution and galaxy formation in the early Universe, co-evolution of black holes and galaxies, etc. After two phases of feasibility study commissioned by Chinese Academy of Sciences and under the support of the Pioneer Explorer (Xiandao) Program, by considering relative merits between scientific significance and technological viability, a preliminary Chinese mission design with measurement waveband from mHz to 0.1 Hz is put forward, with the primary drivers being intermediate and supermassive black hole binaries at high redshift as well as intermediate mass ratio inspirals within dense star clusters in our local Universe. On the basis of the mission design, the scientific significance of gravitational wave detection in space as a possible new probe in astronomy is briefiy discussed. The primary science drivers together with the potential detection capability of the Chinese mission design will also be touched upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thromboelastography (TEG) was performed to assess potential hypercoagulability in Nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) and to explore correlated factors contributing to hypercoagulable status Materials and Methods: 101 MN patients, 61 minimal change disease (MCD) patients and 20 healthy controls met the inclusion criteria. The MN and MCD patients were stratified into two layers according to serum albumin (SALB) levels (< 20 g/l or 20-30 g/l). Primary outcome measures included reaction time (R), α-angle, maximum amplitude (MA) and coagulation index (CI). TEG parameters of four patient subgroups were analyzed in factorial designed ANOVA with factors disease and SALB. Results: By linear regression analysis, TEG parameters in MN patients correlated with SALB (P < 0.01) and the ANOVA for factorial designed data confirmed that the main effects of factors SALB and disease were both statistically significant. Besides, comparison between control group and patient subgroups showed that R value in normal controls was significantly higher than that in MN subgroups, but was not statistically different from that in MCD subgroups. NS patients (MCD, MN) had significantly higherα-angle, MA and CI values than healthy controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: MN patients tend to be more hypercoagulable than normal and MCD patients. Hypercoagulability in MN patients involves the whole thrombotic processes acceleration (activated intrinsic pathway, fibrinogen, platelet function and fibrin-platelet interaction), whereas hypercoagulable state in MCD patients may be that the coagulation factors are not fully activated. Greater efforts should be made to prevent hypercoagulability especially for MN patients with severe hypoalbuminemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new iridoids, jatamanvaltrates R–S ( 1 – 2 ) and jatamanin Q ( 3 ), as well as three new sesquiterpenoids, valeriananoids D–E ( 4 , 5 ) and clovane-2 β -isovaleroxy-9 α -ol ( 6 ), together with nine known compounds were isolated from the roots of Valeriana jatamansi Jones. Compound 2 was the first reported iridoid with fatty acid esters in the Valerianaceae family. The structures of new compounds were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Moreover, all the isolates were evaluated for inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase (AChE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Mean platelet volume (MPV) is related to the reactivity of platelets. Among survivors of acute myocardial infarction (MI), greater MPV is known to be associated with impaired reperfusion and higher mortality. The aims of the study is to investigate the dynamic changes of MPV and the relation between MPV and cardiac function in patients with acute MI and received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients presented during January 2008 to March 2011 to Peking University Third Hospital with ST-segment elevation MI. All patients received successful PCI. MPV was measured serially, using a Sysmex XE2100 haematology analyser, from admission to day-7 after MI. Results In 375 patients, MPV was at its highest value (10.2 ± 1.0 fL) and correlated well with platelet distribution width (PDW, r = 0.833, p < 0.0001) at the admission, and then reduced by 16% within the 24 hours, together with marked weakening of its correlation with PDW. Patients with poorer ventricular function, estimated by high Killip Class (≥ 2, n = 96), had higher MPV values at all-time points. By logistic regression model and after adjusting for related confounders, high MPV remained as an independent predictor of Killip Class ≥ 2 (OR 1.873, CI 95% 1.373 - 2.673, p = 0.001). Clopidogrel pre-usage resulted in significant MPV reduction on admission. Conclusions MPV undergoes rapid and dynamic changes during the acute phase of MI, and was higher in patients with high Killip Class, suggesting a predictive value of MPV in ventricular dysfunction and clinical outcome of acute phase of MI. Highlights • Mean platelet volume (MPV) undergoes dynamic changes following acute MI; • Early increment of MPV predicts higher Killip Class scores; • Clopidogrel pre-use is associated with a lower MPV value at hospital admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid filler with proper filler ratio can remarkably improve the thermal conductivity of polymer composites by the synergistic effect. However, there is a lack of an effective mathematical model that could describe such effect or predict the optimal ratio of the hybrid filler. In this paper, a two-step analytical model was developed for calculating the effective thermal conductivity ( k eff ) of epoxy composites containing hybrid single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) filler. Based on the experimental observation in the literature, a unit cell containing a GNP–SWCNTs–GNP sandwich structure was abstracted, and thermal resistance method and effective medium approach were used to derive the model with the assumption that the effective height of the SWNCTs in the unit cell follows the normal distribution. The modeling results were highly consistent with the experiment results in the literature. The synergistic effect was clearly observed and the optimal ratio of hybrid filler could be predicted from the model. Effect of the key parameters on the k eff in the model were also analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of granular X-type zeolite/activated carbon composites from a locally available elutrilithe by adding pitch powder and solid SiO2 was studied, and the variations in the synthesis process of zeolite X were investigated. The preparation steps of the composite involved (1) calcination of pre-shaped mixture (2) activation of the carbonaceous material from elutrilithe and pitch to prepare activated carbon and (3) hydrothermal conversion (zeolitisation) of aluminosilicate in elutrilithe and additional SiO2 to zeolite X in alkaline medium. The adding of additional SiO2 in the reaction system to adjust SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of the reaction mixture was necessary for the formation of zeolite X. The characterization of XRD, SEM and N2 adsorption of the resulting composites had a hierarchical pore structure, which shows that pure X-type zeolite phase with high crystallinity could be obtained regardless of the content of carbon in the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the composition and possible sources of aerosol particles in Beijing urban area, a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) was deployed from April 22 to May 4, 2011. 510,341 particles out of 2,953,200 sized particles were characterized by SPAMS in combination with the ART-2a neural network algorithm. The particles were classified as rich-K (39.79%), carbonaceous species (32.7%), industry metal (19.2%), dust (5.7%), and rich-Na (1.76%). Industrial emissions related particles, rich-Fe, rich-Pb, and K-nitrate, were the major components of aerosol particles during haze periods, which were mainly from the steel plants and metal smelting processes around Beijing. Under stagnant meterological conditions, these regional emissions have a vital effect on haze formation. Organic carbon (OC) particles were attributed to biomass burning. NaK-EC was likely to come from local traffic emissions. Internally mixed organic and elemental carbon (OCEC) was found to be from possible sources of local traffic emission and biomass burning. It was found that coarse dust particles were mainly composed of four different types of dust particles, dust-Si, dust-Ca, dust-Al, and dust-Ti. It is the first time that SPAMS was used to study a dust storm in Beijing. Our results showed that SPAMS could be a powerful tool in the identification and apportionment of aerosol sources in Beijing, providing useful reference information for environmental control and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The interplay between WS, LA and main components of gluten was investigated. • Only binary complexes was formed during heat processing. • ATR and XRD analysis verified the formation of WS-lipid complexes. • The type of starch-lipid complexes was exhibited by DSC. • The addition of gliadin and glutenin improved the RS content of starch samples. This study evaluated the influence of the main gluten fractions (gliadin and glutenin) on the physicochemical properties of binary wheat starch-Lauric acid (WS-LA) complexes during heat processing to explore the complex structure and digestion of WS-LA in the presence of gluten. Ternary WS-LA-glutenin complexes were prepared at different pH (5.2 and 7), whereas WS-LA-gliadin was prepared using ethanol, and their physicochemical properties were analyzed. We found that the addition of glutenin displayed a sharper and higher diffraction peak than samples without protein, which increased short-range order structure (low full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the band at 480 cm−1) and good thermal stability (melting peak appeared at a higher temperature); the opposite was shown for gliadin. Even though glutenin increased the resistant starch (RS) content than WS-LA, all samples prepared in 65% ethanol showed higher RS content than WS-LA-glutenin samples. These findings might improve our understanding of the relationship between gliadin/glutenin and binary complexes and provide a theoretical basis for preparing starch-based foods with a low glycemic index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a viral infection of the CNS that is almost always fatal once symptoms occur. No effective treatment of the disease is available and novel antiviral strategies are urgently required. Street rabies viruses are field isolates known to be highly neurotropic. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that bind their targets with high affinity and specificity and thus have potential for use in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this study, we demonstrate that the aptamers FO24 and FO21, which target RABV-infected cells, can significantly protect mice from a lethal dose of the street rabies virus FJ strain in vivo. Groups receiving preexposure prophylaxis had higher survival rates than the groups receiving postexposure prophylaxis. When mice were inoculated with aptamers (4nmol) for 24h by intracranial or intramuscular injection prior to intramuscular inoculation with the FJ strain, approximately 60% of the mice survived. These results indicate that the FO21 and FO24 aptamers may be used to develop preventative antiviral therapy against rabies disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is increasingly appreciated as a significant environmental issue, however, the large-scale pattern of MPs in farmland soils and its associated environmental impacts are unknown. This study investigated a national-scale distribution of micro(meso)plastics (MMPs) in the soil of 30 farmlands across China. The abundance of MMPs in soils was 25.56–2067.78 items kg−1, with a mean of 358.37 items kg−1, i.e. 6.79 mg kg−1 or 0.0007% after mass conversion. MPs accounted for 93.1% of MMPs, the abundance varied greatly among different regions, high in arid or semi-arid north but relatively low in mild southwest regions. Major MPs included polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester, tending to decrease in abundance from surface to deeper soil layers. Further, meta-analysis revealed that MPs exposure influenced bulk density, soil enzymes including fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDAse) and urease, and crop biomass, and minimum effective concentrations (MEC) were in the range of 0.0040–10%. We found that actual abundance in the national-scale soils was lower than MEC, but partly overlapped or close, which implies various degrees of environmental impacts. These findings disclose the national-scale pollution pattern of MPs in farmlands and its latent risks to soil environments and crop growth. [Display omitted] • National-scale distribution of MMPs was demonstrated in agricultural soils across China. • MMPs abundance varied among regions, decreasing from surface to deep soil layers. • Simulative MMPs exposure affected bulk density, soil enzymes, and crop biomass. • Actual MMP abundance was lower than minimum effective concentrations, or overlapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is increasingly appreciated as a significant environmental issue, however, the large-scale pattern of MPs in farmland soils and its associated environmental impacts are unknown. This study investigated a national-scale distribution of micro(meso)plastics (MMPs) in the soil of 30 farmlands across China. The abundance of MMPs in soils was 25.56–2067.78 items kg−1, with a mean of 358.37 items kg−1, i.e. 6.79 mg kg−1 or 0.0007% after mass conversion. MPs accounted for 93.1% of MMPs, the abundance varied greatly among different regions, high in arid or semi-arid north but relatively low in mild southwest regions. Major MPs included polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester, tending to decrease in abundance from surface to deeper soil layers. Further, meta-analysis revealed that MPs exposure influenced bulk density, soil enzymes including fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDAse) and urease, and crop biomass, and minimum effective concentrations (MEC) were in the range of 0.0040–10%. We found that actual abundance in the national-scale soils was lower than MEC, but partly overlapped or close, which implies various degrees of environmental impacts. These findings disclose the national-scale pollution pattern of MPs in farmlands and its latent risks to soil environments and crop growth. [Display omitted] • National-scale distribution of MMPs was demonstrated in agricultural soils across China. • MMPs abundance varied among regions, decreasing from surface to deep soil layers. • Simulative MMPs exposure affected bulk density, soil enzymes, and crop biomass. • Actual MMP abundance was lower than minimum effective concentrations, or overlapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]