Search

Comproportionation reaction of Cu(II) salt and copper metallic powder in the presence of tertbutylacetylene (fBuCΞCH) in methanol at room temperature yielded discrete Cu(I) terf-butylethynide clusters whose identity depended on the particular co-existing anion employed. Introduction of polyoxomolybdate to the reaction system afforded two new core--shell nanoclusters, [Cu33(tBuC=C)24(Mo4O16)]-BF4 (3) and [Cu62(ffiuCΞ C)34(MosO19)2(MoO4)2(OTf)2(OH)4]-(OTf)2 (4). Complexes 3 and 4 represent the first examples of highnuclearity Cu(I) clusters that encapsulate polyoxometalate templates, and the latter features the largest Cu(I) alkynyl cluster known to date. The present study not only demonstrates a new paradigm for the designed synthesis of Cu(I) alkynyl clusters but also opens the door to understanding Cu(I) alkynyl structural chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of soil dehydration, the soil fabric, water content, and void ratio vary with soil suction. They all can be regarded as variables depending on soil suction and soil history. At a particular state, the soil fabric, which can be characterized by a pore size distribution, inherently determines the water content and the void ratio. In this study, the monotonic drying process of soil was analyzed under an integrated framework of soil fabric, suction, void ratio, and water content. Under this framework, the drying process of slurry samples and overconsolidated samples were distinguished and investigated separately, including their drying mechanisms and the variations of soil fabric, soil shrinkage curve, and soil water characteristic curve. From the theoretical analysis, in a monotonic drying process, the envelope of the cumulative pore volume curves was found to be the soil-water characteristic curve and the shrinkage curve was found to be located in a narrow range that can be determined using the cumulative pore volume curve. These findings were further verified by the laboratory test data on a clay with sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the control of experimental parameters such as anions, pH value and reaction temperature, five different types of three-dimensional (3D) 3d-4f cyanide heterometallic coordination polymers (HCPs), namely [Ln3Cu7(ina)8(OAc)2(CN)6].xH2O [x = 0, Ln = Nd (I-A); x = 1, Ln = Eu (I-B), Ln = Gd (I-C), Ln = Tb (I-D), Ln = Dy (I-E), ina = isonicotinate, OAc = acetate], [Ln2Cu6.5(ina)7(Cl)3(CN)2.5(H2O)6].2H2O [Ln = Tb (II-A), Ln = Dy (II-B)], [Ln2Cu2.5(ina)3(F)2.5(SO4)0.5(CN)2(H2O)0.5] [Ln = Tb (III-A), Ln = Dy (III-B)], [Ln3Cu4.5(OH)2(ina)6(OAc)2(CN)3.5].H2O [Ln = Tb (IV-A), Ln = Dy (IV-B)] and [Ln2Cu5.(ina)6(OAc)(CN)4(H2O)2] [Ln = Tb (V-A), Ln = Dy (V-B)] have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. All the compounds are constructed from cyano-containing copper-inorganic motifs and Ln-containing motifs. In the type I structures, the copper-inorganic motifs can be viewed as double-stranded {Cu(CN)}∞ ribbons with projecting sidearms, and the Ln-organic motifs are zigzag chains. In the type II structures, the copper-inorganic motifs are two-dimensional (2D) {CuCl(CN)}∞ layers, while the Ln-organic motifs can be described as two kinds of very similar one-dimensional (1D) chains possessing a parallel and alternating arrangement. In type III structures, the copper-inorganic motifs are 2D layers whereas the Ln-organic/inorganic motifs are fluoride-bridging 2D layers. In the type IV structures, the copper- inorganic motifs contain two unique types of 0D copper-cyanide units, while the Ln-organic counterparts are 1D chain structures linked by OH- groups. In type V structures, the copper-inorganic motifs and the Ln-organic motifs are 2D layers that can both be topologically simplified to (4, 4) networks. Moreover, the photoluminescence of I-A, I-B, I-D, II-A, III-A, IV-A and V-A, and the magnetism of I-E, II-B, III-B, IV-B and V-B were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Adomian decomposition method (ADM) with high accuracy and fast convergence is introduced to solve the fractional-order piecewise-linear (PWL) hyperchaotic system. Based on the obtained hyperchaotic sequences, a novel color image encryption algorithm is proposed by employing a hybrid model of bidirectional circular permutation and DNA masking. In this scheme, the pixel positions of image are scrambled by circular permutation, and the pixel values are substituted by DNA sequence operations. In the DNA sequence operations, addition and substraction operations are performed according to traditional addition and subtraction in the binary, and two rounds of addition rules are used to encrypt the pixel values. The simulation results and security analysis show that the hyperchaotic map is suitable for image encryption, and the proposed encryption algorithm has good encryption effect and strong key sensitivity. It can resist brute-force attack, statistical attack, differential attack, known-plaintext, and chosen-plaintext attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to identify whether sepsis-induced vascular hyporeactivity is associated with microcirculation disturbance and multiple organ injuries. The current study assessed the impact of resveratrol (Res) treatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge mediated vascular hyporeactivity. Effects of Res treatment (30 mg/kg; i.m.) at 1 h following LPS stimulation (5 mg/kg; i.v.) on the survival time, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and maximal difference of MAP (ΔMAP) to norepinephrine (NE; 4.2 μg/kg) in mice were observed. The reactivity to gradient NE of isolated mesenteric arterioles and the association with the RhoA-RhoA kinase (ROCK)-myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) pathway were investigated by myography, and the signaling molecule protein levels were assessed using ELISA. Res treatment prolonged the survival time of mice subjected to LPS challenge, but did not prevent the LPS-induced hypotension and increase in ΔMAP. Res treatment and RhoA agonist U-46619 incubation prevented LPS-induced vascular hyporeactivity ex vivo, which were suppressed by incubation with ROCK inhibitor Y-27632. LPS-induced vascular hyporeactivity was not affected by the MLCP inhibitor okadaic acid incubation, but was further downregulated by the co-incubation of OA plus Y-27632. The inhibiting effect of Y-27632 on Res treatment was eradicated by incubation with U-46619. Furthermore, RhoA inhibitor C3 transferase did not significantly inhibit the enhancing role of Res treatment, which was further increased by U-46619 plus C3 transferase co-incubation. In addition, Res treatment eradicated the LPS-induced decreases in p-RhoA and p-Mypt1 levels and increases in MLCP levels. The results of the present study indicate that post-treatment of Res significantly ameliorates LPS-induced vascular hyporeactivity, which is associated with the activation of the RhoA-ROCK-MLCP pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Ursolic acid (UA) and acteoside (ATS) are important active components that have been used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of their neuroprotective effects, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. Objective: Network pharmacology was used to explore the mechanism of UAþATS in treating AD, and cell experiments were used to verify the mechanism. Materials and methods: UAþATS targets and AD-related genes were retrieved from TCMSP, STITCH, SwissTargetPrediction, GeneCards, DisGeNET and GEO. Key targets were obtained by constructing protein interaction network through STRING. The neuroprotective effects of UAþATS were verified in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. The subsequent experiments were divided into Normal, Model (H2O2 pre-treatment for 4 h), Control (H2O2þ solvent pre-treatment), UA (5 lM), ATS (40 lM), UA (5 lM) þ ATS (40 lM). Then apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3 activity, ATG5, Beclin-1 protein expression and Akt, mTOR phosphorylation levels were detected. Results: The key targets of UAþATS-AD network were mainly enriched in Akt/mTOR pathway. Cell experiments showed that UA (ED50: 5lM) þ ATS (ED50: 40lM) could protect H2O2-induced (IC50: 250lM) nerve damage by enhancing cells viability, combating apoptosis, restoring MMP, reducing the activation of caspase-3, lessening the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, and increasing the expression of ATG5 and Beclin-1. Conclusions: ATS and UA regulates multiple targets, bioprocesses and signal pathways against AD pathogenesis. ATS and UA synergistically protects H2O2-induced neurotrosis by regulation of AKT/mTOR signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The TLR/MyD88 signaling pathway is an important driver of inflammation and cancer and is a possible target for antitumor therapy.Methods: We generated a MyD88 inhibitor (TJ-M2010-5), which was designed to bind to the TIR domain of MyD88 to interfere with its homodimerization, and the TLR/MyD88 signal pathway. We utilized a mouse model of azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS)-induced colitis-associated cancer (CAC) in combination with TJ-M2010-5 administration to investigate the anti-inflammation-related cancer effect of MyD88 inhibitor in vivo. Data were analyzed with one-way and repeated measures analysis of variance. Differences in survival between groups were compared using the log rank test. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: TJ-M2010-5 inhibited MyD88 homodimerization in transfected HEK293 cells in a concentration-dependent manner and suppressed MyD88 signaling in LPS-responsive RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. In a 10-week CAC mouse model (n = 30 per group), TJ-M2010-5 treatment statistically significantly reduced AOM/DSS-induced colitis and completely prevented CAC development with less related body mass loss, resulted in 0% mortality of treated mice (compared with 53% mortality of control mice), decreased cell proliferation, and increased apoptosis in colon tissue. TJ-M2010-5 treatment also inhibited production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (TNF-α, IL-6,G-CSF, MIP-1β, TGF-β1, IL-11, IL-17A, IL-22 and IL-23) and infiltration of immune cells (macrophages, dendritic cells, neutropihls and CD(+)4 T cells) in colon tissues of mice.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TLR/MyD88 signaling may be a therapeutic target for CAC intervention and MyD88 inhibitors may be a promising therapeutic modality for treating patients with colitis or CAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the first-order Born approximation, the triple differential cross sections (TDCSs) for simultaneous ionization and excitation of helium are calculated. The wave function of the ejected electron is chosen to be orthogonal or non-orthogonal to the wave function of the bound electron before ionization. It is found that the orthogonality has a strong effect on the TDCS, especially when plane waves and Coulomb waves are used to describe the projectile and the ejected electron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) were applied to study yellow and red luminescence properties of as-grown and Mg-implanted n-type wurtzite GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The influence of different Mg-implanted fluences on yellow and red luminescence was studied. The as-grown GaN thin films exhibited intense broad yellow emission which reduces drastically after Mg ion implantation. A red luminescence band at approximately 750nm appears when the Mg implantation fluence is low (1013 cm−2) whereas a yellow luminescence band suddenly increases at a Mg-implanted fluence of 1016 cm−2. The possible reasons of these phenomena are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Compaction grouting is widely used for ground improvement, including foundation retrofitting, earthquake disaster mitigation, and settlement compensation. However, until now, it has been developed and used based on an empirical approach and on judgment, rather than on theoretical and analytical methodologies. Estimating the expansion of soils caused by compaction grouting under different depths, soil conditions, and injection pressures is critical to determining the design parameters and construction procedure, as well as to assessing the effectiveness of the ground-improvement measure. Different mechanisms and models are reviewed and evaluated. Graf's model is among the most appropriate and readily understandable in the view of practitioners; the elastoplastic Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model was deemed appropriate for the finite-element analysis that was conducted in this study. Charts based on the finite-element simulation results of radial expansion and heave in noncohesive soils under different soil and construction conditions are presented to facilitate such an engineering application process. Moreover, the results are compared with case history data and Wong's analytical failure model. A simplified procedure and examples of how to use the charts are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure modifications of sodium silicate glass induced by 1.2-MeV electron irradiation are studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Depth profile analyses are also performed on the irradiated glass at 109 Gy. A sodium-depleted layer with a thickness of a few tens of nanometers and the corresponding increase of network polymerization on the top surface are observed after electron bombardment, while the polymerization in the subsurface region has a negligible variation with the irradiation dose. Moreover, the formation of molecular oxygen after electron irradiation is evidenced, which is mainly aggregated in the first two-micron-thick irradiated glass surface. These modifications are correlated to the network relaxation process as a consequence of the diffusion and desorption of sodium species during electron irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene is part of the central melanocortin pathway located in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain in which appetite is regulated. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene plays a role in muscle growth, myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Thus, they are candidate genes for feed conversion efficiency (FCE). The study was to investigate the effects of variants in cattle MC4R and IGF2 gene on FCE traits including residual feed intake (RFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and average daily gain (ADG). We screened single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the two genes in 118 Simmental bulls by DNA-pool sequencing and genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. C1069G locus of MC4R and four SNPs (C2209T, G18587C, A22950T and G26920T) of IGF2 were identified in the population. The χ² test showed that only MC4R-C1069G, IGF2-C2209T and IGF2-G18587C loci fitted with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). General linear model (GLM) was used to analyze differences between genotypes. The results showed that only IGF2-G18587C locus has a significant effect on ADG (P<0.05), but has no significant effect on RFI or FCR (P>0.05). CC and GG genotypes were the dominant genotypes; individual with CC or GG genotype had a larger ADG than GC (P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soy sauce samples established a model for its flavour quality evaluation. Initially, 39 types of flavour compounds, organic acids and free amino acids in six different types of soy sauce were identified and determined by HS-SPME GC/MS and HPLC. The model was developed based on the principal component analysis method for assessing and ranking of flavour quality of soy sauce. Using the principal component analysis which simplifies complex information, our correlative evaluation model was established, tested by comparing the traditional sensory evaluation method, providing a new methodology for objective evaluation of the flavour quality of soy sauce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have received attention because of increasing interest in environmental protection. Niobate ceramics such as NaNbO3 and KNbO3 have been studied as promising Pb-free piezoelectric ceramics, but their sintering densification is fairly difficult. In the present study, highly dense Na0.5K0.5NbO3 ceramics were prepared using spark plasma sintering (SPS). Although the SPS temperature was as low as 920°C, the density of the Na0.5K0.5NbO3 solid solution ceramics was raised to 4.47 g/cm3 (>99% of the theoretical density). After post-annealing in air, reasonably good ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were obtained in the Na0.5K0.5NbO3 ceramics with submicron grains. The crystal phase of the Na0.5K0.5NbO3 has an orthorhombic structure. The Curie temperature is 395°C and the piezoelectric parameter ( d33) of the Na0.5K0.5NbO3 ceramics reached 148 pC/N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]