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[Display omitted] The reaction rate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) oxidation is controlled by the rate-limiting step in the total reaction process. This study proposes a novel strategy, by which the rate-limiting step of acetone oxidation is accelerated by enhanced chemical bond interaction with more electrons transfer through Al-substituted CeO 2 loaded Pt (Pt/Al-CeO 2). Results indicate that the rate-limiting step in the process of acetone oxidation is the decomposition of acetic acid. Al substitution enhances the Pt-O-Ce interaction that transfers more electrons from Pt/Al-CeO 2 to acetic acid, promoting the breaking of its C C bond with a lower free energy barrier. Attributing to these, the reaction rate of Pt/Al-CeO 2 is 13 times as high as that of Pt/CeO 2 and its TOF Pt value is 11 times as high as that of Pt/CeO 2 at 150 °C. Moreover, the CO 2 selectivity of Pt/Al-CeO 2 also increases by 22 %. This work establishes the relationship between Pt-O-Ce interaction and acetone oxidation that provides novel perspectives on the development of efficient materials for VOCs oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have numerically demonstrated the dynamics of dissipative soliton (DS) and conventional soliton (CS) in passively mode‐locked erbium‐doped fiber (EDF) laser. By adjusting corresponding parameters, DS could turn into inset soliton, rope soliton, and sawtooth soliton. To our knowledge, this is the first time these phenomena mentioned above have been observed. Meanwhile, CS could convert to two‐soliton molecules, three‐soliton molecules, and noise‐like pulses. When studying the convert process and dynamics of CS, we found the phase of CS is closest to 0 compared to all solitons mentioned above, which means that it can play a considerable role in fiber lasers with strict requirements on phase change. Our simulation results can contribute to a better understanding of the various soliton dynamics in passively mode‐locked EDF lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the electroweak phase transition patterns for a recently proposed baryogenesis model with CP violation originated in the dark sector. The model includes a complex scalar singlet-Higgs boson portal, a U(1)l gauge lepton symmetry with a Z′ gauge boson portal and a fermionic dark matter particle. We find a novel thermal history of the scalar sector, featuring a Z2 breaking singlet vacuum in the early Universe driven by a dark Yukawa coupling, that induces a one-step strongly first order electroweak phase transition. We explore the parameter space that generates the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry and dark matter relic abundance, while being consistent with constraints from electric dipole moment, collider searches, and dark matter direct detection bounds. The complex singlet can be produced via the Higgs portal and decays into Standard Model particles after traveling a certain distance. We explore the reach for long-lived singlet scalars at the 13 TeV Large Hadron Collider with L = 139 fb−1 and show its impact on the parameter space of the model. Setting aside currently unresolved theoretical uncertainties, we estimate the gravitational wave signatures detectable at future observatories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eels are important aquaculture species for which an increasing number of reference genes are being identified and applied. In this study, five housekeeping genes [RPL7 (ribosomal protein L7), 18 S (18 S ribosomal RNA), EF1A (elongation factor 1α), ACTB (β‐actin) and GAPDH (glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase)] were chosen to evaluate their reliability as reference genes for quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) for the study of Anguilla anguilla. The expression of the selected genes in different eel tissues was determined using qPCR at different growth stages or upon challenge by Anguillid herpesvirus (AngHV), and the expression levels of these genes were then compared and evaluated using the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. Then, RefFinder was used to comprehensively rank the examined housekeeping genes. Interestingly, the expression of the evaluated housekeeping genes exhibited tissue‐dependent and treatment‐dependent variations. In different growth periods A. anguilla tissues, the most stable genes were the following: ACTB in mucus; 18 S in skin and kidney; RPL7 in muscle, gill, intestine and brain; EF1A in heart and liver; and GAPDH in spleen. In contrast, in AngHV‐challenged A. anguilla tissues, the most stable genes were the following: 18 S in mucus; RPL7 in skin, gill, heart, spleen, kidney and intestine; EF1A in muscle and liver; and ACTB in brain. Further comparison analysis indicated that the expression of RPL7 and EF1A was stable in multiple A. anguilla tissues in different growth periods and in eels challenged by AngHV. Nonetheless, the expression level of GAPDH in eel tissues was lower, and it was unstable in several tissues. These results indicated that the selection of reference genes for qPCR analysis in A. anguilla should be made in accordance with experimental parameters, and both RPL7 and EF1A could be used as reference genes for qPCR study of A. anguilla at different growth stages or upon challenge by AngHV. The reference genes identified in this study could improve the accuracy of qPCR data and facilitate further studies aimed at understanding the biology of eels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV) is an important viral pathogen affecting eel. This study was designed to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms and immune response elicited at the protein levels in the skin mucus of AngHV-infected Anguilla anguilla. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-labelling proteomics with the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for performing quantitative identification of the proteins. In addition, the quantitative protein amount was detected by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) analysis. A total of 3486 proteins were identified, of which 2935 were quantified. When a protein fold change was greater than 1.3 or less than 0.76, it indicated a differentially expressed protein (DEP). Overall, 187 up-regulated proteins and 126 down-regulated proteins were detected, and most of the DEPs were enriched in the CAMs pathway, intestinal immune pathway, herpes simplex virus 1 infection pathway, phagosome pathway and p53 signaling pathway. The results of the DEPs detected by PRM were highly consistent with the results of the TMT-labelled quantitative proteomic analysis. The findings of this study provide an important research basis for further understanding the pathogenesis of AngHV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphine-substituted Ru(II) polypyridyl complex, [RuII-(tpy)(pqn)(MeCN)]2+ (RuP), was disclosed to be an efficient photocatalyst for the reduction of CO2 to CO with excellent selectivity. In this work, density functional calculations were performed to elucidate the reaction mechanism and understand the origin of selectivity. The calculations showed that RuP was first excited to the singlet excited state, followed by intersystem crossing to produce a triplet species (3RuIII(L˙−)–S), which was then reduced by the sacrificial electron donor BIH to generate a RuII(L˙−) intermediate. The ligand of RuII(L˙−) was further reduced to produce a RuII(L2−) intermediate. The redox non-innocent nature of the tpy and pqn ligands endows the Ru center with an oxidation state of +2 after two one-electron reductions. RuII(L2−) nucleophilically attacks CO2, in which two electrons are delivered from the ligands to CO2, affording a RuII–COOH species after protonation. This is followed by the protonation of the hydroxyl moiety of RuII–COOH, coupled with the C–O bond cleavage, resulting in the formation of RuII–CO. Ultimately, CO is dissociated after two one-electron reductions. Protonation of RuII(L2−) to generate a RuII–hydride, a critical intermediate for the production of formate and H2, turns out to be kinetically less favorable, even though it is thermodynamically more favorable. This fact is due to the presence of a Ru2+ ion in the reduced catalyst, which disfavors its protonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selenium-functionalized ε-caprolactone was synthesized by introducing a phenyl selenide group at the 7-position. A polymer was obtained through the ring-opening polymerization of this monomer in a base/thiourea binary organocatalytic system. A living polymerization process was achieved under mild conditions. The resulting polymers had a controlled molecular weight with a narrow molecular weight distributions and high end-group fidelity. Random copolymers could be obtained by copolymerizing this monomer with ε-caprolactone. The thermal degradation temperature of the obtained copolymers decreased with the increasing molar ratio of selenide functionalized monomer in copolymers, while the glass transition temperature increased. In addition, the phenyl selenide side group could be further modified to a polyselenonium salt, which resulted in a polymer with good antibacterial properties. The survival rate of E. coli and S. aureus was only 9% with a polymer concentration of 62.5 µg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical TNM staging system is currently used to evaluate the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The 5-year survival rate for patients with HNSCC is less than 50%, which is attributed to the lack of reliable prognostic biomarkers. Ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) regulate cancer initiation and progression. Therefore, we analyzed the correlation between FRGs and the clinical outcomes of patients with HNSCC. A typical prognostic model of FRGs for HNSCC was constructed using bioinformatics tools and data from public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and GeneCards. The model was generated based on the following six FRGs: ATG5, PRDX6, OTUB1, FTH1, SOCS1, and MAP3K5. The accuracy of model prediction was analyzed systematically. The overall survival (OS) of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. The AUC for 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival were 0.645, 0.721, and 0.737, respectively, in the training set (TCGA cohort) and 0.726, 0.620, and 0.584, respectively, in the validation set (GSE65858). The multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor for HNSCC. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that six FRGs were enriched in the ferroptosis pathway. A novel FRG prognostic signature model was established for HNSCC. The findings of this study reveal that FRGs are potential biomarkers for HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water solvent plays an important role in catalytic water oxidation to dioxygen, in particular in the O−O bond formation process. In this work, we revisit the mechanism of O−O bond formation catalyzed by a mononuclear iron catalyst [Cl−FeIII(dpa)−Cl]+, in a DFT‐based molecular dynamics (DFT‐MD) study that incorporates explicit solvent and thermal fluctuations. Two possible mechanisms for the crucial O−O bond formation, namely water nucleophilic attack (WNA) and nitrate nucleophilic attack (NNA) on the high‐valent FeV‐oxo moiety, were considered and found to have similar barriers (15 kcal/mol vs 16 kcal/mol). Comparison with static DFT calculations demonstrated the important role of water solvent molecules, especially for the NNA pathway. For this mechanism, the interaction of the negatively‐charged nitrate with solvent molecules is substantial, giving rise to a free energy barrier increase of 7.7 kcal/mol compared with static DFT calculations. The study suggests that for molecular water‐oxidation catalysts, the local aqueous solvation structure and its thermal fluctuations plays a significant role in the crucial O−O bond formation step. The study also elucidates the role of the nitrate ion as a co‐catalyst, a notion that may serve as a potential design rule for developing improved water oxidation catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Checkpoint inhibitors have shown modest activity in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, the authors report a prospective single-institution clinical/translational phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced HCC and circulating biomarkers closely related to response.Methods: Pembrolizumab was administered at a dose of 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks among patients who may have developed disease progression while receiving, were intolerant of, or refused sorafenib. The circulating levels of cytokines, chemokines, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and PD-L2 were correlated with response, tumor PD-L1 expression, and other clinicopathological features.Results: A total of 29 patients were treated and 28 patients were evaluable for response. The most common laboratory grade 3/4 adverse events were increases in aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase and serum bilirubin, which for the most part were reversible. In terms of efficacy, one patient achieved a complete response and 8 patients achieved partial responses for an overall response rate of 32%. Four other patients had stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 4.5 months and the median overall survival was 13 months. Response did not correlate with prior sorafenib therapy, PD-L1 tumor staining, or a prior history of hepatitis. Correlative studies revealed that high baseline plasma TGF-β levels (≥200 pg/mL) significantly correlated with poor treatment outcomes after pembrolizumab. Tumor PD-L1 and plasma PD-L1/PD-1 levels were associated with plasma IFN-γ or IL-10.Conclusions: Pembrolizumab was found to demonstrate activity in patients with advanced HCC. Toxicity generally was tolerable and reversible. A set of immunological markers in blood plasma as well as PD-L1 staining indicated that baseline TGF-β could be a predictive biomarker for response to pembrolizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research applies experimental measurements and NUBEAM, ONETWO and TRANSP modules to investigate the shine-through (ST) loss ratio and beam heating percentage of neutral beam injection on EAST. Measurements and simulations confirm that the ST loss ratio increases linearly with beam energy, and decreases exponentially with plasma density. Moreover, using the multi-step fitting method, we present analytical quantitative expressions of ST loss ratio and beam heating percentage, which are valuable for the high parameter long-pulse experiments of EAST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the magnetic effects on the chiral transition and the melting properties of vector and axial-vector mesons in the improved soft-wall AdS/QCD model under a charged magnetic background, which is solved perturbatively from an Einstein–Maxwell system with a negative cosmological constant. The phase diagrams for both chiral transition and meson melting have been obtained. We show that the inverse magnetic catalysis emerged naturally in the improved soft-wall model. We also find that the magnetic field can induce meson melting, at least for the vector and axial-vector mesons, in our holographic setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms such as thermophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria cause spoilage of milk and milk products [e.g., powdered infant formula (PIF)], mainly because they produce heat-stable extracellular enzymes. However, the dynamic changes in microbial diversity during PIF production are still not well understood. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to investigate bacterial community structure and distribution during the major stages of PIF production: raw milk, pasteurization, mixing, evaporation, and spray-drying. Our PCR-DGGE analysis indicated that Lactobacillus and Pseudomonas spp. were the dominant bacteria at the raw milk and pasteurization stages; Lactococcus , Streptococcus , Enterococcus , and Lactobacillus spp. were abundant during mixing, evaporation, and spray-drying. Our HTS analysis showed that Pseudomonas had an abundance of 96.79% at the raw milk stage. Lactobacillus , Streptococcus , Thermus , Acinetobacter , and Bacteroides spp. were most common after pasteurization. The index of bacterial diversity was highest at the evaporation stage, suggesting a high potential risk of microbial contamination. The results from DGGE and HTS were consistent in reflecting changes in dominant flora, but different in reflecting the richness of bacterial communities present during PIF production: HTS revealed a much higher richness of bacterial species than DGGE. Our findings from DGGE and HTS showed that psychrophilic and thermophilic bacteria were the main flora present during PIF production: psychrophilic bacteria were mainly Pseudomonas spp. and thermophilic bacteria were mainly Lactobacillus , Streptococcus , and Bacillus spp. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report dynamic changes in microbial communities during PIF production. Our results provide insight into bacterial communities and identify potential contamination sources that could serve as a guide for reducing microbial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel binuclear lanthanide complexes [Tb(2,3-DMOBA)3(5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy)]2·C2H5OH (1) and [Dy(2,3-DMOBA)3(5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy)]2·C2H5OH (2) (2,3-DMOBA = 2,3-dimethoxybenzoate, 5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy = 5,5′-dimety-2,2′-bipyridine) have been successfully synthesized and structurally validated by single-crystal diffraction. The results of single-crystal analyses indicate the complexes contains one free ethanol molecule, and each center Ln(III) is nine-coordinated, exhibiting a distorted monocapped square anti-prismatic coordination geometry. The two center Ln(III) are bound by four 2,3-DMOBA ligands, two of which are bridging bidentate and the other two are bridging–chelating. The adjacent binuclear complexes can form 1D supramolecular structure by a pair of alternating identical C–H···O hydrogen bonding interactions, which further form 2D sheet structures. The thermal behavior of these complexes is investigated by TG-DSC/FTIR. What is more, the heat capacities of the complexes 1–2 are measured by DSC at 259.15–346.15 K, and the result indicates that the heat capacity values of the complexes gradually increased with the increase in temperature. In addition, the thermodynamic functions values (HT − H298.15K) and (ST − S298.15K) of the complexes 1–2 are calculated according to the fitted polynomial equations and the thermodynamic equation. The luminescence property of complex 1 is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new isopropylpyrone, hypemonone F (1), and a new phenylpyrone, hypemonone G (2), along with five known phenylpyrones, peplidiforone B (3), hypemonone C (4), hypemonone B (5), 3‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐2‐propen‐1‐yl)‐4‐methoxy‐6‐phenyl‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one (6), hyperenone A (7) were isolated from the leaves of Hypericum monogynum. Their structures were identified on the basis of the spectral data (IR, UV, HRESIMS, and NMR). The absolute configurations of 1−4 were determined by electronic circular dichroism and single crystal X‐ray analyses. All isolated compounds (1−7) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities on tumor cells (HeLa and HepG2). Compounds 1−7 showed cytotoxic activities against HeLa cells with IC50 values of 28.27 ± 2.65 to 89.02 ± 2.30 μM, and compounds 2, 3, 6, 7 showed cytotoxic activities against HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 68.44 ± 1.45 to 80.7 ± 1.66 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a simulation of quantum cascade lasers based on the integration of a number of optoelectronic models on both microscopic and macroscopic scales. On the microscopic scale, quantum mechanical computation was performed to find the quantization states and a rate equation approach was used to compute the optical gain. On the macroscopic scale, we solved the drift-diffusion equations with modification of current density to account for long-range carrier transport, including quantum tunneling, mini-band tunneling, and hot carrier transport. Multiple lateral optical modes were computed by solving a scalar wave equation as an eigenvalue problem. Finally, multiple lateral mode laser cavity photon rate equations were solved with the drift-diffusion equations in a self-consistent manner to predict the lasing characteristics of a quantum cascade laser. The simulation compared the integrated models with experimental data from a number of AlInGaAs/InP systems with variable quantum wells and at different temperatures. Reasonable agreements with experiments have been obtained for both electrical and lasing characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural. The centre Ln3+ ions are nine-coordinated with a distorted monocapped square antiprismatic coordination geometry. The binuclear molecules are linked to form 1D, 2D supramolecular structures through the same C–H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. The thermal decomposition processes of complexes 1 and 2 are investigated by TG-DSC/FTIR technology and the FTIR spectra of the escaped gas also are measured. The molar heat capacity values of complexes 1 and 2 indicates that that no phase transition occurs in this range in temperature range from 295.15 to 410.15 K, and the heat capacity values of the complexes increases gradually with the increase of temperature. The luminescence studies reveal that complex 1 with Eu3+ ion shows a strong red luminescence behavior, and the Eu3+ ion in complex 1 do not occupies a site with an inversion center. The luminescence lifetime and fluorescent quantum yield of complex 1 are calculated to be 1.442 ms and 18.96%. • The crystal structures of two lanthanide binuclear complexes were obtained. • The 1D, 2D supramolecular structures through the same C–H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions were assembled. • The thermal decomposition processes and TG‐FTIR spectroscopy was investigated. • The molar heat capacities and thermodynamic functions were calculated. • The luminescence spectrum of two complexes, lifetime and fluorescent quantum yield of the complex 1 were studied. By using conventional solution method, two novel binuclear lanthanide complexes, [Eu(2,6-DMBA) 3 (5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy)] 2 (1), and [Sm(2,6-DMBA) 3 (5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy)] 2 (2) (2,6-DMBA = 2,6-dimethylbenzoate, 5,5′-DM-2,2′-bipy = 5,5′-dimethy-2,2′-bipyridine), have been synthesized at room temperature. The two complexes are characterized by element analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and powder X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal analyses results indicate they are isomorphous in the monoclinic space group of P2(1)c. The binuclear complexes 1 and 2 are linked to form 1D, 2D supramolecular structures through the same C–H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. The thermal decomposition process of these complexes is investigated by TG-DSC/FTIR technology and the FTIR spectra of the escaped gas also are measured. In addition within a temperature range from 295.15 K to 410.15 K, heat capacities of the title complexes are measured by a DSC instrument, which indicates that no phase transition occurs in this range, and the heat capacity values of the complexes gradually increases with rising temperature. Not only that, the thermodynamic functions values (H T -H 298.15K) and (S T -S 298.15K) of the complexes 1 and 2 are calculated according to the fitted polynomial equations and the thermodynamic equation. The luminescent behaviour of complex 1 is investigated in the solid state. The complex 1 with Eu3+ ion shows strong red luminescence behaviour, and the luminescence lifetime and fluorescent quantum yield are calculated to be 1.442 ms and 18.96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops an approach that incorporates power aggregation operators with the evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) method under linguistic neutrosophic situations to solve fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making problems. Firstly, the existing operational laws and comparison methods of linguistic neutrosophic numbers (LNNs) are analysed. Secondly, the distance measurement between two LNNs is defined. Thirdly, the power-weighted averaging operator and the power-weighted geometric operator with LNNs are developed to support the decision makers' evaluation information. The models to derive the criteria weights are also constructed based on the proposed distance measurements. Finally, the EDAS method is extended to resolve group decision-making problems in the linguistic neutrosophic environment. An illustrative example of the property management company selection is given to verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the histopathological features of glandular atrophy of the lamina propria of gastric mucosa during its occurrence and development. Method: We performed detailed histological observation and immunohistochemical examination on the endoscopic biopsy and ESD endoscopic resection specimens of 896 patients with glandular atrophy of the lamina propria of gastric mucosa. The EnVision two-step method was used for immunohistochemical staining, and the slices were incubated with primary antibody CK7, CK20, villin, CDX2, MUC5AC, MUC6, p53 and ki-67. Hematoxylin staining was performed and observed under the microscope and statistically analyzed. Results: In the initial stage of glandular atrophy of the lamina propria, the proliferation area of the deep gastric pits, and the isthmus and neck of the gastric glands are characterized by roughly normal structure of the glandular structure, increased mesenchyme, and widened space between glands. Subsequently, the gland becomes smaller in volume and less in number, especially at the base, in the gastric glandular part of the gastric unit. The disease at this stage has higher incidence, and occurs more often in the elderly who account for 64.0% (573/896) of our study group. The disease in this stage may exhibit some lesions that are physiologic (age-related degeneration) while others are pathological. Therefore, this condition is called simple glandular atrophy of the lamina propria of the gastric mucosa. When the gastric mucosal epithelium is subjected to infection or repeated infections, chemical stimuli, immune factors, and genetic factors, it can lead to the proliferation and transformation of stem cells in the proliferation area of the deep gastric pits, and the isthmus and neck of the gastric glands, forming single ducts, multiple ducts, or a proliferation of patchy cells. Then, atypical hyperplasia (intraepithelial neoplasia) presents, finally leading to gastric adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Understanding the histopathological characteristics of glandular atrophy of the lamina propria of gastric mucosa is of great significance in controlling the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) can improve motor functions in stroke patients and ischemic rats. This study examined the effect of CIMT in ischemic rats using positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: We used middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) procedure to induce cerebral ischemia in rats. Male rats were divided into a negative control group (Normal, n = 4), a sham-operated group (Sham, n = 6), an ischemic group (Control, n = 6) and an ischemic CIMT-treated group (CIMT, n = 6). CIMT started at postoperative day 8 (d8) and lasted for 2 weeks. We utilized 2-[18F]-fluoro-2- deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) micro PET/CT imaging to evaluate glucose metabolism in different brain regions at baseline, before, and after treatment, respectively. Results: CIMT improved behavioral performance in the ischemic CIMT group. At the end of treatment, the CIMT group showed lower standardized uptake values (SUVs) in the ipsilateral cingulate, motor and somatosensory cortex, respectively; as well as the anterodorsal hippocampus compared to the Control group (1.80% ± 0.10% vs. 1.92% ± 0.08%, 1.32% ± 0.14% vs. 1.48% ± 0.09%, 1.18% ± 0.14% vs. 1.42% ± 0.15%, 1.68% ± 0.09% vs. 1.79% ± 0.06%, P < 0.05). We also observed higher SUVs in the acbcore shell and cortex insular of the contralateral hemisphere compared to the Control group (2.07% group in the acbcore shell and cortex insular of contralateral P < 0.05). Conclusion: CIMT improved behavioral outcomes in cerebral ischemic rats and this effect can be attributed to increased glucose utilization in the contralateral hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two novel binuclear lanthanide complexes [Ln(2, 5‐DClBA)3(5,5’‐DM‐2,2’‐bipy)(H2O)]2(5,5’‐DM‐2,2’‐bipy) (Ln=Eu(1), Tb(2)); 2,5‐DClBA=2,5‐dichlorobenzoate; 5,5’‐DM‐2,2’‐bipy=5,5’‐dimethyl‐2,2’‐bipyridine) have been successfully synthesized via conventional solution method and then characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and elemental analysis. These two binuclear complexes differ from other reported binuclear complexes, because the free neutral ligands are not common in crystal structure. The complexes are isomorphic, which have the same coordination number of eight with a distorted square antiprismatic molecular geometry. The binuclear units feature hydrogen bonding (O−H⋅⋅⋅N and C−H⋅⋅⋅Cl) and π‐π stacking interactions assemble the adjacent molecular units into 1D, 2D and 3D supramolecular novel structures. It is worth noting that the novel 1D supramolecular structure is formed by the hydrogen bonding interaction between the nitrogen atoms of free 5,5’‐DM‐2,2’‐bipy ligand and the oxygen atom of the coordination water molecule. The thermal decomposition mechanism of the two complexes were studied by TG/DSC‐FTIR techniques. Additionally, the luminescence spectra and lifetime have been studied in detail. The results indicate that Eu3+ ion and Tb3+ ion could be sensitized by ligands and thus emitted intense characteristic red and green luminescence, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LHAASO collaboration detected photons with energy above 10 TeV from the most recent gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB221009A. Given the redshift of this event, z ∼ 0.15 , photons of such energy are expected to interact with the diffuse extragalactic background light (EBL) well before reaching Earth. In this paper we provide a novel neutrino-related explanation of the most energetic 18 TeV event reported by LHAASO. We find that the minimal viable scenario involves both mixing and transition magnetic moment portal between light and sterile neutrinos. The production of sterile neutrinos occurs efficiently via mixing while the transition magnetic moment portal governs the decay rate in the parameter space where tree-level decays via mixing to non-photon final states are suppressed. Our explanation of this event, while being consistent with the terrestrial constraints, points to the non-standard cosmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to develop a highly efficient method whereby desulfurization could be completed in 0.5 h under ultraviolet light, at room temperature, and in the presence of trialkylphosphine. Using this method, deoxyglycosides could be produced from sulfur-containing glycosides in almost quantitative yields. The much higher reactivity of desulfurization with triethylphosphine versus that with triethylphosphite is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen oxide generated by coal oxidation accentuates the greenhouse effect and makes the environment uninhabitable. In this work, two models of lignite were built in order to study the pyrolysis and oxidation processes and the influence of O 2 on its nitrogen-transfer mechanism at high temperatures. The structural units of the two models are taken from the lignite model provided by Wolfrum. Reactive force field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics were then used in nitrogen-transfer process simulations for the two models. A C++ program was developed to deal with the ReaxFF results and to analyze effects of O 2 molecules on the nitrogen-atom distributions and nitrogen-containing elementary reactions. We found that O 2 could react with pyrolysis products NH 3 /HCN, as well as their intermediates imine/nitrile, converting them into reactive HNO and HNCO molecules. Then, HNO and HNCO are oxidized to NO immediately. The reaction pathways are able to reproduce and explain the experimental findings in the lignite oxidation process. Furthermore, we find that nitrogen-transfer in lignite oxidation can be considered a stepwise dehydrogenation/oxygenation process. In the nitrogen-transfer reaction network, O 2 is conducive to the reactions for transferring nitrogen atoms from the solid phase into the gas phase. It favors not only the decomposition of the stable nitrogen-containing heterocycle in lignite, but also oxidizing nitrogen-containing radicals or gas molecules to stable NO and avoid their secondary reactions with unreacted lignite. This theoretical work would be helpful in understanding the denitrification technologies of lignite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective, cohort study examined the association between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), independent of glucose tolerance and adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), for which there are few previous studies. Medical records from 2012 to 2015 at Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, China were reviewed for women previously diagnosed with PCOS with normal 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results (n = 1249). The separate and joint effects of maternal BMI and glucose levels on pregnancy outcomes were assessed. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02–1.45), preterm birth (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.08–2.17), and large for gestational age (LGA) (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.16–2.20). Elevated fasting glucose and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI were jointly associated with increased risks of HDP, preterm birth, and LGA. Therefore, among women with PCOS and normal glucose tolerance, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is an independent risk factor of adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Myrtol standardized (Gelomyrtol forte) has been shown to be effective in controlling nasal symptoms of rhinosinusitis by promoting mucociliary clearance. Our aim was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of myrtol on ciliated columnar cells and goblet cells in an in-vitro setting. Methods Nasal epithelial cells were harvested (42 days) from an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture of human nasal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (hNESPCs), which was derived from biopsies of nasal inferior turbinate mucosa. Myrtol 0.1% was applied to the ALI culture system at 2 different time-points (day 0 and day 35) on progenitor and differentiated cells. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF), supernatant fluid, and ciliated and goblet cell markers were evaluated after short- (7 days) and long-term (42 days) treatment. Results In the long-term treatment with myrtol, there was an increase in cilia area (type IV β-tubulin+, 1.53-fold, p = 0.031) and ciliogenesis-related markers (Foxj1 and CP110) with no change in CBF, as compared with control. In addition, the short-term myrtol treatment group exhibited greater mucin secretion compared with control. Conclusion This study demonstrates, through cellular and molecular mechanisms, that myrtol standardized enhances the mucus production from goblet cells in the short term, and promotes ciliated cell differentiation in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Urotensin II (UII) is a vasoactive neuropeptide involved in migration and invasion in various cell types. However, the effects of UII on human hepatoma cells still remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of UII on migration and invasion in human hepatoma cells. Methods Migration was measured by wound healing assays and a Transwell ® methodology, and invasion was analyzed using Matrigel ® invasion chambers. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using a 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe, and flow cytometry, and protein expression levels were evaluated by western blotting. Cell proliferation and actin polymerization were examined using cell proliferation reagent WST-1 and F-actin immunohistochemistry staining. Results Exposure to UII promoted migration and invasion in hepatoma cells compared with that in cells without UII. UII also increased matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) expression in a time-independent manner. Furthermore, UII markedly enhanced ROS generation and NADPH oxidase subunit expression, and consequently facilitated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The UT antagonist urantide or the antioxidant/NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin decreased UII-induced ROS production. JNK phosphorylation, migration, invasion, and MMP9/2 expression were also reversed by pretreatment with apocynin. Urantide and JNK inhibitor SP600125 abrogated migration, invasion, or MMP9/2 expression in response to UII. UII induced actin polymerization and fascin protein expression, and could be reversed by apocynin and SP600125. Conclusions Exogenous UII induced migration and invasion in hepatoma cells that mainly involved NADPH oxidase-derived ROS through JNK activation. UT played an additional role in regulating hepatoma cells migration and invasion. Thus, our data suggested an important effect of UII in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational construction of metal oxides heterojunctions is an effective method to enhance their gas-sensing performance of metal oxide semiconductors. However, La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 heterojunctions can be hardly obtained by conventional impregnation and thermal treatment because the harsh conditions are required for the ex-solution of La3+ in In 2 O 3 lattice. Herein, MOF-derived synthesis method is applied to synthesize the La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 heterojunctions, and the uniform hollow La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 nanotube can be obtained after annealing at 450 °C. Additionally, the La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 heterojunctions are further fabricated as gas sensors to monitor the accurate concentration of TEA molecules. Compared with the pristine In 2 O 3 and La doped In 2 O 3 (La-In 2 O 3 -RW) samples, La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 heterojunctions exhibit the best sensing performance for 50 ppm TEA at low working temperature of 120 °C (R a /R g =458.13), which is 4.8 times and 1.9 times higher than pristine In 2 O 3 and La-In 2 O 3 -RW. Moreover, the sensors also exhibit good long-term stability and high selectivity at low working temperature. The excellent sensing performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect between La 2 O 3 and In 2 O 3 species including the modified electronic structure, the formation of electron depletion layer, the wide distribution of acid sites and O 2 -(ad) and O-(ad) species. • La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 hollow nanotube was synthesized by the MOF-derived synthesis methods. • The hollow La 2 O 3 -In 2 O 3 heterostructure TEA gas sensors were fabricated. • The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, selectivity and good long-term stability. • The performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect between La 2 O 3 and In 2 O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mn-Al oxides are synthesized by a hydrolysis-driven redox-precipitation method. • The enhanced OMS-2 phase and surface property are adjusted by Al/Mn molar ratio. • Abundant o latt and Mn3+with weaker Mn-O bond contribute to excellent activity. • The reaction mechanism is revealed by PTR-MS and in situ DRIFTS. The homogeneous dispersed material with enhanced active species plays a dominant role in the catalytic activity. The Mn-Al oxides are facilely synthesized by the hydrolysis-driven redox-precipitation method. The OMS-2 active phase and surface properties can be effectively adjusted by Al/Mn molar ratio, which alters the acetone conversion and CO 2 selectivity of prepared catalysts. Among them, MnAl 0.15 exhibits the best catalytic performance (90% of acetone converted at 168 °C) with CO 2 selectivity higher than 95%, mainly owing to its abundant O latt and Mn3+with weaker Mn-O bond. Although the presence of H 2 O results in the slow consumption rate of acetic acid that leads to the slightly reduction of acetone conversion and CO 2 yield, the MnAl 0.15 still exhibits superior catalytic stability. The PTR-MS and in situ DRIFTS demonstrate that the acetone can firstly be oxidized to acetaldehyde and ethanol, and then further decomposed to acetic acid and formic acid before total mineralization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heidihuang Wan (HDHW) is a classic Chinese herbal formula, which was first recorded in the "Suwen Bingji Qiyi Baoming Collection" written by Liu Wansu during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). It is commonly used clinically for the treatment of kidney diseases and its curative effect is stable. Previous animal experiments have confirmed that HDHW can effectively improve renal fibrosis. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. Renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) apoptosis is one of the main pathological features of renal fibrosis. This study aimed to observe the effect and underlying mechanism of HDHW on the apoptosis of RTECs to further explore the pathological mechanism of HDHW against renal fibrosis. We examined the HDHW composition in rat serum. In vitro, we first screened out the optimal intervention concentration of HDHW on RTECs using the MTT assay. Hypoxia/reoxygenation was then used to induce apoptosis of RTECs (H/R-RTECs), which were divided into H/R-RTEC, astragaloside IV (positive control), HDHW, and RTECs groups. After 48 h of drug intervention, apoptosis of RTECs was detected using flow cytometry and protein expression was detected by western blotting. The 5/6 nephrectomy rat model was constructed and divided into the normal control, 5/6 nephrectomy, HDHW, and astragaloside IV groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, TUNEL staining was used to detect cell apoptosis, and western blotting was used to detect protein expression. HDHW downregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase3, up-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, activated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, and reversed the early apoptosis of RTECs, thereby resisting the apoptosis of RTECs. HDHW inhibits apoptosis of RTECs by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This study provides experimental evidence for the anti-fibrotic effect of HDHW on the kidneys and partially elucidates its pharmacological mechanism of action. [Display omitted] • HDHW inhibits the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in vitro. • HDHW inhibits apoptosis of RTECs accompanied by activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR. • Inhibition of RTECs apoptosis is the mechanism of HDHW against renal fibrosis. • This study provides a new idea for the treatment of renal fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dual functionalized Ni substitution in shuttle-like In 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) has been synthesized. • The 2 wt% Ni-doped In 2 O 3 NPs exhibit high sensitivity (R a /R g = 2569.42 towards 50 ppm NH 3 at 140 °C), achieving 34 folds improvement compared with pristine In 2 O 3 NPs. • Ni substitution in rh-In 2 O 3 NPs can effectively modulate the electronic structure and surface acidity of material and further improve the adsorption of NH 3. • The substitution of Ni in rh-In 2 O 3 phase and surface O−(ad) species neighboring the substitution sites are recognized as the active sites. Hetero-atom doping is an effective way to improve the sensing performance of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors. However, the synergistic effects generated from hetero-atom substitution in In 2 O 3 lattice and the relationship between the fine surface structure and sensing performance is still ambiguous. Here, Ni substitution in shuttle-like In 2 O 3 nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized, and the materials are fabricated as gas sensor to detect ammonia, which is a toxic molecule that is harmful for human healthy. We find the 2 wt% Ni-doped In 2 O 3 NPs exhibit high sensitivity (R a /R g = 2569.42 towards 50 ppm NH 3 at 140 °C), achieving 34 folds improvement compared with pristine In 2 O 3 NPs. The sensor also shows good long-term stability, high selectivity and fast response/recovery (23/10 s). Detail structural analysis illustrate the substitution of Ni in rh-In 2 O 3 phase and surface O−(ad) species neighboring the substitution sites are recognized as the active sites, and the reactive oxygen species and surface Bronster acidity can be dramatically enhanced after Ni modification, which contribute to the improvement of sensing performance. Our work illustrate the synergistic effects of hetero-atom doping on the sensing performance and pave the way for design of high performance sensing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common pediatric primary malignant brain tumor. Approximately one-third of MB patients succumb to treatment failure and some survivors suffer detrimental side effects. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore new therapeutic regimens to overcome chemotherapeutic agent resistance or reduce chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Methods: We detected the expression of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) in MB and CD133+ MB cell lines and MB tissues using immunoblotting and immunohistochemical staining. The antitumor effects of inhibitors against IAPs on MB or CD133+ MB cells were evaluated by MTT assay, Annexin V/PI analysis, and caspase-3/7 activity. Autophagy was assessed by the conversion of light chain (LC) 3-I to LC3-II and Cyto-ID autophagy detection kit. Results: MB cells showed higher expression of IAPs compared to normal astrocytes and normal brain tissues. Conventional chemotherapeutic agents combined with small-molecule IAP inhibitors (LCL161 or LBW242) showed a synergistic effect in MB cells. Combined treatments triggered apoptosis in MB cells through activation of caspase-3/7 and autophagic flux simultaneously. In addition, we found that CD133+ MB cells with features of cancer stem cells displayed higher levels of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1/2 (cIAP1/2), and were hypersensitive to treatment with IAP inhibitors. Conclusions: These results shed light on the biological effects of combination therapy on MB cells and illustrate that IAP inhibitors are more effective for CD133+ stem-like MB cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations at the LHC announced their observation of a potential 750 GeV di-photon resonance, after analyzing the s = 13 TeV LHC data. This observation has significant implications for low-energy supersymmetry. Beyond the MSSM and the NMSSM, we study the MSSM-extensions with an extra U ( 1 ) ′ gauge symmetry. The anomaly cancellation and the spontaneous breaking of the non-decoupled U ( 1 ) ′ generally require introducing vector-like supermultiplets (both colored and color-neutral ones) and singlet supermultiplets, respectively. We illustrate that the potential 750 GeV resonance ( Y ) can be accommodated in various mechanisms, as a singlet-like scalar or pseudoscalar. Three benchmark scenarios are presented: (1) vector-like quarks (VLQ) mediated p p → Y → γ γ ; (2) scalar VLQ mediated p p → Y → γ γ ; (3) heavy scalar (pseudo-scalar) H / A associated production p p → H ⁎ / A ⁎ → Y H / h . Additionally, we notice that the Z ′ -mediated vector boson fusion production and Z ′ -associated production p p → Y q q ′ , if yielding a signal rate of the observed level, might have been excluded by the searches for Z ′ via Drell–Yan process at the LHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests that hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in the progression of allergic airway inflammation and remodeling. However, the biochemical mechanisms leading to the activation of HIF-1α and the effects of HIF-1α on the expression of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), in allergic nasal inflammation are not clear. We examined the relationship between HIF-1α activation and production of VEGF, TGF-β1, and FGF-2 in primary cultured nasal epithelial cells (NECs) after stimulation with house dust mite (HDM) extract. Moreover, we evaluated the importance of phosphoinositide3-kinase(PI3K)/Akt signaling in HDM-induced production of these growth factors in vitro and in the nasal mucosa of a murine model of allergic rhinitis (AR). Our results indicate HDM extract induced the expression of VEGF, TGF-β1, and FGF-2 by activating the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α pathway in human primary cultured NECs and in the nasal mucosa of a murine model. HIF-1α regulated the expression of VEGF, TGF-β1, and FGF-2 in the nasal mucosa through direct and indirect pathways, which suggested that targeting the HIF-1α pathway could be a novel therapeutic approach for reducing nasal airway inflammation and remodeling in AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series highly efficient and stable metallophthalocyanine/La 0.8 Ce 0.2 NiO 3 (ML/LCNO) photocatalysts were prepared by a facile sol–gel and immersion method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM, N 2 adsorption–desorption, and UV–Vis. The results revealed that LCNO calcined at 700 °C possessed a perovskite structure with porous, and phthalocyanine not only adsorbed on the surface but also loaded in the pores of the LCNO oxide. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) under simulated sunlight irradiation. It was found that either macrocyclic structure or center metal of phthalocyanine had great influences on the photocatalytic activity of ML/LCNO. The oxidative reactivity of the different macrocycles was found in the order of MPc/LCNO > MTAP/LCNO > MPTpz/LCNO; which of different center metals was CoL/LCNO > FeL/LCNO > MnL/LCNO > NiL/LCNO > CuL/LCNO. The catalysts were reused several times with a slight decrease in activity. Furthermore, this kinetics of photocatalytic oxidation of DBT indicated that the reaction was a pseudo-first-order reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of recovering antimony in hydrochloric acid system by cementation with copper powder was proposed and carried out at laboratory scale. Thermodynamic analysis and cyclic voltammetry test were conducted to study the cementation process. This is a novel antimony removal technology and quite meets the requirements of green chemistry. The main cement product Cu 2 Sb is a promising anodic material for lithium and sodium ion battery. And nearly all consumed copper powder are transformed into CuCl which is an important industrial material. The effect of reaction temperature, stoichiometric ratio of Cu to Sb(III), stirring rate and concentration of HCl on the cementation efficiency of antimony were investigated in detail. Optimized cementation condition is obtained at 60 °C for 120 min and stirring rate of 600 rpm with Cu/Sb(III) stoichiometric ratio of 6 in 3 mol L −1 HCl. At this time, nearly all antimony can be removed by copper powder and the cementation efficiency is over 99%. The structure and morphologies of the cement products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Results show that the reaction temperature has little influence on the morphology of the cement products which consist of particles with various sizes. The activation energy of the cementation antimony on copper is 37.75 kJ mol −1 , indicating a chemically controlled step. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry results show that no stibine generates during the cementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been widely recognized that infertility and its treatment affects a couple as a dyad. Given biomedical differences and differences in socialization processes and gender-role expectations, it is reasonable to suspect that females and males may experience and respond to infertility in different ways. Objective: To explore gender differences among infertile couples with regard to experiences with and adjustments to infertility. Design: A literature review. Data sources: A literature search was performed using the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, and the China Academic Journal Full-text Database. Review methods: The studies that were included were those published in English or Chinese from the years 2000 to 2014. The references of all of the studies selected for this review were also searched. An author search was also performed to retrieve relevant articles. Experiences with and adjustments to infertility were explored from the perspective of gender. Results: A total of 33 studies were included in this review. The experiences with infertility can be grouped under the five domains of the biopsychosocial theory, namely: existential stressors, physical stressors, emotional stressors, interpersonal stressors, and the moderators of stress. In general, females had more negative experiences with infertility than men in most of the domains, including lower levels of identity, self-esteem, and physical health; and higher levels of depression, stress, anxiety, stigma, and shame. Infertile couples experienced stress in their married life, although there were no gender differences in the areas of marital adjustment, marital satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction. Females were likely to perceive themselves as being less confident than their partners in coping with infertility. For both men and women, partner support was found to be negatively related to stress due to infertility. Conclusions: This review revealed that while there were gender differences in the experience with infertility in many realms, both men and women were subject to a stressful married life. Partner support was an important element of coping with infertility. Therefore, a supportive intervention, focusing on enhancing a sense of partnership among infertile couples is a way of helping them to cope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐harm, which affects the whole family system, is an international public health concern. Empirical evidence supports the efficacy of interventions incorporating a family/parent training component for self‐injurious thoughts and behaviours, and a quantitative synthesis of these empirical studies has been undertaken and updated. A qualitative synthesis of the experiences of parents whose child self‐harms remains limited. This report aimed to systematically review qualitative research about the experiences, preferences, and expectations of parents whose children self‐harmed. A comprehensive search was conducted across ten databases and four grey literature sources, along with the manual search of reference lists and relevant websites. Study screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal were all performed by two independent researchers. Twenty‐four articles, two of which were mixed‐methods studies, were included and analysed using a meta‐aggregation approach. Five synthesized findings were identified: initial negative reactions to the discovery of their child's self‐harm, the ongoing impact of self‐harm on parents and the wider family, parents' various coping strategies, parents' negative experiences with mental health professionals expectations, and the lack of and need for psychoeducational resources. Our review finds that parents express keen interest in engaging with the treatment process, and our results support family‐based therapy. However, with the overwhelming emotions most parents experience, clinicians should approach them with sensitivity, empathy and finesse. Psychoeducational self‐help resources should also be made readily available to parents who are reluctant to seek help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Dynamin 1 is a neuron-specific guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) that is an essential component of membrane fission during synaptic vesicle recycling and endocytosis. This study evaluated the dynamin 1 expression pattern in the acute lithium-pilocarpine rat model and in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and investigated whether altering the dynamin 1 expression pattern affects epileptic seizures in vivo and in vitro. The immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, and reverse transcription-PCR results show that the dynamin 1 expression level increased significantly in experimental rats from day 1 to day 7 after the onset of seizures and was significantly higher in TLE patients. The behavioral study revealed that inhibiting dynamin 1 increased the latency time of the first seizure and decreased the frequency and severity of the seizures. In addition, electrophysiological recordings from brain slices showed that inhibiting dynamin 1 reduces the frequency of Mg-free induced seizure-like activity. The anticonvulsant effect of dynasore was more effective at 10 µM than at 1 µM or 160 µM. These results indicate that the altered level of dynamin 1 may contribute to the development of epileptic seizures and that the targeted regulation of dynamin 1 activity may control epileptic seizures. Synapse 69:67-77, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simulation model for maize spike differentiation and phenophase was established by analysis of temperatures and illumination treatments effects on maize growth and development process based on physiological development time constancy. Specific Bata function was applied in the model to calculate the daily thermal effect, and Gaussian function for photoperiodic effects. Temperature sensitivity, photoperiod sensitivity, intrinsic earliness and filling fractions which are genetic coefficients used to express genetic differences of maize development process. The model was tested at different growth stages and nitrogen factor was corrected by the actual nitrogen content, the critical nitrogen content and the lowest nitrogen content of plant. Results demonstrated that the absolute simulation error on growth stages (including emergence, jointing, silking, filling and maturity) and tassel and ear differentiation stages (including growing tip lengthening, spikelet differentiation, floret differentiation stage and sexual organ development) in different maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars was between 0-5 d, and the root mean square error was found less than 3.5 d. The proposed model demonstrated that the mechanism is rational and practical. © 2015 Friends Science Publishers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PrIIIand three synthesized ligands, 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-(benzoyl)hydrazone, 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-(2′-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazone, and 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-(isonicotinyl)hydrazone, respectively, can form binuclear PrIIIcomplexes with 1 : 1 metal-to-ligand stoichiometry and nine-coordination at PrIIIindicated by X-ray crystal structural analyses. Ligands are dibasic tetradentate, binding to PrIIIthrough the phenolate oxygen, nitrogen of quinolinato unit, the C=N of methylene, and–O–C=N– enolized and deprotonated from O=C–NH– of the aroylhydrazone side chain. One DMF binds orthogonally to the ligand plane from one side to the metal ion, while another DMF and a bidentate nitrate simultaneously bind from the other. Dimerization of the monomeric unit occurs through the phenolate oxygen leading to a central planar four-membered (PrO)2ring. The crystal structures are similar to each other and to other nine-coordinate lanthanide complexes with geometry of distorted edge-sharing mono-capped square-antiprism of [LnL(NO3)(DMF)2]2(Ln = LaIII, NdIII, SmIII, EuIII, TbIII, DyIII, HoIII, and ErIII) except for YbIIIwith eight-coordinate YbIIIcenter with distorted edge-sharing dodecahedron of [YbL(NO3)(DMF)]2, derived from 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde and aroylhydrazines. The ligands and PrIIIcomplexes can bind to calf thymus DNA through intercalation with binding constants at 105 M−1and probably be used as potential antitumor drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a severe neurological and mental disorder, and not all patients adequately respond to the current treatments. Dynamin 1 plays a key role in synaptic endocytosis and the modulation of neurological function. Cultured hippocampal neurons were used in the study. First, the viability of neurons was determined by the CCK-8 assay after culturing in magnesium-free medium, DMSO, dynasore (dynamin agonist), and PIP2 (dynamin antagonist). Then, the effect of dynasore on seizure activity was evaluated. Next, we tested the levels of phospho-dynamin 1/total dynamin 1 and dynamin 1 mRNA in the control group and four epilepsy groups. Moreover, the uptake of tetramethylrhodamine-dextran in the different groups was measured. Dephospho-dynamin 1 expression was significantly increased in hyperexcitable neurons, while there was no change in total dynamin 1 level. The level of dephospho-dynamin 1 in hyperexcitable neurons was reduced when cultured with dynasore but increased with PIP2 treatment. Activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE) was upregulated in hyperexcitable neurons. Along with a decrease in dephospho-dynamin 1 level, ADBE was also downregulated with dynasore treatment, while PIP2 did not affect ABDE. The close link between the dephosphorylation status of dynamin 1 and ADBE suggests that ADBE activation depends on dynamin 1 dephosphorylation. Dephospho-dynamin 1 triggers ADBE to meet the requirements of high-frequency discharges during epileptic seizures. [Display omitted] • Dephospho-dynamin 1 triggers activity-dependent bulk endocytosis in epileptic seizure. • Our study demonstrated dynasore (dynamin antagonist) attenuate seizure-like activity in vitro. • Besides, the dephospho-dynamin 1 was increased in hyperexcitable neurons, no change of total dynamin 1 was found. • Dephospho-dynamin 1 was lowered with dynasore,and increased with PIP2. • Along with a decrease in dephospho-dynamin 1 level, ADBE was also downregulated with dynasore treatment. • Intensive studies showed that ADBE activation depends on dynamin 1 dephosphorylation. • So we speculate that dephospho-dynamin 1 might modulate the neuronal hyper excitability through ADBE pathway in epileptic seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Liquid phase exfoliation method to fabricate Ta 4 C 3 MXene. • Study of characterization of Ta 4 C 3 MXene. • Optical properties of Ta 4 C 3 and its application as a saturable absorber in passive mode-locked fiber lasers. • Erbium-doped fiber laser composed of Ta 4 C 3 saturable absorber can generate stable femtosecond pulses. Ta 4 C 3 as one of the MXene has been widely investigated in the application of materials chemistry, biomedicine, electrochemical energy storage and other fields. However, the study of its optical properties and applications remains rare. In this work, few-layer Ta 4 C 3 MXene are prepared and its optical properties and applications are systematically investigated. We develop few-layer Ta 4 C 3 MXene through the liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) method, and prepare it as Ta 4 C 3 saturable absorber (SA). To obtain femtosecond pulses, the Ta 4 C 3 -SA is inserted further to an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) cavity. It is worth noting that in the experiment the EDFL composed of Ta 4 C 3 -SA can generate stable femtosecond pulses, and the spectral bandwidth and duration of the femtosecond pulses are 1559.6 nm and 350 fs, respectively. Meanwhile, the numerical simulation results consistent with the experimental results. The results reveal that Ta 4 C 3 MXene has great application potential in nonlinear optics and ultrafast photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an in vitro model to evaluate the effect of products secreted from different colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines on specific phenotypic switching and functional alterations in THP-1 cells. We co-cultured the human monocytic cell line, THP-1, or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-treated THP-1 cells, (THP-1p), with supernatants from either the HT-29 (Dukes' B), HCT-15 (Dukes' C), or Colo205 (Dukes' D) cell lines, and assessed the cells for macrophage differentiation. The surface marker and cytokine profiles suggested that secreted CRC factors differentiated THP-1 cells into a "mixed" M1/M2 phenotype, although HT-29 and Colo205 supernatants induced THP-1p cells into predominantly M1-like macrophages and M2-like macrophages, respectively. Further, all three CRC supernatants enhanced the phagocytic capacity and migration of THP-1 and THP-1p cells, altering their phenotype to a more M2-kind. Therefore, different CRC cell lines induced specific phenotype switching and functional polarization of THP-1 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) and stanniocalcin-2 (STC2) are secreted glycoprotein hormones involved in various types of human malignancies. The roles of STC1 and STC2 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain unknown. We investigated correlations between STC1 and STC2 expression and clinicopathological or prognostic factors in LSCC. Methods: Pre-surgical peripheral blood samples were collected between 2012 and 2013 from 62 patients with LSCC. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was performed to examine mRNA levels of STC1 and STC2. Immunohistochemistry was performed to retrospectively analyze 90 paraffin-embedded LSCC tissue samples, which were obtained from patients who received surgery between 2006 and 2009. These patients did not have histories of treatment or malignancies. Univariate analysis of patient survival was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The relative mRNA levels of STC1 and STC2 in peripheral blood were significantly greater in LSCC patients than those of healthy volunteers (both P<0.05). STC2 protein expression in tumor tissues was associated with invasion into the thyroid cartilage, T-Stage, lymphatic metastasis, clinical stage, and pathological differentiation (all P<0.05). In addition, STC2 protein expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with LSCC (P = 0.025). In contrast, STC1 expression only correlated with clinical stage (P = 0.026) and was not an independent or significant prognostic factor. Conclusions: Circulating STC1 and STC2 mRNA are potentially useful blood markers for LSCC. Our results strongly suggest that the STC2 protein, but not STC1, may be a valuable biomarker for LSCC malignancies and a prognostic marker for poor outcome following surgery. Future studies should examine STC2 as a novel molecular target for the treatment of LSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The association of ion with functional groups may be a key factor affecting ion selectivity. • The nanopore shows preference to Li+ permeating due to the weak interaction between Li+ and functional groups. • Nanopore may exhibit Mg2+ selectivity under an electric field due to the faster transportation of Mg2+. • Blockage of nanopore caused by Mg2+ could be delimited by applying a proper electric field. The selective Mg2+/Li+ separation of phosphonic acid-modified graphene nanopores was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that the dehydration of ions and the interaction of ions with functional groups are two main factors for the Li+ preference of a graphene nanopore under an electric field of a given intensity. As the pore size and the driving force of ion transportation increase, the influence of these two factors on ion penetration will be less effective; thus, the Li+ selectivity declines. The conduction of Li+ can be impeded due to the blockage effect of Mg2+ on nanopores. By applying a proper electric field perpendicular to the direction of ion penetration, the blockage effect can be eliminated, and thus, the nanopores show extremely high Li+ selectivity. This work provides inspiration for the realization of high-efficiency ion screening and desalination using nanoporous membrane materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a three-dimensional spherically symmetrical potential. Exact solutions to the stationary Gross-Pitaevskii equation are obtained for properly modulated radial nonlinearity. The solutions contain vortices with different winding numbers and exhibit the shell-soliton feature in the radial distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is a fungicide belonging to the organochlorine family and used extensively in agriculture for crop production. Many studies have implied that PCNB has become an environmental concern due to its widespread contamination in eco-systems. However, whether PCNB is bioaccumulated, degraded and phytotoxic in plants is poorly understood. In this study, several alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars were grown in soil with PCNB to investigate their absorption and catabolism, including PCNB residues in the soil and PCNB-induced toxic responses in plants. Alfalfa plants varied widely in their ability to accumulate and degrade PCNB. The degradation rate of PCNB was 66.26–77.68% after alfalfa growth in the soils for 20 d, while the rates in the control (soil without alfalfa) were only 48.42%. Moreover, concentrations of PCNB residues in the rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in the non-rhizosphere soils. Alfalfa exposed to 10 mg kg−1 PCNB showed inhibited growth and oxidative damage, but the effects of PCNB on the cultivars differed significantly, indicating that the alfalfa cultivars have different tolerance to PCNB. Activities of invertase (INV), urease (URE), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were assayed in the treated soils and showed that the enzyme activities were altered after PCNB exposure. The URE, PPO, ALP and ACP activities were increased in soil following the planting of alfalfa. The objective of the study was to analyze the potential of different cultivars of alfalfa to accumulate and degrade PCNB from the contaminated soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An imidazolium-modified hexa- peri-hexabenzocoronene derivative (HBC-C11-MIM[Cl−]) was designed and synthesized as a stabilizer to fabricate reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The resulting RGO/HBC-C11-MIM[Cl−] hybrid shows excellent dispersivity (5.0 mg mL−1) and stability in water. RGO/HBC-C11-MIM[Cl−] was comprehensively characterized by using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy, thus revealing that one HBC-C11-MIM[Cl−] group can stabilize about 178 carbon atoms on the graphene sheets. The obtained hybrid film exhibits a high conductivity of 286 S m−1. Furthermore, the HBC-C11-MIM[Cl−]-modified RGO sheets can be readily dispersed in polar organic solvents upon exchange of the hydrophilic Cl− ions for hydrophobic bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) amide (NTf2−) ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, Shanghai city, the biggest city in China, was selected as the case for quantifying the impact of land-use/land cover (LULC) change on patterns of surface urban heat island (UHI). Time series of LULC maps of Shanghai were produced from Landsat TM/ETM+ images between 1997 and 2008, during which this city experienced unprecedented urban growth. The results show that dramatic changes in LULC have occurred, with loss of cropland, forest and shrub to urban use. The built-up land increased by 219.50%. In contrast, bare land, cropland, fallow land, forest and shrub decreased by 79.38%, 50.50%, 43.35%, and 20.90%, respectively. Consequently, these drastically altered the land surface characteristics and spatiotemporal patterns of UHI. According to temporal analysis on seasonal and inter-annual variations of intensity of the UHI (UHII), both the mean UHII between the city center (UHIIC-R) and UHII between the peri-urban and surrounding rural areas (UHIIP-R) reached maximum during summer period, followed by UHIIC-R and UHIIP-R during spring period. UHIIC-R and UHIIP-R were both relatively weak during winter period. In contrast, UHIIC-R and UHIIP-R were both slight during autumn period. Spatially, there were significant LSTs gradients from the city center to surrounding rural areas. Furthermore, the overall relationships between surface UHI pattern and pixel-based biophysical features as well as population density and road density were quantitatively explored. Thus, based on temporal–spatial analysis of land use dynamics, patterns of LST, and socioeconomic driving forces, our findings highlight the urgent demands for planers and decision-makers to deliberately take urban expansion, UHI effects, and their impact on local climate change into account in future planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]