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Plants have evolved multiple mechanisms to cope with diverse types of light stress, particularly the regulation of the electron transport chain (ETC). Under high light (HL) conditions, the balance of electron flux in the ETC is disturbed, which leads to the overaccumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and results in photodamage and photoinhibition. The cytochrome (Cyt) b6/f complex, which coordinates electron transfer between photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII), plays an essential role in regulating the ETC and initiating photoprotection. However, how the Cyt b6/f complex is maintained under HL conditions remains unclear. Here, we report that the activity of the Cyt b6/f complex is sustained by thylakoid-localized cyclophilin 37 (CYP37) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Compared with wild-type plants, cyp37 mutants displayed an imbalance in electron transport from Cyt b6/f to PSI under HL stress, which led to increased ROS accumulation, decreased anthocyanin biosynthesis, and increased chlorophyll degradation. Surprisingly, CYP37's role in regulating ETC balance was independent of photosynthesis control, which was indicated by a higher Y (ND), an indicator of P700 oxidation in PSI. Furthermore, the interaction between CYP37 and photosynthetic electron transfer A (PetA), a subunit of the Cyt b6/f complex, suggests that the central function of CYP37 is to maintain Cyt b6/f complex activity rather than to serve as an assembly factor. Our study provides insights into how plants balance electron flow between PSII and PSI via Cyt b6/f complex under HL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For classification of wood species with similar microstructure, 19 highvalue hardwood species of Papilionaceae, Ebenaceae, and Caesalpiniaceae were used as experimental objects. Images of transverse sections, radial sections, and tangential sections were collected by Micro CT. Local binary patterns (LBP) are often used for feature extraction. LBP deformed forms such as uniform LBP, rotationinvariant LBP, and rotation-invariant uniform LBP were fused with Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) to form three fusion features. The fusion features were combined with support vector machine (SVM) or BP neural network to realize wood classification. The texture feature fusion method was found to be better than the single feature classification. Among them, the effect of uniform LBP and GLCM fusion was the best, and the classification accuracy combined with SVM was the highest. The evaluation of the classification of 19 kinds of hardwood mainly depended on transverse sections, and its accuracy was higher than that of the radial and tangential sections. Therefore, the classification results of transverse sections should be taken as the main evaluation basis for the classification of the 19 high-value hardwood species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the harm of carpenter bee nests to timber buildings, an eave purlin of Wu's house, the seventh batch of national key cultural relics in China, was taken as the research object. A CT (computed tomography) device was used to collect the projection data of wood components, and VGSTUDIO MAX3.2 software was used to reconstruct multiple transverse sections, radial sections, tangential sections, and 3D (three-dimensional) images of an eave purlin. The results showed that carpenter bees eroded on a timber building randomly, but they usually nested along the length of eave purlin. The wood in the middle of an eave purlin is more vulnerable to carpenter bees than the end. Carpenter bee nests are usually not connected, and the volume of nests accounts for 3% to 4% of the eave purlin. The eave purlin is applied with an orientation and a torsion force. The position of the maximum hot spots of the stress occurs at holes and the large cracks, indicating that carpenter bee nests have a great impact on the mechanical properties of timber buildings. The research results of this paper provide reference for the safety evaluation and preventive protection of timber buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the illegal trade of precious wood in circulation, a wood species identification method based on convolutional neural network (CNN), namely PWoodIDNet (Precise Wood Specifications Identification) model, is proposed. In this paper, the PWoodIDNet model for the identification of rare tree species is constructed to reduce network parameters by decomposing convolutional kernel, prevent overfitting, enrich the diversity of features, and improve the performance of the model. The results showed that the PWoodIDNet model can effectively improve the generalization ability, the characterization ability of detail features, and the recognition accuracy, and effectively improve the classification of wood identification. PWoodIDNet was used to analyze the identification accuracy of microscopic images of 16 kinds of wood, and the identification accuracy reached 99%, which was higher than the identification accuracy of several existing classical convolutional neural network models. In addition, the PWoodIDNet model was analyzed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the PWoodIDNet model as a wood identification method, which can provide a new direction and technical solution for the field of wood identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For thermal comfort and energy-saving performance, a floor-heating method is superior to conventional heating modes, e.g., radiator, fan coil, etc. The floor-heating method has been developed to be a primary indoor heating form. Wood is the most common floor surface material. Due to the anisotropy of wood, it is difficult to obtain a general theoretical formula for its thermal physical properties. In this paper, intelligent algorithms were adopted to predict thermal conductivities of wood. First, the study elaborated frequently used testing methods of thermal conductivity. Next, 130 types of common wood species were measured to form a database of thermal properties. With this database, intelligent algorithms were used to make predictions. For the thermal conductivity predictions that were conducted with support vector machine, the degree of fit between the predicted results and the measured results was not less than 0.87 (k-fold validation). This study validated the feasibility of the usage of the intelligent algorithm for the research and prediction of the thermal conductivities of wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of microglia and the various substances they produce have been linked to the pathologic development of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the precise role of microglia in PD remains to be defined. The survival of microglia depends on colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling, and CSF1R inhibition results in rapid elimination of microglia in the central nervous system. Using a mouse PD model induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treatment, we showed that the depletion of microglia via the CSF1R inhibitor PLX3397 exacerbated the impairment of locomotor activities and the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Further, depletion of microglia augmented the production of inflammatory mediators and infiltration of leukocytes in the brain after MPTP exposure. Microglia depletion-induced aggravation of MPTP neurotoxicity was also seen in lymphocyte-deficient mice. In addition, the depletion of microglia did not affect the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, but it dramatically augmented the production of inflammatory mediators by astrocytes after MPTP treatment. Our findings suggest microglia play a protective role against MPTP-induced neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons with limited treatment options. Emerging evidence shows that FTY720 protects against neural injury via modulation of the sphingosine-1-phosphate 1 receptor (S1PR1). However, it remains unclear whether FTY720 could influence neurodegeneration in PD. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the impact of fingolimod (FTY720), a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) agonist, on 2 mouse models of PD. We found that FTY720 significantly reduced the deficit of motor function, diminished the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra, and attenuated the decrease of striatal dopamine and metabolite levels in mice receiving 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or rotenone to simulate PD. An S1PR1-selective antagonist, W146, blocked the neuroprotective effects of FTY720. Of note, FTY720 retained the phosphorylation of ERK, together with a decreased expression of cleaved caspase-3 in mice treated with 6-OHDA or rotenone. In vitro studies revealed that FTY720 also attenuated 6-OHDA- or rotenone-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previously presented physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for immediate release (IR) methylphenidate (MPH) was extended to characterize the pharmacokinetic behaviors of oral extended release (ER) MPH formulations in adults for the first time. Information on the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, together with the biopharmaceutical properties of MPH, was integrated into the original model, with model parameters representing hepatic metabolism and intestinal non-specific loss recalibrated against in vitro and in vivo kinetic data sets with IR MPH. A Weibull function was implemented to describe the dissolution of different ER formulations. A variety of mathematical functions can be utilized to account for the engineered release/dissolution technologies to achieve better model performance. The physiological absorption model tracked well the plasma concentration profiles in adults receiving a multilayer-release MPH formulation or Metadate CD, while some degree of discrepancy was observed between predicted and observed plasma concentration profiles for Ritalin LA and Medikinet Retard. A local sensitivity analysis demonstrated that model parameters associated with the GI tract significantly influenced model predicted plasma MPH concentrations, albeit to varying degrees, suggesting the importance of better understanding the GI tract physiology, along with the intestinal non-specific loss of MPH. The model provides a quantitative tool to predict the biphasic plasma time course data for ER MPH, helping elucidate factors responsible for the diverse plasma MPH concentration profiles following oral dosing of different ER formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian dynamics is of great theoretical significance for strategy design of emergency evacuation. Modification of pedestrian dynamics based on the social force model is presented to better reflect pedestrians' behavioral characteristics in emergency. Specifically, the modified model can be used for guided crowd dynamics in large-scale public places such as subway stations and stadiums. This guided crowd model is validated by explicitly comparing its density-speed and density-flow diagrams with fundamental diagrams. Some social phenomena such as gathering, balance and conflicts are clearly observed in simulation, which further illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed modeling method. Also, time delay for pedestrians with time-dependent desired velocities is observed and explained using the established model in this paper. Furthermore, this guided crowd model is applied to the simulation system of Beijing South Railway Station for predictive evacuation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temporal development of next-generation photo-induced transistor across semiconductor quantum dots and Zn-related oxide thin film is reported in this paper. Through the dynamic charge transfer in the interface between these two key components, the responsibility of photocurrent can be amplified for scales of times (~104 A/W 450 nm) by the electron injection from excited quantum dots to InGaZnO thin film. And this photo-transistor has a broader waveband (from ultraviolet to visible light) optical sensitivity compared with other Zn-related oxide photoelectric device. Moreover, persistent photoconductivity effect can be diminished in visible waveband which lead to a significant improvement in the device's relaxation time from visible illuminated to dark state due to the ultrafast quenching of quantum dots. With other inherent properties such as integrated circuit compatible, low off-state current and high external quantum efficiency resolution, it has a great potential in the photoelectric device application, such as photodetector, phototransistor, and sensor array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, some existence theorems are obtained for periodic solutions of a damped vibration problem with (q, p)-Laplacian by using variational methods. Our results extend some results in some known literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium iodide (KI) is recommended as an emergency treatment for exposure to radioiodines, most commonly associated with nuclear detonation or mishaps at nuclear power plants. Protecting the thyroid gland of infants and children remains a priority because of increased incidence of thyroid cancer in the young exposed to radioiodines (such as 131I and 133I). There is a lack of clinical studies for KI and radioiodines in children or infants to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of KI administration in the young. In this paper, we compare functional aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in the young and adults and review the limited studies of KI in children. The HPT axis in the infant and child is hyperactive and therefore will respond less effectively to KI treatment compared to adults. Research on the safety and efficacy of KI in infants and children is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium iodide (KI) is recommended as an emergency treatment for exposure to radioiodines, most commonly associated with nuclear detonation or mishaps at nuclear power plants. Protecting the thyroid gland of infants and children remains a priority because of increased incidence of thyroid cancer in the young exposed to radioiodines (such as 131I and 133I). There is a lack of clinical studies for KI and radioiodines in children or infants to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of KI administration in the young. In this paper, we compare functional aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in the young and adults and review the limited studies of KI in children. The HPT axis in the infant and child is hyperactive and therefore will respond less effectively to KI treatment compared to adults. Research on the safety and efficacy of KI in infants and children is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress corrosion cracks (SCC) in low-pressure steam turbine discs are serious hidden dangers to production safety in the power plants, and knowing the orientation and depth of the initial cracks is essential for the evaluation of the crack growth rate, propagation direction and working life of the turbine disc. In this paper, a method based on phased array ultrasonic transducer and artificial neural network (ANN), is proposed to estimate both the depth and orientation of initial cracks in the turbine discs. Echo signals from cracks with different depths and orientations were collected by a phased array ultrasonic transducer, and the feature vectors were extracted by wavelet packet, fractal technology and peak amplitude methods. The radial basis function (RBF) neural network was investigated and used in this application. The final results demonstrated that the method presented was efficient in crack estimation tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an innovative wet-chemistryassisted nanotube-substitution reaction approach for the highly efficient synthesis of boronand nitrogen-codoped single-walled carbon nanotubes (BxCyNz-SWNTs) in bulk quantities. The as-synthesized ternary system BxCyNzSWNTs are of high purity and quality and have fairly homogeneous B and N dopant concentrations. Electrical transport measurements on SWNT-network thin-film transistors revealed that the BxCyNz-SWNTs were composed primarily of the semiconducting nanotubes, in contrast to the starting pristine C-SWNTs, which consisted of a heterogeneous mixture of both semiconducting and metallic types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the variational method, some existence theorems are obtained for periodic solutions of autonomous (q, p)-Laplacian system with impulsive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian clock regulates major aspects of energy metabolism, including glucose and lipid homoeostasis as well as mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. This study is to identify specific patterns of circadian rhythms for lipid homoeostasis in both female and male mouse livers, and to clarify gender disparity in coupling the peripheral circadian clock to lipid metabolic outputs by nuclear receptors. To achieve this, profiling the diurnal hepatic expression of genes encoding circadian clocks, nuclear receptors and lipid metabolic enzymes was performed. Hepatic lipid levels including cholesterol, triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were monitored over a 24-h period. The cosinor analysis revealed that several genes encoding nuclear receptors and enzymes involved in the lipid metabolic pathway were rhythmically expressed in liver in phase with the peripheral clocks, which were correlated with the diurnal changes of hepatic lipid levels. Gender disparity was observed for circadian characteristics including mesor and amplitude values, accompanied with advances in acrophases in female mouse livers. Accordingly, gender differences were also observed in diurnal lipid homoeostasis. The identification of cycling patterns for lipid metabolic pathways in both female and male mouse livers may shed light on the development of gender-based treatment for human diseases related to the coordination of the cellular clock and control of lipid homoeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-5,6-dihydrocineromycin B has been accomplished in 13 steps from (-)-linalool O-triethylsilyl ether or 12 steps from geraniol. The present synthesis features (i) an intermolecular Wittig reaction involving an aldehyde possessing a ketophosphonate functionality and (ii) an intramolecular Homer-Wadsworth- Emmons olefination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have confirmed that the apoptosis induced by the methacrylate resin monomers triethyleneglycol-dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA), etc., in pulp cells and odontoblast-like cells is caused mainly by oxidative stress (OS). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), recognized as the most important risk factor for apoptosis in cells of the pulp-dentin complex, are produced mainly via the mitochondrial respiratory chain. When the free resin monomers in the oral cavity and pulp reach a toxic level, the monomers induce oxidative DNA damage, activate ATMp53 in the nucleus, and mediate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in the presence of Bcl-2 family proteins. A vicious cycle is established between OS cellular responses and abnormalities in mitochondrial dynamics that accelerate apoptosis. Despite numerous products generated via iteration, complete polymerization of resin monomers is not currently possible. The cytotoxicity of free monomers may lead to adverse reactions, such as pulp sensitivity. This review is based on the most important papers describing the roles of resin monomers in mediating apoptosis in the pulp-dentin complex and provides an overview of the precise mechanisms related to mitochondrion-mediated cytotoxicity, suggesting ways to reduce or eliminate their cytotoxicity in the future through advancements in material technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometrical parameters of annular centrifugal contactors (ACCs) have an important influence on the extraction efficiency. The present work used a home-made 25 mm ACC constructed by 3D printing to investigate the effect of five geometrical parameters on the extraction efficiency. These parameters are annular width (d), clearance height (Hc), rotor inlet diameter (Din), bottom vane number (N), and the bottom vane’s bending direction (S). Central composite design was employed to design the experiment, and the response surface methodology was used to analyze the data. The results show that Hc and Din were positive for efficiency, while d and N were negative. When the bottom vane’s bending direction was the same as the liquid helical flow direction, the efficiency improved compared to the straight vane. It is found that 3 mm d, 5 mm Hc, 6 mm Din, and four clockwise covered vanes are the parameters where the efficiency reached the highest point of 94.5%. We analyzed the interactions between the parameters based on the coefficients of the quadratic equation, and the interactions were not considered in previous studies. This work surprisingly reveals that the effects of the parameters on the extraction efficiency were not independent, and there were interactions between the parameters. The interaction between the rotor inlet diameter and annular width was significant and could not be ignored. These results could serve as a reference for optimizing extraction processes and the design of ACCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban, apixaban and enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis after arthroplastic surgery. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis containing a wide range of randomized controlled trials about efficiency and safety of rivaroxaban, apixaban and enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis after arthroplastic surgery in the recent decade from January 2006 to June 2018. The present study separately analyzed the following key components: the different efficiency and safety for rivaroxaban and enoxaparin; apixaban and enoxaparin; and enoxaparin and other new developed anticoagulants. Results: Sixteen studies containing 58885 patients were included. In results of efficacy outcomes, total events occurred in 4.89% patients of rivaroxaban group and 9.55% patients of the control group; however, no significant difference was observed in apixaban groups of their efficacy outcomes. Primary events didn't show significant difference when comparing apixaban with the control or comparing enoxaparin with the control. In analysis of safety outcomes, bleeding events occurred in 3.41% patients of rivaroxaban group compared with 2.84% patients of the control groups; bleeding events in apixaban groups were 4.09% compared with the control groups 4.64%. Bleeding events occurred in 3.51% patients of enoxaparin group, slightly lower than 5.82% of the control group. Conclusion: Direct oral anticoagulant, rivaroxaban might have better efficacy outcomes in thromboprophylaxis after arthroplastic surgery; however, apixaban showed no significantly different efficacy outcomes compared with enoxaparin, and enoxaparin may have equal or even better safety outcomes compared with direct oral anticoagulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the joint problem of production scheduling and maintenance planning as it becomes one important base for intelligent manufacturing. Due to the dual requirements both on cost and delivery date, a multi-objective optimization approach is proposed for parallel machines to allow decision makers to find compromise solution between production scheduling and maintenance planning: minimizing both maximum completion time and total maintenance cost. The new optimization approach is one multiple nondominated improved NSGA-II algorithm based on greedy idea and predistribution thinking, which can quickly and effectively seek Pareto optimal solution to solve the joint problem. As well as the introduced idea of averaging machine utilization, the job processing time model is constructed by considering machine degradation to meet real manufacturing situation. Moreover, a penalty function to maintenance (delay or advance) is proposed. Finally, the experimental analysis demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of this pre-distributed NSGA-II optimization approach, which could help solve the joint decision-making problem of production scheduling and preventive maintenance for parallel machines system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of naometric perovskite catalysts LaCo1− xPd xO3 ( x = 0, 0.01, 0.03) were prepared via a solution combustion synthesis route using metal nitrates as oxidizers and urea as fuel. It is essential to add a certain amount of ammonia aqueous solution to Pd2+ ions solution in the catalyst preparation process. Homogeneous nanoparticles LaCo1− xPd xO3 catalysts with the sizes in the range of 68–122 nm were obtained and characterized by using of XRD, BET, H2-TPR, XPS, SEM and TEM. Pd was successfully introduced into the LaCoO3 perovskite lattices. Further information was obtained by using XPS upon the LaCo0.97Pd0.03O3 (with NH4OH) sample after H2-TPR. The results revealed that surface Pd was reduced to the metallic state at the end of the first step in the H2-TPR experiment, and some surface Co could be reduced to metallic Co simultaneously. The catalytic properties were investigated for simultaneous NO x-soot removal reaction. The performance of LaCo1− xPd xO3 catalysts were greatly improved by the partial substitution of Pd. The maximum NO conversion into N2 and the ignition temperature of soot are 32.8% and 265 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of phosphorus (P) modified HZSM-5 catalysts were prepared and characterized with various techniques. These catalysts were used in dehydration of ethanol to ethylene at different temperatures. It was found that not all the P-modified catalysts favor this reaction at high temperatures. Over the catalyst with 3.4 wt% P, the main product is ethylene at 573–713 K, due to the presence of weak acid sites after P modification. When the P loading is below 3.4 wt%, ethylene and higher hydrocarbons are observed at high temperatures. As P content is above 3.4 wt%, higher reaction temperature is necessary for ethanol dehydration to ethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the induced glomerular epithelial cells injury and proteinuria by C5b-9. Expressions of cyclooxygenase; Mechanisms of complement-induced upregulation of COX-2 mRNA; Downregulation of protein kinase C.

Hypoxia plays an important role in the development of renal fibrosis. G2/M arrest in renal tubular cells is an important pathway in the development of chronic kidney disease. It is unknown whether hypoxia leads to renal fibrosis via the regulation of G2/M arrest in renal tubular epithelial cells. For the first time, to our knowledge, we showed that hypoxia induces G2/M arrest in renal tubular cells leading to renal fibrosis, and microRNAs are involved in this regulation. We compared microRNA expression between hypoxia and normoxia in HK2 cells and found microRNA (miR)-493 to be highly expressed at 24 and 48 h after hypoxia. The overexpression of miR-493 reduced the expression of the cell cycle regulator, Stathmin (STMN)-1, and increased the percentage of G2/M phase cells and profibrotic factors in HK2 cells. Targeting STMN-1 with short hairpin RNA produced an effect similar to that of miR-493 overexpression. On contrast, the miR-493 inhibitor reversed these effects in vitro. Consistent with these results, miR-493 sponge adeno-associated virus reduced the expression of profibrotic factors and increased STMN-1 in vivo. In summary, these results suggest that the miR-493-STMN-1 pathway contributes to hypoxia-induced tubular epithelial cell G2/M arrest and renal fibrosis. Abrogating G2/M arrest and blocking the miR-493-STMN-1 pathway will provide further insight for the development of antifibrosis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the initial discovery of mcr-1 in an Escherichia coli isolate from China, the gene has also been detected in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica but is rarely reported in other Enterobacteriaceae. Here, we report the isolation and identification of a Shigella flexneri strain harboring mcr-1 from stool samples in a pig farm in China from 2009. The MIC of colistin for the isolate is 4 µg/ml. Conjugation assays showed that the donor S. flexneri strain has functional and transferable colistin resistance. Sequencing revealed that mcr-1 was present on a putative composite transposon flanked by inverted repeats of ISApl1. IMPORTANCE There are four species of Shigella, and Shigella flexneri is the most frequently isolated species in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this study, we report a functional, transferable, plasmid-mediated mcr-1 gene in S. flexneri. We have shown that mcr-1 is located on a novel composite transposon which is flanked by inverted repeats of ISApl1. The host strain is multidrug resistant, and this multidrug resistance is also transferable. The finding of a functional mcr-1 gene in S. flexneri, a human-associated Enterobacteriaceae family member, is a cause for concern as infections due to S. flexneri are the main Shigella infections in most low- and middleincome countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Zn-modified NaY zeolites were prepared by the liquid-phase ion-exchange method with different Zn sources, including Zn(NO3)2, Zn(Ac)2 and ZnSO4. The samples were tested as adsorbents for removing an organic sulfur compound from a model gasoline fuel containing 1000 ppmw sulfur. Zn(Ac)2-Y exhibited the best performance for the desulfurization of gasoline at ambient conditions. Combined with the adsorbents' characterization results, the higher adsorption capacity of Zn(Ac)2-Y is associated with a higher ion-exchange degree. Further, the results demonstrated that the addition of 5 wt % toluene or 1-hexene to the diluted thiophene (TP) solution in cyclohexane caused a large decrease in the removal of TP from the model gasoline fuel. This provides evidence about the competition through the π-complexation between TP and toluene for adsorption on the active sites. The acid-catalyzed alkylation by 1-hexene of TP and the generated complex mixture of bulky alkylthiophenes would adsorb on the surface active sites of the adsorbent and block the pores. The regenerated Zn(Ac)2-Y adsorbent afforded 84.42% and 66.10% of the initial adsorption capacity after the first two regeneration cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient fluorescence/phosphorescence hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with single doped co-host structure have been fabricated. Device using 9-Naphthyl-10 -(4-triphenylamine) anthrancene as the fluorescent dopant and Ir(ppy)3 and Ir(2-phq)3 as the green and orange phosphorescent dopants show the luminous efficiency of 12.4% (17.6 lm/W, 27.5 cd/A) at 1000 cd/m². Most important to note that the efficiency-brightness roll-off of the device was very mild. With the brightness rising up to 5000 and 10 000 cd/m², the efficiency could be kept at 11.8% (14.0 lm/W, 26.5 cd/A) and 11.0% (11.8 lm/W, 25.0 cd/A). The Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates and color rending index (CRI) were measured to be (0.45, 0.48) and 65, respectively, and remained the same in a large range of brightness (1000-10 000 cd/m²), which is scarce in the reported white OLEDs. The performance of the device at high luminance (5000 and 10 000 cd/m²) was among the best reported results including fluorescence/phosphorescence hybrid and all-phosphorescent white OLEDs. Moreover, the CRI of the white OLED can be improved to 83 by using a yellow-green emitter (Ir(ppy)2bop) in the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of phosphorus modified HZSM-5 (SiO2/Al2O3 = 25, P/Al = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) samples were prepared and tested in the isomerization of styrene oxide to phenylacetaldehyde under a gas-phase atmosphere free of solvents. The strength and concentration of Brønsted acid sites decreased with increased phosphorus content, while all samples exhibited initial conversions of styrene oxide greater than 99%. External acid sites were gradually deactivated with phosphorus addition, improving the phenylacetaldehyde selectivity by suppressing its trimerization which occurred at external acid sites. When the P/Al ratio ≤ 1, catalyst lifetimes extended because of the decrease in strong acid strength. Hard coke, which preferentially formed on strong acid sites, was considerably inhibited in the presence of phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD40-CD40L interactions play a critical role in regulating immune responses. Blockade of CD40L by Abs, such as the anti-CD40L Ab 5c8, demonstrated positive clinical effects in patients with autoimmune diseases; however, incidents of thromboembolism (TE) precluded further development of these molecules. In this study, we examined the role of the Fc domain interaction with FcγsR in modulating platelet activation and potential for TE. Our results show that the interaction of the 5c8 wild-type IgG1 Fc domain with FcγsR is responsible for platelet activation, as measured by induction of PAC-1 and CD62P. A version of 5c8 with a mutated IgG1 tail was identified that showed minimal FcγR binding and platelet activation while maintaining full binding to CD40L. To address whether Fc effector function is required for immunosuppression, a potent Ab fragment, termed a "domain Ab" (dAb), against murine CD40L was identified and fused to a murine IgG1 Fc domain containing a D265A mutation that lacks Fc effector function. In vitro, this dAb-Fc demonstrated comparable potency to the benchmark mAb MR-1 in inhibiting B cell and dendritic cell activation. Furthermore, the anti-CD40L dAb-Fc exhibited a notable efficacy comparable to MR-1 in various preclinical models, such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin-induced Ab responses, alloantigen-induced T cell proliferation, "heart-to-ear" transplantation, and NZB × NZW F1 spontaneous lupus. Thus, our data show that immunosuppression and TE can be uncoupled and that a CD40L dAb with an inert Fc tail is expected to be efficacious for treating autoimmune diseases, with reduced risk for TE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the influence of adsorbates on field emission from flame-synthesized patterned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by varying current-voltage sweep operational modes (continuous and pulsed) and vacuum pressure. Based on the gas adsorption and desorption effect, three distinguishable emission regimes--intrinsic adsorption, field-induced adsorption enhanced and current-induced desorption regimes--were proposed to interpret the nonlinearity of Fowler-Nordheim plots. The field-emission current versus applied voltage curves exhibited distinctive vacuum-pressure- and sweep-speed-dependent hysteresis upon a loop of anode voltage. This hysteresis was attributed to the absorption-desorption of adsorbates due to the large surface defects of the flame-synthesized CNTs. Such flame-synthesized CNTs with distinctive gas-absorption ability may have potential application in gas-sensing field-emission devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of the La2Ni1− xCu xO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) perovskite-like complex oxide catalysts, prepared and characterized by XRD, H2-TPR, O2-TPD and XPS, and catalytic activity tests, proved to be effective in the simultaneous removal of NO x and soot. The results indicated that the catalysts show the single orthorhombic K2NiF4-like phase. The doping of Cu led to the increase of orthorhombic distortion and the decrease of capability to accommodate non-stoichiometric oxygen, as well as the increase of the reducibility of lattice oxygen, resulting in improving catalytic activities. The La2Ni0.4Cu0.6O4 catalyst showed the highest activity. The maximum conversion of nitrogen oxide to molecular nitrogen was 15.6% and the ignition temperature decreased from 440 to 246 °C, as compared with the uncatalyzed soot combustion reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel structural class of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitors consisting of substituted 4-(phenylamino)-pyrrolo[2,1- f][1,2,4]triazines has been discovered. An initial subdeck screen revealed that the oxindole-pyrrolo[2,1- f][1,2,4]triazine lead 2adisplayed potent enzyme inhibition (IC 5060 nM) and was active in a cell-based TNFα biosynthesis inhibition assay (IC 50210 nM). Replacement of the C4 oxindole with 2-methyl-5- N-methoxybenzamide aniline 9gave a compound with superior p38 kinase inhibition (IC 5010 nM) and moderately improved functional inhibition in THP-1 cells. Further replacement of the C6 ester of the pyrrolo[2,1- f][1,2,4]triazine with amides afforded compounds with increased potency, excellent oral bioavailability, and robust efficacy in a murine model of acute inflammation (murine LPS-TNFα). In rodent disease models of chronic inflammation, multiple compounds demonstrated significant inhibition of disease progression leading to the advancement of 2 compounds 11band 11jinto further preclinical and toxicological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic changes of myocardial fiber and sheet structure are key determinants of regional ventricular function. However, quantitative characterization of the contraction-related changes in fiber and sheet structure has not been reported. The objective of this study was to quantify cardiac fiber and sheet structure at selected phases of the cardiac cycle. Diffusion tensor MRI was performed on isolated, perfused Sprague-Dawley rat hearts arrested or fixed in three states as follows: 1) potassium arrested (PA), which represents end diastole; 2) barium-induced contracture with volume (BV+), which represents isovolumic contraction or early systole; and 3) barium-induced contracture without volume (BV-), which represents end systole. Myocardial fiber orientations at the base, midventricle, and apex were determined from the primary eigenvectors of the diffusion tensor. Sheet structure was determined from the secondary and tertiary eigenvectors at the same locations. We observed that the transmural distribution of the myofiber helix angle remained unchanged as contraction proceeded from PA to BV+, but endocardial and epicardial fibers became more longitudinally orientated in the BV- group. Although sheet structure exhibited significant regional variations, changes in sheet structure during myocardial contraction were relatively uniform across regions. The magnitude of the sheet angle, which is an index of local sheet slope, decreased by 23 and 44% in BV+ and BV- groups, respectively, which suggests more radial orientation of the sheet. In summary, we have shown for the first time that geometric changes in both sheet and fiber orientation provide a substantial mechanism for radial wall thickening independent of active components due to myofiber shortening. Our results provide direct evidence that sheet reorientation is a primary determinant of myocardial wall thickening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases including Lck, ZAP-70, and Itk play essential roles in T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Gene knockout studies have revealed that mice lacking these individual kinases exhibit various degrees of immunodeficiency; however, highly selective small molecule inhibitors of these kinases as potential immunosuppressive agents have not been identified. Here we discovered two novel compounds, BMS-488516 and BMS-509744, that potently and selectively inhibit Itk kinase activity. The compounds reduce TCR-induced functions including PLCγ1 tyrosine phosphorylation, calcium mobilization, IL-2 secretion, and T-cell proliferation in vitro in both human and mouse cells. The inhibitors suppress the production of IL-2 induced by anti-TCR antibody administered to mice. BMS-509744 also significantly diminishes lung inflammation in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced allergy/asthma. Our findings represent the first description of selective inhibitors to probe human Itk function and its associated pathway, and support the hypothesis that Itk is a therapeutic target for immunosuppressive and inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the role of signal-inducible phosphorylation of serines 32 and 36 of I-kappa-B-alpha in regulating the subsequent ubiquitination and proteolysis of I-kappa-B-alpha. Promotion of gene transcription; Non-linear relationship indicating non-Michaelis-Menten kinetic binding; Study of NF-kappa B activation.

An outstanding goal in quantum optics and scalable photonic quantum technology is to develop a source that each time emits one and only one entangled photon pair with simultaneously high entanglement fidelity, extraction efficiency, and photon indistinguishability. By coherent two-photon excitation of a single InGaAs quantum dot coupled to a circular Bragg grating bull's-eye cavity with a broadband high Purcell factor of up to 11.3, we generate entangled photon pairs with a state fidelity of 0.90(1), pair generation rate of 0.59(1), pair extraction efficiency of 0.62(6), and photon indistinguishability of 0.90(1) simultaneously. Our work will open up many applications in high-efficiency multiphoton experiments and solid-state quantum repeaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene plasmons have become promising candidates for deep-subwavelength nanoscale optical devices due to their strong field confinement and low damping. Among these nanoscale optical devices, band-pass filter for wavelength selection and noise filtering are key devices in an integrated optical circuit. However, plasmonic filters are still oversized because large resonant cavities are needed to perform frequency selection. Here, an ultra-compact filter integrated in a graphene plasmonic waveguide was designed, where a rectangular resonant cavity is inside a graphene nanoribbon waveguide. The properties of the filter were studied using the finite-difference time-domain method and demonstrated using the analytical model. The results demonstrate the band-pass filter has a high quality factor (20.36) and electrically tunable frequency response. The working frequency of the filter could also be tuned by modifying the cavity size. Our work provides a feasible structure for a graphene plasmonic nano-filter for future use in integrated optical circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene plasmon with extremely strong light confinement and tunable resonance frequency represents a promising surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) sensing platform. However, plasmonic absorption is relatively weak (approximately 1%–9%) in monolayer graphene nanostructures, which would limit its sensitivity. Here, we theoretically propose a hybrid plasmon-metamaterial structure that can realize perfect absorption in graphene with a low carrier mobility of 1000 cm2 V−1 s−1. This structure combines a gold reflector and a gold grating to the graphene plasmon structures, which introduce interference effect and the lightning-rod effect, respectively, and largely enhance the coupling of light to graphene. The vibration signal of trace molecules can be enhanced up to 2000-fold at the hotspot of the perfect-absorption structure, enabling the SEIRA sensing to reach the molecular level. This hybrid metal-graphene structure provides a novel path to generate high sensitivity in nanoscale molecular recognition for numerous applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]