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Compressing textstreams generated by social networks can both reduce storage consumption and improve efficiency such as fast searching. However, the compression process is a challenge due to the large scale of textstreams. In this article, we propose a textstream compression framework based on compressed sensing theory and design a series of matching parallel procedures. The new approach uses a linear projection technique in the textstream compression process, achieving fast compression speed and low compression ratio. Two processes are executed by designing elaborated parallel procedures for efficient compressing and decompressing of large-scale textstreams. The decompression process is implemented for approximate solutions of underdetermined linear systems. Experimental results show that the new method can efficiently achieve the compression and decompression tasks on a large amount of text generated by social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of cancer exhibit distinct gene expression profiles. The present study aimed to identify a specific gene dysregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that was essential for cancer progression. The whole transcriptomes of primary HCC tissue samples were analyzed with microarrays. The most significantly differentially expressed gene was identified, specifically karyopherin subunit‑α 2 (KPNA2), and an analysis using the Oncomine online tool was performed with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas to predict associated genes in HCC. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm the gene expression levels of KPNA2, and the RNA interference knockdown of KPNA2 was performed to identify the effect on putative downstream target genes. A proliferation assay and flow cytometry analysis was used to assess the function of KPNA2 in the regulation of the cell cycle. The results demonstrated that KPNA2 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tumor tissues compared with liver tissues and was associated with cyclin B2 (CCNB2) and cyclin‑dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) expression. KPNA2 expression was identified a novel marker to predict the outcome of patients. In addition, KPNA2 knockdown downregulated CCNB2 and CDK1, inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that KPNA2 may promote tumor cell proliferation by increasing the expression of CCNB2/CDK1. KPNA2 could be a target for therapeutic intervention in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Rhizoma coptidis extract and its alkaloids show various pharmacological activities, but its metabolic profile in human plasma has not been thoroughly investigated. In the present research, the metabolism of Rhizoma coptidis at a clinical dose (5 g/60 kg/day) was systematically analyzed to determine its biotransformation processes in human plasma. Methods: In this research, the metabolites of Rhizoma coptidis in human plasma after oral administration of Rhizoma coptidis extract at a clinical dose were investigated using ultra- high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with high-resolution LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The structural elucidation of the constituents was confirmed by comparing their retention times (tR) and MSn fragments with those of standards and literature reports. Results: In total, two prototypes and twelve metabolites were detected in human plasma. The two prototypes were confidently identified using reference standards. Of the compounds detected, M7 (berberrubinen-9-O-glucuronide) was the most abundant based on its peak area, which indicates that this compound might be a pharmacokinetic marker for Rhizoma coptidis alkaloids in humans. Based on the metabolites detected in human plasma, a possible metabolic pathway for Rhizoma coptidis in vivo was proposed. Conclusions: The results indicated that the alkaloids in Rhizoma coptidis were extensively biotransformed in vivo mainly via conjugation with glucuronic acid (GluA) or sulfuric acid (SulA) to form phase II metabolites, and the GluA metabolites are likely the dominant form in human plasma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in vivo evaluation of the metabolic profile of the whole Rhizoma coptidis extract in human plasma, which is essential for determining the chemicals responsible for the pharmacological activities of Rhizoma coptidis in vivo. Moreover, it would be beneficial for us to further systematically study the pharmacokinetic behavior of Rhizoma coptidis in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper complex with V-shaped ligands, [( L )CuCl] ( 1), ( L1 = 4-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl) methanone) has been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and singlecrystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal of 1 is monoclinic, sp. gr. C2/ with the unit cell parameters a = 17.9496(13), b = 15.3440(13), c = 7.2983(7) Å, and β = 112.875(6)°, Z = 4, R = 0.0681, and wR = 0.1736 ( I > 2 σ). The solid state structure of 1 consists of 2D metal aromatic chloride layers, which are propagating along the bc plane to form a 3D network through hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inter-system differencing model between two Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) enables only one reference satellite for all observations. If the associated differential inter-system biases (DISBs) are priori known, double-differenced (DD) ambiguities between overlapping frequencies from different GNSS constellations can also be fixed to integers. This can provide more redundancies for the observation model, and thus will be beneficial to ambiguity resolution (AR) and real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. However, for Global Positioning System (GPS) and the regional BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-2), there are no overlapping frequencies. Tight combination of GPS and BDS needs to process not only the DISBs but also the single-difference ambiguity of the reference satellite, which is caused by the influence of different frequencies. In this paper, we propose a tightly combined dual-frequency GPS and BDS RTK positioning model for medium baselines with real-time estimation of DISBs. The stability of the pseudorange and phase DISBs is analyzed firstly using several baselines with the same or different receiver types. The dual-frequency ionosphere-free model with parameterization of GPS-BDS DISBs is proposed, where the single-difference ambiguity is estimated jointly with the phase DISB parameter from epoch to epoch. The performance of combined GPS and BDS RTK positioning for medium baselines is evaluated with simulated obstructed environments. Experimental results show that with the inter-system differencing model, the accuracy and reliability of RTK positioning can be effectively improved, especially for the obstructed environments with a small number of satellites available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of pressure on structures, enthalpies, elastic properties, mechanical stability and electronic properties of BaN 2 , Ba 2 N, BaN 6 and BaN 5 have been investigated using first-principles calculations. Based on the experimental and theoretical parameters, the crystal structures of four Ba–N compounds at zero pressure and high pressure have been built and studied. The enthalpies of BaN 2 , Ba 2 N, BaN 6 and BaN 5 decrease gradually within the range of 0 GPa–100 GPa. The mechanical stability of compounds in the pressure range from 0 GPa to 100 GPa has been estimated by the modified Born stability conditions under pressure. Through the study of elastic modulus, it is found that the increasing pressure can enhance the ability of resisting elastic deformation. The B/G and Poisson's ratio shows that BaN 2 , BaN 6 as well as BaN 5 are ductile, and the brittle-tough transition was observed for Ba 2 N. The band structures and density of states are studied in order to explore the characteristics of the motion of electrons in barium nitrides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two complexes, {Mn(hfac)2(BIPMO)} n ( 1), {Cu(hfac)2(BIPMO)} n ( 2) [hfac=1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-pentane-2,4-dionato(-), BIPMO=bis(4-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone], with the V-shaped ligands were synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses, along with single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the metal ions in 1 and 2 are both six-coordinated to two nitrogen atoms of two BIPMO ligands and four oxygen atoms of two hfac ligands to form a distorted octahedral geometry. Each BIPMO ligand acts as a bridging ligand to link two adjacent metal(II) atoms to form a helical chain in the crystal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanism for topology optimization of 3-DOF parallel peristaltic structure robot with vector continuous mapping matrix using Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method is presented in this paper. We focus on how to prevent the differential motion consistency between parallel prototype mechanisms with peristaltic structure. As the conventional parallel robot joints/hinges are no longer needed after topology optimization, therefore, we renamed this kind of 3-DOF robot structures as peristaltic structure. In the proposed method, the vector continuous mapping matrix is built as stress/strain transfer direction conditions for topology optimization of peristaltic structure, and SIMP method is used for multi-inputs and multioutputs decided by parallel prototype mechanisms. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. In China, Fructus Gardeniae was used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a wide array of biological activities. The bioactive components identified in Fructus Gardeniae mainly included iridoids, flavonids, pigments, and so on. Among them, iridoids were regarded as important compounds in Fructus Gardeniae. Though analyses of the constituents in biological samples after oral administration of Fructus Gardeniae effective fraction or its active compounds have been reported, few efforts have been made to investigate the metabolic profile of Fructus Gardeniae in humans. In this study, the constituents and metabolites of Fructus Gardeniae in human blood and urine after oral administration of Fructus Gardeniae were investigated using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with high-resolution LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometery. 2. Totally, 14 constituents (two parent compounds and 12 metabolites) of Fructus Gardeniae were identified in human plasma and urine either by comparing the retention time and mass spectrometry data with that of reference compounds or by the accurate high-resolution MS/MS data of the chemicals. The compounds identified were mainly iridoid glycosides such as geniposide and the derivatives of genipin-O-glucuronide. Among them, 11 metabolites were detected in human plasma and urine while the other three metabolites including geniposidic acid (M1), demethylation derivative of genipin-O-glucuronide (M2), and dehydration product of mono-hydroxylated genipin-O-glucuronide (M9) were only discovered in human urine. Further, the possible metabolic pathways of Fructus Gardeniaein vivowere proposed and the peak area–time curve of the most abundant metabolite genipin-O-glucuronide (M13) in human plasma after oral administration of Fructus Gardeniae was depicted. The results suggested that a metabolic difference existed between rats and humans. 3. The results obtained in the present research would provide basic information to understand the metabolic profile of Fructus Gardeniae in humans and explore the chemicals responsible for the hepatotoxicity of Fructus Gardeniaein vivo. Moreover, it would be beneficial for us to further study the pharmacokinetic behavior of Fructus Gardeniae in humans systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Mn(II) complexes, {[Mn(BIPMO)2Cl2] · 2(H2O)} n ( 1) and {[Mn(BIPMO)2(SCN)2] · 2(CH3OH)} n ( 2) (BIPMO = bis(4-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone) with V-shaped BIPMO ligands, were synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses along with their single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The Mn(II) ions in 1 and 2 are both six-coordinated to four nitrogen atoms of four BIPMO ligands and two anions (Cl− for 1, and SCN− for 2) to form a distorted octahedral geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: cobalt; dinitrogen activation; dinitrogen fixation; P4 activation EN cobalt dinitrogen activation dinitrogen fixation P4 activation 1 1 1 12/06/22 20221201 NES 221201 B Cobalt dinitrogen complexes b supported by cyclopentadienyl-phosphine ligands and their reactivities are described. Cover Feature: Cobalt Cyclopentadienyl-Phosphine Dinitrogen Complexes (Chem. Eur. J. 67/2022) Cobalt, dinitrogen activation, dinitrogen fixation, P4 activation. [Extracted from the article]

Edible oleogels have gained popularity as an approach for formulating food products, profiting from improving nutritional profiles related to health-related concerns, and playing an essential role in food processing. Protein oleogels provide an additional opportunity to load and deliver a high proportion of natural macronutrient in lipid-based food products. However, structuring oleogels with proteins directly were rarely reported, which has greatly limited their practical applications. Herein, we proposed a simple and robust method for structuring protein oleogels. By taking advantage of the improved interparticle cohesion through adding a much small amount of water (e.g., 2%) dispersed by ball milling, a space-spanning fractal network of engineered colloidal protein nanoparticles was formed, allowing for physically trapping the liquid oil into a self-standing gel-like system. Rheology and confocal laser microscopy imaging were adopted to investigate the viscoelasticity and microstructure of the resulting oleogels, showing that these capillary protein oleogels can be designed and fabricated with tunable properties upon water addition. Meanwhile, protein oleogels can be successfully formed by this approach, varying from proteins with different wettability, as well as oils differing in polarity. Overall, our findings raise the possibility of structuring protein oleogels with high operability and easy scale-up in practical applications. Capillary suspension promises a new approach for structuring protein oleogels. [Display omitted] • Protein oleogels were successfully prepared through adding a small amount of water into protein oily suspension by ball milling. • A morphological transformation of zein protein oleogels from a pendular network to a funicular state, finally to a compact capillary aggregate network occurs. • These capillary-induced protein oleogels mainly depend on the composition, particle characteristics, and processing conditions. • Capillary-induced protein oleogels can be successfully fabricated varying from proteins, as well as oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C27H18CuF6N2O5S2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.3162(5) Å, b = 10.1290(6) Å, c = 16.4352(9) Å, α = 90.430(4)°, β = 100.711(5)°, γ = 110.753(5)°, V = 1420.45(14) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0559, wRref(F2) = 0.1617, T = 293 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting phenotypes from genotypes is a fundamental task in quantitative genetics. With technological advances, it is now possible to measure multiple phenotypes in large samples. Multiple phenotypes can share their genetic component; therefore, modeling these phenotypes jointly may improve prediction accuracy by leveraging effects that are shared across phenotypes. However, effects can be shared across phenotypes in a variety of ways, so computationally efficient statistical methods are needed that can accurately and flexibly capture patterns of effect sharing. Here, we describe new Bayesian multivariate, multiple regression methods that, by using flexible priors, are able to model and adapt to different patterns of effect sharing and specificity across phenotypes. Simulation results show that these new methods are fast and improve prediction accuracy compared with existing methods in a wide range of settings where effects are shared. Further, in settings where effects are not shared, our methods still perform competitively with state-of-the-art methods. In real data analyses of expression data in the Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, our methods improve prediction performance on average for all tissues, with the greatest gains in tissues where effects are strongly shared, and in the tissues with smaller sample sizes. While we use gene expression prediction to illustrate our methods, the methods are generally applicable to any multi-phenotype applications, including prediction of polygenic scores and breeding values. Thus, our methods have the potential to provide improvements across fields and organisms. Author summary: Predicting phenotypes from genotypes is a fundamental problem in quantitative genetics. Thanks to recent advances, it is increasingly feasible to collect data on many phenotypes and genome-wide genotypes in large samples. Here, we tackle the problem of predicting multiple phenotypes from genotypes using a new method based on a multivariate, multiple linear regression model. Although the use of a multivariate, multiple linear regression model is not new, in this paper we introduce a flexible and computationally efficient empirical Bayes approach based on this model. This approach uses a prior that captures how the effects of genotypes on phenotypes are shared across the different phenotypes, and then the prior is adapted to the data in order to capture the most prominent sharing patterns present in the data. We assess the benefits of this flexible Bayesian approach in simulated genetic data sets, and we illustrate its application in predicting gene expression measured in multiple human tissues. We show that our methods can outperform competing methods in terms of prediction accuracy, and the computations involved in fitting the model and making the predictions scale well to large data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Observational studies inconsistently reported the relationship between vitamin C intake and risk of pancreatic cancer. We conducted a meta-analysis of published case-control and cohort studies to quantify the association. Methods: Potentially eligible studies were found on PubMed and EMBASE databases through May 31, 2015. A random-effects model was assigned to compute summary point estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were also performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Results: Our final analyses included 20 observational studies comprising nearly 5 thousand cases of pancreatic cancer. When comparing the highest with the lowest categories of vitamin C intake, the summary odds ratio/relative risk for case-control studies (14 studies), cohort studies (6 studies) and all studies combined was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.52–0.66), 0.93 (95% CI: 0.78–1.11) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.58–0.75), respectively. The difference in the findings between case-control and cohort studies was statistically significant (P < .001). Possible publication bias was shown in the meta-analysis of case-control studies. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to conclude any relationship between vitamin C intake and risk of pancreatic cancer. The strong inverse association observed in case-control studies may be affected by biases (eg, recall and selection biases) that particularly affect case-control studies and/or potential publication bias. Future prospective studies of vitamin C intake and pancreatic cancer are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) make it possible to directly sequence genomes and exomes of individuals with Mendelian diseases and screen sequence data for causal variants. With the reduction in cost of NGS, DNA samples from entire families can be sequenced and linkage analysis can be performed directly using NGS data. Inspired by 'burden' tests, which are used for complex trait rare variant association studies, we developed the collapsed haplotype pattern (CHP) method for linkage analysis. Using data from several deafness genes we demonstrate that the CHP method is substantially more powerful than analyzing individual variants. Unlike applying NGS data filtering approaches, the CHP method provides statistical evidence of a gene's involvement in disease etiology and is also less likely to exclude causal variants in the presence of phenocopies and/or reduced penetrance. The CHP method was implemented in the SEQLinkage software package, which can perform linkage analysis on NGS data or can generate data compatible with many linkage analysis programs, reviving them for use in NGS era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional constellation of the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) has been providing continuous positioning, navigation and timing services since 27 December 2012, covering China and the surrounding area. Real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning with combined BDS and GPS observations is feasible. Besides, all satellites of BDS can transmit triple-frequency signals. Using the advantages of multi-pseudorange and carrier observations from multi-systems and multi-frequencies is expected to be of much benefit for ambiguity resolution (AR). We propose an integrated AR strategy for medium baselines by using the combined GPS and BDS dual/triple-frequency observations. In the method, firstly the extra-wide-lane (EWL) ambiguities of triple-frequency system, i.e., BDS, are determined first. Then the dual-frequency WL ambiguities of BDS and GPS were resolved with the geometry-based model by using the BDS ambiguity-fixed EWL observations. After that, basic (i.e., L1/L2 or B1/B2) ambiguities of BDS and GPS are estimated together with the so-called ionosphere-constrained model, where the ambiguity-fixed WL observations are added to enhance the model strength. During both of the WL and basic AR, a partial ambiguity fixing (PAF) strategy is adopted to weaken the negative influence of new-rising or low-elevation satellites. Experiments were conducted and presented, in which the GPS/BDS dual/triple-frequency data were collected in Nanjing and Zhengzhou of China, with the baseline distance varying from about 28.6 to 51.9 km. The results indicate that, compared to the single triple-frequency BDS system, the combined system can significantly enhance the AR model strength, and thus improve AR performance for medium baselines with a 75.7% reduction of initialization time on average. Besides, more accurate and stable positioning results can also be derived by using the combined GPS/BDS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus Nodulisporium sp. (No. 65-12-7-1), which can produce a rare class of steroids (4-methyl-progesteroids) in rice solid medium, was subjected to a one strain-many compounds (OSMAC) approach. It was found to produce ten new 4-methyl-progesteroid derivatives named nodulisporisteroids C–L ( 1 – 10 ) in potato-dextrose-broth (PDB) medium, which showed that the fungus was a prolific producer of 4-methyl-progesteroids. The structures of 1 – 10 were elucidated by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Their cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines had been evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degradation mechanism of laser-induced damage of porous ZrO 2 /SiO 2 high reflective films was discussed in vacuum. The experimental results show that the laser-induced damage (LIDT) in vacuum dropped to 57% of its atmospheric value and 65% of the value filled with air after vacuum pumping for the high reflective films. Typical damage micrographs of the films in air and in vacuum were obtained, showing the distinct damage morphologies. Such a degradation mechanism of laser-induced damage was found to originate from the water desorption on the surface and internally in porous films, which could cause a decrease of the thermal conductivity. A theoretical and kinetic model was used to illustrate the occurrence of the damage and corresponding damage morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new copper(II)/lead(II) complex [(terpy)3CuPb5Br12] (1) (terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) has been synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The copper(II) and lead(II) ions in the title complex are in distorted six- (Cu(II), Pb(II)) and eight-fold (Pb(II)) coordination environments, in which the donor atoms are provided by bromide anions and nitrogen atoms of the 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine ligands. Complex 1 contains [(terpy)4Pb9Br20]2– building blocks. These bromoplumbate(II) clusters are connected by (terpy)2Cu2Br4 units along the crystallographic b axis and by PbBr6 units along the a axis, thereby forming an extended sheet structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow reactor pyrolysis of n -pentanol at 30, 150, and 760 Torr and laminar premixed flames of n -pentanol with equivalence ratios of 0.7 and 1.8 at 30 Torr are investigated using the synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). The pyrolysis products and flame species are identified and the mole fraction profiles are measured. A detailed kinetic model of n -pentanol is developed and validated on the new experimental results. The C–C bond dissociation reactions play a significant role in the pyrolysis of n -pentanol. The contribution of the water elimination reaction becomes less important in the pyrolysis of n -pentanol than in the pyrolysis of n -butanol. Olefins and C n H 2 n O species are found to be the two major product families in the pyrolysis and combustion of n -pentanol, and specific products are also observed for most of the H-atom abstraction reactions of n -pentanol. The model is further validated on the experimental data of n -pentanol combustion in literature, including the species profiles in jet-stirred reactor oxidation, the laminar flame speeds and ignition delay times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise assessment of breath acetone and methane is significant to the medical diagnosis process. A multi-gas sensing system based on wavelength-modulated differential photoacoustic spectroscopy was developed for simultaneous measurement of acetone and methane. A distributed feedback diode laser emitting in the range from 3363 to 3371 nm was employed to scan the absorption lines of acetone and methane. The cross sensitivities in terms of spectral interference among acetone, methane, and water vapor are effectively eliminated by using a linear combination method of reference spectra for accurately determining the concentration of acetone and methane. The positive effect of water vapor on photoacoustic signal resulting from the light absorption of acetone and methane was precisely evaluated. To improve the instrument performance, a differential PA cell companying with a differential amplifier circuit is experimentally demonstrated in providing a better performance of noise suppression compared with a single acoustic resonator. With a low detection limit down to 0.43 ppm and 12 ppb (integration time of 10 s) for acetone and methane, the sensor shows a great potential for medical diagnosis in simultaneous measurement of acetone and methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense mapping is an important part of mobile robot navigation and environmental understanding. Aiming to address the problem that Dense Surfel Mapping relies on the input of a common-view relationship, we propose a local map extraction strategy based on spatiotemporal consistency. The local map is extracted through the inter-frame pose observability and temporal continuity. To reduce the blurring of map fusion caused by the different viewing angles, a normal constraint is added to the map fusion and weight initialization. To achieve continuous and stable time efficiency, we dynamically adjust the parameters of superpixel extraction. The experimental results on the ICL-NUIM and KITTI datasets show that the partial reconstruction accuracy is improved by approximately 27–43%. In addition, the system achieves a greater than 15 Hz real-time performance using only CPU computation, which is improved by approximately 13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interlayer sliding potential of multilayered hexagonal boron nitride (A-BN) and graphene is investigated using density-functional theory including many-body van der Waals (vdW) interactions. We find that interlayer sliding constraints can be employed to tune the contribution of electrostatic interactions and dispersive forces to the sliding energy profile, ultimately leading to different sliding pathways in these two materials. In this context, vdW interactions are found to contribute more to the interlayer sliding potential of polar h-BN than they do in nonpolar graphene. In particular, the binding energy, the interlayer distance, and the friction force are found to depend sensitively on the number of layers. By comparing with the experimental findings, we identify sliding pathways which rationalize the observed reduced friction for thicker multilayers and provide quantitative explanation for the anisotropy of the friction force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking advantage of the structural health monitoring system installed on the steel truss arch girder of Dashengguan Yangtze Bridge, the temperature field data and static strain data are collected and analyzed for the static performance assessment of the bridge. Through analysis, it is found that the static strain changes are mainly caused by temperature field (temperature and temperature difference) and train. After the train-induced static strains are removed, the correlation between the remaining static strains and the temperature field shows apparent linear characteristics, which can be mathematically modeled for the description of static performance. Therefore, multivariate linear regression function combined with principal component analysis is introduced to mathematically model the correlation. Furthermore, the residual static strains of mathematical model are adopted as assessment indicator and three kinds of degradation regulations of static performance are obtained after simulation of the residual static strains. Finally, it is concluded that the static performance of Dashengguan Yangtze Bridge was in a good condition during that period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of two new copper(II) complexes with benzimidazole type ligands, Cu(tta)2(L1)2 (1) and Cu(tta)2(L1) (2) (where L1 is 3-(4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)-4-methoxy phenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one; tta is 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate), are reported. Their structures have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The copper(II) ion of 1 is in a distorted octahedral environment, while that of 2 is in a distorted square-pyramidal environment. In both cases, the donor atoms are provided by oxygen atoms of the tta ligands and nitrogen atoms of the L1 ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser-induced damage characteristics and adsorption effects of organic contamination molecules of two high reflectors (HR) prepared by electron beam evaporation (EB) and ion beam sputtering (IBS) method at 1064 nm is investigated in vacuum. It is found that EB films show the performance degradation of laser induced damages in vacuum while for IBS film, seems to have no this effect, in comparison with air environment. In addition, EB coatings also have the strong affinity with organic contamination molecules, in contrast of IBS films. The results reveal that ion beam sputtering (IBS) method seem to be one of the favorite film deposition techniques of the optical films used in vacuum and space environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel heterometallic organic–inorganic hybrids, [Co(terpy) 2 ] 4 [Pb 8 Br 24 ·2(DMF)]·8(DMF) ( 1 ) and {[Co(terpy) 2 ] 4 [Pb 16 Br 40 ]·H 2 O} n ( 2 ), with unprecedented structures have been prepared from the reactions of cobalt(II) salts with 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (terpy), PbBr 2 and KBr. Compound 1 contains a novel octanuclear Pb–Br anion formed from six coordinate Pb–Br units, representing the highest nuclearity for Pb–Br cluster anions. Compound 2 exhibits 1-D infinite chains consisting of five-, six and seven-coordinate Pb units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new compounds with the character of diphenyl ether structure, oxisterigmatocystin D ( 1 ) and 9-acetyldiorcinol B ( 6 ), were isolated from the endolichenic fungal strain Aspergillus sp. (No. 16-20-8-1), along with six known compounds, oxisterigmatocystin A ( 2 ), oxisterigmatocystin C ( 3 ), sterigmatocystin ( 4 ), diorcinol B ( 5 ), violaceol-I ( 7 ), and violaceol-II ( 8 ). The structures of the new compounds were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic data, and the absolute configuration of 1 was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Moreover, the Aβ 42 aggregation inhibitory activities of 5 – 8 were evaluated by the standard thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay using epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as the positive control. Compounds 7 and 8 displayed significant anti-Aβ 42 aggregation activity with IC 50 values of 5.1 and 2.3 μM, respectively. Preliminary structure–activity relationship of these diphenyl ethers as anti-Aβ 42 aggregation inhibitors was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An iron-catalyzed synthesis of 6-carboxylated phenanthridines starting with readily prepared isocyanides and carbazates was developed. Reactions occurred via addition of alkoxycarbonyl radicals to the isocyanide group and subsequent intramolecular cyclization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By reacting the semi-rigid PNP ligand with CoBr2, the corresponding complex PNPCoBr (1) was obtained. The reduction of 1 with excess amounts of KC8 in THF under a N2 atmosphere yielded a binuclear cobalt dinitrogen anion complex [Co(μ-Cy2P)PCyN2]2K (2) via the C–P bond cleavage of the PNP ligand. By adding 2,2,2-cryptand into complex 2, an ion pair Co complex, [Co(μ-Cy2P)PCyN2]2K(crypt-222) (3), could be effectively prepared. The structures of 1, 2, and 3 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and N2 is moderately activated in complexes 2 and 3. There is a Co–Co bond in 2 and 3 suggested by DFT calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 display catalytic activity for the transformation of N2 into N(SiMe3)3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, numerous researches on the He2H− system have still been restricted to several analytical forms of the potential energy interaction, where the calculations in the three‐body interaction may be not precise. With that in mind, we have provided an accurate, global, full‐dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for the ground state of the He2H− system by the fundamental invariant neural network (FI‐NN) fitting based on roughly 45 000 ab initio data points. The energy points are calculated with the coupled‐cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples (CCSD[T]) method using the augmented Dunning‐type correlation‐consistent (aug‐cc‐pVTZ, aug‐cc‐pVQZ and aug‐cc‐pV5Z) basis sets, respectively. Based on adoption and comparison of three different extrapolation formulas, we obtained even accurate data points, which are extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. The overall root mean square error of the fitting PES is only about 6.314 × 10−3 cm−1. It can be expected that this accurate PES would provide insights to further interesting discoveries in dynamics or spectroscopies for the relevant molecular systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An iron-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation/cyclization reaction of N-arylacrylamides with carbazates has been developed. This new alkene difunctionalization reaction provides an efficient and straightforward method to obtain various ester-containing oxindoles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Currently there is great interest in detecting associations between complex traits and rare variants. In this report, we describe Variant Association Tools (VAT) and the VAT pipeline, which implements best practices for rare-variant association studies. Highlights of VAT include variant-site and call-level quality control (QC), summary statistics, phenotype- and genotype-based sample selection, variant annotation, selection of variants for association analysis, and a collection of rare-variant association methods for analyzing qualitative and quantitative traits. The association testing framework for VAT is regression based, which readily allows for flexible construction of association models with multiple covariates and weighting themes based on allele frequencies or predicted functionality. Additionally, pathway analyses, conditional analyses, and analyses of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions can be performed. VAT is capable of rapidly scanning through data by using multi-process computation, adaptive permutation, and simultaneously conducting association analysis via multiple methods. Results are available in text or graphic file formats and additionally can be output to relational databases for further annotation and filtering. An interface to R language also facilitates user implementation of novel association methods. The VAT's data QC and association-analysis pipeline can be applied to sequence, imputed, and genotyping array, e.g., “exome chip,” data, providing a reliable and reproducible computational environment in which to analyze small- to large-scale studies with data from the latest genotyping and sequencing technologies. Application of the VAT pipeline is demonstrated through analysis of data from the 1000 Genomes project. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Attributes as the core element of UCON model, are short of a brief and flexible administrative pattern. To solve this problem, this paper analyzed the properties of attributes of core UCON model and proposed a managed attributes structure of UCON model with role properties (MASUR). MASUR was sorted into system administrative subjects, owner subjects and general subjects by the ability of creating attributes. Thus, it expanded the centric-administration mode of core UCON model and owned the ability to clarify the duties of subjects. Moreover, MASUR had three attribute types: system attributes, discretionary attributes and other-controlled attributes, and gave a new concept "owner" to clearly restrict the subjects to updating attribute's value. Considered the mature theory result of RBAC, the structure involved the attributes role and operator role, which was more convenient to the attributes classifies in modern large-scale systems. MASUR gave a wider and fine-grained flexible controlling attributes method in modern systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering: up to August 2023 Terpenoids, which are widely distributed in animals, plants, and microorganisms, are a large group of natural products with diverse structures and various biological activities. They have made great contributions to human health as therapeutic agents, such as the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel and anti-malarial agent artemisinin. Accordingly, the biosynthesis of this important class of natural products has been extensively studied, which generally involves two major steps: hydrocarbon skeleton construction by terpenoid cyclases and skeleton modification by tailoring enzymes. Additionally, fungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) serve as an important source for the discovery of terpenoids. With the rapid development of sequencing technology and bioinformatics approaches, genome mining has emerged as one of the most effective strategies to discover novel terpenoids from fungi. To date, numerous terpenoid cyclases, including typical class I and class II terpenoid cyclases as well as emerging UbiA-type terpenoid cyclases, have been identified, together with a variety of tailoring enzymes, including cytochrome P450 enzymes, flavin-dependent monooxygenases, and acyltransferases. In this review, our aim is to comprehensively present all fungal terpenoid cyclases identified up to August 2023, with a focus on newly discovered terpenoid cyclases, especially the emerging UbiA-type terpenoid cyclases, and their related tailoring enzymes from 2015 to August 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the modulating action of an external electric field on the magnetically tuned Feshbach resonance in ultracold heteronuclear atomic collision by using the multichannel quantum-defect theory (MQDT). The coupling between different partial wave states induced by an electric field is included into the singlet and triplet quantum defect matrices y(0) and y(1). By taking the truncated −C6/R6 − C8/R8 − C10/R10 potential as the reference potential, the threshold behaviors of four quantum-defect parameters for the lowest three partial waves are described. The results calculated by using the MQDT agree with those calculated using the coupled channel method. Moreover, we present an analytical expression used for describing the variation of the position and width of the magnetically tuned Feshbach resonance modulated by an electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quaternary alloys CoMnCrAl, CoFeCrAl and their ternary counterpart Co 2 CrAl are studied experimentally and theoretically. • The formation of Co-Cr antisite defect is suppressed by partially substituting Mn or Fe for Co. • The main disorder defects in CoMnCrAl are Cr-Al and Mn-Cr antisites, Fe-Cr and CrAl antisites in CoMnCrAl. • The half metallicity of CoMnCrAl or CoFeCrAl is expected to be more robust than Co 2 CrAl. Quaternary alloys CoMnCrAl, CoFeCrAl and their ternary counterpart Co 2 CrAl are studied experimentally and theoretically to explore the effects of the substitution of Mn or Fe atoms for part of Co atoms in Co 2 CrAl. It is found that CoMnCrAl or CoFeCrAl has a magnetization 0.92 μ B /f.u. or 1.96 μ B /f.u. respectively in agreement with the Slater–Pauling (SP) rule, different from the parent ternary alloy Co 2 CrAl whose magnetization significantly deviates. The combination of experimental and theoretical results suggests that the formation of Co-Cr antisite defect is suppressed by partially substituting Mn or Fe for Co. The main disorder defects in CoMnCrAl are Cr-Al and Mn-Cr antisites, Fe-Cr and Cr-Al antisites in CoMnCrAl. Since these antisite defects only have small effect on the minority band structure, the half metallicity of CoMnCrAl or CoFeCrAl is expected to have much better tolerance for atomic disorder, compared with Co 2 CrAl. A negative temperature coefficient of resistance for a long temperature range about 10–273 K has been found exclusively for CoMnCrAl compound. Quaternary alloy CoMnCrAl or CoFeCrAl is found to be compensated ferrimagnetism with a relative low magnetization but a Curie temperature (T C) significantly higher room temperature (RT), whose magnetization are relatively low, but T C higher than the ternary alloy Co 2 CrAl. Considering their low magnetization, decently high T C and the robust half metallicity, these two quaternary alloys may have important applications in spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate theoretically the formation of an ultracold CsYb molecule in the absolute ground state by full optical control. The laser-assisted self-induced Feshbach resonance takes place when the trap state in the optical lattice is coupled with a rovibrational state of the ground electronic state. The Feshbach molecule is formed in the resonant rovibrational state via an adiabatic population transfer by ramping the frequency of a chirped pulse. Two schemes are designed to prepare the absolute ground-state molecule starting from the Feshbach molecule: a pumpâ€"dump scheme controlled by short pulses and a stimulated-Raman-adiabatic-passage (STIRAP) scheme steered by long pulses. The probabilities of converting the Feshbach molecule to the absolute ground state molecule by using the pumpâ€"dump and the STIRAP schemes are 16% and 99%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

microRNA-200c-3p (miR-200c-3p) has emerged as an important tumor growth regulator. However, its function in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is poorly understood. This study was conducted to investigate the role of miR-200c-3p in the progression of human PTC. The miR-200c-3p expression in human PTC tissues and cell lines was evaluated. The target relationship between miR-200c-3p and candidate genes was predicted through bioinformatic analysis and confirmed with a luciferase reporter assay. miRNA or gene expression was altered using transfection, and cell behavior was analyzed using CCK-8, wound healing, Transwell, and colony formation assays. The tumor-promoting effects of miR-200c-3p were evaluated by xenografting tumors with K1 cells in nude mice. The expression level of miR-200c-3p in human PTC tissues and cell lines markedly increased, and this increased expression was significantly associated with a worse overall survival. When inactivated, miR-200c-3p suppressed K1 cells' malignant behaviors, including decreasing proliferation and attenuating colony formation, migration, and invasion. Its inactivation also attenuated the development of xenografted K1 cells in nude mice. The effects of miR-200c-3p mimics on promoting the malignant behaviors of PTC cells were remarkably reversed by the overexpression of ATP2A2, as a downstream target of miR-200c-3p. miR-200c-3p acts as an oncogenic gene and promotes the malignant biological behaviors of human PTC cells, thereby directly targeting ATP2A2. This regulated axis may be used as a potential therapy of PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the role of electronic structure (band gaps) and long-range van der Waals (vdW) interactions on the stability and mobility of point defects in silicon and heavier semiconductors. Density functional theory calculations with hybrid functionals that contain part of the Hartree-Fock exchange energy are essential to achieve a reasonable description of defect electronic levels, leading to accurate defect formation energies. However, these functionals significantly overestimate the experimental migration barriers. The inclusion of screened vdW interactions further improves the description of defect formation energies, significantly changes the barrier geometries, and brings migration barrier heights into close agreement with experimental values. These results suggest that hybrid functionals with vdW interactions can be successfully used for predictions in a broad range of materials in which the correct description of both the electronic structure and the long-range electron correlation is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The influence of deposition temperature on the optical properties, microstructure, residual stress, defect density and laser-induced damage of YbF3 films, deposited by resistive heating, has been investigated. The increased refractive indices of YbF3 films indicate that the film density increases with deposition temperature. XRD patterns revealed that the microstructure of YbF3 films changes from amorphous to crystalline with increasing deposition temperature. The total stress had a linear increase with deposition temperature, which indicated that thermal stress may be a major contributor to total stress. Defect density had a linear dependence on deposited temperature and high deposition temperature resulted in low defect density. However, absorption of YbF3 thin films had a complicated relation with deposition temperature. Laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) results of the films are intricately influenced by many factors, which need appropriate deposition parameters to coordinate and balance these factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Monolayer ZrO2 and multi-layer ZrO2/SiO2 films were contaminated deliberately with toluene in vacuum environments. Laser-induced damage tests were made on clean and contaminated ZrO2/SiO2 high reflective films. Surface adsorption layer model was presented to evaluate the impact of organic contaminations on the laser-induced damage. Based on this model, the distributions of electric field and temperature field in multi-layer ZrO2/SiO2 films were calculated. Results show that the mere organic contaminations cannot induce the thermal damage of optical films. The inter-coupling between defects and organic contaminations is probably attributed to the decrease of the laser-induced damage threshold in contaminated samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Synthesis, structures and photophysical properties of a series of neutral fac-[Re(CO)3(C^N)Cl] complexes, where C^N is a pyrimidine-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene [3-methyl-1-(2-pyrimidine)imidazol-2-ylidene, 1; 3-n-butyl-1-(2-pyrimidine)imidazol-2-ylidene, 2; 3-benzyl-1-(2-pyrimidine)imidazol-2-ylidene, 3; 3-mesityl-1-(2-pyrimidine)-imidazol-2-ylidene, 4] are reported. These complexes have been characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analysis, and IR spectra. Their electrochemical and photophysical behaviors, along with the X-ray crystal structures of 2 and 4, are also reported. In both degassed CH2Cl2 solutions and solid state at room temperature, complexes 1–4 exhibit the emissions at 515–570nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy was compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. • Propensity score matching was used to balance the prognostic factors. • The addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy had no survival benefit. • The addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy increased acute toxicities. Whether concurrent chemoradiotherapy would provide survival benefits in patients with stage II and T3N0 NPC with adverse factors remains unclear in IMRT era. We aimed to assess the value of concurrent chemotherapy compared to IMRT alone in stage II and T3N0 NPC with adverse features. 287 patients with stage II and T3N0 NPC with adverse factors were retrospectively analyzed, including 98 patients who received IMRT alone (IMRT alone group) and 189 patients who received cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy (CCRT group). The possible prognostic factors were balanced using propensity score matching (PSM). Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to evaluate the survival rates, and log-rank tests were employed to compare differences between groups. The median follow-up duration was 90.8 months (interquartile range = 75.6–114.7 months). The IMRT alone and the CCRT group were well matched; however, for all survival-related endpoints, there were no significant differences between them (5-year failure-free survival: 84.3% vs. 82.7%, P value = 0.68; 5-year overall survival: 87.3% vs. 90.6%, P value = 0.11; 5-year distant metastasis-free survival: 92.8% vs. 92.5%, P value = 0.97; 5-year locoregional relapse-free survival: 93.4% vs. 89.9%, P value = 0.30). The incidence of acute toxicities in the IMRT alone group was significantly lower than that in the CCRT group. For patients with stage II and T3N0 NPC with adverse features treated using IMRT, no improvement in survival was gained by adding concurrent chemotherapy; however, the occurrence of acute toxicities increased significantly. For those combined with non-single adverse factors, the comprehensive treatment strategy needs further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Six-coordinate homoleptic ruthenium(III) and osmium(III) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [PhB(ImMe)3]2M(OTf) (M = Ru, 1a; M = Os, 1b) with two tris(N-heterocyclic carbene)borate ligands have been prepared and characterized by ESI-MS, elemental analyses, XPS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction shows that both complexes display octahedral configuration, in which the metal center is coordinated by two tridentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. Electrochemical properties of complexes 1a and 1b have been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements, which reveal two reversible redox waves at 0.60, −0.63V and 0.35, −0.86V for 1a and 1b, respectively, indicating the strong donating nature of the tris(N-heterocyclic carbene)borate ligand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of iridium(I) and rhodium(I) carbonyl phosphine complexes bearing bis(N-heterocyclic carbene)borate ligands [H2B(Im t Bu)2]Rh(CO)(PPh3) (5), [F2B(Im t Bu)2]Rh(CO)(PPh3) (6), [F2B(Im t Bu)2]Ir(CO)(PPh3) (7), [H2B(Im t Bu)2]Rh(CO)(PCy3) (8), [F2B(Im t Bu)2]Rh(CO)(PCy3) (9), and [F2B(Im t Bu)2]Ir(CO)(PCy3) (10) (H2B(Im t Bu)2 = dihydrobis(3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene)borate; F2B(Im t Bu)2 = difluorobis(3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene)borate) have been prepared and characterized. IR stretching values of the CO ligands, the values of NMR coupling constants J Rh – P, and electrochemical data are rationalized by the electronic effects of the bis(3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene)borate and phosphine ligands. The results show that the σ donor capacity of bis(3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene)borate is stronger than those of the analogous isoelectronic bis(pyrazolyl)borate (Bp−) and acetylacetonato (acac−) ligands. The molecular structures of complexes 6–10 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which showed square-plane geometries around the metal centers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The synthesis and characterization of three new ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes with a bistriazole-2-ylidene (bitz) ligand are reported. These complexes have been fully characterized by elemental analyses, infrared, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies. Their molecular structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The ruthenium(II) ion is in a distorted octahedral environment, in which the donor atoms are provided by two carbene carbon atoms of the bitz ligands, two carbonyl groups, and two halides. All compounds exhibit the cis(CO)-trans(halogen) conformation. The bite angles of these three complexes, 77.58(12)°, 77.13(14)° and 77.14(11)°, are small as a consequence of the chelation of the bitz ligands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of new ruthenium(II) carbonyl chloride complexes with pyridine-functionalised N-heterocyclic carbenes [Ru(Py-NHC)(CO)2Cl2], [Py-NHC=3-methyl-1-(2-pyridyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, 1 (1a and 1b); 3-methyl-1-(2-picoyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, 2 (2a and 2b); 3-methyl-1-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazolin-2-ylidene, 3 (3b); 3-methyl-1-(2-picoyl)benzimidazolin-2-ylidene, 4 (4a and 4b); 1-methyl-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazoline-5-ylidene, 5 (5a and 5b)] have been prepared by transmetallation from the corresponding silver carbene complexes and characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. In these complexes with bidentate Py-NHC ligands, one CO ligand is trans to the Py ligand. In 1a, 2a, 4a, and 5a, the NHC ligand is trans to the other CO ligand, thus leaving the two Cl− ligands trans to each other. In 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, and 5b, the NHC ligands are trans to one Cl− ligand, and the two Cl− ligands are cis to each other. The structures for 1b, 2b, 3b and 4b have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These complexes are efficient catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone and their catalytic activities are found to be influenced by electronic effect of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A bacterial strain with putative immunomodulatory properties was isolated from Xi’an hot springs in China. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene revealed a 97% similarity between the tested strain (designated XA-1) and Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis. Two compounds isolated from the secondary metabolites of XA-1 were identified by spectral data (infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry) as: (1) cyclo (Gly-l-Pro) and (2) cyclo (l-Ala-4-hydroxyl-l-Pro). Two cyclic dipeptides showed stimulatory properties towards a range of parameters when a dose of 20mgkg−1 body weight was intraperitoneally injected in naive common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Innate immune parameters (serum SOD, lysozyme and bactericidal activity, and phagocytic activity by peripheral blood leucocytes) along with the expression of two immune-related genes (IL-1β and iNOS) in blood were examined after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of injection. In the absence of infection, immunomodulators should ideally not affect normal physiology and immunity of the host; possible negative outcomes of activated immune responses in the naive state are discussed. Protection by two bacterial dipeptides was assessed in an intraperitoneal injection challenge trial with live Aeromonas hydrophila. Both compounds reduced mortality, with the highest survival rate observed in the group that received compound 2 (80%) followed by the group that received compound 1 (65%) while control group scored the worse (15%). Elucidation of the involved protective mechanisms in carp requires future studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]