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[Display omitted] Lignin upgrading to various functional products is promising to realize high-value utilization of low-cost and renewable biomass waste, but is still in its infancy. Herein, using industry waste lignosulfonate as the biomass-based carbon source and urea as the dopant, we constructed a heteroatom-doped porous carbon nanosheet structure by a simple NaCl template-assisted pyrolytic strategy. Through the synergistic effect of the NaCl template and urea, the optimized lignin-derived porous carbon catalyst with high content of active nitrogen species and large specific surface area can be obtained. As a result, the fabricated catalysts exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity, as well as good methanol tolerance and stability, comparable to that of commercial Pt/C. Moreover, rechargeable Zn-air batteries assembled with this electrocatalyst have a peak power density of up to 150 mW cm-2 and prominent long-term cycling stability. This study offers an inexpensive and efficient way for the massive production of highly active metal-free catalysts from the plentiful, inexpensive and environmentally friendly lignin, offering a good direction for biomass waste recycling and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) were designed and synthesized successfully. • We realized integration of SERS detection and photocatalytic degradation for PAHs. • Effect of Ag contents on SERS and catalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag was studied. • SERS detection limit of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag towards PAHs was as low as 10-9 to 10-10 M. • Photocatalytic mechanism of PAHs degradation by Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag was proposed. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic properties are persistent organic pollutants in the environment. Herein, the novel multifunctional Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) have been established for ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection and visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation of PAHs. Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs with different amounts of Ag nanocrystals were synthesized, and the effect of Ag contents on SERS performance was studied by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm. The synergistic interplay of electromagnetic and chemical enhancement was responsible for excellent SERS sensitivity of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs. The limit of detection (LOD) of optimal SERS substrates (FCA-2 NCs) for Nap, BaP, Pyr and Ant was as low as 10-9, 10-9, 10-9 and 10-10 M, respectively. The SERS detection of PAHs in actual soil environment was also studied. Moreover, a simple SERS method was used to monitor the photocatalytic process of PAHs. The recovery and reuse of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs were achieved through magnetic field, and the outstanding SERS and photocatalytic performance were still maintained even after eight cycles. This magnetic multifunctional NCs provide a unique idea for the integration of ultra-sensitive SERS detection and efficient photocatalytic degradation of PAHs, and thus will have more hopeful prospects in the field of environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) were designed and synthesized successfully. • We realized integration of SERS detection and photocatalytic degradation for PAHs. • Effect of Ag contents on SERS and catalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag was studied. • SERS detection limit of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag towards PAHs was as low as 10-9 to 10-10 M. • Photocatalytic mechanism of PAHs degradation by Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag was proposed. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic properties are persistent organic pollutants in the environment. Herein, the novel multifunctional Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) have been established for ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection and visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation of PAHs. Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs with different amounts of Ag nanocrystals were synthesized, and the effect of Ag contents on SERS performance was studied by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm. The synergistic interplay of electromagnetic and chemical enhancement was responsible for excellent SERS sensitivity of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs. The limit of detection (LOD) of optimal SERS substrates (FCA-2 NCs) for Nap, BaP, Pyr and Ant was as low as 10-9, 10-9, 10-9 and 10-10 M, respectively. The SERS detection of PAHs in actual soil environment was also studied. Moreover, a simple SERS method was used to monitor the photocatalytic process of PAHs. The recovery and reuse of Fe 3 O 4 /Cu 2 O-Ag NCs were achieved through magnetic field, and the outstanding SERS and photocatalytic performance were still maintained even after eight cycles. This magnetic multifunctional NCs provide a unique idea for the integration of ultra-sensitive SERS detection and efficient photocatalytic degradation of PAHs, and thus will have more hopeful prospects in the field of environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cross-sectional data from the 2017–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for American, the aim of this research is to investigate the potential association between Lipid Accumulation Products (LAP) and the risk of osteoarthritis (OA). Data from the NHANES (2017–2020) were downloaded and further analyzed. The participants between 20 and 80 years reported having OA, and other relevant variables and information on LAP were included. The linear and non-linear associations between LAP and OA were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis and smoothed curve fitting methods. A two-part linear regression model was also used to estimate threshold effects. The increased risk of OA was shown to have a nonlinear relationship with higher LAP, showing a solid threshold impact with a saturation value of 120.00 cm × mmol/L, according to our data. The two variables showed a positive relationship to the left of the saturation point but no significant association to the right, pointing to a complicated nonlinear relationship between OA prevalence and LAP. Our findings revealed that LAP was an independent risk factor for OA when it was <120.00 cm × mmol/L. The LAP index may serve as a valuable method for predicting and diagnosed OA. To validate our results, further large-scale prospective research are required. • This research is the first to investigate the association between Lipid Accumulation Products and the risk of osteoarthritis. • There is an inverse U-shape association between Lipid Accumulation Products and osteoarthritis. • Lipid Accumulation Products was an independent risk factor for osteoarthritis when it was <120.00 cm × mmol/L. • The Lipid Accumulation Products index may serve as a valuable method for predicting and diagnosed osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dynamic model of an underwater soft-link manipulator with vortex flows is derived. • Dynamic interaction between the soft-body structure and water flow is described. • A non-smooth piecewise smoother is presented to reduce coupled vibrations. • Experimental validation is provided for dynamic model and control method. While significant work has been directed at dynamics and control of underwater soft-body manipulators, less success has been achieved with interaction between soft structures and fluid flow. The complicated behavior of the interaction may corrupt operational efficiency and safety of underwater manipulators. The equations of the motion of underwater soft-link manipulators are reported in this article. The interaction among the water flow, the lateral vibrations and vortex-induced vibrations of the soft link has been described thoroughly in the analytical model. Furthermore, a novel control method is proposed to suppress coupled vibrations induced by the interaction. Comparing with previous control methods, the proposed method can provide more robustness to variations in the design frequency. Numerous experimental data obtained from a soft-body link implanted in water validated the behavior of the dynamic model and the effectiveness of the vibration-control method. The theoretical findings may also be acceptable for other types of soft-body structures immersed in the fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic evidence has suggested a relationship between di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) prenatal exposure and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but the underlying mechanisms are still at large unknown. In this study, pregnant mice were intragastrically administered with DEHP once a day from GD 3 to GD 17 and the neurobehavioral changes of offspring were evaluated. In addition to the repetitive stereotyped behaviors, DEHP at the concentration of 50 mg/kg/day and above significantly impaired the sociability of the offspring (P < 0.05) and decreased the density of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex (P < 0.05). At the same time, the expression of Nischarin protein in prefrontal lobe increased (P < 0.05). Similarly, after 12-h incubation of DEHP at the concentration of 100 nM, the total spine density, especially the mushroom and stubby spine populations, significantly decreased in the primary cultured prefrontal cortical neurons (P < 0.05). However, the inhibitory effect of DEHP were reversed by knockdown of Nischarin expression. Collectively, these results suggest that prenatal DEHP exposure induces Nischarin expression, causes dendritic spine loss, and finally leads to autism-like behavior in mouse offspring. • Prenatal DEHP exposure caused the impairment of sociability and repetitive stereotyped behavior in mouse offspring. • Prenatal DEHP exposure induced Nischarin expression and dendritic spine loss in prefrontal cortex of mouse offspring. • DEHP incubation inhibited neurite outgrowth and migration ability in neuro-2a cells through inducing Nischarin expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human norovirus (NOV) is a common and serious virus that accounts for sporadic cases and outbreaks of gastroenteritis. This study aimed to develop rapid, reliable and portable detection systems by coupling reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) with CRISPR-Cas12a (RT-RPA-Cas12a) for NOV genotype GII.4. Here, three primers for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of NOV were designed and screened. Then, RT-RPA products were detected using CRISPR-Cas12a system by combing with fluorescence or lateral flow (LF). RT-RPA-Cas12a-based fluorescence or LF assay can be completed within 40 min, with the detection limit of up to 9.65 × 102copies/mL and no cross-reactivity with metapneumovirus, bocavirus, seoul virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Furthermore, the detection coincidence rates of RT-RPA-Cas12a-based fluorescence and LF with qRT-PCR were 98.3%. Therefore, the present study suggests that both RT-RPA-Cas12a-based fluorescence and LF are promising sensitive, specific and alternative method for diagnosis of NOV genotype GII.4 without ancillary equipment. • RT-RPA-Cas12a-fluorescence and lateral flow assay developed are rapid and reliable method for norovirus diagnosis. • RT-RPA-Cas12a-fluorescence and lateral flow assay can be achieved within 40 min. • RT-RPA-Cas12a-fluorescence and lateral flow assay display high specificity and sensitivity of 9.65 × 102 copies/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our pilot clinical study of EphA2 inhibitor (dasatinib) plus paclitaxel and carboplatin showed interesting clinical activity in endometrial cancer with manageable toxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms of dasatinib resistance in uterine cancer are unknown. Here, we investigated potential mechanisms underlying resistance to EphA2 inhibitors in uterine cancer and examined the anti-tumor activity of EphA2 inhibitors alone and in combination with a MEK inhibitor. We evaluated the antitumor activity of EphA2 inhibitors plus a MEK inhibitor using in vitro and in vivo orthotopic models of uterine cancer. EphA2 inhibitor induced MAPK in dasatinib-resistant uterine cancer cells (HEC-1A and Ishikawa) and BRAF/CRAF heterodimerization in HEC-1A cells. EphA2 inhibitor and trametinib significantly increased apoptosis in cancer cells resistant to EphA2 inhibitors compared with controls (p < 0.01). An in vivo study with the orthotopic HEC-1A model showed significantly greater antitumor response to combination treatment compared with dasatinib alone (p < 0.01). Combination treatment increased EphrinA1 and BIM along with decreased pMAPK, Jagged 1, and c-MYC expression in dasatinib-resistant cells. In addition, Spearman analysis using the TCGA data revealed that upregulation of EphA2 was significantly correlated with JAG1, MYC , NOTCH1 , NOTCH3 and HES1 expression (p < 0.001, r = 0.25–0.43). Specifically, MAP3K15 and the NOTCH family genes were significantly related to poor clinical outcome in patients with uterine cancer. These findings indicate that the MAPK pathway is activated in dasatinib-resistant uterine cancer cells and that EphrinA1-mediated MEK inhibition overcomes dasatinib resistance. Dual targeting of both EphA2 and MEK, combined with chemotherapy, should be considered for future clinical development. • Our pilot clinical study of dasatinib showed clinical activity in endometrial cancer. • The underlying mechanisms of dasatinib resistance in uterine cancer are unknown. • MAPK pathway is activated in dasatinib-resistant uterine cancer cells. • MEK inhibition overcomes dasatinib resistance in uterine cancer. • Dual targeting of EphA2 and MEK should be considered for future clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry manure is a significant source of ammonia (NH 3) emissions, which not only poses detrimental impacts on human well-being and the ecological system, but also leads to economic losses in the agricultural industry. Herein, we modified corn straw (CS) with 1 wt% Pt/TiO 2 catalysts using a low-temperature partial-oxidation technology to mitigate NH 3 emissions from poultry manure. It was found that Pt/TiO 2 can enable exothermic processes to occur at lower temperatures by reducing the activation energy. Under optimal modification conditions of 220 °C, the NH 3 uptakes of modified CS samples were markedly greater compared to those of the original CS. Addition of 20–50% modified CS to poultry manure resulted in significant reductions of 54.1–98.6% in NH 3 emissions compared to the control. Mechanistic studies indicate that NH 3 adsorption on the modified CS is mainly driven by the presence of acidic and alkaline functional groups, while surface area and pore structure have a negligible effect. XPS combined with NH 3 -TPD reveals that the formation of amide and amine bonds contributes to the excellent stability of adsorbed NH 3. H 2 -TPR, O 2 -TPD, and d -band theory suggest that strong metal-support interactions between Pt and TiO 2 could be particularly crucial in catalyzing CS modification. This study proposes an environmentally sustainable and economically viable solution for abating NH 3 emissions from poultry manure, thereby addressing crucial environmental and economic concerns in the agricultural sector. [Display omitted] • Pt/TiO 2 aids low-temperature exothermic processes for CS modification. • NH 3 adsorption on CS is driven by acidic and alkaline groups. • Amide/amine bonds contribute to NH 3 adsorption stability. • Metal-support interactions in Pt/TiO 2 could be crucial for CS modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BAT Hi-C is a robust and attractive tool for creating high-resolution chromatin contact maps at a much lower cost. • A detailed description of the experimental procedure and step-by-step bioinformatic pipeline is provided. • Four optimizations are described, namely AluI fragmentation, bridge linker-mediated proximity ligation, chromatin isolation and Tn5 tagmentation, in an improved Hi-C protocol. Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C)-based technologies, such as Hi-C, have represented a significant breakthrough in investigating the structure and function of higher-order genome architecture. However, the mapping of global chromatin interactions remains challenging across many biological conditions due to high background noise and financial constraints, especially for small laboratories. Here, we describe the B ridge linker- A lul- T n5 Hi-C (BAT Hi-C) method, which is a simple and efficient method for delineating chromatin conformational features of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and uncover DNA loops. This protocol combines Alul fragmentation and biotinylated linker-mediated proximity ligation to obtain kilobase (kb) resolution with a marked increase in the amount of unique read pairs. The protocol also includes chromatin isolation to reduce background noise and Tn5 tagmentation to cut down on preparation time. Importantly, with only one-third sequencing depth, our method revealed the same spectrum of chromatin contacts as in situ Hi-C. BAT Hi-C is an economical (i.e., approximately $40 for library preparation) and straightforward (total hands-on time of 3 days) tool that is ideal for the in-depth analysis of long-range chromatin looping events in a genome-wide fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Model of dual planar cranes carrying a distributed-mass beam is derived. • A new method is developed for estimating the natural frequency of dual planar cranes. • MEI input shaper is presented for limiting oscillations of dual cranes. • Experiments validate dynamic behaviour and the effectiveness of MEI shaper. Abstract Unwanted oscillations caused by the operator-commanded motions lower the capable operating speeds and degrade the safety of dual cranes moving distributed-mass payloads. Mounting numbers of works have been devoted to the dynamics and control of dual cranes. However, few studies have been dedicated to the accurate estimation of natural frequency, which is a critical factor for controlling the dual cranes. This paper develops a new method to predict the natural frequency of dual planar cranes with different cable lengths. Furthermore, a modified extra-insensitive (MEI) input shaper is proposed to suppress the oscillations of the payload swing and pitch in the dual cranes. The MEI shaper has good robustness to large changes in the frequency, and has good performance in the jerk limitation. Simulated and experimental investigations are performed on small-scale dual cranes transporting a slender beam to validate the system dynamic behavior and the effectiveness of the MEI shaper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new dynamic model is developed for a flexible single-link manipulator. • The model includes an infinite number of uncoupled Duffing oscillators. • Two methods are presented for controlling the vibrations of Duffing oscillators. • Experiments validate Duffing model and the effectiveness of control methods. Abstract Unwanted vibrations caused by the commanded motions lower the positioning accuracy and degrade the control performance of flexible link manipulators. Much work has been devoted to the dynamics and control of flexible link manipulators. However, there are few studies dedicated to the flexible link manipulators having Duffing oscillator dynamics. This paper develops a new model for a flexible single-link manipulator by assuming large mechanical impedance in the drives or large inertia of the motor hub and by considering the flexibility of the single-link manipulator. The derived model includes an infinite number of uncoupled Duffing oscillators by ignoring the modal coupling effects. Two new methods are presented for controlling the vibrations of the flexible manipulator governed by Duffing oscillators. One is designed for the single-mode Duffing oscillator, and the other is for the multi-mode Duffing oscillators. A comparison of these two methods is made using the results of numerical simulations and experimental measurements. Experimental investigations are also performed on a flexible single-link manipulator to validate the dynamic behavior of Duffing oscillators and the effectiveness of the new control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and water resources are closely linked in electric power systems, and the application of low-carbon technologies further affects electricity generation and water consumption in those systems. The holistic optimization of electric power systems, including generation and decarbonization processes, is necessary. Few studies have considered the uncertainty associated with the application of low-carbon technologies in electric power systems optimization from an energy-water nexus perspective. To fill such a gap, this study developed a simulation-based low-carbon energy structure optimization model to address the uncertainty in power systems with low-carbon technologies and generate electricity generation plans. Specifically, LMDI, STIRPAT and grey model were integrated to simulate the carbon emissions from the electric power systems under different socio-economic development levels. Furthermore, a copula-based chance-constrained interval mixed-integer programming model was proposed to quantify the energy-water nexus as the joint violation risk and generate risk-based low-carbon generation schemes. The model was applied to support the management of electric power systems in the Pearl River Delta of China. Results indicate that, the optimized plans could mitigate CO 2 emission by up to 37.93% over 15 years. Under all scenarios, more low-carbon power conversion facilities would be established. The application of carbon capture and storage would increase energy and water consumption by up to [0.24, 7.35] × 106 tce and [0.16, 1.12] × 108 m3, respectively. The optimization of the energy structure based on energy-water joint violation risk could reduce the water utilization rate and the carbon emission rate by up to 0.38 m3/104 kWh and 0.04 ton-CO 2 /104 kWh, respectively. • A simulation-based inexact optimization model for power systems planning. • A low-carbon electric power system was optimized under uncertainty. • CO 2 emissions under different socio-economic development levels were simulated. • The scale of generation facilities was optimized under different risk combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new damage detection method under EOV is proposed. • The proposed KCCA method is a nonlinear output-only method. • Damage detection results are insensitive to nonlinear correlated data and different grouping • The information entropy of the kernel matrix is used to determine the hyperparameter of KCCA. • The method is tested on both numerical and experimental examples. Vibration-based damage detection relies on the observation of changes in damage-sensitive dynamic features. However, a major problem is that dynamic features are sensitive not only to structural damage but also to environmental and operational variations (EOVs), such as temperature, humidity, and operational loading. In addition, the influence of EOVs on damage-sensitive features is often nonlinear, which limits the application of many linear methods in the removal of environmental effects. To remove the nonlinear effects of EOVs on dynamic features, an improved method based on kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA) is proposed in this study. Using this method, the monitored data were divided into two groups. The two sets of data were then mapped into a higher-dimensional space through the kernel trick to determine their implicit linear relationship. Subsequently, two variables that share the co-occurrence information of EOV effects were computed using canonical correlation analysis (CCA), and a stationary residual insensitive to EOVs was obtained. Furthermore, the proposed approach was examined using a simulated 7-DOF example and then applied to real monitored data from the Z24 bridge, demonstrating that nonlinear EOV effects can be successfully removed and damage can be accurately identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate signal processing methods are becoming more prevalent as sensors and modern science and technology improve. However, most existing multivariate signal decomposition methods suffer from the following challenges: (i) requiring prior knowledge of multivariate signal modes; (ii) limiting to narrowband signal analysis; (iii) presenting mode mixing. To overcome the challenges mentioned above, this study proposes a novel method, named adaptive multivariate chirp mode decomposition (AMCMD). The method captures time-varying joint modes one-by-one in a recursive framework without knowing the precise number of modes. Specifically, a multivariate chirp mode (MCM) is modeled first based on AM–FM signals, with the constraint that there is a joint frequency component between all signal channels. Furthermore, demodulation techniques are used to entail the wideband multivariate signal mode exhibit narrowband characteristics. Finally, the objective function is established and the modes of each channel signal are estimated one by one. The efficacy and superiority of the method are verified by a series of numerical examples. In addition, the analysis of real-world time-varying vibration signals also confirms the practicality of the method. The findings demonstrate that the proposed method can converge faster to the same satisfactory results as existing state-of-the-art methods at a faster rate, even without knowing the precise number of modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species are a well-defined therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease (PD) and pharmacological agents that catalytically scavenge reactive species are promising neuroprotective strategies for treatment. Metalloporphyrins are synthetic catalytic antioxidants that mimic the body's own antioxidant enzymes i.e. superoxide dismutases and catalase. The goal of this study was to determine if newly designed metalloporphyrins have enhanced pharmacodynamics including oral bioavailability, longer plasma elimination half-lives, penetrate the blood brain barrier, and show promise for PD treatment. Three metalloporphyrins (AEOL 11216, AEOL 11203 and AEOL 11114) were identified in this study as potential candidates for further pre-clinical development. Each of these compounds demonstrated blood brain barrier permeability by the i.p. route and two of three compounds (AEOL 11203 and AEOL 11114) were orally bioavailable. All of these compounds protected against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced neurotoxicity, including dopamine depletion in the striatum, dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantial nigra, and increased oxidative/nitrative stress indices (glutathione disulfide and 3-nitrotyrosine) in the ventral midbrain of the mice without inhibiting MPTP metabolism. Daily therapeutic dosing of these metalloporphyrins were well tolerated without accumulation of brain manganese levels or behavioral alterations assessed by open field and rotarod tests. The study identified two orally active metalloporphyrins and one injectable metalloporphyrin as clinical candidates for further development in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic analyses of ciliated protozoa have been increasingly relied on multigene information, which was revealed to provide more robust interpretations than single-gene information. Previous studies showed that Amphisiellidae was an extremely divergent group within the order Stichotrichida, with species widely dispersed throughout the stichotrichid assemblage, while Trachelostylidae, excluding gonostomatid species, is a monophyletic group within the order Sporadotrichida. In the present study, we provide 38 new sequences of SSU-rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and LSU-rDNA genes to infer phylogenetic relationships among all taxa available in Amphisiellidae and Trachelostylidae. The results indicate that: (1) Amphisiellidae is polyphyletic, with Amphisiella , Hemiamphisiella , Orthoamphisiella , Uroleptoides , and Urospinula distributing in different clades; (2) Amphisiella is separated into two clades in phylogenetic trees, corroborated by difference in cortical granule distribution. Thus, cortical granule pattern and distribution may be strong diagnostic features to divide Amphisiella species into two subgenera; (3) the monophyly of Trachelostylidae sensu Berger (2008) is strongly supported, suggesting it is a well-defined family; (4) Gonostomatidae is confirmed to be a valid family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Planar dynamic model of an underwater soft-link manipulator is derived. • Equations for estimating frequency and mode shape are proposed. • A control method is presented to control coupled vibrations. • Experiments validate effectiveness of dynamic model and control method. Underwater soft-link manipulators can be applied in offshore and marine industries. However, the soft-body link may interact with the fluid flow in this type of coupled liquid-link system. Both frequencies and mode shapes of the coupled system differ from those of uncoupled link vibrations and water flow due to the liquid-link interaction. Therefore, the dynamic model of underwater soft-body manipulators that account for liquid-link interaction is required to comprehend and control. Although significant work has been focused on the underwater manipulator and the soft manipulator, no significant dynamic modeling, control study, and experimental validation have been directed at the liquid-link interaction in underwater soft-body manipulators. A dynamic model of underwater soft-link manipulators undergoing planar motions is presented in this article. The analyses of frequencies and mode shapes for the liquid-link interaction are also described. Meanwhile, a control method is designed to mitigate coupled vibrations in underwater soft-link manipulators. Simulated and experimental results validate the utility of the dynamic model and control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the hallmarks of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) progression and unresponsiveness to therapy is impaired ubiquitin-dependent degradation of nuclear tumor suppressor protein. In the previous stage, our research group found that as a key tumor suppressor, nuclear dysfunction of p27kip1 is closely related to chemotherapy resistance of CCA, but the specific mechanism is unclear. It was recently shown that p27kip1-driven tumors were strongly dependent on the SUMO pathway. RNF4, as the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL), identifies SUMOylated proteins as a substrate through sumo-interacting motifs (SIM) and causes its degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Here we described that the expression of RNF4 was upregulated in CCA tissues and related to malignant features. Silencing RNF4 arrested human CCA cells at the G1 phase, which was associated with the upregulation of p27kip1 and the downregulation of its downstream cycle-related proteins. Silencing RNF4 inhibited cell proliferation and migration, increased cell apoptosis, and sensitized CCA cells to treatment of chemotherapeutic drugs in vitro. Immunofluorescence showed that p27kip1 and RNF4 were mainly co-located in the nucleus. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot showed that p27kip1 was a target protein for SUMOylation and high expression of RNF4 decreased the levels of nuclear p27kip1, enhanced the levels of ubiquitinated and SUMOylated p27kip1, indicating that RNF4 could regulate cell cycle progression via recognizing SUMOylated p27kip1 and facilitating its ubiquitination degradation. These data indicate that RNF4-mediated ubiquitination degradation of SUMOylated proteins is a novel regulatory mechanism of p27kip1 dysfunction and CCA tumorigenesis, which provides a potential option for therapeutic intervention of CCA. • Silenced RNF4 inhibits CCA cell proliferation, migration and increases cell apoptosis. • RNF4 accelerRNF4 accelerates the progression of CCA via facilitaing p27kip1 ubiquitination. • RNF4 knockdown increases chemosensitivity of CCA cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full spectrum and holospectrum are homogeneous information fusion technology developed for the fault diagnosis of rotating machinery, which is extensively exploited in the analysis of the orbits of rotor-bearing systems. However, they are not adapted for non-stationary signals, nor can they be used for fusion analysis of vibrations of multiple bearing sections. By drawing inspiration from the multivariate variational mode decomposition (MVMD) and the complex-valued signal decomposition, we propose a method called multivariate complex variational mode decomposition (MCVMD). It can simultaneously extract the forward and backward components of multiple bearing sections and realize non-stationary complex signal decomposition of multiple bearing sections of the rotor. To achieve the visualization goal of condition monitoring, we propose the three-dimensional instantaneous orbit map (3D-IOM). It enables more features of shaft vibration of a rotor system to be displayed and offers a new way for the fusion analysis of vibration signals of multiple bearing sections of rotating machinery. Furthermore, making the most of the joint information, we also provide a high-resolution time-full spectrum (Time-FS) to display the forward and backward frequency components of multiple bearing sections. The effectiveness of the proposed method through both the simulated experiment and the real-life complex-valued signals is demonstrated in this paper. • A new multivariate complex variational mode decomposition method (MCVMD) is proposed. • 3D instantaneous orbit map is raised to visualize the instantaneous vibration state. • Time-FS, to integrate the frequency components into a TF plane, is devised. • The effectiveness is verified by the simulation test and real-world data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operating cranes is challenging because payloads experience large and dangerous oscillations, especially when the system is suffering from wind disturbances and the large-size payload is modeled as a distributed-mass model. The payload oscillations induced by both intentional motions commanded by the human operator and by the external wind disturbances make the dynamics more complicated. This paper presents a novel combined control architecture to limit oscillations of the distributed-mass payload caused by both human-operator commands and wind disturbances. While a smoothed command suppressed operator-induced oscillations, a wind-rejection command eliminated the payload swing resulting from the wind gusts. Through simulations, a large range of system parameters and motions are analyzed to investigate the dynamic behavior of bridge cranes with distributed-mass beams and wind disturbances by using the new control scheme. Experimental results obtained from a small-scale bridge crane validate the simulated dynamic behavior and the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive astrocytosis has been considered either beneficial or detrimental effection in neuroinflammatory disease. HSPA12B, a new member belongs to the 70-kDa family of heat shock proteins (HSP70) which could modulate inflammatory response, also shows an connection with the astrocyte activation. Recently, it was reported that Src-Suppressed-C Kinase Substrate (SSeCKS) was detected in heat shock protein A12B (HSPA12B) interacting proteins using a yeast 2-hybrid system. SSeCKS, a major Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) response protein, has been involved in regulating astrocyte activation via production of proinflammatory factor in CNS inflammation. In this study, we found HSPA12B might regulate the expression and activity of SSeCKS to promote astrocyte inflammatory activation and release of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α and IL-1β in spinal cord primary astroglial cultures exposed to LPS treatment. The promoting mechanism of interaction between HSPA12B and SSeCKS on LPS-induced astrocyte activation was mediated via the activation of JNK and p38 signaling pathways but not ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway. HSPA12B binded to SSeCKS via its both N terminus consisted of amino acids 1-330 and C terminus consisted of amino acids 1278-1596. And, in vivo, we confirmed the interaction between HSPA12B and SSeCKS of astrocyte activation in the pathogenesis of EAE. The regulatory mechanisms of HSPA12B–SSeCKS interaction may possibly be the key therapeutic strategy of neuroinflammatory disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous results have shown that Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling is essential for lens specification and differentiation. How BMP signals are regulated in the prospective lens ectoderm is not well defined. To address this issue we have modulated BMP activity in a chicken embryo pre-lens ectoderm explant assay, and also studied transgenic mice, in which the type I BMP receptors, Bmpr1a and Acvr1 , are deleted from the prospective lens ectoderm. Our results show that chicken embryo pre-lens ectoderm cells express BMPs and require BMP signaling for lens specification in vitro, and that in vivo inhibition of BMP signals in the mouse prospective lens ectoderm interrupts lens placode formation and prevents lens invagination. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that BMP expression is negatively auto-regulated in the lens-forming ectoderm, decreasing when the tissue is exposed to exogenous BMPs and increasing when BMP signaling is prevented. In addition, eyes lacking BMP receptors in the prospective lens placode develop coloboma in the adjacent wild type optic cup. In these eyes, Bmp7 expression increases in the ventral optic cup and the normal dorsal–ventral gradient of BMP signaling in the optic cup is disrupted. Pax2 becomes undetectable and expression of Sfrp2 increases in the ventral optic cup, suggesting that increased BMP signaling alter their expression, resulting in failure to close the optic fissure. In summary, our results suggest that negative and positive auto-regulation of BMP expression is important to regulate early eye development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac neural crest cells are essential for outflow tract remodeling in animals with divided systemic and pulmonary circulatory systems, but their contributions to cardiac development in animals with a single-loop circulatory system are less clear. Here we genetically labeled neural crest cells and examined their contribution to the developing zebrafish heart. We identified two populations of neural crest cells that contribute to distinct compartments of zebrafish cardiovascular system at different developmental stages. A stream of neural crest cells migrating through pharyngeal arches 1 and 2 integrates into the myocardium of the primitive heart tube between 24 and 30 h post fertilization and gives rise to cardiomyocytes. A second wave of neural crest cells migrating along aortic arch 6 envelops the endothelium of the ventral aorta and invades the bulbus arteriosus after three days of development. Interestingly, while inhibition of FGF signaling has no effect on the integration of neural crest cells to the primitive heart tube, it prevents these cells from contributing to the outflow tract, demonstrating disparate responses of neural crest cells to FGF signaling. Furthermore, neural crest ablation in zebrafish leads to multiple cardiac defects, including reduced heart rate, defective myocardial maturation and a failure to recruit progenitor cells from the second heart field. These findings add to our understanding of the contribution of neural crest cells to the developing heart and provide insights into the requirement for these cells in cardiac maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information from multiple sensory modalities interacts. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we aimed to identify the neural structures correlated with how cooccurring sound modulates the visual motor response execution. The reaction time (RT) to audiovisual stimuli was significantly faster than the RT to visual stimuli. Signal detection analyses showed no significant difference in the perceptual sensitivity (d ') between audiovisual and visual stimuli, while the response criteria (β or c) of the audiovisual stimuli was decreased compared to the visual stimuli. The functional connectivity between the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) was enhanced in Go processing compared with No-go processing of audiovisual stimuli. Furthermore, the left precentral gyrus (PreCG) showed enhanced functional connectivity with the bilateral STG and other areas of the ventral stream in Go processing compared with No-go processing of audiovisual stimuli. These results revealed that the neuronal network correlated with modulations of the motor response execution after the presentation of both visual stimuli along with cooccurring sound in a multisensory Go/Nogo task, including the left IPL, left PreCG, bilateral STG and some areas of the ventral stream. The role of the interaction between the IPL and STG in transforming audiovisual information into motor behavior is discussed. The current study provides a new perspective for exploring potential brain mechanisms underlying how humans execute appropriate behaviors on the basis of multisensory information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies of mouse embryos concluded that after the optic vesicle evaginates from the ventral forebrain and contacts the surface ectoderm, signals from the ectoderm specify the distal region of the optic vesicle to become retina and signals from the optic vesicle induce the lens. Germline deletion of Bmp4 resulted in failure of lens formation. We performed conditional deletion of Bmp4 from the optic vesicle to test the function of Bmp4 in murine eye development. The optic vesicle evaginated normally and contacted the surface ectoderm. Lens induction did not occur. The optic cup failed to form and the expression of retina-specific genes decreased markedly in the distal optic vesicle. Instead, cells in the prospective retina expressed genes characteristic of the retinal pigmented epithelium. We conclude that Bmp4 is required for retina specification in mice. In the absence of Bmp4, formation of the retinal pigmented epithelium is the default differentiation pathway of the optic vesicle. Differences in the signaling pathways required for specification of the retina and retinal pigmented epithelium in chicken and mouse embryos suggest major changes in signaling during the evolution of the vertebrate eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motion-induced oscillations of crane payloads seriously degrade their effectiveness and safety. Significant progress has been achieved with reducing payload oscillations on a single-pendulum crane with a point-mass payload attached to the end of the cable. However, large payloads and the actual configuration of the hoisting mechanism may transform the crane to a double-pendulum system with a distributed-mass payload. The manipulation task can be more challenging because of the complicated dynamics. The dynamics of bridge cranes transporting distributed-mass beams are derived. A command-smoothing scheme is presented to suppress the complex payload oscillations. Simulations of a large range of motions are used to analyze the dynamic behavior of the cranes and the robustness of the method. Experimental results obtained from a small-scale double-pendulum bridge crane transporting a distributed-mass beam validate the simulated dynamic behavior and the effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are a family of antioxidant proteins and perform important functions in intracellular signal transduction. Here, we report a Prx gene from Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The full-length cDNA of FcPrx gene contained an open reading frame of 735 bp encoding a polypeptide of 275 amino acids. The molecular mass of the deduced amino acid of FcPrx is 27445.43 Da with an estimated pI of 5.71. Sequence comparison showed that the FcPrx shares high identities with Prx IVs and it was named FcPrx4. A real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to assess the mRNA expression of FcPrx4 in different tissues and temporal expression in hemocytes and hepatopancreas of F. chinensis challenged by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Transcripts of FcPrx4 can be detected in all tissues examined. The expression of FcPrx4 showed significant up-regulation in shrimp hemocytes and hepatopancreas after artificial infection with WSSV. A fusion protein containing FcPrx4 was produced in vitro and was confirmed by Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) assay. And activity analysis indicated that the recombinant FcPrx4 proteins can reduce H2O2 in the presence of dithiothreitol. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] 36 new sequences for three genes are characterized from 20 species (12 genera) in the core group of Urostyloidea. [•] More well-supported and reliable nodes are detected in the concatenated topologies. [•] Multi-gene phylogenies and morphological features are discussed to improve the understanding of the evolution of urostyloids. [•] A new genus Arcuseries (type A. petzi) is established to contain three distinctly deviating Anteholosticha species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Global prior shape for ultrasound kidney segmentation. [•] Maximum likelihood of Fisher–Tippett distribution as a region term. [•] Fast algorithm for segmentation with region and shape term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A method is presented for limiting vibration in flexible systems by smoothing the original command. The original command is smoothed to drive the flexible systems without inducing vibration. The proposed smoother is designed as a function of system natural frequency and damping ratio. The comparison between the new method and the zero vibration and triple derivative (ZVDDD) shaper for modeling error is explored and quantified. The theoretic analysis shows that the new method is more insensitive at higher frequencies, while the ZVDDD shaper has more insensitivity at lower frequencies. Moreover, the designed smoother benefits vibration reduction for multi-mode systems. Experimental results for single-mode and multi-mode systems validate the simulated dynamic behavior and the effectiveness of the new method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Turning agricultural waste into effective remediation materials is a highly promising approach for reducing in-field crop burning and promoting affordable wastewater treatment. This comparative study aims to identify active adsorption sites for methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and cadmium (Cd) as model pollutants on wheat straw materials modified by a thermal partial-oxidation process. The optimal modification temperature was found to be 160–180 °C for MB and CV adsorption, which is much lower than that of Cd(II) at 220–240 °C. A strong linear correlation exits between total surface group concentrations and Cd(II) uptake, indicating that both acidic and basic functional groups are favourable adsorption sites of Cd(II). By contrast, basic groups generated at higher modification temperatures might have adverse effects on MB and CV adsorption. These results provided mechanistic insights and predictive approach into reuse of agricultural waste for environmental remediation. [Display omitted] • A thermal modification method was applied to wheat straw materials. • Optimal modification temperatures strongly depend on type of pollutants. • Both acidic and basic groups are favourable adsorption sites for Cd(II). • Basic functional groups might have adverse effects on MB and CV adsorption. • This work provides insights to reuse of agricultural waste and environment clean-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although euplotida ciliates are widely used as model organisms in multiple fields of biology, details of their phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved despite a rich history of investigation with small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences and other characters. Here, six genera in Diophrys-like complex and three other euplotid genera are sampled for SSU-rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and LSU-rDNA, and their phylogenies were inferred with unconstrained and constrained analyses. In general, the concatenated analyses infer more reliable, less ambiguous phylogenies with higher node support values. The following conclusions can be made: (1) four well-supported clades are consistently detected in the family Uronychiidae, forming into two subgroups, which challenge the traditional arrangement based on morphological similarities; (2) the subfamily Diophryinae is paraphyletic; (3) the monophyly of Paradiophrys and the establishment of Apodiophrys and Diophryopsis is fully supported by concatenated data; (4) Apodiophrys and Paradiophrys form independent lineages, at the subfamily level, from other Diophrys-like genera; and (5) the highly specialized Pseudodiophrys nests within Diophrys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Na+,K+ ATPase pumps Na+ out of and K+ into the cytosol, maintaining a resting potential that is essential for the function of excitable tissues like cardiac muscle. In addition to its well-characterized physiological role in the heart, Na+,K+ ATPase also regulates the morphogenesis of the embryonic zebrafish heart via an as yet unknown mechanism. Here, we describe a novel non-cell autonomous function of Na+,K+ ATPase/Atp1a1 in the elongation of the zebrafish heart tube. Embryos lacking Atp1a1 function exhibit abnormal migration behavior of cardiac precursors, defects in the elongation of the heart tube, and a severe reduction in ECM/Fibronectin deposition around the myocardium, despite the presence of normal cell polarity and junctions in the myocardial epithelium prior to the timeframe of heart tube elongation. Interestingly, we found that Atp1a1 is not present in the myocardium at the time when cardiac morphogenesis defects first become apparent, but is expressed in an extra-embryonic tissue, the yolk syncytial layer (YSL), at earlier stages. Knockdown of Atp1a1 activity specifically in the YSL using morpholino oligonucleotides produced heart tube elongation defects like those found in atp1a1 mutants, indicating that Atp1a1 function in the YSL is necessary for heart tube elongation. Furthermore, atp1a1 expression in the YSL was regulated by the homeobox transcription factor mxtx1. Together, these data reveal a new non-cell autonomous role for Atp1a1 in cardiac morphogenesis and establish Na+,K+ ATPase as a major player in the genetic pathway by which the YSL regulates embryonic ECM deposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In event-related (ER) BOLD-fMRI brain activation studies, understanding the relationship between the elicited BOLD signal and its underlying neuronal activity is essential for any quantitative interpretation of the neural events from the BOLD measurements. This requires a better understanding of the dynamic BOLD response. Besides the neuronal activity-induced positive BOLD response, the dynamic response is also characterized by a profound post-stimulus undershoot. The relationship between the positive response and the post-stimulus undershoot, however, remains poorly understood. Earlier studies using block-design paradigms with long stimulation durations (>10s) do not suggest a quantitative relationship. Using an ER paradigm, this study revealed a linear coupling between the positive BOLD response and the post-stimulus undershoot across the human visual cortex. The voxelwise linear coupling across the visual cortex strongly supports a homogeneous hemodynamic response in ER paradigms, though the BOLD response magnitude varies substantially over a wide range across the visual cortex. Although underlying neuronal activity is responsible for a BOLD response, the blood volume fraction affects the magnitude of the BOLD response; the larger the blood volume fraction, the larger the magnitude. This effect needs to be accounted for in any quantitative interpretation of the BOLD measurements. In the absence of nonlinear neuronal activities, the nonlinear vascular response renders the estimated BOLD responses smaller in rapid presentation (RP) ER paradigms compared to that in ER paradigms, and this reduction effect also needs to be considered when interpreting the estimated BOLD responses in RP-ER paradigms. Interestingly, this nonlinear effect might be simply accounted for by a scaling factor across the visual cortex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although placodes are ubiquitous precursors of tissue invagination, the mechanism of placode formation has not been established and the requirement of placode formation for subsequent invagination has not been tested. Earlier measurements in chicken embryos supported the view that lens placode formation occurs because the extracellular matrix (ECM) between the optic vesicle and the surface ectoderm prevents the prospective lens cells from spreading. Continued cell proliferation within this restricted area was proposed to cause cell crowding, leading to cell elongation (placode formation). This view suggested that continued cell proliferation and adhesion to the ECM between the optic vesicle and the surface ectoderm was sufficient to explain lens placode formation. To test the predictions of this “restricted expansion hypothesis,” we first confirmed that the cellular events that accompany lens placode formation in chicken embryos also occur in mouse embryos. We then showed that the failure of lens placode formation when the transcription factor, Pax6 was conditionally deleted in the surface ectoderm was associated with greatly diminished accumulation of ECM between the optic vesicle and ectoderm and reduced levels of transcripts encoding components of the ECM. In accord with the “restricted expansion hypothesis,” the Pax6-deleted ectoderm expanded, rather than being constrained to a constant area. As a further test, we disrupted the ECM by deleting Fn1, which is required for matrix assembly and cell–matrix adhesion. As in Pax6 CKO embryos, the Fn1 CKO lens ectoderm expanded, rather than being constrained to a fixed area and the lens placode did not form. Ectoderm cells in Fn1 CKO embryos expressed markers of lens induction and reorganized their cytoskeleton as in wild type ectoderm, but did not invaginate, suggesting that placode formation establishes the minimal mechanical requirements for invagination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous studies suggested that FGF signaling is important for lens formation. However, the times at which FGFs act to promote lens formation, the FGFs that are involved, the cells that secrete them and the mechanisms by which FGF signaling may promote lens formation are not known. We found that transcripts encoding several FGF ligands and the four classical FGF receptors are detectable in the lens-forming ectoderm at the time of lens induction. Conditional deletion of Fgfr1 and Fgfr2 from this tissue resulted in the formation of small lens rudiments that soon degenerated. Lens placodes lacking Fgfr1 and 2 were thinner than in wild-type embryos. Deletion of Fgfr2 increased cell death from the initiation of placode formation and concurrent deletion of Fgfr1 enhanced this phenotype. Fgfr1/2 conditional knockout placode cells expressed lower levels of proteins known to be regulated by FGF receptor signaling, but proteins known to be important for lens formation were present at normal levels in the remaining placode cells, including the transcription factors Pax6, Sox2 and FoxE3 and the lens-preferred protein αA-crystallin. Previous studies identified a genetic interaction between BMP and FGF signaling in lens formation and conditional deletion of Bmpr1a caused increased cell death in the lens placode, resulting in the formation of smaller lenses. In the present study, conditional deletion of both Bmpr1a and Fgfr2 increased cell death beyond that seen in Fgfr2 CKO placodes and prevented lens formation. These results suggest that the primary role of autocrine or paracrine FGF signaling is to provide essential survival signals to lens placode cells. Because apoptosis was already increased at the onset of placode formation in Fgfr1/2 conditional knockout placode cells, FGF signaling was functionally absent during the period of lens induction by the optic vesicle. Since the expression of proteins required for lens formation was not altered in the knockout placode cells, we can conclude that FGF signaling from the optic vesicle is not required for lens induction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: BMPs play multiple roles in development and BMP signaling is essential for lens formation. However, the mechanisms by which BMP receptors function in vertebrate development are incompletely understood. To determine the downstream effectors of BMP signaling and their functions in the ectoderm that will form the lens, we deleted the genes encoding the type I BMP receptors, Bmpr1a and Acvr1, and the canonical transducers of BMP signaling, Smad4, Smad1 and Smad5. Bmpr1a and Acvr1 regulated cell survival and proliferation, respectively. Absence of both receptors interfered with the expression of proteins involved in normal lens development and prevented lens formation, demonstrating that BMPs induce lens formation by acting directly on the prospective lens ectoderm. Remarkably, the canonical Smad signaling pathway was not needed for most of these processes. Lens formation, placode cell proliferation, the expression of FoxE3, a lens-specific transcription factor, and the lens protein, αA-crystallin were regulated by BMP receptors in a Smad-independent manner. Placode cell survival was promoted by R-Smad signaling, but in a manner that did not involve Smad4. Of the responses tested, only maintaining a high level of Sox2 protein, a transcription factor expressed early in placode formation, required the canonical Smad pathway. A key function of Smad-independent BMP receptor signaling may be reorganization of actin cytoskeleton to drive lens invagination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Iron oxides in different crystal forms with identical particle size and morphology are employed as supports for gold catalysts. By using the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1,4-butanediol to γ-butyrolactone as the probe reaction, combined with some characterizations such as XRD, TEM, XPS, and H2–TPR, support effect of Au/FeO x catalysts is established in this study. Turnover frequency value follows the order Au/Fe3O4 >Au/α-Fe2O3 >Au/γ-Fe2O3. Size effect of Au/Fe3O4 catalysts with different gold particle size distributions obtained by treating under different atmospheres is also studied for comparison, and the results imply the slight effect of gold particle size. Variation in catalytic behavior of gold catalysts on different iron-oxide supports originates from the discrepancy in gold geometry, gold oxidation state, and gold-support contact interface structures which are caused by difference in support intrinsic properties such as microcrystalline structure and oxidation state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Model of tower cranes carrying slender payloads is derived. • Equation for estimating the twisting frequency is presented. • A discontinuous piecewise smoother is proposed for controlling swing and twisting. • Experiments validate dynamic behaviour and the control effectiveness. Tower cranes suspending slender payloads are widely used in the construction site. Both the payload swing and twisting degrade the efficient and safe operation. However, the twisting dynamics is more complicated than the swing dynamics. Although numerical analysis of the twisting dynamics has been reported, little attention has been directed at the analytical analysis of the twisting dynamics. A new dynamic model including swing and twisting has been derived in this article. The analytical analysis of the twisting dynamics from the new model has been described. The closed-form solution for estimating frequencies of the payload twisting have been presented. In addition, a new control method is proposed for suppressing swing and twisting in tower cranes transporting slender payloads. The control method has good robustness to variation in working conditions and system parameters, and good performance in rise time. Numerous simulations and experiments demonstrated the key dynamic behavior of the payload twisting and effectiveness of the control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A quantitative method is introduced for detecting and correcting artifactual signal changes in BOLD time series data arising from the magnetic field warping caused by motion of the articulatory apparatus when speaking aloud, with extensions to detection of subvocal articulatory activity during silent reading. Whole-head images allow the large, spike-like signal changes from the moving tongue and other components of the articulatory apparatus to be detected and localized in time, providing a measure of the time of vocalization onset, the vocalization duration, and also an estimate of the magnitude and shape of the signal change resulting from motion. Data from brain voxels are then examined during the vocalization period, and statistical outliers corresponding to contamination from articulatory motion are removed and replaced by linear interpolation from adjacent, uncontaminated data points. This quantitative approach to cleansing brain time series data of articulatory-motion-induced artifact is combined with a pre-scanning training regimen that reduces gross head movement during reading aloud to the levels observed during reading silently, which can be corrected with available image registration techniques. The combination of quantitative analysis of articulatory motion artifacts and pre-scanning training makes possible a much wider range of tasks involving overt speech than are currently being used in fMRI studies of language and cognition, as well as characterization of subvocal movements of the articulatory apparatus that are relevant to theories of reading skill, verbal rehearsal in working memory, and problem solving. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a globally important bacterium related to climate warming and health threat to human and marine animals. Yet, there is limited knowledge about its polylysogeny harboring multiple prophages and the genetic information. In this study, two prophages (VPS05ph1 and VPS05ph2) were identified in a V. parahaemolyticus isolate through genomic and transcriptional analyses. Both prophages were determined as HP1-like phages, located in a novel phylogenetic lineage of Peduoviridae. They shared a moderate genome-wide sequence similarity with each other and high synteny with the closest relatives, but showed low identities to the repressor counterparts of the representative phages within the family. In addition, no bacterial virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes and known phage-encoded lytic proteins were identified on both prophage genomes. Moreover, the V. parahaemolyticus isolate was induced with mitomycin, which caused aberrant cellular morphology and nonviability of bacterial cells and excision of prophage VPS05ph1, accompanied by the respective inhibition and promotion of transcriptions of the cI -like and cox -like regulator genes for phage decision making. Results in this study provide the genetic context of polylysogeny in the V. parahaemolyticus isolate, support the diversity and prevalence of HP1-like phages in vibrios, and promote to explore interactions between the HP1-like prophage and its vibrio host. • A novel spontaneously excised vibriophage belonging to Peduoviridae was isolated. • A prophage showed a moderate sequence similarity and high synteny to the new phage. • Master repressors of both prophages shared low identities to the representative phages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of organic pollutants in water environments and the resource utilization of solid waste are two pressing issues around the world. Facing the increasing pollution induced by discharge of mining effluents containing sodium isopropyl xanthate (SIPX), in this work, municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA) was pretreated by hydrothermal method to produce stabilized FA, which was then innovatively used as support for the construction of FA/TiO 2 /BiOCl nanocomposite (FTB) with promoted photocatalytic activity under visible light and natural sunlight. When the content of FA was 20 wt% and the mass ratio of TiO 2 to BiOCl was 4:6, a remarkable performance for the optimal FTB (20-FTB-2) was achieved. Characterizations demonstrated that TiO 2 and BiOCl uniformly dispersed on FA contributing to high surface area and broad light adsorption of FTB, which exhibits excellent adsorption capacity and light response ability. Build in electric field formed in the interface of TiO 2 /BiOCl heterojunction revealed by density functional theory calculations accelerated the separation of photoinduced e− and h+, leading to high efficiency for SIPX degradation. The synergetic effect combined with adsorption and photocatalytic degradation endowed 20-FTB-2 superior SIPX removal efficiency over 99% within 30 min under visible light and natural sunlight irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation pathways of SIPX were determined through theoretical calculations and characterizations, and the toxic byproduct CS 2 was effectively eliminated through oxidation of •O 2 −. For 20-FTB-2, reusability of photocatalyst was showed by cycle tests, also the concentrations of main heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Cd) in the liquid phases released during photocatalyst preparation process (< 1 mg/L) and photodegradation process (< 8.5 μg/L) proved the satisfactory stability with low toxicity. This work proposed a novel strategy to develop efficient and stable support-based photocatalysts by utilizing MSWI FA and realize its resource utilization. [Display omitted] • Stabilized FA supported the construction of FA/TiO 2 /BiOCl heterojunction composite. • Optimized 20-FTB-2 exhibited superior photocatalytic degradation of SIPX (>99.9%). • Heavy metals in FTB leached out hardly during photocatalytic degradation process. • Fly ash-supported photocatalyst enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic capability. • Detailed photocatalytic mechanism and degradation pathway of SIPX were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultrathin VSe 2 nanosheets with thickness less than 5 nm are prepared by liquid phase exfoliation. • Two-dimensional metallic layered VSe 2 exhibits saturable absorption properties. • Single- and Dual-wavelength mode-locked fiber lasers are realized using VSe 2 -based saturable absorber, respectively. Vanadium selenide (VSe 2) is a special two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material with metallic properties similar to graphene, which has been proved to have saturable absorption properties and used in mode-locked fiber lasers. As an excellent saturable absorber (SA) material, VSe 2 has advantage of ultrafast carrier recovery time and broadband optical response range. However, the potential application of VSe 2 in the field of ultrafast photonics has not been fully developed so far. In this work, the as-prepared VSe 2 nanosheets were deposited on tapered fiber by optical deposition to obtain VSe 2 SA. By inserting VSe 2 SA into an Er-doped fiber laser, the mode-locked pulses with a central wavelength of 1574.4 nm can be obtained. The pulse width of the laser is measured to be ∼680 fs which is narrowest in the reported VSe 2 SA-based lasers. In addition, the unique dual-wavelength mode-locked pulse is also obtained by further adjusting intracavity dispersion and polarization. This kind of dual-wavelength pulse is valuable in high order harmonic generation enhancement, terahertz wave generation, dense wavelength division multiplexing, dual-frequency comb and other applications. Our results show that metallic VSe 2 is of great potential value in ultrafast fiber laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Au/TiO2 catalysts prepared by the deposition–precipitation method showed excellent activity and selectivity in the oxidative cyclization of 1,4-butanediol to γ-butyrolactone, with high yields (>99%) under mild conditions (413 K, 1.25 MPa air). Catalysts with 3–8% gold loading and calcined at 573–673 K were all highly active for the formation of γ-butyrolactone, as demonstrated by XRD, TEM, XPS, ICP and UV–vis DRS results. It is concluded that highly dispersed small (2–10 nm) gold particles are formed with the surface enrichment of gold. The ratio of cationic gold to metallic gold depends on the treatment temperature. These findings, combined with those of the activity tests, lead to the conclusion that the surface metallic nanosized gold particles are active sites. The catalyst can be reused with no drop in activity or selectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present a study of the denaturation of a truncated, cycle3 variant of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Chemical denaturation is used to unfold the protein, with changes in structure being monitored by the green fluorescence, tyrosine fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism. The results show that the denaturation behaviour of GFP is complex compared to many small proteins: equilibrium is established only very slowly, over the time course of weeks, suggesting that there are high folding/unfolding energy barriers. Unfolding kinetics confirm that the rates of unfolding at low concentrations of denaturant are very low, consistent with the slow establishment of the equilibrium. In addition, we find that GFP significantly populates an intermediate state under equilibrium conditions, which is compact and stable with respect to the unfolded state (m IU =4.6 kcal mol−1 M−1 and ΔG IU =12.5 kcal mol−1). The global and local stability of GFP was probed further by measuring the hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) NMR exchange rates of more than 157 assigned amide protons. Analysis at two different values of pH showed that amide protons within the β-barrel structure exchange at the EX2 limit, consequently, free energies of exchange could be calculated and compared to those obtained from the denaturation-curve studies providing further support for the three-state model and the existence of a stable intermediate state. Analysis reveals that amide protons in β-strands 7, 8, 9 and 10 have, on average, higher exchange rates than others in the β-barrel, suggesting that there is greater flexibility in this region of the protein. Forty or so amide protons were found which do not undergo significant exchange even after several months and these are clustered into a core region encompassing most of the β-strands, at least at one end of the barrel structure. It is likely that these residues play an important role in stabilizing the structure of the intermediate state. The intermediate state observed in the chemical denaturation studies described here, is similar to that observed at pH 4 in other studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The small bHLHZip protein MAX functions at the center of a transcription factor network that governs many aspects of cell behavior, including cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. MAX serves as a cofactor for DNA binding by the various members of this network, which include the MYC family of oncoproteins and a group of putative MYC antagonists that include MNT, MXD1-4 (formerly MAD1, MXI1, MAD3 and MAD4) and MGA. The many heterodimerization partners of MAX raises questions concerning the dynamics of MAX interactions and the functional consequences of the switching of Max partners. Here we review the activities of MAX, its interaction partners, and recent results showing that tissues lacking the MAX-interacting protein MNT are predisposed to tumor formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The perception of a brief visual target stimulus can be affected by another visual mask stimulus immediately preceding or following the target. The link of this visual masking illusion, with visual cortical activation, offers insights into the neural mechanisms for visual perception. The present study investigated the association of the visibility of a target with cortical activation in humans using psychophysical testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A visual masking protocol that was suitable for an fMRI study was developed. The event-related fMRI was used to measure activation in primary visual cortex (V1) during visual masking and unmasking stimulation. We found that the visibility of the target stimulus was reduced in the masking condition, due to the presence of mask stimuli, but not in the unmasking condition. We also found that the activation in V1 was modulated by the temporal separation of the mask stimuli from the target and was associated with the visibility of the target that was recorded during psychophysical testing and fMRI. These findings are consistent with what has been observed in the primate visual cortex of monkeys, i.e., the transient on-response and after-discharge of V1 neurons to the target stimulus were suppressed by forward and backward mask stimuli, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Human MHC class I chain-related A (MICA) is a tumor-associated antigen that can be recognized by Vδ1 subset of tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells. We previously reported that immobilized recombinant MICA protein could induce the proliferation of tumor-infiltrating Vδ1 γδ T cells in vitro. But there has been no direct evidence showing the engagement of γδ T cell receptors (TCR) of the induced cells with MICA. In the current investigation, we show that MICA induces specific cytolytic activity of the expanded γδ T cells. We expressed the coupled V domains from the MICA-induced T cells as a single polypeptide chain VδVγ TCR (γδ scTCR). Such scTCR can specifically bind MICA of HeLa cells. Direct interaction of γδ scTCRs with in vitro expressed MICA was monitored using an IAsys biosensor. We found that the Vδ1 scTCR can specifically bind to immobilized MICA molecule and MICAα1α2 domains are responsible for the binding reaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]