Search

Phosphorus-doped three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbons (P-3DHPCs) have been synthesized by direct pyrolysis of mixture containing glucose, manganese nitrate and sodium hypophosphite without any hard templates. Glucose and sodium hypophosphite are used as carbon and phosphorus source in the facile template-free strategy, respectively. The P-3DHPCs not only possess favorable hierarchical pore structure which is beneficial to ion adsorption and transportation, but also acquire effective heteroatoms doping, further improving the capacitive performance. More importantly, the amount of sodium hypophosphite plays a critical role in textural properties and phosphorus content of P-3DHPCs. The results demonstrate that P-3DHPC-0.2 shows the best electrochemical performance compared to the other samples. High specific capacitance (367 F g −1 at 0.3 A g −1 ) is obtained in 6 M KOH, and the capacitance still maintains 319 F g −1 when tested at 20 A g −1 (ca.88% capacitance retention). Moreover, the P-3DHPC-0.2 also possesses good cycling stability with only a loss of 3.5% after 10000 cycles at 3 A g −1 . The facile preparation method and good electrochemical performance render P-3DHPCs to be a promising candidate for supercapacitor application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of macrocyclic inhibitors of FXIa is described which focused on modifications to both the macrocyclic linker and the P1 group. Increases in potency were discovered through interactions with a key hydrophobic region near the S1 prime pocket by substitution of the macrocyclic linker with small alkyl groups. Both the position of substitution and the absolute stereochemistry of the alkyl groups on the macrocyclic linker which led to improved potency varied depending on the ring size of the macrocycle. Replacement of the chlorophenyltetrazole cinnamide P1 in these optimized macrocycles reduced the polar surface area and improved the oral bioavailability for the series, albeit at the cost of a decrease in potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physicochemical properties of polybrominated diphenyl ethers are important for modeling their transport, but these data are often missing. Here, satisfactory bioactivity results were obtained using human serum albumin as the carrier, 2,2′,4,4′,5,6′-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE154) and 3-hydroxy-2,2′,4,4′, 5,6′-hexabromodiphenyl ether (3OH-BDE154) as the ligands, using UV–visible absorbance, fluorescence, circular dichroism, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics methods. The interactions between human serum albumin and BDE154 or 3OH-BDE154 were verified, consistent with the static quenching procedure. At pH 7.4, the binding constants of the complexes for site I were relatively comparable and increased in the order BDE154 < 3OH-BDE154. Then, the secondary structure and kinetic parameters of albumin were analyzed using the circular dichroism spectra and GROMACS software. The data obtained from these simulations indicate that hydrophobic attraction might be the key factor for the stability of complexes. The docking experiments provided further insight into the hydrophobic pocket and showed that 3OH-BDE154 has a stronger binding affinity to human serum albumin than BDE154. The experimental spectral data were obtained and compared with the simulation results, showing good agreement. A detailed analysis of PBDEs–HSA interactions would provide valuable information to better understand the interaction on this class of compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twitter has become one of largest social networks for users to broadcast burst topics. There have been many studies on how to detect burst topics. However, mining burst patterns in burst topics has not been solved by the existing works. In this paper, we investigate the problem of mining burst patterns of burst topic in Twitter. A burst topic user graph model is proposed, which can represent the topology structure of burst topic propagation across a large number of Twitter users. Based on the model, hierarchical clustering is applied to cluster burst topics and reveal burst patterns from the macro perspective. Frequent sub-graph mining is used to discover the information flow patterns of burst topic from the micro perspective. Experimental results show that several interesting burst patterns are discovered, which can reveal different burst topic clusters and frequent information flows of burst topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrathin porous carbon shell with the thickness of about 10 nm has been fabricated by a facile method using sodium citrate as carbon precursor without any activation. The electric conductivity of the material is as high as 7.12 S/cm, which contributes to a good rate performance for supercapacitor electrode without any conductive additive. When tested in 6 M KOH by three-electrode system, the C-700 sample exhibits specific capacitance of 251 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 , high rate capability with the specific capacitance of 228 F g −1 at 20 A g −1 , only a loss of 3% after 10000 cycles at a current density of 3 A g −1 . Non aqueous performance was tested in 1 M TEA-BF 4 /acetonitrile, the material can deliver an energy density of 12–17 Wh kg −1 in a two-electrode system. Apparently, the porous carbon with ultrathin structure can provide low-resistant pathways and short ion diffusion channels for energy storage. Therefore, the ultrathin porous carbon shell would be a promising material particularly for applications where high power output performances are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applied different control strategies on the rotor side converter (RSC) of a 2 MW doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine. Usually, the wind turbine is operated on the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode to obtain its maximum efficiency. Flux oriented control (FOC), voltage oriented control (VOC), direct torque control (DTC) and direct power control (DPC) are the most common control strategies on the RSC. These control methods play important roles in tracking the MPPT operating mode. The simulation of various control methods on the MPPT is necessary, and the performance of each control method needs to be evaluated, which can provide a reference to engineers and operators of a wind farm. The range of wind speeds in this simulation is from 3.5 m/s (cut in) to 25 m/s (cut out). In this study, the grid side converter (GSC) of the wind turbine utilized voltage oriented control (VOC) to maintain a constant DC voltage on the DC capacitor bus, and the reactive power is set to 0. All of the simulations were implemented by PSCAD/EMTDC software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sandwiched gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was prepared using a facile method as separator solely for rechargeable Lithium–Sulfur batteries. As a result of the strong physical shielding and chemical absorption of GPE, the separator can not only suppress shuttle effect in ether-based electrolyte, but also improve utilization of sulfur significantly resulting in a high capacity. The PVDF layers could absorb ether-based electrolyte largely and then enhance Li + transfer; the PMMA layer can be utilized to trap the dissolved polysulfides. Lithium–Sulfur batteries with the sandwiched GPE separator shows an encouraging electrochemical performance. A high initial discharge capacity of 1711.8 mAh g −1 is obtained, and the capacity retains at 1145.3 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles at 200 mA g −1 , which is higher than that of the cell with the commercial separator. These results indicate that the appropriate GPE separator is more suitable in Lithium−Sulfur batteries applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale Mesozoic volcanisms in the Great Xing’an Mountains (GXM), northeastern (NE) China, are being extensively interested recently. However, the petrogenesis and geodynamic implications of these volcanic rocks are still on controversy. In this study, geochronology and geochemistry of the intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks of Late Mesozoic from the southern GXM was investigated. Zircon U–Pb geochronology yields 206 Pb/ 238 U ages ranging from 154.3 ± 1.7 Ma to 127.0 ± 2.4 Ma for the eight selected volcanic rocks, where the major period of the Mesozoic volcanisms is constrained during the Early Cretaceous. The presented volcanic rocks are andesite–trachydacite–rhyolite and show calc-alkaline to shoshonitic features. They have elevated incompatible trace element concentrations and significantly negative Nb–Ta–Ti and positive Pb anomalies, which display characteristics of typical subduction-related magmas rather than within-plate magmatic signature. Sr–Nd isotopic data indicate that their magma sources were mixed with proportions of old crustal components. Geochemical features, therefore, indicate that the intermediate and felsic shoshonitic magma was plausibly derived from partial melting of the subduction-modified lithospheric mantle and thickened lower crust, respectively, induced by delamination and/or asthenosphere upwelling in extensional setting. Combined with the tectonic evolution of the Great Xing’an area, we propose a hypothesis that the large-scale Mesozoic volcanisms in NE China were controlled by the transition of regional stress from southward to westward, which are induced by the changes of tectonic regimes from the previous Mongol–Okhotsk subduction to the succeeding paleo-Pacific subduction during Late Mesozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the design of adaptive impulsive observers (AIOs) for nonlinear systems. The dynamics of observer state of the proposed AIO is modelled by an impulsive differential equation, by which the observer state is updated in an impulsive fashion. The parameter estimation law is modelled by an impulse-free time-varying differential equation associated with the impulse time sequence for determining when the observer state is updated. Unlike the previous work, the convergence analysis of the estimation error system is performed by applying a time-varying Lyapunov function based method, in conjunction with the application of a generalized version of Barbalat’s Lemma. A sufficient condition for the existence of AIOs is also derived. For some special cases, it is shown that the sufficient condition can be formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), and the observer matrices can be attained by solving a set of LMIs. Furthermore, with an additional persistence-of-excitation-type constraint, it is proved that the sufficient condition can guarantee the convergence of parameter estimation. Two examples of chaotic oscillators are provided to illustrate the design procedure of the proposed AIOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the multistability problem of discrete-time delayed Cohen–Grossberg neural networks (DDCGNNs) with second-order synaptic connectivity. For the neural networks with nondecreasing saturated activation functions possessing 2 corner points, based on the partition space method and reduction ad absurdum, several sufficient conditions are derived to ensure that n -neuron second-order DDCGNNs can have 2 n locally exponentially stable equilibrium points. Then, the analyses are extended to nondecreasing saturated activation functions with 2 r corner points and some sufficient conditions are given to guarantee that the n -neuron DDCGNNs can have ( r + 1 ) n locally exponentially stable equilibrium points. Moreover, some conditions are obtained to ensure the existence of locally exponentially stable equilibrium point in a predesigned region. Finally, three examples are carried out to show the effectiveness of the proposed criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Astrocytes senescence has been demonstrated in the aging brain and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, lower glucose metabolism has been confirmed in the early stage of AD. However, whether low glucose could induce astrocytes senescence remain ambiguous. Studies have shown that the ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SGE) exert neuroprotective and anti-aging effects, while whether SGE could delay astrocytes senescence was unclear.Purpose: This study investigated the anti-senescence effect of SGE in low glucose-induced T98G cells and primary astrocytes, and explored the possible mechanisms based on boolean network.Methods: The neuroprotective effects of SGE in low glucose-induced T98G cells were evaluated by measurement of cell viability, LDH, ROS and ATP. The anti-senescence effects of SGE were investigated by detection of senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal), senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), cell cycle and senescence-related markers. The possible mechanisms of SGE in delaying astrocytes senescence were discovered through integrating transcriptomics with boolean network, and validation experiments were further performed.Results: Our results revealed that low glucose could induce astrocytes senescence, and SGE could delay astrocytes senescence by decreasing the staining rate of SA-β-gal, reducing secretions of SASP factors (IL-6, CXCL1, MMP-1), alleviating cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, decreasing the formation of punctate DNA foci and down-regulating the expression of p16INK4A, p21 and γH2A.X. Transcriptomics and further verification results showed that SGE could markedly inhibit the mRNA expression levels of SASP factors (CXCL10, CXCL2, CCL2, IL-6, CXCR4, CCR7). Moreover, C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) was predicted to be the key SASP factor affecting the network stability by using boolean network. Further experiments validated that SGE could markedly reduce CXCL10 level, decrease the secretion of IL-6 and inhibit cell migration in CXCL10 induced primary astrocytes.Conclusion: In summary, our research unmasks that the anti-senescence effects of SGE were highly correlated with the suppression of SASP secretions, and CXCL10 mediated the SASP inhibition effect of SGE in low glucose-induced astrocytes. Our study highlights that the delay of astrocytes senescence and the inhibition of SASP might be a new mechanism of SGE for alleviating neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Acute kidney injury is a common and serious problem after cardiac surgery. Postoperative acute kidney injury is independently associated with in-hospital mortality and long-term morbidity, even after adjustment for comorbid diseases. Chronic kidney disease has been recognized as a strong risk factor of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. The association between proteinuria and postcardiotomy acute kidney injury in patients with preserved glomerular filtration rate remains uncertain. Methods Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate greater than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2003 and December 2007 in a tertiary medical center were retrospectively analyzed. Dipstick urinalysis was performed before surgery. Proteinuria was categorized into negative, trace, 1+, 2+, or 3+. Postoperative acute kidney injury was defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria. Multinomial logistic regression was used to clarify whether proteinuria is an independent risk factor of postoperative acute kidney injury. Results A total of 1246 patients were included in this study, with a mean estimated glomerular filtration rate of 80 ± 13 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Proteinuria was present in 290 patients (23.4%). Postoperative acute kidney injury developed in 434 patients (34.8%), and 36 patients (2.9%) required renal replacement therapy. Proteinuria was independently associated with all stages of postcardiotomy acute kidney injury and dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury. The crude risk of acute kidney injury was greater in patients with a higher grade of proteinuria. In subgroup analysis for gender, diabetes, and surgical type, preoperative proteinuria remains a strong risk factor of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. Conclusions Urine analysis is usually neglected before cardiac surgery despite the fact that proteinuria is the earliest manifestation of kidney dysfunction. In the current study, we show that urine protein is strongly and independently associated with postoperative acute kidney injury in subjects with preserved estimated glomerular filtration rate. These data suggest that such a relatively simple and clinically easy to use tool as a urinary dipstick may be useful to identify patients at high risk of acute kidney injury before cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Robotic cardiac surgery has been proved safe and feasible in dedicated centers. We systematically analyzed the learning curve issues associated with totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (TECAB) using a stepwise approach by a single surgeon who had successfully performed >650 cases of various types of robotic cardiac surgery at our single center. Methods From January 2007 to March 2013, 230 patients underwent robotic coronary bypass grafting on the beating heart. Of these patients, 90 had successfully undergone beating heart TECAB using the da Vinci S/Si Surgical System without conversion to sternotomy. All beating heart TECAB procedures were completed using the following modules: endoscopic left internal thoracic artery (LITA) harvesting, pericardiotomy and target vessel identification, and anastomosis of the LITA to the target vessel. The perioperative outcomes were compared among 3 quintiles of 30 consecutive patients each and the learning curve results were evaluated. Results No in-hospital mortality or severe morbidity occurred. The comparison among the 3 quintiles showed a significant decrease in operative time (P = .000), LITA harvesting time (P = .037), and anastomotic time (P = .000). A significant learning curve was observed for the operative time [y(min) = 223 - 17 x ln(x); r² = 0.217, P = .000]; LITA harvesting time [y(min) = 37 - 3 x ln(x); r² = 0.097, P = .003]; and LITA-left anterior descending artery anastomotic time [y(min) = 18 - 2 x ln(x); r² = 0.298, P = .000]. No differences were found in the mean transit flow (P = .102) or perioperative complications among the 3 quintiles. Conclusions Modular-based TECAB procedures can be successfully performed; however, each module has a steep learning curve. A stable and well-trained robotic cardiac team and an experienced cardiac surgeon can achieve good, reproducible results after this substantial learning curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the image quality of fast neutron radiography, a converter made of scintillator and wavelength-shifting fibers has been developed. The appropriate parameters of the converter such as fibers arrangement, distance between fibers are optimized theoretically, and manufacture of the converter are also optimized. Fast neutron radiography experiments by 14 MeV neutrons are used to test this converter and kinds of traditional converters. The experiments' results matched the calculations. The novel converter's resolution is better than 1 mm and the light output is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arc magmatism plays an important role in the recycling of subducted carbon and returning it to the surface. However, the transfer mechanisms of carbon are poorly understood. In this study, the contribution of subducted carbonate-rich sediments to the genesis of the carbonate-bearing K-rich igneous rocks from western Tianshan was investigated. Four key triggers are involved, including sediments subduction, slab decarbonation, partial melting and magma segregation. The globular carbonate ocelli show C–O isotope signatures intermediate between oceanic sediments and mantle, suggesting that the carbon of the primary carbonate ocelli was derived from recycled subducted sediments in the mantle. Decarbonation of the subducted slab is regarded as the primary agent to carbonize the mantle wedge. Geochemical features indicate that the carbonate ocelli are primary, and that the parental K- and carbon-rich mafic alkaline magma was derived from partial melting of carbonated mantle wedge veined with phlogopite. Major and trace element compositions indicate that globular carbonate ocelli hosted in the Bugula K-rich igneous rocks are calcio-carbonate and formed primarily by segregation of the differentiated CO 2 -rich alkaline magma after crystallization fractionation. The K-rich alkaline magma, which formed from partial melting of metasomatized (i.e., phlogopite bearing) mantle wedge in the sub-arc region, is a favorable agent to transport subducted carbon back to the Earth’s surface during carbon recycling in subduction zones, because of the high CO 2 solubility in alkaline mafic magma. We therefore propose a model for the petrogenesis of the carbonate-bearing K-rich igneous rocks in western Tianshan, which are significant for revealing the mechanism of carbon recycling in subduction zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible surface wetting behaviors between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity is a hot topic research due to its potential applications in engineering. In the present work, a superhydrophilic copper film with flower-like structures was fabricated on zinc plate by a facile method of electroless deposition, and water contact angle on the copper film is 0°. After being modified by dodecanethiol (DDT), the superhydrophilic film was converted to be superhydrophobic with a water contact angle larger than 152° and a gliding angle lower than 5°. Interestingly, the superhydrophobic copper film was switched back to superhydrophilic after being annealed at 300°C for 30min and restored to superhydrophobic again after remodification with DDT, and the reversible switch between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity could be repeated several times. Compared with the bare zinc plate and unmodified copper film, the superhydrophobic copper film modified by DDT possesses good anticorrosion properties due to the trapped air in the hierarchical structure of the “flower pits”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PM 0.2 and PM 0.2-1 yields showed opposite trends with combustion temperature increase. • NaCl, KCl, K 3 Na(SO 4) 2 , and SiO 2 are the major inorganic mineral components in PM 1. • The "crystallization" modes formed by alkali chlorides was found in PM 0.2-1. • The heterogeneous nucleation of alkali chloride and sulfate promote PM 0.2-1 formation. This paper presents an information on size distribution, inorganic composition and formation mechanism of submicron particles generated from MSW combustion. The XRD and CCSEM analysis results clearly showed that NaCl, KCl, K 3 Na(SO 4) 2 , and SiO 2 are the major inorganic mineral components in submicron particles. Submicron particles are mainly composed of organic components, alkali chlorides, alkali sulfates, and refractory inorganic minerals, but they account for different proportions in PM 0.2 and PM 0.2-1. There are five formation modes of submicron particles in MSW combustion: "condensation", "nucleation", "accumulation", "crystallization" and "fragmentation". The "condensation" mechanism mainly seen in PM 0.2 composed of gas components, the "crystallization" and "fragmentation" modes formed by alkali salts and char particles are mainly present in PM 0.2-1 , the "nucleation" and "accumulation" modes coexist in PM 0.2 and PM 0.2-1. As the combustion temperature increased, the alkali chlorides and sulfates in the "crystallization" form decreased, and the inorganic mineral components in the "nucleation" form increased, which results in the variation of size distribution of submicron particles. In addition, volatile alkali salt nucleation experiments show that when alkali chloride and sulfate coexist in high-temperature flue gas, heterogeneous nucleation and agglomeration can significantly enhance the accumulation of particles in the range of 0.2–0.5 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass structure and reactivity of torrefied products are a matter of great concern to explore the fuel properties, pyrolysis characteristics, and microcosmic appearance, and life cycle assessment (LCA) is of great importance to evaluate the environmental impact of the torrefaction process. This study investigates the properties and microstructure of torrefied rice straw, including fuel properties, pyrolysis kinetics, crystallinity, surface functional group changes, and microscopic appearance. Results show that a good linear distribution appears between the comprehensive pyrolysis index (CPI) and atomic H/C ratio, and CPI and crystallinity index (CrI). Fourier transform infrared spectra depict dehydration, decarboxylation, and decarbonylation occur during the torrefaction process. The scanning electron microscope images illustrated the surface characteristics are closely related to the release of volatiles during the torrefaction process. The solid 13C NMR spectra of raw and torrefied rice straw reflect that the aromaticity will improve with increasing the torrefaction severity. For LCA analysis, the environmental impact of the torrefaction process shows a positive correlation with torrefaction temperature, and the global warming potential is in the range of 0.1469–0.2707 kg CO 2 emission. This study is meaningful for the evaluation of fuel properties and torrefaction performance as well as microstructure and reactivity of torrefied rice straw. [Display omitted] • Torrefaction improves the thermal stability of torrefied rice straw with devolatilization. • CPI can act as the predictors of atomic H/C ratio and CrI during the torrefaction process. • Dehydration, decarboxylation, and decarbonylation are accomplished in torrefaction. • The aromaticity of rice straw is improved by torrefaction. • The value of global warming potential is in the range of 0.1469–0.2707 kg CO 2 emission potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on the analysis results of components and the particle diameter distribution of lunar soil, some basalt particles with different diameters are mixed into homogeneous soil to simulate the drilling process and particles conveying condition. Lunar soil containing basalt particles with different diameters can affect drilling process, penetration rate and conveying power consumption. The experiment results revealed that basalt particles move upward in an irregular spiral state during drilling; the basalt particles can convey smoothly and has little effect on drilling process, penetration rate and power consumption when the particle diameter is less than 5 mm. The basalt particles can’t convey smoothly and has great effect on penetration rate and power consumption while particle diameter is bigger than 10 mm. Particles in lunar soil will lead to torque increasing sharply and drilling pressure on bit adding to achieve continuous drilling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We evaluate natural forest recovery and restoration after a major earthquake. [•] Natural recovery was rapid and was further improved in restoration sites. [•] Soil cover and slope were correlated to successful vegetation recovery. [•] Restoration sites were located far from the endangered giant panda distribution. [•] Results broadly inform forest recovery processes and endangered species management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] DBPs with log K ow ⩾1.97 can be sonodegraded. [•] More chlorine atoms in the DBPs molecular structure seems easier to be adsorbed. [•] All the 12 targeted DBPs can be removed effectively by combined use of US and QS. [•] Part of QS particles were corroded into small particles and play a catalytic role. [•] Enhanced mass transfer rate leading to an improvement of QS adsorption efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines are emerging as an exciting platform for the delivery of antigenic modules to enable engineering of desirable immunological outcomes, both in therapeutic and prophylactic settings. The processing of these macromolecular assemblies raises new challenges not previously encountered for simpler protein therapeutics. Microbial expression of viral precursor protein complexes (capsomeres) and their subsequent cell-free self-assembly represent a new and technologically interesting pathway to VLP vaccines, yet significant scientific and engineering challenges remain. Among these, the use of thrombin within the existing laboratory process must be eliminated, for regulatory, cost and product quality reasons. Here, the use of alternatives to thrombin is explored. It is shown that tobacco etch virus protease (TEVp) is a viable alternative to thrombin, and leads to higher-quality VLP product; as TEVp has no known human physiological or biochemical role, its bioprocessing acceptability is expected to be higher than for thrombin. The results presented here enhance the scale-up potential of microbial VLP processing, and suggest that TEVp may be a preferable enzyme for use in other bioprocess settings, including those related to the processing of less complex biologics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spiropiperidine indoline-substituted diaryl ureas had been identified as antagonists of the P2Y1 receptor. Enhancements in potency were realized through the introduction of a 7-hydroxyl substitution on the spiropiperidinylindoline chemotype. SAR studies were conducted to improve PK and potency, resulting in the identification of compound 3e, a potent, orally bioavailable P2Y1 antagonist with a suitable PK profile in preclinical species. Compound 3e demonstrated a robust antithrombotic effect in vivo and improved bleeding risk profile compared to the P2Y12 antagonist clopidogrel in rat efficacy/bleeding models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of diphenylpyridylethanamine-based inhibitors of cholesteryl ester transfer protein with aminoheterocycles appended onto the N-terminus of the chemotype were explored as urea mimetics. Potent compounds were discovered and were further optimized to improve metabolic stability and PXR transactivation profile. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microplastics (MPs) have elicited increasing concerns in freshwater systems worldwide. However, little information is available on the MP pollution in the Songhua River, the third largest river in China. And the understanding of the sources and pathways of MPs is limited. In this study, MPs were sampled from river water and wastewater treatment plants in five cities along the Songhua River to investigate the occurrence, spatial distribution, characteristics, and potential sources of MPs. Polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene accounted for more than 95% of the total MPs. MP pollution was determined to be spatially heterogeneous. The concentration of MPs in the urban center was always considerably higher than that in the upper reach, and irregular variation was observed from the urban center to the lower reach for each city. Urbanization was one of the primary driving forces of spatial variability. Statistically significant positive correlations (p -value < 0.05) were noted between the average concentration of MPs in river water and population density (p = 0.0023) and number of industrial enterprises above designated size (p = 0.0042) of each city. Line and fiber were the major shapes, and white was the most dominant color. Large (1–5 mm) and small (≤ 1 mm) MP particles accounted for 50% each. Multiple correspondence analysis as a new methodological approach was conducted to elucidate the sources of MPs for the first time. The potential sources of MPs included daily use, fishing, agricultural, and industrial productions. This work provides information about MP contamination for future studies on freshwater systems and new insights into the source apportionment of MPs. [Display omitted] • MP (microplastic) pollution is spatially heterogeneous in the Songhua River. • MP concentration in the urban center with more populous surroundings was higher. • Urbanization is one driving force for spatial variability of MP concentration. • Source appointment was performed via multiple correspondence analysis firstly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: After long periods of deforestation, forest transition has occurred globally, but the causes of forest transition in different countries are highly variable. Conservation policies may play important roles in facilitating forest transition around the world, including China. To restore forests and protect the remaining natural forests, the Chinese government initiated two nationwide conservation policies in the late 1990s – the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and the Grain-To-Green Program (GTGP). While some studies have discussed the environmental and socioeconomic effects of each of these policies independently and others have attributed forest recovery to both policies without rigorous and quantitative analysis, it is necessary to quantify the outcomes of these two conservation policies simultaneously because the two policies have been implemented at the same time. To fill this knowledge gap, this study quantitatively evaluated the effects of the two conservation policies on forest cover change between 2001 and 2008 in 108 townships located in two important giant panda habitat regions – the Qinling Mountains region in Shaanxi Province and the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary in Sichuan Province. Annual forest cover change rate was evaluated using a land-cover product (MCD12Q1) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This product proved to be highly accurate in the study region (overall accuracy was ca. 87%, using 425 ground truth points collected in the field), thus suitable for the forest change analysis performed. Results showed that within the timeframe evaluated, 94% of townships (i.e., 101 out of 108) in both regions exhibited either increases or no changes in forest cover. After accounting for a variety of socioeconomic and biophysical attributes, a linear regression model suggests that the GTGP had a positive and significant effect on the annual forest cover change rate after seven years of implementation. Our results also suggest that elevation has a significant positive effect on forest cover change, while the percentage of agricultural population, initial forest cover in 2001, and the interaction term of elevation and slope had negative significant effects. Findings from this study will be useful for evaluating the implementation of current conservation policies, designing future conservation policies, developing future giant panda habitat conservation projects, and achieving forest sustainability in China and elsewhere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a novel and convenient electrochemical sensor based on stacked graphene nanofibers (SGNF) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) composite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA). The AuNPs/SGNF modified electrode showed an efficient electrocatalytic role for the oxidation of BPA, and the oxidation overpotentials of BPA were decreased significantly and the peak current increased greatly compared with bare GCE and other modified electrode. The transfer electron number (n) and the charge transfer coefficient (α) were calculated with the result as n =4, α =0.52 for BPA, which indicated the electrochemical oxidation of BPA on AuNPs/SGNF modified electrode was a four-electron and four-proton process. The effective surface areas of AuNPs/SGNF/GCE increased for about 1.7-fold larger than that of the bare GCE. In addition, the kinetic parameters of the modified electrode were calculated and the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k s) was 0.51s−1. Linear sweep voltammetry was applied as a sensitive analytical method for the determination of BPA and a good linear relationship between the peak current and BPA concentration was obtained in the range from 0.08 to 250μM with a detection limit of 3.5×10−8 M. The modified electrode exhibited a high sensitivity, long-term stability and remarkable reproducible analytical performance and was successfully applied for the determination of BPA in baby bottles with satisfying results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe liver malignancy with few drug treatment options. In finding an effective treatment for HCC, screening drugs that are already FDA-approved will fast track the clinical trial and drug approval process. Connectivity Map (CMap), a large repository of chemical-induced gene expression profiles, provides the opportunity to analyze drug properties on the basis of gene expression. Support Vector Machines (SVM) were utilized to classify the effectiveness of drugs against HCC using gene expression profiles in CMap. The results of this classification will help us (1) identify genes that are chemically sensitive, and (2) predict the effectiveness of remaining chemicals in CMap in the treatment of HCC and provide a prioritized list of possible HCC drugs for biological verification. Four HCC cell lines were treated with 146 distinct chemicals, and cell viability was examined. SVM successfully classified the effectiveness of the chemicals with an average Area Under ROC Curve (AUROC) of 0.9. Using reported HCC patient samples, we identified chemically sensitive genes that may be possible HCC therapeutic targets, including MT1E, MYC, and GADD45B. Using SVM, several known HCC inhibitors, such as geldanamycin, alvespimycin (HSP90 inhibitors), and doxorubicin (chemotherapy drug), were predicted. Seven out of the 23 predicted drugs were cardiac glycosides, suggesting a link between this drug category and HCC inhibition. The study demonstrates a strategy of in silico drug screening with SVM using a large repository of microarrays based on initial in vitro drug screening. Verifying these results biologically would help develop a more accurate chemical sensitivity model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Immunodominance is an important feature of antiviral, antitumor, and antibacterial cellular immune responses, but it is not well demonstrated in the immune responses against Helicobacter pylori. Antigen-specific CD4+ T cells protect mice against infection with H pylori. We investigated the immunodominant CD4+ T-cell response to neuraminyllactose-binding hemagglutinin (HpaA), which is a conserved, H pylori–specific colonization factor that is being investigated as an antigen for vaccination strategies. Methods: HpaA-specific CD4+ T cells were expanded with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells that had been incubated with recombinant HpaA and characterized using overlapping synthetic peptides. We compared the percentage of CD4+ T cells with specificity for HpaA88–100, restricted to HLA-DRB1*1501, among 59 H pylori–infected subjects with different gastric diseases. Results: We identified and characterized several immunodominant CD4+ T-cell epitopes derived from HpaA. The immunodominant CD4+ T-cell responses specific to HpaA88–100 were observed in most H pylori–infected individuals who expressed HLA-DRB1*1501 and were significantly more abundant in patients with less severe diseases (P < .05). Conclusions: The HLA-DRB1*1501–restricted immunodominant CD4+ T-cell response to HpaA88–100 is associated with reduced risk of severe gastric diseases. Further study of these and other immunodominant CD4+ T-cell responses to H pylori will provide insight into mechanisms of protective immunity and aid in vaccine design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An epitope-based vaccine is a promising option for treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Epitope mapping is the first step in designing an epitope-based vaccine. A pivotal role of CD4+ T cells in protection against H. pylori has been accepted, but few Th epitopes have been identified. In this study, two novel UreB CD4+ T cell epitopes were identified using PBMCs obtained from two H. pylori infected subjects. We determined the restriction molecules by antibody blocking and used various Epstein–Barr virus-transformed B lymphocyte cell lines (BLCLs) with different HLA alleles as APCs to present peptides to CD4+ T cells. These epitopes were DRB1*1404-restricted UreB373–385 and DRB1*0803-restricted UreB438–452. The T cells specific to these epitopes not only recognized autologous DCs loaded with recombinant UreB but also those pulsed with H. pylori whole cell lysates, suggesting that these epitope peptides are naturally processed. These epitopes have important value for designing an effective H. pylori vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A graphene sheets (GS), ionic liquid (IL) and chitosan (CS) modified electrode was fabricated and the modified electrode displayed excellent electrochemical catalytic activities toward guanine and adenine. The transfer electron number (n) and the charge transfer coefficient (α) were calculated with the result as n =2, α =0.58 for guanine, and n =2, α =0.51 for adenine, which indicated the electrochemical oxidation of guanine and adenine on GS/IL/CS modified electrode was a two-electron and two-proton process. The oxidation overpotentials of guanine and adenine were decreased significantly compared with those obtained at the bare glassy carbon electrode and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified electrode. The modified electrode exhibited good analytical performance and was successfully applied for individual and simultaneous determination of guanine and adenine. Low detection limits of 0.75μM for guanine and 0.45μM for adenine were obtained, with the linear calibration curves over the concentration range 2.5–150μM and 1.5–350μM, respectively. At the same time, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of guanine and adenine in denatured DNA samples with satisfying results. Moreover, the GS/IL/CS modified electrode exhibited good sensitivity, long-term stability and reproducibility for the determination of guanine and adenine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Acute appendicitis in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) poses a diagnostic challenge. Delayed surgery can contribute to higher morbidity and mortality rates. However, few studies have evaluated this disease among ESRD patients. Our study focused on the lack of data on the incidence and risk factors of acute appendicitis among ESRD patients and compared the outcomes in patients who underwent different dialysis modalities.Methods: This national survey was conducted between 1997 and 2005 and included ESRD patients identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. The incidence rate of acute appendicitis in ESRD patients was compared with that in randomly selected age-, sex-, and Charlson comorbidity score-matched non-dialysis controls. A Cox regression hazard model was used to identify risk factors.Results: Among 59,781 incident ESRD patients, matched one-to-one with controls, there were 328 events of acute appendicitis. The incidence rate of 16.9 per 10,000 person-years in the ESRD cohort was higher than that in the control cohort (p = 0.003). The independent risk factors were atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR], 2.08), severe liver disease (HR, 1.74), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.58), and hemodialysis (HR, 1.74). Compared with the control cohort, subsequent perforation and mortality rates of acute appendicitis were also higher in the ESRD cohorts. There was no effect of dialysis modality on the patient outcomes.Conclusions: ESRD patients had a higher risk for acute appendicitis and poorer outcomes than non-dialysis populations. A careful examination of ESRD patients presenting with atypical abdominal pain to avoid misdiagnosis is extremely important to prevent delayed surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background & aims: Essential trace elements are involved in many biological processes for normal cell function including immunological defense against oxidation and infection. Deficiency of these elements generally leads to illness or even death in the general population. Therefore, we investigated the predictive values of trace element status on clinical outcomes in dialysis patients, who are more prone to trace element deficiency. Methods: We enrolled 111 prevalent patients on maintenance dialysis from a Taipei tertiary-care referral hospital and measured serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc. Patients were followed for 2 years or until death or withdrawal. Results: Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus (HR, 2.162 [95% CI, 1.105–4.232], p =0.024), prior stroke (HR, 3.876 [95% CI, 1.136–13.221], p =0.030), and zinc deficiency (HR, 0.979 [95% CI, 0.966–0.992], p =0.002) were more likely to be hospitalized for infectious diseases. Furthermore, beyond traditional risk factors, such as old age and hypoalbuminemia, multivariate Cox regression also indicated that lower serum level of zinc independently predicts overall mortality (HR, 0.973 [95% CI, 0.948–0.999], p =0.046). Conclusions: In long-term dialysis patients, the serum level of zinc was an independent predictor of future hospitalization due to infectious diseases and of overall mortality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Continuous Late Paleozoic magmatic activity in the western Tianshan, Xinjiang, China, temporally overlapped the Late Carboniferous collision between the Tarim and the Kazakhstan–Yili plates. Isotopic dating, whole-rock geochemistry, and isotopic characteristics of a suite of calc-alkaline to shoshonitic rocks from Yuximolegai area, in the eastern end of the Awulale Mountains, help define the tectonic evolution of this part of the Tianshan. Zircon U–Pb ages of a quartz diorite and a quartz syenite porphyry are 310.8±2.1Ma and 284.4±3.6Ma, respectively. The geochemical and isotopic characteristics of Late Carboniferous igneous rocks, including the quartz diorite, as well as basaltic andesite and K-rich trachyandesite, indicate an evolution from calc-alkaline towards shoshonitic series. This was generated by the partial melting of the hydrated mantle wedge induced by changing subduction angles. The younger quartz syenite porphyry, however, was more likely derived from the partial melting of a thickened crust in a post-collisional setting or the partial melting of hot juvenile basalt in the lower crust during Early Permian delamination of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Therefore, the generation of the calc-alkaline to shoshonitic igneous rocks in Yuximolegai area is genetically linked to the geodynamic evolution of the western Tianshan from convergent subduction to collision during the Late Paleozoic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Considering the problem that intrusion detection systems always produced duplicated alarm information, in this paper we propose an iterative self-organization clustering algorithm. It begins with calculating average value of classes as the new clustering center on the basis of random selection, merging and dividing dynamically, then finish the clustering procedure through the iteration finally. Experimental results with DARPA1999 testing data set show that the clustering method is more excellent than traditional clustering methods in both aggregation rate and error aggregation rate. Besides, it reduces duplicated alarm effectively and provides assistance to further related work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Topic diffusion is one of importance feature of BBS. Understanding topic diffusion state and trend is an effective way to manage BBS. In the paper, an improved information diffusion model is proposed. Three references are proposed to describe topic diffusion state, they are diffusion speed, diffusion wide and topic influence. The definition and calculation method are given for these references. Topic reply matrix is established to predict the number of topic replies and user who attend to diffuse topic. Based on reply matrix, the topic diffusion trend prediction method is proposed. The experiment results show that the method proposed can present topic diffusion state and predict topic diffusion trend correctly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the effects of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in combination with growth and differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the activation, survival and growth of cattle primordial follicles. Ovarian tissues were cultured for 3, 7, 14, 22 days in α minimum essential medium (α-MEM) supplemented with FSH, FSH+GDF-9 or FSH+bFGF. Non-cultured and cultured ovarian fragments were processed for histological and TUNEL analysis. Compared to the FSH medium, the results showed FSH+GDF-9 medium increased the percentage of primary follicles in all culture periods and secondary follicles after 14 days of culture (P <0.05), meanwhile the diameter of primary and secondary follicles were also observed to increase in this medium after 7 days of cultures (P <0.05). FSH+bFGF medium appeared to increase the percentage of primary follicles after 14 days of culture and secondary follicles at day 14 of culture than FSH medium (P <0.05). Furthermore, the FSH+GDF-9 and FSH+bFGF mediums had a greater percentage of normal follicles, and lesser apoptotic cell rates than FSH medium. The results first indicated that FSH in combination with GDF-9 or bFGF can improve the survival, activation, and growth of cattle primordial follicles after the long-term culture of ovarian cortex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we report the obtention of agglomerate porous NiFe2O4 microparticles type-spinel with uniform size of 1–2μm by the oxalic acid co-precipitation method. The structure, morphology and surface of microparticles as-synthesized were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Fixed bed reactor test confirmed that the NiFe2O4 microparticles exhibit a good catalytic activity for methane combustion with the methane light-off temperature below 350°C. XPS spectrum revealed that the excellent catalytic activity may be attributed to the surface oxygen vacancies arising from the peculiar inverse spinel structure with octahedral (Oh) site occupied by Fe2+ and Ni2+ cations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that mediate cell-to-cell, or cell-to-extracellular matrix adhesion. They represent an attractive target for treatment of multiple diseases. Two classes of small molecule integrin inhibitors have been developed. Competitive antagonists bind directly to the integrin ligand binding pocket and thus disrupt the ligand-receptor interaction. Allosteric antagonists have been developed primarily for αLβ2- integrin (LFA-1, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1). Here we present the results of screening the Prestwick Chemical Library using a recently developed assay for the detection of α4β1-integrin allosteric antagonists. Secondary assays confirmed that the compounds identified: 1) do not behave like competitive (direct) antagonists; 2) decrease ligand binding affinity for VLA-4 ∼2 orders of magnitude; 3) exhibit antagonistic properties at low temperature. In a cell based adhesion assay in vitro, the compounds rapidly disrupted cellular aggregates. In accord with reports that VLA-4 antagonists in vivo induce mobilization of hematopoietic progenitors into the peripheral blood, we found that administration of one of the compounds significantly increased the number of colony-forming units in mice. This effect was comparable to AMD3100, a well known progenitor mobilizing agent. Because all the identified compounds are structurally related, previously used, or currently marketed drugs, this result opens a range of therapeutic possibilities for VLA-4-related pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have investigated the self-imaging phenomena based on the field distribution in two-dimensional multimode photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs) by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The new self-imaging conditions are given for the mirrored images and the direct images. The self-imaging distributions in multimode PCWs can be explained by the new self-imaging conditions and the superposition of “sub-images”. The results of numerical simulation show a good agreement with the theoretical predictions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]