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The Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) is one of the most important measures of individual differences in face recognition and for the diagnosis of prosopagnosia. Having two different CFMT versions using a different set of faces seems to improve the reliability of the evaluation. However, at the present time, there is only one Asian version of the test. In this study, we present the Cambridge Face Memory Test – Chinese Malaysian (CFMT-MY), a novel Asian CFMT using Chinese Malaysian faces. In Experiment 1, Chinese Malaysian participants (N = 134) completed two versions of the Asian CFMT and one object recognition test. The CFMT-MY showed a normal distribution, high internal reliability, high consistency and presented convergent and divergent validity. Additionally, in contrast to the original Asian CFMT, the CFMT-MY showed an increasing level of difficulties across stages. In Experiment 2, Caucasian participants (N = 135) completed the two versions of the Asian CFMT and the original Caucasian CFMT. Results showed that the CFMT-MY exhibited the other-race effect. Overall, the CFMT-MY seems to be suitable for the diagnosis of face recognition difficulties and could be used as a measure of face recognition ability by researchers who wish to examine face-related research questions such as individual differences or the other-race effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after surgical anesthesia, mainly manifested as memory impairment, decreased attention, and cognitive function with mood and personality changes. Activated microglia (M1-type microglia) have been demonstrated to release inflammatory substances (IL-1β, TNF-α, etc.) that cause neuronal degeneration and death by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and upregulating Caspase-3 and Bax. However, the pathogenesis of POCD is still not fully understood and needs further research. In the present study, we investigated the effect of M1-type microglia-derived extracellular vesicles (EVsM1−Microglia) in the pathological process of POCD. The levels of NF-κB phosphorylation and IL-1β protein expression in hippocampal neurons were significantly increased in the Surgery group, while PSD95 and MAP2 were significantly decreased. Surgery induced microglia activation, synapse-associated protein decrease, and neuronal degeneration in hippocampus. And the amount of spine and mushroom spine significantly decreased in surgical mice, which was reverted in the presence of IL-1R1 siRNA. In addition, EVsM1−Microglia promoted synaptic loss and neuron degeneration independent of surgery and microglia activation. Furthermore, EVsM1−Microglia promoted memory defects in surgical mice. We demonstrated that EVsM1−Microglia with high expression of IL-1R1 promote POCD development by regulating neuronal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is generally accepted that holistic processing facilitates face recognition, recent studies suggest that poor recognition might also arise from imprecise perception of local features in the face. This study aimed to examine to what extent holistic and featural processing relates to individual differences in face recognition ability (FRA), during face learning (Experiment 1) and face recognition (Experiment 2). Participants performed two tasks: (1) The "Cambridge Face Memory Test-Chinese" which measured participants' FRAs, and (2) an "old/new recognition memory test" encompassing whole faces (preserving holistic and featural processing) and faces revealed through a dynamic aperture (impairing holistic processing but preserving featural processing). Our results showed that participants recognised faces more accurately in conditions when holistic information was preserved, than when it is impaired. We also show that the better use of holistic processing during face learning and face recognition was associated with better FRAs. However, enhanced featural processing during recognition, but not during learning, was related to better FRAs. Together, our findings demonstrate that good face recognition depends on distinct roles played by holistic and featural processing at different stages of face recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite luminescent material consisting of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) and MOF-5 using an in-situ growth method. The preparation of MOF-5 as a growth template was achieved via hydrothermal synthesis, with the addition of CTAB/TMB as a stencil agent to facilitate the formation of pores with an appropriate size. Subsequently, CsPbBr3 QDs were grown in situ on the MOF under mechanical grinding conditions. The prepared CsPbBr3@MOF-5 composite materials were characterized by various analytical techniques including BET, XRD, PL, TEM, SEM, and EDS. The results revealed that the average size of PQDs was only 4.9 nm, and the corresponding emission peak exhibited a blue shift of 11 nm. The photoluminescence intensity (PL) of CsPbBr3@MOF-5 was increased by 71% compared to the unmodified sample, and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of solid powder increased to 48%. This is due to the fact that MOF-5 reduces the surface defects of quantum dots. Additionally, the Significantly improved PQDs stability after compounding MOF, both at room temperature and under thermal stress. These findings highlight the potential of this synthetic strategy as a means of preparing ultra-small composite light-emitting materials, with promising applications in LED and optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although ultraviolet (UV) and persulfate (PS) have been widely used in water disinfection process, their incompleteness of disinfection, such as inducing the production of viable but non-culturable cells (VBNC), has attracted extensive attention. In this study, the disinfection effect of combined UV and PS was evaluated, and the roles of SO4•− and HO• radicals in UV/PS disinfection were also analyzed. UV/PS more effectively inactivated cells and reduced the number of culturable cells. Also, the test of bacterial dark activation suggested that UV/PS disinfection inhibited the recovery of VBNC bacteria. The mechanisms of UV/PS disinfection were the increase of membrane permeability and oxidative stress, where SO4•− radicals played more role than HO• radicals. Furthermore, UV/PS disinfection more significantly perturbed the metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p < 0.05), mainly involving glyoxylate and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). In short, UV/PS disinfection can not only significantly reduce the number of culturable bacteria (kill bacteria) but also inhibits the recovery of VBNC bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Peste des petits ruminant disease (PPR) are acute and severe infectious diseases of sheep and are listed as animal diseases for compulsory immunization. However, there is no dual vaccine to prevent these two diseases. The Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara strain (MVA) has been widely used in the construction of recombinant live vector vaccine because of its large capacity of foreign gene, wide host range, high safety, and immunogenicity. In this study, MVA-GFP recombinant virus skeleton was used to construct dual live vector vaccines against FMD and PPR. Methods: The recombinant plasmid pUC57-FMDV P1-2A3CPPRV FH was synthesized and transfected into MVA-GFP infected CEF cells for homologous recombination. Results: The results showed that a recombinant virus without fluorescent labeling was obtained after multiple rounds of plaque screening. The recombinant virus successfully expressed the target proteins, and the empty capsid of FMDV could be observed by transmission electron microscope (TME), and the expression levels of foreign proteins (VP1 and VP3) detected by ELISA were like those detected in FMDV-infected cells. This study laid the foundation for the successful construction of a live vector vaccine against FMD and PPR. Key points: • A recombinant MVA expressing FMDVP12A3C and PRRV HF proteins • Both the FMDV and PRRV proteins inserted into the virus were expressed • The proteins expressed by the recombinant poxvirus were assembled into VLPs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electrocatalysts capable of efficient reduction of nitrate (NO3−) to ammonia (NH3) is drawing increasing interest for the sake of low carbon emission and environmental protection. Herein, we present a CuCo bimetallic catalyst able to imitate the bifunctional nature of copper-type nitrite reductase, which could easily remove NO2− via the collaboration of two active centers. Indeed, Co acts as an electron/proton donating center, while Cu facilitates NOx− adsorption/association. The bio-inspired CuCo nanosheet electrocatalyst delivers a 100 ± 1% Faradaic efficiency at an ampere-level current density of 1035 mA cm−2 at −0.2 V vs. Reversible Hydrogen Electrode. The NH3 production rate reaches a high activity of 4.8 mmol cm−2 h−1 (960 mmol gcat−1 h−1). A mechanistic study, using electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and shell-isolated nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy, reveals a strong synergy between Cu and Co, with Co sites promoting the hydrogenation of NO3− to NH3 via adsorbed *H species. The well-modulated coverage of adsorbed *H and *NO3 led simultaneously to high NH3 selectivity and yield. Electroreduction of NO3− to NH3 is drawing increasing interest. Here, the authors designed a CuCo catalyst imitating the bifunctional nature of Cu-type nitrite reductase to deliver an ampere-level current density for NH3 formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many different keloid treatment modalities. One surgical technique is to keep the "shell" of the keloid to cover the defect. We named this "shell" keloid subepidermal vascular network flap (KSVNF), and we outlined the characteristics of this flap by observing 35 flaps in keloid patients. Methods: A total of 35 KSVNFs were designed in 15 patients during 2020−2021. All patients underwent the operation and adjuvant radiotherapy as well as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. All flap lengths and widths were recorded, and the blood perfusion of the flaps was measured on the first day postoperation and the day of stitch removal. Flap survival and the quality of flaps were evaluated on the day of stitch removal. All harvested data were analyzed using the R (version 4.0.1) package. Results: The mean blood perfusion on the first day postoperation (pod1) and the day of stitch removal was 120.4013 and 168.6900, respectively (p = 0.02249); 2 flaps had partial necrosis (5.714%). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when the length/width ratio was less than 1.05, the quality of the flap was good (AUC = 0.724), which suggests that the effective safe length/width ratio was 1.05. Conclusion: KSVNF is an applicable method for covering the remaining wound after keloid mass removal with sufficient blood perfusion and adequate skin quality. We recommend that the length/width ratio of the flap design not exceed 1. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating the surface-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with enantiomeric polylactide (PLLA or PDLA) is an effective and sustainable way to modify PLLA, but their difference in promoting matrix crystallization is still unrevealed. In this study, the CNCs with identical content and length of PLLA and PDLA (CNC-g-L and CNC-g-D) were prepared and blended with PLLA. The rheological properties of PLLA/CNC-g-D are greatly improved, indicating that the stereocomplexation can significantly improve the interfacial strength as compared with the conventional van der Waals force in PLLA/CNC-g-L. Surprisingly, the matrix crystallizes at a higher rate in PLLA/CNC-g-L than PLLA/CNC-g-D. PLLA/CNC-g-L15 reaches its half crystallinity in 8.26 min while a longer period of 13.41 min is required for PLLA/CNC-g-D15. POM observation reveals that the superior crystallization behavior in PLLA/CNC-g-L is originated from its higher nucleation efficiency and faster growth rate. The formation of low content of sc-PLA at the interface can restrict the diffusion of PLLA but contribute less to generate crystalline nuclei, which synergistically leads to the retarded crystallization kinetics in PLLA/CNC-g-D. Revealing the mechanism of different interfacial enantiomeric grafting on the melt rheology and crystallization of PLLA is of great significance for the development of high-performance polylactide materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium (Cr) is one of the most widely used heavy metals in industrial processes, resulting in water and soil pollution that seriously threaten environmental safety. In this paper, we have directionally enriched a Cr(VI)-reducing bacterial community YEM001 from no-Cr(VI) polluted pond sedimental sludge by selectively growing it in Cr(VI)-containing media. This community could effectively reduce Cr(VI) in laboratory rich media containing different concentrations of Cr(VI), such as 61% reduction at 435 mg/L Cr(VI), 85% reduction at 355 mg/L Cr(VI), and complete reduction at 269 mg/L Cr(VI) in 93.5 h. It was also able to completely reduce 100 mg/L and 300 mg/L Cr(VI) in landfill leachate and natural sludge in 48 h, respectively. Optimal pH for Cr(VI) reduction of the YEM001 is between 7 and 8 and the best efficiency for Cr(VI) reduction occurs at 30 °C. Metagenomic data demonstrated that the YEM001 community was composed of multiple bacteria, including well-known Cr(VI)-reducing bacteria and non-Cr(VI)-reducing bacteria. Delftia, Comamonas, Alicycliphilus, Acidovorax, Bacillus, and Clostridioides account for 83% of total community abundance. The stability of the composition of the YEM001 community and its Cr(VI)-reducing activity allows for its application in bioremediation of environmental Cr(VI) pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the safety of surface structures over a deep coal seam (12#) in a coalmine of northern China's Hebei Province. If 12# coal seam is mined by block caving, the surface might collapse and the surface structure could be damaged. First, FLAC3D simulation was conducted to simulate the influence of block caving in 12# coal seam and the shallower 9# coal seam on roof movement. The results show that the mining of 9# coal seam does not affect surface safety; but the mining of 12# coal seam would cause the surface deformation to exceed the requirements of the current regulation, posing a threat to the safety of surface structures. Hence, the excavation method for the coal seam was replaced with cut-and-fill mining. Further simulation on this coal seam indicates that the safety of surface structures could be guaranteed, when the equivalent mining thickness (EMT) was 0.2m. Under EMT=0.2m, the fill strength that best protects the surface structures and controls the surface deformation was found to be 0.5 times of coal strength. Finally, the EMT and fill strength for the cut-and-fill mining of 12# coal seam were optimized as 0.2m and 0.5 times of coal strength, respectively, laying a scientific basis for fill preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge) is a small endemic oilseed energy plant native to the northern part of China, which can survive in desert, semi-arid and arid environment, and therefore has important economic, environmental and ecological value for biodiesel production, agricultural production and ecological restoration. With the increased concerns on the energy shortage and ecological environment change, yellow horn has won worldwide attention in recent years. However, the systematic molecular analysis of yellow horn using the advanced molecular biological techniques still remain limited. Considering this, we summarized the recent advances in the investigations of yellow horn at molecular level and discussed the future research directions and prospects. This review would provide guidance and open new horizons towards the futuristic development and prospects for further exploitation and utilization of yellow horn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show a new quantum proxy blind signature scheme based on single particle superdense coding. We only need perform unitary operator on single qubit to blind 2-bit classical information. The scheme also satisfies the properties of blindness, unforgeability and undeniability. It has a wide application to e-payment, e-voting, e-government, and etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cloud operating system (cloud OS) is used for managing the cloud resources such that they can be used effectively and efficiently. And also it is the duty of cloud OS to provide convenient interface for users and applications. However, these two goals are often conflicting because convenient abstraction usually needs more computing resources. Thus, the cloud OS has its own characteristics of resource management and task scheduling for supporting various kinds of cloud applications. The evolution of cloud OS is in fact driven by these two often conflicting goals and finding the right tradeoff between them makes each phase of the evolution happen. In this paper, we have investigated the ways of cloud OS evolution from three different aspects: enabling technology evolution, OS architecture evolution and cloud ecosystem evolution. We show that finding the appropriate APIs (application programming interfaces) is critical for the next phase of cloud OS evolution. Convenient interfaces need to be provided without scarifying efficiency when APIs are chosen. We present an API-driven cloud OS practice, showing the great capability of APIs for developing a better cloud OS and helping build and run the cloud ecosystem healthily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we describe the structural optimization of a known EGFR inhibitor (compound 1) that showed weak off-target activity against RET. Twenty-six analogs of 1 were synthesized. SAR analysis led to the discovery of several compounds that showed considerable potency against the RET-dependent thyroid cancer cell line TT. Kinase inhibitory potency was then measured for the most active compound ( 2u) in the cellular assay. The results showed that 2u is a potent RET inhibitor with an $$\hbox {IC}_{50}$$ value of 7 nM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has evolved several immune evasion strategies. One strategy is controlling the movement of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by encoding homologues of chemokines. Our aim was to determine whether HCMV open reading frame (ORF) UL128 could encode a protein that attracts PBMCs like a β-chemokine. The recombinant UL128 protein was synthesized by construction of a stably transfected CHO-UL128 cell line, and a chemotaxis assay showed that UL128 was able to attract PBMCs with a potency equal to that of MIP-1α in vitro. We hypothesize that UL128 protein may act as a β-chemokine homologue in viral pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic thyroidectomy via thoracic/breast approach is an acceptable and successful technique in Asia. This technique has the advantage of better cosmesis compared with open or even video-assisted thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, because of the need for three separate ports, conventional endoscopic thyroidectomy usually involves significantly more tissue dissection, and thus more injury to patients, limiting the popularity of this technique. We herein present 35 cases of trans-areola single-site endoscopic thyroidectomy (TASSET), which was first performed in 2009. Methods: Thirty-five patients who underwent TASSET for thyroid nodules from September 2009 to March 2011 were evaluated. The surgical outcomes of the surgery were retrospectively analyzed, including conversion, operative time, estimated blood loss, complications, length of stay, and patient satisfaction. Results: Thirty-one of the 35 patients (88.5%) underwent successful TASSET, with subtotal lobectomy being the most common procedure. Median operative time for the surgery was 153.65 min (range 100-190 min). Estimated blood loss ranged from 20 to 40 mL. Length of postoperative stay ranged from 2 to 4 days (average 2.5 days). Visual analog scale scores were 0 to 4 without administration of analgesics. The complication rate was low (8.6%) and included one case of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy, one case of subcutaneous seroma, and one case of tracheal injury. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome after mean follow-up of 8 months. Conclusions: TASSET is feasible and safe, with great cosmetic benefits and less injury than other procedures. It may become an alternative procedure for treatment of patients with benign thyroid tumors, especially those with strong desire for cervical cosmesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the expressions of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We determined the expression levels of FAK on both steady-state mRNA and protein levels in 50 HCC samples by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The correlations between FAK expression and various clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. The expression of FAK on the mRNA level was consistent with that on the protein level. FAK mRNA levels in tumor tissues were significantly higher than in the paratumor tissues (0.229 ± 0.027 vs. 0.163 ± 0.019; P < 0.001), but lower than in the macroscopic cancer emboli (0.506 ± 0.155 vs. 0.377 ± 0.176; P < 0.05). Compared within the tumor tissues, FAK expressions were significantly higher in those with cancer emboli than those without (0.343 ± 0.05 vs. 0.165 ± 0.025; P = 0.003). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that FAK expression was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival. Both 3-year disease-free survival rates and overall survival rates in FAK-negative group were significantly higher than in positive group (52 vs. 20% and 72 vs. 29%, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that FAK expression is up-regulated in HCC and its expression is an independent prognostic factor for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report on patients selected for minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) over a 3-year period and evaluate the feasibility and effects of this procedure. Methods: Between March 2005 and August 2008, 300 patients (36 male, 264 female; mean age = 54.6 years) underwent MIVAT using a single central incision with an average length of 2 cm (range = 1.5-3 cm), about 2 cm above the sternal notch. Small conventional retractors and dissectors, ultrasonic scalpel, 5-mm laparoscope, and a video screen were the instruments used. Results: General anesthesia was used in 295 patients and regional block anesthesia in 5. MIVAT was performed successfully in 280 patients (93.3%). Conversion to open thyroidectomy with a 4-cm-long incision was required to achieve selective lymphadenectomy in 18 patients after frozen sections demonstrated differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Only two patients with benign thyroid nodules were converted because of large volume or massive hemorrhage from the upper pole vessels. Mean operative time was 35 min (range = 20-70 min) for unilateral lobectomy and 58 min (35-90 min) for bilateral thyroidectomy. No patients had wound infections, postoperative bleeding that required reoperation, permanent hypoparathyroidism, or bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. However, permanent unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy appeared in five cases (1.7%), transient unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in seven (2.3%), superior laryngeal nerve injury in five (1.7%), transient hypocalcemia in nine (3.0%), and mild skin burn from the ultrasonic scalpel in five (1.7%). Postoperative pain was minimal and better cosmetic results were obtained than conventional open thyroidectomy. Postoperative stay was shorter than with conventional open thyroidectomy. Conclusions: MIVAT appears to be safe and feasible in patients with benign thyroid nodules, with minimal injury and excellent cosmetic results. Furthermore, after properly lengthening the skin incision, MIVAT can be used for patients with large benign thyroid nodules or even early-stage differentiated thyroid carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAim:To investigate the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine combined with gum mastic and the underlying mechanisms in human pancreatic cancer cell lines.Methods:Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and propidium iodine staining, respectively. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, NF-κB p65 subunit, and IκBα protein was measured using Western blotting.Results:Gemcitabine 0.01−100 μg/mL inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and COLO 357 cells. Gum mastic 40 μg/mL significantly potentiated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine 10 μg/mL after 72-h treatment. When cells were treated with gemcitabine in combination with gum mastic, the IκBα level was increased, whereas NF-κB activation was blocked; the expression of Bax protein was substantially increased, but Bcl-2 protein was down-regulated.Conclusion:Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. The combination may be an effective therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work mainly reported that CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 mixed oxide was synthesized by deposition–precipitation method and used as support of Rh catalyst. The physicochemical properties of the resultant CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 mixed oxides were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Vis-Raman, N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, and oxygen storage capacity and the catalytic activities of Rh-loaded CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 catalysts were evaluated by the reduction reaction of NO by CO. The combination of XRD and Raman results demonstrates that the resultant CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 mixed oxides have a mixed phase comprised mainly of m-phase, c-phase, and t-phase. Compared with the counterpart prepared by co-precipitation method, Rh-loaded CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 catalysts prepared by the deposition–precipitation method exhibited higher heat tolerance and better catalytic activity for the reduction of NO by CO as well as more uniform and discrete nanoparticles. The structural and textural characteristics caused by synthesis technique and the high dispersity of Rh on the materials are dominant contributors to the improvement of catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese herbs have become a focus of interest in cancer treatment. This study evaluates the effect of the herbal compound extract “Songyou Yin” (containing Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.-danshen and other four herbs) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Human HCC cell line MHCC97H with high-metastatic potential was employed for in vitro study. In vivo study was conducted in nude mice bearing HCC orthotopic xenograft with MHCC97H. In vitro , “Songyou Yin” caused dramatic attenuation of tumor proliferation by induction of apoptosis that was associated with caspase-3 activation, and inhibit invasiveness of MHCC97H via reducing matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) activity. In vivo, “Songyou Yin” minimized cancer-related body weight loss of mice bearing tumors without distinct toxicity, and inhibited tumor growth with stepwise increased dosage of “Songyou Yin” and accorded with the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Moreover, “Songyou Yin” inhibited tumor growth was associated with an increased TUNEL-positive apoptosis as well as a decreased microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) abundance, and inhibited tumor invasion via down-regulation of MMP2. The lung metastatic extent was decreased ( p < 0.01, compared with control). The life span of nude mice bearing xenografts was 75.0 ± 3.9 days in “Songyou Yin” group, whereas it was 52.0 ± 2.3 days in the control ( p < 0.001). Nontoxic herbal compound extract “Songyou Yin” inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival, via inducing apoptosis and down-regulation of MMP2 and VEGF, which indicated its potential use in patients with advanced HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of CuO/CeO2 catalysts were prepared through a two-step process: (1) CeO2 supports were firstly prepared by precipitation (P), hydrothermal (HT) and sol-gel (SG) methods, respectively; and (2) CuO was deposited on the above CeO2 supports by deposition-precipitation method. The as-synthesized CeO2 supports and CuO/CeO2 catalysts were characterized by N2-physisorption, XRD, XPS, Raman, and H2-TPR. The CuO/CeO2 catalysts were examined with respect to their catalytic activity for the water–gas shift reaction, and their catalytic activities are ranked as: CuO/CeO2-P > CuO/CeO2-HT > CuO/CeO2-SG. The results suggest that the CeO2 prepared by precipitation (i.e., CeO2-P-300) has the best thermal stability and the most amounts of surface oxygen vacancies, which make the corresponding CuO/CeO2-P catalyst present the largest pore volume, the smallest crystal size of CuO, the highest microstrain (i.e., the highest surface energy) and the most amounts of active sites (i.e., the moderate copper oxide (crystalline) interacted with surface oxygen vacancies of ceria). Therefore, the catalytic activity of CuO/CeO2 catalysts, in nature, depends on the thermal stability and the number of surface oxygen vacancies of the CeO2 supports previously prepared by different methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human metallothionein-3 (hMT3), also named human neuronal growth inhibitory factor (hGIF), is attractive due to its distinct neuronal growth inhibitory activity, which is not shown by other human MT isoforms. It has been reported that the neuronal growth inhibitory activity arises from the N-terminal β-domain rather than its C-terminal α-domain. However, previous bioassay results have shown that the single β-domain is less effective at inhibiting the neuron growth than that in intact hMT3 on a molar basis, which suggests that the α-domain is indispensable to the neuronal growth inhibitory activity of hMT3. In order to confirm this assumption, we constructed two domain-hybrid mutants, the β(MT3)–β(MT3) mutant and the β(MT3)–α(MT1) mutant, and investigated their structural and metal binding properties by UV-vis spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, pH titration, DTNB reaction, EDTA reaction, etc. The results showed that stability of the Cd3S9 cluster of the β(MT3)–β(MT3) mutant decreased significantly while the Cd3S9 cluster of the β(MT3)–α(MT1) mutant had a similar stability and solvent accessibility to that of hMT3. Interestingly, the bioassay results showed that the neuronal growth inhibitory activity of the β(MT3)–β(MT3) mutant decreased significantly, while the β(MT3)–α(MT1) mutant showed similar inhibitory activity to hMT3. Based on these results, we conclude that the α-domain is indispensable and plays an important role in modulating the stability of the metal cluster in the β-domain by domain–domain interactions, thus influencing the bioactivity of hMT3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of aluminum promoted Cu/CeO2 nanocatalysts with aluminum content in the range of 0–5wt.% were prepared by co-precipitation method and examined with respect to their catalytic performance for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, H2-TPR and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The results indicate that catalytic activity increases with the aluminum content at first, but then decreases with the further increase of aluminum content. Hereinto, Cu/CeO2 catalyst doped with 1 wt.% of aluminum shows the highest catalytic activity (CO conversion reaches 84.4% at 200 °C) and thermal stability for WGS reaction. Correlation to the results from above characterization, it is found that the variation of catalytic activity is in very agreement with that of the surface area, the area of peak γ (i.e., the reduction of surface copper oxide (crystalline forms) interacted with surface oxygen vacancies on ceria), and the area of peak C2 and $$\hbox{A}_{1} (\hbox{Cu}^{0}\,\leftrightarrow\,\hbox{Cu}^{2+}$$ in cyclic voltammetry process), respectively. Enough evidence was found for the fact that the metallic copper (Cu0) interacted with surface oxygen vacancies on ceria is the active site for WGS reaction over Cu/CeO2 catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Au-ceria catalysts prepared by deposition-precipitation method, catalytic performance of water gas shift reaction was studied in different La loadings. In the complete doping range, ceria retains with its cubic fluorite structures. BET, XRD, H2-TPR, HRTEM studies showed that La doping can improve the activity of Au-ceria catalyst by stabilizing ceria and modifying its morphology. In addition, the test of catalyst stability evaluation also proved a better stability performance of Au-ceria catalyst can be realized by appropriate La doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GIF, a member of the metallothionein (MT) family (assigned as MT3), is a neuron growth inhibitory factor that inhibits neuron outgrowth in Alzheimer’s disease. The conserved Thr5 is one of the main differences between GIF and other members in the MT family. However, natural sheep GIF has an unusual Ala5, casting doubt on the role of common Thr5. We constructed a series of human GIF mutants at site 5, and characterized their biochemical properties by UV spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, EDTA reaction, 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) reaction, and pH titration. Their inhibitory activity toward neuron survival and neurite extension was also examined. Interestingly, the T5A mutant exhibited distinct metal thiolate activity in the EDTA and DTNB reactions, and also lost its bioactivity. Meanwhile, the T5S mutant had similar biochemical properties and biological activity as wild-type human GIF, indicating the hydroxyl group on the Thr5 was critical to the bioactivity of human GIF. We suggest the hydroxyl group in human GIF may help stabilize the biologically active conformation. On the other hand, lack of the hydroxyl group in sheep GIF may be partially compensated by its abnormal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we interpret Massey products in terms of realizations (twitsting cochains) of certain differential graded coalgebras with values in differential graded algebras. In the case where the target algebra is the cobar construction of a differential graded commutative Hopf algebra, we construct the tensor product of realizations and show that the tensor product is strictly associative, and commutative up to homotopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural evolution and stability of Fe100− x Ni x ( x=10, 20, 35, 50) alloys prepared by mechanical alloying were investigated through X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The intrinsic conditions of preparation determining phase stability in nanocrystalline were clarified. After being milled for 120 h, the powders of Fe90Ni10 and Fe80Ni20 consist of a single α(bcc) phase, Fe30Ni30 powders are a single γ(fcc), and for Fe65Ni35 powders there is co-existence of α and γ phases. The as-milled Fe80Ni20 powders annealed at 680 °C exhibits the stability of high-temperature γ phase at room temperature, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity and stability of Au/Fe2O3–MO x catalysts (M = Zr, Mg, Ca, Ni, La, Cu, Zn, Al, Ba, Cr, Co, Ce, Mo, Bi, Ti, Mn) in water-gas shift reaction were investigated extensively. The WGS activity and stability of Au/Fe2O3 is improved significantly upon addition of ZrO2 and to a lesser extend MgO, CaO, NiO, La2O3, Cr2O3, CuO. In contrast, Bi, Ti and Mn oxides seriously decrease the catalytic activity while additions of Zn, Al, Ba, Co, Ce and Mo oxides do not influence evidently the catalytic activity and its stability. Based on the characterization using the methods of BET-surface area and pore structure XRF, XRD, and H2–TPR for some of as-prepared and spent samples, it could be concluded that the catalytic activity of gold catalysts supported on composite oxide of Fe2O3–MO x depends not only on the dispersion of the gold particles but also on the reduction property of composite oxide supports, regardless of the fluctuation of gold loading and some change of specific surface area and pore structure due to introduction of the modifying metal oxides. The improvement of catalytic stability may be attributed to the comparative stabilization of high dispersion of gold particles and uneasily sintering of Fe3O4 crystallites during the catalytic operation. However, the chemical (electronic) effects exerted by the modifying addition of metal oxides on the catalytic performance of gold catalyst may not be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Crinipellis perniciosa causes a serious disease of cacao known as witches’ broom (WB). Heritable resistance to witches’ broom has been used in cacao improvement programs. ‘SCA6’ and ‘SCA12’ are highly resistant and are the most commonly used parents in the breeding schemes. However, SCA hybrids are not resistant to witches’ broom in all production areas. Presumably, different populations of C. perniciosa cause these variable responses. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to assess variation and population structure in this pathogen. We examined 40 isolates of C. perniciosa and one isolate of Melanotus subcuneiformis. Nine of 64 primer pairs produced consistent and informative DNA amplification, and were used to screen all isolates. Fifteen haplotypes (AFLP fingerprints) were detected with 186 polymorphic markers. Cluster analysis grouped isolates of the C biotype (pathogenic on cacao) from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Trinidad together in a major cluster that was distinct from isolates of the S biotype (pathogenic on solanaceous hosts) and M. subcuneiformis. Isolates of the C biotype were divided further into well supported, country-specific groups. Segregation of AFLP alleles was not observed among basidiospore isolates from the same basidiome, broom, tree or field, supporting previous reports that the fungus did not outcross. The results corroborated prior conclusions that C. perniciosa was probably introduced into the Bahia state of Brazil from the Amazon basin. Representative isolates from the genetically distinct groups that were revealed will be used to examine pathogenic specialization in C. perniciosa and differential responses that have been reported in ‘SCA6’-derived germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the enantio- and regioselectivity of ring-opening reaction of oxabicyclic alkenes catalyzed by rhodium/Josiphos has been examined using M06-2X density functional theory(DFT). DFT calculations predict a 98% ee for the enantioselectivity and only the 1,2-trans product as one regio- and diastereomer, in excellent agreement with experimental results. The solvent tetrahydrofuran(THF) plays a key role in assisting nucleophilic attack. Orbital composition analysis of the LUMO and the NPA atomic charge calculations were conducted to probe the origins of the regioselectivity. The orbital composition analysis reveals two potential electrophilic sites of the Rh-π-allyl intermediate M3 and the NPA atomic charges demonstrate that Cα carries more positive charges than Cγ, which suggests that Cα is the electrophilic site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]