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\nHIGHLIGHTSThe nutritional value of dietary meat protein is closely related to its digestion and subsequent fermentation profiles. Therefore, the understanding of its digestion and its metabolic behaviors in the gut in terms of source and thermal processing attracts an interest for academia and industry. This review focuses on the digestion, absorption, metabolism and health-related outcomes of meat protein based on animal models and human trials. As for meat protein source, fish and chicken are generally associated with a better hepatic lipid metabolism, a higher energy metabolism, a lower intestinal excretion of trimethylamine-N-oxide, N-nitroso compounds, lipoperoxides and a higher abundance of Lactobacillus and A. muciniphila than beef and pork. In terms of thermal processing, a moderate heating can induce positive outcomes in digestibility of meat protein for young people, while well-cooked meat is recommended for the elderly to improve postprandial protein utilization. This review expands knowledge that will be essential for the rational selection of meat sources and thermal processing conditions of meat and meat products for optimal nutritional benefits. The nutritional value of meat protein is related to its digestion and fermentation.Meat protein source and thermal processing effects are the main focus.Fish and chicken show different metabolic responses with pork and beef.Moderate cooking favors meat protein digestion in young people but not the elderly.The nutritional value of meat protein is related to its digestion and fermentation.Meat protein source and thermal processing effects are the main focus.Fish and chicken show different metabolic responses with pork and beef.Moderate cooking favors meat protein digestion in young people but not the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of phytophenols on myofibrillar protein (MP) has attracted great interest, due to the advantageous effects of phytophenols on the quality of meat and meat products under differential oxidation scenarios. Under natural oxidation scenarios, phytophenols can not only preserve product from quality deterioration, but also strengthen textural and organoleptic properties by structural and functional modification of MP. Meanwhile, phytophenols as structural modifiers are deliberately applied in gelled muscle foods under artificial oxidant scenarios. To successfully realize the application of phytophenols in meat products, the impact of phytophenols on MP should be explored, and the application scenarios which were commonly neglected must be considered. Therefore, this review provided a scenario structured summary on the phenol-modified MP structure, functionality and the ultimate quality of muscle foods to underline this fact. Moreover, the innovation applications of MP−phytophenols interaction, such as structure formation of MP gelled foods, functional packaging material, protein valorization and functional MP colloids, were also introduced. This work can foster better understanding on MP−phytophenols interaction and its emerging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol, as a promising bioactive, has received significant attention in the food industry owing to its multiple health-benefits. The increasing studies on resveratrol encapsulation to overcome application limitations highlight the need to summarize the current advances. This review firstly outlined the health benefits of resveratrol and their action principles. Afterwards, the current development of edible delivery systems of resveratrol was comprehensively introduced. Finally, the future research on the exploration of safe-to-eat and environment-friendly encapsulation systems with high loading capacity, concise delivery and versatile applications was prospected. This review will help foster the research and development of resveratrol-based healthy promoting products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the hydrodynamic characteristic of a single-stage centrifugal pump with inlet inducer and outlet Radial Guided Vanes (RGVs) influenced by the clocking effect for the first time. Different from general ones, the outlet RGVs in this paper have specificities. The hydraulic performance and dynamic characteristics of the centrifugal pump are numerically studied and validated by experiments. The results indicate that there is an optimum position of RGVs that can not only increase the pump head and efficiency but also reduce the pressure fluctuation intensity. A non-dimensional parameter describing the velocity non-uniformity of the impeller outlet is first proposed, which is negatively related to the pump's hydraulic performance. The clocking position of the RGVs will affect the velocity homogeneity at the impeller outlet, and further influence the hydraulic characteristics of the pump. Besides, the clocking effect of outlet RGVs mainly affects the amplitudes of BPF for both the pressure fluctuation and radial force, and the most obvious frequency of pressure pulsation and radial force is 3 BPF correlating with the inlet inducer. It is recommended to install the volute-tongue tip near the middle of two vanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NGAL is mainly secreted by neutrophils which play the core role in AECOPD. MCP-1 is secreted specifically by monocytes and macrophages. Both biomarkers are involved in the core process of acute inflammatory reaction in COPD. So We analyzed serum NGAL and MCP-1levels to explore their potential clinical values in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).This study enrolled 97 COPD patients and 50 healthy controls. All participants received blood collection and lung function test and arterial blood gas measurements. The expression levels of serum NGAL and MCP-1 were measured by ELISA. The serum NGAL and MCP-1 levels of COPD with community-acquired pneumonia (COPD-CAP) patients were significantly higher than those of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) patients and healthy adults. The NGAL levels of the GOLD III and IV groups were significantly higher than those of the GOLD II group. Spearman correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between NGAL and FEV1%pred, FVC% pred. ROC curves indicated that NGAL has a high diagnostic value for both AECOPD and COPD-CAP. NGAL has the value of distinguishing GOLD I and II from GOLD III and IV. MCP-1 have moderate diagnostic value for COPD-CAP and can differentiate COPD-CAP from AECOPD. This study shows NGAL has certain diagnostic value for AECOPD and COPD-CAP, but can not distinguish the two. NGAL is closely related to airway remodeling and can be used as a potential indicator to distinguish the higher GOLD degree. MCP-1 can be used as potential indicator for the diagnosis of COPD-CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs the ageing population grows and information technology evolves, elderly individuals increasingly rely on interacting with intelligent interfaces in their daily activities, posing a challenge to their interaction fluency. This study aims to identify the evaluation indicators and conditions in intelligent interactive interfaces that affect the operational performance and subjective preferences of elderly users. From there, general conclusions and strategies are summarised to promote the development of age-friendly design and practice in intelligent interactive interfaces. This systematic review includes 31 studies for analysis and classifies them into four categories according to the form of interaction: gesture interaction, voice interaction, multimodal interaction, and artificial intelligence interaction. The review indicates that factors such as the simplicity and direction of gestures in gesture interaction, the fluency of user expression and system recognition in voice interaction, modalities of interface input and feedback, as well as the conversational style, appearance, and mode of artificial intelligence, all affect user performance and preferences. However, there may be inconsistencies in the performance and preferences of elderly users in almost every form of interface. Therefore, future study needs to delve into specific scenarios for analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the diagnostic value of Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and the correlation between TFF3 expression and clinicopathological features in patients with gastric cancer (GC). PubMed, The Cochrane, EMbase, and Web of Science were retrieved comprehensively to collect relevant literature. The search ended on 31 May 2020. All data were analyzed using PubMed, The Cochrane, EMbase, and Web of Science were retrieved to collect relevant articles. All data from the included studies were subjected to meta-analysis using Stata 12.0 software. Seventeen studies involved 4654 subjects were included. For the diagnostic value of TFF3 for GC, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.71, 0.80, and 0.80, respectively. For the clinicopathological value of TFF3, tissue TFF3 expression showed a higher risk of lymph node metastasis (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.75–2.78, p < 0.001) and muscularis propria invasion (≥T2) (1.51, 1.13–2.03, p = 0.006), as well as worse TNM stage (2.26, 1.63–3.12, p < 0.001) and histological type (1.72, 1.34–2.20, p < 0.001), while no apparent relationship was found for serous membrane invasion (T4), venous invasion, and peritoneal metastasis. TFF3 may be a promising biomarker for GC, and the TFF3 expression is likely to be involved in the invasion, metastasis, and differentiation of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a rare complication that Onyx gel blocked the MCA trunk and branches unexpectedly during AVM embolism and our strategy to rescue. Material and methods: A 16 years old otherwise healthy girl hold a left side Spetzler – Martin grade III fronto-temporal AVM, during embolization, the L-MCA and its branches were blocked by Onyx completely, the patient was transferred to the operating room to extract the Onyx gel immediately. Result: After totally 10 arterotomies, all the Onyx gel were removed. 8 hours after occlusion, all arteries were then seen to pulsate. Conclusion: Iatrogenic MCA full-length acute occlusion is a rare and severe complication during AVM embolism. Carefully identify the feeding arteries, micro-catheter angiography before Onyx gel injection and balloon-assisted embolism could probably prevent it. Surgical operation to extract onyx gel and re-canalize MCA was recommended, AVM should be resect if possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate a family with nonhomologous sequence recombination of HBA1 and HBA2 genes and provide a favorable basis for genetic counseling and eugenics. Peripheral blood of family members was collected. Hematological parameters were determined by an automated cell counter and hemoglobin (Hb) analysis was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Villus samples were taken for prenatal diagnosis (PND). Gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and reverse dot-blot were used for thalassemia genotyping. DNA sequencing was used to analyze the gene sequence of HBA1 (α1-globin) and HBA2 (α2-globin). The nonhomologous sequence recombination allelic variant of HBA1 and HBA2 genes were identified, namely, a gene conversion on the HBA2 gene called α12 (HBA12). The α12 allele consists primarily of the HBA2 gene sequence except for a segment of the IVS-II in which HBA2-specific sequences have been replaced by HBA1-specific sequences. The following genotypes were observed: – –SEA/αα12 (Southeast Asian deletion), αα/αα12 and αQSα/αα12 (Hb Quong Sze or Hb QS; HBA2: c.377T>C), and all manifested as small cell hypochromic anemia. To find the α12 allele in the Chinese population and clarify the influence of the α12 allele and its common inheritance with abnormal Hb and α-thalassemia (α-thal) on α-globin gene expression can help guide clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer relations during adolescence contribute significantly to the development of socio-cognitive skills and pro-sociality. The current study probed the characteristics of adolescent socio-cognitive processing through a card game where they earn money for self and friend. We investigated the choice preference and temporal dynamics of information processing by measuring ERP responses to wins or losses (valence) directed toward self and friend (recipient). Choice data showed that despite adults and adolescents earning equivalent amounts across recipients combined, adults won significantly more for self than a friend; no such difference was found in adolescents. The ERPs in response to choice outcomes showed that the valence information was processed earlier (at P2) in adults, while it was processed later (at P3) in adolescents. Furthermore, a strong effect of recipient was present in adults later in the time course (at P3), while such an effect was weak in adolescents; if any, adolescents showed sensitivity to recipient information earlier at P2. These ERP data suggest a relatively equal allocation of the P3-mediated attentional process to both self and friend's outcomes in adolescents, which parallels the choice behavior. Collectively our results characterize adolescent pro-sociality toward friends, reflecting the importance of peer relationship during this unique developmental period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review investigates the market performance of salmon forward contracts. It studies whether the forward price is an unbiased estimator of the spot price and whether the forward market generates price discovery information. The focus is on the Fish Pool market for the period from 2006 to 2017 and relates to forward contracts with maturities up to 60 months. The main finding is that there is strong cointegration up to a period of seven months. After this window, there is marginally significant cointegration up to a period of 12 months and the cointegration relationship disappears for contracts with maturities longer than 12 months, pointing to the inefficiency of these forward markets. The results from error-correction models and Granger causality tests suggest that the salmon forward market does not fulfill the expected price discovery role and that the spot market drives the forward market. These findings suggest the salmon forward market is still immature and cast doubt on the viability of longer-term salmon forward contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cooking and in vitro digestion on antioxidant activity of peptides in duck meat after 7 days postmortem aging. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and reducing power of the obtained peptides were evaluated. Results showed that the cooked sample possessed higher antioxidant activity than the raw sample and upon cooking at different temperatures, sample aged for 7 days had significantly higher antioxidant activity than that of unaged (day 0). The samples which showed higher antioxidant activity after cooking (65°C–30 min, 100°C–20 min, 121°C–10 min) were selected for in vitro digestion, and it is found that their DPPH radical scavenging activity decreased significantly but the reducing power increased significantly after gastrointestinal digestion. These results show the potential of aged duck meat as a good source of antioxidant peptides with high bioactivity after cooking and gastrointestinal digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on our previous docking model, in order to carry out more rational drug design, totally 82 vinyl sulfonyl fluorides, including some 2-(hetero)arylethenesulfonyl fluorides and 1,3-dienylsulfonyl fluorides derivatives as potential human telomerase inhibitors were designed and synthesised. The in vitro anticancer activity assay showed that compound 57 (1E,3E)-4-(4-((E)-2-(fluorosulfonyl)vinyl)phenyl)buta-1,3-diene-1-sulfonyl fluoride exhibited high activity against A375 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 1.58 and 3.22 µM, but it manifested obvious un-toxic effect against GES-1 and L-02 with IC50 with IC50 values less than 2.00 mM. By the modified TRAP assay, some compounds including 57 exhibited potent inhibitory activities against telomerase with IC50 values of 0.71-0.97 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safety of bridges, the comfort of pedestrians and vehicles on bridges, the vortex-induced forces on flat-steel-box girders need to be investigated. The total vortex-induced forces integrated on the surfaces of girders have been studied extensively. This study will be mainly focused on the characteristics of surface distributed vortex-induced force, which can be beneficial to the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) reduction with local aerodynamic optimization. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is employed for the simulation of the VIVof a flat-steel-box girder. The simulation results are verified through the comparison with the results of corresponding wind tunnel test. A self-adaptive nonlinear fitting method is proposed to determine the vortex-induced force model. A vortex-induced force contribution factor is defined to account the contribution of the components and the surface location. Based on the surface distributed vortex-induced force analysis, several conclusions are made. The vortex-induced force presents a fairly strong multiple-frequency characteristic, and the high-order terms should be carefully considered. Most energy of the VIV comes from the linear and third-order aerodynamic damping terms. In terms of location, the roof takes most of the aerodynamic damping and the total vortex-induced force. The flow separation around the underside upstream corner, the underside downstream corner and the middle downstream comer lead to large third-order aerodynamic damping term. The flow separation around the underside upstream corner has great contribution to the linear aerodynamic stiffness term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The texture, yield, and organoleptic properties of comminuted meat products are closely related to the structure and functionality of myofibrillar proteins (MP). To enhance functional properties of MP, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been widely utilized to modify the structure of MP through protein denaturation, solubilization, aggregation or gelation. This modification depends on the protein system (specie, type and formulation) and HHP condition (pressure intensity, pressurizing gradient, duration time, temperature, pressure/temperature and the sequence of application). However, there remains a lack of a systematic summary of structural changes and structure-function relationship of MP in response to various HHP conditions. Hence, this review first explored the profound knowledge on the structural and functional changes of MP induced by HHP based on previous works and recent progress. Second, to meet the growing demand for economical, nutritional and healthy meat products, recent applications of HHP on the manufacture of low salt, low phosphate and/or low fat gel-type meat products, as well as value-added and texture-modified meat products were highlighted. Finally, future considerations were presented to facilitate progress in this area and to enable HHP as an efficient strategy in tailoring the manufacture of functionally improved, value-added and healthy muscle gelled foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Pickering-stabilized emulsion gel with controlled rheological properties was derived from wheat gliadin nanoparticles-stabilized emulsions by altering preparation conditions (pH, ionic strength or oil content). The formed nanoparticles were relatively small uniform spheres particles (d < 120 nm), whose surface potential (ζ-potential) changed from +9.9 mV to −14.19 mV with the pH of the solution increased from 3.5 to 9. The isoelectric point of gliadin nanoparticles was around pH 6.8. The nanoparticles were highly susceptible to aggregation at pH values near their isoelectric point due to a reduction of electrostatic repulsion between them. Pickering-stabilized emulsions could be formed by blending the nanoparticles with oil and water, and Pickering-stabilized emulsion gels were obtained by altering pH, ionic strength or oil content of the dispersions. Creaming stabilities and rheological properties of the emulsion gels were modulated. Stable Pickering-stabilized emulsion gels with relatively large elastic modulus were formed with 70% oil content at pH 5.5 and 6.0 in the absence of NaCl. The viscosity increased with the increasing of oil content and salt concentration, and the viscosity enhanced when the pH around the isoelectric point. These results may facilitate the design of novel viscoelastic emulsion gels with the Pickering-stabilize mechanism which are suitable for utilizing in foods and other products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beam collection efficiency (BCE), which defined as the microwave power transfer efficiency between the transmitting and receiving aperture, plays a key role in the overall transmission efficiency of the microwave wireless power transmission (MWPT) system. However, due to many long distance MWPT applications are near-field microwave power transmission and transmitting antennas are not designed with optimal Gaussian aperture field distributions, widely used Friis formula and Gouban formula may result in considerably errors. This work explores evaluating the BCE using a numerical integration method that is based on the transmitting antenna’s three-dimensional (3D) radiation pattern. Furthermore to facilitate engineering applications of MWPT, a revised formula is proposed, which is based on the numerical integration results and modified from the Gaubau formula. Moreover, a MWPT system working at X band (10 GHz) is designed and its BCE under various transmission distances is measured. Through a comparative analysis, the accuracy of the proposed numerical integration method and modified formula is validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reflectarray antenna using sub-wavelength fragmented elements is proposed. The size of the element is at the working frequency of 5.8 GHz. A full 360° phase range is achieved due to the flexibility of the unit structure. To reduce the mutual coupling and further improve the performance of the reflectarray antenna, the isolation walls based on H-shaped unit cells are printed around the fragmented elements. A prototype reflectarray antenna composed of 11 × 11 elements has been simulated, fabricated, and measured. The simulation and tested results show that this antenna possesses an impedance bandwidth (dB) is about 8.1% (from 5.53 GHz to 6.0 GHz), a high gain of 20.5 dBi, side-lobes 15.1 dB below the main lobe, and the cross-polarization level less than 18.5 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The junction temperature of LED (light emitting diode) has a significant impact on its performance and lifetime. In this paper, a simplified model based on the finite element analysis is developed to simulate the temperature distribution of the 200 W LED module using software ANSYS. The model contains LED package, the heat pipe radiator, as well as TIM (thermal interface material) between the LED package and radiator. The temperature distribution of the simulation agrees with that of the experimental measurement. Thickness of TIM affects the heat dissipation significantly, the chips temperature and the maximum temperature difference of chips increases sharply with TIM thickness increasing. Substituting aluminum fins with copper fins cannot improve the heat dissipation performance of heat pipe radiator, and the air velocity of heat pipe radiator plays a key role in the heat dissipation. Thermal conductivity of package submount directly affects the chip temperature and the uniformity of temperature distribution of package submount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative characteristics of meat products are closely related to the functionality of muscle proteins. Myofibrillar proteins (MPs), comprising approximately 50% of total muscle proteins, are generally considered to be insoluble in solutions of low ionic strength (< 0.2 M), requiring high concentrations of salt (> 0.3 M) for solubilization. These soluble proteins are the ones which determine many functional properties of meat products, including emulsification and thermal gelation. In order to increase the utilization of meat and meat products, many studies have investigated the solubilization of MPs in water or low ionic strength media and determining their functionality. However, there still remains a lack of systematic information on the functional properties of MPs solubilized in this manner. Hence, this review will explore some typical techniques that have been used. The main procedures used for their solubilization, the fundamental principles and their functionalities in water (low ionic strength medium) are comprehensively discussed. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of each technique are summarized. Finally, future considerations are presented to facilitate progress in this new area and to enable water soluble muscle MPs to be utilized as novel meat ingredients in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, a Pólya process is approached from a probability point of view. No prior inference work has been done on them. In this study, we approach the continuous-time Pólya process from an estimation point of view. We construct efficient estimators for the replacement matrix of certain classes of Pólya processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivatives bearing substituted phenylcarbamate/3-(triethoxysilyl)propylcarbamate groups at the 2-, 3-, and 6-positions of glucose unit and another five derivatives containing benzoate at the 2-position and substituted phenylcarbamate/3-(triethoxysilyl)propylcarbamate groups at the 3- and 6-positions were synthesized using the regioselective esterification method. The obtained β-CD derivatives were efficiently immobilized onto the silica gel through the intermolecular polycondensation of a small amount of the triethoxysilyl groups, which were used as the chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chiral separation properties of these CSPs were evaluated under the normal-phase HPLC. The effects of solvent polarity and the side chain structures of β-CD derivatives on the chiral recognition ability of the immobilized CSPs were investigated. Among these β-CD derivative CSPs, 2,3,6-tris(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate)-β-CD CSP showed a relatively high chiral recognition ability for the studied racemates. The regioselective esterification at the 2-position of glucose unit in the β-CD decreased the chiral recognition ability at the same conditions. For some racemates, the β-CD derivative CSPs showed chiral recognition abilities comparable or better to some chemical bonded β-CD derivative CSPs and 3,5-dichloro- and 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamates of cellulose and amylose CSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adhesion of silver colloids to a polyimide (PI) substrate was investigated in this study. This issue would be of concern when one tried to print electronic circuits on a flexible PI substrate. To enhance the adhesion between them, the PI surface was first roughened by using the sandblasting technique, and varying degrees of roughness were achieved using various sizes of alumina particles and various air pressures for sandblasting. The adhesion strength of silver colloids to the PI substrate after sintering was then measured according to both ASTM D4541 and ASTM 3359 standards. The results indicated that adhesion strength increased proportionally with surface roughness; however, this enhancement effect was lessened when the roughness was above 880 nm. Sintering temperature was also beneficial in increasing adhesion to the substrate; however, the electrical resistance of the silver colloids after sintering also increased with the degree of roughness. This implied that the packing of silver colloids was also affected by surface roughness. Consequently, values of surface roughness were optimal when adhesion strength and electrical resistivity were balanced. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

High-resolution electrospray ionization ion-trap time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn) in positive-ion mode was used to determine the accurate masses and fragmentation pathways of four C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, aconitine (1), yunnaconitine (2), crassicauline A (3), and benzoylmesaconine (4). The [M+H]+ ions of compounds 1–4 were readily observed in conventional single-stage mass spectrometry. Based on the MS1–6 analyses, detailed fragmentation rules of the four compounds were proposed. The neutral losses of AcOH, MeOH, H2O, CO, C2H4, PhCOOH and p-OMePhCOOH segments were the characteristic eliminations from the precursor ions due to the presence of acetyl, methoxyl, hydroxyl, N-ethyl, benzoyl and p-methoxyl-benzoyl units in the structures. Benefited from the high resolution of the mass analyzer, the loss of 28 Da corresponding to CO or CH4 segment in product ions was unambiguously distinguished. The losing sequence of the main substituent groups was summarized as: C(8)-acetyl>C(16)-methotyl>C(15)-hydroxyl>C(6)-methoxyl>C(1)-methoxyl/C(3)-hydroxyl>C(18)-methoxyl>>C(13)-hydroxyl. The sequential loss of (16)-methoxyl moiety and CO (generating from enol–ketone tautomerism) groups could be recognized as the characteristic eliminations for the compounds with C(16)-methoxyl and C(15)-hydroxyl groups simultaneously. The application of HR-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn technique to investigate the fragmentation of C19-diterpenoid alkaloids provided useful information to understand their fragmentation behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective memory (PM) refers to remembering to do something at a future time. Studies have shown that implementation intention can improve PM performance. The present study aimed to examine the effect and mechanism of implementation intention on PM in individuals prone for schizotypal personality disorder (SPD proneness) in a laboratory condition. A total of 51 participants with SPD proneness and 51 controls were administered a PM task. They were further randomly assigned to an implementation intention condition and a typical instruction condition. All participants completed the PM task with low and high cognitive load conditions. The results showed that implementation intention improved PM performances in both SPD prone and control groups, indicating that implementation intention was an effective strategy for improving PM performance. However, the mechanisms were different for the two groups. For controls, implementation intention did not affect their cognitive resources allocation strategy. Participants with SPD proneness allocated significantly more cognitive resources to the PM task in the implementation intention condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is clear that heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is responsible for stressful conditions. However, the expression level and profile of HSP70 during cold stress are still unknown. In this study, the expression profile of HSP70 in the heart, liver, muscle and spleen of Huainan partridge chicken exposed to low temperature was investigated. HSP70 expression was showed tissue-dependent with highest expression in muscle, followed by liver and heart; conversely, there was no evidence of changes in spleen, where there were two expression peaks during cold stress, before 3 and after 72 h, respectively. The plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity exhibited a significant increase (P<0.01) after 1 h of cold stress exposure, and then decreased till to the lowest level after 72 h of cold stress exposure. On the other hand, nitric oxide content arose and reached the peak level (P<0.01) after 3 h of cold stress exposure, and then suddenly decreased to the original level with the duration of exposure time. In conclusion, mRNA expression of HSP70 turned out to be tissueand time-dependent in muscle, liver and heart in broilers under cold stress exposure. The distinct expression of HSP70 suggested that highenergy supply and balance of CK activity might be responsible for the HSP70 high expression. poultry. Little neglect would cause body and/or uniformity not to meet the professional standards, and then affect the production performances (Yahav, 2000). The extent of the deleterious effects of cold stress is determined not only by its magnitude but also by the status of cellular defense systems, particularly the cellular anti-oxidation. Both biotic and abiotic stress can induce nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and in turn mediate the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and accelerate oxidation. Such oxidation will increase the number of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) that can attack and irreparably damage membrane composition and permeability (Omar and Pappolla, 1993). Chickens have high metabolic rate but no sweat glands, so they are more sensitive to ambient temperatures. Stress responses and damage of liver and heart occurred in broilers, which were suddenly exposed to low temperatures (Lin et al., 2006). A common event observed in chicken during thermo-resistance was the high expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes (Mahmoud et al., 2003; Hagiwara et al., 2007). Many studies have shown the importance of HSPs for the survival of cells under stress conditions. As universal cytoprotective proteins, HSPs expression may enhance stress tolerance and thereby increase the survival rate of stressed cells (Latchman, 2001). However, studies on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) during cold stress were highly diverse. Some suggested that HSP70 only expressed after rewarming (Liu et al., 1995; Laios et al., 1997; Gabriel et al., 2003), and others implied a tissue-dependent expression (Givisiez et al., 2001). The expression profile of HSP70 in chicken tissue during cold stress is still unknown. In the present study, the mRNA expression level of HSP70 in the heart, liver, muscle and spleen of Huainan partridge chicken - a Chinese indigenous breed that was subjected to cold stress - was investigated. Plasma NO and creatine kinase (CK) were also measured for monitoring of oxidative stress and cell membrane damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hybrid materials, [4RBzTPP]2[Co(NCS)4] (NCS− = isothiocyanate, [4RBzTPP]+ = 4-R-benzyltriphenylphosphinium, R = F(1), Br(2)), have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV spectra, X-ray diffraction, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The Co(II) ions of the [Co(NCS)4]2− anions in 1 form a 1D chain through S···S interactions with the distance of 3.508 Å, while the anions and the [4BrBzTPP]+ cations formed an alternate chain by p···π, C-H···Co weak interaction and C-H···Br hydrogen bond in 2. Magnetic susceptibility measurement in the temperature range 2–300 K shows that both 1 and 2 exhibit a weak antiferromagnetic coupling property. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The design of the microstrip reflectarray antenna is commonly based on the reflection phase curve, but this is not an accurate method, as many parameters have been neglected in the design procedure. This work explores the genetic algorithm in conjunction with full-wave simulation and the cluster parallel computation to design a microstrip reflectarray antenna. A microstrip reflectarray antenna, which consists of a 7 × 7 rectangular-patch/ring-combination reflection elements and is illuminated by a patch antenna, is designed for high gain. Results demonstrate that in comparison with the design method based on the reflection phase curve, the proposed optimization method is able to design a microstrip reflectarray antenna with better performances; e.g., the gain has been considerably improved (from 18.1 dBi to 19.5 dBi) at the design frequency of 5.8 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane/epoxy resin (PU/EP)/dimethyl sulfoxide modified kaolin (PU/EP/K-DMSO) interpenetrating network composites were prepared by in situ intercalation method. FT-IR showed that hydrogen bonding existed between kaolin and PU/EP matrix. The structure of composites was characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. The result indicated that: K-DMSO by a nanometer size and homodisperse in the PU/EP matrix. The analysis of images obtained by polarizing microscope showed that bubble diameter has decreased with the K-DMSO added. Mechanical test results indicated that: the tensile and compression strength of the PU/EP/K-DMSO composites are superior to those of the PU/EP IPNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Ni(II) complexes, [4RBzTPP]2[Ni(i-mnt)2] (i-mnt = isomaleonitriledithiolate, [4RBzTPP]+ = 1-(4'-R-benzyl)triphenylphosphinium; R = Br(1) and CN(2)), were obtained in the crystalline form by the reaction of K2(i-mnt), NiCl2·6H2O and 1-(4'-R-benzyl)-triphenylphosphinium bromide in H2O. Both complexes crystallize in the triclinic system and the central Ni(II) ion has a distorted square planar coordination. Some weak hydrogen bonds, such as C-H···S, C-H···N, or C-H···Ni, observed between the [Ni(i-mnt)2]2- anion and the cation, play important roles in the stacking of the molecules, and give rise to a 3D network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous chickens from various part of China, due to different feather characters, always performed differently when countered with cold stress. In this study, the effects of long term hypothermia on serum hormones (triiodothyronine, thyroxine and insulin) and activity of plasma enzymes (Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase) were studied in two indigenous broiler breeds, Huainan partridge (H) and Wenchang (W) chickens. Chickens in 20°C±2°C were compared with those subjected to moderate (15°C±2°C) and severe low temperature (10°C±2°C) for one week. Long-term hypothermia elevated plasma insulin and reduced T4 in W, deceleratedinsulin and increased T4 in H, while T3 did not change in the two breeds. Plasma enzymes AST, LDH and CK decreased in the two breeds and ALT only decreased in We exposed to cold stress. A significantly decreased body weight gain of H and no variations in W at low temperature were observed. However, a trend of decreased weight gain in W was observed when bred under low temperature condition. Follicle density and diameter were compared in the two breeds with back density in H significantly higher than W and diameter from back of H significantly smaller than W, while much larger than the latter at latero-abdominal part. We investigated the pattern of serum biological change, follicle diameter and density under cold stress condition in two indigenous broiler breeds from different areas of China to provide informative guidance for broiler production and indications in breeding of cold resistant breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the slow and progressive death of inner retinal neurons is thought to be inevitable after the death of photoreceptors. However, even in the advanced stage of RP, all inner retinal neurons are not completely lost. The morphological and electrophysiological modifications in ON-retinal bipolar cells (ON-RBCs) of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats (RCS-ON-RBCs) were investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of survival of RCS-ON-RBCs in RP. Methods: Control (CTR) and RCS rats were divided into age groups according to postnatal stage: postnatal day 21 (Pn21d), postnatal day 30 (Pn30d), postnatal day 60 (Pn60d), and postnatal day 90 (Pn90d). Lucifer yellow staining of single ON-RBCs and double-immunofluorescence of the retinal frozen sections were used to detect the morphological modifications and loss of RCS-ON-RBCs in different retinal regions. The whole-cell patch clamping technique was used to record the electrophysiological properties of ON-RBCs. Results: There was a significant loss of RCS-ON-RBCs compared with CTR ( p < 0.01) at Pn60d. Loss of the RCS-ON-RBCs differed by region. From Pn60d onwards, the loss was more severe in the peripheral retinal regions ( p < 0.01). From Pn21d, the ectopic neurites from the RCS-ON-RBCs reached the outer and inner nuclear layers. At Pn60d, terminal branches of RCS-ON-RBCs axons vanished and ectopic neurites from the RCS-ON-RBCs became entwined. The resting membrane potential, input resistance and outward membrane current amplitude of RCS-ON-RBCs were significantly higher than those of the ON-RBCs of CTR rats at Pn60d ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicate that more RCS-ON-RBCs survived in the central retinal area near cone clusters, potentially as a result of ectopic neuritis. Meanwhile the surviving RCS-ON-RBCs remained immature and had no normal electrophysiological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ion-pair complex, [BzTPP]2[Ni(i-mnt)2](1) (i-mnt2- = iso-maleonitriledithiolate, [BzTPP]+ = benzyltriphenylphosphinium) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV, EI-MS spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal structural analysis shows that 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1, with a = 9.466(1) Å, b = 10.196(1)Å, c = 29.252(3)Å, α = 99.28(1)ˆ, β = 93.96(1)ˆ, γ = 106.34(1)ˆ, V = 2654.3(4)Å3, Z = 2. The Ni(II) ions of the [Ni(i-mnt)2]2 - anion adopted a square-planar coordination geometry. Four weak C─H...N hydrogen bonds between the anions and the cations observed in the crystal give further rise to a 3D structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores designing wideband microstrip antennas utilizing fractal geometries. A novel microstrip monopole antenna using the geometry of the fractal binary tree is presented. To achieve a wide impedance bandwidth, the proposed microstrip fractal antenna is optimized in an automated design, making use of the genetic algorithm with the full-wave electromagnetic simulation and cluster parallel computation. A design result is presented. A prototype of the designed antenna has been fabricated and tested. Good agreement is obtained between numerical calculated and measured results, and results show the proposed fractal antenna obtains a quite promising S11 < -10-dB impedance bandwidth, which surpasses 42.8% (from 2.46 GHz to 3.80 GHz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of non-destructive measurement of internal quality indices of intact pear fruit using visible and near-infrared (Vis/N1R) spectrometric techniques was studied. In the wavelength region from 350 to 1800 nm, calibration models relating Vis/NIR spectra to soluble solids content (SSC) and firmness were developed based on multilinear regression (MLR), principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) with respect to the logarithms of the reflectance reciprocal log (1/R), its first derivative D1 log (1/R) and its second derivative D2 log (1/R). The best combination, based on the reliable and robust models obtained, was the PLS models with respect to log (1/R) at an equatorial position of the fruit. Prediction with the PLS model with respect to log (1/R) resulted in correlation coefficients (rp) of 0.9121 and 0.8541, and root mean standard error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.6619 and 1.2324 for SSC and firmness, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the Vis/NIR spectrometric technique could provide an accurate, reliable and non-destructive method for assessing internal quality indices of pear fruit, especially for SSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A density functional theory (DFT) concept is utilized for a selected class of compounds to propose phase transitions for which the coupling of magnetic ordering and vibrational properties is manifested. The total electronic energies and the phonon spectra are calculated with the same level of accuracy. The total free energy becomes temperature dependent because of the phonon free energy. In particular, the Laves phase compounds ZrMn2 and HfMn2 are studied because they reveal a close competition of phases with different structural properties and different magnetic orderings as a function of temperature. The temperature dependence of the free energy is driven by the entropy of the lattice vibrations, which therefore is responsible for the predicted phase transitions. These ab initio predictions of phase transitions (or indications of peculiar magnetic ground states) are awaiting experimental verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was performed into the stability of three emulsion explosives, namely bulk, packaged and powdery emulsion explosive. The dynamic stability is crucial for bulk emulsion explosive, and the experimental results show that it will possibly achieve both good dynamic stability and fluidity when polyisobutene succinic anhydride (PIBSA) based emulsifiers, such as PIBSA-DTEA, PIBSA-TEA and PIBSA-STEA etc, used alone in preparing explosive. Opposite with that, the long-term storage stability is much more important for packaged emulsion explosive. In several PIBSA based emulsifiers, polyisobutene succinimide (PIBSI) is more suitable for improving the stability of packaged emulsion explosive. Moreover, the stability also can be improved through rising the toughness of oil film, like adding a certain amount of microcrystalline wax. The caking of ammonium nitrate (AN) crystals with time is the key reason, which decreasing the stability of powdery emulsion explosive. The caking phenomenon will be weakened with the addition of rosin because the softened rosin can allow the repair of damaged oil film and prevent AN crystals breaking the oil film. Besides that, adding potassium nitrate to AN solution or a certain amount of talcum powder also can effectively improve the stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of rapid methods for in situ chromium determination in natural water is important. A new nanocomposite was fabricated by impregnating gold nanoparticles onto archetypical UiO-66 metal organic frameworks and modifying glassy carbon electrodes (Au/UiO-66/GCE) for rapid Cr(VI) determination in water by linear scanning voltammetry (LSV). The Au/UiO-66/GCE showed excellent linearity in the 100 to 1200 ppb Cr(VI) concentration range, with 0.07132 µA/ppb·cm2 sensitivity and a 11.73 ppb detection limit. When potential interfering metals were added, including Cr(III) and Fe(III), the electrochemical detection signal of Cr(VI) did not meaningfully change, suggesting that Au/UiO-66/GCE has good selectivity. A Au/UiO-66/screen printing sensor was also developed for Cr(VI) and used with a portable, handheld electro-analyzer. The Au/UiO-66 nanocomposite—used as an active substrate for electrode modification—was stable, interference-free, and fast, showing promise for the practical determination of Cr(VI) species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain tumor accounts for about 1.6% of incidence and 2.5% of mortality of all tumors, and the median survival for brain tumor patients is only about 20 months. The treatment for brain tumor still faces many challenges, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB), the overexpressed efflux pumps, the infiltration, invasion, high heterogeneity of tumor cells, drug resistance and immune escape caused by tumor microenvironment (TME) and cancer stem cells (CSC). This review attempts to clarify the challenges for multi-functional nano drug delivery systems (NDDS) to cross the BBB and target the cancer cells or organelles, and also provides a brief description of the different types of targeted multi-functional NDDS that have shown potential for success in delivering drugs to the brain. Further, this review also summarizes the research progress of multi-functional NDDS in the combination therapy of brain tumors from the following sections, the combination of chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy-chemodynamic combination therapy, chemotherapy-immunization combination therapy, and chemotherapy-gene combination therapy. We also provide an insight into the recent advances in designing multi-functional NDDS for combination therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, based on the effect of compounds on the activation of NF-κB and NO release, compound 51 was discovered as the best one with NO release inhibition IC50 value was 3.1 ± 1.1 μM and NF-κB activity inhibition IC50 value was 172.2 ± 11.4 nM. Compound 51 could inhibit the activation of NF-κB through suppressing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB, and suppress LPS-induced inflammatory response in RAW264.7 cells, such as the over-expression of TNF-α and IL-6, which were target genes of NF-κB. This compound also showed preferable anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, including alleviating significantly gastric distention and splenomegaly caused by LPS stimulation, reducing the level of oxidative stress induced by LPS, and inhibiting the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum. Thus, it's reasonable to consider that this compound is a promising small molecule with anti-inflammatory effect for inhibiting the NF-κB signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) levels in nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and their relationship with coronary artery calcification (CAC). One hundred and twenty-eight patients diagnosed with CKD were selected and all underwent cardiac computed tomography. CAC was assessed using the Agatston score, and coronary artery calcification score (CACs) >10 was identified as CAC. The differences in serum 25(OH)D3, FGF23, and CTRP3 levels between the CAC and non-CAC groups were analyzed. Their correlation with CACs was assessed by Spearman's analysis, and logistic regression analysis was used to find risk factors for CAC. Compared to the non-CAC group, the CAC group was older (64.21 ± 9.68 years), with a higher percentage of hypertension (93.10%) and diabetes (63.80%) and higher levels of serum CTRP3 [1079.20 (644.4–1567.2) ng/mL]. However, there was no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D3 and FGF23 between these two groups. The high level CTRP3 group had a higher prevalence of CAC (61.5%). Logistic regression results showed that age, diabetes, decreased 25(OH)D3 (odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, p =.030) and high levels of CTRP3 (OR = 3.19, p =.022) were risk factors for CAC in nondialysis CKD patients. Serum CTRP3 levels progressively increased with the progression of kidney disease, while 25(OH)D3 levels progressively decreased. Decreased 25(OH)D3 and high levels of CTRP3 are associated with CAC in patients with nondialysis CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Chinese Smell Identification Test (CSIT) was developed specifically for Chinese populations. This work investigated the utility of this test in detecting Parkinson's disease (PD). Olfactory dysfunction is a common non-motor symptom of PD. There are different opinions on the efficacy of drugs for anosmia in PD. Objective: To investigate the olfactory function of Chinese PD patients, verify the effectiveness of the CSIT, and further detect the effects of dopaminergic drugs on anosmia. Methods: In total, 149 PD patients were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and 149 healthy comparison participants (HCP) were recruited from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The CSIT was used for olfactory function testing in all participants. Results: CSIT scores were significantly lower in the PD group than in the HCP group (t(296) = −12.797, P < 0.001, d = 1.48). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal threshold value for the olfactory recognition test was 22.5, which had a sensitivity and specificity of 71.1% and 89.3%, respectively, for the detection of Parkinson's disease. Sex showed a significant influence on CSIT score (t = −3.552, P = 0.001), with males being more likely to develop olfactory dysfunction. We found CSIT scores of the non-medication group and the group with medication were lower than those of the HCP group, and the difference was statistically significant (t(82) = −7.116, P < 0.0167, d = 1.59; t(82) = −4.907, P < 0.0167, d = 1.10). CSIT scores of the group with medication were significantly higher than those of the non-medication group (t(41) = −3.067, P < 0.0167, d = 0.41). Conclusions: In China, the CSIT is recommended to improve the sensitivity of PD detection. The olfactory function of PD patients was improved after treatment with dopaminergic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of 5,5′-(1,3,6,8-tetraoxobenzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthrolin-2-7-diyl)bis-1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H4L) with Zn(II)/Co(II) in the presence of different N-donor co-ligands yielded two transition metal coordination polymers (CPs), {[Co(H2L)(4,4′-bibp)]·H2O}n (1) and {[ZnL0.5(1,4-bimb)0.5(H2O)]·EtOH}n (2), by using 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (1,4-bimb)/4,4′-bis(benzoimidazo-1-yl)biphenyl (4,4′-bbib) as the additive. Their treatment effect on the bacterial infection in the hemodialysis patients was then evaluated. The catheter infection animal model was constructed first. The bacterial numbers on the catheter were counted after compound treatment. Then, the survival rate of the Staphylococcus aureus (SA) was assessed in vitro after treatment with 1 or 2. The survival genes relative expression level on the SA was detected through the real time RT-PCR method. Finally, the inflammatory cytokines released into plasma in the process of infection was measured through the ELISA test kit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Caspases (cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinases) are a group of structurally similar proteases in the cytoplasm that can be involved in cell differentiation, programmed death, proliferation, and inflammatory generation. Experts have found that caspase-3 can serve as a terminal splicing enzyme in apoptosis and participate in the mechanism by which cytotoxic drugs kill cancer cells. Breast cancer (BC) has become the most common cancer among women worldwide, posing a severe threat to their lives. Finding new therapeutic targets for BC is the primary task of contemporary physicians. Numerous studies have revealed the close association between caspase-3 expression and BC. Caspase-3 is essential in BC's occurrence, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, Caspase-3 exerts anticancer effects by regulating cell death mechanisms. Traditional Chinese medicine acting through caspase-3 expression is increasingly used in clinical treatment. This review summarizes the biological mechanism of caspase-3 and research progress on BC. It introduces a variety of traditional Chinese medicine related to caspase-3 to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]