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Lysosomes are digestive organelles responsible for endocytosis and autophagy. Recently, the malignancy and invasiveness head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been increasingly studied with the role of lysosomes. A list of lysosome‐related genes were obtained from MSigDB. A Spearman correlation and univariate Cox regression analyses combined with differential expression analysis were conducted to detect differentially expressed lysosome‐related genes related to prognosis. The prediction of prognostic signature was evaluated by plotting survival curve, ROC, and by developing a nomogram. Immune subtypes, infiltration of immune cells, GSVA, TIDE, IC50 of common chemotherapy and targeted therapy, GO, and KEGG function enrichment analyses were carried out to explore the immune microenvironment of the signature. We constructed a lysosome‐related prognostic signature that could function as an independent prognostic indicator for patients with HNSCC. High‐risk patients were better suited to receive Doxorubicin, Mitomycin C, Pyrimethamine, anti‐PD‐L1 and anti‐CTLA‐4 immunotherapy, whereas low‐risk patients had sensitivity to Lapatinib. GO functional enrichment analysis showed that prognostic features were strongly associated with epidermis‐related functions (e.g., epidermal cell differentiation, epidermal development, and keratinization). In addition, a KEGG function enrichment analysis revealed a potential relationship between the risk assessment model and cardiomyopathy. We constructed a prognostic signature based on lysosome‐related genes and successfully predicted the survival outcome of HNSCC patients, which not only provides potential guidance for personalized treatment but also provides a new idea for precision treatment of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the formation of Lewy bodies (LBs), primarily constituted of α‐synuclein (α‐Syn). Microglial cells exhibit specific reactivity toward misfolded proteins such as α‐Syn. However, the exact clearance mechanism and related molecular targets remain elusive. Methods: BV2 cells, primary microglia from wild‐type and MT1 knockout mice, and primary cortical neurons were utilized as experimental models. The study investigated relevant mechanisms by modulating microglial MT1 expression through small RNA interference (RNAi) and lentiviral overexpression techniques. Furthermore, pathological aggregation of α‐Syn was induced using pre‐formed fibrils (PFF) α‐Syn. Co‐immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, Western blot (WB), and quantitative real‐time PCR were used to elucidate the mechanisms of molecular regulation. Results: In this study, we elucidated the regulatory role of the melatonin receptor 1 (MT1) in the microglial phagocytic process. Following MT1 knockout, the ability of microglial cells to engulf latex beads and zymosan particles decreased, subsequently affecting the phagocytic degradation of fibrillar α‐Syn by microglial cells. Furthermore, the loss of MT1 receptors in microglial cells exacerbates the aggregation of α‐Syn in neurons induced by pre‐formed fibrils (PFF) α‐Syn. Mechanistically, MT1 influences the phagocytic function of microglial cells by regulating the Rubicon‐dependent LC3‐associated phagocytosis (LAP) pathway. Conclusion: Taken together, the results suggest the neuroprotective function of microglial cells in clearing α‐Syn through MT1‐mediated LAP, highlighting the potential key role of MT1 in pathogenic mechanisms associated with α‐Syn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disease in older people, and there is no specific treatment that can stop or reverse its progression. Neobavaisoflavone (NBIF) is a flavonoid that has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, but its role in AD has not been revealed. The present study investigated the role and mechanism of NBIF on Aβ25‐35‐induced brain injury. Methods: In this experiment, the AD mouse model was established by injection of Aβ25‐35 peptides (200 μM, icv), and Donepezil (Don, 10 mg/kg/days), NBIF‐L (15 mg/kg/days), and NBIF‐H (30 mg/kg/days) were administered orally for 4 weeks. Learning memory, hippocampal pathological changes, pathological markers, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, immune cells were measured in mice. Network pharmacology combined with the GEO database led to the identification of SIRT1, a key target for NBIF intervention in AD, and levels of SIRT1, p‐STAT3 and FOXO1 were measured. In addition, the antagonistic activity of SIRT1 transfection silencing against NBIF in Aβ25‐35‐induced in N9 cells and N2a‐APP69 cells was investigated to assess whether the effects caused by NBIF were mediated by SIRT1. Results: The results showed that NBIF ameliorated learning memory and hippocampal neuronal damage, reduced pathological markers, apoptosis, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and modulated immune cells. SIRT1 is a key target for NBIF intervention in AD, and NBIF upregulates SIRT1 and reduces the expression levels of p‐STAT3 and FOXO1. Furthermore, silencing SIRT1 effectively reduced the protective effect of NBIF on Aβ25‐35‐induced N9 cells and N2a‐APP69 cells, which indicated that the protective effect of NBIF on AD is related to SIRT1. Conclusions: NBIF ameliorated Aβ25‐35‐induced brain injury by inhibiting apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, which may be mediated through SIRT1 signaling. These findings provide a rationale for NBIF in the treatment of AD and help facilitate the development of clinical therapeutic agents for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we utilize the original noise subspace and its conjugate to reconstruct a new estimator for the fast joint estimation of DOA and inter‐subarray errors in the partly calibrated arrays (PCA), namely fast‐rank‐reduce (F‐RARE). Based on the new estimator, the collection of true DOA estimation and its virtual mirror can be obtained by searching over only half of the total angular field‐of‐view. Then, the true DOA estimation can be selected by using the conventional beamforming (CBF) technique. Additionally, the inter‐subarray errors can also be computed by a finite number of subspace decompositions. Numerical simulation illustrates that compared with the conventional RARE algorithm, the new method can not only reduce the computational burden by a half but also provide a similar estimation accuracy. Plain Language Summary: In this paper, we investigate the fast joint estimation of direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) and inter‐subarray errors in the partly calibrated arrays (PCA). Since the conventional algorithm is accompanied with heavy computational burden, we propose a new algorithm called fast‐rank‐reduce (F‐RARE), where half of the searching range is reduced. This means that the computational complexity of F‐RARE is significantly lower than that of the conventional algorithm. To verify this, the theoretical complexity is analyzed, and the improvement of computational efficiency is visually seen in the form of the lower theoretical complexity and the shorter simulation time. In the meantime, the new method is independent of inter‐subarray gain/phase errors and displacement errors. Finally, the simulation results show that the new method exhibits a similar estimation performance compared to the conventional algorithm. Key Points: We propose a new low‐complexity algorithm by using original noise‐subspace and its conjugateThe direction‐of‐arrival and inter‐subarray error can be estimated by using the new algorithmThe efficiency of the new algorithm is higher than the conventional algorithm by simulationPartly calibrated array [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available evidence demonstrates that individuals with body‐image disturbance (BID) are prone to suffer from depression. This systematic review provides, to our knowledge, the first synthesis of the psychological mechanism of the association between BID and depression. We conducted a thorough search of online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO, for articles published up until February 2024. The final analysis comprised a total of 23 studies that focused on the mediating or moderating effects of psychological factors between depression and BID. This review identifies self‐esteem and social support as both mediators and moderators of the relationship between BID and depression, while perceived stress acted only as a mediator. High self‐esteem and strong social support as well as low levels of perceived stress may help individuals experience lower levels of BID, thereby contributing to a decreased likelihood of depression. Interventions aimed at increasing self‐esteem, developing strong support, and decreasing perceived stress may hold promise to reduce the risk of depression in those with BID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futoquinol (Fut) is a compound extracted from Piper kadsura that has a nerve cell protection effect. However, it is unclear whether Fut has protective effects in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of Fut in AD and its underlying mechanism. UPLC‐MS/MS method was performed to quantify Fut in the hippocampus of mice brain. The cognition ability, neuronal and mitochondria damage, and levels of Aβ1–42, Aβ1–40, p‐Tau, oxidative stress, apoptosis, immune cells, and inflammatory factors were measured in Aβ25–35‐induced mice. The content of bacterial meta‐geometry was predicted in the microbial composition based on 16S rDNA. The protein levels of HK II, p‐p38MAPK, and p38MAPK were detected. PC‐12 cells were cultured in vitro, and glucose was added to activate glycolysis to further explore the mechanism of action of Fut intervention in AD. Fut improved the memory and learning ability of Aβ25–35 mice, and reduced neuronal damage and the deposition of Aβ and Tau proteins. Moreover, Fut reduced mitochondrial damage, the levels of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory factors. Fut significantly inhibited the expression of HK II and p‐p38MAPK proteins. The in vitro experiment showed that p38MAPK was activated and Fut action inhibited after adding 10 mM glucose. Fut might inhibit the activation of p38MAPK through the glycolysis pathway, thereby reducing oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory factors and improving Aβ25–35‐induced memory impairment in mice. These data provide pharmacological rationale for Fut in the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons and aggregation of α‐synuclein (α‐syn). Ferroptosis, a form of cell death induced by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, is involved in the pathogenesis of PD. It is unknown whether melatonin receptor 1 (MT1) modulates α‐syn and ferroptosis in PD. Here, we used α‐syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) to induce PD models in vivo and in vitro. In PD mice, α‐syn aggregation led to increased iron deposition and ferroptosis. MT1 knockout exacerbated these changes and resulted in more DA neuronal loss and severe motor impairment. MT1 knockout also suppressed the Sirt1/Nrf2/Ho1/Gpx4 pathway, reducing resistance to ferroptosis, and inhibited expression of ferritin Fth1, leading to more release of ferrous ions. In vitro experiments confirmed these findings. Knockdown of MT1 enhanced α‐syn PFF‐induced intracellular α‐syn aggregation and suppressed expression of the Sirt1/Nrf2/Ho1/Gpx4 pathway and Fth1 protein, thereby aggravating ferroptosis. Conversely, overexpression of MT1 reversed these effects. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which MT1 activation prevents α‐syn‐induced ferroptosis in PD, highlighting the neuroprotective role of MT1 in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The prevalence of depression and obesity in the pediatric population has increased along with multiple adverse health outcomes in later life. However, the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional relationship between obesity and depression have not yet been clarified. We aim to systematically summarize the literature reporting on mediational or moderational biopsychosocial factors in the relationship between depression and body size among children and adolescents. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PsychArticles) were systematically searched from inception until December 23, 2021, and subsequently updated until June 9, 2023. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022301475). A total of 36 unique records reporting 152,513 children and adolescents meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. The results indicate that disparate psychological variables (e.g., body image, victimization and bullying, eating disorders, and sleep problems) may mediate the bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and body size. Moreover, the mediational/moderational effect of biological factors has not been well established. The moderational effect of social factors was inconsistently reported. Future research should aim to identify and characterize factors that may impact the bidirectional relationship between depression and obesity to inform prevention intervention strategies for affected children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Navigation Satellite System Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS‐IR) measures water level using the interference pattern in signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) from direct and reflected signals off the sea surface, retrieved from standard geodetic antennas. Significant wave height is also measured by determining the satellite elevation angles where reflections become incoherent. We developed an approach for standard geodetic antennas to simultaneously measure sea levels and waves using a criterion for identifying coherent reflections. We tested the method at an exposed coastal environment at the E.B. Scripps Memorial Pier in California. The 1‐year test captures a broad range of sea states and benefits from several co‐located standard oceanographic sensors. By including GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS observations, the retrieval rate increases by a factor of ∼2 over GPS alone. Uncorrected water levels are estimated with a root‐mean‐square (RMS) error of 18.2 cm with respect to a conventional tide gauge. We further developed a simplified correction to remove the effect of phenomena altering the SNR oscillatory frequency and phase, which reduces RMS errors to 9.4 cm. We estimate the significant wave height with 15 cm RMS error with respect to a traditional wave gauge. The method, however, requires a short calibration. We find the wave height errors increase abruptly beyond a fixed limit when high waves are present, that may be a result of the particular deployment geometry. With this caveat, the technology could be useful to deploy in under‐sampled regions affected by compounded coastal hazards, such as in areas affected by tropical cyclones and flooding. Plain Language Summary: Signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), that reflect off the ocean surface, when compared to signals that arrive directly at the antenna, reveal variations in signal strength that can be used to determine the elevation of the ocean surface. When the satellite elevation angle is too high above the horizon, the method to measure sea level no longer works. However, observing the elevation angle where this transition occurs allows us to measure the height of the waves that are preventing a strong reflected signal from being recorded. We develop criteria for obtaining the closest agreement between the GNSS‐IR observations and the tide and wave gauge instruments on the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier in southern California over a 1 year period. Because it simultaneously measures changes in sea level and wave height, the method could be useful for measuring coastal hazards such as storm surge and flooding from hurricanes. Key Points: A new approach simultaneously estimates water level and wave height using Global Navigation Satellite System observations in the Pacific high wave coastal environmentLevels are determined with 9.4 cm error (RMS) and the astronomic tide (with a range over 2 m) is determined with 5.9 cm error, with respect to a traditional gaugeGiven a short calibration, significant wave height achieves an RMS error of 15 cm compared to a traditional gauge [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination vaccines can reduce the vaccination visit, simplify the vaccination schedule and efficiently improve management. This study was primarily designed to evaluate the economic impact of integrating the diphtheria‐tetanus‐acellular pertussis inactivated poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B (DTaP‐IPV‐Hib) combination vaccine into the China National Immunization Program. A cost‐minimization analysis (CMA) compared the costs associated with direct medical, direct nonmedical, and indirect social costs in four schemes was conducted. A budgetary impact analysis assessed the alternative schemes' financial impact on the healthcare budget. Direct medical costs were extracted using a costing questionnaire and an observational time and motion chart. Direct nonmedical (cost for transportation) and indirect costs (loss of productivity) were derived from parents' questionnaires. Replacement of the current vaccination scheme with DTaP‐IPV‐Hib combination vaccine, resulted in net increases in direct medical costs of 77.64% for alternative scheme 1, 146.54% for alternative scheme 2, and 294.67% for alternative scheme 3, respectively. However, the direct nonmedical and indirect costs and the cost of the alternative schemes were 18.18%, 36.36%, and 63.64% lower than the current scheme for alternative scheme 1, alternative scheme 2, and alternative scheme 3, respectively. From the societal perspective, when compared with the current scheme, the budgetary impact of the three alternative schemes were +66 million Chinese Yuan (CNY) (4.81%), +103 million CNY (7.53%), and +305million CNY (22.35%), respectively. The CMA considered a broader perspective of social costs and indicated that the alternative schemes would result in an overall saving of parents' transportation and work loss costs to bring their children for vaccination, translating into a total cost saving of 18.18%, 36.36%, 63.64%, comparing to the current scheme. Thus, fully or partly using the DTaP‐IPV‐Hib combination vaccine is cost‐saving in the context of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are responsible for the intensity of color in plants; however, the systematic mechanisms underlying the color differences in the fruit of Ailanthus altissima remain unknown. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the transcriptomes of the white and red fruit of A. altissima by screening and validating the key genes involved in flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Samples of A. altissima fruit were collected 30, 45, and 60 days after flowering, and their pigment and sugar content were determined. The anthocyanin content was significantly higher in red than in white fruits. Transcriptome analysis was also performed on the fruit samples, 73,807 unigenes were assembled and annotated to seven databases. Twenty‐one co‐expressed modules were identified via weighted gene co‐expression network analysis, of which two were associated with flavonoids and anthocyanins. Furthermore, in three growth stages, 126, 30, and 124 differentially expressed genes were screened between white and red fruit. Genes involved in flavonoid and anthocyanin metabolism were identified. AaDFR (A. altissima bifunctional dihydroflavonol 4‐reductase/flavanone 4‐reductase) and AaANS (A. altissima anthocyanidin synthase) were associated with flavonoid and anthocyanin metabolism. Members of the AaDFR and AaANS families were also identified, and their basic physicochemical characteristics, conserved domains, motif compositions, phylogenetics, and expression levels were analyzed. The overexpression of AaDFR and AaANS in transgenic Arabidopsis significantly increased the content of seed and foliar flavonoids and anthocyanins. The study elucidated the different mechanisms underlying fruit color development and provided insight into A. altissima plants breeding with commercially desirable properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anharmonicity of thermal transport in amorphous solids is underappreciated and inadequately understood, although considerable attention is paid to that of crystals. Herein, the anharmonic effects on the heat conduction of amorphous silica are investigated by combining the normal mode decomposition method with the Wigner transport equation. The existence of significant anharmonicity in amorphous silica, including temperature‐dependent linewidths and frequency shifts of the vibrational modes, is demonstrated. By considering the anharmonic effects, the predicted temperature dependence of thermal conductivities at high temperatures agrees well with the increasing trend observed in experiments. The underlying mechanisms are further revealed. The anharmonic frequency shifts notably affect the strength of coupling between pairs of vibrational modes and dictate the positive temperature dependence, whereas the increasing linewidths with increasing temperature are of minor importance. This work contributes to the understanding of the anharmonicity of thermal vibrations and heat conduction in amorphous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid advancements in nanotechnologies for energy conversion and transport applications urgently require a further understanding of interfacial thermal transport and enhancement of interfacial thermal conductance (ITC). Sandwiching an intermediate material between two materials has led to a new insight on enhancing electron and phonon transportation, and is enabling the possible regulation of ITC, which has attracted increasing interest over the past decades. Herein, this strategy is named as thermal bonding, following the terminology of mechanical bonding and electrical bonding in microelectronics. The authors systematically summarize the interfacial thermal transport enhanced by thermal bonding from the category of interfacial thermal transport mechanisms, thermal bonding materials (TBMs), related applications, and potential challenges. Especially, the influence factors of interfacial heat transfer are highlighted, from three points, including interaction forces (van der Waals force, hydrogen bond, covalent bond, and metal bond), electron density, and phonon vibration density of states. The authors also outline and classify TBMs into metal bonding materials, organic bonding materials, and inorganic nonmetal bonding materials. As a novel and promising interface science and engineering field, it is believed that thermal bonding strategy will provide scientists and engineers more inspiration to understand interfacial thermal transport and solve the interfacial thermal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long‐term statistical characteristics of high‐frequency quasi‐monochromatic gravity waves are presented using multi‐year airglow images observed at Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO, 30.3°S, 70.7°W) in northern Chile. The distribution of primary gravity wave parameters including horizontal wavelength, vertical wavelength, intrinsic wave speed, and intrinsic wave period are obtained and are in the ranges of 20–30 km, 15–25 km, 50–100 m s−1, and 5–10 min, respectively. The duration of persistent gravity wave events captured by the imager approximately follows an exponential distribution with an average duration of 7–9 min. The waves tend to propagate against the local background winds and show evidence of seasonal variations. In austral winter (May–August), the observed wave occurrence frequency is higher, and preferential wave propagation is equator‐ward. In austral summer (November–February), the wave occurrence frequency is lower, and the waves mostly propagate pole‐ward. Critical‐layer filtering plays a moderate role in determining the preferential propagation direction in certain months, especially for waves with a smaller observed phase speed (less than typical background winds). The observed wave occurrence and preferential propagation direction are related to the locations of convection activities nearby and their relative distance to ALO. However, direct wave generations are less likely due to the large distance between the ALO and convective sources. Other mechanisms such as secondary wave generation and possible ducted propagation should be considered. The estimated mean momentum fluxes have typical values of a few m2 s−2. Plain Language Summary: The area around the Andes contains hot spots of gravity waves due to surrounding geographical conditions, such as oceans, rainforests, and mountains. This study presents a statistical analysis of gravity waves with a shorter period based on 6‐year airglow emissions observations in the mesosphere over the Andes. Wave information of many gravity waves was extracted from the airglow emission images. The preferential wave propagation direction and wave occurrence frequency are found to be highly correlated with the convection activities nearby, especially during solstice seasons. In austral summer, waves might originate from the Amazon Basin through a long‐range ducted propagation, resulting in a southwestward propagation tendency. These waves would alter the atmospheric winds when they dissipate and deposit the momentum into the atmosphere. This study expands the understanding of gravity waves hot spots over the Andes to the upper atmosphere. Key Points: High‐frequency gravity waves were observed near the mesopause over the Andes with duration following an exponential distributionPreferential propagation direction of the waves shows seasonal dependence, southwestward in austral summer and equator‐ward in winterThe observed waves are likely associated with convections, playing an important role in shaping the observed wave directionality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between impaired social cognition and bipolar disorder (BD) is well established. However, to our knowledge, there has not been a recent systematic review that characterizes disparate dimensions of social cognition in BD. Herein, this systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to synthesize the literature on core aspects of social cognition (i.e., Theory of Mind, emotion recognition, and social judgment) to identify potential areas of impairment. Methods: Online databases (i.e., PubMed, Cochrane Libraries, PsycINFO) and Google Scholar were searched from inception to May 2021. Studies with populations ages ≥16 with DSM‐IV or DSM‐5 defined BD (I or II) either in a euthymic or symptomatic state were included. The risk of bias was measured using the ROBINS‐1 tool, and the quality of the sources was evaluated using GRADE criteria. The results of the studies were quantitatively measured by synthesizing Hedge's g effect sizes through a random effects meta‐analytic approach. Results: A total of 29 studies were included in the final review (i.e., 12 studies on the Theory of Mind, 11 on emotion recognition, and 6 on social judgment). Overall, results demonstrated social cognition to be moderately impaired in individuals with BD (d = 0.59). The individual domains ranged in effect size (0.38 < d < 0.70), providing evidence for variation in impairment within social cognition. Discussion: Individuals with BD exhibit clinically significant deficits in social cognition during euthymic and symptomatic states. Social cognition impairments in individuals with BD are an important therapeutic target for treatment discovery and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sleep disturbances are commonly reported in patients with treatment‐resistant depression (TRD). Available data have shown that intravenous (IV) ketamine is an effective treatment for patients with TRD and growing data suggest ketamine may improve overall sleep architecture. In the present study, we evaluated whether changes in sleep symptoms mediated the anti‐depressive and/or anti‐suicidal effects of IV ketamine and whether improvement in sleep correlated with a higher likelihood of achieving response or remission. Adults with TRD received four infusions of IV ketamine at a community‐based clinic. Total depressive symptom severity was measured with the Quick Inventory Depressive Symptoms Self‐Report 16‐Item (QIDS‐SR16) at baseline and was repeated across four infusions. Suicidal ideation (SI) and four sleep symptoms were measured using the SI item and the five sleep items on the QIDS‐SR16. A total of 323 patients with TRD received IV ketamine. Self‐reported improvements in insomnia, night‐time restlessness, hypersomnia, early morning waking, and total sleep were significant partial mediators to the improvements observed in depression severity. Similarly, insomnia, night‐time restlessness, early morning waking and total sleep improvements mediated the reduction of IV ketamine on SI. All sleep items, except for hypersomnia, were associated with an increased likelihood of achieving response or remission. Notably, each point improvement in total sleep score was significantly associated with achieving responder/remitter status (odds ratio 3.29, 95% confidence interval 2.00–5.41). Insomnia, sleep restlessness, early morning waking and total sleep improvements were significant mediators of antidepressant and anti‐suicidal improvements in patients with TRD receiving IV ketamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng is an indigenous South Asian edible fruit, and seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis have been used therapeutically in traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies have shown that M. cochinchinensis seed (Momordicae Semen) has various pharmaceutical properties such as antioxidant and anti‐ulcer effects as well as contains secondary metabolites with potential anticancer activities such as triterpenoids and saponins. Recent studies reported that water extract and ethanol extract of M. cochinchinensi seed were tested on mammals using an acute toxic classic method as OECD guidelines 420. No matter injected intravenously or intramuscularly, animals died within several days. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to various doses of Cochinchina momordica seed extract (CMSE) from 2 dpf (days post fertilization, dpf) to 3 dpf. CMSE‐induced cardiotoxicity such as pericardial edema, cardiac apoptosis, increased ROS production, cardiac neutrophil infiltration, decreased blood flow velocity, and reduced expression of three marker genes of cardiac functions were found in zebrafish roughly in a dose‐dependent manner. These results suggest that CMSE may induce cardiotoxicity through pathways involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. In this study, using yolk sac microinjection, we explored the cardiac dysfunction induced by exposure of CMSE in zebrafish and found that induced cardiac toxicity phenotypes including the pericardial edema and bradycardia, but had no effect on atrioventricular block. The decreased cardiac output in zebrafish was triggered by oxidative stress and neutrophil‐mediated cardiac inflammation. In addition, CMSE inhibited the calcium signaling pathway and cardiac muscle contraction pathway via the down‐regulation‐related genes of calcium channel and cardiac troponin C and decreased the protein level of cardiac contraction marker protein TNNT2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the controlled‐release property of starch‐based polyurethane (SPU) coating, polyurethane/montmorillonite (SPU/MMT) composite coatings for controlled‐release urea were prepared by in‐situ polymerization with a rotating drum. The effect of MMT on morphology, structure, physico‐chemical properties, especially controlled‐release property of the as‐prepared composite coatings were studied in detail. The results showed that MMT particles dispersed well in SPU matrix, and the obtained SPU/MMT composite coatings possessed more tough and compact morphology with less‐visible holes compared with SPU coating. With the content of MMT rising to 3%, the time needed for 75% nitrogen release increased to 49 days, much longer than 14 days of SPU coating. Further, the nitrogen release mechanism underlying the structure and properties of SPU/MMT composite coatings were discussed and elucidated. According to the analysis, the superior controlled‐release property of SPU/MMT coatings originated from the impermeablity to water molecules of layered MMT acting as mechanical barriers to increase the diffusion path and resistance, the enhanced crosslinking density and hydrophobicity of composite system due to the introduction of MMT, as well as the improved mechanical properties hindering the formation of cracks and enlargement of the holes on the surface of composite coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of bio‐based polyurethane coatings for controlled‐release urea were prepared by in‐situ polymerization used castor oil and liquefied starch as raw materials, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the section morphology of castor oil based polyurethane (Castor‐PU) coating was uniform and dense, and that of liquefied starch based polyurethane (Starch‐PU) coating had certain proportion of microporous. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) showed that the two coatings had typical urethane characteristic structure, but the difference was that the Starch‐PU had obvious unreacted isocyanate structure. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the glass transition temperature of the two coatings was around 58°C, but the Castor‐PU had a crystallization domain with obvious crystallization melting peak at 130°C. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) showed that the thermal stability of Castor‐PU was significantly higher than that of Starch‐PU. The controlled‐release property test showed that when the coating ratio was 2.8%, the nutrient release longevity of urea coated with Castor‐PU was 49 days and that of urea coated with Starch‐PU was 14 days. The reasons for the poor controlled‐release performance of Starch‐PU were analyzed, which probably caused by concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrophilic dispersant added in the liquefied starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two copper(I) iodide tetramers, namely, [μ2‐1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane‐κ2P:P′]di‐μ3‐iodido‐di‐μ2‐iodido‐[1‐(pyridin‐3‐yl)ethan‐1‐one‐κN]tetracopper(I) dichloromethane disolvate, [Cu4I4(C6H7NO)2(C27H26P2)2]·2CH2Cl2 (CuL3), and [μ2‐1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane‐κ2P:P′]di‐μ3‐iodido‐di‐μ2‐iodido‐[1‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethan‐1‐one‐κN]tetracopper(I), [Cu4I4(C6H7NO)2(C27H26P2)2] (CuL4), have been synthesized from reactions of CuI, 1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane (dppp) and 3‐ or 4‐acetylpyridine (3/4‐acepy). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Both complexes possess a stair‐step [Cu4I4] cluster structure with a crystallographic inversion centre located in the middle of a Cu2I2 ring (Z′ =). The dppp ligands each adopt a bidentate coordination mode that bridges two CuI centres on one side of the [Cu4I4] cluster and the acepy ligands act as terminal ligands. The solid‐state samples of similar complexes show highly efficiency thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) at room temperature. At ambient temperature, both CuL3 and CuL4 exhibit photoluminescence, with a maximum emission in the region 560–580 nm and with short emissive decay times, but only phosphorescence was observed at 77 K. The narrow gaps between the higher lying singlet state and the triplet state, ΔE(S1 − T1), also confirm the presence of TADF. Structure analysis and consideration of photoluminescence indicates that the position of the acetyl group on the heterocyclic ligand has an obvious influence on the structural arrangement, on intermolecular interactions and on the observed photophysical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great deal of fossil fuel is consumed due to enormous industrial and domestic activities. Meanwhile, massive emissions of CO2 have led to global warming. Replacing coal with natural gas will greatly decrease CO2 emissions. However, this requires cutting‐edge technologies to purify CH4. Polymeric membranes with both high permeability and high selectivity are preferred but there exists a trade‐off between them. To solve the problem, we incorporated the UiO‐66 and UiO‐66‐NH2 metal organic frameworks (MOFs) nanoparticles into a Tröger's base polymer, dimethylbiphenyl Tröger's base polymer (DMBPTB). The CO2 permeability of the UiO‐66/DMBPTB nanocomposite membranes increased by 13 folds with a marginal decrease in selectivity. Moreover, the composite membranes with amine‐functionalized UiO‐66 nanoparticles showed higher permeability and selectivity to the CO2/CH4 gas pair. The best gas separation performance was obtained for the composite membrane having 30 wt% UiO‐66‐NH2 nanoparticle, where the selectivity of CO2/CH4 was 18.0, and the CO2 permeability was 744 Barrer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf wetness duration (LWD) affects the ability of tree canopy to regulate eco‐hydrological processes. Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is one of the main plants with significant impact on water cycle process and flux characteristics in the Loess Plateau region of China. However, little is known about LWD in rainfed jujube plantations in the loess hilly region of China. For the causes of leaf wetness in rainfed jujube plantations, dew‐only, rain and the combined scenario were investigated in terms of LWD and meteorological variables for the 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018 jujube growing seasons. The results were as follows: The leaf wetness events occurred frequently, and the days of leaf wetness driven by dew‐only and rain accounted for 88.3% of the total number of days in a regular jujube growing season. LWD driven by dew‐only was significantly lower than that driven by rain (p < 0.05). The correlation between LWD and meteorological factors varied with different scenarios. In dew‐only scenario, the four calibrated models (RH, DPD, CART and NN) accurately predicted LWD. In rain scenario, only the calibrated NN model performed well. In the combined scenario, the calibrated RH, CART and NN empirical models performed nearly equally; all well estimated LWD. On the basis of accuracy, practicability and variable count, the calibrated RH, NN and RH models for dew‐only, rain and the combined scenario can reliably estimate LWD in rainfed jujube plantations in the loess hilly region of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solvent additives are known to modify the morphology of bulk heterojunction active layers to achieve high efficiency organic solar cells. However, the knowledge about the influence of solvent additives on the morphology degradation is limited. Hence, in operando grazing‐incidence small and wide angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS and GIWAXS) measurements are applied on a series of PffBT4T‐2OD:PC71BM‐based solar cells prepared without and with solvent additives. The solar cells fabricated without a solvent additive, with 1,8‐diiodoctane (DIO), and with o‐chlorobenzaldehyde (CBA) additive show differences in the device degradation and changes in the morphology and crystallinity of the active layers. The mesoscale morphology changes are correlated with the decay of the short‐circuit current Jsc and the evolution of crystalline grain sizes is codependent with the decay of open‐circuit voltage Voc. Without additive, the loss in Jsc dominates the degradation, whereas with solvent additive (DIO and CBA) the loss in Voc rules the degradation. CBA addition increases the overall device stability as compared to DIO or absence of additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We sought to compare alterations in serum bioenergetic markers within a well‐characterized sample of adults with schizophrenia at baseline and after 8 weeks of pharmacological treatment with the hypothesis that treatment would be associated with significant changes in bioenergetic markers given the role of bioenergetic dysfunction in schizophrenia. Methods: We recruited adults with schizophrenia (n = 122) who had not received pharmacological treatment for at least 1 month prior to enrollment, including drug‐naïve (i.e., first‐episode) participants and treatment non‐adherent participants. Pre‐ and post‐treatment serum samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Metabolites with the greatest change, when comparing pre‐ and post‐treatment levels, were identified revealing 14 water‐soluble metabolites of interest. The composition of these metabolites was: amino acids (n = 6), carnitines (n = 4), polar lipids (n = 3), and organic acid (n = 1). All amino acids and lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC) were increased, while the four carnitines – oleoylcarnitine, L‐palmitoylcarnitine, linoleyl carnitine, and L‐acetylcarnitine – were decreased post‐treatment. Of these metabolite biomarkers, six – oleoylcarnitine, linoleyl carnitine, L‐acetylcarnitine, LysoPC(15:0), D‐glutamic acid, and L‐arginine – were identified as having most consistently and predictably changed after 8 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: The current study identified several bioenergetic markers that consistently change with pharmacological treatment. These bioenergetic changes may provide further insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia along with furthering our understanding of the mechanisms subserving both the effects (e.g., antipsychotic effects) and side‐effects (e.g., metabolic syndrome) of antipsychotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CLE peptides have been implicated in various developmental processes of plants and mediate their responses to environmental stimuli. However, the biological relevance of most CLE genes remains to be functionally characterized. Here, we report that CLE9, which is expressed in stomata, acts as an essential regulator in the induction of stomatal closure. Exogenous application of CLE9 peptides or overexpression of CLE9 effectively led to stomatal closure and enhanced drought tolerance, whereas CLE9 loss‐of‐function mutants were sensitivity to drought stress. CLE9‐induced stomatal closure was impaired in abscisic acid (ABA)‐deficient mutants, indicating that ABA is required for CLE9‐medaited guard cell signalling. We further deciphered that two guard cell ABA‐signalling components, OST1 and SLAC1, were responsible for CLE9‐induced stomatal closure. MPK3 and MPK6 were activated by the CLE9 peptide, and CLE9 peptides failed to close stomata in mpk3 and mpk6 mutants. In addition, CLE9 peptides stimulated the induction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis associated with stomatal closure, which was abolished in the NADPH oxidase‐deficient mutants or nitric reductase mutants, respectively. Collectively, our results reveal a novel ABA‐dependent function of CLE9 in the regulation of stomatal apertures, thereby suggesting a potential role of CLE9 in the stress acclimatization of plants. CLE peptides have been implicated in various developmental processes of plants and mediate their responses to environmental stimuli. Here, we reported an essential role of CLE9 in the induction of stomatal closure. CLE9 stimulated stomatal closure in an ABA‐dependent manner, accompanied with H2O2/NO production. Further investigation revealed that OST1, SLAC1, and MPK3/MPK6 are required for CLE9‐mediated guard cell signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East China Sea Shelf Basin was a back‐arc basin located at the active continental margin of the western Philippine Sea Plate. This study explores facies and architectural changes from tide‐influenced deltas to tide‐dominated estuaries in transgressive–regressive cycles, as well as their controlling factors. Cores, wireline well‐logs and seismic data allow the sedimentary architectures and models of the depositional systems to be reconstructed. In the Xihu Depression of the East China Sea Shelf Basin, the stratigraphic sequences of the Eocene Pinghu Formation are interpreted to be dominated by repeated phases of deltaic progradation, but with intervening transgressive phases only thinly developed as bioturbated, open‐marine shelf deposits. The sequences of the overlying Oligocene Huagang Formation, in contrast, are interpreted as stacked, tide‐dominated estuary units, alternating with only poorly preserved regressive half‐cycles because of repeated, strong estuary down‐cutting. The intervening unconformity in the succession corresponds to the Yuquan tectonic movements, which triggered a change from extensional to compressional settings in the Xihu Depression. In the Late Eocene, extension of the Xihu Depression led to moderately high rates of subsidence (163 m Ma−1), and short‐term sea‐level falls led to multiple phases of deltaic progradations. After the Yuquan Movement, Early Oligocene compression brought overall lower rates of subsidence (110 m Ma−1), as well as sea‐level rise and stacked estuary development with significant tidal influence in the infill. The interaction of tectonics, sea‐level change and sediment supply determined the nature of the depositional systems on the shelf during the entire period, whereas the sedimentary processes were key to reworking and shaping the facies distribution, geomorphology and architectures in the back‐arc basin. This research provides an insight into spatial and temporal characterization of deltaic and estuarine systems, contributing to a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling a change in dominant coastline type, despite continued strong tidal influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study (registered with PROSPERO, CRD42018085967) compares the efficacy (i.e. pro‐cognitive effects) and acceptability of antidiabetic agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched from inception to January 15, 2018 for randomized controlled trials comparing antidiabetic agents with placebo and/or another active antidiabetic agent for the treatment of AD or MCI. Nineteen eligible studies (n = 4855) evaluating the effects of 6 different antidiabetic drugs (i.e. intranasal insulin, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, metformin, sitagliptin and liraglutide) were included. The results of 29 pairwise comparisons indicated that cognition was significantly improved in subjects treated with antidiabetic agents compared with placebo. Pioglitazone 15 to 30 mg demonstrated the greatest efficacy compared to placebo in network meta‐analysis. No significant differences in acceptability were identified when comparing agents with each other and with placebo. The current findings indicate a pro‐cognitive class effect of antidiabetic agents in AD/MCI. Other antidiabetic agents should also be investigated in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Some histone deacetylases (HDACs) promote tumor cell growth and pan‐ or selective HDAC inhibitors are active in some cancers; however, the pivotal HDAC enzyme and its functions in human diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remain largely unknown. Using NanoString nCounter assays, we profiled HDAC mRNA expression and identified HDAC6 as an upregulated HDAC family member in DLBCL tissue samples. We then found that HDAC6 plays an oncogenic role in DLBCL, as evidenced by its promotion of cell proliferation in vitro and tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanistically, the interaction between HDAC6 and HR23B downregulated HR23B expression, thereby reducing the levels of casitas B‐lineage lymphoma (c‐Cbl), an E3 ubiquitin ligase for hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), which resulted in the inhibition of MET ubiquitination‐dependent degradation. In addition, enhanced HDAC6 expression and decreased HR23B expression were correlated with poor overall survival rates among patients with DLBCL. Taken together, these results establish an HDAC6–HR23B–MET axis and indicate that HDAC6 is a potent promoter of lymphomagenesis in DLBCL. Thus, a therapeutic strategy based on HDAC6 inhibitors in combination with MET inhibitors is promising. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binder-free, nano-sized needlelike MnO2-submillimeter-sized reduced graphene oxide ( nMnO2-srGO) hybrid films with abundant porous structures were fabricated through electrophoretic deposition and subsequent thermal annealing at 500 °C for 2 h. The as-prepared hybrid films exhibit a unique hierarchical morphology, in which nMnO2 with a diameter of 20-50 nm and a length of 300-500 nm is randomly anchored on both sides of srGO. When evaluated as binder-free anodes for lithium-ion half-cell, the nMnO2-srGO composites with a content of 76.9 wt% MnO2 deliver a high capacity of approximately 1652.2 mA•h•g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A•g−1 after 200 cycles. The high capacity remains at 616.8 mA•h•g−1 ( ca. 65.1% capacity retention) at a current density as high as 4 A•g−1. The excellent electrochemical performance indicates that the nMnO2-srGO hybrid films could be a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries ( LIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The smooth and uniform polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) fibers, which have high adsorption capacities toward organic contaminants from nonaqueous systems, were successfully obtained by electrospinning. According to the N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, the surface area of the PIM-1 fibers was higher than that of the PIM-1 powder. The higher surface area of the fibers did not come from the interfiber pores but from intrafiber pores formed by the fast evaporation of the solvent in the electrospinning process. The PIM-1 fibers had more mesopores than the PIM-1 films. As a result, the adsorption rates of the dyes on the fibers were much higher than those on the dense films. We found that the adsorption data fitted perfectly with the pseudo-second-order model and intraparticle diffusion model. The adsorption mechanism between the dyes and PIM-1 was π-π interaction. Therefore, the dye could be desorbed from PIM-1 with toluene; this was a better π-electron-rich donor than the dye. In summary, we believe that the use of PIM-1 fibers for organic solvent recovery is a green, sustainable, and efficient method, and they have a great potential for industrial applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43475. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports synthesis and structure property studies of block copolyimides synthesized using diamino room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) as diamine monomers. Specifically, polyimide oligomers of different lengths were synthesized using 2,2- bis (3,4-carboxylphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) and diamino RTIL (1,3-di(3-aminopropyl) imidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl] imide). These oligomers were copolymerized with 6FDA and m-phenylenediamine (MDA) using in situ polymerization to form (6FDA-RTIL)-(6FDA-MDA) block copolyimides. The impact of the length and relative concentration of 6FDA-RTIL oligomer in the copolymer on the resulting thermal, physical, and gas transport properties was monitored. As the concentration of the 6FDA-RTIL segments increased, the backbone of the block copolyimides became more flexible resulting in a decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg) and an increase in the density. The permeabilities of the RTIL containing copolyimides were consistently lower than those of the base polyimide, 6FDA-MDA, with some increase in selectivities. Interestingly, the permeabilities of films produced with the low molecular weight oligomers were very different than those produced with same composition of the high molecular weight oligomers. This may be indicative of very different morphologies within these copolyimides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the distributed fault‐tolerant consensus problem for uncertain multi‐agent systems using adaptive protocol. A more general time‐varying actuator fault model is given, which includes loss of effectiveness, stuck, bias and outage fault. A new distributed adaptive control scheme is developed to compensate the effect of fault, multiple delayed state perturbations, mismatched parameter uncertainties and external disturbances on leader–follower multi‐agent systems. Based on the local state information of neighbouring agents, the adaptive updating protocol gains are adjusted online, which remove the assumption that the upper bounds of unknown uncertainty, delayed state perturbation and external disturbances should be known. Moreover, the consensus errors of leader–follower systems can asymptotically converge to zero. Finally, a simulation example is given to show the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Polyimide (PI) solvent-resistant nanofiltration (SRNF) membranes were prepared by a two-step method. The polyamic acid (PAA) precursor was synthesized first, and then PAA membranes were obtained via a non-solvent induced phase separation method. Finally, the PAAmembranes were transformed into PImembranes by the thermal imidizationmethod. The effectofmolecularweight of precursoronthestructure andperformanceofPImembraneswas investigated indetail. Inaddition, the influence of other processing parameters, such as evaporation time and immersion time in the coagulation bath, on the performance of PImembranes prepared from PAA with differentmolecular weights was also investigated. RESULTS: The results showed that the structure of PImembrane varied with PAAmolecularweight. The PI membranes prepared from lowmolecular weight PAA failed to form a defect-free membrane with enough strength, and resulted in high flux but low rejection. Accordingly, PI membranes processed from PAA with high molecular weight retain rejection higher than 90% of FCF with decreased flux. The results also indicated that the optimizedmolecularweight of PAAshould be between 1.23 105gmol-1 and 2.44 105gmol-1 to prepare defect-free PI membrane for nanofiltration. The results also showed that the performance of the PImembranes can be controlled by adjusting the evaporation time, immersion time, and also the operating pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The PAA molecular weight has a great effect on the morphology and performance of PI membranes. A suitable PAAmolecular weight is necessary for preparing defect-free PI nanofiltration membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new simple method to fabricate a highly active SERS substrate consisting of poly- m-phenylenediamine/polyacrylonitrile (PmPD/PAN) decorated with Ag nanoplates. The formation mechanism of Ag nanoplates is investigated. The synthetic process of the Ag nanoplate-decorated PmPD/PAN (Ag nanoplates@PmPD/PAN) nanofiber mats consists of the assembly of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of PmPD/PAN nanofibers as crystal nuclei followed by in situ growth of Ag nanoparticles exclusively into nanoplates. Both the reducibility of the polymer and the concentration of AgNO3 are found to play important roles in the formation and the density of Ag nanoplates. The optimized Ag nanoplates@PmPD/PAN nanofiber mats exhibit excellent activity and reproducibility in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) with a detection limit of 10−10 m, making the Ag nanoplates@PmPD/PAN nanofiber mats a promising substrate for SERS detection of chemical molecules. In addition, this work also provides a design and fabrication process for a 3D SERS substrate made of a reducible polymer with noble metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile method is described to synthesize a new family of solvent-responsive membranes whose response states can be not only tunable but also fixable via ultraviolet ( UV) irradiation induced crosslinking. The atom transfer radical polymerization ( ATRP) initiator 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide was first immobilized on the poly(ethylene terephthalate) ( PET) track-etched membrane followed by room-temperature ATRP grafting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) ( PHEMA) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate- co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (P( HEMA- co- DMAEMA)) respectively. The hydroxyl groups of PHEMA were further reacted with cinnamoyl chloride (a photosensitive monomer) to obtain photo-crosslinkable PET- g- PHEMA/ CA membrane and PET- g-P( HEMA/ CA- co- DMAEMA) membrane. The length of grafted polymer chains was controllable by varying the polymerization time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection and thermogravimetric analysis were employed to characterize the resulting membranes. The various membrane surface morphologies resulting from different states of the grafted chains in water and dimethylformamide were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. It was demonstrated that the grafted P( HEMA/ CA- co- DMAEMA) chains had more pronounced solvent responsivity than the grafted PHEMA/ CA chains. The surface morphologies of the grafted membranes could be adjusted using different solvents and fixed by UV irradiation crosslinking. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT pH-responsive polyethylene terephthalate (PET) track-etched membranes were synthesized by grafting 2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA) on the surface of the membrane via atom transfer radical polymerization. The controllability of grafting polymerization of HEMA on membrane surface is systematically investigated. The pH-responsive characteristics of PET- g-poly(2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate) (PHEMA) gating membranes with different grafted PHEMA chain lengths are measured by tracking the permeation of water solution with different pH values. The results show that the grafting polymerization is controllable, and the permeation of grafted membranes is affected by the grafted PHEMA chain lengths on the surface of membrane. The results also demonstrate that the grafted PET membranes exhibit reversible pH-response permeation to environmental pH values. Desired pH-responsive membranes are obtained by controlling the grafted PHEMA chain lengths via atom transfer radical polymerization method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40912. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Lignification‐associated phenolic acids are widely distributed in graminaceous plant cell walls. This study developed a rapid and sensitive reversed‐phase method for the simultaneous quantification of protocatechuic (PRA), vanillic (VA), ferulic (FA) and p‐coumaric (PCA) acids and investigated the relationship between these compounds and lignin contents in 13 fibrous feeds. RESULTS: The phenolic acids were identified at a column temperature of 15 °C in a single run, in which the wavelength was programmed at 260 nm for PRA and VA, then switched to 310 nm for FA and PCA determinations. Satisfactory precision, recovery, and linearity were obtained with this method. Among 13 feeds, PCA was most abundant, followed by FA, VA and PRA. Great variations in phenolic acid and lignin contents were found. FA content was much richer than PCA content in maize and wheat brans, and the highest PCA content occurred in maize stalks. Lignin content was correlated with proportions of FA (r = − 0.95) and PCA (r = 0.90) in the summed phenolic acids and the PCA:FA ratio (r = 0.91). CONCLUSION: The improved method appears to be useful for simultaneous quantification of target phenolic compounds. Both FA and PCA may be good indicators for plant cell wall lignification associated with feed digestibility. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual stimuli-responsive (pH and thermo) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) track-etched membrane has been prepared using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). First, ATRP initiator 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide was anchored onto the membrane surface. Then, 2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) were grafted onto the membrane surface using ATRP. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ATR-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the membrane structure and thermal properties; water flux measurement was used to investigate the double stimuli-responsive property of the obtained membrane. The results indicate that the PHEMA and PNIPAAm binary grafted PET track-etched membrane has double environmental responsiveness. This method provides a potential modification method for preparing functional membranes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY A uniform source-and-sink scheme was developed by Cao and Li [J. Chem. Phys. 133 (2010), 024106] to calculate the thermal conductivity of solid argon. Now, we aim to apply this scheme to the calculation of the self-diffusion coefficient. We divide the particles into equal halves, and label them with A or B. By exchanging the labels of individual atoms from the right and left half systems, we can produce an internal matter flux, and hence the internal matter source and sink can be realized. The density profile is piecewise quadratic throughout the system and the self-diffusion coefficient can be easily extracted from the mean densities of the right and left half systems rather than by fitting the density profile. In particular, this is a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method but established on an equilibrium system. The scheme is applied to calculate the self-diffusion coefficient by taking a Lennard-Jones fluid as a case, examining its homogeneity, convergence, label exchange interval, and dependence on density, temperature, and system size. The uniform source-and-sink scheme is demonstrated to be able to give accurate results with fast convergence. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 662-671. Abstract The NR2B subunit of NMDA receptor in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is up-regulated in viscerally hypersensitive (VH) rats induced by colonic anaphylaxis. It plays a critical role in modulation of ACC sensitization and visceral pain responses. Given the key role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in synaptic plasticity and behavior learning and memory, we hypothesize that phosphorylation of CaMKII binding to NR2B mediates visceral pain in VH states. We performed in vivo electroporation of CaMKII siRNA produced inhibition of colorectal distension-induced visceromotor response in the VH rats. The NR2B, CaMKII and P-CaMKII-Thr286 protein levels were increased in 180%, 220% and 304% fold in the post-synaptic density (PSD) fraction in VH rats separately. Western blotting following co-immunoprecipitation showed that P-CaMKII-Thr286 bound to NR2B in the PSD, which was increased to 267% of control in VH rats. Administration of CaMKII antagonist Antennapedia-CaMKIINtide suppressed visceromotor response in VH rats in parallel with decrease of NR2B levels and reduction of the NR2B-P-CaMKII-Thr286 protein complex in PSD. In conclusion, CaMKII is a critical signaling molecule in the ACC glutamatergic synaptic transmission and phosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr286, which binds to NR2B subunit at post-synaptic site, modulates visceral pain in viscerally hypersensitive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the preparation of polyimide solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes by a two-step method (casting the membrane first and then crosslinking by the thermal imidization method). The influences of polymer concentration, thickness of membranes, temperature of the imidization, phase inversion time and thermal imidization procedure were studied. The membranes with the highest rejection rate of Fast Green FCF (molecular weight 808.86 g mol−1) were prepared in the following conditions: polymer concentration 13 wt%, phase inversion time 1 h, membrane thickness 150 µm and thermal imidization procedure 200 °C for 2.5 h, 250 °C for 2 h and 300 °C for 2 h in a vacuum environment; the heating rate was 5 °C min−1. The membrane was stable in most of the solvents tested and the fluxes of some common solvents were equal to or higher than a number of commercial solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes. A much higher rejection of dyes in water than in methanol was observed in the filtration experiments and a new way to explain it was developed. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes which have pH modulated permeability have been prepared by anchoring the hydroxyl groups on the membrane surface with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide, followed by grafting with acrylic acid (AA) using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The obtained membranes were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectrometer (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TGA and the results showed that AA had been grafted onto the membrane surfaces successfully. Then the pH modulated permeability properties were tested by water flux measurement. All results show that the pH modulated permeability properties of a RC membrane can be obtained by surface-initiated ATRP. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that synthesized controlled thermoresponsive polyethylene terephthalate (PET) track-etched membranes by grafting N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) onto the membrane surface via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). It discusses the modification of the membrane surface, the surface initiated ATRP of NIPAAm, and the thermoresponsive permeability measurement of grafted membranes. Findings show that the grafting polymerization is an ATRP polymerization.

Surface functionalization of the plasma-pretreated polycarbonate (PC) track-etched membranes via plasma-induced thermally graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AAc) was carried out. The resulting PC membranes with grafted AAc side chains were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The morphology of the PC membranes was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the grafted PAAc polymers were formed uniformly inside the pores throughout the entire membrane thickness. With increase in the pore-filling ratio, the pore diameters of PAAc-grafted membranes became smaller. The PC-g-PAAc membranes exhibit rapid and reversible response of the flux to the environmental pH as pH is switched between 3 and 9. Between pH 3.5 and 5.5, the membranes demonstrate a pH-valve function as the carboxyl group changes from neutral to charged with a corresponding variation in chain configuration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]