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The Asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem (ATSP), as a branch of the traveling salesman problem, aims to find a group of circuits when a salesman travels all cities at the minimum cost and returns to the starting city under the condition of different round-trip costs between the two cities. Mayfly Algorithm (MA) is a swarm-based metaheuristic algorithm, which has been applied to many fields successfully. In this paper, we arrange all cities on the sphere. A Discrete Mayfly Algorithm (DMA) for solving spherical asymmetric traveling salesman problem is proposed. The algorithm applies inver-over operator, crossover operator and 3-opt operator to simplify the parameters of the algorithm, enrich the diversity of the population and enhance the local search ability. By experimenting, analyzing and comparing the effects of DMA and other metaheuristic algorithms in twelve scales, this study proves that the proposed algorithm is superior to others for the spherical ATSP, especially in high-dimensional cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C9H6Br6, hexagonal, P63/m (no. 176), a = 8.8911(3) Å, c = 10.6847(5) Å, V = 731.48(6) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0441, wRref(F2) = 0.1094, T = 293 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Light injury-induced apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells can lead to vision loss. The mechanism underlying such injury remains unclear, and there are no effective therapies at present. The aim of this study was to examine the potential antiapoptotic role of the cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) in retinal cells in a rat model of light-induced retinal damage. Methods CREG proteins were injected into the vitreous space of rats in which light retinal injury was induced. An equal volume of PBS was injected into the vitreous space of a control group. Retinas were collected for H&E staining and Western blotting analysis 1, 3, and 7 days later. Inhibitors or agonist for P38, JNK, and AKT were injected into the vitreous space to verify CREG function. Results In rats with light-induced retinal injury, the CREG treatment inhibited the expression of apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 and signaling proteins phosphorylated ERK (P-ERK), phosphorylated JNK (P-JNK), phosphorylated P38 (P-P38), and phosphorylated AKT (P-AKT). An inhibitor of PI3K-AKT and an agonists of P38 and JNK abrogated the inhibitory effect of CREG on caspase-3 expression. Conclusion CREG protected retinal cells against apoptosis by inhibiting P38/MAPK and JNK/MAPK signaling pathways and activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) of printing and dyeing wastewater remains as a daunting environmental issue, which is characterized by high salinity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), chroma and low biodegradability. In this study electro-oxidation process (PbO 2 /Ti electrode) coupled with oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) online monitor was applied to treat such a ROC effluent. The results show that with the increase of specific electrical charge (Q sp ), the removal efficiencies of COD, TN and chroma increased significantly at the incipience and then reached a gentle stage; the optimal total current efficiency (12.04 kWh m −3 ) was obtained with the current density of 10 mA cm −2 (Q sp , 3.0 Ah L −1 ). Meanwhile, some inorganic ions can be simultaneously removed to varying degrees. FTIR analyses indicated that the macromolecular organics were decomposed into smaller molecules. A multi-parameter linear relationship between ORP and Q sp , COD and Cl − concentration was established, which can quantitatively reflect the effect of current density, chloride ion concentration, pollutants and reaction time on the performance of the electro-oxidation system. As compared to a traditional constant-current system, the constant-ORP system developed in this study (through the back-propagation neural network [BPN] model with ORP monitoring) approximately reduced the energy cost by 24–29%. The present work is expected to provide a potential alternative in optimizing the electro-oxidation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric disorder with evidence of a strong genetic component in the complex etiologies. Some studies indicated that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor β2 subunit gene (GABRB2) was associated with SCZ. Other studies reported a negative association. Moreover, the results of two previous meta-analyses of GABRB2 with SCZ were inconsistent and the sample sizes were limited. Therefore, an updated meta-analysis combined with genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of the Han Chinese population and Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) was performed. Available case–control and family-based genetic data were extracted from association studies, and the GWAS data were included. The findings showed no association between six single-nucleotide polymorphisms of GABRB2 (rs6556547, rs1816071, rs1816072, rs194072, rs252944, and rs187269) and SCZ in a total of 51,491 patients and 74,667 controls. The ethnic subgroup analysis revealed no significant association in Asian populations. Since the PGC data of SCZ (SCZ-PGC, 2014) contained 3 studies of Asian populations (1866 patients and 3418 controls), only the data of European samples in SCZ-PGC were used for the meta-analysis of the Caucasian population in the present study. The result still showed no association in the Caucasian population. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis on combined data from GWASs of the Han Chinese population and PGC suggested that GABRB2 polymorphisms might not be associated with SCZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is characterized by pancytopenia and failure of hematopoietic function and is caused by excessive functioning of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). EBNA-1, a nucleoprotein of the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), can influence the proliferation and function of lymphocytes. We therefore tested the number of EBV copies in the CD8+ T cells of 27 patients with SAA and 10 healthy control subjects and observed the influences of EBNA-1 upon the CD8+ T cells of patients with SAA. The results showed that more EBV copies were found in the CD8+ T cells of patients with untreated SAA than in patients with SAA in remission or in the healthy control subjects. Their copy number was positively correlated with the expression of granzyme B and perforin, the secretion level of interferon-γ in CD8+ T cells, and the viability of CD8+ T cells, whereas no correlation was seen between the copy number and the interleukin 4 secretion level or the apoptosis rate. Meanwhile, the expression of granzyme B and perforin was reduced after EBNA-1 gene knockdown, whereas the interferon-γ secretion level and cell viability declined. Therefore, we infer that EBV infection may be a factor in the activation of CTLs and in damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function of patients with SAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under investigation in this paper is a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation, which describes nonlinear pulse propagation in optical fibers by retaining terms up to the next leading asymptotic order. Based on the Lax pair of the coupled NLS equation, we construct the determinant representation of the N -fold Darboux transformation(DT). Furthermore, by using the obtained N -fold DT, we obtain its higher-order soliton, breather and rogue wave solutions. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of these solutions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parametric modeling of aircrafts plays a crucial role in the aerodynamic design process. Effective parametric approaches have large design space with a few variables. Parametric methods that commonly used nowadays are summarized in this paper, and their principles have been introduced briefly. Two-dimensional parametric methods include B-Spline method, Class/Shape function transformation method, Parametric Section method, Hicks-Henne method and Singular Value Decomposition method, and all of them have wide application in the design of the airfoil. This survey made a comparison among them to find out their abilities in the design of the airfoil, and the results show that the Singular Value Decomposition method has the best parametric accuracy. The development of three-dimensional parametric methods is limited, and the most popular one is the Free-form deformation method. Those methods extended from two-dimensional parametric methods have promising prospect in aircraft modeling. Since different parametric methods differ in their characteristics, real design process needs flexible choice among them to adapt to subsequent optimization procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Positive cofactor 4 (PC4) participates in DNA damage repair and involved in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Our previous results demonstrated that knockdown of PC4 downregulated the expression of XRCC4‐like factor (XLF) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, the mechanism how PC4 regulates the expression of XLF remains unclear. Here, we found that knockdown of PC4 increased radiosensitivity of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found that PC4 knockdown downregulated the expression of XLF, whereas recovering XLF expression restored radioresistance in the PC4‐knockdown NSCLC cells. In addition, PC4 knockdown inhibited XLF expression by transcriptionally suppressing of XLF. Moreover, PC4 expression correlated with radiosensitivity and was an independent prognostic factor of progression‐free survival (PFS) in patients with NSCLC. These findings suggest that PC4 could be used as a promising therapeutic target for NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147), pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG) and CD44v6 are proteins involved in the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). To investigate the prognostic value of CD147 and PTTG, and CD44v6 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), tissue microarray specimens from 76 patients with ESCC were evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining and scored by intensity and proportion of positive areas. Expression levels of CD147, PTTG and CD44v6 were higher in tumor tissues than in matched adjacent tissues. CD147 expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.025) and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system clinical grades (P=0.037). CD147 expression was positively correlated with the expression levels of PTTG (R=0.369; P=0.001) and CD44v6 (R=0.320; P=0.005). In addition, Kaplan‑Meier analysis indicated that positive expression of CD147, PTTG and CD44v6 was significantly associated with poor overall survival times (P=0.045, P=0.014 and P=0.027, respectively). Patients exhibiting CD147‑PTTG co‑expression, CD147‑CD44v6 co‑expression and CD147‑PTTG‑CD44v6 triple‑positive expression had the poorest overall survival rates. In conclusion, the expression of EMT‑associated proteins, including CD147, PTTG and CD44v6, was significantly associated with poor survival in ESCC and these novel targets may serve as potential biomarkers for anticancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genipin, a natural compound derived from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, possesses numerous biological properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects of genipin in human bladder cancer. T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of genipin (0-200 μM) and tested for cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A xenograft model of bladder cancer was established to determine the anticancer effect of genipin in vivo. The involvement of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in the action of genipin was examined. Genipin treatment significantly inhibited the viability and clonogenic growth of bladder cancer cells and inhibited the growth of T24 xenograft tumors, compared with vehicle controls (P<0.05). Genipin-treated cells exhibited a cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1-phase, which was accompanied by a deregulation of numerous cell cycle regulators. Genipin-treated cells demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, Bax translocation to the mitochondria and the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol. Additionally, genipin treatment significantly (P<0.05) reduced the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt in bladder cancer cells. Importantly, genipin-mediated anticancer effects were reversed by the overexpression of constitutively active Akt. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study demonstrates for the first time the growth inhibitory effects of genipin in bladder cancer cells, and indicates its potential as a natural anticancer agent for bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current-voltage characteristics of Nb doped SrTiO 3 single crystals are detected at room temperatures. Results reveal that modifications of electrode configurations play a significant role on current-voltage behaviors. The asymmetric selector characteristics and symmetrical selector behaviors are the first reported in Nb doped SrTiO 3 single crystals, which can be controlled by changing electrode configurations. A new model of Ag nanofilament can explain selector characteristics. Ohmic and space charge limited current mechanisms controlled typical resistance switching behaviors with good cyclic properties are also observed. Schottky barrier electrical conduction mechanism related typical diode behaviors are observed, while voltage is applied on same top electrodes Au. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel approach to enhance the strains’ biodegradation of 4-chloronitrobenzene by utilizing the synergistic effect of the organic reductant mannitol and the substrate beef extraction. Our results demonstrate that 4-chloronitrobenzene could not be an available nitrogen source to support target strains’ growth, which induced the limited 4-chloronitrobenzene biodegradation. In addition, the organic reducing agent and substrate had a better synergistic effect than inorganic reducing agent and substrate to enhance the strains’ 4-chloronitrobenzene cometabolic biodegradation. Employing the synergistic effect of the optimal mixture (mannitol and beef extraction), the biodegradation rates of 50 mg L −1 4-chloronitrobenzene by seven of the ten target strains were enhanced up to 100% from previous removals of no more than 19.1% after 7 days. Three of the strains could even completely degrade 100 mg L −1 4-chloronitrobenzene while five strains degraded over 91.4%. The method has good potential to enhance bioremediation of various 4-Chloronitrobenzene-contaminated environments as mannitol and beef extraction are non-toxic to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation related phase transitions of 0.76Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.24PbTiO 3 single crystals are studied. Values of the relaxation parameters ( γ = 1.87–1.97) estimated from linear fits of the modified Curie-Weiss law indicate the relaxor nature. For (110) oriented single crystal, typical oxygen vacancies related high temperature dielectric relaxation behaviors are observed and analyzed. Orientations dependent electrocaloric effects of 0.76Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.24PbTiO 3 single crystals are first studied and reported, large reversible adiabatic temperature change (0.80 K) and isothermal entropy change (0.66 J K −1 kg −1 ) are observed. Giant refrigeration efficiency (43.52) and high electrocaloric coefficient (0.041 K cm kV −1 ) exceed the electrocaloric effect values in most bulk ferroelectrics in previous reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypersonic gliding vehicle is attracting an increasing attention because of its high lift-to-drag ratio and cruising velocity. This kind of vehicle may experience different airspaces as well as different speed environments. Based on the design theory of the cone-derived waverider, a novel design approach of the hypersonic gliding vehicle was proposed in this article, which is accommodated in a wide speed range. The parametric method employed in the ascender line design makes it possible to control the overall configuration of the vehicle, and there are four parameters chosen to describe the ascender line. The numerical approach has been employed to validate the property of this kind of HGV. By analyzing the pressure contour of the vehicles with different Mach numbers, we conclude that this kind of aircraft own good wave-ride properties in the designed speed range. Their aerodynamic performance makes a balance by comparing with the waveriders designed with the two ultimate speeds. Different design Mach number arrangements lead to different aerodynamic properties, and all of them seem to be suitable in the designed speed range. Therefore, this kind of vehicle is worth referring in the aircraft design. The simplified trajectory performance analysis is employed, and the vehicle is assumed to reentry with a given initial condition. With the angle of attack as well as the angle of slide is set to be zero. The CFD method obtained the aerodynamic coefficients of the vehicle at different speeds. The result shows a wavy trajectory with long range, which means that this kind of vehicle is suitable for long-distance transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon trading is an important market instrument and policy tool to promote China's practice of low-carbon energy conservation and strive to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. To improve market flow and respond to the national strategy to support the development of carbon trading in China, a smart carbon trading process optimization framework based on blockchain technology is developed in this article. First, the paper analyzes the current state of carbon trading in China's power sector and identifies the future development trend and barriers to carbon trading in China. Second, a framework for a smart carbon trading system based on the structure and traits of blockchain technology is created to optimize the carbon trading process. Third, the smart contract for the smart carbon trading system is built (including execution logic, transaction matching, contract fulfillment, and other elements). This mechanism measures the reputation of trading users. Finally, policy suggestions are provided to solve the current issues and challenges. According to the research conducted for this paper on "blockchain + carbon trading in China," carbon trading supported by blockchain technology can guarantee transaction security and efficiency, accurately preserve transaction records, and offer a high level of automated settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the long-span space structures, some seismic isolation methods of ordinary buildings are also gradually applied in these structures. The special feature of the long-span space structure is that the vertical seismic property cannot be ignored, in addition to considering the horizontal property under multi-dimensional earthquake action. This study proposes a novel multi-dimensional earthquake isolation and mitigation device (MEIMD) consisted of viscoelastic core bearing and viscoelastic damper. This device provides certain stiffness that can satisfy the load-bearing capacity requirement of the structure and strong energy dissipation ability in the horizontal and vertical seismic directions. A mathematical model is presented to characterize the mechanical behavior of the MEIMD. The device is installed at the top of the support column, which creates a seismic isolation layer between the column and the upper grid model. The shaking table tests of the long-span grid structure with and without MEIMD under horizontal seismic excitations of various intensities were carried out. The experimental results showed that the acceleration response peak value on the isolation structure was significantly reduced. The novel device has a good horizontal isolation effect on the grid structure. To determine the vertical and three-direction seismic isolation properties of the MEIMD on the grid structure, finite element models of the long-span grid structure with MIEMD and without MEIMD were established for dynamic time history analysis. The numerical results revealed that the dynamic responses of the isolation grid in horizontal and vertical directions have been decreased compared to the non-isolated structure. • Proposed a mechanical model of the novel MEIMD. • Performed shaking table tests of the grid structure with column top isolation. • The multi-directional vibration on structure is effectively controlled by MEIMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter and are widely present in water environments. Their unique surface structures can adsorb coexisting pollutants in the surrounding environment, such as antibiotics and metal ions, leading to compound pollution. The adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics under different environmental conditions (pH and salinity) was investigated. The Freundlich model fitted well at 25 °C, indicating that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by polyethylene microplastics was multilayered, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by polyethylene microplastics was physical. The kinetic adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics followed a pseudo-second-order mode. Heavy metals (Cu2+, Cr3+, Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+) affected the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by microplastics, which was related to the type and concentration of metal ions and the valence state of the ions. The acute toxicity of microplastics and the microplastic-ciprofloxacin-Cu2+ complex were evaluated using luminescent Photobacterium phosphoreum , demonstrating the polyethylene toxicity microplastic-ciprofloxacin-Cu2+ complex was mainly caused by Cu2+ and ciprofloxacin rather than microplastics. This study provides theoretical support for the environmental behavior and ecological effects of microplastics in aqueous environments. [Display omitted] • Ciprofloxacin adsorption on polyethylene microplastics is multilayered. • Adsorption kinetic shows a pseudo-second order pattern. • The concentration and valence of heavy metals influence the adsorption process. • Toxicity of complex pollutants are mainly caused by metal ions and ciprofloxacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Pseudoginsenoside-F11 ( PF11), an ocotillol-type ginsenoside, has been reported to exert wide-ranging neuroprotective properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and potential mechanisms of PF11 on the autophagic/lysosomal pathway following ischemic stroke. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion ( pMCAO). Cerebral ischemia outcome, TUNEL staining, Fluoro-Jade B staining were carried out 24 hours poststroke. The autophagic/lysosomal-related proteins were measured. Results A single administration of PF11 significantly decreased the infarct area, reduced the brain water content, and improved neurological functions, even 4 hours after the onset of pMCAO. Meanwhile, PF11 lessened the ischemic insult-mediated loss of neurons and activation of astrocytes and microglia. Furthermore, PF11 attenuated pMCAO-induced accumulations of autophagosomes and apoptosis. We further observed a remarkable effect of PF11 in reversing the ischemic insult-induced accumulation of autophagosomes ( LC3- II) and abnormal aggregation of autophagic proteins ( SQSTM1 and ubiquitin). Furthermore, PF11 was capable of improving lysosomal function and lysosome/autophagosome fusion following pMCAO, and this change was reversed by the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine. Also, the improvement of ischemic outcome and the antiapoptotic effect induced by PF11 was reversed by CQ. Conclusion These findings indicate that the autophagic flux is impaired in a rat model of pMCAO, and that PF11 exerts an excellent protective effect against ischemic stroke by alleviating autophagic/lysosomal defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cells are totipotent and competent to regenerate from differentiated organs. It has been known for six decades that cytokinin-rich medium induces shoot regeneration from callus cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. The homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) is essential for de novo establishment of the shoot stem cell niche in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that WUS-positive (WUS+) cells mark the shoot progenitor region during regeneration. A cytokinin-rich environment initially promotes the removal of the repressive histone mark H3K27me3 at the WUS locus in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Subsequently, the B-type ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORs (ARRs) ARR1, ARR2, ARR10, and ARR12, which function as transcriptional activators in the cytokinin signaling pathway, spatially activate WUS expression through binding with microRNA165/6-targeted HD-ZIP III transcription factors. Thus, our results provide important insights into the molecular framework for cytokinin-directed shoot regeneration and reveal a two-step mechanism for de novo activation of WUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death. Early studies based on samples of twins have linked the lifetime smoking practices to genetic predisposition. The flavin-containing monooxygenase ( FMO) protein family consists of a group of enzymes that metabolize drugs and xenobiotics. Both FMO1 and FMO3 were potentially susceptible genes for nicotine metabolism process. Methods In this study, we investigated the potential of FMO genes to confer risk of nicotine dependence via deep targeted sequencing in 2,820 study subjects comprising 1,583 nicotine dependents and 1,237 controls from European American and African American. Specifically, we focused on the two genomic segments including FMO1, FMO3, and pseudo gene FMO6P, and aimed to investigate the potential association between FMO genes and nicotine dependence. Both common and low-frequency/rare variants were analyzed using different algorithms. The potential functional significance of SNPs with association signal was investigated with relevant bioinformatics tools. Results We identified different clusters of significant common variants in European (with most significant SNP rs6674596, p = .0004, OR = 0.67, MAF_ EA = 0.14, FMO1) and African Americans (with the most significant SNP rs6608453, p = .001, OR = 0.64, MAF_ AA = 0.1, FMO6P). No significant signals were identified through haplotype-based analyses. Gene network investigation indicated that both FMO1 and FMO3 have a strong relation with a variety of genes belonging to CYP gene families (with combined score greater than 0.9). Most of the significant variants identified were SNPs located within intron regions or with unknown functional significance, indicating a need for future work to understand the underlying functional significance of these signals. Conclusions Our findings indicated significant association between FMO genes and nicotine dependence. Replications of our findings in other ethnic groups were needed in the future. Most of the significant variants identified were SNPs located within intronic regions or with unknown functional significance, indicating a need for future work to understand the underlying functional significance of these signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, enhanced exfoliation and large-scale delamination of two-dimensional (2D) Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene using etchant of HCl + LiF, instead of HF, in which both etching and intercalation were achieved in exfoliation process, were thoroughly investigated with the focus on the effects of two critical factors, reaction temperature and washing solution. Increasing etching temperature promotes the exfoliation process, i.e., the transformation from Ti 3 AlC 2 to multilayer Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, whereas simultaneously results in an aggravated surface oxidation of MXene layers formed after the extraction of Al. As a result, delamination ratio increases firstly and then decreases, and the samples etched at 35 °C show the highest delamination ratio. Compared with the distilled water, washing the exfoliation products using ethanol significantly improves the delamination ratio of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene by co-intercalation of larger alcohol molecule and more impurity ions and a large scale delamination of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene with a delamination ratio as high as 29.2% was obtained by simple sonication for 1 h, without additional intercalation step required, after washing using ethanol. The possible exfoliation reactions by HCl + LiF solution were proposed. Using the as-fabricated stable suspensions of delaminated Ti 3 C 2 T x flakes, flexible, free-standing Ti 3 C 2 T x papers with tailored thickness, hydrophilic surface and excellent conductivity, typically 2 × 10 5 S/m at 5 μm in thickness, were prepared. As anode for lithium ion batteries, the delaminated Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene obtained reversible capacities of 226.3 mAh g −1 , 137.9 mAh g −1 ,102.0 mAh g −1 and 47.9 mAh g −1 respectively at the current density of 100, 300, 1000 and 3000 mA g −1 , which are superior to those of the Ti 3 C 2 MXene prepared by conventional HF process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost all dental diseases are caused by biofilms that consist of multispecies communities. DJK-5, which is a short D-enantiomeric, protease-resistant peptide with broad-spectrum anti-biofilm activity, was tested for its effect on oral multispecies biofilms. Peptide DJK-5 at 10 μg/mL effectively prevented the growth of these microbes in culture media in a time-dependent manner. In addition to the prevention of growth, peptide DJK-5 completely killed both Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis suspended from biofilms after 30 minutes of incubation in liquid culture media. DJK-5 also led to the effective killing of microbes in plaque biofilm. The proportion of bacterial cells killed by 10 μg/mL of DJK-5 was similar after 1 and 3 days, both exceeding 85%. DJK-5 was able to significantly prevent biofilm formation over 3 days (P = 0.000). After 72 hours of exposure, DJK-5 significantly reduced and almost completely prevented plaque biofilm production by more than 90% of biovolume compared to untreated controls (P = 0.000). The proportion of dead biofilm bacteria at the 10 μg/mL DJK-5 concentration was similar for 1- and 3-day-old biofilms, whereby >86% of the bacteria were killed. DJK-5 was also able to kill >79% and >85% of bacteria, respectively, after one-time and three brief treatments of 3-day-old biofilms. The combination of DJK-5 and chlorhexidine showed the best bacterial killing among all treatments, with ~83% and >88% of bacterial cells killed after 1 and 3 minutes, respectively. No significant difference was found in the percentage of biofilm killing amongst three donor plaque samples after DJK-5 treatment. In particular, DJK-5 showed strong performance in inhibiting biofilm development and eradicating pre-formed oral biofilms compared to L-enantiomeric peptide 1018. DJK-5 was very effective against oral biofilms when used alone or combined with chlorhexidine, and may be a promising agent for use in oral anti-biofilm strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potamogeton is one of the most difficult groups to clarify in aquatic plants, which has an extensive range of interspecific morphological and ecological diversity. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is prevalent for phylogenetic analysis in plants. However, most researches demonstrate that ITS has a high percentage of homoplasy in phylogenetic datasets. In this study, eighteen materials were collected in Potamogeton from China and incongruence was shown between the rbcL and ITS phylogenies. To solve the discrepancy, we employed a novel barcode PHYB to improve resolution and accuracy of the phylogenetic relationships. The PHYB phylogeny successfully resolved the incongruence between the rbcL and ITS phylogenies. In addition, six hybrids were confirmed using PHYB, including P. compressus × P. pusillus, P. octandrus × P. oxyphyllus, P. gramineus × P. lucens, P. distinctus × P. natans, P. distinctus × P. wrightii, and S. pectinata × S. amblyophylla. Whereas, only one hybrid was identified (P. compressus × P. pusillus) by ITS, indicating that ITS homoplasy was present in Potamogeton and ITS was completely homogenized to one parental lineage. Thus, ITS might have limited utility for phylogenetic relationships in Potamogeton. It is recommended that a three-locus combination of chloroplast DNA gene, ITS and PHYB is potential to effectively reveal more robust phylogenetic relationships and species identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional class/shape function transformation (CST) approach is an analytical method, and it can define the geometrical shapes by a small number of parameters and it is refined to enhance the parametric ability in this study. The interface between the upper and lower surfaces is considered by introducing additional parametric items, and it will be no longer a flat plane. The inviscid engineering methods based on modified Newton theory and Prandtl–Meyer equation are employed to estimate the Hypersonic gliding vehicle's aerodynamic properties. The accuracies of these methods are also validated. In order to obtain vehicles with high lift-to-drag ratio as well as large volumetric efficiency, multi-objective optimization algorithm, NSGA-II, has been utilized. The obtained result shows that the Pareto front of the multi-objective problem based on the refined three-dimensional CST method is in front of the Pareto front based on the original three-dimensional CST method, and this implies that the refined method can find configurations with better performance than the original one. One of the configurations on the Pareto front has been analyzed, and its aerodynamic performance has been studied by both panel method and the CFD method. The results show that the obtained configuration owns outstanding aerodynamic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the plasma levels of six adipokines, including chemerin, omentin-1, lipocalin-2, cathepsin-S, cathepsin-L and adipsin, in patients with SLE. Methods Ninety SLE patients and ninety control subjects were recruited, plasma adipokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their associations with major clinical and laboratory indexes were analyzed. Results There were no significant differences in plasma chemerin, omentin-1, lipocalin-2, cathepsin-S, cathepsin-L and adipsin levels between SLE patients and controls. Further subgroup analyses by major clinical and laboratory indexes showed that plasma omentin-1 level was significantly lower in SLE patients without nephritis when compared with those patients with nephritis ( P = 0.002). Plasma chemerin, cathepsin-S levels in SLE patients without nervous system disorder were significantly lower in comparison with SLE patients with nervous system disorder ( P = 0.035, P = 0.029). No significant associations of other adipokines with any major clinical and laboratory indexes were observed. Conclusions Plasma levels of chemerin, omentin-1, lipocalin-2, cathepsin-S, cathepsin-L and adipsin in SLE patients were not markedly different from the normal controls. The presence of nephritis was connected with higher plasma omentin-1 levels in SLE patients, and the presence of nervous system disorder was associated with higher plasma chemerin, cathepsin-S levels in SLE patients. However, functional studies are awaited to further explore the potential roles of these cytokines in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting fluids are the most effective method to lower the cutting temperature and decrease the cutting tool wear. At the same time, the cutting fluids influence the corrosion resistance property of the machined surface. In this study, chlorinated paraffin (CP), which is a common additive in the cutting fluid, was selected as the research objective to study its corrosion resistance property. The passivation effect of CP with different concentrations on the machined surface of stainless steel was studied. Electrochemical measurements and surface morphology investigation were used to characterize the passivation effect of CP with different concentrations. The test results showed that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel in the cutting fluid was enhanced with the increase in CP additive. This reason is that the charge transfer resistance increases and the corrosion current density decreases with the increase in CP additive. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the proportion of metal oxides on the processed surface of the stainless steel sample was increased from 20.4% to 22.0%, 32.9%, 26.6%, and 31.1% after adding 1 mL, 2 mL, 4 mL and 6 mL CP in the cutting fluid with a total volume of 500 mL, respectively. The oxidation reaction between CP and the stainless steel sample resulted in an increase in metal oxides proportion, which prevented the stainless steel sample from corrosion in cutting fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PMP membranes prepared via NIPS under a wide range of conditions showed great air permeability. [Display omitted] • The addition of appropriate amount of non-solvent to the casting solution improved the air permeability. • The evaporation step at low temperature led to robust membranes with high air permeability. • Extending the evaporation time of the wet membranes increased the mechanical strength and air permeability. • The lower coagulation temperature contributed to a high air permeability. Poly 4-methyl-1-pentene (PMP) membranes are often used in gas separation and membrane oxygenators in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Considering the high energy consumption of thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method, in this article, PMP membranes were prepared via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) under wide preparation conditions. The phase separation behavior of PMP/cyclohexane/alcohol system, effects of non-solvent additive in casting solution, evaporation temperature (0 ℃ − 60 ℃), evaporation time and coagulation temperature (-10 ℃ − 20 ℃) on the membrane structure and air permeability of PMP membranes were studied. The results showed that, the addition of appropriate amount of non-solvent to the casting solution effectively improved the air permeability. The evaporation step at low temperature led to robust membranes with high air permeability. Extending the evaporation time of the wet membranes increased the mechanical strength and air permeability. The lower coagulation temperature also contributed to a higher air permeability. The prepared PMP membranes showed great promises for applications in membrane oxygenators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study the dynamic properties of the transformed nonlinear waves of the six-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The breather wave of the equation is obtained based on the Darboux transformation. In order to study the state transition, we give the transition conditions of the breather wave. Based on this transition condition, the breather wave is transformed into various types of nonlinear waves, including W-shaped solitons, M-shaped solitons, multi-peak solitons, oscillation solitons, etc. Furthermore, the oscillation properties of these transformed nonlinear waves are analyzed. Finally, these transformed nonlinear waves are graphically presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost methanol reforming to hydrogen has been the emphasis of development in the field of energy and environment all the time. Considering that the application bottleneck of the mainstream noble metal catalysts that are expensive and difficult to be recycled, a series of recyclable NiO/NaF catalysts were prepared for methanol steam reforming to hydrogen. And the selectivity, stability and recycling performance were comprehensively studied. Experimental results displayed that the NiO/NaF catalysts were able to efficiently steam reforming methanol to hydrogen. The 6%NiO/NaF catalyst possessed better hydrogen production performance, achieving 94% methanol conversion, 100% H 2 selectivity and 30 h stable operation under 450 °C. Moreover, the hydrogen production performance of the recycled 6%NiO/NaF catalyst was restored to the initial level of the fresh catalyst. Comprehensive characterization analysis confirmed that methanol steam reforming over NiO/NaF catalysts with dense structure was a surface fast reaction process. The Ni–O bonds were weakened by the strong interaction of NaF with NiO, making this catalyst had excellent low-temperature redox properties. Ni0 was the main active component, and the surface hydroxyl oxygen participated in and promoted methanol steam reforming. The formation and adsorption decomposition of methoxy group were the rate-determining steps in this reaction. [Display omitted] • NiO/NaF can efficiently steam reforming methanol to hydrogen. • Methanol steam reforming over NiO/NaF is a rapid surface reaction process. • Hydrogen production performance of recycled NiO/NaF reaches initial fresh level. • Surface hydroxyl oxygen participates in and promotes methanol steam reforming. • Methoxy formation and adsorption decomposition are the rate-determining steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases and cytokines play a pivotal role in the regulation of immune response. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) are anti-inflammatory cytokines and several polymorphisms of them have been proved involved in periodontal disease. This study aimed to evaluate whether three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2070874 and rs2243248 from IL4 and rs1800925 from IL13, are associated with CP in a Han Chinese population consisting of 440 moderate or severe CP patients and 324 healthy controls. Genomic DNA extracted from buccal epithelial cells of the included participants were genotyped using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry method. No significant association between rs2070874 or rs1800925 and CP was found, while the frequencies of rs2243248 and two haplotypes C-G-T and C-T-T showed significant differences between the two groups. The results suggest that the polymorphism rs2243248 and haplotypes C-G-T and C-T-T may be associated with CP susceptibility in the present Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility of 2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-hexanitrostilbene (HNS) in binary solvents of (N,N-dimethylformamide + acetonitrile) was measured using a laser monitoring observation technique. In this study, the solubility of HNS in (DMF + CAN) mixtures was measured over the temperature range from (298.15 to 338.15) K under atmospheric pressure. From the experimental results, the solubility of HNS in DMF was found to increase with increasing temperature and mass fraction of DMF. The experimental values were correlated with the CNIBS/R–K model, modified Apelblat equation and Jouyban–Acree model. The effect of solvent composition and temperature on the solubility was discussed. The standard dissolution enthalpy, standard dissolution entropy and the Gibbs energy were calculated according to the experimental solubility data. The solubility data, correlation equations and thermodynamic property obtained from this study would be invoked as basic data and models regarding the crystallization process of HNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), much larger image datasets are routinely acquired compared to what was possible using the previous generation of time-domain OCT. Thus, there is a critical need for the development of three-dimensional (3D) segmentation methods for processing these data. We present here a novel 3D automatic segmentation method for retinal OCT volume data. Briefly, to segment a boundary surface, two OCT volume datasets are obtained by using a 3D smoothing filter and a 3D differential filter. Their linear combination is then calculated to generate new volume data with an enhanced boundary surface, where pixel intensity, boundary position information, and intensity changes on both sides of the boundary surface are used simultaneously. Next, preliminary discrete boundary points are detected from the A-Scans of the volume data. Finally, surface smoothness constraints and a dynamic threshold are applied to obtain a smoothed boundary surface by correcting a small number of error points. Our method can extract retinal layer boundary surfaces sequentially with a decreasing search region of volume data. We performed automatic segmentation on eight human OCT volume datasets acquired from a commercial Spectralis OCT system, where each volume of datasets contains 97 OCT B-Scan images with a resolution of (each B-Scan comprising 512 A-Scans containing 496 pixels); experimental results show that this method can accurately segment seven layer boundary surfaces in normal as well as some abnormal eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the changes of chlorine species and proportion of organic chloramines during the chlorination process after UV irradiation pretreatment in drinking water. It was found that the UV pretreatment could enhance the percentage of organic chloramines by increasing free chlorine consumption in the chlorination of raw waters. The percentage of organic chloramines in total chlorine increased with UV intensity and irradiation time in raw waters. However, for the humic acid synthesized water, the percentage of organic chloramines increased first and then decreased with the increase of UV irradiation time. The value of SUVA declined in both raw and humic acid synthesized waters over the UV irradiation time, which indicated that the decomposition of aromatic organic matter by UV could be a contributor to the increase of free chlorine consumption and organic chloramine proportion. The percentage of organic chloramines during chlorination of raw waters after 30-min UV irradiation pretreatment varied from 20.2% to 41.8%. Total chlorine decreased obviously with the increase of nitrate concentration, but the percentage of organic chloramines increased and was linearly correlated to nitrate concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used atomic force microscopy ( AFM), complemented with electron microscopy, to characterize the nanoscale and mesoscale structure of the outer (periclinal) cell wall of onion scale epidermis - a model system for relating wall structure to cell wall mechanics. The epidermal wall contains ~100 lamellae, each ~40 nm thick, containing 3.5-nm wide cellulose microfibrils oriented in a common direction within a lamella but varying by ~30 to 90° between adjacent lamellae. The wall thus has a crossed polylamellate, not helicoidal, wall structure. Montages of high-resolution AFM images of the newly deposited wall surface showed that single microfibrils merge into and out of short regions of microfibril bundles, thereby forming a reticulated network. Microfibril direction within a lamella did not change gradually or abruptly across the whole face of the cell, indicating continuity of the lamella across the outer wall. A layer of pectin at the wall surface obscured the underlying cellulose microfibrils when imaged by FESEM, but not by AFM. The AFM thus preferentially detects cellulose microfibrils by probing through the soft matrix in these hydrated walls. AFM-based nanomechanical maps revealed significant heterogeneity in cell wall stiffness and adhesiveness at the nm scale. By color coding and merging these maps, the spatial distribution of soft and rigid matrix polymers could be visualized in the context of the stiffer microfibrils. Without chemical extraction and dehydration, our results provide multiscale structural details of the primary cell wall in its near-native state, with implications for microfibrils motions in different lamellae during uniaxial and biaxial extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safety of drinking water with enough residual chlorine, a part of residual chlorine named “ineffective chlorine” was uniquely identified and quantified by NaAsO 2 selective quenching method. NaAsO 2 showed a weak reducibility and was easier to be controlled compared to other common quenchers including NaHSO 3 , ascorbic acid, Na 2 SO 3 and Na 2 S 2 O 3 . Due to the different oxidizing abilities among the species in total residual chlorine, NaAsO 2 can selectively and completely quench the strong oxidizing residual chlorine parts (free chlorine, NH 2 Cl, NHCl 2 and some organic chloramines) but leave the weak or no oxidizing parts for the quantification as ineffective chlorine. During the chlorination of Suwannee River humic acid, ineffective chlorine formation increased from <0.02 to 0.08 mg/L (as Cl 2 ) as the dissolved organic carbon of humic acid increased from 0 to 15 mg-C/L. Finished water samples from three drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and one tap water sample were collected to examine the presence of ineffective chlorine. The quantified ineffective chlorine ranged from 3.3% to 27.8% of the total residual chlorine. Formation of ineffective chlorine was positively correlated with the dissolved organic nitrogen concentration in drinking water. As the reaction time increased from 4 to 48 h, the ineffective chlorine in the finished water from DWTP1 (water source: Yangtze River) was fairly stable at 0.15 mg/L as Cl 2 , and its proportion in total residual chlorine increased from 27.8% to 78.9%. The ineffective chlorine was verified to be much weaker than free chlorine, NH 2 Cl and NHCl 2 in Escherichia coli inactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaSrNbO lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the sol-gel method, they were sintered at different temperatures with or without protective atmosphere. The influences of sintering temperature and protective atmosphere on the characterization and properties of the ceramics were investigated. All the ceramics showed the pure tungsten bronze structure and an intermediate relaxor-like behaviour between normal and ideal relaxor ferroelectrics according to the modified Curie-Weiss law. The sintering temperature affected significantly the properties of ceramics, with the sintering temperature increased both with and without protective atmosphere, the ε, d, K and P of these ceramics initially increased and decreased finally, whereas the variation of Q and E showed the opposite tendency. Furthermore, the protective atmosphere also significantly affected the properties of these ceramics, ε, d, K and P of such ceramics sintered with protective atmosphere were superior to those of the ceramics sintered without protective atmosphere, while the tan δ, Q and E gave the contrary results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various kinds of switches exhibit significant function in the field of pulse power. Among them Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch (PCSS) stands out because of its numerous advantages, such as low time jitter, fast response, high repetition rate, compact size, easy integration and so on. Laser Diode (LD) is small in size, low-cost and can be easily integrated compared with traditional laser devices. Waveguide tube is a kind of laser transmission device. By using LDs which emits laser pulse with a dominant wavelength of 905 nm and a waveguide tube, three different shapes of laser spot are obtained to trigger a semi-insulating GaAs PCSS which has vertical structure. Laser energy and laser power are fixed to 1 μJ and 33.3 W separately. As the illuminating area on the PCSS differs with different shapes of laser spot, the influences of average trigger energy per unit area to the output characteristics of the PCSS are studied. The experiment results demonstrate that not only the total trigger energy but also the energy density influences the characteristics of PCSS. This paper presents related experiment results, and some further discussions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Although RNA expression data are accumulating at a remarkable speed, gaining insights from them still requires laborious analyses, which hinder many biological and biomedical researchers. This report introduces a visual analytics framework that applies several well-known visualization techniques to leverage understanding of an RNA expression dataset. Our analyses on glycosaminoglycan-related genes have demonstrated the broad application of this tool, anexVis (analysis of RNA expression), to advance the understanding of tissue-specific glycosaminoglycan regulation and functions, and potentially other biological pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series of dihydrotriazine derivatives bearing 5-aryloxypyrazole moieties were identified as novel anticancer agents. [Display omitted] • Compound 10e displayed better activity than commercial drugs (5-Fu), with an IC 50 value of 2.12 µM for HepG-2 cells. • Compound 10e could enhance the expression of Cl-PARP, Cl-caspase-3 and Cl-caspase-9. • 10e triggered the formation of autophagosomes by promoting the expression of LC3-II and Beclin-1. A series of dihydrotriazine derivatives bearing 5-aryloxypyrazole moieties were designed, and their anticancer activities against three human cancer cell lines (SGC-7901, HepG-2 and MCF-7) and one non-cancer cell line (LO2) were explored using the MTT assay in vitro. Most of the compounds exhibited potent antiproliferative activities against the three cancer cell lines, with compound 10e (IC 50 = 2.12 µM) exhibiting the most potent antiproliferative activity against HepG-2 cells. Interestingly, autophagy was observed in the 10e -treated HepG-2 cells. Compound 10e also increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and resulted in marked HepG-2 cells apoptosis. Further studies revealed that compound 10e could enhance the expression of Cl-PARP, Cl-caspase-3, and Cl-caspase-9. In addition, 10e triggered the formation of autophagosomes by promoting LC3-II and Beclin-1 expression. These results might be useful for exploring and developing dihydrotriazine derivatives as novel anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a new study by [1], comparative transcriptome analysis resulted in the discovery of a positive regulator of wheat rust susceptibility that modulates amino acid metabolism. Wheat yellow rust and stem rust are two of the most economically damaging diseases of wheat worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), a receptor tyrosine kinase, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cancers. The small molecule ceritinib can overcome drugresistance mutations that are observed in crizotinib-resistant patients, although the detailed mechanism for this ability of ceritinib remains elusive. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of six systems (including the apo ALK, the wild-type ALK–ceritinib complex, as well as four complexes of ceritinib with the I1171T, L1196M, S1206Y, and G1269A mutants of ALK, respectively) together with the subsequent molecular mechanics–generalized Born/surface area binding free energy calculations were performed to answer this question. Principal component analysis and domain crosscorrelation analysis of MD trajectories revealed that ceritinib binding stabilized the conformational dynamics of both the wild-type and the four mutated ALKs as compared to the apo ALK. Moreover, the mutations had subtle effects on the conformation of ALK compared to that of the wild-type ALK. Importantly, binding free energy calculations demonstrated that, compared its effect on the wild-type ALK, ceritinib showed slightly increased potency towards the I1171T, L1196M, S1206Y, and G1269A mutants. Therefore, the binding of ceritinib to the four mutants can overcome crizotinibresistant mutations. These data provide a structural and energetic explanation of how ceritinib overcomes mutationinduced drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the power allocation of the physical layer and the buffer delay of the upper application layer in energy harvesting green networks. The total power required for reliable transmission includes the transmission power and the circuit power. The harvested power (which is stored in a battery) and the grid power constitute the power resource. The uncertainty of data generated from the upper layer, the intermittence of the harvested energy, and the variation of the fading channel are taken into account and described as independent Markov processes. In each transmission, the transmitter decides the transmission rate and the allocated power from the battery, and the rest of the required power will be supplied by the power grid. The objective is to find an allocation sequence of transmission rate and battery power to minimize the long-term average buffer delay under the average grid power constraint. A stochastic optimization problem is formulated accordingly to find such transmission rate and battery power sequence. Furthermore, the optimization problem is reformulated as a constrained Markov decision process (MDP) problem whose policy is a 2-D vector with the transmission rate and the power allocation of the battery as its elements. We prove that the optimal policy of the constrained MDP can be obtained by solving the unconstrained MDP. Then, we focus on the analysis of the unconstrained average-cost MDP. The structural properties of the average optimal policy are derived. Moreover, we discuss the relations between elements of the 2-D policy. Next, based on the theoretical analysis, the algorithm to find the constrained optimal policy is presented for the finite-state-space scenario. In addition, heuristic policies (two deterministic policies and a mixed policy) with low complexity are given for the general state space. Finally, simulations are performed under these policies to demonstrate their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The hallmark of Lynch syndrome involves germline mutations of genes important in DNA mismatch repair. Affected family kindreds will have multiple associated malignancies, the most common of which is colorectal adenocarcinoma. Recently, evidence has shown that clinical diagnostic criteria provided by the Amsterdam Criteria and the Bethesda Guidelines must be linked with microsatellite instability testing to correctly diagnose Lynch syndrome. We present a case of metachronous colorectal adenocarcinomas in a patient less than 50 years of age, followed by a discussion of Lynch syndrome, with an emphasis on surveillance and prevention of malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cells are totipotent and competent to regenerate from differentiated organs. It has been shown that two phytohormones, auxin and cytokinin, play critical roles within this process. As in animals, the regenerative capacity declines with age in plants, but the molecular basis for this phenomenon remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an age-regulated microRNA, miR156, regulates shoot regenerative capacity. As a plant ages, the gradual increase in miR156-targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors leads to the progressive decline in shoot regenerative capacity. In old plants, SPL reduces shoot regenerative capacity by attenuating the cytokinin response through binding with the B-type ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORs, which encode the transcriptional activators in the cytokinin signaling pathway. Consistently, the increased amount of exogenous cytokinin complements the reduced shoot regenerative capacity in old plants. Therefore, the recruitment of age cues in response to cytokinin contributes to shoot regenerative competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

( Pb1− x Ba x) ZrO3 ( x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1) ceramics were synthesized by a traditional solid-state reaction method, and the pure phase was obtained of all sintered samples. For all compositions, substitution of Pb2+ by Ba2+ reduced the phase transition temperature of antiferroelectric to ferroelectric and Curie temperature. Polarization-electric field hysteresis loops were conducted and typical ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed in higher temperature range. Impedance and dielectric measurements were studied on the high temperature relaxation. Relaxation behavior could be suppressed after annealing treatment in oxygen atmosphere. Value of activation energy calculated from impedance was lower than that calculated from conduction measurements. It was concluded that short-range hopping of oxygen vacancy contributes to the dielectric relaxation and long-distance movement of doubly ionized oxygen vacancies contributes to the conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]