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Cascade reactions catalyzed by multi-enzyme systems are important in science and industry and can be used to synthesize drugs and nutrients. In this study, two types of macromolecules of bi-enzyme self-assembly clusters (BESCs) consisting of carbonyl reductase (CpCR) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) were examined. Stereoselective CpCR and GDH were successfully fused with SpyCatcher and SpyTag, respectively, to obtain four enzyme modules, namely: SpyCatcher-CpCR, SpyCatcher-GDH, SpyTag-CpCR, and SpyTag-GDH, which were covalently coupled in vitro to form two types of hydrogel-like BESCs: CpCR-SpyCatcher-SpyTag-GDH and GDH-SpyCatcher-SpyTag-CpCR. CpCR-SpyCatcher-SpyTag-GDH showed a better activity and efficiently converted ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenylbutyrate (OPBE) to ethyl(R)2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoate ((R)-HPBE), while regenerating NADPH. At 30 °C and pH 7, the conversion rate of OPBE with CpCR-SpyCatcher-SpyTag-GDH as a catalyst reached 99.9%, with the ee% of (R)-HPBE reaching above 99.9%. This conversion rate was 2.4 times higher than that obtained with the free bi-enzyme. The pH tolerance and temperature stability of the BESCs were also improved compared with those of the free enzymes. In conclusion, bi-enzyme assemblies were docked using SpyCatcher/SpyTag to produce BESCs with a special structure and excellent catalytic activity, improving the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(R)-1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanamine, a key chiral intermediate of selective tetrodotoxin-sensitive blockers, was efficiently synthesized by a bienzyme cascade system formed by with R-ω-transaminase (ATA117) and an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) co-expression system. Herein, we report that the use of ATA117 as the biocatalyst for the amination of 3,5-bistrifluoromethylacetophenone led to the highest efficiency in product performance (enantiomeric excess > 99.9%). Moreover, to further improve the product yield, ADH was introduced into the reaction system to promote an equilibrium shift. Additionally, bienzyme cascade system was constructed by five different expression systems, including two tandem expression recombinant plasmids (pETDuet-ATA117-ADH and pACYCDuet-ATA117-ADH) and three co-expressed dual-plasmids (pETDuet-ATA117/pET28a-ADH, pACYCDuet-ATA117/pET28a-ADH, and pACYCDuet-ATA117/pETDuet-ADH), utilizing recombinant engineered bacteria. Subsequent studies revealed that as compared with ATA117 single enzyme, the substrate handling capacity of BL21(DE3)/pETDuet-ATA117-ADH (0.25 g wet weight) developed for bienzyme cascade system was increased by 1.50 folds under the condition of 40 °C, 180 rpm, 0.1 M pH9 Tris-HCl for 24 h. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first report demonstrating the production of (R)-1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanamine using a bienzyme cascade system, thus providing valuable insights into the biosynthesis of chiral amines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are important parts of innovation ecosystems, and university technology transfer (UTT), which aims for the sustainable commercialization of sci-tech achievements, is closely related to other actors in the ecosystem. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in mainland China, this paper empirically analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of UTT levels from 2011 to 2019 and estimates the influencing factors using the spatial Durbin model (SDM) with an economic spatial weighting matrix from the perspective of innovation ecosystems. The results are presented as follows: (1) Although the overall level of UTT in China is low, it shows an upward trend in most provinces. In addition, the interprovincial gap is obvious, forming a ladder distribution of UTT levels increasing from west to east. (2) There is a significant spatial autocorrelation between UTT levels in the provinces. (3) Industry, economy, and informatization play significant roles in promoting UTT, while financial institutes and openness have significant inhibitory effects. The economy has a significant spatial spillover effect on UTT, while government, industry and informatization have a significant inhibitory effect on UTT in neighboring regions. (4) The direct and indirect effects of influencing factors in the Eastern Region and other regions show significant spatial heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In anurans, the complexity of courtship calls may affect female mate choice. The current study suggests that nonlinear phenomena (NLP) components can contribute to increasing complexity in courtship calls and attracting female attention. The results of a recent study showed that calls of large odorous frog (Odorrana graminea) contained NLP components. However, whether the nonlinear components of courtship calls in O. graminea improve male attractiveness remains unknown. We hypothesized that female O. graminea would prefer males producing calls with a higher proportion of NLP components (P‐NLP‐C). To test this hypothesis, we recorded the advertisement calls of 28 males and confirmed that the P‐NLP‐C was significantly positively related to body size. We also measured the body size of natural amplectant males and non‐amplectant males in the field and found that amplectant males had larger body sizes than non‐amplectant males, and the results of two‐choice amplexus experiments similarly revealed a female preference for males with larger body sizes. Additionally, phonotaxis experiments also revealed that females preferred male calls with a high P‐NLP‐C. The results suggest that a higher P‐NLP‐C in calls can enhance male attractiveness, and the P‐NLP‐C may provide key information about male body conditions for female O. graminea. Our study provides a new insight for better understanding the role of NLP in anuran mate selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing a closed-loop supply chain in the appliance industry offers great practical significance given the characteristics of remanufacturing the decomposed parts of end-of-life electrical and electronic products. However, only few studies have analyzed the integration of a closed-loop supply chain for such products. To characterize this supply chain, find a suitable recovery mode, and determine its pricing strategy, a closed-loop supply chain with a manufacturer, retailer, third party recycling center, and consumers was designed. Afterward, a new joint recovery mode conducted by a retailer and third party recycling center was determined, and some pricing decision models under different mechanisms were built. Finally, corresponding operations management strategies were proposed by comparing pricing decision strategies under the cooperative and non-cooperative mechanisms based on game theory and optimization theory. The results demonstrate that the optimal selling price of each member enterprise under different mechanisms is the decreasing function of the sensitivity coefficient of consumers to selling price. Meanwhile, the overall profit of a closed-loop supply chain under different mechanisms gradually increases along with the proportion of remanufactured parts in end-of-life electrical and electronic products that can be directly used in remanufacturing. Moreover, Adopting different remanufacturing strategies under various operating mechanisms can differentiate the levels of profit. The proposed joint recovery mode is generally supportive of transaction cost theory, and the pricing strategy under different mechanisms is expected to have practical implications for enterprises to improve their operation benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five polysaccharides, namely ADPs-1a, ADPs-1b, ADPs-2, ADPs-3a and ADPs-3b, were extracted from Angelicae dahuricae Radix, purified, and identified by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPSEC), gas chromatography (GC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR), including the determination of procoagulant activity in vitro. The average molecular weight ( Mw) of the polysaccharides was 153,800, 8312, 111,700, 3766 and 96,680 g/mol, respectively. Coagulation assays indicated that ADPs-1b, ADPs-2, ADPs-3a and ADPs-3b had procoagulant activities. ADPs-1b exerted the procoagulant activities through intrinsic pathway, extrinsic pathway and increased the content of FIB in vitro. ADPs-2 exerted the procoagulant activities through intrinsic pathway and extrinsic pathway. ADPs-3a had procoagulant activities and the activity was associated with the intrinsic pathway and increased the content of FIB. ADPs-3b exerted the activities through extrinsic pathway and increased the content of FIB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the run-out of earthquake-induced landslides. There are more than 20 mechanical models to explain long run-out of rapid landslides including some earthquake-induced landslides. However, notably few of them considered the effect of seismic loading on the run-out of landslides. In a previous study, we have proposed a model, which is called the multiplex acceleration model (MAM), to interpret the long run-out mechanism, and a shaking-table test has been performed to verify the MAM. Because the previous MAM is a conceptual model and only a single stone has been examined under sine waves by the shaking-table test, the MAM needs to be extended and further verified. In this paper, the MAM was extended by introducing the movement change that was induced by the so-called trampoline effect of earthquake loading, and the latest practical numerical simulation program, discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), was used to verify the mobility of earthquake-induced landslides. After a conceptual landslide model was used to verify the effect of seismic loading on the mobility, the Donghekou landslide, which was a typical long run-out landslide that was induced by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, was analyzed. The results show that: the seismic loading could be one of the factors that could eventually help increase the run-out of landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Purpose: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme involved in neoplastic processes. The purpose of the present study is to investigate COX-2 expression in the normal human eye and the expression pattern in selected eye tumours involving COX-2 expressing cells. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining using antibodies against COX-2 was performed on paraffin sections of normal human eyes and selected eye tumours arising from cells expressing COX-2. Results: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression was found in various structures of the normal eye. Abundant expression was seen in the cornea, iris, ciliary body and retina. The COX-2 expression was less in tumours deriving from the ciliary epithelium and also in retinoblastoma. Conclusion: Cyclooxygenase-2 is constitutively expressed in normal human eyes. The expression of COX-2 is much lower in selected eye tumours involving COX-2 expressing cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-quality c-axis oriented delafossite-type CuCrO2 films were successfully prepared by a simple sol–gel method. The microstructure, optical properties as well as room temperature resistivity were studied. It was found that the grain sizes of CuCrO2 films pretreated with different temperatures are different; the films were smooth and consisted of fine particles. The maximal transmittance of CuCrO2 films can reach 70% in the visible region. Optical transmission data of CuCrO2 films indicate a direct band gap and an indirect-gap of about 3.15eV and 2.66eV, respectively. The carrier mobility of the films pretreated at 300°C is smaller than that of the films pretreated at a higher temperature, because of the stronger carrier scattering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, SD rat constipation model was established with loperamide hydrochloride to study the effect of Chrysanthemum morifolium polysaccharide on the improvement of functional constipation, and the mechanism of improving constipation was investigated with the proteomics and intestinal flora. The results showed that the HD group of C. morifolium polysaccharide could significantly increase the levels of water content of stool pellets, small intestine propulsion rate, gastrin (MTL), gastrin (GAS) and substance P (SP), decrease the level of growth inhibitor (SS) and improved gastrointestinal motility in rats. Gut microbial studies showed that C. morifolium polysaccharide could significantly increase species abundance and flora diversity and improve flora structure. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Romboutsia increased, while the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Roseburia decreased compared with the MC group. Proteomics studies suggested that C. morifolium polysaccharides could reduce intestinal lesions, enhance intestinal homeostasis, increase amino acid uptake, promote intestinal motility and relieve constipation by regulating the expression of RAS, FABP1 and SLC1A5 proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Nb-doped TiO 2 films were fabricated on ITO glass substrates by dip coating using tetrabutyl titanate as the starting material, niobium chloride as the dopant, acetylacetone as the chelating agent and methanol as the solvent. The effects of Nb doping on the microstructure and electrochromic properties have been studied. The results reveal that a simultaneous regulation of near-infrared (NIR) and visible light in pure TiO 2 films can be achieved by applying the electrochemical voltage, while Nb-doped TiO 2 films demonstrate the ability of selective and independent optical transmittance modulation in both regions. Varying the applied electrochemical voltage over a range of 3.5 V makes these Nb-doped TiO 2 films undergo two electrochromic processes. One is local surface plasma resonant (LSPR) electrochromic process, and the other is redox electrochromism. These two electrochromic effects result in a unique optical switching behavior that is the reversible switching of "bright and warm" - "bright and cool" - "dark and cool" modes. Therefore, this kind of materials enables the dynamic control of solar radiation transmittance through windows. Furthermore, the higher the amount of Nb dopant is, the stronger the LSPR electrochromism is. Finally, the enhanced LSPR improves the redox electrochromism of Nb-doped TiO 2 films, resulting in a higher dual-band electrochromic performance in NIR and visible regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, conductive hydrogels have received great attention as flexible strain sensors. However, the preparation of such sensors with integrated stretchability, transparency, and self-healing properties into one gel through a simple method still remains a huge challenge. Here, a fully physically crosslinked double network hydrogel was developed based on poly(hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) and κ-carrageenan (Car). The driving forces for physical gelation were hydrogen bonds, ion bonding, and electrostatic interactions. The resultant PHEAA-Car hydrogel displayed stretchability (1145%) and optical transparency (92%). Meanwhile, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel exhibited a self-healing property at 25 °C. Additionally, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel-based strain sensor could monitor different joint movements. Based on the above functions, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel can be applied in flexible strain sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blackberry seed was typically removed as a byproduct and waste from blackberry fruits for juices. Developing value-added utilization of berry seeds will significantly expand the market for berry products as well as improve benefit to berry producers. However, the research on blackberry seed is limited. The objective of this paper was to research antithrombotic mechanism of polysaccharides in blackberry seeds. Polysaccharides in blackberry seeds were extracted, purified and identified by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPSEC), gas chromatography (GC), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR). Anticoagulant activities were evaluated in vivo by measuring activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB) and plasma recalcification time (RRT). Four polysaccharides named BSP-1a, BSP-1b, BSP-2 and BSP-3 were isolated from Blackberry (Rubus spp.) seeds. The results indicated that BSP-1b, BSP-2 and BSP-3 exhibited the anticoagulant activity. Therefore, the anti-thrombosis effects of BSP-1b, BSP-2 and BSP-3 were investigated in vivo by 6-Keto-PGF1α, thromboxane B2 (TXB2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), endothelin-1 (ET-1), whole blood viscosity (WBV), plasma viscosity (PV), hematocrit (Hct), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), APTT, TT, PT and FIB. The results suggested that BSP-1b, BSP-2 and BSP-3 had the inhibition effect on thrombus formation, and the antithrombotic effects were associated with the regulation of vascular endothelium active substance, activating blood flow and anticoagulation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 has spread worldwide. Older adults are at the greatest risk of contracting and dying from the virus. Nursing homes are densely populated places for older adults who are generally vulnerable and at high-risk. Although Chinese nursing homes have been trying to protect their residents, the needs and expectations of the residents and their families have been ignored. This study aimed to promote the safety of NH residents, including their physical and psychological safety, and to meet their expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with nursing home residents and focus group online interviews with family members between June 2021 and February 2022. Data analysis was performed using inductive content analysis. Results: 16 residents and 24 family members were interviewed. Four themes with 10 sub-themes were identified from the participants' descriptions. Their expectations were mainly focused on prevention and control measures for COVID-19, medical capacity of nursing homes, health literacy and expectations for some aged care policies. Conclusions: In the face of concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes, we sought to bring firsthand perspectives to the forefront by interviewing residents and their family members about their expectations for safety to address this issue. Our findings provide important areas on which should be focused and may improve the sense of gain, happiness, and security of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are heterogeneous likely consisting of subpopulations with various therapeutic potentials. Here we attempted to acquire a subset of MSCs with enhanced effect in wound healing. We found that human placental MSCs expressing platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor (PDGFR)-β exhibited greater proliferation rates and generated more colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F), compared to PDGFR-β MSCs. Notably, PDGFR-β MSCs expressed higher levels of pro-angiogenic factors such as Ang1, Ang2, VEGF, bFGF and PDGF. When 10 GFP-expressing MSCs were topically applied into excisional wounds in mice, PDGFR-β MSCs actively incorporated into the wound tissue, resulting in enhanced engraftment (3.92 ± 0.31 × 10 remained in wound by 7 days) and accelerated wound closure; meanwhile, PDGFR-β MSCs tended to remain on the top of the wound bed with significantly fewer cells (2.46 ± 0.26 × 10) engrafted into the wound, suggesting enhanced chemotactic migration and engraftment of PDGFR-β MSCs into the wound. Real-Time PCR and immunostain analyses revealed that the expression of PDGF-B was upregulated after wounding; transwell migration assay showed that PDGFR-β MSCs migrated eightfold more than PDGFR-β MSCs toward PDGF-BB. Intriguingly, PDGFR-β MSC-treated wounds showed significantly enhanced angiogenesis compared to PDGFR-β MSC- or vehicle-treated wounds. Thus, our results indicate that PDGFR-β identifies a subset of MSCs with enhanced chemotactic migration to wound injury and effect in promoting angiogenesis and wound healing, implying a greater therapeutic potential for certain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide-methanol-based ultrasonic-assisted extraction (ILUAE) was used to extract tilianin and acacetin from the aerial parts of Agastache rugose ( A. rugose), and simultaneously determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection (RP-HPLC-UV). An InertSustain RP-C column was used with the mobile phase consisting of methanol and 0.2% acetic acid as gradient elution at the detection wavelength of 332 nm. The flow rate was 0.8 mL/min, and the column temperature was 30 °C. Under the optimized conditions, tilianin and acacetin displayed good linearity in the ranges of 0.0595-4.76 and 0.0585-4.68 μg/mL, respectively, with the average recoveries being 96.93 and 97.88%, respectively. The method of ILUAE was compared with the traditional methods, it exhibited higher efficiency, higher reproducibility and environmental friendly in analyzing the active compounds in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From spring to autumn, heavy Microcystis blooms always occur in Lake Taihu, although environmental conditions vary markedly. We speculated that Microcystis genotype succession could play an important role in adaptation to environmental changes and long-term maintenance of the high Microcystis biomass. In this study, we investigated Microcystis genotype succession pattern and the related environmental variables in Lake Taihu during cyanobacterial blooms. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of polymerase chain reaction -amplified the genus-specific cpcBA and mcyJ gene fragments was used to monitor the variations of Microcystis genotype and potential microcystin (MC)-producing Microcystis genotype compositions during blooms biweekly in three sites (Meiliang Bay, lake center, and Gonghu Bay) and CANOCO 4.5 for Windows were used for the multivariate statistical analysis of their relationships to environmental variables. DGGE patterns indicated that the number of dominant cpcBA genotype per sample increased from spring to autumn. Principal component analysis ordination plots of DGGE profiles showed clear temporal distribution pattern, but not spatial distribution pattern based on both cpcBA and mcyJ genotype compositions. These results indicated there were relatively gradual successions of Microcystis cpcBA and mcyJ genotype compositions in each site, and no distinct spatial difference among the three sites. Redundancy analyses of the gel patterns showed that, in all the three sites, three environmental factors (nitrate, pH, and chemical oxygen demand) were correlated significantly to successions of both cpcBA and mcyJ genotypes except for mcyJ genotype in the lake center. Spearman's correlations indicated that the three environmental variables were also strongly correlated with chl a and MC concentrations. These results suggested that the environmental factors affecting succession of Microcystis community composition might also influence the growth of Microcystis and MC production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poria is a common Traditional Chinese Medicine in clinic. In recent years, the chemical and pharmacological studies of Poria have made great progress, triterpenes and polysaccharides have been isolated, and various types of compounds containing lipids, octanoic acids, fatty acids, and trace elements have been found. In this paper, we reviewed the literature, summarized the main compound types, and reviewed in detail their pharmacological effects in antitumor, immunomodulatory, effects on kidney, hepatoprotective activity, effects on blood sugar, antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory effects, effects on the gut, antidepressant, and so on, and also categorized the compounds with the same or similar pharmacological effects to provide a reference for the in-depth study of the material basis of the pharmacological effect, quality standards, and pharmacological activity of Poria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently there is tremendous interest in the discovery of natural polysaccharide immunomodulators for treating immune-related diseases. Herein, the immunomodulatory activities of a polysaccharide fraction isolated from blackberry seeds (BSP-2) were examined in RAW264.7 cells. The results revealed that BSP-2 at 37.5–300 µg/mL could significantly enhance the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells and their ability to release NO, TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines. BSP-2 could significantly up-regulate the mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6, as well as the phosphorylation of p65, p38, ERK and JNK proteins. The mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory actions of BSP-2 likely involve the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and up-regulation of the phosphorylation of key proteins involved in these pathways. These findings suggest that BSP-2 could be applied as a polysaccharide immunotherapeutic adjuvant with the effective dose as low as 70 µg/mL (BSP-2 may be cytotoxic at levels > 600 μg/mL). Highlights Immunostimulatory potential of a blackberry seed polysaccharide (BSP-2) was examined. BSP-2 at 37.5–300 µg/mL could enhance the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells. BSP-2 could significantly up-regulate the mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6. BSP-2 up-regulated the phosphorylation of p65, p38, ERK and JNK proteins. Immunostimulatory BSP-2 acted via activating the NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sous vide can keep the nutritional properties and improve taste of food compared with other conventional methods. In addition, this method may reduce the risk of recontamination after cooking and during storage. The purpose of this paper was to study the effects of four cooking methods (steaming, microwaving, baking, and frying) on the sensory and digestibility on sturgeon steak pretreated by sous vide during the cold storage (0–25 days). The results showed that the digestibility of steaming and microwaving groups (range from 80.34% to 90.12%) significantly higher than that of the other treatment groups (p <.05); however, the overall acceptability of the two groups was lower. What more, the frying group has the highest acceptability and the lowest digestibility (range from 65.12% to 70.89%). The springiness (4.12–6.56 mm) and chewiness (1.75–3.12 mm) of the frying group were significantly higher than those of the other treatment groups, which was consistent with the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that frying treatment group has a denser structure and smaller pores. With the prolonged refrigeration time, especially between 15 and 25 days, the volatile flavor components (nitrogen oxide, methane, and alcohol) and stagnant water (T21) were significantly decreased. Principal component analysis showed that the moisture content was the main factor affecting the overall acceptability and best consumption time of the sturgeon was within 15 days. Simulating the effects of home cooking conditions and refrigeration storage time on the quality of sturgeon steak provided a reference for consumers using similar products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Joint property in three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (3-D DDA) is crucial. The joint property in a contact relies upon just one of the contacting objects in original 3-D DDA, which is not always sufficiently accurate and can even yield unreasonable results. To overcome the limitations in original 3-D DDA, an improved joint definition and determination method that simultaneously considers the joint properties of both connected objects for contacts is proposed, which permits the applied joint parameters to change in the simulation. Several numerical examples are evaluated to demonstrate the advantage and applicability of the proposed method. The simulation results computed by the improved 3-D DDA accord well with the analytical expectations and physical reality, while the original 3-D DDA shows unphysical results. The improved 3-D DDA can provide more reliable information in rockslide disaster prevention and mitigation because joint parameters in a contact can be chosen appropriately in real time during simulations. Therefore, the improved 3-D DDA is more applicable and accurate, which can be further extended to more generalized theoretical and engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Fetal macrosomia and its associated complications are the most frequent and serious morbidities for infants associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the lncRNAs involvement in GDM, especially for the prediction of risk for fetal overgrowth. Methods: The peripheral blood obtained from four group including healthy control (NC), healthy volunteers with pregnancy (NC-P), GDM patients with and without macrosomia were screened by lncRNA microarray and validated by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) arranged in the training and a two-stage validation sets. The positive and negative prediction ability for candidate lncRNAs were analyzed by risk score analysis. Results: A multiple venny analysis was performed revealed five candidate lncRNA including XLOC_014172, RP11-230G5.2, PCBP1-AS1, LOC149086 and RP11-160H22.5 which was consistence with the following parameter: i, increased in GDM patients with macrosomia (GDM-M) comparing with patients without macrosomia; ii, increased in GDM-M comparing with NC-P group; iii, increased in GDM-M comparing with NC. Further validation found XLOC_014172 and RP11-230G5.2 was final consistence with these parameter in 150 samples each group. Further receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, with the combined two stably expressed lncRNAs indicated a high diagnostic ability an area under ROC curve value (AUC) of 0.955 and 0.962 in training set and validation set respectively. Conclusions: Circulating XLOC_014172 and RP11-230G5.2 may act as novel biomarkers in GDM patients as fingerprint for the risk of macrosomia outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional drug carriers have great applications in biomedical field. In this study, we introduced both polydopamine (PDA) and zwitterionic polymer of poly(3-(3-methacrylamidopropyl-(dimethyl)-ammonio)propane-1-sulfonate) (PSPP) onto the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to develop a novel nanoparticle (MSNs@PDA-PSPP), which was employed as a new kind of drug carrier for the delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). The PDA coating, as a gatekeeper, could endow the drug carrier with pH-sensitive drug release performance. The outermost PSPP layer would make the drug carrier possess protein resistance performance. The chemical structure and properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). MSNs@PDA-PSPP could keep good colloidal stability within 72 h in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and protein solutions. Meanwhile, MSNs@PDA-PSPP exhibited a high drug loading for DOX. In vitro drug release experiments suggested MSNs-DOX@PDA-PSPP exhibited pH-dependent drug release behaviors. Besides, MSNs@PDA-PSPP had no cytotoxicity to human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2 cells) even at a concentration of 125 μg/mL. More importantly, cellular uptake and in vitro anticancer activity tests suggested that MSNs-DOX@PDA-PSPP could be taken up by HepG2 cells and DOX could be successfully released and delivered into the cell nuclei. Taken together, MSNs@PDA-PSPP have great potential in the biomedical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study described the effects of elements (including Fe, Zn, Mn and their complexes) on the following factors in artificial morel cultivation: the characteristics of mycelia and sclerotia, soil bacterial community structures, yields and contents of microelements. The results indicated that the groups containing Mn significantly promoted mycelia growth rates, and all the experimental groups resulted in higher yields than the control (P<0.01), although their mycelia and sclerotia did not show obvious differences. It was also found that Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroides, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Nitrospirae were the dominated bacterial phyla. The Zn·Fe group had an unexpectedly high proportion (75.49%) of Proteobacteria during the primordial differentiation stage, while Pseudomonas also occupied a high proportion (5.52%) in this group. These results suggested that different trace elements clearly affected morel yields and soil bacterial community structures, particularly due to the high proportions of Pseudomonas during the primordial differentiation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the characteristics of thermally induced fibril aggregates originating from soybean protein (SPFA), and the impacts of the SPFA on digestive, structural, and physicochemical properties of potato starch (PS). The SPFA, caused by heating for various heating periods at 85 °C and low pH, displayed significantly different structural changes, morphological characteristics, and particle size distributions. The results revealed that the presence of SPFA could improve the degree of short-range order and forms more compact structure than the PS control. The SPFA increased thermal stability, reduced pasting viscosity, and delayed short-term retrogradation of PS. And the non-covalent interactions between PS and SPFA were enhanced under cooking conditions. The fraction of digested starch at 300 min (C 300) content of the PS-SPFA complex was reduced by 8–20%, while the C 300 of the PS-SPFA mixture reduced only 1–4%. The SPFA with longer thermal treatment (16, 24 h) displayed significant lower rapid digestible starch content (RDS) and higher slowly digestible starch (SDS) than those with shorter thermal treatment (2, 8 h). This study is expected to deepen the understanding of the interaction between food components, enrich the theory of protein regulation of starch digestion. • SPFA improved short-range order and formed more compact structure. • SPFA increased thermal stability, and delayed short-term retrogradation of PS. • SPFA decreased C 300 by 8–20% in PS-SPFA complex. • SPFA reduced RDS content by 27–28% with longer thermal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discontinuities remarkably dominate in jointed or blocky media, yielding an assemblage of blocks, and the mechanical properties of joints can greatly affect the behavior of a blocky system. Discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) is promising method to analyze the failure process of a blocky system. In three-dimensional (3-D) blocky systems, face-to-face contact between adjacent blocks is common, especially for an ideal rock block system at the very early stage. The accurate modelling of the face-to-face contact is critical. The original 3-D DDA adopts the concentrated spring face-to-face contact model, in which a face-to-face contact is simply converted as the combination of several dominant contacts each with a couple of normal and shear springs. However, such simplification is not always accurate and can yield unreasonable results when simulating the progressive tensile failure between blocks under asymmetrical tension conditions. To overcome this problem, a multi-spring face-to-face contact model incorporated into 3-D DDA is proposed. In the proposed model, multiple couples of normal and shear springs are applied for a face-to-face contact to simulate the distributed force induced between contacting blocks. Several verification examples involving tensile failure are studied to show the advantages of the improved 3-D DDA. The simulated results obtained from the improved 3-D DDA converge to the theoretical solutions or experimental results while the original 3-D DDA gets unreasonable results. Thus, the improved 3-D DDA can provide more reasonable results when analyzing the tensile failure problems. • Improved 3-D DDA by incorporating a multi-spring face-to-face contact model. • Showed limitations of the original concentrated spring face-to-face contact model. • Presented the advantages of the proposed contact model in 3-D DDA. • Improved 3-D DDA can more reasonably simulate tensile failure problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A fast sol–gel method based on spontaneous chemical reactions is developed to synthesize high performance Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode material. The crystal structures, surface morphologies and electrochemical behaviors of the Li3V2(PO4)3/C samples sintered at different temperatures are investigated. In the potential range of 3.0–4.3V, the sample sintered at 750°C shows the highest discharge capacities of 127.9mAhg−1 and 124.0mAhg−1 at 1C and 5C rates after 100 cycles respectively. Furthermore, at 10C, 15C and 20C rates, the discharge capacities of the optimal Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite still retains 117.6mAhg−1, 114.9mAhg−1 and 83.6mAhg−1 in the 150th cycle respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement illustrates that the electrochemical behavior of the optimal sample almost has no change after 100 cycles at 5C rate, indicating the stable structure of the synthesized material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High-quality c-axis oriented CuCr1−x Mg x O2 (0≤ x ≤0.05) thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The Mg-doped CuCrO2 films can be obtained at lower substrate temperature compared to the pure CuCrO2 film. The growing rates of CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films deposited with different pulse energy densities are different; the different pulse energy densities result in different grain sizes on the surface of these CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films. The CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films with high transmittance for certain wavelength can be obtained by controlling the thicknesses of CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films. The maximal transmittance of CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films can reach 75% in the visible region. Optical transmission data of CuCr1−x Mg x O2 films indicate a direct band gap of 3.2eV. All the films behave as semiconductors. Upon doping with 5% Mg, the resistivity of CuCrO2 films decreases from 67 to 0.025Ωcm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Persistent injury and the following improper repair in bronchial epithelial cells are involved in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation and airway remodeling of asthma. E-cadherin (ECAD) has been shown to be involved in airway epithelium injury repair, but its underlying mechanisms to this process is poorly understood. Here, we describe a previously undetected function of ECAD in regulating the balance of EMT and MET during injury repair. Injury in mice and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) was induced by successive ozone stress for 4 days at 30 min per day. ECAD overexpression in HBECs was induced by stable transfection. EMT features, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) secretion, transcriptional repressor Snail expression, and β-catenin expression were assayed. Ozone exposure and then removal successfully induced airway epithelium injury repair during which EMT and MET occurred. The levels of TGF-β1 secretion and Snail expression increased in EMT process and decreased in MET process. While ECAD overexpression repressed EMT features; enhanced MET features; and decreased TGF-β1 secretion, Snail mRNA level, and β-catenin protein expression. Moreover, activating β-catenin blocked the effects of ECAD on EMT, MET and TGF-β1 signaling. Our results demonstrate that ECAD regulates the balance between EMT and MET, by preventing β-catenin to inhibit TGFβ1 and its target genes, and finally facilitates airway epithelia repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reports on the biological activities of chaetoglobosin V b (Cha V b) (a cytochalasin alkaloid). In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Cha V b in the RAW264.7 cells stimulated lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS stimulation-induced oxidative stress (i.e. increase production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased expression of antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD)) was suppressed after a Cha V b treatment. Cha V b could significantly inhibit the upregulated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene and protein induced by LPS whilst attenuating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF- α , IL-6 and IL-1 β. Such antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects were achieved through the TLR4-mediated MyD88-dependent signaling pathways (via suppressing the phosphorylation of p38, ERK, JNK MAPK and translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit into nucleus), and the TRIF-dependent signaling pathways (via reducing IFN- β release without inhibiting interferon-regulated factor 3 (IRF3) and IRF7). At 25–100 μM (a concentration range with no cytotoxicity), Cha V b dose-dependently influenced SOD enzyme activity and phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and JNK, and at 100 μM, likely exerted the greatest inhibition towards LPS-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response via the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway. • Chaetoglobosin V b (Cha V b) is a bioactive alkaloid from fungal metabolites. • Cha V b can inhibit LPS-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response. • Cha V b can exert its bioactivities via the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway. • TRIF-dependent signaling pathways is also activated by Cha V b via IFN- β. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trelagliptin succinate increased glucose uptake in fat cells and Insulin-resistant 3T3-L1 adipocytes. • Trelagliptin succinate increased the content of GLUT4 in the outer membrane of fat cells. • Trelagliptin succinate decreased the content of extracellular FFA and Resistin. • Trelagliptin succinate promoted the expression of PI-3K, P-AKT, P-IRS-1, GLUT4 in 3T3-L1 insulin-resistant adipocytes. Trelagliptin inhibits the enzyme dipeptidyl-4 (DPP-4) to treat type 2 diabetes and it may possess the potential to improve insulin resistance. However, the molecular mechanism is not known. In this study, the effect of trelagliptin succinate in improving insulin resistance was investigated. The differentiation system of 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes was used to determine the content of adipokines and the content of GLUT4 in the outer membrane. The expression of AKT, P-AKT, IRS-1 and P-IRS-1 in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes was determined by western blotting. Our results demonstrated that trelagliptin succinate increased the expression of AKT, P-AKT, IRS-1 and P-IRS-1 in the PI-3K/AKT insulin signaling pathway. These events promote the trans-membrane function of GLUT4 and concomitant glucose intake in adipocytes. In addition, the secretion of free fatty acids and resistin were decreased. In conclusion, our study suggested that trelagliptin succinate improved insulin resistance in adipocytes via regulation of PI-3K/AKT/GLUT4 insulin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderma lucidum is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ganoderic acid A and D are the main bioactive components with anticancer effects in G. lucidum. To obtain the maximum content of two compounds from G. lucidum, a novel extraction method, an ionic liquid-based ultrasonic-assisted method (ILUAE) was established. Ionic liquids (ILs) of different types and parameters, including the concentration of ILs, ultrasonic power, ultrasonic time, rotational speed, solid–liquid ratio, were optimized by the orthogonal experiment and variance analysis. Under these optimal conditions, the total extraction yield of the two compounds in G. lucidum was 3.31 mg/g, which is 36.21% higher than that of the traditional solvent extraction method. Subsequently, an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to model the performance of the total extraction yield. The Levenberg–Marquardt back propagation algorithm with the sigmoid transfer function (logsig) at the hidden layer and a linear transfer function (purelin) at the output layer were used. Results showed that single hidden layer with 9 neurons presented the best values for the mean squared error (MSE) and the correlation coefficient (R), with respectively corresponding values of 0.09622 and 0.93332. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalin, isolated from flowers of Rosa chinensis Jacq., is a kind of flavonoid, with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, analgesic, antibacterial, antiallergic, and antihepatotoxic effects. However, no studieson the procoagulant effect of astragalin have been reported. This study aimed to investigate the procoagulant activity of astragalin and its mechanism. Its procoagulant effect was investigated by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen (FIB) in vitro, and a rat model established by heparin sodium was used to evaluate the mechanism for the procoagulant effect in vivo. The results showed that astragalin had good procoagulant effects compared with the control group in vitro. Compared with the model group in vivo, astragalin could shorten the coagulation time and significantly increase the number of platelets. Meanwhile, astragalin could significantly reduce the effectual time of PT and APTT and increase the content of FIB. The contents of 6-keto-PGF1α and eNOS significantly decreased. Astragalin could increase whole blood viscosity (WBV), plasma viscosity (PV), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and packedcell volume (PCV). All of the above revealed that astragalin had good procoagulant effects by promoting the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active components of Malus pumila flowers on antioxidant and tyrosinase activity were investigated with the method of spectrum-effect relationship and knock-out. Some compounds were identified by UPLC-MS/MS method. The chemical fingerprints were established by HPLC and the activity of antioxidant and tyrosinase were assayed in vitro. Chromatographic peaks P34, P35, P39, P44, P45 and P49 were identified as phloridzin, hyperoside, astragalin, afzelin, quercetin and kaempferol by UPLC-MS/MS method. Hyperoside and kaempferol were identified in M. pumila flowers for the first time. When the concentration was 1 g/mL of sample (equivalent to raw material), the scavenging capacity of P35 (hyperoside) on DPPH free radicals were consistent with the spectrum-effect relationship. The scavenging capacity of P34 (phloridzin) and P45 (quercetin) on ABTS free radicals were consistent with the spectrum-effect relationship. The activation effect of P45 (quercetin) on tyrosinase was consistent with the spectrum-effect relationship. The inhibitory effect of P34 (phloridzin), P35 (hyperoside) on tyrosinase were consistent with the spectrum-effect relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel water soluble heteroglycan (PCp-I and PCp-II) with anti-A549 lung cancer cells activity were isolated from Psoralea corylifolia L. Their average molecular weights were 2.721 × 104 and 2.850 × 104. PCp-I and PCp-II had the same monosaccharide composition, but their molar ratios were different. Based on methylation and NMR spectroscopy, the part structure of PCp-I was identified. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that PCp-I had an irregular porous structure and PCp-II was flaky and irregularly curved. The results of thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) showed that PCp-I and PCp-II had good thermal stability. Furthermore, PCp-I and PCp-II exhibited significant anti-A549 lung cancer cells activity (IC50 = 64.84 and 126.30 μM) in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The flowers of Malus pumila Mill (Rosaceae) is rich in resources, but lack of medicinal value research. Chemical constituents of the same family M. pumila have coagulatory activity. Considering the coagulatory activity could be beneficial for various cardiovascular diseases, the aim of this study is to evaluate coagulatory active constituents of M. pumila flowers.Methods: Chemical constituents of M. pumila flowers were isolated by various column chromatographies, and their coagulatory activity were evaluated by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) in vitro.Results: Nine compounds were isolated from M. pumila flowers, and identified as kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), kaempferol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-arabinofuranoside (3), phloridzin (4), kaempferol (5), phloretin (6), β-sitosterol (7), lupeol (8) and pyracanthoside (9). Compounds 1-9 were isolated from the flowers for the first time, compounds 1, 2 and 9 were isolated from the genus for the first time. Compound 2 could significantly shorten APTT, TT and PT, but significantly decrease the content of FIB. Compound 3 could shorten PT. Compound 4 could significantly shorten TT and PT, but significantly decrease the content of FIB. Compound 5 shortened APTT. Compound 6 and 7 could significantly shorten APTT and PT. Compound 9 was able to prolong TT and decrease the content of FIB, but shorten PT.Conclusions: Compounds 2-7 possessed significant procoagulant activity in vitro, compound 9 had anticoagulant activity in vitro, which showed coagulation potential of compounds from M. pumila flowers, as a new source of bioactive molecules for therapeutic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]