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Background: Macrophage polarization affects tumor growth, metabolism, and many other tumor processes. M1 macrophages can promote antitumor immunity response. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is one of the critical transcription factors in this process, which promotes the expression of a series of inflammatory molecules. STAT1 has been reported as a potential target of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced glutathionylation, while the glutathionylation of STAT1 in macrophages and its underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) functions as a deglutathionylation enzyme, which regulates the activities of many proteins through reversing glutathionylation. Methods: GeneChip and RT‐qPCR was first applied to test the mRNA level of Grx1 in M1 macrophages. Western blot was then used to evaluate the variations of the Grx1 protein expression in M1 macrophages. Next, immunoprecipitation was used to investigate the glutathionylated STAT1 in both wild‐type and Grx1−/− mouse macrophages. Finally, the induced alterations of STAT1 activity and function by Grx1 in M1 macrophage were examined by western blot and RT‐qPCR. Results: In M1‐type macrophages, the levels of Grx1 were elevated. Glutathionylation of STAT1 was negatively regulated by Grx1. Furthermore, depletion of Grx1 increased the activity of STAT1, and thereby promoted the mRNA level of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) during M1‐type polarization of macrophages. Conclusions: Grx1 controlled deglutathionylation of STAT1, which in turn might regulate M1‐type polarization of macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cisplatin is a first-line drug for the treatment of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the majority of patients will develop drug resistance after treatment. In order to overcome cisplatin resistance, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying the resistance. Methods: A gene microarray was used to screen for genes related to cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cell lines. Subsequently, the correlation between the HDAC, RXR and HtrA1 genes, in NSCLC, were verified using gene manipulation. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect HDAC, RXR and HtrA1 expression in NSCLC specimens. Proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed in vitro and in vivo to determine the role of the HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling axis in cisplatin resistance, and luciferase reporter analysis and ChIP assays were performed to ascertain the mechanisms by which HDAC and RXR regulate the expression of HtrA1. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted in NSCLC cisplatin-resistant NSCLC to elucidate the effect of the low molecular weight compound, DW22, which targets the NSCLC cisplatin resistance HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling pathway. Results: HtrA1 was identified as a cisplatin resistance-related gene in NSCLC cells. The regulation of HtrA1 by HDAC and RXR significantly decreased the efficacy of cisplatin in NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin. Immunohistochemistry results showed a negative relationship between HDAC1 and HtrA1, and a positive relationship between RXRα and HtrA1 in NSCLC patients' tissues. Notably, the expression of HDAC1 and HtrA1 can be considered as biomarkers for the efficacy of platinum-based drugs and prognosis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, the heterodimers of the nuclear receptor RXR, in combination with the enzyme, HDAC, regulate the transcription of HtrA1 in NSCLC cells. The rescue of HtrA1 expression by dual targeting of HDAC and RXR with the compound, DW22, significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin, and induced NSCLC cell apoptosis. Conclusion: Our results indicate that HtrA1, a cisplatin resistance-related gene, is synergistically regulated by HDAC and RXR in NSCLC. Targeting the HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling axis can rescue HtrA1 expression and reverse cisplatin resistance in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel polysaccharide of raspberry fruits (pRCP) was extracted and characterized. • pRCP increased the gut microbial diversity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. • pRCP reduced the relative abundances of harmful bacteria in HFD-fed mice. • pRCP alleviated HFD-induced colonic inflammation and oxidative stress. • pRCP improved intestinal health by modulating the gut microbiota. Raspberry is used as a medicine food homology species and its polysaccharides are worthy being investigated and developed. In the present study, a novel polysaccharide of unripe raspberry fruits (pRCP) was extracted and characterized. The results show that pRCP was an acidic heteropolysaccharide and its Mw value was 74.86 kDa with a high homogeneity. The main chain of pRCP consisted of → 3,6)- β -Gal p (1 → and → 5)- α -Ara f (1→, and its side chain was composed of α -Ara f (1 → linked to the C3 position of → 3,6)- β -Gal p (1 →. In addition, pRCP supplementation increased the gut microbial diversity and reduced harmful bacteria including Erysipelatoclostridium and Negativibacillus in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Treatment with pRCP also alleviated HFD-induced colonic inflammation and oxidative stress in mice. These beneficial effects can be transferred to recipient mice by faecal microbiota transplantation from pRCP-treated mice. Therefore, our study suggests that pRCP could be used as a potential prebiotics to improve intestinal health by modulating the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice straw was applied often as a carbon source to improve nitrogen removal; however, few studies have considered the effect of rice straw on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission during nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). We constructed eighteen combined systems, consisting of rice straw ponds and surface flow CWs to investigate the effect of rice straw application on N 2 O emission in three strengths of swine wastewater treatments. The results showed rice straw (RS) treatment increased 131.5% of N 2 O emission factor from low strength CWs, but decreased 37.2–43.7% of N 2 O emission factors for medium and high strengths compared with no rice straw (NRS) treatment. The RS application led to an average 10.7% increase in the potential denitrification rate, and simultaneously enhanced gene abundances of the total bacteria (16S rRNA), ammonia-oxidising archaea, ammonia-oxidising bacteria, nitrate reductase, and N 2 O reductase (nosZ) for all strengths CWs. The multiple regression model revealed N 2 O emissions were strongly related to water temperature, nitrate, chemical oxygen demand, and denitrification genes. The proportion of nosZ gene abundance in 16S rRNA was higher in RS (0.7–1.3%) than NRS (0.4–0.9%) for medium and high strengths, while an opposite trend was observed for low strength. The discrepancy was responsible for increasing or decreasing N 2 O emission by RS application among different strengths. These findings indicated the effectiveness of RS application to control N 2 O emissions from the surface flow CWs was related to the pollution level of wastewater. Image 1 • Rice straw increased 131.5% of N 2 O emission factor in treating less polluted water. • Rice straw reduced 37.2–43.7% of N 2 O emission factor from highly polluted water. • Rice straw improved nitrifier and denitrifier abundance in constructed wetlands. • High nosZ /16S rRNA is a genetic indicative of reducing N 2 O emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs composite microspheres were synthesized via a simple two step hydrothermal process. The composition and morphology of the microspheres were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD and XPS. The Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 nanoparticles with diameter less than 10 nm have been uniformly decorated on the carbon spheres. The formation mechanism of the Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs and their corresponding glucose sensing process have also been proposed. The as prepared Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs showed greatly enhanced performance for glucose sensing than that of Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 , which may be due to the synergistic effect of Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 nanoparticles and carbon spheres resulting in a high efficiency of charge transfer. The Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs modified electrodes exhibited excellent glucose sensing performance, with wide linear range of (5 μM–2.5 mM) and (2.5 mM–7.5 mM), and corresponding sensitivity of 480.153 μAmM−1cm−2 and 219.898 μAmM−1cm−2. The detection limit of the Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /Cs/GCE is found to be 1.67 μM (S/N = 3). Moreover, satisfactory results were also obtained using the as prepared sensor to analyze glucose concentration in serum samples. These results showed that Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs can be a favorable electrochemical sensing material for constructing the non-enzymatic sensors. Highlights • Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the carbon sphere surface. • Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 /CSs composite microsphere showed highly improved glucose sensing performance. • The sensors also displayed satisfactory results in real serum samples analysis. • High charge transfer efficiency was obtained by combination of Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 and carbon spheres. • Enhanced performance is due to the synergistic effect of Ni 3 (PO 4) 2 and carbon spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Urinary tract infection is one of the most common bacterial infections which is mainly caused by Escherichia coli (UPEC). Autophagy plays a key role in immune response to eliminate invading pathogens. Exploring the effect of autophagy on UPEC infection and the molecular mechanisms will be benefit for the treatment of urinary tract infection. High-mobility group protein N2 (HMGN2), a highly conserved nuclear protein and an antibacterial peptide, has been associated with bacterial infection induced immune response; however, whether this function is due to the regulation of autophagy remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that HMGN2 is upregulated in UPEC infection of bladder epithelial cell line 5637 (BEC 5637). Furthermore, HMGN2 enhances autophagy in BEC 5637 via activation of AMPK and ULK1, whereas UPEC suppresses autophagy. In addition, the enhanced autophagy activity by HMGN2 overexpression or rapamycin boosts the proliferation of UPEC J96 in BEC 5637. In summary, our data indicate that HMGN2 activates autophagy via AMPK/ULK1 pathway which can be utilized by UPEC J96 for their proliferation within bladder epithelial cells. Highlights • HMGN2 expression is elevated in UPEC J96 infected C57BL/6J mice and bladder epithelial cell line 5637 (BEC 5637). • HMGN2 induces autophagy in BEC 5637 via AMPK/ULK1 pathway. • Viable UPEC J96 suppresses autophagy in BEC 5637. • HMGN2 boosts UPEC J96 proliferation in BEC 5637. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper studies the imaging scheduling issue for China's L-band differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) satellite formation which can work in different observation modes to satisfy different imaging requests. Previous imaging scheduling mainly focuses on maximizing the total revenue of selected targets but ignores that different types of targets actually have different demands. Therefore, a constraint satisfaction model which classifies targets into three types according to targets' size and number of observations is established, meanwhile, three objective functions are considered to satisfy demands of different types of targets. Furthermore, an imaging scheduling method based on improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) is proposed to obtain a set of well-converged and well-diversified non-dominating solutions. New Niche-Preservation operation with the same penalty value for convergence and diversity performance is adopted in NSGA-III. Numerical comparison simulations on walking fish group (WFG) test suits and three imaging scheduling instances of different size show the superiority of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, a photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on inorganic surface molecular imprinting Nb 2 O 5 (MI-Nb 2 O 5) for detection of bisphenol A (BPA) had been developed. In the PEC sensor, MI-Nb 2 O 5 material was synthesized based on an in-situ surface molecular imprinting technique. The microstructure characteristics of the as-prepared photoactive materials were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy. The PEC detection results showed that the MI-Nb 2 O 5 material had higher photocurrent responses and excellent selectivity for contaminant BPA under UV-light irradiation owing to the abundant special recognition sites on the surface of MI-Nb 2 O 5. Besides, the PEC sensor exhibited a wide detection range from 0.01 nmol·L−1 to 30 nmol·L−1 with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.004 nmol·L−1. The interferences test showed that the sensor had a good selectivity to BPA molecules in the different interference solutions. This method combining molecular imprinting technique with photoelectrochemical detection measurement made a successful attempt to detect BPA and supplied a promising way to detect other environment pollutions rapidly and selectively in the future. Highlights • Used molecular imprinting technique to enhance the selectivity of PEC system. • Inorganic MIT overcame the disadvantages in traditional PEC detection filed. • In-site synthesis method simplified the complex pretreatment process greatly. • This method supplied a promising way to detect other pollutions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have demonstrated clinical benefits in the treatment of several tumour types. However, the emergence of TKI resistance restricts the therapeutic effect. This study uses non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to explore the mechanisms contributing to TKI resistance in tumours.Methods: Biological phenotypes and RNA microarray expression data were analysed in NSCLC cells with and without TKI pretreatment. Specific inhibitors and siRNAs were used to validate the direct involvement of an AKT/FOXM1/STMN1 pathway in TKI resistance. Patients' tissues were analysed to explore the clinical importance of FOXM1 and STMN1.Results: In vitro and in vivo studies showed that TKIs induced the enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSC), promoted epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and conferred multidrug resistance on NSCLC cells in a cell type- and TKI class-dependent manner. Mechanistically, TKIs activated an AKT/FOXM1/STMN1 pathway. The crucial role of this pathway in TKI-induced enrichment of CSC and drug resistance was verified by silencing FOXM1 and STMN1 or blocking the AKT pathway. Additionally, overexpression of STMN1 was associated with upregulation of FOXM1 in advanced NSCLC patients, and STMN1/FOXM1 upregulation predicted a poor outcome.Conclusions: Our findings elucidate an additional common mechanism for TKI resistance and provide a promising therapeutic target for reversing TKI resistance in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the common cancer in China. In previous study, we determined that 3,6-dihydroxyflavone (3,6-DHF) increases miR-34a significantly in breast carcinogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear.Methods: We used qRT-PCR to analyze miR-34a and ten-eleven translocation (TET)1, TET2, TET3 levels in breast cancer cells. With a cellular breast carcinogenesis model and an experimental model of carcinogenesis in rats, TET1 levels were evaluated by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. TET1 and 5hmC (5-hydroxymethylcytosine) levels were evaluated by immunofluorescence in nude mouse xenografts of MDA-MB-231 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP) assayed for TET1 on the TET1 promoter, and dot blot analysis of DNA 5hmC was performed in MDA-MB-231 cells. We evaluated the mechanism of 3,6-DHF on the expression of tumor suppressor miR-34a by transfecting them with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1 plasmid and TET1 siRNA in breast cancer cells. Methylation-specific PCR detected methylation of the miR-34a promoter.Results: First, we found that 3,6-DHF promotes the expression of TET1 during carcinogen-induced breast carcinogenesis in MCF10A cells and in rats. 3,6-DHF also increased TET1 and 5hmC levels in MDA-MB-231 cells. Further study indicated that TET1 siRNA and pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT1 inhibited the 3,6-DHF reactivation effect on expression of miR-34a in breast cancer cells. Methylation-specific PCR assays indicated that TET1 siRNA and pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT1 inhibit the effect of 3,6-DHF on the demethylation of the miR-34a promoter.Conclusions: Our study showed that 3,6-DHF effectively increases TET1 expression by inhibiting DNMT1 and DNA hypermethylation, and consequently up-regulates miR-34a in breast carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep deprivation, which is a common problem in modern society, impairs memory function and emotional behavior. TRPV1, a subfamily of transient receptor potential cation channels, is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system and is associated with animal behavior. In this article, we report that TRPV1 deficiency in mice alleviates sleep deprivation-induced abnormal behaviors. We found that in the sleep-deprived mice, TRPV1 knockout increased the duration and visits in the central area in the open field task and increased visits to the open arms in the elevated plus maze. The TRPV1-/- mice performed better during the test stage in the Morris water maze phase after sleep deprivation. In the mPFC and hippocampus regions, western blotting results showed that TRPV1-/- attenuated sleep deprivation-induced increases in GFAP, NLRP3, and ASC and increased the expression of the mitochondrial marker Tom20. Immunofluorescence results showed that the action of TRPV1 knockout on NLRP3 was negatively correlated with Tom20 after sleep deprivation. Our results confirm that TRPV1 knockout attenuates sleep deprivation-induced behavioral disorders. The effect of TRPV1 on the behavior of sleep-deprived mice may be related to the neuroinflammation associated with mitochondria in the mPFC and hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyocyanin (PCN, 1-hydroxy-5-methyl-phenazine) is one of the most essential virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) to cause various cytotoxic effects in long-term lung infectious diseases, however the early effect of this bacterial toxin during PA infection and subsequent autonomous immune response in host cells have not been fully understood yet. Our results display that early onset of PCN stimulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 adhesion and invasion in A549 cells via ROS production. Non-histone nuclear protein HMGN2 is found to be involved in the regulation of PCN-induced oxidative stress by promoting intracellular ROS clearance. Mechanistically, HMGN2 facilitates nuclear translocation of transcription factor Nrf2 upon PCN stimulation and in turn elevates antioxidant gene expression. We also found that actin cytoskeleton dynamics is targeted by ROS, which is to be exploited by PAO1 for host cell internalization. HMGN2 regulates actin skeleton rearrangement in both PCN-dependent and independent manners and specifically attenuates PCN-mediated PAO1 infection via ROS elimination. These results uncover a novel link between nuclear protein HMGN2 and Nrf2-mediated cellular redox circumstance and suggest roles of HMGN2 in autonomous immune response to PA infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, water– n -BuOH mixed solvents were used to synthesize the ZnAl–layered double hydroxides (ZnAl–LDHs) via hydrothermal method. The XRD, FT-IR, SEM, ICP and CHN analyses revealed that the type of intercalated anions, the layer Zn/Al ratios, and morphologies of the LDHs depended on the ratio of V (water)/ V ( n -BuOH) in the mixed solvents. When the ratio of V (water)/ V ( n -BuOH) is 3 or 0.3, the as-prepared LDHs had 3D “silk flowers” (ZnAl–LDH–3) or “Sedimentary rock” morphology (ZnAl–LDH–0.3). Adsorption properties of dyes on calcined LDHs were studied. Compared with ZnAl–LDO–0.3 and ZnAl–LDO–w (calcined from the LDHs obtained in pure water), ZnAl–LDO–3 showed much better adsorption efficiency for anionic dyes thanks to its much larger BET-specific surface area. The sorption kinetics for dyes was appropriately described by the pseudo–second–order model and sorption isotherms can be fitted more satisfactorily by the Langmuir model. With the increasing concentrations of dyes from 10 mg/L to 400 mg/L, the maximum absorption capacities of ZnAl–LDO–3 were 1540 mg/g (2.21 mmol/g) for congo red, 1153 mg/g (3.52 mmol/g) for methyl orange and 390 mg/g (0.63 mmol/g) for active red (X-3B), respectively. The adsorption dyes onto the external surface is still the main mechanism for LDO adsorbents. The ZnAl–LDO–3 was a potential adsorbent for dyeing wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a method to achieve small satellite formation keeping operations by using the differential lift and drag to control the drift caused by J2 perturbation in circular or near-circular low earth orbits (LEOs).Design/methodology/approach Each spacecraft is equipped with five large flat plates, which can be controlled to generate differential accelerations. The aerodynamic lift and drag acting on a flat plate is calculated by the kinetic theory. To maintain the formation within tracking error bounds in the presence of J2 perturbation, a nonlinear Lyapunov-based feedback control law is designed.Findings Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient for the satellite formation keeping and better accuracy advantage in comparison with classical approaches via the fixed maximum differential aerodynamic acceleration.Research limitations/implications Because the aerodynamic force will reduce drastically as the orbital altitude increases, the formation keeping control strategy for small satellites presented in this paper should be limited to the scenarios when satellites are in LEO.Practical implications The formation keeping control method in this paper can be applied to solve satellite formation keeping problem for small satellites in LEO.Originality/value This paper proposes a Lyapunov control strategy for satellite formation keeping considering both lift and drag forces, and simulation results show better performance with high accuracy under J2 perturbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy based on actively rotating satellites in the formation in the J2 perturbed environment.Design/methodology/approach Based on the relative orbital elements theory, the J2 perturbed relative motions between different satellites in the formation are analyzed, and then, the method to estimate fuel required to keep the in-plane and out-of-plane relative motions is presented, based on which a modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy is derived by considering both in-plane and out-of-plane J2 perturbations.Findings Numerical simulations demonstrate that the modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy is valid, and the modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy requires less total fuel consumption than original Vadali and Alfriend’s method.Research limitations/implications The modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy is valid for formation flying mission whose member satellite is in circular or near-circular orbit.Practical implications The modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy can be used to solve formation flying keeping problem, which involves multiple satellites in the formation.Originality/value The modified fuel-balanced formation keeping strategy is proposed by considering both in-plane and out-of-plane J2 perturbations, which further reduce the fuel consumption than the original Vadali and Alfriend’s method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel compact model for on-chip vertically coiled spiral inductors is presented. The vertical metal coils are modeled by a ladder network consisting of ideal inductors and resistors. The skin and proximity effects are taken into consideration. The capacitive parasitics between relevant metal layers are modeled. A method to analytically extract the model parameters is proposed. The model prediction shows excellent agreement between the data from both simulation and measurement over the frequency range of 0.1-66.1 GHz, for a vertically coiled spiral inductor manufactured in TSMC 90 nm RF CMOS technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work is to synthesize TCAS–LDHs composites with different TCAS arrangement in LDH interlayer and investigate the adsorption properties of TCAS–LDHs composites for toxic heavy metal ions. The Mg 2 Al–TCAS–LDH and Zn 2 Al–TCAS–LDH composites were synthesized via calcined–restored method. The XRD patterns showed that TCAS had introduced into the interlayer, with alternating “up–down” antiparallel arrangements for Mg 2 Al–LDH, while bilayered arrangements for Zn 2 Al–LDH. Results showed that the obtained TCAS–LDH composites were highly selective and efficient for the removal of Cu 2 + and Pb 2 + . The adsorption of Pb 2 + and Cu 2 + reached equilibrium quickly at about 120 min and followed the pseudo–second–order model. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm data well fitted the Langmuir model. With the increasing concentration for Pb 2 + or Cu 2 + from 5 ppm to 200 ppm, the maximum absorption capacity of Mg 2 Al–TCAS–LDH and Zn 2 Al–TCAS–LDH composite toward Pb 2 + are ∼ 205 mg/g and 188.1 mg/g, and that toward Cu 2 + are ∼ 125 mg/g and 103.8 mg/g, respectively. The TCAS–LDHs composites are potential remedy for Cu 2 + or Pb 2 + in contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of cinnamohydroxamic acid derivatives were synthesized and their biological activities against HDAC were assessed. Our results showed that the compound with more strong inhibitory activity to HDAC would exhibited more significant anti-proliferative effect on tumor cells. Among these compounds, 7e displayed clearly inhibitory effects on HDAC and tumor cell growth. Furthermore, HDAC isoforms enzyme data indicated that, compared to HDAC pan-inhibitor SAHA, 7e owned an enhanced inhibitory effect on HDAC1, 3 and 6 isoforms. Meanwhile, it also significantly suppressed cell growth of lung cancer cells compared to SAHA, but with lower toxicity in normal cells. Mechanistically, 7e prompted acetylation of histone3 and histone4, led to up-regulation of p21, and then mediated cell cycle arrest and pro-apoptosis. Moreover, the in vivo study indicated that compound 7e could retard tumor growth of A549 xenograft models. These findings support the further investigation on the anti-tumor potential of this class of compounds as HDAC inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated β-amyloid (Aβ) is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence has suggested that the receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a key target for Aβ-induced perturbation in AD, and blockade of RAGE significantly alleviates synaptic injury. Our previous study has suggested that β-asarone could reduce neuronal apoptosis and improve memory deficits in β-amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic AD-model mice. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of β-asarone on amyloidosis in APP/PS1 mice. We found that the survival of neurons of APP/PS1 mice was improved by β-asarone, meanwhile, β-asarone decreased Aβ deposition and down-regulated Aβ1-42 levels in cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice brain. Interestingly, the level of RAGE was also significantly down-regulated by β-asarone. Our findings suggest that β-asarone might be effective for the treatment of AD, and the decreasing effects of β-asarone on Aβ might associate with its down-regulation of RAGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multi‐channel high‐resolution and wide‐swath (HRWS) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing, range sampling time errors and phase mismatches severely degrade the reconstruction performance of unambiguous Doppler spectrum. To address this problem, an improved channel mismatch estimation algorithm for multi‐channel HRWS SAR is presented in this Letter. The technique of combining phase wrapping and weighted least‐squares fitting is capable of realising a robust estimation of range sampling time errors and constant phases between adjacent channels. Then, Doppler centroid as well as channel phase mismatches can be estimated from these constant phases based on the theory of spatial cross‐correlation coefficient (SCCC). Compared to the conventional algorithm, the improved performance can be achieved by using the proposed two‐step procedure. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is confirmed by experimental results based on airborne real data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to develop waste (i.e., sulfonated lignin) application in simulated wastewater treatment. Sulfonated lignin (LS), a byproduct of the paper industry, was intercalated into a parent host of layered double hydroxides (LDH) by swelling–restacking method. X-ray diffraction patterns of the composite confirmed that long-chain LS anions exited in the interlayer of Mg 2 Al–LDH in two forms: (1) a “flat” form with d 003 = 0.88 nm; and (2) a “vertical” form with d 003 = 9.08 nm. Results showed that the obtained Mg 2 Al–LS–LDH composite was highly selective and efficient for the removal of Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ , especially Pb 2+ , compared with the NO 3 –LDH precursor. The coexisting cations decreased the removal efficiency of Pb 2+ or Cu 2+ on Mg 2 Al–LS–LDH composite, which could be ascribed to outer-sphere sorption style, and the effect order of cations is Li + > Ca 2+ > K + > Na + . The pseudo-second-order model appropriately described the sorption kinetics of Mg 2 Al–LS–LDH composite for Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ . Sorption isotherms for Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ by the Mg 2 Al–LS–LDH composite were found to be more satisfactorily fitted by the Langmuir model than by the Freundlich one. With increased Pb 2+ or Cu 2+ concentration from 2 ppm to 200 ppm, the maximum absorption capacity of the composite toward Pb 2+ was ∼123 mg/g and that toward Cu 2+ was ∼64 mg/g. Therefore, a new, low-cost adsorbent was synthesized by utilizing the byproduct LS, which may be a potential remedy for Pb 2+ or Cu 2+ in contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate treatment effect, drug resistance changes, and their influencing factors in Chinese AIDS patients after switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy, and thus provide important information for the scale-up of second-line antiretroviral treatment in China. In Weishi county of Henan province, where second-line antiretroviral therapy was introduced early in China, 195 AIDS patients were enrolled, of which 127 patients met the switching criterion and 68 patients volunteered to switch drugs without meeting the switching criterion. CD4 cell count, viral load and in-house PCR genotyping for drug resistance were measured for all 195 subjects before drug switch, as well as 6 and 12 months after drug switch. Extensive secondary mutations to the protease inhibitor were observed, which suggested that long-term drug resistance surveillance is necessary for patients switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy. Multidrug resistance and cross-resistance were extensive in Chinese patients that experienced first-line treatment failure. Patients need timely CD4 count, viral load, and drug resistance monitoring in order to switch to second-line therapy under conditions of relatively good immunity and low viral duplication levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel Fe 49.85 Cr 10.03 Mn 10.03 Co 10.03 Ni 10.03 Al 10.03 high entropy alloy (HEA) with dual-phase fine-grain structure was designed and fabricated by arc-melting. Its microstructure, as well as mechanical properties at room temperature and cryogenic temperature, have been systematically investigated. It is found that this as-cast Fe-based HEA is composed of face-centered cubic (FCC) and body-centered cubic (BCC) phases, and the stick-like FCC fine grains are derived from solid-state phase transformation of BCC phase during cooling. Moreover, it shows similar tensile strength and good plasticity at room temperature and cryogenic temperature, indicating high and stable mechanical properties at a wide range of temperatures. This work provides a novel route for designing high-performance fine-grain HEAs without mechanical/heat treatment, which is beneficial for further development of HEAs. • A novel fine-grain dual-phase HEA with high mechanical properties was designed. • Fine grains form via solid-state phase transformation during cooling from the melt. • This as-cast HEA has high strength and plasticity at room/cryogenic temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial supercapacitors rely on expensive porous carbon electrode materials. Therefore, it is essential to search for low-cost porous carbon electrode materials for next-generation supercapacitors. In this work, we produced lignin-derived porous carbon from alkalized sodium lignosulfonate. The carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl are bonded with potassium ions in alkalized sodium lignosulfonate molecules. As a result, the introduced potassium ions on carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups and sodium ions on sulfonate groups act as the porogens for preparing porous carbons. The alkalized sodium lignosulfonate is pyrolysis carbonized to produce porous carbon materials for asymmetric and symmetric supercapacitors. Developed pores inside the lignin-derived porous carbons are generated from the self-template role of the generated inorganic metal carbonates and metal sulfates. The introduced alkali metal ions in alkalized sodium lignosulfonate play extra roles of templates. Our work made a new paradigm shift that lignin could be transformed into porous carbon electrodes through self-template methodologies for future supercapacitor applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By applying digital beam‐forming (DBF) technique, the along‐track multi‐channel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system can simultaneously achieve high‐resolution and wide‐swath (HRWS) imaging. However, the presence of unavoidable phase biases tends to degrade the DBF performance. To address this issue, a novel phase bias estimation algorithm based on Doppler spectrum optimisation is proposed. By exploiting the fact that phase bias would cause Doppler spectrum broadened, the phase biases can be successfully estimated by maximising a sharpness optimisation of the Doppler spectrum. The effectiveness of the algorithm is validated by experimental result carried out on the SAR data collected by an air‐borne multi‐channel system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-(-)equol, a natural product of the isoflavone daidzein, has been reported to offer cytoprotective effects with respect to the cardiovascular system, but how this occurs is unclear. Interestingly, S-(-)equol is produced by the human gut, suggesting a role in physiological processes. We report that treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and EA.hy926 cells with S-(-)equol induces ARE-luciferase reporter gene activity that is dose and time dependent. S-(-)equol (10–250 nM) increases nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) as well as gene products of Nrf2 target genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H (nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate) quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Endothelial cells transfected with an HA-Nrf2 expression plasmid had elevated HA-Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in response to S-(-)equol exposure. S-(-)equol treatment affected Nrf2 mRNA only slightly but significantly increased HO-1 and NQO1 mRNA. The pretreatment of cells with specific ER inhibitors or PI3K/Akt (ICI182,780 and LY294002) increased Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 protein, impaired nuclear translocation of HA-Nrf2, and decreased ARE-luciferase activity. Identical experiments were conducted with daidzein, which had effects similar to S-(-)equol. In addition, DPN treatment (an ERβ agonist) induced the ARE-luciferase reporter gene, promoting Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Cell pretreatment with an ERβ antagonist (PHTPP) impaired S-(-)equol-induced Nrf2 activation. Pre-incubation of cells followed by co-treatment with S-(-)equol significantly improved cell survival in response to H2O2 or tBHP and reduced apoptotic and TUNEL-positively-stained cells. Notably, the ability of S-(-)equol to protect against H2O2-induced cell apoptosis was attenuated in cells transfected with an siRNA against Nrf2. Thus, beneficial effects of S-(-)equol with respect to cytoprotective antioxidant gene activation may represent a novel strategy to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel ferromagnetic Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 M 10 (M = Al, Mn) MEAs were designed. • Al is beneficial for fully BCC structure formation via casting. • Mn leads to dual-phase formation, grain refinement and high mechanical properties. • Heat treatment could increase B s and mechanical properties of these MEAs. The influences of Al and Mn on microstructure, magnetic and mechanical properties of Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 M 10 (M = Al and Mn) medium entropy alloys (MEAs) have been systematically investigated. It is found that the Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Al 10 has body-centered cubic (BCC) structure and Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Mn 10 has a mixture of face-centered cubic (FCC) and BCC structures in as-cast state, while the former one changes to FCC + BCC dual-phase structure after heat treatment at 1073 K for 1 h. Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Al 10 displays higher saturated magnetization (B s) as compared to Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Mn 10 in as-cast state, while heat treatment significantly enhances B s of Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Mn 10. Besides, it is intriguing that Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Mn 10 shows higher yield strength and plasticity compared to Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Al 10 , while heat treatment could enhance comprehensive mechanical properties of this series of MEAs. In addition, the B s of heat-treated Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Mn 10 is 187.9 emu/g, which is among the highest in the reported ferromagnetic HEAs/MEAs. The correlation among the composition, phase evolution, magnetic properties, and mechanical properties in these MEAs is discussed in detail. This work provides a novel route for developing high-performance ferromagnetic HEAs/MEAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel Fe-Co-Ni-Cr soft-magnetic HEA was designed. • This HEA shows high corrosion resistance comparable to stainless steel. • This HEA exhibits high soft-magnetic properties and malleability. • High (Fe, Co) and Cr contents ensure the balance of B s and corrosion resistance. In this paper, a soft-magnetic Fe 40 Co 40 Ni 10 Cr 10 high entropy alloy (HEA) was designed and fabricated, and its microstructure, magnetic properties, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties have been systematically investigated. It is found that, this HEA is composed of single FCC structure and shows homogeneous compositional distribution. This HEA has good soft-magnetic properties as well as excellent corrosion resistance comparable to stainless steel. Besides, this HEA has high malleability with compressive plasticity of > 60% without fracture. The homogeneous compositional distribution and single FCC phase in this Cr-containing HEA is possibly the main reason for the combination of the above-mentioned properties. This work provides a novel route for designing functional HEAs with enhanced comprehensive material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Further investigation of the recently reported piperidine-4-yl-aminopyrimidine class of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) has been carried out. Thus, preparation of a series of N-phenyl piperidine analogs resulted in the identification of 3-carboxamides as a particularly active series. Analogs such as 28 and 40 are very potent versus wild-type HIV-1 and a broad range of NNRTI-resistant mutant viruses. Synthesis, structure–activity relationship (SAR), clearance data, and crystallographic evidence for the binding motif are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The design of medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) with low-cost and high-performance is a hot topic in the field of metal materials. Here, low amount of Co and Ni element is employed to prepare Fe–Co–Ni–Cr MEA, resulting in a reduced material cost of MEA, which also lead to low stacking fault energy and subsequently promote phase transformation in the alloy system. The achieved cost-effective Fe 65 Co 10 Ni 10 Cr 15 MEA has excellent cryogenic strength of 1.6 GPa and strain of 56%, which has the highest strength-price ratio among the reported MEAs so far. The significant strengthening of the alloy is attributed to the hetero-deformation and the accelerated deformation-induced phase transformation. • Microstructure and mechanical properties of novel Fe 65 Co 10 Ni 10 Cr 15 MEA was studied. • The alloy shows a well combination of strength and ductility both at 293 K and 77 K. • Hetero-deformation and TRIP effect are the main strengthening mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the orbit determination problem for fuel station (FS) in multiple Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) spacecrafts refueling mission. A novel K-M-N transportation network to solve this general refueling problem is proposed, which contains several FSs with their reusable servicing spacecraft (SSC) and a large number of targets. The proposed network allows the FS drifting in a cooperative rendezvous to reduce the fuel consumption considering the J 2 perturbation. Furthermore, one-to-one mode is chosen as the refueling strategy between the FS and the target, which makes it feasible to determine the number and orbit of the FS. In order to achieve such an economical refueling strategy, the problem is formulated as a facility location–allocation (FLA) model, subject to the different demands among targets and the limitation of SSC's capacity. Then, a hybrid Density-Based Spatial clustering algorithm (HDBSCAN) is designed to solve the multi-objective optimization model. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and validity of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring optimal C:N ratio is necessary to ensure balanced microbial nitrification and denitrification in constructed wetlands (CWs), which has become an important management practice for more efficient nitrogen removal and sustainability of CWs. Surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) vegetated with Myriophyllum aquaticum were designed to investigate the effects of five different influent C:N ratios (0:1, 2.5:1, 5:1, 10:1, and 15:1) on nitrogen removal performance and microbial communities over a 175-day experimental period. Compared to the influent C:N ratios of 0:1, higher NH 4 +-N, NO 3 −-N, and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies and lower NO 3 −-N accumulation were observed at influent C:N ratios higher than 5:1. In addition, the highest TN removal efficiency (70.4%) and the lowest nitrous oxide emission flux (4.12 mg m−2 d−1) were obtained at the influent C:N ratio of 5:1. High-throughput sequencing revealed that influent C:N ratios altered the distribution and composition of microbial communities in the sediment, which resulted in a dynamic interplay between N-transforming functional microbes and NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −-N removal. In particular, the dominant denitrifiers, including Desulfovibrio , Zoogloea , and Dechloromonas , were more abundant in the sediment with an influent C:N ratio of 5:1, which contributed to the high N removal rate. These findings may be used to screen for an optimum influent C:N ratio to maintain the sustainability of SFCWs with higher N removal efficiency. Unlabelled Image • The effects of C:N ratios on N removal in constructed wetlands are assessed. • TN removal efficiency was highest and N 2 O emissions were lowest at 5:1 C:N ratio. • C:N ratios exceeding 5:1 contributed to low nitrate accumulation. • The enriched denitrifiers resulted in higher denitrification rate for complete N removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ammonium nickel phosphate (NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O) nanorods were achieved via a facile hydrothermal method with urea acting as both NH 4 + source and molecule template. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS, which showed typically anisotropic growth of the crystals with rod-like structures. The diameter of the NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods is less than 50 nm. The excellent glucose sensing performance was further obtained on the NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods modified electrode, which have two corresponding linear regions of 5 μM–2100 μM and 2400 μM–5700 μM with the sensitivity of 459.4 μAmM−1 cm−2 and detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3) in the lower concentration range and the sensitivity of 250.2 μAmM−1 cm−2 and detection limit of 6 μM (S/N = 3) in the higher concentration range. Moreover, the as prepared sensor was also applied to analyze glucose concentration in serum samples, showing high possibility for real sample analysis. The highly nonenzymatic glucose sensing performance of NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods may be due to its intrinsic layered crystal structure and rod-like morphology. The formation process of the NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods and the corresponding glucose sensing mechanism were also discussed based on the analysis. These results could suggest that NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods may be favorable electrochemical sensing materials for constructing non-enzymatic sensors. • NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods were achieved via a facile urea assistant hydrothermal method. • Urea acted as both molecule template and NH4+ source in this easy process. • NH 4 NiPO 4 ·H 2 O nanorods showed much higher electrocatalytic activity on glucose sensing. • Highly glucose sensing performance is mainly due to its intrinsic layered crystal structure. • The results provide newly sensing application of ammonium transition metal phosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]