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Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are a useful source of stem cells for the treatment of various brain injury diseases due to their abundant supply and fewer ethical problems compared with transplant treatment. However, the clinical application of MSCs is limited due to allograft rejection and immunosuppression in the process of MSCs transplantation. According to previous studies, microglial cell autophagy occurs following co-culture with MSCs. In the present study, exosomes were obtained from MSCs and subsequently characterized using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering particle size analysis. The type of microRNAs (miRs) found in the exosomes was then analyzed via gene chip. The results demonstrated that microglial cell autophagy could be induced by exosomes. This mechanism was therefore investigated further via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting and luciferase assays. These results demonstrated that exosomes from MSCs could induce microglial cell autophagy through the miR-32-mediated regulation of disabled homolog 2-interacting protein, thus providing a theoretical basis for the clinical application of miRs in MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycoprotein from Schisandra chinensis was obtained with alkali extraction and acid precipitation, purified with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Superdex G-75 column. The molecular composition structure and antifatigue activities of glycoprotein were studied. SCGP's molecular weight was approximately 10 KDa, and it consisted of a carbohydrate component (52.94%) and protein component (47.06%). SCGP comprised mannose, galactoside, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose, its molar ratio was 2.14 : 1.43 : 1.59 : 8.17 : 8.99 : 3.18 : 18.51 : 1, and it contained 16 kinds of amino acids. SCGP could obviously extend the swimming time in mice by increasing LDH, SOD level, GSH-Px activity, and liver glycogen and decreasing the contents of BUN and MDA. The antioxidant activity of SCGP is a potential mechanism of its antifatigue effect. In vitro antioxidant test showed that SCGP scavenged DPPH and OH radicals in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 was 0.91 mg/ml and 0.72 mg/ml). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotor interturn short circuit (RISC) is a common electrical fault in generators. Investigations about such fault on the rotor vibrations, magnetic field variations, and current/voltage changes have been widely carried out, while the thermal properties of the stator side have been rarely studied. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the stator thermal behavior in synchronous generators under different RISC position and varied power load cases. Such thermal behavior includes not only the core loss, copper loss and temperature variations of the stator, but also the mechanical responses of the stator core due to the unbalanced thermal distribution. The whole work is based on the magnetic flux density (MFD) analysis, the core loss and copper loss calculation. Theoretical analysis, finite element calculation, and experimental study are carried out, respectively, by taking a 5 kV A two-pole prototype generator as the case study. During the analysis, the reinforced excitation performance by the automatic control system of the generator set due to the voltage sag caused by RISC is fully considered. It is shown that RISC will significantly increase the stator temperature due to the reinforced excitation. The farther RISC position away from the big tooth is, the larger temperature/thermal risk will be. Besides, the stator temperature will also enlarge with the increase in power load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the causal relationship between tea drinking and cholelithiasis by two-way Mendelian randomization. Methods The instrumental variables for tea drinking were determined from 447 485 participants in the UK Biobank genome-wide association study (GWAS). A total of 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with tea drinking were used for two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis to evaluate the causal relationship between tea drinking and cholelithiasis. Cholelithiasis data were obtained from GWAS data of 35 712 cholelithiasis patients and 273 442 controls publicly available from the Finnegan Alliance. In this study, inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the main method to estimate causality, and sensitivity analysis was carried out to ensure the robustness of the results. Finally, reverse Mendelian randomization analysis was used to verify whether there was a reverse correlation. Results There was a causal re-lationship between tea drinking and cholelithiasis. In the IVW method, each additional standard deviation (2.85 cups/day) of tea consumption reduced the risk of cholelithiasis by 26.1% (OR =0.739, 95% CI: 0.536-0.990). Similar results were obtained in weighted mode (OR=0.652, 95% CI: 0.458-0.928), but there was no evidence to prove reverse correlation (IVW: P > 0.05). Conclusion The genetic evidence provided by two-way Mendelian randomized analysis shows that the increase of tea drinking reduces the risk of cholelithiasis, but there is no evidence of reverse association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycoprotein from Schisandra chinensis was obtained with alkali extraction and acid precipitation, purified with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Superdex G-75 column. The molecular composition structure and antifatigue activities of glycoprotein were studied. SCGP's molecular weight was approximately 10 KDa, and it consisted of a carbohydrate component (52.94%) and protein component (47.06%). SCGP comprised mannose, galactoside, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose, its molar ratio was 2.14 : 1.43 : 1.59 : 8.17 : 8.99 : 3.18 : 18.51 : 1, and it contained 16 kinds of amino acids. SCGP could obviously extend the swimming time in mice by increasing LDH, SOD level, GSH-Px activity, and liver glycogen and decreasing the contents of BUN and MDA. The antioxidant activity of SCGP is a potential mechanism of its antifatigue effect. In vitro antioxidant test showed that SCGP scavenged DPPH and OH radicals in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 was 0.91 mg/ml and 0.72 mg/ml). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an approximate analytical solution for the vertical dynamic impedance and shaft resistance of rectangular closed diaphragm walls (RCDWs) embedded in a homogeneous soil medium and resting on rock base. The vertical continuous displacement model for the steady-state response of RCDWs is proposed to ensure proper RCDWs-soil contact and satisfy the boundary condition of soil at infinite horizontal distance. The soil horizontal displacement is neglected and the effect is indirectly taken into account by the modification of soil modulus. The functional of system potential and kinetic energies is established via the soil and RCDWs displacement functions. The governing equations of the system and the relevant conditions are obtained and the vertical shaft resistance of RCDWs is established by employing Hamilton's variational principle for RCDWs-soil system and thin layer element, respectively. Some representative numerical examples are presented to portray the influences of soil core ratio, height–width ratio, diaphragm wall-soil stiffness ratio, and aspect ratio of RCDWs cross sections on the dynamic impedances and stiffness of the shaft resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Endoscopic stenting for unresectable malignant hilar biliary strictures (MHBS) remains challenging. Post‐endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography cholangitis (PEC) can be the most common and fatal adverse event. In the present study, we aimed to systematically evaluate the incidence, severity, risk factors, and consequences of PEC after endoscopic procedures for advanced MHBS. Methods: Of 924 patients, we identified 502 patients with MHBS (Bismuth types II to IV) who underwent endoscopic stenting as the primary therapy at two centers over 16 years. PEC and its severity were verified according to the current Tokyo guidelines. Results: A total of 108 patients (21.5%) experienced acute PEC. Mild, moderate, and severe cholangitis were encountered in 51 (10.1%), 42 (8.4%), and 15 (3.0%) patients, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that metal stenting (verse plastic stenting) (OR 0.328, 95% CI 0.200–0.535, P < 0.001) and Bismuth classification (IV vs III/II) (OR 2.499, 95% CI 1.150–5.430) were independent predictors for PEC and the moderate/severe type. Patients with PEC had significantly lower clinical success rates (86.3% vs 41.7%, P < 0.001), a higher rate of early death (6.5% vs 0.5%, P < 0.001), a shorter median stent patency (4.9 vs 6.4 months, P < 0.001), and shorter overall survival (2.6 vs 5.2 months, P < 0.001) compared with the noncholangitis group. Conclusions: After endoscopic stenting for advanced MHBS, cholangitis may occur in as many as 21.5% of patients, which may be associated with a poor prognosis. The risk is high in patients with Bismuth type IV and may be reduced by using metal stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected cascade reaction is developed for the construction of functionalized 3-bis(indol-3-yl)methylquinoline-2(1 H)-ones. Three C–C bonds and one ring are created in one pot triggered by Pd-catalyzed C-3 alkenylation of indole with 2-acyl- N -acrylaniline derivatives. A series of complex and specific quinoline-2(1 H)-ones were produced, most of them showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of blue phosphorescent heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir (III) complexes with mesitylphenyl‐imidazole ligands for organic light‐emitting devices are investigated theoretically to explore their electronic structures, spectroscopic properties, and application value for organic light‐emitting devices. FCNIr, (FCN)2Ir(tpip), (FCN)2Ir(acac), (CN)2Ir(tpip), (CN)2Ir(acac), and CNIr are investigated with density functional theory approaches, where, for (FCN)2Ir(acac), FCN denotes 2,4‐difluorobiphenyl3‐carbonitrile and acac denotes acetylacetonate; for (FCN)2Ir(tpip), tpip denotes tetraphenylimido‐diphosphonate); and for (CN)2Ir(acac) and (CN)2Ir(tpip), CN denotes biphenyl‐3‐carbonitrile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of heterocyclic Ir(III) complexes used in organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) materials with low‐efficiency roll‐off performance have been studied theoretically. Their electronic structures, spectral properties, and their application value in OLEDs are discussed. The geometries, electronic structures, lowest‐lying singlet absorptions, and triplet emissions of (dmdppr‐dmp)2Ir(dibm), and the theoretically designed models of (dmdppr‐dmp)2Ir(acac), (dmdppr‐dmp)2Ir(tpip), (dmdppr‐Fdmp)2Ir(dibm), (dmdppr‐Fdmp)2Ir(acac), and (dmdppr‐Fdmp)2Ir(tpip) were investigated with density‐functional‐theory‐based approaches, where dibm denotes 2,6‐dimethy‐3,5‐heptanedionato‐κ2‐O,O′, acac denotes acetylacetonate, and tpip denotes tetraphenylimido‐diphosphinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei province, the epidemic scale has increased rapidly, and no effective antiviral drug therapy has been identified yet. This study aimed to evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of Natural Herbal Medicine (NHM) combined with Western medicine in the treatment of COVID-19. We performed a retrospective, 1:1 matched, case-control study of the first cohort of hospitalized COVID-19-confirmed cases (January 17, 2020 to January 28, 2020). A total of 22 of the 36 confirmed patients were included in this study, split into two groups of 11: the NHM group (NHM combined standard Western medicine treatment) and control group (standard Western medicine treatment alone). All patients received appropriate supportive care and regular clinical and laboratory monitoring. Main evaluation indicators included improvement of clinical symptoms such as fever, cough and diarrhea after hospitalization; pathogen nucleic acid test result of respiratory tract and fecal specimens of the patient after hospitalization, and change of chest CT examination after hospitalization. The duration of fever in the NHM group (3. 4 ± 2. 4 days) was significantly shorter than that in the control group (5. 6 ± 2. 2 days) (p = 0. 0 3). During the whole hospitalization period, the number of cases with diarrhea in the NHM group (two cases) was less than that in the control group (eight cases) (p = 0. 0 3). Compared with the control group (7. 5 ± 1. 6), the duration for improvement (DI) of chest CT in the NHM group (5. 6 ± 2. 3) was significantly shorter (p = 0. 0 4). Our results suggest that NHM could improve the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and may be effective in treating COVID-19; thus, a larger, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial should be conducted to further evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of NHM in the treatment of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a specific pearl mussel in China, Hyriopsis cumingii has enormous economic value. However, the organism damage caused by pearl insertion is immeasurable. TGF-β/Smad signal transduction pathways are involved in all phases of wound healing. We have previously reported on two cytoplasmic signal transduction factors, Smad3 and Smad5 in mussel H. cumingii (named HcSmads), suggesting their involvements in wound healing. Here, Smad4 was cloned and described. The full length cDNA of HcSmad4 was 2543 bp encoded 515 amino acids. Deduced HcSmad4 protein possessed conserved MH1 and MH2 domains, nuclear location signals (NLS), nuclear exput signals (NES) and Smad activation domain (SAD). Transcripts of Smad3, 4 and 5 were constitutively expressed in all detected tissues, at highest levels in muscles. Furthermore, HcSmad4 mRNA levels were significantly increased at incision site post wounding, and expression of downstream target genes of Smad4, such as HcMMP1, HcMMP19, HcTIMP1 and HcTIMP2 were upregulated to a certain extent. Whatever knocked down HcSmad3/4 or treated by specific inhibitors of Smad 3 (SIS3), expression levels of these genes displayed a significantly downregulated tendency compared with the wound group. In addition, histological evaluation suggested that Smad3 knockdown or SIS3 treatment was accelerated wound healing, and then Smad4 knockdown delayed the process of wound healing in mussels. These data implicate that Smad3/4 play an important role in tissue repair in mollusks. • The full length cDNA of HcSmad4 was 2543 bp. HcSmad4 mRNA levels were significantly increased post wounding. • The downstream genes of Smad4 were up-regulated after knocked down HcSmad3/4 or SIS3 treatment. • Smad3-knockdown was accelerated but Smad4 knockdown delayed wound healing in mussels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three 3D polymeric complexes containing polynuclear Co(II) units, [Co3(bpda)3(bib)2]·H2O (1), [Co5(OH)2(H2O)2(bpda)4(bib)2]·2H2O (2), and [Co2(OH)(bib)(bpt)]·H2O (3) (H2bpda = biphenyl-2,4′-dicarboxylic acid, H3bpt = biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylic acid, bib = 1,4-bis(1-imidazolyl)benzene), have been prepared by urothermal synthesis. Complex 1 exhibits an unusual (4,6)-connected 3D network based on binuclear Co(II) clusters and Co2+ centers bridged by bpda2− and bib ligands. Complex 2, containing a novel pentanuclear Co(II) cluster, features a porous 3D MOF with a regular nanosized tunnel. Complex 3 contains an interesting tetranuclear Co(II) cluster and displays an amazing 3D porous MOF built from double-layered 2D [Co2(μ3-OH)(bpt)3]n networks pillared by two rows of bib spacers. In the title complexes, polycarboxylate acids serve to construct and stabilize the polynuclear Co(II) clusters, while bis(imidazole)s help to expand the dimensionality of MOFs. Complexes 2 and 3 show antiferromagnetic properties. Compound 3 with high surface area, high yield, high purity, and high chemical stability was used as a precursor to fabricate Co,N-codoped porous carbon materials by simple carbonization under an Ar atmosphere. The catalytic properties of the Co,N-codoped porous carbon material derived from complex 3 (denoted as CoNC-3) as an ORR electrocatalyst were studied. CoNC-3 displays superior electrocatalytic performances for the ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the infraorbital nerve (ION) has been used to establish an animal mode of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), but key parameters of the model have not been quantified until now. Objective: The aim of the study was to quantify a standard of pain threshold to evaluate a successful TN model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: Forty-eight adult SD rats (200–220 g) underwent chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve. The pain threshold was tested one day preoperatively (baseline) and day 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 postoperatively using the up-down method. At day 28, all the animals were killed by dislocation of the cervical spine and the trigeminal nerve specimens were removed for electron microscopy. Results: The baseline pain threshold was 14.40 ± 0.87 g. Postoperatively, all the rats presented an initial reduced sensitivity to mechanical stimulation from day 1 (15.63 ± 1.92 g) through 7 (17.39 ± 1.43 g) after the surgery. At day 14, 32 (66.7%) began to show significant mechanical allodynia (0.71 ± 0.43 g) which did not change significantly till day 28 (0.88 ± 0.54 g). These animals were regarded as successful TN models with a 95% confidence interval of the pain threshold of 0.58–1.27 at Day 14. The electron microscopy demonstrated homogeneously demyelinated changes in those successful TN model animals rather than severe or mild epineurial lesions in those unsuccessful model animals. Conclusion: Our study showed that an animal TN model could be established with a two-week chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve. The mechanical allodynia index <1.27 at Day 14 was suggested as a criterion for a successful model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic configuration, spin-ordering state, and electronic structure of ternary nitride Li3FeN2 are revisited by comprehensive first-principles density functional calculations. The ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM1) solutions show low spin (S = 1/2) states with FM intra-chain coupling interactions, whereas the AFM2 and AFM3 solutions display unusual intermediate spin (S = 3/2) states with AFM intra-chain coupling interactions. The insulating AFM solutions with intra-chain AFM coupling interactions are energetically favorable relative to the magnetic ordering states with intra-chain FM coupling interactions, which are in good agreement with experimental results. The spin exchange parameters are deduced by mapping the energies of the magnetic ordering states onto the Heisenberg Hamiltonian. Calculated magnetic coupling parameters indicate that the intra-chain AFM interactions are much stronger than the inter-chain coupling interactions; thus, Li3FeN2 can be described as a one-dimensional AFM spin chain system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The step morphologies of a gas-etched 2-in. 6H-SiC (0001) wafer are investigated by the atomic force microscope. Due to the concave surface induced by bow, undulation surface morphologies were observed in the edge region. In the upside and downside region of the center along the <11[formula]0> miscut direction, ripples and bimodal steps are observed, respectively. In the other edge regions, a complex pattern of waves enveloped in microsteps was formed. The complex reorganized surface morphology is discussed by the viewpoint of the two or three-dimensional phase separation. Compared to the regular unit cell high steps, the formalism of waved surface is interpreted by competing free energy curve through changes in surface structure faceting, where the step separated at a specific orientation and favor to match to surface reconstruction with unit cell high steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability and structures of titanium-doped gold clusters AunTi (n=2–16) are studied by the relativistic all-electron density-functional calculations. The most stable structures for AunTi clusters with n=2–7 are found to be planar. A structural transition of AunTi clusters from two-dimensional to three-dimensional geometry occurs at n=8, while the AunTi (n=12–16) prefer a gold cage structure with Ti atom locating at the center. Binding energy and second-order energy differences indicate that the Au14Ti has a significantly higher stability than its neighbors. A high ionization potential, low electron affinity, and large energy gap being the typical characters of a magic cluster are found for the Au14Ti. For cluster-cluster interaction between magic transition-metal-doped gold clusters, calculations were performed for cluster dimers, in which the clusters have an icosahedral or nonicosahedral structure. It is concluded that both electronic shell effect and relative orientation of clusters are responsible for the cluster-cluster interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The near-infrared fluorescent probe shows high selectivity toward glutathione. • The probe has a double-targeting capability of mitochondria and lysosome of living cells. • The probe can be used to track the level of GSH in vivo. Fluorescent probes with novel organelle-labeling manner can contribute to verify the unraveling cellular functions of various organelles. In this work, we reported a glutathione (GSH) specific near-infrared fluorescent probe, which was composed of a near-infrared cyanine moiety, a morpholine-containing naphthalimide and a thiol-reactive site. The cationic fluorophore cyanine can be capable of targeting mitochondria while the morpholine group can serve as the lysosome-targeting role. The optical behavior in vitro showed that this probe showed high selectivity toward GSH over other thiol-containing amino acids in near-infrared channel. Similar selectivity was found in bioimaging of living cells. The fluorescence co-localization images confirmed that the probe had a good mitochondria-targeting and lysosome-targeting capability in living cells. Moreover, the probe was endowed with near-infrared emission which was favorable for marking the GSH in vivo. We anticipate that such dual targeting strategy will be helpful to develop multiple organelle-targeting fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, wrinkled surfaces were discovered on the cell wall thickenings of helical vessels in the lilac style for the first time. The structure of the wrinkles was formed by cellulose microfibrils, with convex ridges composed of crystalline cellulose and concave grooves composed of amorphous cellulose. The cellulose microfibrils were oriented with the helical cell wall thickenings. The wrinkle morphology was due to the aligned crystalline region of the microfibrils. The wrinkle structure in the flower style might be related to the faster growth rate of style tissues during helix cell wall thickening development. Discovery of the wrinkled surface could help with the study of the developmental mechanism of helical vessel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A majority of excitatory synapses in the brain are localized on the dendritic spines. Alterations of spine density and morphology are associated with many neurological diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying spine formation is important for understanding these diseases. Kalirin7 (Kal-7) is localized to the postsynaptic side of excitatory synapses in the neurons. Overexpression of Kal-7 causes an increase in spine density whereas knockdown expression of endogenous Kal-7 results in a decrease in spine density in primary cultured cortical neurons. However, the mechanisms underlying Kal-7-mediated spine formation are not entirely clear. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) plays a vital role in the formation of spines and synaptic plasticity. Kal-7 is phosphorylated by CDK5 at Thr1590, the unique Cdk5 phosphorylation site in the Kal-7 protein. This study was to explore the role of CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of Kal-7 in spine formation and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed expression of Kal-7T/D (mimicked phosphorylation), Kal-7T/A mutants (blocked phosphorylation) or wild-type (Wt) Kal-7 caused in a similar increase in spine density, while spine size of Wt Kal-7-expressing cortical neurons was bigger than that in Kal-7 T\A-expressing neurons, but smaller than that in Kal-7T/D-expressing neurons. The fluorescence intensity of NMDA receptor subunit NR2B (GluN2B) staining was stronger along the MAP2 positive dendrites of Kal-7T/D-expressing neurons than that in Kal-7T/A- or Wt Kal-7-expressing neurons. The fluorescence intensity of AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 (GluA1) staining showed the same trend as GluN2B staining. These findings suggest that Cdk5 affects the function of Kal-7 on spine morphology and function via GluN2B and GluA1 receptors during dendritic spine formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Calcium carbonate whisker (CW) can reinforce the flexural strength of cement paste and limit the development of micro-cracks at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C), but the effect of CW on mechanical properties of cement paste after exposure to high temperatures is still unknown. Therefore, mechanical properties, i.e. flexural strength, compressive strength and splitting tensile strength were measured using CW reinforced cement specimens before and after they were exposed to high temperatures. In addition, performance of CW reinforced cement paste after exposure to high temperatures was studied by ultrasonic test and mass loss test. At last, microstructural analysis (differential thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy) were employed to study the deterioration mechanism of temperature and reinforcement mechanism of CW. These experimental results suggested that CW played a significant role in hindering the development of cracks before 600 °C. When temperatures increased up to 200 °C, the flexural strength decreased. However, the compressive strength and splitting tensile increased. When temperatures varied from 200 °C to 400 °C, the three strengths reacted differently to the elevated temperatures. Subsequently, the residual strength rapidly decreased up to 1000 °C. After that, the three strengths increased slightly. The residual strength, ultrasonic velocity and mass loss were related to the temperatures and CW content and quantitative measurement of these factors was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle reinforced metal matrix composites have many problems such as complicated preparation process, high production costs, weak interface bonding between the ceramic and metal matrix, uneven distribution of ceramic particles and so on. To solve these problems, the method of "shoot mixing + pressure compositing" (SM-PC) and a mixed regulation model of ceramic particles with molten steel were proposed. In the shoot mixing process, the special designed die casting equipment was used to make the particles with the molten metal mixed in the runner at a certain ejection speed (150 mm·s-1). After the mixture is filled with the mold, the pressure is maintained until the end of solidification. In order to optimize this method to obtain the more uniform particle distribution, the parameters (ejection speed, preheating temperature of particles, the shape and size of runner) in the model were selected for sample preparation. Taking the distribution index of particles as the evaluation criterion, it is concluded that the uniform distribution of particles can be promoted with the increase of ejection velocity, the increase of particle preheating temperature, and the small change of gate size. When the preheating temperature of particles was 1,100 °C, and the shape of the runner was trumpet, the optimal particle distribution composite parts was obtained. Meanwhile, the particles and the matrix achieved strong interface bonding - "Class I interface " under the pressure compositing, even though they're non-wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant roots rely on inorganic orthophosphate (Pi) transporters to acquire soluble Pi from soil solutions that exists at micromolar levels in natural ecosystems. Here, we functionally characterized a rice (Oryza sativa) Pi transporter, Os Phosphate Transporter-1;3 (OsPHT1;3), that mediates Pi uptake, translocation, and remobilization. OsPHT1;3 was directly regulated by Os Phosphate Starvation Response-2 and, in response to Pi starvation, showed enhanced expression in young leaf blades and shoot basal regions and even more so in roots and old leaf blades. OsPHT1;3 was able to complement a yeast mutant strain defective in five Pi transporters and mediate Pi influx in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Overexpression of OsPHT1;3 led to increased Pi concentration both in roots and shoots. However, unlike that reported for other known OsPHT1 members that facilitate Pi uptake at relatively higher Pi levels, mutation of OsPHT1;3 impaired Pi uptake and root-to-shoot Pi translocation only when external Pi concentration was below 5 µm. Moreover, in basal nodes, the expression of OsPHT1;3 was restricted to the phloem of regular vascular bundles and enlarged vascular bundles. An isotope labeling experiment with 32P showed that ospht1;3 mutant lines were impaired in remobilization of Pi from source to sink leaves. Furthermore, overexpression and mutation of OsPHT1;3 led to reciprocal alteration in the expression of OsPHT1;2 and several other OsPHT1 genes. Yeast-two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and coimmunoprecipitation assays all demonstrated a physical interaction between OsPHT1;3 and OsPHT1;2. Taken together, our results indicate that OsPHT1;3 acts as a crucial factor for Pi acquisition, root-to-shoot Pi translocation, and redistribution of phosphorus in plants growing in environments with extremely low Pi levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a DDQ-mediated cross-dehydrogenativecoupling reaction of secondary amines with dialkyl phosphonates under mild conditions. This reaction proceeds efficiently without involving visible light or transition-metal catalysis. This new approach provides efficient access to biologically important a-aminophosphonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A series of blue and green-emitting phosphorescent heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes with mesityl-phenyl-imidazole Ligand for organic light-emitting devices are investigated theoretically to explore their electronic structures, spectroscopic properties and the application value for organic light emitting devices. The geometries, electronic structures, lowest-lying singlet absorptions, and triplet emissions of Ir(mpim) 3 , and the theoretically designed models Ir(F-mpim) 3 , Ir(F 2 -mpim) 3 , (mpim) 2 Ir(acac), (F-mpim) 2 Ir(acac), (F 2 -mpim) 2 Ir(acac), (mpim) 2 Ir(tpip), (F-mpim) 2 Ir(tpip), (F 2 -mpim) 2 Ir(tpip), are investigated with Density Functional Theory (DFT) approaches, where mpim denotes 1-mesityl-2-phenyl-1 H -imidazole, F-mpim denotes 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-mesityl-1 H -imidazole, F 2 -mpim denotes 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-mesityl-1 H -imidazole, acac denotes acetylacetonate, and tpip denotes tetraphenylimido-diphosphinate. Graphical abstract A series of heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir (III) complexes, which are used for OLED application,were investigated by DFT and TD-DFT method. The frontier molecular orbital character and charge transfer charactershown that they have theadvantagesof low efficiency roll-offproperties, which is a "stumbling block"in the process of OLED solid-lighting's development. Namely, means the materials will play animportant role in the journey development of OLED. Image 1 Highlights • Cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes have received special attention as dopants for harvesting the otherwise nonemissive triplet states formed in OLEDs, but now, most of them cannot satisfy to be used for the applications, especially for blue and green, since that a fast reduction in efficiency known as roll-off, however, occurs when the drive current increases, this leads to a much lower luminance and more power consumption. • Thus in this paper, in order to find a series of blue and green OLED materials with low efficiency roll-off properties, we theoretical design and investigate a series of Iridium complexes. • The geometries, electronic structures, the lowest-lying singlet absorptions, triplet emissions properties and the application value for organic light emitting devices were all analysed by theory in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diarylamine‐substituted osmanaphthalyne complexes that feature two redox centers linked by the rigid skeleton of the metallacycle (C^C+), specifically, [OsCl2(PPh3)2{(C^C+)NAr2}][BF4−] (Ar=Ph (1 a), p‐MeOPh (1 b)) and their open‐ring precursors [OsHCl2(PPh3)2{(≡C−C(PPh3+)=CHPh)NR2}][BF4−] (Ar=Ph (2 a), p‐MeOPh (2 b)), were successfully synthesized and characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, ESI‐MS, and elemental analysis. The solid‐state molecular structures of complexes 1 a and 2 a were ascertained by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The Os≡C bond length in both complexes 1 a and 2 a fell within the range reported for similar osmanaphthalynes and osmium carbyne complexes, respectively. The structural parameters determined for complex 1 a, which were successfully reproduced by theoretical calculations, point to a π‐delocalized metallacycle structure. The purple color of compounds 1 a and b was explained by the diarylamine→Os(metallacycle) charge‐transfer absorption in the visible region. The neutral, one‐electron‐oxidized and one‐electron‐reduced states of compounds 1 a, b, and a reference complex that lacked the diarylamine substituent, [OsCl2(PPh3)2{(C^C+)}][BF4−] (1′), were investigated by cyclic and square‐wave voltammetry, UV/Vis/NIR spectroelectrochemistry, and DFT calculations. The spin density in singly oxidized complexes [1 a]+ and [1 b]+ predominantly resided on the aminyl segment, with osmium involvement controlled by the diphenylamine substitution. Spin density in stable, singly‐reduced [1′]− was distributed mainly over the osmanaphthalyne metallacycle. Electronic communication in metallocycles: Two intriguing diphenylamine (DPA)‐substituted heterocyclic osmanaphthalyne complexes are investigated. Electronic communication between the donor DPA and acceptor metallacycle redox centers is observed. The studies also reveal that the spin density in the singly oxidized osmanaphtalynes predominantly resides on the aminyl segment. In contrast, for the reference unsubstituted osmanaphthalyne, both one‐electron oxidation and reduction are localized on the metallacycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among gynecological malignancies. The high mortality rate has not been significantly reduced despite advances in surgery and chemotherapy. Gene therapy shows therapeutic potential, but several key issues must be resolved before clinical application. To minimize toxicity in noncancerous tissues, tumor-specific ligands are conjugated to vectors to increase the selectivity of drug delivery. The expression pattern of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor in normal and cancer tissues provides an opportunity for highly selective drug delivery in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, tumor-specific promoters can conditionally regulate therapeutic gene expression in tumor or normal tissues. The mucin 16 (MUC16) promoter might be a potential tool to drive ovarian cancer-localized gene expression since MUC16/CA125 is overexpressed in most ovarian carcinomas. Here, we screened the possible MUC16 promoter sequences and constructed MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA plasmid vectors. The vectors were specifically delivered into ovarian cancer cells via FSH peptide-conjugated nanoparticles. The predicted promoter sequence with TAAA repeats showed high transcriptional activity. The nanoparticle complex containing MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA and FSH peptides had the ability to decrease gro-α protein secretion in ovarian cancer cells and block tumor growth without obvious toxic effects in a nude mouse model bearing ovarian cancer. Our study provides a novel gene delivery system using a MUC16 promoter trigger and FSH peptide-mediated active targeting in ovarian cancer, and this system may be a promising strategy for specific genetic therapeutic delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinct hormone molecules and receptors, such as follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in ovarian cancer, provide opportunities for more precisely targeted therapy. We previously developed FSHR-mediated nanoparticles and found that FSH peptides on the surface of nanoparticles improved the delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA) into ovarian cancer cells. However, the high toxicity of the nanoparticles and the transient silencing of the siRNA in vivo limited further study. Here, we developed FSH peptide-conjugated nanoparticles with an increased amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting and encapsulated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to silence the target gene, growth-regulated oncogene α (gro-α). The nanoparticle complexes exhibited good stability over three weeks. Expression of the target gene, gro-α, was significantly down-regulated by gro-α shRNA-loaded nanoparticles conjugated with FSH peptides (FSH33-G-NP) in FSHR-positive HEY cells. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were also inhibited by FSH33-G-NP. Tumor growth was delayed significantly in the mice treated with FSH33-G-NP. No significant loss of body weight or severe toxic effects were observed in any groups. In conclusion, gro-α shRNA-loaded nanoparticles conjugated with FSH peptides overcame the drawbacks of the in vivo application of RNAi therapeutics and polymer-based nanocarriers and showed safe antitumor efficacy. Our study might contribute to the application of FSHR-based targeted therapy and imaging in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cronobacter spp. (previously Enterobacter sakazakii), an opportunistic food-borne pathogen, involved in fatal infections in neonates and infants. Contaminated powdered infant formula (PIF) was considered to be the uppermost infective resource. In the present study, a thermophilic helicase-dependent isothermal amplification (tHDA) based method combined with silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Si-MNPs) as a DNA separator for rapid and sensitive detection of Cronobacter has been developed. The whole detection process can be completed in <3 h, with a detection limit of 100 and 101 CFU/ml Cronobacter in pure culture and artificially contaminated PIF, respectively, with a great sensitivity (94%) and specificity (100%). Hence, this protocol might be useful for screening and monitoring the contamination of Cronobacter spp. in food industry, and helpful for avoiding the economic loss by retard of feedback of the contamination of pathogens in dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe a novel, green, and efficient synthesis of a series of different substituted osmanaphthalynes (including ‐H, ‐Br, ‐I, ‐CH3 and ‐CF3) and the first examples of the preparation of α‐osmaanthracyne and α‐osmaphenanthryne by means of a visible light‐induced intramolecular cyclization reaction of their corresponding osmium hydrido alkenylcarbyne complexes. This visible‐light‐driven method provides an efficient and straightforward approach to afford the desired fused metal heterocyclic complexes constructed with an Os atom as the metal center in high yield under mild conditions. Os fusion! A series of osmanaphthalynes is reported bearing different substituents (‐H, ‐Br, ‐I, ‐CH3 and ‐CF3), and the first examples of a one‐dimensional structure of α‐osmaanthracyne and a two‐dimensional structure of α‐osmaphenanthryne using a room‐temperature intramolecular cyclization reactions. This approach involves a visible‐light‐induced method that is green, efficient and straightforward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The origin of A-type granites has been the subject of great debate, especially the enigmatic synchronous A 1 - and A 2 -type granites. Cretaceous (~125 Ma) A 1 - and A 2 -type granites are common throughout the Lower Yangtze River Belt (LYRB), eastern China. However, their genesis still remains unclear. In this study, in-situ zircon Oisotopic data and chemical compositions of the Huayuangong (HYG) A-type granites in Anhui province, provide new insights into the origin and evolution of A-type granites in the LYRB, as well as the genetic link for synchronous A 1 - and A 2 -type granites. The HYG granites include syenogranite (75.9 wt%–76.6 wt% SiO 2) and quartz syenite (66.1 wt%–66.9 wt% SiO 2). Both are metaluminous and belong to ferroan series. They are characterized by high alkalis (K 2 O + Na 2 O = 8.36 wt%–8.55 wt% and 11.7 wt%–11.9 wt%), high field strength elements (Zr + Nb + Ce + Y = 909 ppm–1269 ppm and 1092 ppm–1329 ppm) and high Ga/Al ratios (10,000 ∗ Ga/Al = 4.91–4.96 and 2.64–2.68). The zircon saturation thermometer results indicate high magmatic temperatures (896–964 °C and 860–882 °C). All those geochemical features show an A-type granite affinity. They can be further classified into A 1 -and A 2 -type granites, corresponding to reduced and oxidized A-type granites, respectively. Additionally, the in-situ zircon O-Hf isotope compositions are also distinctly different, with δ18O = 4.7‰–6.0‰ and ε Hf (t) = −1.5 to −3.6 for A 1 -type granites, and δ18O = 7.0‰–7.8‰ and ε Hf (t) = −3.3 to −6.9 for A 2 -type granites. The geochemical signatures and newly discovered δ18O and ε Hf (t)values of the two A-type granite subgroups, indicate that they were derived from different source components and under disparate physicochemical conditions (e.g.,temperature, redox state and water contents). Lithospheric mantle-like isotopic data from zircons of A 1 -type granites suggest fractional crystallization of reduced, anhydrous basaltic magmas resulting in the formation of A 1 -type granites. In contrast, A 2 -type granites with relatively high δ18O and negative εHf values were generated from partial melting of the lithospheric mantle which was metasomatized by slab-derived melts/fluids. The coexisting A 1 - and A 2 -type granites were formed under the extensional setting where lithospheric thinning and asthenosphere upwelling occurred. Highlights • A-type granites in the Lower Yangtze River belt are post ridge subduction. • Coexisting A 1 - and A 2 -type granites emplaced in the same complex at Huayuangong. • Newly discovered zircon Hf-O isotopes indicate different source components. • Huayuangong was located near the transition between A 1 and A 2 -type granites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore a calculated method used to measure the cardiac output using the aortic impedance change component of reconstructed impedance cardiography. Methods: Routine impedance cardiography was measured using Kubicek's method with four ring electrodes. The thoracic mixed impedance changes were measured by six leads, which consisted of 15 electrodes. The aortic impedance change component was separated from six thoracic mixed impedance changes through waveform reconstruction. The square root formula used to calculate the cardiac output was deduced based on the thoracic impedance change equation and the aortic volume change hypothesis during the systole period. The cardiac outputs of 180 normal adults and 72 patients with cardiac insufficiency who could still walk freely were contrastively computed with both Kubicek's formula and the square root formula. Results: For 180 normal adults, the cardiac index (CI) computed with the square root formula was 3.60 ± 0.45 L/min/m2, with normal values ranging from 2.7 to 4.5 L/min/m2. A total of 163 cases (90.6%) had a CI in the standard range (2.7–4.3 L/min/m2) adopted in clinical applications. The CI computed with Kubicek's formula was 3.61 ± 0.86 L/min/m2, with normal values ranging from 1.9 to 5.3 L/min/m2, and only 115 cases (63.9%) had a CI in the above standard range. Among the 72 patients with cardiac insufficiency, 20 (27.8%) patients had a CI < 2.0 L/min/m2 with Kubicek's formula. Of these 20 cases, 9 cases had a CI < 1.5 L/min/m2, and 4 cases had a CI < 1.1 L/min/m2. In contrast, none of the 72 patients had a CI < 2.0 L/min/m2 with the square root formula. In addition, the influence of the chest circumference on the CI was lower for the square root formula than for Kubicek's formula. Conclusions: The CI calculated with the square root formula had a better normal value range, was more accurate for the patients with cardiac insufficiency, and was less affected by the chest circumference than the CI calculated with Kubicek's formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Psoriasis vulgaris is mediated by T and dendritic cells. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) on activated dendritic cells (DCs) using an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model and murine bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) stimulated with resiquimod (R848) in vitro. Materials and methods The mice were treated with IMQ and intragastrically administered 25–100 mg/kg/day of AKBA, 1 mg/kg/day of methotrexate (MTX), or normal saline. The inflammation of skin lesions in IMQ mice were evaluated by psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and pathological staining. The related proteins of Toll-like receptor (TLR)7/8 pathways were assessed using Western blotting, and the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-12p40 mRNA using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The numbers of DCs and marker-positive BMDCs were assessed using flow cytometry and the levels of inflammatory factors using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Key findings AKBA and MTX obviously improved the psoriasis-like skin lesions of IMQ-treated mice. AKBA also obviously decreased the PASI score, reduced the thickness of epidermis, ameliorated the infiltration of CD3+ and CD11c+ cells in skin lesions, decreased the activation of local DCs, inhibited the mRNA expression and secretion of inflammatory factors IL-12 and IL-23, inhibited the maturation and differentiation of DCs to promote T-cell differentiation, and inhibited the activation of TLR7/8 and IRF signaling pathways. Significance This study implied that AKBA might have an anti-inflammatory effect on psoriasis by inhibiting the maturation and activation of DCs via the TLR8 and IRF signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new coordination polymers based on 5,5′-(1,2-phenylenebis(methoxy))diisophthalic acid (H 4 L), namely [Co 3 (HL) 2 (phen) 2 ] n ·2 n H 2 O ( 1 ), [Mn 2 L(phen) 2 ] n ·2 n H 2 O ( 2 ), [Cu 2 L(4-abpt) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] n ·2 n DMF ( 3 ), [Co 2 L(bpp) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ] n ·3 n H 2 O ( 4 ) and {(CH 3 ) 2 NH 2 [Co 2 L( μ 3 -OH)(H 2 O) 2 ]·DMF·H 2 O} n ( 5 ) (4-abpt = 4-amino-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole, bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, PXRD, thermogravimetry and X-ray structural analysis. Complex 1 is a 2D coordination polymer constructing from hexadentate HL 3− ligand, which contains trinuclear cobalt cluster [Co 3 (COO) 6 ] building block. Complex 2 is a 2D coordination polymer assembled by octadentate L 4− ligand. Complex 3 is a 3D metal-organic framework assembled by tetradentate L 4− ligand and 4-abpt linker. Complex 4 exhibits a 2D layered network containing 1D [Co 2 L] n nanotube. Complex 5 is a 2D coordination polymer possessing tetranuclear cobalt cluster Co 4 ( μ 3 -OH) 2 (COO) 4 . Tetracarboxylate exhibits five types of coordination modes. Thermal analyses demonstrate that complexes 1 and 2 were thermal stable up to 400–450 °C. Variable-temperature magnetic studies indicate that complex 1 has ferrimagnetic coupling in the [Co 3 (COO) 6 ] cluster. Complexes 2 and 5 present antiferromagnetic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coupling Field's metal and in situ polymerization of AA and AM monomers significantly improve the mechanical strength. • The interfacial transition zone between Field's metal and cement matrix is densified with the addition of the AA-AM copolymer. • The hydration temperature of cement is sharply reduced with the assistance of Field's metal and AA-AM copolymer. • Pore structure is refined due to the filling effect of Field's metal and AA-AM copolymer. Concrete as an artificial stone owns the weakness of high brittleness and poor flexural strength, dramatically restricting its potential. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the brittleness and increase the flexural strength of concrete to prolong its service life. Herein, we developed a cement composite with low hydration temperature and high mechanical strength (especially in flexural strength) by combining Field's metal with in situ polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM). A cement composite with compressive and flexural strength increased by 8.2% and 174.2% was achieved by tuning the dosage of Field's metal and AA-AM copolymer. The hydration temperature was significantly reduced with the assistance of Field's metal and AA-AM copolymer, inhibiting the formation of the thermal crack. In situ polymerization of AA and AM monomers was responsible for improving the intrinsic toughness of cement hydrates by constructing a polymer-cement network, significantly enhancing flexural strength. The in situ polymerized AA-AM copolymer acted as a bridge between Field's metal and the cement matrix, improving their interface and contributing to the increased mechanical strength. The filling effect of Field's metal and AA-AM copolymer refined the pore structure of the composite as well. Overall, our findings may offer a promising strategy for developing more robust, resilient, and sustainable cementitious materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel quaternary ammonium-functionalised MOF was designed and synthesized. • Novel QA-CS/MOFA efficiently removes melanoidins from spent wash. • In vitro cytotoxicity tests were performed to evaluate the safety of QA-CS/MOFA. • Density functional theory was applied to visualise the adsorption interactions. • The phenomenological models proposed new insights into sorption mass transfer. Melanoidins are hazardous coloring and polluting polymers widely found in the effluents of molasses-based distilleries and are negatively charged owing to carboxyl groups included in their chemical structures. A CHTA-modified metal–organic framework/chitosan composite aerogel (CHTA-MOF/CAG) was fabricated to serve as a melanoidin scavenger. The introduced functional monomer with an electropositive charge provides an effective binding site for capturing melanoidins. CHTA-MOF/CAG features highly dispersed CHTA target functional monomers and three-dimensional porous structures, thus achieving a larger adsorption capacity and higher mass transfer efficiency. The equilibrium adsorption of CHTA-MOF/CAG for melanoidins was as high as 465 mg/g, and the melanoidin removal percentage was 92%. Interaction, kinetics, and mass transfer micromechanisms studies revealed that two layers of melanoidins adsorbed on the CHTA-MOF/CAG surface were mostly mediated by the electrovalent linkage between carboxylate and quaternary ammonium, followed by electron sharing. On average, one melanoidin molecule can be shared by three to four quaternary ammonium groups of CHTA-MOF/CAG, indicating a parallel adsorption orientation. Adsorption onto active sites is the rate-controlling mechanism of the system, and the diffusion of melanoidins to CHTA-MOF/CAG is fairly rapid. CHTA-MOF/CAG showed a higher affinity for lower molecular weight melanoidins than pigments with larger molecular sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir (III) complexes, which are used for OLED application, were investigated by DFT and TD-DFT method. The frontier molecular orbital character and charge transfer character shown that they have the advantages of low efficiency roll-off properties, which is a "stumbling block" in the process of OLED solid-lighting's development. Namely, means the materials will play an important role in the journey development of OLED. [Display omitted] • Cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes have received special attention as dopants for harvesting the otherwise nonemissive triplet states formed in OLEDs, but now, most of them cannot satisfy to be used for the applications, especially for Bright blue and Near-infrared , since that a fast reduction in efficiency known as roll-off, however, occurs when the drive current increases, this leads to a much lower luminance and more power consumption. • Thus in this paper, in order to find a kind of Bright blue and Near-infrared OLED materials with low efficiency roll-off properties, we theoretical design and investigate a series of Iridium complexes. • The geometries, electronic structures, the lowest-lying singlet absorptions, triplet emissions properties and the application value for organic light emitting devices were all analyzed by theory in this article. A series metal iridium complexes were calculated using the method of DFT and TD-DFT under Gaussian 09 software. H atoms on the N counter in 2-(4-fluorophenyl)pyridine were replaced with methyl and nitro groups, respectively, to obtain two main ligands CFM(2-(4-fluorobrobenyl)-4-methylpyridine) and CFN(2-(4-fluorobrobenyl)-4-nitropyridine), then we obtained six complexes: (CFM) 2 Ir(acac), (CFM) 2 Ir(tpip), (CFM) 3 Ir, (CFN) 2 Ir(acac), (CFN) 2 Ir(tpip) and (CFN) 3 Ir, Where acac is represented as pentane-2, 4-dione, tpip as tetraphenylimido-diphosphinate. The electronic structure, the lowest singlet absorption, the triple excited states as well as the emission spectrum are also theoretically studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel syrup decolorizer with self floatability (EHGM/PDA/PEI) is fabricated and characterized. • EHGM/PDA/PEI has developed 3D-network porous structure and excellent adsorption performance. • EHGM/PDA/PEI represented great biocompatibility compare favourably with rice. • Adsorption mass transfer process can be described comprehensively by phenomenological models. • IGM analysis supplemented the interaction mechanism of EHGM/PDA/PEI and caramel docking. A polyethyleneimine/polydopamine-functionalized self-floating microsphere (EHGM/PDA/PEI) bears an etched hollow glass microsphere as a support, polydopamine as an interfacial cross-linking "glue", and polyethyleneimine as a functional monomer was fabricated and used as a decolorization sorbent for sugarcane juice. The advantages of EHGM/PDA/PEI for sugarcane juice decolorization were attributed to its richness of target polyethyleneimine monomers, well-connected and abundant three-dimensional network-like aperture structure, and nontoxicity. Moreover, EHGM/PDA/PEI has excellent self-floating performance to allow separation from the adsorption system after decolorization and may have a faster separation speed and lower energy consumption than conventional solid–liquid separation methods. Synthetic caramels were used as model colorants of sugarcane juice to assess EHGM/PDA/PEI performance. The adsorption capacity of EHGM/PDA/PEI for caramels was 18.36 mg/g with a removal efficiency of 91.80% in the adsorption equilibrium state. The interaction mechanisms revealed that the caramel adsorption on EHGM/PDA/PEI was mostly mediated by protonated amine groups, followed by electron sharing. Two layers of caramels adhered onto EHGM/PDA/PEI were mainly mediated by electrovalent bonds between carboxylate and protonated amine. On average, one caramel molecule can be shared by 3–4 protonated amine groups of EHGM/PDA/PEI, which suggests a parallel sorption orientation. Four phenomenological mass transfer models [external diffusion resistance (EXTDR), internal diffusion resistance (INTDR), EXTDR–INTDR mixed, and adsorption onto active sites (AOAS)] proposed new and unique insights into the dynamic properties of the adsorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two novel luminescent molecules containing distorted phenothiazine-S-oxide and phenothiazine-S,S dioxide skeleton were synthesized by rational molecular design. • The different oxidation states of S-atom, from sulfide (+2) to sulfoxide (+4) and sulfone (+6), led to three different fluorescence colors in their solid states. • Among them, the new type of non-AIE-type fluorophore containing the phenothiazine-S-oxide skeleton exhibits obvious solvatochromism characteristics. • The molecule with sulfoxide group also exhibited a rare self-recovery mechanochromatic behavior. In this work, two novel luminescent molecules containing distorted phenothiazine-S-oxide and phenothiazine-S,S dioxide skeletons were synthesized by oxidation reactions using different oxidants (m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, acetic acid /hydrogen peroxide). The target compounds were all confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and EI-MS. Combined with the results of UV–vis absorption spectra and fluorescence emission spectra, we found that the different oxidation states of S-atom, from sulfide (+2) to sulfoxide (+4) and sulfone (+6), led to the blue, yellow-green and yellowish fluorescence of these compounds in the solid states. Subsequent studies showed that the molecule containing the phenothiazine-S-oxide skeleton exhibited obvious solvatochromism, and the increase of solvent polarity induced a red-shift in the emission wavelength. Moreover, this molecule also exhibited a rare self-recovery mechanochromatic behavior. In addition, these properties were further confirmed by theoretical calculations and X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a designed experimental simulation scheme for dynamic air gap eccentricity (DAGE) faults in permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), along with the testing of their electromechanical characteristics. Unlike previous studies, this paper proposes and applies an experimental device setting scheme that enables accurate and convenient calibration of the DAGE fault degree, offering a novel solution for practical DAGE simulation. The experimental unit measures the electromechanical characteristics of the PMSG before and after the DAGE fault, taking into account the influence of load. The mechanical parameter considered is the stator vibration, while the electrical parameter is the circulating current parallel branches (CCPB) inside the stator winding. The characteristic frequencies of stator vibration and CCPB under the DAGE fault are analyzed based on the experimental results and verified through theoretical calculations and finite element analysis (FEA). The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DAGE experimental device. Moreover, DAGE failure increases the strength of stator vibration and introduces new frequency components, namely fr and 2f ± fr. Under normal operation, the PMSG exhibits no CCPB. However, DAGE faults cause CCPB with frequency components of f ± fr. Moreover, the severity of the fault degree positively correlates with larger root‐mean‐square (RMS) values and characteristic frequency amplitudes of stator vibration and CCPB. Furthermore, the amplitude of stator vibration and CCPB decreases with increasing load. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study was conducted to explore the expression of serum inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), with an attempt to analyze their relationship with the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Material and methods: It total 81 patients with coronary heart disease and 81 healthy adults were included as the observation group and the control group, respectively. The levels of serum interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12 of the two groups were detected by ELISA, and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) was detected by the hydroxylamine oxidation method. Micro-RNA-497-5p (miR-497-5p) was screened out as a possible new CHD biomarker and its serum level was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The CACS of patients in the observation group was calculated by the Agatston method to analyze the correlation between the abovementioned indexes and CACS. Results: With increase in the number of CHD lesions, the levels of IL-6, IL-12 and miR-497-5p rose gradually while the level of SOD decreased gradually. In the observation group, IL-6, IL-12 and miR-497-5p were positively correlated with CACS while SOD was negatively correlated with CACS. Conclusions: Abnormal expression levels of serum IL-6, IL-12, SOD and miR-497-5p may be able to reveal the severity of the disease, and the combination with CACS is of potential value in terms of evaluating the condition of patients harboring coronary heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two related three-membered series of nonlinear aminophenylferrocene and diphenylaminoferrocene complexes were prepared and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The first series consists of 4-(diphenylamino)phenylferrocene (TPA-Fc, 1a), its dimethoxy-substituted tetraphenylphenylenediamine derivative (M2TPPD-Fc, 1c), and the triphenylamine-bridged bis(ferrocenyl) complex (Fc-TPA-Fc, 1b). The second series involves bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aminoferrocene (M2DPA-Fc, 1d), 4-methoxyphenylaminoferrocene (MPA-Fc) with N-phenyl-appended terminal TPA (1e), and the corresponding bis(MPA-Fc) complex with bridging TPA (1f). The structure of complex 1d was further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Combined investigations, based on anodic voltammetry, UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, were conducted to illustrate the influence of the integration of multiple redox-active components on the sequential oxidation of these complexes. The first anodic steps in 1a–1f are localized preferentially on the ferrocenyl units, followed by oxidation of the TPA or TPPD moieties (absent in 1d). Irreversible oxidation of the ferrocene-appended strong donor DPA/MPA units in 1d–1f terminates the anodic series. The one-electron oxidation of the triphenylamine-bridged diferrocenyl (1b) and bis(phenylaminoferrocenyl) (1f) complexes triggers their facile redox disproportionation to dicationic bis(ferrocenium) products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonatitic magmatism plays a significant role in Earth's carbon cycle, which is also a lithoprobe of crust-mantle interaction, mantle metasomatism and partial melting. Due to different mineral assemblages and geochemical compositions, and diverse tectonic settings, the origin of carbonatite has long been debated. At subduction zones, sediments (including carbonates) are subducted into the mantle with the downgoing oceanic slab. However, the detailed mechanism of how subducted carbonates contribute to carbonatitic magmatism remains unclear. Here we present geochronological, geochemical and isotopic study on the Taohuala Mountain carbonatite at the southern margin of the Alxa Block, North China Craton. The classification of carbonatite from the Taohuala Mountain relies strongly on the observations of obvious intrusion contact relationships and flow structures in field outcrop. The Taohuala Mountain carbonatite has SiO 2 ranging from 2.37 wt.% to 11.45 wt%, high CaO (45.93–53.86 wt%) and low MgO (0.51–4.39 wt%), and is characterized by enrichment of LILE (Ba, Sr), depletion of HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf), and slightly negative Ce and Eu anomalies. Carbonates in the samples have high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (0.70686–0.70694) and low 143 Nd/ 144 Nd (0.511635–0.511924). Remarkably, the highly fractionated δ 18 O VSMOW (11.83–25.92‰) indicates components of both sedimentary and mantle origin. Detailed zircon in situ U-Pb dating and oxygen isotope analysis exhibit contrast ages and δ 18 O VSMOW from core to rim, i.e., old ages (mainly > 800 Ma), high Th/U (mainly > 0.5) and low δ 18 O VSMOW (6.37–11.44‰) in cores (inherited), whereas young ages (~ 400 Ma), low Th/U (mainly < 0.01) and high δ 18 O VSMOW (20.04–24.54‰) in rims, suggesting that the Taohuala Mountain carbonatite may have been generated from melting of subducted sedimentary carbonates. Considering all these evidences, and that the collision along Qilian Mountains was older than the carbonatite, we propose that a large volume of sedimentary carbonates subducted and remained in the lithospheric mantle under the Alxa block during the closure of the Paleo-Qilian Ocean. Subsequently, the carbonatite was formed by melting of carbonates with minor contributions from the mantle during the breakoff or rollback of the Paleo-Asian oceanic slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among gynecological malignancies. The high mortality rate has not been significantly reduced despite advances in surgery and chemotherapy. Gene therapy shows therapeutic potential, but several key issues must be resolved before clinical application. To minimize toxicity in noncancerous tissues, tumor-specific ligands are conjugated to vectors to increase the selectivity of drug delivery. The expression pattern of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor in normal and cancer tissues provides an opportunity for highly selective drug delivery in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, tumor-specific promoters can conditionally regulate therapeutic gene expression in tumor or normal tissues. The mucin 16 (MUC16) promoter might be a potential tool to drive ovarian cancer-localized gene expression since MUC16/CA125 is overexpressed in most ovarian carcinomas. Here, we screened the possible MUC16 promoter sequences and constructed MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA plasmid vectors. The vectors were specifically delivered into ovarian cancer cells via FSH peptide-conjugated nanoparticles. The predicted promoter sequence with TAAA repeats showed high transcriptional activity. The nanoparticle complex containing MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA and FSH peptides had the ability to decrease gro-α protein secretion in ovarian cancer cells and block tumor growth without obvious toxic effects in a nude mouse model bearing ovarian cancer. Our study provides a novel gene delivery system using a MUC16 promoter trigger and FSH peptide-mediated active targeting in ovarian cancer, and this system may be a promising strategy for specific genetic therapeutic delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinct hormone molecules and receptors, such as follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in ovarian cancer, provide opportunities for more precisely targeted therapy. We previously developed FSHR-mediated nanoparticles and found that FSH peptides on the surface of nanoparticles improved the delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA) into ovarian cancer cells. However, the high toxicity of the nanoparticles and the transient silencing of the siRNA in vivo limited further study. Here, we developed FSH peptide-conjugated nanoparticles with an increased amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting and encapsulated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to silence the target gene, growth-regulated oncogene α (gro-α). The nanoparticle complexes exhibited good stability over three weeks. Expression of the target gene, gro-α, was significantly down-regulated by gro-α shRNA-loaded nanoparticles conjugated with FSH peptides (FSH33-G-NP) in FSHR-positive HEY cells. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were also inhibited by FSH33-G-NP. Tumor growth was delayed significantly in the mice treated with FSH33-G-NP. No significant loss of body weight or severe toxic effects were observed in any groups. In conclusion, gro-α shRNA-loaded nanoparticles conjugated with FSH peptides overcame the drawbacks of the in vivo application of RNAi therapeutics and polymer-based nanocarriers and showed safe antitumor efficacy. Our study might contribute to the application of FSHR-based targeted therapy and imaging in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bayan Obo ore deposit in Inner Mongolia, North China, the largest-known rare earth element (REE) deposit in the world, is closely associated with carbonatite dykes. Scarce zircon grains, with a wide range of ages and diverse origins, have been extracted from the Wu dyke, a REE-enriched calcitic carbonatite dyke 2 km from the East Ore Body of the Bayan Obo deposit. Three zircon populations were identified based on ages and trace element compositions: 1) Captured zircons with Paleoproterozoic and Archean ages. These zircons have REE patterns and moderate Th/U ratios similar to zircon with silicate inclusions from basement igneous rocks, which have been recognized as contaminants from wall rocks. 2) Carbonatite magmatic zircons with Mesoproterozoic ages. These zircons have high to extremely high Th/U ratios (13–1600), a characteristic signature of the Bayan Obo deposit. Two zircon grains yielded concordant 206 Pb/ 238 U ages (1.27 ± 0.11 Ga ∼ 1.42 ± 0.18 Ga) and 208 Pb/ 232 Th age (1.26 ± 0.20 Ga) with calcite inclusions, indicating that the Wu dyke was emplaced at ca. 1.34 Ga, which coincides with a worldwide generation of Mesoproterozoic kimberlites, lamprophyres, carbonatites, and anorogenic magmatism. 3) Hydrothermal zircons with Caledonian and Triassic ages. The Caledonian zircon has 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 381 ± 4 Ma and 208 Pb/ 232 Th age of 367 ± 14 Ma with dolomite inclusion. These evidences are consistent with multiple stages of mineralization, Mesoproterozoic calcite carbonatite magmatism interacted by protracted fluxing of subduction-released Caledonian fluids during the closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean, coupled with interaction with the mantle wedge and metasomatism of overlying sedimentary carbonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel copper metal-organic framework (MOF) [Cu3L2(H2O)2.75]·0.75H2O·1.75DMA (H3L = 4-(2-carboxyphenoxy)-isophthalic acid, DMA = dimethylacetamide) has been synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 shows a three-dimensional architecture with a sqc topology net where the [Cu2(COO)4] unit was viewed as a node. Magnetic studies indicate that strong antiferromagnetic coupling with J = -159.0(9) cm-1 dominates in the compound. As a sensor, the compound based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) exhibits good linearity humidity sensing properties after being exposed to various relative humidity environments at room temperature. The resulting sensitivity is about 28.7 Hz/%RH with a good linearity coefficient of 0.993. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine Cu(I)-cyanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, [Cu4(CN)2(4-bpt)2]n (1), {[Cu3(CN)2(4-bpt)]·H2O}n (2), [Cu2(CN)(3-bpt)]n (3), [Cu2(CN)2(3-Hptz)]n (4), [Cu3(CN)2(3-ptz)]n (5), [Cu7(CN)7(3-tpt)2]n (6), {[Cu9(CN)9(btb)2]·btb}n (7), [Cu2(CN)2(4-azpy)]n (8), and [Cu3(CN)3(bpp)]n (9) (4/3-Hbpt = 3,5-bis(4/3-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole; 3-Hptz = 3-pyridyl-tetrazole; 3-tpt = 2,4,6-tris(3-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine; btb = 1,4-bis(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzene; 4-azpy = 4,4'-azobispyridine; bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane), were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized. The 4-bpt, 3-bpt, and 3-Hptz ligands in 1-4 were in situ generated by cycloaddition reactions. Their structural features vary from two-dimensional (2D) (3), three-dimensional (3D) (4, 5, 6), 3D 2-fold interpenetration (1, 2, 8), to 3D 3-fold interpenetration (7, 9). Complex 1 is an intriguing 3D metal-organic framework (MOF) with a nanosized rectangular channel. Complex 3 exhibits a chiral 2D double-layered network prepared by achiral component. Complex 6 is a 3D MOF constructed from six μ2-cyanides, a μ3-cyanide, and a μ3-tpt ligand. Complex 7 shows an interesting 3D MOF with (3.4)-connected 5-nodal net, containing a btb guest molecule in the rectangular channel. Complex 8 is a 3D MOF assembled by a 2D [Cu2(CN)2]n network pillared by a 4-azpy spacer. Complex 9 is a 3D MOF with ths topology. Their structural diversity originates from the variation of Cu(I) coordination numbers and three types of cyanide-bridging modes, tuned via various bidentate (4-azpy, bpp), tridentate (3-Hptz, 3-tpt), and tetradentate (4-bpt, 3-bpt, 3-ptz, btb) N-heterocyclic ligands. Infrared spectra and cyanide coordination modes are discussed in detail. The characteristic ν(C≡N) stretching frequencies in μ2-CN complexes show linear correlation with the Cu-CN bond distances. A decrease of about 6.7 cm-1 in ν(C≡N) corresponds to a 0.01 Å elongation of the Cu-CN bond. These Cu(I) complexes exhibit good thermally stability and emit strong luminescence at 386-593 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic management of malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO) remains challenging, with relatively poor jaundice control and high infectious risk. The factors that affect the outcome of endoscopic therapy are still unclear. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate predictive factors for the outcomes of biliary stenting in patients with MHBO. METHODS: Between June 2015 and June 2016, consecutive patients with MHBO who received primary endoscopic stenting and completed follow-up at our institution were identified and evaluated. All patients received full aspiration of congested bile followed by plastic or metal stent(s) placement. Clinical success was achieved in patients whose total serum bilirubin decreased by over two-thirds in a month. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were included. Among them, 28 received a single stent placement and 36 received multiple stent placements. Altogether 53 (82.8%) patients attained clinical success and 48 (75.0%) underwent re-interventions within 6 months. Multivariate analyses showed that only a total bile volume of ≥30 mL aspirated from the intrahepatic ducts predicted clinical success (OR 6.83, 95% CI 1.2-38.4, P = 0.029), absence of early post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography cholangitis (OR 0.03, 95% CI 0.004-0.36, P = 0.001), and lack of reintervention within 6 months (HR 0.10, 95% CI 0.05-0.22, P < 0.001) after initial endoscopic stenting. CONCLUSION: The volume of congested bile may effectively predict treatment outcomes of endoscopic stenting for MHBO and guide the therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical compositions of continental basalts are generally considered as the best proxy record of the chemical and isotopic evolution of subcontinental lithosphere and convective mantle. There are voluminous Cretaceous continental basalts in the North China Craton (NCC), which are mainly composed of alkali basalts with minor sub-alkali basalts. Abrupt changes in chemical and isotopic compositions of these basalts were often ascribed to subcontinental lithosphere thinning of the NCC. However, processes responsible for such changes and its implications for subcontinental lithosphere evolution remain obscure. Here we report major geochemical changes at ~ 108 Ma in the north part of the NCC. The > 108 Ma alkali basalts are characterized by negative ε Nd (t) and declining “island arc-like” geochemical characteristics from the east to the west, implying decreasing slab-derived components from westward subducting slabs in their metasomatized lithospheric mantle sources. In contrast, the < 108 Ma Cretaceous alkali basalts have depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and “OIB-like” geochemical features. These observations suggest that westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate was responsible for the Cretaceous basaltic activities in the NCC. Combined with plate reconstructions and geophysical observations, we propose that flat subduction of the “extinct” ridge between the Izanagi and the Pacific plates controlled this major transition as well as the destruction of the NCC. The transition from a supra-subduction zone environment to a within-plate extensional environment around 108 Ma is probably due to the eastward slab rollback and the northward shift of the spreading ridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]