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An anionic metal organic framework (Me2NH2)2[In2(H4TTBA)2](DMF)(H2O)15 (In-MOF-1; H4TTBA = 2′-amino-[1,1′:4′,1″-terphenyl]-3,3″,5,5″-tetracarboxylic acid, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) with suitable channels and PtS-type topology was synthesized and characterized. In-MOF-1 has three types of channels along a, b, c axis that displays the adsorption and selective separation ability toward the low concentration of small cationic dye molecules from water solution at room temperature.

Neurodegenerative diseases are irreversible conditions that result in progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells. Although the underlying mechanisms may vary, oxidative stress is considered to be one of the major causes of neuronal loss. Importantly, there are still no comprehensive treatments to completely cure these diseases. Therefore, protecting neurons from oxidative damage may be the most effective therapeutic strategy. Here we report a neuroprotective effects of a novel hybrid compound (dlx-23), obtained by conjugating α-lipoic acid (ALA), a natural antioxidant agent, and 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), a clinical anti-ischemic drug. Dlx-23 protected against neuronal death induced by both H2O2 induced oxidative stress in Cath.-a-differentiated (CAD) cells and 6-OHDA, a toxin model of Parkinson's disease (PD) in SH-SY5Y cells. These activities proved to be more potent than the parent compound (ALA) alone. Dlx-23 scavenged free radicals, increased glutathione levels, and prevented mitochondria damage. In addition, live imaging of primary cortical neurons demonstrated that dlx-23 protected against neuronal growth cone damage induced by H2O2. Taken together these results suggest that dlx-23 has substantial potential to be further developed into a novel neuroprotective agent against oxidative damage and toxin induced neurodegeneration.

In order to improve the algorithm efficiency in point matching and reduce the error of displacement field in deformation calculation, an Improved Digital Volume Correlation (IDVC) method is proposed. Aimed at the problem that the accuracy of initial displacement estimation of DVC has a great influence on the convergence calculation accuracy by the sub-voxel measurement algorithm, the coordinates of the estimated points in deformation are quickly matched by the Explosion Search Algorithm (ESA), with the displacement vectors obtained. Then, the non-physical fluctuation of displacement field and the wrong strain concentration are suppressed in regularization. Finally, the deformation information obtained by correlation search is substituted into the iterative least squares algorithm to attain the sub-voxel precision displacement. The results of the simulation experiment and concrete uni-axial compression experiment show that the computational efficiency by the proposed method is 20.44% higher than that by the traditional DVC method, and that the accuracy level of displacement field measurement reaches 0.001 voxels.

Migration of meiosis-I (MI) spindle from the cell center to a sub-cortical location is a critical step for mouse oocytes to undergo asymmetric meiotic cell division. In this study, we investigate the mechanism by which formin-2 (FMN2) orchestrates the initial movement of MI spindle. By defining protein domains responsible for targeting FMN2, we show that spindle-periphery localized FMN2 is required for spindle migration. The spindle-peripheral FMN2 nucleates short actin bundles from vesicles derived likely from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and concentrated in a layer outside the spindle. This layer is in turn surrounded by mitochondria. A model based on polymerizing actin filaments pushing against mitochondria, thus generating a counter force on the spindle, demonstrated an inherent ability of this system to break symmetry and evolve directional spindle motion. The model is further supported through experiments involving spatially biasing actin nucleation via optogenetics and disruption of mitochondrial distribution and dynamics., Mammalian oocytes divide asymmetrically during meiotic maturation. Here, the authors show that spindle movement away from oocyte center depends on actin filaments nucleated from the spindle periphery pushing against surrounding mitochondria, which polarizes spontaneously to produce directional spindle motion.

A method of microscale pressure measurement based on immiscible fluid/fluid interface is proposed. This method utilizes observed curvature changes in a fluid/fluid interface, and can accurately report hydraulic pressure in fluids at length scales of 10 microns. The method is especially suited for measuring fluid pressure in micro-scale biological samples. Using this method, we probe fluid pressure build up in epithelial domes, murine mammary gland organoids embedded in hydrogel, and lumen pressure in the developing mouse embryo. Results reveal that the pressure developed across epithelial barriers is on the order of 100~300 Pa, and is modulated by ion channel activity.

Transgenic technology is now widely used in biomedical and agricultural fields. Transgenesis is commonly achieved through random integration which might cause some uncertain consequences. The site-specific integration could avoid this disadvantage. This study aimed to screen and validate the best safe harbor (SH) locus for efficient porcine transgenesis. First, the cells carrying the EGFP reporter construct at four different SH loci (ROSA26, AAVS1, H11 and COL1A1) were achieved through CRSIPR/Cas9-mediated HDR. At the COL1A1 and ROSA26 loci, a higher mRNA and protein expression of EGFP was detected, and it was correlated with a lower level of DNA methylation of the EGFP promoter, hEF1α. A decreased H3K27me3 modification of the hEF1α promoter at the COL1A1 locus was also detected. For the safety of transgenesis at different SH locus, we found that transgenesis could relatively alter the expression of the adjacent endogenous genes, but the influence was limited. We also did not observe any off-target cleavage for the selected sgRNAs of the COL1A1 and ROSA26 loci. In conclusion, the COL1A1 and ROSA26 were confirmed to be the best two SH loci with the COL1A1 being more competitive for porcine transgenesis. This work would greatly facilitate porcine genome engineering and transgenic pig production.

Simazine is a triazine pesticides that typically detected in ground water and soil, and can reportedly affect reproductive health in humans and animals. However, the effect of simazine on female germ cell development remains unclear. In the present study, we observed that simazine exposure decreased oocyte maturation competence and embryonic developmental capacity. Importantly, simazine exposure disrupted microtubule stability and actin polymerization, resulting in failure of spindle assembly and migration. In addition, simazine exposure impaired mitochondrial function and cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis in both oocyte and 2-cell embryos, thus increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, simazine exposure induced DNA damage and early apoptosis during oocyte maturation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that simazine exposure-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis are major causes of poor oocytes quality.

A highly electronegative carboxyl-decorated anionic metal-organic framework (MOF), (Me

OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of ketotifen fumarate and budesonide administered as nasal sprays to treat allergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 96 allergic rhinitis patients, who were admitted to our hospital in recent years, were selected as research subjectes. All patients were treated with ketotifen fumarate and budesonide administered as nasal sprays. Clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment. RESULTS After treatment, the symptoms of nasal obstruction, nasal itching, sneezing, and runny nose significantly improved, and the score of these symptoms was significantly lower when compared to that before treatment (p

Ovonic memory switching (OMS) and ovonic threshold switching (OTS) are the most attractive characteristics of the chalcogenides, where the former implements nonvolatile data storage in phase change materials (PCM) and the latter enables the high-density 3D integration of PCM. Wide-range temperature variation during device fabrication and electrical operation brings risks of stress and diffusion induced device failure, that urges the improvement of reliability in OTS and OMS devices. In this work, carbon layers with different thickness have been inserted between Ge2Sb2Te5 chalcogenide and TiN electrode, to improve the interface reliability. Carbon layer with optimized thickness can reduce the elements diffusion and lower the peeling risk at the interface. While, excessively thick carbon layers will cause Ge precipitation from the chalcogenide layer, leading to a fragile interface. Moreover, a low power consumption has been achieved in PCM cells with carbon layers, attributed to the blocked heat dissipation at the amorphous carbon layer and the consequential high-power efficiency. The application of carbon layer not only ensures the good reliability in OTS selectors and PCM devices, but also improves the power efficiency.

A microporous metal-organic framework (MOF) with ttd-type topology, [Mn 2 (FDDI)](DMF) 5.5 (H 2 O) 4.5 ( Mn-MOF ; H 4 FDDI = 5,5'-(9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)-diisophthalic acid (DMF = C 3 H 7 NO) was solvothermal obtained and characterized. Mn-MOF contains three different channels that show excellent removal of low concentration of crystal violet as compared with methyl orange and methylene blue from the aqueous solution at 298 K.

This paper reported a SnO2/pyrolytic carbon nanosphere (SnO2-PCS), which is prepared via methods of precursor atomization and laser assistance combustion. Combined the advantages of nanocrystalline SnO2 and pyrolytic carbon, samples show enhanced reversibility in sodium storage application. The SnO2-PCS prepared under an optimized condition (at oxygen concentrations of 5 vol%) shows the best electrochemical performance. In details, a high Coulombic efficiency of 67.3% with a discharge capacity of 997 mAh g–1 can be obtained in the first cycle, and then the Coulombic efficiency quickly increase to 98.2% in the third cycle and closed to 100% in further cycles. Meanwhile, samples show a high reversible capacity of 507 mAh g–1 at 50 mA g–1 after 250 cycles and a high rate capacity of 225 mAh g–1 at 1500 mA g–1. Experimental results show that, the performance enhancement can be attribute to the pyrolytic carbon provide a reasonable surface area, enough volume change buffering and a good electric conductivity. This work demonstrated a promising high performance anode for Na-ion batteries, in the meantime, it provided a high efficient pathway to prepared SnO2/pyrolytic carbon nanocomposites through such fast synthesis method.

The microporous metal–organic framework [Co3O(H2O)3](ABTC)1.5·(solv)x, (H4ABTC = 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid) Co-ABTC, with suitable pore space was synthesized by solvothermal reaction. Co-ABTC shows the spherical pores with a radius of 5.2 × 5.2 A2, taking into account the van der Waals’ force. The specific surface area (BET) is 585.9 m2/g through N2 adsorption at 77 K. The activated Co-ABTCa shows the moderately high separation selectivity for C2H2/CO2 of 4.28 (298 K) at extremely low pressures by utilizing ideal adsorbed solution theory simulation. A new microporous metal–organic framework with optimizing pore space has been realized to exhibit highly selective C2H2/CO2 gas separation property.

Early warning of gas in deepwater drilling risers is critical to the timely detection of seepage and consequently blowout reduction. We numerically simulate the acoustic field in water-based drilling fluids from a sound source outside the riser by using a 3D cylindrical coordinates finite-difference method. By changing the gas content of the drilling fluid, the relation between the amplitude and attenuation of the A0- and the S0-mode Lamb waves in the riser, the fluid properties in the pipe, and the position of the top and bottom interfaces of the slug flow were assessed. The simulation results suggests that the amplitude and attenuation of the Lamb waves reflect the gas content in the riser and are sensitive to low gas content. Moreover, the Lamb waves amplitude and attenuation reflect the position of the top and bottom interface of the slug flow.

The lipophilic prodrug of hydrophobic drugs with well-designed molecular structures can form stable pure prodrug nanoparticles (NPs), but rapid NPs aggregation in plasma greatly restricted their direct use for intravenous chemotherapy. To address this, DSPE-mPEG2000 and Cremophor EL are two of the most widely used lipophilic PEG derivatives to enhance their colloidal stability in plasma. However, their drug delivery performances have never been comparatively studied. Here, a redox-responsive lipophilic prodrug of SN38 was chosen as the model drug for such comparative investigations. We found that Cremophor EL/NPs having a small diameter (∼15 nm) and poor kinetic stability displayed an enhanced cell internalization, higher cytotoxicity and prolonged circulation time as compared with DSPE-mPEG2000/NPs. Most importantly, these superiorities further resulted in a much more potent antitumor activity in CT26 colorectal cancer xenograft, but the increased loss of body weight was also noted. These results suggested that Cremophor EL could be more advantageous than DSPE-mPEG2000 in terms of the improvement of antitumor activity, but the enhanced toxicity warranted further attention in the future study.

The clinical application of SN38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin) is severely restricted by its extremely low water solubility. Nanoaggregates formed by amphiphilic SN38 prodrugs have been widely used for the delivery of SN38. In this study, we used a hydrophobized SN38 prodrug, rather than a typical SN38 amphiphile, to construct rod-shaped nanoaggregates for efficient SN38 delivery. The hydrophobized SN38 was synthesized by conjugating SN38 with oleic acid using disulfanyl-ethyl carbonate as the linker. Interestingly, the resulting prodrug self-assembled into nanorods with high drug loading capacity (45%) and colloidal stability. Moreover, these nanorods displayed an impressively high redox-sensitivity to release 100% SN38 within 1 h in 10 mM DTT, versus 1% in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The efficient drug release resulted in an uncompromised in vitro cytotoxicity, which was comparable to free SN38 and nearly 93-fold more potent than CPT-11. Most importantly, these novel prodrug nanoaggregates exhibited potent antitumor activity in the CT26 colorectal cancer xenograft. The nanoaggregates of such redox-hypersensitive hydrophobized SN38 represent an effective alternative strategy for developing novel SN38 nanomedicines.

SARS-CoV-2 variants are now still challenging all the approved vaccines, including mRNA vaccines. There is an urgent need to develop new generation mRNA vaccines with more powerful efficacy and better safety against SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study, a new set of ionizable lipids named 4N4T are constructed and applied to form novel lipid nanoparticles called 4N4T-LNPs. Leading 4N4T-LNPs exhibit much higher mRNA translation efficiency than the approved SM-102-LNPs. To test the effectiveness of the novel delivery system, the DS mRNA encoding the full-length S protein of the SARS-CoV-2 variant is synthesized and loaded in 4N4T-LNPs. The obtained 4N4T-DS mRNA vaccines successfully trigger robust and durable humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants including Delta and Omicron. Importantly, the novel vaccines have higher RBD-specific IgG titers and neutralizing antibody titers than SM-102-based DS mRNA vaccine. Besides, for the first time, the types of mRNA vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies are found to be influenced by the chemical structure of ionizable lipids. 4N4T-DS mRNA vaccines also induce strong Th1-skewed T cell responses and have good safety. This work provides a novel vehicle for mRNA delivery that is more effective than the approved LNPs and shows its application in vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

BackgroundAccurate identification of molecular transmission clusters (MTCs) and understanding the dynamics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission are necessary to develop targeted interventions to prevent HIV transmission. We evaluated the characteristics of antiretroviral therapy-naïve individuals who belonged to HIV-1 MTCs in the China–Myanmar border region to inform targeted effective HIV intervention.MethodsPhylogenetic analyses were undertaken on HIV-1 pol sequences to characterize subtypes or circulating recombinant forms and identify MTCs. MTCs were defined as those with 2 or more sequences having bootstrap support > 80% and a pairwise gene distance less than or equal to 0.03. Factors correlated with MTCs were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The chi-square test was used to compare differences between Chinese and Burmese participants belonging to MTCs.ResultsA total of 900 people had their pol gene successfully sequenced. Twenty-one MTCs were identified and included 110 individuals (12.2%). Individuals in MTCs were more likely to be Burmese [aOR = 2.24 (95% CI: 1.33, 3.79), P = 0.003], be younger [aOR = 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.58), P < 0.001 for age 26–50 vs. 25 years or younger], have a lower CD4 T cell count [aOR = 2.86 (95% CI: 1.34, 6.11), P = 0.007 for < 200 vs. 350 or greater], and have subtypes CRF07_BC or C [CRF07_BC: aOR = 7.88 (95% CI: 3.55, 17.52), P < 0.001; C: aOR = 2.38 (95% CI: 1.23, 4.62), P = 0.010 compared to CRF01_AE]. In MTCs, Burmese were younger (89.7 vs. 57.7% for age 25 years or younger), had a lower education level (41.0 vs. 8.5% for illiterate), were more likely to be infected through injection drug use (35.9 vs. 12.7%), and had a higher proportion of subtype BC (33.3 vs. 15.5%) and CRF01_AE (20.5 vs. 8.5%) compared to Chinese (P < 0.05 for all).ConclusionBurmese participants were more likely to belong to MTCs, and most MTCs had both Burmese and Chinese participants. These data highlight the bidirectional transmission of HIV-1 frequently transmission and close relationship among immigrants in the China–Myanmar border region. Local health departments should pay more attention to HIV screening and intervention to immigrants Burmese with the characteristics of younger age, having lower CD4 T cell count and infected with HIV subtypes CRF07_ BC or C.

The development of a vuggy carbonate reservoir is very challenging because of low porosity and permeability in the matrix. Natural fractures and caves play a dominate role in this kind of reservoir. Production of these reservoirs highly depend on whither fracture-cave cubes are successfully targeted. Consequently, it is very important to determine the entire picture of the natural fracture-cave systems near to and away from the borehole. The traditional ways to evaluate fractures or caves in acoustic logging are Stoneley permeability, azimuthal shear-wave anisotropy analysis, along with resistivity image logging. However, the depth of investigation of all these methods is limited from less than one inch to a few feet from the borehole wall. Deep shear wave imaging is a new way to image the reflectors offside the borehole. This imaging technique uses the shear body wave that is reflected back to the borehole by the acoustic impendence differences caused by planar features (such as fractures and caves) in the formation. After suppression of the direct wave mode and migration of the reflected wave, it gives a picture of the fracture system around the borehole. In addition, it has a much deeper depth of investigation, which depends on the shear slowness and attenuation of the formation. Normally, in carbonate formations with shear slowness at 80 ft/us, deep shear wave imaging manages to see reflectors as far as 100 ft from the borehole. Compared to methods using monopole wave to imaging reflectors, deep shear-wave imaging has another important feature. Because it is using cross-dipole waveforms, which is azimuthally sensitive, therefore, the deep shear wave imaging can provide the azimuthal of the fractures—usually very important information for penetration and stimulation of the formation, also the possible locations of the reflectors are defined to help making sidetrack drilling decisions. This paper describes a case study of deep shear-wave imaging application in a vuggy carbonate reservoir in Tarim basin. Conventional pertrophsical interpretation does not show good signatures in the borehole. Deep shear-wave imaging analysis shows two major reflectors away from the borehole. Combining seismic attributes and inversion analysis, the caves offside the borehole are located, helping the operator to make sidetrack decision. The sidetrack is successfully drilled into the cave. The value of deep shear-wave imaging is to provide a further insight of the natural fracture and cave system around the borehole, which cannot be achieved by conventional petrophysical methods.

Background Recent infection testing algorithms (RITAs) incorporating clinical information with the HIV recency assay have been proven to accurately classify recent infection. However, little evidence exists on whether RITAs would help in precisely identifying major drivers of the ongoing HIV epidemic. Methods HIV recency test results and clinical information were collected from 1152 newly diagnosed HIV cases between 2015 and 2017 in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province, and the efficacy of four different RITAs in identifying risk factors for new HIV infection was compared. Results RITA 1 uses the recency test only. RITA 2 and RITA 3 combine the recency test with CD4+ T cell count and viral load (VL), respectively. RITA 4 combines both CD4+ T cell count and VL. All RITAs identified the MSM group and young people between 15 and 24 years as risk factors for incident HIV infection. RITA 3 and RITA 4 further identified the Dai ethnic minority as a risk factor, which had not been identified before when only the HIV recency test was used. Conclusions By comparing different RITAs, we determined that greater accuracy in classifying recent HIV infection could help elucidate major drivers impacting the ongoing epidemic and thus inform targeted interventions.

Neurodegenerative diseases are irreversible conditions that result in progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells. Although the underlying mechanisms may vary, oxidative stress is considered to be one of the major causes of neuronal loss. Importantly, there are still no comprehensive treatments to completely cure these diseases. Therefore, protecting neurons from oxidative damage may be the most effective therapeutic strategy. Here we report a neuroprotective effects of a novel hybrid compound (dlx-23), obtained by conjugating α-lipoic acid (ALA), a natural antioxidant agent, and 3

Actin cytoskeletal asymmetry produces unbalanced hydrodynamic forces to drive spindle rotation during mouse meiotic division., Patterned cell divisions require a precisely oriented spindle that segregates chromosomes and determines the cytokinetic plane. In this study, we investigated how the meiotic spindle orients through an obligatory rotation during meiotic division in mouse oocytes. We show that spindle rotation occurs at the completion of chromosome segregation, whereby the separated chromosome clusters each define a cortical actomyosin domain that produces cytoplasmic streaming, resulting in hydrodynamic forces on the spindle. These forces are initially balanced but become unbalanced to drive spindle rotation. This force imbalance is associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the distribution of the Arp2/3 complex and myosin-II on the cortex, brought about by feedback loops comprising Ran guanosine triphosphatase signaling, Arp2/3 complex activity, and myosin-II contractility. The torque produced by the unbalanced hydrodynamic forces, coupled with a pivot point at the spindle midzone cortical contract, constitutes a unique mechanical system for meiotic spindle rotation.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment methods of hypospadias with megameatus intact prepuce (MIP). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 27 MIP children, 13 of whom underwent tubularized incised plate urethroplasty (TIP procedure), 7 underwent the Duplay procedure, 5 underwent the Mathieu procedure, 1 underwent meatal advancement and glanuloplasty (MAGPI procedure), and 1 underwent the glans approximation procedure (GAP). The patients were followed for 6–36 months to evaluate the surgical outcomes by the Pediatric Penile Perception Score (PPPS). Results: A total of 27 patients with a mean age of 8.12 ± 3.0 years were enrolled in this study, and 25 cases (25/27, 92.6%) were accidentally discovered during the first visit for phimosis. The patients had a formed urethra of 0.5 to 1.5 cm. Complications occurred in 4 of the 27 patients (14.81%): 2 patients with urethral fistula and 2 patients with meatal stenosis. One patient had a case of self-healed urethral fistula, and the remaining 3 patients underwent reoperation. The post-operative effect was satisfactory in all patients, and the urinary flow and stream during urination were normal. The overall average PPPS score of non-operative surgeons and parents was satisfactory. There were no significant differences in meatus appearance, glans appearance, skin appearance, and general appearance PPPS score among the Mathieu, TIP, and Duplay surgical procedures. Conclusions: MIP clinical manifestations are concealed and usually noted when circumcision is attempted. The suitable procedure for each patient should be tailored according to the anatomic features, and several techniques can be used with good functional and cosmetic results.

A crane frame is tested with simple structure and reasonable design. The body of the frame moves smoothly on two sets of walking guides. During the walking process, the driving wheels and the balance wheels are always in contact with the walking guides under the gravity of the weight wheels it prevents the occurrence of slippage and wheel suspension, it also avoids potential safety hazards.

A microporous metal–organic framework (MOF), Cu6(ABTC)3(H2O)6·(DMA)7(H2O)12 (Cu-ABTC, H4ABTC = 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid) was solvothermal obtained and structurally characterized. The activated Cu-ABTC-a exhibits high BET specific surface area of 2366 m2/g. Due to optimized pore space and open Cu2+ functional sites, Cu-ABTC-a displays high C2H2 storage capacity of 208 cm3 g−1 at 298 K and separation selectivities for equimolar C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 at 298 K, respectively.

During mitosis, cells undergo symmetrical cell division, while oocyte meiotic maturation undergoes two consecutive, asymmetric divisions that generate a totipotent haploid oocyte and two small polar bodies not involved in DNA replication. This specialized division allows most maternal components to be maintained in the oocytes for early embryo development. Nuclear positioning, germinal vesicle breakdown, spindle migration, spindle rotation, chromosome segregation, and polar body extrusion are the most critical cellular processes during oocyte meiosis I and II, and a growing number of studies primarily using the mouse oocyte model revealed that actin filaments were critical for these processes, especially for spindle migration. Several important molecules have been reported to be involved in these processes. One family of molecules are the small GTPases, such as Rho GTPases, Ran GTPases, and Rab GTPases and another are the actin nucleators, such as the formin family and the Arp2/3 complex. The present review summarizes recent progress made regarding the roles of actin filaments in the asymmetric oocyte division.

Through detecting method of pulsed eddy-current (PEC) and according to thickness testing model of multi-layer metal, infer the mathematical model of eddy current testing method in single-layer metal. Use Maxwell field equations to find solutions of vector magnetic potential in its boundary conditions thus infer the impedance of hollow coil placed right above metal. Analyze the variation relationship between induced current and metal thickness in theory level. (1) Obtain three characteristic signals of induced current: altitude of current peak value (ACPV), time of reaching current peak (TRCP) and time of traversing zero point (TTZP). The thickness of the metal and the distance between the metal and coil were obtained. (2) Introduce the concept of the lift-off intersection point (LOI) and puts forward a new method of metal thickness detection based on the LOI. By analyzing the results of the experiment, it confirms the feasibility of the LOI of measurement in the metal thickness.

Arf6 (ADP-ribosylation factor 6) is known to play important roles in membrane dynamics through the regulation of actin filament reorganization for multiple cellular processes such as cytokinesis, phagocytosis, cell migration and tumor cell invasion. However, the functions of Arf6 in mammalian oocyte meiosis have not been clarified. In present study we showed that Arf6 expressed in mouse oocytes and was mainly distributed around the spindle during meiosis. Depletion of Arf6 by morpholino microinjection caused oocytes failing to extrude first polar body. Further analysis indicated that Arf6 knock down caused the aberrant actin distribution, which further induced the failure of meiotic spindle movement. And the loss of oocyte polarity also confirmed this. The regulation of Arf6 on actin filaments in mouse oocytes might be due to its effects on the phosphorylation level of cofilin and the expression of Arp2/3 complex. Moreover, we found that the decrease of Arf6 caused the disruption of spindle formation, indicating the multiple roles of Arf6 on cytoskeleton dynamics in meiosis. In summary, our results indicated that Arf6 was involved in mouse oocyte meiosis through its functional roles in actin-mediated spindle movement and spindle organization.

We successfully designed and constructed a novel mircroporous metal organic framework [Y4(TATB)2]·(DMF)3.5·(H2O) (ZJU-16, H3TATB = 4,4′,4′′-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tribenzoic acid) from two different types of MBBs (molecular building block) [Y3(μ3-OH)(COO−)6] and [Y9(μ3-OH)14(COO−)12] and a tricarboxylic acid organic linker via solvothermal reaction. ZJU-16 exhibited high thermal and chemical stability; it is stable up to 500 °C and also maintains its integrity in neutral (water), basic and acidic aqueous solutions. Due to suitable pore size and high stability, the desolvated ZJU-16a demonstrates moderately high selective separation of C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 at room temperature.

Four mononuclear lanthanide compounds, [Ln(TC4A-di-OMe)(LOEt)] (Ln = Tb (1); Dy (2); Ho (3); Er (4)), were synthesized based on a thiacalix[4]arene derivative (H2TC4A-di-OMe = 5,11,17,23-tetrakis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-dimethoxy thiacalix[4]arene) and one auxiliary ligand (LOEt = (η5-cyclopentadienyl)tris-(diethylphosphito-p)cobaltate(III)). Compounds 1–4 were characterized using single crystal X-ray structural analysis and magnetization measurements. The Ln(III) ion features a seven-coordinated {LnO7} environment, capped by one bowl-shaped thiacalix[4]arene ligand and one tripodal LOEt ligand. Magnetic measurements reveal that dysprosium compound 2 shows a characteristic two-step relaxation process while erbium compound 4 behaves as a field-induced single-molecule magnet with a higher energy barrier at 31.7 K. The mononuclear erbium-based compound based on the macrocyclic multidentate thiacalix[4]arene ligand is rarely observed in molecular magnets.

The deformation behavior of rolled Mg alloy AZ31, previously compressed along the rolling direction (RD), was numerically investigated under reverse tension. The EVPSC-TDT model was employed to study the effect of pre-strain on detwinning for 3%, 6% and 9% pre-compressed materials along the RD. A new criterion was proposed to control the exhaustion of detwinning under reverse tension. Numerical results show good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. It was demonstrated that the proposed criteria can capture the key features associated with detwinning in pre-compressed materials. Regardless of the amount of pre-compression, detwinning is activated under reverse tension, leading to low yield stress and a typical s-shaped flow curve. The inflection point reflects the exhaustion of detwinning, which is delayed when increasing the amount of pre-compression.

We have successfully designed and synthesized a new tetracarboxylic linker, which constructed its first three-dimensional microporous metal-organic framework (MOF), [Cu2(DDPD)(H2O)2]•Gx (ZJU-13, H4DDPD=5,5'-(2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene-1,5-diyl)diisophthalic acid, ZJU=Zhejiang University, G = guest molecules) via solvothermal reaction. Due to open Cu2+ sites and optimized pore size, the activated ZJU-13a displays high separation selectivity for C2H2/CH4 of 74 and C2H2/CO2 of 12.5 at low pressure by using Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) simulation at room temperature.

We have measured the low-frequency 1/ ${f}$ noise of Si0.55Ge0.45 ${p}$ MOSFETs with a Si capping layer and SiO2/HfO2/TiN gate stack as a function of frequency, gate voltage, and temperature (100–440 K). The magnitude of the excess drain voltage noise power spectral density ( $\textit{S}_{ {vd}}$ ) is unaffected by negative-bias-temperature stress (NBTS) for temperatures below ~250 K, but increases significantly at higher temperatures. The noise is described well by the Dutta-Horn model before and after NBTS. The noise at higher measuring temperatures is attributed primarily to oxygen-vacancy and hydrogen-related defects in the SiO2 and HfO2 layers. At lower measuring temperatures, the noise also appears to be affected strongly by hydrogen-dopant interactions in the SiGe layer of the device.

A novel 3D anionic microporous metal-organic framework, Cu2(H4DCPPA) (ZJU-71, H4DCPPA=[1,1′:2′,1′′-terphenyl]-4,4′,4′′,5′-tetracarboxylic acid, ZJU=Zhejiang University), has been synthesized and structurally characterized. ZJU-71 possesses one-dimensional channels along a axis and a scu type topology. The negative electricity of the framework makes ZJU-71 an candidate for effective elimination of cationic contaminants.

A 3D microporous metal-organic framework with open Cu2+ sites and suitable pore space, [Cu2(L)(H2O)2]·(H2O)4(DMF)8 (ZJU-15, H4L = 5,5′-(9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl)diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide; ZJU = Zhejiang University), has been constructed and characterized. The activated ZJU-15a has three different types of cages and exhibits BET surface area of 1660 m2 g−1, and can separate gas mixture of C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 at room temperature.

Background Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common urological malignancies. While Inositol-3-phosphate synthase 1 (ISYNA1) expression and function were largely unknown in BCa. We aimed to study the expression and role of ISYNA1 in bladder cancer and investigate its potential mechanisms via ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Methods ISYNA1 expression was quantified by qRT-PCR in bladder cancer cell lines as well as normal urothelial cell line. Knocking down ISYNA1 gene in BCa T24 cells was achieved by shRNA lentivirus transfection. MTT and Celigo assay were used to assess cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was applied to test cell cycle and apoptosis. In addition, IPA was performed using PrimeView™ Human Gene Expression Array. Imunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed in BCa patient tissue microarray to verify the association between ISYNA1 expression and patients’ clinicopathological features. Results ISYNA1 was significantly upregulated in BCa samples vs. para-tumor tissues. Higher expression were significantly associated with tumor T stage and lymph node metastasis of bladder cancer patients. Similarly, it was elevated in BCa cell lines (5637 and T24) compared with SVHUC cells. Knocking down ISYNA1 significantly decreased proliferation, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in T24 cells. Furthermore, IPA indicated that ISYNA1 was an important regulatory factors and related networks were involved in multiple functional processes. Conclusion Taken together, current study suggest ISYNA1 promotes proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in bladder cancer cells, and its expression correlated with BCa patients’ clinicopathological features. Thus, ISYNA1 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for BCa patients.

Nimotuzumab is a humanized anti-EGF monoclonal antibody that has been approved for treating different cancers. However, few studies have examined its therapeutic potential in prostate cancer (PC), a most common and highly aggressive malignancy among male population. We used both LNCaP, and PC3 and PC3-AR (androgen receptor) cells as the model system and assessed the effects of nimotuzumab on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and in vivo. The EMT makers were detected by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blot. MTT, wound healing assay, and transwell assay were used to measure cell viability, migration, and invasion, respectively. For mechanistic understanding, we evaluated the significance of Akt/Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1)/AR axis in nimotuzumab-induced EMT by overexpressing AR, activating Akt using SC79, and/or downregulating YB-1 using siRNA. Nimotuzumab suppressed the xenograft growth from both LNCaP and PC3 cells in vivo, which was associated with reduced EMT. Consistently, nimotuzumab inhibited proliferation, cell-cycle progression, EMT, and migration/invasion, but stimulated apoptosis of both LNCaP and PC3-AR cells in vitro. On the molecular level, nimotuzumab inactivated Akt and YB-1 and reduced the expression of AR. Boosting AR expression in LNCaP and PC3-AR cells antagonized the action of nimotuzumab, at least partially restored EMT, and enhanced the migration/invasion. We also found that Akt was essential for controlling YB-1 activation, and both critical for regulating the levels of AR and EMT-related biomarkers. In this study, we presented our novel findings that by targeting the Akt/YB-1/AR axis, nimotuzumab significantly inhibited EMT of PC cells. Considering that EMT is a critical mechanism contributing to the metastatic spread of cancer cells, nimotuzumab may become a promising therapy for alleviating the malignant progression of PC. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 1-14, 2019.

Homologous chromosome segregation during meiosis I (MI) in mammalian oocytes is carried out by the acentrosomal MI spindles. Whereas studies in human oocytes identified Ran GTPase as a crucial regulator of the MI spindle function, experiments in mouse oocytes questioned the generality of this notion. Here, we use live-cell imaging with fluorescent probes and Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors to monitor the changes in Ran and importin β signaling induced by perturbations of Ran in mouse oocytes while examining the MI spindle dynamics. We show that unlike RanT24N employed in previous studies, a RanT24N, T42A double mutant inhibits RanGEF without perturbing cargo binding to importin β and disrupts MI spindle function in chromosome segregation. Roles of Ran and importin β in the coalescence of microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) and MI spindle assembly are further supported by the use of the chemical inhibitor importazole, whose effects are partially rescued by the GTP hydrolysis-resistant RanQ69L mutant. These results indicate that RanGTP is essential for MI spindle assembly and function both in humans and mice.

BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the highest mortality diseases in the world, which seriously threatens human health and quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the effects of mind-body exercise on cardiopulmonary function, blood pressure and QOL in CHD patients, and to provide scientific evidence-based exercise prescription for patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS This research review will include the following electronic databases from its establishment to December 2020: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Wanfang. Objective to search randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about the effects of mind-body exercise on cardiopulmonary function, blood pressure and QOL in patients with coronary heart disease. CONCLUSION This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide strong evidence for the efficacy and safety of mind-body exercise in patients with coronary heart disease. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION INPLASY202120016. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval will not be necessary since this systematic review and meta-analysis will not contain any private information of participants or violate their human rights.